Century Ride

So...a little more detail about the Century Ride on Sunday.

We got there EARLY in the morning. Dad dropped us off at about 5:30am...and got in place at the staging area (the parking lot between the Shell and the zoo...boy Cec, you would have LOVED the smell). Went to 'Group C' which were the hundreds of people who rode 6-7 mph and prefered to 'look around and enjoy the scenery', as the description in the registration said. (we were really in between Group B 13-17mph riders and Group C, but we figured we'd just pass people as we went and prefered to not be pressured, which is indeed what happened)

Here's Rye in the staging area. At this is point we looked around and realized that 75% of the people around us were from Japan!!! And LOTS of Japanese families and people who DIDN'T look like they had trained...

So after a lot of fan fare, speaking (over 50% was in Japanese)...

They released us in sets by speed...and at about 6:30 we were off!! Funny, it was so crowded though, we didn't get ON our bikes till after the start point!

The first part of the ride was from Kapiolani park up to Diamond Head, and I'll admit I was concerned with the incline. But with so many families, Japanese tourist and Japanese elderly (well not THAT old, but in their 70s), Rye and I easily got up the hill and past people, where upon we came up to the really nice look out and had a great laugh, because not a quarter mile into the ride all the Japanese riders had gotten off their bikes and were taking pictures of each other, the view, the angle of diamond head...(see them in the background?) Hee hee...it was pretty funny.

Okay, didn't want to write a novel, so will just post a couple more pics of the ride.

Here's Rye coming up to Hawaii Kai drive.

After a restroom break (we strayed off the route to Rye's folks' place) we stopped at the turn around point a little after Sandy beach...(this is Rye coming up to it)...and then headed back towards town.

This was a pretty funny but disconcerting sight. This CUTE little Japanese boy was pushing along on his tiny little bike. He looked like he was 5!! Only, there were NO adults around?! We had no idea who he was with, but he seemed to be doing just fine.

And here's the last mile. That's Diamond Head in the background for those of you who aren't local, it's what the back of it looks like. :) This is where I seriously started to die. And you can't tell, but it's at LEAST a 5% incline there, which after 24 miles and no training seriously feels like a mountain. ;) How that little boy ever made it is beyond me. (wonder if he did?)

At anyrate, we had a GREAT time. We were a lot less sore then we thought we'd be, and I can't wait to get back on my bike and start riding again!!! (if only i had a fan attached to my bike...biking in Hawaii is HOT) :) :D