Cool. Here's my daily commute from 1985. Burlington, VT to Waterbury. With a tailwind I could do it in 1.5 hours, with a headwind at the end of the day, 3 hours.

Veloroutes is a neat site. I just mapped a route I do with my kids every once in a while. We live two blocks from the Custis bike path, so we take that to the Four Mile Run path and take the Mount Vernon path back to the Custis. You go downhill gradually to the airport by the river, and then uphill all the way home.

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Looking at the 6 gap route again I got to thinking about the food stops. Who puts a food stop at the bottom of a big ass climb?
"I think I'll just get off my bike now, cool down, let my muscles practically rigor mortise, have a nosh then climb that big frigging hill..."

I'd rather have a snack at the top.

Need the fuel to make it to the top.

I'm just a novice. Lessons learned on my first century.

1. EAT.
2. EAT.
3. Drink water.
4. Carry extra tubes. Emphasis on multiple.
5. Know how to change a flat...before the flat happens.
6. Accept help from the experienced riders.
7. EAT. Today is not the day to hit on the diet. According to Garmin I burned 8,500 cals. that day. Go ahead have that snickers and a MTN Dew. at the bottom of the hill.

I think you should also EAT.

The itch is becoming a rash. I stopped by my local shop on the way home tonight. The mechanic showed me his new personal ride, carbon fiber trek with electronic shifting it even adjusts the front derailleur cant based on chain line, frickin neat.

Wow Griff that is pretty cool. I normally ride a Trek 1200, it's a nice bike. I'm looking to upgrade by spring of next year, so a friend on post changed out my peddals on a Cannondale Synapse...WOW!!! Dudes, it was like going from my mountain bike to the Trek, it was that different and better.

Oh, so I'm out on the back side of the Airfield on Pope Army Airfield....drafting behind a van in the 35 zone. it was a slight downhill and flat, I don't normally draft vehicles in the 35 mph zone. So, I hear this PA system benind me "STAY TO THE RIGHT!!!!" I look behind me and slow down and President Obama's motorcade drives by....COOL! You see the best stuff when you are out on a bike. I thought a moment about drafting the Prezzes limo but thought better of it cause the Secret Service might not like that too much.

That is too cool! Maybe he'll ride with you next time.

That is the tough part of long commuting by bike, a stiff headwind can really screw with your plan, although it can force you to train harder.

http://veloroutes.org/s/67689

Someone else mapped this but I've looped the lake a few times. It is a really nice ride especially if you want to do a century without brutal climbs.

I"m off on a century at 0900 today. Flat ground, good group, should be pretty easy. Two biggest factors today: 1. Cold! 2. 15 mph winds from the north. Yea, this may make my last statement about being easy a bunch of bull. I'll tell you about it tonight.

Good luck Bro!

So, I am DUN, done. 102.7 miles, 15.6 average. The wind was brutal and it was very cold. There were 8 of us. Included here is me on a break and the bike. Because it's all about the bike.

If anyone can tell me how to flip that picture around I'd be very grateful.

It's easier to just rotate the monitor.