---

Post PQ ponderings

Karen Lundgren / 10.07.2006

As the days pass and the finish of Primal Quest gets further in the past (one week today) it seems a bit surreal. The stories we've been telling seem a lifetime away. The heat sounds oppressive, but the memory isn't quite so bad. The long, tortuous hikes that tested our teamwork, physical stamina and tenacity seem now like a nice hike to a beautiful summit. The sand that sucked the very momentum out of our bikes is a distant memory of pushing our bikes across a quiet desert. Our dry throats as we ran out of water and our grumbling bellies as we ran out of food - somehow today it was just another obstacle to conqueor in chasing the finish line. Did we really dread the site of another Orange Flavored Gatorade? Was it all really that bad? It doesn't seem like it.

A week later and we're ready to train again, to run, paddle, bike and breathe hard.

The strongest memories are of the incredible beauty of Southern Utah. The mystical, magical and fragile rock formations. The friendly chats with other teams as we hiked together on sections of the course. The warm waters of the Green River and the gentle rapids as we boarded down the river. The quiet sadness of reaching the finish line signaling the end of a shared
journey and adventure.

The pain has somehow healed. Our minds carry only the the fun and beauty of each day and night. It's the only way we can manage to put our entry into the next big one, we'll do it again. Ready for Sweden anyone?

(Ed. Note: Before SOLE gets to Sweden it has another mountain to climb - literally. Next week, Karen and her professional and personal partner Paul Romero are heading to Africa with Paul's son Jordan to summit Kilimanjaro. We wish them luck and good weather.)