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Do you think you're tough? Maybe you run,
or ride, or climb or paddle. Maybe you do it all. But can
you run while trying to find where you are going, or while
carrying a brick? Can you paddle for a few miles and then
portage your kayak for a mile or so? Are you willing to
let the air out of your tires and change the tubes for no
other reason than someone told you to?
Are you tough enough for this and more?
If you answered yes, then you might be ready to take on
adventure racing, one of the fastest types of amateur sport
competitions in the country. Adventure races range from
the popular Hi-Tec Adventure Race Series (ARS) that can
be finished in a few hours, to The Fogdog 24-hour Adventure
Race, to events like the Raid Gauloises or the Eco-Challenge
that attract international teams and take up to a week -or
more- to complete.
If you can't quite get away for a ten-day
trek across the Himalayas, but you still want a taste of
adventure, then races such as the Hi-Tec ARS and the Fogdog
24 are perfect for you.
But regardless of whether you are doing
a one-day event in your back yard or a weeklong race across
Borneo, the required basics are the same. Number one, you
need a team (ARS races are for three person teams only),
so start recruiting some friends. It helps if you all have
good basic skills in trail running, navigation, mountain
biking, paddling, swimming and climbing. And you have to
be prepared for anything.
"Adventure racing is 'MacGyver' racing,"
says Terry Schneider, a veteran of over 22 Ironman triathlons
and a competitor in international adventure races since
1995. Schneider was one of the instructors at the Fogdog
Adventure Racing School, a traveling school that stopped
in Hartford, CT, last fall. The school's main focus was
to prepare people for The Fogdog 24-hours Adventure Race,
but the skills taught there can certainly be applied to
any adventure race.
Here are some of the things discussed at
the school:
The most important skill that you will need, above and beyond
running, riding or anything else is the ability to work
as a team. If you are a strong runner, are you going to
flip out while waiting for the slower person in your group?
Is someone going to get mad at you if you are slower on
the bike? Will a fist-fight ensue if your team gets lost?
Best friends can get ugly in the heat of competition, so
be prepared and stay calm. The idea is to work as a team.
You start together and you must finish together. I've seen
strong riders tow slower ones, and strong runners carry
most of the gear for others too.
"You have to have commitment, compassion
and you have to be flexible," says Nick Moore, the
Fogdog school's lead instructor and an adventure racer since
1996.
Above all, remember this: there are a few
teams that are really trying to win, everyone else is there
to compete and have fun. Don't lose focus on the fun.
Just about all adventure races have trail running sections,
usually five to eight miles in length. Sometimes the run
is broken up, but you want to be able to complete the distance
and still have energy for the other events. If you run mostly
on the road, you should definitely spend some time on the
trails to get used to the varied terrain. You might also
want to practice carrying a hydration pack and (don't laugh)
wearing your bike helmet, because in many races, you won't
have time to change.
The Hi-Tec races have mountain bike sections that range
anywhere from 10 to 15 miles in length. The courses vary
from site to site, but they are usually doable for people
with decent mountain bike skills. The course designers do
have an evil streak though, as some courses can have sections
like neck-deep water crossings.
You should have the ability to safely control your kayak
and good paddling ability. The kayaks in most events are
two-person kayaks so it also helps if you have experience
paddling with someone in front or behind you. Strong swimming
skills can come into play here too, because you never know…
If you have pretty good map and compass reading skills,
you should be okay. If not, find a local orienteering group
and take part in one of their events. This will be a big
help to you since many of the races require you to find,
via your bike, your boat or your feet, hidden markers. You
will be told the location and given a map (note: some teams
have different markers to find - so don't just follow someone
else).
"You are going to get lost,"
says Schneider, and that is probably true, but if you are
calm and think, you can get your bearings. The first thing
to do if you are lost is to figure out where you are.
You can practice with any map, even a road
map. Pick out features, whether they are roads, buildings
or natural landmarks, and use the map's key to find these
on the map. Now orient the map so that the map is aligned
with the features that you have chosen. Once the map is
correctly oriented (hence the term orienteering), you can
pick out where you are, where you want to go, and the direction
you need to travel to get there. For short races you can
do this without a compass, as long as you keep perspective
of where you are in relation to objects on the map and where
you are going.
And remember the shortest distance is not always the quickest,
so chose your directions wisely.
The people that organize the Hi-Tec races know that competitors
are looking for extra challenges, so they throw in "special
tests" to spice things up; tests such as climbing across
a set of monkey bars carrying a bucket, running short sections
while tied together or only allowing two (of the three)
team members to have kayak paddles for the paddling section.
The organizers also seem to have an affinity for using Crisco
on walls and traps to make thing just a bit more challenging.
There are also tests that focus on brains rather than brawn,
including memory tests and puzzles. For events like this
there is really no training. You'll have to draw on all
of your team's talents and skills and you have to be well-rounded
with the ability to adapt and overcome.
However, one variable that you can plan and train for is
night competitions. Some races start in, or will run into,
the late night. Get a good, dependable light and practice
running, riding and -most importantly- navigation at night.
For many of these races, your team can use whatever gear
you want (except GPS system, weapons, etc), as long as you
are willing to carry it for the entire race. I saw one team
whip out a small grappling hook while trying to get out
of a Crisco trap, but most people don't go to that extreme.
Depending on the weather, you obviously
want clothing that is going to keep you warm or cool, but
you'll always want clothing that dries quickly. You should
plan on getting wet at some point during the race. You'll
also want comfortable trail running shoes.
Kayaks, paddles and life vests are provided at many of the
races, like the Hi-Tec and Fogdog, but you do need your
own mountain bike and helmet.
"Never underestimate your water requirements,"
says Dan O'Shea, a former Navy S.E.A.L. turned adventure
racer. Dan races in the international races, but his advice
certainly holds true for any event. Most people use a hydration
pack, like a HydraPak or Camelbak, so that you've got fluid
for the whole race, plus space to carry energy bars and
any other piece of equipment that your team thinks is worth
carrying. Some teams carry a carabiner, and a short section
of rope. Some don't. You never know what you need to prepare
for.
These tips are here to help give you a head start in adventure
racing, but all the books and classes in the world can't
compare to actually doing a race. The Hi-Tec races are very
beginner or " first timer" friendly, and people
of ALL athletic abilities participate and have fun.
So maybe you won't be able to practice
two-person paddling techniques or night navigation, it is
more important to go out and try. As Moore puts it, "It's
not what you've got, it's what you give."
There is a great new site that has tons
of information--NewEnglandAR.com
For local races, check the event listing
in MetroSports,
or log on to www.active.com.
You can get plenty of info from www.mesp.com.
MESP puts on several adventure races here in the US, including
the BalanceBar24 race that took place here last year.
Xterra puts on off-road triathlons and
there will be some local events, check www.xterra.net.
You should also check out the USA Adventure Racing Web site
at www.usaar.net.
You can find info on the local orienteering
group at: New England Orienteering Club
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