The Dark Zone: An Adventure Racing Podcast Brian Gatens

Thank you to Nathalie Long, Race Director for Raid The Rockies, for joining TDZ to talk about her newest stage race in the Canadian Rockies, her own racing career, and a little race called UTMB. Natalie runs the well-named Adventure Immersion Lab and her racers got their fair share of immersion at the inaugural Raid the Rockies.
Shownotes:
https://www.adventureimmersionlab.ca/
https://arworldseries.com/races/raid-the-rockies-canada
https://utmb.world/
Sponsor Links:
https://www.ascendathletics.org/

Thank you to Thomas Ogander, Race Director for the One Water Race, for joining TDZ to talk about One Water, the limits of human capacity, and how the Swedish Archipelago provides a challenging backdrop for his race. An increasingly popular event, racers swim/run for sixty hours and navigate among the coastal islands. Adventure Racers will see echoes of our sport in One Water.
Shownotes:
https://onewaterrace.com/
https://otilloswimrun.com/
https://www.gih.se/english
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7gbIVNCvG_4mSYKREpyU1g
Sponsor Links:
https://www.ascendathletics.org/

Thank you to Expedition Canada's Ben Kwiatkowski for joining TDZ to talk about his big goals and his big races. In the past several years he has competed in some of the most challenging races on multiple continents including Eco-Challenge Fiji and the AR World Championships in South Africa. A firefighter by training with many years of outdoor experience, Ben has applied all that he knows to his racing. He loves being an adventure racer and it pours out of him during the interview.
Shownotes:
https://arworldseries.com/
https://ecochallenge.com/
https://arc.remarkable.events/
https://arworldseries.com/races/vulcania-chile
https://larutamadre.mx/
Sponsor Links:
https://www.ascendathletics.org/
https://www.adventureenablers.com/

These may be the smartest guests that we'll ever have on The Dark Zone.
Thank you to Dr. Barton and Dr. Sutcliffe for joining TDZ to discuss the findings in their paper, "Enacting Resilience: Adventure Racing as a Microcosm of Resilience Organizing." Published in March 2023, they go deep on their onsite research at races and what AR teamwork teaches other organizations and professions. The team dynamic is vital in AR and everyone will leave with a greater understanding of how to function. Plus they are a lot of fun.
Shownotes:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1468-5973.12459?domain=p2p_domain&token=QMRHA2TXVIUWBMYBPHCM
Sponsor Links:
https://raceroster.com/events/2024/85413/hike-for-her-2024

Here comes the course beta!
Thank you to USARA National Championship Race Directors Michelle and Liz Faucher for coming onto the show to preview the course, discuss the logistics, and otherwise turn the Race Stoke Meter up to 11 for this year's nationals. We go deep on all parts of the race and offer training advice for all racers.
TDZ will be onsite for this year's nationals helping to bring updates, information, and analysis. It'll be here before you know it this September, and we can't wait to see who is crowned the national champion.
Shownotes:
https://www.usara.com/2024-national-championships
https://www.adventureaddictsracing.com/
https://www.usara.com/2024-national-championships
Music Intro:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7xxNc2lJSTr77HfacfOLUl?si=Q3HuT2Y2TYyrxlRoy5HQFw
Sponsor Links:
https://raceroster.com/events/2024/85413/hike-for-her-2024
https://chimneysweepva.com/

Thank you to Mari Chandler and Brennan Schoenherr for coming onto the show to discuss Arthur the King. Listeners know Mari well as she is most definitely a Friend of the Pod. Brennan is a new name for TDZ Nation. A personal friend and (currently) a non-racer, Brennan brings a new and insightful perspective to our sport. Aside from the dog, he's the real hero of this podcast. This episode is much more than a discussion of the film and we go deep on the lessons learned from the film and how they apply to AR. And, as usual, Mari regales us with story after story from her illustrious career. Special thanks to previous TDZ guest Mikael Lindnord, the real-life inspiration for Mark Wahlberg's character, for bringing his story of Arthur to the big screen.
Shownotes:
https://www.lionsgate.com/movies/arthur-the-king
https://raceroster.com/events/2024/85413/hike-for-her-2024
https://wondery.com/shows/alternate-routes/