I bumped into a first-time rider at the hotel and he asked me for any tips. Players per Team: 5 Starting Level: 5 Starting Gold: 3,000 Setup Time: 1:30 Gold Spooling: 4 per second XP Spooling: None Two teams of five players are pitted against each other in a single lane. The most stressful part of the ride is in the first 20 miles. The ride is. From this casual beginning, the annual Assault on That said, I will not be thinking about time in the slightest. I waited a few minutes at the start after everyone left and then rode pretty much by myself until Marion. To my surprise, Matts website was very similar to mine, only he covered the other side of the world Australia. Mitchell State Park, Monday is the only day available for a special event! Start could be warm and humid. No dogs or pets are allowed, animals specifically trained to aid a person with a disability is the only exception. We need to reopen everything at some point, but were not there yet, are we? Mitchell Ive been up Hogback Mountain in your neck of the woods and if memory serves me well that will be similar to Mitchell minus the length. It worked for me. Remember that SAG's are not allowed to come to If you want evidence, just check the results. I was considering He was the first handicap rider to enter and finish this event ! A dull ache existed, at times worse than others, but it was drastically better than it had been a few days before. It was a long mile. Not to take anything away from the Rockies, as I loved every minute of my stay, but the Southeast has some pretty amazing climbing if you ask me. Copies of these articles were provided by John Bryan for inclusion in this page The Assault starts in nearby Spartanburg, SC and ends at the summit of Mt. Finally I reached the top and guzzled as much water, Gatorade and Coke as I could, while filling both bottles all the way. I-Pad and Smart Phone users - please tap the start arrow and there is a do it with and for him. Of course I recommended some of the climbs in our corner, and his interest was peaked. Overall, they still seem to be an easier lot easier lot to climb. address etc. I am finding your posts to be very interesting. You did great and Im sure youll improve next year. the history of the event with the two interviews given by John Johnsons Camp I had practically lived around 10,000 feet for most of my Colorado stay, and climbed above 11,000 several times, including once over 12,000 feet, and the big one came in at 14,100. Hopefully well be able to meet on two wheels soon enough. Im crossing my fingers that well be able get everything working in harmony again, and that I can begin training on the bike soon. On Tuesday, I noticed that something felt different. I am That's nearly a 25% fail rate, and these are not ordinary people who just grabbed a bike and decided to ride up a mountain. I looked down to find myself covered in bugs. All items may be used if proper credit is given SAG are not allowed back down to Marion and / or just simply quit! Without being used to breathing such little oxygen, I simply could not push myself to muscle exertion. Select Your Bike Destination:Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium: Select this option if Spartanburg is your final destination of the day.Tom Johnson Campground (Marion, NC): Select this option if you are having a family member/friend pick you up from the Tom Johnson Pavilion in Marion or if you are leaving your vehicle there on Sunday before the ride. Ill be smart about it. Something that has a lot of longer sweet spot and threshold intervals in it. pages as well. Mitchell Since the official height of that mountain, the highest in the eastern US, is 6,684 feet with a prominence of 6,089 feet, I am wondering what the 11,000 feet reference is about. Mitchell State Park. Occasionally it will get sore during rides. He provided much of the It became even better on Wednesday, Thursday, and then Friday. or submit this information to me. Due to safety concerns, family/friends/personal SAGS cannot drive to Mt. I dont know the exact reason, but this is my experience. help out there in the Internet Land would be appreciated. My off-season training program worked great and I can already tell that Im stronger on the bike, but I cannot stop there. As I understand it, she will wear us out with strength exercises and then start the spinning. 100k Century. Did I have any suggestions? I rode Mt. Mitchell, you are in for a more steady pace, you will spend the first 75 miles in a bigger gear (probably in the big chain ring) as the terrain is flatter and the speeds are higher. Somehow I have managed to ride 699 miles this year, most of which have been over the last two months. Racing is in full effect here in the south and I have been traveling every weekend to a different city to go race. We may need to have more services than our normal three just to space everybody out enough at a safe distance. These will probably be unofficial Freewheeler rides. Most got cooked climbing the mt. Lots of stops, and SAG support. Mitchell in 2008. make the process of entering the Assault equitable. Mitchell State Park to Tom Johnson Campground (Marion, NC). The Off-Road Assault on Mt Mitchell is a 60-mile MTB race with 10,500 feet of climbing. But the climbing is different. Mitchell for a picnic in the Spring of 1975. Overview. with SAG's trying to pass bicycles to get up the mountain and end up almost If not then how do you get the registration packet? Hello! Remember that the Parkway is not closed for this event This would be the first big challenge. DE-SCREENED in FINE and saved in TIFF or may be scanned as a PDF which is the St. Lukes Hospitals own Since then Ive been teetering between 156-158, which is close to the same weight for my first Assault, and a little heavier than last year. I had put in the work. Does this sound familiar as we make our assault on COVID-19? Blue Ridge Parkway and the I grunted my way up, slowly and surely to the finish line. approach Robin Michael about creating a history of the Assault on Mt. Mitchell Parkway (rest stop #9) by 4:00 p.m. All riders must cross the finish line by 5:30 p.m. All riders not at the aforementioned checkpoints or finish line by the times noted above will be picked up by an official event vehicle along the course and driven to the finish line or back to Marion. Change). I tried to push at a good pace and simply couldnt keep it. Mitchell, II - YouTube 0:00 / 9:07 The Assault On Mt. To this date, none have been For those readers who dont know, the Assault on Mount Mitchell is one of the toughest cycling challenges in the Southeast. If I do all of the above, Im going to kill it at Mitchell. This is when Ill try to squeeze in these important supplemental exercises. Mitchell and Marion in 2023. We may have to take reservations for attending church, block off pews and seat people on either ends and make sure that theyre staggered so no one is behind anyone else. of this great ride was started to be documented. You also might want to make sure the park is open up top, although you wont be drinking much on the way down. This year I plan to ride from home to and from the starting points, which will give me about 10-20 extra miles each time. The That was good advice, but I reflected on it as those last miles slowly ticked by, as I noticed every passing tenth of a mile, reassuring myself that the end was getting closer. these pages. During this period of time, John Bryan tried document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Click here to subscribe and get new content delivered straight to your email! Mitchell. Please read more So the bottom line is make sure your lights has, SAG are not allowed Climbing will not come easy. Mitchell, you will need to purchase a spectator bus ticket from Marion to Mt. That is actually a little crazy, so congrats on finishing and improving your time. Assault on Mt. bicycle and a light on the front of the Some of you have heard of the Assault on Mt. about That was good advice, but I reflected on it as those last miles slowly ticked by, as I noticed every passing tenth of a mile, reassuring myself that the end was getting closer. their bicycles are brought back to this location otherwise they go all It was in the 4-5 mph range, not fast. First Showing students at Gator Wesley how to throw pots. Hamilton in late November and there was snow and ice at the top. I am told that both of these years, the Spartanburg We had planned to do the ride together, were going to train together, fly together, and be roommates during the entire event. They are long, but most that I tried are relatively smooth and easy. Riders begin at 6:30 AM at the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium and follow a 102.7-mile ride to Marion and then climb up Mt. Having those extra gears will allow you to stay in your aerobic zone regardless of the roads grade, Powered by Discourse, best viewed with JavaScript enabled, Training plan - Assault on Mount Mitchell. I refuse to waste what this uphill battle has already cost us. It is frustrating, but something one has to deal with in order to get an easy ride to Marion. 108 days until I put my tires to pavement and begin riding towards the top of Mount Mitchell. Ive camped too many times to count. will be returned to you after it is scanned, mastered and edited for inclusion on We emailed again. This should be plenty to maintain my lower body strength and then some! Due to the very narrow NC-80 route This article related to sports in North Carolina is a stub. Once they arrive at the Tom I have teammates whove done this ride, and theyve tried to convince me to join them. The Assault on Mt. Mitchell. I live in NH so elevation is the norm, but long climbs dont exist here. It was a long mile. Kent passed away in Mitchell. Fortunately they were able to find a couple replacements rather quickly. Ill take that. REMINDER FOR 2023: Updated Time Limit + Checkpoints! these pages and to be included in a display of all of the patches for Now, if we can just get everyone on the same page, Roger, Thanks! Let me back up a little bit. That is the churchs mission. The one thing each of my teammates have said - Bring enough gears. If you miss this bus, you will default back to the regular bus transportation to Spartanburg via Marion. I had forgotten how hard it was. added each year to try to putting it on the net but at this time have chosen not to. Now some of the That was perfect, right where I wanted to be. Assault on Mount Mitchell WLOS News 13 69.7K subscribers Subscribe 1.2K views 7 years ago MOUNT MITCHELL STATE PARK, N.C. -- Hundreds of cyclists from across the world take on one of the most. Please join us for The Assaults on Mt. The type of fitness it takes to compete in an hour long criterium is completely different that a 102 mile, hilly event like Mt. on The Blue Ridge Parkway, nor on the top of Mt. And this has proven to get some of the best riders to give up and ride And Ill wait awhile before I start thinking about next year. In 2012, I just registered for Mt. My only rides are the Ride of Silence and maybe an easy spin the day before the main event. kv4al@charter.net. the Rangers are concerned, you (SAGs) are not suppose to be on the parkway at Therefore, I What Matt didnt find, was that southeast climbing can be STEEP! I had forgotten how hard it was. on I had put in the work. The Assaults on Mt. She Hwy 80 really took a toll on me. As for Washington, I had no idea, but thought he could try Skyline Drive or the Parkway near Roanoke, Virginia if he was willing to drive a ways. It has now been nearly seven weeks since my last ride. SHJ newspaper prior to his passing. present it so much to the public. Assault is one of the Game Modes in SMITE. No exceptions. Mitchell and a loyal More people passed me. Mitchell registration includes transportation from the finish line in Mt. down the mountain to According to Wikipedia, "most riders finish in less than 12 hours; the leaders finish in under 6 . Mitchell, the tallest peak east of the Mississippi River. Mitchell State Park in North Carolinaa total vertical ascent of more than 10,000 feet. Register early, train hard, and we will see you in May 2023! Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. 7000 of that climb comes in the last 25 miles. Needless to say, it is going to be interesting. I was able to ride through it with only minor discomfort. If I need a break, I will not hesitate to stop. Ultimately I suggested Asheville because it is a bigger city, and he would be relying on local transportation to get to and from the climbs. However, as we all know, cancer finally caught up with Even if you do not ride in the Mitchell event, you might find the material useful to prepare for any sort of endurance event. As I was climbing Mount Evans with a few Colorado locals, I made reference to one of the hills I had climbed in the Southeast. Here in Central Indiana we have short (3-5 minutes) and steep (7-12+%) and did a lot of repeats to get ready for Mitchell. work and personal webpage PLUS this webpage. Absolutely. They are not You can find Part Two at LowCadence.com. The injury has bothered me so long that it gets my spirits down when it rears its ugly head. The brakes and shifters worked. THWACK! I want to thank Wes for backing out with me. It has been a lot of criteriums lately which is definitely not the ideal prep for a ride like Mt. By the way this The following year - 1976, John Bryan and six others dared one now includes all Federal Parks in the USA. Mitchell and The Assault on Marion. I almost used it as the photo at the end. to be. to find a clean copy of the 1988 Assaults Video tape that was filmed and Mitchell v2.0. After that Ill do short weekend group rides of 30-50 miles at a time. Have you ever noticed that the very first time that you take a trip or travel a new route somewhere, it seems to take longer than on the same way home. anyone has anything that they would like to include on these pages about This site is maintained by: Robin Michael, E-mail address is --> While I had trouble keeping up at their level of fitness, I was at least able to mostly hang on. I positioned myself in my broken handlebars as low as possible and let the mountain breeze cool me down. One thing caught my attention, regarding the bicycle race that starts in Spartanburg and "goes 11,000 feet up to the top of Mt. Mitchell. You killed it! Several years ago, in an In fact, a lot of the climbs up to the Blue Ridge Parkway are tougher than the Parkway itself. While I didnt break my goal of seven hours, I beat last years time by nearly an hour. mastered by WSPA TV of Spartanburg, SC. The injuries this year have been severe. The Off-Road Assault on Mt Mitchell is a 60 mile MTB race with 10,500 feet of climbing. will be returned to you after it is scanned, mastered and edited for inclusion on Spartanburg Auditorium, Mass Start from in front of the I would do Sustained Power Build and either the Century or perhaps a Time Trial specialtry plan. My final time was 7:07. If I have 20 weeks to prepare and if I do all of the base, build and specialty rides it adds up to 28 weeks, any thoughts on breaking those up to 20 weeks. Due to the popularity of both the Blue Ridge Parkway and Mt. Riders from more than 43 states and world wide now come to Spartanburg every year They are simply different. You may purchase bus tickets any time during or after you register. and p.s. The problem was that the temperature was really starting to rise and I had not hydrated enough along the way. Mountain Riding: A group is doing occasional trips to the Upstate for Watershed repeats. I am going to assume that were still on the trip. I have not done a single interval or anything like it all year. also in need of two of the Assault on Marion Patches for inclusion on Excellent recap Aaron! It was still painful, but I was going to do this thing and probably at a good time. and trying to pass the bicycle riders. Why go small, right? Its in the middle of road race season, so its almost never in the cards. For several years starting in 1992, completing The Assault on Marion was a prerequisite implemented to increase the proportion of finishers, but this requirement was dropped in recent years. bicycles have a Were not through this yet. The riders that I had been with before all passed me. Your safety should Not in terms of mileage, but in terms of time to complete. The most stressful part of the ride is in the first 20 miles. Its a gorgeous ride along Lake Tahoma, but seems like forever until the climb begins. Reality struck as I noticed my speed during the steeper sections. Enjoy the climb! (LogOut/ you can and will receive a hefty fine in the area of up to $500.00 per ticket may be sent in email and / or on CD Mitchell State Park that we must adhere to. From Old Fort, you climb up to the Blue Ridge Parkway and just below Mt Mitchell on beautiful Forest Service roads and unbelievable North Carolina singletrack. am trying to complete this undertaking for him in his memory. The Marion ride stops at the fifth rest stop in Marion which There are fully stocked rest stops approximately every 10 miles and you can send anything you want . Great ride and I enjoyed the read. I've done climbing rides all over the south and it's hard to climb for 3 straight hours plus. One of our three rules that we Methodists live by is Do no harm. We will not violate that! We will do whatever it takes to get to the top of Mt. Thats when all 1,000 riders converge together, mashing the pedals and all trying to get to Marion as fast as possible. My guess is that the fracture has mostly healed, but there are some other soft tissue issues underneath the labrum that still need to be dealt with. Mitchell. told me that when we were picnicking on Mt. annual event in which thousands have and do participated in. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community. Any way to fill water bottles between the start and the top of Mitchell, or should I plan to take all that I need to the top? At mile 10, I fell victim to someones poor preparation. Mitchell will have a 5:30 p.m. event stop time. allowed I had missed the lead pack, but settled into one that was keeping a good enough pace. Mass Start from in front of the auditorium In the beginning The Assault on Mt. or from some of the older clubmembers The Assault on Mt. People get sloppy. Im going for 6:30 next year. nor on the top of Mt. I was feeling great early. and forcing the bicycles into the ditch or up the bank. In the 22nd Annual Assault Im thinking a determined gradual reopening is best for safetys sake. How would you suggest logistically planning to do that from a hydration standpoint? That seems like a bold commitment at this stage of the year, but one I am prepared to make. It worked for me. When I turned into the Mitchell State Park entrance, I thought there was a chance of me breaking seven hours. You earned that badge and soup. Miraculously I stayed on the bike. It ends 102 miles away at the top of Mount Mitchell, the highest point in the eastern United States. Mitchell presented by Greenville Health System will have a 5:30 p.m. stop time. Good luck on you next one. Last year I had made up time on the climbs, so at this point it looked like a good bet for me to break seven hours. (LogOut/ Top of Mitchell could be snowing and cold AF. More people passed me. I've got a ways to go. No personal vehicles are allowed on Mt. Cmon Americans! Mitchell was run in memory of the late Kent Clary. If I could hang with this group through Bills Hill, I would get to Marion without issue. Want a copy Everyone immediately slowed, swerved, and did everything possible to keep their bikes upright. Its easy to psych yourself out. Gravity hurts right now. At the elevation of 6,684 feet, for their enjoyment, they have HOT soup, Texas bread and drinks waiting I suggested he try some of the climbs in Vermont, but that didnt work out. I had forgotten how hard it was. The clock is ticking. In the past, there have been a number of near misses There are fully stocked rest stops approximately every 10 miles and you can send anything you want . Everyone immediately slowed, swerved, and did everything possible to keep their bikes upright. See you there each year on NC-80 from Marion up to the Parkway either. The contest typically includes over 800 cyclists from across the globe. In the fall of 1975, John Bryan attempted the trip by himself, but instead of We are constantly changing gears and the majority of the time we are in the lower section of the cassette (in the 11-15 tooth gears). Please make sure all your travel plans are worked out with your family and friends prior to purchasing your ticket. Any I had more flexibility, mobility, and less soreness. I tried to push at a good pace and simply couldnt keep it. The pack seems to speed up and then abruptly slow down, putting each rider on high alert, sitting on their brakes. In the meantime were starting to have discussions among the powers that be to decide if our reopening will be a rolling start or an all-at-once one. Were not ready to coast downhill. Congratulations on a great ride and for accomplishing your goal. now includes all Federal Parks in the USA. When I push too hard, I get winded. Thank you for a sensible and logical way to look at getting through THE virus. Mitchell. Excellent account of an epic day, Aaron! SLOWING is heard every minute or so. In 2005, John Bryan Now if we can get our government leaders to listen! After we regrouped and started moving forward again, I noticed something was wrong. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Ive seen it, and witnessed the literal gut-wrenching agony of many of the participants, but I havent done it. Mississippi River! Inn, Bakersville, NC ~ written January 11, 2006 about the ride. Its a great read, and a great adventure. Your bike will be put on a separate truck and transported to the auditorium. and may be found in I was thrilled to find the short, 2-mile descent. I reached 161 before I was able to resume training again. Read the section found below on what the new The emphasis while spinning will be on resistance to simulate mountain climbing. MASS START Both the Assault on Mt. A First Timers Assault on Mt. and further west that range 11,000, 12,000 feet and more. Last year I had made up time on the climbs, so at this point it looked like a good bet for me to break seven hours. I climbed up comfortably either with or ahead of most of my pack. Good for sermon quotes and illustrations. I just had to keep my hand crooked to the right and lean a little differently to keep it balanced. More important to be the church even if Im new ways, tim, Hello! Then without Mitchell is a 102.7-mile self-paced ride from Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium in downtown Spartanburg, South Carolina, along the Blue Ridge Parkway, to the summit at Mt. the computer and then posted in these pages. To this date, none have been Please email me for mailing instructions. That was like asking a loving mother to pick her favorite son. the top of the mountain as parking is very limited and a large number ofparking places are reserved for visitors traveling on the parkway. Mt. for reference and to be able to get in touch you if necessary. ). Around midway through the parkway, after having sufficiently hydrated and fueled myself, I started to get the magic back. MitchellCLICK HERE to view transportation detail for the Assault on Marion. Mitchell as I had only been riding for 5 months. - Van Epps finished the event in 15:00:00 on a hand powered trike! Mitchell or in our assault on COVID-19? Mitchell: 102.7 miles from Downtown Spartanburg, SC to the top of Mt. Mitchell and / DVD. Stay safe and God protect us all, tim. This includes his last interview with the Spartanburg Harold Journal I had an experience going up to Mt. Bryan to the Spartanburg Harold Journal News Paper. Mitchell in western North That was my first breakthrough day. For me, that probably wont be true. Now back to Colorado. There is a chance I will not finish the ride this year. http://people.math.sc.edu/meade/bike.html. this road either. Mitchell. So, were doing what we can in this in-between time to get ready. From Old Fort you climb up to the Blue Ridge Parkway and just below Mt Mitchell on beautiful Forest Service roads and unbelievable North Carolina single track. It looked like I was wearing black arm warmers. Keeping in the spirit of internationalism, they added Julian from Edinburgh, UK, and Patrick from Sydney, Australia. I was able to complete the rides, but not without struggling on the long climbs. The record number of consecutive finishes is 40 (as of 2020), held by Michael H. Davis. I saw your time and was impressed! With the 115th pick, the Chicago Bears . you can and will receive a hefty fine in the area of up to $500.00 per ticket I have done my fair share of ultra rides and maybe because of the poor shape I was in at the time I rate the Assault on Mt. Crazy is an understatement. Mitchell. Ive found that even while riding by myself or in group rides, I have been able to move along at a decent pace, far faster than I expected at this point. same route. Im not out of the woods yet. Mitchell Parkway (rest stop #9) by 4:00 p.m. All riders must cross the finish line by 5:30 p.m. All riders not at the aforementioned checkpoints or finish line by the times noted above will be picked up by an official event vehicle along the course and driven to the finish line or back to Marion. This is something that not everyone can do. They say that it takes as long to get from Spartanburg to Mitchell as it does from Marion to Mitchell. I'd stick to Base>Build>Specialty, and do either 'Rolling Road Race' or 'Century'. Climbing RR plan would make the most sense to me. long wait for medical help to arrive and if a chopper is called it will Remember that the Parkway is not closed for this event Mitchell is harder than the climb OF Mt. Thats nearly a 25% fail rate, and these are not ordinary people who just grabbed a bike and decided to ride up a mountain. The Marion ride has just a little over 5000 vertical feet Mitchell is harder than the climb OF Mt. Marion, The Fabulous 4th of July Tour A Bicycle Challenge of You against I just had to keep my hand crooked to the right and lean a little differently to keep it balanced. If you get hurt then it is a very Climbing road race is more more shorter climbs with surges. I had prostate cancer at the time and said if I could do a 50 mile ride before the race I could finish it. or join their family members and go directly home very tired and exhausted. much of the content of this site with the I had left some Gatorade with my wife and forgot to refill my bottles. He may have found that out if he could have ridden from Brevard, but alas, transportation was an issue. Unfortunately I made a crucial error at Marion. As a result, these rides were mostly slow and methodical. Hiking. Please respect their work. The problem was that the temperature was really starting to rise and I had not hydrated enough along the way. Mitchell This page was updated last on April 18, 2023. They were everywhere. I have done that ride twice and both times was before I started using Trainer Road. Hojo's history of the event and the I did a similar climb earlier this year in January after sweet spot base 1 high volume, and it was easy work but youve got the climb after riding 80 miles to the base. GOOD to KNOW: Updated Time Limit + Checkpoints! https://theassaults.com/assault-on-mt-mitchell/. It is enough of a challenge that everyone who completes it should be proud. All cyclists must be on the Blue Ridge Parkway by 2:15 p.m. All cyclists must be at the Mt. and trying to pass the bicycle riders. However, it was my very first century ride. No refunds will be issued if you are unable to board the last bus. Mitchell as the 2nd hardest Century ride I have done on the East Coast. Ive found myself with my mouth open and gasping during difficult stretches of road. It is frustrating, but something one has to deal with in order to get an easy ride to Marion. This bus ride is, on average, 60 90 minutes long and does not stop for restroom breaks. My legs hurt far more after this ride than anything I had done in the Rockies. With the injury layoff, the weight came back fast. required for your device. Mitchell State Park that we must adhere to. The Assaults on Mt. Right now I can probably sustain an 8-minute mile. I did Mt. Weekly Spin Class: This is something new that I havent tried before. over the years since his passing. Mitchell and the Assault on Marion will roll out at the same time and cover the first 74 miles together. Ill have to admit Im torn on the reopening issue. People behind them passed me. NC-80 is just to narrow anddangerous for the SAG's to be on this road Mitchell is a 102.7-mile self-paced ride, not race, from Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium in downtown Spartanburg, South Carolina . The Assault on Mt. Around midway through the parkway, after having sufficiently hydrated and fueled myself, I started to get the magic back. Thats happened last year and I finished the season with dead arms and a wobbly balance. of what I have please contact me. ! Ground, they are able to have a nice hot shower and enjoy a nice meal provided by If you want evidence, just check the results. the preferred format is TIF but JPG is ok but cannot be