[nnc-list] Blood Sweat and Gears 2007

[Donald Mitchell]

Blood Sweat and Gears (BSG) 2007:

I started out with 2 goals:

1.	Make it to the 82 mile marker before 1430.  If I didn’t make it there by 
1430 I would be redirected to the finish, which would only give me an 87 
mile ride.
2.	Not to be last.

I met these 2 goals.  I arrived at the 82 mile marker at 1345 and I placed 
527 out of 633 finishers:

http://www.rmssports.com/results/07BSG.TXT

This ride had many descents and climbs.  The descents were just as steep and 
long as the climbs.  We began the ride with a series of climbs until we 
reached the Parkway.  We would complete 21 miles on the Parkway.  The climbs 
were not bad on the parkway and there was one really great descent.  It was 
on this descent that I reached my maximum speed for the day, 48.6 mph.  Once 
we exited off the Parkway the climbs just kept coming as well as the 
descents.  Around mile 55 we started the climb up Snake Mountain.  This 
climb lasted for 5 miles.  The first 4.6 miles were not that bad.  The last 
1/3 mile however became very steep.  This section is rated at around 18% 
grade.  This section was so steep that there were people actually getting 
off of their bike and walking.  I kept telling myself that I didn’t come 
this far to walk and before I knew it I was at the top and still on my bike. 
  Now for the descent on the other side.  The descent was very steep with 
very sharp curves.  One guy was carried away in an ambulance because he 
failed to heed the warnings given to him at the top of the mountain.  I held 
my brakes all the way to the bottom.  There was loose gravel that was just 
waiting for me to get cocky.  There were 2 people that passed me on the way 
down but they were also being just as cautious as I was.  Now the hard part 
was over.  I survived Snake Mountain!!!  The next 35 miles contained 
numerous climbs as well as descents.  There was one really great section 
from about mile 70 to mile 80 that was a slight descent.  A lot of lost time 
was made up for in this section.  Once we passed mile marker 82 there was 
another really tough climb.  This climb was rated at 8% for about 2 miles.  
There were many switch-backs that could be seen before they were reached.  
Once at the top it was a wild ride down.  I was on and off the breaks.  
There was one really scary moment when I ran off the right side of the road 
while trying to pass someone on the right on a curve.  I just kept the bike 
straight up and didn’t panic.  I eased back on the pavement and continued 
the wild ride down.  The next few miles were down-hill and then someone 
ordered up more hills.  I figured since there were about 10 miles to the 
finish that the climbing was over.  Not so.  There were 2 more climbs to be 
done before the finish.  Once I finished I felt really good.  I had never 
felt better after a ride in the mountains.

This ride was very challenging and the field contained some of the best 
riders on the east coast.  There were riders that finished this ride in less 
than 5 hours.  I can’t even come close to that in the “flat-land.”  I 
finished in 7 hours and 40 minutes.  My ride time was 7 hours and 11 minutes 
with a 14.1 mph average.  That’s my best mountain ride yet.

_________________________________________________________________
Picture this – share your photos and you could win big!  
http://www.GETREALPhotoContest.com?ocid=TXT_TAGHM&loc=us