RAAM

Volunteering for Team Jefferson in a quest to complete RAAM, a 5000km bike race.

Volunteering for Team Jefferson in a quest to complete RAAM, a 5000km bike race.

The Race Across America [RAAM], is recognised as one of the toughest endurance cycling events in the world. Cyclists depart Oceanside, California, and have just 12 days to travel nearly 5,000 km (3,000 miles) to Annapolis, Maryland. Typically, less than 50% of solo competitors cross the finish line. Imagine cycling approximately 400km per day on just 2-3 hours of sleep for 12 days straight? Unfathomable! Hence, there is a need for a support crew to take care of all logistics and tasks required so the cyclists can focus on just pedalling. Even as a crew member, it is a tough gig, with irregular sleeping hours, limited showers, and being constantly on the go from start line to finish line and ensuring the safety of your cyclist at all times. It is so hard to comprehend and is not for the faint-hearted. The event began in 1982 with four individuals racing from Los Angeles to New York City and has evolved into a much-acclaimed event that now includes relay team racing. RAAM is the ultimate test of speed, endurance, strength, mental toughness and camaraderie; no other event compares in distance, terrain, and weather conditions. It inspires everyone participating, including racers, crew, staff, and fans.

RAAM map

I first heard about RAAM from my dear friend, Al Jefferson, in 2015. He had not long returned from RAAM where he volunteered as a crew member for the four-person team, Team Australia. He recalls seeing the solo riders during the race and thinking, “I want to do that”. The stories of comradery, challenges, and scenery sounded so inspiring that I was eager to volunteer on his crew. So began his quest to complete RAAM as a solo rider and the creation of Team Jefferson. 

Al Jefferson, RAAM 2017, Team Australia II.

To gain entry into RAAM as a solo rider, Al rode in a 4 person team in 2017, before securing his solo position on the RAAM 2019 start line. To support him across America, he would need 9 crew members, all with different skill sets, such as a physio, medic, bike mechanic, etc. However, my role in the crew began in 2016 by assisting with administration, social media, and fundraising. In 2018-2019 I also supported Al during his 24-48hr training rides, rostering cyclists to provide companionship for safety during his long sleep deprived rides, and monitoring and recording his food, drink and supplements intake. Myself and others provided vehicle support on his night rides out of town. These training sessions were vital not only to Al’s fitness and endurance but also to my knowledge and understanding of what would be needed as a crew member during the race. 

Direct follow vehicle support training ride.

Our RAAM 2019 race did not go as planned. Al caught a cold just days before the race. Excruciatingly high temperatures throughout the Aroizona desert, meant by day 4 of the race, it had turned from a cold, to a lung infection, to pneumonia. He was admitted to a hospital in Cortez, Colorado, having covered just 1,421km. RAAM allows a 24-hour medical break; however, Al was rushed by ambulance to Durango Hospital for more tests, spelling the end of the 2019 race. Nevertheless, it was not the end of Team Jefferson’s quest to complete RAAM.

Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn. Cotrez, Colorado, 2019.

RAAM 2019 was a harsh teacher but provided so many valuable lessons that we were able to apply to our next attempt. Such as the importance of Al arriving early in America to acclimatise, and include altitude training. There was a need for a better heat coping strategy as the temperatures in the Arizona desert were above 40°C. The importance of having the right blend of crew members, and an RV support vehicle rather than relying on hotels. There were so many improvements we would apply to our 2020 race… then COVID hit, pushing our start line date to 2022. In hindsight, this worked in Team Jefferson’s favour as it allowed for more training and better planning and we formed a new crew, with only myself and the Crew Cheif remaing from the original crew. So we rolled up to the start line at Oceanside in 2022 nervous anticipation and excitement. 

Team Jefferson 2022

Being on the crew for Team Jefferson was one of the most challenging and epic experiences I have ever had. To put the needs of others before my own, to see the teamwork and Al’s sheer grit and determination was awe-inspiring. My role in the 2022 crew was affectionately known as the RV Mum. Whatever was needed to keep the crew going, the RV stocked, and our rider nourished, I would do it. Many of the timing stations were located in Walmart car parks, which were convenient for refuelling the crew and provided much-needed pit stops, with “Tour de Walmarts” becoming an ongoing joke amongst the crew. The logistics of supporting Al while he rides for nearly 22 hours a day across America is challenging. We had 3 vehicles to provide support and transportation. A follow vehicle with 3 crew members in direct contact with Al at all times provides direct follow at night and navigates through towns for safety. It also holds all cycling equipment and spares, as well as hydration and liquid nutrition. There was also a roaming vehicle with our team doctor and bike mechanic who needed to be reasonably close in case of an emergency. And finally, the RV provided a place for meal prepping, sleeping (when possible), and transport for the off-shift crew.

Team Jefferson’s 2022 RAAM experience was victorious. The crew worked incredibly well together, caring not only for Al’s needs as the rider but also for one another. With the improved heat strategy, Al sailed through the high-desert temperatures like a pro, sitting in 3rd-4th place in the first third of the race. Al requested not to be told what position he was in or how the other riders were going. He wanted to race his own race. As we passed Cortez, where he had been hospitalised in 2019, he seemed only to get stronger. He easily summited the highest peak, Wolf Creek Pass, at 1100 feet elevation, and days turned into nights and nights turned into days. There were highs and lows for all, and quiet anticipation and excitement as he rode his way into second place with 500 miles to go. Al took a call from our local ABC radio while he was cycling, who congratulated him on his effort so far and on being in second place. This new information to Al added an extra spark and determination to his race. No longer was he racing his own race. With the finish line feeling so close, and just 1 rider between him and the first place, Al and the crew found another gear. After cycling 2900 miles, with just 100 miles to go, Al pushed his way to first place. He pedalled over the finish line after 10 days and 15 minutes of racing as the 2022 RAAM solo winner! 

The exhilaration and emotion crossing the finish for us all was a truly incredible, overwhelming experience. Through the 10 days, 15 minutes of racing, I’d had 2 showers, 1 bird bath in the freezing waters of the Durango River in Colorado, been lost in what felt like a million Walmarts, seen sunrises and sunsets in 10 different states and had a total of 35 hours and 45 minutes of sleep. I am so proud of my resilience, hard work, and contributions to this incredible journey with Team Jefferson, and I will cherish the memory of this adventure forever. What a journey it was! 

RAAM 2022 Photos