Camp Pain

Team Camp '09 began with 5 of us getting down to Gatlinburg Friday and doing a 40 mile route including the Cade's Cove Loop. I launched a beautiful attack about 5 miles into the 11 mile loop and managed to hold off the other 4 until the end. That is until a guy in a pickup informed me that my teammates were "back yonder fixing one of the guy's changer thang" My victory was due only to a mechanical involving Brown's chain, oh well. The rest of the gang arrived Friday night and we all psyched ourselves up for the following day's 'festivities'

I woke up Saturday feeling sore, queasy, and tired but managed to eek out the 61 mile "Wall Route" that included 4.6 kajllion feet of climbing and ascents that averaged 89 percent (at least that's what the day felt like). This Alexander had a "Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day"

Sunday was the ride to Clingman's Dome, something was inside me consuming every ounce of energy I had and after a whopping 12.9 miles I called it a day and ashamedly entered the sag wagon piloted by a limping Matt Bell. We leapfrogged the splintered group up the climb, yelling "encouragements" and time splits. We waited at Newfound Gap as they put on more clothes and finished the ascension to the Dome. There were probably some unwise clothing decisions as most of the team was wet and freezing upon return but we made them descend anyway. After the cold was too much for 3 of the Horses, I was forced to remount a little more than halfway down the mountain. I rode for all I was worth to the bottom, then started back up toward the cabin. After a couple of miles of climbing, I was an empty shell, but Steve Brown came back and dragged me onward. It was getting dark and every time I saw headlights, I prayed it was the returning sag wagon. Finally, I saw Dan's new Subaru drifting rally-car style through a curve with Matt Bell behind the wheel. After watching a bear on the other ridge, we jumped in and headed for the cabin. 3 days later and my stomach is still a wreck, but I still had a good time hangin with the guys, as always!

T-minus Four Days

The fine fine weather (for February) this past weekend made for a couple of chances to get out and dance with fellow Horses. On Saturday, Dan-O rolled eastside and we looped up and over Indian Hill a few times, including a repetition of Camargo's dead-end segment in honor of the Chipper. By the way, in the winter, when the leaves are gone, that house at the bottom of the hill is even more striking. Or weird, depending on your take on contemporary architecture.

Sunday Chip got things together, and we rolled over a lot of the same roads with Mike More (sweatin' out a week in Vegas and rollin' Belgian-hardman style with no kneewarmers), Chip's friend Ron (who hung tough and then popped spectacularly on Roundbottom Rd. after a tough pull), and young Turner Logistics stud Corey, who schooled us in all the sprints he contested, usually without even getting out of the saddle.

Bike's dirty, legs are tired, and it's almost time for ... 

...camp, baby!