What a spectacular day. You could not have ordered better weather for our 6:20 a.m. start out of Traverse City this morning. The temps were mild, the breeze was gentle and our team was geeked. Everyone was anxious to get going so we took off early.
And for the first half of the ride heading into our 9:10 a.m. lunch, we cruised. We have many strong riders who kept the pace brisk. 
Now, the second half of the ride was a bit different. The temps came up into the mid-80’s, the sun was shining strong the winds picked up several MPH. Said another way….it was a much tougher second half.
The first day is our day of hills and they can, with the help of the heat, wear us out and they did! As we rolled into Big Rapids in the early afternoon, most of our team scattered to get bags and shuttles, get to the hotels, take a shower and even nap before dinner. For the day, we rode almost exactly 100 miles with over 3,000 ft of climbing….not bad.
Destination: Ferris State
Our day ended in Big Rapids and our home base here is Ferris State University. A very nice campus (that seems to always be under construction). This is the stop that we eat the best. Ferris State catering is awesome and returning WAM riders look forward to an outstanding meal. Not to say our other stops don’t do a nice job but Ferris is something special. And, after burning a few thousand calories today….bring it on! Most of us will be in bed before 9 p.m. for another early start tomorrow and because we simply can’t keep our eyes open.
Bring on Day 2
Tomorrow is our long but flatter day with over 109 miles of riding from Big Rapids to DeWitt High School. Then we have the Whammy awards which is a tradition after the second day of riding to reward top fundraisers but, more importantly, honor some awesome wish kids. It is truly the highlight of the WAM.
So, while I am still coherent, I will wrap this up and head to bed. Please pray for good weather in the morning since we have high chance of rain….:(
Thanks,
Rob
