100 Miles - Lots of Smiles and Great Memories

I rode my 1st 100 miles Sunday. 100 miles - I can't believe I did it. Well, actually I can. I guess I should say I can't believe how good I feel today after riding that distance yesterday. I'm sure the adrenaline is still pumping giving me this great feeling. YEAH!!! I did it. What a great day it was.

Here are just some of things I saw, heard and thought of along the way .....

Riding down Plank Trail and seeing a small fox. - Watching my cateye spin from 1700 to 1800 after riding just 10 miles. - Thinking I need a new battery. - Craig being chased by a huge Shepard - Hearing the front of the group yelling at the dog. - Watching the back of the group pedal faster to get past the dog. - Keri saying that the chase literally scared the snot out of her. - Hearing laughter. - The Kankakee River State Park sign. - Realizing I have no idea the places I can take my kids that are only a half hour drive from my house. - River rock. - The morning sun reflecting off the water. - Tree lined bike path that curves down and then up and then down. - Gil coasting by me with a huge smile on his face. - A brown furry caterpillar (that I hope I didn't squash). - A narrow blue suspension bridge. - A father and son standing on the bridge watching us go by. - The Wilmington Water Tower. - The big golden arches of McDonalds. - Icy cold Coca Cola (No more Coca Cola while riding). - Hearing Craig tell the story how and old lady punched him in the arm because he told her that our group rode in from California, then later she learned he was telling tall tales so she punched him. - Hearing Mike tell the story about the old man coming out of McDonalds to protect his big red truck from all us "hoodlums". - Scott I. stopping to answer his phone and telling us to keep going. - My phone ringing, it's Scott I. asking if Rick was with us? - My phone ringing again, it's Rick wanting to know where everyone was, he was still at McDonalds. - Scott I. riding back to get him. - A freight train sitting on the railroad tracks. - Traffic zooming by on I55. - A road under construction and some very courteous drivers allowing us to ride with them on it. - Bill tipping his bike and watching his water spill out. - Pat offering Bill fresh water. - Pat telling me what kind of pedals he has and how he will email me the information because I told him I knew I wouldn't remember what he just told me. - Hearing race cars zoom by but not be sure which direction the sound was coming from. - Cold, blue gatorade from the BP station in Elwood. - Scott I. telling me that all I had to do was ride home from Elwood and I would have 100 miles!!! - Catching the group in New Lenox at a lemonade stand. - Kids screaming with excitement because they had so many people stopping to buy all at once. - The kids dads coming out to see why their kids were screaming. - Craig changing a flat tire and having his CO2 cartridge miss fire causing him to have to change the tube again. - Watching Rick tap his feet to the music that was playing in the park. - Riding into Frankfort and watching some of the group head for their cars. - Gil, Craig and Tony riding just in front of us, getting the couple of extra miles they needed for their 1st 100. - Keri and I at Benton Drive and me shouting out because I just made 100 miles. - Keri calling me when she got home, she did it too!!!

On another note - I have found that one of the best, probably most underrated core workouts is laughing. My stomach hurt from laughing before we even got into the water on Saturday. Then once in the water, when I wasn't swimming I was laughing at Tom R., Scott and Craig. "Paris Hilton" goggles and me missing the turn around point. Was that funny? Well, it was when I was out in the open water bombing up and down like a fishing lure. This journey I signed up for has taken on a dimension that has brought a greater meaning to my training for the Wisconsin Ironman. I have memories that will last a life time.