I'd been planning on riding the Adirondack 540 since it was first run in 1999, but those plans never materialized until this year. Taking place in the fabulous Adirondack state park, the ADK540 features four laps of 136 miles. With about 7,600 feet of climbing per lap, it's a hard event, with as much climbing in 540 miles as in the 750 miles of Boston-Montreal-Boston.

I missed some planned early-season events and a crash in mid July took another month off my summer riding. Recovery went well, however, and I thought the 540 was still a go, but at a slower pace. After all it was only 540 miles, how hard could it be?

Having ridden many longer events, I was puzzled as to why this event had such a high dropout rate. The first two years about a third of those who started made it to the finish and last year barely one in four finished. Finishing was definitely going to be my priority, along with enjoying the gorgeous scenery.

Every report I've read about this race has said the same thing. As course record holder Rainer Klaus put it "The real difficulty of the course [is] you know what to expect!"

After riding the race I understand better why so few finish. The biggest thing might just be the familiarity of four difficult laps that just wear a rider down mentally as well as physically.

This race is a RAAM qualifier and no drafting is allowed. Drafting on most of this course would be of little advantage but someone to pass the miles with would be a big boost and this factor could also figure into the DNF rate.

David George, who qualified for RAAM this year, adopted a unique strategy to cope with the repeated laps: "I didn't look at them as four identical laps but each was distinct in its placement towards the finish line. For me it was like the course had been wrapped around a big spool and I was unwinding it with each mile of each lap until it stretched out 544 miles behind me and I reached the finish line at the center spool."

Course profile

Navigating is easy and after the first loop you don't even have to think about it again. There is a checkpoint at 61 miles and then it's 75 miles back to the checkpoint at the start, distances that can be covered easily with minimal supplies. Although a follow crew is recommended, it's not mandatory so my plan was to have my wife meet me at the two checkpoints each lap so I wouldn't have to carry much extra gear.

David Jackson took the lead after the first checkpoint and never looked back. He finished in 36:23. Afterwards he said "John [Ceceri, the race director] did a wonderful job and makes it very easy to do the race unsupported. The two checkpoints had plenty of food and drink to re-fuel, and they were both located at a hotel where John had rooms available to take a nap. I only had to stop four times outside of the checkpoints to get fluid (usually at a service station along the course), and I did not take advantage of the hotel rooms and paid for it just outside of Lake Placid at 5 a.m. when I must have fallen asleep, but I awoke immediately after I hit the ground (only a bruised hip and road rash to the elbow)."

The weather, usually another big challenge in this race, was the best it's ever been. The first day I recorded a high of 84 and a low of 37. Most of the first night was very pleasant with the coldest temperatures coming just before dawn near Lake Placid. The next day was the same with some rain at night, but after the rain I was back down to a vest and that was unzipped. In years past lows have been in the 20's and the wind has also been high.

I wasn't really approaching the 540 as a race, but in the fourth lap I found out Tom Murray was closing fast on me. Jackson was far ahead and out of reach but having someone gaining on me helped keep me motivated. Tom caught me going into Lake Placid but his push had made the last 70 miles go by quickly and I was now only 60 some miles from the end. While I wasn't feeling very strong, my confidence was back, what with the finish and good night's sleep both within reach.

The second night I was forced to use my backup lights, which made seeing the road well in the rain tough at higher speeds for this bifocal wearer. My wife, Mary, started leapfrogging and following me on the tougher sections. I'm still not sure if it's because she was worried about me or just wanted me to get to the hotel quicker.

While the course record was safe, this year saw a 50% finishing rate, the highest ever. Twelve riders entered the four-lap RAAM qualifier, six finished, and three qualified for RAAM!

Afterwards Russ Loomis said: "I thought the ADK course was easy to navigate and the scenery was breathtaking. John [Ceceri] and Roger [Byrom] do an excellent job running the race! The best part of this race was the fast descents and the views. Also, when I finished (1st place 50+) both Roger and John told me that I set the course record for the 50+ division. That was definitely a high moment of this race!"

The riders I talked to after the race all had digestive difficulties, me included. This might be because eating on the bike was tough at best; on most of the course you are climbing hills or descending fast, neither an ideal time to eat or digest.

Ralph Pruitt, the last finisher, had a super crew and I got to meet them as we waited outside McDonald's for him to cruise in triumphantly after a long night on the bike.

All in all, this was a fun and well organized race. The roads were good, except for six miles of painful heaving cement slabs 23 miles from the end of each lap . The scenery was beautiful and the weather cooperated. I would recommend this race for anyone attempting to qualify for RAAM. As a testimony to this race I finished wishing my season wasn't ended, but with plenty of inspiration to train for 2004.

The tentative date for next year is Sept. 17-19, 2004

Results

RAAM Qualifier (540 miles)
Rider	Hours:Minutes
David Jackson, 44, Lexington, KY	36:23 Previously qualified
Tom Murray, 35, Dover-Foxcraft, ME	41:05 RAAM Qualified
Marc Pritchard, 48, Cattaraugus, NY	42:15 Previously qualified
Russ Loomis, 51, Williamsburg, MA	44:43 Previously qualified
David George, 44, Fredricksburg, VA	45:55 RAAM Qualified
Ralph Pruitt, 50, Holmes, NY	52:20 RAAM Qualified
Also
Rider	Miles Completed
Ray Fortman	272
Jim Melville	272
Randy Mouri	209
Ben Robinson	209
Joany Verschuuren	151
Steven Lehmann	136
Silver Sojourn (272 miles)
Rider	Hours:Minutes
Ross McCabe	236 (50+ record)
Brian Uline	170
Bronze Blast (136 miles)
Rider	Hours:Minutes
Stew King	11:42
Bill Schwarz	18:40 (Hand Cyclist)