Day 9: The Crew Looks For Sleep

Editor’s Note: Tim Case is cruising east of the Mississippi during the Race Across America. This is a solo bike race that will have him cross the United States in about 10 days. He left Oceanside, Calif., June 8 and had completed 2,450.6 miles by 9:42 p.m. Tuesday, passing through Blanchester, Ohio, on his way to to Chillichothe, Ohio. His team checks in with us daily. Tim is riding for Team Strong Heart to raise money and awareness for Camp Odayin, which is dedicated to serving children with severe heart problems.

So yesterday was a hit for Tim having his parents show up in Effingham. He was really surprised. I know it gave him deep motivation, but more importantly calmed them of their fears of what may be going on. Tim’s parents are such amazing people, and to drive 4 hours just to see their son for 10 minutes shows their dedication to his dream.

Last night, Tim rode strong into the early morning when he went down for a short sleep in the truck. In the meantime, Gordon and I drove ahead with hope of getting some sleep. On the way, we got a phone call that Tim was expressing boredom. We immediately pulled off to a McDonald’s for some Wifi, and downloaded some audio books and podcast of his favorite comedian Brian Regan. He really loved it. Unfortunately, as Gordon and I thought we were being productive towards our sleep location, we realized that we made a wrong turn somewhere, and were lost. This became so frustrating as every moment for sleep is precious, and now we were wasting this opportunity by trying to get back where we needed to meet Tim and the crew. After some amazing GPS and map reading skills by Gordon, who at the same time was trying to calm my frustrations, we made it back. It was shift change and we dozed for 2 hours until we were off again.

Tim got back on the road at 4 a.m and was looking strong. Our new sleep plan seems to be working. He isn’t getting double vision, or going in this weird mental state as he was before. On the other hand, Gordon and I were in undersleep heaven, and that’s when the giggles came out. It didn’t matter what was said, we just giggled away. This was when I opted to try my first Red Bull, and WOW that stuff works.

Tim rode hard, and made it to Bloomington, Ind., by mid morning, which he was excited about. He took a short nap, we switched crew, and he was on his way towards Ohio. Gordon and I moved ahead to try and get sleep as usual. We drove 150 miles forward with a great game plan for the team and of course there were no hotels. So in a pinch, we back tracked on the route and found this true dive of a place that after checking in we immediately checked out due to the horrid smell and conditions. Once again, we just couldn’t find a moment to sleep. We have now moved much more forward on the route so we can rest and be prepared for Tim soon.

Today he and Ryan Corry road together for a little bit going towards time station 40. I haven’t talked to Tim personally about it, but it sounds like there might a little motivation in the air for each of the riders.

For me, I am feeling a little emotional challenges as I watch Tim push the pedals. I see his struggles, his gains, his pain, and his push, and it all amazes me. I have moments where I can’t understand why someone would push their body to these limits, and then I have other moments where I just can’t stop watching his beautiful style and grace on the bike, and amazing drive that inspires me in too many ways to describe.

We only have a little over 500 miles to go, and I am confident Tim will make it. It is just up to him what the game plan will be. His crew will be behind him every step of the way!

—Michelle Pearl, Tim’s girlfriend and crew member.

Other Posts:
Some thoughts from Tim
The Finish
Day 11 1/2
Day 11
Day 9
Day 8
Day 7
Day 6
Day 5
Day 4
Day 3
Day 2
Day 1