By Tom Rohrer
For most people, 24 continuous hours of cycling would seem to be an unthinkable task.
Ultra cyclist Chris Ragsdale certainly is not your everyday rider. His resume over the last decade in the sport would prove exactly that.
In an effort to support Ragsdale’s latest endeavor, and to help raise funds for a children’s charity (The Olive Crest Foundation), the Bike Stand in downtown Olympia held a 24-hour spin marathon fundraiser inside the store. Ragsdale will be competing in the 2013 Race Across America (RAAM), a 3,000 mile cross-country race that will take the Seattle rider through 12 states and 170,000 feet of climbing over what should be a 10-14 day journey in the middle of June. The race begins in Oceanside, Calif., and finishes in Annapolis, MD., exactly 3,000 miles away on the east coast.
The 24-hour spin marathon began on Friday, Jan.25, at 7 p.m., and continued through Saturday evening. For a fee of $25, riders could join or leave the cycling event at any time, all while Ragsdale paced the way over the 1,440 minute period. Movies and music entertained the cycling participants while they rode. Ragsdale was outfitted with a microphone to talk to his fellow riders.
Being able to support and ride with a cyclist like Ragsdale, who won the National 24 hour race five consecutive times from 2006 to 2010, was a big thrill for those involved in the event.
“He’s such an inspiring figure in cycling, especially around here,” said Thurston County cyclist Carole Bernhardt. “It really brings people together to ride with a cyclist of his caliber and also to support his endeavors.”
“I think it’s really neat, and not one of the things you get to be a part of very often,” said Jason Wilcox, an employee at the Bike Stand. “You’re helping support someone to do something that’s not an everyday event.”
In 2007, Ragsdale was the first cyclist to ever break the 500 mile barrier in the National 24 hour event, totaling 502.6 miles and earning him a national record. Ragsdale has competed in a number of high level endurance races, including the 745 mile Paris-Brest-Paris event, and the grueling Furnace Creek 508 (which goes through the extreme Death Valley area), his first big ultra-race in 2005, among many others. Despite his high level of conditioning and performance at renowned events, the RAAM seemed for many years out of reach for Ragsdale.
“It was funny because there was a chunk of time there for six years where I was a very good ultra-racer, but I had it in my mind that I would never do the RAAM,” Ragsdale said. “But after I did (Paris-Brest-Paris) that completely changed my mind and instantaneously I knew I had to take on the RAAM.”
Part of the challenge of participating in the RAAM is organizing the resources and individuals needed to compete. Ragsdale said it costs about $30,000 to race in the event and will require a crew of six people to support him throughout his long-distance journey. Thanks to support from the community in his fundraising endeavors, Ragsdale is nearing his financial goal and is grateful for all the help he has received.
“The community has totally come together and we’ve raised around $21, 570,” Ragsdale said. “It means a lot and at the same time, it really isn’t surprising given the quality of people living around here.”
Being able to observe Ragsdale train was an exciting prospect for Bernhardt.
“I’m a cycling enthusiast, and you don’t get many opportunities to ride with a high level athlete like this,” said Bernhardt. “It can teach you some new motivation tricks and new training techniques.”
As a high level competitor, Ragsdale knows ultra-races require both physical and mental toughness.
“I’m very competitive, so in something like the National 24 hours, it’s all about finding out what I’m capable of,” Ragsdale said. “I still don’t think I’ve found out what I’m capable of and I constantly am trying to go further.”
Living and training in a beautiful and ideal cycling area like Western Washington helps Ragsdale go the extra mile and makes the area a hub for the sport.
“It’s a great state for it, especially in Western Washington,” Ragsdale said. “We don’t get snow and you can pretty much do it year round. I came from Michigan and I have a lot of friends back there who are cyclists. They have about an eight or nine month season. Here it really is a twelve month sport.”
The ideal riding conditions are coupled with a supportive cycling community.
“I think this shows that even for a Seattle rider, the Thurston County cycling community, is ready to be there to help one of their own,” Wilcox said. “People are very enthusiastic towards positive people doing amazing things.”
“Also, the fact that people can ride with Chris together in a challenging setting is part of this event’s appeal,” Wilcox added.
Ragsdale has yet to decide what will be his next event following his completion of the RAAM, not surprising given his mindset during ever race.
“For me, it’s a momentary sequence of motivation,” Ragsdale said of what goes through his mind during a high level race. “Get to the next road, the next street light, and the next town. Every single second I’m trying to go faster, and at that moment, that’s all I’m focused on.”
For more information on Chris Ragsdale, visit http://ragsdaleridesagain.com. To learn more about the Race Across America, click here.
