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Xtreme4 June 15th Update - So far so good!
posted by Jennifer Serfass :: Jun 15, 2008 :: 10:41 PM 
Comments (5) »

Hi all, Jen here agin with another update from the road...Just talked with Patrick for a while and they were all enjoying McDonald's in Ohio as the riders and crew geared up for their next ride or sleep shift.

Things are going well and they all sound pretty peppy, sleep deprivation aside! Xtreme 4 is trying to stay alert and posied to pounce on the Irish and Utah teams in 1st and 2nd place in the male 4 person category as they near the finish, and they are all now more than 2/3 of the way finished with the race. Sweet! Xtreme4 maintains a huge lead in the mixed 4 person team category, more than 200 miles ahead at the time we spoke.

Patrick reports that his muscles "hurt a lot, but it is manageable", and that Raquel continues to make a huge difference with her miracle massages after each shift. He also reports that not only did Patrick and Eric log the fastest split of any team on the race for one of the legs in AZ, but that Phil and Andrea just achieved the same feat on one of the recent shifts. Not too shabby Xtreme4!

The crew is a well oiled machine at this point, and the riders are continually impressed with their positive professionalism as they plug away. Patrick reports that "The vehicle set-up is awesome and Andy really did a great job with this! The riders all have radios with earbuds so we are able to talk to both vehicles, and there is also a loudspeaker that blares music and cuts off when someone in the cars wants to talk with us. It makes the shifts go by fast, although we are only riding for 10 minutes at a time since we decided to switch to shorter rider shifts and more switch offs between the two riders on duty, and that helps as well!"

The team has passed some amazing scenery along the way and one of Patrick's highlights was biking through Red Rock National Park in AZ. He also reports loving the downhills where some of the riders have been clocked at over 60 mph (staying within the speed limits of course)....Yikes!

Some of the more bizarre encounters included a wild dog chasing him on the bike in KS at over 22mph trying to attack him, and having two wild horses run along him as he biked one of his shifts in NM. Beautiful, but nerveracking at the same time!

The riders all report that one of the highlights is passing the solo riders on the course, which Xtreme4 did a lot of today. They all slow down to chat a bit and the solo riders seem to be much more laid back as they singlehandedly cross the USA. Patrick reports that "it is amazing how fresh they look as they reach up to give us and the other teams high five as they pass and chat about the course. They are completely disel and I have so much respect for them all!"

All in all, things are going well and the riders and crew are having fun and staying focused as they go. So far, so good!

We will keep you posted, and stay tuned for more to come...Annapolis is only a day and 1/2 away!  

Go Xtreme4!!!!!




Comments:
umm....wow
by: jessica morgan - 06/15/2008 11:20 PM
breaking records while tackling the most unbelievably challenging race..?? you guys rock!!
hi to Andrea and Mariana
by: Judy - 06/15/2008 11:52 PM
Hey there - I am enjoying the updates and marveling at the progress and the amount of miles covered - you guys are amazing. Hi to my friends Andrea and Mariana - can't wait for pix and stories - stay strong you are almost there!!
You give adreneline rush a new meaning
by: Carolyn Serfass - 06/16/2008 12:56 AM
Great to have blogs to fill in the details of watching you rock the RAAM stats. Keep focussed and get ready to hit Ego Alley in Annapolis. Hugs to come soon.
awsome
by: R. Paul Williamson - 06/16/2008 11:20 AM
You are doing a great job. When you get home, please turn around and come back through Montana!
I'm Excited!
by: Pop Patrick - 06/16/2008 11:22 AM
Way to go Xtreme4 team. We are deeply impressed with your riding. Love Pop & Nanny Patrick


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