When I started this road biking stuff I had no idea I would be doing such long rides although I usually dive headfirst into whatever my latest hobby is. As I started to do longer trips I thought maybe I could do my age as a goal and today was the day. It took great effort and planning and the last five miles were tough. This is a great place to try since it is relatively flat compared to home although a cooler day (88 when I got back) might have made it easier. Left at 7AM. Route: I planned a 60 mile route with an option at 55 to go for the long one. It was a close call. Fluids: I have found on this trip Yuma/Palm Springs I am consuming way more fluids than at home and even ran out 10 miles from the finish in Yuma which wasn’t too bad. There is a 30 mile stretch across the top which has no water available but Google Earth showed a Valero at the turn in Desert Hot Springs. Wind: There is not much wind this time of year but it does come from the west so I wanted to head into it at the start. Grades: Not very steep here but I prefer to do the upgrade early which just happened to be going west. These worked together as I was heading up the grade through the wind farm with the propellers slowly turning. And then there was the joy of coasting down the back grade at 25+. Rest: Five minutes every hour no matter how I felt since early rest is worth more than late rest. I did delay one as I was coasting down Dillon and saw no reason to stop until I got to a store.