The Assault On Mount Mitchell

The Whole Drafter Group Under The KK sign before the start (me leaning over my handlebars to get in some extra rest)

Well, its over. Official time was 7:38. Should have been better but was still a PR for me. Monday May 24th dawned a cooler but humid day in Spartanburg SC. First a little background: I probably trained more for this ride than my time represented. I have done this ride before and had problems ranging from dehydration to cramping to just complete exhaustion. So I went into this year with a little more trepidation than in most events. This ride, if not taken seriously can really hurt you for weeks afterwards. I enjoy my cycling too much to ruin it so I did not want to do an all out effort that would tax my body for days on end. After the ride in 2005, I was in pain and lethargic for 2 weeks. It drained me both physically and mentally for a long while. In fact, I gave up riding for a while and did other things. I did not want to do that in 2010. So even though I trained a lot of mileage, I wanted to make this a more enjoyable and memorable event. The week prior to this event, I was under a lot of stress due to a sales meeting and work stuff. The Sunday before was also stressful with my daughters confirmation and all of the logistical stuff that goes along with dropping cars, hotel stuff and just pre ride jitters. This year was also different than the last 2 times I had done the ride in the fact I was riding with a new group of folks that I had only started riding with 2 years ago. I had ridden and trained for Mitchell in 2004/2005 with Bill but he and I haven't ridden as much together the last year due to changes in his travel/work as well as mine. His priorities may have changed a little after his airplane landed in the Hudson in early 2009. I certainly missed having him around to give me hell this year. He is the person I have to thank for getting me interested in cycling again when I got him hooked on it a few years back. Andy and Jimmy also opted to not do the ride this year. So this was a new group with a different spin on things.

So, I left home about 3 PM on Sunday to drop my car at Marion NC. From there, I rode with another teammate to Spartanburg to the hotel. We checked in and went to dinner at a local place. It was relaxing hanging with all of the teammates and laughing and talking. I also saw an old high school friend that I had not seen in 30 years. So the Sunday evening was a good start to a long day. Sunday night I slept fitfully as I felt like I was coming down with a cold. It never materialized and I fought it with herbs and a sinus wash which seemed to help me. Now its Monday morning at 5 AM and the clock goes off. Even with a short night and little sleep, I felt pretty good. I was not able to eat the normal breakfast and my morning routine was all messed up. But still I was happy and ready for the day. Nervous? yes. But ready all the same.

We pushed off at 6:30 AM and the first 8-10 miles was a mass of riders of different abilities trying to find a comfortable pace. Some of our teammates went to the front and ran with the fast pack. I knew better than to do that as the last time I did that I blew completely up at Marion and struggled all the way to the top. I decided to hang back with our team and ride smart to Marion. About mile 20, I started to feel like crap. My stomach hurt, my heart rate was all over the board and I felt gassed already. Our average was not too high so I knew it wasn't caused by going out too hard. I dropped back to the middle of the group to try to see if I could get my body right. I ate some of a protein bar and felt like I was going to throw it up. I drank water every mile or so but it didn't seem to help. I also had to pee so at the first rest stop I hit the porta-pot and that seemed to help a bit. But even then I was struggling to find my groove. About 30 miles in, there was an accident right in front of me and a guy did a cartwheel over his bars. He hit pretty hard on his left shoulder and I stopped to help. He was in real pain so I hung out with him for about 8 minutes to see if I could help keep his neck stable. I dont think he had any neck injury but he complained about pain and numbness in his hands. A paramedic arrived and I went on my way. I had lost a group and had to ride alone for about 6-8 miles until I caught some of my team. Also, I dont know if it was adrenaline or if things actually got better with the body, but I started to feel better. Just as I was starting to get in a groove, TR flatted on a climb and I stopped to help him change his flat. Just as he started to put his CO2 cartridge in, the tube blew again and trashed his rim. So I left him to catch the SAG and took off by myself again. I climbed Bill's Hill really well and passed almost 50 people going up. This would be the setting for the rest of the day. We regrouped some at the top of Bill's but TR rode in with the SAG along with Bo from Cool Breeze who also had a wheel issue. We probably spent too much time gabbing there but its all about team. After Bill's hill I was feeling a little better but still not 100% up to par. I was climbing every hill better than I had ever climbed but the flat areas and rollers were just not being kind to me. I rode in to Marion with Keith and some other guy and Buddy was right there as well. We were at Marion in 4:45. Slower than I had ever been at that point but I still felt like I was in good shape. I did not stop at Tom Johnson's Campground because I thought there was a rest stop on the entrance to 80. I told Buddy there was one there but I found out quickly there was not. I decided to soldier on to the next stop about halfway up 80. Buddy and I took a few turns on 80 pulling each other but when we hit the little white church (where the climb really starts) I dropped him quickly. I waited on the first climb a little bit but he didn't seem to be responding. So I took off. I am guessing here, but I probably passed 50 people going up 80. I was in a groove and was really starting to feel good. I passed the rest stop on the left side of 80 even though both bottles were getting less than half. I was drinking water in one bottle and GU mix fluid replacement stuff in the other. I felt plenty hydrated and was not at all worried about running out. The 3 mile hard grade up did not seem bad at all. I still kept passing folks who looked like they were going to die. I reached the stop on 80 before turning on the Parkway. There I handed my bottles to a nice lady who filled them up. I poured in my GU replacement, ate a banana, peed one last time and was only there less than 2 minutes. I also fired up the I-Pod and took off. I caught more folks on the Parkway and probably passed another 50-60 people. Right after the tunnel it started to rain. First it was just spitting a little then it started to rain pretty good. This just made me feel better. I was hauling on the downhill for about 3 miles and looked behind me and I saw no one. At the overlook I saw a guy in a Devil Suit similar to the one the guy wears in The Tour De France. I was watching him and a van (which was illegally SAGGING for a rider) and I noticed my front wheel seemed soft. Damn, a flat. I stopped and changed the tube quicker than I have ever changed one. I didn't time myself but I know it was less than 1 minute. Only one person passed and for a few seconds I wondered if I had missed the turn. Guess it was hallucinations or something. Hell, maybe the Devil was real....In less than 1 mile, I passed the guy back and 5 others who were in different states of pain. My heart rate was great and I was feeling good. I still had not dropped to the 28 cog so I felt like I was going to be fine. I stopped at the entrance to the Park and didn't even dismount the bike. I handed one bottle to the attendant and grabbed a cup of real Coke. I was in and out in 30 seconds. The Climb into the Park was tough but I kept a good cadence and dropped to the 28. It seemed like no time had passed and I saw the ranger station. 1 mile to go. The last kick up I started to feel cramps in the inner thigh area and a little twinge in my calves. But I soft peddled a little and they never got really bad. Then through the mist and fog, I saw that guardrail. I always know I am almost home when I see that. I turned the corner into the parking lot and saw the orange cones. One last kick up the grade and I crossed the line. I never even looked at the clock and had no idea what my time was until the results came out today. I handed the bike to the guy, took my patch and waddled up the steps in my cleats. It was over. I saw Alain and we high fived. I found my bag and Alain and I talked. He beat me up the mountain by a few minutes but he worked hard too. Then we waited on Keith and all 3 of us had the famous tomato soup and a warm coke before heading to the bus for the 2 hour trip back to Marion. The weather on top was very cool and it looked like a scene from Scotland with the fog and wind. The ranger told me he had just checked and the temperature was 48. It felt good for a while but then it got cold quickly. Glad I had my jacket. On the way down in the bus, we laughed and joked with each other and Alain had the whole bus loosened up. We all looked at all the other poor souls still laboring up the mountain. Some people were on their bike for over 11 hours. Some didnt make the cutoff time at the top of 80 and never got to finish. This mountain can beat even hard core riders to a pulp. I admire anyone who can finish this event. No matter how long it takes. Riding in the rain and fog is never fun for many. Personally I would rather have that than the hot sun beating down on me as I struggle to reach the summit.

Back in Marion, we waited as all of the others showed up. They had some good food and we even had some beer delivered to us by Mikey. All I really wanted was 1 beer and a lot of water. It was great weather in Marion so we sit in the shelter in a cool breeze and had a blast talking about the ride. TR finished on Mike's bike (He only did the part to Marion) and Bo had even borrowed a wheel and finished the ride too. They didn't get the full 102 miles but they still did the hard part from Marion to the top. We packed up around 7 and headed to Mooresville.

Several folks asked me today and yesterday if I would do this ride again. Right now I dont know. Logistically its the biggest nightmare ever. Physically it is widely considered the second hardest century in the US. I haven't done the other one but I dont see how it could be any harder. So, will I do it again? Probably. Maybe next year. Maybe not. Maybe never. I feel very good 24 hours later. I had a massage today which really helped and I rested and hydrated all day. I plan to go out for a recovery ride tomorrow if I can. Thursday night I will be back at it with the Drafters. So I cant answer the "what will you do" question just yet. I still have Blood Sweat and Gears in one month which in itself is no picnic. Same amount of climbing but spread out over the 100 miles. Maybe I will know after that.

A final thought and conclusion to this post: I feel blessed that God has given me the ability and health to do these things. I know I will never be the first up this mountain. Time is no longer important to me either. What matters is I can ride my bike, enjoy the outdoors and be with great people. I firmly believe that the cycling community is the greatest group of people I know. We come together when one of us is in need. Adam Little would probably have been riding this ride yesterday but his young life was cut short a few months ago by someone who probably will live with that on her mind forever. Adam will never get to hold his wife again or pick up his children. He can never experience the tailwind on a warm spring day or laugh with his cycling buddies while having an after ride beer. His death was senseless and made many of us realize how easily it can all disappear. I dedicated my ride to Adam yesterday. I know he would have been up the mountain long before this old man saw the finish. But in some way, I felt like he rode with all of us a little yesterday. I saw it in the struggles of many who persevered. Godspeed Adam Little, and Rest In Peace brother.