Cyclist Berge Prepares For Solo, But Not Alone U.S. Trek

Veterinarian Thrives On Long Distances

Anna Catharina "Cat" Berge excels at the far reaches of endurance. She can ride a bicycle from sunrise to sundown and then do it again at will - with a surprising competitive twist.

With technology having propelled cycling toward gadgetry critical mass, Berge is immersed in an athletic renaissance.

A native of Sweden and a former graduate student at the University of California, Davis, she welcomes the challenges of 100-and 200-milers. She thrives on the rigors of 24-and 48-hour journeys. And daylong, two-wheel voyages into the hottest hells of unforgiving desert and into oxygen-thin mountain air? Why not?

But never mind cycling techno-wizardry. Berge won't have any of it.

"My approach has always been very unscientific," says Berge, 38, who soon will stretch her talents into a cycling challenge few women have undertaken. "I don't have an odometer on my bike. I don't have a heart-rate monitor. My schedule is pretty much nonexistent. I take a day off when I think my body is going out on me."

"I'm not one to promote proper nutrition or proper training or anything. You've got to love the bike. If you want to do ultra-distance rides, you've got to love the bike. If you don't like it, what's the point?" she says.

Seven years ago, Berge, a former recreational runner, hiker and cyclist, was persuaded by a college roommate to attempt a 60-mile ride.

"I went out and I had a real great time," recalls the 5-foot-5, 130-pound Berge. "It was up in the Napa Valley, and (the roommate) got me hooked."

For Berge, 60 miles now is a warm-up. A veterinarian and Ph.D. who works as a postgraduate researcher at the UC Davis Veterinarian Medicine Teaching & Research Center in Tulare, she has entered Race Across America, or RAAM.

The transcontinental event begins June 19 (for individuals) and June 21 (for teams) in San Diego. The 3,047-mile route crosses 14 states, includes more than 109,000 feet of climbing and concludes on the boardwalk in Atlantic City, N.J.