Fried Green 50, 2011

 What an awesome event! Great job! goes out to Monte, and all of the volunteers. The weather was perfect all day, about 47 at the start and I think about 65 at the finish. 
 Monte lead all 49 of us out for a neutral start, and it pretty much stayed that way for the first four miles. A few small attacks, and accelerations, but a group of about 15  made a break and came to the "foot traffic only" section first. The race was neutral again through this whole section (.68 mi.), we all just walked and had a conversation about bikes and stuff. We got to the end, back on the bikes, and it was full on at this point. Jeff took of with the first pull, not to hard, but a strong pace. I think I was third wheel, looked back, and saw what looked like only eight guys. I expected we would start a pace line, but Jeff is a beast....long pulls. He probably pulled the first five miles. Finally Charles got up front, I looked back again, and it was just Jeff, Charles, and me. And I felt like I was about to fall off also. A few more good rollers and POP! their I go. So I put my head down (suffer, suffer, suffer), and to my surprise Jeff and Charles sat up, and waited on me....Holy Cow!  I pulled up along side and Jeff asked me "feeling o.k." No, kind of nauseous I told him, really weak, so off Jeff and Charles went.
 Got to the wildlife loop, and slowed down big time. Two guys past me there. When I got to Juliette rd. I rode in three little circles, contemplating a DNF. The truck is just down the road!  The truck is just down the road! THE TRUCK IS JUST DOWN THE ROAD. Then I straightened up and thought all I have to do is pedal my bike. Off to Caney creek road I went. Felt a little better ( flat roads), then here came the Mo brothers, big and little. These two hills are not what I wanted to see at this point. Head down and grind them out. 
 When I reached hwy 11 I started to feel good again. I felt like I had some power. Paved road will do that to you sometimes. I remember thinking, "man I love my road bike". Cruised down hwy 11 and a left turn back into the Piedmont, only 16 miles left. Started to ride with some power again, and when I reached Baron Russel I was moving pretty good. Its funny that when I know I'm almost done I get that sudden freshness in my legs....What is this, looks like Charles up ahead. Even fresher I felt. So just for the sake of doing it, I whizzed right past him. Your killing me, I yelled. Ya but you caught me, he said. So we rolled in together to finish 4th and 5th. 
 Jeff "Stoney" Clayton gets the win. I don't know Jeff all that well, but actions speak louder than words they say. When I finished (25 minutes later) he was on the bridge congratulating all of the finishers. 
 Great race, great volunteers, Great job Monte! Hopefully this event will do nothing but grow. Can't wait till next year, its on my calendar. Oh ya, what constitutes a race? More than one person going in the same direction at the same time....Later