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