I’m working on a longer post with details from yesterday’s ride … but here is a quick summary:
- Wake up at 3:45AM to begin riding by 4AM … a little slow getting going and out the door by 4:10AM
- Do laps in my neighborhood for about an hour before it is light enough to head out on the open road
- South Cove laps – hit 60.5 mph on deserted descent
- Head over to Vestavia to do Skyland Repeats but chased by dog and decide to climb up Shades Crest instead
- Refuel and say hi to the family at 7:30AM with over 9,000 feet of climbing already done
- Green Valley / Bluff Park as thunderstorms build to the east … watch them head south towards Alabaster … pics later
- Notice a thunderstorm building over Birmingham, Homewood heading my way … no way to avoid … stuck in it for 10 miles on the way home … lightning everywhere … flash/crack, flash/crack
- Wait out the thunderstorm and have lunch
- Head back out in the rain towards Mountain Brook/Irondale
- Karl Daly climbs and KOM effort
- Pulled over by Irondale police officer for running a red light (in front of Sam’s Club) and then riding wrong way against traffic. Whew … bad decision but thankfully no ticket
- Home for afternoon break / food (see video below)
- Back out for more Green Valley / Bluff Park / Vestavia climbing pushing all the way until an hour past sunset (no light but safe deserted roads)
- Dinner and then only 38 miles left to hit 250 miles
- Laps in Countrywood and Dolly Ridge … Kristine rigged my helmet up with a light duct-taped to the front and back … saw drunk driver on Dolly Ridge … all the way in my lane on the wrong side of the road heading very fast … safely avoided by riding into the ditch
- Home for laps around the neighborhood with Kristine cheering me on … see pic below … rode until 11:59pm which happened to occur the final time up the hill in front of my house
Almost done – hot laps around the neighborhood all the way until 11:59PM. This one was taken at 11:48.
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