Coast to coast on two wheels and a prayer
Published: June 7, 2005
On the surface, Urs Koenig may not appear to be an especially unusual man: the 38-year-old Seattle entrepreneur has an engaging demeanor, a growing consulting business, and a fondness for bicycling. Upon closer inspection, though, it becomes apparent that Koenig, a wide-smiling, brown-haired Swiss native who has lived in Seattle for three years, is anything but normal.
For starters, he’s a veteran of the Ironman Triathlon. He’s also a former national-level cross country ski racer who has completed several 100-kilometer running races. His compact and muscular body lacks anything resembling fat.
Koenig’s endurance-racing accomplishments are impressive by anyone’s standards. But he is now staring down the barrel of his biggest challenge yet. On June 19, Koenig - whose first name means “bear” in German - will begin an attempt to ride his bicycle across the United States. In twelve days. Without stopping.
The event in which Koenig is competing, aptly dubbed the “Race Across America” (or RAAM, for short), is a singular challenge in the world of ultra-racing. To comprehend the scale of the RAAM, one must visualize the enormity of the obstacles that lie in wait of its weary competitors: the towering mountains, the sweltering deserts, and the endless, baking blacktop that stretches for 3,047 miles from the RAAM’s start in San Diego to its finish in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Most of us, when encountering a person like Koenig - that is, someone who seems to have a fanatical dedication to physical suffering - are inclined to ask them the first question that comes to mind: Why? Why on Earth would you choose to subject yourself to the mindless torture of 288 hours on a bicycle seat?
“It’s like what the climbers say when someone asks them why they want to climb Everest: ‘Because it’s there,’” Koenig said with a wry smile. When pressed a little further, he expounded: “I really thrive on setting a clearly defined goal. In this case, my goal is to finish the RAAM in twelve days; no more, no less. And I throw everything I have towards that goal.”
Although Koenig is riding the race solo, he’ll hardly be alone. He has an all-volunteer crew of eight support staff; members of this crew are charged with duties ranging from the somewhat exciting (scouting out rest stops and hurriedly preparing calorie-rich meals) to the wholly unappetizing (maintaining Koenig’s personal hygiene when he’s simply too exhausted to attend to it himself.) Koenig is quick to point out that without his crew, the RAAM simply would not be possible.
“But it’s almost the ultimate ego-trip,” Koenig said with a laugh. “I’ll have eight people who are only paying attention to me for twelve days.”
Despite his apparent fondness for the attention of his crew, Koenig’s desire to race the RAAM is hardly ego-driven. His ride will serve as a fundraiser for Cancer Lifeline, a Seattle-based nonprofit organization that provides assistance to cancer patients and their families. (Koenig has sat on the board of Cancer Lifeline for a little more than a year.)
“Choosing to do this ride as a benefit for Cancer Lifeline was a logical connection,” Koenig said. “The organization provides support for not just the patients themselves, but for their families and friends as well.”
In conversation, it becomes apparent that Koenig is looking forward to the RAAM with a mixture of excitement and, well, fear. When discussing the ride’s imminent completion, he is animated and full of smiles. But when discussing the twelve days of suffering that he’ll endure en route to finishing, his countenance becomes slightly more solemn.
During the RAAM, Koenig plans to spend twenty-one hours a day on his bicycle. He’ll do things on his bike that most of us would have trouble doing while walking: change jackets, eat meals, urinate.
But Koenig doesn’t expect to challenge for the victory; most of the top finishers will rest for only 90 minutes a day. He expects to encounter significant soreness in his neck and, predictably, his rear end.
The RAAM also features a team competition in which groups of four cyclists ride the race in a relay format. Koenig is a veteran of the 2002 RAAM relay, in which he competed as a member of an international team.
For now, Koenig and his crew will continue to fine-tune their RAAM-racing caravan, ensuring that the entire team - cyclist, crew, and vehicles - will be in tip-top shape for the upcoming ordeal.
What’s the first thing he plans on doing upon reaching the finish line in on Atlantic City’s famed boardwalk?
“I’ll have a beer,” Koenig said with a weary grin. “And then, I think, I’ll want to sit down.”
And sit down he will - but you can bet it won’t be on a bike.
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