Race across America RAAM 2007
Oceanside to Atlantic City
By Judy Watson Nutritional Therapist BSc(Hons)DipION MBANT
The New Year started off very exciting when I was asked by elite athlete Jim Rees if I would join his crew to support him cycling 3000 miles solo in the "Race Across America." The Race is now in it’s 26th year and only 20 to 25 people attempt the solo as it tests you to the limits physically and mentally through deserts, mountains and interstates (motorways). The opportunity for me was to put my nutritional therapy and sports nutrition skills into practice working with a crew team of 8.
Beforehand we went on night training following Jim on his bike and handing over drinks and snacks. The race would involve him being in the saddle for 20 hours a day travelling at night and through time zones.
The day finally came when myself and crew flew out to LA. We picked up an RV and follow vehicle and drove down to Oceanside San Deigo.
The Race set off on June 10th at 12pm EDT time. Within two hours Jim was cycling through desert temperatures of 100C. It was going to take 2 days to get through the desert however to avoid some of the extreme heat he took his first break before dusk. As part of the crew we did 12hr shifts following Jim, while the RV sped ahead at time stations, shopping for groceries on route. The highlight here was going through the painted desert, home of the Navajo Indians.
After the Arizona desert Jim then faced mountainous terrain in the Rockies with the notorious "Wolf Creek Pass". At this point riders make it or break it. This was the second toughest challenge with fatigue setting in and the first cut off point rapidly approaching . Jim made an amazing recovery from this and then sailed through the rest of the Rockies on day 4 with paranomic views of the snow capped mountains. Day five then took us into flat and tornado hit Kansas. Jim found it harder to stay awake on this flat terrain and was further set back with head winds so took a 2 hour rest in "Dodge City". Then on into further farming country Missouri and the famous "Mississippi River" where the local drivers drove like maniacs. The next few states went by very quickly- Indiana, Indianapolis and then into more green and hilly terrain of Ohio. I was also busy washing out water bottles and refilling with electrolyte and protein mixes as fluid and nutrient intake was crucial through out the whole race. After 4 to 5 days I allowed treats of coffee and chocolate to reduce fatigue. Jim was occasionally affected by hallucinating due to increased sleep deprivation resulting in swerving on the road so gave him 30 minutes naps just to revive him.
The last 24 hours turned into a cliffhanger when needing a 2 hour break he then only had 12 and half hours to complete the last 170 miles. We told him he may not make it, resulting in him founding amazing energy and speeding off at 18miles an hour. He sped through Pennsylvannia home of the Amish Community and finally arrived in Atlantic City just 8 minutes before the cut off point. Final time 12 days 4 hours and 52 minutes.
What made the race successful - Jim’s determination and a team that did not know each other was able to adapt quickly when required under often stressful conditions with sleep deprivation. While we were also able to have some fun and keep our spirits up.
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