Saturday and Sunday were dedicated to rest and recovery. If I could lay down I did, and I made an effort to stand as little as possible. On Saturday I realized that I was getting a cold so I started irrigating my nose to keep the airways clear and try not to get an infection.
Sunday I rode 4 miles to the start to pick up my packet with the number and the freebies (t-shirt, water bottle etc) There was also a mechanic on duty who graciously tuned my shifting as I had had a few dropped chains on the way down.
The evening was spent making sure everything was ready for the next day so I could concentrate on eating and leaving.
Monday I got up at 4.30 to be ready for the 6.30 start. Had a good breakfast (chicken breast and rice as well as some cereal with yogurt and some coffee!)
The weather had changed: the sunny skies were gone and the temperature had dropped from the 80s to the 50s. The forcast for the top of Mt.Mitchell was "lower 30s" and rain/possibly snow!
I left the hotel with leg warmers and arm warmers.
I followed a little group of riders to the start and immediately placed myself at the start line almost in the front row! I was amazed at how many riders had not arm or leg warmers: were they tough or did they not own any?
The race started promptly at 6.30! Even with my cold I felt really strong and in good shape. I had no trouble staying with the front pack. Last year I had found the first 50 miles to be really hard but this year it seemed quite manageable. Either the pace was steadier or I was stronger!
Unfortunately around mile 43 there was a downhill section of chip and seal ...... I am petrified of riding on gravel ..... I tried to keep up, but I got dropped at the first curve and could not catch up :).
A second group cought up with me soon after and we rode into Marion.
I did not stop at Marion, but had to stop when the climb started for a nature break and lost contact with the group. At this point I was feeling really strong and I set up the mountain at a my own pace. Soon I started passing riders from the group I had been with. I remembered some really hard sections from last year ... but they were not there this year ..... I can attribute that to my better condition and my 30x29!
At about 10 miles from the top I got passed for the first time by a rider! It was a great incentive to push the pace. I also realized that it might be possible to finish in under 6 hours! Not only did I mange to keep up with my competitor but I managed to pull ahead on the last mile! By now the temperatures had really dropped and I could not feel my hands ...
The finish line arrived and my time was 5:54:31.991!
I was not really feeling to well at the top, fatigue, plus the cold, plus my cold ....
Two VERY NICE ladies helped me off my bake and helped me find my bag. Thanks! After changing is some dry clothes and wearing the thermal blanket I started feeling much better. The tomato soup that the organizers provide really helped a lot!
After recovering a bit it was time to get on the bus for the ride back to Marion. At the Assault the riders do not ride down the mountain (it is forbidden), the bikes are sent back to Marion in trucks and the riders return in busses. The bus ride back to marion was actually really long as they go around the race route. Around 3.30 we arrrived at Marion where a showers and food await us. I passed on the shower as I still had to rode to Asheveille to take the bus ....
After eating a "few" tuna and turkey sandwiches, I put on some clean bike clothes and started my ride toward the Greyhound station in Ashville. My GPS indicated that it was 34 miles awa and I was thinking of a leaisurly 2 hour ride ....... There was more climbing ...... I think the entire way was uphill ...... I took old 70 that turned out to be a beautiful scenic route .... unfortunately it was raining .... the two hour ride turned out to be almost 4 hours ...
On Friday I had called Greyhound and they had told bme that I could rent a crate for the bike at the station .... wrong .... the station attendent tolde me that he had no boxes or crates, but suggested going to the gocery store a few hundred yards away and getting a lot of cardboad boxes and duct tape and making my own box ...
I went to the store and they were really nice when I explained my predicament, gave me the boxes, I bought the duct tape and went back to the station to build the box and pack the bike. An hour later the bike was packed and checked in ...The adventure was over!
The bus left at almost 10 pm. I had to change busses in Charlotte and Charston, WV.
At 3.15 pm the next day I arrived in canton, and shortly there after Aikiko and Aika were there to pick me up!
(by now I was pretty sick and had a fever ... but I was happy I had accomplished my goals!
Sunday I rode 4 miles to the start to pick up my packet with the number and the freebies (t-shirt, water bottle etc) There was also a mechanic on duty who graciously tuned my shifting as I had had a few dropped chains on the way down.
The evening was spent making sure everything was ready for the next day so I could concentrate on eating and leaving.
Monday I got up at 4.30 to be ready for the 6.30 start. Had a good breakfast (chicken breast and rice as well as some cereal with yogurt and some coffee!)
The weather had changed: the sunny skies were gone and the temperature had dropped from the 80s to the 50s. The forcast for the top of Mt.Mitchell was "lower 30s" and rain/possibly snow!
I left the hotel with leg warmers and arm warmers.
I followed a little group of riders to the start and immediately placed myself at the start line almost in the front row! I was amazed at how many riders had not arm or leg warmers: were they tough or did they not own any?
The race started promptly at 6.30! Even with my cold I felt really strong and in good shape. I had no trouble staying with the front pack. Last year I had found the first 50 miles to be really hard but this year it seemed quite manageable. Either the pace was steadier or I was stronger!
Unfortunately around mile 43 there was a downhill section of chip and seal ...... I am petrified of riding on gravel ..... I tried to keep up, but I got dropped at the first curve and could not catch up :).
A second group cought up with me soon after and we rode into Marion.
I did not stop at Marion, but had to stop when the climb started for a nature break and lost contact with the group. At this point I was feeling really strong and I set up the mountain at a my own pace. Soon I started passing riders from the group I had been with. I remembered some really hard sections from last year ... but they were not there this year ..... I can attribute that to my better condition and my 30x29!
At about 10 miles from the top I got passed for the first time by a rider! It was a great incentive to push the pace. I also realized that it might be possible to finish in under 6 hours! Not only did I mange to keep up with my competitor but I managed to pull ahead on the last mile! By now the temperatures had really dropped and I could not feel my hands ...
The finish line arrived and my time was 5:54:31.991!
I was not really feeling to well at the top, fatigue, plus the cold, plus my cold ....
Two VERY NICE ladies helped me off my bake and helped me find my bag. Thanks! After changing is some dry clothes and wearing the thermal blanket I started feeling much better. The tomato soup that the organizers provide really helped a lot!
After recovering a bit it was time to get on the bus for the ride back to Marion. At the Assault the riders do not ride down the mountain (it is forbidden), the bikes are sent back to Marion in trucks and the riders return in busses. The bus ride back to marion was actually really long as they go around the race route. Around 3.30 we arrrived at Marion where a showers and food await us. I passed on the shower as I still had to rode to Asheveille to take the bus ....
After eating a "few" tuna and turkey sandwiches, I put on some clean bike clothes and started my ride toward the Greyhound station in Ashville. My GPS indicated that it was 34 miles awa and I was thinking of a leaisurly 2 hour ride ....... There was more climbing ...... I think the entire way was uphill ...... I took old 70 that turned out to be a beautiful scenic route .... unfortunately it was raining .... the two hour ride turned out to be almost 4 hours ...
On Friday I had called Greyhound and they had told bme that I could rent a crate for the bike at the station .... wrong .... the station attendent tolde me that he had no boxes or crates, but suggested going to the gocery store a few hundred yards away and getting a lot of cardboad boxes and duct tape and making my own box ...
I went to the store and they were really nice when I explained my predicament, gave me the boxes, I bought the duct tape and went back to the station to build the box and pack the bike. An hour later the bike was packed and checked in ...The adventure was over!
The bus left at almost 10 pm. I had to change busses in Charlotte and Charston, WV.
At 3.15 pm the next day I arrived in canton, and shortly there after Aikiko and Aika were there to pick me up!
(by now I was pretty sick and had a fever ... but I was happy I had accomplished my goals!
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