Reports from the Race Day Three

Welcome to Race day three!

1:00 AM Friday - New shift just started for KAL I don't have much info on the last PAD shift, but cheery Patt was "tired" when I asked him how he felt.
Goat and I are in the follow car and papa/mama D are in the leapfrog. Goat is driving, so no need to worry about emailing while driving for this stage! Mama D was a but distressed when I videod KR descending the canyon earlier today when I was driving. I felt like bruyneel at one time I had two phones going and I was steering with my knee.
Later I felt like a real race mechanic. I was got tired and wearing filthy shorts getting a sunburn on the side of the road. I had to catch KR a couple of times at the end of his effort since it was steep and he was so tired he seemed he would tip over. Then he would go out again in 10 to 15 minutes. Ironmen!

2:35 - Alex just passed a very large jackrabbit. Goat estimates he has slept maybe 2 hr's since oceanside. I have maybe 4.5, but I was in the military and can sleep anywhere. Alex is humming along a gentle downhill at 28 mph. Kayenta, AZ: KR tipped over at an exchange. Kinda funny at 0140 in the morning. We just passed TSegi, AZ. The route book says there is an 8000 ft peak to our left, but its too dark to see. - Merrill

2:50 AM - We are 10 miles from Utah and monument valley. Alex is sporting the aero helmet again, but he has offset it with a flapping windbreaker. Temp is 52f outside. Goat has the AC set to 32f inside so he won't fall asleep. At night the rider cannot be on the course without a follow car with a special light setup. So if we need to pee Alex will have to stop. I think we could probably eliminate out the sliding door without stopping, but that probably violates a raam rule.

3:10 AM - Now we are in monument valley and goat is upset because he can't see anything. We can just make out the shapes in the light of the half moon. We will soon pass by brigham Young's tomb at monument pass. It is only a 600 ft climb in 6 miles for KR. After seeing a lot of other teams all day, we just saw our first other team tonight. Motorhome from team 601 was on the side of the road. Our own RV just passed is on its way to the next shift change. It is a veritable traffic jam. We are planning on 110 to 120 miles for this 6 hr shift. - Merrill

3:13 AM - Keith has been running his headlight blinky YDT style, but earlier a raam official pulled alongside and told him to out it on steady. We have covered 661 miles as of 313 am Friday.-Merrill

3:45 AM - Goat and I just had a great view of the monuments backlit by the moon and stars, silhouetted above us on the horizon as we stood there emptying our bladders in a huge sigh of relief. We had to stop for the break because I found the megaphone under the seat. Since Keith has no radio tonight I started shouting instruction and encouragement to him through the megaphone. I had a hard time keeping a straigt face with the Megaphone, and could not finish a sentence, goat was about to wet himself. Many things are funnier at 340am. - Merrill

4:06 AM - Alex coming into Mexican hat, UT. 679 miles in, 2335 to go.

5:36 am - Keith just climbed 1225 ft in 12 mi. Standing most of the way and maintaining 14 to 19 mph the whole way. He is the energizer he is the man. On another note, goat just saw a second shooting star. We also saw one car the entire time KR was ascending. They don't have serious traffic problems here. -Merrill

6:30 AM - 46f, it is feeling cold. Hi today was about 85f but all sun and very dry. Alex will ride the last 10 to time station 12, montezuma creek, UT. As Keith was riding up to the exchange at 0600 EDT, 0400 local, he was cresting a small incline. Just above him a shooting star left a blazing vertical tail, a fitting salute to a courageous effort for the oldest rider on the squad.
As Alex built up speed on the back of the rise, he was greeted by a second flash across the sky. He earned it today! Timestation will be 718.9 miles at approx 0630 EDT. I'm looking forward to my second sleep shift. Goat sends greetings to all his tmr buddies. Please send Starbucks gift cards care of The Goat. Cheers! - Merrill

9:45 AM They've made it to TS13, Cortez, CO, still solidly in 5th place, 54 minutes behind 4th and almost 2 hrs in front of 6th. They're in the heart of the Rockies now. I hope they can take advantage of the climbs and gain ground on the competition. This is an epic endeavor! - GU

1:20 PM Report care of Dave Tambeaux - Your intrepid East Coast RAAM reporter here will go to any length to snag a story, including calling AFC rolling HQ on the road. All kidding aside Merrill called while I was at lunch and I have been empowered to give the story here. M put me on with KR, who I am happy to say sounded very fresh and much more with it than yesterday. I would go so far to say he is recovering to the shock of climbing to start RAAM and is now feeling very good. He called himself Walter Mitty, when I told him it was the press on the phone. KR’s sleep story begins with riding himself into complete exhaustion near Medicine Hat, which he said was in Utah, so we will go with that. KR also said they passed no other teams or team cars for a long time. The race apparently is getting very spread out. After eating he went right to sleep, although he said he used the eye covers to aid getting to sleep without interruption. They are just east of Durango CO and headed to Pagosa Springs CO. Soon to be climbing for 30 miles although KR said it was nothing serious for team PAD as it was only 1,400 feet in elevation change. Merrrill was giving KR info as we talked and relayed that the are over one quarter of the way done, hitting the 828 ¾ mile mark as we spoke. I love Merrill getting it right to the last drop, maybe he can be Folgers from now on. KR said he was looking forward to the flats and getting to use the aerobars. They are either going to hit or just hit the high point (I think it is coming) at Lamanga Pass which tops out over 10,000 feet above sea level. I bet the views are magnifico. I then spoke with Goat who just got off sleep detail along with some others. He said Madi was driving while the bunch slept. Goat says he was knocked out cold. It took the RV 4 hours to go 100 miles through some narrow winding roads. Just now Merrill is shouting encouragement to Alex who is riding uphill and they are prepping KR to go back out very soon. Goat says the support team is eating mostly trail mix and assorted sandwiches and an occasional French Toast thrown in for good measure. Most wakeup calls are followed by downing Starbucks Double Shots. When KR woke up to ride he immediately did his Starbucks DS and just jumped on his bike straight away.
Goat relayed what a disappointment it was to miss the daytime beauty of Monument Valley in AZ. He said they saw 4 shooting stars. The moon however confused them frequently thinking it was an approaching car (from behind). I think the desert does weird stuff like this when you are sleep deprived. He said the entire night they did not see another car.

1:17 PM (I think) - 68f at 1317 EDT at some Indian reservation. KR on course, van smells like icy got in the van from Alex. Boys are sporting the Princeton sports jerseys today - Merrill

2:00 PM from Merrill in Alison, CO - Not an exciting place - 849 in the bank.

2:17 PM - 30mi and 1600 ft to pagosa springs. 74f at 217p EDT. Goat and I are measuring out the pain in smaller doses today. Averaging about 7 to 8 mi at a time. Zero clouds and noahdr (??) on the course. Fantastic blue sky as we head up the valley from 6000 to 7600 ft. - Merrill

3:30 - 3 miles to Pagosa 73f No oxygen -Traffic
3:38 - KR is out of the saddle attacking - GO Keith Go!!!!
3:41 PM - Team 607 bus just passed us
3:47 PM - 7069 feet entering town boys really out down the poweron the climb! (??Merrill??)
3:51 PM - PAD is taking over now and they will take the team to the highest point on RAAM at over 10,000 feet.

6:53 PM - Keith and Alex rode 97 miles in 5 hrs. It was an inspirational effort, especially by Alex who had some early problems getting going and complained of back soreness. Later he was matching a very strong KR who was feeling good after 4 hrs of sleep.
Goat and I provided solo support and it worked out pretty well. We would follow for a time and then when the rider began to fade we would zip ahead slightly and stage the next rider. As we buzzed the guy on course he would get a little energy burst he needed to get up to the rider exchange. If we had enough time, goat would film the exchange and the scenery that has him completely in awe!
Next up for PAD is the highest point on the course at La Manga pass 10275 ft. KAL are resting up for the assault on the terrain around the beautiful Taos, NM. Including the trip up bobcat pass between TS 18 and 19. Goat is driving the RV I'm writing you. Papa D is sleeping, Mama D and Madi are napping in the suite. KAL are sleeping. Everyone else is out on the course. Oh and I forgot, goat spotted a cloud a few minutes ago -Merrill.

6:55 PM - Keith says: We were penalized 15 minutes for a late call in of time station 14 :( I guess we'll have to make it up in the hills :) Ps - Maero's new name will now be Pedro the late evening entertainer. It's a party on the graveyard shift!!!

10:26 PM - Crossed the 1000 Mile mark with Patt Riding.

11:09 PM - A bat just buzzed Alex. I am in the followcar with Madi, KR has taken one turn. We left the 1k mark about 5 min after Patt showed. We had to get the vans and crew switched out and the rider cannot ride at night unsupported. Goat and papa D are in the leapfrog. Sun is nearly set on another beautiful day of cool and dry, but not enough oxygen. RAAM never sleeps. I let some Irish dudes use my mobile since they couldn't call in their time. Pay phones all broken (2) and 1 of 5 cell phones working. I think they got a penalty for being late. Could be they were team cry. I think they had a guy crash and get concussed. Once team Cry's time gets posted, they will probably be back ahead of us. Their rider is ahead of us presently. - Merrill

11:15 - Rio Grande gorge - Just crossed the bridge. Like to come back in the daylight.
11:25 PM - we are 10 mi from Taos, NM. Here is the profile for the stage being completed:

11:30 PM - After Taos we start climbing again for 40 miles. From 22 to 40 the gain is. 7271 to 9836! KR is going to ride a 48x18. Alex is sticking with the 16 on the back.