- The Race Across America is a cycle event that crosses the whole country
- Riders race non-stop from west-coast California to east-coast Maryland
- Royal sister Pippa Middleton took part in the 2014 race, cycling for charity
I
was filling the camper van with petrol at 3.30am in Salome, Arizona, and
couldn't help but notice the large man with an out-of-control orange
beard walking towards me.
'Could you tell me when Pippa's passing this way?' he asked.
The
Pippa in question was Pippa Middleton, who, with her brother James were
members of an eight-person team participating in the 2014 Race Across
America (RAAM) cycle race.
Wide open spaces: America - with landmarks such as the Grand Canyon - is a wonderful country for cycling
I was a
member of a team in the same event, so I had the answer - but not the
one he was looking for. He'd missed her: Pippa and her crew were
slightly quicker than us, and a few hours ahead.
The news disappointed my bearded friend.
RAAM
is regarded as one of the toughest cycle races in the world, with
competitors starting on the West Coast in Oceanside, California, and
finishing 3,020 miles and a total of 170,000ft of climbing later in
Annapolis, Maryland, on the East Coast.
Once the clock starts, it doesn't stop until the team cross the finishing line.
For solo riders, this means an average of 90 minutes' sleep every 24 hours during the seven to 11 days they are on the road.
Girl on a mission: Pippa Middleton took part in the 2014 RAAM (left); in her usual glamourous mode (right) Read more
When I say I was part of a team, I must confess that I wasn't actually taking part.
I
was a member of the 13-strong back-up crew required to make sure our
four riders, all raising money for Asthma UK, travelled across the US as
quickly and safely as possible, and we did it in seven days, nine hours
and 42 minutes.
The
race is in its 34th year and attracts somewhere in the region of 350
riders and more than 1,000 support crew who handle all the logistics -
including food, fluids, navigation, laundry, medical needs and bike
repairs, so that all the riders have to do is race.
It was a major life experience for all our riders. None had experienced sleep deprivation on this scale.
Crew tended to get a couple of hours' sleep every 14 hours or so, with riders slightly more.
For
the first 24 hours everyone runs on adrenaline, the next 24 are tough
but bearable, but by day three you can see only what other crew members
aren't doing and fail to recognise anything they actually do.
It
was on the third day of the event that we actually saw crew members
from another team wrestling each other by the side of the road. And we
heard of another team who'd been forced to hire an additional back-up
vehicle as two of their crew could no longer share the same space.
This thing is tough.
However,
after day three the body becomes more used to the lack of sleep and
some form of 'status quo' returns. Although there were more dark moments
along the way, I can no longer recall them and it's the highlights that
will live with me for ever.
An A-list attraction: Passing through Monument Valley (in Arizona and Utah) was one of David's highlights
From a scenic point of view, the route is stunning. A few personal recollections in chronological order:
*The
4,000ft descent from the San Diego mountains via 'The Glass Elevator' -
the road into the Mojave Desert, 170ft below sea level with
temperatures in excess of 110F.
* The stunning Monument Valley, characterised by clusters of vast iconic red sandstone buttes.
* Riding at 10,000ft over the snow-capped Rockies.
* The arrow-straight roads disappearing into the horizon across the High Plains of Kansas.
* The Mississippi River and the beautiful, densely wooded Appalachians.
* The famous Civil War battlefield at Gettysburg in Pennsylvania.
We
arrived at the Atlantic Ocean in Annapolis shattered but with the most
amazing sense of achievement, and a bond between a group of individuals
that will last for ever.
The
logistics of getting a team of four cyclists non-stop to the end of a
3,000-mile race are complicated. As a crew, we planned for several
months prior to the race while the riders trained.
We
decided to operate two crews and work in seven-hour shifts. Each shift
would see two riders alternating on the road, usually doing a half-hour
stint each before swapping.
At
the end of seven hours, they'd be replaced by the two riders who had
been resting. On the road behind each pair of riders there was a driver,
a navigator and a nutritionist, who ensured that the riders were topped
up with fluids and food.
Just another 2,000-ish miles ago: A member of David's team keeps the pedals turning across America
In
the Mojave Desert, one of our riders consumed more than six litres of
fluid during his seven-hour shift and still managed to lose some 4lb in
weight. Supporting these people were the guys and girls in the
motorhome, who made sure that a hearty meal was prepared for the riders
coming on to shift and something even more substantial for those coming
off.
They
also took care of laundry, food shopping, the constant supply of ice,
blogging, updating our website, and any other unforeseen requirements
thrown at them.
The
motorhome was also the communications hub, which presented its own set
of challenges when no signal of any form could be detected for many
miles in the more remote areas along our route.
One
of the 'unforeseens' came when we discovered that a couple of our
riders and crew couldn't sleep in a moving vehicle. To solve this
problem we'd anticipate where a shift would end and try to book a motel
room there. The resting riders would be driven about 120 miles along the
route and deposited in the room. The incoming riders would jump into
the 'still warm' beds and rest before themselves being transported a
further 120 miles to the next change of shift.
As
a crew member, I got to meet a few locals as I travelled from west to
east. Apparently more than half of Americans have never travelled
outside the USA, almost two-thirds do not even own a passport and more
than a few have never been outside their own state. So when you mention
you're part of a team cycling across America, they're stunned and
impressed in equal measure.
Continental divide: David's route took him over the wide water of the River Mississippi (pictured here in Iowa)
I'm not suggesting the following encounter is typical, but it certainly made an impression on me…
Halfwaythrough
the race we were having some difficulties with a faulty generator on
our motorhome. So one of our crew wandered over to a giant truck,
explained our problem to the driver and asked if he could possibly help.
After
a moment, the driver looked down and said: 'I don't know nothing about
generators.' He then paused for several seconds before continuing: 'But I
know a whole lot about chickens.'
Fortunately, we hadn't experienced any problems with chickens, so his expertise in this area wasn't required.
A
few of our crew and cyclists were so moved by the overall RAAM
experience they are planning a 'race within a race' next year. As 2015
sees the Rugby World Cup taking place, they approached numerous former
international rugby players from around the world and invited them to
participate.
Many
have responded saying they're keen. It seems cycling is the preferred
method of keeping fit for retired players with 'dodgy knees' (they have
no idea what they're letting themselves in for!).
If
you fancy taking part in such an experience, ask yourself the following
questions: Do I have a sense of adventure? Can I function on very
little sleep? Do I have a modicum of common sense? Am I willing to
commit to a seriously tough challenge?
If
the answer to all of these is yes, take a look at the RAAM website -
www.raceacrossamerica.org. Who knows, you might be inspired to get a
team together and enter the challenge.
Our
team covered all our costs (excluding flights, which were paid by each
individual) through corporate sponsorship and in addition raised more
than £50,000 for Asthma UK.
A landmark on the way forward: David was also entranced by the Gettysburg battlefield in Pennsylvania
We
never did catch up with Pippa's team, who were riding for another
charity, the Michael Matthews Foundation, which campaigns for education
for all. They finished almost a full day ahead of us.
I know how incredibly hard our cyclists worked, so hats off to Pippa's team.
She
may have a famous sister and a 'party girl' reputation, but on this
occasion she definitely walked the walk... or, more accurately, cycled
the cycle, all the way across America.
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