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By Brent Freedland It’s race week! You've put in the hard work and training. You've built your team or found one to join. You’ve done your homework, dusted off your navigation skills, filled in holes in your gear inventory, and learned some new skills on the bike and in the boat. Now, you need to get to the start line, which experienced racers often joke is the hardest part of the event. When competing in a multi-day international expedition race, this does ring true, but for a short race, just focus on getting some rest, basic logistics, and paying attention to your email.  Photo Credit: Jeff O'Connor Race Week
Bottom line: On race morning, look around. I guarantee you will see other racers and teams spending tens of minutes organizing gear, repacking food, or floundering with a disorganized pile of gear and food. This isn’t a criticism, and sometimes even the most experienced teams will lose time with these sorts of concerns. But if you show up on race day organized and prepared, you’ll have more time to work with your maps, strategize, warm up, and perhaps even relax.  Photo Credit: Randy Ericksen Race Day OK, hopefully, you live close enough to roll out of bed and hit the road at a reasonable hour, but do know that many racers end up camping or crashing in a cheap hotel the night before a race, since many ARs (especially races twelve hours or longer) require travel to more remote locations. Either way, set your clock early enough to give yourself time to wake up, grab some food, finish loading up the car if you didn’t pack it the night before, and get to registration on time. It always takes longer than you think it will, so maybe set the alarm fifteen minutes earlier than you want to! On that note: if an RD tells you that pre-race is open from 6AM to 8AM, show up at 6AM. Maybe even 5:45AM. Too many new racers roll in late during registration. The race may not start until 8:30AM, but that extra time before the gun goes off is crucial to maximizing your prep time. If you care about competition, a team with an extra hour to study maps, plot routes, strategize, and dial in their gear will have a massive advantage over a team with only fifteen minutes to complete an hour or prep. If you don’t care about competition, you are considerably more likely to have a smooth and enjoyable race if you maximize your planning time. Starting the race unsure of where the start line is, where your food is stored, or whether you have the right gear in your pack will probably result in a disastrous moment or three that might really impact your ability to enjoy or even finish the race. What do pre-race events typically look like?
 Picture Credit: Vlad Bukalo A few other tips for pre-race:
Other Articles in the New to AR Series:
If you haven't already, like or follow USARA's Facebook page, join the AR Discussion Group, sign up for our newsletter, or consider becoming a USARA member to stay up to date on everything AR-related. This concludes our "New to AR" series, but keep an eye on our blog, social media sites, and website as we continue to produce new content for new racers and also those who have been racing for decades. By Brent Freedland When you sign up for a running race, it’s pretty simple: grab your shoes, your watch, and maybe a hydration vest and a bit of fuel, and off you go. Course marshals aren’t stopping you mid-course to check whether you have a triangular bandage in your first aid kit. You don’t need to create a gear closet, renovate your garage, or buy a new house to accommodate your growing gear collection. At first, adventure racing can be daunting, as you realize that assembling and packing your gear for a race can take as long as the event itself. But fear not! It’s not as bad as it seems, especially at the entry level. Here, we’ll consider the gear list for The Trilogy Adventure Race, a typical, beginner-friendly race hosted by the New York Adventure Racing Association. Below you will find the required gear list with some commentary concerning each item, what to consider when tackling your first race as it pertains to equipment, and an explanation for why an RD would require something you might not have or think you need. *This article is not intended to do a deep dive on specific gear or promote any specific companies. There are plenty of gear reviews, comparisons, and reports out there. For additional ideas on gear, join online discussion boards such as the Adventure Race Discussion Group for community feedback.
Equipment to be provided by participants Full-Time Mandatory Personal Equipment: Each team member must possess these items at all times.
 Photo Credit: Jeff O'Connor Full-Time Mandatory Team Equipment: Each team must possess these items at all times
Mountain Biking Personal Mandatory Equipment: Each team member must possess these items at all times during mountain biking sections of the competition.
Mountain Biking Team Mandatory Equipment: Each team must possess the following at all times during mountain biking sections of the competition.
Paddling Personal Mandatory Equipment: Each team member must have the following while paddling.
Paddling Team Mandatory Equipment: Each team must supply the following
 Picture Credit: Mark Montague, Team Soggy Bottom Boys Suggested Gear (Not Mandatory)
 Gear Bins and Bags, Adventure Racing World Championship - Photo Credit: Randy Ericksen Additional Gear Considerations While the above list represents a typical beginner race, here are some additional items commonly found on a simple gear list. Twelve-hour and even 24-hour events might require a bit more than what is covered in this article, but not much. Expeditions will increase the requirements.
Every race is different, and every RD publishes their own required gear list. A race in a cold environment will demand different (and likely more) equipment than one in a warm-weather climate. A six-hour sprint race will generally require less gear than a 24-hour one. There is no doubt that the more you race and the longer the events you compete in, the more gear you will have to accumulate. In addition, to some degree the quality of gear plays a role in how competitive you can be. Top teams have invested significantly in lighter gear that allows them to travel lighter, be more efficient, move faster, and preserve their bodies for longer.
That said, as noted above, when starting out, you can get creative and likely dig something out of a closet or borrow something to keep costs low. When you are ready to commit to the sport long-term, start thinking about investing in better gear and then prioritize your needs, budget for bigger purchases, and take advantage of holiday wish-lists. Most experienced racers accumulate gear over the course of years. Few are taking out a second mortgage to upgrade or buy everything all at once. And plenty of seasoned vets will also tell you that the most expensive, lightest, high-end piece of gear is not necessarily what you want or need for this sport in the first place. Other Articles in the New to AR Series: If you haven't already, like or follow USARA's Facebook page, join the AR Discussion Group, sign up for our newsletter, or consider becoming a USARA member to stay up to date on everything AR-related. And stay tuned for future articles in the "New to AR" series including:
By Brent Freedland Last week, we tackled two of the primary AR disciplines: biking and trekking. While most adventure racers put most of their training time into those two sports, paddling and navigation are important too, and proficiency in navigation is arguably the single most important skill to develop. Both skills are harder to train for, however, and while this may be true, new racers can't afford to ignore them altogether.  Picture Credit: Jeff O'Connor Paddling Most adventure racers ignore paddling until they are forced to do it on race day. So, if something has to give, maybe this is it. I don’t recommend this approach, but unless you own your own boats and live on the water, getting out for quality paddle training can be really difficult, especially on a regular basis. In addition, being skilled for all the different forms of paddling you may encounter in AR is much harder to achieve on your own than preparing for the other disciplines. Depending on your race schedule, you may need to practice flatwater paddling, white-water handling, or open-ocean kayaking. This might sounds like a lot, but consider a few things.
Given the above caveats, here are some suggestions for paddle-specific training:
 Photo Credit: Vlad Bukalo Navigation You can train 15 hours a week and be Danny MacAskill on the trails, but if you can’t find your way from point A to point B, you won’t be making it very far in an adventure race. As noted in past articles, many adventure races, especially sprint races and one-day events accessible to beginners, are designed with less experienced navigators in mind, but you will still want and need a certain level of comfort with maps.
 Photo Credit: Randy Ericksen Other Skills
For those new racers taking on a one-day event or a multi-day expedition race with additional disciplines, identify those specialized skills you'll need. The RDs will highlight any out-of-the-ordinary activities or competencies necessary. Most likely, you will need to brush up on or learn some basic ropes skills. Ropes tend to be the most common add-on, and basic skills such as rappelling or ascending using mechanical ascenders are hallmarks of longer events. Beyond ropes, you may see sports such as stand-up paddle boarding, coasteering, caving, mountaineering, and rollerblading in an adventure race, and more obscure disciplines such horseback riding are not unheard of. Such disciplines are not to be taken lightly. Some can be picked up quite easily with a local club or an experienced friend, while others require more intensive training with professional instructors. When signing up for a more advanced and/or longer event, make sure you do your homework and know what you're getting into. If you can’t find the time to develop an intermediate comfort level with a more obscure skill, consider whether it’s the best event for you and your team, especially if that discipline seems to be a significant part of the race. It’s not just your ability to complete the event that could be compromised, but your safety as well. Depending on the skills necessary, you can sometimes get away with only having a couple of proficient team members. If they are able to help guide the rest of the team safely through a section of the race, that may be enough. The RD should make this clear; if they don't, ask! And as I’ve noted throughout this series: know your limits. You and your team’s safety is paramount, but so is that of the other teams on the course, not to mention the race staff and other safety personnel involved in the event. If you know you are in over your head, make sure you put the time into developing the proficiency necessary to complete the section of the race. Other Articles in the New to AR Series: If you haven't already, like or follow USARA's Facebook page, join the AR Discussion Group, sign up for our newsletter, or consider becoming a USARA member to stay up to date on everything AR-related. And stay tuned for future articles in the "New to AR" series including:
By Brent Freedland Diving into adventure racing can be intimidating since it requires a wide and somewhat unusual skillset. Bikers have to be comfortable riding trails. Runners have to be prepared to leave paths altogether and head overland, sometimes bushwhacking across technical terrain. Many new racers have very little experience on the water, and paddling in AR may require you to be comfortable on anything and everything from flat water to white-water to open-ocean kayaking. If that isn’t enough, someone on your team needs to be able to navigate with enough competency to complete a course void of directional signs, ribbons, or paint. For those jumping off the cliff into an ARWS expedition race or an event like World's Toughest Race: Eco Challenge, you might also need to learn ropes skills, mountaineering, horseback riding, rollerblading, or other more adventurous disciplines. As we've suggested in previous posts, start with realistic goals. For shorter events, beginner and intermediate racers with a baseline level of fitness and skill can generally expect to cross the finish line. It may not be easy, but with the right attitude and proper expectations, even those with novice-level skills can have a good experience. In this installment in our New to AR Series, we will focus on some general tips, truly meant for beginners. We will start off with two of the core disciplines in AR, and next week, we will examine the others. Remember, this isn’t intended to replace a training plan, and you will need to get out there and learn the skills, but hopefully it will give you some direction!  Photo Credit: Brent Freedland Foot OK, let’s start with what is arguably the most basic of the AR disciplines. Efficient foot travel in adventure racing is extremely important, and I believe people sometimes take this “skill” for granted, especially in longer events. How hard can running, jogging, or even walking be? Anyone that has participated in a multi-day race knows that more experienced, efficient, and skilled teams can open-up massive leads on a foot section. Being able to move efficiently through technical terrain requires both skill and art, and just piling up the miles on a treadmill or your local trails won't necessarily translate to an adventure racing course. What should you do to better prepare for the unique challenges of adventure racing foot-travel?
 Photo Credit: Vlad Bukalo Bike
First, no, you don’t need to buy the fanciest bike in the world. While many racers dream of the newest, lightest bike, be aware that bikes take a heavy beating in adventure racing. This isn’t a buyer’s guide for a new bike, but any bike capable of tackling dirt will do when you start out. In adventure racing, you will need to be prepared for all sorts of riding. Even in a shorter race, you will likely encounter different flavors of biking. Yes, the section may be called 'mountain biking,' but AR riding can and does involve the following: paved surfaces, dirt roads, old jeep tracks, single-track trails including smooth, groomed trails and gnarly technical ones, and even sections where one simply dreams about riding the bike they are, in reality, hauling on a shoulder, shoving from behind, or throwing into a ditch. In short, be prepared for everything and anything! Here are some considerations for training:
Alright! That does it for today. Check back in next week for some discussion of the other core disciplines in AR: paddling and navigation. Other Articles in the New to AR Series: If you haven't already, like or follow USARA's Facebook page, join the AR Discussion Group, sign up for our newsletter, or consider becoming a USARA member to stay up to date on everything AR-related. And stay tuned for future articles in the "New to AR" series including:
By Brent Freedland OK! You've done your homework, you've signed up for a race (or two!), and you've found a teammate. Now you'll want to study up a bit on some of the terminology that you might come across pre-race, during registration, and during the event itself. In an entry-level sprint race, you will only be exposed to a portion of the following terminology, but if you are entering the sport through a longer event, especially a multi-day one, you have a whole new language to learn! There are countless variations of terms, plenty of additional slang, and more nuanced terminology unpack, but these are some of the most common words and phrases you will encounter in adventure racing: The Basics Bushwhacking – You guessed it! Say goodbye to the comfort and ease of trails and roads. Even the shortest adventure races tend to include a bit of off-trail travel. These segments can be purely for the experience, requiring little more than a good attitude and basic navigation, but many adventure races (especially one-day events and expeditions) ramp up the navigational challenge when they tempt or require teams to travel overland. Such sections can be daunting, and they often separate the teams with more experience from those with less. Bushwhacking can be anything from wide open, big-sky, spiritual trekking to soul-crushing jungle bashing. Clue Sheet – Before the race begins, teams are provided with a set of instructions and a detailed clue sheet. The clue sheet describes the precise location of each checkpoint (see below). Rookies and seasoned vets alike constantly make the classic blunder of not reading these crucial documents closely enough. It’s easy to miss important information, and when this happens, teams lose valuable time or face stiff penalties, sometimes even disqualification. CPs/Checkpoints/Controls/PCs – All refer to the checkpoints that must be located using map-and-compass navigation. Typically, CPs are three-dimensional orienteering flags, but they can be just about anything. RDs (see below) usually make it clear before the event starts what you should be looking for. Sometimes checkpoints are permanent objects like monuments, plaques, or signs. In such cases, racers are asked to record a number, word, or phrase. Read the instructions and clue sheet carefully before the race, and make sure you listen to the race director during the pre-race meeting. If they don’t tell you what you are looking for, ask!  A traditional orienteering flag style CP with racer punching his passport Dark Zone – When a section of the course is too dangerous to undertake in the dark, RDs impose a “Dark Zone” and stop teams from proceeding. These sections tend to be related to water, especially paddling sections that include whitewater. Some RDs give teams time credits for the stopped time in a dark zone. Others do not, though teams stopped in a dark zone benefit from extra rest. Full Course – This term is more prevalent in expedition racing, though it can be applied to any race. Teams finishing the “full course” complete the entire race course as designed. Contemporary expedition courses tend to be very difficult to complete for most teams, and many RDs design “short-course” options so that more teams can finish officially. Passport – Lose your passport when you are overseas and you might never go home. Lose your passport in an adventure race and you might be out of the event. Passports are generally slips of paper or small booklets. Volunteers sign your passport when you arrive at a staffed CP, and racers “punch” their passports at remote CPs, generally using a small stapler with a unique pattern matched to that specific CP. Some races also rely on electronic punching (see below) and dippers in lieu of paper passports. Passports provide proof that you found CPs and completed the course. Keep your passport safe and dry. Lost passports typically lead to disqualification or significant penalties. RD: Race Director – Pretty self-explanatory! At most local events, the RD does it all. They plan logistics, design the course, handle the communication, etc. Sometimes (usually in bigger events) multiple people take on specific roles, dividing up the course design, logistics, etc... TAs/Transitions/Transition Areas – These are staffed locations along the course where teams change disciplines. In longer races, especially, teams have access to team or personal gear bins, bags, and bike boxes with gear, food, and clothing you'll need for the next section. Sometimes RDs provide food, drink, and facilities at TAs, but sometimes it’s nothing more than a bike drop or an empty boat ramp with a fleet of canoes. Next Level Bikewhacking – See “Bushwhacking.” Add a bike to the mix. Yes, bushwhacking with a bike. Boatwhacking – See “Bushwhacking.” Now, add a boat. You read that right. This is not the most common discipline in adventure racing, but it will leave you with some of the most vivid memories of your racing career if you are 'fortunate' enough to do it. Clearing – When a team completes the “full course” (see below), they have “cleared” the course. While many teams seek to clear the racecourse, few teams without experience and a certain, relatively high level of endurance fitness can expect to clear the average adventure race course (at least one-day and expedition events). Cutoffs – All races have a time cutoff: the finish line. Many have additional embedded time-cutoffs. Such cutoffs are typically designed in conjunction with short-course (see below) options to give all teams a better chance of completing the course. While most RDs allow racers to continue on a modified, short course if they miss a cutoff, some disqualify teams for missing these cutoffs and remove them from the event. Deer Trail/Goat Path – While not usually a term used by an RD, it’s worth storing this one away. Such routes are created by animals and are commonly found when traveling off-trail. While you are at the whim of the animal, if these paths lead in your general direction of travel, they can make bushwhacking faster. Just be careful that you know where you are heading! Dotwatcher – Most expedition races, and some shorter events, utilize satellite tracking during their events. In these events, teams are equipped with a satellite tracking device that is used for safety management, first and foremost. In addition, most of the time RDs share their tracking maps with viewers at home, allowing spectators to track their favorite teams as they progress through the course. “Dotwatchers” refers to those spectators who follow along, tracking the dots or “breadcrumbs” of teams, displayed on the tracking map, showing viewers at home a given team’s route of travel. Dotwatching gets intense, with people across the globe joining discussion forums to analyze how the race is unfolding. Many experience sleep deprivation to match the racers they are following.
Linear Course – Linear courses are the most traditional style of adventure race. Teams are required to visit all TAs and all CPs. Teams failing to visit all the checkpoints are pulled off the course or are ranked as unofficial. During these events, teams tend to spread out significantly, and more teams do not finish. Some RDs design “short courses” that still allow teams to finish officially, though these teams are ranked behind anyone finishing the “full course”. Portage – Portaging requires teams to travel with their boats overland during a paddling section. Various factors determine whether RDs will include portaging in an adventure race: dams, shallow water, dangerous rapids, private property, geography requiring teams to travel between water features, strategic decisions, and occasionally a sick sense of humor. Most of the time, teams simply carry their boats, either as a team or individually. In expedition races, some RDs communicate ahead of time to let teams know that they will benefit from using a portage trolley/portage wheels. Sustained portaging is not common in shorter events. Prologue/Separator – Most adventure races, sprint to expeditions, start with some sort of short event that is designed to spread the teams out. These stages can be anything: a relay run, an orienteering loop, a mini multi-stage adventure race within a longer race. In a short race, a separator is typically anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour in duration. In expedition races, a separator might be a few miles of running or it could last for several hours. Some RDs wait to provide teams with their maps and other course information until after the prologue, and others hand racers their maps and ask them to plan their route on the clock, transforming the prologue into a mental and strategic challenge. You get the point; prologues can be just about anything!
Rogaine – A Rogaine is class of event associated with orienteering. These events have a central start/finish and dozens of CPs. Racers/teams have a pre-determined amount of time to find as many checkpoints as possible. Typically, rogaine RDs set more CPs than can be found by any team, which forces teams to strategize and decide which CPs to skip. Adventure racing RDs sometimes rely on this approach to course design, making some or even all CPs optional. Typically, adventure races are designed as a “modified rogaine” or a “linear course.”
Separator – See “Prologue” Short Course – RDs tend to design “short-course” options at most expedition races and many one-day events to accommodate teams unable to complete the full course. Different than “rogaine” style or “modified rogaine” style events, teams are still required to find all the CPs they are tasked to find. Typically, teams are given time cutoffs. If they fail to make a time cutoff, they will be re-routed, bypassing part of the course and its corresponding CPs. Once back on the official course, teams then must find all the remaining CPs to be ranked as official finishers (unless they are short-coursed more than once, which is possible). They will be ranked behind all “full-course” teams, however, regardless of whether they finish ahead or behind of such teams according to time. These design decisions make adventure racing more accessible and allow more teams to compete and finish events officially. Sleepmonsters – Sleepmonsters come out at night, usually two to three nights into an expedition race. Because adventure racing is a non-stop event that welcomes and often necessitates significant sleep deprivation, the human brain starts to play games with exhausted racers. In short, hallucinations are not uncommon, though most racers only experience this phenomenon in multi-day racing. Ask any seasoned expedition racer and you will be regaled with stories of castles in the woods, buffets of mouth-watering meals on a lonely moor, or terrifying encounters with animals that certainly don’t exist. Sleepmonsters are not necessarily monsters, but they never are real… even when two teammates see them at the same time. This does happen! Supported vs. Unsupported – Typically expedition races are described as supported or unsupported. Decades ago, many expedition races were supported events, but most multi-day races today are typically unsupported. Supported events require teams to provide their own support crew. These support crews are responsible for moving a team’s gear and may assist their teams in TAs. In an unsupported event, teams are not allowed this outside assistance. The RDs transport teams’ equipment for them. Unsupported events require teams to be more self-sufficient and considerably decrease expenses, as teams do not need to rent vehicles or support their crews financially. Supported events add additional elements of strategy, as the support crew can influence how the team performs and makes TAs “easier” for the racers. UTM - Universal Transverse Mercator…It’s a bit of a mouthful. Everyone calls them UTMs. In short, the UTM system is a coordinate grid system found on some topographic maps; it’s an alternative to longitude and latitude. Occasionally, an RD will ask racers to plot CPs by providing them with numerical UTM coordinates. Teams must use a small mapping tool with UTM measurements to plot the points. This adds a different sort of navigational mapping skill. Being adept at UTM plotting also allows teams to provide an RD with coordinates in case of an emergency. This skill is becoming less common, and most RDs now pre-plot their maps for racers. Of course, there is plenty more to learn. Endurance athletes have their own slang and lingo, and you’ll slowly pick it up. For now, this should give you a good reference point to the common language used to explain the sport. For further insight into the language of AR, check out this terrific, and hilarious, discussion thread on the Adventure Racing Discussion Facebook Group. Other Articles in the New to AR Series: If you haven't already, like or follow USARA's Facebook page, join the AR Discussion Group, sign up for our newsletter, or consider becoming a USARA member to stay up to date on everything AR-related. And stay tuned for future articles in the "New to AR" series including:
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