- I’ve decided to do RAAM
- RAAM is a bike race, a 3000 mile bike race (RAAM = Race Across AMerica)
- RAAM is 3000 miles in 12 days (or less) (250-350 miles/day)
- Riders average about 3 hours of sleep per night (and I like to sleep)
- RAAM costs $15-20,000 (see my budget)
- Money saved so far: ~$500.00
- I have no idea how I’ll pay for it.
- Miles I’ve ridden my bike in the past 3 years: ~1000 (with about 1/2 of those being in the end of 2006)
- I don’t really like riding my indoor trainer
- Leadville gets 200+ inches of snow in the winter (and the snow is on the ground for 7+ months)
- I have no idea how I’ll train for it.
- According to someone who has done the race and climbed Mt Everest: “Everest is more dangerous, but RAAM is much harder.”
- In the 27 year history of the race, Solo finishers have ridden more than one million miles – that’s two round trips to the moon.
- Lowest elevation is 170 feet below sea level. Highest elevation is more than 10,000 feet high above sea level. This elevation range exceeds two vertical miles.
- Each racer will climb more than 100,000 feet. This is roughly the distance from the ground to the edge of space, more than three times the altitude flown by commercial jetliners and almost four times the altitude of Mt. Everest.
- About 400 solo and tandem racers have attempted RAAM
- Less than 200 solo and tandem racers have officially finished RAAM
- Any help (money, bikes, bike parts, bike clothing, rv’s, minivans, corporate sponsorship, fund raising ideas, food, prayers, positive vibes, free lodging in a warm climate, work in a warm climate, etc. (but mostly your prayers)), would be appreciated.

What have I done????
(I told you not to confuse me with the facts)
Right now I’m not sure that this is even possible for me, but I’ll give it my best shot.
“You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don’t try.”
– Beverly Sills
“To know what you prefer instead of humbly saying Amen to what the world tells you ought to prefer, is to have kept your soul alive.”
– Robert Louis Stevenson
““There is no use trying, said Alice; one can’t believe impossible things.”
“I dare say you haven’t had much practice,” said the Queen. “When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” ”
– Lewis Carroll
“If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
– Jesus
“Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”
– T. S. Eliot







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