Name: Katie Aguilar
Age: 48F
Profession: Engineer
Where do you live? Atlanta, GA
1. What is RAAM and why did you want to participate in the event?
RAAM is Race Across America. It’s an annual race where participants race solo, or in teams of 2, 4, or 8 from Oceanside, CA to Atlantic City, NJ. It’s over 3000 miles of continuous riding, climbs 175,000+ feet, crosses 13 states and must be completed within 12 days (for solo riders) and 9 days (for teams).
I have been interested in RAAM since my friend Dani Overbaugh participated in 2013. I love watching the event unfold. This year I was given the opportunity to be on a team and I couldn't turn it down. It seemed like a terrific test for me to test perceived boundaries. It seemed so exciting and challenging.
To me, RAAM was an incredible opportunity to see what I could do while racing daily, with short breaks between riders. I've never done an event like this before and I wasn't sure if I could handle the extreme nature of the event.
2. What is your fitness/athletic background (as well as top successes in sport)?
I joke and say I’m an adult-onset athlete. I didn’t find endurance sports, or any sport really, until my mid to late 30s. I started with Team In Training. On the inaugural GA Ironteam, the coaches told me I was consistent, and should consider aiming for the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii (IMWC). This started a 7-year journey of gradually working my way up, finding my race, learning to trust my body and nutrition, and figuring how to embrace the discomfort. In 2017 - lucky IM #7 - I earned my first IMWC qualification. I’ve finished 17 Ironman races, including four Ironman World Championship finishes. I’ve also finished many 70.3 races and accepted my slot to two 70.3 World Championship races. I was the first female in the MidAtlantic 12-hour race in 2018, completing 246 miles.
We started in Oceanside, CA. and the clock stops when you cross the official finish near a stadium in Atlantic City, JN. Each team starts at a set time. Our team started at 12:13 pm Pacific Coast time. We started together as a group and then I set off for the first 21 miles, unsupported. For the rest of the race, you have a car near you at all times. Night time the car is 'direct follow' and day time is 'leap frog' support.
Our team had an RV, 2 mini vans, and a support crew of 12 people. In each of the 2 mini vans (and RV) we had a driver and navigator. The support crew members were on 16 hour shifts with 8 hours to sleep/rest. My husband Carlos spent his time driving the RV, so I got to see him before and after each shift. We also had a house person who is a team member dedicated to preparing the food we (racers and crew) ate between sessions and preparing the crew snacks for while they were on shift.
Each member of the team was on allocated time intervals for riding. Our team had a schedule of each member riding for four hours and then four hours rest. On the four hours riding, I would do about 30 minutes of riding, or I was being shuttled ahead of my counterpart Dani while she rode. We’d exchange riders about every 30 minutes except in special situations such as climbs, a long descend, or extreme weather (ex. in Kansas it was extremely windy).
Dani and I rode 11 pm-3 am, 7 am-11 am, and 3 pm-7 pm eastern time for almost 7 days. All shifts were based on the Eastern time zone so the times were not changing as we progressed across the country. My other teammates Vicki and Caz did the 30/30 plan on the other four hour blocks.
In all, I rode about 120 miles a day, give or take. In total, I rode around 750 miles. We all rode about the same.
4. What was your overall fueling/hydration plan? Did you have a specific strategy for each ride?
I actually reached out to Marni because I didn’t know where to start with how to fuel for this type of stage event. In the past, I struggled with stopping in long rides because I’d bonk and for the short efforts of 30 minutes riding with a 30 minute break, I knew I needed to figure out how to fuel. Marni and I met and worked on some details and then I practiced, experimented, and found a regime that worked for me.
My coach gave me several sessions where I was able to experiment with fueling in similar scenarios to what I'd experience at RAAM. Marni and I worked together over several months and we first tried fluid calories only and then started to add more solid food while bringing down the liquid calories. We figured out that my goal was around 80 g of carbs per hour. We found that a ratio of 40% of my carbs from food and 60% of my carbs from fluid. If I’d change anything, I’d use a timer to help with my timing of nutrition. Not only did I fuel on the bike but I also continued to fuel in the shuttle during my 30 min off, as if I was still riding throughout the 4 hour riding block.
After day 3 I started using ketones, per Marni’s suggestion, to help me think clearly and focus with the sleep deprivation and fatigue. I made an error early on and combined ketone with the caffeine at first which made me feel very strange so I learned not to make that mistake again. This was my only real nutrition issue throughout all 7 days.
I also focused on what I ate between sessions. Marni and I had worked on how to best recharg my body in 4 hours so I was ready to ride again once it was my turn. At the start of my 4-hour off shift, I would eat something prepared by our house person. I also ate something before each session My go-tos were bagels, peanut butter and honey before a new session, and Ensure, fruit, and yogurt right after. I only drank caffeine before my 11 pm shift.
5. How did the logistics work on a team?
Our crew shifted from van to van and then to the RV and then rest. We all had assigned beds in the RV so there was no time lost between transitions. This means, when riding, I had 3 different crews: one for each time block. I enjoyed each crew and each offered what I needed at that time. 11pm-3am was Sarah and Zane. Sarah was pragmatic and wanted to be ready with time to spare. She was wonderful.
7-11a.m. was Zane and Colin. They made me feel relaxed so that I didn't have to worry about things out of my control. Colin was one of our 2 mechanics, and he got what I needed to be able to race and he was able to always figure things out. He fixed our tire that was slowly going flat after day 2. H checked our bikes, and would quick maintenance to prevent any issues. And he showed me what he did when we were waiting. I knew it’d all be fine, no matter what. And when parking the vans/RVs seemed difficult, Colin was able to direct us to some amazing spots (or get us out). He also made a big honk when a dog came out after me in Nevada, MS to safely scare it away.
3pm-7 p.m. was Bobby and our crew chief William. I loved it when William would write on the window, tracking us. And Bobby would get my bike ready for me to ride in minimal time.
I also relied on the other crew members for timing when exchanging. Countless times Jason would motion to me to start riding so Dani and I could pass and have an efficient exchange.
6. What was your favorite state/route to ride?
I am not sure I had a favorite state but I had a favorite time to ride. I always felt my best and loved riding the 11 pm-3 am shift. It was always so quiet and all I had to do was focus and ride. Also, it was when Mother Nature showed her splendor: a strawberry moon, the Milky Way, amazing stars. The weather was cool and comfortable. Although, on the first night we had some winds which surprised me. And one time we passed sand dunes which caused sand to swirl around me. Again: Mother Nature was just full of surprises. Especially at night. I loved it.
Kansas was a big challenge. The wind started picking up on our 7-11 am shift and I was riding my TT bike. For our 3-7 pm shift, the wind got stronger and I had to ride my road bike as the cross winds would have pushed me off my TT bike. Dani was able to ride her TT bike. We adjusted to 15 minute shifts so we could refuel between sessions because I was not taking my hands off the handle bars. Dani saw that and made the call to shorten our intervals. My hands and butt were planted hard on the bike. It was where I pedaled my hardest to keep momentum against the wind. And despite the crazy wind, I loved it. I was scared at times, pushing my comfort zone but I was able to do it. It was amazing.
For me, the 3-7 pm shift felt hard. It could have been the heat.
8. Were you able to sleep between stages?
We had an RV that shuttled us to the next exchange and where the riders stayed for their 4 hours off. We stayed in the back bedroom on the bed with curtains drawn so we could sleep. RVs are not really made for sleeping while in motion. William warned me when I got in the car after my first ride that I’d awake at some point, flying and weightless. I did. Dani and I would lay back there laughing because we were getting bounced around. My husband drove the most and I told him it felt like we were barreling down the highway at 100 mph. Or doing donuts in a parking lot. He said he was lucky to get to 50 mph, and averaged around 45mph. And no donuts. After the first two days (and past the mountains), they were able to stop the RV for longer periods of time so we could get a little more restful sleep.
I managed to sleep 1.5-2 hours between blocks. So about 4.5-6 hrs per day. This was enough for me as I never felt sleep deprived.
There was a lot to do when you got in the RV: change, eat, get organized, and then sleep. And quickly the crew was waking you up to prepare you for your next shift. I did manage to shower about once per day. But it was a quick, chilly shower in the RV.
9. Besides fitness and endurance, what qualities/characteristics does one need to participate in an event like RAAM?
Our team of four ranged in personality and organizational skills. We each had various “important" things. But all four of us are goal-oriented, competitive athletes. To do RAAM, you have to want to challenge yourself mentally and physically in an endurance event that lasts several days. Which isn’t for everyone. Some people excel at short, hard and fast efforts/events. RAAM was interesting in that it was shorter efforts over a prolonged duration. My effort was around half ironman effort in my interval shifts. I loved asking my body to give, and then I would ask it for more. You need to have the time to train and participate in a 7+ day event.
A supportive family/group of friends isn’t a quality, but it's a huge help. The training (and event) required a lot of time on the bike, not to mention travel to ride, maintaining your bike, prepping (nutrition), etc. Friends showing up for even parts of a training ride was priceless. I appreciated every friend that joined me for a couple of hours.
A supportive spouse or significant other is important. Carlos, my husband, was very supportive (enabling? 😁). He’d wait for me when I had long rides, followed me for night rides, and also joined our crew, and drove one of the mini vans from Atlanta to Oceanside. He made this all possible for me.
To do RAAM you will pull in a lot of favors as it takes a lot of resources: financial, crew, and equipment (even if you have been riding a long time). You will have to ask for help. It can be hard, but it was amazing to see how many people wanted to help out.
10. How did your team place? Would you do it again?
We were one of 2 all female quartets. We finished first in our division. Our goal was to beat the RAAM record of 19.27 mph set by Quattra Bavariae in 2017. We missed it at 18.7 mph. However, we did go through the epic certifications of crew to get the Guinness record for a four female team to cross America. No record existed. So, pending certification, we did achieve setting a standard and a Guinness record. I would love to see another all female team take inspiration and break both records.
I would do this event again in a heartbeat as a 2 or 4 person team. I’d love to try a 2 person team. I loved everything about it..the training and racing. I loved being on a team. It was my first time on a team where we worked for a single goal. We were four racers but we really were a team of 16. And it was an incredible experience.