Date: 2009-05-28
To: Harpeth River Ride
Miles today: 0.0

Sat.June 28thI arise @ 5:30am..shower & throw on the cycling gear...& drive to Thompson Station, TN (South of Franklin)to ride the 14th Annual Harpeth River Ride.This year the ride proceeds benefit the TN Association of the Blind...In fact there are some blind riders that will be participating in the ride with Harpeth Bike Club members on tandem bicycles...very cool.I arrive abt 6:30am @ the staging area, Thompsons Station Church...there are abt 700 riders here participating on this very, very HOT & HUMID June day.I check in, pick up my goodies bag (complete with T-shirt) grab a cue sheet...I'm riding the 62 mile course...& head back to my car to prep my bicycle (2005 Trek Madone 5.2SL).At 7:30am...after a few minutes of instructions & a brief prayer by the local pastor...Riders are off....Supposed to be VERY HOT today & needless to say...VERY HUMID too!I spot Kristen Calpino a few minutes before the start & talk with her & her friend, Jennie.There are a few Veloteers (my bicycle club)here today but only one other Veloteer, Kenneth, wearing the club jersey...I met Nate & Paul (fellow Veloteers) later...I ride with Kenneth for the first 15 miles or so...Out of Thompson Station we cross over Evergreen Rd & Popes Chapel then cross Hwy 247 to Hwy 246 (Carters Creek Rd)...then the first climb...its a DOOOOZY...THETA HILL....which luckily...is the rest stop...just past the peak...then a mile or so of roller coasters & then a great downhill...i reached a speed of 49.1 mph...& that was WITH the brakes on....(advantage of having all this weight on!)We travel around & then thru LEIPERS FORK...full of monstrous cattle & horse farms...owned by many Country music stars...ride under the Natchez Trace Parkway...Up Leipers Creek Rd onto Wilkins Branch Rd...then to our 2nd REST STOP...here...all of the rest stop workers are dressed in HAWAIIN SHIRTS with Jimmy Buffet music playing LOUDLY...plastic fish on the port-a-jons...& Flamingos were on the grounds everywhere...quite festive....something to take a bicycle riders mind off the 95 degree heat & the 105+ Heat Index factor!I grabbed a couple PB&J slices ^ down them along with GatorAde...refill my water bottles (i carry 2) & hop back on the bicycle.A mile or so outta the rest stop & its a nice little climb up another hill....slow grade...then ride onto OLD HWY 96 then Parker Branch Rd..then onto Boyd Mill Pike..skirting the SoutHALL community...up Carl Rd then back onto Carters Creek Pike...then we turn onto West Harpeth & our last RESTT STOP....I about give up here....I've stopped under shade trees a couple times already & ran outta water a few miles back...I'm a bout BEAT!...I rest @ this rest stop for abt 15 minutes & "CAMEL UP" (drink as much water as I can...along with some GatorADE)...& decide to go ahead & ride the last 10 miles...I hop on the bicycle & altho I am REALLY TIRED...i have a new burst of energy....so, i ride on in...hitting Thompson Station Rd & then back tothe church parking lot...where music is playing...& hamburgers are grilling...one has my name on it!A very tiring, long ride today.I told my wife, Donna ("D-bird") that this was the TUFFEST 62 miles I have ever ridden...& I meant it!next ride...the TN SENIOR OLYMPICS JULY 18th & 19th!