A Race.
Across the country.
4200+miles.
Self-supported.
I've signed up.
I have registered and am preparing for The Trans Am Bike Race. It's a mind-altering challenge, 4200 miles across the country, carrying all you own gear, finding your own food, and shelter. It's the kind of event where it's mostly either sponsored endurance racers, or pretty well to do athletes with big budgets take on. I'm neither, I'm a bit chubby, even.
Saying I'm "a bit chubby" is pretty nice and accurate. Because I was, until quite recently, "fairly fat". But this challenge has made me take it seriously, if I want to finish, much less achieve my goal time, and to do either I needed to not carry so much weight across the country. So, I'm currently down 60 pounds. I'd like to get another 15-20 off before the race. Being lighter is more than just speed, though it should help there, not just uphills, but also in cutting through the wind, since I can now set up the bike a bit more aggressively; it's also about calories, specifically not needing as many to move the tonnage; it's also about mechanical wear, since lower weight will stress the drivetrain less, and wear the tyres less (as well as allow lower psi in the tyres for a comfier ride and less punctures).
Many of the racers are buying completely new bikes for the challenge. I'll be riding my Raleigh Tamland. It will get many upgrades, in addition to the work I've already done on it since I purchased it 3 years ago.
One of the hardest things about this race it figuring out what kit to take and what I won't need. First, I need all new kit, since none of my kit from last summer fits. I've frantically been ordering in jerseys and shorts and vests and jackets and warmers and sunsleeves and so on for testing. Warm weather hasn't really been here for testing the warm weather gear, and setting up the bike for the race without its fenders means I have different rainwear needs than I'm used to, which will need testing.
So many things to think about/consider options/stress about/lose sleep over.
