Martin goes solo. That's right, the first year I did this ride I did it all alone. It was a huge exercise in attitude adjustment for me as I (as usual...) hit the road 'running' and got to the first lunch stop at about 10 AM and to the finish at around lunch time. I had nothing to do but sit in the sun, eat watermelon and watch other riders drift in by ones and twos...

It took three days for me to slow down significantly (the length of the ride), but I managed to at least notice how much others were enjoying the ride at a more moderate pace. Sometime around the second day, the idea of taking Cameron along on our tandem started to hatch... Not only would this be a fantastic adventure, being on a 90 lb. single would certainly slow me down!

Being alone really promotes talking to strangers. And what a nice bunch of people I met on this ride. Not only was this group kind, they were so supportive of ALL the participants. It seems that this cause carries with it a bond that is really quite strong.

As soon as I can find some photos from this year and scan them, I'll have something to post...