Absolutely CRITICAL Resources for Following RAAM

This blog will attempt to add some color and insights as to what is happening with Rob and the crew, just as we did in 2008. The posts will not be in real time, but rather 2-4 times per day after conversations with various crew members and, if conditions permit, Rob himself.

But, you can follow what is happening in real time with some excellent links:

• Rob sponsor My Athlete has a satellite tracking device on the pace van that follows Rob every mile of the race. Those of you who followed Rob's training during the past six months already know how cool this is. Just click here to see where Rob is and how fast he is going. Note that his position is located by satellite, but the information is then relayed back to the Internet via the cellular phone network. If Rob happens to be in a desolate part of the country where there is no cell coverage, fear not. It will update as soon as he is back in range.

• The RAAM web site has a very cool animated map that is based on when the riders check into each time station.

• I find the raw numbers to be the most useful. In addition to showing when each rider checked into each time station, it allows you to click on a rider's name and get expected arrival times for upcoming time stations. Note that these time predictions are based on the rider's average speed as of the most recent time station. If the rider stops to sleep or for any other reason, those predictions can be off by anywhere from a few minutes to several hours. Each time the rider checks into a time station, all future time station estimates are updated accordingly to reflect current average speed. Use this as a guide, but not as gospel.