TnGa StaGe 4.5 The CHAsE

I heard the distinct sound of tires crunching gravel.

I could see two sets of headlights pulling into the parking lot.

I look at my Droid, its 630am.

I watch from my camouflaged perch, half expecting someone to jump out the car and call my name. My extraction team had come.

But when they get out the car and start talking to one another I cant understand a word they are saying.

I figure it's maybe hikers or bikers so I get out of my hammock and walk down from the high position I had mounted my hammock up on the mountain side.

I cant make out any faces, but it looks like its 3 men and one woman. As I get closer, I realize the reason I cant understand them its cause they are speaking some sort of Asian Dialect.

No matter, I ask, "are you guys bikers or hikers?".

No response.

Then after what seemed like an eternity one of them conjures a spell of words in his best broken english "Whadda R U Doin Heyre, You Sleap Here??" I try to explain to a group of folks who don't understand that I am a mountain bike racer, I started several days ago in South Carolina, that I had flatted.

But no one understood me so I walked away and went back up to my loft on the mountain side.

As I sat there and heard them talk some more eventually I watched as they loaded up their shot guns and walked up the trail towards the peaks.

Marcel told me they were close.

In retrospect I wish I would of known the rules better cause I could of accepted a tube from Ruth and not had been penalized.

O well, My fault, right!

Marcel said they were coming.

Eventually, I see a familiar car tearing into the parking lot, moving at a speed that resembled an emergency of life or death. It was my new best friend Rick Moon!!

I was so happy to see him. He offered me a tube. And I took not one but two. He also told me there was a creek on the trail up aways over the peak that I could drink at, and it was safe.

This was of course not my first visit of the morning.

Ruth and Jeff had pulled up two hours earlier. I told them my predicament. Like I said Ruth offered help, but I declined, again, because I didn't know the rules enough.

Rick was my second visit, and when he offered the tube, I didn't hesitate to accept. I didn't care, I had worked hard to get here.

This had been a route that I had known about for almost 2 years and wanted to do.

This bikepacking race, my third to be exact, was something I had been training and preparing for.

I was not going to let my hard work go to waste over a flat, that's bullshit. So I tubed up and got ready to roll out.

Rick left, on his way to work.

Then Dianne From Mulberry gap pulled up, and I took more tubes for her.

As I got ready for battle, I packed one tube in my Front bag and tied two tubes to the net on my rear bag, I was determined to finish and if I could Chase down my fellow racers Ruth and Jeff.

Off I went.

Railing the single track when I could. Hitting the jumps when they called upon me. Shredding the trails like a well crafted swordsman. Climbing in the saddle when I could, and pushing when I had too. Taking a break here and there, each time telling myself, I bet they walked this one, and they had to have taken a break too.

Eventually I see wet tire tracks on a huge creek crossing that actually had metal grates installed in the middle of it.

I turn up the heat, and on a downhill come around the corner to find my fellow racers.

I tell them I will wait at the road, cause I can hear its close.

We meet up, turns out Jeff Flatted. We were all low on water. I had one bottle left and so did Ruth and Jeff was out. He wanted to go to the store. I only had one mission. Forward.

So I took off.

As I was riding away from them, whilst pushing up singletrack, here comes little red Shredding Hood Ruth passing me on a climb that I was walking(how embarassing), dancing on the pedals like a ballerina dancing on cracked ice. It was effortless and I was dumbfounded.

I admit it motivated me and when I got back on, I was really mashing the gears.

And then on a downhill, there she is and here I come, the Big Bad Wolf, hunting for Red Shredding Hood.

I pass her, making a sound and spooking a little. I will fully admit, I was not going to let anyone finish in front of me if I could help it. But I also know, that she would not leave Jeff's side cause she was not 100% solid on navigation. So Even though I would gap her in certain sections, where I would attack and attack, if a tricky intersection came I waited for her, but trust me, she was right there, I wasn't waiting long, this girl is No Joke.

And we rode, pretty much the whole way out, even taking time to ride next to each other, even though we were keeping the pace high.

On the rail trail we came across the rabid dogs that Rob Rob spoke off, and I told her to ride off that I would handle them, and I did. Neary a problem they were to me as my Yelling of "STOP" did indeed stop them.

I spot a church and we stop to get water, and Ruth offers me some country time Lemonade.

When I got there, I Immediately chugged a bottle. Then I chugged a lemonade filled bottle, then I filled up two bottles and we hauled ass.

That sugar hit me like a quadruple espresso shot. This section of the route reminded me of the old enterprise rail bed that I have trained constant hours on and I got into my freddies and started flying away.

If I can smell the finish line I can go like a PRO!

We hit pavement and we are absolutely flying, the both of us.

Andrew from Mulberry gap is on the side of the road, he tells us we got three miles left and we are off. I am really putting down some serious Tempo.

I look back and Ruth is Right there. Damn. I though for sure I would pull away.

As I keep the Tempo up, I look and she flies right by me. Little Red Shredding Hood was on the attack, or so I thought, but she did fly by me.

Even though I am almost pegged, I dig deeper, and I pull myself up to her wheel and I wait.

Wait for her head to pop up just a little and I come around her, having to full on pedal sprint as hard as I can, get around her, tuck into the freddies and go.

I get around her, but she still holds my wheel. As we hit a climb, I am gassed, but she stays behind me, we pedal across another little flat, and she is back there. At that very moment, I think of Rob Rob...."Attack on the climbs...." and as soon as the road kicked up just a little bit, I got up on it, opening up a bigger gap. Big enough that when we got close to the line I coasted across the line with Ruth 2 seconds behind me.

8:15pm with 27 seconds, 4 days 11 hours and 48 minutes.

Almost a full day behind my dream time and within my realistic goal time.

56000 feet of climbing 343 Gps miles, probably close to 360 real miles with all my missed turns and repaired based detours.

I hike and biked and camped along the way from one side of Georgia to the other, hitting every freaking mountain along the way. To say I am proud is an understatement.

I eventually received a 12 hour penalty for accepting the mobile support, but no matter, I had accomplished a dream.

Admittedly, and I hate to say this, but, this was not the hardest thing I have done on a bike. Admittedly I have spent a lot of time preparing, so a dream was fulfilled cause I was able to do a long bikepacking tour and I was able to enjoy it and not suffer. I didnt get a single saddle sore, I didnt get any knee pains and never even had a cramp. Sure I had my moments, but the beauty remains and the fun was there.



Admittedly I don't even know if I want to do the Tour Divide now. A 20 day commitment might be real hard to pull off for a single dad. Maybe I will wait another year or five or maybe I will go do the shorter races first, like the AZT and the CTR. Or maybe not. The allure of riding from Canada to Mexico by bicycle is very strong. The desire is still there. Its just hard, with all that is happening to see me being able to finance such an endeavour. The challenges right now seem insurmountable, like I said, I am the one who has to move mountains before I can climb them.

Regardless, when it all comes right down to it, I am very confident I can do the divide now. My preparation is right on track and I want to be there as long as I can make it happen.

Expect one more Wrap up Post, giving out the much needed thank you's to all that helped make this thing possible for me.

Check back tomorrow or Sunday, LMAO.

Take Care,

Laters,

The NaKeD InDiaN