This article was written by Alina McMaster and published in Triathlon & MultiSport Magazine (Vol 6 No. 8)
As I come in from a day of cross-country skiing and sit by the fire with a glass of red wine I realise why adventure racing is so great. Adventure racing can involve any type of self propelled activity, from mountain biking to skiing, from trekking to abseiling, from kayaking to horse riding. Consequently, any type of physical activity is great training for adventure racing. So I feel good, my 50km around the tracks at Perisher will go a long way towards the next adventure race, plus it has the added bonus of altitude training!
But adventure racing is not just about being fit. It involves resilience, perseverance, teamwork, adaptability and strategy. Most importantly, it is about having fun with friends taming the urban environment or thriving in our amazing wilderness.
Why Adventure Racing?
You can choose your own pace but you will always be challenged, both physically and mentally. You will need to think, together as a team, to choose the best route from checkpoint A to B.
Adventure racing condenses a myriad of lifetime experiences into a short intense race period. But at the same time adventure racing requires you to use your life experiences to succeed. You don’t always know what is coming so you have to be adaptable, like in the Fiji Ecochallenge when we came across a pile of bamboo logs and had to build a raft to carry four of us for 50km down river. In the Argentina Ecochallenge we had trouble keeping our two inflatable boats from going around in circles in the heavy winds. So we tied them together and set up a sail with the tent fly.
It is time to get involved and experience the fastest growing sport in Australia. So lets get started…
What Race?
There are now several races to choose from in Australia from varying lengths of 3 hours to 5 days depending on how confident you feel. Start small and work your way into more challenging events. When you get the bug you can always go further a field and make your next holiday the Ecochallenge, Primal Quest, Southern Traverse or some other big international race.
What Team?
Adventure racing is done in teams of two-four. Generally teams must be mixed gender but in Australia we usually provide for mixed, male and female categories.
The team is probably the most important factor. Good teamwork is vital. A team of elite athletes acting as individuals can easily be beaten by a not so fit team that works well together. In adventure racing the team must finish together so looking after one another is essential.
Get a group of friends together and have fun. If you can’t find a team there is no excuse because many of the websites listed have notice boards and team-mate finding services.
How to Train?
The training is the easy part. Just get out there and do some physical activity. There is no need to have a structured training program, interval sessions, strength sessions etc. These will be built in naturally just by using the terrain. Do some long bike rides and runs. Get out and paddle. Get a sea kayak (beg, borrow or steel) and have a paddle on the harbour or bay. Also try paddling in choppy water to improve skills and confidence. Make up your own adventures, go hiking, go play!
Importantly, you will need to train your navigation skills. You will need to practice travelling by map and compass. Orienteering and rogaining events are great for this. There is a rogaining association in every state so look them up on the Internet (try www.nswrogaining.org and go to the links for other states).
There is no need to go overboard with training for adventure racing. And don’t wait until you think you are fit enough before you enter an event. Just get out there and do it – you will get better along the way and will at least find out quickly which areas you need to work on.
For those that are looking for a bit of a guide, this is a sample weekly program for an intermediate competitor:
Weekly Training Program
If you don’t get all this in, don’t worry. If you are active
on the weekends and someone in your team can navigate, you will be fine to
get through any of the shorter adventure races, then you can work your way
up.
What Gear?
There are many shops and manufacturers now starting to specialise in adventure racing gear. Salomon has some great packs, shoes and clothes. Check out www.salomonsports.com. It is also great to see many of the outdoor shops now getting into the lightweight adventure racing gear. For faster travel and more fun remember to keep it light. It’s no fun dragging a heavy pack around – it is not a camping trip.
But you don’t need much to start with – just a mountain bike, a compass, a small backpack and some shoes. Some of the events provide boats. You can also hire double sea kayaks from around the local area if required. Sea kayaks are the most commonly used boats for adventure racing - don’t expect to be paddling on nice calm flat water!
Comfortable shoes are important. Boots are generally too heavy. Running shoes are great for the shorter races but can be too light for longer multi-day races where you need to protect your feet from stones and rough surfaces. Salomon manufactures a range of adventure racing shoes which are relatively cheap and very comfortable. Good socks are also important to keep blisters at bay, especially as you are likely to be travelling through water. I recommend you try Bridgedale socks – they make you smile.
Why be Organised?
Good adventure racing teams are well organised. Make sure you check the rules for the race and have the compulsory gear ready. Arrive at the race start with plenty of time to mark up and study the maps, work out what you need to take and to brief your road crew. Some races are self supporting while others require you to bring your own road crew.
If you are required to have road crew, make sure they know what they are in for. They will have to run around after your team, getting bikes ready, getting wet and muddy, staying up all night waiting for you, preparing food and so on. Get your gear in order so that the road crew can find it. For example have a bag for biking, another bag for kayaking and so on. Mark the bags and gear inside with the team member’s name. Have food ready for your crew to give to you. I always find that in a race over 12 hours it is great to have some hot more substantial food like a bowl of spaghetti or rice and tuna. Sweet food, chocolate bars etc get too much after a while. Packets of chips are good to feed the salt cravings!
Now What?
Now you’ve got the basics, choose your event, your team and get going. You learn the most from actually doing an event – so there is no time like the present to start. Remember the aim of the game is to have fun so don’t take it too seriously - it is a friendly crowd.
Adventure Racing Guide
Below are some events to get your taste buds watering:
www.arocsport.com.au AROC Adventure Sprints – a 2 to 3 hour adventure race series in Canberra. Great for first timers. Boats provided.
www.adventureseries.com.au 6 hour adventure race series. The next step up. One race held in every State.
www.24houradventurerace.com Maximum Adventure race series. A great format of 3 separate stages over 2 days – foot/paddle, night run, mountain bike. Boats provided.
www.24houradventurerace.com Arrow 24 hour race series. A bit more like an off-road triathlon but a taste of going into the dark.
www.geoquest.com.au Geoquest 48 hour race. Now we are starting to talk sleep deprivation.
www.ecoadventure.net Eco Adventure Cairns – 3 days. Held in July, this is a great excuse to get out of the colder climate if you live down south.
www.subaruprimalquest.com Primal Quest USA (Sept 2003) Watch this site for Team AROC. A 5-10 day non-stop event.
www.ecochallenge.com The most famous of adventure races.
www.southerntraverse.com Held in New Zealand. Hard core just like the Kiwi’s.
Alina
McMaster
Team AROC
Alina McMaster is a former Australian champion in cross-country skiing. She has won every major multi-sport race in Australia and now competes in adventure racing. Alina has competed in many international adventure races including top five finishes in Eco-Challenges and the Southern Traverse. She is captain of Team AROC.
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