My trek across Ga. active version.

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Bicycle Ride Across Georgia

I have two new sayings for me after this week. [Forrest Gump] 1. Momma always told me I liked to do things the hard way. 2. Momma always said I was a slow learner. [/Forrest Gump]

This was my second year skating the bike ride. Each year there is a different route chosen by the route organizers. This year started off in the piedmont of the Appalachian mountains, in Tacoa and headed down the Georgia -South Carolina border to Tybee Island.

One other skater from my skate club joined me this year, compared to three others last year. We decided to use a camping service for us call Bubba’s Pampered Peddlers. www.bubbaspamperedpedalers.com, this was well worth the money. We had only to pack and unpack our bags. Bubba and his crew tore down and set up camp and tents for us every night.

Saturday Steph drove Marc and I up to Tacoa and we make our introduction to the group. Go eat, and get ready for the first night camping, the first time since I left the Army. At 3:00 am I was awoken with the sound of a downpour and thunderclaps. Great a rain and we have not even started out yet.

Sunday. Day 1. 53 miles 4:26 skating 90 minutes stopped. Up at 5:00 :eek: up and going to the morning rituals. The ground is soaked. So go get some coffee and a bagel, pack the bags and strap on the skates I had setup in case of rain. Because of the wet roads we delayed are departure, allowing the raods a chance to dry, by 7:30 it starts to rain lightly again. Time to leave anyway and deal with the rain. Because of the hills I actually wore kneepads too. Yeah this means I am being smart about the trip. I kept the pulse between 155 and 160 BPM except for some of the steep climbs. I feel the climbs did not pay well, the down-hills did not impress me. It never rained and my feet are not used to these skates. My ankles start to hurt from the tightening strap.

Monday, Day 2. 63 miles 4:52: great skies, great dry roads. Highest speed for the week, 35mph

I can get that at home. Starting out I can feel my glutes are tight already and need to be warmed up and stretched. We Marc and I hit the road. Marc shows he is a stronger skater than I am being able to climb up the hills with no issue. I am keeping though to the pulse plan I had set up. Marc talks with others on the ride meeting and greeting people and generally being the character he is. We came across road construction and the first day of Shake and Bake. Shake and Bake is the chip and seal roads used in the South. These roads are normally county maintained roads and are not in the best of condition. This is a pain on a bike, it is torture on skates. Thankfully only a mile of this today. I notice my camera is not working. The battery died so all through the ride I keep an eye out for a place to buy a battery. After 30 miles I finally find one, install the battery and put it in the pouch. Coming around a corner a noticed biker dropped her phone, as I skate along I bend over pick it up n one swoop, cool looking as he!!, but I popped out my camera out of the holder and it rolls on the asphalt, battery popping out. Thankfully it still works. The day ends with me getting 30 minutes sports massage, good and painful.

Tuesday, Day 3. 65 miles 6:07 and 90 mins of rest. The day started off great, weather-wise. After 15 miles my hip flexors were starting to hurt. I told Marc to go ahead and he decided to stay. I told Marc again to go. I could see I was holding him back, Also I wanted him to experience BRAG the social event finally. I had told Marc before we left that there would be times I want to skate alone and told him these were one of these times. I see Marc go off into the distance. And start to enjoy the time in solitude. I enjoy hearing the sound of my wheels carving into the asphalt in a soothing rhythm. I hit the first of the Shake & Bake of today. It really sucks but is only a mile long. It really slowed my pace down. Not that I was planning on a speedy day but I would like to be keeping above last years average of 10.6 mph. The crap ends and soon begins again, this time for 5 miles. It is so bad I have to stop a few times and get blood flow back into my feet. My feet having been vibrated so violently for so long I had lost all sensation in them and my ankles are hurting from the constant impacting along this road. It ends just in front of the lunch stop. I get there and meet up with Marc and a couple of lady acquaintances we have made, take off the skates and go get lunch, eat and back out on the road. After about 10 miles we hit 7 more miles of Shake & Bake. I have to stop a few times again and left the feet get some blood into them again. The whole time the bikers comment about how this hurts them and sympathize on how our feet must feel. Finally I get into camp. Marc has been there already for a while. I go for 30 minutes sports massage.During the wait for the massage I hear that there is 20 miles of Shake and Bake. Hmmm, I decide to opt out of skating Wednesday’s optional mileage day. I got back into the little camp we have affectionally named Bubbaville and told to hurry, we have a pool party to go to. Puzzled I ask about the party and am told one of the Bubbaville patrons is from this ”neck o da woods” and her Aunt has invited us over for a cook-out and pool party. A nice end to a crappy day of roads.

Wednesday, day 4. optional mileage day. I choose the “0” option. Let the ankles and metatarsals heal up some.

Thursday, day 5, 63 miles 3:47, 45 minutes stop time
Man the difference a day makes. Fresh legs, fresh heart, fresh carbo reserves. Marc and I take off and we hook up with a tandem bike moving at 22 mph. For a little over 2 miles, hopping over railroad tracks and avoiding road debris we are in flight. I look over my shoulder and there is no Marc. I look up and back and see that he is a few hundred yards back and hopping a draft on another bike and they are gaining. I never see them until the first rest stop of the day. I check with Marc and he’s doing well so I head back out not wanting to lose the rush of this day. I catch a draft with two mid-teen girls on road bikes and we are cruising for miles at 16-18 mph. Another rest stop. Move out and frre flight, now the real speedy guys can leave me, but the intermediate speeds I am drafting of of, speeds at 26 mph for 2 miles on these flat and smooth roads. I LIKE THIS DAY Mr. Green

I eat lunch and Marc comes in as I am leaving. I verify all is well with him before I head out and I hit the roads again. there are beautiful trees here and the Spanish moss is hanging off the trees now, quintessential southern Georgia. I feel my ankles are starting to ache again towards the end of the ride. I pull into camp and apparently the word is out, The skaters are here and we are serious. I have 60 minutes of sport massage. Even though this day has 7 miles of Shake and Bake it was not as bad as Tuesday

Friday, day 6, 57 miles 3:35, they say we have 5 miles of Shake and Bake. I never saw it, some rought road but never the Shake and Bake. I also am not in pace lines today. Instead I fly by them bikers I am coming across in most cases and even the speedy bikers are having fun pacing along side and talking with me, offering me speeds not knowing about the GPS. I admit I have two incentives for blowing it all out today. I wanna get to camp and get cleaned up and meet Stephanie, for she’ll be checking in for the last leg of the trip. All I can say is this day ROCKED!!!
Speed, smooth asphalt, sunny skies and Steph. Mr. Green

Saturday, day 7 43 miles 3:12. Well Stephanie and I got a late start. Stephanie was supposed to skate this leg with me. But due to the late start I have concerns about her keeping pace to be able to make it to the rest stops before they close. I convince her to use my bike that she brought along. She is not overjoyed with my decision but decides I probably know that I am making the best decision for us. So we head out with only 12 minutes to spare on the rolling start. It’s already hot. Unfortunately Steph was not really prepped for biking compared to skating. She only has flip flops on, and denim shorts on. Well we made good time and pulled into the Island. It was bittersweet. We made it to the Island but then again, we made it to the Island and the wek is done.

PRESIDENT

Now that's a lot of miles. Shocked

Congrats on finishing. Great report. thumbs up

Excelent

Great report Hyper. Well done

Member

Great report. That's some serious skating!

POTFH

Ouch! Congratulations on Skating that far.

Member

Congrats! That is a lot of skating!!! Shocked

Member

Good job Hyper! Sounds like a fun time. Maybe I can join you next year...

Member

Great job, and I agree, that does sound like tons of fun. Thanks for sharing. (and when do we get to see pictures?)

Member

My feet hurt just reading that. Ouch.

Awesome job. Neat report.

Sheldon

Gone Fishin

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Member

x 10!

Congrats!!! that is one HECKUVAH race report!

The Pinball

Congratulations! what an accomplishment cheers

my one and only go at inline skating left me nearly unconscious after a collision

....i can not imagine being such a serious skater. my inner quads are aching just thinking of that trek.

way to go hyper. sir! thumbs up

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My trek across Ga. active version.

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