REHEARSALS

It’s 11 days until the Audax 200K.

Try this, especially if you haven’t been on one of these rides before. Visualize the ride.

See yourself at the start, all gear in place, bike clean, lubed, tuned, and ready. You are rested and refreshed. You’ve eaten a good breakfast a couple of hours ago. You just finished your pre-ride snack. Your bottles are full. The Sun is just peaking over the horizon. The rider’s meeting is about to start. You are ready.

As we begin to roll south on the Peachtree Parkway, you experience an odd sensation. Your legs feel a little sluggish, but you think the pace just might be a little slow. Relax, both of these are completely normal. You’ve been resting your body for most of the last two weeks. You have a case of “lazy legs.” They will warm up. As for the pace, it’s controlled for just that reason.

In a few minutes we begin to climb the first real hills of the day. You’re still feeling a little bit chilly, but warming up nicely. At the beginning of the climb, you think this will be a cinch. Then the hill hits and you start to have doubts. Then, hey! You’re keeping up just fine. No problems.

About 45 minutes into the ride, the group turns onto GA-85, heading south. The group forms a paceline, and the pace really picks up. At first, you think, “I can’t do this!!!” But then you realize that you are fully warmed up, and the paceline helps you to ride at a very fast clip. It’s inside your range. After about 15 minutes of this wicked pace, the group turns west onto a road full of rollers. The pace slows and the riding becomes more conversational. You still feel strong, but you realize that, somewhere out there, fatigue is waiting for you. It’s okay. You can do this.

It’s a bit more than two hours into the ride when the group pulls into the store for the first stop. Your legs feel like you’ve done something, but you are still mostly a fresh rider. You’ve gone almost 35 miles. The stop will be short. Attend to the “necessaries,” fill your bottles, eat a quick snack, and saddle up.

The next stretch isn’t too hard. You’re fully warmed up. The body is humming. The pace is brisk, but easily inside your abilities. The road is not too hilly, actually flat in places. There is very little traffic, and the scenery is nice. The Sun is beginning to climb and the day to warm. You know you will shed some clothing at the Pine Mountain stop.

There are a couple of good hills just before entering Pine Mountain. You’re kind of glad to see this leg end. The turn onto the main street is a little crazy, but the stop is less than a mile away. Again, a short stop. Fill bottles. Eat. Stretch. Ready. Let’s go!

A soft cruise through town to loosen the stiffening leg muscles. The turn onto GA-35 and the long, gradual, mostly gentle climb up to the spine of the mountain. Only the last quarter mile of this climb is particularly steep.

You find yourself in the woods along the top of Pine Mountain itself. The views are spectacular. The woods are in the beginning of the Fall Turn. Occasionally you get long sightlines out over the valleys below. The air is crisp and clear. You feel a bit fatigued, nothing serious, but you will be glad to stop for lunch.

The “ridge run” along the top of Pine Mountain involves a series of climbs and descents. You may ask, “Just how many times am I going to climb this thing?” On the other hand the descents are a blast. Gradually you realize, you are never coming all the way down. These are just “mountain rollers.” It almost seems a shame when you hit the intersection with GA-85 alt. Now you have to descend off the mountain. That seems, for a moment, almost anti-climactic.

Then you begin the trip down! Flats, and then downhills. More flats, even a slight climb. Then the sign for “Trucks Check Brakes.” Are you getting the idea? The next descent is a total screamer. If you tuck and work at it, you’ll likely break 40 mph!

Now you’re approaching the traffic light. You have to brake heavily to make the turn. A short cruise around the corner, a trip donw the short main street of Warm Springs, and a turn into the Bulloch House Restaurant. You've done 65.7 miles, and the most demanding part of the trip is behind you. It’s time for LUNCH!

{Tomorrow: The Return Trip}