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Primal Quest. The words sound so beefy, they could be the name of Carl’s Jr.’s latest edition of the six-dollar burger.

Certainly, that eatery’s slogan, "If it doesn’t get all over the place, it doesn’t belong in your face," is probably the best way to describe Primal Quest — America’s "Super Bowl" of adventure racing.

San Lorenzo Valley-based Team Lucky will embark on the grueling 10-day adventure race this weekend with a single goal in mind: To finish the 450-mile race.

"This is a huge endeavor, financially and training-wise," said Jeremy Olson, who — along with his wife, Mila, a San Lorenzo Valley Middle School teacher, Bob Lapanja, and Johnny Ryan, owner of Ryan’s Express Freight (the team’s main sponsor) — will start the race as one of 82 teams Saturday, June 21, in Big Sky, Mont.

TOUGH ROAD ON THE HORIZON: Team Lucky member Bob Lapanja looks over rugged terrain. He is one of four Primal Quest Team Lucky competitors who hope to finish the grueling 10-day trek through Montana’s fabled Big Sky Country. Courtesy Photo

The longest race the team has previously finished was the four-day Baja Travesia in Mexico. This one is much longer.

Training for the race is varied and time consuming, but it has to be. The team will look to average 45 miles a day between biking, hiking, kayaking, climbing and, sometimes, stumbling.

The Olsons train on weeknight evenings for a couple of hours and take weekend sessions that last between four and eight hours.

"We do a lot of skills training," Jeremy said. "You hit what you’re weak in."

For Primal Quest, each team member had to earn certifications in rope climbing, whitewater kayaking, swimming, first aid and navigation.

In previous races, Jeremy said, the team has had success navigating using maps and a compass, even in the middle of the night with hardly any landmarks.

However, the course will not be released until race time, making correct navigation imperative.

The team recently trained with Team Sol, a professional adventure racing team, which advised them to keep the weight of their packs down and make sure to eat right.

The team’s diet consists of energy bars, candy bars and instant-heating meals from AlpineAire Foods.

But the key ingredient for success is perseverance.

"Sticking together as a team and helping each other out will be a key ingredient," said Mila, who is recovering from knee surgery and has yet to fully push the joints to its limits. "And keep moving forward — just keeping moving."

The team is required to pack a tent and a single sleeping bag, but Team Lucky members don’t plan to use either, sleeping instead at transition points where their support team will be waiting.

"We don’t need to be comfortable or warm," Jeremy said. "We just need to make it."

At a glance

WHAT: Eco Primal Quest  WHEN: June 21 through July 2

WHERE: Starts in Big Sky, Mont.

DETAILS: To track progress of Team Lucky (Team 23), www.ecoprimalquest.com