RAAM-Getting Organised

Since I started this project back in late June 2009, following a throw-away comment by someone unbeknown to me in a rival (it's very friendly rivalry!) cycling club when I was scratching around for a locally-run Time Trial before Ironman Switzerland, the journey to where we are now has been fascinating.
Firstly there was the challenge of finding 3 other head-cases who would be suitably motivated to train through the winter months for the 'pleasure' of riding across 14 States in under 9 days. I use the term pleasure with caution, as I am sure our contact points with the bike will be reminding us of exactly how pleasurable it will be to sit on a bike for 6 hours per day through the blistering heat of the Nevada desert, the chill of the Rockies and across the plains of the USA.
Then the task of compiling a support team consisting of individuals who were mentally strong enough to know that whilst they were going on a whistle-stop road trip they had an incredibly important role to fill in supporting the riders in the team and also looking after themselves as best they can. Fortunately for us there have been no shortage of volunteers and the offers of help are really appreciated by myself, who has had the unenviable task of 'vetting' them to ensure that they had something/qualities from which the team would benefit, be it nutritional expertise, sports therapy experience, sports science experience, sports psychology experience, knowledge of running and training for cycling events, and/or medical skills. I believe we have an extremely strong support team who is up for the challenge and is highly experienced in other equally important aspects such as people-management, organisational skills, having effective communication skills, and/or a high degree of emotional intelligence.
The third task was that of logistics. This is a pretty big undertaking. For example I was on the phone the other day to a guy in Annapolis trying to sort out our accommodation, and explaining to him that we would need accommodation for 10 people but we don't exactly know when we will be arriving!! The Americans, being Americans, said that that was no problem and that we could just let them know as we progress the States and approach our final destination. Would we get that level of service anywhere else??
Having done the majority of the team selection, planning, organising, negotiating deals and then liaising with the team, which has been a great learning experience, the time has now come for me to off-load that onto our Crew Chief, Paul Dunning. I am slowly bringing him into the decision making process so that he can take up the reigns, with the foundations of the trip in place, allowing both him and myself to concentrate on the key aspects of the race i.e. the responsibilities of being a crew chief and that of training and focusing on a race of a lifetime respectively.

So are we organised??? Yes we are getting there and there is more work still to be done which will really hone our race specific skills such as handovers both by day and night, and race strategies. More to follow.

It's a deal!!!

Here's the deal. We take two cyclists of equal ability, and one cycles endlessly in one direction, while the other watches and actively engages in the thoughts of cycling. When the first one is exhausted and cannot continue, we swap the cyclists over. While cyclist number two pedals, the other one actively thinks about and creaes images of himself back on the bike. I wonder who would be physiologically fitter, or who would make the biggest gains in physiological fitness at the end of this test?
Well one way to find out is during the Race Across America in June. We will be 4 cyclists of different builds, heights, weights but of similar power to weight ratios, and I wonder who would fare the best at the end of the racein a pre- and post evaluation. Also worth considering how sleep deprivation will affect one's ability to think positively so that vicarious learning can take place.
Less than 140 days to go now to the RAAM, and things are hotting up. We had a re-schedule in logistics at the end of last week, and thanks to British Airways we were able to change our itinerary so that we will stay one day more in the States, to allow the team to return the RV to New Jersey, and then return to Annapolis. It also means that the team is not under undue pressure at the end of the race to de-kit, especially when we will be pretty fatigued!!!
Training is going well, with 3 hrs in the bag today, 2 hron the bike and 1hr in the gym doing strength and conditioning work. Plenty of time on the commute to practice sports psychology techniques, so no time is wasted!
I have a spin with AlitheIronman on Fri, which will be great, and we may even find a wee cafe. More to follow!!

Race Across America

This is an intro into the RAAM and some of the things our team will have to deal with over the 9 Days in June 2010 (or maybe fewer!!).

Comments welcome.

Work Work!!

Back into work this morning. A freezing cold day in the SHIRE. Got a 45min turbo session in the garage done before the family got up. I was half asleep though as I went to bed at 1am, having spent the time reading up on literature for my dissertation. I was trying to understand all the terminolgoy associated with Self-Regulation (according to Zimmerman) and how this topic is relevant to some of the Mental Skills Training that I coach with aspiring pilots. Boy oh boy could I do with about half the number of research papers having been written on the subject and on other related areas, such a Deliberate Practice (Ericsson). Still it is an interesting mountain to climb and will help to scope out a sound methodology for future Applied Sport Psychology and Mental Skills Training.

"IADIP" It's Another Day In Paradise Bob Breedlove