Marshall Reeves

With RAAM just over a week away, we thought things were going pretty well. The team had coalesced, all the gear had been procured, travel plans made, and excitement was building. Lesson number one, if things are too good to be true, it’s because they are too good to be true. Over the weekend, Jim Merchant, our RN/LMT was starting his journey west in the support vehicle with bikes and all the gear. Somewhere near El Paso, he was involved in a horrific rollover accident. He wound up in the hospital ICU with serious injuries, and the car and gear destroyed. He has since left the ICU, but is still in the hospital. I am on my way west now with Ross Parker and Adam Darby. We will try to salvage what we can from the car, and check on Jim. The gang at Infinity Bike Shop worked feverishly to make sure we had all the gear and bikes we needed, just in case. Thank you Lukas, Geoff, and Frank! But before we can get to El Paso, we must wait at the Mercedes dealership in Baton Rouge to have our Sprinter van fixed. Did I mention things had been going really well? Here is where perspective comes in. We are preparing for what is arguably the hardest bicycle race on the planet, but it is for a fantastic cause, “3000 Miles to a Cure”, a charity working to find a cure for brain cancer. Yes Jim had an accident, yes our support car is destroyed, and yes we are busted flat in Baton Rough (waiting for a train), but we will all live to talk about it. Those afflicted with brain cancer do not have that luxury, unless we find a cure. Please consider helping this great cause with a donation of any size. Fate will have to try a lot harder to keep us from that finish line in Annapolis, and to the finish line in the war on brain cancer!

Well, RAAM is fast approaching. Less than one month to go. Last time I talked about the race in general. This time I want to touch on what is needed for the race. The following is a list of what we will have for our two week odyssey.

3 vehicles. A dedicated follow car, a shuttle car, and an RV.

Bikes! After trying several models, decided to go with the Eddy Merckx Mouranx 69. This bike combines the best characteristics for this event. Comfortable, stable, and fast. One primary, and one spare. Extra wheel sets, and enough spare parts to practically build a third bike.

Accessories: saddles – Serfas Rx, and an Infinity. Alternate to reduce the chance of saddle sores. Lights – Serfas again. Front and rear. Shoes – Northwave, and Serfas. Pedals – Speedplay. Bibs – Endura. Tires – Vittoria endurance. Flats are always a problem.

Food and drink: Anything I can think of! Mostly liquid. Try to replace about 12000 calories per day. Plenty of Ensure shakes. Carbo Pro and Gu for carbohydrates. Endurolyte and EmergenC for electrolytes.

Finally, and most importantly, CREW! Right now, it looks like a crew of 6 (we have room for a couple more if your’e in the mood for the adventure of a lifetime). A crew of six allows for two people per vehicle. Fatigue is the greatest obstacle for the rider, as well as the crew. Sleep will be at a premium. Next time, I will introduce the crew.

Finally, a great cause: “3000 Miles to a Cure”. Please consider a donation towards their effort to cure brain cancer (www.3000milestoacure.com). If you donate, and pass this along to 5 of your friends, something nice is bound to happen for you!😊

RAAM 2016 is fast approaching, and I thought I’d give an update on our progress. This being our third try, we have experience to draw on, and have hopefully learned from it. I plan to post periodically and discuss topics such as the race itself, training, equipment, and strategy. If there is anything in particular you want to know, please feel free to ask. Most of you are familiar with RAAM, but I thought I would start this first installment with a brief overview.

The race is 3000 miles across the United States. It starts in Oceanside, California, and ends in Annapolis, Maryland. It covers every conceivable terrain and climate. Temperatures range from 30°, to as much as 115°. Elevation varies from -170′, to over 10000′, with total climbing in excess of 100,000′. The route is determined for the racers, with 53 time stations (checkpoints) along the route. There are two intermediate time cutoffs as well as the final cutoff in Annapolis, of 288 hours (12 days) for solo men 60, and women. In the in the history of the race, only around 200 racers have finished the solo event within the time cutoff.

I almost talked myself out of it just now! Next time, I will discuss the logistics involved with such an epic undertaking, and why we are doing it.

Thanks,
Marshall