| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 2001.1 | route distance, elapsed time | SHALOT::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Tue Jul 16 1991 16:17 | 39 |
|
>Note 2000.15 Good Luck to John Lee Ellis in RAAM 15 of 17
>FRAGLE::IDE "now it can be told" 14 lines 16-JUL-1991 14:42
> -< I think finishing = winning for this one! >-
> Good luck John!
Thanks, Jamie.
> How long is the route? Where does it go?
The route is about 2920 miles (although latest reports indicate it
may be more ... they're rechecking the route), from Irvine CA (Los
Angeles) to Savannah GA, proceeding through the Mojave Desert to
near Flagstaff, up to a corner of Utah, across the bottom of Colorado,
down the Texas Panhandle and across central Texas, then Louisiana,
Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia.
Prior to this route, first tried in 1990, RAAM routes went more
northeastward, catching the Ozarks and Appalachians, and heading
into Atlantic City, Washington DC, or NYC. RAAM officials and riders
seem very happy with the Savannah route. I did the Georgia segment
(302 miles) Saturday before last, and liked that part.
> What's the attrition rate from past years?
About 50%, I believe. I agree with you: finishing will be winning,
at least a basic sort of winning!
> What's considered a good time? What are the rules on support and rest
> stops?
Anything under 10 or 11 days is a good time. An "officially finishing"
time has to be within 48 hours of the winner (of your division). Paul
Solon, winner of RAAM'89, is aiming to break 8 days, which would be a
new record. Previous wins have gotten it down to 8� days (male) and
9 days 9 hours 9 minutes (female, Sue Noterangelo, 1989).
-john
|
| 2001.2 | On Cathy Ellis | NOVA::FISHER | Rdb/VMS Dinosaur | Tue Jul 16 1991 16:38 | 13 |
| I've heard from Cathy that Jane Vanni and Kay Ryschon have dropped.
Cathy Ellis is the only woman that I know of to have time trialed
over 400 miles in 24 hours , [unofficially] breaking Sue Notarangelo's
401 mile record for a total of 408 miles in 24 hours.
It's "unofficial" because Sue's record is on a surveyed course while
Cathy's is on an odometer measured 28.8 mile loop course. Both records
are no-drafting-allowed.
I'll try to enter info on other competitors as I dig it up.
ed
|
| 2001.3 | crew and vehicles | SHALOT::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Wed Jul 17 1991 10:29 | 38 |
|
RE: 2000.6 (Norbert Gisler)
> Is there some info in this conference about how
> you did prepare, and how your support crew will
> be organized ?
Crew: The crew is six people, who are planning to do 8-hour shifts
of three people each. The crew chief is Scott Critz, famous
Digital tech-writer, and the first alternate is Steve Muldoon,
yet another famous Digital tech-writer. The other crew-members
are from the Charlotte area:
Patricia Heller, medical and personal assistant
Cheryl Drake, massage therapist
Wayne Agee (UMCA member)
Arno Brennan, Tarheels club secretary
Scooter Townsend, financier and trans-NC cyclist
Vehicles: We will have two mini-vans, though only after much debate
as to the plusses and minusses of an RV):
- Scooter's Volkswagen Vanagon, as primary pace vehicle
and emergency sleeping accomodations + massage place
- a Dodge Caravan or the like from Avis, to carry spares,
supplies, and the off-duty crew shift.
Experienced RAAM crew chiefs are divided on how to do shifts,
whether to use an RV, etc. We talked to two successful ones,
and they differed. John Marino says the RV isn't necessary.
With 2 minivans, we have ample cargo space, and both are
legal as pace vehicles (maximum width of 72 inches) ... but
we will have to look for motels en route.
(Next note talks about Training.)
-john
|
| 2001.4 | Training | SHALOT::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Wed Jul 17 1991 10:30 | 39 |
|
Training: I tried to mix speed/intensity work with long distance.
It took a long time for the speed work to pay off, but it
seems to have. Typical training pattern:
- 2-3 short, intense rides per week with others
(racers or triathletes)
- 2 day-long rides on the weekend, or 1 multiday ride
with crew support
- 700-750 miles per week in June, except for two weeks
over 900 miles.
A subset of the crew did several weekend outings with me,
typically 270-300 miles on Saturday, and then maybe 150
on Sunday. This was to test and build multiday endurance
(rather than an all-out 24-hour ride) and night riding.
Ideally we also practiced finding a motel room, and
my getting massage, sleeping for 2-4 hours, then going.
And... we practiced hydration and liquid nutrient.
These rides included:
- 2 trips in the Blue Ridge (not counting solo training
in the Blue Ridge),
- Columbus-Savannah GA (the end of the RAAM route), 300
miles, the Saturday before last.
The other weekend pattern was a solo ride during the day
on Saturday, joined at 8pm by a crew vehicle, then 60-70
more miles, 'til 12:30 or 1:30am, for endurance and night
riding ... then another solo riding commencing 5:15 or 6am
on Sunday.
For hill-work, I've tried to go for a day in the Blue Ridge
twice a month. Early in the season, I did the Bamberg SC
Paris-Brest-Paris brevets, to do long distance with other
riders. The 400km and 600km were most valuable, since both
were fast, and the 600km I did in 24 hours sleepless.
-john
|
| 2001.5 | questions from Bat | SHALOT::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Wed Jul 17 1991 10:58 | 63 |
|
Some questions from Bat Buchanan:
> Why don't you put a note in the BICYCLE conference listing your sponsors
> and what equipment you'll be using.
Private individuals have been a great help. My other sponsors:
- DMP Corporation, a local software company (owned by a cyclist),
- Tarheel Cyclists (the entry fee),
- TIME (the Equipe helmet),
- Bicycles South (for labor and a lot of equipment at cost).
> Are you going to use a Kestral at all or the DeRosa the whole route?
The Kestrel is feeling better and better. But I've built up a second
De Rosa (with SL tubing, rather than SLX) and will take both De Rosa's.
I plan to alternate (in some as yet undecided system) between the
Kestrel and the SL De Rosa, mainly.
I'll be using Diadora shoes, Shimano pedals, Profile-for-Speed clip
on aero bars, Turbo-Matic saddles, the Time Equipe helmet, Continental
tires, mixture of Giordana, Daber, Performance, and other clothing.
> Do you have any milestones you're shooting for, like trying not to hit
> Death Valley at mid afternoon.
Well, there are in fact a lot of primes. They should be motivators.
Maybe I'll look the list over. Other than that, I'm at the whim of
the weather and bodily limits.
> Care to make a predictions? How many days? Who will be the winner?
> Do you as a rookie have a chance or are you just using this a
> preparations for next year?
I'll budget for under 10 days, since that's what is necessary. There
are several strong veteran contenders - Kish, Fourney, and Solon to
name a few: they have the best chance. As a rookie, I shouldn't rule
anything out, but apparently RAAM is a great learning experience, and
veterans have the advantage of that experience.
> This is a serious question: Is there any way that you can train for sleep
> depravation?
I think so. By sleeping less, and by riding later into the night, riding
earlier in the morning. This dislodges bodily patterns (such as
"10pm - lights out!" or "Do not disturb 'til 8am!"). The strategies
for coping with less sleep include:
- mental stimulation (music, etc.),
- adequate nutrition and hydration,
e.g., liquid nutrition won't induce digestion drowsiness,
- caffeine deprivation for the weeks before the event.
Also, practicing riding at night gets you used to the sensory
deprivation of pavement and white lines as your "visual universe."
Still, I'm not sure how successful all this training has been!
> I hope that Scott is going to keep a diary.
Yes, but will he tell all??? :-)
-john
|
| 2001.6 | | LJOHUB::CRITZ | John Ellis to ride RAAM '91 | Wed Jul 17 1991 12:14 | 15 |
| Just a couple of comments:
We're doing 6-hour shifts with 3 people per
shift unless I missed something along the
way.
I'm taking my trusty Pentax and a bunch of
film. I plan on a diary that I'll later sell
to the the National Enquirer. Then, I'll buy
a Carry-b-un (can't spell Caribbean) island
and retire to a life of leisure. For exercise,
I watch tapes of RAAM and the major European
tours.
Scott
|
| 2001.7 | Good luck | STUDIO::HOFFMAN | | Wed Jul 17 1991 13:19 | 2 |
| Good luck on your ride !!
|
| 2001.8 | | RUDE::THIBAULT | Land of Confusion | Wed Jul 17 1991 14:14 | 6 |
| When does the race start (or did I miss that)? And will it be televised?
And Good Luck of course!!!
Jenna
|
| 2001.9 | start time = 27 July | SHALOT::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Wed Jul 17 1991 14:24 | 8 |
|
Jenna, et al.,
The race starts on Saturday 27 July in Irvine. It will not have
live television coverage, but a US cable-TV outfit will be filming,
and ITV Channel 4 (UK) will be putting together a documentary.
-john
|
| 2001.10 | you'll do it ! | MVSX00::MVSX02::GISLER | TRI = action for real athletes | Thu Jul 18 1991 02:36 | 13 |
|
Hi John,
re: .3 and .4
thanks for all the info about your training and the support crew.
With all this preparation you just qill do it, I'm sure.
BTW: what's a RV ?
Norbert
|
| 2001.11 | RV = Rad Velocity, dude | AIRPRT::CLELAND | USC_IM$T Data Center Services | Thu Jul 18 1991 04:02 | 14 |
|
RV = Recreational Vehicle
ATV = All Terrain Vehicle
ATB = All Terrain Bicycle
etc.
I can actually believe that there will be no coverage by ANY of
the three major networks in the U.S. These networks need to get
hip, as this event is more exciting/unbelievable than any other on
the tube *. I still cannot believe the human body can be pushed to
such limits. When will ABC / NBC / CBS wake up !?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
* Well, besides seeing Doug Danger attempting to break the world
record for motorcycle jumping at Loudon, New Hampshire.
|
| 2001.12 | | 42178::WIDDOWSON | | Thu Jul 18 1991 05:01 | 9 |
| I reckon its a plus that C4 are doing the coverage. Well done them.
Can't wait to see what sort of muck up the commentators make (see
various comments elsewhere)
It always struck me as amusing that whereas in Europe we call our RV's
caravans and put them behind the car in the UK I've seen people pulling
theirs cars behing the RV's...
rod
|
| 2001.13 | Me cynical? | BHUNA::GGOODMAN | Number 1 in a field of 1 | Thu Jul 18 1991 15:59 | 22 |
|
Channel 4 doing a documentary?
We'll have Phil and Paul discussing the tactics and past years for
the first half, then as they start showing some action we'll get a
commercial break. After the break, they'll have a rider profile
followed by Gary Imlach telling you some inane information about the
local area where he'll walk into a lamp post while carrying the camera.
Then we'll cut back to Phil and Paul where they'll speculate on the
outcome of the event, showing a couple of clips talking to the main
riders. Then finally we'll get to see some action showing the last 5
minutes of the race during which, Liggett will get someone's name
wrong. Then they'll show us the result, Paul will get a few muttered
words from the winner who is so tired he can barely speak. Phil will
say what a great days racing it's been and they'll give us some
picturesque shot over the closing credits, where, if you scrunch up
your eyes and look hard, you just be able to pick out a rider in the
background.
Who wants to live in France?
Graham.
|
| 2001.14 | "introspective" | SHALOT::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Thu Jul 18 1991 16:15 | 8 |
|
The Race Director (John Marino) described Channel 4's intent
as to produce an "introspective" look at the riders of the race,
zeroing in on a small subset of the RAAM riders.
We'll see... if any of the UK contingent sees the result, let us know.
-john
|
| 2001.15 | oops, missed a sponsor | SHALOT::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Fri Jul 19 1991 16:33 | 10 |
|
Left out one equipment sponsor from .5:
My other sponsors:
- DMP Corporation, a local software company (owned by a cyclist),
- Tarheel Cyclists (the entry fee),
- TIME (the Equipe helmet),
- Bicycles South (for labor and a lot of equipment at cost).
> - Gita (Giordana jerseys, shorts, legwarmers, etc.)
|
| 2001.16 | ANY RAAM Updates? | MTVIEW::SHROYER | | Mon Jul 29 1991 10:27 | 4 |
| Well, they have been at it for almost 47 hours.....any reports on the
RAAM? As predicted, temperatures in central California and Arizona were over
100 Saturday and Sunday. Humidity in the 10-15% range. Great dehydration \
weather!
|
| 2001.17 | RAAM update | MTVIEW::SHROYER | | Mon Jul 29 1991 12:30 | 51 |
| > <<< Note 2001.16 by MTVIEW::SHROYER >>>
> -< ANY RAAM Updates? >-
>
> Well, they have been at it for almost 47 hours.....any reports on the
>RAAM? As predicted, temperatures in central California and Arizona were over
>100 Saturday and Sunday. Humidity in the 10-15% range. Great dehydration \
>weather!
I'll reply to my own note. Loren Godshall is a friend who never did a century
before this year! He won the John Marino Open earylier this spring. No
mention of John Ellis....
From: TPWEST::DECPA::"[email protected]" "Bryan D. Hoadley" 29-JUL-1991 09:09:48.57
To: mtview::Shroyer
CC:
Subj: RAAM update....Loren is pounding again
Good morning Gary,
I got a little news out of the USA Today you might want to post.
Mens RAAM results as of 5pm EDT.
1. Steve Born, Thousand Oaks CA
2. Loren Godshall, Los Altos Ca 1 mile back
3. David Kees, Auburn Ca 3 miles back
Women's results
1. Susan France Portland Or
2. Debbie Breaud, Burleson ,Tx 55 miles back (ouch)
3. Mary Burns, Deland, Fla 58 miles back
Good Luck to all... Bryan
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|
| 2001.18 | Rather them than me. | KIRKTN::GGOODMAN | Number 1 in a field of 1 | Mon Jul 29 1991 15:36 | 7 |
|
Re. -1
How far have the leading riders covered so far?
Graham.
|
| 2001.19 | | DANGER::JBELL | Zeno was almost here | Mon Jul 29 1991 16:01 | 9 |
| > How far have the leading riders covered so far?
> Graham.
If Mr. Ellis had a BEHEMOTH, he could give us updates
and stay in the saddle.
Of course it might slow him down a little.
-Jeff
|
| 2001.20 | | NOVA::FISHER | Rdb/VMS Dinosaur | Tue Jul 30 1991 07:05 | 12 |
| As of 1AM Tuesday, John is still going. He's in the high-teens of
places (like 17 or so). Godshall is leading the men.
Cathy Ellis is leading the women by 6 miles.
It's all on my machine at the moment but I don't type fast enough to
enter it.
1-900-2GO-BIKE, punch 8 on the menu. I think it's $1/minute, no soft
seductive voices or anything like that. :-)
ed
|
| 2001.21 | more data | SHALOT::TAYLOR | Liver long and prostate - 393-7368 | Tue Jul 30 1991 09:08 | 4 |
| Also note that he was 284 miles behind the leader. I think
that is almost a day for John. (crossed fingers)
Doug taylor
|
| 2001.22 | Thanks for the update | MTVIEW::SHROYER | | Tue Jul 30 1991 10:22 | 21 |
| > <<< Note 2001.20 by NOVA::FISHER "Rdb/VMS Dinosaur"
>
>
> As of 1AM Tuesday, John is still going. He's in the high-teens of
> places (like 17 or so). Godshall is leading the men.
>
> Cathy Ellis is leading the women by 6 miles.
>
> It's all on my machine at the moment but I don't type fast enough to
> enter it.
>
> 1-900-2GO-BIKE, punch 8 on the menu. I think it's $1/minute, no soft
> seductive voices or anything like that. :-)
>
> ed
This is great. Any further information on Loren Godshall is greatly
appreciated too.
Gary
|
| 2001.23 | Thanks to USA Today.... | SBGPX2::BELISLE | Mike Belisle MRO4-1/H20 297.3324 | Wed Jul 31 1991 09:01 | 13 |
|
Leaders as of 5pm. EDT Tuesday.
MEN (20 Started, 7 have droppped)
1. Bob Forney Denver
2. Loren Godshell Los Altos 15 miles back
3. Rob Kish Gainsville 41 miles back
WMOMEN (4 Started)
1. Cathy Ellis Cambridge
2. Susan France Portland 23 miles back
3. Debbie Breaud Burleson 27 miles back
4. Mary Burns Deland Fla. 94 miles back
|
| 2001.24 | | WUMBCK::FOX | | Wed Jul 31 1991 09:10 | 3 |
| Whereabouts are they, and/or how many miles into the race?
John
|
| 2001.25 | Update | SHALOT::TAYLOR | Liver long and prostate - 393-7368 | Wed Jul 31 1991 09:47 | 6 |
| A local newscast here in Charlotte last night stated that
John was in Colorado and about 300 some odd miles behind
the leader. This station may be planning on daily updates.
If so I'll post what I know.
Doug
|
| 2001.26 | RAAM update as of 5:00 EDT | MTVIEW::SHROYER | | Wed Jul 31 1991 11:47 | 35 |
|
From: TPWEST::DECPA::"[email protected]" 31-JUL-1991 08:38:40.83
To: [email protected], wldwst::Pollard, tpwest::Shroyer, [email protected]
CC:
Subj: RAAM Update
As of 5:00AM EST, here are the standings :
1. Bob Fourney @ 1280 mi / 14.4 mph / 344 mi/day
2. Kish (sp) 42 mi back from Fourney
3. Loren Godshall 77 mi " " "
4. Keyes (sp) 132 mi " " "
Loren's doing great!! I hope he is feeling "well" enough to make a run at
the top guys...
Brad
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From: [email protected]
Subject: RAAM Update
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|
| 2001.27 | 1 am Thursday | NOVA::FISHER | Rdb/VMS Dinosaur | Thu Aug 01 1991 09:35 | 14 |
| At 1AM.
kish post tx 1526
fourney +2 mn
keyes 71
godshall 73
...
ellis 457
broud trinidad, CO 1111 mi
ellis 18
france 53
...
|
| 2001.28 | cutoff time? | DANGER::JBELL | Zeno was almost here | Thu Aug 01 1991 10:34 | 9 |
| There used to be a rule that if you were more than
a certain amount of time behind the leaders when you
cross the Mississippi then you had to drop out.
Is this rule still in effect? Does anyone know what the
max delay is?
-Jeff Bell
|
| 2001.29 | | MTVIEW::SHROYER | | Thu Aug 01 1991 11:48 | 45 |
|
RAAM Update from the Velo News Hotline, last night and this morning :
* As of 9:00pm EST last night (7/31), the standings were :
1. Bob Fourney reached Edmonton, TX @ 7:05pm EST, 1429mi
@ 13.9 mph / 332 mi/day
2. Rob Kish @ 5 mi
3. Loren Godshall @ 26 mi
4. Keyes @ 42 mi
* As of 9:00am EST this morning (8/1), the standings were :
1. Rob Kish reached Snyder, TX @ 3:39am EST, 1573 mi
@ 14.1 mph / 338 mi/day
2. Bob Fourney @ 31 mi
3. Tatrick (sp) @ 76 mi
4. Keyes @ 78 mi
5. Loren Godshall @ 93 mi
6. Brain @ 98 mi
Loren took a nap last night...
That's it...
Brad Anders
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From: [email protected]
Subject: RAAM Update
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|
| 2001.30 | RAAM Logisitics | CREVAS::ERICKSON | John Erickson, DTN 232-2590 | Thu Aug 01 1991 13:30 | 12 |
| I've _tried_ to figure this out by reading the RAAM-related Notes
over the past year [1641.*, 1687.*, 1799.*, 1880.*, 2000.*, and
2001.* for those interested], but can't figure it out.
How do the riders and their support teams sequence riding,
feeding, and sleeping through the day? How much time is spent
riding, how much is eaten, how does sleep happen? Is there a
required amount of sleep?
Thanks for the info!
John
|
| 2001.31 | RAAM Update | MTVIEW::SHROYER | | Thu Aug 01 1991 14:47 | 72 |
|
1991 RAAM Update
9:00 AM EST 08/01/91
Men's division leader Rob Kish passed through Snyder, Texas at 3:39 A.M.
EST on Aug. 1, 1991. He has completed 1573 miles, averaging 14.1
mph and 338 miles per day. Following is a list of the remaining men's
division competitors, and their "approximate" mileage behind Kish.
Men's Division Miles Behind
********************************************************
1. Kish
2. Fourney 31
3. Tatray 76
4. Keyes 78
5. Godshell 93
6. Brain 98
7. Stoneman 149
8. Ward 158
9. Born 199
10. Vetterli 201
11. Kent 202
12. Wilson 227
13. Bond 260
14. Battig 281
15. Wood 302
16. Schwarz 315
17. Bell 338
18. Meneweger 344
19. Ellis 511
In the Women's Division, Debbie Breaud passed through Trinidad, Co. at 11:20
P.M. EST, on July 31. She has traveled 1111 miles, and is averaging 10.4
mph and 244 miles per day. All women who started the race in Irvine Ca. are
still in the race. Following is a list of the women, and the "approximate"
mileage behind the leader.
Women's division Miles behind
***************************************************
1. Breaud
2. France 43
3. Ellis 78
4. Burns 182
Temperatures on the race have ranged from 112+ in the deserts of Calif.
to in the 30's in the Rockies in Colorado. John Marino indicated that
the men's division could be shaping up as a two man race between veterans
Kish and Fourney. However, half of the race still remains, and leads can
change dramatically over the last few days. I will try to update this
as my schedule permits, however RAAM does have a hotline number which is
updated on a regular basis. The cost (I think) is $.95 per minute.
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|
| 2001.32 | the 48 hr rule. | NOVA::FISHER | Rdb/VMS Dinosaur | Thu Aug 01 1991 15:14 | 10 |
| There was a rule that you had to be within 48 hours of the race leader
at the Mississippi or be eliminated automatically. The rule was
discarded because it became apparent that you could risk everything and
sprint [!] for the Mississippi in order to drop the competition and
then lolligag your wway to the East Coast, or worse, drop out and leave
the race without a winner. Thus the rules are now far more complicated
but I think it all boils down to "You're in it till 48 hours after the
winner is comfortably asleep, ahh, err, has finished.
ed
|
| 2001.33 | info | BOOKS::MULDOON | I'll be right back - Godot | Fri Aug 02 1991 09:30 | 29 |
|
RE: .31, .32
The cutoff is, as Ed pointed out, 48 hours, however this
isn't carved in stone. The committee has the option of allowing
the rider to remain in the race if it appears that he/she is
making up time.
Different riders handle sleep in different ways. Some sleep
on an "as-needed" (?) basis while others schedule a certain
amount of down-time each day. Nancy Raposo (last years winner
in the women's division) chose the latter, sleeping for 4 hours
(I think) each day. I believe that John planned on this same
strategy, though I don't know how long his sleep periods are to
be.
John's crew was planning on six hour shifts, with some number
(2?) of people in each shift. Part of the crew follows in the chase
vehicle, while the rest either catch some sleep or take care of
other duties (find motel rooms, fuel, food, laundry, etc.).
With the temps that they've had in the southwest this week,
I'm not sure whether to feel disappointed or relieved that I'm
not with them. 8^)
Steve
|
| 2001.34 | RAAM update | MTVIEW::SHROYER | | Fri Aug 02 1991 11:52 | 43 |
|
Most recent RAAM results :
* As of 1:00am EST (8/2/91), the standings were :
1. Fourney @ Meridian, TX (10:28pm EST, 8/1) / 1800 mi /
13.8 mph / 331 mi/day
2. Kish @ 10 mi
3. Tatray @ 45 mi
4. Keyes @ 59 mi
5. Godshall @ 60 mi
* As of 9:00am EST (8/2/91), the standings were :
1. Fourney @ Athens, TX (7:34am EST, 8/2) / 1905 mi /
13.7 mph / 328 mi/day
2. Tatray @ 63 mi
3. Kish @ 75 mi
4. Godshall @ 96 mi
5. Keyes @ 99 mi
Temperatures are predicted to be in the mid 90's with southerly winds. Looks
like Loren is holding his own, still about 1000 mi to go!!!
Brad Anders
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Subject: RAAM Update
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|
| 2001.35 | 5pm Aug 4. | NOVA::FISHER | Rdb/VMS Dinosaur | Mon Aug 05 1991 07:10 | 5 |
| As of 5 PM Sunday, Fourney was is the lead, there was a 4 way duel(tie) for
4th place shaping up and John was approx 72 hours back. Just behind
John were the 3 women (1 dropped?), lead by Cathy Ellis.
ed
|
| 2001.36 | RAAM final | MTVIEW::SHROYER | | Mon Aug 05 1991 17:27 | 42 |
| Just got this RAAM update across the usenet.
RAAM Update
* Bob Fourney has won the RAAM. His time was 8d16h44m, for an average
speed of 14.0 mph or 335 mi/day. He completed the race at 5:33am EST
on 8/5.
STANDINGS (@ time of Fourney's finish)
======================================
1. Fourney
2. Kish @ 28mi
3. Tatray @ 124mi
4. Kees @ 210mi
5. Brain @ 210mi
6. Ward @ 217mi
7. Kent @ ?mi
8. Godshall @ 334mi
Looks like Loren should finish the RAAM sometime tomorrow morning (8/6). Hope
he is doing ok and suffers nothing permanent from this incredible effort...
Brad
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To: "JOHN POLLARD 408 864-6941 05-Aug-1991 1114"
<wldwst::pollard>
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: RAAM
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|
| 2001.37 | News from John Lee? | SUSHI::KMACDONALD | sushi: not just for breakfast! | Tue Aug 06 1991 09:19 | 2 |
| Where's John Lee? Hope he's doing OK!
ken
|
| 2001.38 | | SHALOT::TAYLOR | Liver long and prostate - 393-7368 | Tue Aug 06 1991 14:01 | 4 |
| John is no longer in the race. I'm afraid that's all I
know for sure.
Doug
|
| 2001.39 | Update??? | FSTTOO::HANAUER | Mike...~Bicycle~to~Ice~Cream | Wed Aug 07 1991 11:01 | 7 |
| Anyone got a late update?
What happend to John?
How about Cathy Ellis (CRW Hero)?
~Mike
|
| 2001.40 | | NOVA::FISHER | Rdb/VMS Dinosaur | Wed Aug 07 1991 13:02 | 7 |
| No specific reports on John, though I could use the "insiders number"
to find out. :-) The 9AM report this am had Cathy 2443 miles into
the race as of 8:53 last evening with leads of 141 and 371 miles over
2nd and 3rd place. Sounds like she bedded down for the night, should
finish Thursday night with a 12+ day crossing.
ed
|
| 2001.41 | word from John | SHALOT::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Wed Aug 07 1991 14:55 | 22 |
|
Just back. So as not to keep you in suspense: I dropped in Tyler TX
midday on Sunday, because the crew decided they were not in a position
to go on. I was feeling fine. I had lost a lot of time the first two
days of RAAM because of an attack of bloating (nutritionally induced)
and then the next day from severe cramps caused by dehydration
in the Arizona desert (the 110-degree weather). I recovered, and went
on, with the help of my crew, but it cost me time and strength.
As time passed, I overtook various male riders (who tended to drop
out) and the female field, and intended to finish unofficially
(which the race director was encouraging riders to do, it turns out)
probably late tonight or early Thursday morning. I am sorry I was
not in a position to do so, without a crew. Some day...?
RAAM was a surprisingly positive experience for me -- I loved the
landscapes and the route; the involvement in a great thing; the
support of everyone from race officials to fellow riders. To me
it is a very attractive event - only very expensive and draining
to prepare for.
-john
|
| 2001.42 | Our hero! :-) | SUSHI::KMACDONALD | sushi: not just for breakfast! | Wed Aug 07 1991 15:04 | 6 |
| Congrats! Glad you enjoyed the event, sorry you had to bag it, but then,
what's next year for, anyway? :-) The fact you recovered and were doing
well at the end speaks well of your training regime (not to mention a
bunch of other things, like tenacity!). Congrats again, welcome back,
look forward to hearing more!
ken
|
| 2001.43 | We'll see, next year. | NOVA::FISHER | Rdb/VMS Dinosaur | Wed Aug 07 1991 15:14 | 3 |
| Nice try, John. You'll do better next year than the Red Sox will!
ed
|
| 2001.44 | JLE in '92!! | CTHQ1::FRERE | Ellas Danzan Solas | Thu Aug 08 1991 08:55 | 6 |
| John,
You did great!! Now with the experience in your belt, the big question
is: John Lee Ellis, RAAM'92???
Envious_Eric
|
| 2001.45 | | WUMBCK::FOX | | Thu Aug 08 1991 09:35 | 7 |
| Sounds like you really hung in there John. It really takes something
to continue with variety of early problems you encountered. I'm
surprised, and mostly disappointed, to hear of how you had to exit
the race. I guess physical conditioning is just one part of doing a
race like this. Here's to next time...
John
|
| 2001.46 | RAAM'92? Could be... | SHALOT::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Thu Aug 08 1991 12:42 | 15 |
|
Thanks, guys. I'm disappointed, too (though there is also lots
to be pleased about, in how far we got). But for next time, I'll
have the experience to apply to my own riding, and to choosing
and organizing a crew more effectively.
So, yes, the answer (coupled both with a smile and a groan
from inside) is: I'll try for another RAAM -- if RAAM'92, then great.
We'll have to see.
I'll write up more details soon: it was a fascinating event.
Scott Critz will also be able to give the crew perspective, including
Western cuisine which I missed 'cause of the liquid diet. :-)
-john
|
| 2001.47 | Great Job!
| CREVAS::ERICKSON | John Erickson, DTN 232-2590 | Thu Aug 08 1991 12:45 | 9 |
| Great job, John! Regardless of where you're RAAM ended, you're a
*winner*!
I'm sure I'm not the only one here that looks forward to reading
an account of your race! 8^)
Have a GREAT one!
John
|
| 2001.48 | | LJOHUB::CRITZ | John Ellis to ride RAAM '91 | Mon Aug 12 1991 10:06 | 34 |
| From the crews' perspective, we felt it was time to stop.
- John was riding well, but was 53 hours behind
Forney when I checked in at the TS on Sunday
(4 August) morning.
- Four members of the crew had to be back by Wednesday
to go to work either that night or the next day.
I thought about pacing John myself with Pat, but we
would have had problems with sleep, etc.
- Every additional day/night on the road cost that much
more money since we were staying in motels.
As John mentioned, when we stopped in Tyler, TX, he was riding
well and in good spirits. Unfortunately, the first two days
hurt our time a great deal.
I plan to write up my notes from the race, etc. After John sees
and OKs them, I'll put them on line.
I wish you coulda seen John climb places like Wolf Creek Pass
(11,000 feet) and Cuchara Pass (9,000 feet). He climbed
Cuchara Pass at night and also made the descent. We had every
light on in the van plus I was holding a million candle power
spotlight out the window. It was awesome.
We initiated the stop. It wasn't easy and it was upsetting,
but we felt it was necessary.
That's all for now.
Scott
|
| 2001.49 | | DANGER::JBELL | Zeno was almost here | Mon Aug 12 1991 10:27 | 10 |
| > .... It wasn't easy and it was upsetting,
> but we felt it was necessary.
Ummmmm.
It sounds like the most difficult part of the trip.
I hope everyone is still on speaking terms.
-Jeff
|
| 2001.50 | | LJOHUB::CRITZ | John Ellis to ride RAAM '91 | Mon Aug 12 1991 10:46 | 24 |
| After John and Pat returned to Charlotte, Pat called
to say that we should meet at her place on Wednesday
(Aug 7) evening to settle accounts. I asked how
John was. She said, "Fair to partly cloudy."
Of course, "fair to partly cloudy" for John is about
normal for most people. He's certainly one of the
most pleasant people to be with I've ever met.
Things were a little strained, and may be, for a while.
Part of the problem, I believe, is that we never talked
about "What ifs." You know:
What if John gets real sick?
What if John get way behind?
What if ...
Next time (I believe there will definitely be a "next time"
for John) John will have a better sense of what to expect
and what to plan for.
Scott
|
| 2001.51 | nicely put | SHALOT::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Mon Aug 12 1991 14:03 | 4 |
|
I agree 100% with Scott's assessments in .48 and .50. Well stated.
-john (slowly brightening skies)
|
| 2001.52 | the RAAM story | SHALOT::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Tue Aug 13 1991 15:54 | 210 |
|
John Lee does RAAM'91
- John Lee Ellis
--- Day 0: Irvine ---
RAAM'91 started Saturday July 27th. By the evening
of the 25th, all the crew had arrived in Irvine. The
crew were six people: Wayne Agee, Jim "Arno" Brennan
(chief), Scott Critz, Cheryl Drake (massage), Patricia
Heller (medical), and Scooter Townsend.
The crew spent the 26th packing the two vehicles
(Scooter's Volkswagen Vanagon and a rental Dodge
Caravan), wiring up lights, and generally bustling
about. John Marino, race director, held crew
orientation. I tried to check out the first miles
of the route. That night I got a pre-massage, final
leg shaving, and final solid meal.
--- Day 1: Irvine to Blythe ---
Un-RAAM-like weather: cool overcast in the 60's, on-
shore breezes. The RAAM riders do their first 25 miles
scattered among several hundred kick-off cyclists.
Most of the route is a bike path along a canal. I
talk with RAAM entrant Hubert Schwarz from Roth bei
N�rnburg. Most of the fellow competitors have been
quite friendly.
At mile 25 we reassemble. The sun has come out; it is
becoming steamy. The race starts in earnest at mile
30, up over foothills; the heartrate monitor says
I'm exerting myself but it's hard to tell. The racers
spread out gradually; no big sprint.
Around mile 60, I have to stop with bloating and
stomach cramps: probably not enough hydration or too
much carbo-drink. It costs an hour off the bike, and a
slow, halting resumption. By the first time station,
Beaumont, I have dropped from 10th place to last. A
nice way to start RAAM.
We join I-10 and hit the desert, with oven-like 20-
25mph tailwinds, inspiring arid scenery, sand dunes
blowing into the road. I wreck a wheel on a bumpy
frontage road, the only bike-damage of the trip. Palm
Springs boasts large palms, and sprinklers running off
onto the parched pavement.
Night falls around Indio, 14 feet below sea level. We
rejoin I-10 and climb seemingly dozens of miles to the
Chiriaco Summit (1,800 feet) then descend into Blythe,
on the Arizona border. I have passed several riders,
including Tom Seaborne, dropping out with stomach
troubles, and Tom Fanning, soon to drop for the same
reason. The descent on I-10 has some surprising "wake-
up" ridges in the break-down lane - violent enough
to toss the unwary bike into traffic. Keeps me awake.
Other than that, biking the Interstate isn't too bad
... with a lane reserved for me and the pace vehicle.
--- Day 2: Blythe to Prescott ---
A new beginning. Now it's the desert, and riding at
a good pace past the Joshua trees. By midafternoon it
is near 110� and the crew stops and massages me for
an hour. Three riders are just ahead of me. By late
afternoon the heat is still beating down, and at the
base of the big climb into Prescott, my muscles seize
up with spasms everywhere (legs, hands, back...).
Looks like dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. Salt
is millimeter deep on my jersey. The crew loads me
with electrolyte drink. Eventually, at sunset, a crew
member suggests I walk out the remaining cramps by
walking my bike up to the pass. Nothing to lose: I do
it, paced under moonrise at 3 mph by the Vanagon. I'm
able to bike the last 2 miles of the climb, then take
the switchbacks down into Prescott. Day 3:
Flagstaff and the Painted Desert)
Another new beginning. Now we are back on both the
electrolyte and nutritional drinks, and they are
working fine. The day starts with rolling hills
and wide vistas at 6000 feet, so it is warm rather
than blisteringly hot. We hit I-40 and some actual
forestation near one end of the Grand Canyon. Showers
are building on mountain peaks, and one, complete with
hail, drenches me. Yesterday 110�-today, 40� rain with
ice pellets.
I climb out of Flagstaff, seemingly with agonizing
effort 'til we learn one of the tires is leaking air.
After that, it's easier. Then the plains and buttes
of Navajo country and the Painted Desert, with strong
crosswinds buffeting the bike on a narrow road. It is
back up in the 90's. By midnight we crest Marsh Pass
at 6750 feet, and then drop into Kayenta, near Utah.
There is no hotel space, so some sleep in the vans,
others not at all. Day 4: Monument Valley
to Durango)
By dawn we cross into Utah and find (surprise!) our
route goes through Monument Valley, its red stone
flooded in the orange early morning light. I pass
Herbert Meneweger, from Salzburg, who is faltering,
and Mary Burns, from Florida. By midafternoon we
are in Colorado, outcrops of rock in a hot, barren
landscape, back up to 100�. I am tiring and fighting
winds into Cortez. We stop short of Durango and
prepare for an early start tomorrow.
--- Day 5: Three Colorado Passes ---
Everyone enjoys the cool forestation of Colorado,
and the green meadows. By noon, I've climbed Wolf
Creek Pass, over 10,000 feet, the highest point on
the route. No altitude problems. It is quick, smooth
cycling on the flats 'til the next pass, La Veta
(9413 feet) late afternoon, and then the final pass,
Chuchara, at 9941 feet, at night. Some crew is dubious
I should do the third one, but no problem. We are
"aided" down the other side by another crew's spy
vehicle ... with "Stealth" lettered on it. It has been
an exhilarating and successful day.
--- Day 6: New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle ---
"All the climbs now behind us" (ha, ha) we cut the
corner in New Mexico, with contrary winds and some
hills at first, then a stretch along US-64 that is
meant for flying. Four and half hours earlier, Debbie
Breaud has tried sprinting on this same road to catch
Cathy Ellis and win the Texas border. By Dalhart, we
are heading south, right into the teeth of a big wind,
and hit the hills of the not-so-flat Cap Rock of the
Texas Panhandle. The crew has scheduled 324 miles for
me today, which turns out to be overambitious.
But as night goes on, so do I, because the wind has
moderated. In Vega we talk to Debbie Breaud's crew,
and the mixed tandem's (the Moores'). Soon after, I
pass Debbie sleeping, and before Demitt, pass Cathy
Ellis sleeping. She hears our PA-system's music, and
hastily sends out someone to make sure we are not
Debbie.
After an hour of sleep, I am up and reach yesterday's
goal, Plainview, by 8:00am. A shower, massage, and new
sunscreen, and we're off again.
--- Day 7: the Texas Cap Rock ---
Now it is almost halfway flat, but I'm drowsy.
Patricia finds some shade trees and gets me to snooze
for an hour, so I won't fall off the bike. It is also
toasty, 90's. Thereafter I'm fine. In fact I'm drawn
to my boyhood landscape, though half the crew doesn't
see much in the arid buttes, the shadeless mesquite
trees, and the rocky terrain. This helps me through
a state (Texas) which is quite hard on a lot of RAAM
riders.
That night, we stop near Anson, Texas, and drive 40
miles off route to find a motel, near Abilene. Motel
connections are a time drain that over the long haul
has taken its toll.
--- Day 8: the Heart of Texas ---
We descend into warmer but still arid Texas
countryside, and aside from drowsiness, I make good
time.
By late afternoon we reach the Stephenville time
station, where my parents and a sister have come.
It is an hour from Fort Worth, our home. By evening
we have definitely crossed into real hills and
vegetation, not just scrub.
--- Day 9: East Texas ---
We start the day with a quartering tailwind, flat
terrain, and lush greenness-we have also entered the
Humid part of the route, East Texas to Savannah. I
am feeling well. Even the knees ache less than they
did in the Panhandle or the Rockies. The liquid diet
tastes better and better. But the long, flat, straight
roads invite drowsiness.
In Corsicana, we receive a box of assorted Wolf
Brand Chili-all of Texas has supported RAAM
enthusiastically. (I save the chili for later.)
Midafternoon, near Tyler, 1949 miles into the 2930-
mile race (8 days and 2 hours), the crew approaches
and says they've decided they're not in a position to
go on. Some have to be at work in three days, and,
as I've dropped 53 hours behind the male winner,
they assume that an Unofficial Finish isn't worth
their effort. It would be three and a half days' more
riding. (In fact, the race officials have encouraged
riders to go on, and I want to finish, but it's
unfeasible to go on without a crew.) So there ends
the race for me.
---
|
| 2001.53 | | LJOHUB::CRITZ | | Tue Aug 13 1991 16:10 | 46 |
| I figure some are wondering how the shifts worked out for
the race. By the way, the officials had nothing but praise
for John and the crew. They said they could write a book of
horror stories about rookie crews.
We didn't have an RV, so we used motels. This proved to be
less of a problem than first anticipated (by me), although
it was somewhat constraining.
C1 = Crew 1
C2 = Crew 2
C1 paced John until 10 AM or 11 AM. When C2 took over, C1 could
go eat, buy supplies, and maybe find a shady place down the
road to take a nap in the van.
C2 paced John until 5 PM or 6 PM. When C1 took over, C2 already
had some idea how far John could go the remainder of the night,
based on time, speed, etc. So, C2 called ahead to a motel and
made reservation near where John would be at midnight or 1 AM.
They went to the motel, checked in, and went to sleep.
When John arrived at the motel, C1 woke C2. C2 would now take the
first and third shift for that day, and C1 would go to bed. John
also went to sleep while Cheryl was massaging out the kinks.
Obviously, we were flexible. But the on-bike time was basically
broken into 3 shifts. If you were on shift one and three today,
you would be on shift two tomorrow.
After a day or two, most of the crew could sleep any time, any
where. One night, in Kayenta, we found a couple of motels, but
there were no empty rooms. Wayne, Pat and I sacked out in the
van. When Arno, Scooter, Cheryl and John came in, they told us
to go back to sleep. They slept after we got John up and out
on the road.
No one really complained about the situation and that was the
only night we didn't get a motel, so things went pretty well.
The route book also indicated upcoming towns and what they had
to offer - gas, food, lodging, all.
More later.
Scott
|
| 2001.54 | | LJOHUB::CRITZ | | Tue Aug 13 1991 16:15 | 13 |
| I forgot to mention what the crew that was awakened did
while John slept. The crew that got up when John went to
sleep emptied the vans, cleaned the vans, checked the
bikes, washed the water bottles, and made more liquid
food for the next day.
We used roughly 35 water bottles. 20 or so contained
liquid food and the remainder contained water and
EXCEED. It usually took Wayne about one and one half
hours a night to thoroughly wash the bottles and make
the food for the next day.
Scott
|
| 2001.55 | PPS on shifts | SHALOT::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Tue Aug 13 1991 20:25 | 13 |
|
Thanks for the description of shifts, Scott. I think the plan
Scott describes worked out best, but the crew always had to be
flexible. Also, you'll see that Cheryl's sleeptime was a bit
pinched, whether she was on 1st&3rd or 2nd shift, because she
always had to massage me while I slept.
The 20 bottles of nutrient was supposed to work out to 1 bottle
an hour, roughly. This is a *lot* of work, as Scott pointed out,
making up the bottles, and then making sure they were iced down
through the day.
-john
|
| 2001.56 | Team Ellis Primes | SHALOT::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Tue Aug 13 1991 21:07 | 42 |
|
Jennifer Wise of Ten Speed Spokes in Newport RI had gathered
an impressive array of primes for RAAM'91 - a first for RAAM.
Ok, well, I didn't get any.
However, two local Charlotte cyclists funded their own prime
series for our crew. Here are the ones we won (with actual
money behind them!):
- Six Hour Strut - awarded if Team Ellis finds their rider, on the
road and in one piece, within 6 hours of the starting gun.
- I Left My Ass In Anaheim - awarded if John crosses the California
state line in no more than 36 hours after the race begins.
- Fast Flat Team Prem - awarded each time the corrective action
for a flat tire is not greater than 30 seconds (bicycle) or
30 minutes (van).
- Day Three Team Prem - awarded if any crew member has given a
massage to any other crew member in the last 24 hours. If,
however, that massage would be judged illegal in the state of
North Carolina, the recipient must pay both the $15 AND all fines.
- Tabernacle Tackle - awarded if, while in Utah, John overtakes at
least one other RAAM competitor.
- Day Five Team Prem - awarded if, during the last 24 hours, a Team
Ellis crew member has told a totally tasteless joke in an effort to
keep up morale. This award increases to $15 if the joke involved
an animal (other than human), and $20 if an elephant joke was used.
- Pow-Wow Prem - awarded if, during the passage through the entire
state of New Mexico, Team Ellis does not raise its individual or
collective voice in anger to another crew member.
- Seventh Inning Stretch - awarded if John clocks at least 300 miles
on the 7th day. [I did 328 miles.]
- Lone Star Team Prem - awarded if any Team Ellis member, while in
the state of Texas, sees any of the qualifying sights: a Lone Star
beer advertisement; a Texas state flag; the first evening star.
|
| 2001.57 | | NOVA::FISHER | Rdb/VMS Dinosaur | Wed Aug 14 1991 08:54 | 3 |
| Well don't hold us in suspense. How many of the prem's were awarded?
:-)
|
| 2001.58 | | MOVIES::WIDDOWSON | Two pork pies and a Strawberry Yoghurt | Wed Aug 14 1991 09:01 | 1 |
| And how much was the fine (day 3 prem) ???????????? :-)
|
| 2001.59 | just the winners | SHALOT::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Wed Aug 14 1991 09:47 | 9 |
|
Ed, The prems I listed were the ones we won. There were others (e.g.,
for later in the route), and the crew chief has the descriptions
on those.
Rod, I don't want to cause any of the crew undue embarassment. Let's
just say, what NC doesn't know won't hurt them. :-)
-john
|
| 2001.60 | Scott's 1991 RAAM Diary (400+ lines) | LJOHUB::CRITZ | | Thu Aug 15 1991 10:43 | 447 |
|
RAAM '91 Diary
Scott Critz
Thursday, 25 July 1991, Boston, MA to Los Angeles, CA
I got to Logan Airport (Boston, MA) early to make sure there were no
snafus. My flight on Midway to Chicago left at 10:55 AM. I arrived
at Midway Airport in Chicago and spent two hours waiting for my
connecting flight to LAX.
The flight to LAX was four and one half hours. I read a little,
thought a little and impatiently waited to hit (not literally) Los
Angeles.
After arriving, I headed to building 1 to wait for Cheryl (massage
therapist), who arrived an hour later.
After meeting Cheryl, I called Toby, a UMCA member who let us crash at
his brother's place until Arno and Scooter arrived, some two and one
half hours later.
Toby's brother (Jim) and sister-in-law (Linda) have three young
daughters. I played with them while Cheryl checked out the sights on
a run to the beach.
While we waited for Arno and Scooter, Fernando arrived with the Dodge
van. We talked and ate some hot picante sauce and generally fit right
in.
After Arno and Scooter arrived, we got directions to Irvine (some 35
miles away), said our goodbyes, and hit the road with Arno driving and
me navigating (had to practice for RAAM, don't ya know?!).
We found Irvine, went to the Holiday Inn, and got Wayne to come down
and meet us. This was where the fun began. All of us were sure that
John had gotten three rooms, but Wayne only remembered 613 (which he
was in), and 712. Eventually, Wayne remembered that John had another
room on the sixth floor, room 605, so we all went down and woke John
up. That done, we returned to 613.
Arno decided that no one could sleep comfortably with me, so he said
that he and Scooter would sleep together. Cheryl told Wayne he could
sleep in the other bed in her room, so we all sacked out for the
night.
Friday, 26 July 1991, Irvine, CA
We all got up and ate the breakfast buffet.
While finishing work on the vehicles we had a team meeting around 10
AM (PST).
Page 2
Lon Haldeman and Susan Notorangelo were just across the lot from us.
Lon and Tom McKenna were going to try to set a transcontinental
record. Susan had their new baby with her.
At 2 PM, John Marino assembled all of us into one of the big
conference rooms at the Holiday Inn. He introduced all the
participants and spent some time going over questions and a few
last-minute changes.
Wayne and I walked a couple of blocks to the Arby's for some roast
beef.
Just before we sacked out, Wayne realized that he couldn't tighten the
front brake on the Green DeRosa. We had to remove the brake to put on
the mounting bracket for the headlight. John wanted to start on the
Green DeRosa, so this was not good news.
Arno and Scooter were real tired, so I took the empty bed in 605,
leaving them the two beds in 613.
Saturday, 27 July 1991, Irvine, CA to Blythe, CA
We got up around 6 AM. The race started at 9 AM California time (12
noon Georgia time; also official race time (RT)).
We got everything downstairs and started loading the vans. Wayne
decided to see if he could find a mechanic to fix the brake problem.
Luckily, he found a mechanic (part of the support contingent from
Trek) who fixed the problem shortly before the start of the race.
Lots of hoopla. Lots of "civilian" riders. Arno, Scooter and Pat
decided to pace John the first shift. Wayne, Cheryl and I headed to
the store for some supplies.
We decided to head to the first Time Station (TS) in Beaumont, CA.
After trying to follow the route for a time in Riverside and getting
lost, we decided to just head to Beaumont on the freeway.
We got to Beaumont before most of the other vehicles and decided to
just hang out and take it easy. More and more vehicles showed up
while we waited for the riders.
While eating a plum, Wayne started yelling, "I lost my tooth, I lost
my tooth." He has an upper plate that holds his two front teeth. So,
of course, he and I started dancing around, not wanting to step on his
darned tooth. After looking a few seconds, I said, "Look in the
plum." Sure enough, that's where his tooth was. He asked Debbie
Breaud's crew if they had any super glue; they didn't. So, since TS 1
was at a Circle K, Wayne went in, bought some super glue, and glued
his tooth back in. We appreciated that, since he looked even worse
without his two front teeth.
Soon, riders started coming through the time station. We kept looking
for John, but soon everyone was through except him. We, of course,
Page 3
wondered what had happened. Finally, around 8 PM (RT), John topped
the hill and came into view. We found out that he had gotten quite
sick and was very bloated.
Wayne, Pat and I started pacing John about 8:15 PM (RT). We passed
through Palm Springs headed for Blythe. The one thing that stood out
in my mind was the number of times John had to stop to pee. Of
course, that was better than being dehydrated, but he did have to stop
many times.
About 1:15 AM (RT) Sunday morning, we were on I10 heading toward
Blythe. John had just finished a fair climb when we came to a rest
area. We could see what looked like a RAAM crew and vehicles. John
rode through the rest area and was sorta flagged down by one of the
crew. We all went back and found out it was Dr. Tom Seabourne's
crew. The physician on the crew said that Tom had passed out about 3
hours previous at the top of the climb John had just finished. I
guess Tom was in the RV throwing up, etc. The physician and Pat
talked a couple of minutes and then we left. Some time later, Tom's
crew came screaming past in a van. I could only assume that they were
taking him to the hospital.
During one of John's pee breaks, Tom Fanning passed us. John
remounted the Green DeRosa, caught Tom, and talked with him for a
time. After dropping back to gauge Tom's speed, John passed him and
continued on down the road to the Comfort Inn in Blythe, CA. Shortly
after we arrived, Tom passed us.
Sunday, 28 July 1991, Blythe, CA to Prescott, AZ
Wayne, Pat and I arose, ate breakfast, and got ice before we headed 60
or so miles down the rode to make a crew change. The change occurred
around 2:30 PM (RT) [which seems a little late, but the time is
correct].
At 4:00 PM (RT), we stopped next to Joe Bolland's RV in Aguila, AZ.
Joe's crew said Joe was feeling like John had felt on the first day.
The temperature was around 110 to 112 degrees. John took a 1-hour
break in the van.
After the break, we headed towards Congress, AZ, and then a climb that
the route book says was "7.5 miles." John stopped, fell into Wayne's
arms, and began cramping everywhere. We stopped along side the road
for a major break. It was clear that John was low on electrolytes and
in need of some quickly. But, the EXCEED may have added to the
distress on Day 1. So, Scooter and I mixed a one-half-strength batch
of EXCEED. (EXCEED was the electrolyte replacement drink John used
during RAAM.)
While we were on the side of the road, Joe Bolland went by looking
pretty bad. We yelled and encouraged him as much as we could. Later,
Wayne and I drove towards Prescott without seeing Joe or his van, so
he musta started motoring once on top. We ate in Yarnell and headed
back down the hill.
Page 4
We got to the start of the climb, but no John and no van. We got out
and looked for a message of some kind, but no luck. We wondered for a
time if they had to take John to the hospital. We headed up the hill
and contacted Arno on the CB. Scooter remembered that a rider can
walk as long as s/he takes the bike. So, we came up the hill to see
John walking with the Green DeRosa.
Wayne and I went ahead, made motel reservations (in Prescott) from the
restaurant in Yarnell, and drove like the wind so we could get some
sleep. The road had a lot of climbing and a lot of switchbacks. We
finally got to Prescott where we checked in, showered, and sacked out.
Some three hours later, we awakened to Scooter pounding on our door.
John had made better time than we expected. Arno, Scooter and Cheryl
had been up a long time.
Monday, 29 July 1991, Prescott, AZ to Kayenta, AZ
Wayne and I got up, emptied and cleaned the vans, washed the bottles
and got things ready for an 8:00 AM (RT) start for John. Around 6:30
AM (RT), the tandem of Lon Haldeman and Tom McKenna went screaming by
the motel. They had only been on the road since Sunday morning and
were really moving. I yelled to Lon who yelled back and, in so doing,
awakened Tom, who had his helmet down on Lon's back. Wayne and I
found a gas station to fill the Vanagon with fuel for the morning
pace.
At 9:00 AM (RT), John was up and gone. He seemed to be doing much
better today. Nothing abnormal.
At 7:00 PM (RT), we were off pace and ahead of John, sitting on the
side of the road at the Wauneta Trading Post near Antelope Hills. Pat
went for a spin on her bike and Wayne and I tried to catch some Z's.
Luckily, the wind was blowing out of the west. Speed must have been
close to 40 MPH.
While at Wauneta Trading Post, we saw a male rider and his crew coming
down the road. So, we got on his side of the road and yelled and
screamed encouragement. The number on the van was 61. We went back
to our van and determined that 61 was Paul Solon's number. Wayne and
I wondered what the heck he was doing back here. We found out later
that he had had a horrific crash and had just gotten back on the bike.
He was hurt so bad that his crew had a hard time even looking at him.
We later heard that Solon said something like, "I've got all these
sponsors and people depending on me. I can't quit without a good
fight." RAAM later said that he rode 21 hours at an average speed of
18.8 MPH. Then he went into shock and had to be taken off the bike
and was out of the race for good.
The three of us headed up to Kayenta to get rooms and some sleep
before the other crew came in. Unfortunately, there were no rooms to
be had. Pat, Wayne and I sacked out in the Dodge van to wait for John
and the others. Some time before John arrived, I awoke to see the
tandem of Haldeman and McKenna take off from the motel we were
Page 5
sleeping in front of.
After they arrived, John washed off in a gas station restroom. We
drove across the street to a Burger King parking lot that was darker
and quieter (to some degree). Scooter popped the lid on the Vanagon.
Pat slept up top and John and Cheryl slept on the seat bed below.
Wayne and I (once again) went to sleep in the Dodge. Arno and Scooter
took care of the other chores and slept after we left with John.
When Wayne sacked out, he wrapped himself in a sleeping bag, although
it was still warm outside. I decided it was too hot for such things,
and just laid across the Dodge's front seats. Unfortunately for me,
the wind picked up and I woke up half frozen. Since the Dodge had
electric windows (down), I couldn't get them up without a key. I had
lost my key to the Dodge and Arno had the other one. I figured I'd
wake Wayne opening the door and all, so, for a time, I just lay there
and froze. Finally, I decided to get Arno no matter what. Wouldn't
you know, he was off some place using the facilities. He finally
returned and I closed the windows. When I opened the door (and turned
on the dome light), Wayne never even flinched. I guess sleep
deprivation is wonderful in some cases.
Tuesday, 30 July 1991, Kayenta, CO to Mancos, CO
All the crew pretty tired now. Nothing too bad, just less sleep than
we were used to, aggravated by no motel rooms.
As we were getting ready to leave, Mary Burns went by (Mary later
abandoned the race.) Herbert Meneweger (Austria, also later abandoned)
also passed us during the night. John passed both Mary and Herbert
shortly after leaving Kayenta.
Our shift was uneventful. John rode well and looked good. Around
3:00 PM (RT), Arno, Scooter and Cheryl caught up with us. They told
us that they had gotten a room for us back in Bluff, Utah, some 25
miles behind us. Wayne, Pat and I headed back for a shower and a few
hours of sleep. As things turned out, Pat and Wayne went to get
something to eat while I showered and napped. After returning, Pat
went for a ride while Wayne showered and napped.
Around 10:00 PM (RT), we caught John and made a crew change. Arno,
Scooter and Cheryl went ahead and got a couple of nice/cheap rooms to
stay in. Wayne and I stayed up and cleaned everything and made the
liquid food for the next day. We each got about an hour of sleep
before John got up.
Wednesday, 31 July 1991, Mancos, CO to Trinidad, CO
We started out at about 5:12 AM (RT). It was very cold. I was
wearing sweat pants, nylon jacket, and a ski hat. No problems and
John was riding fine. Wayne and I each caught a few winks in the back
seat of the Vanagon.
Page 6
Colorado is so beautiful.
Arno, Scooter and Cheryl relieved us around 10:00 AM (RT). We stopped
to eat breakfast, watch a car go by that was on fire, and climbed Wolf
Creek Pass, elevation 11,000 feet. Pat drove us 22 miles down the
other side of Wolf Creek Pass where we found a pretty, little park on
the side of the road. Very clean and grass that looked like it had
been manicured.
John rode by and the pace vehicle pulled into the park. We decided
where and when to change and all of us took off. Arno, Scooter and
Cheryl stayed with John and we went ahead to Monte Vista, CO, to a
Pizza Hut to eat.
John and the pace vehicle went by while we were still eating. We
finished eating, repassed them, and made a crew change in Alamosa. We
paced John up a climb and down the other side. Of this climb, the
route book says, "Trucks descend at 80 MPH." Pat was not happy to hear
this, since she was driving.
We got off 160 and headed to La Veta, a small town with few street
names. We stopped and asked a local where Oak Street was. We
followed the directions and headed toward Cuchara Pass, elevation
9,941 feet. It looked like John would get to climb this thing at
night. We passed Susan France outside of La Veta.
We paced John until 3:00 AM (RT). He climbed Cuchara Pass and also
made the descent. We had all the lights on plus I held a one-million
candlepower spotlight out the window. He rode 280 miles for the day.
Thursday, 1 August 1991, Trinidad, CO to Plainview, TX
We got up, ate breakfast, got ice, and changed crews at 10:30 AM (RT).
Arno told us that the officials were looking for our Confidential
Sleep Forms for John. Well, that was the first we had heard of any
forms that had to be filled out enroute.
During our shift, John passed Debbie Breaud, Cathy Ellis (no relation;
eventual female winner; from Cambridge, MA), and the Moores (husband
and wife team riding a tandem). John said he doesn't remember passing
Roger Mankus, although I have it in my notes.
Some time late Thursday afternoon, we changed crews. Wayne, Pat and I
went to the Budget Inn in Plainview, TX.
Friday, 2 August 1991, Plainview, TX to Abilene, TX
I knew something was amiss as soon as I woke up. It was getting to be
early morning and no one was beating down our door. I got up, drove
to the TS in Edmonson, outside of Plainview, and asked the fella there
if John had passed by. Not yet. So, being short of fuel, I headed
back to the motel. Wayne walked up and informed me that Arno had just
called to tell us where they were. We found a gas station, fueled the
Page 7
Dodge, and headed out past the TS. John was still riding. I, for
one, wasn't sure why they had left him on the bike all night. John
looked tired, plain and simple. Arno, Scooter and Cheryl didn't look
too good, either. Scooter and I got in a shouting match that ended
about as quickly as it started.
John finally got to the motel. He decided to clean up and get back on
the bike. We had to switch everything in the vans because there were
no headlights on the Vanagon. The switch had burned out. Scooter had
talked to the dealer in Lubbock, TX, 47 miles south, and was going to
drive there without sleep. I told him I would take him since I used
to live in Lubbock back in the early 1970s. Well, that made his day.
Wayne and Pat left with John, Scooter and I left for Lubbock, and Arno
and Cheryl went to bed. Wayne rented one room for one more day so
Arno and Cheryl could sleep uninterrupted.
Messer Ford (in Lubbock) did not have the switch. We called another
place, but, same story. A clever mechanic at Messer Ford wired the
thing so it would work. We told him we would be heading toward
Abilene where, he said, a dealer existed who might have the switch.
Scooter and I had lunch and headed back to Plainview.
John took a 90-minute nap on the side of the road.
We picked up Arno and Cheryl and headed back down the route. We made
a crew change of sorts and Wayne, Pat and I got 3 rooms (for the price
of 2) in Abilene, TX.
Saturday, 3 August 1991, Abilene, TX to Hillsboro, TX
The inbound crew picked John up ten and one half miles on the other
side of Roby and brought him in. Wayne, Pat and I got up, emptied
both vans, switched gear back to the original vans, and made the food
for the following day.
As we were traveling to the spot on the other side of Roby, a Texas
Department of Public Safety officer (Texas Highway Patrol) stopped us.
It seems we had no tail lights. We checked the fuses and then figured
that the mechanic had not wired them into our make-do switch. The
officer was real nice and said, "No problem; you've got all kinds of
lights. Just get it fixed." We thanked him and went on our way.
Our shift was uneventful. John was riding fine. At 9:00 AM (RT), we
made a crew change. Wayne and I drove back to Abilene in the Dodge to
find the VW dealer. Luckily, I had also lived in Abilene back in the
1970s. In fact, I got my BA degree from Abilene Christian University.
We found the dealer and a switch that looked identical but with a
different part number. Four fellas at the dealer agreed that it
should work.
Wayne and I caught up to John and the crew and tried the new switch.
It worked fine, so the Vanagon was fully operation again.
At 4:00 PM (RT), Wayne, Pat and I paced John once again.
Page 8
At about 6:30 PM (RT), we met up with John's parents and one of his
sisters at the TS in Stephenville, TX. We spent about 30 to 45
minutes talking, laughing, taking pictures and just relaxing. John
got back on the bike and headed towards Hillsboro, TX. Ten miles from
Hillsboro, we picked John up and took him to the motel. We awakened
Arno, Scooter and Cheryl and sacked out for the night.
Sunday, 4 August 1991, Hillsboro, TX to Tyler, TX
The weather was getting hot again with a lot of humidity. Around
10:00 AM or 11:00 AM, Wayne and I changed with the other four. Pat
had decided to ride with Arno, Scooter and Cheryl. Arno told us to
meet them at the DQ at checkpoint 486 (I believe).
We told John it was clear sailing for some miles and pulled over at
the DQ for a crew meeting. The upshot of the meeting:
1. John was 53 hours behind Bob Forney
2. John would not be an Official Finisher
3. Four crew members had to be back for work Wednesday night or
Thursday morning
4. Each day/night on the road was costing all of us money
Cheryl decided she would talk to John. We headed down the road and
found John stopped for a short break. Cheryl and John got in the van
and talked for 45 minutes to an hour.
The race was over just east of Tyler, TX.
|
| 2001.61 | number junkie needs MORE :-) | SUSHI::KMACDONALD | sushi: not just for breakfast! | Thu Aug 15 1991 11:35 | 4 |
| Perhaps I missed it, but what was the mileage / time / time-on-bike stats
to Tyler for our hero? Also, the total mileage of the RAAM would be handy.
ken
|
| 2001.62 | | LJOHUB::CRITZ | | Thu Aug 15 1991 12:14 | 5 |
| John's write up says he covered 1949 miles (Tyler, TX).
RAAM was 2930 miles from Irvine, CA to Savannah, GA.
Scott
|
| 2001.63 | off-bike time (OBT) | SHALOT::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Thu Aug 15 1991 14:31 | 19 |
|
That would be 8 days, 2 hours for the 1949 miles, roughly.
Our log should be able to give an idea of how much nighttime
off the bike (sleep & motel transition), plus any non-trivial
off-bike time during the day. (The ones that come to mind are:
- the rendezvous at the park at mile 26 where
the kick-off riders were left behind;
- the pause for stomach problems later on day 1;
- the pause for muscle cramps at Yarnell on day 2;
- the � hour at the Stephenville checkpoint with my folks.
Scott or I may try to tote up all of this, plus others I can
remember. This will be educational.
-john
|
| 2001.64 | | LJOHUB::CRITZ | | Thu Aug 15 1991 15:49 | 8 |
| On another tangent, next time I do RAAM, and I expect
to crew again, I'm gonna take a camcorder. Not to tape
the whole thing, of course, but just to get the flavor
of various points in the race.
Most of us had 35 mm cameras this time, too.
Scott
|
| 2001.65 | LA Times - 8/18/91 | NEWPRT::NEWELL_JO | Jodi Newell - Irvine, California | Thu Aug 22 1991 02:02 | 41 |
| *************************************************************
"Their goal is simple: To make it across
2,900 miles of hell. If they survive, they
vow 'never again.' But each year, they
come back for more. Why?
They're Beyond the Point of No Return
LA Times - Sunday
August 18, 1991
*************************************************************
This was the headline in last Sunday's LA Times
View section. The article tells about the emotions
of the race, the fatigue and the pain.
It talks about Solon's terrible crash 100 miles out
and his determination to continue. The doctors found
the following: A torn shoulder muscle. Whiplash. Cuts
on his buttocks, hips, elbows, arms, back and shoulder.
A sprained left ankle. A loose bone chip in his left
ankle joint. A sprained right knee. 791 miles out, he
quits because of circulatory problems.
It tells of Born's previous attempt at RAAM and his
need to hear Sam Kinison tapes while riding the Arizona
desert at night.
Of course Fourney, eventual winner, is mentioned and Kish
and Mancus, who drops out at Stevenville, Tx, citing a
"lack of scenery".
In Athens, John Lee Ellis quit. Logistics, his team reported
to the race officials, without further explaination.
*************************************************************
John...I will send the entire LA Times article to you if you'd like.
Jodi-
(who_lives_in_Irvine_&_wishes_she_had_been_there_to_see_you_off)
|
| 2001.66 | | SPCTRM::CRITZ | | Mon Aug 26 1991 09:51 | 25 |
| Maybe some are wondering what was spent for RAAM '91.
Well, John's doing PBP and I'm not sure he has all the
figures yet and wants to make them public, but here's
what I spent:
Total: $1258.36 approximately
$ 260.00 June trip to Charlotte for crew practice
287.50 Flight to Irvine from Boston
178.00 Flight to Boston from Charlotte
258.31 Motels (We averaged this later)
54.55 Headlight switch/repair for VW
--------
$1038.36 Subtotal
400.00 Cash I carried with me
--------
$1438.36 Total
-180.00 (Cash from John to me)
-------
$1258.36 Grand Total I spent for RAAM 1991
We'll be back, and wiser for the experience.
Scott
|
| 2001.67 | Too much money, too little sense | BHUNA::GGOODMAN | Number 1 in a field of 1 | Mon Aug 26 1991 12:46 | 11 |
| > $1258.36 Grand Total I spent for RAAM 1991
>
> We'll be back, and wiser for the experience.
>
> Scott
I take it that means your expecting a big pay rise this year. A lotta
dosh for a summer jaunt round the States.
Graham.
|
| 2001.68 | | LJOHUB::CRITZ | | Mon Aug 26 1991 13:54 | 11 |
| Graham,
Well, John didn't have any real sponsorship, at least, not
a lot of money, so we agreed to bite the bullet and do it
this way. Of course, I spent more on the practice weekend
because I wasn't in Charlotte.
All in all, I'd do it again under the same conditions w/o
much nagging.
Scott
|
| 2001.69 | no doshing here. | NOVA::FISHER | Rdb/VMS Dinosaur | Mon Aug 26 1991 14:03 | 4 |
| One might dosh in Scotland where teh two seasons are winter and June
21, but one does not dosh in the U. S. of A..
ed
|
| 2001.70 | Gi's a bottle o' yer ginger, missus. | PAKORA::GGOODMAN | Number 1 in a field of 1 | Tue Aug 27 1991 06:17 | 29 |
|
Ed,
Let me explain a little about Scottish expressions. It has been
said that there are 2 English languages, English and American. Well,
wrong! There's three! Scotland, forever trying to forget that it's
linked with England, have created there own language so that they can
talk about the English without them knowing what we're saying. I always
try to avoid my native tongue in Notes in respect to your ignorance
over my great tradition, but occasionaly I slip into the odd
Scottishism. Don't know what it means in America, but here dosh is
money. A few more for future reference.
Ba' (pronounced "baw") Ball
Ken Know
Help ma' boab Goodness Gracious!
Haggis Small furry animal
Kilt Designer clothing
Pathetic Scottish football squad
Sassanach, Scumbag, Idiot English
Now let's all repeat after me
'It's a braw bricht moonlicht nicht the nicht'.
McGraham.
|
| 2001.71 | :-) | NOVA::FISHER | Rdb/VMS Dinosaur | Tue Aug 27 1991 09:19 | 7 |
| Wahl, shiver me timbers...
With all those successful secession movements underway in Europe
perhaps ye shuld git movin', if you're fast enough you might get
the Crown to recognize you before they know who you are.
ed
|
| 2001.72 | O'er the sea to Skye... | KURMA::GGOODMAN | Number 1 in a field of 1 | Tue Aug 27 1991 11:47 | 13 |
|
What do you mean get the Crown to recognise us? It's our Crown, the
English pinched it off of us in 1602. And we want it back now coz we're
not playing anymore.
FYI. The title of my last reply (.70) loosly translates as
"Excuse me miss, may I purchase a bottle of you're fine lemonade".
Looses a bit in translation though.
Graham.
|
| 2001.73 | in a digressive mood today ... | BOOKS::BAILEYB | Let my inspiration flow ... | Tue Aug 27 1991 12:54 | 18 |
| 1602 !!?? Oh my, and I thought my southern cousins held a grudge a
long time ... they're still upset about losing the American Civil War.
Anyway, you have a lot in common with my Tennessee relatives, it seems.
Perhaps it's because so many of them trace their roots back to Scotland
or Ireland. But you know there are many more than just two (or three)
versions of the "English" language. For example, in Tennessee they use
the following phrases ...
fur piece ... a long way
el I be ... an expression of surprise
gitchais gone ... you'd better leave
sebmup ... a popular lemon/lime soft drink
whop ... anyone who was born north of the Mason/Dixon line
Who knows, perhaps we're distant relatives ... ;^)
... Bob
|
| 2001.74 | | FSDB00::BRANAM | Waiting for Personnel... | Wed Aug 28 1991 13:26 | 3 |
| haggis = small furry animal? I thought it was sheep guts and stuff.
'S a braw moot gis, laddie! (fake Scottish)
|
| 2001.75 | Haggis hunting | BHUNA::GGOODMAN | Number 1 in a field of 1 | Thu Aug 29 1991 08:23 | 16 |
|
Never heard of that great Scottish sport, haggis hunting. Very
popular tourist attraction. They're small furry animals with legs
shorter on one side than the other so that they can run around hills
easier. That's how you can tell the sex of them, depends what side's got
the short legs.
Another one for the Scottish/English dictionary:-
Eejit Idiot/Dan Quayle
Life's unanswered question number 41, "Who's going to be the next
person to put something in here about the RAAM."
Graham.
|
| 2001.76 | Eh Jimmy | SIOG::OSULLIVAN | One Rainbow jersey, please | Thu Aug 29 1991 08:38 | 11 |
| Graham
How about the famous
Gisa cop a coffee, Jimmy............ When you have a moment, Waiter, I
would like a light refreshment.
Why is everyone called Jimmy ?
John
|
| 2001.77 | That's Sir Jimmy to you! | MASALA::GGOODMAN | Number 1 in a field of 1 | Thu Aug 29 1991 09:00 | 8 |
|
>> Why is everyone called Jimmy ?
In a Glasgow street brawl it's a helluva lot easier to grunt than
Bartholomew Poncingly-Smythe :*)
Graham.
|
| 2001.78 | Let's have less of the stereotypes, puhleeze! | RUTILE::MACFADYEN | Last kid on the block | Thu Aug 29 1991 10:08 | 5 |
| You'd never guess from this file that Glasgow was "European City of
Culture" last year. (Barcelona this year.)
Rod
|
| 2001.79 | culture vultures | GALVIA::STEPHENS | Green Eggs and Ham | Thu Aug 29 1991 15:37 | 5 |
| > You'd never guess from this file that Glasgow was "European City of
> Culture" last year. (Barcelona this year.)
Well, excuse me! The current European City of Culture is dear old dirty
Dublin. Not that you'd notice.
|
| 2001.80 | | RUTILE::MACFADYEN | Last kid on the block | Fri Aug 30 1991 03:48 | 3 |
| You're excused, and I hope I am too. My apologies.
|
| 2001.81 | | LJOHUB::CRITZ | | Tue Sep 03 1991 13:57 | 20 |
| Well, back to RAAM.
O'Grady's latest cartoon (VeloNews Volume 20, Number 14),
shows a wide-eyed cyclist with the caption "What Really
Goes on in a RAAM Rider's Head."
X-ray view into the rider's brain shows a cyclist in a
barrel of lactic acid hitting himself over the head with
a large mallet. I assume this has something to do with the
idea of "it feels so good when I stop."
Five thought circles:
1) I think I'll go for a ride afterward
2) Oboy! Another saddle sore
3) Ha! Ha! Ha! I love it (goes with mallet/head above)
4) More miles! This race is too #@&%* short
5) Sleep is for pansies
Scott
|
| 2001.82 | Are you chicken or what? | PAKORA::GGOODMAN | Number 1 in a field of 1 | Tue Oct 08 1991 17:54 | 10 |
|
Just had a thought (yeah, I know, miracles etc...). John, when are
you going to make an attempt on the Lands End to John O' Groats record?
It's only 2 days solid riding (900 milesish) so after RAAM, it'll be a
doddle.
How's about it?
Graham.
|
| 2001.83 | already scouted out | SHALOT::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Wed Oct 09 1991 11:29 | 9 |
|
Well, Graham, I'll have you know I did a leisurely (200km/day) jaunt
from Lands End to John O'Groats in July, 1987. It only took me 10
days (1100 miles or something like that), as I detoured down Hadrian's
Wall almost as far as Newcastle before finding a way through. :-)
As far as a record, well it's a temptation, isn't it! :-)
-john
|
| 2001.84 | We'll get you a crew | PAKORA::GGOODMAN | Number 1 in a field of 1 | Wed Oct 09 1991 20:31 | 12 |
|
>> as I detoured down Hadrian's
>> Wall almost as far as Newcastle before finding a way through. :-)
That's the English trying to keep the Scottish out.
>> As far as a record, well it's a temptation, isn't it! :-)
Yeah, and you've got to give us the chance to see you in action.
Graham.
|
| 2001.85 | Story in Winning | KURMA::GGOODMAN | Number 1 in a field of 1 | Thu Oct 31 1991 06:20 | 8 |
|
There's coverage of this year's RAAM in this month's edition of
Winning. Good picture of a rider going along a long, straight, deserted
road at dawn. I felt that it really described the long distance time
triallists plight perfectly.
Graham.
|
| 2001.86 | TALK ABOUT BAD LUCK! | WMOIS::GIROUARD_C | | Thu Oct 31 1991 07:26 | 11 |
| An acquaintance of mine - Joe Bolan rode the RAMM. He started out
with a case of pneumonia! He went about a thousand mile until he
had to drop.
Last year he qualified too. A month before the start he got hit by a
car and broke his leg (and his Specialized Epic Allez too!)
This guy is a major monster (does 27 minute runs at our TT), but has
the luck of the Kennedy family.
Chip
|
| 2001.87 | | LJOHUB::CRITZ | | Thu Oct 31 1991 09:46 | 16 |
| Chip,
John and the crew spent some time in Aguila, AZ, just down
the road from Joe Bolan. After we got past Congress, AZ,
(when John cramped up) Joe passed us heading to Yarnell
and then on to Prescott.
Wayne and I went up to eat and decided to see if we could
catch Joe (we were in a van). We drove 15 miles toward
Prescott before we decided he was gone.
We both agreed that, once he finished the climb to Yarnell,
he really started to motor. Unfortunately, when he passed
us, he looked pretty bad.
Scott
|
| 2001.88 | nice guy | SHALOT::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Fri Nov 01 1991 10:24 | 7 |
|
Joe not only seemed like an excellent cyclist, but a friendly guy
and good natured. We talked a bit during the yellow-flag early miles,
and once he had to drop out (pneumonia), he and his crew cheered us
on when we would pass them on occasion (e.g., at fast food places).
-john
|
| 2001.89 | just plain fast! | USMRM5::MREID | | Fri Nov 01 1991 12:52 | 18 |
| Hmmm ... Joe Bolan, yes I remember him from the Rt 140 12 mi TT
in Gardner,MA a couple years ago.
Interesting that not only is he a superb distance cyclist, but
he must also be one of the fastest (12mi) TT'ers around if Chip
is correct that he does the 12 mi in 27 minutes!
Another local guy, Ed Kross from Framingham,MA, is an exceptional
TT'er, and I think he placed second in the Minuteman Road Club
(Marlboro,MA) 9.6 mi TT, and top 5 of Concord,MA TT. Ed has
also been doing some distance work, and a month ago finished 1st
overall in a 500+ mile RAAM qualifier under cold/windy conditions.
Interesting that these couple guys are not only great distance riders,
but also among the fastest short TT riders!
Regards,
Mark
|
| 2001.90 | RTTC - Really Tedious Trunk-road Cycling | PAKORA::GGOODMAN | Number 1 in a field of 1 | Sat Nov 02 1991 02:46 | 7 |
|
Re.89
You'd better watch out! With all this TTing in America you could
almost get mistaken for Britain...
Graham.
|
| 2001.91 | QUICK IN EVERYTHING... | WMOIS::GIROUARD_C | | Mon Nov 04 1991 07:01 | 7 |
| Mark, he is quick... He's one of those guys that seems to be just
good all-round. I dug his times from last year... 1990's fastest
time was 27.20 and 1989 was a 27.29... He was transferred this past
year so didn't ride this summer at the TT... BTW, Joe has 56 up
front! It looked like a manhole cover with teeth...
Chip
|
| 2001.92 | Grab your mukluks and let's go | LJOHUB::CRITZ | | Tue Nov 19 1991 14:03 | 5 |
| Switched to the Weather Channel the other day just in time
to see that Wolf Creek Pass had gottne 18 inches of snow
that day.
Scott
|
| 2001.93 | forget the mukluks | ALEXI::MANDRACCIA | | Tue Nov 19 1991 19:02 | 4 |
|
Forget the mukluks and grab your skiis. Wolfcreek ski area
is reporting a 50 to 70 inch base and it's not even Thanksgiving
yet.
|
| 2001.94 | | LJOHUB::CRITZ | | Wed Nov 20 1991 08:54 | 10 |
| Hey, I think I found something that John Lee can't
do with his DeRosa, at least not with Wolf Creek Pass
in its current configuration.
When we crossed the pass during RAAM (end of July,
beginning of August), it was real cold then. I guess
that's one of the reasons RAAM is run during the
dead of summer.
Scott
|
| 2001.95 | | SHALOT::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Wed Nov 20 1991 12:37 | 5 |
|
*I* didn't think it was real cold. I was actually sweating,
kind of, climbing Wolf Creek. :-)
-john
|
| 2001.96 | brrrrr | NOVA::FISHER | Rdb/VMS Dinosaur | Thu Nov 21 1991 07:41 | 4 |
| Yes, the tandem trans-con record attempts have gone in May when
the Colorado passes where quite cold.
ed
|
| 2001.97 | Greg's Diplomacy | KIRKTN::GGOODMAN | Number 1 in a field of 1 | Sat Nov 30 1991 07:46 | 11 |
|
I've just finished reading Samuel Abt's biography on Greg LeMond
(yeah, I know, totaly out of character...) and, John, you'll be glad to
know that he gives the RAAM some recognition.
" ... and he rode the RAAM which can be kinda tough."
Kinda tough? I'd take that as a insult...
Graham.
|
| 2001.98 | a contrasting viewpoint | 34223::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Tue Dec 03 1991 10:05 | 14 |
|
Well, Graham, guess that only confirms Greg's reputation for
lightheartedness... :-)
Quote from a letter received yesterday:
"RAAM is the most exciting and physically and mentally challenging
sporting event on the face of this planet..."
- Randy Ice, P.T., C.P.S.
Clearly not a totally unbiassed source, but he's not a RAAM competitor,
either. (Randy is a physical therapist and sports physiologist who has
made a side-line career of studying RAAM-competitors for the last decade.)
|
| 2001.99 | Mentally challenged to do it ? | MOVIES::PAXTON | Alan Paxton, VMS Engineering Ecosse | Tue Dec 03 1991 10:45 | 8 |
| I can't resist. RE .98, what conclusions does he draw about the
physical state of RAAM competitors long term ? Enough has been said
about their mental state :-)
Really, I'm in no state to scoff, considering what an hour's aerobics
yesterday did to me. A tad more training to go yet awhile, methinks.
---Alan (puff pant wheeze ache stumble)
|
| 2001.100 | stats from Randy Ice | SHALOT::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Tue Dec 03 1991 14:01 | 27 |
|
Here's a sampling of what Randy had to say:
" 1991 BODY COMPOSITION RESULTS
WOMEN (N=3) PRE-RAAM (N=2) POST-RAAM
Bodyweight 140 � 7.6 lbs. 133.5 � 6
%Bodyfat 22.3 � 3.6 % 12.7 � 1.5
Lean Body Mass 108.5 � 5.4 lbs 116.5 � 1.9
Body Water 34.8 � .5 Liters 39.7 � 4.2
MEN (N=25) PRE-RAAM (N=12) POST-RAAM (JLE)
Bodyweight 172 � 20 lbs. 166 � 23 131.5 lbs.
%Bodyfat 10.3 � 4.3 % 6.1 � 1.5 7.9 %
Lean Body Mass 155.9 � 5.5 lbs 155.8 � 2.5 120.5 lbs.
Body Water 52.6 � 7.8 Liters 59.3 � 10.4 41.2 L
Average Age 34.4 � 5 years 38.8 years
"Basically, we found some interesting trands toward improvement in lung
and airway function amongst the 9 RAAM riders who completed both before
and after studies. ... The bodyfat and lean body mass changes were fairly
typical from what I've seen in prior years. You should be looking at your
before and after results to see whether you had more or less change than
the group average as this will give information as to how effective your
nutrition program was. (The smaller the change the better.)"
|
| 2001.101 | behind Randy's stats | SHALOT::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Wed Dec 04 1991 08:32 | 35 |
| To summarize the summary:
- Successful [RAAM] riders lose very little body weight
over the course of RAAM - this is due to an effective
nutrition scheme (usually almost exclusively liquid).
- Riders, the women especially, do tend to become leaner.
(Women have higher percentage of body-fat to begin with.)
This was probably most pronounced in Cathy Ellis, the
women's winner of RAAM'91.
- Pulmonary functions show a slight improvement (though
not statistically significant with the present body of data).
This doesn't count, of course, the riders who succumb to
pneumonia (a small percentage each RAAM, including Joe Bolen
this year). I guess I'm mildly surprised at that, given all
the cool air (desert nights) and then steamy air (the South)
you are inhaling for 8-12 days.
My own pulmonary function, as tested by Randy prior to the RAAM,
was well below average in one respect: exhalation volume (FEV1).
A recent full battery of tests in Charlotte confirmed that, but
it's unclear what effect that has on sub-sprint efforts. Then
again, Cathy Ellis has true asthma conditions, which definitely
could impede performance, and yet with the proper care & treatment,
she certainly did all right in this event. :-)
You may have noticed that I'm on the low end of weight and % fat
(and high range of age?) for male RAAM riders, who in turn are
well below the average for normal (:-)) males. I don't think this
is as significant as it sounds, however. As Ed F. will testify,
I have been known to ingest plenty of fat (salami/pb sandwiches
for example), and there is certainly room for improvement!
-john
|
| 2001.102 | | LJOHUB::CRITZ | | Wed Dec 04 1991 10:48 | 10 |
| John,
Regarding Cathy Ellis and asthma...
Is that why, during RAAM, she was wearing some sorta mask?
It covered both nose and mouth. I thought (at first) that
it was due to the temperature, but later realized that
the temperature probably wasn't the cause.
Scott
|
| 2001.103 | important | SHALOT::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Wed Dec 04 1991 11:24 | 7 |
|
Scott, as I recall, Cathy felt the mask was important for her if not
absolutely essential. She used a kind of foam-material mask.
It was for warming up air before it got breathed - this being helpful
especially during the nights in the desert and in the mountains.
-john
|
| 2001.104 | On the telly | MOVIES::PAXTON | Ali Baba (TM) was a marketeer | Thu May 07 1992 14:13 | 14 |
| Channel 4 (in the UK) is going to be showing a
documentary on RAAM (presumably '91) in a week or two. They're
running a series entitled "Adventure", or somesuch.
A trailer
showed someone riding through achingly bright desert sunlight
_with aero-bars and a disc wheel_ . Presumably he needed them to
counteract the weight and drag of his beard :-)
If we're lucky it might be a full hour of programme. And those of
us who haven't had the pleasure yet will get to see John Ellis.
More details if I discover them before the show. Now don't I recall
John mentioning this film in a long-ago note ?
---Alan
|
| 2001.105 | RAAM TV times | BROKE::NALE | Sue Nale Mildrum | Thu May 07 1992 14:50 | 9 |
| Well, since Scott beat me to the Tour DuPont coverage %^) I'll add
the RAAM coverage that was listed in VeloNews: (BTW this is for the US)
May 30: 1991 RAAM, Discovery Channel. 11pm - 12am
May 31: " " " " 7pm - 8pm
I presume they're the same show, but I don't know for sure.
Sue
|
| 2001.106 | C4 documentary on RAAM '91 | GALVIA::STEPHENS | Hills are just flats at an angle | Mon May 18 1992 06:34 | 8 |
| Channel 4 (UK) showed their RAAM '91 documentary last Saturday night. Entitled
"The Great American Bike Race", 1 hour long, it concentrated on just a few
riders (to the practical exclusion of all others) -- Bob Fourney, Rob Kish,
Loren Godshall, Steve Born and Debbie Breaud.
I think it was Kish who went the first 48 hours without sleep. Phew.
Patrick
|
| 2001.107 | | MOVIES::WIDDOWSON | Its (IO$_ACCESS|IO$M_ACCESS) VMS | Mon May 18 1992 07:02 | 3 |
| ... and the credits say that it is a joint Yorkshire/Discovery
production. I looked but I couldn't see John, but I'll go over it
again in slow motion..
|
| 2001.108 | anticipation mounts | SHALOT::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Mon May 18 1992 08:24 | 15 |
|
I'm keen to see the broadcast... well, half keen. :-) I don't think
they shot me except perhaps in a group scene. I did see the film crews
covering Debbie Breaud (who came in second) and talked with them.
"The Great American Bike Race" was the name given to the progenitor of
RAAM, run in 1980 I believe, with Marino, Haldeman, and Shermer (I think).
It was sponsored by the Great American Cookie Company. So this was an
apt name for the RAAM documentary.
-john
PS: I'll also be curious. I played ABC Television's coverage of RAAM'85
as indoctrination for my crew and myself, multiple times. It certainly
was sobering.
|
| 2001.109 | | LJOHUB::CRITZ | | Mon May 18 1992 09:27 | 7 |
| The US broadcast of last year's race will be on the Discovery
channel twice:
30 May 11 PM - 12 PM
31 May 7 PM - 8 PM
Scott
|
| 2001.110 | Clean cut or bearded and hairy? | GALVIA::STEPHENS | Hills are just flats at an angle | Mon May 18 1992 10:29 | 12 |
| > I'm keen to see the broadcast... well, half keen. :-) I don't think
> they shot me except perhaps in a group scene. I did see the film crews
> covering Debbie Breaud (who came in second) and talked with them.
They seemed to have most of the competitors in a group scene at the beginning,
but they only show the featured competitors from there on (except for one poor
chap who got seperated from his crew and dropped out after only 100 miles
with severe dehydration.)
So how do we identify you, John?
Patrick
|
| 2001.111 | Last year was "the 10th" | NOVA::FISHER | Rdb/VMS Dinosaur | Mon May 18 1992 10:57 | 6 |
| GABR was '82. The name was trademarked by a fellow who refused to
let Haldeman and Co. use the name, so they made up RAAM.
Interesting that UK TV used the name.
ed
|
| 2001.112 | visual characteristics | SHALOT::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Mon May 18 1992 11:18 | 10 |
| > So how can we identify you, John?
Bearded face, shaved legs. :-)
At the start, I wore a white jersey with pink lettering (my UMCA
NPC jersey) and white shorts. Later in the day I changed to a
fuchsia (sp?) jersey. Green De Rosa or white Kestrel. White
Time helmet.
-john
|
| 2001.113 | :-) | NOVA::FISHER | Rdb/VMS Dinosaur | Mon May 18 1992 12:39 | 1 |
| ... suspension eyewear ...
|
| 2001.114 | | LJOHUB::CRITZ | | Mon May 18 1992 14:12 | 3 |
| ...stripes...
Scott 8-)>
|
| 2001.115 | :-) | SHALOT::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Mon May 18 1992 15:57 | 4 |
|
... and don't forget the aerodynamic seatpost!
-john
|
| 2001.116 | :-) | NOVA::FISHER | Rdb/VMS Dinosaur | Tue May 19 1992 06:18 | 6 |
| That's it. In '84 and '86 Penseyres shaved his arms AND legs
and trimmed his beard.
Next time, remember the arms!
ed
|
| 2001.117 | shaving & RAAM | SHALOT::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Tue May 19 1992 08:55 | 10 |
|
My mistake was in shaving leg areas covered by the shorts.
(I did this for ease of massage, but it meant when the stubble
started, it played havok against the fabric.)
I thought about facial shaving during RAAM. Think of the extra
seconds each "morning" (after-sleep-period) needed to shave off that
"4am shadow." :-)
-john
|
| 2001.118 | Sleep deprivation | PAKORA::GGOODMAN | Born Victim | Thu May 28 1992 08:16 | 39 |
|
John,
What were your symptoms of sleep deprivation. Reading an article on
RAAM written by Mike Shermer, he decribes his worst symptoms. These to me
are far too funny to keep to myself, so in the time-honoured tradition of
article stealing, I have posted the section from a Cycling Plus article on
the Race Across America.
"It's the sleep deprivation that really gets to you. Barring accidents
and a basic lack of aptitude for the challenge itself, it's the main reason
that people drop out. And it doesn't just demolish your body - it breaks down
the wall between reality and fantasy so much that you end up hallucinating.
In the 1982 race, I was riding long sleepless stretches to catch up with Lon
Haldeman who'd ridden non-stop through the first night. The hallucinations
began with minor stuff - bushes that looked like animals, mailboxes that
looked like people. When I started waving at the mailbox people - and they
waved back - I knew I was in trouble. But this was nothing compared to a year
later. I'd ridden 1,259 miles from Santa Monica to just shy of Haigler,
Nebraska before my first sleep break. That's 83 hours of total sleep
deprivation. When I pulled up into the outskirts of Haigler I went down for a
45 minute kip and woke up in the middle of an extremely elaborate dream.
For the next hour I was convinced that my entire crew were aliens from
another planet who were out to kill me by running me over. It was like
something out of 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' - these aliens were so
clever they even looked, dressed and spoke like my crew, insisting I get on
the bike and carry on down the highway. I wasn't going to be conned into such
a death-defying act, so I made excuses to go back into the motorhome. I even
began quizzing the crew members about race details that I knew even the best-
informed alien wouldn't have a clue about. I asked my mechanic if he'd glued
on my tires with spaghetti sauce. He said no, he'd used Clement (trick
question - Clement glue is also red) and I can remember thinking how
impressed I was that he'd done his homework so well. the crew finally bedded
me down for another 90 minutes and I woke up a bit more rested and ready to
ride. To this day I've never forgotten how vivid that dream was."
Graham.
|
| 2001.119 | my journey in dreamland | SHALOT::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Thu May 28 1992 09:32 | 66 |
|
Graham,
That's the best account I've seen Michael Shermer and The Aliens. :-)
(It *should* be a good account, coming from Michael himself.)
I would agree that sleep deprivation is the number 1 obstacle in
RAAM - certainly it was for me. To some extent, the other big
obstacles - joint (knee, neck, back) problems, saddle sores,
dehydration and undernourishment, heat exhaustion, and, let's see,
headwinds - can be mastered or avoided with technology, planning,
and prudence.
Lon Haldeman and others have found several strategies that help.
One thing is nutrition and hydration. Most RAAM riders (certainly
those in contention) are on liquid diets. And most crews monitor
their riders' nutrition and fluid intakes meticulously now. A far
cry from the early years when Lon's fuel-of-choice was Spaghetti-O's. :-)
It turns out that hallucinations and mental disorientation have largely
disappeared as a result of the liquid regimen.
The other thing is biorhythms - studies indicate that most humans have
a 90-minute sleep cycle, and *some* riders such as Pete Penseyres have
gone with 90-minute sleep breaks as a result, or make the crew monitor
REM-sleep - it turns out that 2 hours' sleep interrupted in REM is
worth far less than 90 minutes, say, interrupted in light sleep.
Now for me. Well, I would usually sleep 3 hours at a stint, once per
day, later on with short catnaps in the heat of the day. Someone like
Scott Critz can verify this - I was asleep at the time, after all!
This was on the theory that more sleep => more speed (up to a point).
Nancy Raposo slept an unheard-of 4 hours per night, on a rigid schedule,
in 1990, and was faster than her 1988 crossing (and she won RAAM'90
Feminin). Sue Noterangelo also believes in a rigid sleep schedule.
The worst times for me were 2am-4am (a metabolic low, plus lack of
sensory stimulation from hours of riding in darkness) and midday
in the heat and harsh light. This is pretty typical, I think.
One evening in the Panhandle, after battling headwinds for hours
(day and on into night) I overextended myself and ended up with
1 hour of sleep just before dawn. Morning started out fine.
But on a long, straight stretch of US-70 (during a brief period with no
pace vehicle) I once opened my eyes to find myself on the wrong
side of the dual carriageway (I had swerved into the opposing lanes)
- fortunately a lightly-travelled road!
Later on, just after midday, the heat was starting to get to me.
I sat down for a moment in the pace van. My friend Pat handed me
a soda and suggested a nap. With the soda in my hand, seated upright,
while protesting I wasn't sleepy, I dozed off. Thereupon she found
me a shade tree for an hour's nap. :-)
Finally, as I headed into East Texas, roads really became flat and
straight, plus the humidity mounted. (It had been arid up to this
point.) I don't know how much time I lost in short breaks just
standing by the bike for a minute to wake up. This is just not
something you can control very well, once drowsiness hits.
But, no hallucinations, I'm afraid. Scott and Wayne kept the
aliens in the back of the van from making too much noise and
disturbing me, although I never could get over their uncanny
resemblance to a gaggle of water bottles!
-john
|
| 2001.120 | | LJOHUB::CRITZ | | Mon Jun 01 1992 09:49 | 33 |
|
I taped the coverage of RAAM '91 Saturday night. The
photographers focused on about 5 riders:
Debbie Breaud
Bob Fourney
Rob Kish
Loren Godshall
Steve Born
I caught sight of John Ellis after the name "Great American
Bike Race" comes on the screen. You see riders pedaling up
a hill. John is in the very last frame, on the left of the
screen, in the white Time helmet with a hot pink jersey and
and white shorts. He has a beard and is wearing sunglasses.
The rider that is laying on the road cramping up is Tom
Seabourne. He musta been there a long time because we passed
him after dark (in the film it looks like the late afternoon).
I'm a little upset by the lack of coverage of other women. I
mean, there were only four to begin with and Mary Burns dropped
out around the halfway mark. So, they had Cathy Ellis and Debbie
as 1-2. When they realized Debbie wasn't going to win, why didn't
they drive up to the finish and catch Cathy coming in? They
only referred to Cathy once, and Debbied mentioned her a couple
of times. Other than that, you'd have thought she never existed.
Kinda one-sided coverage for the women if you ask me.
Anyway, not too bad.
Scott
|
| 2001.121 | At least I got one shot of the jerseys I silkscreened [:-)] | NOVA::FISHER | Rdb/VMS Dinosaur | Mon Jun 01 1992 11:36 | 8 |
| I thought the overall coverage was pretty bad. Both in just
covering 1 woman and in covering only 4 out of 20+ men. There
was a camera at the finish most of the time, they could have
caught more of the finishers, including Cathy.
What they probably succeeded at was staying within budget.
ed
|
| 2001.122 | Ware is Ed Kross | PIPPER::NORTON | | Tue Jun 02 1992 10:49 | 4 |
| what Happen to Ed Kross, Does anybody have any info.
Mike
|
| 2001.123 | the show was about RAAM '91 | NOVA::FISHER | Rdb/VMS Dinosaur | Tue Jun 02 1992 11:18 | 5 |
| As I recall, Ed Kross isn't racing till this year.
:-)
ed
|
| 2001.124 | cp. RAAM'85 and ABC | SHALOT::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Tue Jun 02 1992 11:19 | 23 |
|
RE: .-2 and .-3 (Channel 4 coverage)
I have to withold final judgment 'til seeing the film myself,
but it's interesting to compare ABC's coverage of RAAM'85.
ABC also covered a minority of riders: the male and female
front-runners (Boyer v. Secrest, plus Shermer and Haldeman; and
Hayden-Clifton v. Noterangelo), plus "side-bar" coverage of Jim
Penseyres (because of his artificial leg) and Wayne Phillips
(because he was riding unsupported). Plus a 5-second cut to
Dwight Calloway (Denver, NC) making some remark about "Day 5 already?!"
What's the relative expense? ABC covered only a couple more
riders, but appears to have given a much better picture of the
race, notably covering the tight female race. Given Cathy Ellis's
proximity to Debbie Breaud, I don't think it would have taxed
their logistics to have covered them both.
Up front, however, the film company said they intended to do an
(I quote) "introspective" personal coverage of a few hand-picked
riders. I guess this is the result.
-john
|
| 2001.125 | | NOVA::FISHER | Rdb/VMS Dinosaur | Tue Jun 02 1992 12:01 | 6 |
| I think a difference is that ABC shot so much filn they could easily
decide what the show was going to be like after it was over.
I think the Discovery show had less choice of what to show.
ed
|
| 2001.126 | | LJOHUB::CRITZ | | Tue Jun 02 1992 12:58 | 6 |
| I'm with Ed on this one. I think the British photogs only
had so much film and that was that.
Still, there is no excuse for missing Cathy at the finish.
Scott
|
| 2001.127 | Channel 4 coverage reviewed | SHALOT::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Tue Jun 16 1992 11:38 | 220 |
|
Last week I finally got to view, courtesy of a friend's videotape,
the RAAM'91 coverage by Stormbender Productions for Yorkshire Television
(ITV Channel 4). RAAM-colleagues' reactions to this program have been
luke-warm to critical. Ok, an insider will always find a dozen things
that "absolutely shouldn't have been left out" ... and I'm no exception!
I enjoyed watching it, but felt it could have been a lot better.
As an event-insider (more or less), I watch a program like this with
several things in mind:
o "Technical Research" - I'm curious about the riding styles
and strategies of my competitors, the crew organization, and
the technologies they employed - what kind of bikes (steel?
carbon?), what accoutrements (disk wheel? aero-bars?), etc.
o Promoting the Event to the Public - How well did the coverage
portray this (admittedly atypical) cycling event to the non-
ultramarathon and non-cycling public? Was the portrayal fair?
Did the program help promote the RAAM and cycling in general?
(Full or accurate portrayal is less important here than getting
the right message across.)
o Chronicling the Event - Here accuracy, balance, and completeness
*are* important. Did the program give a true picture of the
event and the riders? It doesn't have to be exhaustive, but
at least balanced.
So given these three viewpoints, I was simultaneously fascinated,
(with the techno-details), relatively satisfied (with the public image),
and fairly dissatisfied (as a balanced chronicle of the race).
Equipment: Kestrels, aero bars, wheel covers
--------------------------------------------
- Kestrels
Given the riders Channel 4 chose to cover, the program might well have
been subtitled "Kestrels on Parade!" Fourney (white 200 EMS), Kish (white
4000), Born (white 4000?), Breaud (black 200 SC) - all were astride
Kestrels. Godschall had a steel bike; I think Seaborne (shown prone
on the pavement) had a Specialized Allez Epic, I think.
Kestrel has gotten a reputation as a "RAAM bike" - and novices to the
race aspire to get one. (Laura Stern voiced that in an interview before
RAAM'90.) One of my bikes on RAAM'91 was a (white) Kestrel 200 SC.
However, the overall bike-demography in RAAM'91 was less Kestrel-heavy:
more steel, some aluminum. Cathy Ellis, the women's winner, used a Terry.
- Aero bars
The televised riders seemed evenly divided between Scott clip-ons and
Profile clip-ons. The rest of the ridership was similar. Full aero-bars
(DH or other) are just not used very much. Clip-ons are by now regulation
equipment for RAAM.
- Wheel covers
The top male televised riders sported rear-wheel covers for most of
the coverage. I had assumed you'd use them only on select conditions,
but to judge from the TV-footage, they were the default equipment.
Debbie Breaud's Kestrel almost looked out-of-step with its naked spokes.
No one seemed to be using disks (as some have in past RAAM's), some
tri-spokes being used though.
Changes Since RAAM'85
---------------------
The RAAM'91 showed the same old RAAM yet also quite a different race
from RAAM'85 (ABC Sports coverage). 1985/1986 was a watershed for
RAAM technology, so RAAM'85/RAAM'91 shows a "before/after" picture:
- Carbon Fiber bikes: None in 1985 (Penseyres used one in 1986),
Kestrels, Specialized, etc., prominent in 1991.
- Aero bars: Pioneered by Penseyres as arm rests in 1986. The RAAM'85
riders wore thick padded gloves and resorted to foam covering for
their handlebars.
- Helmets: Off-the-shelf microshell in 1991; hardshell in 1985, including
Michael Secrest's teardrop "conehead" helmet inspired by the 1984
Olympics.
- Wheel covers: No disks, tri-spokes, or wheel covers in 1985. Now
widely used, almost required.
- Liquid Nutrition: The crews in 1991 spent their time pouring, mixing,
and shaking water bottles with nutrient in them. RAAM'85 had a shot
of Jock Boyer (winner) eating a solid meal off a plate with utensils
... while riding!
There are other techno changes not evident in the film, of course.
Favorite Quotes
---------------
- Debbie Breaud: "I just need to sleep." "Kilgore [Texas] won't cut
it [as a goal for tonight]."
- "There are some hills coming up; got to save something for the end
of the race." - Bob Fourney (while pedalling seemingly effortlessly
and fresh into Georgia, 2600 miles into the race, while leading a
bedraggled looking Kish by 4 hours).
- "Most anything would distract me ... asymmetric cracks in the road,
etc." - Rob Kish (Surveyor by trade, on a massage break)
Debbie's quotes are what most any RAAM rider would say. They typify.
Bob Fourney's quote shows the kind of pacing and mental focus successful
RAAM riders have. Imagine pacing yourself to have something "extra"
left after 2600 miles! Throughout the broadcast, Fourney looked cool,
collected, and articulate. Kish by contrast looked more bedraggled and
exhausted, though coherent. Some of that must be attitude, and some
may be selective coverage. We know from David Wall's article in
VeloNews that Fourney felt he wasn't good for another mile after
getting off the bike in Savannah.
Rob Kish's "asymmetric cracks" (I love that!) show not only how "mental"
this race is, but also how intellectual/articulate/educated the typical
ridership is.
A Favorite Image
----------------
- Coming into Palm Springs: Debbie Breaud is riding the highway into
Palm Springs on the first day. It is a desert landscape. Sand has
drifted a little onto the road. I remember feeling uneasy about that
stretch since it was a hefty quartering tailwind, and I didn't want
to be blown into a sand drift.
What Could Have Been Done Better
--------------------------------
- "Introspective"? - The production crew was supposedly focussing on
a very few individual riders in order to make an "introspective"
documentary, rather than, say, an ABC Sports coverage that focussed
on the Event. They phoned up riders in advance, interviewed them
where they lived and before the race, and made their pick.
Did they succeed? I saw no evidence of that. ABC's coverage of
RAAM'85 was at least as up-close and personal. I don't think the
viewer could detect any special introspective depth in the on-screen
interviews. That being so, there's very little case for not picking
up some coverage of, say, the female winner en route.
- Female Rider Coverage - Adequate? - People's most negative reaction
to the film was that Cathy Ellis, the women's winner, wasn't covered
at all, save for a panning shot over the female line-up at the start.
In fact, they *did* shoot footage of Cathy Ellis and her crew en route,
but it all ended up on the cutting-room floor.
This omission did no service to Debbie Breaud, either: she seemed an
isolated figure, riding her own almost solo effort, with a shadow
opponent. It diminished her effort. It made the women's race look
like an afterthought.
An opportunity missed: the race for the Texas line was hard-fought.
Apparently Breaud got to within 8 minutes of Ellis (2� miles?) on
US-64 in New Mexico. It was a dramatic moment (in RAAM terms), and
was the turning point for those riders. Thereafter, they fell farther
and farther apart. This would have been easy to cover, if the film
crew was with Debbie, as it was.
In Proportion: One could argue that, proportionally, twice as many
women were covered as men (one fourth of the women's field, one eighth
of the men's). Still, the context of competition was lost by showing
only one female rider.
- Other Male Riders: Of course all the RAAM riders are remarkable, just
for getting to the starting line, but if I were Channel 4, I would have
picked out several interesting ones to give depth to RAAM as an event:
- Jerry Tatray - From Australia, a rookie, who eventually came in 3rd
(third!!), always with a smile on his face and a great attitude,
sporting an Alsop saddle suspension.
- Terry Wilson - From Pittsburgh, a UMCA mileage champ after only three
years biking (losing 100 pounds and quitting smoking in the process),
who finished officially in his first two RAAM's, 1990 and 1991, and
a nice guy and supportive cyclist to boot!
- Paul Solon - A favorite to win, I assume he did get some coverage that
was pulled when he dropped out from injuries suffered from two dramatic
crashes. That would have been good coverage - the story of RAAM
is not just the story of Official Finishers; Solon showed persistence
even in failure, getting back on the bike after the first crash
(after hospitilization!).
- Tandems? - The program's cover shot, repeatedly shown before commercial
breaks, showed the Haldeman-McKenna tandem. Yet it was neither covered
nor mentioned, nor was the mixed-tandem team.
- Finishers, Drop-Outs - We saw only one drop-out (Seaborne), and
yet a sampling of how people finished and did not finish would
have told viewers a lot about the race. I'm talking about a couple
minutes of viewing time - not a big extensive affair.
- Final Stats - What would it have cost to put up a table of final
stats (finishers and their times) before the credits, over, say,
Debbie Breaud's finish-scene? ABC did that in RAAM'85. It sets
context and costs nothing.
- Title: I *still* don't understand why they used the title "The Great
American Bike Race." Despite its use in the 1982 trans-America
race, it's like calling the Giro d'Italia "The Great Italian Bike
Race," or the Tour de France "The Great French Bike Race" - viewers
are just going to draw a blank, and it's not getting the RAAM name
publicized.
In summary, I did enjoy the film, and it has its merits. I think
the producers missed inexpensive chances (through errors of judgment)
to make the film a lot better, and that it *should* have been better.
-john
|
| 2001.128 | John Ellis' new address | LJOHUB::CRITZ | | Mon Oct 19 1992 08:41 | 14 |
| I talked to John Lee Ellis last night. He has moved. Still
in Charlotte, but at another address.
He doesn't have a job yet, although, of course, he is looking.
He has a serious challenge this year for the UMCA National Points
Challenge in Scott Sturtz from Indiana. In fact, John said, at one
point, Scott was probably a 1000 miles ahead of him. Right now,
they are neck and neck. John has the advantage of living in
North Carolina.
If you want John's new address, send me mail.
Scott
|
| 2001.129 | John Ellis' new address | LJOHUB::CRITZ | | Thu Dec 10 1992 09:23 | 19 |
| I talked to John Ellis last night. He and Pat sold the house
in Charlotte and have moved to a new address (in Charlotte).
He doesn't have a new job yet although he still has some leads
in other states.
He and Scott Sturtz are still neck and neck for the National
Point Challenge. I guess the statistician keeps them updated
on each other's miles, etc., although, as Ed Fisher pointed
out, you can "pad" your current mileage based on when you
submit your witness forms. Anyway, John said he was either
~50 miles behind or ~800 ahead. He also said he rode 151 miles
Tuesday, with temps never getting above 39 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you want John's new address in Charlotte, send me mail. When
I told him some people wanted to write him or send him Xmas cards,
he sounded pleased.
Scott
|
| 2001.130 | | DELNI::CRITZ | Scott Critz, LKG2/1, Pole V3 | Fri Oct 22 1993 09:24 | 9 |
| Just received mail from John Ellis.
I assume most of you know he and Pat moved to Loveland, CO,
back in September. He says he gotten some good riding in,
so he's no sitting around getting old.
If you want to contact John, send me mail.
Scott
|