Stuckey's Valley of the Giants

Hello there!  I haven't written in a while.  Not that I haven't been riding - I've had all kinds of great adventures since my last report, like the MACC One Love Century, A Century of Brevets to commemorate the first brevet in France 100 years ago, mountain biking at Kolomoki Mounds during a weekend trip to White Oak Pastures, Pumpkin Peloton (October precursor to Peach Peloton), and lots of regular rides after work and on the weekends.  I've just been super busy at work and trying to keep the house in decent order whenever I'm not riding.  But I simply have to write about the Stuckey's Valley of the Giants gravel race.

A new race promoter has teamed with Stuckey's for a series of gravel races, Stuckey's Gravel Roll.  Yes, that's the same Stuckey's with the iconic stores along the interstate throughout the South that sell pecan log rolls.  Stuckey's Valley of the Giants race was last Sunday in Blairsville, GA.

They had three options: short (37 miles), intermediate (75 miles), and pro (117 miles).  With considerable trepidation, I signed up for the pro option.  Robert, thinking I was crazy, signed up for the intermediate option.

Blairsville is about a 3-hour drive from my house, and so I needed to find lodging for the night before the race.  However, I didn't think about it much until about a week before the race.  It totally didn't occur to me that fall is the busiest season in the mountains of North Georgia.  There were no motel rooms available in Blairsville or any town within an hour's drive.  Eek!  Fortunately, Robert reminded me of Airbnb.  We found a nice place to stay in Brasstown, NC, about a 30-minute drive from Blairsville.

We drove to Blairsville on Saturday afternoon and picked up our race packets at Grandaddy Mimm's Distillery, the race staging location.  Blairsville was our best option for finding vittles, and so we ate dinner while we were in town.  A quick Google search yielded Lucky's Taqueria.  It was great!  It wasn't the typical Speedy-B-combo type of Mexican restaurant.  It tasted fresh and authentic.  Not that I have anything against cheese, but the key to good Mexican food in Georgia seems to be finding a place that doesn't cover everything with it.  Robert's tamale and my pozole were both excellent.

We drove north through the early evening sunshine to our Airbnb in Brasstown, NC.  It was clean and comfortable - just what we needed for the night.  The owner also left some homemade cookies and scones, which were delicious.

Then next morning after a quick breakfast, Robert and I loaded up at 0'dark thirty to head back to Blairsville.  I was ready to ride well before the pro start at 7:30 AM.  We lined up in front of Grandaddy Mimm's.

One of the race promoters, me, and a volunteer

I was the only woman in the pro race.  There were 15 men.  We had a police escort as we rode out of town.  I stayed with the group for about the first 10 miles, which were paved.  Not long after we turned onto dirt, however, most of the guys dropped me.  I wasn't worried, though; I knew it would be a long day in the saddle.

It was an interesting race in that the whole course wasn't timed.  Only certain sections were timed: one for the short course, two for the intermediate course, and three for the pro course.  The intermediate and pro courses had the same first timed segment, which started about 12 miles in.  It was nearly nine miles long, climbing Duncan Ridge Road to the top of Wolfpen Gap.  I've climbed Wolfpen on the paved road several times, but this was my first time climbing it on this unpaved road.  I'm a good climber, and I'm used to endurance events, but this was extra tough because the road was covered with rocks.  I'm so glad I experienced the rocky conditions on Robert's and my mountain bike ride in Costa Rica a few months ago, even though that didn't have nearly as much climbing.  Otherwise, Valley of the Giants would have been much more of a surprise to me.  I discovered that my cyclocross bike was undergeared for this type of climbing.  I had to grind, grind, grind the whole way in my lowest gear.  My lower back was killing me, which I had never experienced.  It was all I could do to get to the top.  At last I made it!

There had been an aid station at mile 12, just before the timed section, but I didn't need to stop then.  However, I did stop at the second aid station at the top of Wolfpen at mile 21.  While I didn't wolf down my food and drink, I don't think I stayed very long, either.  Surely, it wasn't more than about five minutes.

The purpose of the timed sections was to encourage people to enjoy the surroundings rather than having nose down 100% of the time.  I tried to follow this intent, descending Wolfpen and riding the next 20 miles or so at what felt like a moderate tempo pace.  I don't think I could have ridden much faster regardless.  The climb up Duncan Ridge Road had taken a lot out of me.

Even in the middle of a race when I'm toast, I can't help but mug for the camera.

Then I got to a stupid steep climb that wasn't timed.  It was a few miles long - less than Duncan Ridge Road - but it was much steeper.  In fact, I had to walk up a good portion of it.  I don't think that slowed me down because I couldn't have ridden it any faster.  It was crazy!

Although I had gotten something to drink at the second aid station, I had forgotten to fill both my bottles.  I thought I could eke by to the next aid station.

I reached a crest, got back on my bicycle, and started climbing again.  I knew I was close to the turn for the extra 43-mile loop for the pro race.  The rider packet had indicated that making the time cutoff assumed an overall speed of 11 to 18 mph.  I was averaging a little over 11 mph, and so I figured I was OK.  I started looking for the timing mat; you had to roll over the mat at the beginning and end of each timed section.

I saw some volunteers.  One had a large, orange flag.  He waved me through the turn.  I saw a sign that said "Intermediate Course."  I stopped for a moment and called out, "This says 'Intermediate Course.'"  The volunteer called out, "You have to go that way!"  I didn't know exactly where the split was between the intermediate and pro courses, and so I rode in the direction I was told.

A couple of miles later, I saw another aid station.  Great!  I needed water, and this way I could fill up before the big, extra pro loop.  The friendly volunteers greeted me enthusiastically and said that I was the first one through.  Incredulously, they asked if I had just finished the 43-mile pro loop.  Confused and somewhat in a panic, I said, "No!  Did I miss a turn?"  Their faces fell, and they said the turn was about two miles back.  As I mentally started preparing to ride back as quickly as I could, I also got angry.  I told the volunteers that I had seen a sign for the intermediate course, and the guy with the flag said I had to go that way.  Then, these volunteers realized what had happened.  I had missed the time cutoff to continue on the pro course, and so the guy with the flag had me continue on the intermediate course.  My stomach dropped.

I felt terrible that I had missed the time cutoff.  It couldn't have been by much.  At the same time, I hadn't been lollygagging.  Had I stopped too long at the aid station at the top of Wolfpen?  Surely not.  And my only other stop had been for about 30 seconds for a nature break.  Well, there wasn't anything I could do about it now.  As a consolation, I didn't have any more difficult climbs like the two I had already done.

I asked the volunteers if I might be included in the scoring for the intermediate race.  They weren't sure.  So, I headed on and decided to make the best of the remainder.

Can you believe that I forgot yet again to fill my bottles at the aid station?  I guess I was too focused on having missed the time cutoff.  At least I drank a Coke while I was there.  And fortunately, it was only about 10 miles to the Coopers Creek Store.  We stop at this store on the Secret Gaps 200K brevet, and so I knew that I could get water in the outdoor restroom without even going into the store.  I was in and out within a couple of minutes.

The second timed section was approaching.  (It would have been my third timed section if I had done the extra pro loop.)  I felt energized after refueling and from the adrenaline of my frustration.  So, I decided to keep racing.  I crossed the timing mat at the beginning of the section.  This one was about three miles long and didn't have much climbing.  Zoom!

The last aid station was right after this final timed section.  My cycling buddy Donald was the volunteer here.  I told him that I had missed the pro time cutoff.  He sympathized but said that the extra pro loop was a death march.  Remembering how hard the two earlier climbs had been, I started thinking that maybe I was better off for having missed the time cutoff.

It was what it was.  I rode the remaining 13 or so miles back into Blairsville.  I felt surprisingly strong, all things considered.

Riding into the middle of town, I entered a roundabout and exited toward Grandaddy Mimm's.  This street was closed for the race.  The finish was on a downhill.  I whooshed across the finish line, rode a few hundred feet, and turned around to take my timing chip back.

One of the volunteers congratulated me enthusiastically, informing me that I was the first woman finisher.  I thanked her but noted that I had missed the pro cutoff time.  She said, "But you beat the intermediate women!"  I replied, "That's because I started an hour before they did!"  "Oh...yeah," she said.  Still, I was grateful for a safe race and that I felt OK.  Plus, they gave me a Stuckey's pecan turtle at the finish line :)  It hit the spot.

I changed clothes and got something to eat.  Then, I claimed my free post-race beverage at Grandaddy Mimm's.  They make various types of moonshine and vodka.

I got a Dirty Hillbilly, which includes Mimm's Blackberry Moonshine, Owltown Raspberry Guava Vodka, and cran-blackberry juice.  I can't think of a better way to relax after being wrung through the wringer.

Robert crossed the finish line about an hour after I did.  I was perfectly content to keep chilling while he had his post-race meal and beverage.

Later I found out that I had missed the cutoff time by only 7 minutes!  Only 9 of the 15 men in pro made the time cutoff, and 8 of them finished.  I was the fastest on both timed sections among all of us who missed the pro time cutoff.  Also, I had the fastest women's time in both of the intermediate sections, but I didn't get any credit because I had registered for pro.  It was a great (if tough!) learning experience.  One of the volunteers at the end noted that they underestimated how long it would take everyone.  It sounds like they will increase the cutoff time for next year.

I think this was the toughest single-day cycling event I have done.  Even so, I still had a good time.  Robert has already ordered me a new crankset that will give me a higher gear ratio on my cyclocross bike.  It's too early to decide if I want to go up against the Valley of the Giants again next year.  In the meantime, I'm gearing up for the next Stuckey's Gravel Roll event in a few weeks: the Bird Dog 100.

Determined to Have a Good Time

A few weeks ago, Robert and I went for a dirt road ride in the Piedmont Wildlife Refuge (PWR).  The PWR is one of my favorite places, especially for riding.  It was a longish ride, and I was glad Robert had decided to come with me.  I was focused on the ride, going at a good tempo.  After a while, Robert commented, "You have a determined look on your face."  I laughed and said, "I'm determined to have a good time."  Robert pointed out the double entendre: a good time, as in enjoying myself, and a good time, as in  being fast and competing well.

This made me think about cycling friends who fall into one of these camps exclusively.  Some ride for fun, which is great, but they look down on others who race or even ride hard.  Other friends are so serious about racing/riding hard that they can't adapt to the different dynamics of a good group ride.  I can't imagine making fun of someone for being slower, and I don't think anyone has ever treated me this way.  On the other hand, several times during charity rides, people have made snide remarks as I pass them, even though I think I have always tried to do so courteously and safely. 

I'm determined to have a good time in both senses.  Sometimes I like to ride just to enjoy being outside and feeling all the wonderful sensations of movement and good health.  Other times, I love the challenge of a race or a hard ride with the guys.

In many ways in my life, I think of myself as a bridge, bringing together different perspectives.  For example, I'm quite familiar with "the two Georgias" because I grew up in a big city (Atlanta), but I've lived about half my life in a rural area (Monticello).  Often, I've been the only or one of a few women in a group of men (e.g, engineering and cycling).  Also, for me, science and faith are not incompatible because they answer different questions.

Therefore, I'm determined to have a good time.  Maybe this will be my secondary life motto after Expect Adventure :)

QOM Hunting

For the past couple of weeks, I've been trying for some nearby QOMs.  It started when I was about to go to bed one weeknight.  As I plugged in my phone to charge overnight, a bunch of Strava notifications popped up.  Another cyclist had stolen four of my QOMs in a single ride!  Arrgh!  Not a very restful way to try to get to sleep, but I did my best to put it out of my mind for the moment.  Come Saturday, though, I would be on a mission to reclaim my QOMs!

Putnam Metric

I didn't have an organized or group ride planned for the next Saturday - a rarity.  So, I mapped out a 100K route.  It would be my first time using Strava segments with my new Wahoo, the replacement for the one that got fried in Tropical Storm Claudette during the Solstice 300K.  I starred the four segments on which the QOMs had so unceremoniously been snatched from me.  They were all in the Stanfordville area.  I also starred a segment on Church Street in Eatonton.  I had had this segment on my radar screen for a while.  I had never made a particular effort on it, and the QOM seemed easily within reach - until this same rival queen got it on the same ride where she stole my four existing QOMs.  Game on!

First up was a stop at the Monticello farmers market.  I bought one of Laverne's fried peach pies for bike food and put it in my jersey pocket.  Then, I headed east toward Putnam County.

Although it was a fairly hot day, I enjoyed the ride.  I pedaled on familiar, quiet, and beautiful roads.  I kept up a moderate, steady pace and anticipated the start of my Strava segments roughly halfway into my ride.  The first four - the ones I needed to reclaim - lay on an out-and-back stretch on my route.  I rode southwest on Glenwood Springs Road and turned left just past the bridge onto Stanfordville Road.  The countdown started for the Stanfordville Full segment...go!

I rode as hard as I could until Stanfordville Road ended at Rabbit Skip Road, catching glimpses of my progress on the live segment on my Wahoo.  I got the QOM for Stanfordville Full!  I was pretty sure I got the QOM for Stanfordville Hill, too, which was a subset of Stanfordville Full.  However, Stanfordville Hill hadn't shown up on my screen, and so I would have to wait until I got home to verify if I got that segment.

I turned around and enjoyed riding back on Stanfordville Road in the direction I usually ride it.  It's mostly downhill going back toward Glenwood Springs with some fun, swoopy sections.  That also gave me a short breather before my next two Strava segments on Glenwood Springs: Out of Stanfordville and Up to Folds.

That's when I noticed that my starred segments weren't showing up correctly on my Wahoo.  Before my ride I had synched my Wahoo and verified that all my starred segments were there.  A starred segment is supposed to show up when you're within a mile of its start.  Why wasn't I seeing the approach to Out of Stanfordville?  Also, it didn't show up as a live segment while I was riding it.  The same thing happened on Up to Folds.  All I could do was to ride hard back up Glenwood Springs, guesstimating the start and end of both segments.

Next, I got to ride a little easier for a few miles into Eatonton.  I turned off of Glenwood Springs onto Loblolly Road.  This is a segment that I've tried to get several times, but I'm currently 1 second off the QOM!  I didn't try for it this time.  I've decided that I need to get Robert to go back over there and lead me out so that I can get that one.  Loblolly is a nice road.  This time I got to enjoy the scenery rather than feeling like my lungs and head were about to explode.

After another mile or two, it was time for my final Strava segment for the day: Church Street.  It didn't show up as a live segment on my Wahoo either, and so I just rode hard from Highway 441 to Oak Way.  Did I get the QOM?  Again, I'd have to wait until I got home.

Time for a break!  I rode about a mile into town and stopped at Eatonton Presbyterian Church for water, where I have stopped before.  I was grateful for a refill.  A friend greeted me at the outdoor spigot.

Eastern lubber grasshopper

I sat on a nearby bench under a shady tree to drink some water and eat my fried pie.  Refreshed, I was ready to get back on the road.  But first, I had to get a photo of this sign at the Putnam County Library adjacent to the church.  I love Little Free Libraries and was happy to see that so many exist in Putnam County.

I had completed all my QOM attempts for the day, and so it was easier riding for the second half.

When I got home, I was eager to upload my ride to Strava.  I got three of the five QOMs - not bad!  I knew I had gotten Stanfordville Full and received confirmation that I also got Stanfordville Hill.  I got the Church Street segment, too - by only four seconds.  Out of Stanfordville and Up to Folds were a bummer.  I was sure I could have gotten them if I could have seen when the segments started and ended.  I'd just have to make another trip over to Stanfordville.

Sunday Afternoon Dirt

The next day I decided to ride dirt...and try for a few more QOMs.  There's one that I've been wanting to go for called Gunn Drag.  It's a slight climb, 1.8%, for almost 2 1/2 miles.  As I was planning my route, I looked for other nearby Strava segments.  It's kind of a game to get as many QOMs near my house as possible.  I noticed a couple of others to go for on Monroe Tyler Road: Speed Wobbles and Up, Up and Away We Go.  So, I planned a moderate route with an out-and-back spur to include these two additional segments.

I hadn't been able to determine why all my starred segments hadn't shown up the previous day.  For this dirt ride, I double checked that the three segments I was going for were starred and that Strava had synched with my Wahoo.  Everything looked good to go.

No problem on Gunn Drag: although I left a piece or two of lung along that stretch, I got the QOM by more than a minute.  I continued on my route and turned onto Monroe Tyler Road.  Alas, the same thing happened as the day before; I didn't see the other two segments as I approached them.  Because of this and because I was a little fatigued after the previous day's effort, I decided not to go for Speed Wobbles or Up, Up and Away We Go that day.

Unexpected QOM

I've been making a halfhearted attempt at mountain biking.  You'd think it would be pretty much like road biking or certainly dirt road riding.  It's not.  It's a significantly different sport.  Robert has been doing a lot of MTBing and has gotten pretty decent at it.  As part of that process, he has developed a series of trails behind our house.  They go on our property as well as cousins' property (with their permission, of course).

Hiking the trails is way more relaxing to me than MTBing on them, but I'm game for trying to develop a new skill.  Last Friday, I worked late and figured that one MTB loop on our trails would be a good, quick workout afterwards.

About a mile into my ride, I felt like I was riding a lot more smoothly than usual.  That translates to going faster, too.  Maybe I'm making some progress on MTBing!  Then, as I was going up a moderate climb, I tried to downshift.  Something was stuck.  I tried another time or two but still couldn't shift.  So, I got off my bike to check it out.  My chain was broken!  At least it was only a single link, which is easily fixable.  A stick must have gotten caught in the chain.

I had to hoof it back to the house.  Nevertheless, it was a beautiful evening to be out.

As I got closer to the house, I saw this sweet fawn grazing.

She probably would have stayed a lot longer, but after I watched her for several minutes, I needed to continue on the path.  She let me get closer than I expected but eventually ran away.

When I uploaded my 1.19-mile ride, I had gotten a QOM!  That's pretty funny.  I think I'm the only female who has ridden the trails behind our house.

D'oh!

Amazingly, I had another unscheduled Saturday this past weekend.  I decided to ride another 100K and go back for Out of Stanfordville and Up to Folds.  It was like deja vu all over again as I started out with a trip to the farmers market.  However, from there I took a different route to Stanfordville so that the two segments would be along the way without any backtracking.

This time I saw the approach to Out of Stanfordville and saw the live segment as I rode it.  I got the QOM!  Up to Folds starts very soon thereafter, but - dagnabbit - just like the previous week, it didn't show up on my Wahoo!  All I could do was go hard and guesstimate yet again.

I had an added bit of excitement.  Shortly after the Strava segments, I noticed that my back tire was going flat - not a good time to realize that I hadn't brought a repair kit.  Robert was mountain biking in North Georgia, and so I couldn't call him.  I could have called someone else, but I decided to try riding home.  The tire was only soft; maybe it would hold out.  I shortened my route as much as I could and rode very easily the rest of the way home.  The tire definitely was flat when I got there.  I was very grateful to make it OK.  The wheel itself seemed fine, too.

I missed the QOM on Up to Folds by 2 seconds - gaaaa!  Maybe the third visit to Stanfordville will be the charm.  I know I can get that QOM if I have the live segment.

So why was my Wahoo still only showing the first starred segment but not any subsequent ones?  Time for some research.

The only potential solution I found online was to log out of my Wahoo account on my phone app, log back in, turn my Wahoo off and then back on, and then toggle off and on all the Strava live segment options on my phone app.  Essentially, I rebooted all the connections between Wahoo and Strava.

I learned something else notable during my research.  Strava blocks live segments steeper than -0.25%.  That's for safety reasons because some people will take serious risks to get the KOM/QOM on a downhill segment.  I don't mind that restriction because I'm more interested in climbs.  Besides, Queen of the Mountain implies a climb, not a descent.  At least that explains why Speed Wobbles (-4.3%) didn't show up as a live segment on the previous Sunday's dirt road ride.

More Sunday Dirt

Yesterday I opted for another dirt ride and still more QOM attempts to see if I had fixed my Wahoo issue.  Because I'd had to slightly curtail my 100K the day before, I wanted a fairly long dirt ride.  Of course, I'd go back for Speed Wobbles and Up, Up and Away We Go on Monroe Tyler Road.  I needed more total miles, though.  Where would be fun to ride?  I found another segment to go for, Holloway Hollow CW.  This would be a good connector from some great dirt roads north of Monticello back toward Monroe Tyler Road.  Then, I noticed a segment I had never ridden before, Champion Road CW.  This looked very attainable and would involve only a short out-and-back.

So, I had four QOMs to go for: Holloway Hollow CW, Champion Road CW, Speed Wobbles and Up, Up and Away We Go, respectively.  The first and third wouldn't show up as live segments because they were descents.  However, both the second and fourth should show up if all the rebooting and toggling had worked.

The first segment, Holloway Hollow CW, was about 11 miles into my ride.  There was no countdown to the start, which I was expecting because it was a descent.  I knew that the segment was essentially the entire length of the road, and so as soon as I made the turn, I started going hard.  I gave it my best effort throughout.  Then, I had to wait until I got home to see if I got the QOM.

Next up was Champion Road CW.  The plan was to ride this segment, hopefully getting the QOM.  More importantly, though, was to see if Up, Up and Away We Go would show up as a live segment later in my ride.  Things didn't go according to plan.  I couldn't find Champion Road CW!  It was the weirdest thing.

According to the maps I had checked beforehand, Champion Road connects Thomason Road and Highway 11.  I had seen the Highway 11 end of Champion Road many times before.  However, I had never ridden down Thomason Road that I could remember, even in a car.  As I pedaled down Thomason Road, my Wahoo signaled the approach to the Champion Road CW segment when I got within a mile - so far, so good.  When the countdown gets to 0.1 mile, the countdown switches to feet: 900s, 800s, 700s, etc.  I was primed for the signal...go!

The segment started on Thomason Road.  I figured it must continue onto Champion Road, but I couldn't find Champion Road!  I continued riding on Thomason Road.  The segment went away.  Hmmm.  I turned around and went back.  I saw the approach to the segment again, but I still didn't see Champion Road.

I checked Google Maps and then the map on my Wahoo.  I could see where the road was supposed to be.  It looked like someone's driveway, but I wasn't sure.  I decided to try it anyway.  About 100 feet later, I noticed a sign that read, "No Through Traffic."  This must be the road after all.  So, I took off!  But the segment went away again.  I rode a short distance but decided that it wasn't worth it.  Apparently, the only way to access this segment is via Platform 9 3/4.

It was another five or so miles of stress-free riding until the next segments on Monroe Tyler Road.  I knew I wouldn't see the approach to Speed Wobbles, a descent, and so I had to estimate the start location.  I started going hard.  The end of the segment is at the bottom of a hill, where a bridge crosses Kinard Creek.  Then, Up, Up and Away We Go picks up immediately.

I did get the countdown to Up, Up and Away We Go.  Even so, because I hadn't been able to find the Champion Road CW segment, I still didn't know if I had fixed the Wahoo issue of seeing only the first starred segment.  No time to think about that now, though.  I climbed Up, Up and Away We Go as hard as I could.  It's an average 3.8% climb for nearly a mile.  It was tough, but I got the QOM!

The hard work was over, and so I got to simply enjoy the rest of the ride home, about 13 more miles.  It was a lot cooler than the day before because Tropical Storm Fred was moving closer.  The overcast day had that late-summer, warm, melancholy feeling that's common during hurricane season.

QOM report: I got Holloway Hollow CW!  I missed the QOM on Speed Wobbles by 4 seconds - oh, well.  And I got the QOM on Up, Up and Away We Go!  Not only that, I also beat the KOM on Up, Up and Away We Go!  That more than makes up for missing Speed Wobbles.

After all this, I'm still not sure if the starred segment issue has been resolved on my Wahoo.  Guess I'll have to do some more field research.

I don't want to get too hung up on QOMs, but they definitely make good intensity training.  Overall, I'm determined to have a good time.  More on that next :)

Summertime, and the Riding is (Sometimes) Easy

I love summertime.  Even though I work then just like any other time of year, everything is so beautiful outside, and my body loves not having to work to stay warm!  There's a lot of great riding, too.  I haven't blogged in a while, so this will be a summery summary of recent rides.  (See what I did there?)

Solstice 300K Brevet

OK, so technically this ride was on the last day of spring this year (June 19), but the Solstice 300K brevet is an auspicious way to mark the beginning of summer.  We didn't get to have this brevet last year because it was during the period when RUSA events were cancelled due to the pandemic.  Therefore, this was my first 300K since my T. Rex Ride on last year's solstice.

The Solstice 300K route is rather unremarkable in that it's on the Silver Comet Trail (Georgia) and Chief Ladiga Trail (Alabama).  However, it's nice not to have traffic.  Also, the trails were in better shape this year than when I last rode them two years ago.  Last time, there was a lot of debris because of a storm the night before.  Additionally, Alabama has milled the Chief Ladiga Trail in the places where tree roots have caused the pavement to buckle - a big improvement.

The route starts in Cedartown, goes to the east end in Smyrna, goes back to Cedartown (great timing for a lunch stop at about 100 miles in), goes to the west end in Anniston, and finally goes back to Cedartown.  It breaks everything into chunks, which makes for a more mentally manageable 300K.

I was so glad that Graham (Grant) agreed to ride with me.  More than half of it was in Tropical Storm Claudette.  It was rad. 

Red Clay Ramble

The following weekend was the Red Clay Ramble (RCR).  As usual, I got nervous beforehand.  But it's a great race, and with it being practically in my backyard, there's no way I would pass it up.

Chainbuster Racing hosts the RCR.  For a number of years, they staged it at the Cedar Creek Wildlife Check Station.  However, that location wasn't available last year or this year, I guess because of COVID and/or permitting issues.  Last year the race was at a church, but it wasn't available this year because of Vacation Bible School and a lack of volunteers.  So, for a while Chainbuster was scrambling for a staging location this year.  A big consideration is a large enough parking area for about 200 cars, which is kind of hard to come by close to the racecourse.  Robert had a great idea: the Ben Hill School in Hillsboro.  It's close to the course and has a large adjacent field that can accommodate parking.  He passed along this suggestion to Chainbuster, and it worked out great!

The start line was a short distance away on Turner Road.  We went off in groups every two minutes.  I was in the second group, which included all the masters women and master men (40-49).

Photo credit: Mishka Comaro

Soon I was riding by myself.

Photo credit: Dashing Images Photography

Another woman in my masters group was nearby for the first few miles.  Eventually, I dropped her, but I still kept looking over my shoulder.

Later, I joined a few guys riding at a similar pace.  We eventually caught up to another small group of guys, who might have been doing the short option.  Anyway, the combined group was going noticeably slower.  I felt like I could go faster, and I didn't want the other woman to catch me.  So, I said to the guys, "Let's speed it up a little."  I went off the front, knowing that they wouldn't let a woman get away.  The ruse worked.  Several guys followed, and I was able to keep drafting.

I was feeling strong and started pulling ahead of the guys.  Still, I was debating with myself how fast I could go and maintain it for the rest of the race.  Should I stay with the guys for the draft effect, or could I time trial it by myself and go faster?  About that time, I caught up with my friend Steve.  He had gotten dropped but still had a good bit of energy.  We started working together, which primarily was a benefit to me.

Several of the guys I had been riding with earlier caught up, and we worked together as a group for the rest of the race.

Being familiar with the course really helped.  Toward the end when Hillsboro Lake Road turned from dirt to pavement, I told the guys that that was it for the dirt.  It was a straight shot on the paved road to the finish line.

Pedal, pedal, pedal.  As we approached the finish line, I hoped that my race plate was doing OK.  About a mile into the race, I had lost one of the twist ties holding it in place.  The plate was flopping around a bit, and I was afraid the remaining twist tie wouldn't hold.  So, I stuffed my number down my jersey.  I figured the timing chip would still record as I crossed the finish line, but I hollered out my number just to be sure.

The finish line was in the front yard of Matt and Mary Tumlin, some of my Jasper County neighbors.  When they agreed to this, I'm sure they had no idea what they had said yes to.  The inflatable finish arch loomed among the lovely, old oaks.  It was the coolest finish line I ever saw.

I met my three goals: a safe race, I raced well for myself, and I didn't barf before, during, or after the race.  In fact, I won women's masters and also was the first female overall!  If I had raced the open class, I would have won money!

The race was only 52 miles long.  I wanted to ride 100K for the day to get my final 100K in the 2021 Hudson Valley Randonneurs Virtual Brevet Series.  Therefore, I rode the 10 miles home.  With my few warmup miles, I definitely got 100K.

It had already been an auspicious day, but the fun wasn't over.  That evening I surprised Robert with a trip to see the Macon Bacon as an early birthday present.  We arrived a little before the park opened.  When we got to go in, we wandered around, checking everything out.  It's such an amazingly historical baseball park.  I'm so glad the Macon Bacon are using it.  They are part of the Coastal Plain League, a summer league for college baseball players in several southeastern states.

They had Terrapin Recreation Ale, which is my favorite beer after a gravel race.  Robert and I each got one along with a couple of free bandannas.  The bandannas have a cool hops design - Allie and Fleetwood have a new way to be stylin'!

Of course, I had to have my picture taken with Kevin Bacon, the team mascot.  I had Robert get a picture of Kevin and me from behind, too.  Six degrees of Kevin Bacon.

I was a huge Braves fan in the 80s when they were terrible and a huge baseball fan in general.  Although I haven't followed sports much at all as an adult (work, other responsibilities, riding my bike...), I so enjoyed getting back in to the baseball groove: ball counts, stealing bases, etc.

Also, I had never been to a minor league game - I totally loved all the shenanigans between innings.  One time two guys came out on the field and sat in folding chairs.  Kevin had two short pool noodle looking things.  "In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins came over the loudspeaker.  When it got to the cool drum part, Kevin beat all over the two guys using the pool noodles.  It was hilarious.

We even had a rain delay.  (That reminded me of Braves games back at Fulton County Stadium.)  Everyone moved to the covered seats.  A beach ball got tossed around for quite a while.  It suddenly came to an end when someone accidentally hit the beach ball into one of the giant fans spinning high above us.  The ball popped and then continued to hang onto the end of the fan blade for about a dozen rotations.  More hilarity.

BBQ Bass Ride

After the Solstice 300K, followed by the Red Clay Ramble, I was was ready for a more chill ride with friends at the BBQ Bass Ride.  A great group of 16 cyclopeeps joined Robert and me for our 24th annual event.  Love to ride.  Ride to love.

Social stop

Stopped for a mechanical - like cows finding the shady spot

Another mechanical/shady cow stop

Like cyclists everywhere, our group sometimes sprints for the county line or city limit sign.  As we rode back into Monticello, Cody sprinted for the sign.  Except it wasn't the city limit sign.  It was the sign for Jimmy Horton Parkway.  I bet Rev. Horton would be proud.

Post-ride BBQ

The legendary Dale Vaughan.  I hope I'm a fraction as cool when I'm 76.

Hold onto your helmets!  Next year will the be the 25th annual BBQ Bass Ride!

Independence Day (Observed) Ride

July 4th fell on a Sunday this year.  Independence Day (observed) was more festive than Independence Day.  Several of us gathered at Steve's house on Monday morning for a ride, followed by lunch and relaxing around the pool.

I would have made it a triathlon, but running is barbaric.

Delightful surprise as I came around a bend in the road

'Murica

Antique railroad lantern at Amy and Steve's

There's been a lot more great summer riding in the meantime, but that's all I have time to write for now and get in a July post - ride on!

Ride Mon Dieu

Last Saturday's ride was just peachy.

Peach...pie

and

Peach...ice cream

and

Peach...peach

And to drink - ta da! - Peru!

This ride completed the 200K category in the 2021 Virtual Brevet Series.  Although I was tired when I got home, I still wasn't better off dead.  In fact, it felt good to do a long ride after being off the bike during vacation.  BTW, while I was in Costa Rica I splurged by getting a massage.  My ear had gotten clogged up in the pool, and I wasn't hearing clearly.  In the middle of the massage, the masseuse told me to turn over.  I thought she was saying, "Ten dollars!"  I panicked because I hadn't brought any cash with me.

Rincon de la Vieja

Robert and I were so happy to be able to go on vacation earlier this month.  (Yea, vaccines!)  We decided to go back to Costa Rica, which we first visited eight years ago.  Back then we visited the interior of the country, including the cloud forest.  This time we went to the beach.  The two areas were quite different, but both times we loved the country and the people.

Our first visit to Costa Rica was a road cycling trip with Backroads.  This time we went to an all-inclusive resort.  We went mountain biking one day as a separate excursion.  Robert arranged the outing through a company called Amstar.  A van picked us up early in the morning.  The driver didn't speak English (embarrassingly, I can't remember his name), but our friendly tour guide Herman did.

We went to Rincon de la Vieja, a national forest that is privately owned.  (Obviously, land laws are different in Costa Rica than in the U.S.)  An activity center offers all kinds of outdoor activities, ranging from hiking to rafting to ziplining.  Amstar had arranged for rental mountain bikes for Robert and me.  Herman had his own mountain bike.

Herman is very familiar with the trails at Rincon de la Vieja, and so we followed him.  We could tell right away that he's a strong rider.  Unfortunately, I found that I was even slower on the mountain bike than I expected.  Fortunately, Herman and Robert didn't mind waiting for me every so often.

The trails are color coded kind of like in skiing: the easiest trails are green, the intermediate trails are blue, and the expert trails are red.  We started on green trail.  The guys got ahead of me and out of sight almost immediately.  I didn't mind, though.  I was excited to be in Costa Rica and riding period.

Wouldn't you know it - only a few miles into the ride, I fell.  Maybe it was the unfamiliar bike, and/or maybe I'm just that uncoordinated.  I've fallen plenty of times while mountain biking, but this time I landed on some kind of thorny plant, hitting the side of my face.  There was a good bit of blood (those kinds of wounds bleed a lot), but all I could do was keep riding until I caught up with Herman and Robert.  It didn't really hurt, and the bleeding stopped.  I didn't want to ruin the outing, and so I insisted we all keep riding.

Herman took us to a waterfall.  The blue water was simply dazzling:

We finished the trail, and then I washed and bandaged the wound at the restroom back at the activity center.  A small plant sticker had lodged itself near my eyebrow, which caused most of the bleeding.  Reassured that I really was OK, I was ready to keep riding.

Next, Herman took us on an expert trail!  It had a good bit of climbing (about 1,300 feet in 10 miles), but I hardly noticed it because I was focusing so intently on navigating the terrain.  It was manageable, but I took it especially carefully after my earlier fall.  There were lots of challenging rocky sections that Robert had to walk, too.  The guys continued waiting patiently for me as needed.

Herman took us to another waterfall.  We had to access this one by walking across a suspended bridge:

What a surprise we had in store!

A half dozen or so people were swimming in the cold water.  We saw dragonflies and a spectacular, bright blue butterfly.  The natural enclosure seemed almost magical.

I thanked Herman for bringing us to such a beautiful spot.

A while later, we stopped for a little refreshment.  Herman had a sweet empanada, which he shared with Robert and me.  It reminded me of Laverne's fried peach pies that I enjoy on my long rides back home.

While we were stopped, Robert and I marveled at the huge mimosa tree we were standing under.  Everything grows so much larger and faster in the tropics.

We saw more amazing trees as we rode farther, including these ficus trees:

Herman told us about the guanacaste tree, which has the same name as the Guanacaste province where we were located.  The tree has curved seed pods, which is why it's also known as the monkey-ear tree:

We were now on the descent.  It was a lot less rocky than the way we had ascended, and so we all agreed that Herman had made the right decision on the direction that he took us.  Even so, I had several reminders that we still were on an expert trail!  This sign says that you have to be a technical badass to ride the next section:

I did a good job of demonstrating this sign.

When we arrived back at the activity center, the three of us and our driver had lunch together at the cafeteria next door.  Then, Herman had the onsite nurse check me.  Robert and I had noticed the old ambulance that morning.  He thought it was hilarious that it turned out to be the infirmary.

The kind nurse cleaned the wound thoroughly and put a fresh bandage on.  With a little translation from Herman, she confirmed that I would be fine.

Even with all the challenges, I had a blast!  Pura Vida!

Shop Local/Ride Local 200K

This was such a fun ride right in my own backyard!  I did this ride three days ago as part of the 2021 Virtual Brevet Series.  After being on the road every weekend this month, I thought it would be nice to stick closer to home.  I devised a 200K route consisting of three loops.  Because I would be stopping at home several times, I was able to ride my lighter Factor instead of my supply-laden Trek.

Loop 1 (52 miles)

This past Saturday was the first day of our local farmers market season.  So, my first order of business was stopping by the Monticello square.

The new mural just off the square is almost finished.

I had seen the list of vendors ahead of time and looked forward to seeing a few of my regular farmers market friends.  I usually walk all around the farmers market to see what's available before I make my final selections.

I missed Leah, who sold pies at the farmers market for many years.  She was always dressed to the nines.  Last year she was the first person I knew who succumbed to COVID-19.  Her family continues to make pies.

It was good to see Shannon selling her beautiful plants and, of course, Laverne, maker of the rapturous fried pies!  I bought a peach fried pie to eat later during my ride.  (More on that to come.)  I also bought some locally made goat cheese with spices from Yellow Rose Farm.  I buy their goat's milk soap regularly; handmade soaps are a luxury I enjoy.  Lastly, I bought some fresh Georgia shrimp!  The vendor said he sells shrimp in other nearby towns and first came to Monticello last fall.  I think I remember reading about that, but I was out of town that day.  I took my goat cheese and shrimp to the office refrigerator to pick up later and made a new mental menu for that night's dinner.

Robert joined me at the office.  He had planned to ride my first loop with me, but, unfortunately, he only made it a few miles.  He's been battling a new tire that won't hold air.  He had to head home, hoping he could make it on his CO2 cartridge as well as mine that I gave him.

That was a downer about Robert having to bail, but I decided to focus on all the good things about the day.  There were tons of them.  I headed up Post Road, turned on Barr Bridge Road, and then went through Shady Dale.  Heading out of Shady Dale on Aikenton Road, I passed this sign.  It made me grin.

I rode a few miles in Putnam County, my only foray out of Jasper.  I stopped in Willard for a twofold purpose.  One was to check in there on Facebook.  I've checked in at Willard several times mainly as a joke with myself.  Willard is just the intersection of Georgia Highway 16 and Georgia Highway 142.  There's an abandoned building there.  Whenever I go through Willard, I think of the deejay Willard on 96 Rock, which I listened to growing up in Atlanta.  He just went by Willard; I never heard his last name.  In honor of Willard, I found a picture of an old 96 Rock license plate on the Interwebs.  People used to put them upside-down on the fronts of their vehicles.

It was also time for some bike food, specifically Laverne's fried pie!  They are always wonderful, but that may have been the best ever.  I stopped on the side of a quiet road beside some woods that are part of a wildlife management area.  I took the fried pie from my jersey pocket, where it had gotten slightly warm.  The crust was flaky and buttery, and the filling was soft and warm with chunks of peaches.  Simply delicious!

Toward the end of my first loop, I rode by a large tract that was timbered a few years ago.  A guy was standing on top of a pickup truck right next to it.  The truck said University of Georgia, and so I guess he was doing some kind of timber assessment.  He had a small gauge or controller box in one hand and a rod in the other.  Was he fishing or maybe using a Geiger counter?  When I told Robert about it later, he said the guy was probably flying a drone.  Anyway, as I rode past, I yelled out, "Expelliarmus!" but the guy didn't drop anything.

Loop 2 (52 miles)

I stopped briefly at home, where I said hello to Robert and the dogs, refilled my bottles, ate a few fresh strawberries, and enjoyed a real bathroom instead bushes.  Then, I headed back out on Goolsby Road toward Hillsboro.

It seemed a little strange not to continue south past Hillsboro like I usually do.  Instead, this time I headed north on Highway 11 and cut through Feldspar Road to go toward Clay Road.  This was the best way to minimize my time on Highway 16.  Highway 16 was necessary to get me to the highlight of my second loop, the Sac-o-Suds.

The movie My Cousin Vinny (1992) was filmed in and around Monticello.  The Sac-o-Suds, the site of the tuna "theft," is a real place.  We used to reenact one of the courtroom scenes from the movie for tourist groups.  I played Mona Lisa Vito, who was Marisa Tomei's character.  I'm not sure how I got involved in these skits (acting is definitely not my thing), but they were a lot of fun.  I had the hardest lines, which included things like limited slip differentials, Positraction, etc.  This is a photo from our  last reenactment, which was about four and a half years ago.

(L-R) me as Mona Lisa Vito, Rob Andrews as Judge Haller, Roger Harrison as Vinny Gambini

Back when the movie was filmed, the Sac-o-Suds was ready to go, as-is (or as-was).  It's changed ownership a few times since then but has remained a minor tourist attraction.  It closed a few years ago, but someone recently purchased it and remodeled it.  Fortunately, they were able to negotiate keeping the name.

A few days before this ride, I saw a Monticello-Jasper County Chamber of Commerce post on Facebook that the Sac-o-Suds had just reopened.  They had some great looking T-shirts (including some that said Two Yutes Tuna), and they would be selling BBQ plates from 2:00 - 5:00 PM on the day of my ride.  Perfect!  It would be a great lunch stop.  Also, it made up for the cancellation of my original ride lunch plans, the Methodist men's chicken-que.  I don't know what it is about Methodist men, but they know how to do chicken-que.  They must have secret lore they pass among themselves, like an obscure branch of the Freemasons.  BTW, I found out later that the chicken-que was cancelled because they couldn't get chickens.

I arrived at the Sac-o-Suds around 2:30 PM.  I didn't want to get there too late because I was afraid they would run out of BBQ.  No worries - it wasn't quite ready when I got there.  While I waited, I stood in the parking lot talking with a nice young man who owns a fencing company.  Good to know who I can call locally next time I need a fence.  We talked about all the people we know in common and recited lines from My Cousin Vinny.

Then I saw my friend Sandy, whom I hadn't seen in a long time.  She said she had just been talking about me when she was teaching a yoga class.  Apparently referring to a particular yoga move, she told them it would make their pooty pucker, a phrase I taught her.  The actual phrase is that something will make your pooky pucker.  I learned this from my Great Uncle Gene.  It applies when something is gross, disgusting, or heart-stopping.  Sandy gave a good example: when you look over the railing on the Blue Ridge Parkway, it makes your pooty pucker.  I didn't correct her phraseology, though.  It's just good to be remembered, even in the context of something making your pooty/pooky pucker.

At last the BBQ was ready!

A woman and her daughter had made all the food.  I think maybe they are the owners, but I'm not sure.  There was a nice guy working the cash register, too.  He said that the women wanted constructive criticism from the BBQ customers.  I told him that the coleslaw was particularly good - very fresh and flavorful.  I liked that it was vinegar based instead of mayonnaise based.  The BBQ was good, too, but I like mine a little spicier.  However, because not everyone else likes theirs hot, maybe they could have a spicy BBQ sauce on the side.  I told him about an older man named Gene Mathis who used to be the City of Monticello building inspector and Santa Claus (he looked the part).  Gene always wore a holster that held a tiny bottle of Tabasco.  Maybe I should do the same because I've found myself in need of hot sauce several times recently.  As I told this to the Sac-o-Suds cashier, I noticed that he had a holster with a gun.  (I don't blame him, running a convenience store.)  We agreed that he should add a bottle of Tabasco, too.

My energy level was up as I continued on my ride.  I definitely had needed food.  I was thinking that I had about 42 miles to go, but then I realized that I had only 20 miles left in this loop.  Breaking my 200K into sections did make it seem easier.  I rode some familiar roads on the north side of the county and then went back to my house.

Loop 3 (22 miles)

I had completed a little over a century, which would have been a respectable ride on its own.  However, I was determined to complete my 200K.  I headed out once more for my shortest loop, about 22 miles - easy!  Even better, I planned to stop at Dairy Queen toward the end.  Only 18 miles - a little over an hour - to a Blizzard!

I rode by the old Georgia-Pacific plant.  There's a rail spur there.  I think these are some kind of rail maintenance vehicles.  Although they are gas (or maybe diesel) powered, this long line looks like some kind of steampunk fantasy:

Even with 100+ miles already in my legs, I enjoyed the final miles. I rode to the Dairy Queen, and lo and behold, there was Robert!  Actually, I kind of suspected he would meet me there :)

Dairy Queen has several summer Blizzard flavors.  I had researched them ahead of time and decided on a frosted animal cookie Blizzard.  In addition to frosted animal cookies, it also has pink confetti frosting.  It tastes like the circus.

Robert got the Drumstick Blizzard.  This one has pieces of Drumstick ice cream cones and peanuts.  I considered this one, too, but figured it would be a lot like some of the regular Blizzard flavors.  Robert confirmed that it was pretty much the same as about three other flavors that have chocolate and peanuts.  I tried a bite of his Blizzard - yep, it tasted like a Snickers Blizzard.  Not bad by any means, but at least I had gotten something significantly different.

As I rolled out of the Dairy Queen parking lot, I stopped to smell the magnolias blooming along the back fence.

Only four miles to the finish!  Robert offered to go by the office to pick up the refrigerated stuff I had gotten at the farmers market.  Yea!  Now I didn't have to figure out how to carry the bag as I rode my bike.

I took a shower and then joined Robert on the patio for adult beverages.  As we walked back inside, we admired the wildflowers that Robert planted beside our driveway last year.

I had already planned to make tomato grits as a side dish for another meal this week.  For that night's dinner I converted the grits to an entrée and added the fresh shrimp I had gotten at that morning's farmers market.  I also made a salad with the greens, radishes, and turnip's from the week's CSA delivery.  I topped it with my favorite vinaigrette, but instead of the usual blue cheese, I added some goat cheese from the farmers market.  All these good eats make me glad I live in Georgia.