How I plan to keep rest stops to a minimum

Today, I got an email from my friend and brevet buddy, Scott Thompson. Scott is a randonneuring hero in my book and just an all-around 'good guy.' I had emailed Scott yesterday asking if my estimated rest stop times looked right for tomorrow's 300km brevet. The photo on the right along with the comment "How I plan to keep rest stops to a minimum" is what I got back.

Tomorrow could be a long day depending on the winds and the rain. If the winds are light and the rain has stopped or is infrequent at best, we should do fine. However, any combination of the two may bid for a tough day. Scott and I met on what was the worst overall riding conditions I have ever been in. It was the "Flat as a Pancake" century in 2005. That day gave us weather in the 40's at the start with highs in the high 50's - low 60's during the ride. The rain, however, was the star of that day. We had light rains, heavy rains, torrential rains, and hurricane like rains at various times throughout the day. In fact, it was actually the remnants of one of the Gulf of Mexico's hurricanes that provided the weather for that day. I've often described it to non-riders as try riding 100 miles in a 50 degree car wash and you'll get the idea.

I'm excited about tomorrow. I've put fenders on the bike and I'm focused on the task at hand. Let's just see if the body and mind cooperate.