Fatigue sets in. Caloric depravation. "A prison with no walls". The veteran RAAMer Rick Schultz is experiencing the effects of this race. It's not just another ultra race. The formula for success is so varied. From team to team, day to day, even hour to hour. At this moment Rick is in what he calls a prison with no walls.
Take a moment to place yourself on your bike riding across this country for 3000 miles. Mentally what this image do to you? Instead of the imagine or bars, guards, and cinder block walls you are subjugated by the elements and your thoughts. Heat so intense not only do the rays of sun incessantly whip at your back you also feel as if the never ending blast of heat from the tarmac taunts at your feet like at any moment, with out any further notice, they will just burst into flames. With a concentrated plan to buffer yourself from the heat you dress you self in the life saving coolness ice has into your jersey, water bottle, into your shorts as you watch the strategy to stay in this thing literally melt away. Your intentions literally evaporate in front of you eyes. Now feel the chill of the Colorado air cut through every layer clothing you have on at 11,000 feet. All you want to do is get out of the cold...the only sensation your mind obsessed over just 5 hours before. This wind that will blow without reprieve all day long drying your skin, mouth, and all desire to roll forward transforms you into a sad out line of a dried up salty puddle.
Go beyond the cranky short tempered mood low blood sugar puts you into that place where making a simple decision requires so much effort. To a place where you want to eat, no you must eat, and because you have planed so well you have everything you could ever want to eat with you on this adventure but nothing looks good, tastes right, or could ever fill the vacuity of your stomach. If that isn't enough your mind is making you second guess everything.
Any good athlete understands the power of the mind and knows being successful means believing you will be first. Focus, getting into the zone, and visualizing. So when your mind plays tricks on you making your fortitude into a mirage and even planting the seed of doubt and watches as it insidiously grows is a dangerous place to be is where Rick might be.
This is just an opaque idea of what is happening to these athletes. Rick comments to us to inquire if the thoughts and feelings he is having are real. He judges by our response as best he can. We must be careful in our response. He trusts us. My impression of the man is one of respect, intention, and intelligence. When someone like this asks if his suspicions are true I am taken back. In my mind I say of course not. Is that all it takes. Can I connect with him. Have I already to a point he will simply trust what I say because he understands the place he is in? We must at times be his heart. Yes the pumps the blood around this bag of tissue we are. But beyond that the heart is our spirit. Our truest nature. We must speak to that place inside him where the reason for doing RAAM resides. If we can meet him there that is Truth meeting truth. That is a real place. From here this RAAM is history.
Well this is where we are.... Rick is safe. We are safe. But it's time to come up with a new strategy.
Stay tuned,
Steven
Race Day 4
Race Day 4
The long, steady, monotonous, droning, never ending, mind numbing, trainer movie of asphalt rolling by... WE LOVE IT!
Race Day 4
"Every state I'm in, I want to get the hell out of" By far the best quote of the 2012 RAAM by far.
Race Day 2
Made it to Mexico Hat Utah. We made it to, drum roll, COLORADO USA! Except when we cross the state line into Colorado I expected the temp to drop 20 degrees... Nope. But the boys are moving along just fine. After dodging a bullet in Flagstaff we ha e re calibrated and are moving along just fine now. They are eating, drinking, resting, and getting regular acupuncture treatments! The riders spirits are high. They are smiling. It's a beautiful thing. I love acupuncture., treating patients, and cycling. I wonder of I might attempt a RAAM on a four person team...? Anyone interested?
Race Day 4
Hello...very tired today. I crewed for 7 hours straight last night to this morning. It was a very technical section roughly 120 miles, at night, that included a climb of wolf creek pass at 10,800 feet high. Going from 108 degrees in the morning to 40 on the same day was taxing on me. We attached the first place team on the pass without success. For 10 miles we transitioned the riders at one mile intervals in an effort to keep out teams legs fresh. It was a knife from start to finish. The team 207 rider was so steady and strong, amazing to watch these teams attach time and time again. For our part the transition crew demonstrated practiced precision like an Indy pit crew. I was very proud to be part of that effort but ultimately we were not able to put away team 207. I have to say it was exhilarating! As the rush wore off and the flow of an extended decent settled in my nervous system and body tanked. The riders are fine and the crew is stepping up. It was a risk that maybe we shouldn't have taken this early. Many believe if you are "racing" RAAM the race starts west of the Mississippi.
I'm 126 miles away from my bed, my home. Close now but by tonight I will be looking down the road to Missouri...Hello family and friends! I hope to see you:)
Team 202 is 1/3 into this:)
Race Day 2
At high noon in the Mojave desert, 109 degrees, not a could on the sky the boys climbed 9 miles at 9% grade. That is way awesome! Can I get a what what!?!?!
Race Day 2
Bye bye Cali. One down...many to come! The boys are riding very well. They are sticking to the game plan. I hope it will help deliver us to the goal.
WE ARE IN PARKER ARIZONA!!
Race Day 1
OMG! NEVER come to Brawely CA. It smells like S*** and death that is being baked in the oven at 425 degrees. We have decided it is the worst place on earth!
Race Day 1
Kind of a cool pic to me! Dave is currently climbing Palomar MT. 2000 feet in 95 degrees... That kind of BA.
Is our spot tracker working? How far are zi Germans ahead of us? Check out the RAAM website!
Day 1 Race
Everybody is loving our sound system. People from the beach and the teams are partying in front of our car!!!
Race Day 1
Hello everyone! Today is the day we leave. Pushing off at noon Cali time. Crew is ready and riders have much nervious energy. First acupuncture treatments coming up:)
Day two prep is done
Day two prep is ready. We are set to roll out of Ocean Side in style! This year we are much calmer and more focused. I believe we are going to make it to the finish line 3000 miles away. You can feel the excitement at the all team meeting today. Much anticipation....
Pic 1 Ocean Side. Built at the turn of the century!
Pic 2 This is out course. 3000 miles! Ready...set...
Pic 3 A sweat treat for riders and crew to send us off.
Pic 4 Team qtextabb.com
Day 1
Day one is just about finished. Flew in from Boulder this morning into San Diego under cloud cover. This was unexpected. I have come to learn that June is called June Gloom by the natives. Apparently June offers this type of weather pattern. Not what I have come to expect from sunny SD.
The have three support vehicles that need to be properly stickered so the race officials know what team they belong to. So the team spent some time getting this done while other loaded them with food, water, and the proper supplies in preparation for our departure this Saturday.
This evening we had a team meal and discussed strategy for the this years RAAM. Discussion then turned to stories from pervious RAAMs. Jim is a 17 time RAAM veteran. Really neat guy. Did I mention he is 80 years old! I look forward to getting to know him better.
Pic 1 we have the active rider follow car that is always directly behind the rider. Notice the sound bar we can blast Welcome to the Jungle 24x7 to motivate the riders!
Pic 2 In this town after your bike is tuned up it is delivered to you by the Velo Van, sweet.
Pic 3 So Dave goes through all the trouble getting all dialed in on his TT bike so he can ride fast in the aero bars but then negates that advantage by adding 8 inches of rise so he is particularly up right again. Well this is a 3000 mile bike race. Let's just call it the RAAM rise:)!
Palm Trees and Humidity!
Ok step one, DONE! Waiting for my ocean side ride then it's time to get to work! "Cali Dreaming"
RAAM is here!
2012 RAAM here we come! I will be updating as much as I can so check back for more cool happenings. In the mean time you can check out www.QtextAbb.com for location updates and the official RAAM website link.
Post soon,
Steven
