Donncha Cuttriss Blog

Donncha Cuttriss Bio

My name is Donncha Cuttriss. I am an ultracyclist and adventure racer. I mainly compete in longest distance cycling races ranging anywhere between 200 and 3,000 miles. On June 15th 2011,with the support of Aisling Group International and efforts to raise awareness and combat the negative affects of drugs and alcohol I will compete in the 30th anniversary of the 3,000 mile solo race across America RAAM) from Oceanside, California to Annapolis, Maryland.

My body: Height - 181cm, Weight - 80kg, Age - 39
Hometown: Cork City, Ireland

My Key Events in 2011 Season:

Race Across America,3000 miles,June 15th
Race Around Ireland,1350 miles,Sept 19th
Adventure Racing World Championships Nov 20th,Tasmania

My Cycling Main events so far:

Triathlon Ironman UK 2001. 11hrs 3mins
Race Around Czech Republic 2001. 688 miles. 7th place
Gaelforce West 24hour 2010. 1st place. cycled 500km
Race Around Ireland 2010. 1350 miles. 6th Place overall

Cycle SuperStore sponsores me with Lapierre Xelius 900 Road Bike

Pictures from RAAM. 29th July

Below is some of the pictures which RAAM photographers took during the race.

Start line

Start Hill

Cycling in Illinois

Colorado...

Colorado Climb

North Lake Colorado

Illinois

Reflections on RAAM. 10th July

The experience of RAAM was incredible and an unforgettable adventure.I am so very happy that it was so successful.After the immense support from family and friends in raising funds and after the huge effort put in by everyone the burden was certainly a big one and I must admit that although often triumph in anything in life only comes through repeated failure, not finishing would have been tough.

However,it's nice to have big aims and big dreams in life and not be afraid to go for it! I was delighted to have finished the race and to just get under the 11 days. The team effort and the performance of my crew was outstanding. By the end our physical therapist Kevin Corcoran who was in the support vehicle was constantly calculating my speed etc. throughout the last day to ensure we had every chance of finishing in under eleven days, constantly re-iterating my need to keep it going,keep spinning,ensuring I was constantly provided with everything I needed to maintain as high a speed as possible to break the eleven days. It was brilliant to see that it was as important to him as it was to me and this was reflective of the whole team as we had bonded through the experience of an incredible near 11 day adventure together.

Simple things can make a huge difference on one's mentality in such a long race and my eyes lit up when Kevin gave me a lovely choc ice on the last day of the race. After my longest sleep break of a full 3 hours on the last night I felt brilliant and with the added knowledge of the end approaching I was on a high.I also had the Austrian rider Andreas Dengler chasing me for a few hours through Gettysburgh which pushed me to going as fast as I could to the finish.

RAAM Training in the desert. 3rd June

Only two weeks to go, I will do one more post after this before the race and that will be it before the big adventure!

I have been based on the edge of the desert for the last few days close to the race across America route. I am based in Hemmet in a motel until June 10th when I will return to my sister's house in Los Angeles County, get my bike serviced and meet the crew at the airport on the June 11th from where we will pick up the follow vehicle and r.v. and all travel to Oceanside to prepare for the start of the race on June 15th.

The most important task will be to fit out the follow vehicle which will travel behind me as I cycle across America.The crew will work in shifts, 3 in the follow vehicle and 3 up the road in the r.v resting and doing other jobs such as shopping for food etc. The follow vehicle crew will ensure I follow the correct route, constantly supply me with nutrition, luminate the road for me at night and provide safety for me on the road. Crewing is a really tough job.Seven people will be working together very closely for 10-12 days which can be very difficult especially after a few days when everybody is tired. The navigator who sits in the passenger seat checks every turn and communicates directions to me on radio. There are 54 time stations that will be located on the route across America every 50-80 miles. The crew must ring race HQ every time station notifying them of our position. So the navigator's job requires a lot of concentration and it is imperative the navigator is well rested as one missed turn can result in a lot of time lost. Driving slowly behind the cyclist is also very tiring for the driver especially at night and if the driver is not well rested if can be difficult to stay awake especially after a few days of this routine.

I will need a near constant supply of liquids, food and nutrition which also needs to monitored as after a few days I will be too wrecked to focus on my required calorie and liquid intake. Probably the biggest task is ensuring I get enough calories and liquids throughout the race. During our 36 hour training event in Ireland a few weeks ago I took in 14,000 calories a day and didn't put on weight. The heat in the desert will make a huge difference to my calorie and liquid requirements. Any sudden lapse in concentration where I do not get enough liquids or nutrients which lead to dehydration or too much loss of weight will result in a dramatic drop in performance and easily lead to a DNF.

Add to this the job of co-ordinating the logistics of crew changes, communication between the two crews, navigating the r.v. across the U.S. on sometimes alternate routes not allowed for the r.v. and simply getting on with each other over 12 days in very confined spaces. The crew have a huge responsibility.

Two days ago I didn't eat enough after doing a lot of climbing and 130 miles as I have been really trying to get as lean as possible and my legs were dead the next day.It wasn't a tough session for me but I simply needed fuel to move and had not taken in enough calories. I stopped three times in total taking in a big breakfast and lunch and it wasn't until late afternoon that my strength came back and I was fine again. There can be many highs and lows like this during the race but the trick is to keep a constant supply going in so I never lose too much strength. During the race I will be constantly be on a thin line where I can hit a low like this and my legs will be dead if I don't get enough fuel. All it takes is one climb in the heat and if I don't eat or drink or consume enough calories the legs suddenly go dead. This can happen at a time when there maybe strong winds or/and a long climb and it may be cold at altitude or extremely hot on a climb and can make 10 mile seem like 200. This is when the situation can really get demoralizing especially if one makes the often fatal mistake of looking into the future and measuring one's present predicament with the undeniable fact that there maybe over 1,000 miles or more left to go.

My location here in Hemmet is ideal as I am at the foot of a 6,000ft climb, close to a 8,843 foot climb and am within driving distance of the desert and the RAAM route.The route takes us to the hottest part of the lower desert and intense heat to an altitude of over 10,000 feet at night which will be extremely cold especially on long descents of the mountains at night. So I need to train as such.Tomorrow I will cycle in the low desert during the day and do a long climb and descent to over 8,000 ft at night. I got a great deal in a lovely room in the Motel for the 15 days here. I can put my bike in the rented car and cycle various sections of the race route familiarizing myself with some of the desert sections and getting adjusted to the heat. Yesterday I descended what is called 'the glass elevator' as this section of the route descends from 4,500 feet quickly to the desert floor and the increase in heat can be felt while descending down towards the bottom of the desert and Borrego Springs where the temperature was 40 degrees. This area is also known for its extremely strong winds and while descending I found it difficult to control the bike at various sections where the wind was extremely strong and erratic.On a safer straight section where the wind was at my back I reached my highest speed ever on a bike at 54.5 m.p.h. which was a good buzz. I followed the RAAM route for 40 miles before turning back and cycled back up the glass elevator at a very slow pace into the strongest headwinds I have ever experienced. I usually meet and talk to a good few people everyday which is an important part of my daily routine for me and today when I stopped for some apple pie and ice-cream at a cafe in Borrego Springs the waitress had no idea about Ireland as a country and its existence even when I showed her the map of Ireland on my gps.

Ive been having concerns about 'hot foot' for the last few weeks where my right toe has been hurting me after a day cycling in the heat due to the constant pressure. It's a common problem in ultracycling. The feeling is one of an extreme burning sensation and is extremely uncomfortable. It would be impossible to continue for days on end for sure. However, with the help o f my sister I think I now have a perfect solution to the problem. When I am absolutely sure it works I will write about it before the race and show some pics of this solution which takes a huge concern away from me. I have been scouting the supermarkets here for foods and drinks I can use which I like, are easy to consume and which have the necessary nutrients I will need. The crew will stock up on these foods in the r.v. and continuously purchase additional supplies in stores across America as the race continues. Im very happy with my training progress. I feel good, my heart rate has dropped to the low thirties again as all my training is now aerobic. It is easy to do too much at this stage and get that insecure feeling of not having enough done which does happen but I am used to this feeling. It is very easy to start thinking that one has not enough done and to do too much before the race and end up injured or two tired. This has happened to many RAAM racers. I am just concentrating on training in the desert on the route, doing a few high climbs some nights and just cycling 60-120 miles a day. I can do that fairly easily and with a full nights sleep I am getting good rest also. It is really hard to know have I enough training done especially as I am really going into the unknown but 'Im excited by it all and I keep telling myself the training I have put it, that I am ready and must be confident and to just ensure that I arrive at the start line well rested. I just hope I can finish after all the hard work and especially the huge support I have got from family and friends.

Took it easy today and didn't do any training, I'm looking through the whole route just so I have a good general idea of the exact route, roads, mountain passes etc. we will be travelling on. I like also to read about the history and locations and states,national parks and forests, mountains and peaks we will be passing through including the Indian tribe areas such as the Navajo Nation, Monument Valley, Wolf Creek Pass etc.
One of the great things about training or working hard for something in life is that I enjoy so much the simple pleasures in life whether it is sitting down for a nice meal or going to the cinema as I am doing this evening

Training Camp in California. 24th May

I arrived in Los Angeles last Monday evening and am staying with my sister and family close to the Santa Monica Mountains where I am conducting my final preparations for the race across america on June 15h. I was very eager to get training as soon as possible with the race date fast approaching and the mind boggling thought of racing 3,000 miles across America non-stop. My location here is perfect in the Agoura Hills close to all sorts of climbs,short and steep and long and some great flat coastal riding too along the Pacific Coast Highway. Many pro teams train here in the Santa Monica mts as the roads are so quiet and it has such a great range of options. It's easy to team up with other cyclists during the day and I have met many interesting people since arriving. As always when travelling and training abroad it is easy to make friends which is one of the many benefits of ultra-cycling. People around the world are generally intrigued by cyclists.Where are you going? How many miles have you done? and so starts a conversation that has the potential to lead in many directions.In that sense, for me, ultra-cycling it's not just a sport but a lifestyle choice and allows me to incorporate and do with ease all the things I love in life- travelling and adventure, engaging in new cultures, speaking new languages, inspiring and been inspired by others and of course pushing myself. RAAM is merely a continuing process of what I do in my life. Yes of course it is a huge undertaking but I don't fear the race like many RAAM riders have done and I don't fear a possibility of failure. The picture is much bigger than that.As always, I thoroughly enjoy the whole process that gets me there and look forward to the adventure of cycling across America and an opportunity to test myself.

Although I meet a lot of people I train mostly on my own.I never get bored or listen to music preferring to absorb everything that is going on around me. Training since Monday has been good, the weather has got increasingly hot since my arrival which is great. In the next few weeks I will be driving to the desert to some spend days cycling in the heat before the race.

I am just finishing a book published recently by Amy Snyder which she wrote about the 2009 race across America called 'Hell on Two Wheels' It gives a brilliant account of the race and is a great read whether a cyclist or not. The book can be viewed or purchased on Amazon which costs only ten euros which I highly recommend.
If you would like to read specifically about the training I am doing, workouts etc. click here.

36 hour cycle with full crew 6th May

I took a few days off before the start of a 36 hour cycle with my crew last Friday 6th May and just rested and ate a lot. I had been feeling tired and mentally drained after returning from France and a tough period of training. I only covered 363 miles in the 9 days after returning and felt with the 36 hour approaching it was best to take a few days off so as to start fresh and get a good assessment of my fitness over the 36 hours.

Most of the crew are living near Navan so we used a house there as our starting location. I arrived early Thursday the day before to meet Alan Heary, my crew chief and test the radios we would use for the training event and the race in America itself. Navigation is an essential part of the race and the crew will navigate me across the United States communicating with me over the radio through the earpiece I will be wearing. I will also have the route downloaded on my garmin 800 which is mounted on the handlebars of my bike but the crew will need to ensure I take every turn correctly especially as I can easily miss turns when extremely fatigued. It will be the navigator's responsibility to ensure I take the correct route.

We started Friday morning at 8:14 with half the crew the rest joining later in the evening with a camper van also. We did a number of loops in Co. Meath and Co. Cavan during the day on flatish rough roads which are perhaps the worst I have seen in Ireland. It was a big difference from the smooth roads in France and Spain. We went to the highest points in both counties I was told by Alan. It was fantastic to have a crew behind me supplying me with constant liquids and food as I cycled and it made a huge difference in my performance. I had lost 3-4kg on days cycling abroad where it was extremely difficult in hot weather to both consume enough liquids and calories on my own and I had to stop numerous times during the day to eat and drink and replenish my bottles and it still wasn't enough.
Alan kept a constant eye on how much I was drinking and pestered me-sorry-reminded me to drink more. It was great as I maintained my weight throughout the 36 hours starting and finishing at the same weight of 82.2 kg(2-3kg over the weight I will start RAAM at).

I felt really good throughout the day and was glad I had rested the few days before. We had done about 250 miles by midnight on Friday night when we then had a full crew and campervan and so departed for a cycle up to the North over the lovely Cooley Mountains, down into Newry and on towards Belfast before stopping short and turning back for Armagh and a different return leg via Monaghan, Cootehill and Virginia.

Darren - don't call him a cook as he is the head chef as if he had numerous chefs under him - had hot food ready for me every time I stopped. He will mainly drive and look after the r.v. in America. Marie Byrne from Aisling Group International is our media manager and stuck a video camera in my face numerous times throughout the 36 hours asking me how I was doing etc. We watched it later numerous times and laughed so much at it. Apologies for my behavior when I got increasingly tired. I gave her permission to publish it so people will get to see what the poor crew has to deal with.
One of my main aims going across America is to smile as often as possible and be nice to everyone. A tall order maybe!
We arrived back to Navan and after some food completed the last two hours in the local area of Trim and Summerhill and finished with a total of 480 miles for the 36 days.

I stopped 8 times for an average of 30 mins each time for food breaks which is way too long and will have to be cut to under 10 minutes for RAAM and there will be much less stops. I took one 15 min sleep break after about 28 hours and one 20 minute sleep break a few hours later when I couldn't stay awake on the bike, was wobbling all over the road and was barely moving.
After the 20 minute nap I felt totally rejuvenated and was amazed to be able to push it on hard into the wind back to Navan.

Alan Heary my crew chief, had the crew log everything I ate and drank. I consumed 21,892 calories and 7.2 liters of water in the 36 hours and finished the same weight as I started. That's 14,000 calories approx per day. I will require much more calories during the race in America due to the intense heat where I will burn a lot more calories.

I will post a list of what I ate throughout the 36 hours when I get it off my Alan soonish. It is such a huge task to try and consume enough calories whilst not getting off the bike. I was drinking Ensure Two Cal which gives me 399 calories but can be difficult on the stomach if taking too much or too quick. I got sick a good few times during the day while consuming the drinks. So instead, I got the crew to put a hole in the top of the bottle and instead of drinking I would sip on the drink through a straw while cycling and it was a great way of getting in calories much slower and easily.
I need to stay on the bike more, eat more calories on the bike. When I stop I need to consume more calories so I can stop less saving more time for much needed sleep. When I'm off the bike I should be either eating which should take no longer than 6-8 mins or sleeping. The crew can massage my neck, back, feet while I'm eating and I can be eating while changing also. No wasted time.

That's easy to say, but as the race goes on it will be increasingly harder as everyone gets more tired. I was very happy with the cycle and felt good over the distance with only one or two expected patches of sleepiness which when I overcame it. I was strong again. I cycled the last two hours of the 36 hours around Navan quickly, sprinting up many of the short climbs and felt great. The crew were brilliant and I am so lucky to have them looking after me. The race will be very tough for them also. They will have to remain sharp and alert and not get sloppy despite been very tired as it will affect my performance if mistakes are made navigating, kit is misplaced, liquids or calories are not supplied to me at a crucial time.Any lapse in focus by crew members can be detrimental to my performance. It's a huge team effort and so much depends on the crew and their performance.

I do feel more confident about the race after cycling 480 miles with 8 long stops in 36 hours but 3,000 miles is still daunting. I have never prepared myself mentally for any challenge in my life but I've been thinking that I will have to for the Race Across America. I will need to maintain my focus for 10-12 days where I am really honest with myself. It's very easy to stay in the camper van an extra 10 mins or stop for a few minutes or have any excuse to stop, take extra rest etc. and it will be a challenge for me to be strict with myself after a few days into the race and maintain that focus. The crew will have to be really tough with me (as I will tell them) and take no excuses from me if I start to falter. No pity or feeling sorry for me. Their job is to make sure I stay on the bike and keep me moving. I hope I'm up to the task.

I don't know am I but sure that is why I do it. The sense of the unknown, of learning more about myself and what I am or am not capable of. Maybe discovering how weak I am or can be! I'm intrigued and excited by it all, what is going to happen, what experiences lay ahead for me and the crew. An amazing experience for sure, an experience packed with adventure across America while testing myself physically and mentally. We will make many new friends and the experience will be unforgettable. I am hoping to be inspired by the many great people who take part in this great race across America whether that person is a competitor, organizer, marshal, helper or spectator and while I'm there I hope I can inspire people too.

Most of the route can be seen here when my garmin got tired and went to sleep. I will publish the rest of the route soon.

RAAM Training in the Pyrenees 13th-24th April

I am in Angers, the Loire Valley at the moment staying at my cousin,s house from where I will leave Tues for the ferry from Cherbourg home. I arrived here yesterday, Saturday, after leaving the Pyrenees early in the morning after a great week's training based in Laruns at the bottom of the Col d'Aubisque where I camped for the week.

I had decided to leave Spain as I wanted to get some good training in the Pyrenees where I knew the climbs would be longer and steeper. The training was great in Spain although I got a few niggles from all the climbing I was doing in both my thigh muscles and both my calf muscles. I massaged my legs myself for well in excess of an hour every night using an oval shaped rock I sought on the beach often waking during the night to massage my legs. It made a huge difference in my recovery and ability to continue my training consistently. In fact I have no doubt that only for the self massage I would have not been able to continue my training. Using the rock I was also able to detect any tender points before any pain emerged and treat it early. This was key in avoiding injury and played a big part in my training program.

From Saturday to Friday I covered 420 miles and over 60,000 feet of climbing cycling up the Col d'Aubisque 7 times, the Col the Pourtalet twice, the Col de Soulor, Col de Tourmalet from both sides which was cycleable for the first 14km and I trekked the rest of the way to the top, the Col de Marie Blanque and Col de la Pierre Saint Martin to the Spanish border. On Mon 18th when I did the Col de Marie Blanque and the Col de la Pierre Saint Martin it was a hot day and I failed to get food anywhere in the afternoon as everywhere was typically shut in France and it was more remote than usual: It was a long tough day and I knew I had lost too much weight. I lost over 3kg and weighed 76kg at the end of the day which was 7kg lighter than when I arrived in Spain. My legs were tired the next day for the first time since the training camp began and also the next morning. However, after a sleep break after feeling terrible climbing the Col d'Aubisque that morning I felt great second time up the mountain and recorded my fastest time to the top in 75mins. The next day I felt terrible again going up my favourite climb but second time I felt great and was delighted to get up the near 11 mile in 70 mins. I cycled up it again in the evening nice and easy. On Friday I went up the long 28km Col de Pourtalet climb to the Spanish border. I was on the road again in the evening heading up the Aubisque again when I turned around and called it a day as I felt I had enough both physically and mentally and basically had no interest. I had reached this stage before when training in Europe for 4-5 weeks. My body had reached a stage where it wasn't going to get any stronger and if I continued I would actually start to get weaker and slower. I looked back on my training diary and concluded that I had cycled 1645 miles and climbed 172,900 feet in 23 days. It was nearly all up or down at low speeds and in low gears. As a big rider I am not at all quick going uphill but after the last few weeks training I feel much more confident about been able to handle the approx 100,000 feet of climbing in the race across America without getting injured. I am now much leaner at 78-80kg and on rest days my resting heart rate has dropped to 32, my lowest ever. It is time to change my training to faster and flatter riding including much more intense training on short to medium length hills and incorporating race type training where I will do 100 mile workouts once to twice daily for as many days as possible before leaving for the US on 16th May, a month before the race. Before leaving Laruns I did two aerobic 10 mile time trials on an out and back route to see what type of speed I could maintain in relation to my heart rate. I was very happy to be able to maintain over 21 mile an hour at a heart rate between 129-137 which for me is fully aerobic and a very low intensity, a speed which I should be able to maintain for a long time.Today I did 117 mile at nearly 20 mile an hour on a flatish route with only 2710 feet of climbing. After all the climbing and hard work over the last 5 weeks the spin handrailing the Loire river was really enjoyable where I felt like I was only tipping the pedals. The next 16 days are extemely important where I will do 200 miles split into two sessions at 20 mile an hour nearly every day. On 6th May the full crew and I will do a 36 hour cycle which I am really looking forward to and hope to cover as many miles as possible. I feel a lot more confident now about the race ahead although I still have a lot of work to do. I feel very comfortable on the bike at this stage having spent so many hours on the bike. The saddle is extemely comfortable which is very important as saddle sores are one of the many reasons for racers not finishing. I am very comfortable also spending long periods out of the saddle which gives my behind a good break. I have also improved my ability to sit during hot weather as when standing there is extra pressure on the toes which can lead to hot foot and is very painful. I suffered from this during the week on a really long climb and had to stop and take off my shoes. The problem in the race across America is that because most of the time is spent on the bike there is no time to recover from small problems initially such as a small saddle sore, hand blisters, rash, sunburn and heat exhaustion, any overuse injury, back or neck trouble, problems consuming food, dehydration, severe weight loss, hypothermia and sleep deprivation. Any of these problems can multiply in severity as the race goes on. A small problem on day 2 could be really serious on day 10 if not sorted. I've added a few pics to the photos page here and all my spins can be viewed on my Training Log page here

Training in Spain April 5th-11th 2011

Training has been going relatively good the last week here in Spain.In the last week I've covered approx 650 mile which isn't that big considering I'm training for a 3,000 mile race but I climbed a total of approx 72,000 feet in the seven days including a days rest on Saturday which is nearly three quarters of the total climbing in the race across America which I have 12 days to do.I've been training on a great 135 mile loop which I begin and finish where I am living. It has just over 14,000 feet of climbing and takes in some great climbs. The route Wed can be viewed here, Thurs route here, Friday´s route here, Sun route here and more or less the same again Mon route here. It was very hot last week training especially Friday when I did this route and it was nearly 30 degress at 1600 meters which was great

It is difficult to consume enough calories when it is hot and doing so much climbing without support and I can easily lose 2-3 kilos despite stopping twice for food and to replinish my water bottles.Consuming enough calories will be a huge challenge during the race.I plan to consume a lot of my daily calories of between 10-15000 calories through a liquid diet. It would be physically very difficult to consume that amount of food daily especailly while cycling as I want to stay on the bike as much as possbile without having to get off and eat solid food regularly. A liquid diet ensures I get enough required calories and nutrition and can consume what I need mostly from a bottle while cycling.

I will be doing a 36 hour cycle with my full crew on May 6th starting in Navan which Im looking forward to.I am very happy with the 135 loop I am training on here-I start the loop in the morning around 0830 and am back by around 6pm. As I know the loop well it allows me to plan my stop breaks,measure my progress and get in the required training with good climbs of up to near 2000m in a relatively hot location.The staff in the resturants I stop at are wondering what the story with me is at this stage although they are well used to the routine of what I want to eat by now.One loop daily is relatively easy at this stage and so next week after I finish the loop and have some food at the house I plan to add another 6,000 feet of climbing and 40 miles in the late evening on a climbing circuit close to the house which is safe for night time cycling.This will bring my daily mileage to 175 miles and 20,000 feet of climbing.I hope to do this workout every day for up to 5 days if possible which would give me 875 miles and 100,000 feet of climbing in the 5 days.It will depend on how I feel each day and if I can handle this workout without pushinig it too much and getting injured.I am here in Spain until approx 22nd April when I start heading back to France for the ferry so I have a bit of time before then to prepare for this 5 day workout.

My tendon on the right side of my left thigh muscle is a little sore similar to my right leg last week whcih is now fine after regular massage.I am taking it easy today and with regular self massage it should be ok.My good bike only has a double chainring at the front which means sometimes my cadence is probably a little low and this has resulted in this little niggle.I will revert to my other bike tommorrow which has a triple chainset and allows me to spin much easier on the climbs.Back on the loop in the morning.

Training 24th March - 3rd April 2011

I arrived back in Spain last Wednesday after going home for my grandmother's funeral so with driving to Spain through France, returning home and back again I didn't do much training since cycling from Dublin to Cork after my trip to Liverpool.
So I was very eager to get moving and get in some good training. A friend of mine lives here in Lucena del Cid which is situated in the mountains north of Valencia. He has set me up in his mother-in laws house which is a further 7km from the village. I basicaly have the house to myself and the place could not be more perfect. It´s up or down no matter where I go with very quiet rolling hills of 5-8 miles rising consistently to well over 1000m. Although this isn't hugely high what makes these mountains great is that they come one after the other. A 100 mile spin involves at least 50 miles of climbing with an overall height climbed of well over 10.000ft which is great quality. Although cloudy today the weather is also very hot when the sun shines which is brilliant as I will have to get used to severe heat in the Mojave desert during the race. My first day cycling here I did 105 miles last Thursday on a very hot day with some serious climbs. It was an incredible day-one of my best ever on a bike, the scenery was amazing which I had to stop a few times to take in as I cruised through Spanish towns in the middle of the Spanish countryside in the mountains.

As the day ended I felt brilliant and reminded myself why I loved ultra-cycling so much. I had no boundaries, could cycle any distance not knowing what was around the next corner or over the next hill, who I would meet or what unexpected adventure lay ahead in which there were always many. As long as I had my wallet and some essentials I could go anywhere through my own physical effort. It's a powerful feeling. It was one of those days when I didn't want to turn back but rather check into a local hotel and continue this great adventure in the morning. I may have and often do but I turned back as I was meeting my friend. However, I got a bit burnt and was goosed the next day when I did 20 miles in the morning and 20 in the evening and my legs were really tired. I really wondered would I ever be able to complete this race of 3,000 and thought to myself was I crazy-which is bad when I am saying it.

With the start date of June 15th approaching I had a feeling of impending doom as the reality hit home of the task ahead. I thought to myself that no matter how hard I train or prepared I am I still might not be ready and may collapse in the middle of the desert after only a few hundred mile. Will I be able to handle the heat with the climbs and sleep deprivation, and 250 miles a day to finish officially. I re-iterated to myself why I was doing the race across America - because the race represents everything I love about life-training,challenging myself, travelling, experiencing new cultures, languages and people, adventure, been inspired by and trying to inspire others and many more. And because I can. I can only know by trying and by preparing as best as I can and I was doing that here in Spain,training fulltime in the mountains and the heat, living in a secluded house so I can focus on my trainnig. Having retired for my job and having turned down many good opportunities of employment to focus on this dream. Was I crazy,all that commitment and I could collapse in the desert on day 2 of the race after everybody has supported me in my efforts,raised money to support me,media support etc. etc. Then I will return home at the end of June, look for a job and where then!! Do I try for RAAM again or just give it all up and be more normal-whatever that is! This is the reality of the possibilities that lay ahead and I'm astutely aware of it. On the other hand I'm resolute and am determined to be in the best shape and I tell myself I can do no more than that. The greater the risk, the greater the opportunity for self accomplishment, fulfillment and personal growth. And so my training goes on.

On Saturday I met a bunch of about 10 Spanish guys of all ages from Alcora on the climb out of the town and I cycled with them for a few hours taking in a very tough climb. We stopped in a restaurant for what I thought would be a quick bit of lunch only to be totally surprised as the guys ordered numerous tapas beer and a lovely alchoholic short with coffee. And these guys were very good cyclists. Although I had practically no Spanish and they had no English they were really friendly and sociable. I enjoyed this experience thoroughly although after 3 beers and two shorts with coffee I was tipsy leaving 90 mins later. It is so easy to meet with people and make new friends when cycling abroad.

Yesterday I cycled 120 miles and well over 20,000 feet either climbing or descending all day. Went up to a ski resort called Valdelinares which was a litte chilly but nothing compared to what Im used to in Ireland. I took it easy today and might just do an easy spin later as I have been doing a lot of climbing over the last 4 days.I don't want to push it too much and I am here until the end of April. Will post again next week depending on training and when I take a rest day.

24 hour cycle and crew training Navan - 8th March 2011

A lot happens in a few weeks of training for a 3,000 mile race so Im going to try and post something on my training etc. every two weeks. As Im off to Valencia, Spain on 24th March my crew chief Alan Heary and I wanted to get a long training ride in with the crew so everyone would get a chance to get to know one another and work together which is critically important.I drove up from Cork to Navan Friday evening and after been at university all day Friday I was tired when I started the 24 hour cycle from Longwood where we were using a friends house Simon O' Deas as a base. We had three routes of varying distances between 30 and 40 miles. This was more so to practice the crew at navigating the turns and informing me which turns to take. We started just after 12p.m. on the Saturday morning on a beautiful night. After less than 50 miles I got really sleepy and so took a 2hr sleep break in the passenger seat of the car. The routes were marked out by Simon O' Dea were great with some nice long drags but not steep.After the sleep I was fine for the rest of my time cycling and felt stronger as time progressed.I stopped back at the house numerous times where the chef Darren had hot food prepared and we would change the crew. Normally on a 24 hour race I would cycle non-stop but this was an opportunity to practice many aspects of what is needed in the race across america. During the race I have to actually stop at every stop sign so as the spokes can be seen on the wheel of the bike. Alan had the crew penalise me the 15 mins penalty every time I didn't stop and so I got into the routine of stopping briefly at every stop sign as will be required during the race across america. The crew supplied me with regular sandwiches,bars and liquids which I eat while cycling. During the RAAM I will have to eat between 10-15,000 calories a day most of which I will take from a liquid diet as to eat that amount of food would be both very difficult and waste a lot of time off the bike. I experienced a few low points during the cycle which happens and lost 2kg in the first 5 hours probably because I was cycling too hard but didn't lose any more weight throughout the ride as I eased back a little and ate more. Often during rides like this all it takes is a sandwich to snap out of a sleepy lull where I was moving along very slowly. Very low points and high points are part and parcel of ultracycling. I was also riding the new Lapierre Xelius 900 sponsored by the Cycle Superstore which I had only picked up the week before. However although not completely comfortable at first by the end of the spin I was very comfortable on the bike. I cycled a total of 255 miles stopping 2 and a half hours before the 24 hours. Accounting for the time stops and sleep I was really only cycling for approx 16 hours. Towards the end I was starting to get hot foot,saddle sores and blisters on my hands so decided to stop. This ride was 100 miles more than my longest ride to date which was to Dublin last week on a new bike so I was very happy especially considering my legs still felt strong and fresh.I had cycled all the time in the big chain ring and had no probs with my knees,no injuries or niggles or anything which is great. Alan was very happy with the crew also and my average speed was 15.9 m.p.h.

The next day I felt well recovered but didn't cycle. The day after I cycled 40 miles hard in the morning and in the evening cycled for an hour up and down the hills on the northside of Cork which last about 5 mins as hard as I could.This is a regular session of mine and a high quality workout I do once or twice a week.It was great to be able to do such a hard workout the second day after cycling 250 miles and to have recovered so quickly. I don't just cycle long miles every day although I will do periods of this to build up the necessary time and miles in the legs which is important. I also incorporate really hard workouts over short periods aiming to get as strong as possible which in turn improves my overall cruising speed.This weekend Im up in Wicklow for some training and the following week Im cycling to Liverpool and the Lake district via the ferry from Dun Laoighre-Holyhead. Hope to take lots of pics on the way and really looking forward to the trip.Back in two weeks.

Training 9-23 March - 29th March 2011

Training has been very good over the last two weeks.I trained 9 out of the 14 days resting for two consecutive days twice and one other day. I covered 900 miles in the 9 days cycling. Sat 12th March I did 70 miles in the Wicklow mts. with 5,000ft of climbing,drove to Cork sleeping for two hours on route and did 60 miles in Co.Cork and Waterford. On Mon 14th March I completed a 12 hour stationary cycle at University College Cork from 8am-8pm for my charity aisling group international and raised 850 euros for the charity which I was delighted with. On Patrick's Day I cycled 180 miles in West Cork and Kerry with 10,000 ft of climbing including the Healy Pass,the county bounds and Mullaghanish. The following night I cycled to Dublin for the ferry to Holyhead on a cold crisp night with a full moon and clear skies. I left at 8p.m. and arrived the following morning at 7a.m. It was slow going with the back pack I was carrying although there is only 3,500 ft of climbing from Cork to Dublin. I pushed it hard for the last ten miles to Dublin port to make the boat.I got the train from Holyhead to Liverpool. I rested on the Saturday and on Sunday was lucky enough to see Mersey Tri-club meeting for their Sunday morning spin at 8am. A real friendly bunch I enjoyed a great 75 mile cycle in the countryside with Mat, Danny from Italy, Tara from Finland and Rob. I rested Monday and used the jacuzzi at the hotel and did some stretching. Tuesday evening I cycled from Dublin back down to Cork.Stopped at Luigis for a bag of chips which I got for free for my efforts.I got really sleepy from Portlaoise and stopped in the 24 garage at Urlingford at approx 3am. I sat and slept in the garage for about 15 mins. It was cold and I was fairly miserable.I asked a guy in a truck who had pulled in where he was going and he said Kildare. If he was heading to Cork I would have asked him for a spin. So instead I had a coffee and chocolate bar and continued on feeling much better after the nap. When I got to Horse and Jockey I couldn't resist the very invitational looking hotel even though I was feeling fairly good and not too sleepy. The night porter Maurice let me sleep on the very comfortable couch in the hotel. After 2 hours when it was bright I continued again and felt great. I stopped in Fermoy for a much needy hearthy breakfast of an omelette and toast. I got home just before 12am.

I have set up a new website for the race across America which includes links, pictures, twitter, crew details, videos, charity work etc. The address is wwww.donnchacuttrissraam2011.com. The website will include regular updates of pics, video interviews and clips with the crew, rider etc. during the race across America. If you like the website please follow it and share with friends etc. through any links like Facebook etc.
I am on the ferry at the moment to France traveling to Spain for 5 weeks full time training. I will be based in Valenica and travel throughout Spain taking in the major climbing areas during training. I'm very happy with my progression at the moment and plan to progress significantly in the next five weeks. Will post again next week from Spain.

Donncha Cuttriss Blog

Donncha Cuttriss Bio

24 hour cycle and crew training Navan - 8th March 2011

Training 9-23 March - 29th March 2011

24 hour cycle and crew training Navan - 8th March 2011

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