Today’s ride had about 4,000 feet in elevation gain over the 76 miles we rode. As such, it was the hilliest day we have faced thus far. Most of the hills were less than a half mile in length with many of them significantly shorter.

As a long-distance cyclist, I have learned the best way to negotiate many hills over a long distance is to not expend too much effort on the up hill segments and to not “rest” too much on the downhill segments. This strategy will minimize the lactic acid build-up in your muscles, and likely give you an overall faster ride.

It has been raining hard here for much of the afternoon. However, most of the riders were able to finish before the rains came. We will ordinarily continue our rides in the rain, the exception being the presence of lightning or if the rain is coming down very hard.