Matt Maxwell, a wrench from Ames, has been steadfastly working all year towards something he didn't even know existed! Alas! He has quietly earned his own Cup O' Mississippi Mud! 7. Count em -7! Just like Lance! 7!
Matt is a glutton for long distance pain - I mean challenges. He is one of the only finishers of the cold and gruelling Arrowhead Ultra (www.arrowheadultra.com). 135 mile bike, ski or running (?) race through waaayyyyy northern Minnesota in the middle of the freakn' winter. Yep. winter. February. Groundhogs day to be exact. 2007? 10 finishers out of 46 starters. He did it in 2006. Finished 7th out of 16 finishers. Crazy. I checked. He signed up again. geez!
This year, Matt earned his miles in the Trans-Iowa race and in the training leading up to it. He didn't finish the TI-V3, but had 4 dirty centuries to his name by the time he went home from Decorah in late April. He added 3 more, most of em gravel hundys, over the summer for a total of 7.
Matt, welcome, unwittingly, to the cup chase!
Now, reguarding slugs like me. Seems that I've but one chance... and that is the week between Christmas and New Years. Work? What's that? I still need 2, and could throw a "Hail Mary". Such a throw would most likely be an overnight trip as far south as possible, nail a dirty one, sleep, nail a 'nuther, then head home. Beyond that - a couple of 55 degree days after Christmas would be a gift... maybe an excuse to break in the new X bike!
Stay tuned! Remember - we all have until midnight on December 31 to log that last mile.... So, Cully - GPickle - Let's go!
Peace - Dave
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3 comments:
I'm on it, don't worry. Just read a book about a guy who rode 3,000 miles across Siberia in the (-40c) winter. No excuses.
gpickle
No excuses!
Except, of course, that I'm a wimp!!!
New - X Bike????
Are we going to see some X racing next year?
John
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