What a response!! It is fantastic!!!

What a difference a week makes!!

This time last week we were 2 slots down on the support crew due to work commitments, and change of employment arrangements. We were also attempting to expand the size of the support crew to give us the additional flexibility we might need in the event of any sort of incident, whereby the progress of the race could be in jeopardy. However some smart work on behalf of the team, has resulted in a monumental response for help and assistance. The team are completely gobsmacked by the sheer volume of the offers of help and assistance. I have had a red hot phone and email trail for two days, with folk who are sooooo keen to help and give their time to our success, it is just incredible. People from all walks of life, from the police, the RAF and the Royal Navy and the Army, they all appreciate that this event defies all barriers and is a tremendous leveller to the ordinary racer.

The challenge when I started this project was all about how to make this event the most meaningful event to as many people as possible. We are aware of what the team needs, and we are fully aware that we would like to help other people achieve their dreams of crossing the States as a member of the support crew. The places are not unlimited, and it would be great to take everybody with us. I do hope and pray that those that we cannot bring can understand that we simply do not have the capacity to take everyone, and that we need to prioritise the needs of the team. That being, communications, nutrition, sports massage, sports psychology, physiology, bike mechanics and driving. We also need folk who are confident in driving super-long US-sized Recreational Vehicles (everything in America surely starts with super- !!)))

Further we need to be aware that this event is not about the bike (Lance Armstrong). We will each be spending a lot of time couped up in hot environmental conditions in a close confines, and with not a lot of sleep! Bring on the RAAM. How do we select those people we need on the journey, without seeing them in the flesh, without the beauty of a training weekend, or a team development event! Also how do we bring those people on a journey that will be one of the most incredible journeys of their lives, and bring as many as possible, and how do we turn those other people down? Aaarrrgh!! Help ;-)

The cycling is almost the easier part of this whole adventure!!