They did it! Team GOALS crossed the finish line in 12th place and we were there to greet them along with a nice little crowd.

 What a difference a few hours can make! Jon reverted to his ole jovial self while out on the bike and was all smiles when he crossed the line. He claimed that PQ was his last big race of his career and that he’s retiring for golf and perhaps fishing. We’ll believe that when we see it!

Ali has to feel a certain sense of pride and accomplishment no matter how much she says she’d never do the race again. To take on PQ with such short notice, and to keep up with the big boys with terrible foot problems, AND finish in 12th place is so awesome! You are my hero and a huge inspiration to all adventure racers.

Jeremy looked as fresh on day 8 as he did on day 1 of PQ - okay a little scruffy, but otherwise in really good shape. I’m still amazed by his easy-going manner throughout the race - always laughing and smiling even through each leg of the race was epic.

Bruce was never rattled by anything - so even tempered and focused and even though he had his own issues with his feet and respiratory problems, he always made sure that Ali was tended to at the transition areas. I’m wondering if he’ll ever be able to eat a chicken pot pie ever again?

Well, this may be the last post. I’m in awe of Jonathan, Jeremy, Bruce, and Ali, and cannot believe how they pushed themselves through this race. To see the pain and exhaustion they experienced, and then watch them forage ahead through it was something I will never forget, and we can all be inspired by each one of them.

Thanks to everybody for following the team and supporting them throughout. It really was cool to see how many friends and family were out there cheering for Team GOALS and you helped the team with your words of encouragement.

BIG Thank you to Jim Mertz for being the most incredible co-support crew guy ever. I hope my driving didn’t scare you too much - and who knew that spending your vacation time doing dishes, laundry, preparing meals, dressing kids, taping feet, grocery shoppning, repairing exhaust systems, and driving on endless dirt roads could be so much fun? You made the PQ experience better for all of us.

Also, super huge kudos to Sue Rheingold, Margaret Kenton Wong, and Kase Paul for jumping in and helping after Jim left. Your adaptability and perseverance was exactly what we needed to help the team finish the race and I’d share pie with you any time.

 For more photos of Team GOALS at Primal Quest 2008, go to http://nyara.shutterfly.com/action/

Cheers and Congratulations to Team GOALS!

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Yesterday’s loonnngg trek really took a toll on the team. They arrived at CP30 this morn around 4:00 am. With a short bike ahead of them to the finish, the support crew had all of their bikes, gear, clothes and food ready to roll. At first, they said they wanted to sleep, but with a little prodding from the crew, we convinced them that it was a crazy idea to sleep when the finish was just in sight. Jeremy was the first to come on board to the idea, followed by Bruce and then Ali. But, Jonathan just wasn’t having it. With no sleep in several days and the added responsibility of being the lead navigator, he was totally and utterly spent. Did you ever see someone try to get a sitting camel to stand upright? You can push on its ass all you want, but it won’t move. Same concept with Jon. He was severely dehydrated, tired, and very sore and couldn’t get the idea of moving again in his head. Somehow, Sue got him to eat some food, drink some liquids, and then duped him into putting on his bike clothes. He had a lot of choice words for all of us that were trying to get him to get moving but we can’t publish them here as this is a family show. My favorite line however, was when he told Sue - “I can’t wait until after you give birth to our second child. I’m going to wait for three minutes and then tell you to go get on a bike.” Boy, he was in rare form, but that’s why we love him.

Jeremy, Ali, and Bruce were patiently waiting for Jon outside of the RV and I think we were all beginning to lose hope that the ride was going to occur. Suddenly, Jon emerged from the RV, didn’t say a word to anyone, got on his bike and began to pedal away. That was the clue for the rest that he was angry, but he was on board.

Right now, we’re waiting for the team to come into the finish line at Big Sky Resort and we are so incredibly proud of Team GOALS. They have really made a tremendous effort in this race and showed us all how incredibly tough they are.

Stay tuned for pix from the finish line - GO TEAM GOALS!

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Ali and Jon said there was a monster downhill single track section that was pretty gnarly, especially after being so fatigued. But, they were in good form and eager to get moving on the orienteering section. Soon after lunch, we were joined by Sue, Margaret, and Kase who were able to see the team off for yet another undetermined amount of time. Now that the added support has arrived, each team member can have the added benefit of having their own support person. Sue is handling Jon, Margaret is with Bruce, Kase is with Ali, and I’m dealing with Jeremy. Don’t worry Jim, I made sure he got his Swedish Fish.

Bruce, ready to ride to CP28

Jim and Jeremy discuss race strategy and beer

Jon snuggles with a cup o’ joeThe next leg consisted of a free climb, an orienteering section (all points were optional with points varying from 1 to 2 hour time credits), an ascent and rappel. All in all it took them about 15 hours to complete the section, and they had a ball on the ropes. Sounds like Jonny even got some good media coverage while on the ropes section, so when Primal Quest Montana airs on Rush TV (available in HD. Check with your cable operator for more details), hopefully we will get to see him hammin’ it up on the tube. Huge endorsement deals are sure to follow. He could be the spokesperson for Viagra® or maybe BodyGlide™.

The team arrived around 6:00 am this morn and were really keen on moving forward. We fed them - more pot pies, more pancakes and sausage, and sausage, egg and cheese sandwiches- and they left Storm Castle around 8:00 am. All that’s left of the race is one long 50K trek (noticing a pattern here?), followed by a 3-4 hour bike back to the finish line at Big Sky Resort. I can’t imagine that they’ll sleep before they are congratulated for their fine performance at PQ by Don Mann at the finish line.

Right now, the crew is parked at the side of Ennis Lake with the Mothership awaiting our super awesome team. They probably won’t arrive until around midnight, and we’ll have their bikes and equipment ready for their victory ride to Big Sky. It’s sunny and about 82 degrees right now, and I’m hoping the team took plenty of liquids with them. It’s weird how we all prepared for the cold weather, and it’s been nothing but hot! The nights are cool, but the daytime temps are pretty darn toasty.

BTW-It’s Ali’s 24th birthday, so everybody send her well wishes as she hikes over her last mountain range during PQ. This is a birthday she will never forget!

Our Rush TV Media Whore, Jon heads out to CP29

A tired, but happy birthday girl!

Jeremy trying to decide if he’s having fun yet

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The next bike leg could be long or it could be short. It was difficult to tell from the Spot tracker how long it actually took other teams. Jon speculated that it could be between 2-20 hours.  See the attached video for his commentary:

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Tonight they all ate various foods (a burrito and pancakes for Jeremy, a pot pie and peas for Bruce, pot pie for Jon, and French Toast for Ali). Although the trek was super long, they seem to be relatively upbeat and healthy. Jon was falling asleep while he was eating, but that’s not unusual for him.

They will sleep for four hours (the alarm is set  for 4:00 am), and head out on another bike section.  

Nike officially won the race today, and now maybe the media can start focusing on the better stories here at PQ, and not just the top teams.

Jim leaves us tomorrow for New York, and we can’t thank him enough for the tremendous job he did supporting the team.  Who’s going to obsess over making sure the bike lights are charged? Or, who will make the best turkey, ham, and bacon sandwiches for the team?  It just won’t be the same without you, and thanks for all the laughs this week. The good news is that our reinforcements are on the way.   Tomorrow we welcome Sue, Margaret and Kase, who will all help support the team for the duration of the race. 

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Jeremy,  Ali, and Bruce leaving CP18

Jonathan catching up to the team

Team GOALS leaving CP18/TA9

The team smoked the 90+ mile bike on Friday and arrived at CP 20 around 9:oo-ish. Instead of being tired and groggy, they seemed to be rejuventated and eager to continue on after a few hours of sleep. They had run out of water during the bike, and seeing as how this is Montana, it’s not like there’s a convenience store every two blocks to restock.  Needless to say, when they arrived back at the Mothership, they all desperately wanted water.

Some of you may have seen on the PQ tracker that it appears that GOALS traveled directly from CP18 to CP20. They wish! The Spot tracker isn’t always reliable, so don’t worry GOALS fans, they are still doing the full course.

Jim and I bought some fried chicken at the supermarket and it was definitely a hit. Planning meals for the team is a bit of a challenge, as you never know when they will arrive or what they want to eat. Plus, they’re pretty famished at the end of any leg, so whatever we prepare has to be quick and easy. Thank goodness for the microwave in the RV. It’s definitely a plus for this race!

The most noteable news upon their return from the bike was that Ali seemed to be her old self again. She was feeling better, and her appetite came back with a vengeance (we were a bit concerned that she wasn’t eating enough). The bike leg seemed to be good for her because she was off her tired and sore feet and knees.

After they ate, the team slept for about 3 hours before preparing for the next trek up into the mountains. We heard that there were some treacherous areas on top, and they wanted to make sure that they hit the most difficult areas after daylight hit.

It took awhile to get everybody out the door - there was the usual repacking of the bags, gathering the food to take on the trek, not being able to find a particular sock, shirt, or pair of gaiters, etc… Ali needed to tape her feet, Bruce needed to also tend to his feet and respiratory issues, and Jon’s feet had swollen enough that he needed another half size larger shoe. Jim and I bought a new pair of size 11.5 Salomon XA Pro’s during the day, but he needed size 12 for more comfort since his feet have really taken a beating. Jeremy ended up loaning a pair of his shoes to Jon, but he was having some issues with some tendons around his ankles and the shoes were still a bit snug. On top of that, he felt that he was calorie defincient and he was experiencing some uncontrolable shaking. We got him warmed up by wrapping him in a sleeping bag, and that seemed to help. 

It’s unbelievable to see how strong mentally and physically the team is - I think most people that experience the pain and fatigue that they have would just throw their hands in the air and go back to bed.  But these guys keep moving forward.  It’s so inspiring.

While Bruce and Jim tended to Ali’s feet (everything in this race is a team effort), we had a visit to the RV from the race medical personnel. Bruce had stopped by to see them a little earlier about getting a nebulizer but they were out of them. They wanted to make sure that he was medically fit enough to withstand the elevation on the mountain and to let him know that it could be dangerous. We all took their advice seriously. Bruce, with his years of experience with racing, breathing, and wheezing, assured us that we had nothing to worry about.

Note that I haven’t mentioned any issues with Jeremy. If he’s having any, we haven’t heard of any from him. He’s demeanor is always positive and he’s all smiles no matter how brutal the race is. We think that he just came to PQ as an excuse to eat massive amounts of food. That boy sure does love a meal.

The team finally left around 3:30 am, and Jon estimated that it would take them around 15 hours to the hike. Team 17 is just next to us and they said it took 18 hours, so we’re estimating them to be in within the next two hours.  In the meantime, we’ve prepared the bikes for the next leg and are going to grill some burgers for both us and the team.

Jon, exhausted. Denise, all hopped up on coffee.

Jeremy and Jon reading the shout-outs on the computer - keep ‘em coming!

Bruce and Jim tend to Ali’s feet - with Superglue!

 Team GOALS leaves CP20 at 3:30 am Saturday morn

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Here are some pictures of Montana horses for the Kuhlen Kids, Jake and Kate, from their daddy, Jeremy. 

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Finn Neely sends a message to his Daddy!

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Ali seemed to be in semi-good spirits. Her knee and feet are really bothering her and it’s affecting her will a little.  Again, no complaints from her but she’s definitely in pain and also dealing with general fatigue. We’re all so amazed at how great she’s doing and all of the guys are being very supportive through her rookie PQ experience.

Jon’s bike shoes were really hurting his achilles, so Jim to a knife to the heel of the shoes to create some more space.  He instructed us to buy another pair of Salomon shoes and biking shoes if we find an outdoor store along the way. It’s fanatastic having Jon’s credit card AND the permission to shop!

Well, Jim and I are off to do our daily RV cleaning and grocery shopping for the team. Hopefully, the next TA will have coverage, so stay tuned for more updates!

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