I will start this blog with Training Specificity. Its something I have been working on over the holidays for my upcoming adventure race. You may have seen me lugging around my pack with life jacket, helmet & paddles attached, in places where there wasn’t even a trickle of a river or lake to paddle on! It always makes for interesting conversations with those I meet on my training missions.
Its very important to look at the race you are targeting and work out what sort of terrain & conditions you are likely to encounter, its not just about the distance!
Is it hilly or flat?
How much ascent? Do you need to condition your legs to several 1000m’s of ascent & quad bashing steep descents.
How technical is the terrain. Does it involve exposed ridges, slippery snow grass, tussock bashing? What skills do you need to work on.
Are there river crossings?
How much weight will you have to carry? Do you have the right pack thats comfortable with this weight.
Are you likely to be wet for most of the time? Do you need to condition your feet.
Is it likely to be hot or cold? What clothing to wear.
What altitude will you be exposed to? Do you need to condition yourself to high altitude
This extra research will help you prepare yourself for a successful, enjoyable race & can be applied to all disciplines. Don’t leave it until race day to find out that you don’t enjoy exposed ridges or don’t quite have the skills to negotiate a grade 3 rapid! A bit of time to up skill & practice will make all the difference!