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Tales from TA
the usara blog


New to AR: Time to Race

2/28/2021

 
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.
Picture
Photo Credit: Jeff O'Connor
Race Week
Packing
While most racers inevitably end up staying up too late the night before a race - packing gear, sorting food, and dealing with last minute items around the house - you can always strive to be more efficient. Start packing early in the week. Gather all your gear and make sure you aren’t missing something. Organize and plan your food for efficient race-day nutrition. It’s deflating to be halfway through a race only to realize you forgot to pack the protein-rich bar, shot blocks, jerky, electrolytes, or wrap that will help you bounce back if you hit a wall. Having everything ready to go so you can just relax and get to bed at a reasonable time the night or two before race day will do you wonders.
Fuel
Likewise, make sure you are eating well, getting enough protein, and hydrating. As noted last week, nutrition is its own beast, and food is so individual. That said, hydration is universal. Along with sleep, hydration is a core building block for more energy, strength, flexibility, and mental fitness, so it stands to reason that focusing on these two pillars will set you up for more success in a sport that requires focus and positive energy.
Rest
Extra rest will likely help you feel better on race day, but so will some light week-of training. Some racers do nothing the week of the race, but this is rarely beneficial for your body. You don’t need to do anything crazy, but even an hour or two (cumulative across the week) of light biking or running to keep your muscles loose will help on race day. Going cold turkey is a recipe for less-than-optimal performance, as your muscles take longer to warm up and might not at all.
Pre-Race Communication
Finally, pay close attention to pre-race communications from RDs. Make sure you know where you are going, when registration opens, whether you need to drop gear off somewhere other than the start location. Fill out paperwork in advance if you can. Being on top of these logistics will expedite your morning leading up to start-time. For new racers, your first races may be quite overwhelming, so being prepared before race day will remove unnecessary stress.
 

In addition, RDs often provide important instructions and hints in these pre-race communications. They may provide a course overview specifying how long the stages are, how many of them you can expect, what the conditions might be like, etc... This sort of information allows you to better pack your gear and potentially break down your nutrition ahead of time. If you can pack a gear bin for TAs or stage out of a car, you can plan how you will organize and organize your gear, nutrition, and fluids. You can better select what clothes to wear on race day (hint: if an RD warns you against thick, thorny undergrowth, consider bringing some long pants; if they caution against ticks or other unusually bad bugs, bring some bug spray; if they note cold water, be prepared with warmer clothing). In short, pay attention to the hints your RD offers; they typically have inside knowledge of what you will see!
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.
Picture
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?
​

  • On a basic level, you need to complete registration if it wasn’t done electronically.
  • You’ll need to fill out waivers.
  • If the event is a USARA-affiliated event, you may need to pay a day-license fee ($8 unless you are a member, in which case there would be no additional fee). This fee helps support USARA’s work to promote the sport of adventure racing while supporting racers and RDs alike, and it also guarantees a personal insurance package for that event.
  • While some RDs like to wait until after the race, most give out swag to racers at registration.
  • Racers usually are given some combination of maps, instructions, passports, and other race-related materials during registration. This is the crucial thing: when you get this material, you’ll want to be ready to dive into it, so make sure you have as much time as possible to study the maps, read and comprehend the instructions, and prepare your race documents to keep them dry and safe.
  • In addition, you will likely be given instructions on where to drop off gear or where to “stage” your equipment. In longer events, you may be dropping your bike and bike gear off with volunteers. Sometimes, you will be driving your bike gear to a bike-drop. More often, you will turn your bike in and RDs will transport them for you. You may also need to turn in a gear bin and/or a paddle bag. Pay attention to these details; sometimes RDs will notify you about such details before the race; again, pay attention to those pre-race emails! In sprint races, you will likely be staging your gear out of a car, or there may be a central location where you can organize your gear for transitions. Bring a tarp, maybe a folding table, and some camp chairs if you want a more “comfortable” TA.
Picture
Picture Credit: Vlad Bukalo
A few other tips for pre-race:
  • Some RDs post maps in public spaces, and sometimes you need to copy information from them onto your own maps. It’s a bummer when you miss those course notes and addendums.
  • RDs work hard to scout races, but sometimes things change and it’s too late to update maps. In these cases, RDs tend to post map amendments or alterations to the instructions. Pay attention to these postings and take note. Pens are often on the mandatory gear list. If they aren’t, bring one. (Hint: if you think everything is in order but then notice a group of racers all crowding around a wall or a table, there’s a good chance you missed something. Often, they are transposing important information onto their maps or notes. Go check it out.)
  • If you are racing in a sprint race with a central transition where the race starts, scope out the area. See if there is access to water, look for a good location for a staging area if you can’t use your car or if your car doesn’t make sense, and feel free to study a park map if posted. Generally, the woods are “closed” pre-race, but public maps are fair game (note: some RDs allow racers to use “outside maps,” maps not provided by the RD, during the event. Others do not. Make sure you look for these rules as using outside maps when not permitted can result in disqualification. That said, before the race starts, typically you can feel free to look at whatever is available).
  • Most RDs run a pre-race briefing. Make sure you know what time that begins and where it is happening, and be there. If you aren’t sure about it, ask.
  • Once you've studied the maps, instructions, and clues, if you have questions, find an RD and ask. Be aware that most volunteers won’t know much if anything about the course, and they are usually not qualified to answer course/race-specific questions. You can ask, but it’s always better to ask an RD. If a volunteer tries to be helpful but gives you inaccurate information, it’s not the volunteer’s fault and you will be held responsible if you break a printed or stated rule. Ask the RD. Before the race or during the pre-race briefing. Ask the RD.
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.
  • How to Get Started
  • Terminology
  • Terminology - Glossary​
  • Skills and Training - Foot and Bike
  • Skills and Training - Paddling, Navigation, and More
  • Gear

New to Ar: Skills and Training - Paddling, Navigation, and More

2/10/2021

 
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
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.
  1. In most sprint and one-day events, paddling tends to be beginner friendly. Think canoes on flat water or very basic white-water. Nothing too serious. If there are more intense conditions, you can usually bypass that portion of the section with ease. I’ve never seen anything above basic paddling in a sprint race or a half-day event, for what it’s worth, and only rarely in 24-hour events.
  2. As I noted, most racers aren’t training too much in this discipline, so you are not alone in your lack of paddle fitness or skill.
  3. If you sign up for a race with more advanced paddling requirements, make sure you know what you are getting into and then try to target your training for that (i.e. if you are going to be in the open ocean, focus on your sea-kayaking skills). But remember, most races won’t require that of you.
 
Given the above caveats, here are some suggestions for paddle-specific training:
  • You can probably guess what I’m going to say first. Yes, spend time in a boat! One of the greatest parts of AR training is that first and foremost, time, proficiency, and endurance matter more than speed and perfection. Unless you are competing for a podium spot, a training regimen based more around just getting out for awhile is enough. Grab your family or some friends and go canoeing for the afternoon. Get used to being in a kayak for a few hours at a time.
  • Master the basic strokes. First and foremost, learn the foundations of canoe and kayak handling. Can you keep the boat straight? Do you know your J-Stroke (canoe), your various forms of rudders (canoe and kayak), your draws and pushaways (canoe and kayak), your reverse paddling skills (canoes and kayaks)? If yes, you are ready for most adventure races. If not, find a local paddling course through an organization like the ACA, ask a friend with experience to teach you, and get practicing these valuable skills. Mastering these strokes will allow you to handle a boat much more efficiently, saving you endless amounts of time and frustration on the course. Likewise, learning to read moving water can make river sections much more enjoyable.
  • On that note, most events in the US allow you to bring your own paddles, and you'll find that many racers will use double-bladed kayak paddles, even if they're in a canoe. Think about what paddle you'll be using for the event, and make sure you're training with that in mind.
  • Work on your basic paddling technique. Seems straight forward, but even the most seasoned adventure racers often would benefit from tweaking their basic stroke technique (this author included). Efficiency means faster performance in the long run and less fatigue. Exhaustion in the boat can translate to a lousy bike section or trek thereafter. Watching videos or taking an ACA course can help. But paddling requires repetition and practice. When you are in a race and already fatigued, it all becomes much harder.
  • Try finding a used kayak or canoe if you don’t already own one. Unless you happen to live on the water, you won’t be able to train as frequently as you will on foot or bike, but even a couple of longer sessions each month can help. You don’t need a fancy boat. Just something in which you can practice your strokes and build endurance.
  • Strength building. Integrate some core and upper body strength building into your routine, but beware: relying entirely on this sort of training, while valuable to overall strength and fitness, will not translate to a terrific paddle leg.
  • Indoor trainers. Indoor rowing machines might help to a degree, but remember, this is a very different motion from a canoe or kayak stroke. There are some indoor kayak ergs on the market, though they tend to be quite expensive, and there are a number of DIY plans floating around the AR facebook circuit. These trainers may be a worthy investment for the serious racer who is committed to paddle training but who can’t get out on the water properly.
  • Paddling distances are much less standard across adventure racers, but most sprint races will probably max out at 5 miles. Half-day events might see you in a boat for 10 miles or so, and you might hit 15-20 in a 24-hour event. I’ve rarely paddled more than that in a day-long event.
Picture
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.
  • More so than any other skill set, you’ll need to practice this one. The single best way to train for navigation is by participating in weekend orienteering meets. See if you have a local club, and check out their schedule. Local O-meets are great ways to practice reading maps and navigating from CP to CP like you would in an adventure race. Most weekend O-meets offer a range of events, from short beginner courses to long-advanced ones. Many participants take part in multiple courses on a given weekend. Working your way up from beginner to more advanced courses is terrific training for adventure racing.  
  • Keep in mind, however, that most AR RDs rely on USGS topographic maps for most if not all of their events. It’s not uncommon for an RD to use an orienteering map for a specific section of the course, and some sprint races use O-maps. But most of the time, especially in longer events, you’ll need to be well versed in reading a standard topographic map. In short, being able to work with all sorts of different maps is important: O-maps, topo maps, park-specific maps, etc. And the basics of map-reading and navigation apply to all AR navigation: understanding scale, orienting the map, and staying found on it are all important regardless of what sort of map you are using.
  • Beyond organized events like beginner adventure races or orienteering events, try printing your own maps for a local park or state forest. Play around with park-specific maps, and use a free online mapping program like Caltopo or Sartopo to print your own USGS topographic map. Head out into the woods and use the map to navigate. You might even mark your map ahead of time with virtual CPs and try to find them (trail junctions, off-trail hilltops, reentrants, etc...).
  • When you are ready, head off into a local park at night with your map and practice navigating in the dark. Be sure to play it safe and make sure someone knows what you're up to. Bring a friend. Go somewhere with cell reception. No need to go crazy here, but practicing a bit in the dark will be really useful when it’s time to tackle your first overnight AR.
  • Finally, read a book, or watch some videos on youtube. There is an academic side to navigating, and it’s worth studying in addition to the field work!
Picture
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:

  • How to Get Started
  • Terminology
  • Terminology - Glossary​
  • Skills and Training - Foot and Bike
  • Gear
  • Time to Race – Final Preparation (coming soon)​

New to ar: Skills and Training - Foot and Bike

2/3/2021

 
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!
Picture
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?
  • First off, spend time on your feet. Toughen them up. In most adventure races, your feet will get wet, and even if you don’t cover massive mileage, you’ll spend a fair bit of the race on your feet. Make sure they are ready for it. Running, hiking, walking: everything counts. Longer sessions are important though to help your feet get ready.
  • While many adventure racers train by running, make sure you mix in some hiking as well; trekking is sometimes all the terrain will allow for. We’ve seen plenty of savvy teams finish races successfully without ever moving faster than a steady walk.
  • Add a pack to your runs or hikes and practice carrying weight. Doing so will also improve your leg and core strength.
  • On that note, try to squeeze in some core and upper body strength. Running fast on a local trail is great for speed, but AR isn’t a trail race. You need to carry weight, you won’t be moving as fast, and you need your core to be ready for this extra work.
  • Hills. Get your hills in. Unless you are racing in the flatlands, expect hills. Lots of them. You don’t necessarily have to run the hills when preparing; hiking them will do the trick as well. And don't neglect training for descents, too. Giving your quads a good pounding on a training run will pay dividends on the race course by building strength and holding off fatigue.
  • Bushwhacking. While beginner races might not require hours upon hours of off-trail travel, being comfortable moving quickly overland will pay off. No one needs to go train in a thorn bush or a thicket of mountain laurel, but you’ll encounter these obstacles with frequency in adventure races, and the more comfortable you are with off-trail travel, the more efficient you and your teammates will be. Practice identifying old trail beds or animal trails that allow for faster travel when off established trails.
  • Rocks: when you leave trails, you're bound to find rocks. Be prepared for technical terrain. Find a local boulder field. Don’t shy away from rockier trails. Practice hiking or even running on uneven terrain to help improve your dexterity, strength, and speed.
  • Don’t forgo speed training, especially if you are focusing on sprint races, but remember that adventure races are endurance events, and often ultra-endurance in nature. Make sure you get in some long training sessions on foot. Get in some extra hills, and try to do at least some of your training off the pavement or treadmill.
  • For those starting out with more beginner-friendly races, you can expect approximately 5-10 miles of foot travel in a sprint race and roughly 10-20 in a half-day race. The mileage increases with 24-hour races and longer, though remember that the mileage may be broken up into multiple stages. You don't need to be trained to run a steady marathon to finish an adventure race, even a day-long one. If you can run 5-10 miles at a pop without killing yourself, you probably have enough of a base to at least finish beginner friendly races. You might not be competitive, and it might hurt more, but you can finish!
 
Picture
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: 
  • Most important, all biking counts. Road riding, single track, indoor trainers. They all do the trick in helping you build endurance on the bike.
  • As is true for all AR disciplines, make sure you spend quality time in the saddle. Build up your sit-bones, and try to sneak in a long ride or two each week.
  • Hills are hills, regardless of whether you are on foot or bike. So, make sure you do some hill riding. Find a steep hill, a long one, or both, and do some repeats!
  • Trails: Especially if you are new to AR and to mountain biking, building up your skills on the trails will change your race experience. You don’t need to master bunny hops or get comfortable dropping off a short cliff face, but you’ll want to be able to handle the typical rocks and roots that you find while trail-riding. From my experience, riding fast, smooth, flowing trails in an adventure race is an exception. More often, you will find stretches of the course that require an intermediate level of comfort with rocks, roots, and elevation. You don’t have to ride it fast, but if you end up getting on and off your bike every couple of minutes, you won’t have much fun and you may have to skip other parts of the course. It’s OK if you do, but getting comfortable on trails might be the single best thing you can do for yourself as you prepare for biking in an adventure race. You just need to make steady progress!
  • Join a local mountain biking club or find some friends who ride. Getting out there with fellow mountain bikers, learning from them, and working on your skillset while trying to keep up is, perhaps, the best way to learn. If you can take a local skill-building course from an instructor, great. But just getting out and practicing with other riders goes a long way.
  • Ride those trails, but mix in some long rides on pavement, too. In day-long and multi-day events, races often include long stretches of road riding to connect more interesting parts of the course or to navigate around private property. Racers who have a small armada of bikes sometimes prefer this sort of training on sleek road bikes, but I’d encourage you to ride whatever bike you will be using on race day (likely not the sleek road bike…). As I said, you want to get comfortable on all surfaces. No, you won’t cover as many miles, but that’s OK. It’s more about the time in the saddle and building fitness. You’ll do both, and I’d argue you might get a better workout on the heavier, clunkier bike with poor wind resistance than the dialed-in carbon bullet that allows you to hum along at 25-30 mph.
  • When gearing up for your first race, consider that a sprint race usually includes approximately 15 miles of biking (+/-). A half-day event might include twice that amount, maybe a bit more, and your can expect 50 miles or more in a 24-hour event. Terrain and course design tend to correlate with distances. A course with significant amounts of road riding might include higher mileage on the bike, whereas those that are more rugged will have less.

​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:

  • How to Get Started
  • Terminology
  • Terminology - Glossary​
  • Skills and Training - Paddling, Navigation, and More
  • Gear
  • Time to Race – Final Preparation (coming soon)​​

New to ar: terminology - Glossary

1/27/2021

 
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!
Picture
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.

Electronic Punching/E-Punching/Dipping – Some RDs utilize more expensive technology to track teams’ progress through a course. Instead of using a traditional orienteering punch and paper passport, RDs use e-punches. An e-punch is composed of an electronic recording device that tracks a team’s arrival to the second. Teams have a “Dipper” that is used in conjunction with the box to record the team’s arrival time. The e-punch either replaces or is placed in conjunction with a traditional marker at each CP.
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An e-punch and dipper - Image: https://www.newenglandorienteering.org/
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! ​
Picture
Reentrant – A reentrant is an orienteering term that probably most often confuses new racers. Merriam-Webster defines it as “an indentation in a landform”. Heather Williams, of the orienteering world, defines a reentrant in the following manner: “A reentrant appears on the map as a U or V shape in the contour lines, pointing back into a hillside rather than sticking out of the hill (as would a spur). So a reentrant is a small valley, the center of which would collect water and funnel it downhill (if it were raining hard).” These “valleys” or depressions can be dry, or you might find a stream of some sort in a reentrant.

​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.”
  • Modified Rogaine – Many adventure races require teams to travel from TA to TA. Sometimes there are mandatory CPs along the way. When there are also optional CPs, the course is described as a “modified rogaine” and hence combines elements of rogaines with linear course design. The benefit to these courses is that they are more accessible to all levels of racers. More experienced, faster, and more skilled teams typically try to “clear” the course. Less experienced racers can still participate and finish officially, focusing on the mandatory points and adding optional points depending on their strengths and weaknesses. Modified rogaines and rogaine-style courses are designed to keep all racers out for the duration of the event, or close to it.

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:

  • How to Get Started
  • Terminology
  • Skills and Training - Foot and Bike
  • Skills and Training - Paddling, Navigation, and More
  • Gear
  • Time to Race – Final Preparation (coming soon)​
 

New to ar: terminology

1/20/2021

 
By Brent Freedland
OK, so you have a race on the calendar, and you've roped a friend or willing stranger into running around in the woods with you for a few hours. Or days. Maybe you've binge-watched World's Toughest Race, Expedition Alaska, and all the old Eco-Challenges you can find on youtube. What comes next?
 
We’ll touch on skill-building, the basics of training, and the pandora's box of gear in future installments of this “New to AR Series.” Today, let’s make sure you really understand the nuts and bolts of how a typical adventure race works and some of the basic terminology you will hear. Supported, unsupported, sprints, expeditions, clue sheets, passports, CPs, TAs, RDs, TACs, ABCs! It can all be a bit overwhelming.
 
The good news: most races have a lot in common. True, every race course will look different in AR, and each race director may have their own spin on a particular discipline, but the components and language are generally quite similar. As noted in the first installment of this series, AR is a sport that really benefits experience. Unlike a running event, you can’t just show up at the start line and follow the markers. You need to understand how a course is laid out, what those complex instructions mean, and how to speak some basic language.

 
Type of Race
The first thing to figure out is what sort of race you are getting into. Adventure races tend to fall into one of three primary categories: sprint races, one-day events, and multi-day expedition races. Ask ten adventure racers what constitutes a sprint race or how long a race must be to be considered an expedition, and you will likely get ten different answers. One of those racers will also insist that it’s not an adventure race at all unless it takes ten days to finish, includes leeches and flesh-eating bacteria, and is situated in the jungles of Fiji.
 
Don’t get sucked into this banter: pick a race that feels manageable to you. If six hours is enough, seek out your local sprint. If twelve feels manageable, visit the USARA calendar to see what's in your region. You’re an adventure racer regardless of the length of the event! As you figure out what makes the most sense for you, consider these key differences:
 
Sprint Races: 
Typically, these tend to be shorter events, usually with a maximum duration of 6-8 hours. (Adventure races tend to be defined by their duration rather than distance, since navigation, route choice, and strategy can radically alter the length of any given team’s race compared to what the race director intends.) Many sprint races are billed as beginner-friendly events, and some have special divisions to encourage families to come race as a team. Such events are usually hosted in local parks that are more accessible to beginners. Odds are good that you’ll never be far from a trail, there won’t be any massive climbs, and you could jump into one with relatively little training.

 
Don’t be deceived, though. Teams coming to compete are FAST, and racing at the pointy end of these events can be harder than competing in a longer event. Navigation can still be quite tricky, and mountain biking can be technical. Still, the challenges tend to come and go before you know it, and a good attitude is usually all you need.
 
Twenty years ago, these sorts of events were hard to find, and many adventure racers jumped into the deep end with Eco-Challenge or another major expedition as their first race. Now, sprint races tend to be a great way to enter the sport; they are more affordable, much less gear intensive, and unless you want to take a shot at winning (go back and read "New to AR: How to Get Started" for my thoughts on that), these races really can be completed by anyone with the basic skills and the right attitude as long as they have a basic level of endurance fitness.
 
One Day Races: 
While some purists still will argue that you are not adventure racing until you are five days in, a 12- to 36-hour event really will give you more of a “true” AR experience. Stages will be more than a rapid fire run around a local park; race directors can take you to more interesting, wild, and challenging environments; and in most events, you will at least contend with dusk or dawn, if not outright nighttime racing. Your body will be taxed, and you will have to contend with more of the mental challenges that make adventure racing unique.
 
Of course, once you cross that 12-hour threshold, you are typically faced with a night of racing and the hurdles that come with sleep deprivation, prolonged nighttime navigation, and the challenges of managing your team. At some point, someone will likely bonk, slow down due to the normal aches and pains that accumulate over 12-24 hours of racing, or struggle with sleepmonsters (see below for an extensive glossary of AR lingo).
 
While these events can feel daunting, they are more accessible than you might think. Fewer people can jump off the couch and get through them as is possible with a sprint AR, but the fact that you are changing disciplines and that the pace tends to be slower means that you still don’t have to be a professional athlete training 10-20 hours a week to complete a one-day event.
 
Expeditions:
Anything over a day and you are entering into the realm of expedition races. It should be noted that defining races that are in the 36- to 48-hour range is challenging. They are unique as they provide additional challenges beyond the one-day event, but they do not quite fit into the expedition race category either. Some would even argue that a race is not a true expedition race unless it is a minimum of three days long, or even four.
 
Regardless, expedition races are the pinnacle of the sport. Most participants never experience a true expedition race, but for those who make this final leap, they get to experience adventure racing as it was originally conceived: epic courses, covering massive swaths of terrain, complete with varied ecosystems, additional disciplines like caving, advanced ropes work, mountaineering, or horseback riding, and unique strategic considerations including sleep-strategy, dark zones, and body and gear management that transcends what is necessary to complete a shorter event.
 
Expedition races tend to be less accessible to the less experienced competitor with steeper entry fees, significant travel expenses and logistics that can be daunting to say the least, more robust gear requirements, and a need for more expertise to remain safe and simply finish. Whereas anyone can get off a couch and complete a sprint race, and most competitors can work their way through a one-day event, it is considerably more challenging to finish an expedition race, at least those at the level of an Adventure Race World Series event or an Eco-Challenge. It is not unheard of for a rookie team to finish these races, but more often, less-seasoned teams end up on significantly shortened courses or fail to reach the finish line.
 
This isn’t to say that less-experienced teams shouldn’t consider signing up for one of these epic adventures, but this is where setting realistic goals, doing your homework, and gaining as much experience as possible through one-day racing can really impact your experience.
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Course Schematic - Untamed New England, 2012 (4 day race)
Race Structure

All adventure races are broken into stages, sometimes referred to as sections or legs. These stages typically revolve around one of the core disciplines of adventure racing: mountain biking, paddling, or running/trekking. All generally include navigation, ranging from beginner to advanced levels of terrain management and map-and-compass work. Of course, there is significant variety within these disciplines: a biking section could include large stretches of paved roads, nothing but single-track trail, or extended hike-a-biking. A paddle leg could see you in a sea kayak in the open ocean, rafting through class V rapids, or flat-water canoeing on a starry night.

Stages can be arranged in any order, and there can be as many stages as the course design demands or allows for. Shorter races tend to have fewer stages than expedition events, but that is not always true. Some short, urban events have ten or more stages, and some ten-day races have been divided
into five stages or fewer. Occasionally, stages are designed in such a way that they require teams to participate in multiple disciplines within a single stage. There might be an embedded foot section within a bike stage, a detour off the water to complete an ascent and rappel, or a caving section within a long trek.
 
What tends to be true regardless of the layout of the event is that each stage will include checkpoints that need to be found while on that stage. In between stages, teams usually check into a transition area, and there you usually have access to your gear. Once you have completed a stage you rarely can return to that stage to find a missed checkpoint. Whatever the format of the race, this is one of the characteristics of adventure racing that makes it so fun and exciting: with few exceptions (the local race director that uses the same park year after year and doesn’t mix the course up much), every race feels like a unique, unexplored adventure.

Next time, we'll dive into some of the sport-specific lingo that comes with AR. There is a lot to learn, and some of it will have to wait until you actually start racing in person. But we'll get you started next time with some of the basic words, slang, phrases, and acronyms that you will come across as you dive deeper into the sport.

 
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:

  • How to Get Started
  • Terminology - Glossary
  • Skills and Training - Foot and Bike
  • Skills and Training - Paddling, Navigation, and More
  • Gear
  • Time to Race – Final Preparation (coming soon)​
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