Sad… Dan’s a tough man – to see him broken is intense. Way to give your all, guys. Proud of you.

I was in the field for 5 days filming this race, being able to shoot this race while suffering at my own pace was key. I saw so many teams push past me in the heat only to be be passed but the “slower” teams racing within the limits of their team. As team YogaSlackers started up a huge hill (opting not to stop for water) the Temp was well over 100, Team Sole (2nd) stopped to refill water, I caught up just in time to watch SOLE disappear into the brush. Rather then pursuing I decided to sit in the river and film other teams refilling their water and cooling down before the big push. I saw this race take down the 5 top teams in the first day. I passed the Spanish team(1st place) on the side of the trail after my 2 hr break, they looked pretty bleak, and then again I found them (shortly after cp 6) searching a dry river bed in the dark for much needed water. Later I ran into team Tecneu (3rd place) searching for cp 7 and more importantly water, most of the teams had pushed over the big hill in the heat of they day exhausting their water supply. I raced off into the Darkness with team Tecneu within 20 Min I came up on Team YOGASLACKERS I followed them for the next 12 hours. see video above

I was able to be around as many of these teams came together to support their teammates, carrying packs, towing, feeding them and helping them drink. Over the next 4 days i was reminded why Adventure Racing is one of the most challenging and magical activities out there. Just Watching Ultra Athletes lose all ability to take care of themselves, letting go of all sense of ego and relying solely on the will power of the “TEAM” to carry them them through some of the most challenging terrain mother nature has to offer. It was a refreshing reminder of what Humans can accomplish when really pushed to their edge! I can’t wait to see the full video production of this race.

This reminds me why I do adventure races. No shame in the occasional DNF guys — you put yourself right on the edge.

When dehydration gets that bad, a good thing to have is some Oral Rehydration Salts by Jianas Brothers. Its a salt mix that is used by the World Health Organization to save lives. I understand they are just as effective as an IV. I was told about these by Robyn Benincasa, and I have used them with great success. I was told by Mayo Clinic nurses in a MN race when a teammate was in that condition that what the body needs is salt, not water. Electrolyte pills will just get puked back up again, and so will water. But the salty water (with carbs) will be taken in and get you back to normal quicker. I’m also a big fan of Skratch Labs Secret Drink Mix. If you look at the ingredients, it is very similar to the oral rehydration salts, plus it tastes MUCH better.

I second T.C.
To see Dan like than……
Just plain hurts.
Way to go Team YS!

So intense! Really cool video. I keep seeing cool gear I can’t identify. Can some please tell me what kind of front pack/vest system is being worn in this video at 19 seconds in?

gear curious

Thanks for sharing the video. Adventure racing is our way of stripping civilization from life so we can experience reality.. Thanks