Racing My Best

This past Saturday was the Kissing Bridge Classic gravel race.  It's held at a really nice venue, the Fitzgerald Fruit Farm in Woodbury, GA.  The course covers beautiful gravel roads throughout Meriwether County.  Near the end it traverses the Red Oak Creek Bridge, a historic covered bridge locally known as the Kissing Bridge.  (For more information about Horace King, builder of the Kissing Bridge, see my race report from last year dated 5/2/21.)

I was anxious as the race approached because I knew my biggest competition would be Teresa.  I've gotten to know her some over the past few years.  Last year she raced the Kissing Bridge Classic very impressively on a mountain bike.  Soon thereafter, she got a gravel bike, which definitely would help her perform better.  Additionally, she got a road bike to work on cardiovascular endurance.  On top of that, she has had a coach.  I follow her on Strava, and so I know that she has been training seriously.  I work hard, too, but I was nervous to see how we would match up.

Saturday morning was unusually cool.  Temperatures throughout the race were in the 40s.  My team cycling jacket sure felt good while I was warming up.  I was tempted to keep it on for the race, but I knew that I wouldn't really want it.  Besides, not having my jacket would let me retrieve food from my jersey pockets much more easily during the race.  My fleece jersey with a base layer was just right.  I figured I probably wouldn't have to stop for a nature break during the race, but just to play it safe, I wore regular cycling shorts with knee warmers instead of bib knickers.

This year it was a mass start for everyone doing the long option (61 miles).  I got near the front, behind a handful of young bucks so I wouldn't get totally run over.  It was a fast start!  I did my best to balance speed and keeping enough distance from other riders so that I could navigate ruts and potholes better until the group spread out.

Teresa was right with me almost immediately.  I got behind her to draft.  That way I could gauge her speed and, more importantly, make her work.  I would have sat there all day if I could.  The first photo opp was only a few miles into the race, at the top of a small climb.  I rode past Teresa so that I would be in front in any photos.  It was a small psychological thing that I wasn't even sure she would notice, but I was going to use every tool I had.

Shortly thereafter, a group of guys that included Robert and Cal caught up to us.  Yea, now I could ride with some teammates!  (Robert told me later that he couldn't believe how long it took them to catch us.)

I was feeling strong.  I could tell that I could outclimb Teresa - something else to use to my advantage.  On one of the bigger climbs, I got ahead of the group and bridged up to a guy who had made a break.  I didn't really think we'd stay away from the peloton, but Robert told me later that that was a great move.

Then...I dropped my chain.  Robert stopped to help me.  We got it back on pretty quickly, but that was a real setback.  Robert urged me on my way before he could even get back on his bike.  I took off and chased down the peloton!  It took me maybe a few miles.  Amazingly, I still felt pretty good.  I figured I would sit in the group as much as possible and see how things played out.  Additionally, I hid in the back so Teresa wouldn't see me.  Maybe she didn't know I had climbed back on.  I wanted to surprise her as late in the race as possible and maybe make a break.

Not long after I caught back up to the peloton, I dropped my chain again!  Drat!  I knew that it would be tough to catch the group again, but I tried my best.  At one point on a long straightaway, I saw them about half a mile ahead.  We were only about halfway through the race - maybe I still could catch them.

After a while, I realized that it wasn't going to happen.  I would have to average a slightly higher speed than the group, and I had burned a lot of matches to catch them the first time.  In addition, the wind really picked up.  Teresa had a big advantage dealing with the wind by being in the group.

I had told myself before the race that what I really wanted was to race my best.  I had had a heck of a race thus far.  So, I decided to keep racing my best, time trialing it the rest of the way.

My best was only good enough for second place this time.  I really wanted to win, and I would have had a good shot at it if I hadn't had bad luck in dropping my chain twice.  At the same time, Teresa really did have a great race.

Despite my best efforts, I have had a hard time keeping this race in perspective - before, during, and after. I tell myself that my performance, good or bad, is not a reflection on my value as a person.  This is probably obvious to anyone else reading this, but I've struggled with this most of my life and only recognized it a few years ago.  Also, trying to maintain a façade of control in my own life makes me less angsty about the world in general.  We seem to have taken many steps back in the past few years: increased political polarization, normalization of hatred, indifference of the church, weakening of democracy...

Yesterday I read these words that help me:

    Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world's grief.
    Do justly, now.
    Love mercy, now.
    Walk humbly, now.
    You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.

    - The Talmud

I will continue to give and take the best I can.  I will remind myself to focus on what I really can control (or influence) in my own life, trusting that positive waves will ripple out.  And I will pull out all the stops at the next race!

Double or Nothing

Work hard, play hard.  A friend shared this comic recently.  It made me laugh and think.  In recent years I've had to learn the hard way that I'm a human being and not a human doing. But it's difficult to break old habits. The last month or so has been particularly tough - not any one thing, just a bunch of work and other responsibilities snowballing. I've taken on too much yet again. In fact, a few weeks ago I caught a bad cold, the first time I've been sick in about 2 1/2 years. (Thankfully, the COVID rapid test I took was negative!) I don't know why I still haven't learned my lesson that when I push too hard, my body finally MAKES me slow down by getting sick. Ack!

Athens-Augusta-Athens 400K

For these reasons, I vacillated about whether or not to do the Athens-Augusta-Athens 400K two weekends ago, especially because the state MATHCOUNTS competition (one of my biggest work responsibilities of the year) was on Monday right after the brevet. On the other hand, I knew that I would hate to miss out on the ride. Also, I plan to do a 1000K in October (my one shot at completing the requirements for the randonneuring ACP 5000 award), and a 400K would do a lot to get me back into the ultra groove. My cold was better, and I made a big push to get ready for MATHCOUNTS ahead of schedule. Therefore, I decided to go ahead with this 400K. It was my longest ride in two years.

Ten of us started in Watkinsville at 6:00 AM. Brian, Robert N., and I formed a small front group. Early morning was quiet and serene. Our first control was a convenience store that turned out to be closed. At least they had a Coke machine. I don't know when I've seen Cokes for only $0.75!

Between the three of us, we had only two $1 bills. It gave $0.25 change, but I didn't want to risk inserting the $10 bill I had. I was fine with water from the spigot that, thankfully, was on the back of the building.

Dick and Ian caught up to us at the next control, a convenience store in Norwood at about mile 82. It was good to have more company.

Ian, me, and Brian (photo by Robert N.)

Less than an hour later, Dick got a flat tire, which he said was his first ever during a brevet! While we waiting for him to change his tube, I took out my contacts. The pollen was bothering my eyes, as I expected it might. I put on my regular glasses with my cycling sunglasses over them - stylin'!

As we approached Augusta, we saw some other cyclists. I jokingly wondered to myself if I would see my cycling friend Todd who lives in the area. Wouldn't you know it, a short time later I did see him! Fun!

The turnaround point is a shopping center. Dick and Brian went to Subway while Ian, Robert, and I went to Publix. Publix is a great lunch stop. They have delicious, ready-to-go sandwiches as well as Gatorade, fruit, etc., and it's quick.

Robert N. and Ian chilling in front of Publix

After lunch, Robert wanted to go a little slower, and so Brian, Dick, Ian, and I continued on. The four of us stayed together for the rest of the ride.

It warmed up nicely in the afternoon. In fact, I already got a good start on this year's cycling tan! The wind was brutal, though. Most of the day there was a headwind or crosswind at about 10-15 mph with higher gusts. One time we saw big poofs of pollen emanating from the pine trees.

In the early evening, Brian wasn't feeling great, so we stopped in a grassy area beside the road. Ian reminded me that cyclists should always take the opportunity to sit or lie down.

Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz?

We got to the control in Washington right around sunset. I never eat at McDonald's, but a vanilla shake hit the spot.

I had rested as well as I could leading up to the ride, but my body was already stressed from teaching the two previous days and from getting ready for the state MATHCOUNTS competition. The hardest part of the ride for me was after about 10:00 PM. My knee started hurting, probably simply because it was such a long ride; Brian kindly gave me some ibuprofen, which helped a lot. The temperature dropped significantly after sunset, and it felt even colder to me because I was fatigued.

Around 30 miles to go, I was fighting hard against sleepiness. Brian perked me up for a while with conversation. Mr. Sandman attacked me harder. I started making chicken noises to keep myself awake. (I can imitate a chicken pretty well.) Ian said that he couldn't deal with chicken noises, and so he had me pull off at a church. I sat on some hay bales out of the wind, and he gave me a squirt of caffeinated gel and draped his rain jacket over me. He told me to sleep for 5 or 10 minutes. He woke me up, and we continued on.

We caught up to Brian and Dick at a Taco Bell in east Athens. The convenience store control that we have used in the past is now only open until midnight. Fortunately, Taco Bell is open until 2:00 AM. We were there around 1:15 AM. It was about 13 miles to the end. We all limped in. Brian and Dick had been struggling, too, but Ian probably could have left us all and finished a few hours sooner. I really appreciate everyone's support and am glad we could help each other. I couldn't have finished without Brian, Dick, Ian, and Robert N.

It was only an hour's drive home, but I stopped twice to take a nap. I got home around 4:30 AM and managed to sleep for four or five hours. On Sunday afternoon I took another nap for about an hour, but that's all I had time for. I set my alarm so I could get up and finish getting ready for the state MATHCOUNTS competition the next day. No rest for the wicked... (BTW, the competition went well!)

Fried Clay 200K

Last week I started to get back to a more normal life pace - just in time for another epic ride this past Saturday, the Fried Clay 200K. I forget what a sufferfest this race is.

Although the Fried Clay is a race, the vibe is rather laid back. Organizer Pat Patterson is kind of the Jeff Spicoli of cycling. The "mass start" consisted of him calling everyone f-ing idiots, telling us we had 20 seconds to the start, and yelling, "Go!"

Some Fried Clay participants ride it simply for the adventure, even camping out and making it a two-day ride. Others, like me, treat it like a race and go as fast as we can. Of course, "fast" is a relative term. I knew that it would take me around 11 hours. Did I have a shot at winning 1st place for women and the "trophy" of a mini cast iron skillet? I was going to do my best. The pressure of trying to win - not the event itself - caused me to tell myself "no barfy" for a few days before the race.

Several women got ahead of me right away. No worries - it was going to be a long day, and a lot could happen before the end. I pedaled at tempo pace, reminding myself that I would need to keep up the fastest steady pace that I could maintain.

I rode my cyclocross bike, which is the best choice for most of the route. The first portion consists mostly of county dirt roads and a few through the Piedmont Wildlife Refuge (PWR). The PWR also has a few creek crossings. I'm very familiar with these creek crossings and know that I shouldn't try to ride through them with my minimal technical skills. Therefore, when I approached the first creek, I simply hopped off my bike and held it as I ran through the water. My feet would dry out eventually. About half a dozen guys were stopped at the creek crossing, wringing out socks, eating snacks, taking a nature break, etc. I rode on as quickly as I could, leaving their seeming tea party behind.

The second creek crossing was a few miles later. I used the solitude to my advantage, taking a nature break before the guys caught up to me. Made it just in time!

I rode near a few other riders for about the next 10 miles, yoyoing back and forth with various ones. We were getting close to the first water stop at New Hope Church. I have never been able to find the spigot here, and so I stopped a few miles sooner at Freedonia AME Church. (Local knowledge comes in handy.) The other riders, which included one other woman, continued on. This turned out to be beneficial because I rode right by them as they were stopped at New Hope Church. It took a lot longer for their group to get water there than just me at Freedonia. I stayed ahead of these riders the rest of the way.

Around mile 34 the single track began. I had reconned a portion of the single track with Robert a few weeks earlier. From that, I knew that the turn off of the main dirt road, Smith Mill, onto the single track was particularly rough. I got off my bicycle to walk it through the initial big ruts. I slipped, and my bike landed hard on its right side. (My knee got banged up, too, but I didn’t realize it until I found a couple of cuts on it when I took a shower that night.) My right handlebar was broken! It wasn't catastrophic, however. Thankfully, I still could shift (good ol’ Di2). Although I couldn't go fully into the drops on the right side, I still could hold the top bar or slightly on the hood. My right brake still worked, too, but it was difficult to grab onto. I took extra care on downhills the rest of the way.

The single-track portion of the route through the Oconee National Forest is best suited to a mountain bike. I had to walk a good portion of the single track. Heck, I don’t think I would have been much faster on that part even with a MTB.

A particularly ooky part of the single-track section

Definite hike-a-bike section.  Look closely to se a guy in front of me slogging through.

Parts of the single track were stupid steep, where I practically had to crawl up slopes, dragging my bike behind me. I made it, though. I'm glad I had reviewed all the single-track trails with Robert either on the ground or via map ahead of time. That kept me from missing any turns.

Once I finished the single track, it was smoother riding on regular dirt roads to Juliette. I still felt pretty good, even just having finished the hardest part of the route. I had no idea how many women might be in front of me. I reminded myself to keep pedaling steadily as fast as I could.

Because I wanted to minimize off-the-bike time, I didn't stop in Juliette. Instead, I put a foot down long enough to grab a sandwich from my pocket, which I ate while I continued riding. I was still good on water, too; Pat and his wife had had a water station at the horse camp parking lot midway through the single track.

Next came some more pretty and familiar roads through the PWR, including the Wildlife Loop south of Round Oak-Juilette Road. Thankfully, Pat didn't route us onto any closed roads this year, and so rangers were not a concern.

The wind was significant. Although the trees along the dirt roads usually mitigated the wind, there were a few times on more open roads where I got an adrenaline rush from the gusts. At those times I was particularly thankful to be on dirt roads with no traffic.

Turning onto Pippin Road, I was on the Thursday Gravel Worlds route. It has some stiff climbs, but I wasn't intimidated because I knew they were coming. What was unexpected, however, was a good bit of smoke near Round Oak. I can’t imagine who would have been burning or who could have even gotten a burn permit under such high fire danger conditions.

The next water stop was soon thereafter, at the Sunshine Methodist Church on Highway 11. I'm so glad Pat learned of this water source and shared it with us. I had never known of it before. It's right on the route and more convenient than the ranger station a little farther north, which requires a short out-and-back off the route. Not only did I get to gratefully refill on water at the church, I also caught up to my friend Bill Mondock and a couple of other guys. I rolled out ahead of them, knowing they would pass me again soon.

I was now a little more than halfway through. The remaining roads were regular dirt. Although the going would be relatively easy, I knew fatigue would become much more of a factor toward the end. The last 30 miles of this race are always such a slog for me.

Not long after the Sunshine Church water stop, Bill caught up to me. (He must have also stopped at the Hadaway campsite, where Pat had food and water. I didn't stop there because I had just gotten water and still had plenty of food.) The other two guys were ahead. Bill and I rode the remainder of the route together. It was such a mental boost to have a partner in suffering.

As I expected, the last part of the ride was tough. I had to stop in a random spot to get something to eat. Also, I couldn't get to the last water stop at New Damascus Baptist Church fast enough. It felt like a lot farther than 40 miles after my previous water stop.

I assume Bill felt as tired as I did. We chatted a bit, which made it a little easier. He noted that this was his longest ride ever! I was honored to be able to ride with him.

About 15 miles from the end, I hit a pothole. My handlebar really came apart then. I rode kind of holding it together, but amazingly, I still could shift!

200K is just under 125 miles. When we got to Bradley Road at Highway 212, we were right at 200K. We could have turned left on Highway 212, ridden about half a mile, and been at Checking Station Road, the entrance to the race staging area. For some reason, Pat added a loop at the end that extended the total distance to 131 miles. It's a fun little loop that goes on Rabbit Skip Road and Stanfordville Road, but it's not so fun at the end of the Fried Clay when you're just ready for it to be over! Bill and I persevered. We rolled in at 7:16 PM for a total time of 11 hours, 16 minutes. I'm really glad we finished before sunset.

In what place did I finish?  I don't know yet.  Results can be submitted until April 9.  I did check out a few of the other women on Strava.  I had met a woman named Danielle at the starting line.  She pulled ahead of me right away, and I never saw her again.  She got a QOM in the single track section.  However, when I checked her ride, she noted that she had to bail and didn't complete the course.  Also, before the ride I had seen Katie, a rider from Atlanta.  She had a QOM on the course, too.  According to Strava, she finished about 45 minutes before I did.  However, her route was only 128 miles long.  It looked like she followed the entire thing, but maybe she didn't ride the entire 131 miles.  Katie probably did win the coveted cast iron skillet.  Oh well, she's 20 years younger than I am, and I rode my best.  I like to win, but kudos to her if she did!

Although I had stopped twice to take a nap on the way home from the 400K the week before, I didn't need to stop for a nap on the way home from the Fried Clay. It was only about a 12-mile drive - ha ha! I called Robert before I headed home and asked him to order takeout from La Eskina, our local Mexican restaurant. Carnitas tacos, guacamole salad (with chopped avocado instead of mashed), chips and salsa, and a margarita - it was sooo good!

These two weekends of riding were grueling. I discovered another common thread: friends. I'm so grateful for friends to share the journey. Also, I am very grateful that I don't have anything on my schedule for this coming weekend!

Team Training Camp 2022

It was good to have team training camp again this year.  Our last one was at the end of February 2020, right before the pandemic started.  Team training camp is always a great way to enjoy hanging out with some of my best cyclopeeps as well as get in some good riding.

Robert did most of the planning for camp.  Typically, we stay in an Airbnb, which offers a friendlier atmosphere than a motel/hotel as well as kitchen facilities.  The biggest parameters are selecting a location where the winter weather is likely to be OK and finding a large enough place that we can afford.  This year we stayed at an Airbnb on Lake Blackshear near Cordele.

Friday

Most of us arrived Friday afternoon of last weekend.  There are a lot of dirt roads in the area, so we opted for dirt road rides on Friday and Sunday.  Therefore, we brought both road and gravel bikes.

It's tough for me to hang with the guys on dirt because I can't draft nearly as much as I can on paved roads.  Also, the roads are sandy in the coastal plain of South Georgia, making dirt road riding trickier than in the clayey piedmont where we live.  I was pleased to stay with the guys on Friday's 36-mile ride.

After we cleaned up, we went to dinner at Cordelia's restaurant at nearby Veterans State Park.  Robert and I rarely go out to eat like we did pre-pandemic, and so this was a treat, especially getting to share it with friends.

Clockwise from left: Robert, Cal, Allen, Jeff K., Cody, Van, Stoney, and me

Saturday

The next morning, Stoney cooked breakfast.  He made some delicious waffles that had whole wheat flour and cinnamon.  He even brought his Belgian waffle maker.  We had a nice fruit salad, too.  Stoney eats more fruit than anyone I know.  Maybe that's why he's such a strong rider.

I was amused that Robert was hungry early in the ride after such a filling breakfast.  I joked with Jeff K. that instead of Belgian waffles, Stoney had actually served Chinese waffles - you're hungry again an hour after eating them.

Jake drove down Saturday morning and joined us for our 70-mile road ride.  I was glad he could spend the day even though he couldn't come for the entire weekend.

Right after we got going, I realized that my front shifter wasn't working!  I had charged my Di2 right before camp, and so I was very concerned that I had a significant Di2 problem.  (I have not had the best experience with Di2 since it has become common in the past decade.)  I figured I would try to manually move the derailleur to the big ring at our first stop.  No luck - I was stuck in the small ring for the day.

If you're going to be stuck in one chainring, flat terrain is the best place for it to happen.  Still, I would have preferred the big ring.  When I'm in my front small ring, I can't shift into my 11 or 12 cog on the back because I have a small bicycle frame, and the rear derailleur can't take up enough chain slack.  (That would be crossed over anyway.)  Therefore, I rode the whole ride single-speed at 36 in the front and 13 on the back, a little less than a 3:1 gear ratio.  Compare that with what I would have had available if my front shifter had been working (and what the guys did have): 51 in the front and 11 in the back, closer to a 5:1 gear ratio.  I was spinning!  Sometimes furiously, especially when our speed was nearly 30 mph.

We averaged 20.4 mph for the ride, and I managed to keep up.  My average cadence for the ride was 85 rpm.  For comparison, I checked my average cadence on our last two Peach Pelotons, which was 71 rpm for both.  I'm a pedal masher like Stoney.  In fact, during Saturday's ride I pretended that I was Stoney antimatter.  And I joked that we did call it team "training" camp.

The southern tip of our route was in Ashburn.  It was well worth it to visit the giant fire ant at the chamber of commerce office.

Ashburn, the Fire Ant Capital of Georgia

I hadn't told the guys what this two-block detour was about.  I cracked up when Jake told me that Van said, "I'm not sticking my face in anything with a hole."  (I'm known for my affinity for photo stand-ins.)

It was a hard ride, but I was still up for more adventure when we got back to the Airbnb.  Allen, Cody, Stoney, and I headed out in the four kayaks available for our use.  Cody and Stoney took off like rockets!  I get dropped whether I'm paddling or pedaling!  Fortunately, Allen and were more evenly matched, and we had a really nice paddle.  I simply wanted to enjoy being on the water.

When we got back to the dock at our Airbnb, my phone slipped out of my life jacket!  It was like slow motion as I watched it tumble into the water.  Immediately, I dove in after it.  Whoa, that was a wakeup call!  The water was so cold!  (I found out later that a passing fisherman noted that it was 56 degrees.)  It was only about three feet deep where I dropped it, but I couldn't see anything in the murky water.  I took off my shoes and started moving methodically in a big square, feeling for my phone with my feet.  I felt like I was so close, but I never could find it.  What a bummer.  I know it's not the end of the world, but losing a phone is such an inconvenience.  (And an expensive one...)

Someone got me a towel, and I immediately went for a hot shower.  My core temperature had dropped, and so I spent the rest of the evening with my fleece jacket over my clothes.  Some of Allen's Scotch helped, too.  He also made a delicious spaghetti dinner for everyone.

Sunday

I had volunteered to cook breakfast Sunday morning.  I made a double batch of tomato grits and served them with bacon, eggs, fruit, and homemade biscuits.  I make biscuits by feel (one of the few things I cook without a recipe), and I was a little nervous about making a much bigger batch than what I usually cook for just Robert and me.  I eyeballed about three times the normal amount, and they actually came out great!

Our Sunday route was about 42 miles, which would take several hours.  Because the checkout time was before we would get back, we packed up before we went for our ride.

I guess the previous two days' rides were catching up to me.  I couldn't keep up on Sunday's dirt road ride.  Also, there were strong headwinds, making it even tougher to ride solo.  Nevertheless, I persisted.  When I got back to the Airbnb, I told Robert how disappointed I was about getting dropped.  He tried to make me feel better, noting that he also got dropped and that Stoney is a national champion mountain biker.  I just have to remember that most of the social aspect of team camp is when we're off the bike.

By the way, when we got home, Robert found that it was just a loose Di2 connection in my handlebar.  I've got my front shifter back!  I've gotten a new phone, too.   Even with these technological problems, I still had a great time at team training camp.

Ocmulgee to Oconee

Robert came up with a great idea for Peach Peloton: ride from the Ocmulgee River to the Oconee River and back.  His goal was to dip our bicycle wheels in each river and ride 100 miles total.  It was tricky for him to plan a route on decent roads that met these criteria, but he did it.  Yesterday nine of us gathered at Juliette Park on the Ocmulgee River.

Cal, Van, Allen, Tony, Jason, and Robert.  Cody is getting his shoe covers.  I'm not sure where Chris is.

It was the coldest Peach Peloton of the year!  The temperature was 28 degrees at the start and only rose to the mid 30s that afternoon.  We bundled up in our warmest riding gear: balaclavas, jackets, insulated shoes, hand warmers, etc.  The wind was rough, too, at more than 10 mph.

Robert and I were the only ones who dipped our wheels into the Ocmulgee River.

I told the other guys that they had no sense of adventure!

Typically on Peach Peloton, I do a few pulls at the beginning of the ride but then settle in at the back to draft.  Because I get dropped so often, I don't want to expend too much energy pulling.  Jason and I were on the front when it was time for my first pull.  He wasn't half-wheeling me; he was whole-biking me!  I think the wind made it harder than usual for me.  I peeled off to the back pronto.

I had put some hand warmers inside my gloves.  The warmth felt good, but they were too bulky between my hands and the handlebars.  I needed my usual grip.  Therefore, at the first nature break, I put the hand warmers in my jersey pockets.  At the second nature break I took a Lara Bar (lemon - my favorite flavor) from my jersey pocket.  The hand warmer had made my Lara Bar warm, too - delicious!

The busiest part of the route was about a two-mile section on US Highway 129 near Gray.  We rode single file.  I was the last one and got dropped on a big downhill.  I often have difficulty hanging on anyway on the downhills because I'm lighter than the guys, and this time whoever was on the front probably went a little harder to minimize our time on this highway.  Also, a gust of wind made we swerve.  I was fine, but I did feel some adrenaline.  Whenever I felt one of these gusts of wind yesterday, I sang in my mind, "Sailing...takes me away to where I'm going."

We rode through some unfamiliar parts of Milledgeville to the Oconee River Greenway.  Time for our second wheel dip!

Then, it was on to Blackbird Coffee, a much swankier than usual store stop.  I got a cinnamon roll and matcha green tea latte.  A large blackbird sculpture hung over the counter.  If it had been any later in the ride, I would have thought it was a buzzard who had come for me.

When we got back on the road, I couldn't keep up much longer.  I had expended a great deal of energy to ride at the peloton's pace.  So, I rode about the last 40 miles by myself.  I didn't mind because I felt so much better when I slowed down.  Actually, I still made pretty good time given the difficult conditions.

Riding solo also gave me the opportunity to stop for a picture of Smokey Bear at the Georgia Forestry Commission office.

I've taken photos of my bicycle with Smokey a number of times before, but I think this was the first time when the fire danger has been extreme.  It must have been extreme because of the low humidity and significant wind.

This was also a great stop because I needed food and water.  I ate a Clif Bar and felt much better.  My energy was up again for the last 10 miles.  In fact, I set a couple of late-ride goals: finish with less than 6 hours of moving time and finish before 4:00 PM.  I met both with a few minutes to spare!

Back home, it felt so good take a shower.

I put on my super fuzzy pajamas with feet - my favorite thing to wear after riding all day when it's especially cold.  We hadn't had a real lunch, and so I cooked dinner a little earlier than usual.  Robert opened a bottle of Riesling, and I cooked green curry shrimp, jasmine rice, and kung pao carrots.  It was so good!

It takes a lot for me to call a ride epic, but this one was epic!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!  I'm looking forward to a great year of riding and, hopefully, a little more writing than last year.

I always go on a bicycle ride on New Year's Day.  Usually it’s a 200K brevet. However, because New Year’s was on Saturday this year, I rode Peach Peloton with my Macon cyclopeeps instead. My cycling team has a new points system to help keep everyone engaged, and one way to earn points is to ride at least eight Peach Pelotons over the winter. Yesterday's ride got me up to six, and so I shouldn't have any trouble riding two more Peach Pelotons before the grand finale Pine Mountain Challenge on February 5. It was a good but hard ride (i.e., the usual - ha ha!). We started in east Macon and went toward kaolin country, a nod to Peach Peloton's roots back when godfather Chad Madan led it.

Another reason I opted for Peach Peloton is that the New Year's Day brevet was the Athens 200K. I ride this route a lot as a permanent. Additionally, we have another brevet later in January, the Albany 200K. I enjoy that one in a different part of the state, and I'm already looking forward to the peanut butter ice cream in Plains! The biggest downside to not doing the Athens 200K yesterday is that Calista from the D.C. area was in town. I'm sorry to have missed her.

A benefit of Peach Peloton is that it was only 82 miles, giving me more time to cook New Year's dinner than the brevet would have. Among my rando buddies, I’m about the only native Southerner, and so they’ve never had much sympathy when I’ve told them I have to get home after our ride to cook black eyed peas and collard greens. My teammates, however, are mostly Georgia natives and were also looking forward to going home for traditional New Year’s fare yesterday.

I was telling my teammates about Grits and Greens, a recipe from a friend and my favorite way to eat collards. Several wanted the recipe (see below). I'm pleased that this year's New Year's dinner was extra good: black eyed peas, Grits and Greens, bacon, sweet potatoes, and cornbread pancakes. The oven went out last week, and so I cooked the cornbread batter as pancakes rather than baking it in my cast iron skillet like usual. (The new oven should be here in about 10 days.) Also, I remembered that I had one jar of homemade chowchow left from the last batch I put up - perfect for the peas. Finally, I made sure to cook the collards for Grits and Greens in plenty of liquid so that I would have pot likker for my cornbread; those are some good eats, especially with some vinegar pepper sauce on top.

Grits and Greens

1 cup half-and-half
4 cups chicken broth, divided
1 cup grits
1 lb. fresh or frozen collards
1/4 cup butter
1 to 1-1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

Combine half-and-half and 3 cups of broth in a large saucepan.  Bring to a boil and add grits.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until done, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, cook greens in 1 cup of broth until tender (may need to add more broth and/or water).  Drain well.  Add butter and cheese to grits, stirring until melted.  Stir in greens.

Dale's 77th Birthday

Yesterday's Peach Peloton was extra special; it was also Dale's 77th birthday!  Dale is a legend in the Macon cycling community.  He's an extremely talented cyclist and triathlete.  In fact, he's the world champion in his age group in XTERRA (off-road triathlon).

Dale is also fun to be around.  He has a tendency toward malapropisms.  That's a fancy way of saying that he sometimes says funny stuff.  He probably has a hundred Dale-isms.  Robert has written down a few:

• I am a habit of creature.
• I have acid reflex.
• Pour me another IPO.
• We weren't lolly-dallying*
• Let's eat at Pandora's Box
• Helicopters were hoovering over my tent.
• The peloton was riding in epsilon formation.
• I was sorry to hear ZZ Gabor died.
• Boy, you'd better watch out for those cha wow wow dogs!
• Sitting in an MRI machine: "It's torture, like being watergated!"
• I heard about Bill's surgery.  Is he having a peacemaker put in?
• Put your clampons on so you don't slip and fall into a carafe.

*I have a direct connection to this one.  Dale and I rode with the B group one week at Peach Peloton, and it was a hard ride.  In the middle of it, I noted to Dale that we weren't lollygagging.  Dale confirmed this back at the parking lot, telling someone else, "We weren't lolly-dallying."

At 77 Dale has fewer great days on the bike, but we were all happy that he had one of those yesterday on his birthday.  He even pulled the peloton for a while.

Party time!  Dale and me at the Big Chief store stop

I made Dale a peppermint pound cake, which the group enjoyed after the ride.  The ride was from Gresco, and Steve was so nice to let us have our post-ride celebration inside.

Steve also gave each of us a Gresco cap.

Steve, me, Robert, Cody, Dale, Tony, Stoney, Angie, and Jason

Good route, we avoided the rain, and great friends - I feel like it's already Christmas!

Coffeeneuring 2021

The 2021 Coffeeneuring Challenge is complete!  This was my second time participating in this fun and simple activity.  Mary Gersemalina, a fellow randonneur who lives in the Washington, D.C. area, created the Coffeeneuring Challenge 10 years ago.  The basics are to ride your bicycle to seven different locations over about six weeks.  Each ride has to be at least two miles long, and you have to drink a coffeeneuring approved beverage along the way.  In addition to coffee, other acceptable beverages are tea, cider, and coffee porter or stout beer.  Even coffee flavored ice cream is OK in moderation; after all, it’s a beverage-focused challenge.

Because I don’t like coffee, I drink tea during my coffeeneruing rides.  Additionally, I usually stop at a Coffee Shop Without Walls, i.e., somewhere outside along my route where I drink tea that I brewed at home beforehand.  I’m grateful for this option because I don’t live near a plethora of coffee shops, unlike most of the other coffeeneurs who live in urban areas.

Mary has a theme each year for coffeeneuring.  This year it’s c+1.  She leaves the meaning of c+1 open to interpretation.  It might be always one more ride than what you’ve done so far.  I chose c+1 as noting each location where I enjoyed my tea using both latitude/longitude and the what3words app.  I discovered what3words right before the 2021 Coffeeneuring Challenge began, when I downloaded it for the Stuckey’s Valley of the Giants race (see my blog post from 10/17/21).  And I have another c+1!  I wrote a haiku for each ride.

Thank you, Mary, for coordinating this fun event, and thank you to all my fellow coffeeneurs for sharing all your adventures on the Coffeeneurs Facebook page.

 

2021 Coffeeneuring #1 (10/18/21)

This year’s challenge ran from October 18 through November 30, 2021.  I jumped right in on the first day.  It was a great way to decompress after a busy workday.  I rode an out-and-back route to a bridge on a nearby dirt road.

Distance: 10.0 miles

Tea: Tazo Passion (because I’m passionate about cycling!)

Latitude/Longitude: 33°13’24” N, 83°37’52” W

what3words: drummer.birdcage.spooked

Haiku:
Summer is gone – sad
But all is not gloom and doom
Coffeeneuring – yea!

2021 Coffeeneuring #2 (10/24/21)

I rode south to visit Smokey Bear at the Georgia Forestry Commission office.  This time, in addition to my tea, I had a snack, which was a Little Debbie peanut butter oatmeal creme pie (OCP).  There’s a slight story behind the OCP.

Pumpkin Peloton was the day before.  This time it was on dirt roads.  The out-and-back route went to a campground in the Ocmulgee National Forest.  Because it was a remote area with no store stops available, Robert and I stashed some water and snacks at the campground ahead of time.  OCPs are a Pumpkin/Peach Peloton favorite.  However, my local Ingles grocery store was out of regular OCPs.  (Supply chain issues?)  So, I substituted peanut butter OCPs.  I didn’t have one on the Pumpkin Peloton ride, and there was one left.  That’s how it became my snack on the next day's coffeeneuring ride.  I missed the regular OCP creme filling, but the peanut butter variety was still pretty tasty with my chai.

Distance: 30.4 miles

Tea: chai

Latitude/Longitude: 33°07’12” N, 83°37’32” W

what3words: contributing.eels.vacuums

Haiku:
Smokey Bear picnic
Tea – the perfect refreshment
No campfire to douse

2021 Coffeeneuring #3 (10/30/21)

I'm an introvert and enjoy my alone time, but this day and ride reminded me that community is important, too. Normally, I would have gone to Pumpkin Peloton on this Saturday, but it was Haunticello. Haunticello is trick-or-treating on the Monticello square. This was my 24th year being The Mad Doctor. It's based on the only Scooby Doo villain that scared me when I was little, Dr. Coffin, a.k.a. The Mad Doctor. Haunticello is usually on Halloween itself, but this is the Deep South, and people freak out about trick-or-treating on Sunday. Regardless of the day, Haunticello was a lot of fun. We had a bonus farmers market on the square in conjunction with Haunticello. (The seasonal farmers market had ended the previous month.)

Dr. Seuss characters and pork skins: an obvious juxtaposition

My neighbor Joe and his grandson with some of the very large sweet potatoes they grew

The Mad Doctor offers free psychiatric evaluations.

The Mad Doctor and Ms. Frizzle. The Magic School Bus was also on the square and gave out books to the kids.

The Mad Doctor and Tyra. I don't know Tyra, but she seemed pretty excited to take our photo together, too.

I also used the day's unusual Saturday schedule to do a coffeeneuring ride to an actual coffee shop! After Haunticello I went home and got my bicycle. I rode back to the square for lunch. There was a food truck there.

Alas, they didn't have turkey legs, and so I got ribs.

I sat on a bench on the square to eat them. They were pretty good, but I don't expect ribneuring to become a thing. I wish I had realized that there was a fish guy set up on the square, too. Oh, well.

Before I got back on the road, I went to The Vanilla Bean, which is a really good coffee shop on our square. We're lucky to have it in our small town. I always get tea there, but today I discovered that they blend several loose teas of their own! I got peach ginger tea, which was delicious. They also have wonderful baked goods. I got a slice of pumpkin roll to go with my tea.

There was a very nice couple named Mike and Doyce at The Vanilla Bean. They were visiting from out of town, taking a Saturday drive. Mike said that in June he had a ruptured aorta and open heart surgery. Doyce told me how grateful she is that they could be out for an enjoyable day together today. I was happy to celebrate with them for a few moments.

Then, my ride was underway in earnest. I did a loop north of town. On my way back into town, I saw a bouncy house at the fire station. I rolled in to check it out. They were just finishing setting it up for a haunted house that night. One of my bucket list items has been to stop at a bouncy house while riding my bicycle. Check!

I noted the big warning label on the entrance into the bouncy house.

Absolutely no adults permitted!!! Good thing I’m just a 12-year-old trapped in a 51-year-old body. Besides, it was the fire station, not the police station, so I figured they couldn't arrest me.

Distance: 22.5 miles

Tea: peach ginger

Latitude/Longitude: 33°18’17” N, 83°41’02” W

what3words: elegantly.springing.coupons

Haiku:
Blustery fall day
Haunticello, ribs, tea, friends
Bouncy house – bonus!

 

2021 Coffeeneuring #4 (11/7/21)

I had done the Bird Dog 100 gravel race the day before, and so a chill coffeeneuring ride was perfect. Also, the extra hour of sleep (going back to Standard Time) was a great excuse for second breakfast!

Actually, I just had regular breakfast with tea, and second breakfast was the thermos of Irish breakfast tea that I brewed to take on my ride a few hours later.

My route was a mixed surface loop of dirt and paved roads. I enjoyed seeing several deer along the way. I stopped for tea at the Hillsboro Hilton, which is an old hunting camp. It has been used until the last few years but has become dilapidated. The surrounding property is also not as pretty as it used to be because it has been timbered. I wanted to sit on the front porch to drink my tea, but the building has been fenced off, and there’s a no trespassing sign. So, I sat on the grass in the right-of-way next to the road.

My what3words location reminded me of my niece Sylvie, who is a freshman at Georgia Tech and is an avid birder. I texted her and told her that my location sounded like an elective she might be enjoying.

Distance: 17.2 miles

Tea: Irish breakfast tea

Latitude/Longitude: 33°11’19” N, 83°37’42” W

what3words: introductory.mathematical.birdseed

Haiku:
Hillsboro Hilton
Make sure to bring your own tea
Awful room service

 

2021 Coffeeneuring 5 (11/14/21)

This was a trail work day in the Oconee National Forest near the Ocmulgee River in south Jasper County. Some of the horse people and some of us cycling people helped out. Robert, our friend Bill, and I worked together. They used a Billy Goat (heavy-duty mower), chainsaw, and bush axe to do the clearing, and I handled logistics like carrying supplies and moving the truck and trailer from one trail end to another.

A turkey tail mushroom that has gotten so big that it looks feathery

Wise Creek, a tributary to the Ocmulgee River

Bill putting the chain back on the chainsaw - just like putting a chain back on a bicycle

Some fallen logs were cleared with the chainsaw.

A beautiful hardwood hillside on the Oakfuskee Trail. This trail was on a route connecting Charleston, SC to New Orleans, LA that Native Americans used for hundreds of years before white settlers arrived.

Hardwoods and pines live in the Oconee National Forest.

Robert with the Billy Goat

After we worked several hours, Bill headed home, and Robert and I had a picnic lunch sitting in the back of the trailer.

Robert was a lot happier to have this pb&j sandwich than he looks in this photo.

Then, he worked a while longer while I rode home on dirt roads.

Trailhead near the horse camp where everyone gathered

The Ocmulgee River from River Road

I rode on some of my favorite roads in the Piedmont Wildlife Refuge, stopping at Natural Rock Crossing for my tea and an oatmeal raisin walnut Clif Bar.

Distance: 34.4 miles

Tea: lemon ginger

Latitude/Longitude: 33°08’17” N, 83°43’05” W

what3words: pictures.scorpions.rearrange

Haiku:
Trail work, then a ride
Forest and wildlife refuge
I love public lands

 

2021 Coffeeneuring #6 (11/22/21)

The end of the Coffeeneuring Challenge was drawing nigh, and so I was glad to get coffeeneuring #6 in after work that Monday evening. It was a great way to slow down after a lot of riding over the weekend (the Sasquatch Ride), followed by a long, busy workday. What would be a good spot to stop for the day's tea? I decided to ride in honor of my beagle Shelly and stop at the spot where Robert and I found her almost 16 years ago, on December 26, 2005. She was skin and bones. We think she was a hunting dog who got lost and that she was about a year old at the time. That makes her about 17 now.

Shelly holds her own in the Land of the Giants; all the other dogs we have had during her tenure have been greyhounds. She has been the benevolent dictator during most of her time.

As I approached the spot where we found Shelly, I saw a rabbit cross the road. I decided that that must be the exact spot! I sat on the side of the dirt road, drinking my tea in the dark and enjoying the peace and quiet. I thought about how grateful I am to have had such a great dog for so many years. (I’m also grateful that no one drove by and wondered what I was doing!) Shelly is still doing terrific, thankfully. Here’s to Shelly!

Distance: 5.7 miles

Tea: cinnamon spice

Latitude/Longitude: 33°16’49” N, 83°39’00” W

what3words: challenger.registrar.twitchy

Haiku:
Lost, starving beagle
Needed to find her a home
We did – it was ours

Shelly says, “Can I go back to my nap now?”

 

2021 Coffeeneuring #7 (11/28/21)

For my grand finale, I rode to the giant wooden Sasquatch about 20 miles south of where I live. For perspective, the butterfly is about 2 feet tall.

Sasquatch kept me company while I drank Earl Grey tea (my favorite tea) from a thermos and had a couple of homemade pumpkin cookies.

There is an annual chainsaw carving festival called Chaptacular at this location. The last time it was held, pre-pandemic, the participants created Sasquatch as a fundraiser for cystic fibrosis. I discovered Sasquatch only about a month ago when we rode by during Pumpkin Peloton. At that time I didn't have any money with me. I made a mental note to ride back another time to make a donation. I set aside an amount of "mad" money each month for charitable purposes. I was glad to give some mad money to Sasquatch during my last coffeeneuring ride of 2021.

Distance: 45.6 miles

Tea: Earl Grey

Latitude/Longitude: 33°05’00” N, 83°33’13” W

what3words: pure.zebras.cuddled

Haiku:
Last coffeeneuring
Found the elusive Sasquatch
Stomping out disease