Live The Active Life

Well, I’m still alive after Saturday’s century ride. If you have twitter you can see some of my “updates from the road” made using Jott. Here is a more detailed review of all of the fun:

The Night Before

We drove to Chattanooga Friday evening after work. We got into town about 8:30PM and stopped by the packet pickup to get the updated ride info as well as my T-shirt and nifty custom race-fit jersey. We got to the hotel about 9 and I ate a small meal before going to bed at 10:30. My fingers were crossed that the severe weather predicted would at least hold off.

The 5AM Wake-up Call

The alarm went off at 5AM. I hit snooze 1 time then rolled out of bed and immediately turned on the Weather Channel to see what the status was on the rain. Well, they were saying that the thunderstorm/rain would hit Chattanooga around 8AM, right at the start of the ride! My wife looked at me and sort of smiled when she said “looks like you might get a little wet”. I ate a small breakfast and did some light stretching after getting dressed. We headed over to the ride start and got there about 7AM.

At The Start Line

There were already quite a few people milling around (this ride usually has about 2500 participants). The skies were threatening. There were a few others from my usual weekend group who were doing this ride as well and we were planning on meeting prior to the start. Well, after getting my bike ready to go it started to lightning/thunder and rain really hard at about 7:45. We heard that they were going to delay the start until 8:30 so we retreated back into the car and sat for a while. At 8:15 I rode over to a covered area near the start and waited with several hundred other riders. I hooked up with the others and we headed over to the start. The rain had stopped for the most part. At 8:45 we were off!

Off And Riding

Right after the start it began raining really hard and I was immediately soaked everywhere except for my upper body because of my water proof, breathable cycling jacket. The temperature was about 65 so it wasn’t too bad. We all stuck together for the first 6 miles or so and then two of us pulled ahead and rode the rest of the 100 miles together. We decided to regroup at the rest stops if we got separated.

The First Climb

At about mile twelve we hit the first climb of the ride, Suck Creek Mountain (a great name). The rain had pretty much stopped by then. The climb was just over 5 miles long and was fairly steady so I was able to get into a good rhythm. I generally enjoy climbing and am pretty good at it. I’d guess the average grade was maybe 5-6%. I averaged about 12mph on this climb, making it to the top in a little under 30 minutes. Right after we crossed the top we had a descent of around 5 miles which was fun (reached about 38mph) but also a little cold on the legs and required some attention as the roads were still very wet. My buddy, Dan, caught up to me at the first rest stop, which was at about 25 miles.

On To The Second Mountain

After we refueled on fig newtons and bananas at the rest stop we started the ride to Sand Mountain and the 2nd major climb. We rode through some very pretty valleys and along the Tennessee river, crossed over a reservoir and over a few steep “rollers”. Dan and I rode with a small group and we all worked together for a while, averaging 22-24mph. There was a rest stop at about mile 42 which we stopped at briefly and used the bathroom then it was off to to climb Sand Mtn. The climb started at about mile 53 and was about 3 miles long. It was steeper than the first climb, maybe 7%, and has a few switchbacks in it. Once again I felt good and was able to maintain a nice even pace. I passed quite a few people along the way. After the top we rode along a ridge to the next rest stop near Bryant, Alabama. I waited a short time for Dan then we continued along the ridge for another 15 miles or so, then down the hill into Georgia and on towards the big hill!

Burkhalter Gap

Once we got into the valley from Sand Mountain., at about 73 miles, we rode for about 8 miles until we reached the next rest stop, at the bottom of the final climb of the day. My butt had been a little sore since the top of Sand Mtn. but it had loosened up and was no longer a problem. Good thing because I definitely needed all of my strength for the climb! The climb is only a little over 3 miles but it is a tough 3 miles. It is just one long steep hill with no switchbacks. The average grade was probably 8-10%. I was in my lowest gear and climbing at around 5-6mph. My cadence was low, around 40-60rpm, and that is a lot tougher on the muscles. I did pass a few people but got passed by a lot as well. It was a hard climb, especially after 80 miles in the saddle. At about 2.5 miles into the climb the road kicked up severely, to about a 15% grade. My calf cramped right at that point and I had to get off the bike and walk for a little to stretch it out. I tried to clip back in and start pedaling but almost fell over because the road was so steep. I had to actually go down hill a bit before going back uphill in order to get into the pedals! I managed to get up the last couple of hundred yards and to the rest stop at the top. While I waited for Dan I watched other exhausted riders inch their way up the final pitch, most in great agony. Dan made it up after a few minutes and we took some time to get our legs back before the final 15 miles.

The Home Stretch

Most of the the final 15 miles was along the ridge of Lookout Mountain with lots of rollers. Dan was fighting sporadic leg cramps so I hung back a little and rode with him into town. The ride was topped off with a great 2 mile descent into Chattanooga where I reached my top speed for the day of 42mph. We crossed the finish at a total elapsed time of 6 hours and 38 minutes. Total time pedaling was 6 hours and 3 minutes. I got off my bike, changed into some shorts and a t-shirt and got a couple of pieces of pizza and a beer. We waited around another hour or so and watched other riders come across the finish line then we left and headed back home, arriving there about 6:30PM.

Final Stats And Thoughts

When I got home I downloaded the files from my Garmin Forerunner and Powertap. Total distance was 100.8 miles. Total time was just over 6 hours and 3 minutes for an average speed of 16.7mph. My Garmin indicated just over 8,330 feet of climbing. My heart rate was an average of 138 with a max of 170. I averaged 185 watts (power) over the entire ride.

I was very impressed with this ride. It was well organized, very scenic, and was definitely a challenge. I think I will be doing this ride again next year. The weather ended up being OK all things considered and was not a detriment at all to the ride. If you are able to visit Chattanooga the 1st weekend in May and ride a bike, check out this event. If you don’t want to do the full 100 miles they have 25 and 62 mile options.