Surry Century

Lovely day. The weather was a perfect day for a long ride on a bike. My friend, Julie, and I started very early (4:30 am) and drove to Surry, Virginia for our first, complete registered century. The ride began at 7, and we were rolling out at 7:15. It closed at 4:00 and we rolled back in at 4:15;0) We made a complete day of it.
The first thing I want to tell you, even before the beauty of this area, is of the hospitality of the people there. They are Beautiful. The volunteers who put this on were cheerful, and kind, and encouraging, and just wonderful. The rest stops were generously stocked, and one, in particular, was entirely home-made, gourmet delicacies. There was delicious home-made hummus, on home-made garlic rounds, bruschetta, ham biscuits, cookies, cakes, etc. Even the peanut butter sandwiches…… were on home-made bread! That kind of personal attention is what we experienced today. When we crossed the finish line, 15 minutes after the ride had been closed, and the volunteers were packing their cars, one lady turned to us, and looked us in the eye, and congratulated us;0)
Thank you.
This century was such a pleasure to ride. The fields and woods, and roadways were beautiful with greenery, and wildflower. The smells of the lovely yellow roadside flowers and the honeysuckle were uplifting, and the morning glories in a variety of colors so spontaneous. There were views of the river. Friendly riders. and the company of my friend and riding companion. As we rode along, we spoke of other friends who were on the ride also, and of the many wonderful friends we have acquired as a result of riding.
We met Chris, a gentleman that rode the same Lancaster covered bridge metric that I rode. We met Lee, who shot some pictures of us, and a young man, who was out for a run, after finishing his century!!!!!! Nut;0)
This day, was such a pleasure. The time that Julie and I got to spend together, getting to know each other better, and encouraging one another was priceless.
The ride was sponsored by the Peninsula Bicycling Association and I highly recommend it, even if you have never ridden a century before. It’s organized in such a way, that you ride the first 50 miles, and are back at the starting point, then you ride a second, separate, 25 mile loop, and you are back at the starting point, then, a third, separate look, for your last 25. This gives you the opportunity to assess your condition after each section, before jumping back in, and getting in over your head.

This was a wonderful ride. Thank you to the Penninsula bicycling association.

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