My 3state3mountain report.

May5, I walked out of my hotel at 7:45(ride starts at 8:00) and realized that I left my tire pump at home. Luckily the last guy in the parking lot had one. That was a close one. It had begun raining lightly on my way to the start where I met up with Guy and Kevin at the front. The ride began and the rollout of town was a bit scary with the slick streets and painted lines at the intersections and somehow in the confusion rode off without Guy and Kevin so I just rode my own pace waiting on a compatible group to come by. A couple of groups did come by but they all definitely looked like climbers and cat 1,2,3 types so I just let them roll on. My computer quit working except for my heart rate which is what I felt that I needed. I will not be able to give you distances or mph as a result. The scenery was ok...but it was raining and foggy with the low clouds obscuring the upcoming Suck Mountain. After riding along Suck Creek we turned right and I heard the sound of water flowing over rocks and the first climb began.

My goal for the climbs was to settle down in some kind of rhythm and keep my heart rate low and manageable. It was very difficult for me to get any kind of rhythm at the start because I was suprised at how low my cadence was. I was riding a compact with a 12-25. My weight was 209lbs on Friday. I got concerned on whether I would be able to make the entire ride as I had thought that the climb was 6 miles, It was 4.5m. Very soon I was being passed by alot of riders and one of them decided to pull up along me and carried on a oneway conversation. I can't remember what he was saying because I was just trying to focus on my effort. I am also quite sure that the creek we were climbing along on our right was beautiful, but I wasn't able to enjoy it with the work I was having to do. After about a mile a group came by and pulled in front of me and the guy directly in front of me had a big tear in the back of his shorts showing alot of his hairy ass and I was thinking..."dude...no way...why me". I was disgusted that I didn't have the energy to jump and pass them and I didn't want to fall back and lose any time so all I could do was just keep my head down. Finally as I on the verge of being rude the very talkative guy either went on up the mountain or I passed him. Finally with a short break in the grade I summoned up some energy and passed the guy with the torn shorts.

About halfway Guy passed me, with a high cadence and moving at a good speed. I thought about going with him but he was breathing pretty hard and I wasn't going to go deep that soon. At a false flat and thinking the climbing was over I punched it up into my big ring to make up the lost time and soon found there was another half mile of uphill. Finally at the top and beginning the descent, I hit it hard again. My first mountain descent. Let me say..Nobody passed me on any of the descents. I went faster than my experience should have allowed but I was able to catch alot of people who passed and caught Guy at the bottom. We stopped to reload water and got out on the road again.

It was still sprinkling and foggy with low clouds and I could tell that the scenery was great but wasn't able to see it nor enjoy it. A decent group formed and we began to make good time and we caught alot of riders. It stayed like that until we hit the river. The road had some good rollers and nothing substantial that slowed us down too much. At the river we stopped and I spent some wasted time trying to get thru the mud to reload water and watered down powerade. I was sweating alot but I was taking 2-3 ecaps every hour and drinking alot. Having lost my group I caught a couple of guys and we headed into a headwind across the bridge. We turned right after crossing and a big grade ascent began at Sapp Mountain that we skirted around. Again I lost some time going up it, but as soon as I crested I hit big ring and knocked it out on the descent and upcoming flat and eventually caught my old group. We rode into Alabama and the road became pretty rough. I began to wish I was back in Tennessee on smooth roads and then we hit Sand Mountain. I told the group I enjoyed riding with them and quickly fell off. This was tough as my cadence was very low but I just grinded my way up as I was passed again by alot of riders. After I hit the top I hit the big ring again went off in pursuit hoping to catch me old group. After a mile a triathlete with quite a good attitude came along flying and I jumped on his wheel and off we went and picked up a couple of riders but none of us were strong enough to take a pull and we lost him on the next big hill. A SAG stop soon came up and I jumped off the bike grabbed some undiluted powerade and jumped back onto the bike solo hoping I would catch another group and to not let my legs get cold. This portion headed east towards Brow Ridge Road had a headwind and luckily a group came by with a really strong guy pulling and couple of really squirrely riders drafting. Nobody was strong enough to pull to the strong guy's satisfaction so he stayed on the front and halfway up Brow Road I dropped off in anticipation to let my legs relax and rest up before Buckhalter which was coming up in 5-7 miles. I had a couple of cramps trying to form and this rest on the bike let me get rid of them. Another group came up and I caught on with them and there was a great decent down into the valley near I-59. Here I noticed that Velo Vixens were well represented. I made up some good time on the descent. After we crossed over Hwy11 a couple of guys in front of me threw their water bottles away on the first little but very steep climb thinking they were on Lookout. THat little section was so steep that when I stood up I spun my rear wheel on the slick road. They realized they were wrong as it was another 3-4 miles, and wished they had their water bottles. I coasted this section resting up for what I knew was coming. I had driven this section the day before. I stopped at the next SAG just to lose some water weight. I thought it was weird because it had been raining but they had a water sprinkler to let riders cool off?

Right before Buckhalter, I prayed. I looked for a priest but didn't see any, and I am not even catholic. I was too tired to think of Ghisallo, the patron saint of cycling. The kick up on Buckhalter is immediate. You can see way up the road and there were only 2 slight breaks in the grade. My cadence must have averaged only 20rpm. Every minute or 2 I would tack across the road just to take a couple seconds of rest and my heart rate stayed down. Alot of people passed but they sure were breathing hard. This climb is 2.5 miles and it is hard...very hard. Near the top the road turns right to a really steep grade and for .25 miles I switched back and forth all the way up the hill.

At the top I took my first long break maybe 15mins or so and enjoyed the potato chips. They were the best, salty and crunchy. The next 15 miles I knew weren't going to be easy, but I was going to try to knock it out. I was ready to get off the bike. You know..... if your driving down I59 and you look up at Lookout Mt., it looks like it's flat. It isn't. No longer with a group I pushed it as much as I could after the first 85miles had dealt me some hard efforts. The turn onto 157 gave a very fast descent and I hit it and was able to maintain my speed up the opposite side and kept my speed up pretty high, that was fun but I paid for it at the climbs that were waiting at the end of Lula Lake where I dropped my chain to the lowest gear and I just took it easy on this section as I was tired from the hammering for the last 5 miles and the next 5 miles weren't easy.

The last descent began on Red Riding Hood and though I had bombed and took chances on the prior descents I took this one easy, riding my brakes, wondering if I was going to melt a rim. At the bottom, the ride to the finish was just a fast roll in and I must have ridden the last 2 miles at 22+mph. I am definitely a rolleur, not a climber.

It's funny how a couple of people kept appearing along the way. One girl from Nashville passed me on every climb and somehow I would pass her sometimes and she would appear again as she passed on the next climb. I got to talk to a few of these people at the finish and it was interesting.

I have alot of respect for the people who have ever finished this century, whether they were faster or slower than I was. Buckhalter is NOT easy. It would be tough if it was after your first 5 miles, let alone after 82miles and 2.5 mountains. It takes a mentally tough person, the less fit the tougher minded they would have to be to get up it.

Finish time 6:25. A big difference from the 4:51 from the week before for the Natchez Trace Century. I will cut 30 minutes off next year with a better gear selection and the experience gained and hopefully pounds ungained. Think you might recognize me? Here is a pic of me on the ride.