The crown jewel of ultra marathon cycling competitions, the Race Across America, RAAM, begins June 15th at 7am in San Diego, California. The riders will cross fourteen states, climb 83,000 feet and pedal a total of 2960 miles. RAAM is a single stage race which does not permit pelotons or drafting. The clock never stops and most riders often race beyond exhaustion, limiting sleep to quick naps, others maintain a more managed approach. Either way, RAAM makes for a seriously long “time trial.” There will be 18 soloists competing this year. 17 men and Rebecca Smith, this year’s only solo female cyclist. TEAM RAAM will begin 30 hours later.

But what exactly is RAAM? How to you classify a race that requires its competitors to stay in the saddle over 20 hours a day for 8 or 9 days while adjacent to the motoring public. Many consider RAAM to be an adventure race, while others think of it as a road race or a time trial, but anyway you slice it, RAAM is ultra extreme. Some say it is the toughest there is.

The term "solo" refers to the cyclist. It does not represent the endless number of support personnel who dedicate their time, expertise and effort to contribute to this fascinating competition. Crew is an intricate part of the success of a rider’s assault on distance. An escort crew cannot win RAAM for their rider, yet they are in the dubious position of potentially causing the downfall. Although they do not ride the bike, they do everything else. The rider can only be as good as his crew. Their contribution is well respected and critically important. Crew members make RAAM possible.

An average escort support team for a single rider consists of approximately two motor vehicles, a motor home and 9 crew members. Most often, crew members have an area of expertise, such as mechanics, massage, nutrition, media and race liaison, navigation, etc. Beyond these roles, however, they all rotate and fill in wherever required. Adaptability is key, and a good disposition is paramount. It can become a bit trying sitting beside the same person for 9 days crossing the United States of America at 25 kilometers an hour. Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Well, unless, of course, their rider is winning.

Further behind the scenes, there are countless volunteers working to ensure success, safety and above all, warp speed. Specific numbers become far more difficult to determine and vary widely from rider to rider. Many a rookie has rolled up to the starting line with empty pockets, a game plan of "go east" and performed extremely well. Others, more fortunate, more organized and experienced, allocate all available resources and manpower that they can harness to ensure a smoother and faster race effort. Sponsors, race planners, coaches, advisors, spiritual and emotional support people fill in all the gaps. I think every rider has a "go to voice." This somebody who is removed from the RAAM scene, a person who they can call in an emergency to get a grip on what it’s all about and what is happening. So "solo" it is and it isn’t.

In terms of physical effort and mental fortitude, Solo RAAM is simply a war without the bloodshed and hatred. The necessary logistics allowing a competitor to race unfettered are as complicated as computerized chess. Race plans are designed to meet a vast array of possible eventualities but they never can account for everything encountered. Crew shifts are devised, rest areas designated, fuel stops coordinated and meals are scheduled and all this is just for the crew. For the rider it has the tendency to become over complicated. Repetition meticulously administered is both friend and foe. As a friend, it has the possibility of helping to develop a race rhythm, but as a foe, it is difficult to stay with a set pattern 24/7 facing the variety of conditions that present themselves.

Most riders do not have to deal with complacency, but it can be an extreme problem if it finds its way to the surface. An idle mind is the devil’s workshop the saying goes and nowhere else as in RAAM is the saying more relevant. Sleep deprivation and mental demons can wrack the most steadfast of minds. Boredom becomes much more of a prevalent concern when the rider’s fate has been carved. If your 1500 kms from Atlantic City, the rider in front of you is 400 kms ahead, you are basically pedaling to finish, which is nothing shy of a huge accomplishment, but each mile becomes a marathon. With the urgency gone, complacency roosts and all kinds of horrors must be battled to see the finish line. It’s the perfect time to remember to ride your own race, but the fact that you are doing it, that you can RAAM, can become confused with the "what ifs" and there is an overpowering desire to finish so one can start planning for the next year. RAAM is alluring as any other addiction.

But now, in the final hours before the race starts, it is all about focus, the final tweaking of one’s mental ambition, of one’s dedication and of the abandonment of fear and doubt. The strength to ride through walls is summoned. Memory checks recall the trials of getting to San Diego, the endless battle of organization, the setbacks along the way and of the thousands of miles of training. Doing it hard, in the rain, in the cold, keeping the faith while abandoning normal all reminds the rider that their best is all he or she can give. Commitment is burned into every fiber of their being. Anxiety may still sizzles in the maelstrom of inert energy and will probably require the cranks to start spinning and the miles to start disappearing for its eradication. But right now in the moments before the show, rookies and veterans alike must dissolve their stage fright and convince themselves that they are about to give the performance of a lifetime. And they will. Nothing else will do.

I caught up with two time RAAM champion Cassie Lowe of Australia and asked her about her run up to race days. She had this to say:

DP: In the days leading up to RAAM what was your disposition like?

CL: I had a great sense of anticipation in knowing that this was going to be the greatest personal test of my life. I had a positive, quiet attitude.

DP: Were your emotions riding a roller coaster are did you have a firm grip on them?

CL: My emotions were totally calm. I used the final days for reflection on the journey to the start line, and mental preparation/visualization on what lay ahead. During the race, if you're not on top of the nutritional element, your emotions can go haywire. The nutritional or fuelling component is absolutely key to maintaining balance.

DP: Were you able to focus fully on the task at hand?

CL: Yes. One needs to know where and when to channel energy, especially for RAAM where pacing, nutrition and managing every aspect of oneself can either make or break your mental state which of course may have a bearing on the physical, and the crew.

DP: Did your confidence suffer shattering jabs occasionally?

CL: No. I could not afford the luxury of a negative thought. But if I did feel a bit of depression coming on, I informed my crew and they helped me through it and it may have been as simple as needing more protein!

DP: Were you able to just let your crew attend to everything that needed attention or did you "have" to participate in all details? By "have," I mean, from the outside looking in I would have to say you were blessed with good crew, Steve Born knows this game more than most anyone I would imagine, so even though you had faith in your crew did you still feel the need to oversee their activities and decisions?

CL: No, not once because I had a great level of communication with Steve, in fact I was blessed to have him as my crew chief. He seems to know instinctively when to give me a hug, and or, when to tell me to "shut up and ride the bike" which works for me. I personally asked each member of my crew on my team many months before RAAM, and so I took care to get the right crew dynamic, and Steve took care of all the logistical details including regular email updates to inform the crew of everything from how my training was going, to assigning each individual their task and shift including race procedural details. By the time we got to the start line, we were pretty much dialed in as a "unit." All I had to do was ride the bike. All they had to do was keep me going in the right direction and throw me a bottle every once in a while! I had total faith in my crew and I think they'd agree with me that RAAM was quite a bonding experience for all of us. I learned very early on that the golden rule was to always look after the crew.

DP: Did the potential performance of the other racers enter your thoughts or were solely focused on your own race.

CL: I'd have to say that yes, in 2000 I was really concerned at the gun when the other riders took off like it was a 40km time trial. The mind games and tactics are quite heated in those first few days. I couldn't believe it but Steve assured me we'd be seeing them again and I was to ride my own race. I took his advice and began to look inwards and sure enough, most riders came back to me and that in itself was empowering. To pass another rider when they have nothing left because they'd gone out too hard gave me strength. In 2001, I had learnt from experience so I didn't give it a thought and simply rode my own race. Same thing happened, a few other riders came back to me.

DP: As the race approached, what was most important to you? When everything got dodgy, what did you turn to, to rebuild your focus and confidence with, what was your starting point? What was that something that Cassie Lowe absolutely knew she could count on?

CL: That's easy, Steve Born. He gave me the greatest gift, that of believing in myself

DP: Anything you would like to add?

CL: There are so many aspects to RAAM, it was a race that changed my life. Given the chance, I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

DP: Where did you draw your strength from? Did the concept that you were soon to roll your bike to the starting line of RAAM humble you or did you need to get past those sort of thoughts and tell yourself it was no big deal?

CL: It is a huge endeavor to get to the start line, the logistics, human element, not to mention the huge cost. I was totally humbled by it. If I had thought for one fleeting moment that it was "no big deal" the race would have been over and we may as well have packed up and gone home. If you don't have a healthy respect for this race, it will eat you alive. To learn more about Cassie Lowe's ultra cycling accomplishments, please visit www.cassonbike.com.