Tom's Blog: 10/31/10

Before I forget: Mark your calendars for next year. A2A 2011 (30 year anniversary) is October 9, 2011. Carolina Century 2011 is October 22, 2011 (always the fourth Saturday in October).

Carolina Century web page:
http://bl2u.com/events/carolina-century-2010/index.htm

Map of the Carolina Century:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=101763249884497497310.00049312f74fa864722ab&z=11

October 23, 2010

This skate report is going to be very different from most skate reports I have written. Long story short: The day was beautiful and uneventful, and the skate went perfectly. Just a great day to be skating.

All of the skaters (7 of us?) rolled out at 7:30a in very cold weather. According to the thermometer in Clarence's car, it was 39 degrees out when we arrived around 7:15a. Point it, it was cold. Some of the other skaters added layers for the early part of the skate but I just ware long sleeves under my jersey, and kept that on all day. My hands were cold, but that was my only issue. Interestingly, Mark broke one of his two water bottles early in the skate. It appeared that the cold weather made the plastic very brittle.

Before long, less than 10 miles into the skate, Mark, Jonathan, and I gapped the rest of the group.

The only drama on the day, and it wasn't even that big a deal, was due to our own mistake. We (Mark, Jonathan, and I) missed the turn onto Pleasant Ridge Road in Summerfield. Mark had hit a rock and almost fell prior to the turn, so perhaps we weren't looking for the turn markers as closely as we should have been. When we worked our way back to the missed turn we did see that it was marked.

I looked it up on the map it looks like we went about 1.4 miles out of our way so we added 2.8 miles to our trip. Adding that to the 102 miles and change of the official route, we skated approximately 105 miles on the day. At our average (moving) pace of 13.8 mph that cost us at least 12 minutes. But it really cost us more than that because we were going slow and trying to figure out what happened for a while.

Anyway, we skated 105 beautiful miles. Started at 7:30a and finished at 3:25p. Total time of 7:55. 13.8 mph moving average, 13.3 mph total average. My GPS dropped out for a little while and didn't record the whole time but for the record it recorded the following:
Total Distance: 104.43 miles
Total Time: 7:33:34.67
Avg Speed: 13.8 mph (moving average, not stopped)
Max Speed: 46.1 mph
Avg Heart Rate: 134 bpm
Max Heart Rate: 158 bpm
Total Ascent: 8578 ft
Total Descent: 8048 ft (should be the same as the ascent)

For the sake of comparison, here is what it recorded for my 2010 A2A skate:
Total Distance: 83.81 miles (forgot to start it, was actually 87 miles!)
Total Time: 6:18:34.59
Avg Speed: 13.3 mph (moving average, not stopped)
Max Speed: 39.3 mph
Avg Heart Rate: 134 bpm
Max Heart Rate: 165 bpm
Total Ascent: 7650 ft
Total Descent: 7049 ft

Mark and I finished in an intentional tie. I'm not sure how much Mark had left in the tank (and his ankle might still have been hurting from when he hit that rock in Summerfield) and maybe he didn't know how much I had in the tank (I did have a little more). But I wasn't willing to test him, and in truth I didn't want to.

Mark did push a little on one of the final uphills just to see if was still strong at the end but I matched his surge. I didn't fade on the final hills this year like I did two years ago when Mark deserved to win outright. Anyway, Mark and I had skated together, taking our turns in the lead, just the two of us since the rest stop at Mile 21 (Jonathan couldn't keep pace at that point). I think it was very fitting to end in a tie.

We were talking about A2A 2010 during the skate. Eddy won with a time of 5:04:44, which is slower than the 4:30 range he is capable of. Mark said that he heard that the lead group was playing games all day, breaking away at times then going slow at times. Mark and I could have done that, but I wasn't interested. With the slight wind at the end it would have been advantageous to be behind, in the draft, until the very end. So we could have slowed down, trying to force the other to take the lead, then sprinting ahead at times. Just not the games I was interested in playing, especially when we had worked together so well all day. We skated 105 miles together (80+ miles just the two of us), both doing an equal share of the work. A tie was satisfying to me.

Unfortunately for the "power challenge," we didn't have a scale at the finish. I happen to love the power challenge for obvious reasons (THIS is something I can win!) and was disappointed we didn't have an official scale. So, for the record, when I got home I weighed myself at 226 pounds (no clothes). Say 230, at least, with gear and clothes. Probably closer to 235 including the skates.

We did hit 46.1 mph on the fast downhill near what Blake calls Mount Trashmore (a landfill) on Freeman Road between Miles 48-50 on the course. I think I hit 44.5 on this hill two years earlier. Mark and I decided to go down together but we didn't fully commit to it, I guess. I was in front and Mark wasn't right on me from the beginning. But halfway down I felt him on my back and we managed to hit 46.1. We had a slight headwind so I don't think that we could have hit 50. Maybe 47 or 48 if we had stayed tight the whole way. Maybe we'll get 50 in the future, with favorable wind and more commitment.

One comment on the routes: I think Blake is actually being too accommodating by offering so many options. Any mileage you want to do, Blake has a route for it. But maybe there are too many options. People want to skate/bike together. It is more fun when you have company on the road. Too many options means that many people won't cross paths. It also undoubtedly makes more work for Blake and other volunteers. I happen to think that cutting down the options wouldn't hurt the event at all and would simplify things for the better. Really doesn't matter to me because I like doing the full 102 mile option, but it is an observation I thought I would share.

I missed seeing my wife and girls during the rest stops this year. They worked the Scalesville rest stop last year and it was fun to see them, even for just a short time, during the skate.

And now, I'll post my write-ups and recollections from the 2009 and 2008 Carolina Centuries, since I didn't have a blog back then.

October 24, 2009

First, some picture links:

http://roadskater.net/photos/carolina-century-2009-greensboro-nc-102-mile-bike-ride-roadskate-inline-skate/index5.htm

http://roadskater.net/photos/carolina-century-2009-greensboro-nc-102-mile-bike-ride-roadskate-inline-skate/091024173730.htm

http://roadskater.net/photos/carolina-century-2009-greensboro-nc-102-mile-bike-ride-roadskate-inline-skate/091024173734.htm

http://roadskater.net/photos/carolina-century-2009-greensboro-nc-102-mile-bike-ride-roadskate-inline-skate/091024173818.htm

Some minimal stuff I wrote about this one:
http://roadskater.net/carolina-century-2009-fuzzy-llama-funny-llama-llama-llama-duck

Toughest Skate I've Ever Done

First, a sobering link:
http://www.topix.com/forum/source/myfox8/TQB1LHVJR2BR0RCP6

As for Mount Trashmore, I think I hit about 42 mph. I thought I could do faster but I couldn't see with all the rain stinging my eyes. Not to mention the sad state my bearings were in.

I've never really "hit the wall" like I did during this skate. I was really staggering at the end of this one. Climbing the hills at the end of the skate into the steady headwind at times, with bearings that weren't rolling very well--that was tough. I'm just happy to have finished.

Here is a note from Blake, regarding the 2009 Carolina Century, dated November 19, 2009:

===================================================

i promise better weather for the 3rd annual carolina century! it was epic. the carolina century photos are a good way to see part of the route, with trees, barns, horses, llamas, a few people and lots of mist inside and outside the lens. my camera shut down for about 40 miles it was so soaked, but i took the battery out and carried it in the wind a few hours and it came back for the last 30 miles. the important thing is the amazing volunteers and hearty participants raised some money for people with multiple sclerosis and we had several first or second time empiric centurions on this grueling day. three roadskaters completed the century. my deepest thanks to everyone who came out for our event in challenging circumstances. 2d and 3d maps to come, most likely. geolocation is good for all photos except those ending in suffix n-z, where it is fair.
450 photos.

http://roadskater.net/photos/carolina-century-2009-greensboro-nc-102-mile-bike-ride-roadskate-inline-skate/

The 2nd Annual Roadskater.net Carolina Century for Multiple Sclerosis rolled out at 730AM and 900AM, starting at Gospel Baptist Church near NC-150 and North Church Street in Greensboro. Full reports later, but despite bad weather (predicted and actual, which turned to glorious sunshine and blue skies by afternoon), the Carolina Century riders and volunteers raised a good chunk of change for people with MS, and many completed their first or second century. Three skaters finished the century (my fourth 100-plus-miler, 120 being my maximum miles skated in a day).

The photos here are from three sources: the vast majority being from my camera, from the road (which died from mile 33 to mile 75 due to the wet weather), plus a few shots by Marianne Janssen and Dale Brown of Cyclesdeoro.com marked with suffixes of n-z.

The event and photos end on a somber note as the volunteers (and later, the last three of us to finish the 102) learned of a hit and run crash a few hundred yards up the road. Reports indicate that authorities have charged Grayson Warren Dawson of killing David Sherman head-on while driving on the wrong side of the road (for which she has been charged multiple times), driving without proper license (for which she has been charged multiple times), then leaving him by the roadside without stopping to offer comfort of her own, or to seek assistance from witnesses nearby. All who drive or have loved ones who drive should stand up to demand changes. We as a society have had several chances to remove this person from the streets, and we have not even done that as of this writing. She is only one particle in a larger wave, perhaps, but it is a wave we must tame if we are to be safe, even inside our own cars.

the driver was allowed to show up at the county jail on her own, then walked out an hour later without having to post bail. she will have to pay $5000 if she fails to appear, as she has done in the past...

please see my photos from the today we ride for dave 2009 david sherman memorial ride here.

Photo name includes 24-hour format camera time as YYMMDDHHmmSS.

If you enjoy these photos, please do me a favor: join Roadskater.net and let me know! Become part of our social network and contribute your experiences and events on our community news site for roadskaters (inline skaters, rollerbladers), cyclists, runners, and others who use active transportation to improve their lives and the lives of others Help us tell the world about great events, and how to get off the couch and exercise!

Photos by Blake Lambert of Roadskater.net using a Sony Cybershot DSC-S50 camera usually. Feel free to print pictures for yourself using a digital photo online print service for private, individual use, but please, ask first and offer credit in publication for public use of any kind, including for good causes and great non-profit organizations. If you especially love a photo, I'd love to hear about it!

===================================================

Justice for David Sherman Facebook Page

Driver Arrested In Hit And Run Death Of Cyclist

Greensboro, NC -- Police have arrested and charged an Eden woman in connection with the hit-and-run death of a cyclist on North Church Street on October 24.

48-year-old Grayson Warren Dawson is charged with felony hit-and-run, misdemeanor death by motor vehicle, and driving with a revoked license. The date of the hit-and-run, October 24, was also the suspect's birthday.

Dawson is accused of hitting and killing David Sherman, 55, of Summerfield as he rode his bicycle on North Church Street near the intersection with Highway 150. He died from injuries sustained from the collision. Deputies say the driver did not stop.

Two days later, deputies in Rockingham County and NC Highway Patrol seized a vehicle in Eden that they received a tip on. The SUV matched the description of the one seen when Sherman was hit.

Dawson was released from jail about an hour after her arrival. Guilford County Jail says she was a "print release", which means she took fingerprints, a mugshot, and with a promise to appear in court, was allowed to go home. The magistrate's office did say she has a $5000 unsecured bond, but she will only have to pay that if she fails to appear in court on December 2, 2009.

Woman Charged In Fatal Accident Says She Thought She Hit A Deer

The News & Record reports that the Eden, NC, woman charged with a fatal hit-and-run that happened near the Rockingham and Guilford County line said she thought she hit a deer. The newspaper also reports that state troopers acted on information given by clerks at an area convenience store – they saw the damage to the SUV and reported it to authorities.

As Star News reported to you on Tuesday, November 3, 48-year-old Grayson Warren Dawson of 702 Moir Mill Road in Eden has been charged in the October 24 hit-and-run death of David Sherman, a bicyclist who died on North Church Street in Guilford County. She's been charged with Felony Hit-And-Run and Death By Motor Vehicle.

According to the account in the News & Record, clerks at French's Corner Country Store and Grill located in the Ruffin area of Rockingham County noticed on October 26 – two days after any accident with Sherman – the heavy damages to the silver Dodge Durango being driven by Dawson. When they asked her what happened to her vehicle, Dawson, who was picking up a pack of cigarettes and a cup of ice, told them she hit a deer, went back to look, and couldn't find one. To the store clerks, that story was hard to believe, but they contacted law enforcement officers to tell them the story.

Initially, investigators had few leads to the driver who left Sherman dying of massive head trauma, but once they got the tip from the staff at French's Corner Country Store and Grill, they went to work. Allison Hundley, a clerk at the store, remembered that the hit-and-run involved a silver Durango, so she called her husband who is a volunteer firefighter and told him about the Durango. After Hundley's husband contacted state troopers with Dawson's tag number, troopers and deputies from the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office began comparing the clerks' descriptions to an eyewitness report of the hit-and-run vehicle. Three hours later, troopers and deputies were in Dawson's driveway on Moir Mill Road where they found the Durango with a crushed left headlight and left bumper and left fender, wrinkled hood, partly deflated tire, and a broken side mirror spattered with blood. A warrant also said that blood and hair were embedded in the windshield – in the broken glass – and it did not appear to be consistent with deer hair.

When a Rockingham County deputy and state trooper knocked on the door, Dawson answered and said, "I am so sorry. I really thought I hit a deer. I stopped to see if [there were] any deer. There were no deer there." Dawson, who was released on a $5,000 unsecured bond, also was charged with Driving Left Of Center and Driving While License Revoked.

Motorist charged in death of bicyclist

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2009 (Updated Wednesday, November 4 - 5:14 am)

By DIONI L. WISE

Staff Writer

Accompanying Photos

Photo Caption: Grayson Dawson

Additional Photos

Related links

Killed Cyclist Was Musician in Civic Orchestra Video

Police tape surrounds a silver Dodge Durango suspected of being involved in a fatal collision with a bicyclist over the weekend. Photo

Pix: David Sherman Photos

GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. - Authorities said Monday they had located the vehicle involved in a fatal hit-and-run collision with a bicyclist over the weekend.

Investigators with the North Carolina Highway Patrol put up police tape around a silver Dodge Durango at a home in Rockingham County as they checked for evidence that would link the SUV to the death of David Sherman, a cyclist who was struck from behind as he rode south on Church St. north of Greensboro on Saturday.

The highway patrol said charges against the driver were not expected to be filed Monday.

Sherman, 55, died at the scene, the highway patrol said.

Trooper said the vehicle that hit Sherman took off without stopping, but a witness identified it as a silver Durango. Investigators believe the SUV will have extensive windshield damage.

News of the death spread quickly through the cycling community.

"David was a cautious cyclist. He obeyed the rules of the road just like we do when we are in our cars," said Dolly Jennings, a friend.

Sherman was a vice president at Trinity-based Sealy Corp. and played violin in the Greensboro Philharmonia.

"People are in shock," said Sealy CFO Jeff Ackerman. "Dave was so full of life, and to have this happen so quickly, it's shocking."

"He learned to play the violin four years ago, marathon runner, cyclist," listed Larry Rogers, CEO of Sealy. "Dave was into the arts."

Sherman leaves behind a wife and two children.

Friends are putting together a reward for information leading to an arrest in the case.

Records from the North Carolina Department of Transportation show that, from 1997 to 2007, bicycle crashes killed 268 people in the state. In July, a car hit and killed a 14-year-old Mark Zanzarella as he rode his bike along Highway 311 in Clemmons. The driver did not face charges.

In April, a car hit and killed Elon University chemistry professor Eugene Gooch.

Okay, enough of the hit and run. It was such a bit part of the day, though, and I don't want to forget about it, so I decided to include that in the blog posting. Anyway, here is some more information about the skate itself:

I missed the 7:30a start (hence not in the early pictures). I finished at 5:19p, which is a little under 9:49 (considering the late start). Last year I did it in 7:46, demonstrating how tough the conditions were this year.

Me, in the background, scrambling to get ready.

http://roadskater.net/photos/carolina-century-2009-greensboro-nc-102-mile-bike-ride-roadskate-inline-skate/091024073010n.htm

I finally caught up with the group.

http://roadskater.net/photos/carolina-century-2009-greensboro-nc-102-mile-bike-ride-roadskate-inline-skate/091024074026.htm

Slogging through the early miles.

http://roadskater.net/photos/carolina-century-2009-greensboro-nc-102-mile-bike-ride-roadskate-inline-skate/091024075526.htm

Slogging through the early miles II.

http://roadskater.net/photos/carolina-century-2009-greensboro-nc-102-mile-bike-ride-roadskate-inline-skate/091024080050.htm

Slogging through the early miles III.

http://roadskater.net/photos/carolina-century-2009-greensboro-nc-102-mile-bike-ride-roadskate-inline-skate/091024084812.htm

Slogging through the early miles IV.

http://roadskater.net/photos/carolina-century-2009-greensboro-nc-102-mile-bike-ride-roadskate-inline-skate/091024085204.htm

Slogging through the early miles V.

http://roadskater.net/photos/carolina-century-2009-greensboro-nc-102-mile-bike-ride-roadskate-inline-skate/091024085740.htm

Thank God, a rest stop!

http://roadskater.net/photos/carolina-century-2009-greensboro-nc-102-mile-bike-ride-roadskate-inline-skate/091024083416.htm

Psycho-babies!

http://roadskater.net/photos/carolina-century-2009-greensboro-nc-102-mile-bike-ride-roadskate-inline-skate/091024083420.htm

Slogging through the middle miles.

http://roadskater.net/photos/carolina-century-2009-greensboro-nc-102-mile-bike-ride-roadskate-inline-skate/091024084138.htm

Cruising downhill.

http://roadskater.net/photos/carolina-century-2009-greensboro-nc-102-mile-bike-ride-roadskate-inline-skate/091024090418.htm

Coasting for a while

http://roadskater.net/photos/carolina-century-2009-greensboro-nc-102-mile-bike-ride-roadskate-inline-skate/091024091928.htm

Another rest stop!

http://roadskater.net/photos/carolina-century-2009-greensboro-nc-102-mile-bike-ride-roadskate-inline-skate/091024092650.htm

Slogging through the middle miles II.

http://roadskater.net/photos/carolina-century-2009-greensboro-nc-102-mile-bike-ride-roadskate-inline-skate/091024093926.htm

Slogging through the middle miles III.

http://roadskater.net/photos/carolina-century-2009-greensboro-nc-102-mile-bike-ride-roadskate-inline-skate/091024094048.htm

Slogging through the middle miles IV.

http://roadskater.net/photos/carolina-century-2009-greensboro-nc-102-mile-bike-ride-roadskate-inline-skate/091024100858.htm

We made it!

http://roadskater.net/photos/carolina-century-2009-greensboro-nc-102-mile-bike-ride-roadskate-inline-skate/091024173730.htm

We made it II!

http://roadskater.net/photos/carolina-century-2009-greensboro-nc-102-mile-bike-ride-roadskate-inline-skate/091024173734.htm

We made it III!

http://roadskater.net/photos/carolina-century-2009-greensboro-nc-102-mile-bike-ride-roadskate-inline-skate/091024173818.htm

And some not so good news...

From Blake:

i grabbed some images from video and photos so i would have them if they took them off the sites, for whatever questions i might have later. nothing new. 4 of them. windshield (significant dent plus some red tint on rear view perhaps), bumper (arrgh above headlamp), front hood (buckled, then scratched on top), back and side (black mark on driver door...license plate numbers are red, but not sure if this means anything...at one point i thought it meant car registered to new or young driver...one of my theories about why we don't know the names of the car's registrant or the home's owner). this answers the question, could they have not known they hit a cyclist? in some of my discussions i forgot that David was likely clipped in (attached to his pedals by his cleats). 2 worst thoughts for me are what made the serious dent above the headlamp, and what made the dent in the windshield? my imagination says there's a cycle shaped scratch on that hood. i still think this looks like a head-on from drifting over the centerline (my thought being the car, since they ran). were there any brake marks? i never saw any. just mud tracks from turning around to run. i wondered about how David would end up in the woods so far. now i think he was attached to the hood, perhaps part of him or the bike sticking through the windshield, and when the driver backed up in a 3 point turn, he slid off the front of the suv into the edge of the woods. this is all speculation. if this were from behind it indicates a big difference in speed to me, and how does the damage end up on the far right of the car? there is a lot they have not told us. wonder why. the news media are holding back what they know i am certain. they would be updating the story otherwise even when they had the smallest item to add. i'll celebrate carolina century a bit later. we'll see when.

sources:

http://www.myfox8.com/news/wghp-summerfield-cyclist-killed-091025,0,4765929.story

http://www.wxii12.com/video/21431424/index.html

http://www.news-record.com/content/2009/10/27/article/troopers_seize_damaged_suv_in_death_probe

November 8, 2008

http://roadskater.net/carolina-century-inline-skate-bike-ride-2008-report-102-leaf-catching-miles

http://roadskater.net/mark-sibert-rolls-first-among-inline-skaters-roadskaternet-carolina-century-raises-1025-charity

I skated 102 miles on Saturday, in the beautiful hills north of Greensboro, NC. Website is here, although I don't think Blake has posted any results yet:
www.carolinacentury.com

Clarence and Lisa B. also came up from Atlanta. Clarence rode up with me and then flew back home while I continued on to Asheville for the weekend. I believe Clarence cut his route to 63 miles (?) while Lisa skated with Blake and Elizabeth for the whole route (I don't know for sure, I had to hit the road before they finished).

I know that we have some great skaters in this group, but for me, let me tell you, that is a long f$%#@*% distance to skate, especially with the hills. It took me 7:48 (slightly over a 13 mph average). It was exhausting. It was primarily a bicycle ride, very few skaters (only 8 of us, I think). There were so few skaters that I was one of the better skaters there. ;)

Since there were so few of us we all started off skating as a group. After 5 miles or so (?), three of us left the pack behind us on a fast downhill section. Then maybe 5 miles after that one guy said he couldn't keep up. So for most of the 102 miles it was just Mark Sibert and I, taking turns pulling.

Mark is a better skater than I am. In the A2A (Athens to Atlanta) skate he finished in 5:33, which is a very good time, a 15.6 mph average. I finished in 6:46, a 12.8 mph average.
http://www.a2a.net/08result/RESOV87.TXT

Nevertheless, without a faster pack to skate with he was stuck with me. That is, he could have skated ahead of me but by skating by himself he would probably tire himself out (as would I, skating alone behind him) and neither of us would have done as well in the long run. Even though I was slowing him down, I was skating fast enough that I like to think it was to his benefit to not leave me in the dust because I was doing my best to pull my fair share (taking equal turns in the lead). This also benefited me, of course, because I ended up skating a faster pace than I otherwise would have.

Did I mention the hills? I hate hills. Well, I don't "hate" them but they sure are tough. Naturally, some of the toughest long uphill sections of the course came at miles 75-79 and 85-88 (according to my GPS elevation data), when I was already dead tired. My legs felt strong most of the day but after those uphills my legs turned into rubber. Although I worked hard to keep up, I could tell Mark was definitely stronger.

We didn't talk about it while skating (after a while you get so tired that it's just not worth the effort to talk much, at least for me, although we did chat a fair amount at the beginning of the skate) but I figured that Mark would surge to the finish at some point. During a steep uphill that started around mile 96 or 97 and then leveled into a gradual uphill through mile 99, I could no longer keep up and there was no reason for Mark to wait. He surged ahead and I didn't see him again until the finish.

I've come to believe that events like this are as much mental as physical. There is a lot of time to think while you're out there and there are a ton of excuses you can use to quit, but you have to fight through all that. Sometimes your mind wanders and you think the strangest things. During A2A a line from an old commercial popped into my mind, maybe it was one of the "Mikey will eat it" commercials, where the kid says, "I can't believe he ate the WHOLE thing!" Except in my mind it went, "I can't believe he SKATED the WHOLE thing!" Hey, you've got to be able to amuse yourself, right?

Well, during this skate I thought about women who have multiple children. As in, if the pain is so great why do they do it again? Maybe it's not a fair comparison but I felt like one of those women, telling myself I can't believe I signed up for this torture AGAIN! Why did I do it? I mean, I knew how hard A2A was, so WHY? But deep down I know that after I finish I'll remember it fondly--IF I can just finish, that is!

I think Mark finished at just over 7:45:?? while I finished at 7:48:25 (according to the GPS data I'm looking at now after the skate). My top speed was 44.5 mph on a steep downhill section that Blake warned us about. Although that's pretty fast there was plenty of space to let it roll so it wasn't at all scary. I should have tucked all the way to hit a higher speed.

I realize that these may not be precise numbers but ... GPS says total ascent was 7712 ft and the total descent was 7531 ft (they should be the same since we did a loop). By comparison, my GPS says that the total A2A ascent is 6893 ft and the total descent is 6456 feet. Still, this course felt tougher than that relatively small difference (based on relative mileage) would suggest because there were two big climbs late in the skate whereas at A2A the big climb up to Dacula came relatively early in the skate when it wasn't nearly as big a deal.

I've noticed that people who win such events in the past are typically skinny people who are in shape and don't have an ounce of fat on them. (Yes, I'm jealous.) Well, Blake, the organizer of this event, is also aware of this. So he proposed a new classification, which he called the "Power Challenge."

"The Roadskater.net & Roadcyclist.net Power Challenges are separate categories for cyclists and skaters, favoring those who get the most speed per pound. This is simply pound-miles per hour (pounds times miles divided by hours including stops). Skaters may shoulder skates at weigh in."

Basically, if I weigh twice as much as someone then he has to skate twice as fast! Now THIS is a category where I can win! I weighed in at 250.6 lbs with skates and Mark weighed in at 186 and change, so I think I have this category in the bag!

E-Mail from Blake:

[APRR] Mark Sibert comes in first as Roadskater.net Carolina Century raises $1025 for charity

For those who don't know we had 8 skaters (4 from Georgia, 4 from NC) and 57 cyclists at the inaugural Roadskater.net Carolina Century (carolinacentury.com), which raised $1025 after expenses. The proceeds will be donated in the names of the volunteers to the MS society (or at their option to select charity cycling events that benefit individuals with sudden catastrophic challenges in their lives).

From Roadskater.net, 1 skater, Amy Harper, gave up skating to take care of cyclists and skaters. Roadskater.net skater, Kimberly Roberts, had intended to do so but was unable to be there for health reasons. Amy's mom pitched in to help, as did my parents and brother, making it possible for me to roll out with the century skaters. Three Roadskater.net Cyclists (Margaret Bell, Katherine Brown and Mike Clark) and Spinergy's Doug Lytle gave up cycling the Carolina Century to volunteer as well. Thanks!

All 8 skaters plus 12 cyclists attempted the 102-mile century course (as far as we can decipher regarding the cyclists' scrawl). Five skaters completed the 102-mile course; Two skaters completed 63 miles; One skater completed 42 miles.

Among skaters, Mark Sibert came in soonest in the non-race and Tom Blooming came in most powerful in the power challenge non-race.

Winners in the skate inclusion (not division) are everyone:
Mark Sibert, 1st overall speed (13.2 mph), 2nd power rank (2459 lb-mi/hr), 102 miles
Tom Blooming, 1st overall power (3282 lb-mi/hr), plus 2nd overall speed, age 38-39 humans, 102 miles
Elizabeth Bailey, 1st age 41-44 humans, 3rd overall speed tie 102 miles
Lisa Bonjourno, 1st age 45-49 females, 3rd overall speed tie 102 miles
Blake Lambert, 1st age 45-49 males, 3rd overall speed tie, 3rd overall power (2169 lb-mi/hr) 102 miles
Craig Mattice, 1st age 18-34 humans (63 miles completed on 102-mile course)
Clarence Burkholder, 1st age 60+ humans (63 miles completed on 102-mile course)
Tom Welsh, 1st age 50-54 humans (42 miles completed on 102-mile course)

Everything, as you know, is subject to change, especially the lives of people you make easier through your efforts!

Thank you and skateylove,
Blake

Tom's Blog

Friday, November 5, 2010

What the Tea Party believes

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Maybe there is hope for humanity?

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Carolina Century 2010 (and 2009 and 2008)

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Get in the game, says the teleprompter

Monday, November 1, 2010

Remember, Barbara Boxer has worked so hard

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Pumpkin carving, by nerds

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