I am completely and totally WIPED. I think every individual part of my body wants to take its own nap. Seperately, of course, from all the other parts. I just finished my first Seattle City half century (56 miles on a bike). Now, I had a great time, my first official group ride, one with a real route and food stops, in WA. But I am knackered, and here's why:

1. 56 miles flat would be tough for me right now, I haven't exactly been riding as much - too busy flying and other stuff - but there are some serious hills here in the city. Now, it should have come as no surprise that the route would be hilly, afterall, the name of the ride is called "Spawning Cycle." So i guess the point was to make us feel like we were salmon, racing up stream... to DIE.

2. It was raining. Now, this does make Sept 16, my first ofificial rainy day in Seattle. How does this make me tired? Try doing any kind of serious exercise soaking wet... and cold.

3. I was biking with a guy who had everY intension of hammering this ride. For those of you who are not bikers, that means, "riding as fast as you can possibly go the whole time." Now, how I wound up with this biking partner deserves some explanation. I met Steve on Wednesday at a hiking club pub night. We talked a lot about biking, he is primarily a mtn biker, but i did ask him if he was going to ride the Spawning Cycle (this question, taken out of context, i realize, could be totally taken another way, but i digress) and he didn't really respond with any particular enthusiasm. So i dropped it. Then i saw that "a" Steve had posted an invite to join him at the SC on the club's board. I responded, but i'm pretty sure my message didn't go through because i sent it to the board and i didn't see it. Anways, last night, i went to a bonfire on Alki Beach (10 mins from my apt) hosted by this club, and sat next to a guy who turns out to be best friends with "steve the biker dude" and calls him up for me to tell him to meet me at the start. So i wasn't totally surprised that it was the same steve i met on Wed. But now i was in trouble. i was going to have to deliver a ride that i was in no shape to. He even asked me where my 22 mile an hour spin went. it was pretty embarassing. But he stuck with me, didn't drop me, even offered to wear my backpack for a while if i was tired. He even repeatedly fixed my seat post that kept falling down, which made it even more difficult for me to keep up. I felt bad sucking up so much of his sunday, and believe me i let him know how much i appreciated his kindness and sacrifice. I could not have figured out the route without him.

I wish I had a picture of the two of us, it was quite a scene, we were so muddy and wet, but i felt like i had taken up so much of his time already, i just let it go. He did mention that he wanted to post an invite to the fall classic cycle in october, so i guess i wasn't too much of a pain...