Quick Intro
I took up cycling in 2010 when I decided to sign up for my first triathlon. Although I had already been doing some running and swimming, once I started spending some time on a road bike, I quickly found that cycling was my strength and something that I enjoyed more than the other two sports. I continued competing in triathlons for several years, completing multiple Ironman races. In 2017, I was burned out on the long hours of training for three different sports, and decided to just focus on cycling, and to do it for fun rather than competition. I was able to go for several epic long rides with one of my close cycling friends and mentors, Paul Cornish, who set the world record for the fastest ride across the United States in 1973. In August of 2017, Paul was killed by a motorist in Oceanside, CA. In the aftermath of his death, another friend persuaded me to sign up for the 6-12-24 Hour World Time Trial Championships (WTTC) in Borrego Springs, CA. With minimal training or preparation, I rode 392.4 miles in 24 hours to take 4th place overall in the solo female division and qualify for solo Race Across America (RAAM). While I thought that qualifying for RAAM was kind of cool, I didn’t initially think it was a very realistic ambition. Over the ensuing few weeks, I found myself contemplating the idea of competing in RAAM more and more. I thought it would be a fitting tribute to one of my cycling heroes to follow in Paul’s footsteps by racing across the country.