Aside from wilderness navigation, the other element that makes this sport of adventure racing what it is is the unknown, where successful teams and participants are those able to adapt to situations and conditions as they arise.
If the words ‘International Race’ colour your thoughts with Dollar signs and a feeling of financial despair instead of exuberant optimism, reconsider your options.
I’m not crazy about wet cold and my constitution doesn’t hold up to rolling swell on the open ocean; this explains why you are unlikely to find me doing a race in a wintery Scotland and I hesitate to enter a local event on the Wildcoast if it features a large sea kayaking leg. Race location is an important participation decider.
Your entry is in for your first event and now you’re nipping, not sure what to expect when you arrive at the race venue. Fear no more! These are the basics…
I have been involved in a number of AR events that were advertised as being ‘Suitable for Novices’. A number of people – experienced adventure racers included – seem to have been caught out by the term ‘Suitable for Novices’. I believe that the meaning of the message is in its interpretation, not its intent.
Sport psychology is a broad field of study and application. In what follows I have tried to be as practical as possible ad also to make comments and advice applicable to adventure racing in particular. One myth:The mind and body can be separated – dualistic view i.e. Racing according to a heart rate monitor will not guarantee success because it does not take in to acount your mind.
Women are an integral part of adventure racing and not only as ‘mandatory equipment’ – a phrase coined, in jest, by Team Mazda. While female team-members are sometimes only deemed necessary only to classify a team as ‘official’, women are definitely not to be considered the weaker gender, especially over multi-day events.
Adventure sprint races (20-40km distance, 2-4hrs duration) were launched as introductory events to give entrants a taste of adventure racing. They’re great for newcomers, weekend warriors, families and experienced athletes. But, over the past few years we’ve seen little crossover of adventure sprint participants to multi-day adventure races.
Events are no longer few and far between. On any given weekend there are many adventure races to choose from – and even more events once you include the separate sporting disciplines that are incorporated into adventure races like paddling, running, mountain biking and orienteering.
The first distance event of the year, the ‘UGE Salomon 150/220 in Harrismith at the end of January, was revealing. Post-race a novice team commented how “we’re not quite ready for anything longer than 100 km” and that they thought they should be sticking to sprint races.
