Having organised the support for most of the races in which I’ve competed and having been on a support crew, I’ve made mistakes, like taking too much stuff and forgetting other useful items.

This practical support guide will give you an idea of the responsibility involved in seconding and will provide you with the basic tools to get your planning started. In time, you’ll have your own methods worked out, but for now, this should help to get you on the road.

• Support Crews: Planning & equipment
• Support Crews: Food, glorious food
• Support Crews: Pre-start preparation
• Support Crews: Transition area

When packing your vehicle, remember that what needs to come out first must be packed into the vehicle last.

First, get the bikes out of the way – assuming that the team isn’t riding them. Roll-out a big tarpaulin/ground sheet. This is to setup an area where the team can sit, change gear, eat, drink etc.

If you’ve got a big free standing tent, now’s the time to put it up. Use the other tarp for inside your big tent/shelter, if it doesn’t have its own groundsheet.

While you’re battling with poles, pegs, ropes and canvas, get a pot of water boiling on the Cadac if you don’t have any prepared, or need to fill up your thermos’.

Unload the racing trunks and a chair for each racer. “Seat” each person at a corner, giving them plenty of space and leave the centre of the tarp open (see adjacent diagram). Keep the layout of their chairs and gear exactly the same for each transition. Creatures-of-habit, they’ll go to the same place automatically each time.

After day 1, ask your team when they are planning on sleeping. In general, teams will push on during the day, not wanting to waste valuable daylight. Take it as a given that after day 1, they’ll probably sleep for an hour or three each night – and may want a hot meal. For night transitions setup pillows, mattresses and sleeping bags in the big shelter – keeping the “people order” identical each time. Put their crates at their feet so that they can rummage when they wake-up without having to go outside.

Next, get your kitchen organised. Put up the drink’s and snack’s table. Set out coffee, tea, hot choc, juice, sugar, teaspoons and mugs (you can get the milk out when they arrive).

Stash the water drum under the vehicle, out of the sun, where it is accessible but out of the way. The cooler boxes either get stashed with the water or end up being used as tables and chairs. Hang up a black garbage bag for trash.

Fill-up the empty coke bottles with water for filling bladders efficiently. Make the carbo liquids when they come in. They will tell you how diluted to make their mix.

Put loo paper and the first-aid kit on the front seat of the vehicle or any accessible place.

While you’re waiting for your team you can cook meals, prepare snacks and make sandwiches to add to your already prepared & labelled grab-bags. Toss these into the centre of the racing tarp so the team can pack their backpacks. You can easily see if anyone has forgotten to reload.

If their next leg is a cycle leg, check their bicycles, tighten brake cables (warn them about this!) & gear cables, lube chains and pump types. Make sure that their cycle gear is in their crate or next to their chair.

If they’re going in for kloofing, hang out their wetsuits. If they’re coming in from a water leg, have towels available and a spare crate for wet gear, which you can dry later. If their previous leg was on water, string up a washing line to dry their soaked clothes.

Get the next set of co-ordinates from the race officials (if the team didn’t receive the whole route at the briefing). Plot the coming PC and transition points – don’t draw in routes. Study the map and assess all the route alternatives – without drawing in the options.

Then, only once all this is done, can you wait, feed yourself and rest. It’s a perfect opportunity for meeting other seconds, laughing, swapping tales and just having a good time. Later in the race you can catch some shut-eye.

There is always a lot of excitement when teams start arriving. When your team arrives, usher them to their seats, take their backpacks to remove old food bags, add new food bags and fill bladders. Do not remove anything else.

The compulsory equipment must remain in their backpacks at all times. If you unpack these things, in all the excitement something could get left behind. Check with the racer before adding or removing clothing.

If they’re stopping for a meal, hand them a plate to start working on while they’re sitting down and getting their gear organised.

Once the navigator/s are ready, show them the next points and indicate the various route options. They will make the final decision.

Remember to question the team before they leave transition i.e. have you got batteries torches, warm clothing, food, water, maps, passport etc.

After the team has left to start their next leg and the clapping, cheering and well-wishing has finished, you’ll turn around to face a camp that looks like a tornado has passed over it. Don’t panic!

Collect up the trash and reverse your unpacking process. Make for the next transition and prepare to start all over again.

By the end of the event you’ll have a smoothly operating, streamlined production – and then it will be time to go back home.

Enjoy the experience!

Author: Lisa de Speville

A week before the race, while you’re making food, accumulating gear and packing crates, start catching-up on sleep. Even though you’re getting excited and your mind is buzzing with all the things you still have to do, make sure you get to sleep at a reasonable time. And, more importantly, make sure that your team is doing the same.

You can’t bank sleep, but you can make certain that you’re well rested. Inevitably, from the day before the race till you’re back home again, you’re not likely to get more than 4hrs sleep a day.

When you get told your race venue, calculate your travelling time. It is better to arrive at the registration location really early – and during daylight – so you can check the bikes for travel-induced damage, make sandwiches, set-up camp for the night, finalise the packing of the seconding vehicle and do the social thing.

Don’t count on getting any sleep in the afternoon when you arrive – even if you’ve been up and travelling since 5 that morning. You’ll be on an adrenaline high already and will be buzzing. Besides, there’s plenty to be done.

While you’re organising food and the packing of your seconding vehicle the racers will check their backpacks and gear. They make have to do proficiency testing and will have to get their compulsory gear checked.

If you prepare while you still have light then, after registration and the pre-race briefing, all you have to do is eat dinner and check the route with the racers before sending them off for some shut-eye.

Most importantly… you should only go to sleep once you’ve made certain that the racers are 100% ready and the vehicle is 99% packed. In the morning you need only pack away tents and overnight equipment.

Take along a pen and paper to the briefing. Listen carefully and note changes to the route or co-ordinates.

As seconds, you will be given your own set of instructions and will be told when you have to leave the start (it may be before your team) and what the conditions are going to be like on the roads and at the transitions – always assume the worst.

Make certain that you collect your own set of maps, which you may have been able to order when the team entry was submitted.

You may have to leave 15mins before the race start. This means that you need to prepare drinks and a snack, wake-up the team, feed them, pack the vehicle and leave.

From the start to the first transition you’ll probably travel in convoy. LISTEN to instructions and don’t be impatient. You’ll get there in good time.

Although the organisers will always try to put you on routes different to those taken by the teams, you may drive past racers. Give them the right of way, slow down as you pass – especially on dirt roads, don’t stop and do not give your team (or any other team) any help. You are not allowed to assist your team (food, water, first-aid, clothing) unless you’re in a transition area.

This doesn’t prevent you from shouting encouragement out the window and taking action shots as you drive past.

As soon as you arrive at a transition area setup your camp. When your team leaves, pack-up immediately and move to the next transition. You can wash dishes, hang up wet clothing and tidy up when you get there.

If you get a flat tyre or get lost, you’ll have enough time to deal with problems and locate the transition in time to meet your team.

You’ll be much less stressed knowing that you’re in the right place in good time.

Lastly, make sure you know where you’re going before you leave transition. There have been cases where seconds have gotten lost and their racers had to sit waiting for them.«

NEVER, EVER let your team down through a mistake that could be easily avoided.

Author: Lisa de Speville

For single day events everything you need can be pre-made at home, those over one or two days require slightly less logistics while multi-day races require careful planning.

 Start your food planning by methodically going through the stages of the race. You’ll need dinner for the night before the race, a snack before the race start, snack-pack goodies, one main meal for each day of the race and two extra meals. You’ll need liquids – water, energy drinks, juice, tea, coffee & hot chocolate – and possibly supplements.

Get the team together and discuss likes, dislikes, allergies and any other dietary peculiarities. Get their consensus on the important things like proteins (red meat, chicken, fish, vegetable protein, eggs), carbs (white/brown bread, rice, potato, sweet potato, pasta), fruits, vegetables and sandwich fillings (cheese, egg mayo, peanut butter & syrup, tuna mayo).

Take their meal suggestions for breakfasts, sandwiches and hot meals into consideration but go for whatever is logistically the easiest. What can you pre-cook at home and what can be cooked on the cadac in a single pot? Keep your meals simple.

Find out who drinks coffee, tea or hot chocolate. Who has milk? Sugar? Does anyone want fruit juice? Get the racers to supply their own energy drinks i.e. Cytomax, FastFuel etc.

Also ask them to provide their supplements and to give you written instructions.

Plan your meals and write a list of goods and quantities to buy before you go shopping so that you don’t forget anything. Consider the “hidden” ingredients you’ll need i.e. salt, pepper and herbs.

Then, go shopping by yourself or with your other second. Adventure racers in a supermarket are like kids in a toy shop – they’re compulsive.

Plan the quantities you’ll need for each meal. If you will only need 500g of rice for a meal, only take along 500g. Include one extra cooked meal. Teams have been known to finish a day or two later than expected.

Use your first race as a learning experience and streamline for future events. It is better to cook too much than too little.

Pack your groceries into containers – with lids – instead of leaving them in their original packaging i.e. sugar. Keep your “kitchen” tidy and organised.

You’re going to need some good cooler boxes – one for frozen foods and one for everyday foods), which double-up as tables and chairs, and a good supply of ice – or one of those fancy camping fridges you can hook up to your car battery (especially for multi-day events).

Establish your own ‘AR Grocery Store’ at home containing things like sugar, tea, coffee, salt, herbs, tomato sauce, chutney, long life milk, peanut butter, mayo – esepcially those things you would normally swipe from home. Keep them in their own crate and use them only for races. Add cutlery, mugs, plates, pots etc to your dedicated travelling kitchen.

Make a checklist for your grocery store and after each race replenish your supplies so that you don’t have to do it in a rush before the next event.

MEAL SUGGESTIONS

Breakfast

• Tasty Wheat porridge – cooks in a few minutes and is great with sugar or honey.
• Yoghurt, muesli & fruit salad
• Muffins – they keep well for about 3 days and are perfect for the pre-race snack
• Fruit – bananas are a necessity. They contain magnesium, which prevents cramping. Don’t go for soft fruits like nectarines and peaches because they will get bashed and bruised during transport. Stick with apples and oranges.
• Cereals e.g. cornflakes, rice crispies, wheatbix, Pronutro, oats.

Hot meals
It is best to cook all your meals (and one or two extra meals) before you leave for the race. Plan your menu and start cooking two weeks before the event. This will give you plenty of time to deep-freeze the meals. You’ll save hours during the race.

• Butternut soup (freezes and keeps well) – good as a hot snack if they’re only planning on a big meal later in the day
• Chicken stew with veggies. Serve with a mashed potato and sweet potato mix. The chicken stew can be frozen and then heated in a pot on the Cadac. Boil the potatoes at home. They will keep for a few days.
• Pasta with chicken and veggies – freezes well.
• Bolognaise sauce with rice/pasta

In general, during the first day your team will only make quick stops to change equipment, refresh snack-packs and fill hydration bladders.

Pig-slop type meals are the best. The last thing I want to do is balance peas on a fork. Stews with rice, mash or pasta can be thrown together, scooped up with a spoon and downed. Don’t make the food spicy. Although bland is boring, that is what they will feel like and it won’t upset any stomachs.

Wrapping the pot in towels will keep the food warm until the team comes into transition. Remember not to heat the food up too much. They’ll be eating fast and won’t want to burn their mouths.

Quick meals

• Tuna and salad (cucumber and tomato) rolls (with or without mayo)
• Cold meat, cheese, tomato, chutney & lettuce roll (lettuce keeps the bread fresh)
• Hotdogs and hamburgers

Snacks (available all the time)

• Fruit
• Rusks, biscuits
• Snack bars
• Sandwiches

Your racers probably won’t feel hungry – make them eat.

Liquids (available all the time)

• Water
• Tea, coffee, hot chocolate
• Juice

Energy Drinks

• Get each person to provide measured sachets of their energy drink – enough to make up 2l volumes.
• Fast Fuel/Cytomax etc – Add powder to water in the 2l coke bottles to fill up bladders. Don’t premix the Cytomax too early – particularly during the day when it is hot – as it ferments. Remember to pack a small funnel to get the powder into the bottle.

Though many race with their energy drinks in their bladders, I advise keeping only water in the bladders and energy drinks in bottles. Energy drinks get sickly-sweet and the racers will avoid drinking.

Straight water can get a bit boring. Add a little grape or apple juice to flavour it.

It is very important that you take note of how much each person is drinking. They should always come into transitions with empty hydration bladders. You have every right to give them a lecture on the importance of keeping hydrated.

Snack-packs
Snack-packs (grab bags) really make racing fun. Particularly for single day or 24hr races, get the racers to prepare their own.

Make certain that your team always leaves transition with sufficient food in their packs. On a long leg, they may not meet up with you for over 24 hours. There is also the distinct possibility that they could get lost.

This is the only item that you need to remove or add to their packs each time they come in to transition. Check the pack you’ve removed to see how much the person has eaten. It is your responsibility to make sure that they are eating a sufficient amount.

The sweets can be prepared in big ziploc bags before you even start the race. Sandwiches must be fresh so make them between transitions. Don’t get too creative – they’ll eat whatever you give them. Tomato makes the bread go soggy and cheese goes waxy if it’s hot. Wax-wrap does keep the sandwiches fresher for longer, especially over a long leg.

Keep a stack of sticky name-tags to label snack-packs. Besides marking specific packs for each person, you can easily check who has and who hasn’t grabbed their grub.

To make up a grab-bag: Pack sandwiches into sandwich bags and then place in a bigger ziploc bag, which already contains an assortment of sweets and goodies.

Snack-pack suggestions

• Sweets: If your trolley looks like you’re catering a kiddies party, you’re on the right track. Jelly beans, jelly babies, wine gums, fruit jubes, sparkles, frutus.
• Dried-fruit: doesn’t agree with everyone, check first.
• Peanuts: keep them separate from the sweet stuff. Salted jelly babies taste vile.
• Energy Bars & health bars
• Biltong and salami sticks – nutritious, salty, tasty and loaded with protein and fat.
• Mini cheddars, crisps – loaded with fat and salt
• Chocolates (make sure they’re in wrappers)
• Sandwiches (peanut butter & honey, tuna mayo)

Remember that sweet stuff tastes sweeter as the race progresses so put in lots of ‘savoury’ type goodies. Variety is also good and will be appreciated.

Before the start of the race, go through the route with your team so that you have a rough idea of their ETA (Expected Time of Arrival) at each transition. Check the duration of legs and the type of discipline before the transition. If they come in cold and wet from a water leg, hot chocolate and a hot meal will go down well. If they arrive in the afternoon from a long hot ride in the sun, they’ll go for cold juice and a scrumptious sandwich.

Although you should ask them what they’d prefer, more often than not you’ll have to improvise since their ETA can be way-off their actual arrival time.

Author: Lisa de Speville

Your budget is guaranteed to be limited, so plan in advance so that you have enough time to source equipment from friends and relations. You’ll need to find enough crates, boxes and waterbottles to fit all your stuff, and just when you thought you were organised, you’re going to have to unpack, discard unnecessaries and repack so that everything will fit into your vehicle.

You’ll never remember everything and during the race bright ideas will evolve at unexpected times. Invest in a small hardcover notebook for ideas, contact numbers and forgotten equipment that you’d like for the next race.

Are you ready?

You’ve probably been recruited because:

• You’re a friend or relative of a racer and have been blackmailed into doing this;
• You’ve volunteered – a rare individual.

It is more fun when there are two seconds and more efficient for the team. Recruit, kidnap or blackmail a helper.

The following series will cover the essentials from pre-race planning & packing your seconding vehicle to cooking for your team and what to do when your team comes in to transition.

EQUIPMENT

Seconding vehicle, trailer & bike rack
You’ll need a seconding vehicle. Contact the race organiser for information on the terrain that you’ll be covering and recommended vehicle. The general rule is a rugged vehicle and perhaps a trailer. You will need enough space for crates, tents, cooking equipment, mountain bikes and other gear.

Bakkies (US: pick-up truck) work well – especially in good weather. You only need seating space for two seconds and the open back is ideal for crates. Hook up a trailer with bike rack and you’re set.

Bicycles need to be securely transported. Whether on a bicycle rack attached to the tow-hitch, on the roof of your vehicle or on the roof of the trailer, check that the loaded bikes do not obstruct your access to equipment.

Check the spare tyre and make certain that you are equipped with a jack, spanner, towrope and jumper cables. If you have a trailer, don’t forget to check it’s tyres and lights. Carry a jerry-can of fuel with you. You may not need it, but then again, you may.

May certain that you know how to access the wheels and the spare, change the tyres and use the jack.

General equipment (mainly for overnight events)
You need the basics and a few extra bits so that you’re suitably prepared for any eventuality. Many transition points won’t be located near amenities like taps, showers or loo’s, so bear this in mind when preparing your checklists. The easiest way to start planning is to run through the activities you’ll be performing.

• A waterproof shelter: Those quick pop-up gazebos with side panels are top seconding shelters. But, a big tent or canvas sheet attached to your vehicle will work just as well. Make sure you can stand-up in the shelter and that there is enough space for 4 people to sleep comfortably. An extra 2/3-man tent will come in handy for the night before the start and should the team come in to transition for a long (3-4hr) sleep, you will have a place to crash. Put the big shelter up at every transition – either for shade, or for them to sleep. 
• Tarpaulins/ground sheets (2): One for inside the shelter and one outside. You will use the outside one for every transition. Most transition points won’t have grass so the ground sheet provides a relatively clean floor. We’ve also used these to protect the bikes and gear while travelling. 
• Small fold-up table (2): Very useful when preparing meals or just to put things on i.e. maps, drinks, first aid kit. 
• Chairs (4): Stable fold-up chairs/stools are another essential. When the team comes in to transition, they’ll sit while they eat and change. 
• Packing crates (lots): Those plastic/metal crates with lids that can be clipped down make packing and unpacking the vehicle a pleasure. They stack, protect their contents and can be labelled. 
• Racing trunks (4): Make certain that each racer has their own racing trunk with a lid that clicks on and stays there. Get them to put their names on the top and on the sides. Two smaller crates per person also works well. One for clothing, the other for shoes and equipment. 
• Cadac’s (2): Gas cooking is essential. Unless the transition is in an official camping area, you are not permitted to make fires. Two full canisters will cope with all your catering requirements. Bring additional for lighting. 
• Cooler boxes (2): 1 for everyday stuff and 1 for frozen stuff only. 
• Camping fridge: A luxury but handy for multi-day events. 
• Lamps (lots): There is nothing worse than fumbling around looking for something or trying to cook a meal at 2am, in the dark. Just as Impressionism brought light to art, fluorescent globes and gas lamps bring light to camping. Fluorescent globes work really well and can be hooked up to the car lighter. You can never have too much light. 
• Mattresses (to fit 4): Truth be told, after 36 hrs with no sleep, they’ll sleep on any surface – so this isn’t an essential. Foam camping mats work well to insulate bodies from the cold ground. 
• Sleeping bags (4): The racers backpacks will be packed with bivvy bags and compact sleeping bags. Never remove these from their packs. Remember to pack their sleeping bags – and yours – from the pre-race night into the seconding vehicle. 
• Water containers (2x25l with taps; empty coke bottles): At some transitions you may not have drinkable water. In any event, be prepared. Keep your 25l containers filled at all times and you’ll never run out. Use the coke bottles to mix energy drinks – filling a hydration bladder from the bottle is the easiest way. 
• Thermos Flasks: If you haven’t got one of those big airpots, then bring along some regular thermos flasks. Keep them filled with boiling water all the time. You won’t know exactly when to expect your team in and since it takes ages to boil water, if you have it prepared, that’s one less thing you’ll have to worry about. 
• Rope (1 x 20m; 1x 10m) and tie-downs: Whether it’s used to tie down the tent, string up a washing line or tie up the other second after 4 days together, rope is always useful. Tie-downs are essential for transporting kayaks and bicycles. 
• Cooking stuff: Here are the basics. Kettle, 1x medium pot, 1x big pot (remember you’re cooking for 6 people), wooden spoon, bread knife, sharp knife, breadboard, can opener, big serving spoon, 4 x cutlery sets, 4 x bowls, 4 x mugs. You’ll be eating and drinking when the team is out, so you don’t need more than 4 of everything. 
• Washing up stuff: You’ll be doing dishes and possibly laundry. You’ll need a tub, washing cloth/sponge, eco-friendly dish washing liquid, drying cloth and a little washing powder for clothing. 
• Medical kit (big one): The team will be carrying a small emergency kit with them. You need a well-stocked kit in the vehicle. Here’s a couple of essentials: anti-inflammatory cream (Voltaren/Reparil Gel), anti-inflammatory tablets (Besemax/Myprodol), stretch fabric plasters (all shapes and sizes and strips), Arnica oil for quick massages, disinfectant (Detol/Savlon), Friars Balsam, cotton wool, gauze, Transact, second-skin, small syringe and needles for draining blisters, headache tablets, eye-drops, scissors, tweezers, anti-bacterial cream (Betadine), tape for strapping knees and ankles, knee guard (2), ankle guard, earbuds/Q-Tips, sunblock, aqueous cream and vaseline. 
• Bicycle spares (per team): Speak to your local bicycle shop about making up a spares box. You pay for what you use and return the rest. You may need things like: chunky tyres (2), inner tubes (6), tyreliners, puncture repair kits, brake pads (2), spoke spanner, alen-key set, brake cables (2), gear cables (2), spare spokes (4), chain (2), chain-breaker, chain lubricant, Q-20,duct tape and cable ties.Each time the team comes in from a bike leg expect some work. They’ll let you know if they had any major problems. 
  • Check the tyres are pumped to the correct pressure. Each person may like their tyres at different pressures so get them to write this on their rimes in permanent marker.
  • When pumping up tyres, keep the valve on the top. If the tyre contains slime and the value is at the bottom it will all spray out and will clog the valve.
  • Make sure the wheels are on the right way around – this will affect their bike computers.
  • Securely fasten their bike lights and make sure they have fresh batteries.
  • Check the wheels are running smoothly and that the brake cables have been connected.
  • They’ll appreciate clean bikes, bike shoes and clean cleats.
  • Put their helmets and gloves on their handle-bars.

   

• Navigation: As a second, another of your roles is navigator. Besides locating transitions, plotting the next points for the team and identifying route options saves the team time. Ensure that you order an extra set of maps when you fill in your entry form and keep a nav-set in the vehicle: compass, pens, pencils, calculator, ruler and highlighters.

Other bits:

• Never be without duct tape, cable ties and a permanent marker.
• Toilet paper aka fax paper. After a day or two, they’ll need to send a fax. Nothing beats catching up with correspondence. Keep a couple of rolls within easy access.
• Lots of boxes of matches – assign each second a box and have a reserve stash. They’re like cello-tape and scissors they disappear.
• Clothes pegs – hanging up wet clothing.
• Binoculars – fun for spotting your team approaching.
• Black garbage bags – Essential for wet, dirty laundry and trash.
• Plastic shoping bags – useful for wrapping up stuff & trash.
• Solar shower (available from camping shops) – after 3 days, they may want a quick warm rinse.
• Flashing light so that your vehicle is easy for the team to find at night.

USEFUL TIPS

Draw up checklists to run through when preparing for a race. Check and replenish your equipment stocks. Add on items you will need specifically for that event.

Pack everything thing related i.e. bicycle stuff, cooking stuff etc. into crates, and label them.

Make sure that each person labels all their equipment and clothing – including socks and jocks.

Always pack the seconding vehicle yourself. You will be using the equipment so pack things where you can find them.

Get yourself a big roll of velcro – it can be used for typing down and securing anything.

Keep detailed information on each team member in a folder. You will need things like name, age, telephone, address, ID number, blood group, passport details, medical information (medication being taken, allergies, vaccinations), medical aid details and next of kin contact information.

Book yourself on first aid and massge courses. Learn how to strap knees and ankles and care for blistered feet.

Especially if you’re not used to driving with a trailer, practice before you leave home. Become comfortable manoeuvering a big truck with a trailer – that has 4 bikes standing on top of it.

If you have two seconding vehicles consider getting walkie talkies so that you can keep in contact on the road when you’re travelling between transition areas.

Keep a note book at the race in which you can write down things you need to remember for the next event. These can be items or just ideas on how to do things more efficiently.

Finally… though seconding is hard work and many of the little things you do will go unnoticed, it is a satisfying experience. It is a brilliant opportunity to be a part of a team, to get a way to some incredible places and to meet people who like yourself love the outdoors.

Author: Lisa de Speville