I just returned from a trip to Florida with WomanTours and did about 180 miles on the bike.  I used about 3 gears the whole time.
Florida is very flat!
The group was great and out trip leaders were wonderful.  

I did meet two women who had done the Northern Tier ride from North Dakota to Bar Harbor and loved it.  They said the time went by very fast.  One of the women said she rode with different people everyday and a couple of times alone.  She was very encouraging about doing the trip and did say that most days you are so tired you just eat dinner and get to bed.

On the biggest hill, actually a long bridge going into Sarasota,
I had a blow out part way up the bridge.  I was able to walk my bike back to the bottom of the bridge and called our guide who showed up almost immediately.  I had already determined that I had a nice cut in my tire.  She gave me a demonstration on tire changing!  I have done it but I am very slow.  She patched the hole with a heavy patch and I set off.  It was a short day and the tire stayed together.  It gave me some confidence in that I was able to unclip and my bike was very stable.  I do hope I don't have too many flats on our Cross Country Trip but I will practice tire changing and repair.

I spent the next week with my sister, niece and daughter at the Innisbrook resort where we golfed, swam, went to the beach and the spa.  I did do one short bike ride around the resort before I returned to the bike shop to have my bike shipped home.

NOW for the real training to begin...  I plan to put my bike up the trainer and start spinning.

We have received our route maps and they are a bit scary but we will do it!

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My trip is scheduled to begin on March 7th.  It doesn't seem so far away.

Next week I will being doing a WomanTours trip out of Tampa so I will be able to get in some fall training.  I sent my bike down there ahead of me.

Then my plan is to set my bike up on a trainer at home.  My personal trainer, Mark, is going to help with a program.  I think this will be the toughest part of training as it is very boring riding inside but it must be done.

I plan to post from my Florida trip and will hopefully be able to post some photos.

The second week in Florida will be at the Innisbrook resort with my sister, daughter and niece for a little R&R.  I have wonderful relatives and look forward to being with them.