Posted by: Ed Garrison on 6/21/2012 at 11:47 AM
My race report:
First, a bit of history. I attempted RAW last year as a rookie racer with a rookie crew. It bit us in the backside big time as I suffered from severe dehydration, near kidney shutdown, and rhabdomyelysis condition. Stopped at a hospital in Prescott, AZ to get some saline fluids, but once the doctor did the blood work and found the above conditions, they checked me in and would not release me until they first pumped 8 bags of saline into me, and they insisted I quit the race. Big disappointment, but it was what it was.
I knew then that I wanted to come back in 2012 to successfully complete the race. Thus began a long training year, and when I approached the start line this year, I was most anxious to take on the course.
I was much better prepared this year with a bigger crew, a nurse, and an RV to get out of the heat when needed and a place to take my sleep breaks. The race started on the Oceanside, CA pier in cloudy conditions, but 2 miles in, the clouds disappear and it gets hot quick ( a RAAM racer from Belgium got heatstroke on first big climb about 12 miles into the race.).
An early incident -- I had momentarily jumped ahead of my crew van a bit, and thought they had said my next turn was in .6 miles. Actually, they said "6.6 miles". I turned at .6, the crew did not see me, and the radio communication between us was a bit garbled, etc. Comedy of errors led to me riding 2 miles off course. Realized it and turned around, and when I got back on main course, was on a very long downhill, so I knew they would be way ahead thinking I had flown down the hill, thus further increasing distance between the crew and me - YIKES. Finally, they realized there was no way that I was still ahead of them given the speeds they were driving. They turned around and eventually, we met again. Fortunately, that did not happen again during the race.
I had a good run through afternoon, (a treat is a 10 mile downhill called the Glass Elevator at mile 90, at which you can easily hit speeds of 50 mph+. At the bottom, you are on the desert floor and proceed to ride thorugh the sand dunes of the Mojave Desert. As I rode )into evening, I was in a large pack of both RAW and RAAM racers, and there was lots of small talk with them (you can ride side by side for 15 minutes max - no drafting allowed - then one of the riders and their crew van has to move ahead). Had my one and only flat tire outside Borrego Springs, CA on a superfast, flat, and slightly downhill 18 mile stretch of wide open nothingness.
Crew change in Blythe, CA, and headed up to cross CO River and into AZ. We were taking my weight every two hours, trying to hold as close to starting weight as possible. In Parker, AZ, my weight had dropped 4 lbs since last weigh-in ---- NOT GOOD, so I sat down in shade of a small building and told crew I was not moving unitl I had eaten and drank enough to put the weight back on. I did this because we were getting ready to enter the most desolate stretch of the desert. Lo and behold, our RV comes down the road at this time with my nurse. We flagged them down and took two saline IV bags (had inserted an IV port in my right forearm prior to race start). Weight came back up, I also had a toasted turkey and swiss sandwich, a 20 minute break in the AC in the RV ,and I was ready to go again.
Rode another 60 miles to Bouse, AZ where I took a 3 hour nap during hottest part of the day. A nice break and a big help when I got out again to ride some more. Temps at this point were 113 on my bike. Crew was riding beside me and spraying me with a pressurized sprayer about every 5 minutes to keep my body temps down. I had on compression stocking leggings to help with blood flow and to also prevent sunburning, a long sleeve base undershirt with spf 50 impregnation in it, and a halo with attached neck shield to keep sun off my neck. Lots of clothing, but necessary to fight the heat and avoid bad burning.
Made it across deset to Congress, AZ, and took another 90 minute break, made a crew change, and began heading up the 50 mile climb into Prescott, AZ. Good climb, and the route actually took me directly beside the hospital where my race ended last year. I had kept my hospital admission wrist band from 2011 and was wearing it from the start of this year's race. I ripped that bad boy off and tossed it at the hospital entrance sign and never looked back. No doubt in my mind now that I would finish. A quick stop for a nurse check in Prescott, another sandwich, and then we headed out of town for a 12 mile tough climb up to Jerome, AZ, a small mining town tucked into the mountainside that reminds you of the small mountain towns you see in the TdF. Very pretty but a long climb. A nice long downhill into Cottonwood, AZ is the reward, then a very bad road section into the wind and up to Sedona, AZ - an absolutely beautiful town among the huge red rock formations. Then into a long, narrow canyon and a tough climb out of the canyon and on to Flagstaff.
A check in with nurse in Flagstaff, a crew change, and then a short steep climb, then a super super long gradual downhill - don't think I pedalled for at least 15 miles. Headed into Tuba City on some very rough roads, and probably lowest point of sleep deprivation. I was seeing things - a long narrow "moat" of water on the road just insde the white line. I was riding on the shoulder and was convinced that if I crossed the white line, I would sink into the long water 'trough'. Also, any object on the road would transform into some sort of small creature and then run away just as I got near it (Yep, I was going crazy). Crew pulled me off bike for 4.5 hour break in Tuba City, and then headed out again around 2 am with next crew. About 10 miles into this stretch, I literally had no energy whatsoever in my legs and it was all I could do to turn the pedals. The terrain looked like it was downhill, and flat at best, but in reality, it was a slow and steady uphill.
19 miles from Kayenta, AZ, I had a fantastic downhill stretch among some stunning scenery. Felt great when I got to Kayenta and my nurse gave me a thumbs up. We then headed North, up to Mexican Hat, Utah, where I first asked where the next competitor was in relation to me. He was an hour ahead, so I picked up pace a little through a very very hot and largely uphill section and took 10 minutes out of his lead by the next time staion. By the next time station - Montezuma Valley UT, I had caught and passed him as he had exited the course for some type of break. From this Time Staion to Cortez, CO, I pushed even harded trying to build a bigger gap so he would not be encouraged to chase me down and race me from the last time station to the finish line in Durango, a largely steep uphill 40 mile section. I pushed too hard and for first time in entire race, my stomach began to revolt, and I could not eat or drink. My energy also drained away, and I felt horrible. At Cortez, my nurse gave me one last IV and sent me on my way. After I had passed the first climb, I learned that the other racer had checked in at Cortez an hour after me. I then pushed throught to top of the last climb and then had a screaming downhill of 10 miles to the finish line. The temps had dropped significantly at that altitude, and my teeth were chattering on the way down, but I didn't care. I was going to finish RAW!! Came across the finish line around 2:30 am on Sunday morning.
My offical race time was 3 days, 12 hours, 22 minutes and overall avg. speed of 10.18. My actual overall RIDE time on bike was 60 hours and 13 minutes and actual ride speed was 14.51 mph. A great experience as it pushed me to my limits and the mental demands were ever bit as tough as the physical demands. My crew was great, and we had a good race plan that worked to perfection. I can't say enough about their contribution to the team success. I could not have done this alone.
While I was racing, I said this would be enough, that it was so hard, I did not need to ride these roads again, but............. these roads are the opening third section of the full Race Across America (RAAM). I don't know if I could even complete RAAM in the time allowed (12 days flat to go 3,000 miles). I will have to let the RAW experience sink in, then do some thinking and planning. Who knows??
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