Strasser Strasser's Road

The Story of the Record-Setting Race Across America Winner
1. Auflage 2019
ISBN: 978-1-64234-006-8
Verlag: Egoth Verlag
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 400 Seiten

Highlights and setbacks, victories and defeats, emotional moments in the Race Across America (RAAM), anecdotes of 24-hour world records and other races-all this and much more are found in the autobiography of Christoph Strasser, today's most successful ultra-cyclist. The Austrian gives an insight into his world of thoughts and emotions, he says: 'The joy in reaching a goal lasts only briefly, real satisfaction comes in the small daily steps on the way there.' 'The book is not a motivational guide, but an open, honest biography with many insights behind the scenes of RAAM. Above all, I want to shed more light on my weaknesses, and the roadblocks I faced-because these ultimately led me to continually look for improvements. And I want to share my message that as a 'normal' person, you can achieve unimaginable things.' 'Strasser's Road - The Story of the Record-Setting Race Across America Winner' goes beyond the usual epic hero/sports biography; it teaches about goals, about achievements, and the many steps, joys, failures, and successes along the way.

After Christoph Strasser had to give up the 5000-kilometer Race Across America due to illness during his first participation in the 2009 RAAM, he was able to win sensationally in 2011. The title defence was narrowly missed with second place, before he managed to score a win for the history books in 2013: With a time of 7 days, 22 hours and 11 minutes, he became the first athlete in the history of RAAM to finish in less than eight days. In 2014, he once again outperformed this feat and defended his title with 7 days, 15 hours and 56 minutes. In 2015, Christoph improved the 24h road world record by riding 896 kilometers and, after his bitter DNF at RAAM, set another course record in his second Race Around Austria victory. After a serious accident and a long rehab, Christoph struggled back to the top in 2017 with the record crossing of Australia and his 4th RAAM victory. The highlight of his career so far was the 24h track World Record in October 2017: in the Tissot Velodrome Suisse in Grenchen the Austrian was able to ride an unbelievable 941km with an average speed of 39.2kph. Another milestone was achieved in 2018, when Christoph celebrated his 5th triumph at the RAAM and tied record holder Jure Robic (SLO). Only two months later he won the Austrian championships in ultra-cycling, which were held for the first time as part of the 'Race Around Austria Challenge' could. In 2019, Christoph Strasser faced the challenge of 'Race Across America' again?. And he has managed a race for the history books: he was the first athlete to win for the sixth time. It took him 8 days, 6 hours and 51 minutes. By the wy, he is also the first to win the race three times in a row.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Strasser, Christoph

Leseproben

I
"I WOULD WANT TO BECOME A LEGEND!"
RACE ACROSS AMERICA, PREPARATION
It was one of those sunny days that I love so much. I walked with my crew to the beach at Oceanside, a drink in hand, and goosebumps running down my spine. It was RAAM time again—time to implement what I had been training for months. I'm known and recognized in the ultra-cycling scene, but in Southern California, where the Race Across America begins, only a few people know me or my accomplishments. We went to a bicycle shop, "I don't know who you are," the salesman said when one of my crew suggested, against my will, that a special cyclist was standing before him. I had to grin and was a bit embarrassed. "I'm racing RAAM this year," I replied. "That's this long bike race across the US. Actually, I've done it before and have even won a few times," I understated, in hopes that no one engaged me in a typical American "Yeah, good job!" kind of conversation. So close to the start, I wanted to spend the short remaining preparation time in peace with my team. No, I'm not famous, and I like to stay away from situations outside of my professional life where I could be recognized. And yes, I admit that I feel very comfortable in Oceanside. My homes are in the little village of Kraubath and Graz, Styria in Austria. But Oceanside, California and Annapolis, Maryland sound familiar. I don't think of myself as a star. I'm just following my passion: to go as far as possible and as fast as possible by bike. I am glad that I have become a role model and a "star" for many people, but my attitude to myself hasn't changed as a result. At RAAM, I am one who continues and strengthens the Austrian tradition. In 1988 Franz Spilauer became the first winner from outside of The USA. He inspired Wolfgang Fasching, who won in 1997, 2000 and 2002. Fasching was my first big role model. Later, Jure Robic ushered in a new era of ultra-cycling. Since Robic's first RAAM success in 2004, all other winners have come only from Slovenia, Switzerland, Germany or Austria. No American has won since 2003. The Race Across America receives the attention it deserves in Central Europe due to its top performers. While almost every sports enthusiast in Austria knows of this race, in America it leads a shadowy existence. Once a year for two maybe three weeks, it is on the minds of its fans and of the public in those regions where the participants come from. But that too is peripheral. In the USA, RAAM is light-years away from major sports such as American football, tennis or NASCAR. So it goes without saying that in the US, ultra-cyclists who race RAAM do not get the attention they deserve. RAAM is not a therapeutic US vacation, where you get to know the country and its people, riding through the most beautiful places in America. On the contrary, to successfully compete in RAAM means to spend the whole year with it. I think and act, I sleep and dream, I train and eat for RAAM. I live RAAM. This race is so much more than a few words can say. The facts are clear: The Race Across America is some 3,089 miles (4,900 kilometers) long, with up to 110,000 feet (50,000 meters) of altitude gain, and it goes from the Pacific Ocean in Oceanside, California, to the Atlantic Ocean in Annapolis, Maryland. Its organizers rightly refer to it as the "World's Toughest Bicycle Race." Nonstop participants ride across the continent, taking breaks or power naps when they want to—or when they need to—all in less than two weeks. Racers who finish after twelve days are not listed in the official results. A rider who does not make it in less than ten days usually has no chance for a top finish position. Only one racer has ever made the journey under eight days. That was me in 2013 and 2014. There is no prize money in RAAM, and that's a good thing because it raises the opportunity to experience a fair and doping-free race. I consciously choose the word "possibility" because you can never be sure, except about yourself. Every time the competition brings me to my physical and mental limits. I lose between 4 to 8 pounds (2 to 4 kilograms) during RAAM. This fact can be traced back to a simple mathematical calculation: one kilogram of body fat equals about 8,000 calories. During RAAM there is a deficit of 4,000 calories per day in food intake. Ideally, I lose half a kilogram of weight every 24 hours. But if it does not go well, you can even gain weight through water retention—something that I have experienced. Despite the calorie deficit, which is offset by the burning of fat reserves, my body gets enough food to function. The 15,000 calories I need daily are equivalent to thirty plates of spaghetti. Conventional food intake is, therefore, a physiological impossibility, and would also cost valuable time—the clock is always running during RAAM. My physical strength is therefore kept alive by liquid food, while my sports doctor keeps records of what I have taken. The amount and timing of food intake isn't my choice—my crew chief decides. My participation in my calorie intake is limited to choosing the flavor of the thick drink: chocolate or vanilla. RAAM is a mentally challenging and gruelingly monotonous affair. It's all about turning the cranks steadily and forcefully, day after day, night after night. After 48 hours the body begins to feel the lack of sleep and efficiency decreases. The mind rebels, then I experience phases of disorientation and hallucinations begin to form in the convolutions of the brain. This is the amount of food and liquids you would theoretically need for a day on RAAM. Once, in an interview, I said that the key to success in Race Across America was in the noiseless two-way radios and that I have the utmost respect for the winners in the 1980s and 1990s who did not have these valuable tools. The radio is my connection to the outside world. My outside world in RAAM is my crew, which I trust unconditionally and whose instructions I follow without discussion. From the outside, I'm the focus around which everything revolves. From the inside, I'm part of a team, like the racing driver in Formula One, who needs his mechanics to plan and execute the pit stops, develop the strategy, and keep an eye on the entire race to make important decisions for the driver. All year long, I live RAAM; I train hard following a precise plan. Regardless of whom my toughest opponents might be, I want to be in top form, I want to arrive at the RAAM start with certainty that I will be able to finish the race quickly. What good would come from sitting in the saddle for hours or days longer than necessary? Why would I waste time at the time stations shooting photos and signing autographs? Yes, I live RAAM, but still, I want to get out of this bubble as soon as possible. I am constantly connected to the crew through the Terrano ™ radio communication system. Different bikes help me with the task: I have an aerodynamic bike for the long flat sections in Kansas that go on for hundreds of kilometers. A time trial bike can really be an advantage there. I have the right equipment for the passes in the Rocky and Appalachian Mountains, which is a much lighter road bike, that I change to depending on the route. Watt is the unit of measure of energy expenditure per period of time. At RAAM, I achieved an average of 164 watts during my record run of 2014 over 183 hours, which corresponds to 16.4 miles (26.4 kilometers) per hour. My team usually consists of two mechanics, a sports doctor, a physiotherapist, three drivers for two cars and an RV, a photographer, a cook, a cameraman, and a media officer. But everyone is much more than what their job description says. We are all "Team Strasser," and we all have the same goal—namely to get from west to east as fast as possible—with individual and team tasks. My only duty is to pedal. Everything else is taken care of by my team. Not only do they feed and inform me, but they also light up the road and look for the next resting place at night. The team keeps me awake and amused by asking me questions or giving me arithmetic tasks. When they need to, they yell, "Stay awake!" through the speaker, followed by honking the car's horn if they see that I'm about to fall into instant sleep. My team reads me email or Facebook posts from friends and fans from the homeland, they tell jokes, play the music I like, or they drive ahead, stand by the roadside and do the "wave" when I pass. Without my people, I would be quite lost. But many of us know the challenge of putting together a working team, be it in a sports club or in another professional environment. This beautiful quote from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is valuable, inspired, and yet, does not go far enough: "If you want to build a ship, do not drum up men to get wood, assign tasks, and divide up the work, but teach the men to long for the vast, endless sea." Mere longing is not enough to ride across America as fast as possible. It takes knowledge and experience, communication, and crisis management to succeed. It takes an overwhelming faith and will to achieve the...