Why we are proud to call him our friend

Rob and I have been friends since 1977, when we met in junior high school. We have been cycling together since 1987. Well, I say "cycling together". I stopped being able to keep up with Rob around... 1987.

Rob is the best cyclist I have ever personally known. He rides faster and climbs hills better than most.

More important, he is an equally good husband, son, brother, police officer and friend. He has a huge heart, which he puts into everything he does (just ask anyone about the neat painting job he did on the back edges of the shelves he installed in the crawl space of Kate's and his house.)

The thing about RAAM is - it really does not care much about any of that. Sometimes a crash can take you out of the race in one fell swoop. In other cases, it is a thousand little cuts. Mechanical problems, nutritional upsets, bronchitis, hydration, saddle sores - whatever. Any one of those things is not a deal breaker, but multiple road blocks can lead to a premature end of the road.

It is not for lack of training or planning or dedication or heart.

It just is.

Rob has now competed in four RAAMs. He has finished two. In all four, he rode farther, faster and stronger that anyone I will ever know. Just going to the starting line of RAAM is an act of courage beyond comprehension. Everything else is just gravy.

Rob's the man. And I am proud to call him my friend.

A battle well fought

I just hung up the phone with Rob. After 1320 miles, it is time. He has decided to end this year's RAAM.

In the end, saddle sores are a bad scene. Immensely painful, the rider adjusts his position in the saddle to try to compensate and get more comfortable. That leads to lower efficiency and worse, possible bio-mechanical problems in the knees and hips.

It was a tough decision, no doubt, but it was made with his wife and day crew members Mike Perron and Vin Daniello.

In the end, Rob knows himself better than anyone. He made the right decision.

A pain in the a**

Rob's cousin Tom Schmiedel just called me from Elkhart, KS. Rob is still about 10 miles from Elkhart.

Apparently, the saddle sore is quite bad and causing serious pain, hence his slow pace into Elkhart. It is in danger of becoming infected and may already be.

There is no cell phone service so the crew sent Tom ahead to ask me to contact Rob's doctors here in CT to see what some options might be, but they are all on lunch break until 1:00 PM EDT.

*Report from the road - 6-13-2008, 10:45 AM EDT*

I can't get through to the pace van this morning, but I just spoke with Tom Wendel in the shuttle van. Rob has a new problem, the extent of which I am unclear.

He has developed a pretty bad saddle sore on his butt.

Saddle sores are a fact of life in RAAM, but they can be quite serious. The pain is spectacular and if they get infected, they can be dangerous. (Some day, ask Rob about former RAAM winner Paul Solon's saddle sores when Rob crewed for Paul in 1995. Just don't ask while eating.)

Anyway, treating the saddle sore caused another much longer break overnight and therefore less mileage than he needs to do during the overnight period.

Rob has to spend more time in the saddle riding during the overnights if he wants to keep the momentum going from strong days.

Remember - in RAAM, the numbers don't lie. 200 miles during the day and 100 miles at night equals a 10 day crossing.

Right now, I am guesstimating that Rob will roll into Plains, Kansas at about 3:00 PM today, exactly five days into the race. That means he will have completed 1386 miles in five days or 277 miles per day. Extend that out and it equates to an approximate 11 day crossing, meaning Rob would arrive in Annapolis in the early afternoon on Thursday, June 19. In my mind, an awesome crossing, but I know Rob wants to do better. And he still can.

Stay tuned.

Photo from the road

Crew member Tom Wendel continues to send cool photos.

Health note: If you look closely at photos of RAAM riders, they start to look like they are developing beer bellies. While there is no doubt those will come after the race, what you are actually seeing is what Rob calls "RAAM Gut". It's gastric distention - basically a gas build-up in the stomach. It can be a problem as it makes it more difficult for the stomach to empty and deliver calories to the body.

Rob is consuming somewhere between 10,000-12,000 calories a day and he needs every one of those. If things aren't getting through, it can cause him to "bonk" or run out of fuel. Not pleasant.

(Click on photos to enlarge)

Crew: "Rob - it goes much faster if you actually RIDE it."

Rob: "Bite me."

*Report from the road - 6-13-2008, 6:45 AM EDT*

An interview with Rob from some time last night. He looks and sounds great to me. Fortunately for Kate, she now has permanent video evidence that this is most likely Rob's last RAAM!

*Report from the road - 6-12-2008, 10:18 PM EDT*

Just spoke to night crew nav-man Mike Desilet. Rob's riding well. It's getting cold again and temps are expected to drop back into the high 20's tonight. The plan is to get him through Time Station 21 in Clayton, NM, and then push past that until about 2:00 AM, when he will go down for his scheduled sleep break.

Everyone sounded upbeat and enthusiastic about Rob's performance.

Mike said he would pass along my comments in the previous post.

BTW - thanks to all-around good guy and Rob's cousin Tom Schmiedel who has been out on the course and cheering Rob on since Colorado. He is waiting at the Clayton time station right now, where Rob will stop for 15 minutes and put on some warm clothes. I know he will enjoy seeing Tommy again.

One last thing: Is it mere coincidence that the night crew navigator's last name is "Desilet" as in "desolate"? If you saw the area of the country they were traveling through right now... well, you get the point.

Talking to Rob's mom... and to Rob

Rob's mom, Jean, called me tonight to get the real scoop on Rob. She spoke to Rob and Kate this morning, but she wasn't sure she got the whole story.

I told her that since I was not in the van behind Rob, I was in no position to contradict what they were telling her.

Jeanie does know, however, that I have crewed for all of Rob's previous races and know how to read the numbers and read between the lines. So this is what I said to her:

He's slower than he planned and he's had some pretty serious challenges thrown at him. So far, he has stiff-armed each of those challenges and is staying on the bike and is improving.

His goal of finishing Tuesday is almost certainly out of the question and he knows that. Rob is smarter than all of us put together and even he, with his addled, sleep-deprived brain, knows the score. He's been at this game since 1994.

She asked me if I think he will finish. I said absolutely yes. In fact, I think he can finish late Wednesday night if his body cooperates and he stays on the bike. As of this writing, his average speed has gone up considerably and that's what matters.

I remember the first RAAM in 1996. I was watching my best friend suffer mightily and it was painful. The following year, I got over that. As Kate likes to remind him - Rob chose to do this. Nobody forced him.

So what would I say to him if I were there now, crewing for him? I would say:

"Man-up, nancy-boy. How about this: You keep your ass on the bike and ride for the next six days. After it's over, you can sit and watch pre-season college football and RAAM videos for the rest of the summer, until you get pasty-white, fat and doughy and bask in the knowledge that you are, without question, one of the toughest bullheads any of us has ever known. Now RIDE!"

That's what I would say.

*Report from the road - 6-12-2008, 5:30 PM EDT*

RAAMing through time station 19 - Cimarron, NM - I just got off the phone with the pace van and Rob is returning to Rob form. He is breathing easier (but not perfect) and the coughing seems to be subsiding.

His speed into and over the difficult section in Cimarron (wasn't that the name of a very lousy Cadillac once-upon-a-time?) was quite impressive and now let's see what the flatter, lower-altitude roads do for speed.

Everyone in the pace van sounded like they were having fun, but then again, they are driving, not riding. Day crew today is driver Vin Daniello (replacing the departed John Browne, who headed back to Connecticut today), navigator Mike Perron and chef/mechanic Kate Morlock.

A few words about the entire crew: it might be the best crew Rob has ever had on RAAM. In addition to the names above, Mike Desilet, Sal Dicello, Kate Fitzpatrick (mom-in-law), Javier Lowe, Todd Tallman, Gary Truax and Tom Wendel are clearly doing yeoman's work keeping Rob in the game.

I don't get to speak to the night crew as much as I would like, but they have performed some pretty miraculous feats of crew-ness over the past 48 hours.

It is hard work, believe me. More on that in a future post.

*Report from the road - 6-12-2008, 2:20 PM EDT*

In the last few hours I have spoken to crew members John Browne, Mike Perron and Kate Morlock (just hung up the phone.)

Rob is riding solidly right now on his way to time station 19 in Cimarron, NM. This section includes the last bit of serious climbing before heading into the lower elevations of eastern New Mexico and on into Kansas.

This is a good thing, since Rob has been having some lung problems and his breathing has been labored. It is affecting his power and reducing his speeds on the bike. This is a common problem on RAAM, as past great riders have dealt with bronchitis and pneumonia.

He is hoping that the lower elevations will help his breathing and get his average speed back up.

At this point, he is just shy of 1,100 miles into the race. For those of us who ride 1,100 miles in, say, a couple months - we are in awe. The last time I traveled 1,100 miles in one shot, it was in an airplane (though I think it took longer and I suffered more than Rob. Certainly the air was more foul and the food worse.)

Anyway, the key to RAAM is staying on the bike and moving east. That is what he is doing now and his performance over the next 24 hours will be an important measure of whether or not that lung problem will remain an issue.

*Report from the road - 6-12-2008, 11:55 AM EDT*

Rob went through time station 18, Taos, NM, about an hour ago. Clearly he is behind his desired schedule. He did not log too many miles last night and as a result has fallen to 17th place overall as of Taos. In addition to all the other stuff RAAM has thrown at him, he apparently spiked a fever last night, which is why he was off the bike more than planned.

I spoke briefly with Kate (his wife) and crew chief Mike Perron, both of whom are with Rob in the Pace Van today. They say his spirits are still good and he is riding strong again.

I still think Rob can find his legs and slowly pull himself back up in the standings. If his body cooperates, he'll be there.

Some Rob photos

Somewhere in Colorado. Despite the constant companionship of your crew,
RAAM is a very lonely undertaking

With camera crew. Quite the Chatty-Cathy.

Top of La Manga Pass - highest point in race.
"OK, Robbie. It's a 1,000 miles downhill to the Mississippi River!"

*Report from the road - 6-12-2008, 9:30 AM EDT*

Just had a brief conversation with night crew navigator Mike Desilet. The temperature dropped to 19 degrees last night while Rob was riding toward Taos. He had to get into the motor home to warm up and take a nap.

Rob is now back on the bike and riding strong once again.

Let's see, now. So far, this edition of RAAM has presented Rob with:

- Extreme heat
- Extreme cold
- A broken pace vehicle
- Dehydration
- Insane headwinds

A yet, there he is back on the bike and riding toward Taos.

As of 9:30, he was still 30 miles from the Taos time station. I thought he would get there by around 3:00 or 4:00 am, but clearly the cold temps of New Mexico had other plans.

I hope to catch up with both the day and night crews by phone in a few minutes for further updates.

Also, I have some new photos sent over yesterday that I will post momentarily.

Numbers, numbers, numbers

I'll leave you all with some numbers tonight to think about.

RAAM is all about the numbers: average speed, miles per hour, miles per day. As a former Morlock crew member, I loved crunching the numbers for Rob and he enjoys hearing about it over the PA system. I have to say that it's much easier to run the numbers sitting here in Connecticut in front of the computer, as opposed to while riding shotgun in the pace van.

Rob's had a rough couple of days due to heat and automobile problems. Yet, he is still at about 297 miles per 24 hours average over the first three days. Not where he wants to be (300+), but given the difficulties of the last 30 hours, pretty darned impressive.

His average speed plummeted yesterday due to that long sleep break while the crew re-fitted the shuttle van to become the pace van that follows Rob.

BUT!...

Something caught my eye tonight as he went through the Chama, NM, time station tonight:

His overall average speed is starting to inch back up. And that is AFTER getting into Chama, which had some pretty tough climbing. It tells me that he is finding his legs again and getting back into the groove. And with 2000 miles to go, that gives him plenty of runway to just stay steady and gain ground.

Something else to consider: As of this writing, Rob is sitting 13th overall among the men.

BUT!...

The difference between 13th (Morlock) and 6th (Jones) is two hours, 20 minutes as of time station 16. There are six guys less than an hour in front of Rob. Hmmmmm.

I haven't spent the time analyzing when each of these racers will have to take their next sleep break. And, of course, Rob will have to stop and rest again some time tonight as well.

The point of all this is that it is a long race. With two thirds still to go, the standings will change countless times.

The key factor for Rob is keeping that overall average speed solid. He is currently at 12.41 mph overall. In his last RAAM in 2000, he finished 8th overall with an average speed of 11.82. He needs to ride smart and consistent. He has some fierce climbing coming up tonight and tomorrow (Thursday). In fact, as I type this, he will be approaching the highest point in the entire race - La Manga Pass at 10,275 feet.

If he were able to to sustain 12.00 mph for the whole race, that would put him in Annapolis in about 10.5 days or around 3:00 am on Thursday, June 19. That would be a really great crossing.

Of course, this is all silly speculation at this early stage. But Rob likes to know the numbers and if I get a chance to speak to him or a member of the crew tomorrow, I will let him know what I have written here.

Rob has a lot of time, a lot of miles and a lot of strength and courage at his disposal. It will be great watching the next third of the race unfold!

You do the math: Rob + cute reporter = interview

Hopefully, he did not talk to her during one of his epic bathroom breaks. Doubt it. It would have been the last interview of her RAAM career.

Time requirements/checkpoints

Back in the day, to be an official finisher of RAAM, a racer had to finish with in 48 hours of the winner.

That has changed over the years and now there is a cutoff time for the finish, but also two intermediate cut-offs. If a racer does not get to each of these checkpoints by the deadline, they are not considered an official RAAM finisher:

Checkpoint Times for Solo Men Racers

#1
TS 18, Taos, NM - 1,000 miles
Start + 96 hours =
Thursday, June 12, 3:00 PM EDT

#2
TS 34, Mississippi River - 2,000 miles
Start + 192 Hours =
Monday June 16, 2008, 3pm EDT

#3
Finish line - 3,000 miles
Start + 288 Hours =
Friday June 20, 2008, 3pm EDT

For the record, Rob will be in Taos about 1/2 day ahead of the cutoff, some time overnight tonight.

*Report from the road - 6-11-2008, 4:30 PM EDT*

Pagosa Springs, Colorado, meet Ozzie Osborne.

Rob is feeling his old self again and riding like... well, Rob. Which is to say, fantastic.

Need proof? Check this video that day crew chef/mechanic John Browne sent as Rob approached the Pagosa Springs time station this afternoon:

And some commentary and photos from former RAAM winner Danny Chew.

"Am I going east or west?"

"Some day, I am going to get me one of them bikes with MOTORS on them."

A BIG thanks to the kind folks at New Country Chrysler in Cortez, CO

The pace van (now the shuttle van) is BACK on the road after some major transmission surgery.

Thanks to our new friends and honorary TeamMorlock members at New Country Chrysler in Cortez for gettin 'er dun!

"Sensational" Sonnie, service adviser & Nate "The Natural", service manager

"Rock Dog" Rudy, mechanic super-guy

Another photo of Rob

In the motor home at the Durango time station.

*Report from the road - 6-11-2008, 10:00 AM EDT*

A nice post and photo of Rob coming into Durango on the RAAM web site.