Apr 27/28 - the tortoise and the hare(s)

The ride that never stops.  Perhaps the ride that shouldn't have been started ?  naww. 

It was pouring rain when I left the hotel to go the 1 mile to the ride start.  I decided to drive the car.  How's that for feeble ? 

By the time the ride started, 1/2 hour later, the rain had stopped.  This would be one of the few times during the ride without moisture from the sky.  The other notable times were as the route snakes around a picturesque lake mid-day and the tail end of the descent from Highlands NC, the half-way point.  It was also relatively dry on the 12 mile climb to Highlands.  Otherwise it was raining; intensity varied.

Several times during the day I wished that I'd brought my leg warmers but was thankful that I had my rain pants in the pack.  My full-fingered gloves were also in the pack along with full boots -- I was wearing elastic shoe covers that ended up doing the job for the full ride.

I'll come back to clothing ... I wore shorts, shoe covers as noted, short sleeved jerssey, long sleeved jersey and heavy rain jacket.  My light jacket was in the pack, in reserve in case it warmed up ... right. 

There were 4 DNS -- do not starts.  There were 4 of us starting.  A few miles out, one of those dropped back, not able to keep up.  One of the riders, Ed, said that fellow would be using most of the available time.  As it turned out, that 4th rider DNF'd (Did Not Finish).  Only three of us did the ride.

We rode together until we started the climb to Woodys Gap.   I was well ahead of the other two by the top but they passed me on the way down.  I was descending really cautiously since it was pouring rain.  Liberal use of the brakes was called for.  I had no concerns that my rims would overheat !

With a couple more Gaps in between (love those named climbs), we were together at Control # 2 -- 45 miels) (the first Control is the start).  Ed and Gar had arrived just before me and we left somewhat together -- I started rolling first.  I was thankful for the hot coffee.  The temperature was in the low 50's and would stay that way all day, dropping below 50 at the tops of some of the climbs.  Last year's time at that Control was 9:39 -- it was probably similar this year but I don't have the Control card in hand.

They quickly gapped me (a different kind of gap) as they were much faster riders -- especially Gar (short for Garrett).  We were together and then separated again with a climb and a descent to Helen, at which point I stopped to warm up.  They were miles ahead of me.  I wasn't sure that I'd see them again but at the Clayton Control, mile 104, I was leaving the Burger King at the same time that they were leaving Wendys.

Looking at last year's card, I'd arrived at Clayton at 2:50 on a sunny and warm day, lightly clad.  This year that time was 3:30 p.m., heavily clad and in the rain.  I'm not surprised by the time difference.

The next Control at Highlands NC is only about 25 miles further on but the first half of that has some long climbs and long descents and the second half is mostly one big climb ... yes, all 12 miles of it.  We arrived at the beginning of the 12 mile climb together.  It had stopped raining so I swapped jackets, opting for the light jacket for the climb.  That helped although it would have been better to climb with no jacket !  By the top of the climb it was raining again but I figured that with about one mile to go, I'd stick it out.

Well, I do favor climbing over riding in the wind.  I got to Highlands at 5:30, now 20 minutes AHEAD of last year's time.  I was also about 20 minutes ahead of Ed and Gar.  That also proves that it's better to climb with lots of gear than climb without gear in heat -- last year by this point it was very hot.  Last year Hamid was slow on the climb.  I think that we left Highlands after 7pm last year.


Andy was waiting at the top of the climb taking pictures.  He's a local who I'd met (he reminded me) on the Florida 1000k a couple of years ago.  He took a picture with me beside the Continental Divide sign.  

Kevin and Chris were waiting at Highlands, in Kevin's car, and we went inside the Deli to order some food.  I only wanted a bowl of soup and hot chocolate but had to settle for the former and coffee.  Oh well.  Gar and Ed came in a while later and had something similar.  Before eating his bowl of soup Ed had to fix a flat. 

A word about Kevin -- he's done RAAM twice, once solo.  He's a "finisher".  Amazing.  He was limping a little and I asked him what happened -- he'd run UP that 12 mile climb.  He's a much, much better man than me !  Of course running up a climb is easier than running down ...

I headed out a few minutes ahead of Ed and Gar, saying that I'd see them on the road, knowing that they'd catch me and leave me in the dust, or rather MUD.  There was no dust that day.

It was cold.  It was raining, but not hard.  I donned my heavy jacket, skull cap, helmet cover which had been on all day (ok, it's a motel shower cap), full fingered gloves and rain pants.

That 12 mile climb is now a 12 mile descent and I wanted to stay warm.  At the end of the 12 miles the route splits from the inbound and forms a loop back to Dahlonega at which point it rejoins the inbound for the 15 miles back to the start at Dawsonville.

A few miles after the descent it started rolling again and I took off the rain pants.  I was staying warm enough with the climbing and didn't mind lighter rain.  That didn't last long.

Ed and Gar passed me after I removed the rain pants, before reaching Walhalla (yes, with a W).  Hello and Good Bye.  Their lights quickly disappeared in the distance.  I stopped in Walhalla, which is roughly 30 miles from Highlands, and had a chocolate milk ... they didn't have hot chocolate :).

Soon afterwards the rain really started coming down.  Thankfully but reluctantly I put on the rain pants.  I was now buttoned up from the wet and the cold, from head to toe.  I couldn't have survived the rest of the ride without the pants, even with leg warmers on, it was that cold.  That said, the pants limit my speed.  If I start climbing in the pants standing up, I quickly overheat.  This is the time to plod.


There's another Control in Toccoa, now mile 186.  I got there just as Ed and Gar were leaving.  Last year I was there at 10:35.  I don't remember this year's time, but it was later due to the rain.

The end is at mile 257, according to last year's Control card.  I think that it was a couple of miles longer on this year's.  So near and yet so far.  Halfway between Toccoa and Dawsonville we go through a little town and there's a Waffle House etc. at an intersection.  Pouring, Dumping, Driving rain ... I pulled into the big Race Trac gas station.  There were three police cars there, occupants inside the convenience store.  The one fellow looked at me and asked how many miles I got to the gallon ... 30 miles to the cup of hot chocolate, says I.  The kid at the cash didn't charge me for the hot chocolate, said I looked like I need it.  Yes.  I did.

It was 1:30 ?? that time seems wrong, but it's possible.  Perhaps it was 2:30.  I can look at my Garmin track later and see.  The police officer told me the time.  It was too difficult to peel back my sleeve and check my watch.

I wasn't cold.  I kept warm with the effort and the wind-sealing effect of the rain clothing.  This was Kamloops to Jasper all over again, except that I was alone out there and the rain was coming down a lot harder.  There was also more climbing in this stretch.

I was fine.  I felt fine.  I just hoped that I didn't get a flat !!  That would have been a disaster !

When I got to Dahlonega, 15 miles from the end, I wanted to stop again.  The only thing that I saw open was a Rite Aid pharmacy, but I'd already gone past that.  I stopped at a bank, sheltered, and pulled out my cell phone.  It was time to call Kevin and let him know where I was.  He's the RBA and he meets us at the end to sign cards etc.  I got his voicemail, told him that it was then 5am and it would be more than an hour for me to do the last 15 miles. 

Sure enough, it was 6:29 by the time I got to Dawsonville.

I asked Kevin what time the other two had gotten in and he said that I was the first one.  Huh ?  I'd looked for them at the few places where they could have stopped and hadn't seen any bicycles.  They were so much faster than me any time we were riding other than those climbs.  The last time that I'd seen them was a few miles before Walhalla.  I stopped for 10 minutes there; 15 minutes at the Race Trac; 5 minutes in Dahlonega at the bank.

Somehow the tortoise had passed by the hare(s).  They must have gotten cold.  That's the only thing that I can figure.  All that rain and wind.   They both had head covering but neither had a helmet cover.  Eventually you're soaked through and through.  I wasn't.  In fact, my shorts were almost dry.  My head was dry.  My body clothing was damp from sweat more than anything else, nothing other than my gloves were wringing wet.  My socks were probably wringable (I know, that's not a word).

If the forecast is the same the next time that I'm planning this ride, would I do it again ?  Ask me in a few more days.  By then I'll probably say yes. 

I went back to the hotel, happy that my bike was now in the car.  I showered, loving the heat.  I had breakfast.  I went to bed.  I slept for an hour or so and then hit the road just before 9am.  I stopped at a rest stop on I10 and snoozed for a half-hour and got back home at 5pm.  Abby was oh-so-happy to see me.

Onward ...