Training completed for this year's STP

Us at the end of training (aren't we cute--we match!  It's no accident):

 We are ready for this year's STP.  And we are so pleased.  We have worked very hard.

We did our final ride today.  It was what we call our Hilly 55.  55 miles of Whidbey Island Hills.  Some very steep.

Me on a hill today:

 

Vicky on "Hell Hill," our tour de force, a mile long and very steep.  We both powered up it!  Wahoooo!

 

Vicky a few days ago on our ride around Coupeville, by the Strait of Juan de Fuca.  The Olympics are in the distance.  We sure have some beautiful places to ride:

  

We have done 1167 miles from about the first week of April until now.  646 of them since June 1.  But to understand our training one can look at it many different ways.  Another is that since January 1 of last year (2012) we have ridden 3447 miles.  Unless one takes a long time off, the effects of riding are cumulative.

The STP is in one week.  Vicky, Jules, and I will once again get up very early and ride the 205 miles to Portland.  And with the other 9997 riders, have a blast. 

It will be my fourth time, Vicky's second, Jules' third.

No matter how hard I try, I still can't wrap my brain around the fact that riding from Seattle to Portland is something I have done, and will do again.  If I had not retired early, and moved to the PNW, I never would have done something like this, and it is the most meaningful non-person-related experience of my life.  Beats out every other hobby, activity, job, degree, award, etc. by a hilly Whidbey Island country mile.