Day 154

Day 154: Wow am I glad this day is over. I'm not even sure where to begin, with the way my morning started I was ready to can the ride and just go home. Boy am I glad I didn't it ended up begin a good ride overall. Let's see my morning started at 4 am when I got up to get ready to head up to the GAPS for my last 100 miler!!! We were starting at a spot that I normally don't start at and that is where it all began. I was up in the GAPS at 6:30 and then driving around for 30 minutes realizing my GPS brought me to the wrong area of the GAPS and of course no cell phone reception because I'm in the mountains I knew I was screwed. Finally driving around and finding a spot with cell phone service I was finally able to get a hold of someone to get me in the right place and by now we were suppose to be wheels down at 7. Well because of me we were rolling around 7:45. Around mile 10 we made our first stop to make sure all 9 of us were still together. After about 20 mins of waiting and one of the girls hasn't shown up yet another guy and I start the venture back towards the cars to find her. Finally a little over 3 miles on our way back we find her still riding but freaking out because of the down hills.After getting her to the 10 mile mark we make some decisions and the 6 of us doing IM Wisconsin continue on our way now finally, while the other 3 stayed in that one area to ride a little. With all the time set backs we are finally on our way to get this 50 mile loop done twice. Oh and let me remind you what the GAPS are, lets just say we are up in the GA mountains riding our bikes and as I go on I will try to describe some of the hills. The first 10 miles were not to bad at all it was actually nice rolling hills with a big down hill which was nice to get the legs warmed up for what they were about to do. As we make our first turn on to Skeehan Gap Rd this is the first set of fun hills. For the most part it was good rollers which I was told is very comparable to WI, but then somewhere between mile 15-20 was our first really climb. Sometimes the shorter the hill the hard because of how steep the hills can get. As we started climb this short little fun hill you get those legs burning and all you wanna do is stop because you are down to about 5mph. Almost to the top of the hill is this nice little church and you think maybe I'll pull of in the church for a sec. to rest. As you pass the church, they have this verse on their board out side that I truly live by. It reads..."I can do all through he who gives me strength" Philippians  4:13 and I knew I could keep powering up this beastly little hill. If it was tough to get up the first time, I know it will be a struggle to get up the second time through. Finally getting to the end of the road that still had nice rollers the rest of the way we let everyone catch up and then away when went to Hicks Gap Rd. Let's just say every turn we made the hills seemed to just get worse and worse. The only plus side I guess is that when you finally get to the top you get a nice descent going down. Finally at the last stop on the first loop we knew we had one more hill to climb. They always say they save the best for last and that we did, it was the dreaded climb of Wolf Pen. Getting up is always doable but it also pushes you and having done it a few times before I knew what I was in for, but it is the second time around that was going to be the kicker. After making it up Wolf Pen it was smooth sailing back to the car with some big rollers. Back at the cars it was time to refuel and get ready for round 2 which I was not looking forward to. One loop was hard enough and now I knew what was to come and I was not looking forward to it.
Loop two all I can really say is that it was just as hard and even harder then loop one. I was very proud of myself the way I powered through loop two. It was tough, but I was truly tougher!!!! To make this loop story short at the first stop as we were getting ready to get going again guess who drops their chain and falls... ME. Luckily it wasn't a bad fall it was more like I tipped over since we just started going and I dropped my chain and unclipped the wrong foot and down I go. Hey it happens right. I barely got a scratch but my poor bike got a few. =( Other then that the hills were the same but a little harder the second time ok a lot harder the second time. There were some hills I wasn't sure how I was going to get up, but I just pushed and made it up. Of course though around mile 40 was the dreaded Wolf Pen round 2. I was really not looking forward to climbing it again. At the last stop I decided I would turn on Pandora on my iPhone and use some tunes to help get me up. So Pandora and my singing got me up Wolf Pen with no problems and I actually think as crazy as it sounds I made it up easier the second time around.

Taking a break after the second climb up Wolf Pen

After it was a said and done 106 miler in the GAPS was a success!!!! I was very happy with my ride and after doing this ride and I better be ready for Wisconsin after it. Over all the day was very long with leaving the house before 5 am and getting home after 8 pm, but what a FUN DAY of hill climbs!!!

Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride.
~John F. Kennedy, U.S. president