Susan's Blog ~~ RAAM Team Ride Red

Upcoming Week of RAAM Pre-Race Events

2011-06-12T09:18:00.017-05:00

RAAM kicks off tomorrow with a week full of festivities, meetings, and bike racing! Between RAAM required meetings and everything we need to do to get Team Ride Red ready to hit the road, it's going to be a busy week.

With a big thanks to friends and crew, all 8 bikes are already in California along with the leapfrog van, the follow car, and the RV. The team leaves for Oceanside starting tomorrow with Fred and Leary, followed by the rest of the team through Thursday. Here's what's on the team's agenda for next week:

Monday (6/13) - Leary and Fred fly to Los Angeles, pick up the minivan with 6 bikes.

Tuesday (6/14) - Leary and Fred drive to Longbeach, pick up the Xterra and me, drive to Oceanside, pick up the Gopher rental car and the second rental RV, and pick up our RAAM vehicle signage.

Wednesday (6/15) - Kevin (a crew member) starts RAW at noon! More team arrives. Crew prepares all vehicles and bikes for inspection on Thursday. Rider meeting and team meeting Wednesday evening.

Thursday (6/16) - More team arrives in Oceanside in the morning. RAAM required vehicle inspection at 11am. RAAM required Crew Chief meeting at 1pm. Crew spends most of day getting vehicles supplied and ready for race. More team arrives in the evening. Team meeting Thursday evening and massage for riders.

Friday (6/17) - Final bike equipment check-over, crew training on bike lights and wheels. Mandatory 4pm Team Photo and 5pm Team Racer meeting. Team pasta feast Friday night. Then sleep, sleep, sleep!

Saturday (6/18) - Team breakfast and get to start line by noon. RAAM teams start at 2pm! Here we go!

Follow Team Ride Red at: http://www.ridered.org/.

Perp Spray - For All Our Intruder Needs

2011-06-07T22:26:00.019-05:00

During one of our team planning sessions, someone brought up the fact that most of the time there will only be women in one of our RVs (resting riders plus medical and massage crew) AND raised questions about safety. As much as I hated to admit it, they had a point. A small group of tired women in some RV park in the middle of who knows where? In my mind, this just screams, "WELCOME ALL AXE MURDERS AND PERVERTS!"

There was much discussion about how to handle the threat of intruders, including hand to hand combat techniques and what to do if you find yourself engaged in a knife fight. I can tell you right now that after riding many hours in the saddle and being hungry and sleep deprived, we riders are NOT going to be in the mood to deal with any perverts.

Since firearms are not allowed in RAAM (Texas teams should be granted an exception) and this probably holds true for flair guns as well, I thought the next best thing would be bear spray (see footnote at end*).

So my mom and I went into the local sporting goods shop, marched up to the firearms counter, and requested a canister of bear spray. The older gentleman behind the counter took one look at my mom and I and asked in a very helpful manner where and how we planned to use it. I said, "I'll be taking a cross country trip and we will be staying in some parks and you just never know." He knew my main target wasn't a bear. He responded with, "Well, if you have other intended uses, you may want to consider Hornet spray because it's just as effective on bears, critters, and perps." Perps? He was on to me! Perps (e.g. perpetrators) in the form of axe murderers, perverts, and robbers were indeed my target audience! He then proceeded to informed me that Hornet spray has a range of up to 20 feet and a very accurate spray but not to get the foaming kind because it has a much shorter and messier range. He said it also blends in with the camping decor so any unsuspecting perps wouldn't be alarmed.

I smiled, thanked him, handed back the $40 bear spray, and purchased a $4.00 can of RAID Hornet spray.

Perps - we are ready for you. Come and get it if you dare!

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*A few weeks ago I went to buy pepper spray at REI & the sales guy said all they sell is bear spray. I asked what the difference was & he said it was illegal to spray a human with bear spray. I informed him that if some guy is going to jump out of the woods and grab me, I don't care what the law says, he's getting sprayed!

RAAM Nutrition by the Numbers

2011-06-07T21:47:00.017-05:00

They say it takes a village to accomplish great tasks. What I recently discovered is that it also takes an entire village's monthly food supply to fuel one RAAM rider for 8 days.

I put together my usual all-encompassing-race-nutrition-spreadsheet-from-hell and came up with my overall nutrition numbers for 8 days of racing based on my "typical" race requirements for cycling / per hour = 300 calories, 400mg sodium, 45 oz fluid.

Calories: 28,800 -- equivalent of putting on 8.2 pounds
Sodium (mg): 38,400 -- glad I have really low blood pressure
Hydration (oz): 4,320 -- 33 gallons

Did I mention this is only for WHILE I'M RIDING and doesn't include "off the bike" meals?

I laid out all my gels, bars, powders, chews, salt tablets and I stood back in awe of the massive pile on the kitchen counter top. I will be taking in 80% of my cycling calories in liquid form. To give another perspective, these calories include 115 scoops of powdered glucose (yum!) and 50 scoops of Hammer Perpetuem (both are essentially powdered calories added to water). And the Hammer Gels? Forget the individual packets. I bought multiple jugs.

At this point ultrarunner Dean Karnazes flashed through my mind and he may have had it right. When he would be on one of his epic training runs, he'd simply call a pizza place and tell them to deliver at an intersection that he would be running through. Then he'd simply take an entire pizza, roll it up burrito style, and enjoy. Maybe I need to rethink my nutrition strategy. Then again, do I really want to be tasting and re-tasting tomato sauce or cheese while I'm grinding my way up Wolf Creek Pass? Not so much.

Dad...Will You Fix This?

2011-06-06T10:28:00.015-05:00

There is a frequently used saying in my family -- "Dad...will you fix this?"

My dad is an engineer by trade and he has a machine shop in the basement so anytime something needed fixing, he was THE go-to guy. It didn't matter what it was, from a broken Rubics cube or cracked prom shoe heel to overhauling a 454 Chevy big block engine or reroofing the house, if it needed fixing he could always "make a part".

I went home for a quick visit last week and brought "the van list" which included:
1. Reinforce the Thule bike rack so it won't wobble.
2. Figure out how to mount a light to the back window so it would provide light at night to riders/crew outside.
3. Create some type of table/tray for the center section between driver and passenger seats but it has to pivot so we can get to the race radios and outlets.
4. Figure out how I can simultaneously listen to music AND have a race radio plugged into one ear piece (RAAM rules require one ear to be open to traffic).

In his usual form, Dad came through on all accounts and far surpassed expectation. I "supervised" (aka: I stood there and kept him company while staying out of the way or made the multiple trips to Radio Shack or Home Depot with him) and he worked his usual magic with the band saw, welding torches, metal cutters, and lathe.

This is one instance of all the help and support the team has received from friends and family in preparing for our race. The van is now on it's way to Oceanside and between all the work that Leary did to get it ready and with Dad's final touches, the "leapfrog" is set!

Thanks Dad!

Just plug it in!

2011-05-22T16:59:00.010-05:00

Electricians of the world - I salute you.

Apparently it takes more than just a cigarette lighter to plug in 4 cell phones, 4 rider headlights and batteries, 2 race radios, a laptop, a GPS system, a coffee maker, a hair dryer, and yellow flashing safety lights.

Last fall we sat down and figured out all the things we wanted to have in the leapfrog vehicle (mini-van) and what the electrical requirements would be. Being a creature of comforts, I included things like a hair dryer (because when I ride, my hair is perpetually wet) and a coffee maker (7-9 day endurance event without coffee -I don't think so). And then there were the "necessary" items such as cell phones and GPS units that would actually help us get across the country.

After compiling the list, crunching some numbers, looking up the specs to the van alternator, calculating battery juice, and listening to my Dad and Leary have riveting conversations about "modified vs true sine wave patterns", we finally determined that we would have to get a 1600 watt inverter to ensure we could power all the devices we wanted. Correction - power all the devices we NEEDED (my coffee maker and hair dryer got booted from the list because they would suck too much power and pretty much ensure we would NOT make it out of California during RAAM).

We ordered a Whistler PRO-1600 watt power inverter. With specs like this, we thought we were set:

"Turn your vehicle into a mobile office with the Whistler PRO-1600W 1600-Watt Pro Power Inverter. The Whistler power inverter allows you to run AC appliances, with start up loads of 1600-watts or less, right from your vehicle, boat or RV. They're great for weekend use and life on the road. They're also great for power outages. "

I would like to point out to the Whistler people that you can't have a power OUTAGE if you can't get power TO BEGIN WITH!

Leary took the inverter in to have it professionally installed 5 days before our Kerrville training weekend. We wanted to test it out and make sure everything worked. During installation they ran the cables, hooked everything up, went to test it...and....NOTHING. They moved a few wires around, retested again...and...NOTHING. This went on for 4 hours with the final determination that the unit was shot. Leary called Radio Shack who informed us that even though we bought it from RS, we would have to work directly with Whistler. Leary called Whistler who said we would have to ship it back to them because it falls under warranty and no, they could not just send us a replacement. Needless to say we didn't have the unit set up for Kerrville.

3 weeks later, new Whistler unit in hand, Leary went back to have the installation finalized and it took them less than 20 min to put it in the van. Leary went to test it and long story short, it turns out that our original plan of running 3 extension cords and a multitude of devices off the inverter WON'T WORK and that everything has to be plugged directly into the unit itself.

Are you kidding me?

So Leary is at Home Depot right now buying a bunch of those multiple outlet units where you plug one end into an outlet and then you can plug multiple things into the other end. When I asked him what the difference was between that and an extension cord (other than the obvious "cord vs no cord") he said it has something to do with power traveling through a cord and now the inverter won't allow that.

Again, are you kidding me? This device sounds like something a guy would invent.

So I have no idea how this whole thing will work and I'm beginning to think that maybe we should just buy cases of batteries and run everything off the Energizer Bunny. It seems a lot more straight forward!

UPDATE: Leary is now back from Home Depot with a completely exasperated look on his face. Imagine if you will, Leary in the Home Depot parking lot, van doors flung open, power cord wrappers everywhere...three separate trips into Home Depot (with three returns), and finally finding the right combination of cords, plugs, and wires. We are up and running!

However he did mention that when the inverter is running, there is a slight "electrical smell" that is emitted from the floor compartment (where the inverter is being stored). As he was telling me about the possibility of punching a hole in the floor and installing wire mesh so the inverter could breathe, I couldn't help but start to giggle (which turned into full on crying laughter). After I finally recomposed myself, he smiled. I think we should rename our team to "Team Sanford and Son". Bwah bwah bwahhhda....

Going Commando

2011-04-30T17:18:00.008-05:00

According to my mom, when I was a baby I did NOT like a wet diaper. I realize this is probably true of most babies, but in keeping with my usual "I'll just take care of the problem myself" approach, when my diaper was wet I would simply pull it off. Ahhh!!!!

41 years later and not much has changed. While I thoroughly enjoy going for a long ride or run in the Texas heat and sweating up a storm, when I'm done working out I want to air out and be dry. NOW!

With all the cycling I've done over the past several months in preparation for RAAM, I've reverted back to my baby ways and have started going commando again. I should clarify. I'm not running around without any bottoms on (although I have been known to streak in the house - who doesn't?) but let's just say that sometimes my "too much time in the saddle" pink parts are not in the mood to deal with women's underwear. And even the most soft, smooth, supple elastic is STILL ELASTIC! I've come to fully appreciate men's cotton boxer shorts or even light airy skirts and so have my pink parts. Because sometimes a girl just needs some air!

*I had to go buy my own since Leary doesn't wear boxers :-)

47 Days and 50 Bazillion Details

2011-04-27T09:53:00.012-05:00

We are T minus 47 days to RAAM. Where has the time gone? I'll tell you. It has gone to 20 months of planning, preparation, training, more planning, trial runs, trial errors, meetings, e-mails, discussions, documentation, and more planning. At one point last year I remember thinking, "Oh, we can do that later. We have PLENTY of time." In the words of my Dad, "It's later than you think!"

Photo 1: Setting up the leapfrog and follow vehicles.
Photo 2: Testing out race radios.

As of last week, we are in the final throes of RAAM planning and the core team decided that the best approach is to meet weekly for a few hours to hammer out remaining details. At the end of our last meeting, Crew Chief Fred sent out this list of what's left to finalize - yikes!

RAAM Route Review
Vehicle Power Requirements
GPS Navigation Equipment
Vehicle Role Definition
Gopher Vehicle- rent or borrow
Crew Rotation
Vehicle Supply Inventory
Bike Equipment
PA system for communication to riders and/or provide music
Bike Light Battery Charging
2-way Radio Battery Charging
Spare Bike Light Batteries
Vehicle Signs
Medical Supplies
Financial Mechanisms
Off-shift Activities/Procedures
Satellite Phones/Long-Range 2-way radios
Rider Tracking
Safety Emergency Procedures
Gopher Vehicle Implementation
Info sharing with riders
What to Pack
Improve vehicle logsheets
Improve Dashboard Checklists
Pre-Race Food Preparation
RV Practice Plan
Pre-Race Activities
Crew Photographer/Videographer
Crew T-shirts (round 2)
Agenda/Schedule for Kerrville
Maps for Kerrville

And of course a little extra training is built into these meetings because I get to ride 20 miles to them! Awesome!!!

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Photo 3: Got tires?
Photo 4: RAAM Planning meeting.

"Those are some big biking legs!"

2011-04-26T07:26:00.014-05:00

I was standing in Starbucks ordering a mid afternoon tea when out of nowhere I hear a guy's voice behind me say, "Those are some big biking legs you got there!" I glanced side to side and saw there weren't that many customers in the place so I assumed he was talking to me. I turned around, reluctantly smiled, and said, "Thanks?" emphasizing the question mark. We briefly chatted and it turned out he was a cyclist too. I should have left him with this parting thought, "Dude. Unless you want a hot coffee dumped down the front of you, you DON'T tell a female she has 'big biking legs', or 'big' anything for that matter." Well, maybe if referencing boobs but even that's a turkey shoot.

I have recently realized that ultra endurance cycling may not be the best sport for women. Don't get me wrong, I think females are very well suited, both physiologically and mentally, for long distance sports. While I was training for my first 100K trail race, my leg muscles became long and lean and my abs and back solid felt strong. But with all the cycling I've done over the last 12 months in preparation for RAAM, my quads are bigger, my butt and hips are bigger, my gut has gotten somewhat flabby, my upper body muscles have shrunk, and my posture is taking on a permanent, hunched over, "aero position" shape. It seems that cycling enlarges everthing women typically work so hard to reduce. My thoughts were confirmed when my teammate Carol asked, "Have you gained weight during your training? My legs have gotten huge!" My other teammate Sue responded with, "I haven't gained weight but my butt is a lot bigger."

Cartoon by Guy Junker -- http://www.junkertoons.com/ebmtb.htm

5 x 100 Miles

2011-04-21T09:03:00.043-05:00

I know myself well. I don't like surprises. Correction. I like surprises if I know about them. This is both the beauty and the curse of being a control freak. My husband refers to it as my "neuroses". RAAM is 9 days for everything to go right...or to go wrong...and so in training for RAAM, my goal is to be as prepared as possible. (Photo of a card Leary gave me after the first day of riding.)

During RAAM, each rider on the team will cover approx 750 miles (assuming the total 3,000 mile distance divided by 4 riders). My plan is to get as close to that 750 mile mark as possible during training so I can experience what that type of mileage feels like and also learn what works well or may potentially fail (sore neck, sore butt, bike pants that work or don't work, etc.).

My RAAM training consists of a 3 week cycle/rotation which includes: 1 week of "quality" (speed work, hill repeats), 1 week of volume (pure mileage), and 1 week of recovery (go to my favorite spin and yoga classes, catch up on all the DVR recordings from the past 2 weeks, eat, and sleep).

The week of April 11th was my biggest volume week to date with 5 days of 100 miles each day. Here is a brief summary of how it went.

Mon (4/11) - 100: Here I Go!
I spent the prior weekend mentally ramping up for this week and Monday's ride kicked off what was surely to be a long week. I rode solo and headed out from home towards Creedmoor (south east of Austin). I hadn't ridden in the Creedmoor area for several years and was amazed at how some roads were completely unrecognizable thanks to the new toll road system. But then some of the familiar things were still in place like the smell from the Texas Waste Disposal and Landfill, the Creedmoor General Store which has been there since the time of the old wild west, and the area where every road is named "Turnersville Road" -- seriously! When I got home around 7:00pm, my husband immediately handed me an Odwalla Super Food juice mixed with a big dose of vitamin B liquid. No crabby "carby" moments here!
Lessons Learned:
-- Start doing more neck and upper back strengthening exercises.
-- Got chamois cream?
-- Don't be lazy with post-ride refueling. Eat, eat, EAT!

Tues (4/12) - 100: Fickle Fitzhugh
I intentionally put the Fitzhugh ride on the second day because this was going to be hilly, hilly, hilly. I love riding Fitzhugh because it's tough and I've had some of my most mentally and physically difficult workouts on this long stretch of road from Austin heading west to Johnson City. If Fitzhugh ever feels good, I am immediately suspicious. I was out there riding with what felt like very little effort after yesterday's 100 miles. The hills kept rolling towards me and I enjoyed every one of them. For the record, I much prefer hills to flats! I came up to Pedernales Park, rode the 3 miles in to the guard station and paid $2.00 for 16oz of water from a vending machine (talk about supply and demand), hit the 50 mile mark, and then turned around and headed back for home. HELLO HEADWIND! I knew the ride out was too easy! It was oddly comforting to struggle on the way back. That's what Fitzhugh is all about. I stopped to take a photo of the Texas Hill Country and sent it to my Dad. I had my GPS turned on on my phone so my Dad was literally tracking me from his laptop. It was nice to have the feeling that my Dad was with me even though he is in Minnesota. Home was a welcome sight on my return.
Lessons Learned:
-- Pool soaking feels FANTASTIC after a long, grimy day of riding.
-- Putting chamois cream in shorts at mile 70 really gives me something to look forward to. Hoo Ha Ride Glide brand is minty fresh and feels awesome!
-- Neck and upper back are starting to relax and the hills felt better than the flats yesterday.
-- Meat night ROCKS! Leary baked potatoes and grilled two small fillet mignons. My muscles appreciated the extra protein!

Photo: Texas Hill Country on Fitzhugh near Pedernales State Park.

Wed (4/13) - 40/60: Stops and Starts and Interviews
Today's ride had to be split because I had two mid-day interviews. So I rode 40 miles in the morning and enjoyed a beautiful sunrise over Mansfield Dam as I headed to the Arboretum area in the north central part of Austin. Legs are starting to feel consistently tired but no problem climbing up Steiner Hill. I got back home and then drove out to Decker Lake for a Team Ride Red interview with YNN News. I racked up a whopping 2 miles as they filmed us riding up and down the roads. I decided not to count that as part of my 100 miles for the day (smile). I ate in the car on the way back home, had a phone interview for a potential work contract (which I took while wearing my bike shorts and a spandex bra -- THIS is why I will never do video phone conferencing!), and finally got back on my bike around 3:30pm to finish up the 60 miles.
Lessons Learned:
--Keep up with the protein. I dumped a can of tuna into a baggie and took it up to the pool and ate it while I soaked. 30 grams of protein in one shot. It smelled bad but tasted good!
-- Stay on top of sore spots by stretching and rollering out kinks with a foam roller or tennis ball. Knots are starting to accumulate!
-- Don't think about what I'm doing. Just do it. It was a hard push to get BACK on the bike for the 60 mile ride so late in the day. I won't have a choice during RAAM.

Thurs (4/14) - Off (aka: Just In Case Day)
I build in this day as a "just in case" day in the event weather or life got in the way of the rides on Mon, Tues, or Wed. I took advantage of this day to sleep in (10 hours!), continue to eat, and do some much needed laundry!

Fri (4/15) - 100: Low Batteries and WIND!
Today was the toughest day of the week. I felt ready to go but the wind was really bad with sustained 15mph north winds, gusting to 25mph. My friends Julie and Jim offered to ride with me today (plus Dad was there via GPS). Thankfully!!! We met at CC Mason school in Cedar Park and headed north up to Leander, Liberty Hill, Mahomet, over to Florence, down to Andice and back to Cedar Park (aka: the "Cedar Park Fever" bike route). We had solid headwind for the first 30 miles and it was tough. Julie wasn't feeling all that great and turned around at Liberty Hill so it was just Jim and I for the remainder of the ride. I definitely felt leg fatigue on this day and didn't have my usual strong power climbing even the smaller hills. I was steady but didn't feel strong. After mind numbing long stretches and getting blown all over kindgom come, and trying to avoid buying a box of chicken at the Florence gas station (because the fat and salt just smelled so dang good!), we enjoyed a 30 mph "push" tail wind as we blew back to Cedar Park. Jim split off and rode home while I road back home as well to hit the 100 mile mark.

Throughout the ride my technical gear was complaining about the wind but in its own way. My cyclometer flashed "low battery" about 20 miles into the ride. I just swapped out the battery a week ago! Luckily it hung in there for the rest of the ride but the display would start to fade until I banged on it with my hand. Then around the 3 hour mark, a digital voice in my iPod started intermittently saying, "Battery low". It kept this up for about 2 hours before finally dying during Barry Manilow's "Copa Cabana". I rode the remaining hour listening to the wind howl.
Lessons Learned:
-- No matter wind, hills, plague of locusts, or dust storm, just keep moving nice and steady.
-- Again, Hoo Ha chamois cream at mile 70 ROCKS!
-- Dealing with the wind is more mental than physical.
-- Turning up my iPod and listening to disco music helps take my mind off of the wind.
-- In order to remove layers of sunscreen and dirt requires a serious loofah scrubbing in the shower! Photo of dirt, sunscreen, and sexy bike tan lines after Friday's ride.
-- This was a tough training day but one of those benchmark days when I can say, "Well at least it's not as bad as the time we rode in Cedar Park!"

Photo: Happy Easter from the Texas Hill Country! Taken in Cedar Park.

Sat(4/16) - 100: Red Poppies and Cookies with Friends
I intentionally picked an organized ride to finish out the last of the 100 mile rides for three reasons: 1) the likelihood of bailing now was slim to none because I actually paid money to ride, 2) aid station support and route provided, 3) Leary and friends would be there for company.

The Red Poppy Ride started in Georgetown and by 8am we were off. Fred, John, and Lori kept me company and before too long we were split from our larger group of friends including Leary, Danny, Kim, Marc, Laura, Richelle, Barrett, Tammy, and others. The wind was light coming out of the south and while temps started out pretty cool where arm warmers were definitely required (and numb hands were an issue), it warmed up nicely by 9am. Aid stations were about every 15 miles so we enjoyed home made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cookies, and water refills. Usually I don't have a strong urge for cookies but Fred wore his Cookie Monster bike jersey and I think I was getting subliminal messages. Each time we stopped I ate 3-4 cookies plus I'd stick a couple in my jersey pocket. This came in handy when we were in the middle of nowhere and Lori said she could really go for a cookie. I reached into my pocket and VOILA - cookie! She was very happy. Despite getting a little turned around in the last 9 miles, we finished around 2:30pm. Leary and Danny were already done and enjoying some post ride festivities which included an announcer greeting riders as they finished and large bin of grilled hot dogs for riders to enjoy. The thought of a hot dog at mile 10 sounded terrible. At mile 50, maybe. By mile 102, heck yeah! So with a Mexican Coke in one hand (thanks Danny!) and a hot dog in the other, we celebrated our 100 mile ride and my 500 mile mark. That evening Leary took me out for some great TexMex at Maudies and a nice cold Shiner beer. Sore, tired, and happy -- what a great way to end the week! Lessons Learned:
--After 500 miles I still want to ride and don't hate my bike -- a good sign!
--Recovery food and fuel is critical to keep going, keep going, keep going.
--Good friends are awesome!

Photo: Lori, John, and I at the end of the "100" mile Red Poppy Ride.

Sun(4/17) - I Miss My Bike
Each day this week I would put my helmet and bike shoes next to the front door since I would be riding again within 12-18 hours. But when we got home from riding on Saturday, I felt a little sad as I put my helmet and bike shoes in the closet knowing I wasn't going to ride on Sunday. I could have ridden more, but the plan was 5 x 100 and I ended on a really great note with yesterday's ride. I'll have another long mileage week before RAAM but for now, I will enjoy my accomplishment and not tempt the fates.

Commuting with Eggs, Milk, and Bike Parts

2011-03-22T19:30:00.019-05:00

I started commuting by bike last May as part of National Bike Commuter's Month. Prior to this, the only time I got on my bike was to do a workout. I wanted to get back to riding my bike just for the enjoyment of it (not just to do hill repeats or 5x15 min intervals at race pace). I also wanted to become one of those bicycling road warriors who took their bikes everywhere. And I wanted to find a way to get in some serious base miles as part of my training for Race Across America.

Unless I'm heading to Java Dive, the local coffee shop (which is 6 miles round trip), every other commute is at least 15 miles one way. Commute to the health club? 19 miles. Meet someone in downtown Austin for lunch? 24 miles. Bike to the 360 access trail head and get in a quick trail run? 20 miles. When I started commuting I didn't realize that there was a difference between "conveniently commuting" (usually less than 10 miles one way) and "commuting on steroids" - which is what I was doing.

Fast forward to this month and I have fully embraced commuting. So much so that I look forward to coming up with creative ways to run errands and get in some good mileage. For example, today my goal was 50 miles. Ever the multi-tasker, I made a list of errands I had to run and then hopped on my bike and away I went.

I started by riding up to my friend Fred's house to drop off some bike parts (which I stored in my commuter pack strapped to my bike rack above my back wheel). On my way over to Fred's, I rode past Jim and Michelle's house. Lo and behold Jim was in his garage on his bike trainer doing a workout. So I swung in and we chatted for a few minutes. I made it up to Fred's, dropped off the stuff, and then assessed whether I needed to refill my water bottle. My two near by watering holes were either the health club OR the office building where I go for physical therapy (they have great bathrooms too!). I was good to go on both fronts so on to the next errand.

I headed up to Parmer Lane to check out a new route I had in mind for future commuting endeavors. I jotted the instructions down on a post-it before leaving home (left on Parmer, right on Avery Ranch, left on Riviera, etc.) and spent about an hour exploring a great new route that popped me back out near 620 and Great View. From here I rode over to pick up milk and eggs which are delivered every 2 weeks to a north Austin location from a farm in east Texas. I carefully packed the dozen eggs in my commuter pack and put the half gallon carton of milk alongside the eggs. I brought a towel to wrap around the eggs and milk and did my best to avoid every pothole, drain grate, and speed bump for the remaining 15 miles home.

As I neared my house, I checked my cyclometer and saw I was going to be 6 miles short. Crap. So I rode past my house, milk and eggs in tow, and headed out/back for another 6 miles. Meanwhile the voice of my mother came into my brain saying, "You better get that milk and those eggs in the refrigerator or you'll get salmonella, botulism, and the bubonic plague!!!" If it were mid-summer in Texas I would have reconsidered. But temps were in the mid 70's so I decided to take my chances.

As I pulled into the driveway, I looked down and saw my cyclometer just click over to 50.2. Perfect! As I unpacked everything from my commuter pack, and carefully opened the egg carton, it was the moment of truth. Whew. No cracks! I poured myself a tall glass of milk for a recovery drink and enjoyed every drop - even if it was still a little foamy!

Riding at Night with Disco Spiders

2011-03-21T08:58:00.008-05:00

Several years ago I discovered the peace and tranquility that comes with training at night. It started in the form of trail running and aside from the occasional spider web in the face, strange homeless dude hiding behind a tree, or the sound of coyotes getting closer and closer, it can be a very relaxing experience. Since I began training for RAAM, I have ridden at night (or early in the morning) and discovered the same enjoyment -- except replace the homeless dude with barking farm dogs (I'd prefer the homeless dude).

There is something about the calm of the evening and only the sound of my breath and the glow of my headlamp to keep me company that is almost zen-like. Plus there's the disco spiders.

I first discovered the disco spiders while trail running. I'd catch glimpses of these moving flickers of dark blue/green/purple on the edge of the trail. At first I thought it was smashed remnants of a beer bottle or a mountain biker's broken reflector catching the light from my headlamp. But as I ran, those little shimmering lights continued along the trail. They looked like tiny little disco balls to me. I finally stopped running, bent down, and was simultaneously repulsed and amazed to discover they were small black spiders scurrying along the trail edge. Over time, I came to appreciate their company and as I ran listening to my music, I imagined the disco spiders doing the same as they jammed to "Get Down Tonight" or "The Hustle".

I rode my bike in to Java Dive this morning and it was still dark but I was not alone. There they were, those little disco spiders along the edge of the road. I was actually riding slow enough to see them, their flickering colors reflecting off my bike light. And while I am NOT a big fan of spiders, I've come to regard them as pleasant company.

4 Hours, 5 Hours, 6 Hours -- How Long is Too Long?

2011-03-07T12:40:00.008-06:00

Every successful team enters an event with a race plan and strategy. Team Ride Red has been playing around with the concept of riding in shifts and trying to find that "sweet spot" which optimizes rider effort and shift duration.

So What does this actually mean?

Contrary to what most people think, we are not taking the 3,000 miles of RAAM, dividing by 4 riders and then telling each rider, "OK Carol - go ride the first 750 miles, then Sue - go ride the next 750 miles..." and so on. In order to add speed to a race of this length, the rider shifts have to be shorter which allows for greater intensity. But how short?

Right now we are looking at splitting the four riders into teams of 2. One team will be "on" for several hours while the other team gets shuttled up the road and then rests, eats, gets a massage, or whatever. The team that is "on" will then ride alternating in shorter, more intense shifts -- so when one rider is riding for anywhere from 15-30 minutes, the other rider gets shuttled up the road and waits. When the one rider approaches, an exchange takes place and then the second rider takes off up the road while the first rider and bike is loaded up into the leapfrog vehicle and then is driven up the road for the next exchange. These exchanges happen for several hours until their shift is done. Then the second team of 2 riders is "on" and the first two riders will get transported up the road to rest, eat, etc. until it's time for them to ride again. For RAAM, this process will literally be repeated 24 hours a day for 7-9 days as the team makes its way across the country.

So how long is an optimal shift? We tried 4 hour shifts during our team training event last Saturday and that seemed to work really well. It was long enough for us to put in a solid effort but short enough to feel reasonable. The downside is that when the two riders are "off" - 4 hours isn't much time to eat, sleep, stretch, and get ready for the next shift. So at this weekend's Hill Country 600K race, we are trying one shift of 5 hours and one shift of 6 hours. The advantage is longer down time. But will we be able to sustain a solid effort for another 1-2 hours? My quads are cringing at the thought. Time, literally, will tell!

Photo: Carol Pope on team training event in Fredericksburg. Photo courtesy of Jake North Photography.

Don't Fear 300!

2011-03-05T13:00:00.017-06:00

I have recently been reminded that the mind is a very powerful thing and so is perception. And that it's very difficult to override either one.

I train using a power meter which measures the amount of wattage (energy) I generate when I ride. What's great about riding with a power meter is that power doesn't lie. When I look down at my little yellow "dashboard", it's like riding with Goldilocks - it tells me if I'm not pushing hard enough, pushing way too hard, or if the effort is just right. The other great thing is that power is really independent of any external variables such as wind or hills. If my goal is to work at a certain level of effort, I can correlate that effort to a watt number and try to hold that number regardless of riding in 30mph head winds or sitting on my bike in the comfort of my living room while doing a spin workout on my trainer and watching the movie "The Notebook" (just an example ;-)

My watt numbers fluctuate depending on what cycling shape I'm in. When I'm in decent shape and I head out to do hill repeats or solid efforts, I know that if I keep my wattage at 225 or under (270 for climbing long hills), then I won't burn out and will have energy reserves to keep going. But if I see the number "300", I immediately back off. So 300 watts has become my benchmark, eliciting a, "holy crap I'm going to blow an artery and my quads will separate from my thigh bones!!!!" type of mental response. But in reality, it had become a roadblock. Until two weeks ago.

Two weeks ago I decided to take my own advice (what I tell my athletes) and I went out on a two hour interval/tempo/hills ride and just "left it all out there" - everything I had. I was blasting up long grinding hills, short steep hills, and keeping the tempo and effort high. The first time I saw 320 watts I immediately looked away from my dashboard, pushed the "holy crap" thoughts from creeping into my brain, and just kept hammering. 360 watts on the next hill? Who cares! Let 'er rip!

After that workout I dragged myself home and felt totally wiped and really great! When I downloaded my power data I was amazed to discover that my average watts for the entire ride (including warmup, cooldown, and recovery) was 209 and my 30 minute sustained effort was 246. I also discovered that my 1 minute efforts were 313 and above. And while one minute might not seem that long, it's long enough to get up a hill quickly or blast through a straightaway at pretty decent speed. And it's enough to reassure me that I won't blow an artery.

Sometimes we just have to get out of our own way to make progress. Fear 300? Not anymore!

RAAM on the Brain and in my Dining Room

2011-03-03T00:39:00.015-06:00

My husband is currently on a business trip and I just got off the phone with him a few hours ago. After our usual, "How was your day" chit chat, out discussions these days always turn to one thing -- RAAM. I think he summed it up best when he said, "If I'm not thinking about it (RAAM), I'm talking about it, reading e-mails from people about it, writing e-mails to people about it, planning for it, or figuring out how to solve some logistical problem with it." He followed that sentiment up with, "Thank you Susan."

That's code for, "How in the world did you get me into another one of your hair brained ideas." And while I could hear the smile in his voice, I have to admit he has a point.

As I sit here writing this at 1:07am, with exercise TV infomercials playing in the background, I look around my office (aka: the dining room) and see piles of official RAAM documents, Team Ride Red folders and papers, and a few boxes from my newest technology acquisitions: a cell phone with video capability and a GPS window suction mount that I plan to use for live streaming video (not GPS). Go up into our workout room and you'll see a new bike helmet that needs to be properly fitted, four large poster signs stacked against the wall from our last sponsor fundraiser six days ago, our team banner rolled up, a pile of hardware and pvc pipe that is either on the way back to Home Depot or waiting to be affixed to something in the van to support a flag, flashing lights, emergency vehicle sign, or who knows what. That's next to the four foot stack of plastic drawers that WERE in the van but after last week's training session, have been replaced with two shorter stacks of plastic drawers because the van has since been rewamped for a better, more "efficient" configuration.

And I just came inside a few minutes ago from taking measurements on the side of the leapfrog vehicle (aka: our mini-van which we traded my camaro in for a more practical vehicle for RAAM...I know...I know...) so I can order magnetic signage for the van for our upcoming race in two weeks - the Hill Country 600K. Truth be told, I have never ordered magnetic signs before so quite honestly I have no idea what I'm doing. Is $68.50 for two 24x24 magnetic signs a good deal? Is that in four color print or just one color? Should I hold out for vinyl signs instead because the magnetic ones will look dorky? Good lord.

I have to admit a big part of me loves figuring out all the logistics of an event like RAAM. But there are some days when it's a bit too much. My friend, and team Crew Chief, Fred said last week that he thought he and I alone would exchange no less than 50 e-mails from Tues to Sun as we ramped up for the team's 18 hour training event on Saturday. We hit 48.

Perhaps when my husband returns we can have a meaningful conversation that doesn't include topics like, "How are we going to fasten the orange safety flags to the car" or, "Do you think we can find a coffee maker that is below the power rating for the 1600 watt/amp power inverter booster thingey". Or perhaps we could go out to dinner instead of Home Depot's plumbing department while we try to figure out how to take a drain pipe and turn it into a flag holder (been there, done that). I give us 5 minutes before one of us cracks.

What the Heck is a "Route Book"?!

2011-02-22T00:20:00.018-06:00

It would be difficult to get from one place to another without directions or a map. Add to the equation: 14 crew members, 4 riders, and 4-5 vehicles and things can get pretty interesting.

RAAM provides each team with a "Route Book" - a 1.5 inch thick, spiral bound navigational bible that serves as THE definitive word on getting from Oceanside, CA to Annapolis, MD. What about using GPS? That's fine but if there's a discrepancy between the Route Book and your GPS - paper wins.

On first glance, the Route Book is quite intimidating, with line by line instructions and directions traversing 3,000 miles across mountains, cities, corn fields, and rivers. So what better way to prepare Team Ride Red than to create our own route books for our training rides, patterned after the RAAM Route Book!

So for our first training event last November, Fred, MJ, Leary, and I drove the 100 mile loop we intended to use and as a result, our first team route book was born. Of course we had a few snafus along the way, like not realizing our odometer switched mid way though from miles to kilometers which goofed up our cumulative distance, or when we would miss a turn and have to back up and then subtract .75 miles from every distance calculation thereafter (or however far we overshot the turn). But by the end of it all, we had a nice route book complete with maps and line by line turns formatted in RAAM Route Book fashion. But did this prevent people from getting lost before we even got out of Old Settler's Park? Nope.

Our second training event is coming up this weekend and of course, we are fully prepared with another route book. This route covers 200 miles and even though the distance is double, the route book is actually smaller. We were a little smarter this time, choosing a route that had a lot fewer turns and "special features" (like a bazillion cattle guards, dry low water crossings, or a port-a-potty sitting in the middle of a corn field). Fingers crossed no one gets lost again!

Oh My Hips! (or the importance of cross training)

2011-02-21T16:53:00.009-06:00

With all the riding, riding, riding I've been doing these days, my other training activities (run, swim, yoga, weights) have taken a hit. I suppose I could blame "not enough hours in the day" but in reality, there is time for a 30 min run here or a 45 min yoga session there.

I was reminded of my other beloved but neglected activities today when I went for a trail run with my trail buddy, Richelle. She had a 3 hr run and so I tagged along on the last 1.5 hrs to keep her company. You have to understand just how much time Richelle and I have spent together on the trail over the past few years -- add up all the time and it could easily be counted in weeks. But because she is run focused and I am bike focused these days, our paths don't cross as frequently as I'd like. But what fun today to hit the trails, cross streams, and slosh-slosh-slosh down the rocky terrain while catching up on what's new!

While my brain was happy to be out there with her, my body was confused. After 20 minutes I distinctly heard my quads say, "Um...what are you doing?" I ignored them. Then five minutes later I heard my rear-end say, "Hey! If you're breathing hard then shouldn't I be sitting on a bike seat?!" Again, I ignored. Then my hips spoke up at the 60 minute mark. "OK!! ENOUGH of whatever THIS is that you are doing that is NOT cycling!!" When the hips speak, I listen.

All the smooth motion and non-pounding action of cycling has given my hips (and feet, and knees, and low back) a wonderful respite from the brutal mileage of my trail running over the past year. I think my hips were nervous that we were starting things back up. As Richelle and I climbed the last few switchbacks leading up to the 360 Access parking lot, I was glad to be done running. As we stretched in the parking lot, I quietly thanked my hips for their participation and promised that I would get back to more cross training so they would be reminded of other activities. I also promised to keep the duration low, at least until after Race Across America in June. But shhhhh...don't tell my hips.

What "Recovery Week" Means to Me

2011-02-16T07:15:00.011-06:00

After 12 years of endurance sports and training, I have FINALLY come up with what I call the "perfect recovery week". For me, recovery not only provides a physical rest, it also provides a mental break. So for two out of every three weeks, a recovery week is a hard earned block of unstructured time.

I have certain things I like to include in a recovery week such as extra sleep, yoga, running, and swimming but other than that, I do what I feel like doing (physical) when I feel like doing it (mental). And if I feel like taking a day or two off, I do -- guilt and conscience free.

Recovery week also means allowing my body to heal. In the case of coming off a 400 mile ride week, I have come to appreciate wearing boxer shorts (my own, not my husbands ;-) I haven't really had to deal with saddle sores (chafing or tender bumps on the skin from friction or pressure) until the three I acquired last week but let me say, wearing boxers provides that extra "ventilation" to let my pink parts air out, breathe, and heal!

Food plays an integral part of recovery as well, including smoothies and juices that pack a nutritional wallop. This morning I made "Sweet Garlic Juice" -- a combination of carrots, avocado, green apple, ginger, garlic, mango, kale, and cucumber, all pressed through my juicer to create a beautiful green beverage. I am enjoying the juice right now and I should be pretty safe from any vampires for the rest of the day!

I still have five recovery days left until I get back into my structured training regiment and I plan to enjoy each and every minute. And if I do a recovery week right, I start to get antsy near the end and I am rearing to get back to training!

400 Miles: Sunday (Done and DONE)

2011-02-13T20:36:00.003-06:00

Daily Goal: 10 miles
Weekly Goal: 400 miles
Distance Completed After Today: 400 miles

A long week of riding was wrapped up today with a wonderful (and short) 10 mile bike ride from home into Lakeway and back. The sun was shining, the wind was blowing warm, and I felt pretty darn good as did my legs (tired but good). I am very much looking forward to a day off tomorrow and a recovery week next week. Plus tomorrow is Valentines Day -- just the excuse I need to go out and enjoy a TexMex dinner at Maudie's Cafe and maybe even a little dessert! I think my legs would appreciate it.

Can't wait to keep blogging as I continue towards June 18th and the start of RAAM. But I will miss "unique" trainer workout opportunities like riding in Macy's Department store. I'm off to do more laundry...again.

400 Miles: Saturday (Riding Inside and OUT)

2011-02-12T18:12:00.010-06:00

Daily Goal: 70 miles
Weekly Goal: 400 miles
Distance Completed After Today: 390 miles

Finally...FINALLY I got to ride outside today! But that was towards the end of my ride. I started out today's "ride" at the health club for a 1 hour warmup base ride. Then we headed over to Fred's house for the Saturday "Fred Ride" which took place in his garage on trainers given the 40 degree temps outside. But Fred used our Minnesota kerosene heater to warm up the garage (35,000 BTUs baby!) and it was nice and toasty in a hurry! It was a great 2 hour interval set consisting of 5x5 miles strong effort with 1 mile high cadence easy recovery. Leary and I headed to Newks for lunch and then I rode home -- OUTSIDE! It was a gloriously warm day with a sligh breeze. I finished up the last ~30 miles of my 70 mile goal while feeling the wonderful sun in my face and the rolling hills of 620 under my wheels.

Only 10 miles to go tomorrow before I hit my 400 mile goal week. But not before I enjoy sleeping in for a change! And with the warm weather well on its way and highs tomorrow in the 70's, I am certain I WON'T be at the health club or on my trainer. My rear wheel will also appreciate being on the road for a change - it's developing a lovely shiny, flat spot from rolling against the trainer this past week!

400 Miles: Friday (Riding in Macy's)

2011-02-11T19:20:00.013-06:00

Daily Goal: 70 miles
Weekly Goal: 400 miles
Distance Completed After Today: 320 miles

Today was finally a BEAUTIFUL day to ride outside, or so I was told. Given my schedule and timeframe for things today, it was another day of 70 miles on some form of "inside bike". I took in a spin class at 8:30am, preceeded by an hour's worth of spinning on one of the health club's stationary bikes. The remaining mileage I cranked out in a place I never thought I'd ride my bike -- the women's clothing department at Macy's in the Domain.

True, we were on trainers as it was part of the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women Day of Red event. But before we locked our rear wheels into our trainers, Vicki had a brilliant idea. She kicked things off by actually riding her bike down one of the short aisles between women's apparel and the perfume counter. It was brilliant! So of course I had to follow suit! After that we got down to slightly more serious business (only slightly) and hopped on our trainers and pedalled for a little over 3 hours.

We were set up right next to the Heart Hospital's booth and while women received free blood pressure screening, we talked about the importance of women's heart health, Race Across America, and fitness. We were also interviewed by the local news station and the Go Red for Women casting call folks. This sure beats watching bad Kung-Fu movies on TV in my livingroom! And by the way, it is possible to sustain 200 watts and conduct an interview ;-)

BIG thanks to everyone who came out to Macy's Day of Red event and press conference, including Team Ride Red crew - Leary, Fred, Julie, Sharon, and Lesli as well as camera men Kelly and Malcolm and the women from Go Red for Central Texas as well as the Richard, Hillary and the other folks from the Heart Hospital of Austin. Plus all the women who stopped by to learn more about how they can take action to prevent the number one killer of women - Heart Disease (or as Vicki would say, "The number one killer of heart disease - women" -- love ya Vicki!!).

400 Miles: Thursday (Laundry Day...Again)

2011-02-10T19:47:00.003-06:00

Daily Goal: 50 miles
Weekly Goal: 400 miles
Distance Completed After Today: 250 miles

I felt pretty good today as I packed another 50 miles under my belt, or rather, under my legs. My plan was to split the mileage up into two pieces given commitments I had on my calendar for today. So I got in 30 miles in the morning, thanks in part to a spin class, and then finished the other 20 miles late in the day. I planned to ride outside but a few projects took longer than expected so I hopped back on my trainer to knock out the last 20 miles starting at 5:30pm. I was pretty happy with my effort - 170-190 watts sustained in 5 mile increments with 1 mile "active recovery". My legs also feel like they are coming around again. They were feeling tired after yesterday's epic trainer ride, but today I can feel my second wind.

With all the riding comes laundry. I just threw in the second load of laundry this week, primarily consisting of my bike shorts. Apparently 8 pair of bike shorts are not enough when you go through 2-3 pair a day.

But now I'm showered, supper is almost ready, and my foam roller and tennis ball await to dig into my muscles after we eat. Ah yes. Another good day.

400 Miles: Wednesday (Trainer PR)

2011-02-09T22:29:00.006-06:00

Daily Goal: 60 miles
Weekly Goal: 400 miles
Distance Completed After Today: 200 miles

Well I set a new PR on my trainer today, thanks to the crappy Austin weather which consisted of all day below freezing temps, 20mph+ winds, and a dash of sleet and snow in the morning. I was bound and determined to ride 60 miles today so I could stick to my mileage goals for the week. That only meant one thing - get on the trainer.

My new trainer PR? 4 hrs, 58 minutes, and 16 seconds.

Here are the pros and cons with riding a trainer. It requires non-stop pedaling (no coasting) so your legs never really get a break if you want the odometer to keep moving forward. But at the same time, there are no external forces working against you (wind, road, etc.) so it should be "easier" to ride on a trainer than be on the road. I have to admit that being just a few steps away from the kitchen or bathroom make it pretty convenent!

So what did I do for 4 hrs and 58 minutes other than practice my singular cycling focus and mental toughness? I strategically positioned my trainer in front of the television and, with the TV remote resting on my aerobars, I watched:
2 mediocre movies:
"DragonBall Evolution"
"Whiteout"

2 sit-coms (2 of each):
"Who's Line Is It Anyway?"
"Seinfeld"

I also went through 6 bandanas, 2 complete wardrobe changes, 2 beach towels, 4 water bottles (3 filled with water, 1 with apple juice), and some additional caloric-filled snacks. Not to mention multiple trips to the bathroom!

My husband, Leary, came home around 6pm and I was still pedaling. He couldn't figure out why it was so cold in the house. I told him I shut the heat off around 2pm. Why have the heat on when I'm sweating bullets?

But I did it. I got today's mileage under my belt and I'm looking forward to getting back on the road tomorrow (fingers crossed)!

400 Miles: Tuesday

2011-02-09T10:38:00.002-06:00

Daily Goal: 70 miles
Weekly Goal: 400 miles

Today was a great day to be on a trainer! At least that's how it turned out. I went to my usual two spin classes at 24 Hr Fitness - one at 9:30am and the other at noon. I worked to about 80% of effort in both classes so as not to fry my legs. I also rode on a bike in between the classes just to get in a few more miles. By the time I left the club, I had approx 45 miles under my belt. And I was HUNGRY!

After a huge lunch of a home made veggie burger, carrots and celery sticks, squash soup, rice crackers with fresh avocado, and 2 gluten free snickerdoodle cookies, I took a quick 20 min nap. I planned to add the remaining 25 miles on the road that afternoon but as I looked outside, clouds were rolling in and temps were starting to drop...again. The impending cold front was getting closer. So back on my trainer for the remaining 25 miles. I alternated every 5 miles - high cadence (95-100 cadence with 140-160 watts) and big gear (60-70 cadence with 180-210 watts). Even though I spent all my riding today on some form of stationary bike, I felt like I had a good workout and my legs are starting to feel fatigued. Yeay!

400 Miles: Monday

2011-02-07T22:32:00.001-06:00

Daily Goal: 70 miles
Weekly Goal: 400 miles

Today was a great day to bike! The weather was in the upper 50's but the sun made it feel warmer. I tried a new route - Lakeway up 620 to Anderson Mill and through neighborhood roads out to Parmer for an "out and back". Aside from the half mile "death sprint" on Anderson Mill due to single lanes and construction, it was a good route.

A few comments along the way:

I left home twice - I turned around after 2 miles to go put on warmer clothes and to get some gloves. Glad I did as it got cold when the sun was setting upon my return home!
My powertap quit working after 43 miles.
I'd like to say "thank you" to the other cyclist on Parmer who offered assistance as I just stood there on the shoulder. I was actually waiting for him to pass so I could go to the bathroom in the ditch!
A hand gesture right back at the dude driving the brown pickup truck. Hey man...I turned into the driveway because I was just trying to get out of YOUR way so don't you honk at ME!
Disco and dance music always make a good bike ride even better.

400 Mile Bike Week

2011-02-07T10:30:00.000-06:00

Welcome to my RAAM "distance" training week! I'm shooting for 400 miles on the bike and my plan is as follows:
Mon = 7o miles
Tues = 70 miles
Wed = 60 miles
Thurs = 50 miles
Fri = 70 miles
Sat = 70 miles
Sun = 10 miles

Let's see how things go and fingers crossed that the Austin weather cooperates!

New Year - Time to Get Busy

2011-01-04T09:01:00.000-06:00

Happy 2011! After a long holiday break filled with Mom's home cooking, I feel rested, restored, and rejuvinated (not to mention about 6lbs heavier). I'm excited to start building on my base cycling fitness from the past 6 months and turn all my training attention to RAAM. I did manage to get in a little cross training while in Minnesota in the form of shoveling snow off the roof of two houses but my legs miss the 'round and 'round motion of cycling. So after capping off a 350 mile week just before Christmas, it's time to get busy!

It's All About The "Hard Core" Image

2010-09-20T15:29:00.004-05:00

The last three days have consisted of some fairly intense training. And on Sunday I left the house at 7am, biked 20 miles to the Hill of Life, ran on the greenbelt with friends for 8 miles, went to La Madeline for breakfast, and then biked 20 miles back home. I had an extra 15lbs of gear strapped to my bike so the hills certainly felt "bigger" than they normally do.

By 2pm I was laying on the living room floor, freshly showered and completely exhausted. I had a tennis ball under one butt cheek trying to work out a knot. Leary was on the phone talking to the "Cruise America" RV rental people about renting an RV for RAAM. I was only half listening but my ears perked up when I heard Leary say, "It's for Race Across America. (pause) A relay team of four women over 40. (pause) Oh yeah, they are going to race it. These are serious women and they are really going to tear it up out there!"

At this point I started to smile. I felt anything but "hard core" at the moment and about the only thing I had the energy to "tear up" was maybe opening bag of really salty peanuts.

Thanks Leary for always seeing me as "hard core"even when I'm flat on my back in the middle of the living room floor.

17 Piece Cycling Kit?

2010-09-16T12:49:00.003-05:00

Silly me for thinking all there was to a "cycling kit" was a jersey and shorts. Vicki found a company that makes really nice custom team cycling kits with very small minimum orders (we don't need 100 jerseys!). She received the sample kit and it contains 17 pieces! We may end up needing another support vehicle just to carry the team kits!

I'm excited to start designing the jersey layout and start wearing our team logo!

BRING IT Tony Horton!

2010-09-15T09:04:00.005-05:00

I've been a multisport athlete since 2000. And for the past 10 years I, like most active people, have grappled with how to incorporate strength training into an already "full" training schedule. Well I've decided to try something new. Hello P90X!

P90X is a 90 day workout program facilitated by a ripped, ubber man's man who actually yawns while doing massive amounts of pull ups. His name is Tony Horton. You know those exercise infomercials you see at 2am with the amazing "before" and "after" photos and people gushing about how they've never been in such great shape...EVER? And then the guy who comes on and says YOU CAN DO IT TOO?! Odds are, it's Tony.

I've tried a few of the P90X workouts here and there since May and with workouts like "ab ripper", how can you go wrong? Last week I did "legs and back" and I didn't walk right for four days. But last night Leary and I decided to get serious and "BRING IT"! It was day 1 of officially starting P90X in earnest and our approach is to tag team it. Perhaps it's my first timer's enthusiasm that I feel compelled to write about it but I have to admit Tony's quirky, funny, enthusiasm is contagious. Ask me how I'm doing at day 18, or even day 42! Something tells me I'll have other names for Tony.

There is another underlying reason for my wanting to do P90X. I want legs of steel so I can tackle all those mountains and hills that feel like mountains during Race Across America in June. And when I climb Wolf Creek Pass and cross the Continental Divide at 10,000+ feet, I will have no qualms about yelling at the top of my lungs, "THANK YOU TONY!"

So Tony...in your own words, I'm ready for you to BRING IT!

The List Continues...

2010-09-12T06:51:00.002-05:00

Team Name - check!
Registered for RAAM 2011 - check!
Beneficiary partnership - check!
Non-profit partnership - check!

Raise money, buy gear, train, reserve RV, finalize crew, book airline tickets, train, order team cycling kits, have fundraising activities, attend related GoRed events, go to Interbike, train, schedule several team training events, contact a bazillion possible sponsors, train.......NOT CHECKED!

If I look at everything we need to do between now and next June, I have a mini freakout.
Breathe.
I'm going to go ride my bike now!

We Are Officially Registered for RAAM 2011

2010-09-10T12:31:00.004-05:00

Well, we did it. Team Ride Red is officially registered for Race Across America 2011. And they say $6295 can't buy happiness! There was a bit of a fiasco with the bank. Apparently our account has a daily transaction limit of $4500. I didn't find this out until I got a note from Rick, the RAAM Race Director, telling me that our registration payment had bounced. One very urgent phone call to the bank and we were straightened out in a matter of minutes. Ye gads!

The RAAM organization officially welcomed us on their Facebook page.

Our RAAM site team page is only partially set up but we can be found HERE.

The Team Ride Red site is under constructions but the URL is: www.ridered.org.

Here we go!

2 Weeks without Exercise...

2010-06-29T07:42:00.004-05:00

...is WAY too long to go without exercise.

I didn't bother bringing any workout stuff with me to RAAM because I didn't think I'd have time to fit in any swim, bike, or run. I could have fit in a run while we were in Ulysses, Kansas for almost two days waiting on the relay teams. Heck, I probably could have done jumping jacks in Monument Valley or push ups in West Virginia. That's the beauty of hindsight. So now I'm getting back into the groove of getting my body to do something OTHER than sitting in a van and it is NOT happy. Lots of stiff hip muscles, sore quads, and my left hamstring has given me the proverbial finger a few times. But the happy endorphins are flowing in my brain and it feels great to be moving again!

I didn't ride while I was in Austin last week and now I'm traveling again - visiting family in Minnesota. My running shoes are portable enough so I have done some running. But I am really itching to get back on my bike. Maybe I can borrow my mom's mountain bike while I'm here? Or I could pay $20 for a day pass to the local health club and take in a spin class, yoga, swim in the pool, and another spin class? Hey, for $20 I'm getting my money's worth!

I have a 25K trail race I'm doing on Sunday and I'm expecting to get my butt handed to me. But I will try to enjoy that lung burning, muscle twanging, heart about to rupture in my throat feeling and remind myself that yes indeed, it is good to be moving again.

What a Ride!

2010-06-21T12:59:00.004-05:00

I'm at the Baltimore airport and will be boarding my flight back to Austin in 30 minutes. I am sitting here thinking, "What just happened in the past two weeks?" (Photo: Day 1 of RAAM, Anza Borrego Desert State Park, aka "the glass elevator").

What a great experience and as will all great events, it gives me pause to reflect on the things and the people in my life. It is going to take me a few days to decompress - a perfect time to head to Minnesota to spend the fourth of July week with family.

RAAM Media Winding Down

2010-06-20T14:26:00.002-05:00

Media Crew #3 is at the finish line covering the remaining riders (solo and team). We will continue to post stories, videos, and photos on the RAAM website. But for now, we say "thank you" to everyone following us across the USA. We had a blast!

I will continue to post content here as RAAM 2010 winds down and Team Galaxy starts to ramp up.

Smiles Across America - The Lighter Side of RAAM (video)

2010-06-20T09:10:00.004-05:00

This video pretty much says it all. I will add - it is VERY difficult to find Grey Poupon mustard at a Value Mart in ANY small town :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQbkxcdROWs

Credits - RAAM Media Van #3
Enthusiastic Interviewer: Ryan Van Duzer
Awesome Camera Man: Rafiel Chiat
Nervous Driver: Susan Farago

HELLO Annapolis!!

2010-06-19T21:13:00.002-05:00

We made it! It's 11:00pm local time and we are in Annapolis. We are heading to the finish line right now (yes I'm in the van blogging!) Can't wait to see the riders coming in throughout the night and all day tomorrow. All the excitement and emotion is going to be amazing!

Lunch with Danny from West Virginia

2010-06-19T20:20:00.004-05:00

We took a right off of race route US 50E just past the sign for Belgium, down the narrow paved road to Danny Harbert's house. He was expecting us. We were greeted with smiles, hanshakes, and hugs as he welcomed us into his home. He had 'supper' prepared and waiting (it was 12:30pm).

Ryan met Danny during Ryan's bike trek across country last year and they have been in touch ever since. When we entered West Virginia, Ryan gave Danny a call.

We heard stories of Danny working in the West Virginia coal mines and looked at the nature photos he takes (amazing photos of bald and golden eagles)-- and of course ther was much laughter the entire time. With our belly's completely full, we reluctantly left Danny's house. It was hard to leave as he made us all feel so welcome. Danny said he had two rules for guests, feed them well and give them something to take with them when they leave. He made and gave Rafiel and I necklaces similar to the one he had given Ryan a year ago (Ryan hasn't taken it off since). Back to RAAM work. But what a wonderful and unexpected surprise. I won't forget it.

Tree Tower in Decatur County Courthouse

2010-06-19T08:49:00.003-05:00

Decatur County Court House near Greensburg, Indiana.

Locals say that this is not the original tree, it is the third offspring of the original tree (which was cut down). When officials were talking about removing the tree as part of the court house restoration, the kids in town petitioned against it and got enough signatures to save the tree.

When asked how the tree got there to begin with, one local responded, "If you’re a far right Christian you believe that God put it there."

Big Timing Board at Time Station #39

2010-06-19T01:39:00.004-05:00

Time stations vary in RAAM. Some are fully stocked with people, food, and festivities. While others are next to a cornfield on the edge of a small town. The purpose of the time stations, which are every 30-70 miles, is so that RAAM officials can track the pace of the riders. This particular time station (photo) was at time station #39 in Bloomington, IN. Times are posted for all to see...quite literally! Crew must call in to RAAM race headquarters in Tucson, AZ to let them know the exact time a rider passes a time station. In the case where the time stations are "personned", the RAAM volunteers will mark the rider time but the rider still has to check in.

There are a total of 55 time stations from west coast to east coast. We are currently at time station 44 in Athens, Ohio. 446 miles to Annapolis!

Rider Inspiration - Beer, Donuts, and a "Pitchfork"

2010-06-19T01:11:00.007-05:00

We in media van #3 are all about working hard and having fun which seems to be the same motto as many of the teams and riders we have had the fortune to travel with over the past week. It’s day six for the relay teams and day nine for the solo men’s teams and they certainly have been working hard. So we took the opportunity to pass some fun onto the riders today. First, Ryan
donned hawaiian leis and carried a red rake (it was supposed to be a pitchfork - we were going for Tour de France devil costume - best we could do at the dollar store). Ryan ran alongside Team Summit rider David Ophel (photo)and got a big smile from David. Then we dangled a beer can on a string in front of solo rider Holger Roethig. We think he found his "happy place". And finally tempting Team FARA's John Lockwood with powdered donuts. We're pretty sure he still has powdered sugar on his face ;-)

Link to YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQbkxcdROWs

Mission accomplished - smiles all around for riders, crew, and media team!

I'm Comin' Lizbef!!

2010-06-18T15:20:00.001-05:00

This one goes out to my friend Laura (aka: Lizbef). Thinking of you in Bloomfield, Indiana!

Shout Out: Joe Sippers Cafe in Effingham, Illinois

2010-06-18T14:36:00.006-05:00

This shout out goes to Joshua Loy, Alexander Evans, and everyone working at Joe Sippers Cafe on 4th. I found them on my phone navigator (thanks Lucy!) and thanks to Joshua's killer veggie egg wrap, I got a great start to my day. And Alexander's 16oz americano coffee got me through the entire state of Illinois. Thanks guys!!

How does media team 3 start each day?

2010-06-18T09:08:00.001-05:00

Beer and doughnuts baby!

OK, not really - but check back here later today...we have some plans to help boost rider and crew morale!

Pics from the Day

2010-06-17T22:38:00.005-05:00

Some random photos from today's events. It was a great day racing across Missouri to chase down some of the relay teams. Truly a great day! We are heading across Illinois now and it is 10:15pm race time on Thursday.

Hotel we stayed at Wed to Thurs. Guard cat keeping watch as we wake the proprietor up to check in at 11:30pm.

Time station 34 in Washington, Missouri. I got a free bike shirt! But left them one of my RAAM shirts as good will.

The mighty Mississippi at West Alton just before crossing over into Ilinois.

Amy Xu of Team Strong Heart - solo rider who withdrew from the race at time station 35 due to safety issues. I met her at the RAAM crewing seminar in Austin in March. Amzing and inspirational woman! She also lives in Plymouth, MN.

Crew chief Michelle Pearl for Team Strong Heart - creative as ever in "making" a seat for Amy.

New Meaning to You "Go Girl"

2010-06-17T21:46:00.004-05:00

Team Strong Heart solo rider Amy Xu has many sponsors, one of which is a company called "Go Girl". According to their websie, "GoGirl is the feminine urination device that lets you go anywhere. Because life's greatest adventure shouldn't be finding a bathroom."

Don't get me wrong, I'm all about trying new stuff. But really? I talked to Michelle Pearl, crew chief for Team Strong Heart. She said it works. Well I certainly wouldn't want to get it confused with, say, a kitchen funnel.

Ryan and Rafiel were somewhat confused with the concept as well. "But it doesn't really work like THAT for guys", says Rafiel when Michelle demonstrated how the GoGirl works. Ryan didn't get it at all (see photo).

Thanks Team Strong Heart for the samples...we think ;-)

Dillo Death Road

2010-06-17T12:04:00.003-05:00

We are not sure what is going on but there are a LOT of armadillo carcasses on this particular stretch of US-54E in western Missouri. Lucky for us, media crew #3 photographer Rafiel Chait is an armadillo expert. Sort of.

"I watched a show on Discovery once...a long time ago...and they said that armadillos jump when a car is just about to drive over them. The armadillos are low enough that the car could clear them BUT apparently the armadillos freak out and jump straight up to their demise. We call them...suicide dillos."

Another interesting fact about armadillos is that they are the only species (aside from humans) to have identical twins at birth.

This learning moment has been brought to you by media van #3. Thanks Rafiel!

Sneezy

2010-06-17T11:38:00.002-05:00

Rafiel and I are not entirely sure what's happening with Ryan but he just finished an EPIC sneezing fit. I thought it might be the hay fields when we were driving through Kansas. But now we are well into Missouri and he just got done sneezing...and I'm not kidding...about 23 times. I'm glad he's not driving! He's cleaned out the glove box of our spare napkins but luckily we have an unopened 4-pack of toilet paper in the back.

Says Ryan, "I think I'm good for now. I'll let you know if it happens again."
Trust me...we'll know.

It's Midnight in the Van - What's that SMELL?

2010-06-17T00:33:00.004-05:00

We thought we made it through all the smelly farm feed lots relatively unscathed. Thanks to Rafiel's quick response, he could usually close off the vents quickly enough so we wouldn't smell the "cow smell" at full force.

Then lo and behold we are just about to Yates Center, KS and Rafiel kills a stink bug. For those of you who don't know what a stink bug is, they (as the name would imply)...stink. But they only stink when they are squished. Rafiel didn't know this was a stink bug until it was too late. Stink bug: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentatomidae

Media van #3 crew responses:

"It smells like bad foot stink!" - Rafiel

"Damn." - Ryan

I got the giggles so badly that I didn't have a comment so decided to blog instead. The smell is starting to discipate but wow - that was bad!

Photo: Rafiel sticking his hand out the window to get rid of stink bug body and smell.

On The Road Again...heading to Yates Center, KS

2010-06-16T23:17:00.003-05:00

What a day for RAAM! We got to interview some amazing teams - Team FARA (4 man relay, 2 of the riders have ataxia - a neurological disease that impacts the brain's ability to "talk to" the body - photo) and Team Operation Progress (4 person mixed team includng two women - one who is turning 60 soon and the other who was former LAPD shot in the line of duty and is now paralyzed from the chest down - photo.) We also found out that one of the teams was in a car/rider accident and the rider is hospitalized in serious condition. Lots going on but the relay teams continue their way across the crazy windy Kansas state and into Missouri.

I am having a great time but working hard. I wrote my last two articles while sitting on a curb in a gas station parking lot or in the van at time station 27 (photo). It was convenient because I could talk to a couple of the people featured in the article as they were right there waiting for their team to come in. And then through the miracle of internet connection...voila - article posted. OK it took a little more than that but you get the idea. My favorite quote of the evening comes from Mary C. (one of the women I was interviewing) - "I just got yelled at for calling this a rest stop. It's a time station!"

We officially hit the half way mark between time stations 26-27 (Pratt - Maize) with 1,502.5 miles down and same to go. I have to say that the whole "crossing the half way mark" was very anticlimactic. We were greeted with corn fields, road, and construction dust (photo). So much for fanfare.

I gave a quick call to my parents so they know I'm not stuck in the middle of a corn field (that was a few nights ago - ha-ha!) My Dad, being the map guy he is, pinpointed my exact location. I told my Mom to tell him I was waving at the sattelite overhead so he should be able to see me - an inside family joke. My Mom was full of questions and wonderful support - thanks Mom and Dad!

We plan to hit the road hard tomorrow and make tracks to get to some of the relay teams farther up. I'm off to write one more article before calling it a night. Oh, and by the way...I'm off the curb and back in the van. Armed with coffee in my spiffy new "KwikShop" travel coffee mug, we are off. And no, I'm not driving right now ;-)

Ulysses, KS for 18 Hours

2010-06-15T23:26:00.006-05:00

We have been hanging out un Ulysses, KS for most of the day awaiting the arrival of two teams so we can interview them. They are scheduled to arrive tomorrow morning. It has been anything but a relaxing day - although I did sneak in a quick 30 min nap after we checked into the hotel. AND BONUS - another night in a hotel!

Ulysses is a small, quaint town and we were greeted by huge grain mills when we came into town. After starting the shell of some stories, I headed back over to time station #23 by the McDonalds in town and talked to Team Type 2 crew chef Jenn and a few of the awesome women from Team Kalyra.

I took the media van and drove through the town looking for a cafe or local restaurant to have dinner. Everything was closed by 9:30am except Subway. Another veggie sandwich it is. I had dinner with Leary (over the phone). It was great to talk to him!

I'm going to do a little more writing and then head to bed. Hopefully we'll be on the road and make tracks tomorrow through Kansas - approx 350 miles until Missouri.

Photo of welcome sign for RAAM and Team in Ulysses.

Race Updates and Stuff - Mile 1,284

2010-06-15T14:12:00.003-05:00

The race is into its 3rd day and the wear and tear is starting to show on the riders and even some of the crew. One four man team from Spain – Team COANFI - only has four support crew – compared to other 4 person teams who have up to 19 crew members. One of the race officials was telling me that their crew hadn’t slept at all and so when they pulled over for a quick nap, they missed their rider because they all fell asleep. But each time we see the riders on the road, they are all smiles. Plus they are all very short and have legs the size of my waist. They are all so cute I just want to put them in my pocket.

We just crossed over into Kansas and the roads are flat and the horizon is dotted with towering grain mills. Here are a few odds and ends from the race so far:

We got lost or missed a turn three times – and all within the last day. Either we’re whizzing along at 75mph and fly by the turn we are supposed to take, or in one case we were following a couple of teams through twisty turny canyon roads and we came to a fork in the road - one team and rider went straight, and the other team and rider kept going straight. We went straight and 30 seconds later we were all turning around.

Crews are not getting sleep and I don’t know if it’s because they are still too hopped up on the race activities or what but I think we’re going to start seeing some interesting things in the next few days.

Weather has been perfect. No rain, snow, wind, or dust storms. The solo men riders have had terrible weather and storms were following them from Colorado through Kansas. Fingers crossed weather stays this way.

Cutting this short…we’re off to hit the next city – Ulysses, KS. We are going to sit and wait for relay teams to show so we’ll likely be there for the afternoon.

Photo: Time station 22 at Kim, Colorado. Teams checking in.
Photo: What the riders see for 71 miles leading up to Kim, CO.

Trinidad Motor Inn - My New Chateau

2010-06-15T14:01:00.002-05:00

In 2000 Leary took me to Paris, France to celebrate the new millennium. We stayed in a Chateau (Domain Belsbat) just outside of Paris. It was absolutely lovely! Since then, Domain Belsbat has been my benchmark for lodging. However, perspective is a funny thing. After two nights of van camping, we finally got a hotel last night. We pulled up to the Trinidad Motor Inn (in Trinidad, CO). While waiting at the front desk, a guy with long hair and a LOT of tattoos ran out from another room where Bryan Adams music could be heard in the background. "Sorry about the wait," he said. "It's karaoke night and we were just singing away in the back room." My friend MJ would love this place!

For an extra ten bucks ($70 total) we got a deluxe suite with two king beds. After taking a much needed shower (loved the gold tile but apparently shampoo and hair dryer were not part of the delux package), I fell into my own bed - the boys had to share theirs :-)

Perhaps Trinidad is my Colorado version of Domain Belsbat! But don't tell Leary ;-)

Continential Divide - Wolf Creek Pass at 10,857 feet

2010-06-14T19:20:00.002-05:00

I'm freezing my who-haas off on the top of Wolf Creek Pass Summit - the location of the continential divide and thei high point of RAAM 2010. We are following eight teams as they slog their way up the 8 mile climb. There is some snow in the rock crevaces and the air is definitely thinner.

I just got done eating a chocolate chip cookie and I have to go to the bathroom. Just keeping it real!

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words...

2010-06-14T16:17:00.003-05:00

...or can leave you completely speechless.

Can't say that I've ever seen a henna tatoo here!
Photo by Rafiel Chiatz - RAAM media crew #3.
From Team Equipe Schwarz.

Quickie...In Durango, CO

2010-06-14T14:40:00.003-05:00

I'm sitting in the car outside the house of some friends of Ryan's (parents of his best friend). They have been gracious enought to invite us in for lunch today - a welcome change from restaurant food. I just finished posting my latest story and wanted to send a few quick updates out here:

We van-camped again last night in Monument Valley. It was cold outside but I slept in the van in my spiffy new sleeping bag. We awoke to beautiful scenery (photo). We pulled off the side of the road around midnight and the photo was taken around 6:30am. On and off all night we heard cyclists and caravans riding past us. Photo has one of the cyclists from Team Charlie's Hope. I actually got some rest and am feeling pretty good.

We are out of the deserts of Arizona, took a quick dip into Utah, and are now in Colorado.

Not sure where we'll end up tonight but I know one thing for sure - WE ARE STAYING IN A HOTEL!

More later!

Help from Time Station 6 in 2011

2010-06-13T21:27:00.006-05:00

Thanks to the hospitality of Susan Snow (photo #1), she said that whatever Team Galaxy wants at time station #6 in Congress, Arizona for 2011 RAAM, to just let her know! She and her husband are part of the local time station staff and their stop was by far the most fun and festive. A fellow long distance cyclist, she is planning a 1,000KM bike race in a couple of weeks so she understands endurance cycling. She said there is a big climb just past time station #6 (which there is) and she wants to put people on the hill cheering and supporting the cyclists (photo #2). She said she'd even do naked men if that would help us. I truly believe she'd hook us up if that's what we wanted!

We are winding down day two and the teams have been fantastic, fun, and just a blast to be around. We just drove through time station #9 in Flagstaff and heading to TS #10 in Tuba City, AZ. Probably try to grab dinner en route but not much here but beautiful vanilla sky and landscape at 6,000 feet of elevation as we enter Cononino National Park (photo #3). Not sure where/when we are sleeping. There is talk of hotel and also revisiting "van camping" again. I'm starting to want a shower :-)

I Don't Want Any Crap About Camping!

2010-06-13T13:03:00.004-05:00

I spent last night sleeping in a van in the middle of a hay field on the Colorado River Indian Reservation with two guys I barely know - one was in the van with me and the other was on (yes ON) the roof.

After spending 20 minutes trying to figure out how to remove the two back seats, we finally went to bed around 2am. At 6am I woke up to a very strange machine noise. It was a farmer in a nearby hay field "making hay while the sun shines".

30 minutes later and teeth brushed, clothes changed, and van remantled (we left the two seats outside), we were on the road and within a few minutes we crossed the Arizona border and into Parker and time station #4.

So to all my friends who give me crap about not camping...until you've slept in a hayfield on an Indian reservation with two people you barely know, I don't want to hear about it ;-)

It's 12:48am and I'm Eating Cookies

2010-06-13T02:47:00.005-05:00

We just pulled in to time station 3 in Blythe, California. The race has been going on for almost 11 hours and the teams are looking pretty good. This is their first night of riding and although there have been a few hiccups, nothing major.

We are all over the place - pulling up alongside riders while Ryan video tapes them. Or stopping alongside the road while Rafiel takes pictures and I write notes about which team is doing what. We stopped to talk to Team Connor's Hope-Team Donate Life. They are an upbeat relay team of 8. They offered us cookies. Who are we to decline? This, of course, came on the heels of Team Summit feeding us lasagne a little earlier in the night. Maybe we look like we need to be fed?

Blythe is the closest we will get to Mexico and if it weren't dark, we could actually see across the sand dunes into Mexico without trying too hard. From here we swing up to Parker, Arizona.

RAAM has officially begun...

2010-06-12T22:19:00.004-05:00

...and we are on the road! It's been a fun day - 40 relay teams started off in 1 minute intervals at 2pm. I had a great view of the proceedings - I was sitting on the stage and the start line was right in front of me. By 3:00pm we were on the road chasing them down, taking photos, and interviewing riders on the side of the road as they waited for their teams to come by.

It is now dusk and we are in the desert about a 100 miles from Oceanside. We are heading for the Imperial Sand Dunes but won't see them. Riders are required to have a follow vehicle at night so we are coming up on these little groups of car/rider clusters.

Not sure how far we are going to drive tonight. Rafiel and I are taking turns driving since we lost our driver (long story). I hope we stop and eat soon. I'm hungry!!

I talked to Leary on the phone just a little while ago. It was great to hear his voice and hear about his day. I had to cut the call short because Ryan and Rafiel were done shooting photos and video and ready to go chase down the riders again. I already submitted my write up for the afternoon so I have a little time off before submitting another write up.

On a side note - I met with a woman named Lucy who's husband is racing as part of an 8 man relay team. He has stage 4 lung cancer and only one lung. This is a photo of me interviewing her (Rafiel took the photo). We'll be rooting for her and her husband along the way!

More later!

Fun & Interesting Sights

2010-06-12T02:45:00.005-05:00

Relay team race start is tomorrow (Saturday) at 2pm PST. Normally I would be finishing up with my usual Satuday "Fred Ride" bike ride. But something tells me this is going to be a little more interesting (no offense Fred ;-)

We head out right after the last relay team hits the road and we chase them for 3,000 miles - playing leap frog as we document who's doing what. And I never grow tired of seeing bikes and spandex, I've come across a few fun and interesting sights these past few days...

#1 - Wounded Warrior relay team member showing off his carbon fiber!

#2 - Spanish team having fun with their team photo.

#3 - Rafael, media van #3 photographer, running alongside a rider to take a picture.

#4 - The only hungarian cyclist at RAAM, Ferenc Szonyi, age 45.

#5 - I am not sure about this one. The only thing I can think of is that the tennis ball provides wind protection from the ear piece so the rider can hear?

Words, Words, Words

2010-06-11T01:25:00.004-05:00

I am thoroughly enjoying my new career as a writer and this experience at RAAM has been icing on the literary cake. My job as "media van #3 writer" is to provide 2 summary articles (2-3 paragraphs each) - one by 9:00am and the other by 9:00pm. Truthfully I don't think I can contain myself to a mere 4-6 paragraphs within a 24 hour period at an epic event like Race Across America. Remember, I once wrote a 13 page race report on a 6 hr race. I can have a lot to say!

So I have found a few other writing outlets such as this blog and quick updates on my Facebook page. I've even written a bunch of notes and sent them to my RAAM relay teammates -- things we should and should not do while planning for our own RAAM in 2011. But somehow it's not quite enough. I could write volumes on the teams I've met, funny behind the scenes things I've seen, or pre-race proceedings that are leading up to Saturday's big relay team send-off. And I've already taken a ton of pictures and I'm not even a media team photographer. I can't help it. It's like I want to take it all in and grab every possible sight, sound, comment, smell, and action.

But alas I will attempt to save some of my writing enthusiasm for when I need it. You know...pace myself. Just a little. And perhaps by the time I get to Kansas and it's 3:47am and I am trying to sleep on a picnic table in the middle of who know's where, my passion for writing will be replaced by my overwhelming desire to sleep. But when I wake up, I'll want to write about a strange bicycle dream.

(Photo courtesy of Jake North, RAAM media crew photographer and good friend.)

Finding My Rhythm

2010-06-11T01:10:00.003-05:00

When I was little, my brother Trent used to "mess up my room neatly". He would sneak into my room and arbitrarily move things ever so slightly -- pull my music box a little more forward, set a pencil on the floor near my desk, push my nightstand lamp to the wall. I would then walk into my room and to the untrained eye, nothing appeared out of place. But I could tell. Even if I couldn't see what was misplaced, I could sense it. He did it to drive me crazy and it always worked.

I have always been very sensitive to my surroundings and I know where everything is, down to the exact placement within a milimeter. So it should come as no surprise that during the past few days my surroundings have been a bit chaotic. But tonight...ah tonight...I finally feel like I have all my papers (notepads, route books, maps, race lists), gadgets(cell phone, camera, batteries, cords, cables, computers, USB devices) and gear (clothes, sleeping bag, blanket, waterbottles, snacks) in place -- maybe not down to the milimeter but I know where stuff is in a general sense.

Despite my amazing organizational skills (my husband Leary also refers to it as my "neurosis"), I am looking forward to traveling across country with all my above mentioned "stuff" in a van along with three other peoples' "stuff". I should warn my van-mates however that if anyone tries to mess up my stuff neatly, well...let's not go there :-)

Race Team Preparations for Sat Start

2010-06-10T12:34:00.002-05:00

I'll be heading down to Oceanside in a little bit to watch the teams get ready to race on Saturday at 2pm. Right now teams are getting ready and this includes: last minute gear prep, safety check by officials (cars, signage, lights, etc.), and general "holy crap we hope we have everything" chaos. It's nice to be an outsider looking at the chaos but I can't help but wonder how we, Team Galaxy, will be come this time next year when it's us running around in "holy crap" mode.

Photo of Team NUBS (no upper body strength).

RAAM Media Crew #3

2010-06-10T12:29:00.004-05:00

Here we are - RAAM Media Crew 3
Pictured left to right: me (writer), Rafael Chiat(photographer), Chris Abbadini (driver), Ryan Van Duzer (videographer).

How to get to know a group of people really fast? Put them in a van and travel across country! We leave on Saturday.

Eating Challenge

2010-06-10T11:54:00.004-05:00

I am a twigs and berries gal - love veggies, fruits, grains (OK - and the occasional box of chocolates). If yesterday is any indication of how meals will be when we hit the road, I'm in trouble.

Mid way through watching the men's solo teams at the first part of the race, we stopped for a quick bite to eat at Jilbertos' - a little family owned mexican restaurant. I'm pretty sure the refried beans were NOT vegan. It was good...a little too good. And the hibiscus tea went well with my veggie burrito (with cheese and sour cream).

We spent the afternoon chasing the men's teams and then made our way back to Oceanside. We were back at the Best Western (Marty's Valley Inn) by 7:30pm and there was no place within walking distance to eat dinner. Papa John's pizza anyone? I had a veggie pizza delivered (more cheese). For some reason a large pizza was cheaper than a small pizza.

I got on Skype to talk to my husband Leary while eating my pizza. I ate half the pizza and as I looked at the remaining pizza slices I wished he was here. I miss him already. Plus its his job to eat the other half of the pizza like we do at home.

As I chewed on a Fiber Choice tablet before bed, I thought about my food options for the trip. My plan: to hang on to my bag of granola for dear life!

Welcome to RAAM!

2010-06-09T15:33:00.003-05:00

Just 6 hours ago I was in Austin and now I find myself at the start line for RAAM. The men's solo teams started today at noon pacific time.

I'll post more later. We're en route to find a Subway for lunch and then will catch up to the racers farther up the road. We are heading towards "The Glass Elevator".

RAAM Media Crew 2010

2010-05-31T02:02:00.000-05:00

Some of you already know that I am going to be part of the Race Across America media crew for the 2010 race. I leave for San Diego on Wed, June 9 and will be traveling in “media van #3” across country while following the relay teams and writing about the RAAM 2010 race. There are three media vans in total covering the entire race and in my van there will also be a photographer, video journalist, and a driver. I am not exactly sure what writing will entail (RAAM blog? Web postings? Articles?) but I am excited to find out! I will end up in Oceanside, NY and then fly out of Baltimore on Monday, June 21.

This is also a great opportunity to witness first hand what goes on with the relay teams in preparation for my racing RAAM as part of Team Galaxy for 2011.

I plan to document my media crew experience as much or as little as possible right here on my blog and I will also try to update my facebook page. In the mean time, I am starting to scramble to get everything done so I can be gone for the two weeks and focus strictly on the race.

Here we go!

Found My Legs on Fitzhugh

2010-05-29T19:58:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite Austin training routes is the Austin-Johnson City-Cypress Mill loop - 90 miles of hills, hills, a few cattleguards, and did I mention hills? It's a quad-heavy cyclist's dream! The hills aren't steep, they are just relentless. So on Saturday, myself and 5 other friends ventured out to tackle the loop. It turned out to be an all day affair complete with 90+ degree temps, a few wet water crossings, and lots of wildife. I felt my legs getting stronger and stronger as the hills continued to roll by. 6800 feet of climbing later, it was a great day and a great ride. And that pizza (with cheese) tasted oh so good!

Finding My Legs on Lost Creek

2010-04-04T15:38:00.000-05:00

On Saturday we finally got back into our old Saturday "Fred Ride" groove (that's Fred as in "Fred Rookie Crew Chief" Fred). It was great! The weather was beautiful - sunny and slightly cool but warming up by the minute as the sun climbed into the sky. Wheels down at 9am leaving Fred's and by 10:00am-ish Leary, Fred, and I were at the 2244/360 intersection split. Everyone else made the turn but we opted to do the "Lost Creek Extension" and get in some hills.

The big difference between conceptually loving to ride hills and actually loving to ride hills is a matter of physical condition. I haven't really been riding hills lately but my mind was all for it (conceptually) however my legs weren't so sure (physically).

We made the turn from 360 onto Lost Creek and enjoyed a long down, down, down curving descent. We flew across the little low water crossing bridge, past the Lost Creek Country Club and around the first blind corner where climb #1 awaited us. Fred and Leary were out in front and almost immediately popped out of the saddle and started to pull away. But I stayed seated, quickly found my rhythm, and pedal after pedal I slowly pulled my way back up to them. Note: I am a seated climber. The only time I get out of the saddle is if the hill grade exceeds 20% (like on "the Beast" at the St. Croix half ironman race - US Virgin Islands) or if I'm thinking I need to practice how to climb out of the saddle so I remember how to do it.

One by one we made our way up and over the relatively short but steep hills. For Fred and Leary's amusement I pointed to the driveway where an aquaintance of mine fell over on her bike and proceeded to throw up. Apparently a little old lady came out, unreeled the garden hose, and started washing the barf off the driveway while saying, "It's OK deary. Lots of cyclist have passed out or thrown up on my driveway. I'm used to it."

Once onto Barton Creek Bouldevard we made the last short, steep climb up by the church (praise be to GOD!) and finally popped out onto Barton Creek Blvd. We took a left onto 2244 and eventually regroup with everyone at "The Worlds Greatest Gas Station" in Lakeway (they have kick@ss breakfast tacos, the best view of the hill country from the women's bathroom, and they are bike friendly).

It was good to get those batch of hills under my belt for the start of this year. Riverplace hills are coming in a few weeks and I know Fitzhugh has my name on it for many rides this summer. Gotta start somewhere! My legs are finally coming around to my mind's mantra - bring on those hills!!

Only 7 Miles Per Hour!

2010-03-30T09:32:00.000-05:00

Vicki and I raced the Enchanted Rock Duathlon this past Saturday. It consisted of a 5 mile trail run, 16 mile road bike, and a 2 mile trail run - the last half mile of the run went straight UP Enchanted Rock (approx 425 feet of elevation).

The course was beautiful and very scenic and I especially appreciated the fact that the bike leg was on the road rather than on trail (I don't do mountain biking). But in typical Texas Hill Country fashion, the out and back bike course was filled with rolling hills and what felt like a head wind both ways. I thought we had a headwind on the way out but was quickly corrected when I made the turn around at mile 8 and almost immediately felt the strong head/cross wind. But we are strong cyclists and we are used to these conditions. So you just put your head down and GO.

I saw Vicki after the race and we were chatting about how the morning went. When we got to discussing the bike leg, the first words out of her mouth were, "Susan, I looked down at my cyclometer and was only going 7 miles per hour. 7 MILES PER HOUR!!How am I going to do RAAM?!" I couldn't help but bust out laughing. I'm sure there were times I wasn't going much faster either. I responded with, "Hey, you were making forward progress right? Well that's how we are going to do RAAM." Then I reminded her that per her request, she's going to be the one bombing down the mountains in the darkness of night, so she'll have plenty of time to make up for "7 miles per hour".

Bottom line, we just have to put one wheel in front of the other. Or something like that.

Things that make me happy...

2010-03-24T22:11:00.001-05:00

Thank you MJ for making me smile after a very rough start to the week. This is one of the many reasons you are an awesome friend and will make a kick@ss crew member (and are officially in charge of morale and motivational phrases for the team ;-)

Are We There Yet? (RAAM Crewing Seminar)

2010-03-24T21:30:00.000-05:00

On Saturday we attended the RAAM Crewing seminar held in our very own backyard of Austin, Texas. It was a great session and answered many questions we had (How to timing stations work? What to do to prevent saddle sores? What makes up a good team?). It also raised many more (Who will be our beneficiary? How many crew members do we really need? Will snapping rubberbands around our wrists really help keep us awake?) We followed the Saturday session with a Sunday team meeting to discuss these and many more topics. It seems official - we have a logo, we attended a crewing seminar, we had a team meeting. I think this means we're actually going to do RAAM. Oh, and Leary is on line right this minute looking at mini vans. He just asked me if I would prefer driving a panel van or a mini van. Um...how about neither?

In photo left to right:
Leary Walker*, Fred Huang*, George Thomas**, Vicki Ford*, Susan Farago*, Rick Boethling**, Fred Boethling**.
*Members of Team Galaxy
**Members of RAAM organization

I Don't Want a Mini-Van!

2010-03-19T17:02:00.000-05:00

I grew up watching my Dad and brother rebuild cars for fun (and sometimes out of necessity). I became familar with words such as "4 barrel carburetor", "big block", and "454"(ours was a Chevy household). And it was not uncommon for my brother to take me for a ride to test out some new or rebuilt engine component with the hood of the car completey removed. When I was in college, I met my to-be husband. He was an auto mechanic in highschool and college. After we were married we would spend our weekends in the "bone yard" looking for this or that. Or we would scour the papers trying to find a "numbers matching" fixer-upper. We came up with the down payment to our first house by buying, refurbishing, and reselling a 1978 corvette - Indy Pace Car edition. And the first car I bought with my own money was a 1994 Chevy Camaro (manual transmission of course).

You get the idea - I know and appreciate cars, especially those classic American muscle cars that you can feel and hear long before you can see. You know that scene at the end of the movie "Fast and Furious" when Vin Diesel and Paul Walker are drag racing - Paul is in some digitized rice burner and Vin is in the Charger? And then Vin pops a wheelie IN THE CHARGER when they take off from the line? That scene still gives me goosebumps. Nothing beats raw, mechanical, horse power.

So you can imagine my dismay when we got back from scouting the Hill Country 600 bike race and Leary suggested we get a mini van, gut it, and set it up as a support vehicle for RAAM. I was actually OK with that part. What I wasn't OK with was his follow up comment, "And then after RAAM you can drive it around and that can be your vehicle."

Huh?

Yeah, I don't think so. I don't "do" mini-vans. The closest I ever came to that was driving a Chevy Celebrity station wagon for one of my winter beaters when we lived in Minnesota. The definition of a winter beater is: it's a cheap car, front wheel drive, and if you end up sliding on ice and wrapping it around a telephone pole or flipping it into the ditch, no big deal. But what I quickly came to discover is that people TREATED me differently when I drove that station wagon. People would honk at me, cut me off, and pull out in front of me. I never had that problem when I drove my Camaro.

So I can only imagine what I would experience driving a mini-van. And quite frankly, I don't want to find out.

But something tells me that my goal of completing RAAM is bigger than my vehicular vanity. So don't be surprised if you read a future blog entitled "I am a Mini-Van Owner". Of course, I may change my tune if I ever see Vin Diesel pop a wheelie while driving a big block mini-van ;-)

Drum Roll...Announcing Team Galaxy's New Logo

2010-03-15T11:35:00.000-05:00

HUGE thanks to Michelle Ryan of iDesign - Austin, Texas.
Some thoughts and concepts from Michelle that went into the overall design:

"My proposal for your team logo was inspired by the roads and signs you will see as your team journeys across the country. Think yield signs and cross roads.

The direction of the rider - why facing left? 1) The chainring looks like it's on the right. 2) Since you always ride on the right and pass on the left, your view of the rider should always be from the left side. 3) The only time you should see a rider from the right is if you are the one being passed. I can't imagine that's the impression you want to make.

The original image of the rider was male. I modified the nose, chin, neck, arms, bust and hair. It may not all be apparent, but it's much better."

We can't wait to get the logo on shirts, jerseys, and other cool stuff. We'll wear it proud!!!

Results of Recon

2010-03-15T11:02:00.000-05:00

Fred, MJ, Leary, and I got up at the crack of dawn on Saturday to head down to Helotes to check things out at the Hill Country 600k bike race. It was a great trip!! A few things we learned:

1. Endurance cyclists are a very laid back group of people. They are very friendly and willing to open up their vans (literally) so you can take pictures of their setup and stuff. They offer advice and help even though they have 10 minutes to race start OR they are waiting for their teammate to come in for an exchange.
2. It is amazing just how much stuff you can actually cram into a minivan.
3. Don't overthink. Sometimes it's better to not sweat the small stuff and just get out there and do it.
4. This is nothing like a triathlon event (thank heavens!)
5. Even though everyone was pretty laid back, they did not underestimate the size of the task that was ahead of them - 370 miles is a long way on a bike.
6. A picture is worth a thousand words. And between my and MJ's photos, we have captured over 290 thousand words! The photos will be great reference as we start planning for RAAM 2011 in earnest.
7. Always have fun along the way!

We compiled over 4 pages of notes from the trip (thanks to Leary's awesome note taking skills) and this was a great eye opener to see our first endurance bike race event - from setup and start, to watching the riders do an exchange and watching the support vehicles leapfrog. Watching the first timing station (at mile 42 in Medina) was very anti-climactic. As riders passed the brick phone utility building, one of their crew called in and essentially said "rider in at ZZZ time". That was it? Where's the timing mat? The official to log each person's time? I guess there is something to be said for honestly, huh.

As we drove home and I thought about all we saw, I had a little mini freak out. This was real. RAAM was real. What we were starting to plan for was real. 6-8 days cross country on a bike. That was VERY real. I took a deep breath. All things in good time. We'll get there. I don't know how. But we will get there.

Our First Official Recon

2010-03-12T18:03:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow we are heading down to Helotes at 5am to see the start of the Hill Country 600k bike race at 7am. While I would like to say that we are going because we want to watch the cyclists in their awe-inspiring speed and strength, our main goal is to check out how the support crews have their vans and cars set up.

So I guess I would consider this our first reconnaissance trip.
I'm glad Starbucks opens at 4:30am.

Stay tuned...

Dear Ellen DeGeneres

2010-03-11T17:28:00.000-06:00

The team is really starting to ramp up and talks of sponsors and beneficiaries are adding to the already long list of "how are we going to do this" questions. So I decided to send Ellen DeGeneres an e-mail. I then sent Carol an e-mail with the subject line "I have lost my marbles".

Who knows? Couldn't hurt. Might help. And if we do end up going on her show, I SO get to sit next to Ellen!!!

-------------------------

Dear Ellen:

My 2010 new year’s resolution is, “Just put it out there” so here goes…

I would like to ask your help in finding a beneficiary or sponsor to promote health, fitness, and well-being for girls and women.

I and three other women are going to do the Race Across America (RAAM) in June, 2011 as a four-person cycling team named Team Galaxy. The race starts on the west coast and finishes 3,000+ miles later on the east coast. Our mission for doing this race is three fold:

1. Promote health, fitness, and well-being for girls and women of all ages.

2. Find a beneficiary – an organization that we can ride for who has the same mission and goals of the team.

3. Find a sponsor or sponsors – an organization that will help us raise money for the beneficiary and to financially enable our team to race.

We are dedicated, hard working women and we are certainly not shy so any help in making an introduction or connection would be fantastic and we could certainly take it from there. We are discovering the hardest part isn’t pedaling our bikes for 3000 miles, it’s just getting a foot in the door. We haven’t had our cycling jerseys made yet but we would definitely help you promote your “World Domination” campaign on a local level by putting your flag on our jerseys.

Thanks for all that you do,
Susan Farago
www.meetteamgalaxy.com

Third time is a charm?

2010-02-22T09:19:00.001-06:00

Coming off the Bandera 100K a month ago, I am now ready to get back to some type of regular training schedule. That was the plan this past week. I was successful on the fronts of yoga, running, and even swimming. Cycling? Not so much. But I tried...twice.

The first attempt was a spin class on Friday at noon. I finished my early AM run and headed up to the health club only to find I goofed up my days and the spin class was THURSDAY, not Friday. So I opted for the weights/lift class instead. Not quite the same.

The second attempt was on Saturday for the "Fred Ride". As we left our house via car to drive up to Fred's, the heavy fog turned into rain. I called Fred to ask him if we should bring trainers. "Nah, it's dry here." But in the course of the 25 min drive from our house to Fred's, the dry turned into wet. 20 minutes on our bike in cool, windy rain with virtually no front or rear breaks, I turned to Leary and said, "I don't want to ride 50 miles in this today." He agreed. So did others around us. We attempted to salvage the ride by doing hill repeats but to no avail. 20 minutes later we were dry, warm, and enjoying bagels and coffee at Einsteins.

Fred did have a point, "What if its cold and raining during RAAM?" We'll deal with it then. But for now, if I have a choice to bail, I will....especially if coffee and bagels are the alternative.

So this week I will give it another attempt to get on my bike in some capacity. The weatherperson is predicting snow. Bagels anyone?

Back to Twigs and Berries

2010-02-09T10:47:00.000-06:00

Food, health, and training performance. These three things go hand in hand. When one is not quite on par, the other two suffer. Take food for example. Eat crap, feel like crap, perform like crap. Eat whole foods, feel great, train even better. It is with this in mind that I decided to refocus on my eating.

A group of us decided that we would clean up our eating and give the "Engine 2 Diet"* a try. Leary and I are already eating similarly to this style so it wasn't too much of a departure for us. BUT...we had gotten a little lax in some areas including eating meat and dairy again.

In a nutshell, the E2 diet was created by Rip Esselstyn, an Austin fire fighter, and consists of a plant-based (no animal products at all), no oil, no processed foods way of eating for 28 days. I call it the "twigs and berries" approach to eating. I overhauled my eating about three years ago to model this approach in order to lower my cholesterol based on a presentation I saw given by Rip's Dad, Caldwell Esselstyn, MD** (wonder where Rip got the idea ;-). Three months into this change in my eating, my cholesterol went from ~205 to ~170 and my bad cholesterol dropped 30 points. I felt better and "cleaner" than I ever had. But over the course of the following year, I discovered that I wasn't getting enough protein, B-vitamins, or iron. And when you are a female endurance athlete, these things are sort of important! My health slowly fell apart. So I reintroduced fish, eggs, milk, and additional supplements (liquid iron, complete B vitamins) into my diet and gradually rebalanced my system.

So here I am again focusing on my eating and trying to clean up a few things. This includes: removing animal products from my diet (with the exception of 1 gallon of raw milk every 2 weeks), incorporating more grain-based proteins into my diet, and increasing the number of green leafy veggies I eat at lunch and dinner. My personal additions also include to stop eating candy (I love candy!!) and opt for tea instead of drinking so much coffee.

I would also like to get into a weekly rhythm of food preparation. Last night I soaked beans, wheat berries, and started some home made bread dough. Today I'll cook the beans, wheat berries, and will bake the bread. I also started some alfalfa sprouts so they should be ready to munch on by end of week.

It always amazes me how much time food preparation takes. But it is so worth it when I do it and the feeling we get from eating those fresh, whole foods is undeniable. So here goes!

*For more info, go to: www.engine2diet.com.
**For info on Caldwell Esselstyn's work, go to: www.heartattachproof.com
.

Rain Rain Go Away

2010-02-02T09:26:00.001-06:00

It's hard to get jazzed up about a taking my bike (and me) out for a ride when it's raining outside. Or when it's cold. Or dark. These are the three elements we've been battling here in Austin over the last few winter months. But I am optimistic. Soon it will be a glorious 90 degrees and I'll be popping salt tablets like crazy. But for now, I will continue to bond with my bike trainer and some of the crazy spin instructors at the local health club. Hurry up summer, I miss you!

Star Stink - What's in a Name?

2010-01-29T13:33:00.001-06:00

You may be wondering, "What's up with the name Star Stink?!"

Well, it is actually two-fold.

First, the name "Star Stink" came about when my brother and I were little. Whenever we would get excited, we would put all our fingers together, move them around wildly and yell, "STAR STINK!!!!" I have no idea where this came from or why "Star Stink" but we have been doing it for as long as I can remember, and we still do it today.

Second, in September 2009, Carol Pope and I had a very brief conversation at Austin's Tri that has lead to a very big undertaking - the Race Across America (RAAM) - a 3,000 mile bike race from California to somewhere on the east coast (the route changes every year). We decided then and there that we were going to assemble a 4 woman relay team and "do RAAM". We had no idea how, what, who but we knew we would figure it out. When we got the team together for our first meeting in October, we decided on the name "Team Galaxy". Because I get so excited whenever I think about doing RAAM, and we have a "galaxy/star" theme to our team, I just have to put my hands together, move my fingers wildly about, and yell "STAR STINK!"