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Team Ride Red set to Race Across America
Jake North Photography
Four Austin-based cyclists are about to embark on the toughest thing they’ve ever done — they’re cycling across the whole United States of America.
Susan Farago, Sue Schrader, Carol Pope and Vicki Ford will push off from Oceanside, Calif., at 2 p.m. Saturday in the famously grueling Race Across America (RAAM).
They’ll roll over deserts, slog up mountains and whisk past cities. In all, they’ll cover more than 3,000 miles, 12 states and 170,000 feet of grinding uphills.
I spoke to Farago this morning. She was at a rental car parking lot in Oceanside, awaiting the arrival of the rest of her teammates and mentally preparing for what lies ahead.
“This is going to be really, really challenging not only from physical standpoint, but that mental space you find yourself in where you’re just battling your own will to keep going and work through those dark times,” she said. “The upshot is there will be four of us spurring each other on.”
Rumor has it there’s also a gorilla suit packed into one of the support vehicles, which should help keep spirits up.
Farago knows their muscles will ache, their sweat will pour, and they’ll yearn for a soft pillow. But they’ve put in thousands of training miles and have been tapering the last two weeks.
“We’re antsy and ready to go,” she said.
All four women are strong cyclists, with multiple Ironman triathlons under their belts. They’ve got a plan, too. While two of the women rest, the other two will alternate cycling for 20- or 30-minute stretches.
Solo riders have up to 12 days to complete the distance; teams have up to nine days. If everything goes smoothly, Team Ride Red hopes to finish in seven days and eight hours. That would put them at the finish next Sunday morning.
Temperatures in Oceanside this morning were in the mid-50s, but once the team rides 30 miles inland it will quickly heat up. The forecast calls for temperatures between 100 and 105 in California and Arizona when they cross.
“We train in Austin, right, so we’re kind of used to it. Sort of. I hope,” Farago said.
“I guess for me the biggest worry is something happening that’s out of our control. If one of us gets injured or sick or something happens to one of the vehicles, that type of thing.”
Team Ride Red, sponsored by the Heart Hospital of Austin and the Texas Beef Council, is the only Texas team in the race. The women are racing to raise awareness about heart disease and stroke, the number one killer of women. They’re riding for the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign.
Cardiovascular disease kills 430,000 women each year — more than the next five causes of death combined.
To track the team’s progress online, go here.
For more information about Race Across America, go here.
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By Barbara Ellis
June 15, 2011 3:36 PM | Link to this
As chairperson of the Go Red campaign for 2010-11 in Central Texas, I am so proud of these 4 women and all of their support crew . They have truly made a dream they had many months ago turn into reality. And they are doing great things to promote awareness of this most serious health risk for women. Cheers - and good luck to all!
By Team Ride Red Chef Lesli Wood
June 15, 2011 7:54 PM | Link to this
We plan to see the U.S. at 18 mph. Being a geologist I think it will be very enlightening. Thanks for all the great support, the PR, the friends and family. It is a really international field here in Oceanside. This apparently ain’t your domestic bike race. We’ll see you in Annapolis!