THE BADASS: Peter Ripmaster
THE ACCOMPLISHMENT: Racing in The Iditarod Trail Invitational
Q: Peter…what is wrong with you?
A: I was born in the wrong generation.
Q: What is up with dragging the tire?
A: The biggest race on my calendar this year is The Iditarod Trail Invitational. It’s a 350 or 1,000 mile human powered endurance event (as opposed to dog sled race). I do the race on foot and I haul a sled with all my gear and food behind me. I haul a sled around Black Mountain, NC to mimic the weight of the sled and to engage my core muscles
Q: See any bears or wolves in Alaska…ever feel like food?
A: I’ve seen both! I lived up in Alaska for a couple years in my early 20’s running sled dogs. What’s funny is that MOOSE are the ones to be scared of. Folks up in AK fear moose much more than bears, especially in Winter!
Q: Why go back to Alaska?
A: Alaska is absolutely BEAUTIFUL and it’s my spiritual home. That state represents EVERYTHING I think is great about our country, namely FREEDOM and BEAUTY. I became the man I am today because of my experiences up in Alaska during my formative years. Alaska humbles me by its sheer wildness. Also, I get called crazy or insane almost every single day. It’s fun to go up and be with others that share my same passions. For a couple weeks a year, my crazy is normal.
Q: What relationship advice do you have for our readers?
A:Boys, find yourself a woman who is a lady in the streets but a freak in the bed and you should be fine!
Q: How does it feel to be a badass?
A: Somebody once asked me “After running 350 miles, do you feel 13.35 times tougher than those that ONLY go 26.2? My answer was AT LEAST!
Q: Where can people follow your adventures?
A:The Iditarod Trail Invitational starts on Sunday March 1st. You can follow along by “liking” The Iditarod Trail Invitational Facebook page or just going to www.iditarodtrailinvitational.com I’ll also be running The Bighorn 100 in June which is in Sheridan, Wyoming. Their website is www.bighorntrailrun.com
Q: Tell us a little about where you work, what you do for a living?
A:I own The Black Mountain Running Co. in Black Mountain, NC. I run trails in the mornings, get to the shop till close and then get home to my family as fast as humanly possible. I cherish my time with family. If you haven’t yet been to Black Mountain, NC I highly recommend it because it’s just a bad ass little town outside of Asheville. We have a group run every Wednesday and “The Posse” would welcome newcomers with open arms. We have a lot of fun together!
Q:. If someone else wanted to run across the frozen tundra dragging all the necessities for survival for days on end, alone in the dark, desolate, nowheres of Alaska how could they sign up?
A:If they REALLY wanted to do that, a race is not necessary. As for the Iditarod Trail INVITATIONAL, you get asked, you don’t sign up!
SOAP BOX MOMENT:
A:I think that the reason most readers haven’t heard of my exploits are because in some regards Trail and Ultra Running are like a high school popularity contest. To me, it seems like there are about 5 folks that you hear about ALL THE TIME. They are CONSTANTLY on magazine covers and advertisements and you would think nobody else runs trails but these few ELITES. Personally, I’m tired of hearing about these folks. Most of these folks aren’t even running much anymore. Most of these folks are stopping at the 100 mile distance too. Take a guy Like David Johnston up in Alaska and for the life of me I don’t know why he is not a house hold name in the Trail Running and Ultra Running world. Let’s just take a quick look at his 2014. He won The Susitna 100 in course record fashion. He then won The Iditarod Trail Invitational, also in course record fashion, running 350 miles through the wilderness of Alaska in 4 days, 1 hour. Then to top it off, he went and won the Across the Years 6 day Ultra Marathon in AZ running over 550 miles in that time! Outstanding and remarkable huh? Yet, you might not have even heard of David Johnston. That’s sad and wrong to me. I understand why most haven’t heard of me but it’s inexcusable in regards to athletes like David.
Iditarod Trail Invitational
www.iditarodtrailinvitational.com