Race Across The West 2021 Recap

Mathew Wollmann
Jun 21, 2021
10 min read

As we travel back to South Dakota from this year's long-awaited Race Across the West, I wanted to take the opportunity to share with you in detail a recap of the race, the lessons learned, and how a DNF result wasn’t a failure at all in my book.

Early on the morning of June 12th, 2021 my wife Emily, her sister Hannah, and I left for the long drive toward Oceanside, CA the starting location for the race. The drive itself was uneventful, with us making it safely to our breakpoint of St. George Utah. There we caught up with the other half of our crew Travis and John who had driven the Berry Fast Bicycle sprinter van. Those two had left Pierre, SD that morning after working on some bicycles in the van, down by the river.

Early on the 13th, we took off to beat the rush hour traffic leaving Las Vegas. The Berry Fast crew took this opportunity to cruise the strip and turn some heads with their van. We were successful with beating the traffic and had one stop before Oceanside. Before leaving I had just a couple of opportunities to Ride in 90-degree heat and realized that my black S-Works Ares road cycling shoes were not going to work in the predicted 116-degree sun and heat. I was able to track down a pair of white S-Works Vent road shoes that needed to be picked up just outside of L.A. This decision proved to be instrumental in even having a shot at making it the nearly 300 miles we completed.

After arriving in Oceanside we had a couple of hours to kill before we were able to check into our Airbnb. We took this opportunity to walk the beach and to scope out the starting location for the race. We also tracked down some much-needed food! After getting checked in we immediately started unloading the truck and John began double-checking them to make sure nothing happened during travel. Emily and I left and proceeded to get our team checked in. At check-in, they handed us all of our required signage, stickers, and route books.

Back at "home" we continued to consolidate the gear and make sure nothing was forgotten. Out of all the pieces of gear and equipment, I believe the only thing that was forgotten was the charger for my MacBook Pro. This was unfortunate, but there could have been worse things to forget.

The next day John and Travis applied all of the race signage, Emily and Hannah prepared meals and went over the route books, and John applied all of the required reflective tape to the bikes and spare wheels. Overall we had three usable bikes and two sets of wheels for each. I had just enough charge left in my MacBook to download the final GPS route file and upload it to my Garmin 1030.

The morning of the race we loaded the coolers with food, water, and ice and departed for the starting line. At the starting line, I was excited to see one of our favorite Youtube cyclists Tyler Pearce aka "The Vegan Cyclist". Tyler and Shane Trotter were looking to set the 2 man Race Across the West record (Which they did). Both Tyler and Shane were super awesome and fun to sit down with for roughly 20 minutes before the start of our races. He even whipped out his camera and did a quick Q&A before the race. Very cool!

Finally, it was time to start the race. This has been something that has consumed my daily thoughts and actions since November of 2020. I was calm, cool, and collected, and just ready to start. The start of the race went fantastic. I never missed any turns and met up with our crew on Castle Road just as we planned. From there John and Emily were going to provide leap-frog support all the way to Borrego Springs, CA, the first time station. This first section of the race would see roughly 85 miles and 7,000 ft of elevation gain. I knew it was going to be hot, and I had the best clothing I had for the heat. White helmet, white top, light-colored bibs, and white shoes and socks. I couldn't keep enough water in my body even though I was drinking plenty. As we made our way inland and away from the cool ocean breeze, the temps just continued to rise. We were doing amazing, but the little cramp in my left leg said otherwise. By the time I hit the glass elevator I knew that I needed to take a seat and try and work those cramps out. I descended approximately 4,000 feet down the glass elevator and made it safely into Borrego Springs checking into time station one. There we met up with Hannah and Travis and the team was together.

This is where the problems started. First, I sat down in my chair in the grass. The next thing I knew I had red ants crawling up my shoes and my legs. Whoops! We moved the chair and I sat down, feeling great I might add, and ate a premade bowl of fruit/yogurt/granola/honey. As I was sitting I felt a wave come over my body and my vision began to blur. I told the team, and they immediately brought me into the air-conditioned truck. At that time it was about 116 degrees. As the team was on both sides of me helping me walk, I remember telling them that they were going to need a lot of effort to get me into the vehicle. I remember getting into the vehicle, and that is it. According to the team, I passed out, and my face went white. Emily laid the seat back and tried giving me sternum rubs to wake me up. John brought the Garmin closer and stated that my heart rate had dipped to around 50 bpm. It was obvious that I was suffering from heat exhaustion. Emily wanted to call 911, but the team knew I was still breathing fine. About a minute later I came to and the team explained to me what had happened. After that moment the cramps became almost unbearable. I was forced to lay down in the Berry Fast van and recover. A short time later after catching a break, the crew helped me back on the bike. This photo was taken shortly after that, my spirits back.

ree — Feeling better. Still have heat exhaustion.

Thankfully it was time for direct follow support, and the team could keep a close eye out on my actions. We rode into the night putting on another 20 or 30 miles before I stopped again. This time, my abdominal muscles cramped up completely. I wanted to throw up. The crew again helped me into the van. In the van, I suffered the most terrible cramps I have ever felt. All the muscles in both legs suffered. When I tried to relieve one cramp another began. My chest was also cramping. It was clear that I was still suffering heavily from the heat, which had dissipated only to around 98 degrees. I laid there for a few hours contemplating everything. Slowly but surely after drinking plenty of water, putting ice on my chest, and using our Theragun I was able to sit up. I was still very nauseous, however, and my head was dizzy. I attempted to throw up out of the van but could only dry heave. I was in a dark spot. Thanks to the team, they set up our portable bathroom and I was able to relieve myself. Somehow after dry heaving and using the bathroom I felt much better. After changing into a new kit I got back on the bike.

We were able to keep a steady pace all night. It felt like it was a steady climb and a headwind because it was a steady climb and a headwind. But we were moving, and moving time is paramount. I was able to ride the rest of the night and into the morning without stopping. I was still cramping, and I still wanted to puke, but it was becoming more and more controllable and predictable.

As the sun came up we were nearing 200 miles. This was a great accomplishment for the team given the circumstances we pushed through. I continued to ride until about the 230-mile mark, where I just needed to get out of the heat again. The temperatures had already risen to 120 degrees, with my Garmin reading 121 at one point. I climbed off the bike and got into the front of the pickup again. No passing out this time. John took a look at my bike and found out that my brakes were seizing because of the heat. This meant that he needed time to work on it and that I would be riding my spare bike for a while. John loaded my steed into the operating room. Emily and Hannah got in the following vehicle and continued to provide leapfrog support. Travis drove John as he continued to work on the bike, and they tried to get some sleep in.

Me passed out as John worked in the 120 degree heat.

As we continued through Arizona there were two things that I knew were for certain. One, that the heat wasn't going to let up until well past Flagstaff Arizona. And two, that Arizona drivers did not give me ANY room for error. Most vehicles flew past at full speed, and no moving over. This became apparent when a rider from another team was clipped by a semi and airlifted to the hospital. It just didn't make sense to me how they felt comfortable driving so quickly and closely to riders. Kudos to those that did move over. Every mile either Hannah or Emily would hand me a bottle of water. This bottle would be used strictly to pour

ree — John working on my bike in the hotel room

over me. As you can see in the photo above, I continued to wear my UV sleeves. These helped block not only the sun but retained the water I dumped over myself. The breeze (more like hairdryer heat) passing over the wet materials helped cool my body. We finally had this heat thing under some control, but the questions loomed if it was sustainable. As we approached time station 4 in Parker, AZ, I asked if we could find a hotel to rest and shower. The heat had taken its toll and I decided it was best for us to hole up for a couple of hours instead of pushing through the heat of the day. We could refresh and hit the night riding hard, and hopefully, have my primary bike back. This was at approximately mile 284 when we stopped. I showered, rinsed off my jersey and sleeves, and hit the hay waiting to be woken up in a couple of hours. John and Travis meanwhile continued to bleed the brakes in the hotel room thankful to be out of the heat. Hannah and Emily also ran to Subway and cleaned out the vehicle in preparation to continue the race. I awoke to Emily bedside. Emily broke the news to me that our dear friend Jerry Schemmel, who was competing in the Race Across America the full 3,000 miles, had dropped out due to the heat. I was devastated to think about what Jerry was going through. She then began to cry and told me he had been hospitalized. I said aloud, "No... Oh no, Jerry." We both shed a tear and silently said a prayer for our friend, who crazy enough is a Madison, SD native who graduated from Madison High School in the same class as my father, the same school we graduated from. I think it was at that point I realized exactly what Emily was thinking about. She didn't want to see me in a hospital bed. We enjoyed our Subway and I changed into a new cycling kit. I was ready to go. John then burst into the room wheeling my primary bike. John stated," You are all ready to go, it's fast!" There was no doubt the crew, all rookies like me, were a bunch of champions.

Inside my head, however, I was running the numbers. We still had 646 miles to go, with 40,000 ft. of elevation gain. We had in total approximately 61 hrs. of racing time left. This meant that, without any more stops, I would have to average 10.59 mph. I knew that wasn't possible so I figured in 10 hrs of rest. This figure required an average moving speed of 12.66 mph. I knew this was doable on the flats, but the climbing would be more of a 10 mph average. I told the team this, stating that given the circumstances I felt good. My cramps were basically permanently etched into my legs not getting any worse and not jumping out at me anymore. It would be close, but a finish was still possible. We took a look at the weather and realized I would still be riding into a lot of heat, over 110 degrees. It was at that moment we decided to cease our efforts in the race. We took a moment to calculate if the juice was worth the squeeze, and my long-term health was more important. Let alone the crew's long-term health. The effort they put into keeping me moving forward was extraordinary. As I looked around the room I could see a sense of relief in all of them that we were done. But I knew all of them would have gone 646 more miles. Later I would talk to some Race Across America staffers and they stated that the veterans even wondered if what they were doing was worth it. This made me feel better about our decision.

I knew I would have regrets about stopping. I am not one to quit something once I begin. But one just doesn't know what could have happened. We could have finished within 92 hrs without any injuries. We could have come just short of finishing, maybe even 10 or 20 miles before the time cutoff. Or I could have passed out due to the heat on the bike during downhill and crashed. Ending my ultra-cycling career just as soon as it began. Or worse a crew member could have gotten struck by a vehicle or went down due to heat. That would have made me feel terrible. At the end of the day, we are all home and safe. We learned a TON of information, and already know the things we would change for next time. Special thanks to all of our sponsors. We couldn't have financially attempted this without you. And of course a special thanks to the crew. You guys/gals ROCK! Thanks to everyone who donated to our Semper Fi & America's Fund! With your efforts, we have raised over $5,100. It is still not too late to donate!

Since we ended early, we got a chance to do some sightseeing. Here is Emily and I at the Grand Canyon, and also a photo of our stay in Durango, CO. While in Durango I was able to ride with Travis and Paige, members of the Vegan Cyclist crew. Awesome people, and hope to see them again in the future!

Oh, did I mention that we got the van stuck at one point? While I was cramping and wanting to vomit in the back of the van, John and Travis hooked up to my pickup and were able to pull it out. Rockstars! Thank you to all of our supporters! This is only the beginning. More fun announcements to come soon!