Ohio RAAM Challenge Update 3

Good Morning!

Talking to Andy this morning he said "last night went fairly well." Which is fantastic news. Night rides are always Andy's hardest segments. However, he was able to power through with only one 15 minute nap around TS 5. Right now, he is passing through Greenfield, OH, which is mile 330, and is in great spirits and is very alert.

After making the turn northbound towards Columbus, he is reporting a slight headwind. He and the crew are very anxiously awaiting the sunrise. Right now its still pitch black outside and Andy has commented at times his visibility is low, but nothing abnormal for riding in the middle of the night. According to google sunrise is at 730 AM, and we are justing seeing the first signs of it now. Jenn said, "this is the first blue sky we have seen in almost a week .... Beautiful and a wonderful sight."

Unfortunately, the University district still gave the crew some navigational problems, but this time the correction was made much faster.

Here's hoping for a strong finish! Keep the positive messages coming, they make a huge impact on Andy's riding.

#NothingToItButToDoIt, #bemore, #LiveRed, #LightenUp, #speakUp

Ohio RAAM Challenge Update 2

Andy is at the halfway point! He is around the 200 mile marker and riding strong. As we posted on Facebook, the rain stopped around 5:00 pm and it looks like we should be mostly cloudy with no rain for a few hours.

The sun went down about an hour ago, so the crew car is in mandatory direct follow until sunrise. Night riding is tough on Andy mentally and difficult on the crews'  eyes... a combination of fatigue and Andy being decked out in reflective clothing which reflects into the crew car.

For "dinner" Andy tried out a new recipe which was a giant fail. He was not a fan of the cheesy BBQ quinoa balls. Good thing we have a seemingly endless supply of PBJ. He has also been enjoying apple cinnamon quinoa bites, oatmeal energy balls, and an egg frittata.

Photo source: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/242479/cheesy-bbq-rice-bites/

The crew is anxious to redeem ourselves from a few years ago when we got a little confused navigating through The Ohio University. The crew has foggy memories of hard to read signs and party revealers all over the streets. That part of the course this year is around mile 245, at least it should keep Andy and the crew awake for a few miles.

#Nothingtoitbuttodoit, #LiveRed, #LightenUp, #SpeakUp, #BeMore

To see live tracking, find rider 410 on here: http://ohio.raamchallenge.com/rs/index.php?N_webcat_id=465

Shop to support Andy and become a virtual crew member: https://squareup.com/market/andywelch-dot-net

Ohio RAAM Challenge Update 1

Hello virtual crew!

Throughout the race we will be posting in-depth updates on this blog to try and give a true glimpse into Andy's races. As always, Andy is so appreciative of all the love and support he receives from each of you. It amazes us every time how many people are touched by his efforts.

Andy crossed Time Stop 2 at 7 hours 12 minutes and at the time of this post is at mile 106. As we have been reporting on Facebook, the weather started out dry but has switched to a steady drizzle and is expected to continue for a while. Once the rain started, we got Andy into his rain gear but its amazing how fast the dampness can suck energy from him. We quickly had to increase some of his energy food to keep his strength consistent.

Even with the rain and wind, Andy has been able to keep his speed the first 100 miles nice and steady. You will see some dips on the chart but those were just quick pauses on the bike. If you are following on live tracker, you will notice another dip on the speed chart at TS2 because we had to change him into another set of rain clothes.

The course so far has been hilly, something in between serious climbs and rolling hills, but we all know Andy doesn't mind good climbing. He is in good spirits but is very cold. The temps are in the mid to low 40s, with winds around 11 mph and gusts above 20 mph. According to weather.com, it feels like 39 degrees, but I think Andy might disagree with that estimate.

Typically, during the daylight hours the crew car does what is called "leap frog" with the rider. Basically, the car moves ahead of Andy by a mile or so, pulls off the road and waits for him to pass, then waits until he is out of view and moves a mile ahead of him again. This method helps prevent traffic build up behind the rider and gives the crew time to get out of the car and stretch for a minute or two. However, due to limited visibility the crew decided to "direct follow," which as you can see from the video means the crew car drives behind Andy the whole time. The job of the crew is to ALWAYS keep the rider safe and direct follow is the safest strategy for the rider.

  

One thing many of you might not know, but this weekend is Andy and Jenn's wedding anniversary. These two really are an example of how working together makes for a lovely married life. The support they provide each other during all of life's adventures is inspiring!

Another update will be coming in a few hours. Feel free to leave Andy comments on here or on Facebook, the crew always reads them to him as he is riding.

To see live tracking, find rider 410 on here: http://ohio.raamchallenge.com/rs/index.php?N_webcat_id=465

Shop to support Andy and become a virtual crew member: https://squareup.com/market/andywelch-dot-net

#NothingToItButToDoIt, #SpeakUp, #LiveRed, #LightenUp, #BeMore

TS 4 to TS 5: Marfa to Ft. Davis

Time Station Miles: 21.2; Accumulated Miles 306.3

From Marfa, Andy headed north on Highway 17 to Fort Davis. The weather in this area of Texas is unlike most of the other places Andy will ride because the elevation in the Davis Mountains makes its much cooler. The town itself is known for being stereotypical old West Texas: windmills, old fence posts, cattle, and horses.

After going thru the Fort Davis TS we have stopped at the next picnic pullout to sleep. We will sleep for a couple of hours till the sun comes up and the relief crew arrives. It has gotten VERY windy and the outside temp is 40. We feel rest would be better now instead on using energy to keep warm and fighting crosswinds. He has a very steep 90 mile climb around Fort Davis which will be easier on him with some rest and sun, with warmer temps. We are hoping all goes well and he can finish this section before it gets real hot. Andy is tired and slept well during that time.  He is about a 3 of 10. His stomach is doing alot better and he has been eating and drinking well.