ANNAPOLIS!

They did it, folks. Oceanside to Annapolis in 5 days, 20 hours and 26 minutes! Congratulations, Team ViaSat, and thank you to the crew! Fabulous job!!!!

If you log into the webcam, you can watch the entire team on their parade route to the podium.

This just in

I just got off the phone with John. He and Kevin are about 15 miles out of TS 53, Odenton, MD. They passed Solo leader and RAAM legend Jure Robic about 30 minutes ago. Ken and Jeremy are standing by, ready to take the course for the last few miles. The rest of the team will join them a few miles from the finish so all riders can cross the finish line together.

54.8 miles to go!!!

Team ViaSat checked into TS 52 in Mt. Airy, MD at 8:20 a.m. pacific. They've ridden 2959.6 miles!

They're truly in the home stretch now, and the next couple of stages are much easier than what they've been riding.

The full team will meet up near the finish and ride on in together.

Congratulations to Byggkjøp / BMC Cycling Team!

Greg got the chance to meet the captain of the Norwegian team, Pål Rygg. He's also the owner of Norway's answer to Home Depot. He got started cycling a few years ago in order to get back in shape. Once the idea to compete in RAAM was hatched, he decided to go all out and shoot for the stars. He talked to BMC and Zipp and got usage donations of the bikes and the wheels for his team. All equipment must be returned at the end of the year. All team riders are 40+ year old men who are members of a "local cycling club" in Norway.

None of these riders are current pro racers, which has been erroneously reported here and the team is not made up entirely of former pro racers, as has been reported elsewhere (on another competitor's blog). They are definitely elite level cyclists and athletes, but each rider has a day job that does not involve pedaling. It's also been reported that the team brought their own media crew, which is a mischaracterization. The team captain, Rygg, contacted Norwegian television media and pitched the idea of doing a documentary about this team's "Grand Adventure". The tv station thought this was a compelling story, and from there the dream was launched.

So they are well funded, but the bottom line is that these guys are high performance weekend Viking warriors, and need to be congratulated as such. They crossed the country in five days, nine hours and 43 minutes, which crushed Team Type 1's record finish last year. Congratulations on a job well done, guys!

A difficult night on the course

Team ViaSat checked into TS 51 at 6:28 this morning. They have 93 miles left to go. This should have them finishing sometime around 11:00 or so this morning. John and Kevin are on course now. According to a series of text messages from Greg overnight, all the rain gear was used. Due to navigation errors, there was some time lost. At the beginning of last night's shift for Greg and Brad, they came on course a bit early to cheer Ken and Jeremy on, and Jeremy, who had already done a full shift, was interpreting the route book, and told Greg and Brad that he "wanted a piece" of the next climb, which was a brutal 8% grade over five miles. Greg and Brad cheerfully turned that over to him, and he CRUSHED it, even after putting in a full and grueling five hour shift.

Jeremy was having compatibility issues with his brakes and wheelset which meant that Jeremy had to ride his tri bike through the Appalachians. Brad shifted into Nascar pit crew mode, and had the brake pads on Jeremy's road bike switched out in about five minutes while Ken was doing his pull. That allowed Jeremy to use his road bike for the rest of his shift, which was much better suited to the climbing terrain.

When Brad and Greg took over, the rain had started. The terrain was 'twisty, crazy' through the mountains, with really severe riding conditions. During Brad's descent during his first pull, he noticed the need to dial back his speed. In addition, the road had a bunch of "blind chuckholes filled with water, so you couldn't really see them" so choosing lines correctly was a challenge. There was also a fog layer about two feet off the ground, further complicating the issue. They still managed to do well, in spite of being unable to open it up on the descents. Greg estimates that they were at about 70% of capacity on their descents.

On to Hancock, MD!

At 11:20 p.m. Pacific, Team ViaSat checked into TS 48. They're now on their way to Hancock, MC. This stage boasts a climb that race organizers characterize as one that "may be a walker". This would be that last one, Sidelong Hill. Greg and Brad are on course until midnight. Dan and Jeff take over just in time for Sidelong Hill!

Team ViaSat is 2790 miles into the race, and has 224 miles to go.

TS 47 conquered! (Updated)

Team ViaSat checked into TS 47 at Gormania, WV at 8:56 pm Pacific time. They're now on their way to TS 48 in La Vale, MD. They are 2744 miles into the race and have just 271 miles to go.

Greg sent me a text a few minutes ago letting me know that the weather was a bit cold and rainy, but that the course was otherwise great. He also noted that the descent that he "stole" from Brad last year (because Brad was missing a crucial piece of equipment: his helmet!), Brad finally got to ride. I'll get feedback from the big Marine as soon as possible. Hopefully, he'll also share his downhill speed with me....

I knew I should have turned off all electronic devices and gone straight to bed after hitting publish.... Greg just texted me to let me know that he and Brad are in the middle of a downpour. It's 2:15 a.m. where they are, and they've got a huge descent coming up. Here's to hoping that they stay safe!

Evening update

Greg and Brad are out on the course right now, heading toward Gormania, WV. While the weather hasn't been great today, it looks (from Google Earth) like it's relatively clear now. These sections through the Appalachians are the toughest on the course, because the climbs and descents are so incredibly steep.

I'll post updates as I get them from the road.

Of note: We have our first official RAAM finishers - the Gran Fondo Fixies. A two man team that crossed the country on fixed gear bicycles. They crossed the finish line at around 5:30 p.m. pacific. Jure Robic was passed by the BMC team after TS 47 today, and by Team Type 1 after TS 48. (This makes me sad. I really wanted Jure to cross the finish line ahead of any other racer.) In addition to winning the Men's solo division, Jure is about to make an incredible type of history - in just hours, he'll be the first soloist to win RAAM four times. Incredible.

Team BMC should finish well before sunrise. Team Type 1 won't be too far behind them. Unlike last year, where there was a 15 minute difference between Team ViaSat and their closest competitor, third place this year looks to be a lock - the closest team behind Team ViaSat is hours behind them. Based on how they're riding now, our boys should cross the finish line well before noon our time tomorrow.

Amazing

I just spent the past fifteen minutes enjoying some seriously good video from the follow vehicle. I only tore myself away because the car with the satellite receiver clearly had to refuel and left the course after an exchange between Ken and Jeremy. (I can't tell who is who this year, perhaps because I've had less time to watch the feed.) At any rate, they're riding to TS 45, which, as mentioned below, is the climbiest section of the race. (Yes, I made that word up.)

They are HAULING! I'm just amazed. And even though this is my third race as team scribe, I still have a hard time wrapping my mind around the concept that it's been just five days since Greg and the rest of the team and crew were here in CA, prepping. Astonishing. Amazing. And this brings me to something that can't be highlighted enough.

This race can't happen without the crew. We're always lucky to have incredible people crewing for our team - this year is no exception. While there are many people back home in CA who are working to make things run smoothly, I'm going to focus on the 9 people who are on the front lines, on the course, providing support to our team. This year, we were able to do things differently - each two man sub team got its own crew person. Here's how they break out: Chuck is Ken and Jeremy's main support person. Matt is Greg and Brad's support person. Steve, who raced with Team ViaSat in 2006 and 2007, is Dan and Jeff's support person, and Suzanne, who is the veteran of three RAAM crew stints, is crewing for John and Kevin. Suzanne is also John's wife. (They defected to another RAAM team, North Coast Cycling, last year. We welcome both of them back with open arms and lots of teasing!)

ViaSat has a designated follow vehicle, as do many teams. Team ViaSat's follow vehicle is outfitted with some pretty amazing equipment which allows a live video feed of the racer on course to be broadcast back to ViaSat's RAAM webpage (where those of us following them lurk for amounts of time we'll never admit to!). The follow vehicle has a crew of five. There will be two persons in the follow vehicle at all times, one driving, the other navigating. These incredible people are Spencer, Barrie, Leah, Ken, and Julie. These 9 people make the racing possible for the team. I know I need to personally thank them - I am frequently asked if I'm going along with Greg on his race. My response is always the same: "Are you kidding? I LIKE being married to him! I want to keep it that way!" Plus, I hate mountain roads. Our crew members are solid gold, and they need to be commended.

Thank you all for giving us your time, energy, good humor, and best efforts during this race. You are all wonderful.

Into West Virginia

At 1:50 pm Pacific, Team ViaSat passed through TS 44 in Parkersburg, West Virginia. Ken and Jeremy should be on the course right now, heading into the stage with the most climbing in the entire race. The team is now 2604 miles in, with 410 remaining. Their average speed is an incredible 21.82 miles per hour.

Go Team ViaSat!

They're in Athens!

At 12:08 p.m. Pacific, John and Kevin rolled into TS 43 in Athens, OH. This was the last Ohio time station. Next stop will be Parkersburg, West Virginia. The video feed just showed them passing a sign for county road 24, wherever that is! At any rate, TS 43 has them 2567.8 miles in, with 446.7 left to go. The next few time stations are the toughest on the race course - good luck guys - you're doing great!

Team ViaSat arrives in Chillicothe, OH

At 9:22 am, riders from Team ViaSat (it should be John and Kevin) checked in at TS 42 in Chillicothe, OH. They're now en route to Athens, OH and TS 43. They are 2508.8 miles into the race, and have 505.6 miles left to ride. Their average speed for the entire race is now 21.83 miles per hour. Way to go, guys!

Raining in West Virginia

According to a text from Greg just now, it's pouring down rain in Wheeling, WV.

According to Google Earth, there's a fair amount of potential rain following our team.

Minor updates from overnight riding - through Indiana, both Ken and Jeremy and Brad and Greg had issues dodging deer. (eek!) In addition, due to the somewhat confusing nature of the course through parts of Indiana both of these teams had nav. errors - however they cost very little time overall. Brad helped correct the time lost for the nav error by pouring everything he had into his ride during that pull, hitting 30 mph, thus earning him the temporary nickname "Fabian".

563 miles to go!

At 6:37 this morning, Dan and Jeff checked in at TS41 in Blanchester, OH. They're on course until 9:00 a.m. pacific. After that, John and Kevin will take over. Right now, they're pedaling toward Chillicothe, OH. The next 24 hours bring some very challenging routes through the Appalachians. Check out that descent at mile 50 on the way into Chillicothe! Looks like a parachute would be more appropriate! I used to live near Hamilton, OH - TS 41. This makes me really miss Cincinnati chili! Given that they were there at 7:00 in the morning, it didn't seem right to ask Greg to have a coney for me.

From Greg via text this morning:

5:32 a.m.
Today went well. Need to get to WV and get some sleep.

6:43 a.m.
Brad got into a battle on a 10% grade in Indiana with 2nd place solo David Hasse. It was truly impressive to see a guy who has ridden 2000 miles [ed: closer to 2400 miles at that point] not want to surrender the position although Brad got him motivated and was encouraging him!

Lots of food for dinner/breakfast. Feeling pretty good. Brad's knee is giving him some grief. Looking forward to putting the hammer down on our next pull. May be our last depending on how far the guys make it. Brad and I have a major hard night coming up and will give it everything we can.

7:22 a.m.
Brad has a major need for Cracker Barrel pork fried steak with chicken gravy and biscuits. Good ol' boy is hungry for 2nd breakfast.

Onward to Greensburg, Indiana

At 10:25 pm Pacific, Ken and Jeremy pulled into TS 38. Now, it's onward - through some pretty steep climbing and descending - to Greensburg, IN and TS 39. Greg and Brad take over on course at 11:00 pm Pacific.

Work avoidance

So, what sort of work are you avoiding while wearing out the F5 button of your pc? (Sorry, mac folks, I don't know the equivalent!)

How productive are you during RAAM week?

I've got a convention coming up next month. I'm in charge of the Exhibit Hall. I have massive print deadlines, pretty much immediately. I wonder what my exhibitors think when they get an email from me at midnight because I can't tear myself away from race coverage. (Plus, I have to come up with a 100 word bio about myself for the show program. I have total, complete, and debilitating writers block because this has nothing to do with RAAM.)

Please, please - tell me I'm not alone! (However, you may feel completely free to post under pseudonyms - you know, the names have been changed to protect the....guilty?) (And BTW, while I've been composing this post, I've been obsessively watching the video feed, as it appears that either Ken or Jeremy is about to check into TS 38 in Bloomington... Whoever it is is riding hard and spending a lot of time out of the saddle - very impressive!!!)

Updates from the riders

From Greg Nesler, via text this morning:
Did another 120 miles through the Ozarks. Hot hot, but not too bad like last year. We transitioned about 15 shy of TS33.

Ken and Jeremy were riding very strong! Could be from the Mcdonalds they had [in] Pratt, Kansas. Jeremy had 2 chicken sandwiches ken had 4 double cheeseburgers and 3 large fries!!! [ed: GEEZ!!!!]

The owners of the mcdonalds in pratt are great!!

My quads hurt and I need food. Perhaps a large pizza. Both Brad and I are eating non-stop and we are both losing weight!! It's crazy. This morning, I had RAAM oatmeal out of a cup! It's on the menu for the next morning shift.

From John Tyner, via text:

1:33 pm (pacific)
Tailwind in Illinois

3:08 pm (pacific)
Wind gone, storm looming, past greenville

6:09 pm (pacific)
Winds calm, off shift, will call later.

(Can you guess who was texting from an iPhone?) :)

When John called, he shared that he and Kevin had been riding to beat one storm all day, while chasing another. They never got rained on, but saw plenty of evidence that there had, indeed, been rain. John said that there was lightning on all sides - which, if it continues, will make Greg very nervous. He was actually hit by lightning as a teenager, and came away from the experience with a healthy dislike for the stuff, as well as endless challenges with anything battery operated that he has to wear next to his skin.

Racing toward Bloomington, Indiana

Team riders checked into Sullivan, Indiana at 7:14 pm Pacific. This puts them 2225 miles in, and leaves 789 miles left to race. The team's overall time average is 22.08 miles per hour. Team ViaSat has now passed all but 3 of the soloists. They should catch solo rider Mark Pattinson soon.

The team in first place, Byggkjøp / BMC Cycling Team, looks fast enough to catch Jure Robic, the solo leader. I personally hope they don't - this race is called the toughest race in the world because of what the soloists go through. I think that a soloist should have the honor of crossing the finish line first. Of course, this doesn't look like it'll happen anyway, because there is actually a two person team who got to leave the same day as the soloists. The reason for this is that they're riding fixed gear bikes - which has to be as challenging as racing across the country solo. For those who don't know, a fixed gear bike is a bike that has one front chain ring and one rear cog. What makes these bikes different from single speed bikes is that with fixed gear bikes, when the rear wheel is turning, so are the pedals, as they lack the free wheel mechanism. So if the rider isn't pedaling, they're not coasting, they're actually braking the bike.

It's painful enough to think about climbing the Rockies using a fixed gear bike, but in all honesty, some of the descents - like the Glass Elevator descent into TS2 - just boggle the mind - because there is only one gear option, and the pedals are moving when the rear wheel is moving, this means that the cyclist has to achieve a ridiculously fast cadence during a steep descent. Yikes!

Team ViaSat has reached TS33

At 9:10 this morning Dan and Jeff arrived at TS33 in Marthasville, MO. They're now on the way to TS34, Mississippi River, MO.

I'd like to give a shout out to all the fathers out there. To my father, Ulf Riser, my stepdad, Lee Richards, and my father in law, Gordon Nesler - I hope you all have a great Father's Day! I love you all. To my daughter's dad, Joe - have a great day! And of course, to my husband, Greg, who is a stellar stepdad, and who rode hard today and who is enjoying massive quantities of food at a Sonic in St. Louis as I type.

Please feel free to use the comments to give a shout out to your favorite dad.

What to expect from today's ride

Today, Team ViaSat will cross at least three states. They started the day out in Missouri, and will pass through MO just after TS34, which should happen before noon today. From there, they'll cross over into Illinois and should finish the day in Indiana. This part of the race course is characterized with a lot of rollers and, as I mentioned last night, hot and humid weather.

Once racers reach TS33, which should happen at any time now, they've got a detour due to flooding which will have them shuttled 15 miles on I-370 and I-270. Tomorrow, they'll face another detour in Ohio after TS41 due to a bridge being out.

Happy Father's Day! (Updated)

While we slept, Ken and Jeremy and Greg and Brad have been busy. At 5:50 this morning, they hit Jefferson City, MO. TS32 is 1812 miles into the race. They're now pedaling toward TS 33 in Marthasville, MO (pictured above). Dan and Jeff are due on course as I type. As you can see, there are some steep climbs on this part of the course.

Today, they'll cross the Mississippi River, just after TS34.

Just got a text from Greg. He and Brad got a bonus 30 minute pull for the second shift in a row - the teams are riding so fast that it's difficult for the next shift to estimate where to meet them. Greg and Brad rode 120 miles during their shift today and transitioned to Dan and Jeff about fifteen miles shy of TS33 right around 8:30 pacific.

RAAM at night.

It occurred to me the other night that it might be worthwhile to share with everyone what the after dark procedures are for RAAM racers and crew.

Safety is the biggest concern of everyone participating in RAAM. Riding a bike is dangerous because there are so many clueless motorists. Putting yourself on a bike from California to Maryland means that there’s a significant amount of risk. This race has seen rider deaths, and where possible, RAAM officials have been proactive about identifying dangers and ways to avoid them. One of the things that struck me while reading through the race rules this year was the fact that race management will create rules instantly if a previously unforeseen danger (or other need for a rule change) occurs. They have a documented notification plan for anyone on course, should this happen.

Here’s a look at RAAM’s night riding rules:

1. Night riding shall be considered:

a. from 7:30pm LOCAL time until 6:30am LOCAL time, or
b. any time when vehicles would normally have their night driving headlights on, or
c. anytime visibility to less than 1000 feet (300m).

2. If you have any doubt about the visibility conditions, operate as if it is Night time.

3. Racers may not proceed beyond the Follow Vehicle lights during Night time, even when displaying legal required bike lights. Racers must be no more than 50 feet (15m) in front of the Follow Vehicle at Night with no other vehicles between the Racer and Follow Vehicle. The Follow Vehicle and Racer become a single entity under Night riding conditions. Follow Vehicles may temporarily pull along side the Racer when conditions safely permit to conduct a handoff of food, water & normal supplies. The Racer must at all times be able to safely see the roadway in front of the follow vehicle lighted by the Follow Vehicle lights.

4. The rules for handoffs, city traffic, mountain climbs, and other difficult pacing situations must be modified at night so that the bicycle never leaves the Follow Vehicle headlights.

5. The Follow Vehicle may stop for a few seconds and the Racer may continue providing the Racer is still well lighted by the following Follow Vehicle headlights.

6, The Follow Vehicle must have all appropriate signage and lighting when operating under Night conditions.

If anyone has anything that they'd like to see covered or expanded on about the mechanics of the race, please let me know. In addition, if anyone wants to provide information about Team ViaSat racers or about the area that the team is racing through, or really anything race related - I'd love to hear from you!

TS 30 Achieved!

Ken and Jeremy pulled into TS 30 in Collins, MO at 12:37 a.m. Pacific. I'm not sure why I'm still up. :)

Saying goodbye to Kansas!

John and Kevin checked into the time station at Ft. Scott, Kansas at 9:49 Pacific time. The Missouri border is 6 miles away from this time station. The next stop is Collins, MO. The route is pictured above. (As always, these images are from the RAAM website, www.raceacrossamerica.org.) At 10:00 Pacific, Ken and Jeremy are due to relieve John and Kevin. I'm expecting a phone call from John shortly and will update this posting when I've heard from him.

Okay, heard from John - the course today was uneventful. There was a slight headwind at the beginning, and then......nothing. No tailwind to aid in the never-ending rollers - but no headwind to make dealing with them harder. The weather is HUMID - and that's just going to continue for pretty much the rest of the course. They're going to shower and rest up in Ken and Jeremy's room before heading out for their shift on course tomorrow at 1:00 Pacific.

Updates!

This is the first year that I've had a job thing getting in the way. Unfortunately, I also work all day tomorrow. I'll post as often as I can. Now, onto what's been going on while I've been off selling bikes!

Team ViaSat is currently en route to Ft. Scott, Kansas - the last time station before they enter Missouri. (The route is pictured above)

I got a text message from John saying that they were doing 22mph towards Yates, and that the winds were kind, but not generous. He indicated that the road to Ft. Scott was more of the same. They'll be off route in 30 minutes or so, when Ken and Jeremy will be on deck. I would expect that they'll make the switch either at the Ft. Scott time station or shortly afterward. They'll cross into Missouri 6.1 miles after leaving Ft. Scott. The team's average speed is creeping toward 22 miles per hour, which is just incredible.

Halfway there!

At 11:17 pacific, Team ViaSat passed through TS 25. 3.1 miles later, they passed the halfway point of the race. It took them 2 days, 21 hours.

I'm outta here to go to work, will resume posting tonight.

Team ViaSat rides through Greensburg, KS

The riders just passed through Greensburg, Kansas, the town that was basically leveled by a F5 tornado on May 4th, 2007. This reminded me that there is a documentary series airing on one of the Discovery networks channels about the choice of the town to rebuild as energy efficient and as green as possible. Here's a link with more information. I believe it starts airing tomorrow.
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/tv/greensburg/?page=1

On the way to Pratt - and McDonalds!

Team ViaSat riders Greg and Brad pulled into TS 24 in Bucklin, KS at 9:07 Pacific. Their average speed for this section was 26.61 mph, a faster average than both Team Type 1 and the Norwegians. They are now on their way to the McDonalds at Pratt, KS. This time station is legendary in RAAM. The owner of this McDonalds is a huge RAAM fan, and every year that Pratt has been a time station, all riders and crew eat for free.

What to expect today

In a word, Kansas.








Okay, I'll elaborate. Sometime before noon today, Team ViaSat will cross the halfway mark. This will happen shortly after the Pratt, Kansas time station. (The halfway mileage is 1507.something) They may be out of Kansas before midnight, given how fast they're riding. As of the last time station, in Plains, the team is 1394 miles into the race, and has an average speed of 21.63 miles per hour. Look for this number to increase as the riders leave the massive Rockies behind them and take full advantage of the flatlands of Kansas. Hopefully, they'll have tailwinds.

Yesterday was ridiculously windy for the racers, mostly of the headwind variety. Greg did report that during the climb up Cumbres Pass (10,000 feet), he had a tailwind that had him climbing at around 20 miles per hour. The approach to LaMonga Pass (10,200 feet, highest point on the race) had some incredibly steep points, with grades of more than 15% in places. Brad summited that one, and Greg got the descent. His GPS tells him (and he told me, which I actually didn't appreciate) that he hit 53.5 miles per hour. Brad got the descent on Cumbres Pass, and also hit some massive downhill speed, which he wouldn't share with me.

TS 23 - Plains, KS

Team ViaSat's Ken and Jeremy cruised into TS 23 in Plains, KS at 6:56 Pacific, on Saturday June 14th. Once again, they were on fire, riding an average 26.16 miles per hour. (They beat Team Type 1's average time into this time station, as well. Given that Team Type 1 is 3 hours ahead of our team, this is just a statistic, but it's a fun one, no?)

After a very productive "day" in the saddle, Ken and Jeremy are off course now, and Greg and Brad are on course.

TS 22 - Elkhart KS

Or is it Oklahoma? The section map says KS, the website says OK. Either way, Team ViaSat rode downhill out of New Mexico and into some other state at 3:47 a.m.

It was another downhill stage, and Ken and Jeremy really capitalized on this. Those boys are on FIRE! They came on course at 2:00 a.m. (pacific) and between John and Kevin and then Ken and Jeremy, the average time for this 82 mile stage was 26.5 miles per hour - faster than Team Type 1's average time at that stage!

Speaking of Team Type 1, they've gotten another penalty, which adds an hour to their finish time. Team ViaSat is at least 70 miles behind them, so this doesn't mean anything for the race standings. Team ViaSat remains penalty free. (I'm knocking on wood as I type this!)

TS 21 - Clayton NM

Team ViaSat reached Clayton, NM at 12:41 Pacific on 6/14/08. I was asleep. :) As you can see by the graphic (all of which, by the way are courtesy of the RAAM website, www.raceacrossamerica.org), this stage was mostly downhill.

TS 20

Team ViaSat rode into TS 20, in Abbot, New Mexico tonight at 9:58 pacific. I actually have some good anecdotes to share with my seven or so readers, however my sleep deprived body is letting me know that any attempt to continue blogging will result in ridiculous incoherence.

Taos!

Team ViaSat has checked into TS 18 in Taos, NM at 3:52 Pacific. In all likelihood, Dan and Jeff will take over now and are on their way to Cimarron, NM. The Cimarron stage is the second hardest climbing stage in the race. (The hardest stage will come in West Virginia, on the way to TS 45 in Smithburg, WV.)

Almost to Taos, NM!

I just got off the phone with Ken in the follow vehicle, who told me that things are going swimmingly well (my words, not his) and that the riders on course are not too far from Taos, NM. This will put them at 1044 miles. Incredible.

This stage looks to be relatively easy (heh), and the next one is a BEAR. The riders will reach Kansas after dark. That always blows me away. We saw them off two days ago. 49 hours, according to my trusty computer clock. And now they're approaching Kansas!

The satellite feed is up and running. And boy, are these guys riding fast! Brad and Greg are on course until 4:00 our time, and then Dan and Jeff will take the helm until 9:00 Pacific.

While I was out

Greg and Brad are on the course now. Team ViaSat conquered TS 16 and 17 while I attended my daughter's graduation.

When I spoke to Greg this morning, he said that the wind has been flat out brutal. Hopefully that will change today!

As of 12:55 Pacific, TeamViaSat was 983 miles into the race. This puts them easily on pace to achieve their desired average of 500+ miles a day - and when you consider how many of those miles have been of the challenging, head- or sidewind battling uphill variety, I know I can't wait to see what they can do on the flatlands of Kansas!

From Pagosa Springs into New Mexico

At this point, the course leaves the path it was on last year, and heads south into New Mexico. Ken and Jeremy checked into TS 15 in Pagosa Springs at 8:24 a.m. Last year, team riders checked into TS 15 at 11:10 - so they're still roughly 3 hours ahead of where they were last year. The team is now 884 miles into the race, and one full day, eighteen hours in.

The image above is the route from Pagosa Springs to Chama, NM. Honestly, it just seems cruel and unusual, doesn't it?

Thanks to everyone for reading, and please feel free to comment! If you have rider updates, let me know, either in the comments or via email.

What they're doing right now

The image above is the route from Durango to Pagosa Springs. Lots. Of. Climbing.

While we slept

Team ViaSat racers Jeff and Dan took the team through Utah and into Colorado, where John and Kevin picked up. Now Ken and Jeremy are on course and they are heading toward Pagosa Springs, Colorado.

One of the things that we like to do in our house is write in the times that the team hits various time stations on a printout of the route we keep taped to our wall. Until the next time station, the teams are on the same basic route as they have been for the past two years. So I decided to pull out last year's route and times and compare. Last year, they hit Durango (TS14) on the "3rd" day of the race (same as today), at 7:54 a.m. Pacific time. This year, they made it there at 4:58 a.m. Pacific time. Almost a full three hours faster. Now, I don't know what the winds are like on the course, and I do know that last year, they were dealing with some pretty brutal headwinds, but in any case, I'd say that the tri bikes are making a difference!

Bidding AZ adieu

At 7:32 Pacific (10:32 RAAM time), Team ViaSat reached the last Arizona checkpoint in Kayenta. The next checkpoint is in Mexican Hat, Utah. Team riders John and Kevin are spending the night there after a day that involved LOTS of climbing, and will be back on course at 2:00 a.m. The team will be in Colorado well before dawn.

Racers are dealing with very windy conditions. When these winds are tailwinds, life is grand. When they're cross- or headwinds, life is decidedly NOT grand. The stage between Kayenta and Mexican Hat is an interesting one to do at night - the weather is cooperating - it's 66 degrees and clear according to Google Earth. The route itself is, well, intimidating - at least to me. The last seven or so miles of the road to Mexican Hat involve a descent down 6 to 10 percent grades. In the dark. It's nothing like the Glass Elevator descent into Time Station 2 (4000+ foot elevation loss, 8% grade over ten miles, numerous hairpin turns, also done by the teams in the dark), but still.

Think about that for just a few seconds. Imagine yourself on the bike. Imagine the speed building, with gravity working in your favor, for once. Imagine hitting speeds of more than 40 miles per hour. [I know it's faster, I choose denial while Greg's on the course, thanks.] Imagine the switchback turns that characterize mountain roads. Then think about doing it all in the dark. Let's face it - these racers are amazing.

Team ViaSat currently in second place (updated)

Team Type 1 is in first. Something must have happened to the Norwegians. (Being a Norwegian American, this actually bums me out.)

At any rate, Greg and Brad are on course right now, and have passed through Time Station 9 in Tuba City, AZ, putting them 562 miles in - not bad for 26 hours of racing!

The video feed is up at http://raam.viasat.com

Well, it was fun while it lasted. Team ViaSat is back in third, Team Type 1 is back in second, and it's still a mystery what happened with the Norwegian team, but they just checked in at TS 10, in Kayenta, AZ.

What to expect from today's ride

Team ViaSat racers will spend most of today in Arizona. They crossed the border into AZ around 1:00 this morning, and have passed through Time Station 7 in Cottonwood, AZ as of this writing. (437 miles into the race, 21 hours in - they're on fire!) They'll do a lot of climbing today - almost 20,000 feet of it. (Fortunately, there's a fair amount of descending, too - the net elevation gain is only about 5000 feet.)

The Norwegian team ( Byggkjøp / BMC Cycling Team) is fast! They've put over an hour on our racers, and are 40 minutes ahead of Team Type 1. At any rate, the Norwegians should be fast - they're well funded pro racers. [Ed: As it turns out, I was misinformed about the professional status of the Norwegians - none are currently pro, some have been, but not all. They're all elite athletes, and they're all over 40. Impressive!]

Both Byggkjøp / BMC Cycling Team and Team Type 1 have earned themselves penalties - 15 minutes for the Norwegians, and 30 minutes for Team Type 1. Team ViaSat has no penalties. Team Type 1's penalties mean that Team ViaSat is about 15 minutes out of second place. If a third penalty is assessed, the time hit goes to a total of 60 minutes added to the race time. It pays to follow the rules!

Riding in the Desert

An update from Greg about his first race shift:

It was HOT. Easily 90 degrees, and we were riding at night! Thankfully, we had the arm coolers - those things are great! The first three hours of the ride, the terrain was nondescript. We were just focusing on going as fast as we could. Our heart rates were pinned at 170+ for the entire ride. There were really deceptive parts of the road. At one point, I couldn't figure out why I was only going 18 miles per hour, until I realized that the road was gradually climbing - a 4% grade. After Mt. Baldy, going into Palo Verde, the terrain improved, with some really great rollers. We were averaging 30 - 35 miles per hour. At this point, we were actually swapping 2nd place with Team Type 1.

Miscellaneous observations: At hour 3, my left calf muscle started to seize up, so I increased my fluid intake. I think a field mouse committed suicide under my tri bike wheels. [Marna: Awww, that's sad!]

15 hours and 345 miles in

I got a text message last night from Greg letting me know that he and Brad had ridden 120 miles in five hours. At the last time station (Congress, AZ) the average speed of the Team ViaSat riders was 22.28 miles per hour. At this point, the team is solidly in third place, with the Norwegian team 44 minutes ahead and last year's team winner, Team Type 1 21 minutes ahead. The team in 4th place is 41 minutes behind Team ViaSat. John Tyner and Kevin Hunter are on the course until 10:00 pacific.

WOW!!

Okay, I'm the wife of a team cyclist, so this means that I'm more likely to get freaky excited than your average reader. Still, can I just share with you how thrilled I was to get a phone call this evening? The call was from John Tyner, who was riding the fourth (and latest) part of the team schedule. He let me know that they had to alternate their start plan (for their time on course) by about 100 miles, because the other three 'sub' teams were forecasted to do so well. So they were driving 100 miles farther than they'd originally forecasted.

When I finally got back to a reliable internet connection, I saw that the top three teams were within 15 minutes of one another, and that Team Type One was leading Team ViaSat by just 3 minutes at the 2nd time station, 143 miles into the race. Add to this the minute by minute text messages I was getting from my husband, Greg (of the Brad and Greg sub team), regarding being in the lead and being narrowly passed........well, it looks like we've got ourselves a race, folks!

And They're Off!

It was a Chamber of Commerce day in Oceanside as Team ViaSat set out on their third Race Across America. This year's team boasts five returning members, Brad Exmeyer, Jeremy Gustin, Ken Larson, Greg Nesler, and Dan Uglietta. Returning to the team after a one year hiatus (defection?) :) is John Tyner. Riding their first RAAM are Kevin Hunter and Jeffrey High.

While the faces may have changed a bit, one thing remains the same - the way Team ViaSat attacks the race. They're breaking their eight man team into four two-person sub teams, with each sub team riding a five hour shift, and then taking 15 hours off the bike. First up are Ken and Jeremy. They'll be followed by Brad and Greg. Third up are Dan and Jeffrey. Rounding out the rotation are John and Kevin.

This year, seven cyclists on the team will have their standard road bike, as well as a specialized bicycle designed for speed, known as a tri (or TT) bike. These bikes have a different frame and handlebar design which has the rider in a much more horizontal, aerodynamic position. The team hopes that utilizing tri bikes as well as introducing skin suits and time trial helmets will aid them in cutting their time crossing the country. Their goal this year is to finish the race in under six days. Last year, they finished in six days, six hours.

As the teams start their race, the solo riders (and the two person team racing on fixed gear bikes) have already ridden into New Mexico. Race leader (and last year's solo winner) Jure Robic is 1166 miles into the race!

This year, teams are starting three days after the soloists, instead of just two days. This change should allow a solo racer to be the first official finisher of the race, which will be really neat to see. In the past, the solo leaders would be caught by the teams several days into the race.

With RAAM gaining in popularity, this year's 8-person team division has ten teams competing - the most in RAAM history. Among the contenders are Team Type 1, a team made up entirely of athletes who have Type 1 Diabetes, and Byggkjøp/BMC Cycling Team, a team from Norway.

Race Day is here!

Please join me in wishing our wonderful team and their fabulous crew good luck!