Meet the Riders

David Casterton - Dave, whose background is in electrical engineering and neuroscience, has crewed for TeamViasat the last two years, once in the rider vehicle and once in the follow car.  “After spending 2 years cooped up in a car wired on caffeine & watching others ride,” he says, “I’m excited to get out and ride this course myself.”   

Andrew Cawood - “I can’t run like I did in college (100 plus miles a week) and biking is the next step for me,” says Andrew.  But he is still pushing his “personal physical limits.”  He plans to ride “so hard my eyes and quads bleed,” among other techniques for staying awake during this year’s race.

Eric Cross - Eric, who is an avid triathlete and has 6 kids at home, says RAAM “looked to be the chance of a lifetime ... and see the country via the backroads at the same time.”  Is he worried about staying awake at night?  “Kinda hard to fall asleep when your heart is cranking at 130 bps,” he says.

Jeff Johnstone - No statements from Jeff yet, so I’ll make sure to make up for it when I get to know him during the race.

Joab Noda - Joab says he “has always followed and been inspired by ViaSat's past RAAM teams and thought what an amazing and challenging experience it would be.”  This year, “I decided to train and take a chance to live out a dream.  As a first timer I do not know exactly what to expect but I know it will be an amazing journey.   What motivates me is my Viasat team who have really helped me to reach a new level in cycling.”

Doug Poorman -  During this year’s race, Doug anticipates a happiness from learning so much more about the stretch of biosphere between Oceanside and Annapolis” and from “having strengthened current friendships and making new friends along the way.”  He believes the race will teach him further how to be as “ physically, intellectually, and emotionally prepared as possible for whatever life throws at you.”

Wei Sun - Wei couldn’t resist a little smart-mouthing (I could have called it something else) in response to my questions.  What led to his riding this year, he says, was that “I was drunk and the impressment gang came by the pub.”  As far getting something out of the race - $2.37.  Those who remember Wei’s poem of a year ago, when he crewed, will not be surprised that what inspires him while ridiing is “rhyming couplets.”

Rich Walsh -  “Continual encouragement (nagging?) from Wei Sun and Jeff Johnstone” led to Rich’s joining this year’s race, “followed by immediate and unquestioning support from my wife Vicki.”  He is inspired by the feeling of pushing myself a little further than I thought I could go in physical endeavors.... I also like beating up on Wei and Jeff during the climbs.”   

Starting the Race Blog

In a few minutes I will post a bit of the Viasat riders' personal responses to their participation in this year's RAAM.  This afternoon will follow with a similar presentation about this year's crew members.  I got the responses from a short questionairre I sent them all.  More information on the participants can be found on the RAAM website (http://www.raceacrossamerica.org/).
Not everything the participants told me appears in the short profiles.  So I plan to report on much more about the riders and crew members as I get to know them more thoroughly during the race.  This will allow me to go back to their profiles as I see the participants in action, working hard to comply with all the race rules, follow its route and subdue its challenges.  I hope they will have much more to add as the race progresses.
Further coverage of the race will come from two other members of the media team, Jaspreet Dosanjh and Whitney Goodman.  More about and from them later.