BRAT: I think I've bitten off more than I can chew

[indysteel]

I signed up several months ago to do the Bicycle Ride Across Tennessee (BRAT). At the time, they offered only a general route description, and it appeared doable. I should mention that this year's BRAT is in Middle Tennessee; it starts in Nashville and does a big loop. Since it is Tennessee, I figured it would be hilly, but I didn't really expect anything too scary.

Wrong. They finally posted the elevation profiles--about a day or two before the last day to request a refund--for each day's route, and I'm now in a panic because there are a few days with a lot of steep climbing. One day in particular has almost 8k feet of climbing in 52 miles. That's a lot for a flatlander like me. I've gotten better at climbing, but I can only do so many hills with grades in excess of 15% before my legs and lungs revolt.

For your viewing pleasure, here are the elevation profiles:
http://www.state.tn.us/environment/parks/BRAT/pdf/CuesMapsProfiles.pdf

I'm really torn as to what to do. I'll have to eat about $500 if I back out now. If I go, I'm afraid I'm going to die on the side of a rural Tennessee road. This was supposed to be fun, but it's now feeling like torture, but I hate the thought of just giving up.

I know you can't really tell me what to do, but does anybody have any thoughts? Anybody else doing this ride?

Thanks. Kate

[SouthernBelle]

Well, I do know that Middle Tennessee is a lot more than gently rolling hills. I live there (here). But I also understand that BRAT is well-SAGged and it is no problem to ride with the vehicles some. Email the ride coordinator and ask.

[Tuckervill]

I think you change your outlook on it and go and decide to have fun whatever happens!

Are you doing it by yourself? Maybe you can hook up with someone else via a message board to hang with. Don't be afraid to walk up the hills, either. Or skip that day, huh?

Just think how much fun you'll have just being around other cyclists and all the brouhaha that goes with it. Don't worry about your performance. It's going to be what you make it, so make it fun no matter what.

I didn't know Tennessee had a ride like that. Middle Tennessee, yikes!--i lived in Mt. Juliet (east of Nashville) for a while and our back yard went straight up! My husband rolled over on the riding lawnmower trying to mow it once.

I say do the ride anyway!

Karen

[SouthernBelle]

Karen, used to live in MJ, live in Lebanon now.

[indysteel]

Well, I do know that Middle Tennessee is a lot more than gently rolling hills. I live there (here). But I also understand that BRAT is well-SAGged and it is no problem to ride with the vehicles some. Email the ride coordinator and ask.

I really should have asked you about it, SB. I don't know what the heck I was thinking, and now I feel like a complete idiot. Most days are close to what I was expecting. Good rolling hills with a few steep ones thrown in here and there. It's really just Day 5 that I'm worried about (the one with over 7k in 52 miles). That would be hard on any day, but on the next to last day of riding, it seems even more intimidating. The elevation profile looks like an EKG gone terribly wrong.

I do know a couple of people who are going. I'm driving there with another rider from Indianapolis. He's done BRAT before and even he's pretty scared about this one.

I'll email the ride coordinator to see if you can hitch a ride with a SAG if need be. I'm also signed up for the camping service. The owner has been known to give people rides before.

[SouthernBelle]

Well, at that point, you'll be in my neck of the woods. So before you leave PM me and I'll give you my phone #s. I can always come get you.

[Zen]

Is there an elevator at mile 40?:eek:
I can't imagine that! :eek::eek:
What were they thinking?:eek: :eek: :eek:

[Beane]

I understand how you're feeling now, but just think what great shape you'll be in when it's over!

[blueskies]

It's really just Day 5 that I'm worried about (the one with over 7k in 52 miles). That would be hard on any day, but on the next to last day of riding, it seems even more intimidating. The elevation profile looks like an EKG gone terribly wrong.


If it's any consolation, the experienced Cycle Oregon riders that I've talked to have all said the same thing about the effects of cumulative riding over a week. They all say that day 3 is always the hardest, and then after that you just feel stronger & stronger with each passing day. I hope it's true!

And remember: you are IndySTEEL!

[TsPoet]

I can't remember who it was, but someone had a tag line that said "I’ve never met a hill to steep to walk". On bike Washington a few weeks ago, I lived by that moto. I calculated how long it would take me to walk up "peaks" that were too steep for me to ride, did a ride/walk thing and only sagged over one.
I had a blast!
Go, have fun, relax, walk when you need to and sag when you need to.

[Tuckervill]

Karen, used to live in MJ, live in Lebanon now.

Went a little further out, huh?

I love the Nashville area, but we lived there during the real estate bust. We ended up in Memphis for 15 years due to job situations, and now we're back in Arkansas where we belong! :)

I would love to live in other places (Corvallis, OR comes to mind), but I just don't belong there. So I'll just travel a lot!

Karen

[Mr. Bloom]

One day in particular has almost 8k feet of climbing in 52 miles. That's a lot for a flatlander like me.

Hmmm...doesn't that mean there's 8k feet of coasting too?

Kate, I say go for it! If I had first seen the profile of the Horsey Hundred (which you and I did with 5,200 ft of climbing in the first 50 miles), I wouldn't have gone! But we both finished strong and had a great time!

Worse case, you'll be a Central Indiana Flatlander who has to walk a couple of hills...and that's no big deal, with NO shame at all, because finishing BRAT is still quit an accomplishment and you'll be better for the experience.

YOU CAN DO IT!

[Mr. Bloom]

I love the Nashville area, but we lived there during the real estate bust. We ended up in Memphis for 15 years due to job situations,

Did we know that? We lived in Nashville until '93 (Woodmont Blvd) and then moved to Memphis (Germantown). Were we neighbors and didn't know it?

[Veronica]

I have mapping software similar to the Navtek used to calculate the climbing. Mine is DeLorme. Anyway... it always over calculated the climbing by 30 0r 40%. It said my 4 mile commute had 400 feet of climbing! It really has 157.

Don't worry about the profiles. Go and have fun!

V.

[Tuckervill]

Did we know that? We lived in Nashville until '93 (Woodmont Blvd) and then moved to Memphis (Germantown). Were we neighbors and didn't know it?

I knew you lived in Memphis at one time, but I've never mentioned it. Yes, we lived in Mount Juliet from 89-91. We lived in Bartlett the first time we lived in Shelby County. Then we lived in Little Rock for about 2 years and then back to Memphis. We lived in the Raliegh area that time--don't gasp! We had just as fine a house as any in G'town, and a private lake. It was just surrounded by decay. Job changes forced us out to Fayette County for a while, and then we made a permanent change to NW Arkansas.

I was just in Germantown last weekend for a friend's 40th. Took a bike ride. I forgot how dangerous the drivers are in Memphis! I managed to find a MUT but it was only 3/4 of a mile long. I still like Memphis, just not the pace of life there.

Karen

[DirtDiva]

Honestly? I don't think it looks so bad. Yes, it's a lot of climbing all together, but there are only two or three climbs over the whole thing where you have to climb more than a hundred metres at a time, and most of the climbs are a lot shorter. May not be easy, but how freakin' good will it feel to have done it!?!

[indysteel]

Thanks for the words of encouragment! I'm going, and I'll do my best. I've done a lot of other things bikewise this year (my first full year of riding I might add) that I never would have predicted so I'll hope and pray for the best. Obviously, I'll report back when I return.

If this doesn't turn me into a goat, nothing will!

Kate

[indigoiis]

Just remember, it's OKAY to use your grannies.

Go in to it with expectations of beautiful views and wonderously fast downhills. The cover charge for the disco downhills? A wee climb. Get a song for your head to play as you pay. And enjoy the view as you climb.

You can do it!

[SouthernBelle]

Speaking of a song (small thread hijack) Wasn't there a song that had the phrase, "Round and Round" Maybe back in the 70s? Need it for pedaling while climbing. :rolleyes:

[dex]

All this Tennessee talk is making me miss it a little. *sniff*

I grew up in Clarksville--spent tons of time in Nashville--and then did the college thing in Knoxville. I should get back for a visit sometime.

[Mr. Bloom]

"Round and Round" Maybe back in the 70s? :rolleyes:

Indy's not that old...you may have to sing it for her!


--and then did the college thing in Knoxville.
...that's too bad...such a waste :D Roll Tide! :D

[Beane]

"I’ve never met a hill to steep to walk".

isn't that the truth. Although, I did a "challenge ride" this year and walked so many times I pretty much destroyed my plastic Look cleats... :rolleyes:

I'm thinking next time I'll bring some oversized Crocs in a camelbak and slip my bike shoes into them when I need to walk!

..the funniest part was when I was hiking up a hill pushing my bike and some guy comes up next to me and starts to walk his bike and says, "gee, sure wish I had one of those triple chainrings." Like he felt the need to point out that if he'd had a triple he'd be buzzing right by me!

[Tri Girl]

Speaking of a song (small thread hijack) Wasn't there a song that had the phrase, "Round and Round" Maybe back in the 70s? Need it for pedaling while climbing. :rolleyes:

I think there's two. Round and Round (by Ratt, I think) and Round Round by Dead or Alive (first one is an 80's rock hair band, the second one is an 80's club music style alternative band- and the second song is on my MP3 right now :o ).


And good for you for still going!!! I'm glad you didn't back out. There's nothing to be ashamed about in walking up a hill (or down a scary descent in my case) or sag'ing it. You go and have a GREAT time and take lots of pictures of those scary hills so we can drop jaw with you.

[SouthernBelle]

...that's too bad...such a waste :D Roll Tide! :D

All will be known on the 3rd Saturday in Oct. And it's at your place.

[slmdunc]

Okay... you can't NOT do it.

Look at your signature quote!:


Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen hard. Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Laugh. Choose with no regret. Continue to learn. Appreciate your friends. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is.

--Mary Anne Radmacher

Good luck to you!

[indysteel]

I'm home and happy to report that I survived BRAT 2007. As Dirt Diva suggested, it feels darn good to say that I did it. I did about 380 miles in 6 days of riding. I'm not sure how much climbing was involved, but it felt like plenty! Overall, I'd say the ride was challenging but very doable. No one day was that hard. Rather, it was the cumulative effect of riding hard each day that wore me out. That said, I felt great on Friday--the day I was most worried about. Elevation profiles can be, as I learned on this trip, disceiving. I think I'll avoid looking very closely at them next time. :p

The tour itself is pretty nice, although I do think there are a few kinks to work out. There were a little less than 300 people and it rarely ever felt all that crowded. We spent the first night in a park in downtown Nashville. It was a bit noisy even at night, and I don't think any of us slept well. It took a while that first day of riding to get out of the city and suburbs. I could have done without that part of the ride.

After that, however, most of the tour took us through rural and small town Tennessee. Most of the people we encountered were very friendly, although a motorist shot one of the riders with a pellet gun. That was the only "ugliness" that we encountered. Some of the routes took us on busier roads/highways than I'm used to traveling. Most of them had a wide shoulder, but I didn't like that much all the same. That said, the roads themselves were great with just a few minor exceptions. They don't have the freeze/thaw cycle that we have in Indiana, so the pavement was much nicer. We encountered a number of loose dogs as you might imagine. I HATE loose dogs, so I was always a little on guard. One of the riders got bit and had to call the sheriff to file a report.

The routes were exceedingly well marked and my hat goes off to the organizers for that. Park Service rangers escorted us much of the way, which was very nice. The SAGs though were a head scratcher. BRAT's philosphy is that they won't provide food at SAGs or SAGS at all if there are "nearby" stores and gas stations. We often encountered a number of SAG stops--often with only water, Gatorade and limited (if any) food early in each day's ride. From there, you could go 30 miles without seeing another stop. So, you had to really pay attention to the stores indicated on the cue sheet to know when to stop and refuel on your own. I always carry some food anyway, but I started carrying more as the week progressed. I usually had enough water to get from stop to stop, but almost ran out on Friday.

I understand their desire to support local shops, but regular spaced SAGS would have been nice, too. It's hard to keep going sometimes, even when the nearest gas station is only a couple of miles up the road. I think a number of complaints were made to the ride coordinator, but they may have fallen on deaf ears in part because some of the riders took out their frustration on the Park Service rangers who manned the SAGs. That clearly was uncalled for, but I think the complaint was valid all the same.

Tuesday was a layover day and we took a day trip to Lynchburg. We toured the Jack Daniels Distillery and then ate at a cute coffee shop in town. That afternoon's riding was the only time that I kind of lost it. My legs had gotten rather stiff from being off the bike for a few hours and the day had gotten rather hot. After lunch, we hit some long hills with extended steep grades. I found myself really struggling and had to walk my bike twice. I was rather irritated with myself for having "given up," but I just didn't have it in me.

From there, however, I did okay. On Wednesday, we climbed the Cumberland Plateau near the TN, GA, AL border and it was a lovely ride. The climb itself was about 4 miles with about a 7% average grade. I had a blast doing that. We don't have climbs that long in my neck of the woods. And the 4-mile descent was equally fun. On Thursday and Friday, the Cumberland Plateau was the backdrop for most of the days' riding. I shed a few tears in spots because it was just so lovely. I knew then that the trip had been a success.

I met some really nice people along the way. I went down there with someone from home that I knew only marginally. His wife had decided not to go, so we drove down together. We ended up becoming good friends I think and had some really interesting conversations. He's an incredibly strong climber. So, while we started each day together, he often ended up far ahead of me. We also rode most of the week with a man we met from North Carolina. He's also a stronger climber than me, but he was always willing to hang back so that I didn't ride alone. Truthfully, I often would have rather been on my own so I sometimes had to purposely hang back to shake either or both of them. If I had to redo the ride, I would have tried harder to ride at my own pace, even if it meant riding alone. For one, it was easier to enjoy the scenery when I wasn't looking at someone's back wheel. For another, I felt like I had to "perform" when they were around.

I used a "pampered camper" service on the ride and, despite some cons, would probably do that again. It was nice to come into camp with my tent already set up and a fresh clean towel, snacks and drinks waiting for me and to not have to worry about taking it down each morning. Bubba, the man who runs the service, was very helpful. Just the shade tent alone that he sets up at each camp was worth some money as our camp was often in full sun. That said, I had no control over where my tent was set up and I spent two days way too close to the camp bathrooms. I had to listen to the toilet flush throughout the night. Nevertheless, I actually slept better than I thought I would. The food wasn't anything to write home about, but it was plentiful if nothing else. Too plentiful in fact. I likely ate far more than I needed to.

I plan on doing BRAT again. Next year's is in the mountains. I'm hopefully going to use that as next summer's training goal!

Thanks for all the encouragement and for sharin' the ride!

Kate

[Mr. Bloom]

:D :D Glad you do it:D :D

Great report! Congrats

[DirtDiva]

Well done you! :)

[SouthernBelle]

Glad all went well. I wanted to come over to Cedar Forrest on Friday, but was having one of those days.

[makbike]

Sounds like you had a great time. Tennessee is such a beautiful state. My parents live on the Cumberland River and I look forward to my trips home for they are surrounded by come beautiful countryside.

[Trekhawk]

Congratulations and thanks for posting your ride report.:)

[Kano]

Congratulations! That's awesome! I'm so glad to hear how it went! A little bit envious too: I would love to do a ride like that some day! I think it's time to start "shopping" for one!

Karen in Boise

[slmdunc]

Hooray! You should be very proud. Thank you for sharing with us.