Crew member James Vogl reports…

Jason came over today, and we spent 9 hours hunched on the floor of my
garage and, using his MAD SKILLS, taught ourselves how to make vinyl
graphics for the team vehicles.

Huge thanks to Jim of Red Star Energy. They are our latest sponsor and have supplied the team with both a donation and their exciting new product to keep us awake on the road!

What is it?
RedStar Energy is convenient and easy way to get nutrients that assist in the production of energy and help with mental alertness and concentration. Two chewable wafers provide a significant level of nutrients to provide a noticeable “boost” in mood, energy and alertness without the “crash” commonly associated with energy drinks. That’s because RedStar Energy relies on the proven science of combining amino acids (Taurine and Glycine) with Glucuronolactone and specific B vitamins (B-6, B-12 Pantothenic Acid (B5), and Niacin (B3)) rather than relying on large doses of caffeine and sugar for a “quick” shock to your system.

Who can use it?
RedStar Energy can be used by anyone who wants to improve their mental alertness and concentration. It’s great for students, truck drivers, athletes, business people or anyone looking for an “edge” in their performance and everyday activities. Not recommended for pregnant women or nursing mothers. Do not use more than four times a day.

What can I expect?
RedStar Energy acts in minutes and lasts for hours. Keep your “10 AM” feeling and power through those afternoon doldrums. You just feel great, without risking a case of the “jitters” or other unpleasant side effects. Try it and see for yourself.

How many servings can I take each day?
RedStar Energy is a chewable tablet that acts in minutes and lasts for hours. As with any energy tablet or energy drink, every individual will have a slightly different reaction to this product. We recommend that you take no more than two chewable tablets every four hours, with a maximum daily consumption of six chewable tablets (three servings) per day.

Why does it work so well?
RedStar Energy is a highly concentrated, chewable tablet rather than a carbonated drink, capsule or pill. This allows for more of the ingredients to be introduced quicker into the blood stream. The Absorption of the chewed particles begins immediately in your mouth and continues rapidly through your digestive system. So, you get more of the benefits of the RedStar Energy ingredients sooner, resulting in a faster acting and longer lasting experience without the artificial blast of too much caffeine or sugar. And that means no jitters and no crash!

I would like to thank our latest sponsors! Both have generously donated their products and we are grateful and excited to have them on the road with us.

* The 2007 Race Across America route is about 3,043 miles long. Collectively, the 2007 Solo finishers will travel a combined distance equivalent to circling the Earth at the equator four times.

* This year’s race spans a wider range of elevations than it has for nearly 20 years. Riders descend to 170 feet below sea level (in Mecca, California) and climb to 10,550 feet above sea level (Wolf Creek Pass in central Colorado). This elevation range exceeds two vertical miles.

* Each solo RAAM finisher climbs nearly 108,600 feet, which is roughly the distance from the ground to the edge of space, three times the altitude flown by commercial jetliners and almost four times the altitude of Mt. Everest.

* Only 164 solo and tandem riders have officially finished solo RAAM at least once, compared with over 1,300 individuals who have climbed Mt. Everest.

* Austrian adventurer Wolfgang Fasching has won solo RAAM and climbed Mt. Everest. “Everest is more dangerous, but RAAM is much harder,” Said Fasching.

* Among those who have finished solo RAAM are a one-legged cyclist with a prosthesis (Jim Penseyres) and a one-armed cyclist (Benny Furrer). Two blind cyclists completed Team RAAM on tandems (Ray Collins and Kathy Urschel). Last year a six-rider team of handcyclists from Austria raced — using arm-power to climb the 108,000 feet!

* Riders from 15 countries are racing in RAAM 2007: 35 solo racers, 126 team competitors, and 27 24-hour racers.

* Solo racer Juré Robic holds the UltraMarathon Cycling Association 24-hour road record of 521.975 miles (21.75 mph). Marko Baloh, also racing solo, holds the 12-hour track record of 281.316 mi (23.44). Fred Boethling, racing solo, holds six cross-state records, more than any other rider. Dan McGehee, racing on a four-person team, holds the 200 mile road record of 9 hours 2 minutes 41 seconds (23.89) and the 100-mile road record of 4 hours 10 minutes 9 seconds (23.99 mph).

* This year’s racers will sprint across 15 different state lines, 16 if you count two visits to West Virginia and 18 if you also count three visits to Maryland. The race crosses California for the 21st time, yet in 2007 it follows the 2006 route influenced by the Oceanside start.

* The northernmost point is just outside Urbana, Ohio. Riders never get farther south than the starting point on the Oceanside Municipal Pier.

* In addition to the start and finish, the race passes through time stations in 56 different towns and cities. The largest time station city is Indianapolis, Indiana, (TS 40), which has a population larger than one of the states through which the race passes (Delaware). The smallest time station is Chiriaco Summit, California (TS 3), whose year-round population is similar in size to the population of the Indianapolis time station.

* The straightest and flattest section of the course is 22 miles. In the London Marathon after completing 22 miles, runners can view the Big Ben. On this stretch of RAAM road between Wenden and Aguila, Arizona, many riders have reported seeing “Big Ben” but were beyond telling the time.

* RAAM crosses the five longest rivers that are entirely in the US: the Mississippi, Missouri, Rio Grande, Arkansas and the Ohio.

George and I headed up to Bishop, Ca. on Friday for the Planet Ultra Eastern Sierra Double Century. For George, this one didn’t go quite as planned. Just shy of mile 70, on Mammoth Scenic Loop, George went off the road and hit a snow stake. Thankfully, he walked away with some minor bruising and swelling. The carbon handlebars on the Cervelo Soloist didn’t fair so well.

Click here for additional pictures.

The SAG vehicle had pulled up alongside of me on Mammoth Scenic Loop and when I realized that George was in the car, I knew right away that he must have crashed. What was probably less than ten minutes, seemed more like an hour, as I finally reached the place that they had pulled off to let me know what was happening. My initial concern was of course, for George. Second concern…we’re 10 days out from RAAM! He assured me that he would be fine and sent me off to finish the double century. Timmer, our friend and the SAG driver who had picked George up, made sure to update me as I left the lunch stop and let me know that George would be out on the course to cheer me on. Talk about role reversal. 😉 He was out there at the last two rest stops helping out and encouraging other riders, it was great!

The swelling and bruising looked much better this morning and he is feeling much better. Thank goodness!

On another note, the Team Beat Cancer kits came in and they look amazing!

What looks like SweetPlus, Equal, Splenda and sugar packets to the untrained eye, was serious business at a crew lunch meeting today. I asked Jason, James and Phil, three of the crew members to join me to go over some logistics and planning, as well as help me to create a crew rotation schedule. All of those sweeteners represent different groups of crew members filling various roles and the coasters…those are the vehicles. We ended up with a rotation schedule that seems very workable, though we will remain flexible and roll with the punches once the race begins.

There’s something about the point when you stop counting weeks until the start of the race, and instead, begin counting the days. When it seemed last week like there was plenty of time to tie up loose ends and finalize the details, suddenly you’re wondering if you can slow the time down, if not a lot, by just a tiny bit.

The team email list is abuzz with messages about the little things, like how much to pack. “No chick packing, please” was the word from Scrooge who justifiably, is worried about how we’re going to fit the luggage of twelve crew members into a small space. Riders and crew are pouring over the 50 pages of rules and studying the penalties that the various teams received last year. We’re hoping that going in prepared will help us to avoid making errors that could earn us a penalty.

Food planning has started, which reminds me that I need to ask George again (in an email this time because verbal requests for any of us these days are beyond our capabilities) for a list of things that he wants to chew on. Unlike Rick, who plans to fuel mainly with liquids and some fruit here and there, George likes to chew when he’s off the bike. I have a good idea of what he likes to eat most of the time, but in case there’s some obscure thing that he’ll be craving at 3:00 a.m. in the middle of Kansas, it will be nice to have it on hand instead of sending crew members searching for it.

I would like to thank everyone for checking in with us on the blog. The plan is for daily updates up to and during the race, whenever possible. There may be a lag this weekend when we’re up riding the Eastern Sierra Double Century, but I will post upon my return. During the race, updates will be at least daily, if not more often and will include pictures from along the way. The support that we have received for the team so far has made a huge impact and we want to share this journey with you.