[Lisa] There’s no one-size-fits-all for adventure racing. You need to be comfortable and competent in all disciplines – run, bike, paddle and navigation. Then again, it all depends what distance events you’re wanting to do etc. 10 year old children (or less) can handle a short sprint race.

I always think that the best place to start is to get running fit. Two benefits: conditioning your feet to having time spent on them (VERY IMPORTANT) and it is the best way to improve cardio fitness. Depending on where you are, my first step recommendation is to get your hands on a 10km running programme (available online – check out Runner’s World website – local and US). If you’re already running 10km comfortably, go for a 21km programme (usually three months in duration).

That will give you a super foundation for everything. Also get on your bike regularly and participate in mountain bike races.

Paddling is usually the third discipline to be acquired. Again, it all depends where you are and what races you’re doing. If you’re entering the short sprint races (25-35km), you do not need any paddling skills. If you’re moving up into 100km+ races, it really is worthwhile getting in some paddling basics. Even if stable craft are provided by an event, at least you’ll have a foundation in paddle technique and conditioned upper body.

Navigation is probably the most important but most neglected discipline. Go to orienteering events to practice skills – with the benefit of cross-terrain and trail running included. Events in SA on www.orienteering.co.za.

There’s no one size fits all for AR. Just like people run Comrades in 5h30 and 12h00; same in AR. The fitter you (and your teammates) are, the faster you can go. Being less fit than the pros doesn’t mean you can’t finish and have a wonderful race.

Best of all, keep entering AR events. By jumping into events you’ll discover weaknesses to work on and then you just build from there.

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.

[Lisa] There are super guys out there who won’t act like alpha dogs, provided you’ve all got the same race goals and intentions. It’s  the same with any teammate really – it takes a while to find the right combination (years sometimes!) and also this changes as your fitness improves and your motivations and goals change from what they are now. Mr Right may be a Mr Right Now.

I can suggest that you meet and mingle through the sprint races and also at AR Club evenings (open to everyone,www.arclub.wordpress.com). And then just take a chance for a longer race on a dude who seems to match what you’re looking for. Over time you’ll find one (or two) that works for you. I also find that during races you get to meet people while out there on the course who are a similar pace to you; it’s a great way to see who is out there for you to recruit to your team.

The guys that race with you should be stronger and faster – it’s genetics. Any girls stronger and faster than their guys need to upgrade. What you’re looking for at the moment are guys who are happy to race non-competitively. They’ll certainly lend a helping hand here and there, but without being pushy.  Discuss your race objectives before the race to make sure you’re all on the same page and then just give them a try.

It seems that many people new to this sport are concerned about the ‘swimming component’ in adventure racing. Upfront – we rarely swim; this isn’t triathlon. And when we do, it is usually to cross a small dam or a river. Not ‘proper swimming’. Distances are usually short – like <200m and we’ve usually got backpacks to swim with too. We’ve even swum with bicycles across rivers! Swimming in adventure racing is often more doggy paddle than freestyle.

Race organisers will let you pre-race if you have to swim; and they’ll usually mention the distance – like 500m.

Some international events have had a bigger swimming component, like the 2009 Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge, which had a swim of 1km in the prologue. Race organisation transported backpacks and they allowed participants to use goggles and floatation, if desired.

Don’t stress about swimming in adventure racing (rather practise your navigation!). But, that said, for your own safety and that of your teammates with any water discipline (kayaking, rafting, river crossings, tubing etc), you should be a competent swimmer.

Despite my teasing of the winning team over ‘obstacle etiquette’, there are actually two right answers here.

Yes, it is ok for them to overtake

Although the start of the obstacle course is very much considered the end of the race, with teams patiently waiting for team ahead (even if they’re slower on the obstacles) to take their turn, the race is still on. The first obstacle had two lines and the generally rule is ‘one line per team’. The team coming from behind evidently had better strength here and they went ahead of the leading team. If I got to this obstacle at the same time as another team (it was deflated when we got there), I’d also take the other line, ascending the obstacle at the same time – and certainly hoping to beat them.

The next obstacle had one line, which accommodates one person at a time. So, after the first obstacle, it would be one-one-one until the finish line; the team behind has to wait, even if the team ahead is slower and struggling on the obstacles.

If the other obstacles also had two lines I’d be tempted to say it is fair game to keep racing through this section; team work comes into play on the obstacle course and with one line per team, two teams can be accommodated at one time. There is no rule that says, ‘the race stops at the start of the obstacle section’, so, the race is still on.

No, the obstacle course is a novelty activity; the race ‘stops’ at the start of this section

These inflatable obstacles don’t handle multiple people scrambling up them at the same time; the obstacle course doesn’t have two lines on all inflatables – so people have to wait for each other; and this section is just for fun. Also, if a team beats you over the length of the course, it is not really etiquette to pip them at the post over a section that really is non-competitive.

Verdict

I’m swayed to saying it is not ok in this situation purely because there are not two lines on every obstacle. But, you don’t necessarily know this starting the section, afterall, there were two lines on the first obstacle, which made it fair game for both teams.

So, there is no right and wrong – it just comes down to an unwritten etiquette perhaps. The members of both teams in this situation are wonderful athletes, people and sportsman so there was definitely no pushing and shoving for position – the race was still underway. They both happen to be very good and the one leveraged their better obstacle abilities to put them ahead on that first obstacle.

Occasionally teams encounter misplaced or missing controls at races; they get to where the control should be, but find that it isn’t there. What to do? Stay and hunt for it or continue on the course and speak to the race organiser later? I’m in favour of the latter. Go. Continue with the race. Navigation is a discipline of adventure racing; grid searching for a missing control is not.

• plotted incorrectly on the map – the organisers wants it to be on a certain fence and they place it on the fence but the location is marked incorrectly on the map; a bit like a typo
• marked correctly on the map but placed at the wrong location when the controls are being put out in the field
• stolen; more than one control has gone walking at races – I’ve always thought they’d make nice lampshades (others evidently think so too)…

• If you get to where the control should be and it isn’t there, phone the race organiser to let them know; they can dispatch someone to the location to verify and to tell teams coming later. You will not be disqualified for phoning the organiser for this reason.
• Move on, do not hunt for the control. The discipline of navigation is just that, navigation… not hunting. Your job is to navigate from A to B, not to grid search when you get there.

Before you leave for the race (like a day or two before), read the information provided, check for compulsory equipment and print the race directions. Really. Don’t phone the organiser and pester them because you’re a lazy-butt. They’ve got lots of other things to deal with pre-race.

On arrival, check in at the race registration table to collect your race envelope. It may have instructions, maps, bibs and, most certainly, an indemnity form. Get each team member to sign the form and return it promptly. Read the race instructions. There is also usually a race briefing before the start. I loathe convoluted race briefings as I believe they should just welcome us, thank the sponsors and let us get going. When it comes to instructions and rules, my rule is that if it isn’t on paper, it doesn’t exist. Sure, it doesn’t always happen this way but it should. After 30-minutes (if that!) I can’t remember to turn left, right, right again and left at some obscure white post.

Anyway, don’t stress yourself before the race about the route, the disciplines and the distances. That’s the thing with adventure racing – adaptability and variability. And don’t make assumptions. Just attend the briefing, read the rules and do what you’re told. It’s as easy as that.

Sprint races and short course races (up to around 65km) will probably have a central transition area and are generally unsupported (no support crew required). And becuase of this central transition they’re a bit more spectator friendly. You can leave your bikes and gear for the running and biking disciplines in the transition area. You can also leave a bottle of water to refill your hydration reservoir/bottle and some food, like a banana, extra bars, sandwich and such – you don’t need to carry everything the whole time.

While you’re munching out on course, please take care that your wrappers from gels and bars don’t end up on the ground. Secure in you backpack and place in a bin when you return to the transition. It’s amazing how much stuff ends up on the ground when it wiggles out of pack pockets.

In short races you can expect to have running and biking and maybe some other obstacles thrown in for fun. The running and biking will be split into more than one leg – so even on a short 2-3hr race you could still have 3-4 legs. This is nice because then no one leg will be much more than 10-15km, which is a comparitive drop in the ocean on a bike. Obstacles require no special skills - they’re meant to be fun.

The start could see all the teams on the starting line for a group run/bike or you may receive instructions/maps at the start. If it’s the latter, teams will usually move to one side, read the instructions or the map to decide where to go or what to do first, and then they’ll move off in their own time.

Navigation is included in short adventure races too (multisport events have no nav – and they’re not often team events either). You can be assured that the navigation in short course events will be easy – it is not rocket science – and they don’t hide the controls. They’ll be on significant features like a big tree, fences, road junction and you should notice the control as you approach.

Each time you come in to the transition you’ll have to check-in with the marshal. You may have to check out with them too. You’ll be told in the briefing. If your team withdraws from the race, for whatever reason, be sure to tell the marshal. Very important! Make sure you’re checked off at the finish.

The pace of short events is faster than a 24hr and longer race so don’t be put off and think you could never do a longer race. They are as different as a 5km fun run is to Comrades Marathon.

And then, once the race is done, there’s a prize giving. Most events have lots of luck draw prizes so it is worth hanging around. It’s also fun to sit around chatting with other teams after the race.

It’s a similar setup for longer races – the main differences being that you’ll have a support crew who transports your gear and provides food; transitions will be all over the place as the race progresses; paddling will certainly be included; leg distances will be longer; and navigation will be a little more challenging.

That’s it.

On a sprint race, which is usually 25-35km and will take you 2-4hrs to complete, bars and gels will see you through. A banana with your race stuff at the central transition will go down well too. A short course race of 50-75km will take the bulk of the day and it’s a good idea to bring in some real food like sandwiches and boiled baby potatoes with a sprinkle of salt - the latter are a personal favourite.

When it comes to hydration, always keep water in your reservoir and put your carbohydrate drink in your bottle. Sipping on sweet drinks for endless hours not only rots your teeth (over time – build up of carbonic acid) but will make you feel nauseous. And the problem is that ones the sweetness starts getting to you, you stop drinking and that creates its own problems.

Once races start going into 24hrs it is nice to have at least one decent meal, in addition to sandwiches and munchie bag containing dried fruit, nuts, seed bars, salty crackers, crisps and other palatable treats. Races over 24hrs usually have support crew – they’ll provide the meal.

Orienteering events take place once or twice a month in Gauteng and Cape Town. They’re open to everyone, from toddlers to the aged – family attendance is encouraged. A number of courses of different distance and technical difficulty are presented to accommodate participants of all ages skill and fitness levels. Participants can go out on their own, or in a group (max 3 people).

  Although map scales in adventure racing are smaller than orienteering, the techniques applied to navigating accurately from one point to the next are the same. Orienteering teaches accuracy, precision, map interpretation and off-road running. In adventure racing, map scales are usually 1:50,000. In orienteering, specially drawn maps have scales that vary between 1:5,000 and 1:7,500 for short course events to 1:10,000 and 1:15,000 for longer ‘colour-coded’ events. Orienteering maps also contain more detail, using colours and symbols to depict vegetation and significant features.

With the short course series kicking off in Joburg, these Q&As will help you understand how things work – and there are always friendly people on hand at events to assist.

Tania Wimberley answers some common questions.

What course should I do?

For maximum enjoyment of the event, choose the most suitable course:

• String    (suitable for children under 5 – its very short, around 600m ) 
• Novice  (suitable for family groups, beginners & young children-about 2 to 2.5km)
• Ladies   (suitable for ladies & experienced groups, it’s technical but shorter than the men course- 3km)
• Men  (technical & the longest-around 3.5km)

Expected winning times on the novice, ladies and men’s courses are around 20 minutes. Walkers are likely to take double that time.

If entering your first event, try the Novice course. It’s designed to be easy so you find everything.  If you cream it and are back in time you can always go out again on a second course.

Older children may also enjoy doing the string course after their main course – they are welcome to do so. There is no charge for the string course.

Points for the Gauteng Log are awarded to individuals who are members of clubs only (& not groups). All individuals on the novice course get points but men don’t get points if they do the ladies course and visa versa.

These course distance are rough estimates & may vary-actual distances will be advertised on the day.

Do I enter as an individual or group?

You can do the event alone or in a group, what ever suits you. Groups should preferably be 2 or 3 people, but no more than four.  A family of 4 should preferably break into 2 groups.

What is an EMIT & do I need one?

An electronic timing device (EMIT) is used on the ladies & men’s courses ONLY. If you don’t own an EMIT and are doing the ladies /men’s course you can hire one for the event. Each group only needs one EMIT. Novice & string courses use a manual punching system.

Nicholas Mulder highlights a few considerations you need to make for AR:

• that it is as waterproof as possible; it needs to get you through a heavy downpour.
• that it is as versatile as possible; reading maps & clearly seeing the ground vs seeing far into the distance searching for the checkpoint with a beam.
• that the battery life is long lasting; you don’t really want to change batteries every night.
• that the headlamp sits comfortably on your head. Some headlamps have battery packs in front, behind the light. Others have battery packs that sit on the back of your head. If heavy batteries are in front they’ll drive you insane as they’ll jiggle around and slip over your eyes when you jog/run.

There have been a few major advances in headlamp technology in the last few years, revolving around light brightness and battery life. LED lights are practically as bright as halogens nowadays but have the added advantage of the better battery life. The better headlamps have variable brightness setting and allow you to adjust beam focus and so on.