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My Competitor, My FriendBy Carol Hyman June 27, 2011
June 23, afternoon; Somewhere in Indiana Wednesday had been a tough day for the team, but it ended pretty well with the guys closing in on some other racers. There had been a good-natured rivalry between Team4HIVHope and the Crank Addicts, a relay team of four very young men from Britain. A highlight for Steven was coming up to a stoplight with one of their team who must have been half his age. When the light changed, Steven took off and left him in the dust. But Thursday took a far more serious turn on the route when our team came upon the Crank Addicts' RV, which was off the road, literally in pieces. We saw their crew surrounding the wreckage, and we knew we had to stop to see if we could help, though we sent Steven and Don's van ahead to continue down the course. Despite what looked like an incredibly serious accident, only two crew members had been injured, and not seriously. I called in the accident to RAAM headquarters, and it was the first they had heard. The Crank Addicts' crew was far too distraught to speak to RAAM, so I gathered information and relayed it. Crew and two of our racers on break, Jim and Cisco, stayed until things seemed under control, and then our RV traveled on. We left our "gofer" car there with three crew, including our nurse, to stay to make sure everything was okay. When I called RAAM, they asked if we were losing time because of our stopping. I told the woman I spoke to that I really didn't know. Despite this being a competition, and there is no doubt our team is competitive, it never crossed our mind not to stop, even if it meant losing precious minutes. We likely will not lose time because the RV with our two racers on break will get to the Time Station before the two on the road, but if we had lost time, I'm sure we would not have done anything differently. The Crank Addicts, before the accident, were behind us; and now, with fewer resources, they are actually surging forward and are in front of us. And we are happy for them. We have extra team hats we plan to give to their racers, and if they make the podium, we will cheer as loudly as anyone. Get e-mail notifications every time Team4HIVHope's blog is updated.
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Race Across America: Team4HIV Hope Cycles to Raise Awareness and to Win  Team 4 HIV Hope The Race Across America is a bicycle race in which cyclists ride 3,000 miles/4,800km from Oceanside, Calif., to Annapolis, Md., in June each year. There is about 110,000 feet of climbing involved. This year for relay teams begins on June 18. RAAM is not a stage race such as the Tour de France. In RAAM, there is only one stage: start to finish. It is essentially a time trial, but a very long one! Challenges include heat, deserts, violent winds, thunderstorms, riding at night, sleep deprivation, muscle injuries and mental acuity. And for the HIV-positive riders, there are more health challenges. An HIV-trained nurse is part of their crew. "Like" Team4HIVHope on Facebook! Follow Team4HIVHope on Twitter! Subscribe to Team4HIV Hope's Blog:
Recent Posts:
May 23, 2012 - Boston Scientist Takes His Lab on the Road: A Blog Entry by Team4HIVHope
December 2, 2011 - Meet the 2012 Team4HIVHope Racers: A Blog Entry by Carol Hyman July 17, 2011 - Reflections on the RAAM Adventure: A Blog Entry by Don Smith July 6, 2011 - Good Work Was Done: A Blog Entry by Don Smith July 5, 2011 - What's Next for Team4HIVHope? A Blog Entry by Carol Hyman A Brief Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by TheBody.com's bloggers are entirely their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of TheBody.com itself. |
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