Kevin Kaiser - RAAM 2009

FW: Great RAAM!

2010-06-21T11:11:00.001-04:00

-----Original Message-----
From: John [mailto:coachjohnhughes@gmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, June 20, 2010 11:00 AM
To: Martin D.(Gator) Cochran
Subject: Great RAAM!

Kevin AND Crew,

Congratulations on an excellent RAAM. What seperates the great riders
from the others is that the great riders WORK THROUGH problems and keep
going. You are a terrific example of this. Well done!

Cheers,
John
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02:36:00

Rocking through Flagstaff

2010-06-11T12:11:00.001-04:00

We crewed for Kevin from Gladden, AZ (middle of nowhere, only thing there was the Donkey Hotel and had an Adults Only sign...hmmm) to Cottonwood, AZ. Kevin got to Congress yesterday which is truly an oasis in the desert with a manned time station complete with kiddie pool. Kevin talked about the pool since the start and it was truly a welcoming reward. He wasted no time jumping in for 5 minutes, went down for his first sleep of 1 1/2 hours sleep after 26 hours of riding. He rode 360 miles his first 24 hours! Total time off the bike was 2 hours to get fresh clothes on and get him coated with 100spf sunscreen.

Some of you have asked what he is eating. He sort of stuck with his plan of consuming less solid food and less Ensure in the desert heat since that gave him some serious stomach issues last year. This requires him to slow it down a bit in the desert but it paid off in huge dividends. Stomach issues are hard to get through in the desert heat. Bonking can be overcome fairly quickly but he is consuming a fair amount of grape soda, endurolytes (electrolyte capsules), he ate a yogurt parfait, and we gave him a ice cream fruit bar before he left Congress. He's eating a lot of pickles and just keeping the soda flowing freely kept his motor running until it got dark. The temps dropped at sunset and he was able to start drinking Ensure on the rocks. The key to his fluids is keeping them over ice in the Camelback ice jacket bottles. He climbed Yarnell grade with ease even though it was hot. This part of the race last year was the low point and he certainly struggled a bit yesterday but had no severe issues and stayed on the bike. He had a 12 mile climb after the Yarnell grade and dance on the pedals. He got a treat with some Black Sabbath on the XM radio. I was joking with him and made sure to let the man know that was a reward for such a great ride so far. Last year we told him "no Sabbath until day 3" but this is a new year.

As we headed into Cottonwood, AZ for the crew exchange a RAW rider by the name of Mark Metcalfe came up to pass Kevin. Mark and Kevin are good friends and have raced against one another in the past. We actually passed Mark on the 12 mile climb and Mark caught up just to talk to Kevin. Racers are allowed to ride side by side for 15 minutes as long as one of the support vehicles stays behind them. We witnessed some serious camaraderie between 2 guys that really struggled for over 400 miles and they had huge smiles on their faces. This is truly what this race is about and is the spirit of RAAM.

Update- Just woke up here in Flagstaff and apparently Kevin came through while I was sleeping. Phil said he got a quick shower, 15 minute nap, and a huge McD's big breakfast. We also got word that he ate an egg mcmuffin 2 hours after that. This is great news since we got him through the hottest part of the race. What you will most likely see is Kevin getting his legs and moving up in the standings. He climbs well and should through the Colorado Rockies and is an ace across the plains of Kansas. This is the leg of the race he made up some valuable time and got himself into the race.

Keep your thoughts, prayers, and comments coming! You all rock and are putting smiles on his face.

tailwinds,

Troy

IMG00140.jpg

2010-06-06T12:08:00.000-04:00

Some of the scenery towards the Lake Henshaw
Sent from my BlackBerry Smartphone provided by Alltel

IMG00138.jpg

2010-06-06T10:41:00.000-04:00

Getting some fuel for registration.
Sent from my BlackBerry Smartphone provided by Alltel

IMG00136.jpg

2010-06-06T10:39:00.000-04:00

Augusta crew members on the way to Atlanta and on to Oceanside for RAAM 2010
Sent from my BlackBerry Smartphone provided by Alltel

From the RAAM site

2009-06-30T11:09:00.001-04:00

VIC'S RAAMIFICATIONS
KEVIN KAISER: "I didn't leave a whole lot on the table."
Annapolis, MD
June 28, 2009

By Vic Armijo

Kevin Kaiser arrived in Annapolis this morning, posting a time of 10 days, 17 hours and 3 minutes. While he originally had a goal of something closer to ten-days even, that plan went by the wayside due to stomach issues that he suffered through in the first couple of days, "I got pounded in the desert pretty good," he said, "I lost a good ten hours there."

Somewhere out there in the heat of the desert, with his stomach in knots he recalled the rider introduction," Standing on that stage back in Oceanside with those 27 other incredible athletes, I had to ask myself, 'Do I really belong here?'" His answer to himself was a resounding "Yes." As he began to feel better his speed increased and, "And from then on we were just trying to claw a few minutes wherever we could."

Indeed. This reporter waited at more than one time station, hoping to get a word or two with Kaiser, only to see him roll by without stopping, "I wanted to avoid any unnecessary time off the bike," he explained, "We hurried in and out whenever and wherever we could." He kept a tortuous sleep schedule, getting only 3 hours of shut-eye a day, in two 90 minutes stints

Most RAAM riders will a recall that "funniest moment" of their RAAM experience. But Kaiser said "There wasn't anything funny about it! I had to focus for 11 straight days!" This isn't to say that he didn't enjoy RAAM, "I was impressed with all the athletes. We'd all help one another if we could—encourage each other, cheer and say nice things. Great camaraderie out there."

In the end Kaiser was proud of his achievement, "Anything under 11 days is fine by me. That's an average time for a rookie. But with those first couple of days…"

This is Kaiser's second RAAM in two years. Last year he teamed with friend Jeff Bauer on the 2-rider team "Gran Fondo Fixie," riding on fixed gear bikes. Ouch! While the two have no plans of repeating their coast-to-coast-no-coast feat, Kaiser did say that "Maybe there's some other crazy thing we can come up with to do."

And what of Kaiser coming back as a solo? "Maybe in a few years," he said with a chuckle, "I've been neglecting my wife a few years already. I think I'll need to take a nice vacation with her before I start talking about another RAAM!"

RAAM

2009-06-29T13:43:00.002-04:00

Now that I've had a few hours of sleep, I'd like to thank everyone for keeping up with my race. As you might expect, there were a lot of highs and lows.

Compared to other riders, I feel like I started the race in a conservative fashion. I knew from previous rides that day two of the race would likely make or break me. Those long hot climbs out of the desert didn't destroy me, but they left me far behind on nutrition. To recover, I tried to back down on speed. I went from having a 9 hour cushion on the minimum average speed to being 1:45 behind on the cutoff. I felt o.k., but I couldn't take in calories and knew my race soon would be over if things didn't change. I think I was the last rider on the road before things finally started to turn around.

Once I reached the Rockies I became a new rider, but the long climbs and need for sleep prevented me from getting comfortable on time. As hard as I rode, I never got more than about a 2 hours cushion over the minimum time. It seemed very similar to riding from control to control on a brevet when you're barely above the time limit. Finally, we crossed the Divide and started to get some nice tailwinds. Instead of relaxing, I pushed just as hard and started to get some time breaks.

As you might expect, catching up to other riders was nice. I got into a loose pack of 8 riders that lasted for several days. Whenever one rider in the pack would get a little ahead, the need for sleep would catch up to them and nothing ended up changing. It seemed to me that everyone in the pack was content to get 4 hours of sleep each day and just survive until the finish. At some point I felt it was necessary to make some noise and attack the pack. I started the assault by getting 3 full hours of sleep at once, which was something I had not done previously in the race. Then, however, I rode 22 straight hours with almost no time off the bike, slept 1.5 hours again, and then rode another 22 straight hours. It was enough to take a significant lead over the group.

During the race I became engrossed in position. The possibility of rookie of the year and 1st American finisher opened up. These are significant honors, and even if I thought I shouldn't be in contention for them, I was. I rode very hard and tried to get constant updates on the other riders. I had spent 15 minutes riding with Gottwald and knew he was a superior rider (much like Jock Boyer), but somehow felt like he didn't have any real interest in finishing high in the standings. He was getting 6-7 hours of sleep each night riding amongst the pack, but despite being the first person to every time station, he would take long breaks after arriving. I was also keeping a close eye on Ben Popp because I knew how fast he rode the Fireweed 400. Despite the media hype, I wasn't too concerned about Jim Rees because was neither a rookie nor an American.

I rode my heart out through the rest of the race. As soon as Gottwald woke up, he blew past the remaining field of riders and quickly made short work of me. I got a little satisfaction out of making him work at least a little harder for his victory. He's a great and humble athlete who definately deserves rookie of the year. I also have extremely high opinions of Daniel Rudge and Jim Rees.

The last 300-400 miles were very difficult. The crew would tell me that all I had was a 600k remaining, but this didn't make me feel any better. Every mile seemed like 3 miles and the climbs were never ending. I worked very hard to stay ahead of Jim Rees and knew he was close every time his crew's RV would pass me.

In the end, I finished feeling pretty good. My mouth is a little sore and my lip is bleeding from wind burn, and then I had to tape up my left achilles just before the finish. There's also a little bit of soreness in my hands from all the rough roads (which were plentiful during the race). Still, not too bad for 3,021 miles.

The finish was amazing. Standing on the stage with all those great athletes in Oceanside was very intimidating and had me feeling out of place. I don't think I would have ever dreamed of a 5th place finish at RAAM. It's now back to work. I hope with a little time that I'll be able to thank all of those people who helped make this such a successful race.

Thanks,

Kevin

From the RAAM website

2009-06-26T22:55:00.001-04:00

Kevin seems to be staying strong heading towards Annapolis. He has over a 3 hour advantage on Jim Rees but the battle behind with Rees and Gottwald might be good news for Kevin.

Good news as such that those two riders will be watching each other closely. Over three hours is a good advantage and I really can't see Kevin losing 4th place.

At the moment, Kevin passed through Athens, OH averaging 12.16mph overall. For that section alone, he averaged 13.28mph. He is riding at a solid tempo. If he keeps this pace up, he won' be caught.

Thanks to Jeff Bauer from Kevin's website, www.kaisercycling.com, we get an insight onto how Kevin is going.

Here's what Jeff had to say.

Kevin said he felt incredibly good. No problems with knees
or saddle issues and he was very coherent through our
conversation. He's been sleeping about 3 hours a day, but
will cut that down even further (the crew will monitor his
condition) for his final push into Annapolis. He hopes to
stay on his bike for the next 22 hours.

His major goals now are:

- first American to the finish
- first rookie to the finish

I'm sure he would also like to stay ahead of Jim Rees for a
4th place finish, but that's secondary to his current race
objectives.

Kevin is riding a very powerful race at the moment. I have been impressed with him. I'll keep following

An earlier update from Jeff

2009-06-26T21:50:00.001-04:00

[I'll be out of touch for a while. We've got our Harpeth
River Ride tomorrow, but expect to be back online before
Kevin reaches Annapolis.]

Kevin arrived in Ellenboro, WV about 30 minutes ago. He's
riding through the most difficult climbing sections of RAAM,
so we should expect his speed to drop. Fortunately it will
soon be dark, so he won't climbing under the hot sun.

Smithburg, WV to Grafton, WV
- endless rollers
- heavy traffic

Grafton, WV to Gormania, WV
- next to last section of long steep climbing

Gormania, WV to La Vale, MD
- 4 climbs that are steep, but not long
- nice long descent: 5 miles, 9% (and Kevin can coast!)

La Vale, MD to Hancock, MD
- 4 major climbs that are tough
- last climb (Sideling Hill) on this section - last year
advised that we might have to walk: didn't
- Kevin will pass within 2 block of the Potomac River

After Hancock, Kevin has last two serious sustained climbs
just outside of Rouzerville, PA (mile 2890). From there on
he's looking at gently rolling roads with light traffic
until the last 30 miles where congestion increases.

--
Jeff Bauer
Nashville, Tennessee

Update from Jeff

2009-06-26T14:56:00.001-04:00

Kevin passed through Athens, Ohio less than an hour ago,
and the terrain is pretty moderate until he reaches
Parkersburg, WV. The traffic through Parkersburg can
make navigation difficult.

From Parkersburg he enters some of the most challenging
sections of RAAM, about 163 feet of climbing per mile. When
I went on shift for him on this section last year he was
pale with exhaustion. But Kevin's a strong climber, and
with actual gears he should do well. The high today should
be 80F with a 40% chance of scattered thunderstorms, so the
temps are now working in his favor. However, don't be
surprised if his average speed drops here.

With less than 440 miles to go, Kevin appears to be locked
into a 4th place finish with Jure Robic's departure from the
race. Jim Rees may have to fight off Christopher Gottwald
for 5th place as their gap has dropped to 66 minutes.
Marco Baloh's speed is dropping, though with less than 270
miles to finish, we can expect him to hold 3rd place. He has
more incentive to make a podium finish, though probably
unhappy for the reason, given that his friend and fellow
Slovenian Robic dropped out. Marco has only one more
difficult section of riding to Hancock, MD, then the
terrain eases.

Kevin will require at least one (maybe two) more naps before
he finishes in Annapolis tomorrow night where he can enjoy
a well-earned rest along with his crew.

--
Jeff Bauer
Nashville, Tennessee

Focused and Determined

2009-06-26T14:47:00.001-04:00

I got a chance to speak with Kevin while he was making a quick stop, he is so focused and in such a positive state of mind that it keeps me in awe! He surprised at how good he feels.

He sounded like he was ready for the climbs to come and knows he's getting close to the finish. The only concern he had was Gootwald but quickly thought he would not have the reserve to catch him. You could hear in voice he's not going to make it easy for anyone to catch him.

Ride It Kevin!

Gator

Update last night 11:45

2009-06-26T10:04:00.001-04:00

I've just now talked to Kevin for the first time since RAAM
started. He was coming on shift and had a few moments to
chat. Not that Kevin needed it, but Gary thought it would
be good for him to hear from me. He knows Robic has dropped
out of RAAM.

Kevin said he felt incredibly good. No problems with knees
or saddle issues and he was very coherent through our
conversation. He's been sleeping about 3 hours a day, but
will cut that down even further (the crew will monitor his
condition) for his final push into Annapolis. He hopes to
stay on his bike for the next 22 hours.

His major goals now are:

- first American to the finish
- first rookie to the finish

I'm sure he would also like to stay ahead of Jim Rees for a
4th place finish, but that's secondary to his current race
objectives. I've told Kevin how much we've all been
monitoring his progress and it really means a lot to him.
He wants me to convey his thanks to each of you.

--
Jeff Bauer
Nashville, Tennessee

Kevin "Racing Southern Style"

2009-06-26T08:41:00.001-04:00

Kevin is thru TS 42 at 6:49, Rees has not come thru yet.

At TS 41 Kevin had a 5hr 48 min lead!

Go Kevin Go!

Gator

Here's an earlier report from the RAAM site.

Whilst Jim Rees is still a couple hours behind Kevin Kaiser, he can still catch him. However, the chances are slim. We have Christopher Gottwald / Miles for Mentoring, closing in on Jim!

Both riders are through Oxford, 2408 miles into the race.

Jim checked in about an hour and a quarter before Gottwald. In the last 24 hours, Jim has ridden just over 260 miles. He averaged 12.31mph. So this is still good going for Jim.

Gottwald on the otherhand has put in just over 300 miles in the last 24 hours averaging 13.58mph. Jim needs to watch his rest patterns here. Not only is Kevin putting in more miles a day, but Gottwald is doing the same. Jim needs to dig deep here to hold onto sixth place.

All riders are riding exceptionally well. Unfortunately for Jim, I do see Chris catching him. But the good news for both riders is that they will definately finish RAAM within the time limit, so that is solid riding.

Still crushing it!

2009-06-26T08:26:00.001-04:00

Just got off the phone with the current crew on board and Kevin is moving along! He had to stop a couple of times due to inclement weather. We had some nasty storms last night here Ohio- severe thunderstorm warnings with heavy rains, hail, and lightning. This allowed him some time to sleep when he stopped the first time. Even with these stops he was able to put almost 6 hours on Jim Rees. His shoes were soaked from the rain so he just switched to SPD pedals and his SPD sandals for a good chunk of today.

We are updating Kevin with your comments through each shift and it really picks him up if he is having any low moments. He is in good spirits most of the day and night. When temperatures rise and it gets hot in the afternoon he gets irritable but still alert. This is usually when we get him a hotel room to shower, eat, and nap for 1 1/2 hrs.- 2 hrs. He really wants to get 20 hours of riding in before sleeping and is managing to do that efficiently.

The thing that really stands out is his awareness and mind. Most of these solo racers have difficulty with their thought processes at this point in the race. Kevin continues to crunch numbers in his head, often asking for stats on who is behind him, how far away, and what each segment looks like in regards to the terrain and mileage. He keeps wondering where Gottwald and Popp are. Gottwald is a Cat 1 time trial specialist and road racer. He flies through many of these sections but spends a lot of time sleeping. Many people have noticed it's like the tortoise and the hare. Rees is trying to break the British RAAM record of 9 days, 17 hours. I spoke to his crew and they are great folks. Jim plans on maybe sleeping 1 hour only today and staying on the bike until he gets to Annapolis. Kevin and Rees have had a couple of social moments on the bike when Kevin passed Rees. This has happened twice and seemed to be quite an emotional moment. Here you have two guys that have been pushing their bodies and minds to the limits and covering thousands of miles. The comraderie is amazing! Before Kevin started RAAM he mentioned Rees and how much respect he has for him. Check out his story at http://www.teaminspiration.org.uk/

Kevin is a working man riding with some elite ultra-cyclist that do this for a living and he holding his ground. Phil jokes about seeing Kevin at work with a tie. Once Kevin puts on his Chain Reaction kit he evolves into Superman and dances on the pedals. His ultimate goal is to be the top American, anything extra is icing on the cake. Things are working out and we have about 500 miles to go. Keep your thoughts coming and wish him well. The West Virginia mountains are coming up!

Troy- crew

Ride it!

2009-06-25T18:23:00.001-04:00

Kevin,

I NEVER HAD A DOUBT!

Gator

From the RAAM site

2009-06-25T17:33:00.001-04:00

Read on to see how Kevins Solid Performance and the Teamwork of the Majic 3 Crews are giving us all anail biting race to the end.

Ride Kevin Ride!

Gator

RAAM Daily Wrap-Up: Day 8

2,400 miles across America, and just seven minutes separate the two frontrunners in this enthralling RAAM.

RAAM – Solo Male
How on earth is this race so close? After almost seven days and 2,450 miles across America, Jure Robic and Dani Wyss are separated by just seven minutes; the deficit has tumbled from two hours. Over the last three days, Wyss has doggedly trailed Robic, now finally closing things down to this single-figure sum. There were reports that the Swiss rider had Robic actually in sight at some points in the day.

Robic pays the penalty
Moreover, at Time Station #51, when time penalties come into play, Wyss could well go into the lead. He has no time penalties, in contrast to the three Robic has collected, amassing an hour. In previous years, this wouldn’t matter much; in the enthralling 2009 race, it could be the difference between victory and defeat. So, while Robic technically leads the race as it goes through Ohio, he actually needs to put another hour into Wyss at least if he is to claim a fifth RAAM title.

Under great strain, both men have dropped to average speeds of 15.3mph, a touch below Pete Penseyres’s speed record. Every mile and every decision matters even more now. Robic and Wyss will be turning themselves inside out for the goal they want so badly; the world’s toughest and most painful bicycle race is going to get even harder for them, as it is now a 500-mile pursuit race.

Gulewicz riding strongly
Gerhard Gulewicz has actually been riding very well in the last two days, continuing his fine resurgence. Although he may be too far behind to challenge Robic and Wyss, he is certainly showing himself as a force to be reckoned with. His pacing has been spot-on; he has opened up more leeway on Marko Baloh in the last twenty-four hours. These four are well ahead – about 300 miles - of an eight-strong pack battling behind.

Kaiser on the up
Kevin Kaiser is a big mover in the bunch fighting for fifth. As others’ average speeds and concentration drop slightly into the sixth day’s racing, his speed has actually increased. As a result, the man who sat briefly as last-placed rider now lies fifth. This race is a marathon, not a sprint, and evidently Kaiser was just biding his time before making his move.

However, Jim Rees, Brasillian Claudio Clarindo, Daniel Rudge (another man who has ridden a finely-paced RAAM) and Ben Popp are all within five hours. Just under 1,000 miles from the finish, there are still a lot more shots to be fired in this battle.

Tomorrow…
Jure Robic may well try to make a move and increase his lead on Daniel Wyss, and then hold onto it through into the final day’s racing. He certainly has to try something in their neck-and-neck duel. Their battleground tomorrow will be the gentle rollers of Ohio before the last serious climb in the race, to Time Station #46 at Gormonia, WV. It could make the difference.

For the rest of the pack, it’s over the Mississippi and the 2,000 mile mark and into Indiana and Illinois. Now more than ever, it’s a case of staying focused and as comfortable as possible. By the end of tomorrow, the race will be two-thirds completed for all the male soloists.

1. Jure Robic (Slo) 2458.20 miles – TS #41 – 6d 16h 27m (15.32mph)
2. Dani Wyss (Swi) 2458.20 miles – 6d 16h 34m (15.31mph)
3. Gerhard Gulewicz (Aut) 2295.30 miles – TS #38 - 6d 16h 37m (14.29mph)
4. Marko Baloh (Slo) 2230.20 miles – TS #37 - 6d 15h 45m (13.96mph)
5. Kevin Kaiser (Usa) 1987.30 miles – TS #33 - 6d 19h 04m (12.19mph)
6. Jim Rees / Team Inspiration (Gbr) 1911.70 miles – TS #32 – 6d 11h 14m (12.32mph)
7. Claudio Clarindo (Bra) 1911.70 miles - 6d 15h 35m (11.98mph)
8. Daniel Rudge (Usa) 1911.70 miles – 6d 16h 36m (11.90mph)
9. Ben Popp (Usa) 1911.70 miles – 6d 16h 55m (11.88mph)
10. Christopher Gottwald / Miles for Mentoring (Usa) 1911.70 miles – 6d 18h 59m (11.73mph)
11. Richard Newey (Gbr) 1853.30 miles – TS #31 - 6d 13h 20m (11.78mph)
12. Michael Cook (Usa) 1853.30 miles – 6d 17h 29m (11.48mph)

DNFPeter Oyler (Can) 1614.50 miles – TS #27 – 4d 22h 51m (13.58mph)
DNFTony O’Keeffe (Can) 1576.30 miles – TS #26 – 5d 3h 01m (12.81mph)
DNFChristoph Strasser (Aut) 1471.50 miles – TS #21 – 4d 6h 43m (14.33mph)
DNFFranz Preihs (Aut) 1044.10 miles – TS #18 – 3d 11h 08m (12.56mph)
DNFJulian Sanz Garcia (Spa) 934.20 miles – TS #16 – 3d 01h 02m (12.79mph)
DNFJean Marc Velez (Fra) 934.20 miles - TS #16 - 3d 5h 42m (12.02mph)
DNFBill Bradley (Usa) 884.10 miles – TS #15 – 3d 22h 42m (9.34mph)
DNF Patrick Autissier (Fra) 563.00 miles - TS #9 - 2d 01h 59m (11.26mph)
DNF Scott Luikart (Usa) 396.70 miles – TS #6 – 1d 04h 39m (13.85mph)

Still Pedaling Strong!

2009-06-25T17:27:00.001-04:00

Here's the latest from Jeff.

Kevin just passed Janet Christiansen and was 6 minutes ahead
of her at time station #39 in Greensburg, IN (mile 2358).
This makes no difference in the standings, but it's gratifying
to reel any rider ahead of you, even someone out for an
afternoon ride on their hybrid ...

His next rabbit is Brazilian racer Daniela Figueiredo Genovesi,
who put almost 2 hours on Janet. It's too soon to know if
Daniela will maintain her lead to win the female solo division,
but her numbers have been trending up compared to Janet. They
each may have taken a sleep break prior to Bloomington, so it
may be a while before Kevin overtakes Daniela, depending on
when he decides to sleep. More importantly, his crew need to
keep an eye on Jim Rees so Kevin can maintain his lead despite
the necessity for sleep. They'll probably coordinate 1-hour
breaks rather than 3 hours, so Kevin won't be caught napping.

Kevin has less than 650 miles to go. Even with some tough
climbing ahead, I suspect we'll see him in Annapolis sometime
late Saturday evening in 5th position. Kevin is likely to
win the Rookie Award this year.

--
Jeff Bauer
Nashville, Tennessee

Roll Kaiser Roll!

2009-06-25T16:19:00.001-04:00

Kevin just rode about 300 miles in 19.5 hours! He looked awesome on all the short rolling climbs and is staying in the big ring. The thing that blows me away is the food and fluids he is putting down. We thought some of you may be interested in a crew members view of what goes on and what Kevin is taking in to fuel himself across the USA. Our goal is to keep his motor running and we haven't changed a whole lot across the country.

He loves big meals from McDonald's, especially the Deluxe Breakfast, cheeseburgers, Oreo blast, and strawberry milkshakes. He also has cravings for pizza after he gets off the bike for rest or during crew transitions. While on the bike he usually drinks Ensure at night and loves grape soda on ice in his water bottles. We supplement those calories with oreos, pop tarts, oranges, bananas, and whatever else he craves. He's been taking endurolytes and eating dill pickles to keep cramping down, keep some electrolytes in his body. Heck, this may be a sponsorship opportunity from Mickey D's or Crush grape soda!

Another thing that is keeping the pedals moving are your comments. Kevin made us continue reading them all day today. We were just trying to read a couple each hour but he asked me to continue reading as he continued hammering through Indiana. You all are part of this equation and don't realize how much better he rides when your comments are read. When he has a low moment we can easily pick him back up with your generous comments. Keep them coming! Now that we are in the east it ismuch easier finding internet access and we have our shifts fine tuned to allow us to give more updates. We are on the home stretch with only 660 miles to Annapolis!

We are keeping him going with some good tunes as well. In the later hours or early morning when he is struggling we pump up the hard rock including AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Guns n' Roses, etc. We cranked up Cake "Going the Distance" for him up the 21 mile climb in Colorado where he reached the highest point of RAAM @ 10,250ft. He smiled back and told us that song must be about him. He also loves "Superman" by R.E.M. and requested a lot of The Replacements after we told him the Georgia Theatre burned down. He said he saw them there back in the day when he was at UGA. We played "Mississippi Queen" by Mountain as we crossed the Mississippi River yesterday.

Troy-crew

A post this morning by Jeff Bauer

2009-06-25T10:58:00.001-04:00

Kevin appears to be locking into his 5th place position as
he heads into Bloomington this morning. Comparing his
average speed with Jim Rees over the past few time stations
(and attempting to account for sleep breaks), Kevin looks to
be maintaining a consistent gap over his nearest competitor.
Whether Kevin is faster or spending less time off-bike
(maybe both) doesn't really matter since his forward
progress is overtaking Jim's.

Riding into and through Bloomington will be somewhat hilly
today, though the climbs aren't long and not particularly
steep, compared to what lies ahead. But Kevin climbs well
late into his rides, so he shouldn't have problems here. He
knows that we climbed all these hills without the benefit of
gears last year, so this gives him a mental advantage now.

The current temperature is 80F with a high of 84F today.
Still hot, but about 15 degrees cooler than it's been during
the toughest portions of this ride. Tailwinds of 5-10 mph
are abetting his eastern journey, with a 40% chance of
scattered thunderstorms.

--
Jeff Bauer
Nashville, Tennessee

Thanks Jeff! You give true insight to this race, making it realistic to all of us armchairing the event.

Gator

The Power of 3

2009-06-25T10:27:00.001-04:00

I was talking with Phil & Troy (One of "3" Crew Teams) this morning and we were amazed at the Power of 3 and Kevin's warrior performance in this race. The Energizer Bunny should step aside! After getting 3 hrs. of sleep Kevin covered almost 180 miles in 11.5 hrs. He checked in at TS 37 at 6:13 (notice the "3"). He also gained 3 hrs 5 mins.(notice the "3") of time on Jim Rees. I almost forgot, he stopped at McDonalds and had I'm told "3" items to eat. So here's to the Power of 3.

They say Kevin is feeling good and staying the course.

Also this morning Channel 6 News had a film clip of Kevin riding and many good things to say. They are covering him to the end.

Here's a clip from Chris G. the RAAM Reporter:

Last time I gave an update on this excellent battle was through Effingham. I'm pretty sure, over the last few time stations, each rider has had a rest.

Kevin Kaiser now leads by just over 3 hours when both riders went through Sullivan, 2230 miles into the race.

From looking at the information I have in front of me, I'm pretty sure Jim Rees had a rest between Effingham and Sullivan and Kaiser had a rest before Greenville as Kaiser is now, since Greenville, averaging over 15mph through the last two time stations. He is flying.

Regardless of the breaks and considering the speed Kevin is going at, I see him pulling right away from Rees here. But we all know Rees, he will keep this close.

Go Kevin!

Gator

WJBF Channel 6

2009-06-24T22:36:00.001-04:00

WJBF Channel 6 News is committed to covering Kevin's progress until the race ends.

Chris Kane is spearheading the interest and would like to interview Kevin after the race.

I hope everyone can tune in and catch a news update at 6pm in the evenings.

I just saw a posting on the RAAM site that Kevin has gone thru TS 35 in Greenville, IL. at 21:53, Rees went thru at 20:50. The Race is on! Kevins had 3 hrs of sleep and is fresh as a person can get with miles he has put in. I'm sure he will close the gap and pass Rees tonite. Troy says Rees has to sleep also.

Keep up the good work!

Ride Kevin Ride!

Go Team Go!

Pedal ,Pedal ,Pedal!

Gator

From the RAAM Site

2009-06-24T22:00:00.001-04:00

That's right folks. What I mentioned before about these two riders is happening and is happening now. The battle is on.

When both riders were through Jefferson City, Kaiser was 41 minutes behind Jim. Over the next 76 miles, Kaiser has a 17 minute lead over Jim Rees through Washington.

Speaking of Jim, I've had news that he's on course for his personal best. He was up 12 hours on last years time passing through TS32. From my understanding, he's around the same time up still.

Pre-race comments from Kevin reported that he's been working on his speed but he is not a fast rider. His goal is to be on the short list of riders who have ever officially finished this race and maybe surprise a few people in the process.

His race strategy was to remain conservative for the first few days of the race. He was fearful of blowing up in the desert and he had a fear of the long hot climbs out of the desert.

He felt that he'll be a much stronger rider after he reaches the Rockies.

His strategy seems to be working dividends at the moment. The last few days, Kaiser has been putting in close to and over 300 miles a day.

I have reports that Jim Rees is feeling strong but at the moment I think Kaiser is stronger and is going to ride well away from Jim here. The hard work for Kevin is over. Watch him pull away.

Whatever happens, the battle for 5th place is an excellent battle.

More recent update

2009-06-24T21:57:00.001-04:00

We haven't talked much about the idea of competition in
Kevin's race because initially we've been concerned with
simple survival -- i.e. could he finish within 12 days?

Now that the crew has figured a way to weaponize Kevin,
he's in contention for 5th place. Even losing a couple
positions will still leave him as the first American
to finish 2009 RAAM.

But the competition isn't limited to Kevin and Jim Rees.
A quick glance at the leaderboard shows the two remaining
women, Janet Christiansen and Brazilian Daniela Figueiredo
Genovesi within 30 minutes of each other.

Even more impressive is Dani Wyss challenging 4-time winner
Jure Robic to within THREE MINUTES of time station #43
in Athens, Ohio (mile 2575). Last year Robic was so far
ahead of the pack that he had time to goof off at the time
stations (eat, sign autographs, etc.) No more. He's in
for the fight of his life. With 1 hour of penalties
assessed, Robic can't simply sprint past Wyss; he must build
and sustain a hefty gap. Dani Wyss and his crew must merely
keep Robic within striking distance for fewer than 500 miles
and not make any penalty-inducing mistakes. It will be quite
a race over the next couple of days.

The competition makes the riding for all these racers
harder, but gives them something to focus on during the
long hours.

--
Jeff Bauer
Nashville, Tennessee

Some earlier upates from Jeff Bauer

2009-06-24T21:55:00.001-04:00

Another call from Gary Carter. They've just passed time station
#33 in Washington, MO. There's a big steep climb ahead, then
more flat riding for a while. Last night Kevin was climbing
the rollers well in the big chainring. The crew's current
goal is to have Kevin bank about 24 hours (he's about 22+
now) before the really tough climbs ahead in WV, PA, MD.
His mood changes inversely with the temperature, but once
he crosses the Mississippi, the next time station, he has
less than 1000 miles to go. It's all relative, right?
But as many RAAM veterans state, the race doesn't really
start until you've crossed the Mississippi.

The crew will attempt to find a motel and have Kevin
shower and sleep around 2pm today, possibly sending me
photos to forward if they have time and wifi available.

Kevin has temporarily moved to 5th place(!). I say temporarily
because it appears Jim Rees probably sleep during the last
section and Kevin will have to sleep sometime today. Regardless,
he's got a good shot at being the first American to finish
this year, and, with a little help from cooler temps maybe even
take a 5th place position before this race is over.

I will lead a Pancake ride this Sunday wearing my RAAM jersey
for the first time ever in Kevin's honor. Go Kevin!

--
Jeff Bauer
Nashville, Tennessee

Sorry for the lack of coverage

2009-06-24T21:35:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone! Thanks for all your comments. We are printing them off and reading them to Kevin on the road. We have had very limited internet access and just trying to keep his motor running. We'll try to update this site more as we get closer to Annapolis and we'll work on finding hotels with computer access.

He had an awesome day and Kevin is still the top rookie and top American in RAAM 2009. We crossed the Mississippi River around 3:15. In ultra racing this is considered where the race begins. Kevin is excited about his current place in the race and crunching numbers in his head throughout the day. For a guy that was worried about making the Taos cutoff he has turn things around and cranking the big ring across the USA. He went down for a couple of sleep and a big meal and was back on the bike around 6 or 7 en route to Greenville, IL.

If you get a chance take a look at www.raceacrossamerica.org and especially the solo blog they have on there. Click through the pages and they have a really cool article titled 'Kaiser passes Rees'. To see the stats click on the racers link and click on the live coverage leaderboard.

Troy-crew

Twas the Night Before RAAM

2009-06-17T00:48:00.001-04:00

We passed inspection this afternoon and that is the first hurdle to
get over. After being a part of RAAM several years ago I know how
tough the officials can be and safety is the biggest concern. The 3
Cannondale rocket ships are good to go and ready to have the motor
(Kevin) mounted for takeoff! The women solo racers took off at noon
along with one male 60+ racer; their accomplishments were quite
impressive and we hope they have a safe night out on the road. We
spent the rest of the afternoon hanging around at the Oceanside Pier,
getting some last minute supplies, and having a few beers since we
will not be able to sip on the hoppy goodness until we make it to
Annapolis. Please keep up with us, leave messages (especially for
Kevin), and we will pass on your words of encouragement.

Troy-crew

RAAM is near

2009-06-15T19:07:00.001-04:00

Saturday I got to preview about 45 tough miles of the RAAM start.
Gary and I rode up and past Lake Henshaw (the first time station on
RAAM). After climbing to about 4,000 feet, we descended the Glass
Elevator into the desert. The descent was a very challenging and
scary 11 miles. I hit 50mph without any effort, but then got hit with
some serious cross winds that forced me to slow down to 30mph.
Because I'm a light guy, the unexpected wind gusts had me working
almost as hard going down as I was going up. When we finally reached
the bottom the desert temperatures were probably about 15-20 degrees
higher than up top. I'm going to have to find a way to survive 300
miles of these desert temps. Blythe is predicted to reach 105 degrees
on Wednesday.

David Bundrick and Mike Miller arrived yesterday. We went
through registration, got our vehicles ready for inspection, and did
some easy riding. I think I'd be pretty excited right now if I didn't
have such a big ride ahead of me. I have some confidence that I can
do well if I can just get through day two without incident.

Today Chuck Garwood has arrived, and I believe that Phil Cohen
and Troy are here as well. They'll meet us at the rider's meeting in
a couple hours. I'll be a little out of place on the same stage
tonight with riders like Robic, Baloh, and Gulewicz.

We've got the rental vehicles set to go and we'll do a grocery
and laundry run soon. Tomorrow we have inspections and photos, and
the women will depart at noon. Hopefully I'll get a chance to see a
few of them again before the race ends.

In my down time before the race, I've been tracking the progress
of riders on the Shenandoah 1200k. Gator Cochran picked a tough ride
for his first 1200k, but it looks like he and Ian have finished
successfully. Congratulations!

Kevin

Getting to the Start

2009-06-13T11:54:00.001-04:00

After some weather delays, Chris and I flew to San Diego last
night and arrived around midnight. Gary Carter spent some long days
on the road driving the pace van (from Georgia) and he was there to
pick us up from the airport. We're getting some maintenance done on
the van now and hope to do some riding this afternoon. The plan today
will be to drive up the RAAM route to about mile 30 or 40, do some
climbing in the heat, and then descend the Glass Elevator into the
desert. It will be a short ride, but should remind me of what to
expect on day one of RAAM.

I'm starting to get excited. However, I haven't decided how much
I should try to focus on the task ahead of me. The more I think about
it the more nervous I get.

Kevin

Counting the hours....

2009-06-11T14:39:00.000-04:00

My name is Mike Miller and I am a member of Kevin’s support crew for RAAM 2009. One of my jobs during RAAM will be to post progress reports and news to the blog as Kevin makes his way across America.

I feel very fortunate to be a part of this event and to be part of Kevin’s team, and I am very proud of what Kevin has accomplished. I know all of his friends and supports will be even prouder when he crosses the finish line in Atlantic City.

Go Kevin!

Mike

T minus 10 days

2009-06-05T11:12:00.002-04:00

I haven't ridden enough miles, I haven't been fast enough, and I'm mentally weak. All that said, I'm probably about as ready as I'm ever going to be for the start of RAAM. Perhaps I reached my peak fitness a little early this year, but I've kept up enough to remain in good shape. Realistically, I don't think I'll ever be much stronger on the bike. Now I just have to keep reminding myself that I'm not a rabbit, never will be, and need to ride like a tortoise. I'm hoping that all the long hours I'm spending at work this week will take my mind off the task at hand and help me relax.

I'll drop off the pace van with Gary Monday or Tuesday and I'll be flying to California on Friday. We're mostly packed and ready and I think everyone is starting to get excited. The plan will be to keep this blog updated about every 8 hours during the race, so we'll see how that goes.

Kevin

Start your engines

2009-05-26T00:42:00.001-04:00

T minus 21 days until RAAM.