The three remaining members of the team went on today with the start of their final days at PQ Montana. They had a good nights sleep,ate spaghetti for dinner,pancakes and scrambled eggs for breakfast, and headed out for a 50 mile bike ride in the Gallatin mountains. Some epic rope-work, an orienteering section, a last trek to make their feet feel more misery than they do, and a final 31 mile bike ride back up to Big Sky remain, and then they can lay this race to rest. I am sad not to be travelling with my friends and team-mates any more, but it was not in the plan this year. My feet are healing, I can breathe easier once again, my spirits are lifting, and I cannot wait to see them cross the finish line together. For Charlie this will be his 3rd PQ, Iona’s 2nd and Paul’s last, but the lasting memory will be the friendships forged in steel for the time they spent in the back country watching each others backs, and forcing them to go beyond their pain thresholds for the good of each other. In a couple of days PQ will rollup and leave town, and all the athletes will go home to their familes, lives and jobs,but the memories,those will last forever.

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Well…

Life goes on.. Sometimes hard lessons are learned, some are harder than others.
This, for me, was one of the hardest. First and foremost, thank you for your prayers and concerns.They do not go unnoticed,and I love you all for them. I started the race on monday knowing that something was not right, and last night, it all came to a head, thereby ending my dream of finishing PQ Montana 2008 with some of my best friends. I collapsed from shortness of breath,something I had been dealing with since the race started, and collectively my team-mates and race Doctors confirmed that they were pulling me for medical reasons,forcing me to withdraw. My O2 levels in my bloodstream were in the 70’s,dangerously low, should be in the upper 90’s and I should be close to death let alone racing. Those that know me know that I have NEVER quit anything before, and so I was crushed and emotional from the news,despite knowing it to be the correct decision. They sent me to the local hospital where I was admitted and I’ve spent the past day. I was diagnosed with pneumonia,damage to my kidneys, anemic ( dangerously low on iron).I received steroids, anti-biotics, many breathing treatments,and yes, 22 bags of fluid. And now I get to take a month off from physical exertion, and do nothing, drink lots of fluids,and let my body heal..Due to the kidney damage, my muscles are a little shredded so I feel like I got run over by a Mac truck, but I will be fine. Thank you again for everything, and for your concerns.

So….last night was difficult. Iwas faced with quitting something you have loved for so long. Given the realization that my quest is now over was,is, hard to swallow. My friends are out there racing with heavy hearts missing me as much as I miss going into battle with them. I will watch them finish this race for “us.” I will watch as they carry me with them across the line, know in the journey we have endured together. The best teams in the world are here, and we were, are one of them. No one can take that away from us. We know why we started this journey together,and now my destiny is to watch a team of three, that was once a promising team of four, do amazing things. Life is short. I am thrilled for them. Plenty more races to be had.

 

love you guys, Go Team Tecnu Extreme

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Here are a few pictures I was able to take before I went to get the other bike..

Some of you are concerned with their mental state as well as their well being. For the most part, everyone was sleep deprived and edgy… That’s nothing a 2 hour nap couldn’t take care of! Tempers were mild, but there were a few flair ups along the way. Those were recognised by the other and were ignored as they knew it wasn’t a big deal. There were also a few times where a few things went ‘missing’. whether it was because they are normally forgetful or just having a brain fart from their great adventure, I can not say. :-p

Before they took off on this leg of the race, everyone seemed fairly up beat and motivated to keep going. We should be seeing the team shortly after their 14 mile ride (?) and help them get ready for the next part of the biking as well as their trek that is after the bike at the Unassisted Transition Area. that next trek will be around 30 hours by their rough estimates.  So we shall see how this next trek will treat them!

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I don’t have much time at the moment for a long post, but I did want to let everyone know that they made it after their long trek. They came with smiles around the corner ever so excited to share their battle wounds. (blisters among  other things) I’ll have pictures later.. I was only able to visit with them for a little bit as I had to go to the previous UTA to pickup a bike from a different team. Charlie’s shock is has a problem holding air making it unridable.   For now, I must go, but will post again soon

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Mike and I are still waiting for the team to get in.  It looks as if they are going to make it in, slow but sure, around 9ish by our estimates. Based on what other teams have talked about, this last trek was full of snow and obstacles such as trees as well as difficult navigation. If the other team started later, such as team Tecnu, they said it would have slowed them down greatly having to navigate more in the dark.

Will they come in holding their head held high? Will they be exhausted and want nothing but sleep or food?

More details as soon as we find them out!!

Steven

Edit: Just as i finished this post, it started to rain with waves of light sprinkles to pouring..

 

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As of late there have been updates for the updates they’ve given us. Right now we are getting everything setup for the team at TA 6 which was supposed to be emigrant.. But was changed to a place thats past that TA 14 miles. This next part of the race was to be by hard kayak,but with the water levels past flood stage and county emergency personnel short handed because of non-pq race rescues; they have changed the course once again. The next part of the race will be a continuation of the biking to the next, new TA. I’ll try to keep you all up to date as much as possible.. So more to come!

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Just moments pass by as mike and I get the last bit of things packed in the trailer. From where we were staying many people were looking in amazement at the tiny specks moving on top of the mountain. So I thought I would share those with you as well, first from a normal view. Then a zoomed in view.

As time slips away, the people around are talking about some teams on their way down the mountain.. We check online and it does not look like anyone is close to. We head up to the Transition Area to get set up. Not more than 25 minutes go by and we hear, ” Here is team 36!! ”

Here’s Doug! Looking good, feeling good..

Charlie looking focused and determined…

Iona, just wanting some dry socks and some water..

Was Paul thinking -”Okay, so I’ve made it, where’s my money? Then how about a high five?? ”

They make it over to our area with a few things set out for them, not expecting them to be in that soon. Helped with what we could, such as fulling their water up and anything else. Before I knew it Charlie’s calling out, “15 minutes are up!! Lets gooO!”

In a blink of an eye there were wrappers, empty pop cans, and wet clothes were all that remained of their visit. That left Mike and myself looking at each other, in amazement of what just happened, yet looking forward to what will happen next!

Steven

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