The Amazing Race team Liz Espey and Michael Rado survived the season's second non-elimination leg during Thursday night's Season 29 episode on CBS.

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Liz, a 24-year-old auctioneer from Maryville, MO, and Michael, a 37-year-old butcher from Pittsburgh, PA, were lucky to have finished last at the season's seventh Pit Stop in what turned out to be a non-elimination leg. It marked the second time Liz and Michael have been saved this season, and they were well aware of the luck involved.

"I've never been through that much stress in my entire life," Liz told The Amazing Race host Phil Keoghan, revealing that the thought of Michael's daughter Pearl helped her get through it.

"We were as low as low could be after Leg 1, and we won two in a row after that. So we're not going home any time soon. They're going to have to do more than a Speed Bump to get us out of here," Michael said, referencing how the pair will have to complete an additional Speed Bump task in the next leg.

The seventh leg kicked off last night at Lake Como in the town of Tremezzo, Milan, Italy, with Becca Droz, a 26-year-old rock climbing instructor from Boulder, CO, and Floyd Pierce, a 21-year-old college drum major from Boulder, CO, ripping open their first set of clues in first place at 3:07AM.

The clue instructed the teams to travel to Piazza San Marco in Venice, Italy, where a street-sweeper known as a Spazzino would hand them their next clue.

Matt Ladley, a 25-year-old pro snowboarder from Denver, CO, and Redmond Ramos, a 28-year-old former U.S. Navy corpsman from Murrieta, CA, departed the lake in second place at 3:08AM, while Tara Carr, a 38-year-old U.S. Army officer from Alexandria, VA, and Joey Covino, a 46-year-old police sergeant from Saugus, MA, left in third place at 3:33AM.

On their heels were Liz and Michael at 3:37AM; Scott Flanary, a 34-year-old recruiting manager from West Hollywood, CA, and Brooke Camhi, a 36-year-old criminal attorney from New York, NY, at 3:38AM; and finally London Kaye, a 27-year-old artist from Brooklyn, NY, and Logan Bauer, a 27-year-old surgical consultant from Columbus, GA, at 4:21AM.

All the teams ran to a nearby bus stand, where the first bus would arrive at 4:15AM and the second would arrive at 4:30PM.

Becca and Floyd, Matt and Redmond, and Tara and Joey all departed on the first bus, leaving the three other teams to take the second bus 15 minutes behind them.

After Brooke complained her team was in the "back of the pack again," Scott told the cameras it was "exponentially harder" running the Race with a partner who had "a glass-half-empty attitude," adding that he decided to remain mute because his reactions typically send her into a "tailspin."

Once in Venice following a four-hour ride, the three teams in the lead hopped off the bus and into water taxis. Redmond admitted it was frustrating that his team was consistently in the lead but made navigational mistakes that set them back. Tara knew they'd be looking for a street-sweeper, and Joey commented how great it was for his partner to know different languages.

Tara and Joey docked in first place and rushed to Piazza San Marco, where they found the Spazzino and opened their next set of clues.

It then became time for the teams to complete one of two possible Detour tasks: "Sing It" or "Bring It."

"Sing It" required the teams to learn an Italian song and then perform it for a couple in a gondola.

"Bring It" required the teams to load suitcases onto a cart and then transport them through the streets to a nearby hotel.

As Tara and Joey contemplated which task to choose, Matt and Redmond walked right by them, cluelessly looking for the street-sweeper. Becca and Floyd therefore jumped into second place, with Matt and Redmond receiving the clue in third. London and Logan then arrived and found the street-sweeper.

Liz and Michael called out to London and Logan for some help looking for the street-sweeper, but London and Logan pretended not to hear them. Michael grew frustrated that his team had helped them out before.

Brooke and Scott also ran into London and Logan, asking about the Spazzino's location, but London flat out lied and said no. London felt bad about fibbing, saying she did a "bad, bad thing," but knew her team needed to be smart and take advantage of any possible time leads. Liz and Michael found the street-sweeper next, with Brooke and Scott on their tails.

Becca and Floyd opted to try the "Sing It" task, along with Brooke and Scott, and Liz and Michael. Matt and Redmond attempted "Bring It" as well as Tara and Joey, and London and Logan.

Most of the teams struggled with both tasks, as it was difficult moving all of the luggage and many of the Racers don't exactly have great singing voices, especially Liz and Michael and Brooke and Scott.

Matt and Redmond, however, flew through the luggage task and ripped open their next clue before any of the other teams, which sent them via water taxi to Ca'Zenobio, where they would search for their next clue. Their water taxi pulled up right away.

Tara and Joey completed the Detour task in second place, and they were then followed by Becca and Floyd, London and Logan, Brooke and Scott, and finally Liz and Michael.

Becca and Floyd had difficulty finding a water taxi afterwards, as did Brooke and Scott as well as Liz and Michael.

It then became time for one member from each team to complete a Roadblock task in which the participating Racers had to create a copy of an intricately painted mask worn by a Commedia dell'arte actor.

While Redmond's first painted mask was rejected, Tara and Joey arrived at the Roadblock task in second place, and Tara decided to do it. They were soon followed by Becca and Floyd in third, Liz and Michael in fourth, London and Logan in fifth place, and finally, after finding a water taxi, Brooke and Scott arrived in sixth place.

Floyd also decided to take on the Roadblock task on behalf of his team. He was later joined by Liz, London, and Brooke, who asked her fellow Racers for assistance during the task. Liz said it was time for Brooke to put her "big girl panties" on.

During the task, Floyd noticed that Liz wasn't following directions properly. When Liz's mask got rejected, she vented to the cameras, "I'm so stressed right now. I just want to cry. I really just want to cry... I'm never painting again after this."

Matt and Redmond finished the Roadblock task in first place. They were then followed by Becca and Floyd, Tara and Joey, Brooke and Scott, London and Logan, and finally Liz and Michael.

Michael said the Race has been "fun" but his team was "done," so he was well aware Liz and himself were running to the Pit Stop in last place. He hoped, however, another team might get lost or make some sort of an error.

The Pit Stop was located at the plaza of Campo San Vio, where The Amazing Race host Phil Keoghan was waiting for the teams to arrive. 

Matt and Redmond arrived at the Pit Stop mat in first place, and Phil told the guys they had won a trip for two to Grenada. Becca and Floyd arrived in second place, followed by Tara and Joey in third place.

It was then a three-way race to the Pit Stop through the narrow streets of Venice. London and Logan and Brooke and Scott realized they had gone the wrong way and therefore had to backtrack over a bridge. Meanwhile, Liz and Michael were running, noting Venice was such an easy place to get lost in.

But Brooke and Scott made it to the Pit Stop in fourth place, and London and Logan then met Phil in sixth place. Liz and Michael ran up shortly thereafter, and Phil informed them that they were the last team to arrive -- but that it was a non-elimination leg and they were still in the Race for $1 million.

All of the other teams cheered Liz and Michael on and hugged them. Everyone cheered and hugged them.


About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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