Caroline Jennings

This summer, Rob will be racing nonstop all the way from Oceanside, California to Annapolis, Maryland to raise money for brain cancer research. We hope this little Q&A will give you an idea of why we’re so excited to have him on our team…

Q. Tell us a bit about yourself, Rob.

A. Grew up in Port Angeles Washington just outside the Olympic National Park in the Olympic Peninsulas. Went to undergraduate at Pacific University where I studied business and philosophy. Completed my graduate school work in Education, Business, and Leadership through Grand Canyon University. Married in June of 2014 and planning on having kids in the next year or two. I was a former business, marketing and entrepreneurship instructor and recently started my own company with my friend Nick Lerum. We have been building up and Animation Studio here in Los Angeles – Lux Virtual the past few years.

Q. How did you get into cycling?

A. Started as an ultra endurance runner and in 2006 I had the opportunity to do my first cross country tour with my high school youth pastor. We covered about 3,200 miles in 40 days from Port Angeles Washington to Bar Harbor Maine.

Q. What inspired you to take on RAAM?

It has been a habit of mine to try to take on something tougher than I have ever done before about every 2 years. After finishing the Leadville Trail 100, and the qualifying race for RAAM in Oregon a few years ago it was a race big enough to excite and scare me a little, which makes it all the more fun.

Q. Do you have any lucky charms you plan to take with you?

Nope, just a lot of prayer, and gathering close friends and community around me.

Q. What have you been doing to train for the big event?

A. Lots of cycling… 🙂 I started my training last December and planned it out for an 18 month build up. I do long rides on the weekends, hills and speed during the week with a few sessions on the trainer in our apartment during the week while watching Netflix and Amazon movies on our projector. I run once or twice a week and do a morning routine of pushups, squats, planks and squeeze in other workouts from time to time.

Q. Let’s hear a fun fact about yourself.

A. First crazy ultra endurance event I completed was at age 16. I was a Rotary exchange student in India and completed 50 hours of non-stop aerobics with 15 other people for a World Record.

Q. What is your most defining personal philosophy?

A. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5)

Q. What words of hope would you offer to someone affected–either directly or indirectly–by brain cancer?

A. Take courage, and know that you are loved. Reach out to those around you for support in this time and choose to live life abundantly in spite of the current situation.

Q. What keeps you going when times get tough?

A. My ability to be present, to pray, and to take each moment at a time. I don’t make decisions when I feel miserable. I may slow down, and perhaps take a short recovery break but wait to make a decision until I am in a good headspace… The funny thing is we don’t tend to quit or stop when we are feeling good so it tends to work out well.

Q. Can you give us your favorite personal anecdote?

A. My first time running the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim I took my sister Christina and niece Madisyn along with me. Madisyn was about 2 at the time. It was a habit even at that age for Madisyn to run with me, and so we took a nice long run across the parking lot near Flagstaff Arizona. About half way across the lot Madisyn stops and you could see her little chest pounding as she tried to catch her breath. Between breaths she muttered, need to sit down, with this confused look on her face… It took me a minute to realize what was going on, but as many of us know it is very tough to run at about 8,000 feet and she learned it very quickly.

Rob with his niece and fellow adventurer, Madisyn.

Q. What/who is your biggest source of motivation?

A. My motivation stems primarily from my faith in God. I yearn to be a good stuart to the gifts that he’s given me.

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Be on the lookout for more updates from Rob as we get closer to the starting line! In the meantime, please consider making a donation to support our cause.

We are thrilled to welcome Marshall Reeves to our RAAM 2016 crew! This June, Marshall will be biking all the way from Oceanside, California to Annapolis, Maryland to raise money for brain cancer research. We thought you might like to get to know our fearless rider, so we asked some questions, and he gave some answers:

Q. Tell us a bit about yourself, Marshall.

A. I have a patient wife, Madge, of 35 years. She has a masters in counseling, which comes in handy when dealing with me. Two grown kids, Jesse and Molly. Jesse is a Full Sail graduate living in Portland, Oregon. He’s currently working on a film project with a classmate. Molly is in Philadelphia. She is applying for a graduate program at U-Penn in psych/counseling. We also have two emotionally challenged dogs: Rocky and Clementine (both inherited from Molly). I was born in Rhode Island, but grew up in South Carolina. Went to school there at USC. Majored in physics, and was in NROTC. Graduated and went to Navy flight school. 6 1/2 years in the Navy then on with Delta Air Line. Still there, flying as an international captain. Also part owner of Infinity Bike Shop. Make money flying, lose it with the bike shop.

Q. How did you get into cycling?

A. I played soccer at USC, so needed an athletic outlet after. I already ran, swam and cycled a little, so triathlon was a natural choice. Dozens of races later, including 11 ironman distance races, I realized that my affinity was cycling. I started doing endurance races where I met, and became friends with RAAM legend, Rob Kish. We did a two man European version of RAAM, called Le Tour Ultime, and the RAAM seed was sown.

Q. Do you have any lucky charms you plan to take with you?

A. I don’t have any lucky charms. I’m a little OCD, so try hard to avoid it. If I didn’t, every aspect would be riddled with obsessive routine!

Q. What have you been doing to train for the big event?

A. Training comes easily. I like to ride, and my job keeps me off the bike for days at a time, so I am always anxious to ride, but not worried about taking days off. I live in Florida, and have a place in North Carolina. I can train year round, and have a place with hills. I get by with fewer miles, so it works out, and fitness has never been an issue. I also enter endurance events leading up to RAAM to test my fitness.

Q. Let’s hear a fun fact about yourself.

A. Some don’t think it’s fun, but my mind is always thinking of puns. Most I keep to myself, but occasionally, I torture people with them. My son is the same, and during last RAAM, we had a running pun-fest that lasted for hours. Kept us awake.

Q. What is your most defining personal trait?

A. I would like to think my defining trait is integrity. I have a strong moral compass, and make decisions based on that. Tenacity would be a close second. I guess three attempts at RAAM would demonstrate that…..or is that stubbornness?

Q. What words of hope would you offer to someone affected, either directly or indirectly, by brain cancer?

A. Hope is tough with such a devastating diagnosis. One thing I always think of is the longer you fight, the greater the chance of a cure being discovered. Even if there is only a limited time left, think about the best equivalent time span in your life, and match that. Whether it’s 10 years, one year, or a month.

Q. What keeps you going when times get tough?

A. Honestly, and this charity comes into play here, when times get tough, I don’t have to look very far to find someone with an even tougher situation. It makes my problems seem trivial.

Q. Can you give us your favorite personal anecdote?

A. When you’re this old, there too many anecdotes to relate. I guess one good one is when, during an ironman, I couldn’t figure out why the bike leg was so uncomfortable until I was done and realized I had put my bike shorts on backwards in transition.

Q. What/who is your biggest source of motivation?

A. I feel as though I have been given the gifts of talent and opportunity, so my motivation is not to waste it. I know there are a lot of people who have dreams, and are unable to chase them because of circumstances.

Q. So you’ve attempted RAAM twice before…is third time the charm?

A. I hope the third time is a charm! We’ve learned much from the first two tries, and will implement that into this year’s effort. The biggest obstacle for me is sleep deprivation, so this year I am going to try to get on a regular schedule. I have the tendency to go too long, and wind up behind the power curve. Luck is also an important factor, so with our prior experience, we hope to minimize the risk. Injury was a factor the first time, and fatigue the second. My secret weapon this year is that I will be 60, so they give me more time. The downside is that I will be 60 this year.

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Be on the lookout for more personal snippets from Marshall as we get closer to the big event! In the meantime, please consider making a donation to support our cause.

Caroline Jennings

Countdown to RAAM 2016: Q&A with Rob DeCou

RAAM 2016: Meet Marshall Reeves