Bonus Miles and Flat Tires at the Arrowhead 135

Musing I think about the Arrowhead constantly, many times a day. It’s been like this for more than five years now, ever since I applied in summer 2013 to race the next winter’s Arrowhead, a fortieth-birthday gift to myself. Maybe I dwell too much on the race – completely voluntary, completely ridiculous, completely gripping. That … Continue reading Bonus Miles and Flat Tires at the Arrowhead 135

Arrowhead 135 no. IV

The temperature was only 9° F when my friend Bill and I rolled into International Falls around noon today, but I had a warm feeling. The plume of smoke over the paper mill and the banner over 3rd Street means that I’m back at the Arrowhead 135, which kicks off at 7:00 a.m. tomorrow. The … Continue reading Arrowhead 135 no. IV

Didn’t Get Froze: After the Arrowhead 135

I’ve been immensely pleased that others have enjoyed Part I and Part II of my race story. Partly for the sake of my own memory, partly to complete the story, and partly to answer some questions that others have asked, I am adding this third part. There’s only a little crying in it. (I’m lying: … Continue reading Didn’t Get Froze: After the Arrowhead 135

Don’t Get Froze, part II: The Arrowhead 135 (Miles 110-135)

Skipulk came at a funny place on the course: I could have pedaled, or at least walked, for quite a bit further to reach the checkpoint, but once I had reached it, I couldn’t move except to hand the Beast to the volunteer who came rushing up and then to climb into the nearer tent … Continue reading Don’t Get Froze, part II: The Arrowhead 135 (Miles 110-135)

Don’t Get Froze, part I: The Arrowhead 135 (Miles 0-110)

When I checked into my motel in International Falls around three in the afternoon on Sunday, January 26, the night before this year’s Arrowhead 135, the old lady at the counter gave me two things I needed: a huge pink shower curtain to lay on the floor under my bike (“those bikes are so messy, … Continue reading Don’t Get Froze, part I: The Arrowhead 135 (Miles 0-110)

Arrowhead 135: Follow over the web

A few links in case anyone wants to “watch” the Arrowhead 135 from afar: This Spot map that will update to show my position every five minutes, thanks to the GPS tracker loaned to me by my fatbiking and airplane-piloting friend Michael L. (The updating will start when the race kicks off at 7 a.m. on Monday, … Continue reading Arrowhead 135: Follow over the web

17 Days till the Arrowhead 135

I’ll be there. RootsRated: The Brutal Arrowhead Ultra 135 Early on Monday, January 27th, 2014, competitors will cross the starting line of the 10th annual Arrowhead Ultra 135 in International Falls, Minnesota. The Arrowhead, featured in the book,” World’s 50 Toughest Endurance Challenges,” will challenge riders with bitter cold temperatures and hours of solitude. The … Continue reading 17 Days till the Arrowhead 135

Arrowhead VI: Riding Bikes through the Polar Vortex

The 2019 Arrowhead 135 Ultra – my sixth Arrowhead and thirteenth winter ultra – went about as well as any race I’ve ever done. I finished in 14th place in just over 21 hours, my second-fastest time but my most consistent effort. This year’s race was run in conditions that ranged from cold down to … Continue reading Arrowhead VI: Riding Bikes through the Polar Vortex

Ultra Fun at the Tuscobia 2018

This season’s Tuscobia winter ultra was my best race ever. I was happy from mile 0 to mile 160 with the way everything worked: mind, body, bike, kit, nutrition. Conditions ran the gamut from WTF to silky, but most of the trail was fast as hell, which helped me finish in 21:20, almost three hours … Continue reading Ultra Fun at the Tuscobia 2018

1 Week from Arrowhead 5

Monday, January 22, is the start of the last week before the fourteenth annual Arrowhead 135. This year’s race will be my fifth. So far I’ve completed all four of the Arrowheads I’ve entered, and I hope to earn finish number five this year. Five years is half a decade, which seems like a long … Continue reading 1 Week from Arrowhead 5

Tuscobia Race Report

Last weekend’s Tuscobia winter ultra in central Wisconsin was a tough event, a solid challenge, and, after 33 hours of racing, a satisfying accomplishment – 9th place out of 14 finishers (and 34 starters). A week out from the start of the 160-mile bike race, I knew that I lacked the fitness to go fast. The … Continue reading Tuscobia Race Report

January Racing Recaps

Fat Pursuit 2017 (part I): the first part of my race report on the Fat Pursuit Fat Pursuit 2017 (part II): the rest of the race report on the Fat Pursuit Fat Pursuit Numbers: some facts and figures on the Fat Pursuit Fat Pursuit Bike, Gear, and Kit: a look at the clothing and equipment used at the Fat Pursuit Arrowhead IV … Continue reading January Racing Recaps

A Good Winter’s Riding

My winter of racing ended with Saturday’s Fatbike Frozen Forty race at the Elm Creek trails in Champlin, Minnesota. I did this race in 2013 (my first-ever fatbike race) and in 2014, and found 40+ miles of snowy singletrack to be just a little beyond my abilities. This year I did the race as a … Continue reading A Good Winter’s Riding

Arrowhead on Strava

For those who’d care to see such a thing, here’s my Arrowhead race on Strava – or at least most of it; I had to reset my GPS unit at mile 9.5 after noticing that it had registered the distance (but not the time) of the drive up to International Falls! Weird. 92% of the … Continue reading Arrowhead on Strava

Arrowhead Race Report – Arrowhead III: Revenge of the Snows

I was lucky to have Salsa Cycles publish my Arrowhead 135 race report on their “Culture” blog! Arrowhead III: Revenge of the Snows They wove in a bunch of my own photos as well as some much better shots taken by Mike Riemer from Salsa, like this one.