The 8th annual Camden Cycling Clubs Three Rivers ride was held on Saturday November 5, 2022. The three rivers bordering this event are the Satilla, Crooked and the St Marys rivers. The event started at the crack of dawn in front of the Howard Gilman Memorial Waterfront Park in downtown St. Marys, Georgia. 

This event offers participants options for 10, 30, 40, 62 and 100 miles rides. Since my longest training ride of the year had only been 35 miles long I decided a metric century (62 miles) would be enough of a challenge. Athens, GA, where I live and ride, is very hilly with some occasional steep climbs. I was very much looking forward to riding 62 flat miles. The metric century route had us go all the way out to the city of Woodbine and back. Part of the route took us on the busy Hwy 17 but the organizers had plenty of signs alerting drivers of the event and most of them were considerate.

At mile 12 of the ride there was a photo opportunity in front of a submarine at the entrance of Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base. The rest stop at mile 16 was inside the Crooked River State Park. This is a beautiful state park situated next to the Crooked River with many huge live oaks dripping with Spanish moss.

These organized rides are fun because you get to meet and ride with some interesting people with different levels of conditioning. The first group of riders I met and rode with were part of the Savannah Cycling Club and they were fast. We completed the first 15 miles in 44 minutes (20m/hr) which was way above my normal pace. When you’re riding with a group however, riders take turns out front setting the pace and breaking the wind before moving to back and conserving energy in the draft of the riders in front. At the mile 16 rest stop I decided to ride with a slower group.

Before the event I thought I had stretched, hydrated and sipped enough pickle juice to keep the leg cramps at bay but, at mile 52 without much warning, the cramps hit both legs very hard. I had to get off my bike and try to walk the cramps out. I was off my bike for less than 5 minutes before an event support person on a motorcycle came by to see if I needed any help. Fortunately there was a rest stop at mile 53 where I was able to work out the cramps, with only 10 miles left there was no way I was going to let a few leg cramps get in my way.

The volunteers who manned the rest stops were extremely nice, friendly and easy to talk to. The food and drinks at the stops were also very good – Gatorade, peanut butter sandwiches, pickles and pickle juice, bananas, crackers, cookies and other treats.

If you are ever thinking about doing a group ride this annual event would be perfect. 

The year was 2006, I had just turned 51 years old and that mid-life stuff was beginning to talking to me about what I have accomplished so far in life. I had a great wife, two outstanding kids and a successful business but, I needed a physical challenge. So, I signed up for the Bridge to Bridge century ride to the top of Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina.

I had a little harder time getting Pam on board with this ride but, she was my only support team member and I needed her. So I bribed her with a 3 night stay at the Richmond Hill Inn in Ashville. It took me almost 8 hours to finish so Pam earned her reward.

The ride was in September and I had already been riding a lot in 2006 and I had all summer to get physically ready so I wasn’t too worried. This was the 18th running of this ride and it was well supported by the town business owners and volunteers. It was 6AM and dark outside when we started and first 45 miles were amazing. People lined the streets and were in their yards and driveways all cheering us on. For a brief moment I thought I was in France competing in the Tour de France. My legs felt strong and the energy from the cheering spectators gave me a strength I didn’t know I had. The terrain for the first 45 miles was easy, just some rolling hills. But, as you can see from the map below the ride was about to change drastically.

It was at about mile 60 was when I realized that I was way under prepared for this event – but, I’m not a quitter so I pressed on. When I got to rest / aid stop number 6 at the 11 miles to the Blue Parkway sign I stopped for a break and processed to get 3 cramps in each leg. They were so severe I couldn’t get back on my bike. At that point I decided if I saw Pam and our car I was going to call it quits. Several other people were getting picked up at that rest stop and I was in a lot of pain.

I never was able to see or phone Pam so, I walked my bike until I worked out the cramps, then got back on pressed forward. I had to be careful because I could feel the cramps in the background and I didn’t want another full blown episode. The 25 miles from the 70 to 95 mark where incredibly beautiful. There where mountains, creeks, cliffs, and ravines and a lot of the trees were starting to turn color.

I remember one of the volunteers at a rest stop looking up my name, which also lists the riders age, by my event number hanging from my bike. He said to me; “Bruce, you’re 51 years old – what in the world are you doing out here!”

This was a physical challenge I needed to prove to myself I could do – and did! I completed the whole 100 miles of Pure Hill. Pam was there waiting for me at the top. After finishing I loaded the bike on the car and we headed for Asheville. I was able to take a shower and get a little nap in before we event to a fabulous wine tasting dinner at Gabriel’s

.