Mt. Washington HillClimb CountDown

[weisan]

Now that Climb-0 has inspired us all with his absolute determination and dedication in getting himself ready for the upcoming Mt. Washington race, let's cheer him on as he enters in the very last leg of his preparation this week with our well-wishes and...any last-minute coaching if you so compelled to, although I won't advise it being so close to the race. :D

I also hope that this thread could be saved up for posterity sake in collecting all the gems of wisdom Climb-0 has accumulated over the past months in terms of training, gear selections, bike setup, race-course knowledge, race-day logistics, pure survivial techniques etc. But this can wait until this whole thing is over, which is this Saturday, August 20th so as not to distract Climb-0 from the final preparation as he heads in the final week....although he did said he needed that distraction! :rolleyes:

So, from one bike dude to another...Climb-0, you have inspired me, let 'Er Rip!

weisan

[weisan]

Official Website (http://www.tinmtn.org/hillclimb/index.cfm)

Race and Schedule Details:
Friday, August 19th
Base of the Auto Road – under the BIG TENT 3:00-8:00pm

Racer Check-in

* Present photo ID
* Pick up waver
* Pick up racer kit (race number, etc)
* Pick up prepaid race merchandise
* Rider/Driver section – if you are a racer and need a ride down or if you are a Driver and want to take a racer back down there will be an area set aside for you to meet.

5:00-7:00pm

Pasta Dinner

* Racers - No charge
* Adults - $8.00
* Kids under 12 - $6.00

Saturday, August 20th

RACE DAY! Mt Washington Auto Road
5:00-7:00am

Racer Check-in

* Drivers to the summit
* Present photo ID
* Sign waver
* Pick up racer kit(race number, etc)
* Pick up prepaid race merchandise
* Rider/Driver section – if you are a racer and need a ride down or if you are a Driver and want to take a racer back down there will be an area set aside for you to meet.

5:30am Breakfast available for purchase at Glen View Café located at the Auto Road/ Great Glen Lodge – across the street from the BIG TENT
5:15-7:00am

Road opens for rider’s cars to the summit. VERY Important- Drivers must leave EARLY – NO ONE is permitted after 7:00 a.m.

STAGECOACHES depart for the summit with spectators. Be Early! - Tickets will be sold starting at 6:00 am on a first come first serve bases. Stages will then proceed to the summit. No spectator vans available after 7:00 a.m. No advance ticket sales.

STAGECOACHES available first-come/first-serve.
Adults: $24.00 – Children 5-12 $11.00
- for more info please visit the Mt. Washington Auto Road web site.


7:00am Road closes to automobile traffic
7:20am Racers Line Up
7:30am Pre-Race Announcements
7:40am Top Notch Group Starts
7:45am 2nd Group Starts (20-34) (35-39)
7:50am 3rd Group Starts (40-44)
7:55am 4th Group Starts (Tandem, juniors, 45 +)
10:15am Auto Road opens for down traffic or will remain closed until Auto Road gives the ok to release traffic.
10:30am Auto Road opens to all traffic or will remain closed until Auto Road gives the ok.
11:00am Awards Ceremony & Lunch

[William]

Go get em Climb-pal!! :banana:
:cool:


William

[weisan]

5 more days and countin'....

http://www.mt-washington.com/autoroad/ggtimages/gallery/large/998771133P1010002.jpg

[weisan]

Climb-0's "Mt Washington Mutt" as he affectionately called it...you can find the full details of it over another thread (http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=10361) but here's a mutt shot of the 16 calibre "Round" bullet.

http://forums.thepaceline.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=5938&stc=1

[Johny]

1. To Wear orange shorts
2. To Get a lighter bike
3. To Try LA recipes (please consult Dr. Ferrari for more details)
4. To Lose more weight by fasting this whole week

[cs124]

you've done the training, you've done the diet, you've got the tools...

go ahead, flatten that sucker

[ergott]

"Do or do not, there is no try."

Yoda

The first time I hit the summit was the best natural high I ever had :banana:

Go ride the rockpile!

-Eric

[RABikes2]

CLIMB!
YOU ARE THE MAN! :banana: :banana:

Please re-read the e-mail I sent! It's all yours baby, it's all yours!

Thanks Weisan-pal for the website, photo, and information. Appreciated! :banana:

RA

[RichMc]

Good on you Climb! Go for it!

BTW -- great colors on the Peg.

[Bruce K]

Climb;

I'll be thinkin' of you while at the Sunflower Revolution. Go get 'em.

BK

[Cadence230]

Give 'r Climb-O whoever you are!

[Kevin]

Climb,

Go kick some a$$. Show that mountain who is the boss.

Kevin

[jbay]

5 more days and countin'....

http://www.mt-washington.com/autoroad/ggtimages/gallery/large/998771133P1010002.jpg

Now that was a surprise to see a photo of myself. I'm number 82 there on the RHS, in the NEBC/Cycleloft jersey, alongside my good friend Charlie Lamb. Amongst his many credentials, Charlie has ridden Mt. Washington over a dozen times and is the founder of Boston-Montreal-Boston, which is also being held this weekend. I think that this photo was from the 2001 edition, if I'm not mistaken.

Good luck and enjoy yourself, Climb!

-- John (suffering from a sore ITB but riding BMB Quads for the first time this year)

[Ray]

Yo Climb,

I'd wish you good luck, but I don't think it's gonna be about luck and that wouldn't give adequate credit to the amount of work you've put into preparing for this epic. So I wish you a great ride and hope you come away satisfied. For me, that would just mean getting to the top alive. I know you want more than that though, so go get that SOB!!!

-Ray

[weisan]

http://www.mountwashington.org/photojournal/2004/hi-res/2004_08_07.jpg

[weisan]

…about Mount Washington:
Summit Location
Latitude: 44 degrees 16 minutes N
Longitude: 71 degrees 18 minutes W
Elevation: 6288 feet (1916.58 meters)

Summit Weather
Highest wind recorded 231 mph (372 kph) 12 April 1934
Lowest temperature -47 F (-43.9 C) January 1934
Highest temperature +72 F (22C) August 1975
Avg. Annual Temp. 26.5 F (-3.1 C)
Avg. Annual Wind Speed 35.3 mph (56.8 kph)
Avg. Annual Snowfall 256 inches (6.5 meters)
Greatest Snowfall Season 566.4 inches (14.38 meters) 1968-69
---------------------------------------------------------------
…about the Mt. Washington Auto Road:
Terminus 6288 ft. (1916.58 meters)
Base (Toll House) 1565 ft. (477 meters)
Elevation gain 4727 ft. (1440.79 meters)
Length 7.6 miles (12.23 kilometers)
Grade Avg.12%, extended 18%, final 100 yds. 22%
Road surface 65% paved, 35% packed gravel

History:
Construction of the Road began in the summer of 1854 by the Mount Washington Road Company and Gen. David O. Macomber. By the fall of 1856, the road had reached the halfway point when money ran out and work came to a halt. Three years later, a new business was founded, the present Mount Washington Summit Road Company. Work was resumed the next year and the first tolls were collected for passage to the Halfway House. The gala opening of the complete road was held on August 8, 1861.

Horse drawn carriage was the means of transportation on the road until 1899, when Freelan O. Stanley(of Stanley Steamer fame) made the first motorized assent of the road in a steam powered vehicle. Three years later in 1902, the first two gasoline powered vehicles reached the summit. Since then, the history of private automobiles on the road has been one of steady growth:

* 1935 3,100 private cars
* 1955 6,600
* 1961 12,800
* present day annual average 45,000

from Mt. Washington Auto Road Bicycle HillClimb (http://www.tinmtn.org/hillclimb/thefacts.cfm?) website

[weisan]

Check out some real-time views from the cameras placed on top the observatory... (http://www.mountwashington.org/cam/index.php)

[ergott]

What AM I doing this for!!
http://websites4ever.com/ergott//dcp_2430.jpg
The sign says it all.
http://websites4ever.com/ergott//dcp_2441.jpg
Best shot of me on a bike!
http://websites4ever.com/ergott//dcp_2443.jpg
Almost there!
http://websites4ever.com/ergott//6000ft.jpg
THE WALL 22%-23% :crap: :crap:
http://websites4ever.com/ergott//dcp_2475.jpg

Good luck!

[RABikes2]

Really enjoyed the great photos and websites, ergott and weisan!

Thanks for sharing. :)

RA

[Keith A]

And to add to my pal Wei San's info, here's the predicted weather for this weekend (http://www.weather.com/activities/other/other/weather/weekend.html?locid=USNH0154&from=36hr_topnav_undeclared). Let's hope the rain doesn't happen!

Climb -- I hope all your training and preparation (physical, mental and technical) all comes together for you this Saturday morning. So go out and give it all you got!

[davep]

And the wind is predicted to be "only" 19mph - today its 30 gusting to 39 :crap:

[RABikes2]

And the wind is predicted to be "only" 19mph - today its 30 gusting to 39 :crap:
Dave,
Remember the wind riding west/northwest on the 600k?! And then add Mt. Washington's increasing and continuous grades...oh boy, oh my gosh. :eek:

Okay Climb, keep repeating, and repeating, and... "Positive thoughts bring positive results!" :D :D

Give it everything, remember it all, and if you puke at the end, you know you gave it your all. Have a blast Climb! Yahoooo!!! :banana: :banana:

RA

[Sandy]

Smiling Sandy Says-

Safe Scintillating Simply Superior Stellar Satisfying Supersonic Speed Setting Spin!!

With an emphasis on the Safe and the Satisfying,


Sandy

[Ginger]

Once again Climb...

Go SMACK THAT HILL!

[Fixed]

Man you guys are lucky that looks like something . All my mates are talkin about 6 gap they goin to do that ride.Cheers

[RABikes2]

Man you guys are lucky that looks like something . All my mates are talkin about 6 gap they goin to do that ride.Cheers

Fixed,
Six-Gap (and Three-Gap) is held every September in Dahlonega, GA. A beautiful ride through north Georgia mountains doing either 3 or 6 Gaps. Hog-Pen is a fun time. :p

http://www.dahlonega.org/aboutus.asp?id06=124&par06=23

RA

[Keith A]

Hey there's a group of the guys that I ride with that are also doing the Six Gap Century that is coming up. A couple of them have gone up recently to check things out before they committed to century.

[BumbleBeeDave]

While I am doing the MS ride in Canandaigua Saturday my body will be riding there, but my thoughts will be on Mt. Washington cheering you on!

No mercy, no quarter to the mountain!No pain, no gain!

Obey the inner voices telling you to Kill! KILL THE MOUNTAIN! BWA-HA-HA-HA!!!

Go! GO! GO!!!

BBDave

[weisan]

http://alicehui.com/serotta/mtwashington/temp_profile.jpg

[ergott]

Great pic.
I outlined the worst section. Dirt, steep, long, steep, degrading, steep, steep etc. but you'll be fine :D :D :D

[RABikes2]

Great pic.
I outlined the worst section. Dirt, steep, long, steep, degrading, steep, steep etc. but you'll be fine :D :D :D
Do I understand this right? There's a section of dirt (hard packed I would hope) on the course? :confused:

[weisan]

RA-pal, according to the official word..."the Auto Road is 80% paved with the five and six mile sections still dirt and packed gravel." Here's a pic of the Five Mile section:
http://www.mt-washington.com/autoroad/ggtimages/gallery/large/1121976063Stage7-21-05w.jpg

[weisan]

http://www.mt-washington.com/autoroad/ggtimages/gallery/large/11189222825mile-2w.jpg

[RABikes2]

Thanks for the photos, Weisan-pal. :)
For those that have done MW before, how is that section to ride on? The one photo doesn't appear to be very hard-packed dirt...and then the gravel. :confused: :crap:

RA

[Argos]

It's fine. It's smoother then some of the paved sections. Plus, even if you are at a record-setting pace of......9.5mph......its the pitch that'll kill you!

Seriously, with the temp and the wind, there is no "soft and loose" on that mountain.

[RABikes2]

It's fine. It's smoother then some of the paved sections.
Seriously, with the temp and the wind, there is no "soft and loose" on that mountain.
Duh-huh question here, but how does it hold up riding in rain? :rolleyes:

[ergott]

Duh-huh question here, but how does it hold up riding in rain? :rolleyes:
You could always walk with your bike. You might even pass a few people!!

[Argos]

It's Mt. FREAKIN Wahington! That raod has seen and taken it all. It can handle rain, and is fine to ride in in the rain. It's packed like Concrete. Plus, It's not the rain, but the driving wind you should worry about! :)

[Big Dan]

Climb..be a man and take the MXL.............. :D


Good luck...........

:bike:

[weisan]

Climb-0 just reported possible appearances of two celebrities this weekend during the race...

Celebrity #1: "Tiger" on Mt. W
http://www.jsmcelvery.com/photos/hamilton/99hamilton_mw1.jpg

Celebrity #2: Ned Overend, the MTB junkie...and former car mechanic at Precision Imports in Durango working on air-cooled Volkswagen engines and Porsche transmissions before he turns pro.
http://www.mfiap.com/gs/NED.JPG

[Climb01742]

Climb..be a man and take the MXL.............. :D


Good luck...........

:bike:

dan, speaking of anchors...there's a weather station on top of the mountain...and four huge chains anchor it to the mountain so it won't get blown away. man, if buildings can get blown away...

[weisan]

thanks for chiming in, Climb-0.

[weisan]

sorry, forgot to move the hour hand on the clock....
http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/whites/gathering35/wash3.jpg

"The highest mountain in the northeast, Washington was first climbed in 1642 by Darby Field and two native guides. There is a cog railroad running to the summit from the west and an auto road from the east. South of the peak is the AMC's Lakes of the Clouds hut. At the base of the east side is the AMC's Pinkham Notch Visitors Center. The highest surface wind ever recorded on earth was on the summit of Mt Washington, 231 MPH on April 12, 1934. "

Quoted here (http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/whites/washington.html)

[Sandy]

If climb has a 231 mile headwind, I suggest he drives to the top, get his bike out of the car, and head downhill to set a new downhill bicycle speed record of about 374.348 mph. :)


Supersonic Sandy

[Keith A]

Just checked the weather again, 60% chance of rain. Let's hope this happens in the afternoon :)

[weisan]

We are down to the wire. Climb-0 may already have started on the trek over to Mt. Washington area to make his final preparations for the big race tomorrow. He will start with the fourth group at 7:55am (Tandem, juniors, 45 +).

Climb-pal, wherever you are now, just remember we are cheering you on every inch of the road up that mountain. You are NEVER alone! (Another thread of well-wishers (http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=10493) started yesterday by Dirt-pal)

Give the mountain its due respect but YOU shall PREVAIL!!!
http://www.jsmcelvery.com/photos/2003/road/mw/mw03danielson8.jpg

[weisan]

Current record holder: Tom Danielson
Time: 49 min. 24 sec. set in 2002
http://www.jsmcelvery.com/photos/2003/road/mw/mw03danielson3.jpg

[weisan]

Bicycle
1973 John C. Ellis 1 hr. 15 min. 5 sec.
1974 John C. Ellis 1 hr. 1 min. 39 sec.
1979 Steve Pyle 1 hr 1 min. 29 sec.
1980 Dale Stetina 57 min. 41 sec.
1997 Tyler Hamilton 51 min. 55 sec.
1999 Tyler Hamilton 50 min. 21 sec.
2002 Thomas Danielson 49 min. 24 sec.
- If you are interested, check out the the records book (http://www.mountwashingtonautoroad.com/autorecrd.html)

[weisan]

Interesting choice of chainring between the men's winner Tom Danielson and the women's winner Genevieve Jeanson...
http://www.jsmcelvery.com/photos/2003/road/mw/mw03jeanson4.jpg

[weisan]

Place: 475
Div/Total: 44/54
Div: M5054
Tan C/f Time: 1:56:48
Rate: 3.9
Name: Climb-0
Sex: M
Age: 51
Race#: 655
City/state: Concord/MA

You are one tough dude, Climb-0!!!!

[weisan]

1) 51:11 Tyler Hamilton M 34 Boulder CO
2) 55:12 Anthony Colby M 26 Dedham MA
3) 55:19 Philip Wong M 25 Gloucester MA
4) 55:21 Ned Overend M 50 Durango CO

Female Top Finisher:
1:12:38 Aimee Vasse F 27 Grosse Pointe Park MI

[weisan]

http://www.tinmtn.org/hillclimb/results_05/index.cfm

[weisan]

I did a quick tally for those youngsters that did the race ...I think we've got some very promising prospects comin' up....Serotta scholarship anyone???!! :D
Keep in mind Tyler H's winning time is 51:11

1/14 1:06:34 Ian Gordon M 17 Wakefield RI
2/14 1:07:52 Paul Runyon M 15 Philadelphia PA
3/14 1:10:19 Yuri Whitehead M 18 Great Barrington MA
4/14 1:14:41 Eric Schildge M 17 Rumson NJ
5/14 1:14:47 Pete Ostroski M 16 Intervale NH
6/14 1:15:19 Mark Lockwood M 18 West Simsbury CT
7/14 1:17:27 Corey Connell M 16 Fryeburg ME
8/14 1:26:32 Nathan Bryant M 15 Lee NH
9/14 1:27:05 Nathan Miller M 19 Simsbury CT
10/14 1:31:43 Andrew Toplyn M 19 Lewiston ME
11/14 1:33:48 Scott Rowland M 15 Shelburne VT
12/14 1:53:10 Christopher Soutra M 13 Easthampton MA
13/14 1:58:45 Keenan Dillard M 14 Billings MT
14/14 2:00:12 Ben Plotkin-Swing M 19 Concord MA

Under 23:
1/11 1:00:02 Jess Anthony M 20 Beverly MA
2/11 1:00:51 Dan Cassidy M 23 Burlington VT
3/11 1:01:57 Ian Ayers M 23 Atlantic Highlands NJ

[Ziggurat]

congrats

[ergott]

Interesting choice of chainring between the men's winner Tom Danielson and the women's winner Genevieve Jeanson...
http://www.jsmcelvery.com/photos/2003/road/mw/mw03jeanson4.jpg

Genevieve was running a 34 on the back. I have a small video of her finishing that year. She was flying up the last wall!

[weisan]

To round things up, I have taken the liberty to capture Climb-0's ride report quoted over from this thread (http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=10535&page=1). I hope he doesn't mind....

My plan was: 1:15 or bust.

It was bust.

In the valley at 4 AM it was clear and warm. Ate a bowl of brown rice, my “power” food. Three cups of tea to caffeinate the body.

Drove from small town of Jackson, NH (a great little town, BTW) to mountain at 5:15. Arrived at start area at 5:30, with loads of cars already there. As the sun came up near 6 o’clock, sky looked promising. Warm and no wind.

Started my warm-up on the trainer at 6:30 on a separate bike with normal gearing so I could get the legs good and warm. Had a great warm-up. Felt ready. Some nerves but ok. Saw Tyler warming up under a tent reserved, it seemed, for the top guys.

We went off in waves. They seemed to combine the 35-45 and 45+ waves because what seemed like 200 riders went off at once. I was in the middle of the pack. You roll across a parking lot for about 100-150 yards, then boom. Up. Really up.

Here are the gradients by Km:
0-1k: 12.5%
1-2k: 11.4%
2-3k: 12.5%
3-4k: 14.9%
4-5k: 13.0%
5-6k: 12.4%
6-7k: 15.0%
7-8k: 12.2%
8-9k: 12.5%
9-10k: 13.1%
10-11k: 10.5%
11-11.3k: 13.0%
Final section: 22%

For the first mile, imagine riding a bike on a NYC subway train at rush hour. The road is barely two cars wide. People of all speeds are crammed into a small area. The road is a 12% grade. If you put your foot down, you won’t ever get started again. People are weaving, chains are snapping. It surprised me. The only mass start events I’ve done are road running and triathlons, where you can – figuratively – tread water at the start to find some clear water or road. At 12%, you can’t. As you’ll see, my race is a virtual catalog of dumb, rookie mistakes born out of inexperience. I guess I should have just chilled. I didn’t. Up ahead I saw pockets of clear road. I climbed for them. And I kept climbing for them. On your right, on your left. My plan was to never let my speed dip below 6 mph. I felt great. It was hard but effortless at the same time, if you can understand that. When I saw a gap, a bit of clear road, I accelerated. Glancing down, there were times when I hit 9 mph, other times 7 mph. My heart rate was 172-175. There were no mile markers, at least none that I could see. The first half or so of the race is in the trees. A saving grace as it turns out. A woman from the side of the road shouted out, halfway, keep going. I looked down at my watch. 36 minutes. I had wanted to attack the course, to race it. Not play it safe. I was passing people, quite a few people, which should have set off alarm bells I now realize, but at the time, it stoked me. As long as we were in the trees, it was good. Then we came out of the trees. It became a different race. I learned a weather fact on MW: any wind above 39 mph is considered gale force. My speed dropped. 5 mph. No, I said to myself, not below 6. I got out of the saddle and pushed. A guy’s wheel that I had vowed to follow for awhile slowed down. He was being smart. I saw my speed dip below 6 again. I pushed harder. The wind seemed to come from all directions. The road on MW never relents. There were two stretches I remember that were sorta flat. Even when you found 10 yards of less steep road, you rejoiced. It became… just to the next corner, then to the next, hoping to see another flat stretch. The clouds and mist started to close in. The wind had some wicked gusts. More chains were snapping. People were stopping. But on this road, how do you start again at 14%? Then the dirt and gravel road came. I looked down at my speed: 5, then 4, then I tried to push it back to 5. My body was going. My willpower was going. Then a gust of wind smacked me and I was over, on the ground, on my left side. It took me a while to figure out what happened. The wind had knocked me over. I don’t know how long after the dirt started I got knocked over. I was in a daze on the bike by then. I was just turning the cranks over the best I could. Two roadside spectators helped me back on the bike, held me up as I clipped in, and pushed me to get me going again. Other folks were getting blown over too. People were stopped on the road. Trying to figure out how to get started again. If there wasn’t a spectator near you, you were out of luck. I rode for awhile. How long I’m not sure. The misty clouds were socking us in pretty good. While watching the Tour, I’ve often heard Phil and Paul talk about how, when a rider cracks in the mountains, they crack big time. Before yesterday I understood that only intellectually. The wind was breaking my will. The mountain was breaking my body. I can’t tell you exactly how much farther I rode. Every turn of the cranks seemed to take all the energy I had. Once I realized that 1:15 was long gone, the gas went out of me. When you set a goal like 1:15 or bust, you never prepare yourself for the “bust”. When it hits you, it hits you hard. I knew one of two things would happen soon: the wind would blow me over again or I’d just fall over. Up ahead, a woman was passing a rider on his outside, right shoulder. He was weaving, tired, he didn’t seem to know she was there. He swerved right. She inched right. A foot to her right was the edge of the road and a sheer drop. She yelled. Thankfully he heard and turned sharply left. The wind, the mist, the cold, the mountain were doing tough things to people. Then I blew. Shattered. Tank empty. I unclipped my right cleat and barely got my foot down. I guy passing me asked, you ok? You’re bleeding. I looked at my left elbow and forearm. From where the wind had blown me over, there was a cut. I had no clue. I don’t know where on the mountain I was. I waited a while (maybe a few minutes? I don’t know) trying to get myself together for one more try at riding. A spectator helped me. I went a bit farther. But there just wasn’t anything left. I stopped. I started walking. Up. After a while, I took my shoes off. My bike computer said 2.9 mph. About what I’d been pedaling toward the end. I walked a long while. A photographer took a picture of me walking my bike. I wish he hadn’t. I actually thought about what I’d tell you guys. My most constant thought though was, ok, I failed, but I’m not going to quit. One way or another, I’m getting to the top. I was dripping wet now. It was raining pretty hard. The wind was blowing hard too. Riders where huffing and puffing as they passed me. The road simply went up into a thick cloud. Visibility was 10 feet. As I passed spectators, I asked them how far to the top. About 4, at different times, said 100 yards, trying to encourage me. A tip: please don’t lie to someone at that moment. It’s hard to go 100 yards and then see only more road and more clouds. Finally I heard the top. I couldn’t see it. I still have no idea what the top of MW looks like. I heard lots of people clapping, cheering. I heard music. I heard a PA announcer. The last section is 22%. I could barely walk it. How people rode it is amazing to me. It was nearly zero visibility up there. A very very nice volunteer handed me a blanket, took my bike, and S.O. Climb hugged me.

I made every mistake in the book. It was all new to me. Which may have been one of my two biggest mistakes. I didn’t know what to expect on MW. But I’m not sure you can know until you see it. That is one f*cking relentless mountain. But I should have ridden it before, or Ascutney, or something, to get an idea of what pace I could realistically hold. I took a calculated risk that spending weekends with my daughter was ultimately more important than riding mountains. It is more important, but riding big mountains would have helped, and helped a lot. My biggest mistake, though, was trying to ride the mountain on my terms, instead of on its terms. My ego wanted a fast time. Ego is such a double-edged sword. Without, you don’t dare. But sometimes with it, you do stupid things. The mountain, the weather, my own inexperience should have told me to back off some. But I’m stubborn. I wanted to attack the mountain. I didn’t want to play it safe. Crashing and burning was preferable. Yes, it was stupid. And I feel pretty sh*tty right now. I tell my daughter that trying is what counts. That living like an athlete is what makes an athlete, risking makes an athlete, getting in the game makes an athlete. For myself, that’s a lesson I only talk about. I don’t take it to heart. I wish I did, but I don’t. I really dug the 6 month journey to that mountain. Lord knows, I could be smarter the next time, ‘cause I can’t be any dumber. For about 4 or 5 miles, I felt great. Thing is, it isn’t a 4 or 5 mile race. Thank you, S.O. Climb. Without you, I’d never have gotten near that mountain, and never would have gotten down off it.

Will I do it again? Ask in a while. Not today. And finally, thank you all for your encouragement and community we have here. You helped get me there, too. Thanks.

[weisan]

Check it out here! (http://www.jsmcelvery.com/2005mw.html)

Ned, the "Old Dude"
http://www.jsmcelvery.com/photos/2005/road/mw/mw05overend2.jpg