Assault on the Carolinas

As I continue to ride into "old age," I continue to look for challenges to keep me training hard. So the first one for 2012 was the Assault on the Carolinas out of Brevard, NC. This is a metric century with 7000+ feet of elevation gain. I knew it would be a challenge because while doing a training ride there last summer, I went so slowly up one of the hills I fell over! Now that was embarrassing. So knowing I had to do that climb along with a 6 mile continuous climb over Caesars Head, I had some trepidations.

Carmichael Training Systems has an office in Brevard. So Chris Carmichael came the day before the ride and took us out for a pre-ride. That is who the gentleman is in the picture. CTS staff are all great and one of the young guys stayed with me half the ride and then my coach Tracy hung back the second half. Once again I was the last one in but you all know that I am used to that.

Saturday was the ride and what a wonderful day it was. It is just now spring in Brevard and the weather was perfect. The route was fantastic, except for the many, many climbs. But I made it up the climb I fell on the year before. And guess what. Where I fell wasn't even steep compared to the top half of the climb. There were people out there with horns and cowbells which really gave the spirit a boost. The 6 mile climb brought back memories (not so fond ones) of going to Prescott and/or Flagstaff on the XC10 ride. But I made it and for a change was not the last one in for the day. There were a handful of riders behind me and some who had to be picked up on the road. So I felt good about the whole thing.

Now on to Cashiers NC on May 5. This will be a mini-XC10 reunion with Roy, Stu, Sandy, Chris, Craig, Harold, Sam, and myself. Should be lots of fun. The big dogs are doing the century but I will stick to the metric century. It is another ride with mega-climbs.