Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “The Race”
Luck of the Irish (not the Welsh) In my previous blogs I have tried to capture some of the extreme physical and psychological challenges encountered during Team Red Dragon’s Race Across America, and I will continue to do so in future post-race reflections. There were, however, light-hearted moments that provided a welcome comic relief from the brutality of the race. …
Miracles at the Mississippi Life-defining moments are rare, but in the landscape of our memories they rise like mighty mountain peaks above an expanse of clouds that form the collective annals of our existence; the birth of a son or daughter, the death of a loved-one, your first kiss, finding your God. I experienced such a moment on the lush …
Losing the edge….. There’s a scene from the wildly popular 1986 movie Top Gun when Cougar walks into his commanding officer’s room following a scary encounter with a Russian MiG-28 fighter plane and states “I’m holding on too tight. I’ve lost the edge.” He then “turns-in his wings” thereby giving-up his flight status as a Top Gun pilot. I’m no …
The end is just the beginning… Approximately twenty miles east of Chillicothe, Ohio, on a lightning-illuminated Hwy 50, I stopped pedaling for the final time. I gently propped my trusty “red dragon” bicycle (a blood-red colored Trek Domane that had become an extension of my own body over the course of this race) against our support van, clambered inside, and …
June 28, 2018 It’s been almost a week since I made the decision to withdraw from the Race Across America after 2,600 miles of sleep-deprived exertion, yet the adventure continues for me. The race has changed me. I am no longer the same person who waited anxiously at the start line in Oceanside on June 12. I’d like to think …
One final trip as Team Red Dragon in the Little White Dragon Wagon. We travel to Maryland. Passing over the Appalachian region left us contemplative over what could’ve been. The desire to see Michael, with his strong climbing skills and his skilled descents, yet knowing full well, the danger we would’ve been facing with Michael stretched so far beyond his …
A brief pitstop, referred to as ‘butt break’ – he doesn’t actually get off the bike but stands and stretches for a moment. Sometimes it will include a clothing change. Here Michael is checking in with the Navigator. Navigator always sits shotgun and communicates without a Michael Our the window and hands needed items out the window as the van …
We woke up early on race day full of excitement. We had time on our hands because we were so well prepared. Michael had a few contemplative moments, mentally preparing for what was to come. Our dragon wagon was the hit of the parade at the start line. The staging area was a great time to interact with other crews …
First on the schedule was the team and individual official photos. Michael was asked to be part of a press conference with some of the veterans and rookies of the race. You can view this in a previous post. There were a number of vendors where we shopped for t-shirts and other RAAM paraphernalia. Then some free time for lunch …
Michael was asked to participate in a media event with some of the biggest names in this year’s RAAM and in the sport of ultra cycling. See some of Michael’s comments in the embedded video. Or watch the entire press conference on Facebook Live.
