Holland Hundred Update

Today was the 42nd annual Holland Hundred ride. I think it would be fair to say that today was one of the best days they've ever had, weather-wise. Temperatures were cool at the start and only hit the mid-70's by the end of the ride. There was a little bit of wind, but nothing too terrible. All in all, a great day to ride.

The JDRF team at the start of the 2016 Holland Hundred.

There were about 20 of us from the JDRF team that took part in the ride today. (Side note: Proceeds from the Holland Hundred support JDRF.) Although we started together we quickly broke up into four groups. We'd usually meet back up at the break points. I ended up riding with a group of 11 that were doing the metric century. A little clarification is in order here. A metric century is 100 kilometers or about 62 miles. The metric at the Holland Hundred was listed as being 67 miles (a bit long). The actual distance was just a smidgen under 71 miles. No complaints here, I need to get the miles in, but a little truth in advertising would be appreciated.

Between the ride Mary and I did on Sunday and the Holland Hundred, I logged 108 miles this week. That's a good place to be at this point of the season. 71 miles is my longest ride of the year. I'm feeling it a little bit, but that's a good thing as we train for the 100 mile JDRF ride on Amelia Island this October.

Ice cream and beer

On Sunday Mary and I decided to ride north on the White Pine Trail to where the pavement end. That's also known as Sand Lake. From our house to downtown Sand Lake via the trail is 18.5 miles. It was a beautiful afternoon for a ride and we were in no hurry to get the miles in, so we had a nice easy ride. We also had ice cream. There is a nice little ice cream place in Sand Lake. Like every other small town in Michigan the employees are all high school girls. We had flurries and then started for home.

On the way south however we rode right by the relatively new Cedar Springs Brewing Company. Since we haven't been there yet we decided to stop in and try their wares. I had a a pale ale and Mary had a sangria. They were tasty and then it was time to get back on the bikes and resume our journey. We finished with 37 miles, 2 ice creams and 2 adult beverages. A very nice afternoon indeed.