Race Around Ireland - Considerations and Planning

The RACE AROUND IRELAND is regarded as one of the toughest cycling challenges in the world and will take the racers on a 2,150 km /1,350 mile journey past some of the most stunning scenery in Ireland.  The route will take you past Newgrange, The Causeway Coast, Malin Head, The Cliffs of Moher, The Ring of Kerry, Mizen Head, the Garden County (Wicklow) and back to Moynalty in County Meath and ALL within a week.  

I pre-registered for RAI in January of 2017 and the `Go - No Go' decision is on April 1, 2017. RAI is a `race.'  It is not a `ride.'  As a solo racer I will have 132 hours (5.5 days) to complete it.  If I finish in 132 hours and 1 minute ... it will be recorded as a `Did Not Finish / DNF.'  

A challenge as formidable, complex and financially costly as RAI requires hard-headed thinking, planning and analysis.  In my mind DNF'ing is not an option.  Too many sacrifices to not be a proud finisher.  

Below I am listing many of the factors that currently occupy my (remaining) mind as I approach the `Go - No Go' date.  (At any one time each of these factors is a `priority.')

Age:  I'm 71.  As much as I have a hard time recognizing (admitting?) that fact there are certain physical imperatives.  I'm in great shape but I know that, with age, my fitness and health are more brittle than when younger.  At the moment I am in almost complete denial of these so I won't blather on about this.  (I'm a psychologist so I know what I'm talking about 😔

Financial Cost:  For me this is equally a moral issue and a practical matter.  

If I allow my conscience to dictate my decision I devote these dollars to those whose needs are desperate.  It is self-indulgent to do RAI when so many people experience poverty, illness and ignorance.  I consider it my weakness - it is immoral - to spend so much money on RAI.

As I dial in the expenses I will absorb with RAI ... my `cheap Scot' muscle is getting overused.  I swallow hard and rationalize it by saying "who wants to live forever?!"

RAI is not RAAM:  Some may be aware of my concern that the RAAM course is more dangerous than it is worth.  As a previous RAW participant, RAAM Official and RAAM Crew Chief my opinions are not `armchair.'  In the US west the roads are narrow, vehicles include trucks, massive hay and livestock wagons, texting drivers and RVs (the worst).  In the US midwest the roads are often straight for tens and tens of miles, dulling drivers minds and senses, with drivers (and cyclists) wandering into opposite lanes.  In the US east the density of traffic increases all of these factors.  

RAI has different problems but, as far as I can gather, the life-and-limb dangers are mitigated.  Instead there are many country roads with poor quality pavement, narrow country roads, free range livestock, hundreds of hard to track and navigate turns.

Navigation:  Past RAI crew and officials have informed me that the many turns, roads and road signs almost guarantee getting lost (junk miles).  American crew/drivers are simply not used to driving on the `wrong' side of the road and get quickly lost in roundabouts.  Irish or experienced RAI crew doing the navigation and driving seems to be a `must.'  

Another navigation issue has to do with `reading' a cue sheet but not really getting a feel for distances.  GPS guidance and detailed off-line (RWGPS) maps may allow the navigator to better assess distances, turns, etc.  

Racer Communication: A helmet-mounted communication system, in my opinion, is a necessity for crewed ultra races. The Terrano System will allow firm and clear communication between racer and crew.  Navigation.  Nutrition.  Clothing. Encouragement and problems.  

Standard v. Recumbent Bike:  I'm confident about my climbing ability, but that doesn't mean I won't walk up hills that are too steep to ride.  By `too steep' to ride I'm referring to long 14%+ grades.  Can I pedal up these hills?  Yes.  Is it efficient and wise (energy expenditure, potential for injury? No.  I have nothing to prove regarding my climbing prowess.
  
Recumbent racing bicycles do have an aerodynamic advantage on flats and descents. When the terrain and road quality safely allow me to access that advantage I will.  But many of the Irish roads are not suitable for fast descents. Perhaps even less so on a recumbent.  

So racing on country roads will require acknowledgment that the recumbent advantage will be mitigated.  Plan for it.  Train for it.  

Nutrition and Hydration:  This is always challenging.  I and my crew will have to set clear schedules and practices.

Sleep Deprivation:  This applies to both the racer and the crew.  All the research supports the conclusion that one cannot `train' for sleep deprivation.  It must be acknowledged, planned for and managed.  

Mechanical Issues:  Two bikes.  Three sets of wheels for each bike.  Different gearing for each bike.  Ridiculous redundancy for spare parts and supplies.

Weather and Clothing:  Rain, cold, wind.  Be prepared to be creative.  Expecting to ride wet.  Dry clothes ... I don't know how that will happen -- yet.  

THE DEFINITION OF A FANATIC: A person who, when he loses sight of the objective, redoubles his effort.  (Stupid)

Finally, I am not of the mind that sheer willpower and emotional and physical prowess result in successful ultra accomplishments.  Sometimes we see the victor characterizing him or herself as being `unstoppable,' `a fighter,' etc.  This is probably done to deal with the anxiety of fear and trepidation.

Yes, it requires determination.  But it also requires rational calculation, sensitivity to recognize when the racer's cognitive processes are compromised, psychological calculations as to the racer and crew's processes, the crew's fatigue, and `fit' among members of the crew.  Emotional awareness and capacity to restrain one self.  To `respond' rather than to `react.'  

After a relatively short time `in the saddle' most of what happens is from the neck up, not the neck down.  

If the racer and crew do not admit that they are terrified I will give them three no cost therapy sessions.  

Weather Conditions - Clothing and Safety

Ugly weather, clouds, rain, fog and cold in the mountains down to about 3,000 feet elevation.  Ambient temp was 39F / 7C.  I decided to restrict training yesterday to roads with wide shoulder.  In such foggy and cloud-encased weather cars, trucks, RVs and other vehicles may not see me until it is too late -- even though I have eye-popping strobe lights both fore and aft.  

Clothing was dialed in well.  Protected me against wind chill (15F / -17C) on descent.  Able to shed some layers on return climb to keep from overheating.  

The helmet visor became hard to see through because of the heavy rain.  At high speed descents I cannot afford visual distortion by rain drops.  Same with my glasses.  So I took them both off.  I had a bill cap that I used at speed to minimize pelting rain.  It worked really well.  (You have to make do and invent solutions). 

I mounted my Garmin VIRB camera on my helmet to record the conditions but too late realized that ... the battery was dead. Still, it was interesting to have that `duck' on my helmet on the screaming descent.  

A major effort over the past six months has gone into designing and building a head rest that is comfortable, allows for steep recline in the seat and can be adjusted if I need to sit up, i.e., less recline.  I think I'm close to being on target at this point.  Soft enough to allow for no brain rattling when on rough road, firm enough to allow stability, low enough so that the helmet doesn't interfere, and at the right angle (90 degrees) allowing me good vision and least vestibular complexity.  Very lightweight, too. I'm pretty pleased with this and will post a few pics soon. 

https://ridewithgps.com/trips/13040403

Note To Self

SHUT UP AND TRAIN!!

Race Around Ireland - 2017

http://racearoundireland.com/rider-qa-dan-fallon

Dan Fallon will become the first recumbent rider to attempt Race Around Ireland in August 2017. The Chicago native has had a fascinating journey to his first RAI. His inspiring and pioneering spirit will be a welcome addition to this year’s event. Dan will be raising funds for research on brain cancer through a charitable organisation, 3000 Miles to a Cure.

Don’t let his self-deprecating replies fool you. Anyone who goes looking for hills on a recumbent is one of cycling’s ‘hard men’.

Tell us a little bit about your cycling and racing history to date. Significant events/results etc.

I have no significant upright bike experiences except week-long tours, etc. On the recumbent I hold a UMCA record for fastest recumbent transit of Illinois and Indiana. I’ve entered several other events/races on the recumbent but I don’t consider my performances to be record setting.  

Can we get some biographical information: Age, home town, currently residing, day job etc.

I’m 71.  I live in the mountains of Arizona, Prescott.  Along the RAAM route.  I’m a doctoral level private practice clinical psychologist – 2 full days per week.  

My wife and I moved to Prescott in 2011 (from Chicago).  I prefer cycling in the mountains and the desert.  The hot Arizona desert, at 2,000ft above sea level is 40 miles away.  Our Prescott home is in the Arizona mountains at 6,000ft above sea level.  I have the perfect training terrain.  

THIS is a typical flattish training route a short distance from my home.

THIS is a typical flattish training route 60 miles south of my home, in the AZ desert.

And THIS is a typical hilly, switchback-laden, mountain training route literally at my front door. I’ll be doing this later today, when the black ice melts off the mountain roads.

You’ve said you have an Irish/Scottish connection, can you give us some details? Is this your first visit to Ireland? (If so, welcome!)

We understand the Fallons emigrated from Ireland to Scotland during the famine.  My father was one of 17 brothers and sisters.  They lived and worked in the coalmines near Edinburgh.  

My mother’s side of the family (Dolan) came over from Ireland around the same time, during the famine.  One of my grandfathers enlisted twice in the U.S. Army during the U.S. Civil War.  The Dolan side of the family is distinguished for being career firemen, police officers, priests, nuns, lawyers.  

I’ve never been to Ireland.  Once to Scotland.

What brings you to Race Around Ireland? What have you heard about the event? What are your expectations in terms of how you will perform and what you will experience?

I’m not much of a spectator or tourist.  It bores me to `look at’ stuff.  If I’m travelling I need to be `doing’ something.  I can’t think of a better way to visit Ireland than to do it in a race on a bike.  

Valerio Zamboni is an ultra-cycling acquaintance.  I’ve followed his exploits with envy.  When I learned that he had done RAI six times I found that the idea was intriguing.  Consulting with Valerio I decided to enter RAI.

I’m frankly surprised that no recumbent cyclist has entered RAI.  Then again, I’m not surprised.  There is a myth that recumbent cyclists don’t ‘like’ hills. The fact is that if a cyclist trains for the hills they will perform well in the hills.

I moved to Prescott largely because of the challenging mountain terrain.  I have no physical limitations or problems that cause me to ride a recumbent (e.g., back problem, etc).  I just like ‘bents.  And I like to race other upright cyclists in the mountains and the hills. 

Dan’s Blog on Recumbent Training

In fact, I have never even MET a recumbent cyclist in my area.  I train completely alone.  Fast on the descent and typically faster than upright bikes on the climbing, depending on the course and/or event.

Tell us a little bit about riding a recumbent. The difficulties, the advantages and the joy that it brings. What are the specific technical and physical challenges involved and can you detail the specifics of the machine for equipment geeks: weight, height, length, tubing, componentry and, of course, the manufacturer.

I started riding the recumbent in 2008.  After a week long training experience on my upright bike in Indiana I found that it was getting boring.  A friend suggested recumbents but I thought they were for old men with fat bellies and white beards.  Nevertheless, I bought a recumbent and less than a month later completed a 160 mile race with almost no sensation of fatigue … and at a very good speed.  

The next year I took the UMCA recumbent records for fastest transit across Illinois and Indiana.  The year after that I entered the Race Across the West and DNF’d in Congress, AZ, after 400 miles in 24 hours.  I didn’t train enough.  

Since RAW I’ve done all kinds of events with the goal of enjoying myself and learning my limits.  

Riding in the mountains results in performance capabilities that don’t easily translate to riding in the flats.  In the flats the cyclist has to maintain a steady pace without let up.  In the mountains the cyclist learns power and pacing on the climbs and is then rewarded with (often) screaming technical descents.  

The upside of riding a racing recumbent is that the racer doesn’t experience sore shoulders, neck fatigue, wrist and hand numbness.  The downside of riding a racing recumbent is that the racer doesn’t get to throw the bike around, is pretty much locked into a stationary position on the bike.  

An upright acquaintance asked me how long it would take for him to get his ‘climbing legs’ on a first-time recumbent vacation in the Italian Dolomites.  I told him: “Six months.”  He didn’t believe me.  He returned from Italy humbled.  

Climbing on a recumbent requires patience, discipline and a willingness to experience ridicule from many upright cyclists.  Descending on a recumbent requires humility and grace when I scream past upright cyclists who are spinning out at 50 mph.  

With time, training and experience a recumbent bike … is just a bike.  It is the cyclist that makes the difference.  

I ride rear-wheel drive recumbents.  Bacchetta CA2 and Bacchetta Ti Aero. I’ve modified these bikes to be more aerodynamic and to enable delivery of power to the legs.  

Specifics of Dan’s Bike Setup

Tell us a bit about your crew. Who’s supporting you? Are they a regular Fallon team?

I will be bringing my crew chief to RAI: Billy Broadfoot.  He is a master bike mechanic and has decades of cycling racing experience.  I hope to hire three more crew in Ireland.  

I’ve had various people crew for me on events, from family and friends to almost complete strangers.  It is not an exaggeration to state that building the right crew is critical to a good race.  

Finally, how’s the training going this year? How are you preparing for RAI? Are you riding other events?

It is 20-30 degrees colder in the mountains than 40 miles south in the desert.  So most of my training in December and January has been ‘south.’  Still, in January I managed to squeak out 650 miles and 25,000 feet of climbing.  

Training in the mountains doesn’t equate to ‘miles ridden.’  A 32-mile course with 3,000ft of climbing is entirely different than on the flats.  Last February I did a race in Florida (Sebring): 185 miles with less than 1,800ft of climbing.  I get 1,800 feet of climbing on 20 miles `up here.’  

My plan is to build endurance on rolling and hilly terrain.  Although there are some leg-breakers on RAI they do not demand the cyclist to train on leg-breaking mountains to do well.  So, rolling and hill training.  Probably 1,200 – 1,800 miles per month with less than 50,000 feet of climbing.  

Next week I’ll put in an 8 hour event at a local training course. 

Ride With GPS – Training.  

Time on the bike will be the purpose.

In March I have a 200-mile event (Joshua Tree Double Century) planned.

In April I will be doing a 24-hour event in Houston, Texas (Bessie’s Creek).  

May to August I’ll probably stay local to focus on rolling and hilly terrain, with several 24-hour solo events.  

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