Tour de Cure

This was my fourth Tour de Cure. The first one was on Dad's old Schwinn Varsity. A hard ride that I survived on grit and determination. The second was better, I rode with my pal Kelvin and he kindly gave me his wheel for the last twenty miles. The third was almost too easy, I rode with Kelvin again only this time I held back in the last twenty so he could have my wheel.

Of them all, I never rode hard both days. I would ride easy Saturday, then Sunday give it my best ride, though that first year it sure *felt* like I rode hard both days. This year though, I had no team mates to ride with, so I had no one to wait for on Saturday, so I planned on riding my own pace on in. Then a flat tire at the start line left me late to head out, but I eventually did find myself towards the front of the pack, and finished about 3-4 minutes behind the front runners. I then merrily soaked in the hot tub for a while and relaxed in the hotel. Dinner had the usual cheer leading for the cause, and a bike prize won by the highest fund raiser donated by Owen Cycles out of Hixson, TN. Since the fellow who won the bike has won one rather often, he offered it up to auction with all proceeds going to the American Diabetes Association.
No one seemed to want to bid. One fellow called out that he'd like the auction to end at the end of the night. He was on the phone and did counter the first bid, but it was apparent he was trying to get the funds together. I suggested making it a silent auction.
The bike sold for $675. A good $275 over the opening bid.
After dinner, a group of us went to get ice cream. I had no cash with me, but my team mate Kim had offered to cover me till we got back. Instead, the Owens Cycle owner, Erik and his wife, picked it up for both Kim and I.

Sunday is always a rough ride. The route is more rolling, the body isn't fresh by any means. I had no flat so I got to the front at the start line. I stayed there. All day. My friend John Haywood and I started at a relaxed pace, and as we warmed up started moving a bit more, more, all the time keeping it steady. After the first ten miles we looked back and realized we had a pack of 15-20 with us, some of whom were close enough to start working with us. In the next ten miles, that pack was shaken down a good bit more as the majority pulled in to stop. We motored on. I had a plan, and I informed those with us that I was stopping at the next stop to refill bottles. Then I started teaching them proper team paceline etiquette and form. John H, UTC John, Bob Church, Thunder-Calves Joel, and Jimmy came along with me and shook out into a pretty efficient team, rolling steadily and eating miles. All agreed the stop I chose was perfectly placed in the park, and then we got back out on the road. It was in the next 10 miles that we started to fracture out. We lost UTC John at the next stop, and soon after we lost Bob in the steeper rollers. We did for a while pick up another man, but he refused to pull. He stayed back and opened a hole each time someone rolled off the front. I dubbed him "lazy-ass." We dropped him by the time we rolled past our next stop, roughly 20 miles from the finish.

By now, I was starting to hurt. John H. was starting to hurt. We had Joel (whose calves seriously were as big as some women's waists) and Jimmy. Jimmy was very strong through the rollers, and Joel pulled some extra oomph from those legs and started passing me on them. A few times I thought I was about to see the last of them, but John would grab my wheel on the downhill and we would find ourselves right back with Jimmy and Joel, then John would pull to the next hill where we would fracture again. He knows who has the best downhill muscle and draft to ride! We bounced around that way for the next few miles until the road evened out again to easier rollers, and we got back into paceline form. At this point, I was starting to focus merely on the wheel in front of me until my turn to pull. John would pull for about 30 seconds and drop with apologies. I would pull about the same and drop. Joel would then pull for a while longer, and then Jimmy would pull, taking the lions share of wind battering. We all were starting to struggle though, else Jimmy would have easily left us. Then we hit a nice roller with me on the front. I pulled up it, and as soon as we leveled off, as I started to try regaining the pace and with Joel behind me calling out "you can do it," my legs cramped up and I admitted I couldn't. I told them I thought I had to drop off now, 4 miles from the finish.

I wasn't allowed. John decided that if he blew up doing it he'd still have me to ride with and pushed me back up into the line, with me at first merely spinning, then catching again and putting some work back into the pedals. Apparently that was all the recovery I needed to stay with them for the last four miles, but it was an important few yards. If it hadn't been for John pushing me back on and Joel and Jimmy not busting away, I'd have had a lonely last few miles. So, there at the finish line I joked that I'd sprint for the finish, but I just didn't have it. Joel said he voted we all finish together, since it had definitely been a team effort. John agreed and Jimmy... well I think he agreed but still he motored a few bike lengths ahead of us to cross first. I sat back and said I figured he deserved it, he'd taken some very long pulls on the last 10 miles, and if he wanted to cross first, I was ok with that. The other two and I crossed side by side.

We were the lead pack.

Bob was only a few minutes behind us. He had dropped his chain, else he probably could have finished with us.

We all enjoyed our post-ride massages, and the post-ride meal was provided by Carrabba's grill. Carrabba's showed real class and kindness. Its an Italian grill, but upon realizing that I need to be gluten free, they told me the chicken used a gluteny grill baste, then cooked up some chicken JUST for me, even washing the knife and cutting board before cutting my chicken up for me.

Awesome food, and a serious riding. This year was, by far, the best 150 miles I've ever ridden.