There’s not much that can get my lazy rear out of bed at 5:30AM. But we have a race to ride this morning and it’s time to go. We are racing Tropical Storm Andrea to Waycross. Who will get there first, our bikes or the rain? Read on to find out…

We hit the road at 6:30, which is our earliest start ever on BRAG.

The sky is gray and it’s humid. By the time we get to the halfway point, it’s starting to drizzle.

With 15 miles to go, the rain gets heavier.

As we watch the water drip off the Spanish moss, we put on our rain jackets, which fortunately we remembered this year.

We get soaked in the last hour. Our shoes are squishy and it’s pretty miserable, but at least it’s warm. Which brings up the question: what’s better, rain and 75 degrees or a 90-degree sweat-fest?

After 56 quick miles, we get into our hotel at 10:15 and our room is ready. The rain beats us by an hour and it pours for the rest of the day. Between the tropical waves, we get out for lunch and dinner.

This place is across the street from our hotel. They are running out of food because nobody told the restaurants that the cyclists were coming to town. We get some ribs and some pork.

Those are squash fries, not French fries. On BRAG, you have to eat healthy.

And speaking of healthy, we hit the Applebee’s on the way home for dessert. Don’t worry, we split it four ways.

Tomorrow is our longest day, which will be 70-something miles. Hopefully Andrea will be out of here and we will stay dry. Will the sweat-fest return? Read our next entry to find out.