RoadSkater.Net - Comments for "Dacula GA"

Yes Philly has a Strong Skate Crowd

In reply to A2A 2007 - My Toes are Still Bruised:

Hey. The email list for Philly is landskaters and they're on yahoogroups.com. There may be more recent setups of course, meetup or facebook or whatever, but for a semi-private email based one, yahoogroups is not bad. The Philly Freedom Skate and later iterations have been great fun, and I'll be back when I have the bucks.

Your city's skating scene

In reply to A2A 2007 - My Toes are Still Bruised:

Your city's skating scene sounds great - is this still going on? Maybe I could take a long weekend there, both skating and dragon boating....

Some things have changed but here are some tips

In reply to A2A Athens to Atlanta Road Skate Survival Strategy:

Thanks to Gustavo for reminding me of this. I use a CamelBak brand waist pack that holds about 48 oz I think it is. I really like this pack and am generally glad I've dropped the m.u.l.e. 100 oz. I used to use. If you have tried fanny packs but not a recent model of the CamelBak, give it a look. One great feature is you can loosen the side straps when you fill it, then as you drink the contents, just pull forward on the straps and it keeps it all tight and not sloshing. I got the optic yellow version and I think it can't hurt and probably helps people see me. I have a second pack of the same style and will likely leave it at 38 to pick up, either the pack or just the bladder. Not sure but it's an idea.

A bit Old but I am sure Great Tips for A2A

In reply to Athens to Atlanta A2A Skate Strategy Guide:

A bit Old but I am sure Great Tips for A2A Thanks for sharing. I'll be doing the 52m A2A this year
GustavoAMH

"The Chuck" LMAO. we had

In reply to A2A 55-mile skate -- Sunday morning fun skate went out of control:

"The Chuck" LMAO. we had the same opening mentality. the start of the race i was unfamilir with myself but skating around Atlanta i know the "mentality" of where the "S" are marked and i went over the route from the overhead satelite view at least a hundred times. i hope you guys learned a valuable lesson. Don't Drop the local!!! :-D (I'll take all the help i can get)

i thought it was funny to read about my "southern hospitality" HAH!!! Johnny, if you only knew what i was thinking along the course.

but as i tried each acceleration, or side juke i knew i had a good skater with me and i had to change my tactic and hope i could take you on the sprint up the hill.

I have no idea how you avoided me in the crash, that skill alone told me how good a skater you are and help lessen the bruising (however mildly though) some.

October 27 was my first day to get back on my skates after A2A and yes i went thru the Park too, wanting to punt little dogs and the clueless owners but more i though about that skinny asian i couldn't shake off.

i look forward to skating with you, Herb Longlastname and the kids from Red Confusion too. the kids were fun but io know some of them will be scary

20 40 or 60 Miles This Weekend

In reply to Athens to Atlanta GA Roadskate 2008 87-Mile A2A Road Inline Skate Photos, Thumbnail Route Map, Speed Route Map:

There's a skate/bike ride (skride) in Greensboro this weekend, and I think it's on Sunday. Proceeds to the MS Society. This is a new one, so I don't know the details, but I do know they have specifically said at least three different places that it's skater friendly. We'll likely be there for 40, or 20 if we wimp. Probably not the 60 but if they are going to be around a long time, who knows. Eebee and Skatey-Mark make good points regarding workshops and such. I think Eddy will be back next year too. I spoke with Bobward on that at A2A on Friday at the skate. But we'll need to get signups to keep him coming back! When you're getting used to roadskating, nothing works like roadskating, so come on out this weekend if you can. If anyone has a link for the info for this weekend, please let us know here.

workshops are invaluable

In reply to Athens to Atlanta GA Roadskate 2008 87-Mile A2A Road Inline Skate Photos, Thumbnail Route Map, Speed Route Map:

Improving your technique will help with the foot issues as well. A little taping is okay - a lot of people do it to prevent blisters. But you shouldn't need lots of it, and certainly not heavy taping. That is, assuming your boots fit reasonably well.

I'm hopeful that we'll get Eddy Matzger back in Greensboro in the spring. If we do, you should definitely try to make his workshop. I just can't say enough good things about it. I'll be there if I don't have any conflicts for that weekend.

I'll probably teach a 1-day workshop in Raleigh again as well, so that's always an option too. I'll try to schedule mine a few weeks before Eddy's, to get people ready for his 2-day workshop...

- SM -

I'm so in.......

In reply to Athens to Atlanta GA Roadskate 2008 87-Mile A2A Road Inline Skate Photos, Thumbnail Route Map, Speed Route Map:

You are so right. And I'm so in. More road miles is what I need, and I learned quite a bit from reading Johnny's and Skatey-Mark's A2A postings. Strategy/forethought/preparation - it all goes into an event like that.

I was so new at TdK - and that was a tough & hilly course with less than ideal pavement. I remember the one section of perfectly new blacktop - it lasted 30 yards. I wanted to punch a DOT worker for that tease.

But I'm a little frustrated - finding time to work in skating is proving to be a challenge; no one truly local to skate with; and the skates give me no trouble up to 12 miles, 20 miles with strategic foot taping and 25 miles with heavier taping so I need to experiment with some comfort options.

But with that said: weather permitting, I'll skate whenever possible, just need 50+ degrees and a little sun would be nice. So over winter months I'll be making a go of it on the roads + hockey will keep me in shape just fine.

I might be able to do 20 on Sunday, 40= a maybe, 60= no way, hockey game that night and would have to save some in the tank.

Thanks for the Encouragement...Still Learning

In reply to Athens to Atlanta GA Roadskate 2008 87-Mile A2A Road Inline Skate Photos, Thumbnail Route Map, Speed Route Map:

My new (to me) little Sony DSC-W120 is a step down from the DSC-W170 I tried out for a week or so. The eBay seller of the DSC-W170 had a money back guarantee and stood by that nicely, so I went for a camera I would worry less about scratching or damaging. Aside from the shift from red to powder pink, the lens in the W120 is a bit faster, megapixels are a bit less, burst mode is a bit faster (still slow by burst standards), videos about the same, lens quality similar (there's some barrel effect I think in the wides), and the options and menus are a bit different.

I think I still like the photos of the old DSC-S50 (the third or fourth I've owned after being stolen or dropped) better in some ways (color perhaps warmer), but I did EXTENSIVE comparison tests as the days closed at Country Park simulsnapping and studying the results, and the new cams are a bit better and stopping the blur when in the right mode and such.

But then again, the tiny size of the DSC-W170 means I can carry this camera almost all day in my palm-slider covered hand and miss fewer shots. It fits more easily in the jersey pocket, and boots up much faster than the DSC-S50. I find I can get lots of angles shooting upside down using the ring finger for zoom and middle finger for shutter. I'm still getting used to aligning the camera with the horizon and holding it still...it seems harder to hold the smaller device still.

The only real annoyance is that some modes don't let you specifically control the flash and I'm still learning which ones force it on or off or decide for me. I was getting some good results in the twilight portrait mode which flashes the subject then reads exposure from the scene not including the flash, or something like that. It helps to freeze the subject or at least highlight it while letting other things whir by.

There's lots to learn but this was a demo unit from a big box electronics chain that I bought on eBay so the first scratch won't hurt so badly and if I drop it the exposure (ha) to financial ruin is more limited.

I miss the red W170 only for the color of the outside, the very slightly larger but definitely sharper display (not a big deal), and the extra pixels. I wouldn't use the pixels for bigger photos much at all, but would use them for the "smart zoom" which is a cooler digital zoom mode that lets you zoom in without losing quality like the other digital zoom mode does. The 170 had a 5X lens and the 120 has a 4X, but really, I can hardly hope to hold those steady on skates even with steady-shot going.

I'm still learning as I say, but I bought extra batteries that last longer so I can use the continuous focus monitor mode and the steady-shot all the time. I'm still figuring out when they're on and off in various modes. The batteries are tiny, and I needed all three for the full day of A2A from sunrise to sunset and beyond, but three were enough. Having 4M of memory when shooting at 3MP is nice (the DSC-W120 does 7.2 I think it is, but 3MP is the most I would want, and I may even use a smaller 16:9 ratio size). The S50 had a 15 second limit on 320x240 video, but the W120 has something like a 10-minute limit if at all, with two 640x480 modes.

The only BIG beefs are I would like to have a finer compression option as the pixels don't look as clean as those on the S50, and I'd like to have a sports mode that insists on a fast shutter speed. I think the W series is intended to be point and shoot and pray and it is good at that. I could have bought something else, but I wanted Sony, Zeiss and tiny, so we'll have a go with it. It has been superfun so far. The blur is annoying but by my tests, I was already dealing with that before with the S50.

Thanks for the kudos. I know you looked at every single photo, and have examined thousands of skateypics on my site and lots more. Glad you liked them after putting up with the slowing and distraction the camera inserts into skating...sometimes quite happily.

You Are Right It Is My Fault

In reply to Athens to Atlanta GA Roadskate 2008 87-Mile A2A Road Inline Skate Photos, Thumbnail Route Map, Speed Route Map:

Ha! MikeB you skated a tough one at Tour de Kale on a smokin' day of blazesun heat. After that, the hockey matches seemed to get in the way, and when we went out for hills often North of Greensboro, I think you could not find a rideshare when gas cost way much. But get ready for next year's Tour de Lions, Tour de Kale, Tour de Tammy, Free T2T Training Rides, and Tour to Tanglewood (if you want). If you do those, you'll be ready for 87 by October I bet. There's no good reason not to try 87, and we may have something soon for you to try close by...oh and there's a skater friendly ride next week in Greensboro on Sunday, 20, 40 and 60 miles for $25 to benefit MS. Thanks for the comments. If you have fave photos, I'm always interested in those. I take the same pictures every year in some respects, but they come out differently too.

Great photos

In reply to Athens to Atlanta GA Roadskate 2008 87-Mile A2A Road Inline Skate Photos, Thumbnail Route Map, Speed Route Map:

Yeah I think Roadskater outdid himself this year on the photos! There are so many of our various pacelines and many more this year of the 'no man's land' section of the course - the scorching hot 15 miles between Lawrenceville (rest stop 4) and Stone Mountain (rest stop 5). Roadskater must've been feeling fine and dandy the whole way this time. There are also way more of the post-finish line antics and attendees.

A2A details look SWEET

In reply to Athens to Atlanta GA Roadskate 2008 87-Mile A2A Road Inline Skate Photos, Thumbnail Route Map, Speed Route Map:

Pics show it all - great weather, great time, great looking roads,,,,,I'll have to try this next year. Honestly, it seems to be one fantastic event. Now I'm kicking myself for passing it up. 87 seems like a haul but the 38 is do-able and potentially the 52.
It's your fault Blake - you should have pushed me harder.
(wow, how's that for not taking personal responsiblity?!)

Nice!

In reply to Athens to Atlanta GA Roadskate 2008 87-Mile A2A Road Inline Skate Photos, Thumbnail Route Map, Speed Route Map:

Oh Drool! I'll take a left in yellow and a right in blue, please...

http://roadskater.net/photos/athens-to-atlanta-roadskate-a2a-2008-87-mil...

Way more fun

In reply to A2A 55-mile skate -- Sunday morning fun skate went out of control:

As usual, Johnny, I laughed more reading your report than I did over the whole 87 mile skate (that is supposed to be a compliment).

Thanks for coming to A2A again!

Out of control for sure

In reply to A2A 55-mile skate -- Sunday morning fun skate went out of control:

Johnny,
your reviews always crack me up. They totally rock and I love the descriptive touches:
*I didn’t care if I bonked but wished I had lost a few lbs for this day.
*The pack included no females; hence were unable to ask for directions.
*It pays to be the skinny Asian when it comes to hotdog eating and A2A.
*“Herb, don’t be a donkey. Let me have this.” (Inexact quote!)

That is classic.
Thanks - felt like I was there.

2008 A2A Results are in!

In reply to Athens to Atlanta (A2A) Roadskate: 87 miles of Rolling Georgia Hills on Inline Skates:

WOW! Good stuff BlakeyBlake. I was looking at the official standings and it looks like the Roadskater crew and Triangle Skate Club were well represented.

Mark S. posted 87 miles in 5:33? Are you kidding?! He was in the top 25 and 5th in his age group. Unreal.

Looks to have been a great event and can't wait to hear your's and everyone's experiences.

Uwe Does What I Think I Might Do Someday

In reply to Athens to Atlanta Roadskate (A2A Skate): Total Ascent, Elevation Gain; Barometric or GPS Data?:

He's the data man. Those USGS topos often show elevations (usually) of intersections and I thought how easy to get the elevation of every turn. This was years ago I thought it and I got as far as getting almost all the topos in digital form and arranging them and all that, but it bogged down for me when some data was not available free, or I couldn't find it. But Uwe had already done lots of this it turns out...at least for a previous course of the A2A Roadskate...link from David K on InlineNC yahoogroups.com list...

http://www.a2a.net/athelev2.html

Barometric May Beat GPS for Estimating Elevation Variance

In reply to Athens to Atlanta Roadskate (A2A Skate): Total Ascent, Elevation Gain; Barometric or GPS Data?:

This is not scientific measurement, just a "thought-experiment," but depending on the consistency of the weather, barometric may be way better than GPS for measuring total ascent. If you don't care about the accuracy of the elevation but more the variance throughout several hours starting from a ballpark figure, barometric can be very accurate. If a weather front comes through, all bets are off, though.

I have a record of one 11-hour period wherein I measured heart rate, including during sleep overnight, to find my resting or sleeping pulse. The total ascent for that sleeping and sitting around was only 79 feet. This must have been during a relatively constant weather period regarding barometric pressure, but still, that's not a bad error level it seems to me.

As we've noted before with caloric measurements on the Garmin Forerunner 305 versus the Polar HRMs we have used, I will consider the the GPS-only elevation in the 305 as suspect until otherwise I learn better.

My elevation measurements should be in feet on the Polar 720i, and those figures are closer to the MotionBased Gravity estimate than are most of the Forerunner estimates I saw online.

I find the Forerunner 305 to be excellent at measuring XY (lat lon) and route distances (laps are amazingly consistent even with some tree cover in Greensboro Country Park). Speed measurements also seem great and the unit tracks well and has WAAS corrections.

But I'm guessing the altitude measurements of the Forerunner 305 are not as good as the Garmin eTrex Vista I would think (at least in open skyview), since it uses barometric AND GPS data to adjust for weather drift to keep the figures a bit closer to honest.

I wonder if anyone with an eTrex Vista (other than me!) has done the whole route and posted it on motionbased.com. I wonder if I still have the data from one or more A2A excursions or the time to dig it out? I wonder if DavidK is listening in?

If I find time I'll try to look at altitude data from multiple workouts at GCP to see if those figures are consistent. What really matters to me is to be able to compare routes and workouts with some confidence that relative to each other, at least, the readings are consistent.

As for better ways of measuring, of course there is the survey method with the tripod and post and all that, but it would take a long time to skate or walk the route and take measurements along the way. I'd say rest stops would be closed before getting to the first one! As it is, I may start wearing the Polar on the other wrist or hanging off a pack or bottle to get that data too!

I hope not.

Varies Wildly!

In reply to Athens to Atlanta Roadskate (A2A Skate): Total Ascent, Elevation Gain; Barometric or GPS Data?:

I assume your polar 720i readings are in meters. Those are comparable to the elevation records in feet on the Motionbased.com entries. I can't imagine over the whole 87 miles it's only 4,500 odd feet elevation. That's about what we covered at the Tour de Guilford (...or did we...?).

Thanks for all the info. Uwe's elevation profile & details on the A2A website was the first place I looked. I am astounded at the variation of elevation readings posted on those motionbased.com entries. I find it hard to believe that after all these millennia, humans don't choose good old physics and Earth-bound-triangulated elevations for inhabited areas of the planet for more accuracy over variable barometric pressure readings or satellite signals. I imagine even a shaky, hand-held gadget plus eye-balling would be a more reliable way to find altitude. I wonder how Mr. Mitchell did it. I'm sure I could research this :-)

I love the idea of the MB Gravity service. However, if the one Motionbased.com entry you mentioned is closer to correct, it's about half the elevation of the majority of the other entries. Then there's the suggestion that perhaps if you skate slower, there is more room for elevation-reading error. Hmm. So the spanky skaters got to Atlanta quicker and ended up with less climbing - or rather maybe it just felt like it to them. To the rest of us it felt like we climbed 16,000 feet that day.

I mean, I don't have to know what the real, honest and true elevation is, but pick a number and go up or down from there and be consistent. Maybe blasting a mountain with ultrasound, MRI or doppler radar would give a more effective reading :-).

Ok so the official answer is: You'll climb eleven thousand feet over the 87 miles of A2A, on the other hand it could be sixteen thousand feet over 88 miles! Uh...well it's just really hilly so start skating in May and hope you picked a sufficiently hilly terrain to train on :-). Come to think of it, a number of Floridians and Bart from the Netherlands beat me last year on A2A. BUT STILL! I'd like to find a consistent method for logging elevation.

Athens to Atlanta 87+ Mile Inline Skate Elevation Ascent Data

In reply to Athens to Atlanta Roadskate (A2A Skate): Total Ascent, Elevation Gain; Barometric or GPS Data?:

Hey...Nice topic, eebee. I looked for some stuff on motionbased because I was sure I had seen it. Here's a rough search that'll show several A2A trips. Looks like A2A may be 88 or 89 miles, ha!

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/network/digest/view.mb?keywordSearch=skate%20athens

Elevation varies wildly but take a look at each individual record and there's a lot of info there which is interesting and perhaps useful. For example, check out this one...

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/1489440

GPS Signal Quality is "Excellent" and the elevation settings use the MB Gravity Web Service. That means the signal was good enough to take the XY (lat lon) info and match it with professional survey data. This is used instead of the info in the user's GPS unit, since the Z (altitude) error is typically 1.5 times the XY (lat lon) error with GPS units anyway. Perhaps you can gather some sense from this info as to whose data might be most accurate.

For what it's worth, one wonderful thing about my old Polar 720i (or whatever it was/is) was the data uploads (as is the case with the Garmin Forerunner 305). I have barometric altimeter readings for five A2As (2 unofficial ones in 2005). According to those readings, total ascent was as follows:

Year	Ascent
2004	4439
2005 Outlaw	4921
2005 Sidekick	4619
2006	5341
2007	5059
Average	4876

I hope this gives some help and that you'll share what you find elsewhere. I bet Uwe has some figures on this, and probably David K, and perhaps the a2a.net website (I know they used TopoUSA to create an elevation profile long ago.

Thanks for the question!

How Many at Philly...

In reply to A2A 2007 - My Toes are Still Bruised:

Hey Phillyskatergirl...how many skaters would you say there were at the Philly Skate earlier this year (2007), as a rough guess? Just curious.

Only going up the museum steps...

In reply to A2A 2007 - My Toes are Still Bruised:

Nope, not backwards! But it is great to watch some of the skaters fly down them! I am not that insane :)

I am glad you enjoyed past Philly skates! And thank you for making the trip up here to be a part of them as well!

When I finished the 52 I doubt I could have survived much more! The 87 sounds crazy to me but I will do it within the next two years. Hope to see you at the next one! Hopefully I will bring some friends as well to join in with the fun!

Took me long enough to write....

In reply to A2A 2007 - My Toes are Still Bruised:

Yes, the Philly Free Skate was great and I was thrilled to be a part of it. I just started skating with the Landskater club in 2006, a little after that year’s Freedom Skate so I missed it. :( Skating with the Landskater’s club is also filled with great people, many that skate strong all winter long. I am looking forward to a fast winter skate season!

My transition? I always had rec skates since I was 12, but I only used them here and there. Once I started skating with the LS group regularly in 2006, I ended up skating about 3-4 times a week. When I first came out with the LS group, I had an old pair of K2 78mm skates. They were old and I ended up getting a new pair, the K2 Athena model in 2006 with 84mm wheels. I used these skates a lot and was able to get some amazing speed on them. I then found out I was a speed junky and ended up treating myself to the Lightning TF 100mm skates. I found these hard to use right away and ended up purchasing a 90mm pair of Aero Rollerblade skates. Ebay was my friend… let me just say that! I really like the 90s and still use them even now, especially for city skating. I enjoy having a variety of skates, kind of like shoes... it depends on my mood what I want to do!

As far as moving up to the speed skates, I ended up scoring a pair of bonts and the first 10K race I did after a friend suggested I should try it. This friend also talked me into buying the bonts. I didn't like them at first, but after using them a bit, I started to love them!

After I got the Bonts, I started skating a lot more to get use to them and decided to go for the NYC marathon. I think I did my first 26 miles in early August and thought I was going to die. I just kept up with it and didn’t give up. The NYC marathon was a blast! I really enjoyed the 42K race and am looking forward to it next year as well. I have to say it was a great feeling to be a part of some huge pacelines going downhill! What a RUSH!

So that is pretty much my history. I am also taking it a step further and bought a 110 frame for the Bonts which are great! I am loving them for outdoor skating and can't wait until it gets warm enough to use them more.

Also, I just started doing indoor speedskating. It was suggested that I do for it to help my outdoor skating. I have done two races so far, and am getting more confident in the technique. It's hard but I am starting to love it almost as much as the outdoor skating. (I also have another new pair of skates for this :) )

If anyone wants a suggestion on how to transition up, just stick with it and set small goals! I tend to focus on one thing at a time when I skate and I do not give up until I figure it out or find someone that can help me. Also, have fun doing it! If it's not fun, try another type of skating!

I am looking forward to seeing where everything goes! I am still not sure about the 87 miles A2A.. I may just try to beat my time for the 52!

And when you got to the top of the Art Museum steps...

In reply to A2A 2007 - My Toes are Still Bruised:

...You did the backwards, 'flying down them' thing, right? I enjoyed reminiscing about skating in Philly at the beginning of your A2A story! We've been to several Philly Freedom Skates. I LOVE Philly (on skates, in the summer, with a group of happy friends). I'm sure those downtown sprints and fartleks got you well on your way to being the speedskater you are now.

When you started speedskating back in July, what did you do differently to reflect that? New boots? Speedteam? The 87 is a whole new ball game. Pretty hellish, but a lot of crazy fun.

As a resident of Metro Atlanta and semi-aprr skater...please accept my hearty thanks to you for making the journey down here (to win the 52!) and becoming part of this incredible event.

my feet aren't healed either

In reply to A2A 2007 - My Toes are Still Bruised:

But it was all worth it and gives me an excuse to buy new boots.
You're already thinking about next year. Very nice.
Congrats!

You Won the Women's 52-Miler, Right? 87 Next Year!

In reply to A2A 2007 - My Toes are Still Bruised:

Hi and thanks for your A2A story. Yes being around the Landskaters is a huge benefit, and being in Philly is a dream! It's a great place to get in some hills and cityscapes, indeed. The Philly Freedom Skate (Philly Skate Jam one year, Philly Free Skate last year) is great stuff with incredible logistics. They know their routes and how to make the most of their skate patrol volunteers. Amazing.

You took the Women's 52 platter, right? I think that's you there in the photo with the silver dish. My big platter was only at dinner!

Congratulations! What a thrill it must have been to realize you had a great finish time and that you were first among the women in the 52. The 87 is really hard and I bet you can't even finish! It is so hard you probably shouldn't try. Actually it's only 35 miles more. No big deal, right? It'll be fun to see which you choose next year.

Could you tell us how you made the transition from rec skates (what did you have, k2, rb, Salomon?) to your speedskating setup (did you go to speed boots or just change frames, and to what?). We have some folk reading who are wondering how you make that shift. And suggestions? Thanks for sharing. Please tell us more, like your story from the NY100K.

Welcome phillyskategirl

In reply to 2007 a2a 38-mile race + 49-mile cool down skate:

Hey Christina...Thanks for signing up and posting a comment. This was your first A2A, right? We definitely need new skaters to catch the A2A fever. We would love to hear your story. Just use "create/blog" and you're all set. Thanks again for joining.

That is a great! I really

In reply to 2007 a2a 38-mile race + 49-mile cool down skate:

That is a great! I really enjoyed reading this! I wish I got the chance to feel a nice push on my back and could have gone for the 87 mile...

It was nice meeting and "smiling" at you. I needed to come across some civilization during the skate :) I was dying at that point but seeing you gave me a refreshing boost of energy!! Hopefully I will see you at the 2008 A2A!! ~ Christina

Thoughts along the way.

In reply to 2007 a2a 38-mile race + 49-mile cool down skate:

Thoughts along the way. That's one reason I love long distance events. On the course, the only thing that matters was the road and the motion. Often it hurts physically, but somehow life seems simpler and more positive..

I couldn't believe I missed you at the start. I event checked the bathroom. I guess there were just too many roadskater jerseys.

Yeah, it's hard to watch the

In reply to 2007 a2a 38-mile race + 49-mile cool down skate:

Yeah, it's hard to watch the participation decline.

After my spine problem, I decided I shouldn't wait 'til "ready" for such opportunities. But I did beat my previous time of 11 mph for the 38-mile course. So that's pretty cool.

It was great to meet you guys.