Team FARA

Tour De Palm Springs Sponsor: Lazy Dog Cafe

2012-01-21T17:56:00.000-08:00

Lazy Dog Cafe is a relentless supporter of FARA and we are proud to have them as our Tshirt sponsor for Tour de Palm Springs. Visit one of their Southern California locations and show them the support they are showing for Team FARA! lazydogcafe.com

Tour De Palm Springs Sponsor

2011-12-16T15:58:00.000-08:00

Three Olives Vodka is a huge supporter of FA Research and we are proud to have them as our Jersey sponsor in Tour De Palm Springs.

Tour De Palm Springs Hotels

2011-12-08T14:16:00.000-08:00

Here is a list of hotels that will be offering a discounted group rate for Team FARA participants. Book now, the hotels will fill up fast!

Hilton Palm Springs
400 East Tahquitz Canyon Way
Group Name: FAR
Palm Springs, CA 92262-6605
$150.00 – Standard King/or Double Queen
$180.00 – Plaza Suite
Reservations should be made by calling the hotel directly and by using the group name.
760-320-6868
760-318-8501

Doral Palm Springs
67-967 Vista Chino
Cathedral City, CA
Group Name: FARA – Tour de Palm Springs
$139.00 – Run of House
Reservations should be made by calling the hotel directly and by using the group name.
760-322-7000

Shilo Inns Suites Hotels
1875 N. Palm Canyon Dr.
Palm Springs, CA 92262
Group Name: FARA
$119.00 – Standard King/or Double Queen
Reservations should be made by calling the hotel directly by using the group name.
760-320-7676

Quality Inn & Suites
69151 E. Palm Canyon Dr.
Cathedral City, CA 92234
Group Name: FARA
$79.00-89.00
Reservations should be made by calling the hotel directly by using the group name.
760-324-5939

Team FARA in Tour De Palm Springs

2011-11-14T14:10:00.000-08:00

Jersey Sponsor:

"I believe the greatest challenges and struggles bring out our greatest strengths and accomplishments...My goal for my Team FARA ride in the Tour de Palm springs is to complete the second century of my cycling career. 100 miles in a day! Please join me by not only going after your own personal best, but by making an impact in joining the biggest Team FARA event yet to kick off 2012." - Kyle Bryant =>>Read Kyle's entire letter to participants HERE.

Team FARA is partnering with Outback Steakhouse to assemble a group of bike riding, research supporting athletes to participate in the Tour De Palm Springs on February 11, 2012. The Tour De Palm Springs is among the largest organized rides in the country and it offers 5, 10, 25, 56, and 100 mile routes to allow a fun and challenging ride for all abilities. The prime cycling conditions attract thousands of riders to this Southern California oasis every year making it an ideal ride to show the power of Team FARA among the masses.Each team member will receive a team tshirt and entry into 2 team gatherings hosted by Outback Steakhouse when they reach their fundraising minimum.

There are two main goals for Team FARA’s Participation in this event:

Draw attention to Team FARA by showing up in huge numbers as a unified Team, turning heads in our flashy Team jerseys.
Raise the money that will Cure FA.

Registration
You will register with Tour De Palm Springs on their website: http://tourdepalmsprings.com/node/11
Fees:
5 mile - Under 18: $10, Over 18: $25
10 mile - Under 18: $10, Over 18: $25
25 mile – Under 18: $30, Over 18: $40
56 mile – Under 18: $45, Over 18: $55
100 mile – Under 18: $50, Over 18: $60

Fundraising
Your registration fee goes to Tour De Palm Springs. Fundraising benefits FARA and requires a separate brief registration process to set up your online personal fundraising page with a picture and your story about the reason you are riding for Team FARA in this ride. After you set up your page you can send the link out to friends, family, coworkers and you can post your link on Facebook and Twitter to rally your troops in support of your ride for Team FARA in the Tour De Palm Springs. Sign up for your fundraising page here: Team FARA in Tour De Palm Springs. Click the button to the top left that says “Register.”

Team Apparel
One of the goals of this event is to make an impact by riding as a strong team in one of the largest events in the country. Each participant will receive a Team FARA/Ride Ataxia t-shirt and awareness bracelet when they sign up for their fundraising page and raise a minimum of $100. Your FARA awareness bracelet will get you in to the pre and post ride team gatherings hosted by Outback Steakhouse.

Jerseys
Each Team member has the opportunity to earn an official Ride Ataxia Jersey for raising $500 or more on their fundraising page. These jerseys were designed after the Jerseys worn by Team FARA in Race Across America - a race in which the 4 man team completed 3,000 miles across the country in 8 days 8 hours and 14 minutes. Watch the trailer for the upcoming documentary HERE.

Schedule

Friday February 10, 2012

12:00-7:00pm- Tour De Palm Springs Expo and Information Pick-Up
3:00 to 5:00pm – Team FARA Pre-Ride Packet Pickup and Hors d’ouvres hosted by Outback Steakhouse

Saturday February 11, 2012

630am - 3pm - Tour De Palm Springs!

630 – 800am 100 mile staggered start
900 – 1000am 55 mile staggered start
1030am 25 mile Start
1100am 10 mile start
1130am 5 mile start

4:00- 6:00pm Team FARA Dinner hosted by Outback Steakhouse http://www.threeolives.com/

Go FARAmones!

2010-10-15T17:03:00.000-07:00

“Joanna can’t even walk, and we can do this!” he said. “We could’ve made speeches or handed out flyers about FA. But instead we thought ‘let’s realize how lucky we are to have control over these legs and use them to their full potential.’ That will really send a message.”

Check out the full article HERE.

Foolkiller 2010 Complete!

2010-09-07T16:33:00.000-07:00

This is the story of the Team FARA Foolkiller climb as told by FA parent Tom Hopkins. If you'd like, here's a little background http://teamfara.blogspot.com/2010/07/foolkiller-2010.html

Now, on with the post:

One of the ways we decided to contribute to Team FARA is through an idea my neighbor, Web Barrett, came up with. We had been hiking the White Mountains every summer for the past few years – Web, myself(Tom), Web’s son, Kyle, and Francis. We started with Mount Washington and have covered a few additional 4,000’ + peaks since. (Web’s done most of them already a few times over). This year, we decided to turn the climb into an opportunity to raise awareness and fund research for a cure for FA, by raising the FA banner over at least five 4,000’ peaks. We decide to name the climb the “FoolKiller 2010,” after one of the peaks. This year Clare will round out our five member Team FARA. Our five member team will be hiking 5-8 mountains, all over 4,000 feet, within five days and four nights.

I think none of us realized what we were getting ourselves into. Even Web. And he’s a veteran White Mountains hiker. We’d done some two to three day hikes the past few years, hitting a few 4,000 footers, including Washington, the big daddy of the Whites. But these treks were scant preparation for what we’d bit off, though we did not know it till we got into it. We wanted to do something with a bit of an edge to it – something that in some small way respected the incredible achievement of the Team FARA RAAM triumph, our source of inspiration - and which honored the courageous lives of all our FA-ers and families.

It was preceded with signs that I now realize I should have more carefully read – starting with the weather report. One of the driest New England summers in memory was about to get very wet. Then my son, Francis’ persistent cough, diagnosed as pneumonia two days before our start date, caused his reluctant withdrawal.

On start day – Wednesday – we headed up in two vehicles, with a plan to drop one at the end point of the hike. Turns out we dropped it a bit earlier than planned – in the middle of Interstate 93. I was driving my 10 year old Durango with tires balding worse than I am. We hydroplaned, spun out and did a “360,” bouncing off a guard rail across traffic and into the breakdown lane. About 40 minutes of standing in the rain waiting for the police and wrecker followed. We were soaked before putting a foot to the mountain. Left the ‘rango at a garage and piled into Web’s car, getting to our start point about two hours behind schedule.

Started out in the pouring rain, going up Mt. Liberty, with full packs – tents, gear and five days of food – about 40 pounds. By the time we reached our camp just below the summit the rain had let up, but we had to scrap our plan to get to the summit of Mt. Flume the same date. We raised the FARA banner over Liberty in a menacing sky with quick moving clouds that allowed just enough of a view of the surrounding mountains to get us pumped for the next day, Thursday.

And what a day – possibly the longest ever for some of us. From Liberty to Little Haystack, Lincoln, Lafayette and Garfield. This was mostly ridgeline hiking, where, if the weather is good, the views are spectacular, but if the weather is lousy, there is no place to hide. Well, the weather got real lousy – sleet and freezing rain after we reached the ridge line. The exposed wet granite cropping made the going very slow and treacherous. Several hikers near us went down and stayed down. With gear soaked and boots filled with water, we pressed on across the summits, the last portion of the hike from Lafayette to Garfield being the longest and most difficult leg of the trip, by far.

The extremely difficult terrain, the fatigue, the pain, the cold, the rain and the thought of three more days of the same played with our minds. We hiked for a good while in silence, each bearing his own private burden. As we learned from one another later, our thoughts at this time were often on our FA-ers and families, who confront difficulties and hardships and personal challenges on a daily basis and who persevere with resolve and courage. Amazingly, it was at this low point that the “Team” in Team FARA really came into play. Near exhaustion, Clare and I struggled far behind Web and Kyle who went ahead to try to secure shelter for the night. As we both neared what we thought to be the end of our endurance, Web came back down the mountain to us to announce that he had reached the summit, and to take my pack up the remaining distance. I took Clare’s and the three of us hiked with renewed determination to the top of Garfield, where Kyle was waiting, and unfurled the FARA banner in the icy winds.

We reached a shelter just after dark, cold, wet and tired. We got right into our sleeping bags without supper, paying little attention to the snoring hikers and busy mice who shared our lean-to. We’d raised the FARA banner over four additional 4,000 footers.

We slept in the next day, Friday, dried out our wet gear in the sunshine that finally came, got some food into us and revived our bodies and spirits. We had some good company in the shelter. You meet the most extraordinary people 5,000 feet in the air. Some of them are “through hikers” – going the entire distance of the AT (Appalachian Trail) from Georgia to Maine. More than I care to even contemplate.

Saturday we started out early after breakfast, rested and dry. The hiking was even more extreme, with steep downhills and uphills requiring all four “points” (hands and feet) at times, but it was dry and much more agreeable than Thursday’s ordeal. The views were spectacular. We hit two more 4,000 footers – Galehead and South Twin. We raised the FARA banner over each, and drew a good deal of curiosity and encouragement from the hikers who were out on the sunny weekend. We directed them to the FARA website.

On Sunday, we hiked out, hitting the summits of Guyot and Zealand – making a total of nine 4,000 + peaks. Web took the hiker’s shuttle to his car and came back to pick us up - with cold Mountain Dews for Clare and Kyle and cold Budweisers for me and himself. Tasted real good.

Team FARA in the Seattle Triathlon

2010-08-13T12:48:00.000-07:00

Good luck to Louise and Sandy, FA moms who will participate in the Seattle Triathlon as part of Team FARA this weekend. Full story: http://teamfara.blogspot.com/2010/07/fa-moms.html

Team FARA in the San Francisco Marathon

2010-07-23T11:39:00.000-07:00

Good Luck to Mark Bruemmer and his team of 20 San Francisco area Outbackers. This marks the second year that this dedicated Team FARA running group will participate in a 5k and 1/2 marathon on behalf of FARA. If you find yourself in the San Francisco area on Sunday, July 25 please come out and cheer them on!

GLASS ELEVATOR

2010-07-16T09:23:00.000-07:00

First it should be noted that this event has more rules than an Army boot camp. A couple of the rules that came into play for this story are: #650 Night Riding and Safety This was modified slightly before the race started when they changed the time that these rules would take effect each day. They moved the time from 8 pm local time to 7 pm local time. The rule in summary, says that the rider after 7 pm local time has to use full lights on his bike and must be in the headlights of the follow vehicle at all times. The biker and the follow vehicle are considered "one". Of course at 7 pm local time you still have to be wearing your sun glasses in most cases, so the rule seems a bit much at this time of day. The other rules #625 Sportsmanship and #640 Passing will become self explanatory as the story unfolds. A violation of any of the rules outlined in the RAAM rule book could result in a time penalty.

This all took place towards the end of Day 1. Day 1 was very chaotic in many ways and this just topped it off. The first 21.7 miles of the race no vehicles are allowed on the course. So we made the decision, screw it, we'll just make John ride the whole way and try to burn him out early. After the 21 mile mark we began our regular rider exchanges every 7 to 8 miles. Everyone, however, was looking forward to experiencing the "glass elevator" that we had heard so much about in the build up to the start of the race. The riders decided before the race to have John make this decent as they had hoped that he would be tired enough to control himself by this time of the evening. Here is the description from the Routebook: “Marked 8% downgrade "The Glass Elevator". Caution---dangerous descent.”

As we approached the crest of the descent we set up the follow vehicle I was driving with a member of the film crew. Kevin mounted his camera on the hood of our red van using some kind of suction cup device. I was a little skeptical that it would actually hold. One other thing to mention, the red van had major issues with the brakes. It seems the rotors were warped and at certain speeds (any speed) it would cause the whole van to shake when the brakes were applied. So thinking ahead we decided this would be the best vehicle to follow John down the "glass elevator" at high speeds.

We made the rider transfer about 1 mile prior to the crest. Unfortunately the transfer was made at 7:01pm local time. This meant I had to follow John at a distance of no more than 50 ft according to the rules. As we approached the descent we began to overtake a slower rider. When this happens, they are supposed to slow and allow the approaching rider to pass safely. See rules #625 & 640. Needless to say that didn't happen. John yelled back at me, "Can I Pass?" and I replied "When they let you". I didn't get the complete sentence out when John sprinted to the left and passed the other van and rider on the first blind hairpin turn of the descent. By the time I got around, crossing the double yellow, it took me at least a half mile to catch John who was cruising at 40 to 50 mph by that time. As I tried to follow through the twisting road, alternating between gas and bent rotors, I kept catching a glimpse of Kevin's camera chattering on the hood each time I touched the brakes. This pursuit lasted for 11 miles. As we sped into Borrego Springs for the rider transfer John was screaming joy. John later said it was the most fun he had ever had on a bike.

I do have to mention one more rule to end this story. We were told numerous times: riders can never reverse and ride back along the course. This can subject the team to disqualification. But as John was finishing the "best ride of his life" he decided to flip a u-turn and ride back to high five the crew. Fortunately, the official that was present missed that action and we continued with our rider transfer and the team continued on into the desert evening.

Mike B.

FA Moms!

2010-07-15T13:24:00.000-07:00

On August 15, 2010, Louise and Sandy (parents with children who have FA) will participate in the Seattle Triathlon as part of Team FARA.

What does Team FARA mean to us:

Team FARA encourages us to push, step outside the comfort zone, reach and accomplish something for ourselves, and more importantly for the greater Friedreich’s Ataxia community.

Sandy's Story:

My daughter was diagnosed at the age of 4 1/2 with FA. FA is a life-shortening, debilitating, and rare neurogenetic disease. Chelsea opens her eyes every morning confronted with new challenges and frustrations.

Chelsea is now blind and cannot do most activities that many of us take for granted, such as self-feeding, bathing, brushing her teeth, or dressing herself. This disease has robbed Chelsea on her independence, her dignity and her pride. Remarkably, despite the grim scenario painted above, Chelsea is cheerful, happy and loving. This disease progresses with time and there is presently no treatment or cure.

Anyone who has ever met Chelsea knows that she is lit from within. She has a heavenly glow about her. Chelsea is a dreamer and one day dreams of a cure. We must keep the hopes and dreams of Chelsea, and all of those affected with FA alive by supporting research. There is no longer any doubt – “Working alone, there is little any of us can accomplish. Acting together, there is very little we will NOT accomplish.” Ron Bartek, President and Founder, FARA.

Please help is reach our goals and help Chelsea achieve her dream

Louise's Story:

In 1991, after 2 years of diagnostic testing, we were struck with the devastating news that our beautiful son Joshua, age 6, had FA. Eighteen months later, our lovely daughter Leah was given the same diagnosis. Last year at the young age of 23, our son passed away from cardiac failure. Our daughter Leah, now 23, continues her brave battle as this debilitating disease continues to progress. She inspires me every day with her smile. Our only hope is to find a cure for FA and our only way is thru research. This year I am dedicating my training and completion of the Danskin Triathlon to Joshua’s memory. You can support our cause by praying for a cure and by contributing financially (every penny helps) to FARA (Friedreichs Ataxia Research Alliance) via this website. Together Everyone Achieves More.

To donate to these Moms of the FAmily please visit their fundraising site.

RAAM Race Recap

2010-07-15T10:44:00.000-07:00

Team FARA was featured in a recent RAAM 2010 Race Recap:

"Team FARA raced to raise money and awareness for the genetic, neuromuscular disease, Friedreich's Ataxia. Two of the racers on the team, Kyle Bryant and Sean Baumstark suffer from the disease, which attacks the muscles and causes life-shortening heart disease. Kyle is further progressed and raced riding a specially designed tricycle. Although Kyle spends much of his time these days in a wheel chair, he is one of the spokespeople for FARA and his continued cycling and fundraising efforts have garnered roughly $1,000,000 for Ataxia research. Team FARA finished 1st in the division with a time of 8d7h59m (15.03 mph)."

Read the entire story here: RAAM 2010 Recap Part 2

However I think they may have been wrong about our finish time, I think it was 8d8h14m but either way we came in first in our division!

RAAM Reflections

2010-07-08T15:10:00.000-07:00

The posts below are stories from the crew of Team FARA's Race Across America. The posts are consolidated in the new tab above called "RAAM Reflections." Enjoy!

Snippet from the night

2010-07-08T14:12:00.000-07:00

At a Time Station, we met up with the Aussie team again. They were a nice group. One of the guys said to us, “My Dad, rest his soul, would never believe that his son would be chasing 4 bike riders across the United States,taking directions from a woman's voice in a little box.”

Bob O.

Special Thanks Go Out to…

2010-07-08T14:11:00.000-07:00

AAAHHHHHH!!!!....weren't those some crazy moments? And another great big shout of “THANK YOU!” to the absolutely wonderful lady that owns the little old fireplace salesroom way out in the middle of NOTHING ELSE OUT HERE, Kansas. She allowed me to occupy her tiny little toilet room in the back of the store with the see-through slotted boards for walls, the low low water pressure and the stress relief smell of good soap. Couldn't ask for anything more! And thanks to blake for filling her in on why we where out there. And thanks to big John Lockwood for continuing to peddle whilst I relieved myself.

Phil V.

Panicked relief

2010-07-08T14:09:00.000-07:00

Taking care of No. 1 and No. 2 for the Crew required an unnatural combination of control and luck. Team FARA’s mentor, Lee “Fuzzy” Mitchell, did the math for us early on in the planning process and declared that the capacity of the RV could only accommodate the needs of the four Riders. The Crew would have to make do with whatever external facilities that they might encounter. For me and others, this more often meant everything from dashing behind the odd bush in the desert to offroad rock outcroppings, strategically placed guard rails but sometimes a gas station or convenience store would be encountered at just the right time. Locals who came out to see the passing spectacle of our Riders exchanges at the edge of their rural driveways were a rarer but most welcome event for the Crew.

Crew members were always grateful for these opportunities for relief whether natural or odd coincidence. In the more urban areas, this required both discretion and good judgment, but we appreciated the graciousness that we encountered. One memorable case occurred late in the Race as we approached the final stretches into Annapolis. The RV had settled in for brief stop to coordinate a rendezvous with the vans for the next exchange of resting for exhausted Riders. The RV pulled into an independent convenience store along the highway and I popped out to dash into the little store. The modest store was stacked to the ceiling with the usual water, beer and other beverages along with snacks. But a quick scan of the premises found no restroom. Ugh! The proprietor, a middle aged woman behind the counter recognized my dilemma immediately and with the sweep of her hand she said, “Please, use my bathroom” and she pointed toward a closed door marked: Private: Employees only.

With a quick thank you, I pushed open the door to a darkened room equipped with a small kitchen, a cot in the corner and an open door to a waiting toilet. I flipped on the light and closed the toilet door behind me. Ah!!! Relief of No. 2 and mission accomplished. I rose to flush the toilet only to see the water rise ever so slowly. And rise. And rise. With each millimeter of the rising tide, my relief was displaced by panic. Was I going to reward this gracious woman with a mess in her private facility?! At last the rising stopped and the water level receded to previous levels. But the contents of my deposit remained. Well maybe a second flush will do the job. A slow swirl and a rising tide removed only a fraction. This would not do. I grabbed the plumber’s “helper” next to the toilet and furiously plunged hoping to free a clogged line. A third flush and the slow swirl removed more of my deposit and only a fourth flush cleared the bowl.

Emerging from the Private quarters, I cautioned a fellow Crew mate – “Careful.” As I passed the store keeper, I expressed my thanks and she responded – “You are most welcome. I know that you have traveled so far. Many others in the Race have already stopped by. Sorry but it flushes very slowly.” Indeed!

Mike A.

Late night navigation

2010-07-08T14:04:00.000-07:00

I had just come off an 8 hour shift and was sprinting for my favorite berth above the RV cab,when I noticed Mike Bryant in the darkened cab tapping his pen and looking at the next pull. I asked him who his navigator was and to my dismay he said he was driving and navigating himself. I hated the navigating part of this job, and when I saw that the entire page was highlighted in yellow I offered to drive, but Mike said he was driving. Just to let everyone know, Someone on the team, I think it was Felicia, took the time and highlighted every turn on every page of every RAAM rout book. Again I offered to drive, and Mike said no. Off we go into the stormy night with me navigating. The first turn was missed when we came to the stone wall, telling us we missed our turn. I think we were in Kansas, but I really don't know. Anyway we were both relieved when we came into radio range of our two vans and riders. We got to the next time station a McDonald’s where a RAAM official greeted us with a Doppler radar report of the front that was following us. His recommendation was to wait and let the storm pass, but that was never an option for our guys. We pressed on as usual.

The pressure of navigating was intense and I had been having bad dreams for months about getting the team lost, I never offered to do it again but actually would have done anything needed to "Finish Strong".

Bob O.

Foolkiller 2010

2010-07-06T07:24:00.000-07:00

Hi Team FARA fans! We mentioned a few weeks ago that Team FARA is not only for cycling, the Team extends to anyone who wants to make progress for the cause...so meet Team Foolkiller:

"In September 2008, just before her 13th birthday, our daughter, sister, and friend, Grace, was diagnosed with Friedreich’s Ataxia (FA), a degenerative neurological disease for which there is presently no treatment or cure. The diagnosis came after several years of trying to find out what was causing Grace’s balance and gait problems. Finally, a genetic test at Mass General confirmed what the doctors suspected. The news was life-changing for each of us in the Hopkins family. We found out everything we could about FA, and none of what we learned was encouraging. We learned that Grace can expect to be in a wheelchair within a few years, gradually lose her abilities to move, speak and see and to develop a heart disease which is often fatal for FA-ers at a young age. We found out that FA is a very rare disease and is sort of like winning the multi-state lottery, as far as the odds go.

We learned some good things, however. We learned to have strength in our family and our faith. We learned that we have the best family, friends and neighbors one could hope for. We learned about the FA Parents Group, where we have met the most courageous and generous people God produces, and where we can share our experiences, joys and sorrows. And we learned about FARA – the Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance – a group of far-seeing and dedicated folks who are providing real hope for FA-ers through funding some very promising research and treatment avenues, some of which are in clinical trial phase right now. FARA consists of FA-ers and their families and friends who together have put us on the road towards understanding and beating this disease. But it is a race – for Grace and for all FA-ers waiting for a treatment and, hopefully, a cure. That is why it is so important to help out at this time.

One of the ways we decided to help is through an idea my neighbor, Web Barrett, came up with. We had been hiking the White Mountains every summer for the past few years – Web, myself(Tom), Web’s son, Kyle, and Francis. We started with Mount Washington and have covered a few additional 4,000’ + peaks since. (Web’s done most of them already a few times over). This year, we decided to turn the climb into an opportunity to raise awareness and fund research for a cure for FA, by raising the FA banner over at least five 4,000’ peaks. We decide to name the climb the “FoolKiller 2010,” after one of the peaks. This year Clare will round out our five member Team FARA. Our five member team will be hiking 5-8 mountains, all over 4,000 feet, within five days and four nights.

TO DONATE:
You can help out with a generous tax-deductible donation to FARA, by clicking here:

https://sna.etapestry.com/fundraiser/FriedreichsAtaxiaResearchA/teamfara/team.do?participationRef=968.0.194552948
Also, check out our other sites sites:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=135470533148091

http://sites.google.com/site/teamfarafoolkiller2010/home/grace

For more information on FA and FARA you can visit: http://www.curefa.org/"

A Long Winded Conclusion

2010-06-25T22:30:00.000-07:00

Dear team FARA (and the FA community) - you are amazing.

I joined Team FARA because I am terribly vulnerable to Kyle's sales pitches. Upon arriving in Oceanside, I will now admit, I had no idea what I had gotten myself into. Other than what the title implies, the Race Across America was a mystery to me; turns out, this was a good thing. As the race rules, crew rotations & required equipment were revealed, I found myself questioning the sanity of the riders and the crew I was about to join on this journey (especially that of Sheriff Gore).

(crazy right?)

Along the course of this ride, we traveled 3,000 miles through 12 states in just over 200 hours. We hoisted the bikes/trikes on to their respective racks over 500 times. We consumed hundreds of sandwiches & wraps (although surprisingly only one PBJ wrap) and drank enough caffeine to at least accommodate the morning rush at your local Starbucks (perhaps Tracy can back me up on this one). We experienced rural America at the comfortable speed of 15.1 MPH, although we would have liked to pick this pace up a bit in Kansas (only joking Kansas - your sunsets and Buffalo meat alone were worth the journey). We encountered an assortment of weather: hot, cold, humid, rain, lightning and wind to name a few.

(see what I'm talking about - Kansas is what's happening)

The crew was unphased by sleep deprivation, hilarious comments from navigators or annoyingly late camera guys - keeping the riders safe at all times and only seldom leading them off course (sorry Sean Baum). The RV, despite its overstuffed nature (both human and let's just say "crap") was at all times a sanctuary - all the credit in the world to Diane, Tracy & Paul. The riders were an inspiration, waking up only four hours after their last shift to go do it again, almost always (exception, Sean Baum) with a smile on their face.

Unlike most teams, Team FARA gained momentum throughout the race. The supporters that drove for hours to cheer us on, gave us inspiration. The letters provided by Mary lifted us up. And the bonds that we developed with our fellow crew members gave us even more reason to be there. While I signed up for this trip to support my friend Kyle, by the third day I realized all that I was fighting for: Mary and her daughters, Mike & Diane, Felicia, Sean, Bob, Steve & Erin, Paul, Mike A, Sheriff Gore & Sam, Phil, Aaron, Deputy Lockwood, Mike M & Tracy; for supporters along the way and those awaiting our arrival at the finish; for those checking the blog on a daily basis; for hope. I wasn't the only one subject to this infectious force. We were joined by a camera crew, which through countless hours of driving behind four inspirational riders, saw their passion for a film grow into passion for a cause. It is only through their commitment (and repeated acts of God), that their beater RV (Rainbow Fox) made it across the country...now I wonder if it will make it back.

To my friend Kyle: you are amazing. After every pull as I would help lift you out of the trike - I pondered how many people you were helping to lift up in some way (myself included). I know you are inspired by those supporting you; but you will never know how much inspiration you provide. Suffice to say, you are the world's smallest Barney (but a Barney nevertheless). I will follow you, wherever you may go (just steer clear of Kansas in the future). I love you, man.

Lastly (yes, this should indicate I'm almost done here), I must comment on Team FARA's #1 finish. Because the other team in our division did not finish, we took first place and were quite literally the only team in our division. I find this fitting because there really was no other team like us in the Race Across America. A group of rookies, most of whom have little to no cycling experience (riders excepted), decide to join one borderline lunatic on a journey that even he would admit was crazy...Team FARA for short. Looking at what we accomplished, with a supporting cast of hundreds of amazing people - is it really that crazy to think that we could cure FA?

A Complete Photo Album

2010-06-25T20:19:00.000-07:00

John Loves Powdered Donuts!

2010-06-25T12:14:00.000-07:00

A little more research on the RAAM website lead me to this video. That's John eating the powdered donut near the beginning!

RAAM Media

2010-06-23T18:56:00.000-07:00

I finally got a chance to scour the RAAM website for Team FARA sightings and found this:

Thank you to the RAAM media crew who was so good to us on the road.

I am still trying to wrap my head around this whole adventure. I let it sit for a day and watched a slideshow of photos tonight and was very emotional. I'm sad that it is over, but this is only the beginning for Team FARA. Stay tuned. . . . .

Time to go home...

2010-06-22T14:08:00.000-07:00

After a great race, the building of beautiful friendships, and celebrating with friends and family in our FA family...its time to fly back to sacramento! Thank you all for the adventure of a lifetime!
Until the next great adventure...boomslam!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

'Cause Sometimes One T Just Ain't Enough

2010-06-21T22:48:00.000-07:00

Go Team FARA

2010-06-21T22:00:00.001-07:00

Let the man speak

2010-06-21T15:50:00.000-07:00

RAAM Banquet

RAAM Victory Banquet!

2010-06-21T14:35:00.000-07:00

Deconstruction

2010-06-21T09:23:00.001-07:00

Who knows who this stuff is? Let the sorting begin!

Finish

2010-06-21T09:20:00.000-07:00

The Finish!

2010-06-21T00:28:00.001-07:00

The Finish

2010-06-21T00:25:00.000-07:00

Finished

2010-06-20T22:54:00.001-07:00

Boomslam!

2010-06-20T22:46:00.000-07:00

7 miles left in raam

2010-06-20T22:11:00.001-07:00

Web cam I think at the finish! Raceacrossamerica.org for the cam

Countdown Begins

2010-06-20T22:10:00.000-07:00

Heading into the finish

2010-06-20T21:58:00.000-07:00

Kyle & I in FARA Van 1 - sometimes known as goldie locks, gold van, sandpiper, golden nugget, saharah blaster, mean machine, and so on...
Approaching our final 10 miles!

Check out www.raceacrossamerica.org for the live video stream of our finish in Annapolis!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Heading into the finish

2010-06-20T21:49:00.000-07:00

Kyle & I in FARA Van 1 - sometimes known as goldie locks, gold van, sandpiper, golden nugget, saharah blaster, mean machine, and so on...
Approaching our final 10 miles!

Check out www.raceacrossamerica.org for the live video stream of our finish in Annapolis!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Raam finish webcam

2010-06-20T19:29:00.000-07:00

Raceacrossamerica.org has a webcam set up at the finishline we should
be crossing at around 1:27 east coast time... Will try to update with
a better time estimate the closer we get... 50 miles out!

Finish Strong

2010-06-20T17:17:00.000-07:00

Page 146 contains the Special Instructions for Finish - 91.2 miles to
go. All 4 riders will ride the final 54.6 miles together from Mount
Airy, MD to Annapolis...may I suggest you join them?

Gettysburg

2010-06-20T15:13:00.000-07:00

Mike B is at the helm on this beautiful evening as we cruise through
Gettysburg while the riders battle a few miles behind us. If that
doesn't paint the picture for you, see the photo.

Final push

2010-06-20T13:56:00.001-07:00

I realize the posts are getting less frequent but we are making the
final push. We have slowed down a bit in the rolling hills of
Pennsylvania. John and I just finished our toughest shift of the
entire trip and Sean and Mike are out battling the hills right now.
140 miles to go!

Sunrise climb

2010-06-20T06:13:00.001-07:00

Top of a tough climb followed by a signature John Lockwood screamin'
descent in West Virginia.

Almost there!

The Journey & the Friends You Take with You

2010-06-20T02:48:00.000-07:00

Someone on the crew (I think it was Diane) remarked how grateful she was for the members of our crew that joined because they had a connection to FA through a friend. We draw a lot of parallels between the kind of terrain passed on this journey and a family's life with FA. Many times, I imagine, it is the uphill climb like the team is traveling now---where you just need to put your head down and keep turning the crank. Other times, I'd think, it is like the loneliness of the dark and rainy night on a quiet Ohio country road. And others like the wind blowing you sideways as you try to move forward as in the open Kansas plains. But still our FA families and our team press on---knowing that it isn't necessarily the terrain but who you take with you and who you meet along the way that matters. Thank you to the friends and siblings in our crew---Blake, Mike G, Tracy, Aaron, Steve, and Phil. You joined the team simply because you love someone with FA. You've followed behind our cyclists lighting their way in the dark, feeding them between shifts, monitoring their progress and watching out for them. They've made this journey because you were either behind them or at their side. A special thank you to our cyclists Mike and John who came to this journey because of their friendship with Sean and Kyle. Your commitment to your friends and to the FA community has touched the hearts of so many.

And an added Happy Father's Day to Phil who is spending it on the road with the team and away from his little girls in CA. Thanks Phil.

Keith Michael Andrus, 12/21/1985 - 1/22/2010

2010-06-19T20:47:00.000-07:00

Team FARA Riders and Crew dedicate our last day of riding to Keith Michael Andrus.

Keith's diagnosis of Friedreich's ataxia at age 11, inspired his parents, Raychel and Ron Bartek, to join him in his fight, and found FARA. Even during the final and very challenging months of Keith's life he courageously continued to not only advocate for himself but for others with FA as he left no stone unturned exploring advanced and experimental treatment options. Keith’s legacy and inspiration lives on in Team FARA, pushing us forward, deepening our commitment and giving us a urgency.

We often quote Ron as saying, "Acting alone there is little any of us can accomplish whereas acting together there is little we will not accomplish." These words are deeply rooted in the FARA culture- the way we pursue treatments and a cure for FA and today as we complete this amazing journey, Keith is with us.

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-19T19:37:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to the FA Dads on the Team FARA crew- Paul Konanz, Mike Andresen, Bob O'Neil and Mike Bryant. Thank you for trading in a quiet Father's Day at home to be on the road keeping our cyclists safe and moving towards the finish line. Thank you Paul- our RV captain and fixer of all RV things broken (generators, toilets, etc). Thank you Mike A. for all of the research on the rules, route, elevation profiles, temperatures, and cell coverage. Your detail management made us feel more in the know and less like a rookie crew. Thank you Bob for all the time spent preparing the vehicles and countless driving hours over the last week. And thank you to Mike B.- our crew chief -for taking on the enormous responsibility of leading four cyclists and twelve crew on this incredible cross country journey all because your son asked you to.

Thank you FA Dads. You monitored and followed our cyclists through sun and rain, light and darkness, mountains and windy plains. You did it on compromised sleep time and under stressful conditions. You did it because you love your kid and wanted to honor him/her with this service to the greater FA community. With the utmost respect-- Thank you.

And Happy Father's Day to my own Dad. Thanks for teaching me that there is nothing better than being a member of a team that has a worthy purpose.

West Virginia

2010-06-19T16:41:00.000-07:00

We have arrived in west Virginia start of the east coast mountain
range... Three states to go!!! Yippi!!!

Mikes sorry

2010-06-19T16:19:00.000-07:00

He texted me this picture when he got me lost yesterday and I had to
ride 9 miles In 97 degree heat 50% humidity... I forgave him... Who
can resist that puppy dog face, lol

Healthy Break

2010-06-19T13:21:00.001-07:00

Team FARA riders and crew have been working nonstop for 7 days now. We
have been kicking butt and had a rough, wet night last night so we
took 2 hours this afternoon to regroup and make the final push for the
finish. We reflected on the past week and we are all overehelmingly
proud of how far we have come but we realize that we are not done yet.

We just got back on the road more focused than ever with our sights
set on the finish line.

Predicted Time Station Arrivals Update

2010-06-19T12:40:00.000-07:00

Approaching Athens, OH! Use this link to view Predicted Time Station Arrivals and check our progress on the RAAM map. This should help since the GPS tracking linked on our blog is currently not signaling. Less than 500 miles to go!

http://www.raceacrossamerica.org/raam/rcfrcast.php?s_N_Entry_IDx=2618&s_N_Year_ID=33

Upgrade

2010-06-19T09:36:00.000-07:00

When a sixteen ounce water bottle just ain't enough.

Join TEAM FARA

2010-06-19T05:38:00.000-07:00

Team FARA is not just this team or this race, it is a greater effort with many participants all with similar goal to stay fit, challenge yourself, raise awareness for Friedreich's Ataxia (FA) and support FA research.

Join TEAM FARA!

Team FARA members are running, walking, biking and swimming for FA research around the world. While they are geographically dispersed, Team FARA is united with the same goal: to draw attention to FA through acts of physical endurance and to support the advancement of FA research towards treatments and a cure for FA.

About Team FARA

Team FARA is made up of people around the globe who participate in endurance events on behalf of the Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA) with the goal of raising awareness and funds for FA research. Past Team FARA members have registered as individuals and groups in local marathons, ½ marathons, triathlons, ironman competitions, bike tours and 5K runs. With the FARA name in their fundraising materials, local press releases, and on their race jerseys, Team FARA members are introducing the general public to this rare disease and the importance of supporting FA research.

Join Team FARA

You can join Team FARA simply by registering in a local athletic event of your choice and deciding to do so in FARA's name. FARA will provide a fundraising webpage for you to customize with a photo and information about your event participation. FARA will also work with you to generate a press release and a strategy for local press coverage of your endurance event and campaign for FA research. Finally, FARA will supply you with either a Team FARA running jersey or t-shirt to be worn at your event. Your supporters also have the opportunity to purchase Team FARA t-shirts to wear as they cheer you on.

If you're interested in joining Team FARA, please contact us at info@cureFA.org

If you are looking for an event, join me at Ride Ataxia Philadelphia, 10/10/10. This is a great event with distances for all levels of riders.
Most importantly, Get out there and Educate, Empower and Enable!

Blanchester

2010-06-19T05:27:00.000-07:00

Blanchester, Ohio....we're not positive where these signs came from, but we appreciate them nonetheless!! Maybe that support ran out of waiting time? Who knows. Thank you secret operatives of Blanchester!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Good morning!

2010-06-19T03:00:00.000-07:00

After a night of battling a serious downpour the sun rises again and
the next shift looks to face another wet storm headed our way.

Saturday Challenge

2010-06-18T20:16:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of the ride Kyle announced a goal of 1000 visits to the blog in a single day. We have gotten close... we have 920 visits in a day and we have had >2600 unique visitors but we have not had 1000 visits in a day.

As the team races through Ohio and West Virginia on Saturday lets see if we can get people to give up their chores and check out the blog.

Goal: 1000 visits to the blog on Saturday!

Hometown Friends

2010-06-18T19:23:00.000-07:00

Emily and family drive 4 hours just to show their support on a random
Indiana road. Emily and I went to highschool together and I am good
friends with her brother Matt. Thanks for the support!

Mike as McGyver

2010-06-18T16:55:00.000-07:00

So...we've managed to collect about 87 live, annoying, pesky flies in this RV, but for some reason its been impossible to get fly traps that meet some of the crews' "safe chemicals" standards, or even a fly-swatter. These stupid flies keep us awake when they consistently land on our faces! But fear no longer team & crew, Racer Mike has improvised and made 6 fly traps of his own! In your face flies!

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Mike as McGyver

2010-06-18T16:47:00.000-07:00

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

It is all about the mission!

2010-06-18T16:16:00.000-07:00

I am so excited by the number of people we have had visiting the blog and spreading the word on Facebook. We wanted to do RAAM to raise awareness and educate people about Friedreich's ataxia and FARA's mission to bring treatments forwarded even faster.

What is Friedreich's Ataxia (FA)?
Friedreich's Ataxia is a progressive, neurodegenerative condition that dramatically, unexpectedly alters lives causing:
*Loss of coordination and muscle weakness in the arms and legs
*Energy deprivation/fatigue
*Vision impairment, hearing loss, and slurred speech
*Agressive scoliosis
*Diabetes
*Life-shortening cardiac disease

What is FARA?
The Friedreich's Ataxia Research Allianceis a non-profit organization dedicated to curing Friedrech’s ataxia (FA) through research. FARA grants and activities provide support for basic and translational FA research, pharmaceutical/ biotech drug development, clinical trials, and scientific conferences. FARA also serves as a catalyst, between the public and scientific community, to create worldwide exchanges of information that drive medical advances.

Today, individuals with FA are hopeful due to significant research breakthroughs that FARA has helped facilitate over the last decade. We are now in the "treatment era" as clinical trials are in progress. Each day, the FARA scientific community moves closer to realizing our goal of slowing, stopping, reversing and ultimately curing FA. Freedom from the debilitating, devastating effects of FA is on the horizon.

Learn more about FA, FARA and the research progress at:
http://www.curefa.org/

"Acting alone there is very little any of us can accomplish. Acting together, there is very little we will NOT accomplish."

Back to the road!

We just surpassed the distance, in 6 days, that the pro competitors in Tour de France do in 3 weeks!

2010-06-18T15:38:00.000-07:00

Redbull it up!

2010-06-18T15:06:00.000-07:00

Right now we are all wishing for some wings!!!

Dedication

2010-06-18T13:25:00.000-07:00

Team FARA riders and crew are constantly trying to catch some z's.

Day 6

2010-06-18T10:24:00.000-07:00

Mike's only pair of clean socks.

Yet another transition

2010-06-18T09:02:00.000-07:00

Transitions keep happening, different times different places... It
kinda like life always adapting to situations and circumstances but
the main thing is that not all transitions are smooth sometimes they
don't go exactly as planned but if you push hard you will reach the
finish! Oh and just for the record I think the crew has our
transitions down to a science now... Haha it was a little rough going
in the beginning lol! Like when john left the transition area even
though the other ride hadn't made it there yet, we got the
comunication going now though!!!

Bubbles

2010-06-18T06:10:00.000-07:00

You know it's a good morning when tracy busts out the bubbles while we
are leapfrogging... Good thing cause I needed a pick-me-up this morning!

Good morning!!!

2010-06-18T04:25:00.000-07:00

Missississississississississippi

2010-06-18T02:47:00.001-07:00

We have made it to
The Mississippi!

Less than 1,000 miles to go!

2010-06-18T02:29:00.001-07:00

The dream is coming true! 2/3 of the way there!

Can't sleep

2010-06-17T20:14:00.000-07:00

I can't sleep so I thought I'd try to download some thoughts.

I felt a positive shift in the morale entire team tonight as John and
I finished our riding shift. We had been getting a little sloppy with
our communication and rider/crew transitions and everyone was getting
a little frustrated...each person realized that something needed to
change so the crew got together briefly and addressed the concerns and
will work to make our machine run more efficiently. We are riding fast
and feeling great so if we clean up our act just a bit we will be in
Annapolis in no time. We can taste the finish line and it tastes great!

More Support

2010-06-17T19:14:00.000-07:00

Today Mark Bogucki and his friend Tom met us in Weableau, MO with
their bbq's and fed us pulled pork sandwiches, baked beans and Mark's
special cheese corn dish. So good!

Mark is one of the original supporters of Ride Ataxia. Thanks boys!

Y Not?

2010-06-17T18:55:00.000-07:00

Road names in Missouri are simple.

Rv driving

2010-06-17T15:24:00.000-07:00

Sometimes counters get slippery and foods fly off when taking turns
fast! Tracy is a champ though and helping seany clean it up!

Next year I'm coming back for the competition... I'm goons take first for shure!!! Oh small town livin

2010-06-17T15:21:00.000-07:00

Video of Team FARA in Action!

2010-06-17T13:40:00.000-07:00

Team FARA cruises through Kansas with a little help from local fans. See the team, crew, and fan support in action!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6z4EFEFiOS8&feature=player_embedded

Into Missouri

2010-06-17T08:58:00.000-07:00

Hot and humid. Concentrating on staying Hydrated. NUUN is key! http://nuun.com

Wright Family

2010-06-17T07:43:00.000-07:00

We just had the privilege of meeting Terry Wright, who drove out to Fort Scott, KS from the Joplin area of Missouri to cheer us on! Terry brought us some of her daughters (Shelby) favorite cupcakes!! Shelby - you have great taste! Thanks for coming out and seeing us Terry!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

The Cyclist

2010-06-17T00:02:00.000-07:00

Sean Baum shows up the "biker" in the background. With powerful legs
like those, who needs a motor?

Dawn

2010-06-16T23:45:00.000-07:00

One of the few perks of riding through the night.

Vista

2010-06-16T23:36:00.000-07:00

An eternity ago we passed through the Prescott National Forest in
Arizona - and up Mingus Mountain. From the top, we were privy to this
magnificent view of Haywood Canyon.

Running strong

2010-06-16T23:21:00.000-07:00

I lost track of days now... getting a little time to read some of the
comments from everyone. Thank you all for your support, thank you for
being a fire behind us giving motivation when nights get dark and the
miles get long. Know that just as much as we are in your thoughts that
you are in ours as well... The friends family I love you!

Maize/Wichita support

2010-06-16T23:19:00.001-07:00

Team FARA just got a huge shot of energy back about 25 miles from Bill & Marty and their families! These 2 fellow FA patients rallied their troops and they set up with posters and loud cheers at the time station in Maize! They also got us a police escort through town! It was exciting and motivating to ride in to this kind of support! The FA community as a whole is making a difference, and we are honored to be representing that community in Race Across America.
Bill, Marty, and families - thank you for your support! You'll never know how motivating and empowering you guys are for this team! Hope is alive and kicking (and pedaling too).

We will try to upload pictures from this rendezvous later.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Rest Shift

2010-06-16T20:34:00.000-07:00

John and Blake checking out the photos from the day. Better get some
sleep boys!

Team FARA in 2 RAAM Headline Stories

2010-06-16T19:56:00.000-07:00

Team FARA and supportors were profiled today in the RAAM headline stories and Mary Caruso and Felicia DeRosa also were featured in an article on keeping up Team morale (I personally can't think of two better people for that job!).

Check out these stories!
http://www.raceacrossamerica.org/raam/raamfp.php?N_webcat_id=109

(scroll down the homepage for headline stories)

3000 miles; 3000 visitors...

2010-06-16T19:27:00.000-07:00

Team FARA riders and crew have past the half way point! WOW, WOW, WOW!

I was able to witness the overflowing pride and gratitude for our Team today at the Simpson's home in Yonkers, NY today for a day of FA research. The Simpson's hosted an FA research team and FA families so that blood samples from patients, carriers and controls could be collected for various research studies. Everyone who came in to participate was buzzing about Team FARA. Everyone had their own update, favorite photo or blogpost.

I just checked up on the blog analytics.... drum roll.... we are at 2229 unique visitors to this site!

Magic 8 Ball: Do I see 3000 in our future? Yes, Yes!

Help Team FARA raise awareness! Spread the word!

Kansas

2010-06-16T18:55:00.000-07:00

Got a text from a friend earlier. He lives in Kansas and has a
daughter with FA. His message: "Welcome to Kansas Dorothy! Get after
it! We have a disease to cure!"

Mark, Lauren, we are thinking of you as we start our 4th night on the
road.

Thanks for the BBQ!

Just passed the halfway mark!

2010-06-16T16:08:00.000-07:00

Movin' fast! Gettin' there!

Life on the road

2010-06-16T12:34:00.000-07:00

It's not exactly G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S out here, but Mike B does his best
to find a roadside refuge for relief.

The nicest view I've found in Kansas...

2010-06-16T11:38:00.000-07:00

Kansas

2010-06-16T10:59:00.000-07:00

It's windy in Kansas!

At least it's not a head wind!

Kansas, we have a problem

2010-06-16T07:34:00.001-07:00

Deliriousness - it's afflicted us all. Trying to capture the essential
amount of shut-eye in between successive shifts, while travelling in a
beater RV, is proving difficult. John is displaying all the signs of
sleep deprivation: cackling at Phil's third grade jokes,
seriously considering our dares to ride naked (if the price is right)
and having trouble dressing himself (see pic). It doesn't help that
his crew is nearly as delirious.

Kyle doing an interview with raam media at time station 23? I think

2010-06-16T06:20:00.000-07:00

Sunrise in Kansas

2010-06-16T04:34:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all of our supporters!!! Riders and crew are pushing on
strong! Film crew has gotten some amazing footage so far... If you
haven't checked out the documentry trailer do so by using the link on
top of page!!!

7:11 east coast race time... Enjoying Kansas so far?

2010-06-16T04:11:00.000-07:00

2010-06-16T01:45:00.001-07:00

2:45 am getting gear up for another 4 hours... Windy

Just another roadside sunset...

2010-06-15T19:13:00.000-07:00

Top of the climb this morning... Elevation 10800

2010-06-15T19:10:00.000-07:00

We're Gonna Get This Done!

2010-06-15T18:57:00.000-07:00

I heard the blog had 600 hits yesterday! Your support and cheers mean so much to the team and crew and we appreciate all the messages - they help keep us going strong. One of the highlights of the race is we went through Durango, CO, which was a critical point because we had to make it by a certain time in order to stay in the race. We made it with 6 hours to spare - a huge boost for the team! Mike and Sean conquered a huge 10,800 foot climb - the highest point of the trip. John and I finished a 3,000 foot climb. Exciting!

The crew is just awesome! Every single person is doing whatever it takes to make life doable for us so we can focus on the ride. On average we take 4 hour shifts in teams of two, with 30 minute rotations. After riding we get in the RV, eat and drink, and then sleep for 2 1/2 hours. The crew wakes us up 1/2 hour before our next shift to get us ready. Two follow vehicles constantly communicate with one another where we are and changes to the schedule rotation. It's amazing and cool to go to sleep for a couple of hours and then wake up and see we're 60-80 miles further than before. We never stop moving more than 10 minutes.

RV Life is real close corridors. Nine people are in the RV all at once. The generator went out for more than a day so we did not have air conditioning, lights or electricity to charge our cell phones. We'll be in Kansas tomorrow which will be hot and humid so we're glad the air conditioner is now working and the RV is fixed. The weather is great and I sleep with no blanket.

We are now in Trinidad, CO. We have a hotel room and are rotating taking showers. We get to sleep in an actual bed for a couple of hours.

As many of you heard, Sean had a minor injury to his eye and our gofer vehicle with Felicia and Mary Caruso took him to the ER. The team never stopped riding... and Sean came back just hours later to ride. This is a huge example of NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, WE'RE GONNA GET THIS DONE! ~ Kyle Bryant

Cuchara Pass

2010-06-15T17:50:00.000-07:00

Short stop for a photo before a fast descent!

Photos Updated

2010-06-15T16:35:00.000-07:00

John Bomb Jovi

2010-06-15T16:02:00.001-07:00

John possesses the innate ability to bomb downhill at speeds in excess of 60 MPH while simultaneously grinning ear to ear (maybe he has no choice).

John Bomb Jovi

2010-06-15T15:33:00.000-07:00

John has established his extraordinary ability to bomb downhill while
simultaneously grinning ear to ear.

Tappin' the Rockies

2010-06-15T07:36:00.000-07:00

Our cold activated cans are a piercing cobalt blue - Current temp is a frigid 33 degrees (it is the Rockies). The fourth day has begun, and so has our steepest climb (up to 10,800 feet).