Post by Scott Baker on Apr 14, 2008 12:33:06 GMT -5
Here is the narrative of the event. It should be titled "Yet more loathing of silent Bob". Enjoy!
My totals were 101.46 miles and 10,718' elevation gain from the Garmin Training Center software on my Garmin Edge 305.
If you are a Google Earth user, download the route www.southwesterncc.edu/scottb/2008TourdeCashiersCentury.kml.
It was cool at the start and the forecast seemed to keep some people away. I don't have the total numbers yet for the event, but I'll have those on the Web site as soon as I get them. Gibbs & I went with knees warmers and heavier undershirts with a short-sleeve jersey and arm warmers. The beanie cap was a must early on and layered gloves. The early miles on 64 were pretty easy and there was a nice tailwind to keep any chill off. The pack rode a reasonable pace, which was nice. Once we turned left onto 281, there is a short climb, and that caused the initial breakup of the group down to about 10 or so in the front. Once we took the few side roads to 215, we had a group of 8. Two of them dropped off (a guy and a girl) about 2 miles from the initial climbing after the trout farm on the left.
Paul aka "Silent Bob" escalated the pace at the first bridge on the climbing and we let him go. After seeing how tough he rides the last two years, it wasn't worth blowing up to stay with him for a short spell. There was the 215 climb ~ 4miles and left onto Charleys Creek with five of us. We took a nature break and pressed on. Charleys Creek was tough as usual with a headwind to boot. We rode 281 and the Gauntlet at a pretty easy pace, where nobody was making any hard efforts (it seemed), since there was a headwind most of the way. At the left turn onto Cullowhee Mtn Heather reported we were 4 minutes back of the leader. Thanks to Heather and my boys (Alex & Aaron) for getting us new bottles and taking the no longer needed gear to tote around the rest of the ride.
One guy bailed and took the Cullowhee Mtn route to cut off about 20 miles and just under 2000' of climbing. Then there were four of us. Gibbs & I pulled ahead of the others two on the climb of Tilley Creek, and while getting fluids and a nature break a the top we were all briefly together. We descended Elijay at a moderate tempo then Gibbs t I kicked up the pace on the "flats" of Elijay. We had a pretty big gap on the other two guys. After that we saw two of them briefly on the last switchback of Peeks Creek (where the aid station guy said we were 15 minutes behind the leader - doh!) , then never again did we see the other two.
Walnut creek, which starts about mile 81, is brutal as always. The first two miles are tough, then it relents for about two miles before the really hard last two miles. Gibbs initially opened a gap on me which I was able to catch up on the middle section. After the "wall" he had about 45 seconds on me the rest of the way up. One of the SAGs stopped on the side of the road at the top of the wall, took one of our bottles, and filled them as much as we wanted and drove back up to us and handed us the bottles. Really helpful and nice to do. Fortunately Gibbs took a nature break at the top of the climb which allowed me to catch up. We stopped for a water bottle at the aid station at the right turn after Walnut Creek ended, then (I) suffered up the shorts climbs the rest of the way in. Gibbs was riding really tough and probably could have dropped me if he wanted to on the climbs. I may have been able to recover on the flat and downhill sections remaining, but it would have been tough.
We finished together at ~6:05, in second place. We rode a pace that felt very comfortable and neither of us ever were in duress or in the red. My legs were cooked after Walnut Creek, so that made the last several miles a bit uncomfortable. I saw Paul at the Community Center, but forgot to ask him his time. We were probably ~20 minutes back I would guess. The temps were pretty nice where a few times I had my arm warmers slid down and other times I was chilly on the descents w/o my gloves on. After the turn onto Cullowhee Mtn I got rid of my vest and over-gloves and beanie cap.
Overall, the event was great. The aid stations were great (only stopped at the Tilley Creek and Walnut Creek ones). The food at the Community Center was awesome and I really liked having the inside facilities for the food given the outside temps. You missed a great event if you did not attend. I hope to see a stronger local presence next year. ;D
My totals were 101.46 miles and 10,718' elevation gain from the Garmin Training Center software on my Garmin Edge 305.
If you are a Google Earth user, download the route www.southwesterncc.edu/scottb/2008TourdeCashiersCentury.kml.
It was cool at the start and the forecast seemed to keep some people away. I don't have the total numbers yet for the event, but I'll have those on the Web site as soon as I get them. Gibbs & I went with knees warmers and heavier undershirts with a short-sleeve jersey and arm warmers. The beanie cap was a must early on and layered gloves. The early miles on 64 were pretty easy and there was a nice tailwind to keep any chill off. The pack rode a reasonable pace, which was nice. Once we turned left onto 281, there is a short climb, and that caused the initial breakup of the group down to about 10 or so in the front. Once we took the few side roads to 215, we had a group of 8. Two of them dropped off (a guy and a girl) about 2 miles from the initial climbing after the trout farm on the left.
Paul aka "Silent Bob" escalated the pace at the first bridge on the climbing and we let him go. After seeing how tough he rides the last two years, it wasn't worth blowing up to stay with him for a short spell. There was the 215 climb ~ 4miles and left onto Charleys Creek with five of us. We took a nature break and pressed on. Charleys Creek was tough as usual with a headwind to boot. We rode 281 and the Gauntlet at a pretty easy pace, where nobody was making any hard efforts (it seemed), since there was a headwind most of the way. At the left turn onto Cullowhee Mtn Heather reported we were 4 minutes back of the leader. Thanks to Heather and my boys (Alex & Aaron) for getting us new bottles and taking the no longer needed gear to tote around the rest of the ride.
One guy bailed and took the Cullowhee Mtn route to cut off about 20 miles and just under 2000' of climbing. Then there were four of us. Gibbs & I pulled ahead of the others two on the climb of Tilley Creek, and while getting fluids and a nature break a the top we were all briefly together. We descended Elijay at a moderate tempo then Gibbs t I kicked up the pace on the "flats" of Elijay. We had a pretty big gap on the other two guys. After that we saw two of them briefly on the last switchback of Peeks Creek (where the aid station guy said we were 15 minutes behind the leader - doh!) , then never again did we see the other two.
Walnut creek, which starts about mile 81, is brutal as always. The first two miles are tough, then it relents for about two miles before the really hard last two miles. Gibbs initially opened a gap on me which I was able to catch up on the middle section. After the "wall" he had about 45 seconds on me the rest of the way up. One of the SAGs stopped on the side of the road at the top of the wall, took one of our bottles, and filled them as much as we wanted and drove back up to us and handed us the bottles. Really helpful and nice to do. Fortunately Gibbs took a nature break at the top of the climb which allowed me to catch up. We stopped for a water bottle at the aid station at the right turn after Walnut Creek ended, then (I) suffered up the shorts climbs the rest of the way in. Gibbs was riding really tough and probably could have dropped me if he wanted to on the climbs. I may have been able to recover on the flat and downhill sections remaining, but it would have been tough.
We finished together at ~6:05, in second place. We rode a pace that felt very comfortable and neither of us ever were in duress or in the red. My legs were cooked after Walnut Creek, so that made the last several miles a bit uncomfortable. I saw Paul at the Community Center, but forgot to ask him his time. We were probably ~20 minutes back I would guess. The temps were pretty nice where a few times I had my arm warmers slid down and other times I was chilly on the descents w/o my gloves on. After the turn onto Cullowhee Mtn I got rid of my vest and over-gloves and beanie cap.
Overall, the event was great. The aid stations were great (only stopped at the Tilley Creek and Walnut Creek ones). The food at the Community Center was awesome and I really liked having the inside facilities for the food given the outside temps. You missed a great event if you did not attend. I hope to see a stronger local presence next year. ;D