PQ Team #49 - CareerBuilder.com

Primal Quest: Days 3 and 4

team-admin — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 15:56:05 +0000

“The only way to find the limits of the possible is by going beyond them to the impossible.”
-Arthur C. Clarke

The past couple of days have tested the limits of endurance, determination, desire, teamwork, and physical ability. The course has been so difficult that due to safety concerns, white water portions have forced the course to be altered to include more time on the bikes.

Our team has been pushed to limits most of us will never experience. They have had to endure pain, frustration, and fatigue. However, they have continued to push on despite all adversities and now find themselves in the top 20! At this juncture, nine teams are out of the race.

Our team has overcome myriad issues- blistered raw feet; digestive issues; weather; breathing problems; irritability; and even frustration amongst the team. However, sheer determination and love for each other and the sport have helped them to regroup. get in their zone, and now they are now within the top tier of the elite (and insane) athletes still in the race!

Spirits are once again high and the bike leg they are currently on is a welcome (but short) reprieve from the miles of trekking they have had to endure.

I have attached a bunch of pictures and please check out the link to youtube/google earth which does a great job showing how difficult and challenging this race really is.

-Sheridan

Go Team 49!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Check out the course video

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Primal Quest: Day 2

team-admin — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 15:44:18 +0000

The night of Day 1 was a cold, long night for our racers. They got a bit off course but were quickly able to get back on track and make it to TA2. After catching a couple of hours of sleep and some much needed food after running out the night before, the team was ready to face the raging Gallatin River.

Day 2 reminded the racers and spectators alike why this is an extreme adventure race. The river was quite high and there were four river rescues (including our fearless Ivy). Eventually, the race coordinators decided that the river was just too much and the racers were routed around the river and on to the next TA for more trekking. Thankfully the white water portions are over now.

Despite all of the excitement, team spirits are still high, jokes are warming the air, and smiles are still wide.

Let us see what Day 3 has to offer.

Sheridan

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Primal Quest: Day 1

team-admin — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 15:43:08 +0000

The day started with a fog that was thick enough to obscure the surrounding mountains but not thick enough to mask the apprehension in the air. Team Career Builder.com spent many hours last night pouring over maps and charting the course- so many hours that I was beginning to wonder if they decided to map the entire state of Montana as well! One thing can be said, no one will ever be able to say our team failed to prepare!

Pre-race jitters filled the morning air……”did I train enough?”…….. “will the altitude do me in?”……. “what exactly are those majestic mountains waiting to shell out?” But the apprehension slowly began to turn to excitement as the fog began to lift.

The teams gathered at the starting line. A shot was fired and the echoing gunshot warned the mountains that the teams accepted their challenge and with that Primal Quest 2008 officially began!

Career Builder.com wasted no time letting the other teams that they were a force to be reckoned with. They started (and are still going) strong…. by check point 3 they were in 11th place out of over 80 teams and it is becoming clear that Team 49 has the potential to do extremely well in the most difficult race in the world! Today has been filled with trekking and at the time of this writing they have already covered nearly 50 miles.

After a warm meal consisting of baked beans, ramen noodles and… pickles the team will face the next challenge of nearly 30 miles of river boarding in icy waters. I have attached some pictures of the team just before the race start.

As each of you crawl into your warm and toasty beds, send warm thoughts to our determined crew as they venture through the dark night.

Until tomorrow…..

Sheridan

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Team CareerBuilder.com Pictures

team-admin — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 01:32:25 +0000

During the minimal time we have to find access to a WiFi network it is much easier to use an automated process to post pictures to Flickr instead of the blog. You can find the latest pics from the support crew on flickr here.

The team is doing well. We just saw them off from TA4. Everyone was thrown from their boats during the Duckie section. Ivy tells us there is some incredible HD footage from when she and Tom were shot out of the boat. The river was closed just as the team was strategizing about the riverboard section and we shuttled them to TA4 where they refueled and were off.

Their feet are definitely tender so they’re not moving as fast as they’d like but everyone is in good spirits and they thank everyone for sending them good vibes.

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Team Careerbuilder.com

team-admin — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:01:11 +0000

Team Careerbuilder.com would like to thank Careerbuilder.com for their generous support which has enabled our team to reach the starting line of Primal Quest Montana this year. Without their financial support, our team would be woefully under-prepared in terms of gear!

Thank you to Elk Grove Graphics for their assistance with our team kit design and their tremendous support.

Thank you to Jody and the great folks at Greenfish Adventure Sports. When PQ threw us a curve ball and required snowshoes as mandatory gear, Greenfish Adventure Sports stepped up to the plate and express shipped our lightweight, Atlas Race snowshoes to us in plenty of time for a quick test romp through the snows of the Utah mountains before the race start. Thanks for the t-shirts guys! We will wear them proudly!

We would also like to thank Karan Estee and the Utah Kayak School. Karan went above and beyond, sharing her knowledge and skills, and hooking us up with some sweet gear!

In addition, a huge thank you goes out to the folks at Comprehensive Sports Orthopedics and University of Utah Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation for bringing Ivy from ACL reconstruction surgery to the starting line of Primal Quest in 15 months.

Lastly, we wanted to express our deep appreciation to all of our friends and family who have supported us during our training. It has been a year-long journey filled with hard work, emotional and physical struggles, and much much money spent on gear, training, racing and more gear. You are the reason we all made it to the start and we can’t wait to see you at the finish!

Team Careerbuilder.com is:

Brad Brozek - Navigator and fearless leader. Trekking pace keeper.

Tom Giese - Paddle God. Biking King. Overall Stud. Otherwise known as Hot Tom.

Michael Wollpert - Strongman. Race junkie. Fashion consultant.

Ivy McIver - The Girl. Team entertainment.

Support Crew:

Chuck Clark - Support Crew Chief. Veteran Adventure Racer. Team Photographer and GPS consultant.

Sheridan Chilcote - Master Chef. Legal Representation.

Jean Marasigan - Team Barista. Outdoor lover.

Team Careerbuilder.com is looking forward to the fabulous scenery, snowy mountains, and siiiick whitewater that awaits for Primal Quest Montana, 2008!!

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