July 15, 2006
Hot Doggett 100 mile ride

The inaugural Hot Doggett lived up to its name. The ride started in optimal conditions but the temperature heated up like an aerosol can in a bonfire. Over 100 riders were foolish enough to choose the 100 mile route along with me.

I started out quickly but at the first climb many riders zoomed past. The bite tube in my camelbak came off and doused my gloves with gatorade. I figure if that's the worst equipment malfunction of the day then I'm in pretty good shape.

The first long climb was Doggett Mountain. It started gradually, climbing through a valley, much like Alpe d'Huez in the Tour de France. Granted, it didn't have anywhere near that difficulty, but it still challenged. About half way up, I noticed a girl riding a few hundred yards in back of me. I would try to hold her off for another mile. So much for that ploy. She caught me in less than half a mile. Not a problem, I thought. Long, slow climbs are certainly not my forte. It's just that this was a girl, a young girl. She turned out to be 15.

Teenagers don't generally participate in endurance events. They tend to have good fast-twitch muscles but tire easily. This girl didn't tire easily. She blew past me with little trouble. When the grade leveled out a bit, I was able to stay with her.

Alpe d'Huez has a city at its summit. Doggett had a tent with food. It was much appreciated. Three of the four greatest climbs had rest stops at the top. Whoever came up with that idea is a genius.

On the descent, Bridgette was riding ahead of me and looked back to see where I was. Her front wheel drifted off the road, which led to a three inch drop. Bridgette and the bicycle flipped over completely. Her helmet just grazed the pavement and she landed on the asphalt, scraping a knee and an elbow. It was harrowing witnessing such a fantastic wipeout. I'd seen riders fall on mountain bikes but they were always simple collapses to one side. This one had air time and real danger.

My anxiety quickly subsided as Bridgette leapt up from the pavement and grabbed her bicycle, which had landed in the other lane. I still figured she was seriously injured. Her scrapes looked painful but were relatively small and there was a bump on her forehead. Her helmet was unscathed. The bicycle received little damage. I attempted to straighten out the grips but failed miserably. I'm not much of a mechanic. Her response was "The Lord was looking out for me". She was more concerned about the damage to her bicycle and whether her dad would be upset about it.

Fortunately, the next rider stopped. Garrett knew Bridgette from previous rides. We would make sure she'd make it through the day and complete the hundred miles. All she really needed was some moral support. She was plenty strong and tough as nails.

Hot Springs is a resort town on the AT. It's known for hiking, natural hot tubs and whitewater rafting. Water...the universal solvent...and the universal thirst quencher. Unfortunately, we could not take a dip in the water. We stopped at the aid station and Bridgette got patched up. The climb out of Hot Springs was absolutely brutal. There were no trees to provide shade and the sun beat down with incredible intensity. The temperature had reached the 80's and the lack of shade took its toll on our bodies. This wasn't the longest climb but it was the hottest. The descent cooled us off and afterward, we had the priviledge of riding along the nice, cool Laurel river.

Singing is better left to those who can actually do it. But in the absence of one who is able, talentless, off-key cyclists may be inclined to croon a few bars. Garrett started and we went down the line. One show tune and a folk song down and it was up to me. I tried my hand at Louis Armstrong and Bruce Springsteen. "What a Wonderful World" went better than expected. "Born to Run" was a spirited rendition but drew too much lung power and had to be abandoned midverse.

Devil's Fork contained the steepest climb of the day. I cramped up a bit and had to lay off a bit. At the top of the climb, we entered Tennessee, and crossed the AT for the second time. The support car was filling up with cyclists who had abandoned the ride. We would push on further.

Sam's Gap wasn't as steep a climb but continued for five long, hot miles. The final rest stop was at the top. Bridgette's stepmom appeared in a support car. She had also wiped out on Doggett, and chose to call it a day. Two other riders abandoned after wipeouts.

Three rest stops were positioned at the tops of climbs. Whoever decided to place these in such opportune locations is a tactical genius.

We all crossed the finish line together. The Hot Doggett was as challenging as Blood, Sweat and Gears. I managed to finish with minimal cramping but the heat really slowed me down. Bridgette finished after a horrific crash and Garrett was a good sport for hanging back with us.

Raging Bull