RAAM 2022 Trout solo summary: 11 days 4hrs

 We did it!!

Classic Monument Valley shot-Taken by Pat Byrne, one of our new friends from Ireland

Crew Chief Maryam in Annapolis Escort vehicle

With a great crew and conservative, steadfast approach, we made it to Annapolis just shy of the coveted negative split goal.  All other goals were obtained and I couldn't be happier!  I'm assuming everyone had fun, despite RV central air fizzled out on first day; my randomness at stopping for sleep every night, swapping out different bikes and wheels every few hours, erratic diet, and many other idiosyncrasies.  I achieved my main goal:  beat 2005 time of 11 days 22hrs.  Almost hit 2nd goal:  negative split.  Hit some intermediate goals set during the race:  1st American, podium age group, podium gender group. Missed some other goals:  sub 10days, maybe set new over 50 record.  Hats off to all the other racers--made some great friends this year.  Proud and humbled to be a part of this little world of ultracycling.  

Here is a summary of the 11 day adventure across the USA:

Notes:  

--Data sets a conglomeration of SportTracks, Garmin Connect, and Strava.  I used a Hammerhead Karoo as primary navigation device, and Epix 2 watch +  Edge 1030 as backup navigation and used for a slew of Garmin IQ  apps.  These apps included the Core temp sensor armband, Varia radar traffic data (speed of oncoming vehicles, vehicle count), Freestyle Libre CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor), WindField App (wind speed and direction relative to my travel direction).  It was challenging to keep all these gadgets charged and ready for the day--sometimes routes wouldn't load properly, sometimes we forgot to charge certain units, sometimes units would crash during the ride.  Garmin Connect was a clearing house of sorts with all data possible uploaded, while Hammerhead uses it's own site.  I picked the most "believable" data sets and uploaded to Strava.  SportTracks was most useful at dissecting and visualizing, with Garmin connect coming in close second.

Core Temp:  I've been using this for 2 years now.  I didn't think a couple 10ths of a Fahrenheit would make much of a difference in how I felt on the bike vs. 10-20 bpm for HR, but only 0.2-0.5 temp increase was very noticeable.  I had two goals for temp and HR:  temp below 101 and HR below 130, even below 120 if possible (which was not going to happen cycling up Sleeping Indian Hill and some other steep grades in Southern California).  My core temp was mostly affected by effort, but I think the cooling strategies helped keep the temp in check as well.  This included cold, damp cooling rags around my neck with exchanges every 5-15min and a quilted cooling vest drenched in ice water--exchanges every hour or so.  Also used ONLY insulated water bottles filled with ice and topped off with water--i.e., ice water only.  Used another bottle filled with Skratch mix also on ice and drank as much as tolerated.  Seemed to work well with my Core temp goals.  In some cases, my HR would be hovering around my goal of sub 120, but Core temp 101.0 or 101.1, so I ramped my effort down to compensate.  This proved very useful as an adjunct to keep my efforts in check.  I definitely couldn't rely on how I FELT, because like Tony the Tiger, "I felt GREAT".  It's RAAM!  It's Beautiful!  I'm cycling with world class mental crazies on a bike race across the USA!  I'm DFL...better bump up the pace!!  All thoughts put in check by HR, Core, Power data sets, oh, and being 52yrs old with scores of ultrarunning and ultracycling events and knowing better.

Core Temp Sensor-fits nicely on Polar arm HRM

CGM:  piqued curiosity with "Supersapiens" avaialable in Europe.  USA has a couple companies marketing to weight-loss interests--I went with Nutisense which is available without prescription as long as you sign up for one of their programs.  Nutrisense uses the Freestyle Libre CGM.  It's applied to the back of the arm and good for 2 weeks.  I was told it is less accurate and more variable than the competitor Dexcom, but it gave me a decent trendline and some good insight on my blood sugar.  The Dexcom can bluetooth data straight to phone or garmin device, but the Libre can only be NFC scanned with iphone.  So, I bought a small device ("bubble") that attaches to the Libre and will auto load to garmin device and phone.  This also has a 2 week charge.  However, this clunky system requires phone to be linked to the internet (wifi or cell coverage) to push data to a site called "Nightscout" which then pushes it to the Garmin IQ app.  No wifi/cell = no data on Edge or Epix.  Also, the app on the Edge failed many times and needed to be re-installed.  The Epix app much more stable and re-linked when needed after cell tower loss.  I wouldn't say this was a game changer for me, just another data set to look at out of curiousity.  Why do I have a sensation of hunger?  What happens after I eat 5 jolly ranchers?  What happens when I eat 3 pieces of cheese and salami?  McDonald's?  What's going on when I wake up before breakfast?  What's my blood sugar in all those scenarios and more?  Now I had the answers.  But did those answers result in any change in my eating habits or change in bicycling effort or diet?  Not really.  If anything, it just made me think more about what I was consuming and put me more in touch with diet-body-mind relationship.  Pricey data grabbing at $125/unit (2 weeks), but glad I did it.  I signed up for 3 month plan and started 1 month prior to RAAM.  Still have 1 month in the bank, no expiry on that last month, so can use it whenever.

Bubble Freestyle transmitter

Nutrisense Freestyle Libre with cover

HR band:  I used to use a chest strap on all my activities.  1yr battery, best accuracy, some extra features on newer straps.  However, they aren't very comfortable compared to arm band HRM.  I tried out the Wahoo arm band a couple years ago and its barely noticable, very accurate, and battery life of 30+hrs.  I used it in RAAM 2021, but eventually the band wore out and the plastic clip piece broke off rendering it unwearable.  Polar has an arm band (???) that I've been using for a while now.  30+ hr charge, better/more durable/more comfortable clip system, and easy charging with small USB charger.  Seems to be even more accurate than Wahoo and less susceptible to interference, poor placement, dry skin issues, etc.  In a pinch I also have the Epix watch HRM which can broadcast to the Edge if need be.

Polar Verity

Wahoo Tickr Fit

Power Meters:  Over the last 5 years I have upgraded the Garmin Vector series and have Vector 2, Vector 3, and now Rally set of pedals.  Each bike had Garmin power pedals.  Replaced batteries on Vector 3 once in Tuba City.  Power numbers interesting, but not a driver of my riding efforts.  Some folks have asked questions about my power number specifics.  Strava has an estimated power number average, and I'd say it's pretty accurate over the course of each day.  Some of my Strava uploads have the power meter graph (if loaded from a Garmin unit that paired with my Vector pedals).  Swapping out bikes a couple times a day meant I had to re-select the PM on my Epix and/or Edge unit, and many times I was too lazy or busy to care.  Even when I did pair new PM, I don't think that jived well with the final .fit file that uploaded to Strava.  Garmin Connect had some of the back and forth power data.  Anyway, for training, I peaked my FTP at 275 in early April this year.  I chose indoor workouts to push up my FTP.  Once the Michigan weather improved, I was able to do more outside road biking (I was still doing lots of snow fat tire mt biking, cross country skiing, lots of snowboarding (sometimes extreme like at Mt. Bohemia), bike commuting, trail running, indoor rowing, etc).  These other "workouts" weren't really workouts, just fun stuff moving my body around and enjoying the outdoors, and, well, life!  Putting in some longer distances on my road bike in spring meant less of the HIIT bike workouts--I focused on keeping my HR in check and having strong mental focus to keep my HR below 130.  Very easy to "check out" and ride at comfortable pace and look down to see HR 140s and 150 if jamming up a hill.  Fine for weekend warrior rides, but not gonna fly for RAAM.  Very similar to my transition from marathon training to ultrarunning.  Comfy pace 7:15-8min/mile, great for marathons, but not for any race over 30 miles, especially 100-200miles.  Training for Tahoe 200, Badwater 135, and Arrowhead 135 took on a whole new level of mental discipline.  I had the ultimate success with Tahoe 200 as winner in 2015, and set a record for unsupported Arrowhead 135 in 2020.  Back to the power numbers:  my FTP in May was around 265, comfy levels around 230s.  In RAAM my power numbers 1st day 180s-200s, then steadily declined as the race went on, similar to HR numbers.  I'd say after the first week my power numbers were 130s-150s.  Again, just data that was interesting to look at, but not influencing my effort one iota.  A few times in Kansas I was riding a wave of feeling awesome and dialed in my aero bike, looked down and clocking 180s-220s for a few hours.  Those were the good times flying along at 20-25mph.  Cooler temps, cross/tailwind, slight downhill; cycling in the zone of Zen.  Missouri and Indiana had some great rollers that I wanted to pound, but I knew that would fry my legs come the next day, so I backed off (keeping power numbers below 200).  "And that's all I got to say about that."

Di2 shifting/Bikes/Wheels/Tires:  All 3 bikes had Di2.  Only once did I need to charge Jamis Renegade.  All other Di2s performed flawlessly.  Besides super crisp shifting, I needed the ease of push-button shifting due to my weakening and numb hands that inevitably developed midway across country.  I also became dependent on looking at the Edge to see which gear I was in in back; more specifically, answering the question "How many gears do I have left in back?"  That could apply as I approached a hill and gradually shifted up for consistent effort, or riding down hills/flats to see if I could push a little more.  I generally kept very tight cassette choices, favorite being 12x25.  Needed 11x32 or 11x34 in the hillier areas of USA.  Each bike had a different front set up:  Jamis 52x36, Airborne 50x34, and Spiegel 48x31.  We needed to charge the Jamis Renegade once in Missouri, but it went down to 5% again in WV.  Maybe older battery, never issues before.  Went with Spiegel at that point anyway, which never needed a charge on 2021 new GRX Di2.  Two bikes were disc brake (Jamis Renegade and Spiegel), 1 rim brake (Airborne).  I rode Jamis with aerobars and disc wheel on flats, Spiegel with Leed 40mm wheels on hills, and Airborne on hills when Spiegel had shifting issues (11x34 cassette in back).  Sometimes swapping wheels for larger cassettes gave rise to shifting issues, but my awesome crewmember Josh managed those problems.  I had 1 disc brake disc wheel, 2 spare rear, 2 spare front disc brake wheels.  1 spare front and 1 spare rear rim brake wheels.  Brought 8 spare tubes, patch kits, 2 spare tires.  Ended up having about 6+ flats, 2 on disc wheel with side-wall failure (therefore trashing tire--2 Michelins failed, Conti's all great).  We never bothered with patching tubes.  Just a quick exchange on a wheel while crewmember would work on the flat tire wheel when time allowed.  I guess one could say I skimped on bringing sufficient tires and tubes.  However, with conti 5000s at $55-60 each on sale, other tires such as Michelin ProCourse on "sale" at $45 each, just to have 12 wheels loaded with these tires puts it around $500.  I brought a few extra, but then though I'd just pilfer from other wheels if needed.  Tubes are getting pricier as well--~$7 on sale for my favorite conti 23x28 tubes.  In the end I think it was just like Goldilocks:  just right. Sponsorship would've been nice here.

Saddles/Butt Care:  Brought 4 different saddles--Specialized Power Mirror x2 (one on Airborne, one on Spiegel), Brooks C4 (on Jamis), Infinity seat, and Selle Itialia Gravel saddle.  I enjoyed the Specialized by far, with Brooks C4 on my Jamis TT set up a close 2nd.  I used infinity seat on some training rides this spring and 1 day on RAAM.  Although it felt comfy like a horseback saddle, I didn't like too much--I like moving around in the saddle--changing positions every once in a while ascending, descending, getting different positions depending on terrain.  Infinity seat just "boxes" me in to one location.  And the stiff outside rails became a little bothersome after a while.  For my bum, I lubed liberally 2-3 times a day with Bag Balm +/- Desitin or Trail toes or similar trail running salves.  In the end I don't think it was friction causing my imminent saddle sores--indeed I think it is more of a pressure ulcer on the 2 primary contact points on my pelvic bone.  The searing heat and pressure (I noticed more pressure when more power applied, especially on TT bike) caused the skin to open up after a few days.  Wearing thicker padded shorts (favorite: Castelli endurance) helped the pain, but the BEST TREATMENT/PREVENTION was MOLESKIN applied directly to hot spots.  I used about 1/2 of the standard Moleskin pad on each butt cheek.  I just slapped the adhesive rite over the pressure spot and was good to go.  I was worried about the adhesive right on the burgeoning wound, but the lightly reddened area (not open) actually got better during the race if Moleskin applied.  Some nights we'd tear it off and put some abx cream on the area and let air out during sleep.  Then back on with moleskin.  Saved my ass!  Still lots of tenderness in area, but no open wounds and felt great once I warmed up for the day.

Specialized S-Works Power Mirror

Brooks C-7 Saddle

Castelli Endurance 3 short

Infinity E2 Elite Sadlle

Moleskin

Diet:  What can I say?  Eat everything and anything--was about to eat my crew if I didn't have food, as in REAL food, handy and available.  Which can be challenging in some of the more remote areas out west.  One of my favorite stories on this year's RAAM is taking a Taco Bell taco from an nice Native American near Kayenta.  He was a passenger and drove up in a pickup truck, reaching out to offer me a fresh from the box--still in the wrapper.  I said, "hell ya I'll have a taco!  Thanks!"  He drove up ahead and took my picture as I rode by stuffing my face with a taco.  Made both of our days.  Normally, TB give me the runs, but not in Kayenta.  Totally hit the spot.  That taco was almost immediately after a Double Filet-o-Fish from McDonald's-an almost daily staple in my diet.  Along with standing breakfast order of Egg McMuffin, Sausage Egg biscuit, 2 hash browns almost every morning.  Other favorite FF restaurants:  Jimmy Johns, Sonic, and Jersey Mikes.  Follow vehicle goodies included Combos, CornNuts, Spree, Sandies/Chips Deluxe cookies, Jolly Rancher, sliced cheese, sliced deli ham, salami, beef jerkey strips, pistachios, nut butter coffee/almond pouch.  Throw in "healthier" snacks of all Skratch products including their awesome chews and nut bars and top it off with their delicious iced hydration drink flavors.  My crew also made some Skratch grab-and-go recopies such as egg cups and rice bars.  The egg cups were a great food that just satisfied my calorie craving in solid/non-snacky style food.  Below is a chart of the estimate of calories I consumed with the above food.  The overall daily chart of calories burned is a best guess from Garmin connect.  I look at those numbers dubiously, for I think their partially calculated on heart rate.  My heart rate consistently dipped lower and lower throughout the race (as it does in every race I do).  This is not reduction in effort, but just dampened HR response for a slew of reasons (fatigue, adaption, dehydration, etc).  So, my best guess is about 10,000 cal burned per day.  I did have a food panic about breakfast almost every day starting day 3-4.  If RV would drive ahead, I needed to know what was in FV for bedtime dinner and morning breakfast.  Cookies, chips, crackers, candy was NOT dinner.  I needed mega sandwich, FF burger, microwave lasagna, mac and cheese corned beef hash, eggs, etc.  for those meals.  Something big, filling and hearty.  As I write this blog 8 days later, I still have food craving every 2-4 hours, eating over 5000 calories a day, and visiting toilet 4-5 times per day.  Food intake and "outtake" is starting to slow on this 8th day.  Very similar to last year.  Body is still in shock mode and trying to make up from the effort back in June.  After 5 days straight of eating 1/2 gal buckets of ice cream, vats of noodles and rice, pounds of chocolate, 4 donuts (and still not full), I start to worry if in a few months I'll be visiting Dr. ? on my 600lb life, but like last year, my appetite is starting to subside ever so slowly.

Product	Cal/serv	Sodium	Carb	Protein	Fat	Eat over 11 days	Car/Pro/Fat	Total Sod	Total Cal
Skratch chew	160	35	19	0	0	30 paks	570/0/0	1,000	5,000
Skratch Bar	220	140	30	5	2	12 bars	360/60/24	1,500	2,700
Skratch hydration	80	380	20	0	0	40 servings	800/0/0	15,200	3,200
Spree/Jolly ranch	60	0	14	0	0	15 servings	200/0/0	0	900
Sandies/CD cookie	168	110	18	2	10	~40 cookies (20)	360/40/200	2,200	3,500
Combos	130	300	20	2	5	4 bags	480/48/120	7,200	3,000
Corn Nuts	130	160	20	2	5	3 bags	240/24/54	2,000	1,500
JJ Gargantuan	2,160	1,000	156	156	99	2 sandwiches	312/312/198	2,000	4,320
Jersey Mike	1,150	1,890	61	60	76	1 sandwich	61/60/76	2,000	1,150
Corned beef hash	800	2,000	44	42	48	2 cans	88/84/96	4,000	1,600
Choc Ice cream	180	50	21	4	9	0.75 gallon	210/40/90	500	2,000
MCD:Filet-o-Fish, dbl	570	810	53	23	30	4 sandwiches	212/92/120	3,300	2,280
MCD:Egg McMuffin	310	770	30	17	13	5 sandwiches	150/85/65	4,000	1,550
MCD:Saus Bisc Egg	530	1,190	38	17	35	5 sandwiches	190/85/175	6,000	2,650
MCD:Hash Brown	140	310	18	2	8	10 pieces	180/20/80	3,100	1,400
Egg Cups	150	300	7	12	5	10 cups	70/120/50	3,000	1,500
Cheese/beef stick	140	510	2	8	11	5 sticks	10/40/55	2,500	700
Deli Ham	60	610	1	9	2.5	10 servings	10/90/25	6,100	600
Trail Butter	190	55	8	5	17	2 containers	80/50/170	110	1,900
Pistachios	170	250	6	7	14	10 servings	60/70/140	2,500	1,700
Misc								~1000	~5,000
Totals:								~70,000mg	~50,000
Cal Burn (est Strava)									~80,000
Ratios-						carb-18K	prot- 5K	fat-15K	45/15/40%

This tally comes out to total calories approximately 45% carb, 15% protein, 40% fat with 70,000mg sodium consumed.  Weight trends:  160 normal, 161 start of race, 149 low weight (Arizona after 1 vomiting incident after car flat tire), 164 high weight (Somewhere in Indiana).  Started getting concerned after noticing hand/wrists getting puffy, but thinking this was due to aero position for extended periods.

Pain/Sleep:  Didn't take ANY ibuprofen this year!  Took a few Tylenol here and there, I'd say I started day 4 taking 1x500mg tylenol about 1-2 times daily.  Also took caffeine 200mg around day 3, about 1-2 per day.  Also some of the Skratch chews had 80mg of caffeine.  Drank Nespresso coffee pods 2-3 times per day as well (~100mg caffeine per pod).  Guessing 300-400mg caffeine daily, which is not far off from my normal 400mg thermos of coffee during night shift weeks at work.  My best sleep scenario turned out to be back of follow vehicle.  We brought 2 trifold thick (4 inches) 5' long sleeping mattresses that folded out perfectly in back of minivan.  Although arduous for crew to unload 1/2 of FV gear of coolers, bins, etc., I had my own quiet cocoon for 3 hrs.  Once my head hit the pillow, I set alarm for 3 hours later, usually rounding up to the hour or half hour if near.  Most days took 30min after stopping to get to sleep and another 30 min after waking up to get back on the bike.  Tried to minimize these down times, but lots to do:  eat, shower, body maintenance (re:  butt care), change clothes, get gadgets ready/charged, plan for the day, etc.  I tried not to put too much pressure to rush myself nor crew, put everything in a fun but efficient mood.  We (or at least I) never looked at other racer positions, just time on bike, cut-off deadlines, and eventually a negative split time game plan.  This made sleep more relaxing and comfortable.  1st sleep night was in Salome motel in my own "bedroom".  Great sleep, but next 9 nights I had 7 in Follow vehicle and 2 in RV (when everyone else was in a hotel room).  In 2005 and 2021 I had a few more hotel nights, which were super comfortable, but time hogs.  Lots of time walking to room, slowly peeling clothes and gingerly getting in shower, drying off, getting in bed, taking a few minutes to fall asleep.  Then the morning of walking down long hallways and other time grabbers.  I was totally fine and comfy in my FV cocoon.  But apparently BBO (Beyond BO) last night when crew joined me in front seats and said the smell was literally unbearable, especially combined with half-eaten burrito open and sitting next to my head.  But I was happy in la-la land of REM sleep, loudly snoring away.

Daily mileage/sleep/bike stats:

 Well, this took a while to tabulate.  For viewing pleasure.

Day	Start	Stop	Sleep	Sleep/loc	City	Miles	Climb	Spd a/m	Mov tm	Stp tm	BG	Core T	Cal	HRa/m	#car
0	1:24pm	--	~1h	Front seat	--	145	8,102	16.4/50	8h47m	2h39m	52-125	98.9-100.9	5,447	125/145	502
1	--	6pm	3.5hr	Motel bed	Salome	184	6,263	14.7/30	12h33m	2h21m	69-99	98.6-101	5,526	103/120	522
2	11pm	10pm	3hr	FV bed	Hopi Res	267	17,705	14/41	19h32m	2h44m	71-131	98.2-101.3	6,145	100/121	1,556
3	1:30am	1am	4.5hr	RV Bed	Durango	308	16,161	15.6/48	19h48m	2h32m	87-137	97.8-101.3	5,635	94/124	1,026
4	6am	11:45p	2.5hr	FV Bed	LaVeta	208	11,572	15.3/58	13h35m	2h1m	?-107	98.6-100.2	5,618	103/131	1,862
5	2am	11pm	3.5hr	FV Bed	Montezum	308	14,820	17.3/44	17h46m	2h17m	?-107	98.1-100	5,612	92/108	312
6	4am	11:30p	3hr	RV bed	Yates Cntr	275	7,008	16.3/34	16h51m	1h19m	70-108	98.8-100.5	6,682	91/103	1,564
7	4:20am	11pm	3hr	FV bed	Hermann	282	11,040	17.6/43	16h00m	1h43m	72-121	98.9-99.9	7,800	92/109	2,472
8	3:20am	11pm	3hr	FV bed	Bloomfield	300	8,612	16.3/40	18h27m	1h57m	79-121	97.9-98.9	8,681	89/115	1,886
9	4:50am	10pm	3hr	FV bed	Chillocothe	255	13,435	15.2/41	16h48m	2h12m	66-117	98.7-99.9	6,763	92/111	1,258
10	2:36am	4am	45min	FV bed	Cumberland	300	19,882	14/45	21h31m	3h31m	--	--	9,643	84/108	3,146
11	5:07am	9pm	--	AirBnb bed	Annapol	182	14,409	13.5/54	13h30m	3h13m	66-123	98.9-99.1	5,831	86/115	--
Tot	~3am	~11pm	~31hr	1 hot/9 FV	--	3,014	145,709	15.5/58	194hrs	28hr	52-137	97.8-101.3	~80K	~90/145	16K

 

Notes:

Data is best estimate: tough to have exact measurements with dying gadgets, spotty cell service, race time vs local time, forgotten start/stop buttons, etc.

Toughest Day (by far):  Hopi to Durango.  24hrs of riding, last 30miles uphill mountain, crazy headwind 20-35 mph, rain, cold.  Puddle/wet roads on decent soaking feet.  Then drove 15 min to motel room, slept in RV.  On paper looks like Day 10 was toughest, but I remember some of the views and it was a great rolling ride through West Virginia.  Truly a gorgeous state despite the crazy gradients.

Normal weight:  160, max weight 164 (during race—in Missouri), max weight 172 (after race—in Annapolis), min weight 149 (Salome, AZ)

Diet:  Skratch drinks/chews/bars, homemade egg cups, homemade rice bars, McDonalds/Jimmy Johns gargantuan/Jersey Mike/Nespresso/Ice Cream/Corn Nuts, Combos, Sandies cookies, Spree, Jolly Rancher, Cheese, Salami, Deli Ham, Sonic Burger, Michelina mac and cheese, Stauffer’s lasagna,

Favorite Shorts:  Castelli brand.  3 saddles (Specialized ? 60%, Brooks C7 30%, Infinity 10%), 3 bikes (Spiegel 40%, Jamis gravel/aero 50%, Airborne ti 10%), Moleskin on contact points on gluteus—felt heat and pressure creating pressure wounds.  Bag Balm, Desitin, other barriers ok at minimizing friction, but most of issue caused by pressure; especially when applying extra power up hills or flats.  Moleskin applied directly to buttock helped tremendously to ward off pressure ulcer.

Shoes/Socks:  Pearl Izumi wide toe with 3 velcro straps and specialized medium orthotic inserts my go to shoe.  Also had Shimano RS1 wide toe with Boa as back up.  DryMax socks (stuck in running mode).  No foot or hot-spot issues.  

Gloves:  Chose not to wear gloves this year.  I'm typing this with numb 3 fingers  pinky-ring finger on both hands.  Took about a month to go away from last year's race.  Gloves get in the way, hard to stay hygienic, and not sure they actually help.  I did get sunburn on top of hands quickly and we were battling that for most of the race.  

Sunscreen:  sprays convenient, but probably only lasted a couple hours with sweating and lack of rubbing in.  Went to 50+ sport lotion in Kansas.  Helped, but I'd say only lasted 4-6 hours before needing more.  

Jerseys:  Liked the full zip.  Too weak/akward to pull over head.  Liked a little looser fit as I could reach rear pockets easier, didn't feel to be restrictive on breathing.  

Heat:  cold damp rags around neck, exchanged every 5-15min.  Fluorescent cooling vest doused in ice water exchanged every couple hours.  This vest did obscure the Spot tracker in my right jersey pocket, so some issues there.  Tried to fold part of vest into rear of pocket, but it eventually worked out and covered pocket again.  First few days I used that jersey pocket as my trash bag for baggies/wrappers/etc and that also caused blocking.  Bummer to loose a stash pocket, but it worked much better after I stopped using it for garbage dump!

{skip section if excretory-phobia} Toilet:  Urinated frequently entire race; peak rates 2-4 times per hour, average at least 1x/hr.  Sometimes 1 every 2hrs.  #2 no movement for 3 days, then finally relief in Colorado somewhere.  Then about 1/day.  Felt I lost 2 pounds each time and felt refreshed and energized to haul ass on the bike.  So much in, but not as much out.  No issues of diarrhea.  Just "bigger and more than normal" due to copious amounts of solid foods over last half of race.  Sorry about graphics, but if I'm a RAAM racer or curious, I'd want to know.

Sleep:  Although most difficult/time consuming to prepare, FV mattress best night’s sleep:  quiet, comfortable, secure.

Crew: The bestest.  RV A/C blew the first night.  Although I had a game plan for sleeping arrangements for everyone, it didn't go as expected.  We stopped at 5 hotels, so that was 4-5 roughing it in the hot, sticky, fly-ridden RV for the crew.  FV flat tire snagged at least 4hrs from my time, and that stop caused my body to cool down too much and consequently puke a few hours after the fix.  That also took up some time getting rehydrated.  No matter what I asked for, crew had it ready for me in minutes or even before I arrived to receive before time station.  The clapped for me, hooted and hollered for me, sprayed me down in hot spots, exchanged cooling rags, the tasks are beyond counting.  RV needed help in many spots with issues of overheating and gearing down the big hills.  RV also needed refills of water, tank dumps, checking oil and adding a quart when needed.  All that was taken care of as I just rode my bike East.  Loved having my family along (wife and 2 kids) as it was a tremendous mental boost to see them along the route.  No penalties, flawless call-in process on discord.  I can't say enough how confident and secure I felt with 6 drivers, 2 young adults taking care of EVERYTHING while I just rode my bike.  Very proud of everyone (John C, John M, Joe, Josh, Liz, Maryam, Shamus, Oscar.)  Way to go, folks!!!!