roadskater.net

(posted on my website a long time ago, reposted here for Blake's A2A History project.)

Wow - I've been so swamped the last few days, that I'm just now to the point where I can write something of substance... Let's see now, where to begin.

(posted this on my website a long time ago, reposting here for Blake's A2A history project)

Well, 2002 was the year I was supposed to make a quantum leap in my performance. I trained better, upgraded to 5-wheel racing skates, attended an Eddy clinic, and had a little experience under my belt. I figured I was a shoe-in for a sub-7 hour time. In 2001, I put in a 9-hour time on rec skates, without any drafting at all... So I readily admit I was cocky going into A2A...

(Posted this on my website a long time ago... Reposting here for Blake's A2A history project.)

On Sunday, October 7th, I skated 86 miles from Athens, GA to Atlanta, GA. This was the culmination of much training and the accomplishment of a major goal I set for myself over a year ago. It's also pretty cool that, having just turned 30, I'm probably in the best shape of my life.

My usual disclaimer of my already-fuzzy memory being even fuzzier while skating a long event applies here, but I'll do my best to recall the events of the weekend... :) TermiSkater did a pretty good job of retelling our (mis)adventures getting from Raleigh to Atlanta in his report:

Welcome to the Roadskater.net Athens to Atlanta A2A Book. You can be part of this project if you would like, adding your stories from the road to the History Project, advice on training to the Training Guide, and hints for survival or other glory to the Strategy Guide.

Here's a place to keep hints and tips for strategy on the big day when you actually skate from Athens to Atlanta, Georgia. Weekend preparations and other advice is suitable here, as well as notes on the course, and anything else that would help a racer or a tourer make their way along with maximum speed, safety and pleasurable pain.

In 2006, the weather was light rain before the event, wet roads in the first thirty miles or so, with sunshine most of the day. The temperature in Atlanta was 60 at start time, rising to 74 by noon, reaching 80 by 2 pm and 82 degrees by 4 pm. Winds were light in the morning and from the south, rising to around 10 mph from the west at midday, dropping then peaking again to 10-12 in midafternoon from the north. Please add your story to this chapter of the Athens to Atlanta History Project! After you've written and posted your story, use the Outline tab to select "2006 A2A Journals" as the parent of your article. If your story is for another year, contact me or leave it be and I will add a Chapter for that year. Blake

This is the Athens to Atlanta History Project, where we hope to gather stories from the actual days of the event over the years. At first, this will be for 2006, I'm sure, but we want your stories from any year you can remember! Please add your story by joining the site, then blogging or adding your post to the AthensToAtlanta.com forum.

Hey everyone. My photos are up. I may put some comments here later. As usual there are few photos from the last half where it is more hilly more consistently and where it is not, it is more urban and congested. Of course if I want great photographs I'll probably have to not skate, and if i want to skate great, I'll probably have to not take my camera and batteries along to distract me! In any case, here are the photos and I hope you find some you love. Maybe soon we'll have photos integrated into the site, but I didn't want to hold up the photos for that. Here they are:

I have not finished yet, but I have put up a series of videos that show part of the route for Athens to Atlanta. The video is from early March of 2004 and was taken as I drove the route on 2 separate days, with partial coverage on the day between these two. Much will have changed and this is part of the capturing of the history of this great event in its 25th running (counting the Outlaw and other times folk skated the route last year in homage to the days of old).