Date: 2007-05-26
To: Clarksville,TN-CRAM Bike Ride
Miles today: 0.0

Sat.May 26thtoday is gonna be a good day...a short drive up to Clarksville, TN for their CLARKSVILLE ROTARY ANNUAL METRIC (62 miles) bicycle ride...i've ridden this ride before...many flat miles...which makes for some easy riding.I arrive just before 7am ( @ Rossview High School on the Northside of Clarksville)...get my "FREEBIE" T-shirt...check in & grab a map & plat of the course...7:30am the 100 mile riders are off...& shortly after...the officials let us 62-milers go....i start in mid-pack this time.(usually i like to start @ the back & work my way up to mid-pack...to lessen the likelyhood of early crashes/wreckes...but, this time i chance it)my only goal for today is to finish in personal best time....which is just under 4 hours for the 62 miles... just guessing...but most riders seem to be on the 62 mile route..(theres also a 35 & 20 mile route this year as well as the 100 mile route)...its gonna be crowded for the first few miles...we cross over the Interstate 24 exchange...i seem to be riding just on the back end of the front pack (Peloton) of riders....i'm cranking between 17 & 20 miles an hour for the first 10 miles or so....we hit our first REST STOP @ 11 miles from the start.....i stop just to hit the port-a-john.....(too much coffee on the way up to Clarksville)...then hop back on the bike & gone...just as a mass of riders stop here (probably 50 or so)we ride thru Port Royal area...then over Tyler Town then into Kentucky on loads of back-roads (love the back roads!)...cross over Hwy 41...(a main road)then on into Trenton (KY)...Mile 26...another REST STOP...i take this time to sugar LOAD...also i down a GEL PACK (instant energy)....then back on the pedals....i'm maintaining about 17 miles per hour average...so faR...to this point...but,its EARLY!we head out of Trenton & make a large loop & come back...riding thru the HermonCommunity...thru lots of farm land....lots of pastures....cows, large round bales of hay in the fields, horse, old barns, etc...cross over many rail road tracks (not good for these thin tires!)@ mile 47....we ride into Guthrie (KY)...another REST STOP...i get off the bike....take a few pictures...take my shoes off & massage my feet....they're hurting just a bit...pounding the pedals too hard probably...i grab some Gatorade & gulp it...another Gel Pack...rest a few more minutes & then back on the pedals....only 15 miles or soto go...out of Guthrie...on loads of backroads...pedal! pedal! pedal!...loop back thru Port Royal areai catch a group of riders in a paceline...doing about my speed...istay with them for a few minutes then pass them....their lead rider has also taken off....i give chase....catch him....& hang with him for several miles til a left turn....he heads straight....the WRONG WAY!.....ouch!i make the turn & am pedaling by myself again....no other Cyclists around...i slow down just a bit....to conserve energy for the last few miles...the "wrong turn guy" catches back up with me...we talk for a mile or so...then he jumps ahead....i stay with him @ about 17+ miles per hour...we stay together all the way back to Rossview....cranking @ times, up to a sustained 20mph....WOW!Good Ride...& if my bikecomputer is correct...i finished in 3 hours 45 minutes....about 15 minutes BETTER than my old best time....Weeeeeeeeeeee!i'm gonna be tired tonight!                              61.12 miles todaySee ya'll UP the trail!