I believe that there are three common languages in the world today: love, mathematics, and music.  When it comes to how these dialects influence my motivation for training it comes down to understanding how each of these languages touch my life.

First there is love.  When I decided to make public this DMB project with people, my greatest concern is how those around me would interpret my actions.  There are those around me who just don’t understand why I would choose to punish myself in such a way that takes great courage, dedication and a touch of insanity (their words, not mine).  I believe that most of those who read this face the same questions about what adventure racing is and why we, as racers, choose to put ourselves through this kind of abuse.  It affects everyone around us; our loved ones especially.  I was truly amazed by the response I got from my family and friends when I told them my plans.  They were ecstatic and utterly supportive.  So when it comes to my love for the sport and the loving support from those around me, I have that in spades.

Continue reading ‘Quest for PQ: The Dream of Major Bull Project #7′

I was sitting on an airplane fairly recently contemplating the fresh wounds on my legs and the grin on my face as I flagged the flight attendant for an over-priced beer.  The thoughts were the unusual way in which I had met Kim Jones through one of those “six degrees of separation” moments that went something like this;

1. Bought new Kona PhD bicycle
2. Registered bike at www.konabikes.com
3. Found that Kona has registered MTB parks worldwide
4. Clicked web link for bike park in Wales
5. Clicked web link local bike shop
6. Clicked web link to Mountain Bike Wales (www.mountainbikewales.co.uk)

And that is how I found myself knee deep in a Welsh bog, filling my shoes with all kinds of primordial ooze, bonking hard whilst gasping, head in hands in 2°C (35.6°F) temperatures with clear skies, bright sunshine, and grinning from ear to ear.  I never thought it was possible to bonk with a smile on my face.  Kim Jones and Wales taught me that.

Continue reading ‘Quest for PQ: The Dream of Major Bull Project #6′

Robyn Benincasa, captain of Team Merrell Zanfel, returns with still more tips for Primal Quest success. In her first articles we took a look at her thoughts on Teamwork and Navigation, and this time out we take a look at her thoughts on the sport as a whole with Part 1 of a two part series called “Adventure Racing 101″.

Adventure Racing 101
“You Know You Wanna Try It….

Ok, you know darn well you’ve been wanting to try “that crazy Adventure Racing stuff” for a while now.  And this is your  quit-being-afraid-and-get-out-there official quick start guide! One word of advice before we start.  Run! NOW!  Before it’s too late!  Adventure Racing is the most addictive sport you will ever try, and once you get sucked in, there’s no going back.  So you may as well sell your aero bars, completely clear out your garage to make space for scads of new gear, cut back on your hours at work, give away your tangerine speedo, invest in some duct tape, and call all your closest pals-’cause you’re about to enter a world where anything and everything is possible, your course is often limited only by your imagination,  and you will learn way more than you ever wanted to know about yourself and your teammates, for better and for worse.   And you may never want to come back.   Still in?  Do I hear a “heck yeah!”?  Ok, let’s do it.  But when you find yourself eventually standing at the start of the Primal Quest or the Raid Gauloises questioning your sanity, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Continue reading ‘AR Tips For PQ Success from Robyn Benincasa – Adventure Racing 101 (pt.1)’

It would only be prudent of me before I go any further in this DMB Project to make a complete and thorough assessment of my current physical capabilities.  I have done that this week and have come to a rather distressing conclusion; I am in denial.

When it comes to physical ability, I was dealt with the “average” card; average cardiovascular, average agility, average strength, average skills.  Now, so far in my life I have been satisfied with that because when you are average and you exceed in anything, then it is considered an exceptional effort or amazing feat.  Maybe this was by design that I never chose to excel in the world of sport.  I can specifically remember the moment when I was in the sixth grade and I was standing on the sidelines at my junior high school football game.  I had been asked by the coach to be a part of the team (I think he was half blind), and instead of saying yes and feeling proud of being asked in the first place, for some reason I was cautious.  I once heard that caution is the better side of valor and for some reason at this moment I had no aspirations for valor.

Continue reading ‘Quest for PQ: The Dream of Major Bull Project #5′

“No successful endeavour begins with doubt.”

When I woke up this morning, those words were written into a pad I keep on my bedside table.  It is a habit I have had for catching those random thoughts that come into my head at any given hour of the night or day.  The hardest part about this habit is deciphering the reasoning why my brain has decided to churn out any given thoughts at any given time, not to mention the cryptic nature of my handwriting.  It is like a need a secret decoder ring or something.

What makes these words stand out is their clarity of understanding and the clear and concise way in which they were written…and the fact that I don’t remember writing them.  I have to admit I was a bit spooked at first.  It was if someone else entirely had grabbed my pen and paper and noted this brief, but legible thought.  I never had nightmares of monsters under my bed, but I am beginning to.  They would be more like Sir Edmund Hillary, Ernest Shackleton, Robert F. Scott, or Richard E. Byrd kind of monsters; the ones who dedicated their lives for the discovery of an unexplored world for the love of their country.

Continue reading ‘Quest for PQ: The Dream of Major Bull Project #4′