This just in from Neil Taylor…

“Finished my first official 100k this year.  I had a 97 k back on January 19th before I found out about this challenge.  Today I rode out into that flint hills south of emporia, KS into about a 15mph wind.  I wanted to get the wind out of the way to start off the ride and then have it at my back to bring me into town.  The early climbs were all very familiar to me.  I’ve rode those before, but this was my first ride of any distance in a while so I took it easy.  Been fighting a mix of colds & sleepless night due to an infant with ear infections.  Most rides have come in at 25 miles recently.  As I headed further south I turned onto a stretch of rode I hadn’t been on before.  I didn’t have a planned route so I headed down G road.  Up ahead I saw a decent hill and I was getting really sick of riding hills into this southern wind, but I saw a rode right before the hill and figured I would turn.  Crap!! it was a dead end.  So I went back and rode up the hill.  It about killed me, but this was the southern point of my ride.  From here I was heading a mile over and then going back north.  North = wind at my back = rest for my legs.  

I stopped about 3 miles later to take a picture of the ostrich farm.  Never seen those before.  I’m just glad they were behind a fence.  Those things are huge up close.  As I rode north some more I eventually had to turn east some to get more miles in.  When I turned east I found what was going to be the death of me.  The wind had shifted and was coming pretty strong out of the east.  As I approached 40 miles I hit a wall.  I really wanted to quit, turn home and go at it another day.  At that time my average speed was around 14 mph and I felt like that was decent.  I convinced my self after a quick break that I needed to keep going.  I dragged those final 23 miles.  I made it.  Wanted to quit, but knew I’d be mad at myself if I did.  Finished with 62.8 miles/ 4:46:15/ 2530 feet elevation gain/ 2 sore legs/ 1 sore butt.”  

Way to stick it out, Neil!