After injury forced withdrawl in 2010, Batavia cyclist is set for another try in cross-country endurance run

Paul Carpenter is about to give it another go in a bid to race by bicycle across the United States.

The Batavia resident and Northern Illinois University professor is entered in the 2012 Race Across America, which begins June13 in Oceanside Calif. and will conclude in Anapolis, Md.

“My goal is to be an official solo finisher, something I was unable to do when I competed in 2010,” Carpenter said on his web site (http://www.ultracer.net). “That experience truly made me appreciate the magnitude of the event and that finishing RAAM is a goal not to be taken lightly.”
Carpenter, chair of NIU’s Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education dropped out of the 2010 race due to a knee problems.
His latest try will cover 3,000 miles and he and his support crew will battle hills, heat, cold, wind, rain, hunger, cramped space and exhaustion.
Cyclists must finish by Monday, June 25. Carpenter said he’ll shoot to finish in 12 days.
Part of Carpenter’s training has been a daily bicycle commute from Batavia to DeKalb.
“Cycling has been my primary form of transportation since the late 1980s,” he said “Over the years my riding has progressed from commuting to work to competing in ultra events, starting with the Death Valley Double as a way of proving that at 40 I wasn’t really getting any older! On moving to the mid-west in the summer of 2002, I discovered the wider world of ultra cycling and started riding in more double centuries, 12-hour and 24-hour races.”
RAAM is in a class by itself given the length and endurance required.
Stopping is allowed, but being off the bike for more than two to four hours per day will seriously hurt a cyclist’s chances of being competitive in the race and completing within the given time frame.
Not only will Carpenter and his crew be competing, but they will also be conducting research.
Combining experiences off campus with the academic world makes a great opportunity for NIU students. Ryan Friel, a kinesiology major, will be part of the crew and will help to collect data for research being coordinated by Amanda Salacinski, a KNPE faculty member.

Friel explained that his job will be to make sure Carpenter stays hydrated and consumes between 250 to 300 calories per hour based on how hard he works. Data also will be collected on heart rate, power and blood glucose. The data will help provide researchers with a better understanding of how the body responds to exercise in an extremely demanding event.
While Friel is excited for the experience in its entirety, he shared that he has not traveled out west much and is excited to see a lot in a short amount of time. “This is an event that is well known to cyclists, but not to the general public, so I am excited to jump in and experience and learn as much as I can,” Friel said.
Traveling with Carpenter in vehicles carrying supplies will be the complete crew, including:  Joe Mann (crew chief), Connie Mann, Melissa Hyams (Carpenter’s wife), Sam Carpenter (Carpenter’s son), Roger Kalisiak (NIU alumnus), Friel, Jacob Garvin, Kristin Jordan, Bill Ford and Jay Yost. The crew is essential for success in RAAM by providing support, motivation, knowledge, navigation, mechanical expertise, medical assistance and their driving skills among other things.
To learn more about Team Carpenter or RAAM, contact Carpenter at (815) 753-8284 or vist http://www.ultracer.net or Team Carpenter – RAAM2012 on Facebook.