The Race Across America

leaving the race

Amy Xu’s RAAm has come to conclusion. After making the time cut at the Mississippi Amy and her crew regrouped, Amy tock a “long” 6 hr. rest but after remounting her bike fell over again in the first 5 minutes of riding. Her race is done. She is sad but still proud of her accomplishment in finishing over 2 thirds of the hardest race in the world on her first attempt. She and her team have raised thousands for Camp Odayin, a center that helps kids with heart defects. You can see Amy’s journey here: http://www.teamstrongheart.com/
Amy’s did extremely well in her first bid at the solo race. In the end saddle pain and an inability of get enough calories in her system is what lead to her demise.

The RAAm quickly becomes a task of dealing with issues you never saw coming, a ride so fatiguing you can’t begin to train for, a task more mental and logically challenging than one can imagine. I am very proud of Amy and the entire crew.

I have asked myself may times in the last 12 hours what could I have done better. Should we have done another big block of endurance training, more neurological work? More on the bike strength work? While I have come up with a few areas I would like to improve on in the training there are more areas in the general preparation for the whole trip that will make a bigger difference. No sooner did I start thinking about these topics was I called about coaching another RAAm racer for 2011. I hope I am up to the task.

from the crew chief:

"Your expertise, encouragement, and example of humbleness was a huge asset to our success. RAAM solo is a unique beast. You can prepare for every possible situation, and still have challenges you could have never imagined. RAAM is not just about bike racing. It's a race that challenges team work. Time management, problem solving, and spirit. Amy... See More is an athlete that has a spirit of life that is infectious to everyone who touches her. Her race, along with you're help, has taught us as individuals how to dream big, and LIVE everyday! Thank you for everything! Michelle Pearl Team Strong Heart Crew Chief"