The PQ Scoop: Mike Kloser
by kristin eddy

Less than 333 days from now Mike Kloser and team Nike will gather at the Primal Quest starting line in an attempt to extend their four win streak to five. And while anything can happen in adventure racing, Kloser and his team are still the odds on favorites. But what is the secret to their success?

Mike, who lives in Vail, Colorado with his wife Emily and children Heidi and Christian took time to talk with the folks at Primal Quest to give his insights about the race, the people behind it and how he stays competitive at the world class level.

At 47, Kloser proves that age is not a factor as he continues to add to an impressive list of race wins and accomplishments. This past June his team finished first at the Adventure Racing World Championship in Scotland, overcoming extreme terrain and weather for the win. According to the press release on the team website, Kloser had…"… an additional level of suffering due to a compound dislocation of a finger after a fall during a training run just days before the start of the event. Kloser's wife, Emily says her husband has an incredible ability to block out pain, something he relied on heavily throughout this grueling event. Two screws, reattached tendons and a bandage held everything in place during the event."

So Mike Kloser is tough. PQ CEO Don Mann confirms this sentiment. "I think Mike Kloser may be the most intense and toughest guy I have ever met. Lance Armstrong is also very tough - Lance ruled the Tour de France for years, but Mike has dominated so many diverse sports and has been doing so for decades."

The list of Kloser's phenomenal feats of athleticism include: 4 time Adventure Racing World Champion, World Mountain Bike Champion, World Long Distance Orienteering Champion, 3 time Eco-Challenge Champion, 4 time Primal Quest Champion, Multi National Adventure Racing Series Champion, National Winter Triathlon Champion, 8 time Steamboat Pentathlon Champion, 3 time Teva Games Champion, 2 time Iditabike Champion, Mt. Taylor Quadrathlon Champion, Moab 24 Hour Champion, 3 time Elk Mountain Traverse Champion, Ultra 100 Mountain Bike Champion, 2 time America's Uphill Champion, Dearborn Mogul Skiing Champion, Jackson Hole Open Mogul Skiing Champion, Inducted into Mountain Bike Hall of Fame, Everest Award Winner, Competitor Magazine Adventure Athlete of the Year.

As for the 2008 race, Kloser believes that PQ CEO Don Mann's racing, race production and military experiences lend themselves well to Primal Quest. He notes that Mann understands what the racers are going through and feels that his Primal Quest team has the experience, ability and resources to create the very best race possible.

Kloser's ideal PQ 2008 course would try to exceed the expectations of all participants: he would strike a balance between the various race disciplines so that no one leg of the race would be excessively long, the venue would be stellar (preferably in the mountains), and with hard work and willpower, most teams would be able to finish.

When the subject turned to heroes, Kloser, himself an inspiration to many doesn't hesitate and replies simply, "Ned Overend." Mike went on a great deal about how much he looks up to the mountain bike champ who retired at the top of his form only to move on to multiple Xterra off-road triathlon world championships. For Kloser the inspiration comes from Overend's ability to excel at sport well past what others might consider one's prime. We gently reminded Mike that there were not many years separating him and Ned. Mike shared that ultimately, if you believe in yourself (and your teammates), are hard working and have a strong will, you can do anything.

Photo By: Side Light/Dan Campbell