8:30 a.m. -- We arrived in Charlotte for the Cowbell Challenge where we were directed to the parking area assigned to Duos - directly under the power lines. You could actually hear them "sizzling" overhead - a rather ominous sign to my way of thinking! Despite that, my husband Steve and I set up the sunshade and gathered our supplies - food, liquids, helmets, gloves, bikes, sunscreen, chair, chamois butter (which I naturally forgot to apply...) and got ourselves checked in at the registration tent.

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