Left Charlotte at 6:30 this morning with Randy Smith for Boone to do some recon on BSG (not like we don't already know every inch of this course from a painstaking view), but also to start prepping the legs, the heart and the mind for what is to come on June 26th - the real Blood, Sweat and Gears.
We met Ladd Lumpkin at 8:45 and were on the bikes by 9:00 for a 75 mile day with a few feet of climbing. We were climbing Snake Mountain within 5 miles - not necessarily a smart way to start your day or get your body acclimated to these hills. Temperature at the start was chilly, about 62 degrees. It had rained an hour earlier, so the roads were still damp and the wind was teasing. By the end, the temp was much better at 75 degrees, the sun was out, the roads were dry, but the winds howled something fierce and about took us off our bikes several times with outlandish gusts from nowhere. I had not seen wind that bad up there before.
Did two climbs up Snake and mixed in some other climbs with some kindness of flat roads and easy rollers but we were in the mountains, so what could we expect. It was painful, but that is what we signed up for. Ladd crushed the climbs looking for a little vengence on the "Mexicans" from Florida (not really trying or care to be to politically correct here) this year, but he knows his descents may make or break him. Randy took in the scenery, snapped some pics and took it at his pace. He can do that, he is the reigning N.C. State Road Race Champion.
Finished up with burritos at Black Cat in Boone. Great post ride fix. Nice day to enjoy doing what it is we love to do in our free time.... just another day on the bike.
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