RAAM 1997 was the best of my career! I had FUN! I truly enjoyed the race and I can hardly believe that it is over. Please let me tell you of my race pattern. Many people misconstrue what actually occurs.
I go out at a comfortable pace (yes comfortable). I watch my heart rate and my speed to ensure that I am not driving too hard in the heat of the beginning of the race competition. I do not sleep the first night (only once have I slept the first night, 1992). Typically, no one else sleeps the first night either (Chew may sleep one hour).
During the subsequent nights, the men (except for Chew) sleep one hour less than I. Thus any lead I had gained in the beginning I start to lose in the Rockies. The Rockies are very difficult for me; I have an incredibile time dealing with the altitude. For the record, Wolfgang may have been the first physically over Wolf Creek but I was the first timewise. (I cannot mask my disappointment in the lead official's mistake that caused this hour discrepency. It changed the entire face of the race!). I physically passed Wolfgang (which meant that I was an hour ahead) and I opened a slight gap but then I had to go pee. This is the big problem! I have no mechanism to pee from the bike, thus, I lose four minutes each time I have to go (which is quite often when all systems are working at that level). Wolfgang pulled ahead. I passed him again as he donned rain gear; he passed me when I was stricken with front and rear flats. He then stayed away from me the rest of the race.
Once out of the Rockies, I began to hold my own with the men; I took the lead again in Oklahoma. The big problem here was that I was in a neck-and-neck race that was happening an hour in front of me. There was no physical change in rider position, no crew vehicles swapping position; this was due to a routing error earlier in the race in which I was given an hour credit. Since RAAM is very much a mental race, it is difficult to stay with it when you can not see it.
I went through a down-time, that combined with the pee stops put me back a little. I got discouraged because, as I perceived it, the race had passed me and I could not catch up as long as I had to pee. I remembered my goal for this race: I wanted to slay last year's dragon. Which meant I had to finish and win the women's division. I was tired of being called "the most current women's champion". I AM the women's champion.
I made a small but significant leap when I managed to cross the steel bridge in Arkansas on my bike. In past years I have had to walk over this bridge. With Pat behind me, I was able to ride across. I just looked straight ahead and I did not think about the bridge. It was no big deal! I made it!
Well, now that the race had passed me in my mind (though it was still in reach and may have appeared more so to me if it weren't for the hour credit), I became complacent. Complacency is a RAAM competitors nemisis. I slowed down to a crawl, not out of exhaustion. My crew reminded me that Muffy was back there and that I could not go on like this. I took heed and hammered pretty hard through the next several time stations in Tennessee. I made it through Chattanooga and on into Georgia with a huge lead.
Through Georgia I just rode the bike. I tried to keep up the pace but it is difficult when you are alone. I finished in the best spirits I have ever finished this race.
Indeed, this was my best RAAM. My crew was terrific (Pat Enright, Katie Kane, Jack Vincent, Aaron Rumple, Ali Naveros, Rob May, Jan Wilson, James Rossar, Dave Jordan, April Frederick)! Pat stayed in the van continually from day 3. He and I made a connection (which I understand is a talent of his with riders) that I cannot explain. He knew all the right things to say and when to say them. I laughed so hard and had such a wonderful time that I was actually planning for next year's race during this one. Usually, I am planning my retirement.
Thanks to my sponsors: Bianchi, IBM, SUS21, PearlIzumi, VistaLite, Camelbak.