Palermo readies for race
SEVEN FIELDS — Ryanne Forcht Palermo has won bicycling events before.
She's never tried anything like this.
The 2001 Butler graduate and Seven Fields resident will be participating in the 33rd edition of Race Across America, an eight-day bicycling race that begins at Oceanside Pier in California June 14 and ends in Annapolis, Maryland, June 21.
Palermo, a mountain biker for seven years and winner of the Leesburg Baker's Dozen 13-hour race in 2011 and Calvin's Challenge six-hour race last year, will compete as part of a relay with team captain Patricia George, Stacie Truszkowski and Anne-Marie Alderson.
George, a pulmonary physician at UPMC, “was turning 40 and was looking for a monumental way to recognize that birthday,” Palermo said.
“It was either stick a 'Lordy, Lordy' sign in her yard or race a bike across America. This was her choice and she put the team together.”
Palermo and George are friends and fellow bicyclists. Truszkowski and George are members of the Steel City Endurance cycling team. Alderson has completed eight marathons and 17 triathlons.
“But none of us has ever tackled a race like this,” Palermo said. “My biggest concern is sleep deprivation. We're all ready to pedal bikes and we're in shape to do it.
“But a lot of people have to stay focused on the road here.”
This foursome, known as Team PHenomenal Hope, will be racing to raise funds for pulmonary hypertension.
Many bicyclists do the Race Across America for charitable reasons as the event has raised more than $4 million for charities over the past four years.A 13-member crew will be part of Team PHenomenal Hope, including nurses, a bike mechanic and UPMC medical crew. There will be two follow-up cars and an RV with the bicyclists at all times.Spare wheel parts and two spare bikes will also be available during the journey.“We've assembled quite the crew,” Palermo said.Only one person at a time will be riding a bicycle. Sleeping and eating breaks will be scheduled in.“We're planning to takes turns pedaling for 20 to 30-minute intervals, to keep our average speed as high as possible,” Palermo said.The race will consist of 3,000 miles, going across 12 states and 88 counties. The five longest rivers strictly in the United States — the Mississippi, Missouri, Rio Grande, Arkansas and Ohio — will all be crossed during this trek.“We'll be going over mountains, through deserts, across the Great Plains ... the Appalachian Mountains are at the end and the elevation is much steeper than the Rocky Mountains,” Palermo said. “That's going to bring some pain.”The overall course is 30 percent longer than the Tour De France and will be completed in roughly half the time.“We've been doing specific training for this event for the past six months,” Palermo said. “We do high-intensity workouts during the week and long distance rides each weekend.“We do five to eight-hour rides covering 100 miles or more. Physically, we're in condition to do this.”The lowest elevation along the course is 170 feet below sea level. The highest is 10,000 feet above sea level.Age range for Race Across America is 13 to 75. Bicyclists from more than 25 different countries have participated over the years, but only 15 percent of the riders are women.“There's only one other all-female team entered this year and they are from Germany,” Palermo said.Team PHenomenal Hope's primary goal is to finish the race.“I know we're going to have to account for exhaustion,” Palermo said. “But we're all in on this. If we can average 16 or 17 miles per hour, we'll get there.”
