Started a few blocks back from the start line and looking behind me it was bikes as far as I could see. We spent 3 minutes after the cannon went off waiting for our turn to start moving forward. Even then it was walking to the start and I finally got on I had to push with one foot while the other was clipped in. Finally the crowd spread out and the faster people started to group together and I was up to full speed. Thanks to some drafting I was averaging 25+MPH and skipped the first 3 aid stations. Then around mile 35 it started to rain, hard. Stopped at aid station 4 to get under the tent for a minute and eat a pickle but the rain wasn't going anywhere so I just sucked it up and kept going. It finally cleared by the time I got to mile 47 but the road was still wet and everyone's tires were throwing water up off the pavement. Stopped at every aid station after that. Aid station 5 was a little muddy and it got all over my clips. Took me a minute to finally get my right foot in each time. By aid station 6 I found out that it was also equally hard to get my right foot out now. It took some force and wasted time but I got it to work. I never would have thought to drink a bottle of pickle juice as a recovery drink until they had them at aid station 7. Weird, but it worked like a charm. The field really started to spread out by now and it was small groups of 3 or 4 riders for the most part. Met alot of cool people and even got recognized by a few people from past triathlons. Doing century training rides on my own my PR was ~5:40 and once I was 20 miles out I started to realize that I could break 5 hours! Still stopped at each aid station but made things quick each time. Had to keep going at a 20MPH pace or I wouldnt' make it. By the last aid station (5 miles from the finish) I was just sick of riding and wanted to go home. Then I turn a corner and there it is: the "unofficial" 98th mile aid station. The aid station with free beer and barbeque. Stopped and chugged a Budwieser. Felt great after that and really pushed to make sure I finished in time. Crossed the finish line and stopped my watch; I beat 5 hours by a mere 15 seconds. Since I had a triathlon the next day, all I wanted to do was finish the course, but the PR was just icing on the cake.

Nothing. Not the kind of ride I would treat as a race, but the experience of riding with 9600 other people was great.

Rode to my Jeep and loaded up my bike. Found a bathroom then looked for some food. Turns out there was free soda and nothing else. At least nothing else for free. This isn't an expensive race to enter and with 10,000 people I really should have guessed that they wouldn't have food, but something would have been nice. Now I know for next year that I should bring a cooler with something for afterwards.


Rain.


Fantastic experience. Definitely one that everyone should do.