The Dark Zone: An Adventure Racing Podcast

Today we are joined by Rachel Nolan. Rachel came to The Dark Zone's attention following this year's Expedition: Africa. Her experience, energy, and accent helped to carry her team throughout the long, tough course. Rachel shares that experience, her success as a bikepacking champion, and she eventually reminds us to get to her training. Thank you to Rachel for spending so much time with us. You can learn more about Rachel and her personal guide service at https://www.facebook.com/RachelsIrishAdventures/

Today we are joined by Zoe F. of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A rising 3rd grader, it is safe to say that Zoe, alongside her little brother Simon, has attended more adventure races than any other child in the world. In this episode, she shares her thoughts on teamwork, adventure racing, and her upcoming school year. Thank you to Zoe for taking the time out of her preparation for Rootstock Racing's Endless Mountains to spend some time with the Dark Zone. www.endlessmountainsar.com

Today we are joined by Brent Freedland of Rootstock Racing. A previous guest on The Dark Zone, Brent shares his recent dotwatching experience from Expedition: Oregon and what the race taught him about long distance racing, how the teams did (or didn’t hold it together out there), and how Bend Racing is trying to bring the sport forward. This is all in advance of Rootstock Racing’s Inaugural Endless Mountains Adventure Race which is right around the corner. Special thanks to Strong Machine Racing for sponsoring today’s episode. Their premier event - the Maine Summer Adventure Race - is right around the corner and you can learn more about them and their races at www.strongmachinear.com. You’ll have a blast as they take you by foot, bike, and boat to the far corners of Maine. Enjoy today’s episode and thank you Brent for joining The Dark Zone: An Adventure Racing Podcast.Rootstock Racing - www.rootstockracing.com Strong Machine - www.strongmachinear.com

Adventure Racer, Military Veteran, and Kidney Donor Dave Ashley joins the show to talk about his AR career, but more importantly his decision to donate a kidney to a colleague, and then use his ascent of The Seven Summits to show that kidney donors can go on to live lives of challenge and adventure. His journey wasn't easy and success wasn't guaranteed, and Dave walks us through the highs and lows both literally and figuratively. It was our honor to have him on as a guest. https://m.facebook.com/AdventureKidney/ - AdventureKidneyThe Himalyan Times -https://thehimalayantimes.com/kathmandu/kidney-donor-us-army-veteran-sets-record-scaling-mt-everestSeven Summits: Dave Ashley - Living Donor Gameshttps://www.livingdonorgames.org/athletes/sponsored-events-athletes/donor-athlete-profile-dave-ashley/Find out if you're qualified to donate a kidney: https://www.kidneyregistry.org/for-donors/am-i-qualified-to-donate-a-kidney/

Ben, Tom, and Jasper of Team Peak Pursuit join the show just hours after their finish at Expedition Oregon. In this Flash Episode, they recount their journey, how their preparation, teamwork, and communication helped along the way, and how much they have grown to love adventure racing. How did they do in the race? Give a listen to find out. Thank you to Adventure Addicts Racing (https://www.adventureaddictsracing.com/) for sponsoring this episode of The Dark Zone: An Adventure Racing Podcast. Adventure Addicts offers a wide variety of events in Maryland and Virginia. Keep an eye out for information about their next race, The Buff Betty, coming this September 24th.

New Zealanders Molly and Fynn join the show to talk about their recent GODZone experience, their preparation for such a long and ambitious course, and what they learned during the race. All of this is delivered in that wonderful and positive New Zealand way that will have you looking at flights to the island nation. Special thanks to Team Bend Racing's Jason Magness for joining the episode. Thank you to The New York Adventure Racing Association (www.nyara.org) for sponsoring today's episode. NYARA offers a variety of races and other events in and around the New York and New Jersey area. Special mention goes to their premier race "The Longest Day" - a 24-hour race and a USARA Regional Championship. Shownotes: https://godzoneadventure.com/www.nyara.org

Eric Caravella of Packrafting Adventures joins the show today to talk packrafts, their use in adventure racing, and the journey that brought him to be the founder of Packrafting Adventures. Thank you to the United States Adventure Racing Association for partnering with The Dark Zone to offer a playlist of companion videos. Link to the companion video playlist - USARA Packrafting Video - https://tinyurl.com/USARAPackraftShownotes:Packrafting Adventures - www.packraftingadventures.comThe United States Adventure Racing Association - www.usara.comEastern Mountain Wilderness Challenge - https://www.packraftingadventures.com/emwcAquabound paddles - https://aquabound.com/Werner Paddles - https://wernerpaddles.com/Alpacka Rafts - https://alnk.to/58k84XEHyperlite Mountain Gear - https://www.hyperlitemountaingear.com/Astral PFDs - https://astraldesigns.com/EEZYCUT Cutting Tools - https://eezycut.com/Northwest River Supplies (NRS) - https://www.nrs.com/American Canoe Association - https://americancanoe.org/Alaska Mountain Wilderness Classic - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_Mountain_Wilderness_ClassicGrant Killian - http://www.untamedne.comDick Griffith - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AYLNETY/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1Luc Mehl - https://thingstolucat.com/Roman Dial- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07S1TFTRY/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1For adventure mapping: - Caltopo.com

Today we are joined by Rootstock Racing's Karyn DuLaney, Joel Ford, and Paul Miller for a Flash Episode of the Dark Zone. They are fresh off their win at this past weekend's Shenandoah Epic 24-hour Adventure Race. Their highs, lows, strategy, nutrition, and accidentally paddle to the side of a teammate's head are all covered during this podcast. Thank you to them for joining us on short notice. Shownotes:www.rootstockracing.com

Today's guest is Jesse Tubb. Alongside being an experienced and well-traveled adventure racer (as well as a big fan of a Big Mac in transition), Jesse is also the founder of G.R.I.T. Adventures which strives to bring AR to younger racers. This is the longest TDZ to date, and be sure to stick around for the post-podcast bonus content.Visit G.R.I.T. here - https://www.grit-adventures.com/

Today's guest is South African Adventure Racer Donovan Sims. A longtime racer (and former rugby player), Don shares his experience and wisdom gleaned from his many races. Navigation, nutrition, sleep strategy and how to be a good teammate are discussed. Most importantly, he goes deep on his diagnosis and recovery from leukemia.

Today's guest is ARWS CEO Heidi Muller. Longtime Race Director, Adventure Racer, and now CEO of the ARWS, Heidi shares her journey from racer to RD, and how the ARWS is working to support aspiring race directors. Be sure to follow the 10th Anniversary of Expedition Africa: Lesotho coming April 2022Shownotes:Expedition Africa - http://www.expafrica.net/Events/Expedition-Africa-500-km-Lesotho-2022Adventure Racing World Series - https://arworldseries.com/

Today's guest is Jen 'Seegs" Segger. Longtime AR racer, coach, and all-around font of knowledge and wisdom. Today's episode goes deep on the finer points for the newer racer including training, foot care, sleep strategy, and how not to sleep in the jungle. (Spoiler Alert - Don't lay on the ground). TDZ listeners can visit https://www.jensegger.com/sprint-adventure-race-course and enter the code DARKZONE for a listener-only discount. Thank you to Jen for making that available to the fans of TDZ.

Today's guests are Jason Magness and Darren Steinbach of Team Bend RacingAs listeners will remember from episode #22, recorded just three days ago on February 22, 2022, Team Bend Racing's Darren Steinbach, who is providing support for the team, called in live from AR Panama to give a mid-race update. Today’s episode is a follow-up and has both Darren and Bend Racing’s Jason Magness. At the time of this recording, the team finished the race just a few hours early, but Jason is able to pull it all together and give us a great overview of the race and Bend’s experience. The race was a wild time for everyone and thank you to Darren and Jason for joining The Dark Zone.Shownotes:Darren Steinbach Instagram - @TravelingDarren

Today's guest is Darren Steinbach of Team Bend Racing live from Panama AR. Darren is providing race and media support for Team Bend Racing, and he spends some time sharing the team's experience so far, the unique events of the race, and an on-the-course overview of how it is going so far for all the competitors. You can follow Darren's updates via his Instagram feed - @TravelingDarren - as well as all the Team Bend Racing Social Media Channels. You can see the full podcast archive at www.ardarkzone.comThank you for being a listener!

Today’s guest is racer Barbara Phipps. A newer racer, Barbara shares with us her dive into adventure racing, how it has helped her to overcome her challenges, and how much she has grown as a person and a teammate. This is a deeply personal episode of The Dark Zone, and thank you to Barbara for her openness and honesty. You can see the full podcast archive at www.ardarkzone.comThank you for being a listener!

Today’s guest is the United States Adventure Racing Association Executive Director Michael Garrison. He joins The Dark Zone to walk our listeners through the revised entry process for USARA Nationals, the role of the team ranking system, and he shares some thoughts on the future of Adventure Racing. Shownotes: United States Adventure Racing Association - www.usara.com

Chelsey Magness joins The Dark Zone to talk about her introduction to adventure racing, the allure of free pizza and yoga and how it was too much to resist, her itinerant bicycle/yoga lifestyle and how it led her to champion adventure racing and mountain biking, and how her personal challenges around family and children have opened the door for her to help others. Show Notes:www.endurancemama.comwww.bendracing.com

Jay Petervary joins The Dark Zone to talk about his introduction to Adventure Racing, what he learned racing alongside his teammates, his transition into a champion bikepacking ultra-endurance cyclist, and how he finds more fulfillment today in helping others make it to the start and finish line than in his own racing. Show Notes:Website - www.jaypetervary.com

Sarah Goldman joins The Dark Zone to talk about her introduction to AR, what she has learned from being an Outward Bound team member, her favorite podcasts and short films (for when she's, believe it or not, unmotivated), and why challenge and strife are necessary to building strong relationships in racing and in life. Show Notes:Ferrington Family Fire Relief - https://www.gofundme.com/f/ferrington-family-fire-reliefOutward Bound - https://www.outwardbound.org/The Dirtbag Diaries - https://dirtbagdiaries.com/Sarah Hueniken - https://www.instagram.com/huens/?hl=enCody Townsend - https://www.instagram.com/codytownsend/?hl=enWill Gadd - https://www.instagram.com/realwillgadd/?hl=en

Shawn Lemaster of www.361adventures.com joins The Dark Zone to talk about The Fig, his racing career, the Breakdown Bikepacking Route, and all the things that adventure racing and bikepacking have taught him over the years. We go deep into not only AR but the idea of adventure in general, doing so with friends, and how much we both hate busy roads at night. Show Notes:The Fig Adventure Race - http://361adventures.com/figBreakdown Bikepacking Route - http://361adventures.com/breakdowning

Dan Staudigel - a stalwart companion for all things Bend Racing - joins The dARk Zone to talk about racing, life, how to be a good teammate, and what it's like to find yourself in your underwear in Fiji. Be sure to check out Dan's website - www.orienteer.co - as well. Thank you to TanZ Navigation for joining as a sponsor of the dARk Zone. Visit them at www.tanznavigation.com. Email [email protected] to enter a lottery to win a copy of Mark Lattanzi's book Squiggly Lines. Show NotesAnti-Fragile BookThe Adventure Race World SeriesEco-Challenge:FijiBackyard Ultra

Rootstock Racing's Abby Perkiss and Brent Freedland join The Dark Zone to talk about their new 5-day adventure race - The Endless Mountains - an ARWS Demonstration Race for 2022, partnering with Bend Racing and Expedition Canada, and how communicating and working together helps to grow the sport.Show notes:Check out Expedition Alaska - https://www.amazon.com/Expedition-Alaska-Hyperion-XIII-Productions/dp/B07QY95QMTThe Endless Mountains Adventure Race - www.endlessmountainsar.com

Search many a race start list and you'll be sure to see Mari's name. One of America's most prolific racers, Mari brings a wealth of experience and wisdom to The Dark Zone. Mari tells us about her introduction to Adventure Racing, her training, nutrition, and how to be a solid teammate. With her years of experience, her thoughts about the future of the sport are powerful and insightful. Thank you, Mari, for joining us for lucky episode #13.

Wilo Nater - Father, U.S. Army Veteran, Educator, and Adventure Racer - of Team Onyx tells us all about his recent experiences at the recent USARA National Championships, his introduction to the sport, and the steep learning curve that he is enjoying as a newcomer to AR. Listen along as his infectious spirit, love of all things outdoors, and his joy in being part of a team just pours out of him. Thank you, WIlo, for sharing your experience and enthusiasm with us. Links:Team Onyx - https://www.usara.com/tales-from-ta-the-usara-blog/get-to-knowteam-onyx

Darren Steinbach, with just a few days notice, jumps on a flight to Spain and competes in the Adventure Racing World Championships as a member of Oregon's Bend Racing . Join The Dark Zone as Darren walks us through his race, the challenges of the course, and the incredible support offered by his teammates. Plus how a bungee cord became a shin-saving lifeline.

Richard Sparks recently competed at the Adventure Racing World Championships in A Coruna, Spain in October 2021. The 600km race consisting of Mountain Biking, Trekking, Sea and River Kayaking, Coasteering, Ropes and Navigation hosted close to 100 teams. The race that Richard thought he was going to have and the race that he had were two completely separate things. Thank you to Richard for joining The Dark Zone: An Adventure Racing Podcast.

Justin 'Biz' Bakken and Brian Mayer join The dARk Zone to tell all about their recent victory at the USARA National Championships, the ups and downs of the race (broken bike shoe bolt, anyone?), and how teammate Mari Chandler (currently racing at the World Championships in Spain) saved their race 3 minutes after the start. Stick around for the bonus content. Thank you to episode sponsor The New York Adventure Racing Association - www.nyara.org - and visit their website to learn more about The Longest Day 24-hour race coming in May 2022.

Tim Buchholz of Rib Mountain Racing recounts his team's USARA Nationals experience, talks about his growth as a racer, speaks about his best and not-so-best races (Who needs to bring all the maps anyway?), and reminds us that people from Wisconsin are just the nicest people. He's so nice that when he passes you during a race he offers a bright smile and really hopes you have a great race. Yep, one of those guys. Sit back, relax, and enjoy Tim and his tales of racing greatness.

USARA Executive Director Michael Garrison, TDZ's first repeat guest, joins Brian to talk all things 2021 nationals. From the race structure, the teams that amazed him, and all the lessons learned, join Garrison as he shares his thoughts about the current state of and future growth of USARA. And get ready for some jet lag, East Coasters, when the 2022 Nationals comes around.

2021 USARA National Championships Race Director Paula Waite of 180Adventure joins The Dark Zone to talk about the recent championships, the course, the experience of various teams, and her own adventure racing career. A longtime racer, RD, and advocate for the sport, Paula and her team brought the ar community a very successful national championship. Join us to learn more and hear directly from her.

Stephanie Ross, USARA's nationals coordinator, competed in her first adventure race Odyssey's twelve-hour Jeep Kentucky AR at Carter Caves State Resort Park in 2002. She raced it solo and was completely demoralized by the course - and also completely hooked on the sport. A year later, she designed her first race, the Red River Gorge American Classic, aka the Fig, now the longest-running adventure race in Kentucky. She continued to organize races under the Flying Squirrel Adventure banner until 2015, when she turned over the Unbridled AR series and the Fig to 361 Adventures. Her efforts now focus on bringing more women (and youth) into the sport, through the Women of AR campaign. She has directed two USARA National Championships and has assisted with planning and vetting courses for Nationals since 2010.Our conversation is expansive and wide-ranging - from her background in AR, how to be an aspiring race director, and her important and vital work with the Women of AR initiative. This was a fun one to record, and I hope that you find Steph. Sit back and enjoy Episode 5 of the Dark Zone: An Adventure Racing Podcast.

Join us as TDZ interviews John Farless and Brian Fribley of No Sleep Adventures. Friends, Adventurers, and Co-Race Directors John and Brian share their love of adventure racing, their introduction to the sport, and how much they enjoy bringing AR to new racers. They also confirm the sport stranglehold that basketball has on the state of Indiana. Welcome to The Dark Zone: An Adventure Racing Podcast!

Brian Reiss - The Dark Zone's Original Recording Guinea Pig - joins The Dark Zone to tell us how he jumped into adventure racing with two feet, the things he's learned along the way, and how to be a great teammate. Brian is always up for an adventure and he's always great for a story or five.

Join The Dark Zone: An Adventure Racing Podcast as Shelley Johansen shares her background, introduction to the sport, and recent experience at Expedition: Oregon.

Join us as we hear from Michael Garrison, Executive Director of the United States Adventure Racing Association. Garrison/Mike/Michael (we call him all three during the podcast) is a longtime racer and not only offers an overview of adventure racing for the new person, but also speaks to what AR means to him and why he is so passionate about the community.