Race Across America tests both muscles and mind

Santa Cruz Sentinel | Karen Kefauver, Spin City

Jennifer Kalich had plenty of time to battle her demons, celebrate her triumphs and feel her body firing on all cylinders while she was riding her bike across America over the summer.

For almost a week, Kalich pedaled day and night while racing on a relay team in the Race Across America [RAAM], one of the most respected and longest-running endurance sports events in the world. She and her seven teammates on Team Donate Life rode 24 hours a day from Oceanside to Annapolis, Md., and finished the epic race in six days, 16 hours and 17 minutes.

"I wanted to see how much farther I could push myself and see how much I could achieve," said Kalich, 36, who latched onto the idea of RAAM after her friend completed it in 2010.

But the Watsonville High graduate and Salinas resident had been cycling for only three years and wasn't ready to tackle the 3,000-plus miles by herself. So, she joined Team Donate Life.
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