just to add some more words, here is how my crew chief summed it all up:
 
 
Hi all,
 
Not sure what to say since the emotions are still fully charged after another remarkable weekend of RAO, but I will blab on in a stream of consciousness and see what my head/heart wants to say.
 
This race has always truly been one of the hardest RAAM qualifiers in the nation/world and without a doubt this new course lived up to its reputation even more than the previous course.  The RAO team of George and Terry Gooch who put this race on are both RAAM veterans and wanted a course that simulated all the things one is likely to encounter on a RAAM so that riders who qualify would truly understand what they are in for and be more realistic about their preparation and qualifications to engage the race.
 
Ultra racers who are not interested in RAAM will find this course a beast that defies everything you know about racing and if you finish either as a solo or a team you will fully appreciate having participated in one of the most unique races anywhere.
 
I am always happy to have a newbie crew and riders, it is sometimes easier to indoctrinate this race with my take on reality and not have to fight alternative strategies but only alternative non experienced intentions.  I focus on safety, competition, riding outside of ones idea of what is possible.  This course shreds the thin veil of reality so that when you are fatigued a new reality is possible that allows you to experience a new version of yourself not predicated on previous experience but rather on being in the very intense moment with a crew/team that allows you to thrive and become your greatest pedaling self.  Greg / Chris had that experience and truly rose to the occasion.  It takes a number of hours before the adrenalin settles down, and one becomes one with the course.  
 
We started out pretty good, drag racing an 8 person tandem team for almost 3 time stations.  They should have been dusting us, but we kept up with them, passed them frequently and to some degree humiliated them in good competition, but not in a mean way.  Both Greg and Chris passed them enough times so that they knew we were for real.  Often you are not sure who you are racing until the race develops.  When Greg got off course due to our dumb ass lack of focus while fixing Chris' bike we never recovered to engage the tandem team again.  That left us to race ourselves and the course, occasionally pass a solo rider as we worked our way through that field.  There were not very many two person teams this year which did not allow us as much team to team competition as in past years.
 
The physical issues of stomach are some of the most powerful hurdles to overcome.  I cannot state more strongly the need to eat real food, get quality electrolytes into you that are easy to incorporate into your system and keep hydration levels high.  The powders that are functional for shorter races are for all intents useless crap that will haunt you in ways not imagined.  With a van following and serving your every need, coolers of real food, real drink are your best friends for a successful race.  We all urinated at a minimum of once an hour, anything less than that indicates some degree of dehydration.  Chris got a bad piece of chicken in his guts along the way and it was dicey whether this was going to screw him for the duration of the race.  Fortunately he was burning calories (even bad ones in this case) fast enough that he burned through the rotten meat and got going again.
 
The cool thing about this level or racing is that the niceties of privacy of person go away as the race evolves.  Everyone pisses/shits/pukes and the crew is respectful enough to let that happen in a way that means you can do it publicly and it really is no big deal.  I particularly like the bonding that happens on a race where we all step into a unique arena of performance that allows us to meld together as a finely tuned unit of intense cooperation.  Sharon stepped into this arena with not much experience and held her own with fast driving downhill, help with naviguessing, rider exchanges, food procurement, calculating rider exchanges, mechanical assistance while we intensely struggled with a complete rear derailleur cable meltdown and subsequent repair, plus some fine picture taking along the way.  I found her a person of good cheer and always a kind word to the riders, myself and other racers.  We cheer for everyone we encounter, we respect their courage on the course regardless of fortune or misfortune.
 
My experience of this race is always different since each group of riders/crew have their own flavor. I try to sense what this is and work within that context.  Greg comes to the race with his own unique talents and self perceived limitations.  I usually don't indulge that and insist that there is another way to be in the race.  With him it was operate from a perspective of confidence show him that I believed in his ability to be a racer and not just another wannabe on a good bike.  He showed his true colors of being an animal on the climbs and on technical descents of which he  had previously little experience.  Greg rides like Dana does, slower cadence, powerful legs that pump like diesels, rides with a good rhythm, consistent and strong.  I always knew that whatever the state of affairs with the course that Greg could be relied upon to get out there, not complain and just get down to business.  Often the perceived lesser rider on a team turns out to be the one who is the most solid and reliable as they discover their never ending ability to take another pull, move forward at a good pace, eat when told, sleep when told, drink when told and be all business even when taking on multiple climbs in intense heat and often not getting the downhill leg that was just earned through hard sweat.  I don't indulge someone's idea of themselves, I let them know that I will tell them if they suck otherwise that judgment doesn't exist on our team.  No one sucked on the Bent Johnson's, it was a race to be proud of from bell to bell.
 
Chris was an undiscovered talent (but not anymore), kind of like a John Lauer with happy knees that haven't been so beat on.  He rides with unusual speed even uphill and rides the downhill's like he is a jet fighter pilot swooping the valleys.  I like that his body was willing to push faster as the race got longer.  I think that once he realized that being on the bike was preferable to being in the van he rode with greater enthusiasm through the fatigue.  I like that Chris went all Laird Hamilton on us with no shirt, showing lots of skin smeared in sunscreen which delighted many of the passerbys and other teams.  Chris came in to test himself and like Greg discovered new depths of self not previously seen.  Both these riders are in a state of disbelief this week in the aftermaths of the race as they start to consciously remember what they have achieved and how it feels to have a new experience of themselves that this race allowed to come forward.
 
Sharon was jonesing to ride the whole time she was crewing, it irked her to be on the wrong side of the windshield despite the fun she was having.  I can't name the number of times she lamented how much she wanted to be riding and how that uphill climb in 95 degree heat would be right up her alley!  This is a sure sign we will see her out on this particular course either as a solo or a team rider at some point in time.  I like that she had this experience, got to see the race from a unique perspective and to see that new possibilities exist for her outside of previous distance riding accomplishments.  We talked about the kind of training it would take and that she does possess the physiology to be competitive on this level. I think she has steered her life into such a place that if she wants to pursue this kind of event that this is a possibility. I will say that Sharon is the most enthusiastic crew I have ever had and outside of Elaine Lauer is the most talented crew I have ever had as a newbie assistant.  Elaine for those who don't know was part of the reason that John/Dana did so well last year, she demonstrated a fierceness of competition that allowed us to do amazingly incredible exchanges for 3 minute pulls for multiple hours at a time to push us past a team that was dogging us for a long time.  That zeal along with the ability to leave the suffering husband alone so he could find his own way through the discomfort was quite unique.  Most spouses/partners screw up their significant other during a race as was seen this year by a solo rider who got way too many hugs from his girlfriend and ended up not being an official finisher by a measly 6 minutes.  
 
I come to this race from a very different place than just plain lets go do a race.  I like to seriously engage the riders/crew/the course from the perspective of what a privilege it is to come together for this experience and that we will find new positive ways of relating to ourselves, our team, other teams with a true spirit of adventure within the realm of a bike race.  We want to push ourselves to be better than we know ourselves in our everyday lives and to take back into those lives a newfound respect for so much that is often taken for granted.  This new RAO is an ass kicker, it does not suffer fools.  Very strong riders who have previously done well were surprised to find that they did not have the mental fortitude this year.  This race demands the physical as well as the mental.  It also requires that the crew perform or else it isn't going to go well even if the rider(s) are strong and determined.  There were several crews that took their racers right out of the race by being too lax with support and not focused in the right ways.  This new course is 4 to 8 hours more difficult than the old course due to exposure and the never ending up and downs plus headwinds that will probably show themselves each year.
 
 I would like to see this new course draw upon more riders who want this kind of test for future years.  Greg, Chris, Sharon showed themselves to be worthy this year and can be extremely proud.  It takes a bit of luck, but always perseverance is the greater thing that this course asks you to bring.
 
I can comment on any logistical details that people want to know about, there are different styles on this, I only know what works for me based on experience.  This has been my fifth race in a row, all except one being with bent teams.  I like a race that is a bit loose so that we can adapt to whatever shows up and not overplan the moments.  There are suprises enough but one must be flexible and always moving forward with confidence even when being beat up by conditions, issues not expected.  I might actually ride one of these years I think I have a race or two in there somewhere.
 
I think the Carbent bikes again proved themselves beyond a doubt as capable, fast machines that like to be ridden hard and fast in all conditions.  Having a lightweight bike to load on and off as many as 200 times in 40 or so hours is a good thing.  Also long live the Sport rack style, anything else just isn't going to work for this kind of duty.
 
It was a pleasure to know Greg/Chris/Sharon for this experience and to share in a great adventure of racing.  We should all be indebted to George and Terry for providing this event, it is their love of ultra that makes this race possible.  I think more 4/3/2 and solo teams should come on out in the future and get a taste of something special and unique.  This kind of riding adventure is not easy to come by.
 
ciao from the Bent Johnsons head office
 
captain robert