Adventure racing is a thrill that comes in all sizes, from short half-day affairs to weeklong or more adventures in the Alaskan wilderness. Routes may be planned out with a series of checkpoints, or you might be on your own to get from Point A to Point B any way you like. No matter what sort of adventure race you're getting into, proper preparation is the key to keeping out of trouble as much as possible.
Instructions
1. Get to know your prospective teammates before deciding who you'll race with. Select teammates that you're capable of getting along with under very stressful circumstances. They must also have similar levels of physical ability and commitment, as the team will be limited by its weakest, slowest or least committed member.
2. Train for physical endurance. This can include standard strength and endurance training such as weightlifting and running, but it should above all else focus on simulating race conditions. Plan to start training at least three or four months before the race, although being in good condition beforehand is definitely a must. See the Resources section for a more detailed discussion of a physical training program.
3. Simulate the extreme fatigue of participating in an adventure race by putting your entire team through long, 10-to-15 hour sessions of outdoor travel, covering terrain similar to that which you might encounter in the race and carrying a similar amount of gear. This sort of training will quickly reveal any gear, personality, physical or psychological problems you may encounter during the race.
4. Consult the race documentation, or contact the organizers, to find out whether you must be certified or will be required to demonstrate ability in any particular outdoor skills, such as rappelling, rock climbing or kayaking. Practice these skills with your entire group to make sure you are all proficient in these skills, both individually and as a group. Such requirements are always in place for your safety.
5. Assemble the minimum of required gear according to the gear list that should be provided to you by the race organizers. Look over the gear, as a team, and add in anything you think you'll need; the minimum gear list provided is almost always just that, the bare minimum.
6. Study the race route--or as much of it as is available to you before the race--and plan out a strategy for handling it that's agreeable to all of you as a group. You may have to be flexible and make last-minute changes while on the trail, but going without a plan at all would be disastrous.
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