FINALLY!!! Today with perfect weather conditions...wind WNW at 10 to 15 mph.....temperature mid to upper 70's I rode my bicycle from Washington Il to Champaign Il 100+ miles for my first century in over two years.  While my speed was somewhat slower than previous rides 16-17 mph I still covered the distance in under 7 hours. I did take an extra rest stop in LeRoy. I felt it is quite an a feat in that I had doubts whether I could accomplish this as it had been quite a while since my last ride of that distance.   Road conditions haven't changed much as Mansfield to Mahomet still resembled riding across railroad ties. That aside, it was a a great day for biking across central Illinois.  On a more interesting note, I had forgotten the amount of Chamois Butter to apply for long distance treks.  In addition to the "regular" areas, ample amounts must be applied to each "cheek".  This resulted in a rash on one cheek that is very uncomfortable.  A very valuable lesson that shall not be repeated!  More later

 

 

Another great week of weather for a cyclist.  Even though it rained two days, I rode a total of about 200miles.  I even took my bike in for its annual tune-up.  High school friend Brian and his wife Susan, who currently lives in England came back to Champaign for a visit.  He hasn't been back for about two years.  We continued the tradition of meeting at Hubers for a couple of pints.  After that we joined the women at the Esquire restaurant for dinner.  It is not my favorite spot as there are many better places I would have chosen, but it was their choice so I went along with it.  The food there is mediocre at best and their beer selection is limited. But who am I to complain.  While at Hubers, we called another high school friend, David Johnson. It was a great conversation as he updated us on what keeps him busy and his family activities.  Conversation topics included health, sports, family and other non-controversial topics.  Excluded were politics and religion as these may result in disagreements and hurt feelings.  Brian did relate to me that when asked if he had to choose between living in England or U.S. he indicated he would stay in England.  Reasons for that included but not limited to the high cost of living here and the current political climate.  A fine visit with the Olsons and look forward to many more. On another note, son Eric is home for a week to play in the largest disc golf tournament in the world...Ledgestone.  Pros and amateurs from around the world compete on 20 disc golf courses around the Peoria area with over 2,500 participants competing.    He is very competitive and usually does well.  Back to the bike. As mentioned earlier my annual tune-up occurred while I visited Brian.  Have ridden twice and am always amazed how different a nicely tuned up cycle differs from one that is worn down since the last one.  And, I'm still looking for that opportunity to do my first century.  Stay tuned