Rain or Shine

I know, you can see the excitement on my face!
One week before the RIDE, I had planned to do a training ride upstate NY around Westpoint/ Harriman Park with some friends. This was my way of making me sane before I set out to do 100 miles.
I rented the ever so trusty ZipCar for as much of the day as I could get it and woke early on Saturday July 10 to head out. Now of course, the forecast called for 'isolated thunderstorms' Coming from Seattle I didn't until recently know what that meant... now it is just another day on the east coast, where you hope that you won't get washed away in your summer clothes. People like to say it rains in Seattle, but I have to say coming from Seattle, you haven't seen rain until you experience the East Coast downpours that happen in the dead heat of summer!
After a nice carb heavy bowl of oatmeal with almonds and a little yogurt for breakfast I headed out via car to the Palisade Parkway to meet up with the friends.
We arrived at Harriman a quarter after 8am, and started to unload our bikes and gear. With everything out of the car, and almost ready to head out on the road, the thunder rumbled and the sky opened up and the rain began. Being optimistic that it would pass we jumped into our cars to wait for it to clear up. After about 30 minutes of complete wash out, we lost a rider and I almost bailed as well. I was fearful of hurting myself or getting hurt in these conditions.- and this close to the Ride I felt hesitant of what COULD happen that would hold me back from the following weekend. But I decided to go for it- and although I am glad I did, it was by far the hardest ride I have done.
The first 25 miles of the ride were through a heavy thunderstorm, the last 30 miles the rain subsided a bit, but the Hills were HARD- and I have climbed a mountain. But the scenery was beautiful- even in the times that I could barely see as the rain pierced down against my arms legs and open eyes.
Through the ride, there were 3 flat tires, and luckily I was not one of them. Everyone was prepared and they were minor glitches to the day. In conditions like this, where there is debris all over the road from the storm and rain, flats become more prominent.
The day was long and cold and by the end of the 50+ miles I was ready to be done. When everyone looked around after the ride, there was a consensus that my 100 miles in Vermont would not be that hard.. That was to date in my life the hardest ride I have done and I look forward to doing it again, in fair conditions.