Further Information

The Race - ITI350

Iditarod Trail Invitational is considered to be one of the toughest if not the toughest bike race on the planet. Unlike most other races mental strength, robust equipment and survival skills are even more important than physical strength and endurance. It is not a stage race so participants have to plan carefully when, where and how much they chose to rest on the way. There are two distances to chose from (if you are approved by the organizers). 1000 miles which many consider more of a journey than a race can take between 3-4 weeks to finish. Then there's the 350 mile version which I'm attempting where finishing times have been anywhere between 2-10 days. The time heavily depends on weather and snow conditions. When conditions are really tough only 2-3 of the toughest participants manage to finish within the 10 days cut off time. There are 6 checkpoints on the way where you can get food and sleeping facilities if you prefer. The longest stretch between checkpoints is 100 miles where I expect to sleep at least once under the stars (or sun). More details about the race can be found here www.iditarodtrailinvitational.com

Goal

My goal is first and foremost to come home in one piece after hopefully finishing the race with decent results. I can be really stubborn and don't give up unless something is seriously wrong. In June 2019 I finished Dirty Kanza XL, 350 mile gravel race in Kansas, in roughly 30 hours. I did not sleep at all and fought temperatures reaching 100°F during the day after first riding through the night. In ITI350 the distance is the same but conditions totally different. In -22°F far away from everything there's no room for errors and I have to rest enough to keep my head sharp enough to take the right decisions.

Why?

Why not? The edge of the comfort zone is where I feel the best. It seems like the zone keeps growing the more time I spend on the edge. In this race I will for sure be right at the edge of my comfort zone. If my zone keeps growing after ITI350 remains to be seen.

For whom?

I have shown up in a lot of races quite careless and without a lot of preparation but still always confident in at least finishing. The preparation for ITI350 on the other hand has taken a lot of time, money, advice seeking and speculations. I have had a lot of comments from friends and family referring to my mental health; crazy, insane, mad to name a few. This got me to lean back and think why on earth am I doing this to myself? Of course I'm doing it for myself but I think that with the attention this is getting I could try to divert it to something that really needs more attention. That's why all donations for my ITI350 journey will go to Kraftur (e. Force), a non profit organisation that supports young people in Iceland that have been diagnosed with cancer and their families. More info about Kraftur can be found herewww.kraftur.org

Thank you for your support! May the Force be with you!

Below you'll find some clips from my previous fatbike adventures. Enjoy!