Adventure Racing -Tip Top Tips
There's so much to learn in adventure racing. It's a complicated sport and hard to find the knowledge. How much sleep should you expect? And when? What's the best way to manage your maps? Whether you're planning your first race or your fifteenth you can still learn more. Below we have collected hints and thoughts from adventure racers of all standards.
We're always keen to expand this page, so if you have any hints and strategies that you'd be happy to share, we'd be keen to hear them.
Hints for First Timers Hints frOM Advanced teams
Kim Beckinsale of Team Mountain Design Wild WomEn
1 Race with people who you know well and can work with in a team.
2 Develop the skills you need and work on your weaknesses.
3 Know your members’ strengths and weaknesses and be prepared to help each other out.
4 Be organised and divide up the roles in your team, but also be prepared to swap them around as this keeps everyone involved.
Kim Beckinsale Post XPD Tasmania 2018
1 Carry all the maps with you (in your pack in a map case), so you don’t accidently put them in the wrong box!
2 You never eat as much food as you think you are going to, but still take it all anyway as you will then have more to choose from at the start of a leg or you can share your leftovers with your team mates.
3 It is not a good idea to start a leg wearing your Mandatory Gear (except for your jacket) as if something happens and you have to stop and get dry and warm, you may have wet thermals and find it really hard to warm up.
4 As a team, if one person needs to stop for something – try and all stop for the same reason, eg jackets on / jackets off / nature break etc – or use the time for a micro sleep!
5 Navigation – have at least two navigators in a team and give everyone else a role so everyone has something to think about. If there are two with maps, one of the others will have the course notes and descriptions and the fourth the punch card/control card. It is not fun if someone has everything and the rest of the team are just being dragged around the course.
Gary Davies of Team Endurancelife
1 The classic rookie mistake is to go off too fast and then to make mistakes. Even the best teams make mistakes, but don't move faster than you can read a map.
2 It's really important that you know how to endure discomfort and know what it's like not to give up. Therefore, during your training, you should push yourself to your limits, to the point where you think you can't go on, and then just do so. In turn this means that once you're racing, you recognise what it feels like to reach this point, and of course you know that you are able to continue.
3 Some people are over-awed by the idea of a multi-day event and, perhaps a bit like a marathon, they think they could never do that. In fact they probably can. Just take it slowly.
Gary Davies has a list of hints for newbie racers. See here.
David Naylor, Team Sleepy Dragons in Expedition Africa, Namaqua
1 Sleeping at transition may be more comfortable, but it’s a lot noisier
2 Time your stops!
3 After walking for miles over quartz rocks and cycling for 36 hours at as stretch, were learned some key lessons- wear double socks for long treks and carry spare socks to allow yourselves to have some time with dry feet (say after sleeping). On long cycle rides wear double cycling pants.
Staffan Bjorklund, TEAM Nordic Islands AR
1 The team that figures out how to keep their feet in good shape throughout a whole race and still manages to race fast will revolutionise the sport of adventure racing.
2 Everyone in a team must have common goals. You need to stay friends and help one another through the whole race.
3 Never move faster than the navigator can navigate.
Nathan F, a world-beating competitor, lately with Team Avaya
Nothing we do I think is revolutionary, we just aim to efficient, not waste time, have fun and enjoy the experience and the opportunity.
Marika Wagner, Team What’s your Dream in Nordic Islands AR
1 Focus on the team and what you want to achieve together. It's easy to assume that preparation is all about gear, because there’s plenty of that. However this is not what will got you to the finish line or give you a great experience – you need team work for that. Talk about different situations and expectations. Get on the same page when it comes to goals. We were very clear about not quitting, but also about most important thing being the adventure together.
2 Go through everything very carefully; know the course, prepare mentally for the stages that you will find to be the hardest, but never underestimate stages that can look easy at a first glance - like the 25km trek in Nordic Islands AR 2018 - it might have looked short, but it came right after a major Swim-run and was not at all a walk in the park.
3 Always support and have confidence in your navigator. Create a harmonious atmosphere for them to work in, set aside your own need for information (like wanting to know how far the next CP is), which in fact is not necessary. Make sure the navigator eats and drinks and has a smooth ride in every way. Look around you and help them - be alert but don't tell them about every rock you see. I try to always keep my mental game going on other motivational things.
Sam Hubert, Ream Ertips, AR Croatia
The key is to establish a calm rhythm and to stick with it, not allowing yourself to slow down, or even to speed up. That and taking the time to navigate properly.