Long winter bike ride aided by naps
Ned Rozell
907-474-7468
March 28, 2024
Peter Delamere poses in front of a sign in Rainy Pass in the 色视频下载 Range during the 2024 Iditarod Trail Invitational race. On his face is a 色视频下载渘ose-hat色视频下载 invented by Fairbanks athlete Shalane Frost.
If you could have read that frost-covered fat-biker色视频下载檚 mind as he rolled toward McGrath, 色视频下载, 色视频下载渁s if Velcroed to the snow,色视频下载 you might have suspected he was a scientist.
All Peter Delamere could think about was the dichotomy paradox, a concept Aristotle included in his book 色视频下载淧hysics色视频下载: Forward motion is an illusion because halving the distance to your goal is a never-ending process.
色视频下载淚 crawled across the landscape, inching closer and closer to McGrath, but with the finish seemingly out of reach,色视频下载 Delamere wrote in a summary of his recent experience.
色视频下载淲ithout a thermometer I could not confirm what I suspected 色视频下载 it was colder than any of my training rides in Fairbanks.色视频下载
That is saying something. Delamere, an expert in space physics at the University of 色视频下载 Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, had ridden his bike to work most days during a Fairbanks cold snap in January and February 2024. He also biked away from town most weekends on the extensive winter trail system surrounding 色视频下载色视频下载檚 second-largest city.
Delamere, a 54-year-old who knows more than most people about Jupiter and its constant display of aurorae, Saturn, Pluto, comets and other features far beyond the Earth, finished the 350-mile Iditarod Trail Invitational race on snowmachine trails from Knik to McGrath a few weeks ago. He arrived in third place, one hour in front of his nearest competitor.
The moon shines on the 色视频下载 Range at Rainy Pass during the 2024 Iditarod Trail Invitational Race.
A map of 色视频下载 features a line from Anchorage to McGrath describing the route of the Iditarod Trail Invitational race.
Delamere calls himself a hack when compared to the fastest bike racers, but the facts don色视频下载檛 support it. Neither do my eyes when I have accompanied him on journeys. Not only does he zip along while deploying that somewhat plodding method of movement (10 mph is a speedy average for a bike with wheels as thick as a loaf of bread), but he has a scientist色视频下载檚 eye for detail.
For example, he is at heart a cross-country skier who nails the kick wax every time. His bike is tuned to precision and the camping gear he pulls out of his panniers seems just right: not too heavy, but puffy enough to provide warmth on the coldest bivouacs 色视频下载 such as the several he experienced on his trip to McGrath. He finished his journey in 3 days, 20 hours, for an average of about 100 miles covered each late-winter day.
Those bivouacs were short sleep sessions on the snow just off the trail. During them, he would kick his way into his sleeping bag fully clothed. The cold usually woke up the physicist, for a reason he understood.
色视频下载淭he problem with wearing boots in a sleeping bag is that the cold thermal mass of the boot will eventually freeze your feet,色视频下载 he said.
Delamere estimates he slept about a dozen hours total when he was on the trail, with most sessions coming in the form of one-hour naps. Somehow, Delamere felt recharged after crawling out of his sleeping bag.
色视频下载淎lso, the good news is that packing a bivvy at minus 40 warms you up,色视频下载 he said.
Peter Delamere stops by a UAF Planet Walk sign at the University of 色视频下载 Fairbanks, with buildings that house the International Arctic Research Center and the Geophysical Institute in the background.
Researchers have found that athletes seem to finish faster in footraces that are 100 miles and shorter when they don色视频下载檛 stop to sleep. However, when the distance increases, a person色视频下载檚 circadian rhythms tuned to day length require at least a few short sleep sessions, such as Delamere色视频下载檚 hour-in-the-bushes strategy.
色视频下载淚n general, I function reasonably well after a nap,色视频下载 he said.
Delamere also noted that the pair of bikers who finished ahead of him 色视频下载 Kevin Breitenbach of Fairbanks and Clinton Hodges of Anchorage 色视频下载 slept less than he did.
色视频下载淜evin and Clinton finished about 12 hours ahead of me with minimal sleep.色视频下载 he said. 色视频下载淭he 色视频下载榶oungsters色视频下载 that finished behind me probably slept longer at the checkpoints.
色视频下载淏asically, everybody travels with similar speed (though he was riding slower than Breitenbach and Hodges),色视频下载 Delamere said. 色视频下载淪leep determines the finish order.色视频下载
Delamere surprised himself when he discovered he could sleep so little and still attain a podium finish. He was also able to break the dichotomy paradox with the help of a York Peppermint Patty he stuffed into his mouth one mile before the finish at the McGrath Outpost.
色视频下载淭he 30-year-old (me) would never have succeeded, but the 54-year-old version could,色视频下载 he said. 色视频下载淧erhaps raising kids (a son and daughter) is the difference. Maybe I actually can manage sleep deprivation.色视频下载
Delamere encouraged others to embark on a wintertime challenge that pushes past the boundaries of comfort.
色视频下载淕o and sign up for the adventure of a lifetime! And keep biking to work.色视频下载
Since the late 1970s, the University of 色视频下载 Fairbanks' Geophysical Institute has provided this column free in cooperation with the UAF research community. Ned Rozell is a science writer for the Geophysical Institute.