RAAM is almost here.
RAAM is almost here and I’m just not ready! In case you don’t know what RAAM is- It is the Ride Across America and it’s a bike race across the United states, over 3000 miles.
This is by far the hardest endurance event I have ever attempted. Longer than the Tour de France! I’m not sure what I was thinking when I said yes to this challenge 3 years ago.
This team has been through some big changes over the last 3 years. The setbacks have been many.
Gathering the crew to commit to traveling with us for 2 weeks was a challenge.
Our crew chief- Kendal Tully broke her ankle and will be doing this with a boot! A few cases of covid affected training and my back injury has all proved challenging to overcome.
The team of 4 cyclists has changed 3 x.
But we now have our final team of 4- Hunter Tully, Dennis Phipps, Ollie Garcia and me.
I am so happy to have Coach Dennis, Coach Ollie and Hunter Tully as fellow cyclists and Monica Rizo on our support crew all from the Full Circle tribe along with 6 others, all sacrificing their time to care for and support us on our mission.
We were worried we wouldn’t get to the start line. But we just loaded the motor home with all of our bikes and gear and it’s heading to the start line in California and we all fly out Wednesday.
The fact remains I don’t feel ready. My fitness is not where I want it to be. I have not trained long or hard for over a month. I’m both embarrassed that I did this to myself and afraid to let my team down. The fear that I just might not be good enough to do this is running through my head.
But, I have to put all of my fears aside and remember all of my 25 years of experience and my WHY.
It’s really not about me.
It’s about the total effort of everyone working together to bring awareness to our cause, www.4cyclsits4kids.com raising money for the 4Kids charity.
I will have to rely on all my past experience to carry me through this event. Trust and believe we can do this together as a team for our cause!
The logistics to pull this thing off are overwhelming. The details of the event and all the rules we have to abide by are critical to our success.
We leave Wednesday (6/15) to fly to California and then on Saturday June 18th, we are the 1st team of 4 (team #300) starting at 12 noon EST in Oceanside.
Dennis and I will start the first 6 hour pull, alternating cycling for 30 minutes each and switching with a follow car behind us. So we will ride from 12 pm to 6 pm, and then get a 6 hour break in our motorhome.
Then Coach Ollie and Hunter will have their 6 hour turn.
Then Dennis and I again from 12 AM- 6 PM. etc.
We will repeat this cycle for 7-8 days and nights depending on how fast we ride through weather, desert and 3 mountain ranges!
You can follow us on our journey by checking in to the www.RAAMRACE.org as we will have a GPS with us the whole way.
I have a favor to ask you… Please send us some energy next week as we will truly be needing it!
Our goal is to raise awareness and $300,000.00 for 4Kids whose mission is “Every child deserves a happy home.”
Our donation page is 4cyclists4kids
We will be posting on both the Full Circle Coaching and 4cyclists4kids Instagram as well.
Thanks so much for all your support over the next 2 weeks. Cannot wait to share this journey with you.
Erinne Guthrie is a USA Triathlon Level II Certified Coach since 1999 and Chief Motivating Officer at Full Circle Coaching, LLC since 2010. Creator of Triathlon Transformation. She has been training, racing and coaching triathletes since 1997. She is also a CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 3, USMS Master’s Swim Coach, Motivational Speaker, Metabolic Efficiency Specialist, Mom, Mermaid and much much more.
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