Date: 2007-08-25
From: HOME

To: HOT 100 - Lascassas,TN
Miles today: 66.2

Saturday Aug 25th:On tap for today...the HOT 100 bicycle ride...now, its been 100+ degrees for the past two weeks in middle Tennessee....so, i've had second thoughts about riding in this ride today....but, like an idiot...i'm not listening to my overly cautious friends...& i head to Lascassas,TN...just north of Murfreesboro a few miles...a small little town.The Murfreesboro Bike Club sponsored ride is a good one each year & features a 14 mile Fun ride, a 33 mile ride, a Metric Century (100 kilometers)equalling 62 miles & the 100 mile ride for those that need a few more hills & pain @ the end of the day.I've signed up for the Metric Century.As i sign in & get my "goodie bag" i see Randy Henley & Mark Robertson (fellow Veloteer...they're both riding the Metric Century as well....i ready my bike, pumping up the tires, etc...then don the shoes, helmet & sunglasses & warm up the legs with a few laps around the parking lot before lining up for the ride....The P.A. announcer doesnt get us lined up til almost 7:30am...(scheduled to start @ 7am)....they want the 100 mile riders in front, then us 62 mile riders, then the 33 & 14 mile riders in back....From my vantage point...not many 100 milers going out today...the majority of riders...looks like...will be in the Metric Century....which i find out by looking @ my road map & plat is actually gonna be 66 miles today.OUCH!i spy another rider with a Veloteers jersey on & wave to him...his name is "Dave"...we decide to ride together...We're off....we pedal out of Lascassas on HWY 96 (a major road with major traffic)...thankfully the Rutherford County sheriff has provided police escorts for us @ major road intersections....pedal-pedal-pedal!talking always makes the time (& miles) go by faster...this was the case in the first 17 miles for me today...as i had a riding partner..."Dave" is a bit faster than i am....so we approach the 1st rest stop in Readyville...we grab water, a few snacks, some gator-ade & he says.."let's go!"....i said give me another 5 or 10 minutes....the "REST" in rest stop is gonna mean something for ME today!Dave leaves...i wish him a "good ride".it was the last i saw of him...i saw a few more Veloteers (my bicycle club) members @ this rest stop but, no other members were wearing their jerseys...oh well...i leave the rest stop...by myself....hoping to see or ride along with some more friendly faces...but, see no one else familiar...lots of pretty scenery on these back roads of Rutherford County...we travel into Cannon County....into the town of Woodbury...ride onto another main road...HWY 70....very busy....bicyclists have to be extra careful on these roads....as most motorists dont respect the rights of bicycle riders to share the road.pedal-pedal-pedal!ride thru Statesville (another small town thats barely on the map)cross lots of one-lane bridges in the area...lots of horses, cattle & old barns...just out of Statesville...another REST STOP...@ mile marker 42...Wilson County...this time i get off, use the port-a-jon, go inside the old skool house & drink plenty of Gator-ade, water & oatmeal cookies, a pb&j & just rest for a few minutes....as, i'm about the head out...i see Randy ("Trek Around") Henley & his friend, Richard Gains, come thru the door...i told them..."i thought you were miles ahead of me"...they apparently weren't.i waited a few more minutes & left the Rest area...they left @ about the same time....i rode with them for the first few miles out of Statesville....only about 25 more miles to go......WHEEEEEEEW!Its HOT out here on the asphalt.....& we have one more hill to climb...i go around Randy & Richard....& then launch up the next hill...(in Granny gear)...but i make it (barely)...i turn around to look...nobody else in sight...they'll catch me in a minute...a few more miles...& as i start the last climb (i find out later) up the last hill on the route...only about 10 miles to go now....a SAG truck pulls up next to me as i get off my bike...& its Randy & a few more cyclists...calling it a day...Randy says:..."Hey, this looks a lot easier than what youre doing!"...& they ride off up the hill....Darn!...why am i killing myself?...i could be riding back in a nice, air conditioned truck, too....but, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!i jump on my bike @ the top of the hill & there's a Murfreesboro Bike guy there handing out bottled water....thank goodness!   I wuz getting a bit low...i guzzle it & pedal on....only rollers from here thru the home stretch...about 4 or 5 miles left...& roads start to look familiar....i've ridden this area before...probably in a previous Hot 100 ride.back onto Hwy 96 for about a mile then back to the START/FINISH line @ Lascassas Elementary Skool....ahhhhhhhhhhhh.i rode 66.2 miles today....i am BEAT!i found out later...the SAG wagons had over 25 flats fixed & picked up about 30 riders because of heat exhaustion, etc..... they were busy today!i found out later the Official high temperature today was 102 degrees (in Murfreesboro!) Now thats HOT!!!this was a pre-cursor to my 100 mile ride next week ("Sunrise Century")in Clarksville,TN...hope the temperatures are a bit nicer!see ya'll next time