Jason Lane
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Jason Lane

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RAAM 2012

5/31/2012

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Well as I said in one interview, “Nervous, not so much, but respectful of it all, you bet.”  After having done the first 500 miles of the course, and the last, it’s begun to sink in how big America is, and what sort of effort from everyone involved it will be to get across, let alone get across quick.  Our resolve remains the same, we’re going to Oceanside to win rookie of the year, a prize greatly coveted, and this year to be extremely contested with a large field of accomplished and strong riders taking their first crack.  Of course to win top rookie honours, we’ll be looking at a podium finish.  
Are we taken seriously by the race?  I’d say based on our own hype we’ve been given a look (even kindly chirped on our FaceBook page by the reigning champ and his crew), but not for example near the seriousness of the Cheat Mountain Bloodhound.  Why is that?  Because I’m a rookie, and my entire crew are a bunch of race rookies.  So then how can we take ourselves so seriously?  Because I myself have over ten years of multi-day adventure racing experience, because Dennis has crewed for some of that, because Jiles and Ed have both raced and crewed some of that, because nobody expects it of us, and because I’m the Hammer that’s why.  
Who’s on the radar, well watch for probably the fastest start in race history from defending champ Mr. Christoph Strasser, fresh off a blazing and near flawless victory at the Race Around Slovenia.  Having set the 3rd fastest overall average speed last year, a feat made more impressive since the current course is arguably much more difficult and overall a slower road than when the record was set (mind you the great Pete Pensyers set that record in 1986 so you can imagine the equipment difference of now and then), and not a doubt Christoph wants that record.
Gerhard Gulewicz, a proven vet of many RAAM’s, twice runner up and has already proven he can go head to head with the best from his years of battling the legendary Jure Robic, and is clearly due.
Australia’s Matthew Warner Smith, a 3rd place finisher in his rookie year two years ago, he’s back for his second attempt and I’d look for him to be on Strasser’s wheel.
Swiss Reto Schoch, who won two big races in Europe last year is an anticipated contender from the European circuit.
And as mentioned there’s a whole host of accomplished rookies with legitimate odds of rustling things up.

We’ve done a lot debating for our race.  Logic says this has been ranked by many as the hardest endurance race in the world, don’t get crazy.  Race our own race, heed the advice and take it easy over the first couple days, race to survive.  That being said, we’ll give those crazy Austrian cyclists their first few days, but how much can we afford to give?  My personality says hammer down and find their wheels, hold on, it will eventually ease as the first 36-48 hrs go by, or do we stay controlled, get over the heights and then see what the east has in store.  I’ve spent many a race traipsing around the hills of West Virginia, not to mention I’ve done the race route Grafton forward (and backward) so there won’t be any surprises from the course, but here’s the issue, will the guys who went off hard have recovered enough during the period we stayed steady to catch up and then be able to fend off any late attack?  In the end, we will ride our race, we are as ready as we can be at this point, as is everyone else, if that puts us at the front or with the pack in the beginning, then that’s what will be, and we’ll go from there.  That being said, we all know when we hit that bike path all bets are off and we’re hammering eastward, I never did learn how to spell koshun.  

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Laurentian Media Release

5/31/2012

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Last Thursday the Laurentian University Alumni Association hosted a send-off media conference, with quite a nice turnout.  After a nice introduction and cheque presentation by the LUAA, I was showered with interviews for the next hour and a half by CTV, CBC, Radio Canada, Sudbury Star, EZ Rock, Q92 et al.  We’ve received quite a bit of great coverage since then on TV, radio and print, and gained a good deal of local exposure and support.  To everyone in Sudbury and from afar who have contributed and begun to follow our progress, a kind thanks, the closer the race gets the more we realize the crazy scope of it all.


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To The Desert

5/30/2012

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After a couple weeks of far too much going on, I’m finally doing the airport hop back down to La Quinta.  
A fine feeling to know that for the next 25 days or so, there is but one thing to take care of.  RAAM.  There’s still a heap of prep to be done out of the MyoFlexibility HQ, mostly about making preparations for the transition of the van-tour van into the follow vehicle van, but we already have a good start as Jiles has the external stereo and PA system pretty much tweaked.
Dennis has already arrived with the RV, and soon it will be Ed, Seb, and Moe’s turn to hit the road.  Yesterday with the help of Mr. and Mrs. Lormand we stormed the border down to Buffalo, picked up the rental van, a brand new Town and Country with 3,000 miles on it - will Hertz curse their Loss Damage Waiver in 3 weeks…  Got the van back to Markham, where our off-site race director will keep the van until Ed picks it up on Sunday, then he’ll head back to the Ville and Algonquin Outfitters to rig it up with the racks and bike gear.  Wednesday the “van-tour” begins, north to Sudbury to acquire Seb and Moe, and then onward to MFHQ by Friday night.  The van will be decked out with all our sponsor logos via magnet signs thanks to Laurentian University, at which they’ll be one quick stop to also pick up all our team gear.
For now though, time to get used to the heat again, 39C today, 43 by Friday.  Also time to get reacquainted with my shiny new FireCrests, new XLab aero bottles, and all the other host of fun presents waiting for me.  That and to hopefully finish the debate, to go Q rings or not to go Q rings.  
I’ve also learned today that it is indeed worth the extra points to go first class, economy is for suckers.
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Huntsville Camp

5/11/2012

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Spent the weekend with Ed in Huntsville for some quality bike rebuild time courtesy of Algonquin Outfitters, and also got in a bit of a ride.  Friday was an all day build event where we took over the AO bike shop and got most of Winston rebuilt, shy of some drive-train finalizing to be continued soon. 
Saturday we hit the road for a nice Muskoka mix of asphalt, dirt and ATV trail, yes trail, and Ed got in a valuable day of running support.  He also got in a valuable night as we did a quick little jaunt out after dark on the crazy hills of Kawagama.  It may seem easy to drive behind someone on a bike, but toss in the speed changes of rolling hills and the trouble that the van needs to stay about 10 feet off my tire to best light the way, and a bit of practice is a good thing.  In fact I sorta insist on it, 10 feet is kinda close. 
We'll be back taking over the shop again in a couple weeks to finish things up, and that'll that.  36 days. 
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Jason "The Hammer" Lane is a Canadian endurance cyclist. He is a paramedic and instructor in Ontario.  Jason is the current Canadian record holder of the Race Across America. He is the feature character in The Hammer, a documentary by Hornsby Films and appears in Inspired To Ride a cycling film by Mike Dion.  Team Hammerfest is a proud supporter of Sick Kids Children's Hospital in Toronto and Zambikes in Zambia. 
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