Brasstown

In this photo I've just crested the climb to Brasstown Gap on Bald Mountain, near Dahlonega Georgia, where we raced in the "6 Gap Century" last Sunday. It took me 8:09 to do the 100 miles, including 11,000ft of climbing. I won my 70-74 age group, a feat no doubt in part attributable to the fact that I was the only one in it. It's an unusual event, insofar as the flat riding is confined to a stretch of about 5 miles along the Chattahoochee River. The rest consists of climbs from 4-7 miles long--the major ones being the six "gaps" or passes in the mountains of North Georgia--followed by screaming descents also up to 5 miles long. The grades on both the climbs and the descents range from 5% to 15%, making the race one of the toughest things I've done. I was glad to complete it, ending up 844 out of 1000 finishers. So, that was my weekend. What did you do with yours?