# Mt Mitchell ride report - June 11, 2007



## WheresWaldo (Nov 29, 2005)

*Background:*

For me the AoMM was more of a journey than an endpoint. Here is some background. I had been off the bike for about 15 years. During that time my life became more and more complicated and with it my weight went up and up. Finally in 2005 my family doctor, Dr Gwen Perkins, told me that I had cut short my life by at least 10 years. I was diabetic, hypertensive, I had (and still have) obstructive sleep apnea. It was no longer a matter of living a normal life, that was already over, it was that if I did nothing about it I was going to cut my life short. That was a wake up call. Something had to be done, I just wasn't sure what.

After several attempts to treat the symptoms I was experiencing a decision was finally made to treat the root cause, which was my morbid obesity. Dr Gwen and I tried a number of different things but nothing would really work, so near the summer of 2005 I asked about Gastric Bypass surgery. With Dr Gwen's approval I set out to find a surgeon. That is when I found Dr Omar Danner. Dr Danner has a more holistic approach to weight loss that goes beyond just performing the procedure. With required counciling and nutritional training, Dr Danner made sure that I was prepared for what would be the eventuality after the surgery. When I met Dr Danner I weighed 346 pounds.

If you are still reading, you are probably wondering, 'all this and still no mention of a bicycle.' Well at this point in my life I wasn't even thinking about a bicycle. Until that one day, when my daughter came into my office and said she wanted to talk. She asked me about the procedure, whether I was scared at all. and then came the big one. It started out like this, "Dad, you know all those stories you and your buddies tell about cycling." "Yes," I responded. "I want some of those stories too, do you think you will ever ride your bicycle again, we could do it together." What could I say but yes!

*Road to recovery:*

January 17, 2006 is a day I started to get my life back. By the time that day had arrived I was down to 322 pounds and feeling pretty good about my chances. But I had no idea how hard that trip was going to be. Several months of pain, upset stomach, dumping. I remember while experimenting with a new food being doubled over in pain, laying on the floor in the fetal position thinking to myself, 'why am I so stupid? How did I let my life slip away like this?' But the weight lose was incredible. In the first two months, post surgery I had lost nearly 50 pounds!

*Back to the bike(s):*

Now at about 270 pounds I thought I could think about riding again, remember I hadn't ridden in about 15 years. With my daughter's help we decided the way to ease back into cycling was to get a tandem. I called my buddy at Hutch's Bicycles in Eugene, OR and told him I wanted to buy a tandem. He had a Cannondale tandem in a box that he would put together and then repack to send to me. That was the start. When we first started out about 2 miles was our limit. But being back on the bike was exhilaratingly, even if only for brief moments. We eventually worked our way up to 22 mile rides on the tandem. In the mean time, we needed new single bikes, I had an old Klein with a worn out BB. She had a Cannondale R400 that was too small, that was when we started our journey to find the right bike for the both of us. I built up a TST Ti bike with Ultegra Triple and then we bought my daughter the Motobecane LeChampion SL. Shortly after this, and another 20 pounds lighter (now at 250 if you are keeping score) Is when I purchased the Motobecane Immortal Force, my first carbon bike. We rode all over Union county together last year. That is also when I first heard about the AoMM.

*Preparing for Mt Mitchell:*

This was not an ordinary Sunday ride. I heard so much about it that thoughts just swirled around in my head about even the remotest possibility of someone like myself riding in, much less finishing, the AoMM. When the sign up came in December I was committed. This would signal my return to a more fulfilling life. I needed to train, and I needed a new bike. The PedalForce group buy came at just the right time, both my daughter and I needed to find a frame that fit just a little bit better and this would be it. I built up my RS with one goal in mind, finish the AoMM!

Training was intense for me. I started doing the Sunday morning group rides and by the fouth or fifth one I was able to hang with the group for the entire ride. Fifty-five miles at 19-20 average was fast for me, and at times I felt like I had my heart in my throat. I still needed more, I managed to complete two centuries in 
May and I thought I was ready.

*The Assault:*

Didn't sleep well the night before, and the thunder and lightning shot me straight out of bed at about 4 am. I got up about an hour later and got dressed, went down with my bike to put it on the roof rack. then I went into the lobby to see if they had any breakfast ready. Some scrambled eggs, an English Muffin and a cup of coffee was the start of the day. My wife drops me off at the Spartanburg Auditorium at about 6 am. I can hardly believe what I am seeing. I have never seen so many cyclists in one place at one time.





































As we get started the group thins out fairly fast, the leaders are long gone and I am on my way in my very first attempt at the AoMM.










Along the way I meet some very interesting people. They are from all over the south, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee as well as North and South Carolina. The stories they tell during the ride to Marion are fun to listen to. I scan for numbers, the red numbers are the Marion riders and the black numbers are the Mitchell riders the two highest numbers I see are 1985 for the Marion ride and 997 for Mitchell. I get in with a group of riders from Tennessee. They call themselves 'The Big Turtles.' Apparently they have done this ride in the past, many people yell out 'Hey Turtles' as we ride by. I can't believe how much support there is for this, seems like every county sheriff is out blocking intersections for riders to get through safely. And there are people on the side of the road cheering you on.

There are five rest stops between the start and Marion. The first is at about 22 miles, I get there with the help of the Turtles a little faster than I expected. I eat some bananas and fill my water bottles. The next stop is at mile 39 IIRC. Again stop for water and bananas. The Turtles did not stop wanting to make it to the top of Bill's Mountain before they stop again. I meet up with them again at the top of Bill's Mountain. I made it to the top about 10 minutes faster than I had planned, the clock says 2:50.










When I see them at the top they all say hello and ask me if I am ready to roll, They have nicknamed me "Push Me, Pull Me" for reasons that will become obvious. I hang as long as I can but eventually tire and need to slow up a bit just before Marion. I make it to Marion in just over 4:30. I have started to cramp up just a bit and now I am trying to manage the pain. My wife and daughter are waiting in Marion and cheer as I ride up.










The Marion stop is a little longer this time I watch as many other riders pull into the campground. I figure that I need to make a very small adjustment to the saddle height as I am experiencing just a bit of knee pain. Not enough to make me stop, but just enough to be uncomfortable.



















I lighten my load for the next stretch. I leave my camera and some other junk I was carrying with my family and head off toward NC-80. Man what an experience! It wasn't the length it was the steepness. There were stretches on NC-80 that had 14% grades. to me it looked like my Garmin was stuck at 10% grade most of the way up. Several times the leg cramps got so bad that I had to stop to rest. That was one big mistake I had made. I ate plenty of food and was very well hydrated, but for the first 80 miles I only drank water. I needed to have electrolytes and I wasn't ingesting any. So at the next rest stop I tried this stuff they had called Frete, It was supposed to be pure electrolytes. It comes in a little vial the you rip open and pour into a full water bottle. It was nasty tasting but worked to help reduce the muscle cramps. After a few more rest stops I made it to the Blue Ridge Parkway. I was looking forward to the terrain getting just a little flatter. Don't listen to what anyone else tells you about the Blue Ridge, it is anything but flatter! Most of the grades were 8 - 10%. Now I am drinking Powerade exclusively trying to ease the cramping. There is a problem with this, remember I mentioned I had Gastric Bypass. Well any type of sport drink, when ingested in a fairly strong mix, causes gastric distress. So now not only do my legs hurt, but my stomach aches too. Did I forget to mention that my butt is sore also. I had to stop at each vista along the Blue Ridge to rest my legs and ease the pain. Its all about managing the pain now. I stop at the two rest stops along the Parkway and eat some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and have some watermelon.

I am at the park entrance, just 5 miles to the finish! I have never ridden 5 miles so slowly in my life. I needed 1:45 to climb 5 miles. This time the Park makes the Parkway look flat. Here we are again with 10% grades I have to stop and walk a bit about every half mile. I finally make it to the last rest stop. I have to sit for about 5 minutes just to stop from shaking. There is a flat section just before the finish. I manage to get my speed up to about 19 mph on that flat section. Had to prove to myself I could do it. I figured, not bad since I already rode over 100 miles. I hit the last steep section before the finish. I thought I wasn't going to make it, I had to get off the bike again to walk, a few riders pass me and tell me that its only just around the corner up ahead. I get back on my bike for the last push and as I reach the corner, there are the Turtles, ringing a big cowbell and yelling "Push Me Pull Me!" I round the corner and head to the finish line. I was delirious, I think my total time was 10:24, according to my Edge it was 8:28:35 ride time, 102.83 miles, 12.1 average speed, 10,384 feet of climbing!










I crossed the line and could barely get off the bike. My daughter snapped the picture above. I was so glad to see my family, and they were happy to see me too. This was the most physically demanding thing I have ever done in my life. Just think, a year and a half ago I was at 346 pounds and had no dreams or desire to do anything like this. I can't wait until next year!

On a side note, the 'Push Me, Pull Me' jersey was a big hit. I think I was the only one wearing it on the ride. There were many cyclists that I passed or passed me and commented on what an appropriate jersey it was for a ride like Mitchell. It was especially big with the ladies. But alas no one took me up on the offer, and believe me I needed a push there near the end.


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## ckelly49 (Jul 9, 2006)

good for you on finishing the ride, weight loss, riding with your daughter, getting back on the bike, etc etc etc. all of it. congratulations. this is a really inspiring.


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## longcrank (Mar 6, 2007)

Great write-up and congratulations for a completing a dream that others would never dare to consider. It's a blessing to have such a supportive family and fellow riders for encouragement.


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## upstateSC-rider (Aug 21, 2004)

Great ride, wasn't it? Couldn't have asked for better weather than what we had.
Oh yeah, congrats. :thumbsup: 
Lou.


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## stinkydub (Aug 5, 2004)

Mr. Waldo
Congratulations, you rock! Can't believe you were 346 lbs just a year and a half ago. You look like you're in great shape in the photos and you should be very proud - of your accomplishments and your daughter. 
Stinky


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## WheresWaldo (Nov 29, 2005)

Thanks for the comments, and upstateSC-rider the weather was perfect!


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## VinPaysDoc (May 23, 2005)

*This 'Bud' is YOU!*

Waldo,

Great ride! Don't sell yourself short, here's your pic next to the time clock:

https://www.birdseyeview.net/cgi-local/store/imageFolio.cgi?action=view&link=Cycling/20070611_MIT/Finish/Finish%20Time%2010_00%20to%2010_30&image=MIT_F1766.jpg&img=&tt=&tfile=tn_MIT_F1766.JPG

The weather was simply perfect!

Here's a link to the results:

http://www.rmssports.com/results/07Mtmitchell.txt

Good job!
Greg


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## WheresWaldo (Nov 29, 2005)

Thanks for the links. I was also able to find my picture at the top of Bill's Mountain.


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## upstateSC-rider (Aug 21, 2004)

Anyone read their patch? Just wonderin'.  
Lou.


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## VinPaysDoc (May 23, 2005)

*32th, eh?*

That what you're talking about?

Small thing. They'll work that one out and this will be a 'Classic' patch......

;-)
Greg


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## upstateSC-rider (Aug 21, 2004)

VinPaysDoc said:


> That what you're talking about?
> 
> Small thing. They'll work that one out and this will be a 'Classic' patch......
> 
> ...


That's it, just thought it was funny. Funnier still is that it took me 2 days to notice. 
Lou.


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## spin150 (May 24, 2005)

*My best so far*

Really nice ride, and a great job on logistics by the Freewheelers. 

1000 riders for Mt Mitchell and over 600 to Marion

My worst was in 2003, got hypothermic after hours in the rain.


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## spin150 (May 24, 2005)

*One more thing*

A real nice success story for you. Going over the results, I notice that Mike Magnuson finished the ride in 6:28. I highly recommend you buy his book "Heft on Wheels" which tells the story of his transformation from couch potato into a very strong cyclist. He was a speaker at the Mountains of Misery ride dinner a few years ago, and I was really impressed.


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