While it is easy to get carried away with my plans for next August, there’s a lot to do between March and July in order to succeed in the Alps. With that in mind, I put together an ambitious schedule for the coming year.
Last year the goal was to ride the four or five toughest centuries in the southeast. I succeeded in that challenge, at least in riding the popular centuries that are argued to be most challenging. However, my list was not definitive. There are lots of rides in the southeast, some of them could be tougher than the ones I attempted last year.
For this coming year, my goal is try out new rides in different parts of the country. The only duplicates on this schedule are Assault on the Carolinas and the Assault on Mount Mitchell, both of which I will ride for my third time. The remainders are all new, and some are further out of town.
These are just organized events. We’re already talking about training rides in between. Needless to say, there will be a lot of climbing in 2013.
| Assault on the Carolinas | Brevard, NC |
| Cheaha Challenge | Piedmont, AL |
| Burnt Mountain Century | Cumming, GA |
| 3 State 3 Mountain | Chattanooga, TN |
| Assault on Mount Mitchell | Spartanburg, SC |
| Mountains of Misery | Roanoke, VA |
| 3 Mountain Madness | Winston Salem, NC |
| Cherohala Challenge | Tellico Plains, TN |
| Roan Moan | Bakersville, NC |
| Haute Route | Geneva, Switzerland to Nice, France |
These rides all stop at Haute Route. There are other rides I’d like to try in the late fall, such as Tour de Gaps, Hincapie, and I’d like another run at Bridge to Bridge. Whether I do them or not will depend on how I feel.
SteepClimbs.com 
November 15th, 2012 at 7:40 pm
That’s a lot of centuries brother. Good luck!
November 16th, 2012 at 8:08 pm
Thanks, will need all the luck I can get.
November 15th, 2012 at 7:56 pm
Remember, you ride mountains to ride mountains. I think, and know one will like this – you get use to the pain?!
November 16th, 2012 at 8:09 pm
Yup, the more you climb, the better you get and the less it hurts. The Asheville ride was not easy, but I felt a lot better after this one than I would have a year ago.
November 16th, 2012 at 11:46 am
Aaron, ambitious (but probably necessary) schedule you have there. I’m not sure how many actual events I’ll tackle before the Haute Route, but I think Mont Ventoux will be sick of seeing me so much.
November 17th, 2012 at 7:09 pm
Hey Gerry. I envy your Ventoux access, but hope you’ll be able to mix it up a little more than that. However historic, I imagine it would get boring after awhile.
November 18th, 2012 at 3:13 am
It hasn’t gotten boring yet, but you’re right about the variety. I’ll be sure and get some other big ones in before the Big Week.
November 17th, 2012 at 12:45 pm
Ambitious is an understatement. But riding in Alps? I can’t think of anything better. Leave time to take plenty of pictures! You won’t be sorry.
November 17th, 2012 at 7:09 pm
No worries there. I’ll make plenty of room on my camera.
November 25th, 2012 at 5:53 pm
Brilliant to have such goals already documented. I am at that stage in the season where I find it hard to think of next year. Went out today for 50 km in high wind and a steady -3c which is tiring. End of season blues perhaps. I do need to take a leaf from your book and schedule some challenges for next year to keep me motivated during the winter months where it is into the basement! I can climb Ventoux from there on my Elite trainer which includes real film footage of the climb as I climb, but I know it is nothing compared to what Gerry must experience in person. One day…
November 26th, 2012 at 7:03 pm
Is that the ProForm trainer they advertised during the Tour de France? I know someone who bought one of those, had a horrible time setting it up, nightmarish calls to tech support for months, then loved it once he got it going.
I’m the kind of guy that needs something on my calendar to keep me motivated. And with the HR challenge next year, I’ll need to keep my mountain legs active during the Spring and Summer.