Happily Ever After

Jeff Akens, support crew leader for adventure racing team Merrell/Zanfel Adventure, carries fiancee Robyn Benincasa, captain of the team, to a support vehicle and a day of hard-earned rest in the team's Big Sky Resort condo. Robyn and her teammates had just completed the 500 mile Primal Quest expedition adventure race in Southwest Montana. The team took second place.

Merrell/Zanfel Adventure to Finish Primal Quest Today

Today team Merrell/Zanfel Adventure will finally cross the finish line of Primal Quest Montana. The expedition-style adventure race began at Big Sky Resort on the morning of Monday, June 23, and, for Merrell/Zanfel Adventure at least, will end right where it started, some time this afternoon, on Sunday, June 29.

The team has endured 500 miles of multiple mountain hikes, multiple mountain bike rides, rock climbing, rope climbing, orienteering, rappelling, whitewater kayaking and even whitewater swimming. Through it all, team members Robyn Benincasa, John Jacoby, Travis Macy and Aaron Prince have been forced to work together at all times, as a team, to complete the course. This was their first race together. They now have a bond so tight, it's difficult to comprehend.

Support crew members Jeff Akens and Ryan Floth have set up and torn down camp for their team a dozen times. Many former racers who work as support crew say that crewing is only slightly easier than actually competing in the race. Watching Jeff and Ryan in action, I believe it. Many nights they only got a few hours of sleep. Their endurance was astounding.

I expect my next post will show a very happy team Merrell/Zanfel Adventure at the finish line.

Travis Macy's Family Drops in at Storm Castle

Travis Macy of team Merrell/Zanfel Adventure has been looking forward to this day for more than a week. Because today, his family ventured out from Evergreen, Colorado, to visit Travis on the Primal Quest Montana course. They caught up with him at Storm Castle, just before team Merrell/Zanfel Adventure set off for the ropes and orienteering sections of the race. Family members who visited Travis include, from left, Travis' dad, Mark Macy; younger sister Dona Macy, age 14; and Travis' mom, Pam Macy. Mark Macy has been around adventure racing for quite a while. Check out his team Stray Dogs site here. Welcome to Montana, Macys!

Ryan Floth! Fix My Bike!

Bike maintenance genius Ryan Floth, supporting team Merrell/Zanfel Adventure at Primal Quest Montana, built his life around bikes that are ridden hard and put away wet. And muddy. Which isn't all that good for the myriad moving parts on today's bikes.

While PQ Montana is Ryan's first time crewing for Merrell/Zanfel Adventure, it's not his first time to the Big Dance. He's crewed for team Subaru at two other Primal Quest expedition adventure races.

Experience has taught Ryan that Primal Quest destroys bicycles. He said there are three things every PQ bike mechanic needs to watch out for. Flat tires, which he avoids by running tubeless tires. Bent or broken rear derailleur hangars, which he says can't be avoided, so he brings spares. And mud, which he fends off by thoroughly cleaning each bike when it comes in from a bike section of the race.

Should the unthinkable happen, Ryan brought along two extra complete bikes. He also has on hand enough parts to build another complete bike if needed.

Ryan tuned bikes for Ellsworth Bikes in San Diego for a time. These days, he works at Performance Bikes in San Diego.

Unspeakably Dirty Laundry Piles up at Primal Quest

By now we've all heard the Primal Quest catch phrases and buzz words. It's a 500 mile expedition. Even the fastest teams will take six days to finish. Those facts are difficult to wrap your mind around. Here's one that's much easier to understand, because like you, PQ athletes put their pants or bike shorts on one leg at a time.

These athletes didn't bring six pairs of bike shorts. They didn't bring six moisture-wicking T-shirts. Even if they did bring six pairs of socks, they burned through those long ago in efforts to save their feet from certain disaster.

So six days into Primal Quest, team support crews are dealing with piles of unspeakably dirty laundry. Imagine the nastiest thing you have ever smelled, multiply it by your favorite large number, and you start to catch a whiff of what's developing here.

Surrogate Mom Comforts Benincasa at Primal Quest Transition Area

Team Merrell/Zanfel Adventure has unusually close relationships with its sponsors. Sue Harvey Brown from Merrell was in Montana prior to the start of Primal Quest, and Steve Sisler, the team's contact at Zanfel, rolled into Bozeman today to show his support. Steve's wife Heather Sisler, and Robyn Benincasa have developed something of a mother-daughter bond. Today at Transition Area 10, Heather was patting Robyn on the shoulder, probably telling Robyn everything will be all right. But not for another day or two, when Robyn and the boys cross the finish line!

John Jacoby Meets the Press

Interest in the Primal Quest expedition adventure race remains high here in Southwest Montana, with stories appearing in daily newspapers each morning, and on television each night. In the photo above, Australian John Jacoby of team Merrell/Zanfel Adventure answers reporters' questions before departing Transition Area 10.

Support Crew Customizes Merrell/Zanfel Adventure Van

Merrell/Zanfel Adventure isn't just one of the most competitive adventure racing teams at Primal Quest, it's also got one of the best support crews at this epic expedition. Check out this photo I got of the interior of the Freightliner Metro cargo van in use by Merrell/Zanfel Adventure at PQ. When support crew member Jeff Akens picked up the van from the rental place in San Diego, it was empty. See those shelves on the right-hand side of the photo? Jeff built them. One trip to the Home Depot for two-by-fours and plywood, six hours of careful power tool work, and there you have it. Shelves by day, bunk beds by night. A place for everything, and everything in its place. And only ONE trip to the Home Depot for this project? I make a minimum of three for every attempt I make at being handy!