Live, Learn, Finish, Return - Jay Petervary's 200 Mile Fat Pursuit

Jay P’s Fat Pursuit - Part One

Perhaps I had been too aggressive. 19 hours, 120 miles to West Yellowstone. Checkpoint 2. Perhaps I should have stuck with the plan. 2 hours of rest upon arrival. Instead, I’d went with one. Comfortable under the covers, my heart still raced. Pounded actually. For the past 1140 minutes it had served me well. It would not calm quickly. Lost on me mentally was the fact that all of the journey and where I now lay were at or above 6,000 feet elevation. Breathing with intent, attempting to calm a body with all systems on full alert, was proving difficult. How long it took before dozing off? Unsure.

Patience he had said. If you’re in a hurry to get anywhere, it won’t serve you well, he had said. I was not here to tour though, I was here to race, to push to the edge of my physical, mental and spiritual ability and walk that tightrope all the way to the finish. Safety nets, however, are not something The Fat Pursuit offers many of.

Jay Petervary, founder, creator of the test I was taking had shared these thoughts and more with us eager students the night before. As we stuffed ourselves full of very above average pasta entrees and bread prepared by the great people of The Ponds Lodge, there was an awesome mix of excitement, anticipation and dread in the air. This was Year three of the 200 Mile option. These numbers aren’t exact but they’re close. 30 or so starters, I think I’d heard 3 finishers.

Jay P’s Fat Pursuit is graduate level, winter Fat Bike racing in the backcountry wilderness of Idaho and Montana. It is unarguable that there is NO tougher winter test in the lower 48. 200k or miles, depending on your appetite. All above 6000 feet, with a couple opportunities to taste the sweet, rarefied air above 8,000 feet. Seldom is the occasion a racer completes this test without “bivvying” (the act of taking out one’s sleeping bag, pad and other gear of choice) in temp’s that have ranged from +20 to -40. If at any point the test becomes too tough, as it did for me at mile 145 ish, you don’t call a pickup or snow taxi to come get ya. Not an option. Go forward or go back. You got here. You get yourself out of here.

Bluebird skies. The kind I’d imagine that inspired the likes of John Denver to pen Rocky Mountain High, blessed us as 25 or so aspiring adventurers stood straddling our rigs, hopefully prepared for all eventualities. Mid twenties and hardly a wisp of a breeze. Again, Jay shared earned words of wisdom and motivation, the high noon start just moments away. Again, patience was preached. And compliments. “You are special people. You are choosing to take this test and in doing so motivating others to take their own tests....” He continued on bringing us all, like the requirement of Checkpoint 1, 80 miles away, to a boil!

“Let’s do this!” And with that Jay released the hounds. Leaving the uniquely western giant wooden arch entryway behind, our starting line immediately became our finish line. Only meters behind us, and at the same time 200 miles in front of us. The test had begun.....

This concludes part one of “Live, Learn, Finish, Return”

Part two will drop soon. 

If enjoying the reading you can download my first book “40 DAYS – Life, Love, Loss and a 1037 Mile Run” FREE just by clicking the link.

This also gets you on the early reader list for upcoming book,  “Upside Down in the Yukon River”

Thanks for stopping by. 

#dreamBIGdreams

Steve Cannon