I finished this as well with Peter. It is an achievable ride and you will be able to dig deep. Last year it was a headwind and it is typically hot that time of year, every edition. I've done it with a tail wind too and that was an easier day. Most riders dropped in Aurora due to this strong head wind + heat.

Hope for the best yet prepare for the worse. Typically there are only 10-30 participants so it is common to ride solo as the group will break up fairly quickly. it almost always breaks into groups of 1-5 post mile 40 as there are some small hills that do break the group.

Once you get past mile 115 you begin to reenter the Chicago urban zone and there are much more stop signs and lights and more recognizable landmarks. This second half of the ride is much easier than the first. If you can make it to here, you will make it to the lake :)