WILD RACERS :: WHAT IS ADVENTURE RACING? from NothinButShorts International on Vimeo.

With children come greater demands on your time and as such even people with a strong commitment to exercise struggle to maintain their pre-children level of fitness. As a parent with a full-time job, exercise is probably the last thing you want to do or feel that you have time for. Yet sport should remain an integral part of your life; for physical health, for mental wellness and so that you are an active role model for your children.

Valid short-term excuses
Time constraints, lack of sleep and shifted priorities (child comes first) will put a damper on training but new parents need to be mindful of how long they’re inactive.

Six-time Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon runner Lynne Simpson had her first child five years ago and the second one two years ago. “I originally thought that it would be quite easy to pick up where I left off before I fell pregnant.”

She says that her biggest problem was not picking up some sort of training programme as soon as possible after each birth. “The longer I left it the less I felt like going through the initial strain to get back into training. Added to this was that I was carrying at least an additional 10 kilograms in weight, which made running even more difficult.” It took her about two years after each birth before she starting training again; keeping Augrabies in mind as a goal to focus on.

Downscale
Single mom Marilyn Pirow has two young daughters, aged two-and-a-half and one. Pre-children she was a regular tri- and biathlon competitor. Even with help from a nanny, Pirow has cut down on training time and disciplines: “Partly due to time constraints and partly due to exhaustion!” she adds. “I have started focusing more on paddling now. Time is limited, so I am doing what I really enjoy. My girls are still very young and quite a lot of work. I expect it will get easier in time.”

Trail runners Iain and Su Don-Wauchope also have two young children. Su found that with one baby and a job with regular hours, her training was only marginally affected. “The one discipline that went out the window was paddling. I could get out jogging with my pram, do some hardcore sessions on a stationary trainer and leave Abigael in child care at gym while I swam… but paddling just didn’t happen. Now that Iain and I run our own hospitality business and have two children, training is very difficult,” she explains.

Clinton Mackintosh, a competitive adventure racer, is father to four-year old twin boys. He has always juggled disciplines, never focusing on one particular sport. “Having children has only changed my training times and availability but not the fact that sports are a major part of my life,” he says.

Flip-side of the coin
Even with four children Alec Avierinos has added to, not subtracted from, his sporty arsenal. He comes from a background of body building, weight lifting, power lifting and surfing. All this ended when he started his own business and got married at 22.

“Six years ago, aged 37, I was overweight at 104kg. I read an article on the Freedom Challenge Extreme Triathlon and decided it was for me.” Avierinos initially started with mountain biking and has progressively added trail running, canoeing, adventure racing, orienteering and duathlon.

How does he manage? “I’m up at 4am to get in two hours before work and then I do one hour in the evening with longer sessions on Saturday and usually races on Sundays.”

Alec’s four children are sporty too. Greg (17) and Ruth (13) are the ones most into adventure racing and related disciplines. “Ruth participated in her first AR sprint (30km) with me at the age of eight; Greg did his first 250km AR at the age of 16. He trains with me on Saturdays, if we are not racing.”

Family time
Shortly before Mackintosh’s twins were born, he raced in the 250km Swazi Xtreme adventure race. “It was 2am and we had to bum-slide down a waterfall. I am normally first in the team to go down these sorts of things and for the first time in six years of racing I hesitated, realising that I could be injured. That memory will stay with me forever because at that moment I stopped thinking about myself. I was thinking of my family-to-be. Now I only take calculated risks but am always thinking of the consequences of my actions for my family.”

The Don-Wauchopes try to make racing a family thing where they take their children along to races as much as possible. If they travel to a race they take a couple of additional days to holiday with the children post-race. “For our family this is important,” adds Su. “Because we run our own business, we found that by the time we had been away for races there wasn’t enough time left in the year to take proper family holidays at all and our down time was spent away at races, which does not equate to quality time spent with our children (or each other).”

Balancing work, sport and family
Nikki and Dawid Mocke are also sporty parents. Dawid, a full-time athlete, has tailored his training to be more focused and purposeful, making the most of limited time. With three businesses and a child, Nikki’s focus has changed.
“I was very competitive, but after having children, it’s never the same again; your mental and physical preparation is always divided,” she says. “I don’t want to paddle every day twice a day anymore and I like the fact that I can still compete (at a lower level, of course) but also be a mom. My focus has changed and I paddle for enjoyment now.”
Keeping sane
Regular exercise is a stress outlet and it contributes to an overall feeling of wellness through its physical, social and psychological benefits. Going from hero to zero has greater-reaching effects than just feeling unfit and gaining a few kilos.

“I often feel a huge level of frustration with myself for not giving my body that sense of activity, adrenalin, feeling of ability, muscular relief, energy boosting and toning,” explains Simpson. Her frustrations spill over to those around her; especially her husband and children. “I am revitalised in mind and energy if I go out and sweat a little.”

Having children does not mean the end of your sporting life as you know it. But, you are in for some changes. Your training habits and schedule will not remain the same; your discipline focus will shift and time with your family will become a priority. But that’s ok. Work within this framework to keep fit and healthy for your benefit and theirs.

Top tips

• Make use baby-care facilities at gyms.
• A running pram is great if you have one child; it isn’t practical if there’s one of you and two of them.
• Train in the morning, before the household wakes up, or after your children have gone to sleep.
• Forget about what you think exercise should look like or what you used to do. Be okay with what you are able to do now. Remember that you are not a professional athlete.
• Look at other disciplines that are more child and family friendly.
• Focus on one discipline; running is time efficient.
• Schedule regular races on your calendar to keep you motivated and training toward something.
• Buy a treadmill (and use it).
• Teach your children to sneeze into a tissue and cough into their elbow instead of hands as hands spread germs when they touch surfaces. Hand washing before eating or touching their eyes, nose and mouth (and you!) is a great contamination preventer too.

Getting to know someone better opens up activity opportunities within and outside of multisports. You may discover that you run at the same pace and that you both would like to do a paired, staged event; or that they’re itching for a week-long mountain biking holiday but don’t have anyone to go with them and you’d be the perfect partner.

So, how do you get to know people better when races are often an arrive-race-leave affair and people stick to chatting to those they already know? When it comes to AR, for longer races, teams often arrive at night, after work on a Friday, and keep to themselves while they sort out gear. And when they finish, they hurry home to family and work. You only really meet people in teams racing alongside yours.

The short sprint races (20-35km) certainly offer the best social environment as there is usually time between finishing and prize giving to chat, if you hang around. Don’t know anyone? Start a conversation with the person sitting next to you. People at races tend to be friendly, united by a common accomplishment, so they’ll most certainly engage with you.

Other social opportunities really are few and far between. Adventure Racing Club in Jo’burg recently held one of their ‘Five-minute meet’ evenings. Attendance was low because the format has a speed-dating feel (where in the words ‘five-minute meet’ does it say ‘dating’?). For the dozen participants it was an evening with positives and discoveries. It would be great to see cycling and running clubs organising the same type of eventings.

Like-minded

“When there is an adventure race so many people look for partners at the last-minute. They didn’t use this opportunity to come and meet new people in a social environment because they thought it sounds like speed dating,” says Jacques Booysen. “In reality it was just a meeting of like-minded, adventurous people.”

Rob Crichton found each ‘five-minute meet’ to be different in terms of conversation, pace and interest in adventure racing. “I realised how diverse the sport is and that people can connect so easily, no matter their experience level,” he says.

Learn a little

From the seven ‘five-minute meets’ Amy Witherden learned about injury prevention, team dynamics and interesting and inspiring sporting holidays. “I enjoyed meeting new people, but also learning what drives them to compete in AR, their sporting backgrounds and approach to training,” she says.

Francis Rogan found why one team’s dynamics had not worked out. “They had differrent goals and also were in different financial situations. Two team members wanted everyone to get new kit and were considering races that were further away; both increase expenses,” she explains. “This was something I had not really considered before but I think is something important to look at, especially for building long-term team relationships.”

Motivation

For Kate Swarbreck the evening was a chance to meet a few new people and to be inspired. “Very few people in AR seem to accept mediocrity,” she observed. In her conversations she learned of people’s experiences and future plans. “There is something special in the excitement of their eyes when someone relates a story of a past event or when they talk of a forthcoming venture. It reminds me why I should train a little harder!“

Long-time racer Brian Gardner quizzed people on how much time they spend each week on training. “Most of them train a lot more than I do!” he discovered. He enjoyed meeting ‘newbies’ to the sport and used this opportunity to get to know others a little better. “I found out what people I kind of know on a hi-bye basis actually do for a living… I never knew about most of them!”

Mingle more

At races and club evenings, people who know each other tend to stick together. Rogan appreciated the chance to actually talk to other people, not just to people that she already knew. “At the next event I’ll know more people, which will be good.”

In our world of run, bike, swim, paddle and everything else, you’re not the only one out there hoping to meet people with similar interests and lifestyles for training, racing, friendship and, yes, dating too. All it takes is “How was your race?” to open the door.

Meeting People

1. Suck up any shyness and just start a conversation with the person nearby in the transition area or sitting next to you after the race. Begin by asking them how their race went, who they raced with (you may know someone in common), how many races they’ve done and whether they doing a certain forthcoming event.
2. If you’ve enjoyed previous encounters, make a point of catching up with the same ‘new’ people at each event.
3. Take advantage of social occasions like the regular Adventure Racing Club evenings in Jo’burg and the gap between the finish of a race and prize giving to meet-and-mingle. Use these as occasions for informal ‘five-minute meets’. Aim to meet three of four people each time and your network will steadily develop.

Author: Lisa de Speville | Published in Go Multi Magazine, Sept/Oct 2011. Vol 15.4

A decade ago the sport of adventure racing (AR) had only been around for two years; the first test race was held at the end of 1998 in Mpumalanga with the first series, the Hi-Tec Old Mutual Adventure Racing Series, launched in 1999 with three events, a 180km, a 250km and a 500km expedition race to wrap up the year. These events were created by Zirk Botha, a former navy captain from Cape Town.

The prize for winning the 1999 and 2000 expedition races was an entry to Southern Traverse in New Zealand. A team with Brandon Collyer, Sandra Eardley, Philip Swanepoel and Sakkie Meyer went in ’99; John Collins and Pieter Du Plessis replaced Philip and Sakkie in 2000. Also in this year, Hano and Sonja Terblanche (she would later marry Hano) with Stephan Muller and Luther Erasmus took part in Eco Challenge Borneo where they placed 33 out of 76 teams.

Internationally, AR was well established. We even got the five by one-hour reality-television shows of Eco Challenge on satellite television (DSTV started in late-1995). I was captivated by Eco Challenge Morocco (1998), Borneo (2000) and New Zealand (2001) as well as the Discovery Channel Adventure Racing World Championships (2001) in Switzerland. These were programmes that made Ian Adamson, John Howard, Kathy Lynch, Nathan Fa’avae, Mike Kloser, Robyn Benincasa, Rebecca Rush and Emma Roca household names – well, in my adventure racing-obsessed household.

It was on the back of this wave of expedition racing excitement that www.AR.co.za was born; created as a central portal for everything adventure racing. The author, AR’s mom, had been racing for two years already and was starved for local news and event listings. Although the site’s focus was local, on the South African community, it immediately gained a strong international following with its adventure racing how-to articles, which are applicable in any country.

The event calendar has always been at the site’s core and 2001 saw the introduction of sprint races through the Dirty Weekend Series and then the Game Sprint Series. New race organisers emerged in Mike Baker, Bradley Wienand and Darron Raw. Indeed, 2001 saw the start of a decade of Swazi Xtreme multiday races. As for the participants, the Collins brothers, Mark and John, as well as Sakkie Meyer, Max Cluer, Phillip Swanepoel, Hano Otto and Stephan Muller were racers always at the front.

Mazda got involved with adventure racing in 2002 to create a series of events, in partnership with Bradley, under their Drifter brand and their Drifter Adventure Zone tv programme.

The second generation

As some first generation racers hung up their trail shoes, the second generation began, bringing in people like Nicholas Mulder, Graham Bird and Tatum Prins. This year also saw Team Mazda Drifter’s fourth place at Eco Challenge Fiji. This dark-horse team of John and Mark Collins, Michelle Lombardi and Phillip Swanepoel really turned the spotlight on South Africa.

By 2003 husband-and-wife teammates Hano and Sonja Otto were married and they began organising events, from sprints to 24-hour races. Hano then took over Zirk’s ‘The African Quest’ expedition race in 2004, holding it in the Eastern Cape in winter. The race is still remembered for the snow and bone-cracking cold. The event’s name changed to Bull of Africa in 2005 and the race took place in the Northern Cape. Many two day events, Swazi Xtreme, Cederberg Challenge, Nguni Adventure and Eden Challenge, were – by now – established calendar fixtures.

Even though expedition racing then got quiet on the local front, South African teams consistently completed in international races.

Participation of South African teams in international races

• Team Outdoor Warehouse Southern Traverse 1999 and 2000
• Team Inala Eco Challenge Borneo 2000
• Team Mazda Eco Challenge Fiji 2002 (4^th)
• Team Cyanosis Arctic Team Challenge 2004, Greenland
• Team Mazda Raid the North Extreme 2004, Canada (5^th)*
• Team Jabberwock Arctic Team Challenge 2005, Greenland
• Team Energy & Team Cyanosis Southern Traverse 2005, New Zealand
• Team Mad Scientists Patagonia Expedition Race 2006, Chile
• Teams Cyanosis & McCain Adventure Addicts Primal Quest Utah 2006, USA
• McCain Adventure Addicts Wilderness ARC 2007, Scotland*
• ^· Team Cyanosis Portugal XPD 2007 (5^th), 2008 (5^th) and 2009* (22^nd)
• McCain Adventure Addicts EcoMotion 2008, Brazil (9^th) *
• Team Kinetic XPD Australia 2008
• Merrell Adventure Addicts Bimbache Extrem 2009, Spain (4^th)
• Team Cyanosis (13^th) & Merrell Adventure Addicts (14^th) Bimbache Extrem 2010, Spain*
• Team www.AR.co.za in 2008, 2009 and joined by Team Mzansi and Team Cyanosis in 2010 Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge
• Merrell Adventure Addicts XPD Australia 2010 (2^nd)
• Team Red Ants Tierra Viva AR Argentina 2011 (4^th)

* AR World Championship events

The short and long of it

The mid-2000’s brought numerous sprint and short-distance races as well as staged mountain bike, multisport and other such events on to the market – all competing for a similar entrant. Unfortunately this detrimentally affected distance (>150km) adventure race participation and many events offered were cancelled due to too few entries. The cost of presenting multiday and expedition races was also a limiting factor.

The Bull returned in 2008 with a very successful event in the Eastern Cape. This the last Bull event and a second local expedition racing hiatus would begin, until Expedition Africa in May 2011, organised by racers-turned-organisers Heidi and Stephan Muller.

Now, in 2011, ten years after www.AR.co.za was launched, the local adventure racing community is thriving; with thanks, in part, to the two years of hard work by the Mullers with their Kinetic Adventure, Full Moon, Double Moon and now Expedition Africa events. They have especially made an impact in Gauteng where participation numbers have increased across all distances.

Our top teams, who now have five or more years of international racing experience, are competitive abroad; they can always be expected to have a good showing. Indeed, this year’s adventure racing World Championships, hosted by XPD Australia in Tasmania in November, is set to be a humdinger with teams Cyanosis, Merrell Adventure Addicts and Painted Wolf – with the Collins brothers making a comeback- on the start line.

In 10 years the local scene has not as much grown – people stop racing, others start – as improved. We race harder, faster and more competitively than we did in the ‘early days’. Certainly, upper mid-field teams now would give winning teams of old a good challenge.

My prediction for the next decade is that we’ll see more South African teams venturing abroad to race – not necessarily to be competitive, but for exotic racing experiences. Our competitive teams want one thing – podium placings – and they’ll train harder to get there. But even more exciting is that the stage is set, with Expedition Africa’s evolution, to welcome foreign teams to our country.

Here’s to another decade – hip-hip-hooray!

Author: Lisa de Speville | Published in Go Multi Magazine, July/Aug 2011. Vol 15.3

These are some recent discoveries that are helping me to commit to doing a bit more of each.

Destination-orientated training

I rarely ride my bike outside of races. It’s a combination of inconvenience (trails not close to home), fear (chicken to ride on the road), preference for running and lack of local company. As a result, I suffer on the bike in races. I’ve recently returned to yoga (super cross training) and with traffic being what it is, I have faced my fears head-on. It’s faster for me to ride to the yoga studio, which is about 15km each way, than it is to drive and I can do most of the route on pavements. Sure, it’s not mega mileage but being on my bike twice a week for an hour-and-a-half is better than not-at-all. And now that I’ve bashed through this mental block my mind is open to other active opportunities.

Fixtures

Regular weekly fixtures like time trials are easy-to-maintain commitments. They’re held at the same time, same place and are of the same duration every week. Paddle and running time trials ensure that you’re on the water and road at least once a week. Recruit friends for a run and a bike ride on weekends. That’s four sessions in the bag each week. The discipline is in maintaining arrangements by making it a priority not to cancel. Skipping time trials is a personal let-down; cancelling on friends lets them down.

Races too are superb weekend fixtures. The adventure racing calendar abounds with options for races that range from a few hours to a weekend or multiple days.

Play dates: spread the load

In January I did a fun ‘Seven Days, Seven Friends, Seven Runs’ activity. I booked runs with seven different friends every evening for a week. We committed to these play dates, in advance, and we ran regardless of the weather. As a result, for the first time in ages I ran a 70km plus week. What a super kick-start to the year this proved to be.

Book sessions during the week and weekends with different mates to mix things up. By spreading the load across numerous friends the demand on their time is limited to one session every few weeks, you get to play with friends who will be faster or slower than you (harder or easier sessions) and you’ll stay committed to arrangements established in advance. An additional bonus is that you score an opportunity to catch up with many friends you may not otherwise have seen for months and to suss out potential teammates for races.

Annual planner

I totally understand how partners can get really mad when you spend more hours training or racing than with them. Adventure racing causes strife especially as weekend races can zap three or four days of family-time, while expedition races can gobble almost two weeks.

Pop a year planner on the kitchen wall. Pencil in your regular training commitments (include the duration of the session too) and well as the races you intend entering. If every weekend is jam-packed, rethink your programme to incorporate time with your beloved. Then, discuss your plans – now visible on the chart – with your partner before inking them in. A year planner has three purposes: it visualises your commitments to training and racing, defines fixtures that have been agreed by both you and your partner and allows, in advance, for arrangements to be made around commitments.

Make peace

Let’s say you get in three one-hour sessions a week, work an eight-to-six job, have family and home responsibilities and you barely fit in six-hours of sleep a night. I’m presuming that you enjoy your sports and that you would really like to do five sessions a week with a three-hour run or bike over the weekend? You’ve probably tried it, dropping the balls after a week or two when ‘real life’ got in the way. Eh?

Make peace. Sure, the fitter you are and more conditioned you are the faster you’ll race. But, you are not a pro athlete with unlimited time on your hands to train, eat and sleep so just make peace and do what you can. Really, three or four sessions a week is ok. You’ll still make it through a race. You won’t win, but you’ll be OK.

Commit to what you can, make those sessions efficient and effective, love every minute out training  and do more when time allows.

Author: Lisa de Speville | Published in Go Multi Magazine, May/June 2011. Vol 15.2

I wrote this piece on “What trail shoes to buy” some years ago – I’ve embellished on this below.

First, road shoes are fine for your first short trail run but thereafter trail shoes are better. Road shoes are made from a softer sole compound so they get shredded by rocks and also their upper is more maleable and not as supportive. It’s made for straight-line foot placement. So, when you step squiffy on a rock, the upper goes one way and sole goes another with foot shifting inside = twisted ankle.

There’s no best trail shoe. Your shoe choice depends depends on which model most suits your feet. What is good for your friend may not work for you.

Take your socks with you when you go to buy shoes; you must fit shoes with the socks that you prefer to wear. You may like cushion-foot socks but the ones they have at the store for you to use may be thin socks. You won’t get the right fit.

And, on walking into the store, keep an open mind. Ignore brand name, colours, appearance and styling of the shoe. They all look the same when covered in mud. Different brands and models have different shaped lasts (the shape for your foot). Some are good for broad feet or narrow feet or low arches or high arches or wide toes. Ignore the brand name, price and model – it is not important. My favourite trail shoe is a hard-to-get, lower-down-in-the-range shoe; I prefer it to the models higher up in the price and technology offering.

Don’t be fixed on being a certain size shoe. I’m a size 7 in normal fashion shoes, a UK8.5 in most all of my trail and road shoes (Adidas and Asics) but I’m a UK8 in Salomon Crossmax and UK7.5 in Hi-Tec Infinity. Ladies, try on mens shoes too. All of my shoes except for the Salomon Crossmax are guys shoes. Start with your usual size and try the half sizes or full sizes around it for comparison and to be sure you’re getting the right fit.

Shoes that are too big will see your heel lifting out of the cup, your foot sliding forward-back in the shoe and your toes slamming against the toebox. BAD. Too small will also mean hammered toenails, swollen feet, blisters and discomfort. Your big toe (or second toe, if it is longer) shouldn’t be touching the front of the shoe. Then, move your foot forward in the shoe so that your toes are right up at the top. Put your finger in behind your heel and see how much space there is here. You should be able to get your finger in – should be snug – not tight, not roomy.

What you’re looking for in fit is the following:

First, a good foot-in-feel. When you first put your foot into the shoe does your foot feel comfortable? At home? Remember to tie the laces properly. If you’re feeling any tight spots, squeezing, lumps or bumps, it is not the shoe for you. Shoes do not need to be worn in. It should feel right immediately.

Wiggle your toes. How much space is there in the toebox? Lots of air above your toes (step forward and bend toes – does the fabric of the toebox bunch over your toes?) Or are your toes a bit squished by the narrow fit?

Heel cup is another important one. Does the back come up too high and dig into your Achilles? Do the sides catch your ankle bones? When you walk in the shoes (put on both shoes and walk around) does your heel keep lifting out of the heel cup?

How does the shoe fit around your arch? A space below/around the arch makes an opportunity for movement and friction. I like the shoe to fit snuggly around my arch so that my foot doesn’t move around. This is a personal preference thing really.

Once the fit is good and your feet feel at home, them compare other elements – especially where there is more than one pair that you like.

Trail shoes should be neutral – though there are some anti-pronation / motion control types…). If you think about it, when you run off-road, your feet and ankles move left, right and all directions. You don’t want to prevent this so neutral is fine even for people who wear anti-pronation shoes on road. If you’ve got weak ankles – strengthen them with proprioception exercises and watch your foot placements. You’ll gain strength from regular off-road running. If you’ve had fractures, sprains, strains and operations, you also need to do the strengthening exercises but will probably require a brace or strapping initially. Speak to your physio or biokineticist. Twisted ankles are not the result of pronation vs neutral shoes; it is because of poor proprioception, weaknesses in the supporting structure and bad foot placements.

Compare the weight of the shoe to another. A person weighing 60kg will suit a lighter shoe than a 90kg runner.

Check out the lugs (tread) under the shoe. Does the shoe have flat tread, like a road shoe, or bigger lugs like a mountain bike tyre? For the most part it doesn’t matter too much, especially where you’re running on a variety of surfaces (dirt roads, rock trails, forest floors),  but generally you need some tread for grip and a smooth, flat sole just won’t cut it.

The upper… you’ll find a bunch of materials here that give the upper structure and support. It is way more firm than the upper on a road shoe and the fabrics used will be more abrasion resistant. If you run beach or sandy areas, favour shoes with smaller ‘holes’ in the fabric.

Look at the tongue. Is it sewn in with a ‘catch’ for trail debris like grass seeds and sticks? (this feature is kinda irrelevant if you run with gaiters). Is there a thing on the tongue to thread your laces through so that the tongue doesn’t move all over? How padded is the tongue? Does it put pressure on the top of your foot?  A different lacing pattern can help here although a really puffy tongue is unnecessary.

And then look at laces. Look at how far the holes go up – you generally don’t want laces too high, working into the bend of foot-shin. This can cause inflammation in lower shin because it restricts movement of the joint. Remember you can lace your shoes any way you want to so just check it out. Also look at the lace ‘eyes’. Are they fixed securely? Are they made from metal that can rust? And look at the lacing material. If the lace is a round cord, it will come undone, even with a double knot. Try it and see how securely it knots. A number of trail shoes like Salomon and Hi-Tec have easy-pull lasing systems. Many love ‘em; I prefer normal laces where I can adjust the tension across the top of my foot or change the lacing pattern. If my feet swell, I like to loosen my laces in places. You can’t do this with quick pull.

Consider your socks. Cushion-foot or thin socks? Again, this is personal preference but it will affect the size of your shoe so take the socks you prefer with you when you try on shoes. As with running, you need the centimetre between top of big toe and toebox.

So where do you go to try on shoes? Well, there’s no one-stop shop really so you have to try a number of stores.

Cape Union Mart, Cape Storm, DueSouth, ME Stores (in the Cape), Outdoor Warehouse, Sportsmans Warehouse, Trappers Trading plus independant  outdoor and running stores also stock trail shoes now too.

Brands, in alphabetical order, are Adidas, Asics, Hi-Tec, Inov-8, Merrell, Montrail, New Balance and Salomon. Quieter brands include Brooks, Columbia, K-Swiss, La Sportiva, Puma and Timberland. I don’t think that Nike nor Saucony still offer their trail range in SA.

Ultimately, specs and technology and popularity mean nothing. The only thing that counts is that the shoe feels right to you.

Defining success

Success has a variety of meanings. For top ranked adventure racing teams, real success is undoubtedly a win or the attainment of that podium position. The rest of the field aims to realise goals relevant to their experience and ability; to place within a range or to finish in the official rankings, team intact and before prize giving.

“Finishing is always the goal,” says Nicholas Mulder, Team Cyanosis’ navigator. Cyanosis is one of our most established and successful adventure racing teams. “I’d never want to start a race even entertaining the thought that we would not finish. It puts you in the wrong mindset and gives you an easy excuse to bail.”

They went into the 2010 edition of the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge knowing that a win, or even a podium placing, was unlikely. Their goal was a Top 15 placing, which they did get close to.

Improving your chances

Success in adventure racing is influenced almost as much by physical and mental fitness of all team members, the weather, navigation and determination as experience.

With every race you learn how to better manage sleep, pacing, equipment, food, decisions… It is only through mistakes and errors made by inexperience that you find out why you didn’t succeed and what you need to work on to make sure you have a better chance of achieving your objectives next time.

Racing others

“I’m always racing someone. My friends, other teams who have beaten us in the past or teams we believe are around our level,” says adventure racer Fred Richardson. He has also organised and presented many events over the years.

“I’m racing the front teams too; not to beat them, but to see how close I can get to them.” Richardson also races against the course director, aiming to be faster than anticipated through a section or taking an unexpected route that proves more efficient.

Time means nothing

Adventure racing is a sport ungoverned by time, a worthy opponent for most participants across disciplines. A frustrated Bruce Fordyce complains that five kilometres in adventure racing means nothing because it could take hours to cover this meagre distance. And as one stretch is nothing like the next, there’s no scope for comparison. Fordyce favours distance markers and kilometres that can be ticked off at regular, paced intervals.

In summing up his opponent Richardson says, “Mostly I race for the adventure and the joy of pitting myself against the course, mountains, rivers, trails and the special tasks”.

“Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.”

Greg Anderson, author

Competition isn’t everything

While it appears that front teams whizz through courses, the landscape a blur, they too appreciate the whole package. “For me, adventure racing is about the journey, the environment and the scenery. It is real adventure,” says Mulder. “The experience is what counts; competition gives it an edge.”

Where the starting line is the beginning and the destination defines an end point, everything in between makes for a memorable journey. Like Frank Sinatra’s horse and carriage, when it comes to a journey and its destination “you can’t have one, you can’t have none, you can’t have one without the other”.

Author: Lisa de Speville | Published in Go Multi Magazine, Mar/April 2011. Vol 15.1

Getting there

Racing is the easy part; it is getting to a race and preparing for it that is the difficult part. Travel arrangements, equipment lists, accommodation bookings, finances, gear hire, support crew and seconding equipment, food… Good racers share the race-admin load.

Attitude

Tantrums have no place in my teams; they’re intolerable from two-year olds and unacceptable from adults. How you behave is a conscious decision and it is driven by attitude. You can be tired and pleasant or tired and grumpy – the latter is only applicable to senile octogenarians.

A racing friend recently related an experience he had. After 48hrs of racing his team had not taken much sleep. When he woke his female teammate – a novice – after a too-short two-hour nap she took a while to focus, shook her head and as she sat up she enthusiastically exclaimed, “Awesome!”. They all started laughing and got ready to go again. She chose to have a good attitude and to spread a positive feeling when she could have been a grouch.

Kiwi adventure racer, Nathan Fa’avae describes three key attitudes: composure (keep cool), optimism (nothing is a problem) and perseverance (never, ever give up, no matter how bleak the situation feels).

 No mess, no fuss

The role of your support crew is to transport equipment from one transition to another, to take care of this equipment and to prepare meals. They should not have to clean up after messy adventure racers.

A decade ago I was support for a top team at a 500km race. The one guy, who I’d raced with earlier that year, really stood out for his transition presence. He would come in, efficiently change clothing, eat food handed to him (and ask for seconds), prepare his kit, pack his gear back into his crate and then assist his teammates. He was always ready before everyone else and when he left the transition his crate was closed and his shoes were tucked under his chair.

Transition courtesies

• Stinky socks and wet clothing should go into plastic bags; your crew will hang them out to dry when they get a chance.
• Label your clothing with your initials and keep your stuff in your crates; missing kit is your issue.
• Nasty plasters and old food bags belong in the bin – you can put them there.

Support crew work really hard at races and it is a stressful job to be driving at all hours on unfamiliar roads to get to a transition in good time to prepare food, set up camp and have your equipment ready. Never be grumpy with them, don’t order them around and always thank your crew at each transition for their unwavering support, encouragement and assistance. Good racers have support crew who delight in being their support and good racers take a turn at being crew for others too.

Pack only what you need

Good racers have the experience and forethought to pack clothing and equipment that will be needed and they’re likely to use every item packed during the race. They don’t pack an additional four tees ‘just because’. They don’t waste time in transition rifling through their crates because they know where they’ve put stuff. Their backpacks are organised and they can locate any item without searching every drybag; they know where they’ve put their gear.

Sharing is caring

Good racers share their racing knowledge to teach less experienced racers. They’re happy to answer questions, offer advice about equipment and they may even do a non-competitive event with novices. Some good racers become race organisers.

He ain’t heavy

A good racer communicates openly, especially when it comes to disclosing tiredness, weakness, illness and injury. They’ll hand their backpack to a stronger teammate and they’ll accept the end of a towrope. They help teammates through rough patches, offering a word of encouragement and a pat on the back. They also participate in team decisions and accept the outcome, whether positive or negative.

On the podium

Yes, results have weight too. Good racers may also be good athletes; they race hard, they play fair and they achieve a top placing. Many good racers don’t make the podium, but they’re still good racers.

Again and again

People like racing with good racers. Good racers may have a fixed team or they may hop from one to another depending on the race (venue, duration, disciplines) and their availability. Whatever their team setup, you’ll see them regularly at races.

 Adventure racing is a team sport and as such individuals unite for the greater good of the team. Relationships and interactions affect mood and success. Good racers have a high finishing rate as their experience and outlook carries their team across the line.  And once you’re a good racer? Aim to be a great racer in both attitude and ability.

Author: Lisa de Speville | Published in Go Multi Magazine, January 2011. Issue 14.6

In the few weeks that precede the event, city dams are frequented by twitchy adventure racers. Paddling is usually, for most, a ‘hope for the best’ affair.

Teams may paddle on dams, lakes, rivers, seas and canals in or on craft of all shapes and sizes. Double racing kayaks, stable sea kayaks, surfskis, sit-on-top plastics, dug-out canoes, bamboo rafts, traditional boats and inflatable rafts (two-man or bigger) have all featured in races. Indeed, events could include more than one type of paddling setup according to its location and the season.

Home cooking vs take-away

Compared to running, which you can do from your doorstep, paddling is like making pasta from scratch. It is an inconvenient discipline until you’re kitted with a PFD, paddle and boat (or have a friend with a boat). Then there’s the issue of living within a reasonable distance from a dam and being able to transport the boat (roof racks) to the dam or to store it there. These ‘issues’ can be easily resolved by a visit to a kayak shop and phone calls to friends.

The author is currently preparing her third novice team for the annual Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge (December 2010), which has a 120km sea kayaking stage, split over 1.5 days. This stage has undoubtedly been the most difficult that I, and each of my previous six teammates in our 2008 and 2009 teams, had ever undertaken. Although no amount of paddling around Emmarentia Dam or Germiston Lake can prepare you for 10 hours non-stop in a 40kg sea kayak (excluding gear) on the sea, efficient technique – taught by a paddle coach – and months of regular training make the stage doable – with sections that are even enjoyable. 

Locally, a 120km sea kayaking stage would be rare (and dangerous), but 30-60km on a river is very possible, especially in a race longer than 24 hours. Technical paddling down rivers with big rapids is usually excluded from local adventure races because so few participants are graded or have the experience. This limits organisers to safe sections with few exciting elements.

“When it comes to river paddling nothing beats experience… Get out there and trip a river from A to B, or better, join one of the many races put on the canoeing calendar by Canoeing South Africa and its affiliates,” says Swazi Xtreme organiser, Darron Raw, a very experienced river kayaker.

Plastic two-man sit-on-tops, like those provided by Kinetic for their races – including the 500km Expedition Africa scheduled for 7-15 May 2010 – are suitable for first timers. But, to get and keep them moving at pace and pointing in the right direction takes a little experience.

Regular training, on flat water, will see you prepared and proficient to handle most paddling disciplines. For the rest? Hope for the best.

Get a coach

Paddling is a technical discipline, so learn a correct and efficient technique from the start. If you’re self-taught and have been paddling for a while, get a coach to iron out your bad habits. This makes a big difference when you’re paddling long distances.

Buy your own paddle and PFD: these are personal items, like running shoes and a backpack. You can borrow from a friend, but ultimately you’ll need to buy; just do it.

Borrow a single or hop in a double until you can get your own boat; it helps to paddle for a bit to know what to buy. And get roof racks so that transporting the boat is not a limitation.

Start with a slow and stable boat to focus on technique and building strength. Then progress to quicker (less stable) boats as you improve. A boat above your ability will cultivate poor technique and posture.

Designate one session a week to paddling and stick to it. Time trials are open to everyone and you don’t have to complete it; you can paddle a couple of laps until you’re up to the full distance. These sessions are social and well attended, especially in summer and before big river races like Dusi and Fish. Two sessions a week would be better… but some is better than none!

Training in a K2 when you will be in a raft in Brazil may seem irrelevant. No so. The point of regular paddling is to develop technique (use your back, not your arms!), upper body strength and water awareness.

Complete flat water and river proficiency tests through a local canoe club or your Provincial body (contact the safety officer). Aside from learning fundamental safety basics, you’ll get confirmation of your proficiency.

Author: Lisa de Speville | Originally published in the Nov/Dec 2010 issue (14.3) of Go Multi Magazine

From sprints to multiday

The number of women participating in sprint races (25-35km) has increased exponentially, especially in Gauteng. Where there were two women’s three-person teams and a few pairs last year at the Kinetic Adventure Series, there are close to a dozen teams and even more female pairs, plus an increase in mixed-gender teams and pairs, at each race this year.

This increase in numbers has not transferred to longer distance events. Instead, it seems that the fast-pace of sprint events, which Adele de Lange describes as “hanging on for dear life – not much time for us girls to show our real steel”, puts women off even attempting longer races. Yet, they are far better suited to multiday racing.

Keepin’ up

It can be very intimidating for a woman to join a team where the men are stronger and faster and, often, more experienced racers. Her greatest concern centres on being able to keep up and she usually fears letting the team down.

“When I first started racing this was my biggest concern,” says South Africa’s top female adventure racer, Tatum Prins, “but I got over that after my first race. Women are so nervous about not being able to keep up that these doubts prevent them from getting into adventure racing.” She explains that as the days go by, women are just as good, just as strong and, in a lot of cases, much stronger physically and mentally than their male team mates.

Amy Witherden sets her team’s pace. “I feel that there is a lot of pressure on me to keep up, although I am stronger than some of the guys in certain disciplines, particularly paddling. I find that it is my job to keep the guys in check so that they do not go out too fast or push too hard; I am (inevitably) the pacer.”

“Guys usually go out hard on the first day but once night falls you recover quickly and the pace calms down. This may be a male-dominated sport but if you ride, bike, paddle, enjoy the outdoors and have a strong head you will be a great adventure racer,” Prins adds.

Balance

“Guys racing together have too much machismo as no-one wants to appear to be the weakest in the team,” says Wiehan van der Merwe. “They will race so hard that they burn out the weaker guy because they won’t slow down or offer help”. Prins agrees: “Guys need the balance that women bring to the team. They may not realise it, but this is key to their racing success”.

Women tend to be sympathetic to a struggling male team mate. “As ‘the girl’ in the team it is easier for me to call for a quick break ‘on behalf of’ a fading team mate. Guys will rarely ask for a few minutes to rest; instead they push themselves into such an exhausted state that they’re not even aware how far gone they are. This compromises the entire team’s race,” says de Lange. “Girls have fewer ego issues around asking for a quick rest.”

Roles

A woman’s team roles are diverse. She may be captain, navigator, motivator and nurturer. “In my team I’m the motivator and the person who is constantly checking that everyone is alright. I am also a buffer in terms of the team’s dynamics; the guys come to talk to me about worries and concerns whether about themselves or a team mate,” says Prins.

Women tend to make sure that their teammates are eating and drinking regularly; she’ll keep an eye on the all-important race instructions; and chase her team out of the transition area. “I try to be the positive, motivational voice as well, especially when times are tough or tensions are high,” says Witherden.

Supporting women in AR

At the 2004 Mild Seven Outdoor Quest in Borneo, legendary Kiwi racer Nathan Fa’avae kept to the customary mixed-gender team format despite the race allowing all-male team entries. They won one of the five stages. At the prize-giving function he spoke out against all-male teams, slamming them for excluding women from adventure racing and in so doing removing the special dynamic that women bring to teams and the sport. He also mentioned how men ‘think’ that they will do better without women in their teams, yet his team proved that even in a flat-out, fast-paced staged race like Outdoor Quest, mixed-gender teams can still win.

Carel van Heerden has raced in all-male and mixed-gender teams. “We race differently with a woman in the team because the dynamic is different; but we don’t go any slower,” he says.

A bit of convincing

With all that has been said about how women excel in adventure racing, it is still incredibly difficult to convince them to jump into this multiday, multi-discipline sport. “I just want to shake some girls I talk to when they say that they feel they need to be some kind of  special athlete to do adventure races. ‘No, you don’t’, I tell them, ‘you just have to want to do it!’”, says Prins.

She’s right. The lady doth protest too much, methinks. Girls, get out there and race.

Published in Fin Out X-treme Lifestyle Magazine | October 2010 (Edition 9) – a free-to-public A5 format magazine available from dive and outdoor stores.