All four members of Team Nike sit on a brand new brown leather couch, feet perched atop pillows placed on the trunk-style coffee chest.  Noticeably absent: blisters.  Among the whole team, only one blister was had – a small one on female member Monique Merrill’s heel.  How did they do that when all the other teams dealt with crippling foot problems?  I had to find out that – and so many more answers – while interviewing Team Nike in the lap of luxury in Moonlight Basin.

“Quite a stark contrast from the accommodations on course,” Michael Tobin (who refers to himself as “the other Michael”) noted of the spacious, loft-style cabin.  Besides the granite countertops and upscale, rustic-chic decorations, the cabin was complete with a hot tub on the deck and an amazing view overlooking the Gallatin Valley to the East and Lone Peak Mountain to the Southwest.  Moonlight Basin, the new luxury resort just up the hill from Big Sky, provided two nights lodging plus a considerable spa package at their exclusive salon to the top three teams, and Team Nike has been enjoying the pampering.  They’ve never treated themselves this well after a race before – usually their post-race ritual consists of sleep and good meals.  Throw in a massage or two and the hot tub and the team known for their ruggedness and superhuman speed is in hog heaven.

The thing about Team Nike is that they didn’t just win, they smoked the course.  They were so far ahead of the competition the race was virtually over in the first two days.  Still, the team members are very aware of their personal weaknesses, perhaps too much so.  Mike Kloser, the team captain, feels he “futzes” too much – always fussing over gear, preparations, food, showers, etc.  He thinks he spends too much time in the TAs getting everything just so, but the truth is that it makes up for other teammates’ lack of preparation. Monique said by far her greatest weakness is her disorganization and lack of preparation.  She and other team members (namely, Chris Forne) rely on Mike Kloser to make sure they get out on the trail with the supplies they need.  Meanwhile, Mike Tobin’s greatest weakness is belied by his humble self-given nickname, “the other Mike.”  He feels he’s been struggling physically recently, and has been disappointed with his results and what he perceives as a decline in performance.  This perception was not shared by the team – they feel that he’s just as valuable a team member as ever, contributing to their shared physical strength and team dynamics.  They called him the “mediator” – always cool and calm.  As for his performance, Monique’s only frustration with him is that he walks faster than she runs!  All team members are so self-motivated that they rarely need to harp on each other, merely give support when a fellow member is in a mental low on the course. 

Michael Tobin candidly discusses his weaknesses.

The team is so strong and weaknesses so unapparent that some of the volunteers had a theory Team Nike had cloned themselves and they switch out bodies at each TA.  The truth is more mundane – they are just so technically proficient and experienced that they’ve found a way around every obstacle the beginner racers encountered.  Blisters? Slather on SportSlick at every Transition Area (and sometimes on the course). Swollen legs and ankles? Wear compression socks during (and after) the race.  Wet, wrinkled feet? Shoes that drain quickly plus a wool mix / polypro sock will do the trick.  Water purification system too heavy or time consuming? KlearWater drops by Xinix.  Legs tired?  Use Leki ski poles for balance and support, lightening the load on muscles and tendons. Electrolytes need replaced? GU20 powder gives them to you without too much sugar.  Stomach upset? Always have Tums on the course.  Morale Low? Crack open one of Emily Kloser’s famous tuna or egg salad sandwiches.  Have unique medical requirements but don’t want to carry a lot of gear? Custom design kits with Adventure Medical Kits (based in Bozeman, MT).  Need more support from your shoes? Work with Nike to design shoes to your team’s specifications.  Call them Nike ORIZABAs.

Okay, maybe not everyone has a shoe company standing by to make custom shoes, but it’s not just the gear – the team knows how to prepare their bodies.  They know that running on pavement or trails is a poor substitute for bushwacking and they need to do some long treks or races to prepare their bodies and their feet – races that last 24 hours or more.  And they prepare their feet before the race, trimming nails and preemptively treating any potential problems.  Still, just three days after they’ve finished, they will be foregoing pedicures at the Moonlight Basin spa. “I don’t wish my feet upon anyone!” Monique (aka Mona) says, as the rest agree.

  Monique Merrill decides that a pedicurist would not know what to do with her feet.

But that’s what happens when you travel via human power over 548 miles of rugged Montana wilderness.  You can’t always reach the stunning views without going through a little foot pain.  The team was very enthusiastic about the land they covered and the sights they saw.  They had always wanted to come to Montana and even after the race, they want to come back and explore some of the wilderness areas they didn’t get a chance to see during the race.  At times, the views were so stunning and they were so secluded that they felt they weren’t even in a race, just four people backpacking in the wild, doing a training run.  In fact, they kept mentioning that at times the views were similar to what they’d expect in Europe or South America – undeveloped expanses, the lush beauty of the valleys – and less what they’re accustomed to in America.

Seeing these areas of America is getting harder, as they mentioned.  More and more, races like Primal Quest are having difficulty getting the permits they need to use forests, trails, and rivers.  The PQ organizers worked nonstop for over a year to get permits for the race and still didn’t get the final permits until two days before the starting gun.  In fact, the course was determined in large part by what permits were feasible and allowed by the forest service.  Team Nike and navigator Chris Forne in particular expressed concern that the race would have been much better if there were more navigation, more bushwhacking, and less cut-and-dry trail/road use, though they realize that the course designers were under these permitting constraints.  They realize that it is incumbent upon the racers and adventure race organizers to change the perception of what a race will do to the land.  Primal Quest is intended to be a zero-impact event.  Even though 200+ racers will go through the course, they will truly leave no trace.  PQ Organizers are hopeful that permitting will be made easier by a favorable review by their Forest Service representative, who was skeptical at first but impressed that after all the teams went through a 40+ mile trek, only two small candy wrappers and an M&M were found.  Good news stories like this are needed to get Team Nike and the other competitors access to the pristine landscapes they so desperately want to explore.

Primal Quest Montana has been an incredible success for the team.  They loved the land, they loved the countryside, and they had an incredible race with beautiful weather.  It was hard to pick a single favorite spot on the course.  Between the Crazy Mountains, the views from the Bridgers, the epic ropes course, and the pumping whitewater, the course was packed full of memorable moments.  They know they will return to Montana, and they know they will be at the next Primal Quest, wherever it is.  When asked where they’d like to see the next PQ, they suggested British Columbia, Canada.  Chris, the intrepid New Zealander and boy wonder navigator, went a little bigger and said “one of the ‘stans.”  We’ll have to keep that last one under consideration.

  Team Nike on their deck at Moonlight Basin.

Photos by Jason Perreira

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 1st, 2008 at 5:40 pm and is filed under Primal Quest. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.