The Blog is on the Move--Here!!!!

8/6/2010

After weighing the options of "Ride the Darby" or a couple of rides out of Canal or vicinity, the blog decided......drive to Monterey, VA and do Mountain Mama!!! I know, some of you are thinking, "But Mark, you have short cutted every hard ride and have not done anything over 80 miles since March and now you're going to do a 100 miles with 13,000' of climbing?!?!? My goal is to avoid the big cramp and have to SAG in, as my good friend Kevin H did last year. I asked Kevin what he would do differently and he said start a lot slower, pace yourself and don't stop for the Mountain Dew at that store. Rather than start early with Tuna's group, I'll probably start at the official start time of 8:00am, enjoy all the food stops (they'll be running out of food by the time I get there), enjoy all the nice volunteers and take lots of images for the blog. Next stop, the luxury of the Hermitage hotel in Bartow, WV.

2 Comments

Kevin H.

8/6/2010 10:43:43 am

Yes, I did cramp up like never before last year at mile 85, I only had 15 miles to go but it was over two mountains passes. I tried to tell myself half of it was down hill, but the legs had another thing to say and it was “no more”. Looking back on the day, I did some pretty stupid things. First I tried to ride the mountains like I ride the hills around here, spin fast and hit the bottom hard as you can. At mile 55 I had an average of 19.5 and had climbed four mountains. Then came the lunch stop, which if my memory serves me right, I stayed way to long and I was getting tight once we got rolling again. Then right before the long eight mile climb up Allegany one I stopped with Mark and Cindy and decided to have a Mountain Dew (it always worked for Mark C. so why not me). The hot sun, pushing too hard in the beginning and dehydration ended my goal at mile 85. My plan was to return this year and have my revenge but with work taking center stage this year and not getting the miles in I would have liked. I hope to return in 2011 and kick Mama’s butt.

p.s. Mark you should do fine, just don’t get lost when you take your short-cut.

Pony

Amanda

8/8/2010 04:33:44 am

Hope you enjoy Mountain Momma, it's a beautiful place to ride!! (And hope you don't cramp up too!)

The Blog is on the Move--Here!!!!

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