The Most Ingenious Tips for Preparing for an Adventure Race
The most ingenious tips for preparing for an Adventure Race
Adventure Races are becoming more and more popular throughout the world as one of the biggest challenge in the outdoor extreme sports. Pioneered in 1989, “The Raid Gauloises” was the first adventure race of the sports-world held in New Zealand. This two-week race comprised 400 miles of mountaineering, horseback riding, kayaking, canoeing and rafting. In U.S., Eco-challenge was the first adventure race.
Since then, it is alluring lots of people as ultimate endurance test in adventurous athletic challenges. The United States Adventure Race Association (USARA) stated that over the last five years, 250,000 people took part in adventure racing. As John O’Connor, creator of Chicago’s Wild Onion, says, “Adventure races are a lot more accessible nowâÂ?¦People see races like the Eco-Challenge on TV, and they want to do it.”
One of the fastest growing sports in U.S., adventure race is a multi-discipline team sport lasting anywhere from a few hours to 10 days that incorporates a team of three-four or more members who compete together in sequence to form a non-stop race. All the members move often in a remote wilderness covering 100 miles or more.
Adventure race is performed by combining different human-powered sport-skills as mountain biking, rock climbing, rappelling, mountaineering, canoeing, kayaking, skiing, trail running, hiking, orienteering etc. To participate in adventure racing, you should be robust, familiar with all the disciplines goals and strategy of race and have top-of-the-line gear and apparel. You should also have a good mutual understanding with all the teammates to work well before and during the race.
Preparing for first race-how to begin?
If you like to explore adventures, to face challenges or to test your extreme potential to navigate the puzzling and surprising difficulties—-adventure racing is absolutely for you! Just choose teammates having common goals, fitness and skill levels, set the target, goals and strategies, be familiar with the location and follow the tips described below to accomplish a win-win formula: —
Selection of Teammates and captain—
Team dynamics is the most imperative part of successful racing. Team members should have the essential gears and clothing, necessary skills, good judgment and compatible plan of action to handle unexpected events. Also, decide the team leader associated with leadership, immediate judging, good fitness/athletic skill base and responsibilities of the entire team-what’s going on….
Check your skills and fitness—
Adventure racing is the activity of absolute physical and mental exertions. Before starting, check your team members and your own necessary skills (elementary knowledge of disciplines), physical and psychological strength and weaknesses to ensure that each team and team member is ready to face the challenges. Keep up your energy level up, make 100% sure of your navigation and sleep and be motivated to complete the race.
Check all your gear, food and water—
Considerably adventure race is gear-intensive sport, so carefully check the efficiency and easy accessibility of required mandatory and other gear for each member in their backpacks and try to pack them as light weight as possible. Pack nutritious and calorie-dense food, energy bars and fresh fruits in small waterproof bags with quick opening. Pack your electrolyte sports drink such as Accelerade and two water bottles. Eat and drink often to avoid getting dehydrated or nauseated.
Other requisites—-
Put other essentials in backpack carefully as lighter, headlamp, compass and extra headlamp batteries, waterproof topographic map with attached cord, gore-tex jacket and fleece top, throw bags and dry bags, one toolkit capable to handle most field repairs and medical kit.
Take care of your feet—
Blisters, dirt or swelling can make your race panic, so watch your feet very carefully. Always use perfectly fitted athletics shoes, polypropylene liner socks and pack your backpack with feet lubricants, duct tape to cover problem areas, and blister treatment kit.
Training is the best effort to be familiar with race tactics—
Adventure races require the particular basic knowledge of multi-disciplines as running/trekking, mountain biking and kayaking, navigation skills, and understanding of weather and environment. You can be familiar with these racing tactics by considering the adventure race training.
“Adventure racing is just beginning its curve upward,” Mark Burnett, creator of America’s granddaddy of the sport, the Eco-Challenge, says, “People get into races like this because they’re looking for self-discovery.”
If you also want to discover new world of adventure, why are you sitting here? Just join an adventure-racing group and get set go�
