I just want to piggy-back on what everyone else has said. Nancy, "you the man----------beater!" Incredible ride! You just keep getting better and better. I predict it won't be long before you win one of these events.
I had a wonderful time this year. I finished 15th just behind Chris Sakala and Jim Owen and a couple others I don't remember just out of the top ten. I didn't plan as aggressive a route as Nancy and Don. I only went for two of the four quarters and gathered a bunch of points. But 50% of the points versus 75% was the difference between the top ten finishers and everyone else. I rode my route exactly as plannned and logged 1332 miles. Knowing that my route was more do-able took the pressure off and I just truly enjoyed the ride, the great scenery and the perfect weather. I din't have a single hiccup during the whole rally. I got back an hour and fifteen minutes early, so I guess I could have ridden farther, but, by then, I was ready to get off the bike. This was a really enjoyable event, but I actually like the shorter rallies better. I can go balls to the wall for 10-12 hours, but not for 30--even if I do use butt butter!
This ride was highly educational as well. The theme was George Washington and I never realized all the things he had his fingers in. Nearly every checkpoint had something to do with old George. A great time was had by all with the exception of maybe Mike Allen at the end. I wasn't even aware that he broke his ankle. Makes for a memorable event.
Again congratulations to Nancy and everyone else who finished.
So, you've probably gotten this out of your system and won't be doing rallies any more?
