Ride Across Alabama

On July 4th, 2014 I road 181.11 miles across Alabama from Georgia to Mississippi along the same route as Eric Schotz, Jon Elmore and I ran in 2009 to honor Elliott Schotz, who was suffering from Tay Sachs.  5 years.  Starting in the dark at 5:00am from near Mentone, Alabama there was 16,624' of elevation change on the east to west route that finished in Red Bay, Alabama.  I averaged 19.4 miles per hour for a total ride of 9 hours 20 minutes and 25 seconds.  Finishing at 2:50:10pm I spent less than 30 minutes off the saddle all day and averaged 18.41 mph including rest stops.  Rachel Cochran was my crew for the day, providing tremendous support, especially late in the day when I was starting to fall apart in the mid-day heat.  I just hope that my efforts are a difference maker, even to a single person.

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RideWithGPS Planned Route

Route Cue Sheet

	Notes	Leg	Dir	Type	Total
1	GA / AL Border		↑	Straight	0
2	Turn left onto Co Rd 137	8.8	←	Left	8.8
3	Continue onto Gault Ave N	5.3	↑	Straight	14.1
4	Turn left to stay on Gault Ave N	2.9	←	Left	17
5	Fort Payne	1.9			18.9
6	Turn right onto Lebanon Rd	2.8	→	Right	21.7
7	Continue onto Co Rd 51 N	1.6	↑	Straight	23.3
8	Turn right onto Co Rd 52	4.1	→	Right	27.4
9	Turn left onto Lebanon Rd	3.5	←	Left	30.9
10	Continue onto Co Rd 57	3.1	↑	Straight	34
11	Turn right onto Lebanon Rd	0.2	→	Right	34.2
12	Turn left onto Co Rd 52	1.9	←	Left	36.1
13	Geraldine	4.2			40.3
14	Slight left onto Crow St	0.9	←	Left	41.2
15	Turn right onto Co Rd 3	3.7	→	Right	44.9
16	Turn right to stay on Co Rd 3	0.1	→	Right	45
17	Turn left onto Co Rd 360	0.9	←	Left	45.9
18	Slight left onto Co Rd 355	0.4	←	Left	46.3
19	Continue onto Co Rd 568	0.7	↑	Straight	47
20	Continue onto Baker Rd	1.1	↑	Straight	48.1
21	Continue straight onto Asbury Rd	1.5	↑	Straight	49.6
22	Slight right onto Martling Gap Rd	0.3	→	Right	49.9
23	Turn left onto AL-227 N	4.3	←	Left	54.2
24	Turn left onto Florida Short Route/Gunter Ave	6.5	←	Left	60.7
25	Guntersville	0.1			60.8
26	Turn right onto Henry St	0.2	→	Right	61
27	Turn right onto Eddy Scant City Rd	7.5	→	Right	68.5
28	Continue onto Ruth Rd NW	4.7	↑	Straight	73.2
29	Arab	0			73.2
30	Turn right onto Apple Grove Rd	6.8	→	Right	80
31	Turn left onto Crawford Rd	0.1	←	Left	80.1
32	Turn right onto AL-67 N	2.1	→	Right	82.2
33	Turn left onto Gum Pond Rd	0.2	←	Left	82.4
34	Turn right onto Lawrence Cove Rd	0.3	→	Right	82.7
35	Turn left to stay on Lawrence Cove Rd	2.3	←	Left	85
36	Slight left onto Gandys Cove Rd	5.6	←	Left	90.6
37	Turn right onto Nat Key Rd	3.5	→	Right	94.1
38	Turn right onto N Robinson Rd	3.6	→	Right	97.7
39	Turn right onto S Cedar Cove Rd	0.7	→	Right	98.4
40	Turn left onto Lawrence Rd	0.3	←	Left	98.7
41	Turn left onto N Cedar Cove Rd	1	←	Left	99.7
42	Turn right onto Mt Tabor Rd	0.9	→	Right	100.6
43	Turn left onto E Parker Rd	0.2	←	Left	100.8
44	Continue onto Mcclanahan St SE	3.4	↑	Straight	104.2
45	Turn left onto Rock St SE	0.3	←	Left	104.5
46	Turn right onto Milner St SE	0.3	→	Right	104.8
47	Turn left onto Main St E	0.2	←	Left	105
48	Turn right onto Stewart St SW	0.6	→	Right	105.6
49	Continue onto Vaughn Bridge Rd NW	0.5	↑	Straight	106.1
50	Hartselle	0			106.1
51	Turn left onto Danville Rd	6.2	←	Left	112.3
52	Slight right onto Iron Man Rd	1.2	→	Right	113.5
53	Continue onto Co Rd 72	3	↑	Straight	116.5
54	Turn right onto Co Rd 203	2.8	→	Right	119.3
55	Turn left onto Co Rd 87	0	←	Left	119.3
56	Slight right to stay on Morgan St	6.2	→	Right	125.5
57	Turn left onto Court St	1.2	←	Left	126.7
58	Moulton	0.6			127.3
59	Turn left to stay on County Rd 460	4.5	←	Left	131.8
60	Continue onto Moulton Rd/Old State Rte 24	9.6	↑	Straight	141.4
61	Continue onto Route 24	2.8	↑	Straight	144.2
62	Turn left onto AL-24 W	6.6	←	Left	150.8
63	Russellville	2.5			153.3
64	Turn right onto Old State Rte 24	5.4	→	Right	158.7
65	Continue onto County Rd 524	1.3	↑	Straight	160
66	Slight left to stay on County Rd 524	1.2	←	Left	161.2
67	Turn right onto AL-24 W	4.7	→	Right	165.9
68	Turn left onto County Rd 424	0.2	←	Left	166.1
69	Turn left onto AL-24 W	1.8	←	Left	167.9
70	Red Bay	10.7			178.6
71	MS / AL Border	1			179.6

#RideAcrossAlabama Images

Nutrition during #RAA

8 - 20oz bottles of Glacier Cherry Gatorade
3 - pieces of mozzeralla string cheese
3 - PowerBar Performance Energy Blends
1 - Honey Stinger Organic Energy Chews
1 - 8oz bottle of Vanilla High Protein BOOST 
1 - Subway Chocolate Chip Cookie
1 - 3oz flask EFS Vanilla Liquid Shot

Total Calorie intake: 2,506 (250 calories / hour)
Total Calorie burn: 11,800