Day4

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As Cat leaves Pagosa Springs, she will be heading towards Wolf Creek Pass, which in its own right is monumental in RAAM history. The summit will be at an elevation of 10,857 feet and she will be crossing the Continental Divide. This is the highest point in RAAM. As she descends Wolf Creek Pass, she will be descending a 6% grade and heading into Time Station #17 at South Fork, Colorado.

She checked into Time Station #18 at 6:03pm tonight (Pacific Time), which is Alamosa, Colorado, 988 miles into the race, seated at 7560' elevation. From the interview on the RAAM page, it sounds like she is in great spirits and still sporting her Cat-isms and humor!

A stop at time station 16, Pagosa Springs, Colorado, provided an opportunity for an impromptu interview with Lee Mitchell, and then, surprisingly a very chipper Cat Berge. According to Mitchell, Cat has some minor aches and pains – the normal wear and tear on a RAAM soloist, but overall she is very strong. Mitchell explained: “Her head is in good shape, which in ways is the main thing. She is doing modestly well, and her ride is going according to plan. We are happy with where we are: we are in the middle of the field, which is where we want to be.” Specifically, the affected areas are the lower back, and her right knee was hurting yesterday, but today she reports it is feeling better. She wore a brace just in case. Some saddle sores are developing, which the team will treat with lubricants and antibacterial cream, under a layer of bandage. “Wearing two pairs of shorts is an option, but that creates a new set of problems,” said Mitchell.

Cat herself emerged from the gas station at this point and was very pleased to offer RAAM web site viewers a few words. “It’s been so beautiful….I’m feeling good. I went down early last night at Cortez, but I woke at 1 a.m. and kept riding. I got so cold I couldn’t stay on the bike, so I took a sleep break in Durango... I got cold so I took a sleep back in Durango… I haven’t had any bad times. I’ve been expecting them – I’ve had some tough times, but not bad times. I’m having a great time. My knee was sore, but it’s better now. I have a super masseuse in my team. The pain has gone away now… I am feeling fresh, I’m feeling great. I’m banking up (my sleep). I’m figuring a few will have fried themselves in the first half of the race, then I will drive hard later.”

As she mounted her bicycle, Cat started singing “On the road again,” as she wheeled out of the gas station towards the race’s highest point, 10,000 feet at Wolf Creek Pass, about 18 miles away.