My quest started at 5:15 Saturday morning, when I trekked out alone to complete this challenge.  The route started at the University of Washington and headed south along Lake Washington to Kent (REI) for the first stop at the 25 miles marker.  I feeling real good.  Averaging in the high teens.  A five minutes stop, water, a bagel and back on the road.  Made a short in Puyallup for a banana, and then back on the road.  The next stop was in Spanaway, the fifty mile mark.   Here I stop for about 15/20 minutes or so.  Carbo load, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, bagel, and my favorite, a power bar.  Still feeling real good.   Avg. is still in the 17+ mph range.  According to my plan I needed to be at the century (100 mile) mark by noon and I was at the 50 mile mark at 8:30 or so.  So I was on schedule.  Here I hooked with a group 3 guys and a couple of lady's.  I guess they felt sorry for me.  A new guy in Washington, doing the STP solo.  So, for the next fifty miles, we cruised in a pace line.  Not very fast, but we were consistently at 18/19 mph, which got me in to Centralia at exactly noon.   The first hundred was done in 6 hours and 45 minutes total time which was too bad averaging about 16 mph.

Took an 45 minute break for lunch.  Still feeling good.   But from this point on it was no man land.  I had never ridden a century and still had a century to go.  So off I went.  Solo again, the group I rode in with was stopping longer and I had a plan, so I trekked on.   Still feeling pretty good, butt hurt, but the legs are OK and I on my way.  The next major stop was at Vader, 126 mile mark.  All I had been hearing about Vader was the serious climb when leaving.  I stopped long enough to get water and bathroom break and on my way again.  Out of Vader was a climb, pretty good climb too.  Made even worst on legs with a 130 or so miles on them.  I think is when I hit my first wall.  Some leg cramping, but my only option is to keep going.  Portland or bust. 

The "motto"  is:  if the bike is capable I have to ride.  Yes, I thought about pushing it out in front of a truck or something to make it not capable (smile), but then I just have to buy a new one later.  So back on the bike.

Finally made it to the top of the climb, next stop St Helens.   The road to St Helens was downhill for a few miles and then flat and rolling.   This where I shine cruising at 18/19 mph at times, on 150+ mile legs, into St Helens and it's 7:00pm.  I had plan to be in Portland by 7:00pm and it is still 23 mile away.  That's a couple hours at my current pace. The mind was strong, my butt is just numb, the legs, well they are a little rubbery, but the bike was fine and off I went toward the finish line. Ate another bagel, some fruit and headed to the finish line.   I tried to pick up the pace a little bit, but it was not happening.  So I kept pedaling. I crossed into Oregon at about 8:00pm, with only 10-12 miles to the finish line at the Cathedral Park under the Columbia River bridge.  The Columbia Bridge was basically the end, everyone was talking about it in the last few miles.   When you see the bridge, you know it almost over.  Another short climb up   the bridge and then downhill from there into the park.  I made to the bridge at 8:45 and cruised into the park and finish line at 9:00 on the dot.  I made it.  I not feeling as bad as I thought, but not feeling real good either.   Debra and Justin is there waiting on me at the finish line.  The second 98 miles times: 8 hours and 15 minutes

Sunday morning, I was little stiff, but not bad considering.  I can still walk.  Butt still hurts.