At rest stop #2, I was sitting on the proverbial fence as to whether I should turn around or do to rest stop #3, staring at the poster of what lay ahead a complete stranger asked me if I was going on to rest stop 3. I told her I wasn't sure I had just bought my first bike in mid-February and before getting on it that morning I only had 114 miles on it (and me), and had never used the gear changer on the left hand side of my bike. She said, "You know if you go to the next stop you'll have your first metric, and to say you got your first metric at Cheaha is QUITE an accomplishment". Those words got me heading to the next stop. Along with another comment from a stranger, "I've never met a hill I couldn't walk up". I asked, do people really walk up, and does it count?" Everyone who had ridden the Cheaha Challenge in prior years had seen many people pushing their bikes and all agreed, "Yes, it counts!" Another stranger chime in that he had seen someone crawl up a hill last year. I encountered so many strangers with words of encouragement to a newbie. Rest stop three was at mile 33. It at the end of a very long, very steep climb. As you could begin to actually see the end of the hill, the race organizers had painted words of encouragement on the pavement. The stop had a Tour de France them complete with cowbells, Devil with pitchfork, and trophy girls. Ray did 102 miles to finish his first metric and first century. I rode 66 miles getting my first metric century. Hands down the hardest thing I have ever done. But can't wait to go again next year!
