KentH52745 (kenth52745@aol.com) wrote:
: I'd like to hear from others that skated it to hear their experiences.
: Also would like to hear from people that had skated any of the previous
: Athens to Atlanta races.

: Kent Hartfield

Well, Kent, it sounds like you enjoyed the race. Coming from Florida, we often are given the choice to be stuck where we are for hours, or skating in the rain. So off I went, new wheels and new Bones bearings, into the cold, dark, wet, slippery and crowded streets of Athens. Once we got past highway 29 and out of town, things got a little easier as we all seemed to accept the fact that it was going to be an all day skate in the rain.

The rough section didn't seem as bad as last year, but I think it may have caused one of my frame bolts to vibrate loose. The first big thrill was the hill just past the chicken farm. The sharp downhill with the tight left turn at the bottom. I kept telling myself that the wet roads would tend to slow me down the hills. With that in mind I got into a fairly low (for me) tuck and cut loose. About 3/4 of the way to the bottom I felt like I was hydroplaning. I'm glad that turn has a reasonable bank to it and there was no traffic.

Coming through the 38 mile line in 2:50, I felt pretty good. At that point last year, I crapped out (literally) in 3:45. I had been warned, by some friends, about a bad patch of pavement about 45-50 miles. I was told to take the left side of the road. I easily spotted this place, but nobody had anticipated that the left side of the road would be covered with 2 inches of Georgia red clay washed downhill by the rain. Nothing to do but say "oh shit" and hope not to wipe out. Luckily, the bad spot of pavement had been exagerated.

About 63 miles, I began hearing a slapping noise with every stroke. At first I attributed this to wet skates and loose boots. But soon it became clear that it was a metallic noise. I checked my skates and, sure enough, my front frame bolt on my right skate had come loose. I skated very gingerly until I reached the next downhill (into a stop light), where the bolt fell out while tee-stopping. "Oh shit", into the ditch I went. The worst part was that my support vehicle was waiting (per my instructions) at the top of the big long descent on Silver Hill Rd.

Several skaters and support people stopped to offer their assistance, but I just couldn't get the bolt tightened enough to stop the metallic slapping. There was no way I would venture down any decent hill. At the same time, there was no way that I wasn't goint to finish. I would have walked to Piedmont Park, if necessary.

It took about a half an hour for someone to reach my support vehicle and send my lady back to rescue me. I had managed about 1/4 mile in that time. Soon, with spare skates and dry socks, I was off again. I managed to pass many of those that had previously passed me. The half hour rest had done me good, not that I would recommend it during a race.

Not knowing how the replacement skates would handle the steep, long descent on Silver Hill Road, I rode that one down standing up and catching as much wind as possible.

By the time I reached the urban streets of Atlanta, there had been enough rainfall to puddle 3 inches deep in places. The only thing that concerned me about the puddles, was that they might hide one of those elusive turn arrows so neatly painted in the road. It seemed like every traffic light I came to was green. Crossing the sidewalk at Little Five Points, I was almost there. Nothing but green lights on Highland Avenue. One car tried to turn left in front of me but I fingered him (index finger, not the other) real quick and he stopped. Soon I was off Highland Avenue and in the residential area near Piedmont Park. Crossing Monroe and down the home stretch, when all of a sudden a wrecker decides to pull its' tow car out into the road. Yelling at two pedestrians to warn them, I jump to the sidewalk, just missing them and the wrecker. Finally, into Piedmont Park around to the left and across the finish line in 7:05.

Just another day out wth your friends skating!

Tim Mulligan timmull@gate.net

Long Range Weather Forecast for Atlanta Area:
October 8, 1995
Rain Expected
110% Chance of Wet Skaters
See ya' there.

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