Honestly, I don't know if I can take much more excitement. I skipped blogging about a subpar training week (in which the awesome A got on her bike for her first Brookhaven loops, and J and all of Team Hertweeney had an appearance), and made it to Saturday, our second GTR in the gaps this year. We did the 3 Gap Fifty, out of the Walmart down the way, adding 12 miles to our previous route (otherwise, it was identical). It started off warm and got hot. Sweaty hot hot hot. We were down two mentors, so the four staff members there were stretched a bit thin... or we would have been. I ended up getting to spend some time with V, which was great. She's gotten so strong and fast! I'm so glad she's riding again this season! I spent a lot of time with K and J, going all the way up (and down) Neal's Gap with them. Then K and I saw A ahead on Wolfpen, rode with her for a little bit, and then it was just the two of us again as she crushed the climb. The three of us regrouped at the top and rode into Suches and up Woody together, picking up D along the way.
At the top of Woody is where it got exciting. Down the hill, one of the front riders had crashed. He's fine, banged up a bit, wrecked his bike (the fork sheared off the crown completely), and got a few stitches in the back of his head, but he's a tough cookie. The four of us (V got sagged up to us after J sagged in) heard the story, took it in stride, and started our descent down Woody and then down farther to the Walmart.
What started out with me in a foul mood (because of the heat? the sour/anxious stomach that has dogged me the last two GTRs?) ended up being a great personal ride. Fears were overcome, lessons were learned, and a chocolate Frosty was had.
Stats (the phone is too far away for me to get it, so these are from Strava):
Maximum speed: 50.3 mph (that's a lie, it was like 35 mph)
Average speed: 10.6 mph
Distance: 49.8 mi
Time: 4.40.51
Details and map can be found here.
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