As I've been decompressing and processing, I keep coming back to the same thoughts about RAAM. I've now ridden RAAM & RAW, and I've crewed for both as well. And the conclusion is inescapable for me: RAAM is war.
No, RAAM is not a real war; I've been to war. But RAAM is about as close to war people outside of the military are ever gonna get. When you take volunteers from their comfortable homes and their benign 9-to-5 jobs and throw them down into the middle of RAAM, there is going to be bloodshed -- literally and figuratively.
If you don't think RAAM is like a war, take a look at the path of broken bodies, broken vehicles and broken dreams littering the 3,000-mile swath from Oceanside to Annapolis. The smoking debris is still there and the cleanup will continue for a long, long time.
My friend and riding partner from 2008, Robo, was hit by a semi near Tuba City, AZ. He fought for his life and is now on the long road to recovery, but thank God, he's going to recover. My own team lost one of its support vehicles in CO and the ripples from that loss created tides of emotional trauma which some are no doubt still feeling. There are many who triumphed, but more who did not reach their goals either due to fortune or fate; sickness or injury or just because of the fog and friction of RAAM.
RAAM exploits every weakness and shows no mercy. It tests your body and it tests your soul. And those who have it easiest are the ones on the bikes. RAAM wreaks havoc on those supporting the riders. RAAM is like a giant meat cleaver which separates people into two distinct groups: those who are planning to come back and those who will never come back. RAAM does not care about your commitment because all who came sacrificed in terms of time and money to reach the starting line. It's just not for everyone.
I, for one, am hooked on RAAM and plan to be a part of it as long as I'm able. I am fascinated by watching people enter the fight and observing how they handle the adversity. So, who wants to go next year?
4 comments:
Gimme a year and I will be ready return to the front lines!
I found myself wanting to say "This is like a war." But my knowledge of war is almost non-existent. I found myself fascinated by the human dynamics. The people who you knew, by the time you reached Arizona, they were not going to come out of this undamaged, but like a war engagement you had to keep going forward, there was no stopping, there was no turning back. You had to keep moving forward and salvage and save and drive forward those who would survive. We will be back, and you will be there with us.
Crew for me in 2013!!!!! Your blog is spot on! I keep hearing stories about things that happened with our crew. For all the good/fun times all of this stuff I'm hearing is leaving a very bitter taste. I have unfinished business with that race...........
Yes, I might be on the other side of that meat cleaver.
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