RAAM, or Race Across AMerica started yesterday around 3:00 Eastern time (race starts in Oceanside, CA but race time is always Eastern because that is where the finish line is; Annapolis, MD). These people are simply amazing. The leader as of 6:30 is Pierre Bischoff from Germany. So far, since 3:00 yesterday he has riden his bicycle 494.3 miles. His 24 hour miles were 449.8!!!!!! He has not slept yet and there are several other riders right on his tail. Looks like it will be a good race. Many countries represented too. Pierre's average speed so far is 18.7 mph. This is amazing if on flat ground but there has been several thousand feet of climbing already. He is east of Prescott, AZ at present. In the female line, the leader is in the age category of 50-59 and she has won more RAAM races than anybody. This year she is trying for her 7th win! Amazing in a race that is over 3,000 miles long. Shanna Hogan's present mileage is 444.2. Her 24 hour total was 399.9 miles. Her present average speed is 16.7. Her present speed is 18.9 mph and she is in Prescott, AZ. Lord knows one of my goals was to ride in that race and win it! But my body has other ideas. I was able to be on crews of 4 different RAAM races. Was scheduled for one other one but had to back out for various reasons. Now I've promised my wife I would not do another one...
We should get Scotty Overkill to do this race once. No saw allowed though. Race is now getting to the point where pain and tiredness is getting to many. The lead rider is just coming out of the Rockies near Trinidad, CO. Supposed to turn hot and windy in Kansas. Could be interesting. On my last crew task, we hit some savage wind and heat in western Kansas. I recall grabbing one rider as he was colasping and then we took him to a hospital. It was a 4-man team but we had to go with a 3 man team for a day and a half. It slowed us very little. In eastern Kansas is where they start to get into mosquito country. The can be downright awful there and in Missouri too.
I used to race mountain and road bike back in the 90's, I was very competitive in the sport classes but simply didn't have the time to dedicate for training like the pros. Several people I rode with regularly became semi pro and pro, we trained hard. But family and other obligations kept me from being super competitive, but that's ok. I rode close to 5k+ miles a year for several years. ....training year round on top of a full-time job. This was my "pre-firewood" years....lol
... Yep that sounds about right for Kansas and Missouri... Yesterday we had to use a knife to cut the air it was so thick... One place just south of the city had dew point of like 80 but we only had like 72 or 75 dew point...
Nuts! It sounds as if today and tomorrow will be worse yet. Lead racers are in KS now. Lead man just east of Ulysses. 1424 miles into the race. So far, 6 hours and 38 minutes off the bike and that is since mid-day Tuesday!
