Chicked on Both Climbs + Dropped at 3hrs 15mins on the way in Near the Airport=Humiliation

Three riders asked me at different times, "Why do you have your camera?" One even said after my journalistic response that he hoped that he didn't do anything 'stupid' to be documented for my B-Log. To answer those questions from yesterday, apparently I brought my camera to capture myself alone off of the back on the other side of the Airport. This is about the time that the uncontrollable shivers and shakes set in until I got home and under the covers after an extremely hot shower. Satisfied with my answer?? Ilan helping Petra with a flat. Doug rolled to the repair site to watch their backs in the right lane of Wilkinson as State Highway Patrol cruises by.

Headed into Mt. Hollywood.

Somewhere in the Country of Gaston County.

A rally point near Downtoon Mt. Hollywood.

Spamerton: In Ilan's Top 10 Best Ideas Ever. The Friendliest Group Road Ride In Charlotte offering a 65mile Route out to Gaston County and back with two Category 4 Climbs(the first over Spencer Mountain near Ranlo and the other over Cramer Mountain), well maybe if there were a Cat 5 that's what they would be.

Most Notably without trying to give myself any excuses or any thing, I have been sick since the end of last week. Honestly I feel like I have been carrying something with mild effects for the past few weeks but the last two days have been awful. I actually 'took to the bed' Southern Style for the entire day Saturday sleeping in and out of a small under fever myself. Millhouse and Dicky were in the daylight dreams where I was trying to get my hands on a clear plastic bag full of Millhouse's gummy lemon drops. At one point I woke up in a sweat because I was trying to hide the bag behind a stove that had a fresh pot of tomato sauce brewing on the burner. The top of the bubbling sauce was laden with fresh oregano, basil and parsley. Not only could I smell the oregano and herbs in my dream but I could feel the heat of the pot when I picked it up to get it off of the stove so I could hide the lemon yellow gummies behind it. Yeah, I thought I would just go over there and pull a healthy Spamerton shortly after waking up this morning.


The ride started promptly at 0900hrs. Besides Ilan I knew Doug and Katie but none of the other 16 riders(14guys/2girls) rolling out towards the west. We picked up Mike for 21 total on HWY74. My head felt like it had been detached while I slept over night then reattached with thick greasy black sutures before I woke. My breathing was shallow, the space being taken up with a bodily fluid that had travelled from my kidneys to my rib cage then my neck and now my lungs since Friday. I loved the chit chat I listened to silently trying to keep from coughing and breathing too deeply to spark that hard chest cough. I heard someone say that this ride stays at 17mph, he sounded sad. The other fellow let me know without realizing that the girls besides Katie were Petra and [Sic]Hannah. Another rider mentioned that he was considering a new power tap. The hollow sound of forty wheels freewheeling out 74 and then I heard a hard pop, slam and the shouts from behind of Petra's flat just beyond Coyote Joe's. Ilan started the fix and Doug went down to spot which made for an interesting image seen above as the header. Rolling again.


On by the Brown Water Center and points beyond for Mount Hollywood. Some folks got stuck at the left hand turn stop sign onto HWY 27 which gave me the chance to go for my first and only sprint points of the ride at the Mount Hollywood town line on the end of the bridge. None of the other 20 riders contested, so I guess my victory was worthless. When we turned right then left, then right again for Stanly NC(home of the Woodshed where you can order your steak from a well lit rotating pie case-they do not serve beer or wine but you can bring your own) I first realized that my physical sickness was catching up to me and where I was. By the time we went left up Spencer Mtn I was off the back and looking up half way to see the entire group pull away. In the words of the infinitely immortal Dicky, "Meh."

Two thirds up the climb I saw Ilan coming back down to me for the rescue of the messenger. He sat right in front of me and without saying anything pulled me up through the windy curves for the flat at Ranlo. I told him quietly, "Thank you." Shit, Cramer Mountain is still ahead of us before the rollers back into the Jar. By the time we cut through all the little neat neighborhoods of Belmont and Cramerton I had gained back a little something. Even though I was in the last three up the last of the Cat 4/5 climbs I still thought that my constricting throat was just fine. Then we turned onto HWY 74 again for the last 10miles in. I was fricked. I heard that once while trying to climb a volcano in Mexico. Fricked. Yes, toast. I was gone and at one point near the Airport Ilan looked at me with a loving smile and said, "You realize that I am going to have to start pushing you?" I turned to him and his smiling face, "Not unless you just push me over and let me die." At that point I apologized and asked him to leave me dropped, explaining that I would get back in on my own. Ilan is a class act for sure. As soon as he pulled away with a nod for the group up on the horizon about to turn on Wallace Neal Rd. I started crying. Pain, constricting throat combined with the feverish thoughts of failure mixed into my emotional and physical self being buffeted by the wind and rained down on with the gas of the planes a few hundred feet over my head con-stantly coming and going and going and coming. Then the shakes and cold chills set in.


It was 1215hrs and I was by myself for the last 50minutes. One bit of happiness hit me a mile from the shop when I spotted Petra again. I was not dead but damn near it then she turned a u-ey for her house and caught my eye with a smile and a, "See ya later!' I am gonna make it after all. 4hrs and 10mins I rolled up to the shop to see Ilan, Katie and unnamed rider heading out for another 40k perhaps. The Double Down is less than two weeks away. I have to get well and find my inner self.