The Bend Racing Podcast

In 2016 I collapsed in the remote wilderness of the Patagonian Expedition Race. We were in 1st place at the time, and my team literally carried me to the safety of the next transition area. There a media crew interviewed us in the raw moments of realizing we'd lost the race we'd spent nearly a decade trying to win, and worse, my racing career was likely over. But then I flew to India and took a gamble...

Yeah - it was bad. But looking back at it is oh-so-good. It was the who's who of AR at the time - with Mari Chandler, (the late great) Peter Jolles, Ryan Van Gorder, WEDALI, Marco Anselem (Vidaraid), Kyle Peters, Bob Miller, Fletcher Hamel, etc. And in the mix was our baby team when Dan was only 24 and could barley grow a mustache. Seriously, after you listen (or before) check out the video playlist on youtube here. I can't believe these are still up, but yeah there is quite a fun old school AR playlist. And then it all went away - the race disappeared, but unlike other recent failed events, this one still has all the videos nicely curated for a blast to the past. And damn, I was in my 30s then!

Yep - we all know they happen. And this race in Brazil's remote Pantanal region (the world's biggest wetland) was incredible - both in it's scope and failures. And we were there. A guy lost his hearing. No one finished. And not even the military could get into some of the TAs to help get people out. Oh yeah, and did we mention the crocodiles? The Indiana Jones pilot? Teams rebelling against the organization? It had it all.Read the GearJunkie report and see images hereBut a video tells even more. Check out this video from the race

Ok, this really isn't #9, cause I am pretty sure we only have done 5 of these, but I was not sure so we said 9. Join us as we discuss the recent La Ruta Madre Race, the Magnificent, racer responsibility, getting sick post race, and a host of other AR related stuff. Good to have Darren back with us, and excited to get back on the podcast train and churn out some episodes while we recover.

The 2024 Adventure Racing World Champs is in the books. And it was a doozy - with tight competition and many course changes that left us with a new World Champion and lots to talk about. So join me for some analysis of the broader implications of this year's race.

Join us in a unique journey to far away Ecuador as we endeavor to line up with 300 other athletes at the start line to the Adventure Racing World Championships. And I mean join us for real. This podcast was recorded live throughout one of the most challenging "pre-race" experiences in the history of the sport. Missing tickets, power-outages, dirtbag failures, an impromptu trip to New York, and a new surprise every minute...and you are there as it all unfolds - for better or worse or even worser. (is that even a word?)

Weather Proof Courses, Modern Pentathlon is not AR, Bothy Bags, Opinionated Arseholes, Awesome map boards, Solo Expedition Racing, and more. As the 2024 season gets ready to culminate at World Champs in Ecuador, we look at the state of affairs in the Adventure racing universe. Give us a listen, and then listen to a few of the back episodes that you missed!

Want to know the quickest and most effective way to boost your endurance/racing/life/health/sex/relationships with very little to no work? Yep, of course you do. Oh, and if you do join AR School, please use this link! https://ar-school.circle.so/checkout/bend-racing?affiliate_code=5f430f

Ugly Babies, the aftermath, the idea of a "world championships", kid power, navigation vs speed, national kudos, some shenanigans!

All the info you could ever need to get super excited about the USA's final ARWS race of the year. The 5th edition of Expedition Oregon is so big it could not fit into one state! Join Darren and Jason as they give a away lots of details on this legendary event

Ok, I made that up. But a podcaster can dream right? But I did have a great conversation with Jr National Orienteering team members Ben Brady, Ben Conley, and Zariah Zosel. They tell some great orienteering stories, and discuss how they became better with a map and compass than nearly every adventure race navigator in the country - all before they could vote or drink. And yeah - I try to convince them to start mixing it up with some paddling, mountain biking, and bad maps. Will they be swayed to the dARk side? Listen now to find out. Huge thanks to these three youth for being so fun and articulate - even if they didn't share and of their perfect navigation secrets with me.

We all know what WTF stands for? But do we? Regardless, most first time participants in the Fear Society's "Wilderness Traverse of Fiordland" would likely be using the more standard WTF acronym meaning several times throughout the event - most likely starting during the daunting pre-race meeting. Come along as we go inside the event and follow the "non-race" through the eyes of the RD, his brother, some kids and one very talented team that gets lost.

We'll delve into the state of AR as the 2024 season gets fully underway! The truth behind Hollywood's "Arthur the King" What's up with Bend Racing's love of ties Ranking Challenges at Expedition Ozark Just what is a mountain bike defined as, and why is that important Tyvek painter suits and looking for loopholes Should we expect races to be "safe" or for teams to race "safely"? Plus codes for some great brands!

What if you could never put on a pair of padded bike shorts again, or skip a ride because you were worried about cold hands. Better yet, what if you could stop at that coffee shop on the way home from your long training ride without the wobbly awkward tap tap tap of bike cleats and tired post ride legs. Or what if you could save minutes on every transition in a race, increase ride comfort and never lose performance. Impossible you say? You are probably right. Best to just skip this podcast and wait for the next one.

Boom. Lets look at all things AR as we transition from 2023 to 2024. A Hollywood movie looms (and will finally educate the world about this sport, albeit with some questionable realities), ARWS looks at rule changes, and Kiwis come to race in America. We are joined by long time racer and Expedition Oregon 2024 course designer Darren Steinbech!

A new Study reveals how to improve map/compass/navigation skills without any training or instruction. Sound too good to be true? Yeah maybe, but with all the awesome races coming up you might owe it to yourself to keep an open mind and give this one a quick listen. I figure that I've been unconsciously doing this for nearly 20 years - since I've never really been taught navigation. Seems to have worked pretty damn well for me.

How does a ground fall on a remote Scottish sea-cliff lead to questions of spirituality, heavy drinking, a broken back, and dancing Irish Jigs? Somehow it is all connected. Follow the folly and adventures as we hear a mostly true legend from before there were cell phones.

Having kids has been a very multi-faceted experience. But one of the best times is seeing adventure through their eyes. Taking them places that my wife and I would rate a 1 out of 10 on our "adventure scale", but rediscovering the magic through their eyes. A mellow class 2- river canyon only 20 minutes from our house is transformed into something akin to the Grand Canyon in our little boys eyes. Staying up late to look at the stars, listening to the swooping swifts eat their morning breakfast of bugs as the sunlight peeks over the walls of the valley, or hiking 2 miles up to the aptly named "chimney rock" (one of literally 1000s of chimney rocks across the west coast!) all become magical and transformative experiences. So take a load off, and join me in this little escape into the wonder of childhood with a few extra stories thrown in. As always, thanks for listening!

Andy Magness/. Risk, Adventure, and being a dad. "Adventure" and "Risk" are easy bedfellows. But things become more complicated when you add "Parenthood" to the mix. In this episode, we'll hear from host Jason's twin brother as he weaves a story about an ill-fated expedition to seek out a talking bear named Stumpy. And then he will share with us some beautiful thoughts that all adventurous parents will connect with. Worth a listen. Andy is a rare, wonderful person.

A tube of exfoliating apricot face wash once saved me from trouble with the law. True story. Suggest that you listen to Episode 7: "First Day Of Work" before this one to get a bit of context, but this story stands on its own too. I bit bitter sweet recording this as I was supposed to be racing across Arkansas with my wife this week but a painful 8mm obstacle made me change my plans! Regardless, enjoy the story, share the podcast, listen to some Midnight Oil music, and visit our sponsors below! Oh - and have a great adventure of your own soon! Missionfarmscbd.com - Code BendRacing40 for 40% off AOSskincare.com - code BendRacing for a discount - we love the SkinDoctor products for cuts, blisters, climbing flappers, and mostly for prevention of all of those! Ellsworthbikes.com - current world champion bike, finally being released to the public. Those who ride, know. Limited bikes available now!