Team Laughing Dog heading into Kansas

Arlene Cook is the second of five women on Team Laughing Dog that will be profiled this week. The team just finished a difficult mountainous Colorado stretch and is now heading into Kansas, a stretch the route book calls “one dimensional . . . basically straight, flat and long.” Temperatures hit 95 on Tuesday, as the team adjusts to the Midwest heat while continuously racing 3,000 miles across the U.S.

Cook was born and raised in Sandpoint, and calls herself lucky still live there with her husband Ted. She works on the Schweitzer ski patrol in the winter, and is an avid outdoor enthusiast.

The Daily Bee sat down with Cook to find out a little bit more.

Q: Favorite movie?

A: “I haven’t watched a movie in so long.”

Q: Favorite book?

A: The Snowy Torrents (an avalanche book).

Q: Favorite meal?

A: Pizza and pasta. I also like burritos.

Q: Hobbies?

A: Sports, downhill skiing, Nordic skiing, kayaking.

Q: Typical training week leading up to the cross country race?

A: Endurance and strength building. We’ve now topped 800 miles (of biking) since the snow melted.

Q: What I love most about cycling is . . .?

A: The freedom of how it makes you feel. I just love the way it makes you feel.

Q: Longest ride ever?

A: The CHaFE 150, I’ve done every single CHaFE.

Q: Historical figure, living or dead, that you would love to have dinner with?

A: Abraham Lincoln.

Q: When I finish the Race Across America, the first thing I’ll do is . . .?

A: Sleep. I might have a glass of wine or beer, too.

See tomorrow’s Daily Bee for a profile on Julie Nye.

For more on the team, or to make a donation for autism, visit www.teamlaughingdog.com