Date: 2007-07-22
From: HOME

To: TN SENIOR OLYMPICS-Road Race
Miles today: 12.4

Sunday,July 22nd:2nd CYCLING event for the TN SENIOR OLYMPICS today near Franklin,TN. (College Grove)I get up & get going about 5am & arrive @ staging area about 6:20am...the race starts @ 7:30am today.The College Grove community center is nice enuff to let us use their facilities for a staging area the past 3 years...I visit with new acquaintances & cyclists i've seen the past few years (Thomas Gee, Danny Flowers, Anna Flowers, David Kays)we line up on Horton Highway/Hwy 31-A (in front of community center)& we're off!i start in the 2nd row behind several of the faster guys....here we go....no crashes off the start line...(like last year)...a good start....we quickly get up to 20+ mph speeds to head out of College Grove heading North....pedal-pedal-pedal...Kevin Sellers (from Knoxville)is beside me @ the start....& pedals with me for about the first mile...Rickey Braxton is in the leader group (peloton)...pedal! pedal! pedal!   speeds @ 25+ mph as we pass the Hwy 31/41 split & downhill to Cox Road...we all turn left here....now pedaling onto FLAT roadway....pedal-pedal-pedal.....i'm hitting just below 20 mph..& have to keep the speed up & keep the main group in site....to turn a good time.i pass several slower riders....i catch a couple (husband & wife team) that are drafting...i catch the back wheel...& hold on....not too close...dont know how good they are @ this....dont want any CRASHES this year...(i crashed @ half-way point last year!)pedal! pedal! pedal!....still on the back wheel of the couple...til we start up a slight hill....they slow....i pass & tell them:..."come on!"...they lag behind.....i'm gonna have to climb by myself....at that moment Anna Flowers pulls around me....i catch her backwheel....hit the turn-around point...(laid out a bit better this year....thanks Williamson County Parks & Rec Dept!)& the road is clear & clean of major gravel....pedal!pedal!pedal!....i catch the backwheel of Anna's wheel again...we're hitting about 20mph....up to 25 @ times on this slight downhill...flat road ahead for the next few miles...16+ miles per hour...nowAnna & i catch the couple again & we get a four bicycle drafting line going.....we keep up the pace @ approx 20mph....good for my (our) times...about a half mile from the turn from Cox Road back onto Hwy 31-A...the couple "touched" tires....OUCH!   No one went down...thankfully!the guy yelled @ his wife (thats NOT a good thing for the ride home! hehehehehe)Anna Flowers moves around the couple now slowing down a bit...i follow her....catch her back wheel....try to hang on....she's trying to leave me....she does....i hit Hwy 31-A...& stand up on the pedals.....pump! pump! pump!i reach the top of the hill....AHHHHHHHHH....DOWNHILL!then back UP!....had to pull it down to low gear....losing power....then i hit the top of the last hill....i can see, in the distance...the finish line....Come On power!....i crank it up....intothe BIG Gear....pump! Pedal! Pedal! Pedal!.....Pump! Pump! Pump!i hit the Finish line....my stopwatch says 41:17 (same as the official time, i find out later)...ahhhhhhhhhhh....slow...but, not bad.they give out the awards/medals a few minutes later (after everyone has finished up & the times are tallied)i get the BRONZE medal today (3rd place)Kevin Sellers (Knoxville)gets Silver (2nd)& Rickey Braxton (Morristown)gets the GOLD (1st)medal.all-in-all...good competition.i have a LOAD of work to do before NEXT years events.until then...i'll just keep on pedaling!Special THANKS & job WELL DONE to the TN Senior Olympics crew: Christine Dewbre & her wonderful staff for making this another successful & enjoyable Senior Olympics...You guys are GREAT!!!see ya'll UP the trail!