Places In Between

When I was young, the worst part of Christmastime was that dang piece right before the 25th, where the church-going had been churched the goose had been cooked and all we had to do was just sit around, get a full night's sleep and then see what Santa brought us in the morning.

In a little over two weeks we, Team Strong Heart, are headed out to California to begin another edition of the Race Across America, and yes, this is my new version of Christmas.

The challenge now, as the time winds down is, how much training do we do, do I have everything I need, where is that damn chamois cream from last year, etc. All the pieces have fallen into place in the past, but every year the stress level begins to build and the head starts to feel as though it will crack open and spill the contents.

If you, or someone you love, is about to embark on this journey, then I implore you to please have patience. We, the racers of RAAM, are a unique breed and our uniqueness will start to shine through as we get closer to the race. The sort of person who would agree to race his or her bicycle across the country is not the same workaday sort who you usually encounter on the street. The person who would agree to crew for that sort of person, well, that's just sick and wrong. So...what I'm asking for is a little peace, love and understanding from everyone out there who is rolling with a RAAM racer, organizer or crew member.

We are about to embark on an absolute odyssey of the mind and body. I can guarantee that the loved one you wave goodbye to in Oceanside is not the same loved one you will get back in Annapolis. Something ever so slightly changes when you are "forced" onto your bike at 3am in the middle of Missouri and that change is powerful to the person who experiences it first hand. The meaning of hard work, sacrifice, misery, teamwork, etc., all get mashed and rearranged along the RAAM route.

The places in between are where our integrity (and crazy, super fast, killer speed) shines through.

See you in Oceanside.

TC