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Race Across America - NE

USA, June 10-22, 2007

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Day 9 - June 18

Team Donate Life Race 4 Life Diary

By Jason Weckworth

This is my last entry…one final push to the finish. I'm too tired to write much more. Today was my hardest day, because it was about survival. It's amazing how your focus can change depending on your circumstances.

We finished last night strong, but the crew really started struggling with sleep deprivation. Even with our sleep rotation, the effects of a week-long race for 24 hours a day is staggering.

We are making mistakes in judgment and decision-making…nothing major, but a lot of small things that cost us time. I am sure that all teams face the same challenge. How we deal with them is what makes good teams work well together. I'm proud of our team and crew…everyone.

Mid-morning today, Vernon called on the radio to say the brakes on the transition SUV were failing. This is so critical to our strategy! We jumped into action and considered all the alternatives. At one point, we almost flew some crew members ahead to Atlantic City.

Bottom Line: we lost the use of a vehicle and sent four crew members with this vehicle up to Columbus, Ohio. We didn't lose the brakes, but we lost the power braking ability. We can't use the car any more.

In spite of this, we've got to keep moving with no lost time. Forget the other teams. Forget our sleep rotation. We've got to finish the race. Our crew and a new vehicle will be back by 10:00 pm… we hope.

We spent most of the day and into the evening with a single transition vehicle to do both follow and drop-off. We had to use stop transitions in order to meet the RAAM rules. We went to a three-man rotation until Chris could come back from his hotel rest. I will forego my hotel rest tonight.

While we kept our eye on the other teams, this was survival. Four crew members short, one crew still on rest, Danny and Lee carried us through. It was so hot - time station 46 was almost unbearable, we blew up. I think that Lorenzo, Dave, and I all experienced some level of heat exhaustion. I just bonked, I couldn't generate any power.

My head screamed. My legs screamed. I thought I was going to fall asleep on the bike. As soon as we got in the SUV, we nearly passed out until Danny or Lee had the bike out again and told us to go. But we crawled through, 16.54 mph - our slowest time station, but not as bad as I expected.

It actually gave us some hope that we can recover and still finish strong. We hydrated as much as we could. As the temperature finally dropped, we increased our strength and our speed. By 5:00 this evening, we felt almost fully recovered.

We started to attack the climbs…because we have a lot of them in the next 12 hours… still 32,000' of climbing before the finish line.

We're changing our strategy for the finish. Rather than 12 hours, I will take a 6 hour rest in the follow vehicle. As soon as I am able, we will split into two transition teams… Dave and I in one, with Lorenzo and Chris in the other. Four hours on, and four hours rest, back and forth. We'll finish the last 150 miles or so all together. We'll re-group by 5:00 AM and head strong for the finish.

I think we still have a couple of teams to catch. We still need to out-run Bob. See you in Atlantic City. We hope to be there before dark tomorrow night.

P.S. It's 1:28 AM. Chris is on a 9 percent grade descent headed for TS 49 - 38 mph in the dark when Danny calls ahead to tell us a Semi' is headed our way. This will be a tough night.

Results

Men solo

1 Jure Robic                                           2932.7  8.08.10  (14.65 mph)
2 Wolfgang Fasching                                    2824.9  8.08.12  (14.11 mph)
3 Daniel Wyss                                          2776.1  8.06.21  (14 mph)
4 Gerhard Gulewicz                                     2776.1  8.06.51  (13.96 mph)
5 Attila Kaldy                                         2545.7  8.06.00  (12.86 mph)
6 Richard Vollebregt                                   2545.7  8.06.25  (12.83 mph)
7 Jeff Oatley                                          2413.9  8.08.57  (12.01 mph)
8 Peter Oyler                                          2295.5  8.07.57  (11.48 mph)
9 Claudio Clarindo de (Oliviera)                       2237.6  8.06.58  (11.25 mph)
10 Julio Paterlini                                     2192.3  8.06.22  (11.05 mph)
11 Brett Walker                                        2142.7  8.03.39  (10.95 mph)
12 Jean Marc Velez                                     2142.7  8.05.55  (10.83 mph)
13 Alfiero Tassinari                                   2142.7  8.07.28  (10.74 mph)
14 John Jurczynski                                     2142.7  8.08.03  (10.71 mph)
15 Larry Optis                                         2142.7  8.09.20  (10.64 mph)
16 David Jones                                         2142.7  8.09.20  (10.64 mph)
17 Patrick Autissier                                   2092.5  8.06.36  (10.54 mph)
18 John Spurgeon                                       2092.5  8.07.14  (10.5 mph)
19 Jim Rees                                            2092.5  8.09.15  (10.4 mph)
20 Tom Seabourne - DNF Time cut                        1740.3  7.06.52  (9.95 mph)
21 Lou Lamoureux - DNF Time cut                        1295.3  6.08.13  (8.51 mph)
22 Fabio Biasiolo - DNF Crew Problems                  1101.9  3.05.20  (14.25 mph)
23 Philip Baker - DNF Exhaustion                       1101.9  5.01.24  (9.08 mph)
24 Walter Blaettler - DNF Accident                      815.3  3.04.05  (10.72 mph)

Women's solo

1 Kerry White                                          1996.5  8.06.29  (10.06 mph)
2 Lauren Fithian - DNF Time cut                        1222.7  5.11.22  (9.31 mph)
3 Caroline van den Bulk - DNF Time cut                 1222.7  5.12.22  (9.24 mph)
4 Patty RIddle - DNF Time cut                          1037.1  6.10.46  (6.7 mph)
5 Hana Ebertova - DNF Exhaustion                        565.1  2.11.15  (9.54 mph)

Men's solo - enduro

1 Alessandro Colo                                      2192.3  8.08.52  (10.91 mph)

Two person male

1 Team IWC Schaffhausen                                2776.1  6.03.13  (18.86 mph)
2 Team R.A.C.E. / BMO Fountain of Hope                 2295.5  6.01.12  (15.81 mph)
3 Virag / Stoklas Team                                 2295.5  6.02.55  (15.62 mph)
4 S.K.R.A.A.M                                          2142.7  6.02.57  (14.58 mph)
5 Team Donate Life - TexOz (50+)                       2042.5  6.02.27  (13.95 mph)
6 Team Beat Cancer by www.coastalsportsmedicine.com    1927.5  5.23.27  (13.44 mph)
7 BodyXchange / Garden Pathways - DNF - Medical        1037.1  2.05.39  (19.33 mph)
8 Team Murphy - DNF Medical                             389.9  1.05.38  (13.16 mph)

Two person female

1 Team Phoenix                                         2192.3  6.01.20  (15.08 mph)

Two person mixed

1 Team Kitten - www.PeteAndWendyCycling.com            1927.5  6.03.22  (13.08 mph)
2 Team Donate Life - Beauty & the Beast - DNF Accide   1740.3  5.07.52  (13.61 mph)

Two person recumbent

1 Team Velokraft                                       2685.8  6.02.50  (18.29 mph)
2 Bacchetta B Team / Military Families Foundation      2685.8  6.03.08  (18.25 mph)

Four person male

1 Beaver Creek - Catlin Team                           3042.8  5.18.22  (21.99 mph)
2 Team Psycho                                          3042.8  5.21.48  (21.46 mph)
3 Team Strong Heart                                    2824.9  6.03.24  (19.16 mph)
4 Team VMG Cycling                                     2824.9  6.04.16  (19.05 mph)
5 Team Gs - Logistik Austria                           2776.1  6.04.21  (18.71 mph)
6 Team Endeavor                                        2685.8  6.02.53  (18.29 mph)
7 Hoosiers                                             2685.8  6.03.39  (18.19 mph)
8 Team N.U.B.S.                                        2685.8  6.04.06  (18.14 mph)
9 Team Sixty Going Hard                                2640.9  6.01.40  (18.13 mph)
10 Team Donate Life - Race 4 Life                      2594.4  6.03.50  (17.55 mph)
11 Team Burns & Trauma                                 2545.7  6.02.25  (17.39 mph)
12 Shannon's Soldiers for CTF Research Team              2505  6.02.53  (17.05 mph)
13 Vencendo Desafios Team Brazil                       2295.5  6.00.58  (15.83 mph)
14 Team Blazing Saddles                                2295.5  6.04.15  (15.48 mph)
15 Team 2 Cure Huntingtons Disease                     2237.6  6.01.29  (15.38 mph)
16 Ari's Angels Team                                   2192.3  6.02.43  (14.94 mph)

Four person female

1 Kalyra Women's Race Team                             2594.4  6.02.57  (17.65 mph)

Four person mixed

1 Team JDRF                                            2545.7  6.02.34  (17.37 mph)

Eight person

1 Team Type I - monitored by: Freestyle                3042.8  5.15.43  (22.42 mph)
2 Team Donate Life - Grace Valley                      3042.8  6.02.56  (20.71 mph)
3 Cheniere's Making Cancer History Team                2977.9  6.02.58  (20.26 mph)
4 Team ViaSat                                          2977.9  6.03.33  (20.18 mph)
5 North Coast Cycling Team                             2932.7  6.03.26  (19.89 mph)
6 Team Donate Life - Primo                             2824.9  6.03.21  (19.17 mph)
7 Team Santa Barbara Bank & Trust                      2594.4  6.03.09  (17.63 mph)
8 Team Donate Life - Heels on Wheels                     2505  6.04.31  (16.87 mph)

24 Hour Corporate Challenge

1 Team Clif Bar                                         488.9  0.23.29  (20.82 mph)
2 American Specialty Health Riders                      488.9  1.01.16  (19.35 mph)
3 Swami's TeamSam.com                                   488.9  1.01.41  (19.04 mph)
4 Denver Paramedic Cycling Team                         488.9  1.04.03  (17.43 mph)