This is Paul writing from at home (Winnipeg) here. I wanted to give things a little perspective. Arvid’s been riding ultra-marathon distances for over 15 years. But he’s a much different rider than he was 15 years ago.
At the beginning…
– In 1995, Arvid dropped out of a 1200km race after 900km. – In Alaska, Arvid dropped out of a 600km race after 480km. – Arvid dropped out of the Furnace Creek 508 (800km race) twice before successfully completing it on his third try. If you take longer than 48 hours, you are disqualified.
On the other hand…
– In RAAM, Race Across America (widely considered the world’s toughest bike race), Arvid completed 3000 miles in under 12 days. This is the equivalent of racing 6 Furnace Creek 508s *back-to-back* with the same disqualification time limit. He needed to bike 405km every 24 hours to not be disqualified. – In GrandpasCan, the pace has been raised even more. He needs to bike 452km every 24 hours to break the record. *And the ride is longer than RAAM.* – **At the end of RAAM, with about 800km left, Arvid decided to make one final “push” to the finish line, sleeping as little as possible. This “push” was as long as previous races, yet he did it in 40 hours.
Things have changed over the years…
Following your race keenly – Arvid, your passion has touched my heart and I am thrilled to be joining so many people in praying for you every mile of the way. Our God is with you!
Maryanne from Portage