Breakfast - 10 bananas, and 2 avacados In Ride Fuel - 10 dates At tail of 3. 1. The original plan was to drive to the start line, but looking at the weather the day before I noticed it would be a tail wind all the way there. Something I just couldn't turn down. Also, I love the warm up. I hate starting a race with dead legs and find I don't normally do enough to feel good. It took me 56 minutes to cover the 26 km and I wasn't allowing myself to go into zone 4 (much). For example I went into zone 4 going up Greenwood Hill, because I didn't want to climb it at the 10km/h :P Had some minor problems shifting in and out of the big ring. 2. After waiting around which felt like forever and having Jamie take a look at my bike which he fixed the shifting, but recommended the bike is in need of a tune up. My cross bike is always in need of a tune up :P. Roll over to the start line at the back of the pack, waited, waited, waited. Great audio, could here the announcers (Malcolm and Blake) clearly. Finally the race started and we slowly rolled out and then sped up and then slowed down, and then sped up. Your usual neutral roll out. I followed Adam Poll towards the front of the group, but stopped too early! Eventually we got the gravel part of King street and the pace exploded, and then there was a crash in front of me which I was safely behind, but then I couldn't catch back on. Eventually got in a small group and started working together. Especially with Craig Marentette of The Wheeling Dandies, we ended up working together the rest of the race actually. Doing lots of pulls and not trying to kill each other. Great experience. Lots of head wind going west, then going south it was doubly slow. Had fun echeloning and trying to find the perfect spot to hide in the wind. Going down Hessen four of us where taking up the whole lane, it was awesome. Also flying up Chalmers Forrest was great, pure tail wind. We passed some guy and he said "wind's died down",,, err no. Biggest disappointment was when we turned the corner still expecting a tail wind, but turned into a cross / head wind. Was hoping to fly all the way back, ow well... After that just hung and worked with the other 3 or 4 guys. I remember one point I nearly got dropped at the end of Stryker and got a push and was back in. Thank you, that was super helpful. Craig put in an awesome pull up the long paved hill up Boomer, I knew we were getting close to the end so I was at the max. Loved the little stretch at the end of boomer down the hill around the corner to the farm lane. Farm lane started off rock hard and we were cooking. Funny thing at the farm, didn't know immediately where to go. Then the farm roads I was thinking ride safe, don't crash and get through this. I wasn't racing, I was surviving :P. The stretch down three bridges was a nice easy entrance to the mill trail. Malcolm, Blake, Gaelen, etc, did an awesome job on making the trail safe. Still got through it at a cautious pace. Finally hit the stairs, got up, no big deal. But I should've shifted down before I hit the stairs, doh. Just stood up and powered through the obstacle course. Watched Craig crash on the second corner by the fence. Felt bad for him. Finally finished, 92nd overall, happy with the average speed 27.4, disappointed so far down.  Hung out at the finish line for a bit, road around for a bit around cooling down then went inside and ate some butternut squash soup, delicious! Finally was able to drop off the WCC onesie to Aaron. It's been in my pocket for a Saturday WCC ride and of course the Steaming Nostril :) 3. Was debating not riding home and phoning my wife or asking Ray for a Ride. Adam M offered. I was scared of the massive head wind all the way home. But Adam said just take your time and take it easy, so I did. Ended taking and 1:20. Going up Greenwood Hill from the North was funny how slow my average speed was because of the wind, 13km/h, obviously tired too Put on some compression pants and played Dad the rest of the day