James Golding: One Step At A Time
James Golding's bid to win Race Across America 2022, supported by CRX Compression.
When you overcome odds of a 5% chance of surviving cancer from an 11.5cm tumor, your perspective on life may change a little. When you get hit by a truck at 70 miles per hour and go on to survive a second bout of cancer, how is that perspective doing now? Difficult to imagine isn’t it?
Smashing these odds to smithereens, on the 14th June 2022 James is taking on the one of the longest running, ultra endurance challenges in the world, the Race Across America. This isn’t the script from the best new action blockbuster film it sounds like, it’s the reality of life for James Golding. He’s really done it, all of it, one step at a time.
It would completely belittle the hurdles and achievements James has navigated to attempt to describe within this blog all he has succeeded in, he really does deserve the blockbuster film. He’s been described as ``the man who won’t die” a good title for our hero, who simply refuses to give in and let anything beat him. After overcoming cancer, his mindset was altered forever, something was awoken within him and his belief that “anything is possible” was born. He picked up a mountain bike to get some air and rediscover his childhood need for freedom and BOOM, the new journey into endurance cycling began.
Fast forward to 2022 and James has become the first person to hold the Guinness Seven Day World record, competed in multiple endurance cycling events, raised millions for charity, inspired thousands through his actions and speaking engagements, got married, had two children, has qualified for RAAM, and is in America to cycle all the way from the West to East coast, in just 12 days. Well 8 days if he’s going to win, and of course, he has every belief in himself that he will, and who would dare to doubt him?
The solo race covers 3000 miles, crossing 12 states, with a grueling 170,000 feet of climbing. This isn’t something you just hop on a bike to complete. It takes years of training, dedication, commitment, amping up the wattage to ride between 280-300 watts day in, day out, moving to another country for optimum training conditions, riding speeds of 30km per hour for 15 plus hours a day, working with a team of trusted people who 100% have your back ensuring you eat, drink and importantly rest and recover.
This is where CRX comes in. Recovery through compression is crucial to ensure you can keep going, for between 250 and 300 miles a day. Compression, in order to achieve maximum recovery in the shortest amount of time is all part of the training mix. James has described himself as “rather OCD when it comes to the kit I trust” so it is an honor and privilege that CRX Compression is a trusted part of the squad.
One step at a time, this is Jame’s moto. We like to think we are aligned in our thinking. Put everything into your performance, then compress, compete, recover.
Get ready. Then go again.
Good luck James, we 100% have your back.
