Vermont Adventure Racer Megan Moir, known for her hard work, effort, and positive attitude, is one of the more frequently requested "Hey, can you bring her on the show?" guests that TDZ hears about. In Episode 107, Megan shares her athletic background, entry into the sport, and how she has grown as an adventure racer. We were delighted to have her on the show. Enjoy! Megan's Palmeres: 1st Place - 2-Person Coed - The Longest Day 1st Place (Tie) - Solo - Tug Hill 4th Place - 2-Person Coed -...

Thank you to Mary Foster, Alyssa Godesky, Wayne Leek, Greg Prouty, and Race Directors Brent Freedland and Abby Perkiss for joining TDZ for an in-race flash episode live from the race course. It's been a great, fast race and their analysis/thoughts help everyone at home get a sense of the race so far. Thank you for being a listener. If you like what you hear, please like, click, and subscribe on your streaming platform of choice. This helps spread the word about Adventure Racing and TDZ's...

Thank you to Abby Perkiss and Brent Freedland of Rootstock Racing for coming onto the show to reveal and discuss the 2024 USARA North American Championship Race Course. This conversation is being released at the very start of the race so that fans, dotwatchers, and at-home teammates can get a sense of this challenging and rugged race course. See the tracking link below. Thank you for being a listener. If you like what you hear, please like, click, and subscribe on your streaming platform of...

TDZ is happy to support The Checkpoint presented by the United States Adventure Racing Association through this crosspost of their Episode #6. Thank you for being a listener and thank you for supporting USARA. Episode Details Below: Welcome to Episode 7 of USARA's The Checkpoint Podcast. In this episode, Brent introduces the Two Rivers Adventure Race. A Rootstock Racing event, Two Rivers is the ARWS North American Championship Race with the winning team earning a free spot to the 2025 ARWS...

Thank you to Glyn Sadler for coming onto the show. From his years as a Royal Marine Commando to tackling a Trans-Atlantic Rowing Race, Glyn has many lessons for the adventure racing world. Glyn goes deep on his mindset, preparation, teamwork, and all the pieces necessary for a full ocean crossing (including turning down mid-race offerings from a well-meaning party boat!) Thank you for being a listener. If you like what you hear, please like, click, and subscribe on your streaming platform of...

Thank you to Liz and Michelle Faucher of Adventure Addicts Racing for coming onto the show to reveal and discuss the 2024 USARA National Championship Race Course. This conversation is being released at the very start of the race so that fans, dotwatchers, and at-home teammates can get a sense of this challenging and rugged race course. See the tracking link below. Thank you for being a listener. If you like what you hear, please like, click, and subscribe on your streaming platform of...

Thank you to Lyndie Hill and John Ford of Expedition Canada for coming on the show to discuss the ARWS 2025 World Championship in British Columbia. They go deep about the race location, the beauty and challenge of the area, being good Canadian hosts, and their race design philosophy. This episode has just enough beta to whet your racing appetite. Follow the links below for registration information. Thank you for being a listener. If you like what you hear, please like, click, and subscribe...

Thank you to Darren Steinbach and Chelsey Magness for coming onto the show for a TDZ Flash Episode. Recording live from the Expedition Oregon finish line, Darren and Chelsey walk us through the race course, the team experience, the challenging terrain, and their immersive race media style. Flash episodes are built for publishing speed so this episode is lightly edited and a peek into the highs and lows of putting on a multi-day race. Thank you for being a listener. If you like what you hear,...

Thank you to Luis Becdach for coming onto the show. Luis is the perfect guest when discussing the upcoming ARWS World Championships in Ecuador. A longtime racer, Luis has raced Worlds multiple times and knows Ecuador like the back of his mano. Having raced alongside him in Huairasinchi in 2021, TDZ can attest to the accuracy of that last sentence. A wild, rugged place, Ecuador is a true adventure racing destination and this episode goes deep on how to prepare for what the teams will face in...

TDZ is happy to support The Checkpoint presented by the United States Adventure Racing Association through this crosspost of their Episode #6. Thank you for being a listener and thank you for supporting USARA. Episode Details Below: Welcome to Episode 6 of USARA's The Checkpoint Podcast. In this episode, Brent speaks with Allen Wagner of Broad Run Off Road Racing about his upcoming Fall Foliage Adventure Race. An increasingly popular race, the Fall Foliage is a great race for beginners and...

TDZ helps the United States Adventure Racing Association with 'The Checkpoint' Podcast. In editing Episode #6, Steph Ross and Troy Farrar were asked by Host Brent Freedland about their favorite USARA National Championship memories. Their answers were so interesting, fun, and poignant that we pulled them out for Episode 100.5 of TDZ. Call it a 'TDZ Short.' Not a full episode but a small taste of the stories that underpin TDZ's love of AR, and we're happy to share it here. Be sure to follow...

Thank you to Grant Killian for joining us for our 100th episode. Untamed New England holds a special place in the AR World as well as for The Dark Zone as it was the first expedition race that we tackled. A legendary race, UTNE was known not only for its challenging terrain and navigation, but for the ethic of exploration and discovery brought to the event by Grant. Even though the UTNE was last held in 2018, the DNA of his race lived on in many of today's most popular races (and we hope that...

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...

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....

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....

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....

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...

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...

Thank you to Nick Hurff for coming onto the show. Whether as an Adventure Racer, Coach, Race Director, or Sports Performance Expert, Nick is a font of knowledge, experience, and wisdom. From his training to the intricacies of nutrition and recovery, Nick has much to share with the listener. Special shoutout for his Adaptive AR coming this year. This is another good one for both the newer and experienced racer....

Thank you to Polish Adventure Racer and Ultra-endurance Athlete Rafael Adametz for coming onto the show. An accomplished racer, Raf recounts his entry to the sport, his growth as a racer, and his recent experience racing La Routa Adventure Race (the Philippine one, not the Mexice one). He's a great guest so settle in and enjoy this episode of The Dark Zone: An Adventure Racing Podcast....

Thank you to Team MDWW - Mountain Designs Wild Women - for coming onto the show. As the first all-female team to win an ARWS Expedition Race, they have secured their spot in AR lore, and also provide a cracking good episode filled with guidance, advice, and the keys to their longevity. With 78 combined years of adventure racing between them, they are the best of the best and when they speak, AR class is in session. Shownotes:...

The Dark Zone: An Adventure Racing Podcast is delighted to collaborate with the United States Adventure Racing Association on their new podcast: The Checkpoint. Join Brent Freedland and Brian Gatens as they interview regional race directors and a wide variety of voices from the world of Adventure Racing. Shownotes: The Checkpoint on Apple Podcasts -...

Thank you to Team NAWWAL - Not All Who Wander Are Lost - for coming onto the show. This is a true-blue AR story. Four (somewhat) strangers decide to join forces and take on the 2023 edition Malacara Expedition Race in Florianopolis, Brazil. What follows is a bonkers story of struggle, teamwork, triumph and finishing with leftover food. This is a great listen to kill an hour or so while training. Thank you, NAWWAL, for coming onto TDZ. Shownotes: https://www.malacararace.com.br/ Episode...

Thank you to Jason Bettis and Danny Collins for returning to The Dark Zone: An Adventure Racing Podcast. Expedition Ozark 2024 is their sophomore effort as RD's and are coming into this year's race following the great success and positive feedback from EO 2023. This episode touches upon their growth as RD's, their own successful adventure racing careers, and the appeal of Northwest Arkansas as a racing destination. Shownotes:...