“ I will be riding a beautiful bespoke titanium bike called the ‘MPA’ by Vaaru Cycles, based in Bognor Regis. The quicker I can cover my intended mileage per day, the more time I will get to sleep and recover. My main concern is my lack of speed and power, and so I have started speaking to James Roberts coaching in Warrington, and have been given a structured plan of interval and even weight sessions. “ I’m now getting used to my plan of at least two 100+ mile rides per week, and interspersing this with excuses to do long multi-day trips.įor example, I had some time in the Highlands with my mountaineering club last week, so I cycled the 450 miles there in 4 days. So how’s Alaina preparing mentally for that? – “Fortunately, I think my mental resilience is my strongest attribute, and so for me, the key in this will be training my body to physically match up to what my mind expects of it.” Now, it’s not just the race aspect or the distance aspect that makes the Trans Am Bike Race so daunting, it’s the long and lonesome hours spent pedalling whilst knowing there’s no service or support vehicles to act as a safety net. “Long distance riding has taught me, and hopefully shown others that our predefined limits are nonsense: it is amazing what our bodies and minds can achieve, if we just believe it, and give it a go!” With both LEJOG and her European adventure safely tucked under her belt, Alaina turned her focus on the next challenge as she says “My crazy best friend actually suggested that I enter the Trans Am Bike Race, and after initially dismissing it, I realised it would be the next natural step up.” 5,137 miles later my trip was complete, and I managed to raise over £5,500 for a Syrian aid charity.” I did this self-supported and solo, camping along the way. Seven months later I found myself in Nordkapp in the Norwegian Arctic (the most northern point of Europe), with a plan to ride 100 miles per day until I hit the Croatian coast. “ Upon returning, I just had to plan something else, but bigger. It was this journey that would ignite her passion for endurance cycling.Īlaina’s passion for endurance cycling took her to Norway Soon after, her daily commute became a hobby as she became more involved with cycling challenges, the first of which was cycling LEJOG in 14 days back in 2016. In 2016, Lael Wilcox beat everyone in the Trans Am Bike Race and made a two-hour lead on Steffen Streich who came in second.Īnother woman to not shy away from racking up some epic miles is Emily Chappell of the Adventure Syndicate who famously smashed everyone in the Transcontinental Bike Race also back in 2016.įollowing in their tyre tracks is Alaina who started commuting by bicycle back in 2015. Each year only a handful of women register, but that doesn’t mean to say they don’t fair well. This isn’t just any race though, it’s a self-supported ultra distance event that takes each rider right across America, through ten states covering over 4,300 miles. For Alaina Beacall, it’s the Trans Am Bike Race. The Trrans AM Bike Race is currently being led by Evan Deutsch from Portland, Oregon who has around 400 kilometres left to ride to the finish in Newport News, Virginia.Each year we try to come up with new and exciting cycling challenges to set ourselves as a means of both motivation and accomplishment. Hall, who also organised the Transcontinental Race across Europe, was killed when he was struck by a car during the Indian Pacific Wheel Race in Australia in March. We ask for patience and understanding as we all try to get through this."įishbein's death comes less than three months after that of a past winner of the Trans Am Bike Race, British ultracyclist Mike Hall. "At this time we are discussing next steps to move forward. We urge all to take the time to find the quickest path to healing. "Some will keep pedaling, some will go home. Let your loved ones know where you are and what you plan to do. "To all racers, please know we're all pedaling together wherever we're sitting. We are all reeling from this and are doing our best to get through today. "We are terribly saddened and our thoughts are with his family during this time. In a statement published on their Facebook page, the event organisers said: "We've just spoken to the Kansas Highway Patrol and confirmed rider Eric Fishbein was struck and killed last night on highway 96 in West Kansas. A 61-year-old rider competing in the coast-to-coast Trans Am Bike Race in the United States has been killed in a road traffic collision in Kansas, around halfway through the 4,300-kilometre route.
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