Four cyclists have accepted the true test of their endurance and strength by signing up for Race Across America. To prepare for the journey these men have undergone countless hours of strenuous training to fully develop their ultra-endurance athletic stamina and their acute mental focus. Pushing themselves to the limit, they will ride relay-style from California to Maryland purposefully centered on making it to the finish line.

The Bandwidth.com RAAM team riders are: David Morken, John Murdock, Sean Matt and Joe Parke. Take a look below to see how they stepped up to the RAAM challenge.

David Morken

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Age: 40!
Company: Bandwidth.com
Job Title: Co-founder, CEO & President
Height: 5 feet 11 inches
Weight: 150 lbs.

• What is your cycling background? Obscure yet super cool races like Godzulla and Blood, Sweat and Gears, and the epic weekly SAS ride.
• Have you participated in any previous endurance races?
  2008, 2007 Wasatch 100 Ultramarathon, Salt Lake City, Utah
  2005 Ironman World Championships, Kona, Hawaii
  2001 Ironman California, Oceanside, CA.
  1998, 1997, 1996 - Keahou-Kona Half-Ironman, Big Island, Hawaii
  1998-1999 - U.S. Marine Corps Triathlon Team
  1998, 1997 - Honolulu Marathon, Waikiki Roughwater Swim, Powerman Hawaii, Oahu Triathlon Series
• Do you participate in other endurance athletics? Mountaineering in North America
• How has your occupation helped or hindered your training effort? It seems as though my generation has replaced playing golf and tennis with suffering on the bike, thrashing in a pool and flailing on a run. Finding like-minded knuckleheads has been great fun.
• What is your inspiration and motivation behind your training effort? I don’t seem to need either inspiration or motivation to train…seriously…its just something I love.
• What are your feelings about the upcoming race? I’m eager for the lowest of the lows and the highest of the highs with the team and the crew.
• Do you have any pre-race rituals? Prayer, worship, more prayer, more worship. What did the dude in Chariots of Fire say? “When I run, I feel God’s pleasure.”  …or something like that.

John Murdock

Hometown: Cincinnati, OH
Age: 46
Company: Bandwidth.com
Job Title: General Counsel
Height: 5 feet 11 inches
Weight: 170 lbs.

• What is your cycling background? I am a licensed Category 1 road racer. I started racing in dinosaur times during a great era of cycling when Greg LeMond turned cycling upside down in Europe and Bernard Hinault proved he was the toughest cyclist ever. While some of my colleagues in my peloton (pel·o·ton noun: the main body of riders in a bicycle race; also pack, bunch or field) went pro and made it to Europe, I shaved my head and joined the Marines. Years later I began racing again, and I intend to extend the adventure a little longer. It may even continue with my two boys.
• Have you participated in any previous endurance races? Long ago I was a contender in my fair share of triathlons - that is until a massive cycling accident destroyed a rotor cuff.
• Do you participate in other endurance athletics? Not right now.
• How has your occupation helped or hindered your training effort? My job has definitely helped my training effort. Without my present occupation at Bandwidth, I would not be dedicated to training for the Race Across America.
• What is your inspiration and motivation behind your training effort? To give Glory To God. If you do that, all the rest is taken care of.
• What are your feelings about the upcoming race? The race will be an epic test of myself, the team and the crew.
• Do you have any pre-race rituals? Pray that all will be kept safe.

Sean Matt

Hometown: Seattle, WA
Age: 43
Company: Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP (HBSS Law LLP)
Job Title: Partner
Height: 6 feet
Weight: 156 lbs.

• What is your cycling background? I am a licensed USCF Category 3 racer.
• Have you participated in any previous endurance races? I’ve been in many triathlons and cycling road races.
• Do you participate in other endurance athletics? Oh, yes - chasing our four children from sport-to-sport.
• How has your occupation helped or hindered your training effort? Working 55-65 hours per week does not help training.
• What is your inspiration and motivation behind your training effort? I am taking on this huge challenge and giving it my all. Plus, I haven’t kicked Morken’s behind since George’s Gap, so he’s due….
• What are your feelings about the upcoming race? All of the above, but mostly excitement at the prospect of doing it.
• Do you have any pre-race rituals? No.

Joe Parke

Hometown: Howell, MI
Age: 34
Company: Bandwidth.com
Job Title: Director of Strategic Services
Height: 5 feet 10 inches
Weight: 160 lbs.

• What is your cycling background? [In your best Forest Gump voice] One day I just started cycling.
• Have you participated in any previous endurance races? USA Cycling sanctioned RR, TT and Crits.
• Do you participate in other endurance athletics? I build up my endurance by chasing two highly mobile children.
• How has your occupation helped or hindered your training effort? It has helped. Bandwidth.com is a cycling friendly organization with showers available in the office.
• What is your inspiration and motivation behind your training effort?
• What are your feelings about the upcoming race? I’m not very good at expressing my feelings.
• Do you have any pre-race rituals? Yes, but you don’t want to know.

Tags: bandwidth, Bandwidth.com, RAAM, race across america

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