[jyl]

Arrived in Centralia a little before noon. 5h:48m ride time. 98.9 miles by GPS. Avg spd 17.0 mph. I don't know if that includes pushing the bike around rest stops? Not sure how the app's "stop detection" works.

I got in with some one-day groups for the first 50 miles, and made good time. Next 25 miles was solo and feeling good, still holding 19 mph. Last 25 miles was solo and getting tired, plus some headwind, plugging along at 15-16 mph.

About the riding, I have only a couple of observations.
- Riding a long distance in semi-rural Washington state is pretty boring. If this were a solo ride, I'd have fallen asleep.
- The main distraction is the scenery. There isn't too much, but what there is, is excellent. I mean, take healthy fit women, dress them in tight shorts, put their behinds in the air and have them pedal. It's a recipe for success.
- I would give my Taiwanese Brooks Swallow clone saddle a "B". On the positive side, I never needed the Chamois Butt'r. On the negative side, after mile 75 I was standing up to coast, for fear of losing my sexual functionality. I don't think this damn thing is going to "break in" any more. I've been riding it every day for at least six months. I'm going to try fiddling with the angle and, failing that, will be in the market for a Berthoud or similar.
- There is one "big hill". It is only moderately hard, and just one mile long. The first-timers talked about it so much on the ride - are we there yet? How long is it? I hope I don't have to walk it! - it was like waiting for Jaws. Then he turns out to be fish and chips.

Okay, I specifically stopped in Centralia, against the advice of every STP veteran I talked to, because I didn't want to miss the beer garden and spaghetti feed. But I also was told to eat eat eat at every free food stop. So I did. I had two bananas, a cliff bar, a quarter bagel, a turkey wrap, some grapes. I'd packed a beef sub sandwich and ate that while riding. I had a plastic cup of trail mix in my jersey pocket and ate half of it - I pelted my wheel suckers with the other half. Result: I'm stuffed. I'm actually bloated. Totally not hungry. I guess I'll go choke down a beer anyway.