RAAM

There are probably a few of you out there that know that I rode a bike across this great country a few years back. So when I mention these folks understand that I have experienced the pain and pleaseure, though not at their level. I departed from San Diego, CA and ended up in Jacksonville, FL and it only took me 27 days!! Which comes out to a little over 100 miles a day. Impressive right? Not really, not even close.

If you want ot be impressed you should check out these guys. The Race Across AMerica is a group of elite cyclists that literally race across the U.S., they started in Oceanside, CA and end in Annapolis, MD a full 3000 miles and most cover it in as few as 7 days!!! These guys and gals are nuts!!!

Check out this quote from their site , it says it all.

“This is a Race. Unlike other famous races, like the Tour de France, RAAM is not a stage race. The race is one stage, live to the very end. In RAAM, once the clock starts on the west coast, the clock doesn’t stop until each racer reaches the finish line on the east coast. RAAM is 30% longer than the Tour de France and racers finish in half the time with no rest days. The race format is essentially a time trial, commonly called racing against the clock or the race of truth. Unlike the Tour de France, there is no drafting or taking shelter from the wind. It’s an all out solo challenge.”

While I was driving through the southwest we ran into a few of them and here is one of the shots we got, from the truck with the windows up and A/C blasting. Most of these were taken around Mexican Hat, Utah where the winds were fierce and the heat was brutal.

Hail to the warriors!!