Team Osprey 2009

12 Days - 3 Hours - 54 Minutes

2009-07-06T13:19:00.000-07:00

So what is in a time frame such as 12 days, 3 hours, and 54 minutes? In Race Across AMerica there are over 3,000 miles and 100,000 feet of climbing. There is a single cyclist with the will to conquer the weather, self-doubt, and unending roads. For Janet Christiansen and the Osprey Crew, there is more than a year of training and preparation. There are countless days of sacrifice – sacrifices of time, social activities, and self comfort. Then there are the rewards. The reward of knowing you are only the 25th woman in the world to ever accomplish such a feat. The reward of conquering a course that beat you the previous year. And let’s not forget the rewards of satisfaction, pride, and accomplishment.

People often ask, "What is RAAM?" It may seem like an easy question to answer, "It's a non-stop bicycle race across the United States." But, for the riders and crew RAAM is so much more. RAAM is an adventure, something that is to be experienced, a personal challenge, an accomplishment that few will achieve, and a race that will tests the limits of what the human body can do. RAAM tests each rider’s resolve to complete the race and challenges the crews ability to manage a multitude of tasks simultaneously.

This year Janet and crew met RAAM's challenges head on and beat the RAAM course in 12 days, 3 hours, and 54 minutes. My fellow crew members and I will forever live in awe of her accomplishment and are incredibly proud to have taken part in her success. We will recount this adventure to friends and family for rest of our lives.

For me, it was truly an honor to serve as this team’s crew chief. Each crew member met every challenge in good spirit and tackled tough moments with humor and unending dedication to the task at hand. The crew gave of their time and comfort to see Janet to the finish line safely. They met many challenges such as lack of sleep, constantly working on the move, bike issues, rider comfort issues, and navigation through back country roads. This race is simply not possible without a crew and we had one hell of a team!

Greg: The mild mannered team member extraordinaire who jumped into the crew at the last moment and met every challenge we threw at him with a smile and a constant sense of calmness. Thanks to Greg, and his company WatchMyRace, our fans were able to follow us across the country using the GPS tracker- an awesome tool for any race! Greg was also responsible for many Twitter and blog updates. Job well done Greg.

Kat: Our massage therapist and humorist. Kat could lighten even the tensest of moments and always greets everyone with a smile. She is a wonderful crew member who always brightened the day - and the night. She was always flexible, eager to help, and a great person to have on your team. Kat also kept race fans up to date on Twitter. Thanks for all your dedication Kat.

Patty Jo: The one and only Snow Kitty. I can’t begin to express how grateful I was to have Patty Jo as a member of our team. There is no other crew member that I have ever worked with, that has more experience and expertise at crewing than Patty Jo. She could read Janet like a book and took amazing care of her through the night. She was an invaluable member of the team and kept us all smiling.

Lisa: Our assistant mechanic and navigation expert. She spent countless hours before the race locating resources that we may need in the smallest of towns. Her time was well spent as we referenced her document on countless occasions saving us a lot of time while on the course. She stepped up to meet all tasks including driving/navigating virtually solo when Kat became ill. Way to step up to the plate and keep our race going!

Tom: Our bike mechanic and one of our returning veterans. He kept four bikes working across the country (one of which was supposed to be only for parts but he pulled it together at Janet’s request). He stayed flexible even as we adjusted shifts to give him more time to work on the bikes in a more stationary situation (during Janet’s sleep breaks). Great job on keeping us moving down the road Tom.

Kathryn: Another returning veteran that gave us our logistical genius and co-crew chief. She was an integral part of our planning for this year’s RAAM which started at the end of RAAM 2008. She was always positive, organized, and could anticipate Janet’s needs. She was also my crew partner and helped keep me on track. Thank you for all your incredible dedication to this year’s RAAM efforts.

Lastly, I have to thank our ground crew – these are the individuals that supported us and fed us a constant stream of information about the race that helped Kathryn and me make decisions.

Richard Newton: Thanks for helping us build the best RAAM van on the course. We had other RAAM crews ogling over it at the start and finish lines. I also want to thank you for the morning calls with the race statistics and rider positions- those calls were extremely helpful.

Brooks and Marion Reid: Thank you for helping us prepare the weekend before the race, the race statistics, and the words of encouragement (some fantastic poems which will be posted soon). Brooks it was great having your views and stats as we crossed.

Sam Beal: Last year’s crew chief and this year’s sounding board as things came up while making our crossing. Thank you for taking my calls.

Tom Miller: A consummate friend, last year’s co-crew chief, and the person responsible for getting me into the sport of Ultra Cycling- thank you.

Together the Osprey Crew accomplished the near impossible, we got our rider across the finish line safely and well within the time cutoffs while keeping our wits and our humor. Thank you Osprey Crew for your devotion and efforts. And, thank you Janet for allowing me to be part of such an absolutely amazing adventure.

Live GPS Tracking & Twitter Updates

2009-06-15T13:15:00.001-07:00

Live GPS and Twitter tracking here and on TeamOsprey Page configured by WatchMyRaceHERE IS THE RAAM ROUTE WITH TIME STATIONS View RAAM-2009/TEAM CAN BE VENTURE in a larger map

SEND JANET SOME LOVE @TeamOsprey, Login Here:

follow @TeamOsprey on Twitter

Less than 2 weeks!

2009-06-03T09:39:00.000-07:00

We’re counting down the days and in two weeks we will be on our way, waking up on the other side of Blythe. This week we’ve been finishing up non-RAAM tasks and catching up on some of the RAAM ones –

- I’ve been checking on the rental vans and still need to make motel reservations in Blythe;
- Lisa’s working on listing hotels, bike shops and other businesses we may need along the way;
- Bill is compiling binders of information for each vehicle and going through our inventory;
- Janet is contemplating a weekend in Borrego for some last desert training;
- And Kat is somewhere along the California coast as part of the AIDS/LifeCycle 8 Massage Team.

Next week we get even busier. On Wednesday Bill and I go up to LA to pick up the follow van so that we have time to set up the inside for all of the stuff we need to take with us. On Friday Janet will pick up the secondary follow vehicle. And then on Saturday the crew starts to arrive for a weekend of van setup and organization, first aid training, shopping and any last minute prep.

New news: Greg has joined our team and has offered to setup GPS tracking for Janet across the county. This will allow everyone to follow us more closely than time station to time station – you’ll be able to see where Janet is between stations too. Greg is also going to set us up for posting real-time pictures and videos. Thanks Greg!

RAAM Training Weekend

2009-04-28T10:42:00.000-07:00

The training weekend was a huge success and we met our goals of testing out the van sound systems as well as giving our newest members a run down on crewing, direct following, and leap frog support. I think we have a fantastic team and I am very happy with how things went. I hope that those that were able to participate enjoyed the trip and were able to get some sense of what crewing is like (although we were only doing the basics). Lisa put together a great route that was very scenic, hilly (we even had a simulation of the flagstaff climb and the Gerome decent), and an all around great place to ride - I am a little jealous that she has such beautiful training grounds - although a bit windy. She, her husband, and her dog Sprocket were fantastic hosts and we really appreciated them sharing their beautiful home with us!

The van audio and rear light setup worked very well and Janet really liked the sound levels (as all of us who were able to ride did). I went with a bumper mounted design in an attempt to get the sound source as close to the rider as possible. This worked great with only one minor drawback, if you are in the van with the windows up it can be difficult to tell how well the sound is projecting. So we will have to pay attention to ensure that (a) music is playing and (b) we don't let it repeat too many times.

On the way home I proposed the following shift organization and Janet likes the groupings, so the crews will be (subject to change):

A-Shift:
Bill - Crew Chief and EMT
Kathryn - Logistics

B-Shift:
Tom - Mechanic
Lisa - Navigation Specialist / Mechanic

C-Shift:
Chris - Mechanic
Patty-Jo - Crewing and RAAM knowledge base (whose mind I will surely be picking at the end of each day during RAAM)

Kat - (Massage) Arrives part way into the race and will probably relieve someone on of C-Shift first. This will give her the opportunity to work on Janet before she goes down for sleep our longest period of time that we are not moving.

Also on the way home, I discussed with Kathryn and Janet the possibility that B and C crews rotate through the primary follow van within the first six or so hours of the race with me there to help or answer any questions about the van etc.. The first section where we are allowed to direct follow is Christmas Circle in Anza Borrego, so we may start that around there or where the follow vehicle picks up Janet after the self support area (leaf frog support until Christmas Circle). I know from experience that the first day is a very exciting time and I think it will be nice to get you all involved in that first part. It is also a very important area to do everything right (NOTE: It is always important to do everything right) because there will be many RAAM officials and the racers are much closer together for the first day.

I hope to add some photo's from our weekend as I get them from the crew...stay tuned!

How Janet uses Hammer Nutrition Products

2009-04-05T16:59:00.000-07:00

I have noticed a definite uptick in energy levels and ability to recover since taking Hammer Nutrition supplements (at mealtime!) regularly. Because the Hammer Nutrition people focus on endurance and stamina based athletes, I have confidence that the components in their Race Caps, Mito Caps, Anti Fatigue and Premium Caps go a long way to maintaining the levels of vitamins and intrinsic factors that athletes in training tend to deplete. This does not replace a decent well balanced diet, of course, but it takes the burden off the athlete of having to figure out what supplements to take or guess what might be missing from the diet. I can train with more confidence knowing I can recover more completely. A casual search on the Internet shows that the ingredients are part of well known metabolic pathways or extracts of well known homeopathic remedies. I consider taking HN supplements an essential part of training and as important if not more so with keeping my equipment well maintained.

And of course there are the proven on-the-bike products; nothing fights the bonk and keeps me in electrolyte balance better than eCaps. Sustained Energy (served chilled) is a great alternative to typically sweet race food, and ideal when conditions make solid food difficult to take. Hammer Bars are also a preference; easy to chew, they ward off the bonk for a good 1-2 hours. This is especially advantageous out on my longer RAAM training rides when I can easily hit the wall late in the day/evening, and might be miles from the nearest food store. HammerGel is a favorite quick source of calories when it is impossible to take time to unwrap energy bars or mix powdered drinks, (e.g. trying to stay with a hard riding group or keeping up the effort on a long tough climb). It always gives me a quick boost and ‘rescued’ me innumerable times when I found myself teetering on the edge of bonking.

HN also has an excellent line of clothing. I use almost every clothing item sold by Hammer Nutrition in my normal training rides as well as weekend event. I am very satisfied with their comfort and durability, especially the gloves and shorts.

Crewing for Janet - sent to prospective crew members last month

2009-03-31T08:50:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for your interested in Team Osprey 2009 - Annapolis or Bust!!

There is much to do in preparation before the June 16th start date and one of our priorities is gathering, organizing, and educating the crew members. This weeks conference call was encouraging with so many interested in becoming crew members all with cycling experience, some with crewing experience and a number of others with some very useful skills. Our road crew will consist of a lean mean crew of six and at least two alternates in case a crew member cannot make the start line, or for an emergency while we are on the road.

For those of you new to crewing RAAM, let me start by saying crewing RAAM is like no other crewing experience you may have had. There will be high points and low points along the way. You will get to see some of the most amazing scenery and some of the most boring mundane
repetitive scenery (you actually get excited to see a grain silo in the distance) along the way. Before I crewed RAAM (which I have crewed twice) I had ridden many double centuries, rode Furnace Creek 508 as a two person team, and crewed Furnace Creek 508 two or three times
(can't recall how many it was before I crewed RAAM). Even with all those experiences the 508 seemed like a stroll through the park compared to crewing for RAAM. This is not meant to scare anyone off, but I want to ensure everyone understands the rigors of crewing a non-stop race that will take us approximately 11 to 12 days to complete. Now this is not to say that we won't have a whole lot of fun on our crossing!

While there are a number of specialty duties that crew members will be performing there is a huge array of tasks we will all be doing keeping us amazingly busy for sitting in a vehicle for so many hours. The key to crewing RAAM is to stay flexible, always be prepared, sleep when you
can, stay positive, remember that the rider comes first, keep things organized, and have fun. If you have no or limited experience crewing a non-stop race (heck, even if you are crew member extraordinaire) I recommend that you read this brief article by Lee "Fuzzy" Mitchel: http://www.ultracycling.com/events/crew_tips.html.

As you listen-in on our conference calls you may hear us talk about various positions/duties. Keep in mind that you will perform all the duties (and then some) during our crossing. We will be using thee vehicles: the primary follow van (cargo van), secondary follow vehicle/chore
transport(mini-van or similar), and a small car for the sleeping crew. Our crews will be setup with two people per vehicle running eight hour shifts. This provides us with three eight hour periods which will be broken into: follow, chores/driving to catch up, and sleeping.

Crewing for RAAM rider is a major commitment and I want to ensure that everyone is aware of the adventure ahead...

I look forward to getting to know some of you better and crewing with some of the others for a second time. I have to say that Janet assembled the best RAAM crew last year and we are well on our way this year.

Bill Osborn - Team Osprey Crew Chief

Planning Update

2009-03-28T16:29:00.000-07:00

This past week has been a fairly eventful one. The most notable event was receiving sponsorship from Hammer Nutrition. They will be providing Janet with a variety of nutritional fuels and supplements to help with her training and RAAM race. Additionally, Hammer will be providing Janet with items such as shorts, jerseys, socks, gloves, and a jacket. We cannot thank Hammer Nutrition enough for their generosity and encourage you to take a look at their products: www.hammernutrition.com.

We have also received word that Action Wipes will also be sponsoring us this year. Action Wipes are like baby wipes but better, they are bigger, thicker wipes designed for active adults. I have to say that it is amazing how dirty you get after a long distance ride and I for one will cary these on my next double century ride. Action Wipes will be keeping Janet and the crew clean and refreshed through the day and night. You can learn more about Action Wipes by going to: www.actionwipes.com.

Catching up on past a past item, Janet's employer Express Logic (ThreadX) has also sponsored her for RAAM. Express Logic provides software for embedded applications. We are so grateful for their generous sponsorship and understanding as Janet trains and prepares for RAAM. To learm more about Express Logic go to: www.expresslogic.com.

If you are interested in sponsoring Janet or know of someone or comapany that would be, we would greatly appreciate your help. Take a moment and read through our sponsorship information: Sponsorship Details.

Another item off our checklist is the rental of our primary follow vehicle. I found a great company that provides 15 passenger vans full of features such as game system, DVD player, IPOD compatible stereo, power everything, and built in inverters so we can plug our laptops and battery rechargers right in. An additional benefit is that the company is 100% carbon neutral (gotta love a green company). We will be using the same van for our crew training trip that will be happening at the end of April. So we will get a test run with it before the start of RAAM.

On the training front, Janet has been adding up the miles with a number of long weekend rides covering 450+ miles in a weekend. The weather here has been great, but it is beginning to heat up a bit so she will get some heat training in this weekend.

Last but certainly not least, we are still looking for one additional crew member. It would be wonderful to find someone with mechanical or medical training, but neigther is required. Our crew is a group of fun loving people who are dedicated to getting Janet across America quickly and safely.

Well that's all for now...
Bill

New Logo for 2009

2009-03-27T16:24:00.000-07:00

As some of you may already know, Janet became the Osprey back in 2003 when she entered her first Furnace Creek 508 race. During the race, racers are tracked via an animal totem instead of a race number which adds some fun to the whole event. Each rider has images of their totem on their support vehicles and some even do wood cutouts mounted to the top of the vehicles.

However, a totem is much more than a simple race number. When you take on a Furnace Creek 508 totem you kind of embody yourself into it and it becomes part of you. For me it was the Onager - an Asiatic fast moving wild ass. For Janet it has been the Osprey and she has been silently chasing down her prey ever since. If you watched any of the RAAM interviews with Janet out on the course, they often used terms like elusive - that's the Osprey in her.

So keep a watchful eye out for the Osprey as she makes her way across America in the worlds toughest race - RAAM. Learn more about the Osprey by following this link: Janet Christiansen, The Osprey.

Help Janet achieve her dream by sponsoring her - Every bit helps ($1 and up)

2009-03-27T09:47:00.000-07:00

The cost to compete in Race Across America (RAAM) is astronomical, but what price can you place on a dream? Janet will primarily be utilizing her own funds to cover the costs of her race. However, we are seeking sponsors (for as little as $1- every bit helps) to offset her costs of competing in RAAM. We will be posting all sponsors on the primary follow van in a variety of sizes depending on the sponsorship level. If you prefer to donate without having your name posted, let us know when you make your donation.

The major expenses include:

RAAM registration
Rental of 3 vehicles
Vehicle setup costs (electronics that allow crew to communicate with the rider and other crew members as well as sound system for the rider)
Gas to get the vehicles across country1 hotel room/night during race x 13 days
Hotel rooms as we make our crossing
4 hotel rooms at the finish for 2 nights
Food for the 6 crew members for 15
Specialized diet for Janet
Bike parts
Crew shirts

Our crew will be doing all we can to minimize the expenses where ever possible.

Sponsorship Levels:

Bronze: Donate between $1 and $99 and we will post your name on the van along with other donors on a 16"X11" decal. The font size will be large enough to be read by folks who walk up to the van.

Silver: Donate between $100 and $499 and we will post your name or company name on a stand alone 6"X9" decal on both sides of all three vehicles as well as logo placement on our website and our crew shirts.

Gold: Donate between $500 and $2500 and we will post your name or company name on a stand alone 8"x12" decal on the both sides of the van as well as logo placement on our website, our crew shirts, and will handout a reasonable amount of swag from your company (must be appropriate and meet with RAAM regulations).

Platinum: Donate more than $2500 and we will post your name or company logo (10"x15") prominently on four sides of all three of our vehicles as well as logo placement on our website, our crew shirts, handout a reasonable amount of swag from your company (must be appropriate and meet with RAAM regulations), and provide you with photos from the race that you can use in advertisements.

To inquire about sponsorships, please contact Bill Osborn at bill-osborn@sbcglobal.net.
Thank you for your consideration!

Solo RAAM - A Team Sport

2009-02-27T14:45:00.000-08:00

What surprises many that are not familiar with RAAM, and cycling in general, is that it takes a team to reach the finish line. A RAAM rider’s team (crew) is the rider’s life line and they can make or break the rider’s race as they proceed across the country. As with any team you need a group of dedicated individuals willing to put the team’s needs ahead of their own. A RAAM team consists of some members with specialty skills (logistics, medical, mechanical, etc...) and others with more general skills that range from the simple smile and encouraging word to driving and food preparation. But as a group the crew is a team and each member is as equally important as the other in getting the RAAM rider across the finish line.

Being a part of a RAAM team has its highs and lows and at times can be incredibly stressful. During the race you often find that the teams’ ether form strong bonds or fall apart. The team assembled by Janet and Sam last year fell into the first category and many of us formed friendships that have lasted well past RAAM. What is even more incredible is that almost half of last year’s crew is returning for another run at the “World’s Toughest Race”. Kathryn, Tom (Tommy as he was known last year since we had two Tom’s) and I will be returning to the Osprey crew. We would have others returning with us for the 2009 race, but the economy has made that difficult. But those members will be filling support roles leading up to and during the race.

For 2009 we will be slimming down our team to a lean six members. Last year the Osprey crew consisted of eight members with two minivans and a conversion van. Each minivan had three crew members and the conversion van had two. This worked well but after much discussion Osprey Crew 2009 have come to the conclusion that we can do away with the third person in two of the vans. We will still be utilizing three vehicles (a full size van for primary follow, an SUV or van for errands, and a sedan for running crew back and forth from hotels). Each vehicle will have two crew and we will be running three eight hour shifts.

As our team continues to form there are thousands of preparations to be made before we get to the starting line. But, knowing that once again we will have one of the best teams on the road is comforting. Janet is an incredible cyclist and has surrounded herself with incredible people to help her reach the finish line. Keep those pedals turning Janet, your team is right here with you!

-Bill Osborn

My (soggy) ride report

2009-02-07T17:38:00.000-08:00

Managed to last a whole hour out there today. I got lured out by a late afternoon appearance of sun and a spectacular double rainbow. But after only a few miles I managed to find the same cloud I got stuck under a few weeks ago, and soon it was pouring rain and I was kinda soaked. Not actually hypothermic though. And it was useful for checking out which gloves/jacket/tights work best under those conditions. Good thing I chickened out on the 300k ride up north, because the choice of clothes I had packed, including two left gloves (duh) never would have worked.

Lots of that sandy (mud) stuff on the roads too bwaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Well, maybe we can all get in a little more outdoor riding time tomorrow.

-Janet

Planning for Solo RAAM

2009-01-19T21:01:00.000-08:00

Planning to race across the United States is no small undertaking. There are thousands of details to be worked through and an amazing amount of planning to bring a team to the finish line. All this must be completed while we all work our day jobs. Unlike our professional counterparts that you see in races like the Giro d'Itialia and Tour de France, most RAAM teams (rider and crew) are amateur athletes and ultra cyclists who take their hobbies just a little further than most people. Most RAAM entrants are all gainfully employed and married, but have managed to talk our employers (and of course the real boss/spouse) into letting us take two weeks off for this amazing adventure. Team Osprey is no exception.

The Osprey crew is mostly comprised of Southern Californians, with a few Northern Californians and one from Oregon. Once on the road, we will be a cargo van, mini van, sedan and crew of 6. You may be wondering why so many vehicles for just a single cyclist... Well when you consider that this is a non-stop race we must have a vehicle with the rider, a vehicle to perform chores such as shopping and laundry along the route and the third for the crew that jumps ahead to get a few hours of sleep in a hotel. And coordinating this procession across this great country of ours is where all the pre-planning pays off.

In addition to coordinating vehicle movements, we have to plan to have the right crew at the right place with the right skills for any need that our rider may have. To make it successfully, a wide range of skills are required - web master, physical therapists, EMT, mechanics, crew chief, logistics experts, nutritionists and a good sense of humor. In addition to specialty skill sets, every crew member must handle the details of cooking, mixing powdered drinks, preparing food for crew, act as gofers (shop and do laundry for everyone). Each crew member will wear many hats, often times more than one hat at a time. All of this comes together with good planning!

Once we get to the start line, the planning does not stop. The crew chief and a couple dedicated logistics experts kick into full gear staying busy planning how to coordinate three vehicles in terms of following the rider, getting crew to motels for sleep time, and getting errands and laundry done every day. Each plan has a formulated has to have a plan b, c, d, etc... because things are in constant flux out on the road: weather changes, traffic backups, road construction, road surface changes, detours, and 100's of other factors come into play.

During the planning processes, the overall cost must also be considered. The cost of an event as big as RAAM are astronomical even without the current high price of gas for the vehicles. But anyone who can get hooked on the idea of riding a bicycle solo across the United States, and train hard enough to have the ability to make it, generally has the focus to budget the ten's of thousands of dollars it takes to make a dream come true. Even if it means sacrificing.

The payoff of this endeavor cannot really be predicted. It can be the worst or best experience in one's life, or anywhere in between. One thing is for certain, nothing else can compare to the adventure of RAAM. I am always amazed at what I come away with every time I've done something like RAAM. People I've met, things I learn about myself, things I learn about the logistics of RAAM including equipment, nutrition, sleep deprivation, physical therapy, etc... that I would never have learned had I limited myself to more sensible activities.

What is RAAM?

2009-01-19T20:19:00.000-08:00

Race Across AMerica (RAAM) is a transcontinental bicycle race starting in Oceanside, CA and finishing in Annapolis, MD. The race covers 3000 miles across the Rockies, the heartland of America, and finally the Appalachians. It continues to stand as one the toughest endurance events in the world.

RAAM cyclists face challenges beyond riding the bike including scorching heat, violent winds, thunderstorms (even tornadoes), altitude, the dark of night, sleep deprivation, muscle injuries, crew coordination, navigation and mental acuity.

Over 1500 cyclists have raced RAAM in the 27 years since its inception. Only 178 racers have officially finished Solo or Tandem RAAM at least once. Austrian adventurer Wolfgang Fasching has won solo RAAM and climbed Mt. Everest. "Everest is more dangerous, but RAAM is much harder," said Fasching.

Janet Christiansen, The Osprey

2009-01-19T20:01:00.000-08:00

Janet Christiansen is an accomplished cyclist, runner, and tri-athlete. She began competing in 1987 and has since been a serious contender in cycling, running and triathlon events at the local and national level. Her focus for the past four years has been on long distance cycling known as ultra-cycling. She regularly logs over 15,000 miles per year on her bike training in all weather conditions and a wide variety of terrain.

She became known as “The Osprey” in 2003 at her inaugural ultra cycling event- the feared and revered Furnace Creek 508 which traverses 508 miles through the deserts of Southern California. The Furnace Creek 508 is billed as the toughest 48 hours in sport. After pondering over maps of the desert with wonder about place names such as Furnace Creek, Stove Pipe Wells, Badwater, Death Valley, and Dante's Inferno, all destinations of the 508 race- she took on the beast. She took second place in her division after learning some tough lessons about taking care of yourself in ultra cycling events and beat the beast into submission the following year placing first in her division and third overall.

While that terrible Sunday in Hell from her first 508 (mis)adventure is something she wishes to never repeat ever again, it has helped her learn much about ultra cycling, training and nutrition.

Seeking even tougher challenges Janet set her sights on the ultimate in ultra cycling, Race Across America (RAAM). Billed as the toughest race in the world, RAAM is a non-stop race from California to Maryland. RAAM takes racers through the heat of the desert, climbs over the Rockies, traverses the windy plains, and winds its way through the hills of Virginia. Janet did not take on RAAM on a whim and has taken steps to learn the course and test herself in some of the harshest racing conditions by entering RAAM as part of a two woman team. Not only did they win for their division, they broke the course record.

Ultra Distances (> 24 hours)

San Diego Randonneur Brevet Series 2004-2007

California Gold Rush Randonee (1200km) 2005

Furnace Creek 508 -1st Womens, 3rd Overall in 2004

Furnace Creek 508 -2nd Womens, 15th Overall in 2003

Hoodoo 500 – Voyager category (no crew support) – 2007 1st place/1st to ever attempt this

RAAM –two woman relay team 2007 – 1st place - set course record

RAAM – solo 2008. DNF’d medical reasons (250 miles short of finishing-bummer)

Double Centuries

Santa Rosa Terrible Two- 2nd Womens 12’53” (4th woman in event history to break 13 hrs) 2003

California Triple Crown winner 2004 (Heartbreak, Santa Rosa Terrible Two, Central Coast, Knoxville double centuries)

Triathlons and Marathons

Santa Rosa Vineman Ironman - 1st Womens 2002, 1998, 1997
Hawaii Ironman - 3rd Women’s 35-39 age group 1996

San Diego Marathon - 2nd Womens 1995, 1996

Nice Triathlon 1994 - 15th Womens Pro division

US Cycling Federation events

Women’s National Road Race - 10th 1988

Ore Ida Women’s Challenge - 25th 1991

Women in RAAM

2009-01-18T13:59:00.000-08:00

RAAM Race Statistics - Women
(From the RAAM website - Updated 2007)
• 76 starts
• 51 different women have started
• 26 women who have DNF’ed their rookie year never came back.
• 1 women DNF’ed twice and never finished
• 3 women who DNF’ed their rookie year came back to finish their second year.
• 21 women have their first finish their rookie year
• 24 women have finished (47%)
• 8 women have finished more than once
• 4 women have finished more than twice (Hogan, Mariolle, Notorangelo, Ritz)
• 38 Officials Finishes (50%)
• 37 DNFs
• 1 Unofficial Finish

Starts - Numbers
• Three years have had no women starters – 1982, 1999, 2004
• Six years have had 1 starter – 1983, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005
• Two years had had 2 starters – 2001, 2006
• 15 years have had 3 or more starters. Last time 3 or more starters before 2007 was 1997

Finishes - Numbers
• Of the years with starters, four have had no finishers – 1983, 2002, 2003, 2007
• Six years with 1 finisher – 1989, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006
• No year has had more than 3 women finishers.

Finish Time Distribution
• 6 finishes under 10d
• 10 finishes in 10-11d
• 8 finishes in 11-12d
• 8 finishes in 12-13d
• 6 finishes in 13-14d
• 1 finish over 14d (Bonnie Alison – 50+)
• Median and Average Finish Time – 11d 112h

Speed Distribution
• 2 finishes over 13mph
• 12 finishes 12-13mph
• 3 finishes 11-12 mph
• 11 finishes 10-11 mph
• 9 finishes 9-10mph
• 2 finishes 8-9 mph
• Median and Average Speed – 10.67mph

Winning Times
• Fastest Winning Time – 9d4h17m
• Slowest Winning Time – 12d20h57m
• Winning Times have an even spread among 9d, 10d, 11d, 12d
• Average winning time is 10d21h.

Rookies versus Veterans
• The average time for a rookie finisher is 12d 8h.
• Take off the two super rookie finishes of Muffy Ritz (9d16h) and Cassie Lowe (10d3d) and the average time of a rookie finish is 12d14h.
• The average time of the 17 veteran finishes is 10d 8h. Only 3 veteran finishes over 11d.

DNF Distribution
• 7 in first 500 miles
• 9 in mile 500-1000
• 10 in mile 1000-1500
• 8 in mile 1500-2000
• 3 past mile 2000

Interesting
• The hey-dey was 1986-1994 with 45 starters and 23 finishes.
• In the past ten years 1998-2007, there have been 14 starters and 6 finishes.
• Before 2007, the last finish over 12d for women was 1992.

Slow Years – They Happen
9 of the 12 slowest times occurred in 3 years – 1984, 1988, and 1991.

1984 was not a good year in general – only 6 men finished (1 unofficial), 13 men DNF’ed, the winning time for men was the 3th slowest ever at 9d13h with only 1982 and 1983 slower. 1984 saw 3 out of 4 women finish with the winning time of 12d20h

1988 again was not a good year in general – 11 men finished, 22 men DNF’ed. Again with a slow winning time for men (7th slowest). 6 women started, 3 finished with a winning time of 12d3h

1991 had 3 out of 4 women finish with a winning time of 12d6h. It was just a slow year for women.

Houston we have a problem...

2009-01-14T09:22:00.000-08:00

Houston we have a problem... Jan 14

Janet gave us all a good scare when she sent the below email out. The title alone was enough to get my heart racing as to what could have happened.

From Janet:
____________________________________
...I just took a spill on my bike (wiped out on some loose sand) and probably cracked a rib or two. My ample experience in this area tells me it will be about a week before I can do much of any kind of working out on a (stationary) bike, and another week after that before I get back on my actual road bike. Meantime ice, Allieve, and Gino. Gino is my personal medicine man/holy man who got me well in time for RAAM 2007 when I did the exact same thing.
____________________________________

The reason she says she has ample experience with cracked ribs is that she had a similar accident two years ago- about a month before the start of her first RAAM attempt as a two woman team. Amazingly she was able to recover and they had a fantastic RAAM.

Although it does appear that Janet did in fact crack a few ribs in the crash and possibly suffered from some pulled intercostal muscles, she was able to quickly return to her bike and do some easy rides, albeit with some shallow breathing. All of us who know her, know that she is a fighter and will not let a few cracked ribs slow her down. We just keep reminding her that the wheels of the bike belong under her and not over her head.

It just goes to show that anything can happen during the run up to the starting line. Hopefully this is the last of Mr. Murphy's (you know- the guy that came up with some crazy rule) musings with the Osprey.

Training Starts

2009-01-05T20:50:00.000-08:00

Janet has started her training in earnest, but the weather seems to not be cooperating...the joys of an ultra-cyclist.

On Jan 4 Janet decided to brave the ride to Julian from Rancho Bernardo... she wrote:

"About halfway between Santa Ysabel and Julian it turned overcast and I started getting pretty chilly. It was frustrating to see the rest of SD County bathed in sunshine. I managed to made it to Julian and survived the descent back down alternating which bare hand to stick under my jersey and thaw out. In Santa Ysabel, I could start to move and feel my fingers again but was still in overcast surrounded by sunshine seemingly everywhere else. Then it started raining on me! I decided to give myself the Indian name “Stuck Under the Same Go$$amn Cloud”

It was warm and sunny enough in Ramona at last to shed a couple layers. I carry a little backpack for stowing wind jacket, head band, tights etc.

In one of the side pockets I pulled out a nice pair of mittens I had gotten for Christmas…"

The rigors of training for the "Worlds Toughest Race" have begun.

Nawgehyde

2008-11-16T17:56:00.000-08:00

Posting a sunday evening blog about nothing in particular