unexpected century... plus 6

i've been on this "listen to your body" kick lately (read on the brink). yesterday my body told me to ride around doing my errands on my bike and go to yoga. with my palms in rough shape holding the handlebars hurts (so does yoga actually). i have two weeks until worlds. i waffled between riding one last long day or giving into the taper and hurt hands and just do some shorter more intense training. but i really wanted to get one more long day in, i just wasn't so sure my palms could handle it.

so i woke up at 6am this morning and packed the car to do the "tour de whidbey" 100 mile ride (not a race) around whidbey island. by the time i was done packing the car my right hand wounds were bleeding. i went back to bed.

hours later, after a fancy bandaging job i was entertaining the idea of riding again. i called cory and matthew hoping to have some company. no go. so i headed out on this beautiful day with no plan other than to ride until i felt like stopping (listening to my body again). 106 miles later i stopped. it was just one of those days. it appears taking time off is a good thing. i rode the first 100 miles in 5:44 even with the traffic on the burke gilman trail slowing the pace. the whole 106 miles took 6:05, as the last few miles of bg trail through the u was frustrating and very very slow - still managed around an 18mph pace for 106 miles, which is good for me.

last big mileage day done! next challenge: tapering for two weeks! i hate to taper.