Team Checkpoint Zero won the 2009 Checkpoint Tracker Series and the opportunity to travel to Abu Dhabi early next month for the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge. We caught up with team captain Peter Jolles to get his take on racing in such a unique venue.

Can you tell us a little about the team?

Peter: The team consists of Jenn Rinderle, Julia Radmann, Paul Humphreys, and myself Peter Jolles. Paul is our token kiwi. We take him along and let him do the talking so that other teams thing we’re good. Kiwi’s started the sport after all, right? Julia is the German contingency, when it’s time to drop the hammer, we turn her loose. Jenn is our resident southern belle. She may look like a powder puff but packs the punch of a bulldozer. And me, I try and keep them pointed in the right direction all the while not trying to slow them down.

Where is the team’s home base?

Atlanta

How was the team selected for sponsorship?

We won the 2009 Checkpoint Tracker Race Series

How did the team do in 2009? Top finishes?

We won 4 events in the CP Tracker series and captured the series title. We finished 2nd at E-Fix, 4th at the MiX, numerous wins and top finishes in smaller sprint races. Overall this has been our best season yet.

What are the team’s strengths and weaknesses?

Paddling is probably our biggest weakness. We are comparable to most of the teams in the south east USA, but when compared to teams that are in areas with lots of great paddling, we generally lose time to them. I think our team cohesiveness is one of our strengths. We really enjoy hanging out together, even when we are not racing. Being friends with your team mates goes a long way when facing a challenge such as this race.

Is this the team’s first international event?

Yes, this is the first international race for this squad

What is the team doing to prepare for the race next month?

We’re going to be spending some time swimming, as there is a 900 meter swim the first day. Otherwise, our training hasn’t changed much. We are treating this race like a series of short sprint races, lots of shorter high intensity bouts vs. the longer slower 24 hour grinds we usually do.

How psyched are you to race in Abu Dhabi this year?

Completely stoked, this is a wonderful opportunity for us and we plan to make the most of it.

If we looked inside your race pack in Abu Dhabi, what would be surprised to find?

A birthday cake for Jenn, we start the race on her birthday!

What is the team’s strategy for the event?

Hang on as long as we can? Some of the best teams in the world will be there, and we just hope to keep them in sight for as long as possible. In all likelihood, it won’t be that long. Because of the stage format, we’ll get to rest up most nights which will be an interesting twist for us, as we haven’t done a race like this before.

Does the team have a sleep strategy for the race?

Since we get to sleep every night, we don’t really have to plan our rest time. There are mandatory rest periods during the desert trek, we’ve got some ideas on when to rest, but we’ll most likely be playing that as we go.

How do you stay focused and motivated for such a long race?

Since the race is broken up, I think it will be much easier to stay motivated. We won’t have to deal with sleep deprivation and the things that go along with that. It also helps that the race venue is completely foreign to us. Having completely different surroundings goes a long way to enjoying the race.

What will be the team’s hardest challenge at the event?

Probably the heat. It’s hot in Atlanta during the summer, but it’s not the same kind of hot that one finds in the desert. Staying hydrated and free of cramps is going to be one of the toughest parts of the race.