So after master’s swim on Tuesday morning, I went out for a solo ride after lunch. The weather was amazing, yet again, with sunny skies and puffy clouds. I couldn’t wait to get out on the road.

I went up 194 again (a 10 mile or so climb from Vale Crucis to Banner Elk) just because it’s one of my favorite climbs up here. I can tell I’m climbing a lot better after just being up here a week. I dropped in to Banner Elk and then climbed Hickory Nut Gap (about 5 miles or so?) and descended down in to Newland. I cut over to Grandfather Mountain, then ascended to the parkway and crossed over the Viaduct. The views were absolutely breath-taking. The Blue Ridge Mountains are easily one of the most beautiful places in the entire world. I can’t believe I grew up here. I have to pinch myself sometimes to remind myself not to take these things for granted.

I enjoyed a screamin’ descent of about 50 miles per hour down to Price Lake and then climbed back up to Blowing Rock to end my ride. I guess it was between 50 or 60 miles… don’t really know because unlike most bike dweebs, I don’t have a computer on my bike. I like to just go, and knowing the time I’m out pedaling is good enough for me.

Today, I went out with Dan and Randy for (what I thought was) going to be a 100 mile ride from Newland. I BEGGED Sonni to let me go on this ride, because it was NOT on the training agenda since I have three races (well, events) coming up this week. Tomorrow is the Bear, Friday is the Grizzly, and Sunday is the Iron Mountain 60 mile mountain bike race.

So of course I was nervous that Sonni would say, “come on, Alisha, what did we talk about with ‘resting’ and all that before these little events you have scheduled coming up at the end of the week…” BUT, fortunately for me, Sonni gave me the green light. Instead of swimming today and doing the Wednesday Night Ride, I got to do this slog-fest instead. Lucky-ducky me.

I arrived in Newland around 10am, and Dan promptly says that the ride is not 100 miles, it was actually 108 miles. He had mapped it out online before to be sure.

NICE.

This was going to be my longest ride since my burnout and being hit by the truck a couple years ago. I was banking on just doing around 100, thinking that was far enough. Well, I guess to go along with the rest of my personality… I don’t just go… I go all out. So, 108 miles it is. Great. Bring it.

I was excited about this route, because I’ve never done Roan Mountain and Unaka Mountain before. We were going to be on roads I’ve never ridden before and that is always a good thing. Means I don’t know what to expect really, and I get to see new climbs.

Well, Roan didn’t disappoint. It’s an 8 mile grunt to the top. The first 4 miles are definitely the toughest… around 8 to 10% the whole way… then it levels off to 3 to 5% for a couple miles, then kicks up and stays around 5% or more the rest of the way. I really liked it a lot.

Unaka has a couple of really STEEP places. I love that. Like 15% or more for a half mile or so, then it’d back off a little. It wasn’t as long though… only 4 or 5 miles.

There was a lot of false flat climbing between the major climbs, and we pushed along through those sections at a decent pace.

And let’s not forget the descents- there were some sweet downhills that you easily hit 40 plus mph without even trying. Waaahhhoooooooo!!!

The bitch of the ride was that from mile 95 all the way back to Newland (mile 108) was a climb. Yeap. How you like them apples?

Well, my legs actually didn’t mind it that much at all… my feet were what was killing me. They aren’t used to being in my cycling shoes for much over 2-3 hours on a regular basis… 4 or 5 at the MOST! All of the sudden, I’m doing well over that… and my feet didn’t like it.

As soon as I stopped at my car, the shoes came off.

I got home and ate a small horse, pretty much, and now we’re going to Kilwian’s for ice cream.

What?? Don’t give me grief… I gotta refuel for the Bear tomorrow night (and master’s swim in the morning).