Are you prepared enough? That is always the question...The hardest thing is the training. We have 4 guys who I know have proven their stamina and durability over days on end. Nevertheless, it is a question of going fast. It is also a question of suffering less. At the center of these components is fitness. Cycling, after all, is an endurance sport. The best and fastest cyclists in the world rack up 100s of miles every week in preparation for their grueling seasons. You can't do it with speed and talent alone. So it comes down to preparation. One thing learned from doing the Baja Peninsula (1000 miles+) in 9 days for years in a row, is that you can never be fit enough. There is always the unpredictable, the "spank." You have to battle through it, in all cases.
With that in mind, I have sought to push the limits of any training I have ever conceived. At the age of 44, I am doing rides that are longer and tougher than anything I ever did before (except Baja). I racked up 9,000 vertical feet on wednesday and 8,000 vertical yesterday. The climbing forces you to ride hard, near or at the aerobic threshold - no hiding. Then, 90 miles today, with wind. This has given me the confidence to take on the unexpected (which I fully expect!)
We will see in June...
4 comments:
Hi Mike, Art told me you were planning on doing RAAM. I hope you're not planning on using that antiquated bicycle that's on your blog. Do you realize that current technology will allow you to save about 5lbs on the bicycle alone? Over the many miles and vertical feet of the race, that weight will make a huge difference (I'm assuming you're fit and have no extra body weight to reproach yourself). Furthermore, you obsolete components will present a major obstacle if they fail, as you will be unable to replace them quickly. I suggest you get a new bike as quickly as possible in order to get used to it. Don't forget aero wheels, the best ones are Zipp 404 or 303 depending on the terrain and wind conditions. If you want to train very efficiently, then you should also get a power meter while you're at it.
-ilan
OK,I looked at your other picture and it looks like that ancient bike was supposed to be a joke. Oh well, sorry, but I have heard of so many people attempting RAAM with such terrible preparation that I thought that such a thing was possible. Good luck with your race. I was on the crew of the 1994 women's team RAAM. Here are the things I learned from there: 1. Get a crew that understands what riding is about (and how much suffering is involved) and that puts the riders above everything else, especially their own ego. 2. Get at least 2 crew people who cam "live at night" and regularly stay up to 4 or 5 a.m. (may be easier if you know a lot of hospital people) 3. There must be a chain of command in the crew. 4. Relaxing is almost as beneficial as sleep. Don't try hard to sleep or try to make people sleep, instead relax by socializing, etc. 5. If you feel you're the only person who can keep things afloat because everyone else is less competent, you may very well be absolutely right, but you still have to go to sleep when you're shift ends, even at the risk of everything having gone wrong when you wake up. 6. Anyone driving a vehicle must be open to positive criticism of driving technique (can be tested before race). Hope that helps!
Hey Ilan,
Always great to hear from un quebecquois.
The tips and comments are much appreciated.
I will, on my next blog site, include pictures of the machines I plan to use for RAAM. They are very much state of the art, I believe.
In fact, the main bike for me and Bill will be a 16lb titanium compact geometry Marinoni (c'est vrai, de quebec!) with Campagnolo Record-10 and Eurus wheels. The secondary bike is a Hed Aerosport TT bike with Zipp Sub-900 disc and 808 front wheel. Plan to also use aero helmets (Giro Advantage II) and shoe covers for some parts (non-mountainous and non-hot).
PS, the bike pictured with the toilet paper role belongs to Brian Bauer. He is not using that one.
Mike
OK, I should have figured you had the equipment down. I had two Marinoni's the road bike which I used back when we rode together, and which finally broke after 15 years (seat tube broke clean above the front derailleur, I still managed to finish the training ride though) and my track bike which I still have after 26 years. I'm looking at the picture of the riders and crew taken minutes before the start of our 94 Team RAAM. I'm pretty proud of that picture because I'm the only one not in it, I was sleeping in the motor home. It was about noon and I was on the night shift. Speaking of which, for the crew spending numerous hours following the riders and having nothing better to do than drink gallons of soda pop, it might be a good idea to get this http://www.stadiumpal.com/ (i.e., would have come in handy for us)
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