Strategy

Our team strategy is sound and reasonable. Rather than start out quickly at a pace that the racers cannot sustain, necessitating a significant decrease in pace later, Charlie and Richard will look to ride at a consistent pace that they believe they can sustain over the course of seven or eight days. So don't be alarmed if you find us (even significantly) behind other two-man teams coming out of Arizona. Our racers are merely conserving energy for the significant climbing involved in Day 2.

Don't forget: RAAM is truly a marathon, not a sprint!

If all goes as planned, the guys will ride approximately 400 miles a day and if that happens, they will set a new age-group record. While setting a new record would be excellent gravy, getting across the country safely is the goal.

That's one of the reasons it's important that friends and family share thoughts and encouragement along the way. One of our guys will be on the bike 24 hours a day until we finish, so you can imagine the physical and mental toll that will begin to take. Crew members will be reading blog comments to the racers as we go. Keep in mind that your inspiring message could go a long way for a racer while climbing a mountain at 3 in the morning. Feel free to ask questions for the racers or the crew if you like; we will be communicating with the racers via two-way radio, so we can ask, they can answer and we'll get it up on the blog.

As another reminder, here's where you can keep up with us, all the way across the country.

RAAM Web site http://www.raceacrossamerica.org/

Team Reaching Heights Web site http://www.teamreachingheights.com/

Team Reaching Heights Blog http://teamreachingheights.blogspot.com/

Team Reaching Heights Twitter Site http://twitter.com/twomanraam

We're happy to have you along. Our team has come from all over the U.S.and Canada, so it's great to know our supporters are everywhere out there as well.