The Cop Rides the Tour de Pig

Yes, I admit it, this might just be a little bit heavy handed.  I'm a cop, and I'm riding in a ride called Tour de Pig (no relation).  This is actually part of the Lexington BBQ Festival, and is sponsored by Novant Health.  The money raised for this ride goes to support the Davidson County Mental Health program.  I have been looking for a charity ride that benefits the mental health field or suicide prevention for a few months now.  There are just not that many out there.  I just happened to stumble upon the Tour de Pig shortly after riding in the Tour of Farmington.  Since I had enjoyed myself so much on that ride, I went ahead and signed up for this one with the intention of doing the 100K route.  It was a happy coincidence to find out that this was the type of ride I had been looking for.

I didn't know much about this ride other than it covered the Northern part of Davidson County.  I had ridden several of the roads on the route both in my own personal training rides and during the Tour to Tanglewood.  I wasn't all that concerned at all since this was just a 100K, or 62 mile route.  There were no major obstacles either, so this was just going to be a ride for fun without the need for any specific training at all.  Much like Farmington had been, the Tour de Pig was going to be about how fast could I ride the course.

In the week leading up to the ride, the weather forecast was looking like rain for Saturday.  I wasn't too upset about that since I didn't really have much invested in the ride itself.  Either I would go, or I would pass, and go to work (I had to take a vacation day for this ride).  On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway, which I had to jump on since it was likely my only chance at this destination for the remainder of the year.  I ended up riding 70 miles with some intense climbs thrown in to the mix.  I felt really good the next day so I went out for another 50 miles close to home and pushed hard the whole way.  The following day, I went out once again to ride another 50 mile route close to home. This one was supposed to be a little bit less intense, but my legs were feeling good once again and I hammered it.  that left me with Friday to use as a rest day.

Typically, I like about two to three rest days before an event ride to make sure I'm in top form for the route.  This time, the route didn't really cause any concern for me, and there was still the question if I would take a rain check.  I spent the vast majority of Friday looking at the weather and pondering the chances of rain.  It looked like the ride would be starting in a light rain, with heavier rain coming in around lunch time.  I could deal with that, I suppose.

Before going to bed, I had loaded up my bike and all the assorted goodies I have to take on these rides, but I still wasn't sure if I would be going.  I did know that I was going to keep the vacation day from work though, and that also played into my potential guilt for not going in the morning.  I had pretty much made up my mind that if the weather didn't look any worse, I would put on my big boy Lycra and go get rained on.

When the alarm rang in the morning, I checked the weather first, before even getting out of the bed.  The hourly was still looking the same, and the minute cast had the rain starting in about a hour and a half in Thomasville.  I could live with that, but there was a huge blob of orange and red coming up the Appalachian chain from Georgia that looked to be aimed right for Davidson County.  The radar image concerned me, and I thought about rolling over and going back to sleep.  But...I had made peace with having to wash the bike when I was done, so a little rain, or a lot of rain really didn't matter.  I had taken the time off of work for this ride, and it was for a cause that I really believed in.  OK, I'll get up and go do it.

I left the house at 7am and pulled into Davidson Community College at 7:30, right when the registration tents opened up.  I went ahead and got signed in, and got my bag of goodies before the lines got long.  I wasn't sure how many would show up today, but for right now there was no rain.  I was quietly hoping for that to continue.

I went back to the truck and pulled my bike out of the bed and finally got to use my bike stand thanks to parking on the asphalt.  The lights, Garmin, and bottles were all put on.  I then got myself dressed out and ready for the ride.  I still had about 30 minutes before the ride started, but I like to have that time to get my mind calmed down, and get into my personal zone.

Some of the things that I was thinking about were pretty typical of these rides.  As always, I found myself wondering if I would ride with a group or not?  Actually, that was a pretty short internal discussion.  With the rain in the forecast, and the wet roads, I would not feel comfortable in a group at all.  The decision was made very quick that I would ride this one solo.  The next question was what kind of pace would I try for?  Again with the wet roads, and potential for rain, I decided that I would keep speeds reasonable and not worry about setting any speed records for myself.  The final question was where did I want to start?  That was a no brainer...I would start at the front as I have grown accustomed to.  I'm much happier out there, and don't feel overly crowded.

As I waited up front by the exit, I watched the riders come into the parking lot in a steady stream.  There were quite a few riders in fact.  I guess it still amazes me how many riders are willing to ride in poor weather.  Speaking of which, there was still no rain falling, and I was seeing dry patches on the pavement.  This might not be all that bad at all.  I know that there were quite a few who were planning on having a grand time with this ride.  I could see pig costumes on some riders, and tutus on others.  This was not a surprise as I had seen pictures from past years with just this type of "fun riding".  In addition to these folks, I also saw what I could only assume were serious racers lining up at the front.  They were a bit more serious, and had expressions on their faces that I recognized in my own face. There are different types of fun to be had at these rides, that is for sure!

Well, it was about 8:30, and that was the time when the 100K folks would be heading out.  I had my place at the front of the line, my Garmin was on, Live Track started, and lights turned on.  I was all ready.  Oddly enough though, they had us lined up at the head of the parking lot which dictated that we follow the lot to the left, around the tents, and then onto the road that would lead us out of the college.  That seemed like a lot of twisting and turning considering the hundred or so riders that were bunched up behind me ready to head out. Oh well, I had my place at the front and I was prepared.  The MC was on the loudspeaker getting everyone corralled  that was riding the long route.  I'm really pretty sure that he was still communicating with people in the lot and getting barricades set up for our exit, but I saw riders to my right starting out.  Well, with that, everyone was off, and I was now an island in a swarm of twisting and turning bikes as everyone pushed off and started out.  Well nuts, there went my first plan for the day.  I wasn't going to be out first today.  In fact, I had to sit and wait until things cleared out a little bit before I could safely get started.  One of these days I'll get more confident in mass starts...maybe.

I was finally off, and on my way.  the weather was still holding which I was very thankful for.  The roads were mostly dry at this point with just some dampness in areas.  I was in my easy gears warming up as I always do.  Since I had made the decision to take this one easy, I wasn't at all concerned with pushing the speed.  I just sat back and pedaled as other riders passed me and pulled away.  This worked out because nobody wanted to get on my wheel which meant that I would be staying solo today.  It was going to be a good day!

Then it happened, I came up on a cyclist and passed them.  Then there was a group...passed as well.  My speeds were climbing, but my legs were not feeling all that great.  I was still very fatigued from the earlier rides in the week.  Nevertheless, I was accelerating and overtaking more and more riders.  The pavement was still mostly dry, and there was nothing kicking up affecting my braking performance.  I decided to see what my legs had in them.  I started to keep my power output at that point where I could feel the tension in my legs, which I have come to really enjoy.  I wasn't as fast as I've been, but I was a lot faster than I expected.  After the first 10 miles, I was switching into the big ring, and really started to find my groove.  It was also at this point that I realized that the fatigue I was feeling in my legs was more due to the headwind that I was fighting than anything else.  Once I turned out of the wind, the bike was sailing effortlessly across the pavement.  I played my little cat and mouse game with cyclists I could find in front of me which really kept me motivated.  I had no idea where in the pack I was, but I knew that I was now holding my own, and I was still solo.

The 100K route was set up as two different loops that ultimately made a

figure 8.  The first loop was the one to the right and was ridden counterclockwise.  The second loop was to the left and ridden clockwise.  The wind was coming from the Northeast, so it took quite a while to get out of the wind.  By the time we turned to the South in Walburg, I was really starting to enjoy myself.  There was a little bit of drizzle, and there were wet patches of roadway, but nothing so severe as to impact my brakes.

Before I knew it, I was half way through with the ride and had really only dealt with the wind.  The rain had been insignificant at best.  Coming down Ridge Rd (for the first time) we were given the option of turning onto Yokely Rd and ending at the college for a 50K, or 31 mile ride.  Some riders had been debating about doing that if the weather had gotten bad.  I hadn't really given it any thought, especially at this point.  My bike was already dirty from the road grit and would need to be washed.  Might as well carry on with the full route.  The weather seemed to be holding as well which made the decision very easy.  However, within a mile of passing the turn off, the rain drops got bigger and more frequent.  Was this going to be my clue that I was in for some less than favorable weather?  It didn't matter, I was going to do the full route, wet or dry.

As I approached the town of Arnold, I was back into the wind again.  It had not relaxed any at all I'm afraid.  I kicked down a gear or two and trudged on.  I also realized that this second loop was full of deep rollers which were starting to try my climbing legs.  They had not fully recovered from the previous rides, and I was starting to have to will them to turn the pedals.  They did continue to turn the pedals without too much fuss, and for that I was happy.

When I got to Arcadia, I was fully in the wind once more, and I started to consider easing off of my pace.  Currently, I was averaging in the upper 19 mph range.  While not a spectacular pace for me, it was very respectable, and one that I could ease off of considering the weather.  Well, that was a nice thought, but no sooner than I had thought it, I saw another rider up ahead.  OK legs, go and play.  It wasn't long before I was saying "on your left" and passing by, only to see another cyclist in the distance.  This was my game, and I enjoyed it.

After a handful of place changes, I passed another cyclist coming into Midway.  I didn't think much about it since like the others, he had fallen behind.  However, I had to stop at a stop sign not far down the road which delayed me long enough for the other cyclist to catch up with me.  We turned on the road together and he stayed on my rear wheel.  I wasn't watching behind me, but I could hear the freewheel spinning every so often and the gears changing behind me.  It looked like he was there to stay.  We came up to a left turn with railroad tracks which we both had to slow for.  He came out in front, and as if second nature, I sprinted back out in front.  I could have just let him go on ahead, but what fun was there in that?

I decided that I was going to use his presence to keep me motivated to finish strong.  My speeds were creeping up, and I was putting some serious work in at this point.  I could still hear the freewheel and gears changing behind me, but now I was also hearing some sounds of stress and fatigue.  He was holding my wheel, but it was hurting it seemed.  Whether he wanted to or not, he got to take part in my little game which was back in full swing again.  "On your left!" was said more than a couple of times as my two man paceline moved down Ridge Rd.  I was still making excellent time, but I was really starting to get tired at this point.  I remember looking at my mileage several times and doing the math for what was left.  I was going to have a hard time keeping this pace all the way to the finish, but I was pretty sure that I could.  I made a mad dash down the hill to Lake Thom-a-Lex and pushed very hard climbing back to Old Greensboro Rd.  At the top of the climb, I had very little left in my legs, but we were also just a couple of miles from the finish.  I had made it.

At 61.6 miles, I saw the sign for the college, and could see the parking lot where we started.  Hmmmm, that is not 62 miles.  Well, I could finish with about 61.8 miles and a 20.0 mph average (I told you, I was hammering the last bit), or I could risk dropping my average speed and wheel around the parking lot to get 62 miles.  Well, for me, if it isn't 62+ miles, it isn't a 100K route, so I had to explore the parking lot for a few minutes.  I saw my Garmin register 19.9 mph for an average which took a little out of my sails, but I also saw an even 62 miles register which made me happy.

I was done, and for the most part I had stayed dry.  There were brief showers that I rode though, but nothing that I would consider significant to the ride.  There was enough water on the road that I was going to need to do a little bike washing when I got home, but I had already made my peace with that.  I had set out to ride a moderate paced ride that I figured would be in the neighborhood of 19-19.5 mph depending on the rain.  The rain had held off, and I had a bit more gas in my legs than I had thought to boot.  My official moving average according to the Garmin was, in fact, 20.0 mph.  I had ridden the 100K route in 3:06:35 which is on par with what I did the Tour of Farmington in.  The difference was the wind and rain for this ride.  I gave up about 10 seconds between the two rides, but this one was much harder to ride fast I thought.

It wasn't but a few seconds after I stopped the computer and officially ended my ride that I felt the big rain drops once again.  There wasn't any need in

delaying putting the bike back in the truck and heading home.  I got everything secured, and got out of my wet jersey in favor of a dry t shirt.  All of my associated equipment was tossed in my cycling bag and put back in the truck.  It was a wrap.  There was a BBQ lunch available for the riders, and I had considered partaking, but with the threat of rain, I decided it was best that I just head home.  Plus, Toni would be getting up soon before going to work and I wanted to say hi to her, and visit for a bit before she had to leave.

Before I got my truck out of the parking lot, the rain was coming harder and faster than it had on any portion of the route.  I was very thankful that I had made it when I did.  As I was exiting the college, I went past several cyclists still coming in from their routes.  They were fighting the rain that I had missed.  At least they were about done.  I'm not sure how many were still out on the course, and I don't know how many of the 100K riders had opted to cut the day in half.  I do know that there were still a good many riders coming in.

Once I got home, the rain was pretty steady.  I opted to wait on cleaning the bike until Toni left for work in hopes that the rain would stop long enough for me to give it a much needed wash.  According to the hourly forecast, that was a pretty good possibility.  However, when she left at 4, the rain felt like it was getting heavier.  This was just not going to work out at all.

I decided to back the truck out of the garage, and wash the bike in the rain.  I could then bring it in to dry off and get lubed up.  I'm sure the neighbors got a laugh at me out in the driveway in a steady rain with hose and bucket washing a bicycle.  I will say this though, Flo cleans up nice after a bath.  I made sure that everything worked and was lubricated before putting her back in the wheel stand.  After about 2.5 hours of work, she is all ready for the next ride which hopefully will be on my next off day.

With that, my sixth event ride of 2015 has come to a close.  This has been a year full of event rides when compared to previous years.  I don't know if it is because I'm just so happy to be riding again, or if I have just decided to explore this end of cycling more.  Either way, I've been having a great time doing charity event rides this year.  Ironically, the shorter rides (the 100K ones) have been some of the more fun for me.  I might be looking into doing more of these rides instead of just waiting on the century rides to come around.  Who knows, there might be another one of these shorter rides in the future for 2015.  Time will tell.

Garmin Data

2015 AOTC Recap

Intro to the 2015 Assault on the Carolinas

Training Update
2015 AOTC Recap

The day finally came, and to be honest, it kind of snuck up on me.  I knew that the Assault on the Carolinas was scheduled for April 11, but for some reason when I signed up for it in October, it just seemed so far away.  I was steady training for it throughout the winter months on the stationary trainer, and then when the weather started getting warm, I made it a point to go out in search of some different climbs near the house to really test my legs in a real world setting.  All of this was designed primarily to get me ready for the AOTC, but also was going to give me a jump start on the training for my other long rides later in the Summer.  The Assault was first on the list, and was happening right at the beginning of the typical riding season.  I knew that going in when I registered.  The odd thing was as March came to a close, I really didn't realize that April 11, was just around the corner.  By the time I really sat down and thought about it, I had about a week left to train.  Fortunately, I had been training since September, so that wasn't a big deal at all.  It was just the mental shock that hit me...."My first test of my return to cycling was in just a few days!"  Was I ready for it?

Obligatory picture at the top of Caesar's Head from 2013

The Assault was not a new ride for me by any stretch.  I had first ridden it in 2013, and had made it a success, even though I had some issues with my Garmin that deducted about a mile from my totals.  I had climbed a monster of a mountain (2000 feet in a bit over 6 miles), and proven to myself that I could do some serious climbing.  I had not really planned on repeating this ride because quite frankly, climbing wasn't my favorite aspect of cycling.  I didn't ride it in 2014 because, well, I had give up riding the November before.  By the end of Summer that year, I had decided that I needed cycling in my life, and picked it back up.  My immediate goals were just to lose some weight, and get some exercise.  However, in no time at all, I was wanting to do the endurance events again, and some more big rides than just riding around the house.  Since the bike I chose was a climbing bike by nature, it only made sense to give the AOTC another try.

For 2015, I wasn't riding for the same reasons I did in 2013.  This time around, I wanted to prove to myself that I still had it in me at 41 years old.  I also wanted to have a tangible yardstick by which to measure my training program with the stationary trainer.  Ever since Toni bought it for me in 2012, I have learned that it is a valuable training aide and one that I think has some very unsung benefits.  With a comparably short amount of time on the trainer in 2013, I was able to accomplish some big performance gains.  Since getting back into cycling at the end of 2014, I have done a great deal more time on the trainer than ever before.  I was trying to lose weight, which was going to be important for a climbing ride like AOTC.  My goal was to get down to around 180 before the ride.  Somehow, I managed to weigh in at 170 a few days before I went to Brevard.  I also wanted to invest the time on the trainer to get my legs back.  They had been more or less unused for about 10 months straight, and I had lost a lot of what I had worked to achieve.  I also needed to get my endurance back.  After 142 sessions on the trainer, I had accomplished every one of my goals.  I can honestly say that I prepared for Caesar's Head an hour at a time without leaving my office.  To put it in perspective, to complement those 142 trainer sessions since September, I have only ridden on the road a total of 27 times.

So, I felt ready for my second attempt at the Assault, and was actually looking forward to the big climbs of the day.  With just a few days to get my mind wrapped around the fact that I was going to be doing them again, I was almost excited instead of nervous.  Now, the night before, I have to admit I was nervous.  This nervousness, however, wasn't for the reasons you would think though.  I wasn't worried about the ride itself, I was worried that I would forget something important which would prevent me from riding, or that I would suffer a mechanical failure with the same result.  It had been about 18 months since I had last packed for an event ride, and I wasn't sure I would remember everything.

To make matters worse in regards to the packing, I had purchased a jersey with my registration that I was wanting to wear.  I was not going to be able to pick this up until the day of the ride though.  Then, after they posted the pictures of the bibs that went with the jersey, I decided I wanted the full kit.  Due to a glitch with the ordering software, I was unable to add these bibs to my original registration.  Of course, there would be no guarantee that they would have any left by Saturday morning, since they would be selling them at Friday's check-in.  My wardrobe choices were wild cards.  If I were to wear the AOTC kit, I would have to get dressed up there, and would have to do it in a place where I could wash my hands thanks to the Chamois Butt'r I use.  Just in case, since I was planning on getting dressed up there anyway, I decided to pack my own kit as a standby.  This was new for me because I typically get dressed at home for the ride, but that would serve me no purpose if I was going to wear a kit that was going to be picked up at check-in.

With the clothing issues settled, I moved on to stressing about the bike and my equipment.  After my last training ride on Wednesday, I had noticed a slight clicking in the rear of the bike.  When I was getting it all cleaned up afterwards, I took that opportunity to tighten things up.  Based on previous experience, I started with the rear cassette.  that was in good shape and did not need any tightening.  I then moved to the crank and checked for play.  It was tight with no movement.  The spokes were checked, and all seemed to be fine.  I did a quick tune on the rear derailleur just because I was back there, and tightened the quick release.  Between that day and the day I loaded the bike up, I went over every system in my head and made more and more checklists of things that I wanted to look at before I loaded it up.  It was a very good thing that I did this, because I did find an issue that could have been problematic.

You see, one thing that I hadn't thought to check since the bike only had about 1300 miles on it was the headset.  I really didn't expect this to be loose at all.  However, when I locked the brakes down and rocked the bike back and forth, there was noticeable play between the headset and the head tube.  This might have been the source of the noise, but more importantly, it could affect handling and wear.  I broke out the tools and did a last minute adjustment and tightened things down.  I got rid of the play, and everything still worked smoothly.  I can only guess that a couple of jumps over bad pavement had pulled the headset loose.  The last thing I needed was for the bars to come off of the steer tube.  Whether or not this fixed the noise was irrelevant.  It was an issue all unto itself.

The newly inspected bike was loaded into the bed of my truck and was secured in my locking cleat.  My bag was packed with my alternate kit.  I also decided that despite the warm temperatures forecasted for the morning, I would go ahead and throw in a pair of arm warmers and my long finger gloves.  I recalled my last AOTC where the morning was supposed to be just below 50, and it turned out that my bike had frost on it from the drive into Brevard.  Hey, I learn from my mistakes.  I was going to be prepared for colder than expected weather.

Let's forget about the part of the story where I went to sleep before my 10 year old and fast forward to 3am when I had my clock set.  Well, actually back it up just a bit to 2:30 when I woke up this morning.  Without the aid of an alarm clock, storm, or even snoring, I was wide awake, and there was no way I was going back to sleep for the last 30 minutes.  I did lay in bed though and run through all the mental checklists of everything that I needed, and everything that I had already packed.  I'm obsessive, I know.  Just before the alarm rang, I went ahead and got up to get the day started.  I had a three hour drive ahead of me just to get to Brevard, and I wanted to be there at 7 when check-in started in hopes that they had one more bib for sale.  I decided to have oatmeal for breakfast because it would be a slower release of energy, and possibly last me longer than my typical bagels.  I finished loading up the truck with cold water, food, and a recently checked cycling bag that had everything I could think of I might need.  I aired the tires up, and while I was doing that Toni came home from work.  Yeah, we have an odd schedule.  At 3:30 she's coming home from work, and I'm getting ready to drive to the mountains for a bike ride!  But I digress...

I was all set and ready to go.  I couldn't think of anything else I might need, and I knew that the time had arrived to head West and see if the confidence I had placed in my training program was well earned.  I was a little nervous, but not like the first time I did this ride.  I wasn't really worried about not finishing the ride, I wasn't even worried about how fast I was going to be.  My worry was that my bike would fall apart, or I had forgot something major, like shoes, preventing me from doing what I had set out to do.  I did remember shoes?  Right?  Yeah, I packed them in the bag.  For the next three hours, I would quiz myself on what I packed trying to find a loose end.  I couldn't figure out anything that I missed, so life was good, except I was getting sleepy on the long ride out to Brevard.

Somehow, I managed to pull in with both eyes open at 7am and found ample parking because there were only a handful of people like me that didn't value sleep on a Saturday morning.  I parked, and went straight for check-in with hopes of getting the matching bibs for my jersey.  I went through the assembly line of goodies where I picked up my swag bag, rider number, t-shirt, jersey, and even a pair of socks!  Then it was time to ask about the bibs.  There were some left, and lucky me managed to find the last pair of mediums.  Well, this day is going pretty good so far!  I went ahead and purchased them and took my now complete kit back to the truck to get what I needed to change.  Fortunately, The building where we were checking in had rest rooms, and I was able to change in more privacy than the towel around the waist method in the middle of the parking lot.  Yes, I was prepared for that, but wasn't happy at the prospect.

Does this mean I'm in "Almost Beast Mode"?

Funny thing happened when I got back to the truck though.  As I was opening the bibs, I looked at the chamois.  It didn't seem to be quite what I was used to.  Being a creature of habit, and not liking to try new things on important days, I decided to err on the side of familiarity.  I decided that I would go with the kit that I brought from home, just so I knew I would be comfortable for the entire ride.  There was a bit of a sentimental reason as well. You see, the last time I rode this ride, they did not offer jerseys, so I used one of mine.  It happened to be a skull and crossbones, and this new "One Eyed Willie" jersey was kind of similar.  Hey, I was going to ride this ride solo, that's kind of pirate-y isn't it?  I grabbed my Pearl Izumi bibs and the tube of Chamois Butt'r and headed back into the building to get my bottom half dressed.  Privacy was sure nice!  Then it was back out to the truck to finish getting dressed and get the bike ready.

In all of the back and forth, I hadn't really noticed, but it was actually quite cold!  There was no frost or anything, but it was enough to make me shiver.  I was very glad I had packed the arm warmers and long finger gloves.  That was going to be a mandatory addition for the morning.  After getting it all put together, I realized that I had, in fact, remembered everything.  That was one worry off my back.  I then rode my bike up to the starting area and found that it didn't fall apart, and everything was still lined up correctly as well.  It would seem that another worry was gone.  All that was left was the mass start which I have never liked, and the fast descents, which I don't really care for in unfamiliar territory.

An empty parking lot now, a bustling mecca of vendors in just a few hours.

It was just me and the volunteers for a while

Another early arrival

When I got to the start line, it was like a ghost town except for the volunteers.  There were only a few cyclists here and there, and things were still getting set up.  Yeah, I could have come a little later in the morning, but this way I had time to get my mind straight, and start focusing on the ride ahead.  Remember, it did sneak up on me and I hadn't really done the mental preparation I like to do for a ride like this.  I had one advantage over last time though.  Instead of playing all the information I had read about this ride back in my head, I was able to rely on my memories of how it actually was, based on my experience.  I could still hear the sounds in my head as I remembered Walnut Hollow Climb, and I could remember the switchbacks as we neared the top of Caesar's Head.

You can't tell it, but I'm freezing here!

I was in the shade and it was really cold as I waited for time to tick by.  I heard several people saying that it felt like it had gotten colder since they had arrived.  I agreed with them!  I also heard several of the volunteers saying that it would be hot at the top of Caesar's Head, which I knew to be accurate.  That was why I opted for arm warmers, because I could strip them off at any point.  However, at this point and time, I was cold and they were very much needed!

When the sun finally hit me, I started to feel better

Slowly but surely, more riders started to appear

See, I'm not the only one that stresses over last minute adjustments

Some riders even started to line up near the start line

The hour before the ride started seemed like it took an eternity.  Everything was in slow motion until about 8:40 when everyone started arriving.  Places were picked out in the starting order.  I tried to pick a place similar to where I began last time, but I think I got a little further forward. More and more people started to pile in and I started getting a little claustrophobic.  An introvert by nature, I get uncomfortable around large groups of people.  Add to that, I haven't ridden in a group ride in about a year and a half.  Getting started without bumping has always been a concern for me, and for some reason today, I was seeing bumping as a big possibility.  Oh well, "hike up the big boy spandex and work it out" I told myself.

Lots of room yet to be filled, but real estate is getting slimmer by the minute

This was the view behind me

This was right before the start.  The start line is that green banner!

With the road pretty much packed, it was time for the opening announcements and the count down for start.  Unlike last time, I had turned on my Garmin when I was well away from the others which allowed it to pair with my heart rate monitor, speed sensor, and cadence sensor.  All of these I did without last time because the computer couldn't determine which sensors were mine in a sea of Ant+ devices.  This time, I had all my sensors paired and I was ready to go.  This was a mass start, so as the cyclists up front cleared the start gate, the rest started to slowly roll forward.  It was more like riding a skateboard than a bike.  When time came to get in the saddle and clip in with the other foot, I was already moving which was not my normal state.  I tried to make things as smooth as I could, but I became very unsteady.  Thankfully though, I was able to recover enough grace to avoid creating a problem for other riders and managed to get on the saddle and get my left foot clipped in.  We were on the move!

This was a rough start, and as we rolled out of town, it didn't get much better.  Everyone was all clumped up and I was a prisoner to their pace which seemed to be very sporadic, like an accordion which usually happens in large groups like this.  I tried to slow down to let them get ahead, but I would be overtaken by another group from behind.  I would try and pass, but would be cut of on the left by another passing cyclist, or the double yellow line.  This was how things went for the first 8 miles or so.  I just resigned myself to being in this group until Walnut Hollow when the steep ascent would break the group up for sure.  This was also the first major climb of the day, and has been compared with the six mile climb up Caesar's Head because of how steep it is.

Walnut Hollow starts out rather gradually, but then moves up to about an 8% grade, and then pitches up at the end to nearly 15%.  It is just over a mile long in duration which keeps its classification relatively low, but if you aren't ready for it, that last bit will darken your spirits.  The last time I climbed Walnut Hollow, I ran out of gears and had to struggle to get to the top.  Everyone passed me, and there was nothing I could do about it.  I was too busy trying not to stop before completing the climb.  I was hoping to do a little better today.

Somehow I manged to move past all these other cyclists during the climb
Courtesy Hank Birdsong

As we started to pitch up, I downshifted, but not to my lowest gear just yet.  I settled into a pace that was comfortable and found myself having to slow for other riders.  This was odd, but I decided that I must have it in me, so I went left and started passing people.  What?  Me?  Passing people on the same climb that nearly killed me last time?  Yep, with gears to go, I was climbing fast enough that I didn't have to worry about anyone behind me for once.  Near the top, I had to drop into low gear, but I still kept my comfortable pace and barely got out of breath.  This is not to say that it wasn't hard, I was just better prepared for it this time.

An interesting side note, as I was climbing, I heard a cyclist yell out "is that Greg?"  Well, since that is my name, it caught my attention.  I had remembered passing a familiar jersey, one that I had seen Brian Lube wearing in pictures from last year's A Ride to Remember.  I responded "is that Brian?"  He confirmed, and I said something to the effect of "I'd love to stop and chat, but if we stop, we might never get going again."  We both pressed on with the climb.

I crested the hill in much better shape than I had expected.  OK, that was a huge confidence booster, and one that I needed.  I knew the bike was up to this ride, and I knew that I was as well.  Not to mention, the large group I was in had started to break down.  I was free at last!

I continued on and found myself gaining on another large group which I managed to get bogged down with as well.  I had the same plan as before because we had another big climb in the near future.  While not as steep as Walnut Hollow, it was still a big enough climb that low gears were on the menu, and again the group broke up, allowing me to pull ahead a little bit.  Hey, this was working pretty well, and I was apparently doing well with the climbs today!

I was faced with smaller and smaller groups as we proceeded on, and I was looking forward to that moment when I would be in my solo rider world.  I recall that happening after the midpoint rest stop last time, and I knew that was not too far away.  We just had to do the descents into the SC lowlands first.  I was doing very well up to the descents and figured that I would probably maintain my position as we dropped a couple thousand feet...WRONG!

I learned something about me, my bike, and my training going down the descents.  I'm not good at twisty descents at full speed, that became glaringly obvious.  The bike feels stable, but I know that a gust of wind in the right direction will cause an alteration in course and stability.  I'm still getting used to riding a 14LB bike with aero wheels.  Because of that, I constantly wanted to keep my speed in check.  Maybe, I just have a new respect for mortality in my old age.  Either way, I'm glad I kept the speed reasonable because the road conditions were not all that great and there were several hazards I had to avoid along the way.  There was also a crash where a cyclist overcooked a turn and hit the guardrail.  He was fine and being tended to it appeared.  I also realized, that my training had been dealing with power output, and climbing efficiency.  At no point did I put much emphasis on speedy, twisty descents.  that lack of training showed, and every passing cyclist proved that I wasn't in the same class as they were.  They would whiz past me like I was standing still.  For the first time in my cycling life I caught myself saying "that's OK, I'll get you on the next climb."  Huh, who was that?  Can't be me, because I'm not a climber.  But today, I was a climber, I was in my element churning the cranks.  That was where I was doing my best work.

Once in the lowlands, I found myself bogged down with large groups again.  I would pass when I could, and hold my place when I couldn't.  We were approaching the 30 mile mark where there was a rest stop.  I didn't really need to stop, but I wanted to fuel up before the big climb of the day, and it was getting to be a good idea to take the arm warmers off.  I pulled over at the edge of the rest stop and took care of business.

Thanks to Brian Lube for this picture of the rest stop

Brian and I finally got to meet face to face

While I was finishing up with my break I happened to see that familiar jersey coming in.  Sure enough, it was Brian.  He came by before reloading his water and we finally got to meet outside of Facebook.  It was probably one of the more memorable parts of the day.  I'm looking forward to sharing the road with him again in July as we both ride in the "Ride to Remember".

When it was time for me to get rolling, I once again found myself faced with a large group.  It seemed that they were getting ready to roll out at the same time, and there were still groups coming in for breaks.  I positioned myself where I thought I could get rolling easy enough and I pushed off.  As I was getting stable and about to clip in, another rider came in close and forced me to slow down.  This got me unstable again, going uphill, with not enough forward momentum to clip in, but going too fast to just put my foot down.  Fortunately, I was in the seat and was able to power my right pedal up to accelerate (thank you one legged pedal drills on the trainer) and get the left foot clipped in.  I was off!

It seemed that for the rollers I was again in the same position as I was before with groups ahead of me, and more approaching from the rear.  I just don't remember it being quite this crowded for quite this long last time. I do remember eventually breaking away from the masses and starting to chase down other riders.  I saw two ahead of me and as I was approaching to pass, I saw a large yellow lab sprinting from a yard to the right.  This was odd for the AOTC as I don't recall seeing any unsecured dogs along the route before.  Anyway, there we were, three cyclists on the road with a 70lb dog rushing toward us. I was already in the motions of passing so I just upshifted a gear and did a quick sprint to outrun the dog.  The other two also managed to get by without incident as well.  Dogs and bikes just don't mix.

I was so happy to make it to the turn into Caesar's Head.  This climb would thin the heard for sure.  I settled into my comfort zone and began my ascent between 8-10mph so I didn't burn out too quickly.  I found myself in the same position I had been in all day long when it came to climbing.  I was passing more than my share of other riders.  This is not to say I wasn't working hard.   It seemed that for the 45 minutes I was climbing, my heart rate stayed around zone 4.4 with is my functional threshold.  Any more, and I would explode before reaching the top.  If I went lower, I could go much longer, but the torture would last longer.  I split the difference and stayed at or near my threshold for the duration of the climb.  Oddly enough, that seemed to work just fine.  I kept steady all the way to the top, and actually upshifted in the last tenth of a mile to crest the hill.  that meant that I still had energy left, and apparently did something right.

Top of Caesar's Head, and still smiling
Courtesy "Eye on Brevard"

At this point, I was thirsty (still haven't relearned how to drink and pedal at the same time), and getting a little hungry.  I also wanted a picture next to the sign with my new bike.  When I saw the crowd there, and remembered all the riders coming up from behind, I opted to maintain my solo position and ride on through to the end.  This actually was a pretty big deal for me considering my experience last time.  I had stayed at the rest stop for nearly 45 minutes, if I'm not mistaken, just because I was hurting so bad from the climb.  Today, it was nothing to move back into the big ring and start shifting into higher gears.

This was my ride.  I set the pace, and I controlled just how hard to push it.  In the last 15 miles I had finally found my element.  This was the ride I had been looking forward to, and I finally had it.  I was enjoying it so much that I didn't even bother to stop for water or food.  I had only consumed about half a bottle of water at the 30 mile mark, and one waffle/Nutella sandwich.  By all rights, I should be bonking, or at the very least cramping due to dehydration.  None of that was the case, I was feeling strong and fast.  Again, the trainer has taught me how to actively recover while still in motion.

As Brevard, and the finish line crept closer and closer, I was monitoring my average speed. At the top of Caesar's Head, I was at 15.7, which was OK, but not quite as good as I was hoping.  As I took full advantage of my solo ride style, I fought the wind and watched my averages creep up into the high 16's.  My goal for today was to break 17mph and I was starting to see that as a possibility.  I hammered when I could, and dug deep in the last minor climbs of the day.  When I crossed the finish line, my average speed was dead on 17mph.  In my book, that was a win!  Not bad at all considering I have only been on the road 27 times since November, 2013.

The best bike taxi in the world!

After calling Toni and Sierra to tell them that I had made it, and had a good ride, I loaded up my bike and started to secure all of my cycling junk in the truck so I could go and get something to eat...and something to drink!  While I was loading the bike, I happened to think back to all my worries about mechanical failures before the ride.  They were all unfounded.  I had been all over the bike and addressed any areas of concern before the ride.  It performed flawlessly through the entire ride.  No noises, no complaining, just doing everything I asked of it.  I lost track of the mechanical issues I saw others experiencing along the route.  They ranged from dropped chains, broken cables, flats, etc.  In addition to those issues, I saw no less than three crashes, one of which almost took me out early on.  I'm constantly reminded how dangerous this hobby is, and how fortunate I am that I've been able to avoid as much of that danger as I have.


 

From my recovery ride the day after, showing off my new kit!

After completing my first official test of my cycling return, I have to say with no doubt, I'm not only back, I'm better than I was before.  In just seven short months, I've gone from a sedentary couch potato (for 10 solid months) to a slim and fit climbing machine.  I have to give credit where it is due though.  Had it not been for the trainer that Toni gave me years ago, there is no way I would be in this shape right now.  All those hours doing intervals has paid off.  I'm ready for the cycling season to get underway, and I have high hopes for all my future event rides. 

Elevation Profile With Speed Overlay

Intro to the 2015 Double Down 2 the Beach

Intro to the 2015 DD2tB

Training Update

2015 DD2tB Recap

There are crazy people out there.  There are people that do crazy things.  Occasionally, these qualities describe a single person.  Well, I now fall into both of those categories.  Two years ago, I decided to do something crazy and participate in a double century ride called Double Down to the Beach.  My longest ride to date before that was only 101 miles.  For some reason I thought that would prepare me for a 200+ mile ride from Greensboro to Wilmington, NC.  Yes, I admit I was crazy for thinking that was something that I really wanted to do, and even that I could do it.  It was a crazy idea for sure, but I saw it through and completed the ride, actually much stronger than I thought I would.  I had done it, and that could never be taken away from me.  I was an ultra endurance athlete for the first time in my life!

A few months later I hung up my helmet and decided to give cycling a rest to pursue other things.  In less than a year though, I was missing my two wheeled adventures.  I had gradually become an out of shape couch potato and wanted to stop that progression and recapture some of my previous fitness.  I bought a new bike in September, 2014, and started on my way back to fitness.  In less than a week, I had a crash which put my bike out of commission for a while.  However, in an odd chain of events it provided me with a bike to put on the stationary trainer which really allowed me to drop pounds and build my endurance and muscle at a surprising rate.  In a very short two months, I was back on the road again, and stronger than I was at the end of my former tenure as a cyclist.

Sometimes I do crazy things, but right around the end of 2014, just a few months after starting riding again, I went full on into being crazy.  Knowing what was involved in a double century, and having completed one, I still wanted to do another one.  I have nothing to prove, as I have already done this ride once.  There is no special recognition for the accomplishment, I have other modes of transportation to get to the beach.  So why am I wanting to sit on a bike for what is likely to be more than 11 hours over the course of a single day?  I have no freakin' idea!!  The best I can come up with is I've confused tough and stupid again.  I know I am faster than I have ever been, and I've already completed two different century rides since November so I know I have the endurance.  My participation in Double Down this year will be just because I love to ride, and want the experience once more.  I am now a crazy man that is doing crazy things!!

In addition to dedicating pretty much an entire day to riding in June, and the next day for the return trip and cleanup, there is so much more to this ride than meets the eye.  As with any endurance event, there is a lot of conditioning beforehand which comes in the form of lots and lots of training.  For something like this, you almost have to over train so when the time comes to log the 200+ miles you can do it with a minimum of effort.  There is also working out your nutrition which was my only failure in 2013.  I bonked hard midway through the second half of the ride.  Fortunately, I had a few tricks up my sleeve to overcome that bonk.  These things will take months to really accomplish, and that is part of the commitment to a ride like this.  The preparation starts before registration is even open.

Training

Unlike 2013, training for this year's Double Down actually got started the minute I rode my first ride of 2014.  That was in early September and was a dismally slow 50 mile ride that darn near killed me.  I had a long road ahead of me, and the training started the very next day with a shorter ride, but faster.  After my crash, it was time to put the crashed bike on the trainer and start working intervals.  The interval sessions were designed to accomplish several different things.  First of all, I needed to get back down to my riding weight which was much lower than my current 205lbs.  Within two months, I had dropped enough weight where I was back at my previous riding weight.  I've said it before, intervals, or high intensity interval training is where its at when it comes to cycling!

In addition to working on my weight, I was putting in the trainer time to get my cardio vascular system back into shape.  With 10 months of being pretty much sedentary, I was getting winded way too easily on the bike.  Working in all of the heart rate zones not only dropped my resting heart rate by 10 bpm, I was also seeing increases in my max heart rate which was now up to 197 bpm.  I was able to sustain max efforts for up to three minutes, and was able to recover from those efforts quicker and quicker.  My heart was back to being an efficient machine once again.

Related to the cardio benefits, I also wanted to work on my endurance.  You might think that doing only an hour on the trainer would have nothing to do with endurance over a several hour long ride, but you would be wrong.  I'm sure it is the constant pedaling nature of the trainer that is to blame for this.  Once I start pedaling, there is no stopping until I am done with the session, which in some cases can be over two hours in duration.  By the time I got my replacement bike and was back on the road, I saw tremendous benefits from my time on the trainer.  After having taken several breaks on my initial 50 mile ride, I was not expecting what happened on my 62 mile ride.  In early November, I set out on a 62 mile ride in hopes that I could pull it off better than that first 50 mile ride.  Not only was it quite a bit faster, I didn't have to take any breaks at all.  I just sipped water as I went, and maintained a strong pace for the whole ride.  Yep, the trainer came through once again for me.

So, the trainer has gotten me back in shape for riding both fast and for long distances.  As the weather warms up, I will be getting back on the road and working on distance rides again.  I won't be doing these necessarily to condition as I have the base miles in my legs without question.  I will be doing these long rides to fine tune my nutritional requirements.  This is the part that I learned I wasn't prepared for in 2013.  What works for a regular century for me seems to fall short when the mileage is doubled.  For one, I learned that toward the end of the ride, I will need a primarily liquid diet which will come in the form of Hammer Perpetuem.  This is designed as an endurance fuel with all the needed ingredients delivered in a easily digested water dissolved powder.  I get the benefit from the extra hydration and nutrients when I am just unable to stomach solid food anymore.  I also fully understand the importance of a can of Coke at the right time.  I will make sure that I have access to this magical elixir at the rest stops.  There are also some new things that I am going to try for long rides while I'm training.  I'm looking at different fruits to take along, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, home made macaroons, fig newtons, and power bars.  I think that the variety will help me out and keep me eating solid foods for longer.  I just need to make sure that they deliver what is needed over the long haul.

Support

Building on what I learned in 2013, I know the real importance of support on a ride like this.  While the event is fully supported with SAG vehicles and rest stops, I found that for quick turnaround, Toni was invaluable.  She would drive the route and leapfrog from one rest stop to the next.  She carried my food, and more importantly, would have two bottles of water, Gatorade, or Perpetuem ready for me.  When I rolled in, I would just look for her and she would stock me up.  It was very much like a NASCAR pit stop.  It was also a great morale booster to see her every 30-40 miles and be able to talk to her for a little while.  I never had to stand in line at the water coolers, and never had to look for my personal bag of food.  She had it ready for me every time, at every stop.  Other than lunch, I didn't even have to get off of my bike.

Toni had great ideas about how to expedite the breaks for me, and she got better as the ride progressed.  I'm sure that as things get finalized, we will be able to nearly perfect how the breaks will go building on what she has started.  I am really looking forward to sharing this experience with her once again, and know that without her there, it would be much harder, and more stressful for me to accomplish.

The Bike

I'll admit that 90% of riding a double century is up to the rider and their ability.  However, a rider is not much good without a bike.  The last time I ventured into crazyland, I was riding a 2010 Specialized Tarmac SL.  While not the ideal distance bike (a comfort bike would have been a much better choice), I was quite familiar with it and was used to the geometry.  I made it the full 212 miles with no undue discomfort, so I consider that a success.  It performed flawlessly the whole trip despite having about 10,000 miles on it at the time.  I had systematically updated many of its parts in those miles creating a much better bike than when it was new.

After my sabbatical from cycling, I opted to go with the same geometry once again in the form of a Specialized, S-Works Tarmac with the Red groupset on it.  Again, this was not the best choice for a distance cyclist, but to be fair, I was not planning on doing as many distance rides with the new bike.  Well, that changed quickly as you can see.  I'm not concerned though since I am having the same levels of comfort on the new bike and fully expect to be able to complete the double in its saddle.  In an idea world, I would probably have a Roubaix to use for the distance events, but my wallet can't really swing that whole N+1 equation for the level of bike I prefer to ride.

The really nice thing about this bike is that it is outfitted better than what I had the previous time.  For the first time, I am running carbon fiber wheels which should prove to be easier to turn for the miles I'll be clocking.  There are also ceramic bearings in the wheel hubs, crank, and derailleur.  I'm sure there is not that much difference to be gained, but any parasitic loss I can reduce in power going to the road will help over 200 miles.  This bike is also equipped with a Body Geometry Romin saddle which was what I had eventually moved up to with my previous bike.  This saddle is comfy, and for a hard race saddle, that is saying something.  It maintains blood flow much better than the normal Toupe saddles that come with Tarmacs.  While not a comfort based saddle, I have to say, I have no complaints at all.  The drivetrain is much more precise than on my last bike.  I had been running a hybrid Shimano/SRAM drivetrain which was based on a Shimano Ultegra groupset with SRAM chain and cassette.  It worked very well, but the shifting was not always spot on, and it required constant adjustments.  The new SRAM Red groupset is rock solid, and very easy to work with.  It sounds stupid, but something so simple as adding a better groupset can reduce fatigue over a long ride, and reduce the chance for mechanical failures.

Over the next four months I will be getting even more familiar with this bike on the road.  It behaves very well, but I haven't had much actual road time with this new frame due to winter.  I still need to get back to my previous level of bike handling before I truly feel comfortable riding in a peloton, which is mandatory on a ride like this.  The energy savings of group rides is the best strategy for a double century.  However, to be an asset to the group and not a liability, I need to get more stable, and once again get comfortable drinking while in motion without the need to swing out wide.  It won't take much to get back there again, and I do plan on doing quite a few group rides to build that skill back to where it was before.

So What's Next?

As of February 21, I am officially registered for the event.  I have our hotel booked.  I have Toni's blessing and support for this once again.  It's all about training for it now.  Fortunately, I find myself in a similar situation to where I was in 2013.  I have signed up for the 2015 Assault on the Carolinas which is in the middle of April.  This is not so much a distance ride at only 100K, but it is great training ride with a couple of really big climbs.  Those climbs will help me build endurance, and will get my legs ready for the long miles ahead.  It seemed to work well in 2013, so why not?

I'll be leading several training centuries for the Kernersville Cycling Club in the spring and early summer.  While these rides are usually much slower than my normal century pace, it will condition me to be able to ride for the long distances at a pace lower than usual which will help me control my urge to go all out early on with the double.  More than anything, pacing is the key with a double century, and doing a string of slow, long rides will go a long way to making that feel more natural.

I'll be working on tweaking my diet, both before and during the ride.  This will ensure that my finish is strong, stronger than 2013.  While I averaged 18.1 mph then, I am looking to break 19 mph this year.  If I don't, I'm ok with it, but I think based on where my training is already, that is not out of the question at all.  Ultimately though, it will be up to the group I end up riding with what that speed will be.  That being said, I had planned on a 17-17.5 average in 2013, but ended up with a very strong group that pushed that up to the 18.1.  Who knows, this year, I might accidentally get close to 20 mph.  If that is the case, you will see one ecstatic cyclist at the finish line.  Time will tell, but I do know that I have the miles in my legs and heart this year.

Signed,
The crazy man, doing crazy things