Anticipation of Fort Mountain

This is the first time I have written a blog entry in advance or anticipation of a ride, but I am excited as I have heard excitement from others regarding our ride tomorrow from the technical school in Jasper going out to Fort Mountain. Our Team B group has been looking for a good weather opportunity to fit in this 80 mile route for several weeks and now we have a representative of NARC also distributing an official ride notice for the same route. There should be a good group going tomorrow and a place for a number of level of riders even though all group leaders have stated that this is a drop ride, but the course is not that difficult to follow in direction. However, it will be a challenge for those like me that have built up some good top end speed on the shorter (50 to 60 mile rides), but because of the weather a bit lagging on the endurance training.

As the groups break apart or potentially start at different times there should be a place for most level of riders. There will be a slower group (not sure of their pace speed), there will be our Team B group and there will be some of the Team B members that may break out and go above our pace. I imagine in the course of time cyclists will break apart in different levels of ability and form various groups. I received an email yesterday from Rick Nielsen stating as if to call “eight ball in the corner pocket” that he intends to open up the throttle in the last twenty miles and I know that he will. He hopes this will challenge others with similar performance levels to raise the bar of their training and go after him. He is excited about the route and the day to come. I sure wished I had that level to take the challenge.

For me, Mike and Gary we will take a more subdue approach on this route. I will for a few reasons, but I have to be careful in building up my lagging endurance and I also have to be careful not to put myself in a recovery/training hole to the point I am unable to train on the following Monday. I will focus on building my endurance with extended time in the saddle preparing for 3 State 3 Mountain Century Challenge and my hope is the weather is great. I just want to savor the day if the weather is nice because this is one of my all time favorite routes. The route takes us out toward Carters Lake, around the dam, up an awesome six plus mile Fort Mountain climb to a nice summit overlook at the valley below. From there we hit some substantial rollers going into Ellijay to a nice fast stretch of road and finally a mildly climbing roadway back into Jasper that can be a bit stinging to the legs as we near the last of the 80 mile route.

I have received emails from some stating they are not sure about their current condition and ability to ride the 80 miles, but I believe those who I emailed have the ability to finish this ride if the right pace is used. Our group will have a minimum of 3 stops. We will stop at the store before climbing Fort Mountain, at the top of the summit and spend some time regrouping and then again just on the other side of Ellijay. I understand the concerns and each person has to really know their own ability, but for many of us lagging in endurance this is a step forward in building that extended endurance. It will not happen on its own and we have to endure the discomforts of training for endurance.

I hope that my follow up blog entry for this ride is that I witnessed some break aways from the stronger cyclists, that I saw nothing but smiles and that I heard all returned safely home. I prayed this morning that we all have a safe day, great weather and good times together tomorrow.

Last years blog entry for the first training ride and then the second training ride.