The Amazing Race > The Racers
TAR25: Misti Raman & Jim Raman "The Dentists"
georgiapeach:
The Dentists' Episode 6 Commentary
After a super intense, physically grueling leg 5 and a short 12 hour pitstop (which only allows for about 6 hours of sleep) we somehow started leg 6 feeling great. I guess having our episode 4 failure behind us and being back on level ground with only 26 minutes between us and the first place team was enough to make us forget how exhausted we were.
To start the episode there was only 27 minutes separating all teams but the field quickly got spread out as Tim & Te Jay, Amy & Maya and Shelley and Nici had difficulty realizing that the stable was about 10km away and taking a taxi was definitely the only efficient way to get there.
After we made our way to the stable and back to the market we found out it was a self-drive leg. Arghh. Copenhagen all over again? Thankfully we were able to navigate pretty well although we did get off track a little bit. We made it to the pottery stand pretty uneventfully and received our Detour decision. After a few "Satan the Pony" flashbacks we decided that the detour without animals was our best course of action.
When we arrived at Camp (which was at the same location as Cream unlike some other Detours) we knew we were in second place with the Surfers arriving right after us. It definitely felt great to be back near the head of the pack after what seemed like an eternity of just trying not to be last. We blew through the tent assembly pretty quickly with just a little hiccup of using the side material for the floor. What you could not appreciate is that from the campsite we chose, the rugs for the floor were directly behind the example tent so we could not see them. We overcame that pretty quickly and were able to leave the detour in first place. Another thing they did not show was that Kym & Alli's tent was actually defective. They were struggling with the tent and asked me to come over and point them in the right direction. When I got there it was very apparent that the center seam for the canopy was off center and there was no way to assemble it to look like the sample. When I told them that they switched back to Cream. Kym & Alli were actually given a 30 minute credit at the end of the leg because of this production issue. I've had lots of people say we need to stop helping other teams but that is not how we wanted to win. Although we went into the race willing to do things to slow down the other teams we really wanted to just beat the other teams by being efficient at the tasks.
After leaving in first place we got lost a little on the way to the zip line challenge. What was very fortunate is that while we were off course we stumbled upon the pitstop so when we left the Roadblock we knew exactly where we were going. Misti zipped through the Roadblock including the puzzle that some of the other teams struggled with. We completed the Roadblock before any of the other teams even arrived. As we were driving out we saw the Surfers coming in. We stopped to tell them what was ahead, that they were in second place and I believe I told them where the pitstop was. Adam and I had made a pact at the beginning of the third leg while at the train station in Oxford that whenever possible we would help each other get into the final 3. Adam had also helped me at the end of Leg 4 by giving me some info. Although it was not helpful it definitely helped to strengthen our alliance.
We raced to the pitstop, our third first place finish and a wonderful trip to Brazil. I believe all three of our victories were1 hour plus leads. When we are good we are really good and when we are bad we completely implode. When we get ahead and the pressure of the race fades we are able to perform our best, make the best decisions and pull away from the other teams. When we get caught up in the pack we sometimes hold it together and sometimes fall apart.
Shelley and Nici fall apart and get eliminated. Although they were always sweet to us, the tension between them and the other teams and often just the mother daughter tension between them was often palpable. Apparently that tension did not end once they were eliminated. Although I hate to see anyone leave, especially a team of TAR super-fans who have wanted this since Season 1, the air was definitely a little lighter without them. What makes a great team is intelligence, physical ability, fortitude and possibly most important is communication and teamwork. I could never do the race with a parent because of the communication component which obviously proved to be an issue for them, although it was not the cause of their elimination.
Sidenote: Yes, Robbie and Brooke are hilarious all the time. Probably even funnier when the cameras are not rolling. Adam and Bethany are just as nice off camera as on camera and yes Bethany is beyond driven.
Next Episode: Historic 300th Leg in Sicily. Go-kart racing, painting frescos and opera. Sounds like fun. #Happy300
#TAR25 #AmazingRaceFridays #TheDentists #TheSave #Amazing Race
georgiapeach:
The Dentists' Episode 7 Commentary
Even though we finished our time in Morocco with a win, Sicily was a very welcome change. We started this leg with a 1 hour 45 minute lead on Adam and Bethany. However, after Kym and Alli were given credit for the tent mishap they were only 2 minutes behind Adam and Bethany. The cyclists were able to secure seats with us on the earliest flight with but Adam a...nd Bethany got stuck with a later flight and a 40 minute deficit along with all the other teams.
We knew the cyclists were not our biggest fans before we saw this episode but we had no idea that any of those comments were made until the episode aired. We really hadn't spent any time with them up until this leg but they were definitely not our favorite either, more than anything because they were so evasive any time we asked them about their past (racing history etc.). I can't really say what we did that was "nasty" (according to Alli) especially considering I tried to help them on the tent challenge in the last leg. That footage was definitely both surprising and disappointing.
When we arrived at theatre our lead was cut to 10 minutes by virtue of the way the tambourines were set up. However, Bertram had arranged a party to celebrate the historic 300th leg complete with wine, cheese and pizza. That night we slept with all the other teams in a hostel before being bused back to the theatre the next morning.
Morning came and the race was on again. We continued to work with the cyclists until we got into cabs and then it was every team for themselves. During the go kart race, even though I took an early lead, Kym blazed by me on the first straight-away. It became very apparent very quickly that my weight would be an issue (I literally weigh more than twice what Kym does). From that point I became very focused on keeping Kym behind me so that if I didn't make it in the allotted time that she wouldn't either and we would have to do it again together. Unfortunately, the go karts didn't have mirrors so it was difficult to keep looking over my shoulder and keep Kym from passing. She did get by me but in the final turn I was able to overtake her with a Days of Thunder-style pass on the outside. Dentists beat the cyclists again.
What I did not know at the time was that one of the security guards who weighs about what I do actually ran that course several times the day before to establish the 4:07 time that we had to run the course in. Of course the producers have thought of everything, this is their 25th time doing this.
At the detour decision point we picked painters but posers was definitely way faster. We actually had a little trouble finding the place where we had to paint but we found it just as the cyclists did and again started on level ground with them. It was so hot with the spotlights and being so close to the ceiling but we just had to push through the discomfort. We finished painting first, after being slowed down by the pesky missing nipples, and were headed to the pitstop in the lead. Dentists beat the cyclists again.
The cyclists were just a few minutes behind us and with a 20 minute cab ride ahead victory was up for grabs. Fortunately we were able to hold off the cyclists for our 4th victory and a trip to Ocho Rios. By my count Team No Fun has beat the cyclists for 5 of the 7 legs which have aired so far. I guess that is what makes us nasty.
5 night trip to Ocho Rios: $6,000. Beating the cyclists after seeing all they had to say about us: priceless.
The Sweet Scientists and the Wrestlers were just 10-15 minutes behind us and were convinced that they were racing for the win. This shows how much faster posers was because the Sweet Scientists came to painters, arrived about 20 minutes after we had arrived, had to drive to posers and still finished just minutes behind us. When they arrived they were not very happy to find out they were 3rd. Tim and TeJay were last but were fortunate that this leg was non-elim.
Next Episode: Malta. Adam and Bethany must use the Express Pass, is any team strong enough to overcome such a huge advantage? Speedbump for T&T, can they overcome it and avoid elimination? Rumor on Hulu is that we use The Save in leg 8. Tune in to find out. Definitely more drama ahead.
ovalorange:
Peach you'll have to thank Jim & Misti for sharing these with us, so cool to get a racer's insight into the legs!
georgiapeach:
I love the insights too!
And somehow I think a nice :tu right here will do!!
Kiwi Jay:
Loving this season, loving this team, even if they are hilariously over intensified now and then - Jim ;) Seem a lovely couple and strong team all the same
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