The Team Dynamic

The Transalpine Run will be different than anything Patrick or I have ever done for many reasons.  One of those is the team dynamic.

The TAR requires that you have a teammate.  But this race is not a relay like the Klondike or any of the other classic events where one person runs at a time and once they're done with their leg, they hop in the RV and tap the keg. 

In the TAR, both runners run every step. Together.  Race rules require teammates to stay within 15 seconds of each other.

High functioning teams in any aspect of life are dynamic and can pool the various strengths of the individuals.  But this is bound to be different.  As runners, Patrick and I each have areas where we're stronger than the other.  There are going to be times where one of us is holding the other up.  For instance, Patrick has great road speed and could comfortably clip off some miles at a pace that would wear me out.

Brent Knight and Brandon Newbould competed together in last year's TAR.  Brandon shared an emotional story about hitting the wall several stages into the race.  Brent was pulling away on a  long climb and realized Brandon was lagging.  Brent offered his pole to Brandon and towed him over the top of the climb.  On the following descent it was Brent who was lagging from his towing effort.  Brandon then had to pick up his buddy emotionally and set a pace the rest of the way in that Brent could follow step for step. 

"He was there for me and I was there for him," Brent said.  "We didn't want to let each other down."

You get a sense of how much this event is a team-thing by watching this video trailer from last year's race (look for Brandon and Brent at 3:15):

As for Team Chugach, Patrick and I have a lot in common beyond some of the subtle differences in strengths. 

Foremost, we both love to get out in the mountains and  have an adventure.  Both of us are psyched at any chance to  check out new places.   The  exhilaration of travelling through the heart of the Alps is going to make it hard to get frustrated about any of the challenges we face.

Secondly, we've got reasons for doing this.  Both of us love to compete and test our limits.  But I can say with certainty that neither of us will put the race ahead of our friendship.  If one person is struggling, the other is going to be focused on getting them through - not our time or standing.

Thirdly, we both have a similar overall fitness.  Over the course of a long outing in the mountains we usually end up expending about the same effort.  We should be able to set a a good conservative multi-day tempo by pacing off the slower person at all times.

The TAR really is about the journey for Team Chugach.  We're stoked for the experience.  And because of the unique team format, it's going to make for some memorable shared experiences.