What's Next?

Yesterday was a frantic day full of some great moments. Notably the day started with a visit to meet Former World Duathlon Champion and RAAM Finisher in 2007, Kenny Souza. Anyone who has been around triathlon circles, duathlon and RAAM will most certainly have heard the name associated with the likes of Mark Allen, Spencer Smith, Jure Robic etc.Kenny was sharing with us some of his experiences of when he completed the 2007 Race Across America. He said 'it was brutal' at times when his speed on the bike was reduced from 27mph to 10mph on the flats!!! When Kenny Souza mentions that he was reduced to a 10mph average speed, he must have been working hard! He was the consummate gent, and gave us a box of tricks from his RAAM Adventure which will help the Support Crew to configure the vehicles. We thank Kenny for the link to Clifbar and for the nutritional products which he kindly donated to us.

Race registration was followed,by photographs where we met briefly with Sir Steve Redgrave. The Americans, bless them, had no idea what a legend he was and what he had achieved. By his own admission Steve has mentioned that he was built for rowing and not for biking!! I guess he will be the big engine on the bike on the flats of Kansas.

I managed to hook up with a Spanish Team, who were shocked that a blue skinned non-tanned Brit (Actually an Irish Man) could speak Spanish. We had a laugh as they explained that their return flight to Spain departed on Day 8 of the race! I guess they will be hammering it down the road, if nothing else but to catch that plane!!

We have been given lots of advice about keeping it slow at the start. Someone (I am sure his middle name was Sherlock) mentioned that 'it was a long race'!! No SH*t!! :-)

24hrs to go and we are off to recce the Route this morning and load up the RAAM Cargo Truck with our empty bike bags and kit we do not need! A radio interview at 1720 UK time will precede a team briefing which we intend to run with Military Precision!!