ULTRACYCLING - Reto Schoch

REALIZING MILESTONES
WITH PASSION
By Reto Schoch
My enthusiasm for long distance
cycling took fire when I was a teenager. I wanted to explore
my limits and the expanse of Europe. I biked west
/ south from Switzerland through France and Italy until
I was stopped by the North Atlantic Ocean and the
Mediterranean Sea. Later when I worked as a postdoc
at Stanford University from 2008-2009 and decided to
go back to Switzerland, I did the first half of my trip by
bike. I started in Palo Alto, CA and rode unsupported
along the TransAm Route to Washington D.C. It took
me 24 days to travel the 5,717 km, followed by the flight
over the ocean to my home country.
Back in Switzerland I successfully participated in
the long-distance mountain-bike racing scene, in which I
have been active for many years.
Towards the end of long races
and trainings I always knew
that I could go further.
I registered for the hardest one-day bicycle race of the
world, the Race Across the Alps (RATA), to learn more
about my own potential. I was very surprised to be in
the lead at the second mountain pass, and ended up
winning the RATA 2011 with a new track record. Having a
small, lightweight build I am a good climber, but when I
participated at the Tortour around Switzerland two
months later I didn't think my chances were so strong
since the race only had about half the meters of height
per length compared to the RATA. To my surprise, I also
won that race and this accomplishment sparked my interest
in trying the Race Across America.
My goal for RAAM was to considerably improve my
personal transcontinental time of 24 days and achieve a
top ranking. I am fascinated how the time to cross the
US with natural power decreased over the years from
months to days - by horse and cart, to horse races,
high-wheel bicycles, to bicycle races. While studying
the history of transcontinental crossings I was wondered,
"Can the coveted eight-day barrier be broken?"
In October 2011 my father and I started to form a team
member report
and prepare for RAAM. I like to plan big projects and
milestones, but I was challenged by the short preparation
period of only 9 months. We managed to build a
very strong team with an incredible spirit, which turned
out to be a substantial pillar for me. For example; when
I broke my collarbone because a car didn’t see me
when he turned left in January 2012 on Tenerife, my
team encouraged me on and never talked about changing
my plans for RAAM.
For my RAAM preparation I had two training camps
during spring: height training on 2500 meters above sea
level following the principle “living high – training low”,
and my most important preparation: driving along the
RAAM route in April 2012. I rode about 65% of the
track from Oceanside, CA to Annapolis, MD by bike
and the remaining section in an RV. This allowed me to
memorize and visualize all uphills, downhills, flat passages,
etc. and go through all sections in my mind again
and again.
Riding RAAM was one of the most beautiful experiences
I have ever had. I love cycling - it relaxes me and
makes me deeply happy. I was eager to be on the bike
for multiple days. Of course, there were also difficult
times, especially during the never-ending nights. The
sleep deprivation was the biggest challenge for me as I
slept only 6 hours during the entire 8 days. I was happily
surprised, however, to find that I had a clear mind
and no hallucinations throughout the race.
My team and I planned many potential emergency
scenarios, but we were still caught off guard when I developed
an aversion to my liquid food after a few days.
This forced me to eat pasta, Riz Casimir, sandwiches etc.,
and my team had to work even harder because they
were forced to cook my food. In addition, the RV always
had to be relatively close to me since the increased
amount of natural food also led to many more trips to
the bathroom. In all, I lost 6 kg during RAAM, but since I
started with 3-4 kg excess weight this was acceptable.
My victory at RAAM taught me many great lessons.
Every milestone is achievable if you really want it. Be
focused, prepare well, set priorities – and you will realize
your dreams!
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