Inside the Orange Car

Granola out of a can.  Entertaining and pretty normal.  Soymilk in between pulls?  My stomach hurts.

ViaSat fans have asked what goes on inside a rider car, and the Orange Team…O2…Orange Crush (Chuck’s favorite)…whatever you want to call them…has given me plenty of material.  For reference, O2 consists of Wei, Jeff, and Dave “Papa” Landry.

What do riders eat?  Everyone seems to have their preference…energy “shot” rocks, trail mix, and granola are all common during the five hour segments.  During the hours in between shifts, I’ve seen chicken, apples, bananas, peanut butter,  every type of carb you can imagine…and, thanks to their convenience, Denny’s shakes, eggs, etc.  Riders, please correct me if I’m wrong, but generally I’d say a good mix of carbs and protein, loading up in between shifts, and eating sparingly during pulls.

Rumor has it some riders will lose around ten pounds this week.  The number varies depending on weight and body composition, but given the intensity of the race, little to no loss would be a miracle.

Riders are very active in between pulls due to the speed of turnover.  They have very little time to catch a breath, and even less time for a restroom break.  All part of this glorious adventure.  Drivers are in the same boat, and during dark hours (defined as 8pm to 6am), the follow vehicle never stops.

Rituals vary by rider, but I’ll use Jeff, or “Peg,” as an example.  Jeff stretches and prays before every pull, and his mind is very much on his family.  He is a proud father of two superstar kids, who may very well follow in their father’s athletic footsteps.  Before conquering a hill so steep I was afraid to look down, he casually recounts the day his then 7^th grade daughter challenged him to a two mile running race with Coldstone ice cream on the line.  You know where this is going.

An outgoing guy, Jeff is the perfect of example of how active riders are between pulls, communicating with both their drivers and other vehicles, making snap judgments on distances based on elevation and weather conditions.  Each pair, whether old friends or new, are very in tune with each other, allowing each to take advantage of strengths and provide additional help if necessary.   On average, riders go five to six miles before swapping.

And for those of you who know as little about cycling as I do, most of the ViaSat riders have two bikes, a “TT” or time trial bike, and a road bike.  The time trial bike is designed for speed and is thus more aerodynamic, but also harder to ride.  Wei notes, “Unlike we mortals, Eric only brought a TT.”

Wei’s playful compliment is very much indicative of the vibe in O2.  And I think a lot of that can be attributed to Dave Landry, who coincidently was Wei’s middle school English professor.  Soft-spoken yet enormously funny, “Papa” keeps calm even amidst the crises on the final night of the race.  First Jeff has his foot slammed in the door, his second injury in three days.  Then we make a wrong turn and leave Wei out on the course by himself for a solid hour and a half.  With directions flying and adrenaline high, Papa never raises his voice.  Even when it appears we will run out of gas in the middle of nowhere, he admits, “I am panicking,” but shows no sign of fear.  And after a stressful five hours (don't worry, we eventually found gas), he indulges his passengers’ wishes to drive by Gettysburg at 4:30 am. 

But not before reminding us that he is the 5^th reincarnation of Parocles…or was it Hercules?

Ridin' Solo

“What do you mean there’s no Starbucks?”

“Across the river…but it’s a ways…”

This is how the morning began.  Well, I wasn’t actually that abrupt with the nice man at McDonald’s.  They do, for the record, have a variety of delicious coffee drinks at the McCafe.   But I did ask.  After all, this is America, and there is a Starbucks on every corner, is there not?

Apparently not in Southern Illinois.

Stepping out of one’s comfort zone is a fundamental part of Race Across America.  For the riders and the crews, the race means long hours, little sleep, and a combination of protein bars and fast food.  But in the end, every sleepless night and Starbucks-free morning will be well worth it.

When our media crew of four dropped to two yesterday morning, we met with Barrie and devised a plan.  While one of us will tag along with a rider vehicle or follow crew for a couple shifts, the other will drive ahead.  Today was my day to drive, and I finally had a chance to think about the race thus far.  Sleep deprived yet invigorated from our 3am trip to Missouri’s capital, I cruised across the Mississippi and through the back roads of Illinois and Indiana.  I feel like I was smiling the whole way.

The dynamic of this team is very special.  ViaSat really is a family, and no one, even a stranger like me, is made to feel like an outsider.  The riders and crew allow each other an experience impossible to achieve alone. 

Cycling, like any sport, has its dangers.  Cycling across the country is a whole other story.  While accidents can happen, the crew strives to keep the riders as safe as possible.  Without the crew watching vigilantly through the day and night, the race would be impossible.   The crew allows the riders to compete in the race of a lifetime.

But the benefit is mutual.  The crew gets to experience this beautiful country in a way few would choose without a predetermined purpose.  The stops on RAAM’s route are hardly tourist destinations.  But they are truly magical.

Take Sullivan, Indiana for example.  A town spanning barely three square miles, there is little to offer to visitors but hospitality and a few pizza joints.  Yet the journey through the countryside is spectacular.  The rolling hills, the cornfields, the quiet houses and dirt roads…and if you happen to get lost on the route…the local taxidermist.

It is obvious that on this team, everyone is very grateful.  As I rode with Richard and Barrie through the Rockies, we were all overwhelmed by the beauty around us.  Richard was focused on the safety of the green team, but his focus didn’t hinder him from enjoying the scenery.  As he followed Joab down the dark drops and turns, rider and driver became one in the same.  Richard’s zest for the race is akin to the rush I can only imagine Joab was feeling speeding through those hills.

It would be rash to dismiss this year’s “honorary team.”  ViaSat’s supporters back home, whether friends, family, former riders, or colleagues, are indispensable to this team’s success.  Notes of encouragement constantly flood my inbox, and former riders are eager to share their advice for navigating the treacherous terrain east of the Mississippi.

Eric’s wife Sarah keeps the team up-to-date with times and statistics, invaluable to our media team when we are away from internet service.  Becky prepared a feast of healthy eats for Andrew and Joab, before hopping in the car to drive them 3000 miles.  And Wei’s wife prepared a special batch of diabetic-friendly banana-cranberry- fig bread.  Not a day goes by without a team member expressing his or her gratitude.

Well, I have good news.  I finally found my Starbucks in Bloomington, Indiana.   Now I’ll wait to watch the riders come through tonight…after a nap on our in-car yoga mat bed.  Tomorrow I’ll be back in one of the rider cars.  And that’s exactly where I want to be.

-WG 6/22/11

Oh Captain, My Captain

This is a race.  A competition.  But there appears to be very little tension.  Everyone exudes a positive energy.  And I think that energy comes from our crew chief.  It is rare to find the type of leader that we find in Barrie.

Barrie’s philosophy is simple:  positive energy yields positive results.  I have yet to see him raise his voice, yet the team is enormously disciplined.  No role is belittled, and Barrie lets every individual know he or she is a crucial piece to this puzzle.  Perhaps most importantly, he allows himself to be a resource while trusting in the judgments of his team members.

Trust is an essential component of this race.  The riders trust that the crew will keep them safe.  They trust in each other to give 110% on every pull.  Crew members trust in each other to pull his or her own weight.  And everyone trusts each other to follow RAAM’s extensive rule book.

Speaking of rules, I think it is important to note how Team ViaSat sets itself apart from other competitors in the race.  We have already seen many teams breaking follow-car rules.  Not ViaSat.

But there is more to just following the rules.  There is the manner by which the team conducts itself.  Kindness towards other riders.  Cheers for every passing competitor.  And a general willingness to be helpful.

That is not the case with some competitors, as our media team learned this morning circa 2:45am.  As we traced the route to the time station in Missouri’s capital, we approached two women we believed to be RAAM officials.  We asked them to confirm we were going the right direction.  One woman promptly pointed us in the wrong direction, while the other’s English mysteriously turned unintelligible.

It was at this point we noticed their team jerseys.

Not so with Team ViaSat.   We want to win.  But we want to win the right way.  And we are now over half way there.

-WG 6/22/11

It's time for a little retrospective and a bigger picture, especially given Jeff's arm injury today and the route change problems near the Mississippi?  Remember that on Day One the team suffered a mishap that not only did minimal damage in the long run but may have motivated everyone even further.  The problem resulted at least in part from rule changes this year that are intended to prevent the repeat of an almost disastrous incident last year.  An unnamed team's car pulled alongside a rider to film and ask questions.  The car was in a center lane and did not pull over when an oncoming car appeared on the horizon.  The oncoming car panicked and went off the road.  So early in this year's RAAM, competing teams were required to stay further back from their riders than had been done in past years.  Unfortunately, at Christmas Tree Circle in Borrego Springs, that caused navigation problems, with multiple teams having their riders go off course.  It was not easy to avoid, since at Christmas Tree, there are five roads leading away from the Circle.  VIASAT's own Eric Cross went down a wrong road, and it was not noticed until the follow vehicle passed the Circle and headed down the right road.  Had the follow vehicle been allowed to stay closer, the navigator inside could have used the loud speaker to direct Eric.  
But Team VIASAT adjusted immediately and lost little time.  As soon as it was noticed that Eric was no longer in front, the follow car got Eric's Team One partner Rich Walsh on the road again, while Barrie, who was driving, chased after Eric to bring him back on couse.  Eric had already realized what happened and was returning, but it took a good while for the follow vehicle to find him.  Meanwhile, Rich had saved the day and was well down the road.
During the next chance that Eric and Rich had to ride, they were so fired up and motivated to make up for the mishap, which could have happened to anyone, that they put in the fastest time between Time Stations 4 and 5 of any other team competing in the race.  They also had the fastest times, or at least finished in the top three, in all their other shifts so far.
So, yes, Jeff hurt his arm and there has been another run off course, but Jeff seems to have recovered quickly.  And the experience of Rich and Eric in the very first few hours of the race has shown what adaptability and motivation Team VIASAT displays when under the gun of difficult circumstances.   

Day Two: Wei's Perspective

Day Two from a rider's perspective.  Below are excerpts from an email.

Peg and I survived. On the first pull, he was blown off the road. When I was off for my pull, he pulled me back to switch into the road bikes to avoid near death experiences.

The 20 mph wind never ceased. Sections of the road provided unexpected skin exfoliation as Peg called it when the sand storm kicked up. When we turned onto 160, the wind direction simply changed to continue the head on onslaught. It was the grind from hell, like WW1 trench warfare. We counted progress one stroke of the pedal at a time. When we took off our shoes after the pull, we still had sand in our socks.

Really appreciate Becky and the green team for releaving us 15 minutes early.

The highlight of the experience. As I was waiting for my pull, Papa Landry (team two crew) raised his hand to check the wind direction. Moments later, a young man pulled up to see if he could help us, thinking we were in distress. Papa explained that we are part of RAAM. he was so impressed by our endeavor that he asked for my signature. To top things off, he offered his bible for me to sign.

Right now driving on 160. Can see the moon and stars, but ominous clouds looming...

Day Two: Bruises and Coyote "Junk"

Roger’s the Donut King, Doug’s Mister Smiles, and Dave’s…well, let’s call him Wiz Kid.  I had the pleasure of riding with this happy crew earlier today as they rode up and over the Yarnell pass to Congress, AZ.  When I joined them around 7am, I was running on two hours of sleep, two cups of motel coffee, and two hours of navigating; they had been on road for an hour in the hot Arizona sun, speeding down gritty Route 71.  Guess who was in better spirits? 

My usual…sparkling….morning personality came around quickly as soon as I hopped in their car.  On the dash, there were Roger’s day-old YumYum donuts.  Breakfast of Champions.   Or at least Breakfast of Roger.  And two smiling faces, the Donut King in his floppy hat, and Doug getting ready for the exchange.

Doug kept smiling as we approached what the race guide deems the most difficult climb west of Maryland.  Even as the incline sharpened and the temperatures increased.  Even as the wind picked up.  And even as he collided with a parked car.

Yes, that happened. Thankfully only some minor bruising.  Last time this happened, he suffered a broken scapula.  No broken anything today however.  Doug is infectiously positive and eagerly asks for more pulls on the climb.  On his second to last pull, he breaks a personal best 52.6 mph downhill

Dave meanwhile shrugs off the beastly mountain, staying focused even when a bike choice leads to cramping in his thigh.  A veteran to the race but a rookie rider, it’s as if he never rests.  While I’m worrying about his expending energy during breaks, he’s on his phone coordinating with other vehicles.  And when we miss a chance to swap out riders, his sole concern is Doug’s well-being.  Needless to say, Doug is just fine, blazing through Congress to TS 6.

In between pulls I ask Dave and Roger to fill me in on race food.  “We have like a gourmet car in here…Doug brought so much food!” Dave exclaims as he promptly spills his “foofy” pink Cytomax mix all over his shorts.   Energy chews seem to be the food of choice for both riders, and the backseat has a delectable scent of Jolly Rancher.

The complexity of the race is evident as I watch Roger drive, navigate, record, and cheer on the riders…all at once.  The minute detail and planning is phenomenal…but what else would you expect from ViaSat?  We are only in Day Two but already it is clear that Race Across America is not only physically demanding, it is mentally and emotionally strenuous.  Every team member has his or her own role, and to be successful each much trust in the other to give 110% daily.  I look forward to learning more as the days go by.

In the meantime, a day would not be complete without the stories of people we meet on the road.  Perhaps today’s most entertaining: a young lady named Alicia who is biking, saddlebags in tow, from Ocean Beach (San Diego) to North Carolina.  Why would anyone undertake this arduous three to four month journey?  Family tradition.  Alicia’s grandfather used to make similar trips, alone and scarce on supplies, picking up roadkill of the way to fashion jewelry.

You heard right—roadkill.  Here is a bubbly young woman in probably her late twenties, pedaling along with zero support crew, pausing every so often to dissect roadkill for bones and vertebrae.  She shows us some of her recent treasures: a miniature owl’s skull and talons, a snake vertebra fashioned into an earring, and…a coyote penis bone.  Well, she wouldn’t actually show us, but she kept mentioning this particular prized possession.  

As we head into Utah and Colorado tonight, the team has already encountered some obstacles: flat tire, strong winds, and an occasionally sprinkle.   As Jeff awaits Wei’s approach he comments that the wind, which is blowing a steady 18 mph, but gusting at 20, is literally sucking the life out of him.  Sand is flying up into the riders’ faces, but again zero complaints.  Jeff is smiling, and Team ViaSat is still very much in the hunt for first.

-WG, 6/19/11

California Coastin'

The internet signal is back and we have some updates.  Reporting from Follow 1:

Exchanage #1 occured at 18:55 EST and Eric took off like a flash, pounding uphill with the road to his right and cliffs to the right.  He passes three riders in the climb.  A friendly old couple sits in beach chairs on the side of the cliff, cheering on the riders and offering our follow car...some cocktails. 

As Eric overtakes another rider in white, we enter the town of Lilac.  Lemon groves and lavendar farms to our left, palm farms to the right.

Exchange #2 Rich takes over for Eric at 19:12 EST.  About ten minutes later we are pulled over by a race official in Valley Center.  Chief Barrie steps out to have a word...no violation, but we must follow at freeway speeds until dark.  We pull back onto the rode and minutes later are in traffic...and Rich is on his own for now.  Thank goodness he knows the course!

Exchange #3 Excellent exchange. Eric takes over at 19:43 EST.  As we wind through the parched mountain ranges, our "Easterner" Richard comments on the magnificient countryside...and his plans to return someday with a Deccati.