Have a great day.
All of that went through my head in the first 30 seconds. My first lap was 51 seconds, my second lap was around 50 seconds, and the last 6 I got in around 45 seconds. My goal was to come in under 6 minutes. My time was 6.09. I was somewhat disappointed. Less with my time and more that I am not a natural. I'm actually going to have to work at this track racing thing. 
Rhonda and Jubal cheering me on.
At least I look good. My goal this summer is to place top 3 in one of the nightly omniums.
Have a great day.
Don't forget to get your autographed copy of 24 Solo. I am asking for a minimum donation of $30, proceeds of which will go to World Bicycle Relief. This movie is entertaining, inspirational and awe inspiring, even for the non-cycling population.
Have a great day.
This is Tyler Hamilton. My friend Kurt Begemann knows him. He walked over to sign some autographs. I said" Kurt Begeman says hello", ( even though Kurt had not said hello, I figured he would have wanted me to say hello if he had known that I was going to be where I was at that given moment). Tyler looked at me and said " Well, tell him I said hello"!!!
Later on, I would push Tyler up a small portion of the huge climb on Brasstown Bald.
After watching the start of the race, we jumped in the car and took off with 2000 other spectators, to go intercept the race at a different place. Our destination was the feed zone, about 60 miles into th 88 mile stage. We got there, had a little picnic lunch and relaxed. We then walked down to the team cars to chat and pass the time. We chatted with the folks from Astana. Alejandro, who is from Spain, would not give me an Astana hat. But the dudes from Team High Road did. Sweet, two more hats.
Finally the tour cars, marshalls, police started coming. Then we heard over the radio that the riders were two minutes out. Then there was utter controlled chaos. The peleton came by, grabbed their musset bags ( lightweight cotton bags that are filled with food and water bottles. The guys sling these over their torso, take what they want and discard the rest on the roadside). People start running, scrambling for free water bottles and other souvenirs.
We then jump in the car again and head to Brasstown Bald. We have to park 1 mile back down the hill from the spur that leads up to the top. We hook up with Mike Keeley and friends. Mike's brother Scott is pushing us up the hill because he has tickets to the VIP area. I don't have tickets, and so Rhonda and I opt to stop at 2 miles to go.
Again we wait. People walk by, some ride by, a couple pulls up next to us. The woman has asthma and it looks like she might die. To our relief, she recovered. Then come the train of lead cars. Then the lead group goes by. Now the fun begins. I run next to the cyclists, ask if they want a push and if they say yes, I push. I know that I helped the following: Dave Zbriskie, Tyler Hamilton, "Fast" Freddie. They were all very appreciative. After pushing Zabriskie, I turn to walk back down the hill, and this dude with an Aussie accent says" Ay mate, don't be thinking that your job is through," I told him that if his job is not done, then my job is not done.
Every time I pushed someone, I asked them for their jersey. No one obliged.
After all they cyclists passed, followed by the broom wagon, and the ambulances, we headed back to the car.
Now what? How about Athens, we could watch some more racing at the Twighlight Criterium.
Cool, we hop in the car and take off. Upon getting to Athens we find that they are charging $10 to park. We pass a fire station where the firemen are playing some form of baseball, using a tennis ball and a stick. They direct us to a parking lot that is free.
We head up into town and catch some more racing action. Wandering around, we get hot dogs for dinner, and run into some friends. We end up watching the very exciting men's race under the Bianchi-BMW women's tent. ( thanks Cara).
With the race finishing at 10:45 pm and no other races going on, we head out. What to do? Camp? nah, too late and we'd like a shower and a bed. Hotel? Nah, I don't want to spend $70. Home? OK, 3 hour drive, I can do it, and if I get tired, I'll give in and get a hotel. Just past Spartanburg, I stop for a Red Bull. We get home around 2 am!!! 19 hours on the road, two big races, one Red Bull!!! Fun weekend.
More Pictures here:http://picasaweb.google.com/Ashevillejanes/TourDeGeorgia08?authkey=pUbf2ZAvzn0
I am walking just in front of him at this point. I got his autograph.
A few minutes later, Chris comes over. I am thinking that he is busy, focused, and he doesn't want to be here. If this is true, I am totally fooled. Chris sits down in the shade, chats with my 4 yr old boy and my wife, and take his time signing the dvd's. We chat about his experience in Africa, he gives me some tips for advertising for the 24 Solo viewing on the 29th of May. We talk about his wife and kid. I'm nervous that he wants to get going, that he has better things to do. But by the time he leaves, I feel like he would rather stay and chat in the shade, than go ride his bike. Thanks Chris.
By the way, if you want an autographed copy of 24 Solo, let me know. For a minimum of a $50 donation to World Bicycle Relief, you can have one. Just contact me. While supplies last.
That evening, at the hotel, I decide to check my bike one more time. I tighten bolts, check the brakes, then go to work on get the right chain tension. On of the axle bolts is still not tightening up. I just paid $41 to get the axle replace, because I thought it was getting stripped out. Weird. A flash of panic courses through my body. I gently back the bolt out and realized that the head on the bolt is about to twist off. There is no way that it will tighten down enough to get me through this race. I drive to ACE. They are closed. I find a Lowes, they don't have metric threads. I find Advance Auto Parts. The have a bolt with the correct threads, but it has a different head. I think it will work. I drive back to the hotel. The bolt tightens down, I am hoping it will hold because it does not match up with the special washer.
Wake up at 5 am to rain. Get loaded up, eat a bagel and drink some coffee on the 30 minute drive to the start. I opt not to warm up on the rollers. Instead I take my time getting ready, and head to the start. I ask around for an axle bolt. I finally ask one dude. He has one. He says his name is Wes. I need to find out who he was. I'll have to do some research. I switch it out, and give him the bolt from Advance. I tell him to keep it as a souvenir.
The Start: We all feel kind of like this:
I find a spot about 40 people back in the group of 250 racers. They say go. The girl in front of me bobbles, she can't get clipped in. She wastes 30 seconds, I can't get around, I find my self 30 seconds off of the lead group. Instead I fall in behind two other guys. Up the first 3 miles of pavement, I realise the importance of warming up. Even if it is only for 15 minutes. That first shock to the muscles is better felt on the rollers.
Into the single track I am feeling good, feeling confident. The miles tick by, it has been sprinkling on and off, now it starts to rain. It lets up. We hit the Old Copper Rd. I take my time, and get something to eat. I get to the bridge at the WWC where my family cheers me on.
Then off into the wilderness. I pass the first rest stop at 20 miles. The second stop comes and I'm still feeling good. I take some time to eat and fill up on water. By mile 40, I realise that I should have already been drinking my energy shake. That's all right, I slow down and eat some energy bar.
The problem now is that I am burning so many calories, so quickly, that my body cannot digest solids fast enough to replenish what it needs.
By mile 65, I am starting to feel the oncoming nausea. Same as last year, only a little later in the race. Some improvement. Every time I push it just a little bit, I get nauseated. I start to look for a way out. But, at this point the only way out is to wait for the SAG stop to close up after the last rider goes past and ride with them. That could be a very long time. I continue to ride. My energy shake that I had at mile 50 is long gone. I should have brought more. I know this is the only thing that will help me. I am drinking plenty. At mile 75 I pass a guy on a bike with a trailer. I hear him ask the guys in front of me if they need anything as he has supplies. It turns out that he is the sweep for the 65 mile race. He has some energy shake. I take it from him and thank him. This helps immediately. I recover enough to keep moving. Rest stop #5 I stop, sit down, and drink a bottle of water with some NUUN tablets. I eat half a power bar. I think it is about 10 minutes, but it was probably more like 30 minutes later, I start to feel better. I scrounge another half serving of energy drink from another racer.
I continue riding, keeping the effort low. Even riding downhill, if my heart rate goes up, the nauseousness sets in. I finally get to the 12 miles to go mark. I get my chain lubed at the rest stop. The lady is very cheerful. I count down the miles. That is a very bad thing to do at this point. It takes forever. 8 miles to go. I pass the spot where I laid for 2.5 hrs last year. I stop for a moment of silence, well really to pee, but I do look around and remember. Not this year though.
On and on, this trail last for a very long time. Winding, twisting, climbing, dropping, crossing streams. I walk the short steep pitches that are totally ride able under normal circumstances. I finally get to 3 miles to go. My gut tells me that it is all downhill to the 1 mile of pavement. I gently nurse myself down the mountain. Ahh, there is a truck, and a dirt rd, and a guy saying something. He points, I turn and go. Another person. They say something, and point. I go. Another person, I don't know if he said anything, but he points, I go. 1 mile left. I am going to finish. I gently cruise, I'm not going to push it. If I do, I won't finish. I get pointed on to the bridge, there is my family on the other side. I cross the finish. Done. I am done, it is done.
On my right is Barbara Borders, the race director. She is a great lady!!
I'm not sure what I am doing, but it looks like I am smiling.
My bike.
Thanks to those who support me, especially Rhonda and Jubal but also: Ergotech Cycling Dynamics, World Bicycle Relief, and all the friends who encouraged me.
