North Carolina

I took the first vacation I've been on since middle school I believe...
I went in with some of the Team Pedal Moraine crew and a few other compadres on renting a condo near Asheville, North Carolina, for their annual 'pre-season training vacation.' The plan was to bring along the road bike and a mountain bike, and get as much riding in as possible over the course of a week in the nicer southern weather and the mountainous geography of the area.
DAY 1 As the sun came up on our first full day in Asheville, the weather wasn't looking all too promising. Sorta on the cold side, with scattered showers. But we were there to ride, so we sucked it up and set off from the cabin for our first road ride. The roads were wet from overnight rain, but nothing I hadn't experienced before. After climbing my very first mountain-side, it was time to go back down the other side. This, not being a main road with a higher speed limit, was in fact very technical as far as roads go, with multiple, tight, switch backs. So there I was just a few hair-raising turns into the descent, when I came into the next turn, heavy on the brakes, but still carrying to much speed. As I felt the rear wheel begin to skid, I knew I was about to have a bad time. The rear end fish-tailed out, I went down, butt and arm first, tangled up in the bike and slid across the pavement for what felt like forever. I hated the sound. Relieved to not have flown right off the side of the mountain and into an oblivion, I inspected the damage to my machine. Unbelievably, everything seemed to be in pretty good shape, so though still not feeling any pain (thanks adrenaline) did a body check. My shorts were pretty tore up, but my butt somehow remained unharmed. I found that my Livestrong bracelet had made it's way up past my elbow, and I was in fact bleeding pretty well from my forearm. But otherwise, I was ready to limp the rest of the ride. As the ride continued, my hand started hurting more and more, later finding out because my palm apparently took the brunt of the pavement slide, and had a hole burned into it. Ouch. Yet the scariest part of the ride was yet to come. We were descending another pretty steep grade, Dan and I were taking it very easy, heavy on the breaks, taking no more chances. At the bottom of this descent there was a 90 degree left turn that we really wanted to take it easy around. But while we were breaking hard, Sean comes tearing by us and sticks the turn with no problem. But before we could be impressed, Mark tears by us too, likely following Sean's lead, makes it to the turn, almost sticks it, pulls a foot out of the left pedal to steady himself, but them disappears off the road, off the side... (Picture Jan Ullrich's wild ride) So Dan and I pull up to where he went off to help him. As this was in front of a farmers field, we simply expected that he had gone down into a ditch. Instead to our horror, we look down to see him 6 feet down in a gully, with a small river flowing through it, huge jagged rocks everywhere, and random hill- people's garbage in it. At that point we seriously thought we were gonna need a helicopter retrieval on our first day in the mountains, but thankfully, though feeling like he was in a car wreck, he was able to make it back home, and was all-in-all ok.
WOW, what a first day. (Oh also turns out out my rear derailleur was shot from sliding on the pavement, and I had buy a new one. Sweet.)
DAY 2 My first ride on my brand new Redline 29er mountain bike. It did not disappoint. We ended up doing two loops, up the mountain, then down the mountain, and repeat. Climbing the longest climb I'd ever climbed before was something else. And then descending down, of all things, a downhill riders course was crazy. But I did it. And I did it unscathed. I was pumped, I was shaking. I was hooked.
DAY 3 Back on my road bike, sporting new Dura-ace rear derailleur (grrr). Dan and I set off from the bike shop where we picked up my bike, and jumped onto the Blue Ridge Parkway (which is apparently a federally owned scenic road that runs the length of the Appalachian Mts.). Experienced some sustained climbing on the parkway before we turned off onto the Elk Mountain pass (which is Bill's favorite road) and had some heavy climbing and crazy switch back descents, which we experienced going both ways, having made it an out and back. Happily I was feeling more confident on the descents with the dry roads making it a lot easier going. Worryingly though, on the way up the mountain, I was quoted as saying something like this: "I think I might have to take a crap..." and worse, later: "Ummm, I don't think anymore, I KNOW I have to take a crap!" So yeah, I was literally not thinking about the climb at hand, but only of not crapping myself. Yes, it was that bad. There may also have even been a moment where my bare arse was out, defiling the beautiful scenery. Unbelievably, there was in fact a porta potty up near the top of the mountain. I used it. I felt better. Yikes. Later that day, I bought Pepto Bismol.
DAY 4 In preparation for the upcoming WORS season, four of us went to a Park with trails called Tsali. (I think). Supposedly offering trails that somewhat resemble what we have around here, except on steroids for the fact the climbs go on a lot longer, and with a lot more shear cliff drop offs. I followed Dan around for most of the day, trying to stay with him, and trying to learn as much as I could. Taking it a bit gingerly at the beginning, feeling things, out, getting the hang of it, and I really think by the end of the day, Dan had me really pushing it and attacking, railing through turns, and really becoming one with the bike. I learned a ton, and I can't wait to get to those few of WORS races I'm doing this year. I'm going to bring the pain. Watch out.
DAY 5 What was the hardest ride of the week? What was the best ride of the week? What was your favorite ride of the week? Three questions, all one answer, mine and Dan's ride up to Mt. Mitchell. Almost 90 degree weather and 4 days of hard riding in my legs, I knew this was going to be epic. We started on the Blue Ridge Parkway where it was closed to traffic for "spring cleaning" (getting rocks, trees, boulders, snow, etc, cleared off and away from the road) and took it 20 miles to the Mt. Mitchell State park, and another 5 miles up to the summit, and then all the way back down. The summit being the highest point east of the Mississippi River, around 6600ft I think. Being closed to traffic, we had the road to ourselves, which is awesome to begin with. And with recent rain they had, the road was actually really clean and in good shape. And so we climbed. And climbed. And then climbed more. Dan being stronger, dropped me, so I was by myself a lot of the time climbing this mountain. Going through hell up this thing, by myself. Working through the pain though, I really started to think. All the things in my life that are important to me I thought of. All the people that I love, I thought of. Everything I wish I was, want to, and strive to be I thought of. I thought about my life, where it's been, where it is, and where I want it to be. What I should have done differently, and what I'm thankful for. A glaring truth became evident. Cycling is important to me. It's there for me. It helps me and improves me. It motivates and drives me. I will be a cyclist for life.
DAY 6 Last day riding. Out with the group on the Mt. bike. Climbed the fire service road to get to trail, (still one hell of a climb) and the legs had just finally had enough. I had already been thoroughly dropped by everyone involved, and my legs we just gone, so I turned back, and called it a day. A week that is.

In the end, things I will take away from this trip. Beyond the training aspect, the fitness, strength, stamina, and endurance that have been improved, my mental perception of cycling has been forever altered. North Carolina changed me. For the better. I'm bringing the noise this year. Cover your ears, it's gonna be loud.