Race Across America 2015

emtroche

For anybody that's interested the Race Across America is starting now. Solo racers today

Tracker is here http://www.tractalis.com/live/raam2015/html5/

Live feed of start is here http://livestream.com/accounts/8774257/events/4129546

The teams start on Friday which is especially exciting for those of us who are involved in Race Around Ireland as we have our very own team entered this year! The page for the team is https://www.facebook.com/TeamRaceAroundIreland

Unfortunately I won't be on the road with the lads but hoping to post updates here as much as I can.

nilhg

Great to see the Irish team involved, best of luck to them all.

I have to admit to a personal interest as well, my daughter is crewing with Jose Bermudez,

https://www.facebook.com/JoseBermudezRAAM2013?fref=ts

so if you're looking for someone to cheer for, think of him.

Sinbad_NI

NI gal on the Australian Veloroos team as well.

emtroche

The Generali Race Around Ireland Team will be starting tomorrow at 20:36 (Irish time).

If any of you are wondering what the Race is all about.

The Race Across America is the pinnacle of the ultracycling world. It started life in 1982 as the Great American Bike Race when 4 competitors raced across the country. Since then the race has grown from strength to strength and it now see's racers from all over the world take part. It covers a distance of 4,831 kilometres with a total height gain of 53,505 metres. Starting on the shore of the Pacific at Oceanside, California the race will make its way through Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania before finishing at the Atlantic in Annapolis, Maryland. To put this in perspective, the race will pass through 4 time zones.

The race offers a number of challenges which racers must overcome. Heat plays a huge factor in the race as it passes through 2 deserts and the Great Plains. Strong winds through the long, flat, straights of Kansas can numb the body and the mind but their negative effects will be reduced if they are on the riders backs. The highest point of the race is Wolf Creek pass in the Rocky Mountains which peaks at 3,309 metres. Sierra Nevada in Spain is the only paved road in Europe which is higher. Altitude sickness can become a real problem for racers with crew members even feeling the effects. The final kick for the racers is the constant brutal climbs of the Appalachian Mountains. While none of them are very long they come at the racers thick and fast and offer very little respite. A constant framing of trees on each side can make things even more difficult as the mind has very little to focus on except the road ahead. These final climbs have been known to break even the best racers.

21 nationalities are represented at this years race with 41 solo racers and 45 teams taking part. Although covering the same route and following the same rules, the solo and team categories are two very different beasts. While the solo race is a constant wearing down process where there is a massive emphasis on mental strength, the team race is one of speed and logistics. Teams race in relay which means that while some members rest, the others are moving. From an overall perspective a team is in continuous movement which means that decisions on any issues or problems which arise during the race need to be dealt with quickly and effectively.

Once the clock starts in Oceanside it doesn't stop until the racers cross the line in Annapolis. Teams have 9 days to complete the journey.

emtroche

THE TEAM
In just under 24 hours, Team Generali Race Around Ireland will finally be hitting the road on one of the toughest, longest and most dreamt of sporting events in the world. Many people wish they could be there. Many people have tried to be there but failed. The Generali Race Around Ireland Team are there. And they're ready to go.

ALAN HEARY
You can call him the brains or the one to blame, either way there is no doubt that he his the man with the vision and ambition to get the Race Around Ireland off the ground. And this has followed through with the Generali Race Around Ireland Team. Alan is a High Performance and Wellness coach who has worked with top athletes in just about any sport you can think of. In 2008 he was the mastermind behind entering a 4-person team of novices into Race Across America. The plan was to see if, with the right preparation, newbies could get through. They got through it. And they finished 2nd! He then went on to found the Race Around Ireland which has grown over the last 7 years to become the event that it is today.

PJ NOLAN
There isn't much in the world of cycling which PJ doesn't know about. He has a depth of knowledge of the sport which would be hard to compare to. A former road racing cyclist, over the years he has been a successful team manager, coach and mentor. He has played a big part in the elevation of a number of Irish cyclists from the amateur to professional ranks. Along with his dairy farm and other business interests he even found time to be President of Cycling Ireland for a number of years. He was the crew chief of the Irish team which took part in RAAM in 2008 and he has been involved in Race Around Ireland since it's inception. He knows what RAAM is about.

BRIAN HEHIR
Brian was a member of the Youghal Team which took part in RAAM in 2011. That team holds the Irish 8-person record for RAAM so he knows how to do this race and he knows how to do it fast. He also took part in the Race Around Ireland as a member of Team Youghal. As an aeronautical engineer his mechanical mind may get called into action over the course of the race. He's the tattoo'd warrior of the team so the guys are hoping this will help with bikers and those with necks of a crimson nature and this will assure them safe passage!

BLAIR CLINTON
Blair is a member of Navan Road Club and last year some strong results saw him move up to the A3 category. His relaxed personality combined with his strength and power should see the cafe owner from Navan play a very strong part in the team. He's a good bike handler, he's a fast racer and he's as enthusiastic a guy as you could meet. All in all, Blair has the perfect skill sets for a RAAM team.

MICHAEL MILLS
Hailing from Navan, Michael is a true speed demon. When he's not cladding roofs or riding his bike he's racing cars at obscene velocities. He was a member of Team Celtic Media which took part in the 4-person category at Race Around Ireland in 2014 so he knows how to ultra-race. He's strong, a fast descender and a quality bike handler. Overall a real asset to a team like this.

COLM BALDWIN
Out of the eight guys Colm is the newest to bike racing. Although what he lacks in experience he'll more than make up for with his natural talent and ability to grit his teeth and drive it on. He's a super climber which will ease the pressure somewhat on the massive amount of elevation which needs to be conquered. The Skerries native is relishing the opportunity to tackle this event. And a broken hand suffered during a recent training spin isn't going to stop him!

THOMAS SCULLION
Thomas works in actuary with Generali Pan Europe and he got the bug for ultra-racing after taking part in the Race Around Ireland last year as part of the Generali 8-person team. The Newry man is a talented bike rider and his sense of humour is something which can only make the journey easier for the whole team.

PAT DOOCEY
Pat is also from Navan and having been crew chief for Team Celtic Media in the Race Around Ireland 2014, he jumped at the chance to take on the biggest ultra-cycling race in the world. He's an experienced cyclist but more importantly Pat is well used to taking part in Audax and other long distance rides. He's a powerhouse who can ride at high speeds for very long distances. This race was made for him.

emtroche

THE STRATEGY

The team categories in an event like RAAM are dominated by speed and logistics. Having a sound strategy in place is the backbone of any team and this strategy takes on an even more important role when the team has no support crew, as is the case with Team Generali Race Around Ireland. The guys will be the first ever self-crewing 8-person team to take part in RAAM in the 34 year history of the event. Many people have said it can't be done but the guys are there to prove them wrong. It won't be easy but then again, nothing is in a race like RAAM.

There is not doubt that problems will arise as they are making there way across the country. It's impossible to account for every eventuality but the key is to "be prepared to be prepared". There is a sound plan in place and contingencies have been examined and trained for. So how are they going to tackle the race?

The 8-person team will be split into two 4-person teams for the duration of the race. PJ has dubbed the two teams "the good looking ones" and the "talented ones"! We'll let you make up your own minds about which is which! There is a good spread of skills and talents over each team but the main factor which was involved in team selection was height. This reasoning is based purely on the idea of having bikes which are similar in size on each team in case a problem pops up with one of them. It basically removes the need for more bikes than are necessary on each team.

While practically every team in the race will have a campervan, due to the fact that the Generali Race Around Ireland Team are self-crewing they will just be using 2 vans. These 2 vans will be carrying practically everything the team needs over the course of the race, including themselves of course.
Each 4-person team will take on a 12 hour stint on the road before swapping with the other 4-person team. Each 4-person team is split into 2 duos. Each duo will do a 3 hour shift divided into half hour stints. A good way to get your head around how it works is to look at each 4-person team as having riders A, B, C,

Rider A cycles for 30 minutes. While he is doing this, riders C and D are driving and navigating. At the end of the 30 minutes, rider B will start cycling while rider A rests and riders C and D continue to drive and navigate. After 3 hours like this the two duos swap duties, with riders C and D alternating between cycling and resting while riders A and B share driving and navigating duties. And this is how the 4-person team progresses for roughly 12 hours. While this is happening, the other 4-person team are eating and resting as much as they can, before driving ahead to swap with the 4-person team which has been racing.

While the racing aspects of a self-crewing team are more or less the same as that of any other team, the real difference will be rest and nutrition. Without a campervan and a crew these factors will become possibly the greatest challenge of the race for the team. The plan is to utilise motels for rest which in theory should not pose much of a problem. The team which is not racing will also have to source food for themselves for while they are off duty and while they are racing. Due to the extreme heat of some parts of the route having a plentiful supply of water and ice will be crucial. During the day the follow van can stop for fuel or supplies while the racer continues on. However at night direct follow is mandatory at all times. This means that if the follow vehicle needs to stop for any reason, the racer must stop also. Having the entire team stopping in the 8-person category is not ideal but a short stop for ice or water makes far more sense than continuing, possibly into an area which is not very well serviced.

To give you an idea of what life will be like for a racer on Team Generali Race Around Ireland:

Cycle for 30 minutes. Rest for 30 minutes. During this short rest period the racer will use a cool cloth and ice to bring his temperature down. Eat a gel or a bar or some fruit. In other words, something with quick release energy. Massage legs as much as possible and read the routebook to be aware of whats up next. At the end of the 30 mins they're back out on the bike.
After 3 hours of this they will take over the role of either driver or navigator for 3 hours of "rest". During this 3 hour rest period they will eat some pasta, rice or potato, for slow release energy and some tuna or chicken to replenish their protein levels. While there will be a strong reliance on energy bars, gels and drinks, it's important from a physical and psychological point of view to be able to eat "normal" food.

Once their 12 hour stint is over they will come off duty, so to speak. During this period they will eat a proper meal, massage and sleep as much as possible. They will also have to either drive or navigate to the next swap point. It is also important that during this 12 hour stint, they keep their minds focused on what lies ahead. It can be vary easy for people to take their eye off the ball during a race as long as this. When that happens things can slow down dramatically with the end result that plans can go awry. The 12 hour stop will also see them taking care of any housekeeping issues such as washing clothes, fixing bike problems, tidying the van, sourcing food for their next 12 hour racing stint and making sure phones and GPS units are fully charged. Before the go back "on duty" they will also have to examine the routebook for what lies ahead on their 12 hour racing stint.

It's fairly safe to say that something will happen along the way to upset the strategy. Something as simple as a flat tyre on a follow vehicle or a rider becoming sick or injured can see plans having to be changed quite substantially. This is where having a focused mind will come into play, as decisions will need to be made well. And they'll need to be made fast. This is after all a race. They have 9 days to get across the country. Your support and encouragement will be a huge boost for the guys as they make their way eastwards. There is a wealth of experience on this team. Between them they have 5 RAAM's and 15 RAI's under their belts. They've raced, crewed and officiated. If anybody can do it, they can.

3,000 miles.

9 days.

Starts at 20:36 tonight Irish time.

This is going to be awesome!

albert kidd

some great info there emtroche..cheers for that.

good luck to them all taking part..its absolute savage stuff.

emtroche

This is RAAM!

Solobally8

Thanks for tr info emtroche keep the updates coming if you can thanks

emtroche

THE FIRST 12 HOURS

The race to the start is over. The race to the finish has just begun. The Generali Race Around Ireland Team are planning to do their first team changeover around TS03 Blythe, CA.

So what can they expect in the first 12 hours?

The first day can be a quite chaotic. The first 23.6 miles of the race are unsupported and the first 7.8 miles of that is on a bike path. The guys have elected to have 2 racers take on this unsupported section and thereby reducing the risks of being forced to stop due to a puncture or mechanical issue.

After the follow vehicle picks up the racer at 23.6 miles there are specific exchange points until TS01. There will be a lot of riders and cars on the road and the rules will be heavily enforced. Unlike in the Race Around Ireland at RAAM vehicles must be parked at least 5-feet off the yellow line. The first section is not easy and there is a lot of climbing in it. There is a major climb at 67 miles and here you will see the dots on the tracker start to build up on each other as the teams make their way up the climb. As they climb from the coast into the Coastal Range the temperature will rise a lot and there is very little shelter from the sun. This heat combined with vehicles looking for places to park and the adrenaline of the racers can make for a very hectic few miles. By the time the racers get to TS01 at Lake Henshaw things should have calmed down a bit with the teams beginning to spread out on the route.

19 miles after TS01 they will reach one of the defining features of the RAAM route, the descent of the 'Glass Elevator'. This is an epic descent. It's very twisty and there are canyons along it which usually have strong crosswinds so caution is needed. It gets twistier towards the bottom half of the decent. The temperature will probably rise by 9 to 10 degrees between the top and the bottom. Borrego Springs, at the foot of the descent is like a blast furnace! From this turn there is normally a strong tail wind so they will be able to hammer it to the turn at 66 miles. From there it may change to a cross wind but its still flat and fast. Once in the desert the guys will have to be careful where they park as vehicles have been stuck in the sand before. If this happens at night their race will come to a standstill. This is one of the fastest sections of the race as it is either downhill or flat with a tailwind.

From TS02 Brawley, CA, the race moves into the Great Sand Dunes national park so its quite twisty and lumpy. This means that there can be a build up of riders and vehicles. They will have to watch the rules regarding caravaning which restricts them from allowing a build up of traffic behind them. The build up of vehicles and racers can cause problems for secondary support vehicles which are trying to overtake but it shouldn't be a problem for the 'off-duty' guys as they will have passed through here beforehand. There a few turns near the end of the section which are easy to miss but they shouldn't pose a problem for the guys as they are all masters of navigation! If unsure of their mileage they know to confirm by street name.

By the time they reach TS03 at Blythe the nerves will be well settled and the adrenaline will be wearing off. Placings on the road will be becoming larger but with well over 2,500 miles left it will be all to play for.

The temperature in Oceanside now is 23 degrees. By the time they reach TS01 at Lake Henshaw this will have increased to about 35 degrees.

wanderer 22

Anyone know what happened to christoph strasser?

Solobally8

Chest infection apparently.

thesimpsons

Irish team report : 1221 miles completed. 1785 miles to go !

The guys are just through TS20 Trinidad, Colorado. This will be a welcome sight for the guys as they re-enter civilisation and do a team changeover.
About 7 miles after Trinidad there is a very noticeable change in landscape as they enter the Great Plains of America. The novelty of the Great Plains wears off quick enough! This is also the start of tornado country. This means that apart from tornadoes the next few sections are prone to crazy rain and hail showers and mini hurricanes. The threat of tornadoes is very real. In 2012 Christoph Strasser was pulled off the road by the sheriff and the team had to shelter in a church basement for a while. This section also has a lot of deer which have a tendency to spring out onto the road.

The terrain now is very different from what has passed before. It's 577 miles from here to TS30 at Fort Scott, Kansas and the landscape changes very little until then. It's a constant barrage of long, straight exposed roads. The heat may become stifling and the wind can become a real heartbreaker. If it's a crosswind it'll be very tough. If it's a headwind we can expect some tears! Towns are also few and far between so the guys will have to watch their fuel and supply levels.

The average speed has risen again after a slight drop over night so the return of the fresh team will hopefully see the average rise even more. There is a slight tail-crosswind from the right on this section to TS21 at Kim, Colorado so this may be somewhat of an advantage. The temperature in Trinidad is 14 degrees but this should have risen to the early 20's by the time they reach TS21 at Kim.

thesimpsons

over halfway there now.

nilhg

nilhg wrote: »

Great to see the Irish team involved, best of luck to them all.

I have to admit to a personal interest as well, my daughter is crewing with Jose Bermudez,

https://www.facebook.com/JoseBermudezRAAM2013?fref=ts

so if you're looking for someone to cheer for, think of him.

Jose has just crossed the Mississippi and is past the 2/3 mark, had a brief chat with Emma the other morning and the biggest problem so far has been with his feet, the toes in particular, the solution so far at least has been to buy bigger shoes and cut the toe area out of them.



Plenty of other issues as well but he's going well, hopefully it'll stay that way.

dastardly00

nilhg wrote: »

Jose has just crossed the Mississippi and is past the 2/3 mark, had a brief chat with Emma the other morning and the biggest problem so far has been with his feet, the toes in particular, the solution so far at least has been to buy bigger shoes and cut the toe area out of them.

Are his feet swelling a lot or are they getting too hot??

nilhg

dastardly00 wrote: »

Are his feet swelling a lot or are they getting too hot??

Swelling, and some suggestion of a repetitive stress type of injury.

It's hard for his crew to be definitive about stuff like that, he can't stop for much in the way of examinations or treatment, as it stands his main stop of the day is 2 1/4 hours, of that he has to sleep for 1 1/2 hours, the rest of the time is for eating, washing, change of gear, intensive physio on his neck and shoulders to try and avoid Schermers syndrome, they also weigh him everytime he stops to make sure he's not dehydrating, apparently it's like a military operation when he gets off the bike.

OldBean

Are any of you guys over there/heading to Annapolis for the finish?

thesimpsons

love to but no - no money no time

emtroche

OldBean wrote: »

Are any of you guys over there/heading to Annapolis for the finish?

I wish i was. Especially this year of all years.

thesimpsons

onto the last leg now hitting the Appalachian Mountains tonight and estimated finish time of 6am local time tomorrow morning (about 1am tonight/tomorrow here). for an unsupported team, they are doing exceptionally well. the other teams all have helpers for driving, navigating, food prep, shopping, massages, medics, etc these guys are doing all that plus cycling

Expected time is now 7.37am local (12.37 noon in ireland) and not as I earlier posted. my crap maths subtracted the time instead of adding it on !!!

Raymzor

hope these buys wind it up early afternoon Saturday GMT-they have done superb-they must be shattered

emtroche

thesimpsons wrote: »

onto the last leg now hitting the Appalachian Mountains tonight and estimated finish time of 6am local time tomorrow morning (about 1am tonight/tomorrow here). for an unsupported team, they are doing exceptionally well. the other teams all have helpers for driving, navigating, food prep, shopping, massages, medics, etc these guys are doing all that plus cycling

Personally i feel so proud of the fact that this is a team representing Race Around Ireland and i'm delighted to have had only the tiniest input into it.

And honestly i think this performance will change the way a lot of people approach RAAM and what is actually possible, compared with what is generally accepted to be the way things are done.

There are some exciting times ahead!

emtroche

I'd also ask people to send their love and positivity to Anders Tesgaard from Denmark. After sitting in 3rd position in the solo race, he's currently laying in a hospital bed in a coma. 12 broken ribs on one side, 2 on the other, broken jaw, broken cheekbone, 2 punctured lungs, brain lesions and a torn kidney. Insanely horrific injuries.

#431

Alek

So sad and horrifying.

He has been hit from behind (something that happens relatively often in the US, very uncommon elsewhere afaik) and just to clarify it is an induced coma, which is part of the treatment. Torn kidney has been surgically repaired and he is now in critical, but stable condition - most importantly the brain stem is intact.

Stay strong Anders. We're with you.

emtroche

THEY"RE DONE!!! The Gernerali Race Around Ireland Team have reached the final time station where the final time is taken. They will shortly be making their way along the final escorted section to the finish line. Not only have they finished but they've made history!

They've become the first 8-person team to finish the race in its 34 years.

They've set a new Irish 9-person record for RAAM. They finished the race in a time of 6 days, 16 hours and 45 minutes at an average speed of 18.69 mph. The previous record of 16.42 mph was set by Team Youghal in 2012. Brian Hehir was a member of Team Youghal also so he can be doubly happy!

It's a massive achievement in many respects and is quite groundbreaking as far as i'm concerned.

The Noble Nudge

emtroche wrote: »

THEY"RE DONE!!! The Gernerali Race Around Ireland Team have reached the final time station where the final time is taken. They will shortly be making their way along the final escorted section to the finish line. Not only have they finished but they've made history!

They've become the first 8-person team to finish the race in its 34 years.

They've set a new Irish 9-person record for RAAM. They finished the race in a time of 6 days, 16 hours and 45 minutes at an average speed of 18.69 mph. The previous record of 16.42 mph was set by Team Youghal in 2012. Brian Hehir was a member of Team Youghal also so he can be doubly happy!

It's a massive achievement in many respects and is quite groundbreaking as far as i'm concerned.

Well done lads

Wishbone Ash

Alek wrote: »

...He has been hit from behind (something that happens relatively often in the US, very uncommon elsewhere afaik)

His accompanying vehicle which should have been behind him is reported to have been refuelling at the time.

I've cycled in the US several times and it can be an unpleasant experience. Generally very little respect for cyclists, especially in the south and there's no hard shoulders as such. Close passes are very common especially from truck drivers - many who feel the need to sound their fog horn as they pass.

ht9zni1gs28crp

Emmet your input to the team was a million miles away from tiny!

Thanks for your help. We were gobsmacked at the level of detail when reading the manual...took a lot of unknowns and pressure off us.