To get an idea of what it is like to prepare for your first adventure race, it is more appropriate to think of it as an expedition than a sporting event. You will need to plan every element from what gear and food to carry, to who you will do the competition with and which competition to do. Although you probably won't believe this until you have experienced it, more than half of the challenge is just getting to the start line as a well prepared, complete team. This is especially true for your first race (although we're finding it doesn't get that much better for subsequent races).

The following is an overview of some of the major elements to think about when preparing for your first race. This is not a science, however, and the experience will be different for everyone. Use this only as a guideline to create your own experiences and successful racing formula. Adventure racing is an ongoing learning process. Only the best teams in the world have got all of the details worked out and that came through years of trial and error. You won't be able to nail all skills for adventure racing for your first race. In fact, you won't really fly up the learning curve until you do your first race. So don't expect to be an expert right away. And don't be discouraged if you feel like you its too much to take in. You've got years to get it all right.


Selecting a Team

Once you have decided to get into adventure racing, one of the first and most critical things to do is get together with the right team. You will be spending significant time with your teammates in very stressful situations, both during the race and in preparations leading up to it. Make sure you all have the same goals, similar physical ability and similar levels of commitment to the event. A mismatch in any of these opens the door for endless frustration for both sides. It is also a good idea to look for a good balance of personalities as well, although this is not critical. Most importantly, make sure you all get along and can enjoy each other's company. Always remember, this is a team sport and you can only cross the finish line together. There will be times when you will need to help your teammates out and times when you will need help. Can you count on your teammates to help you and can they count on you?


Setting Goals and Priorities

How seriously you and your team plan to take each race and how competitive you want to be are details that must be discussed before the race day (in fact, they should be discussed when you are putting together the team). To put it bluntly, since you must race together at all times, the success of the team is reduced to the lowest common denominator. If one of your teammates is not willing to commit to being competitive then your team will not be competitive. Make sure you have agreed in advance what your goals and commitment levels will be.


Training

There are two elements to your training program, physical training and skill training. For both, it is best to try and simulate race situations in your training program. Make sure you collect as much information as possible on the format and disciplines involved in the race you have chosen to do. In terms of skills required, some races require certification of certain skills, such as kayaking, horseback riding or glacier trekking. They may also test your abilities at registration. Be sure to verify what is required with the race organizers. Obviously this is for your own safety, so don't take it lightly.

The best form of physical training for any race is to simulate the different elements of the race you are doing. If the race includes long sections of hiking with a pack or hill/mountain climbing, make sure you include that in your training. Your feet may be tough enough for a three hour run, but wait till you see what happens to them after a 20 hour hike, with an extra 30 lbs on your back. In the months leading up to a race, it is best to do most of your training with a pack. Also, try to do at least one 10-15 hour non-stop multi-sport weekend session per month. It helps train your body to burn fat and gives you an idea of how bad you will feel by day two in the race. It's also important to do some of your longer training with your teammates. It's not just your body that goes soft after long stretches with little sleep. Make sure you know how each of your teammates reacts to sleep deprivation and fatigue. Arguments can end races.


Equipment/Gear

Choosing the right gear for a race is an endless process. We don't know of anyone that has found the ideal gear for all races. Everyone is always looking for newer, lighter, more efficient technology. This is definitely one of the more challenging parts of preparation and has been the source of many long meetings for our teams. Although almost all races will provide you with a minimum equipment list, it is nothing more than that - the absolute minimum required to compete. You will always need more than that. If possible, talk to people who have raced before to get a feel for what will suit you best. Just asking people in an outdoor store, or people unfamiliar with adventure racing, may not be so valuable. Make sure you also understand the climate, terrain and weather for the location of your race. This will play a big role in your equipment decisions. As a general rule, lightest and simplest to use is best. The more serious you are about the race, the more important this becomes and the more expensive it seems to get.


Nutrition

What to eat during the race and in training is a very difficult subject. There are many very different schools of thought on the subject, although there are a few basic rules that most people will agree on. First, count on burning more than 6,000 calories a day (for non-stop races). Second, the best foods are those with the highest calories per pound you must carry. Finally, make sure you like the taste of the foods you are bringing. It is not easy to force down 6,000 calories of food you don't like. As for the specific foods to bring and the best source of calories (fat, protein, carbs), there are many different answers. Some racers believe large amounts of carbohydrates is best (Powerbars, gels and sugars). Many others, however, believe fats are the right answer since the vast majority of any long race will be spent in your fat burning zone. Everyone is different. Experiment with many different things in your training to see what works best for you. Always be on the lookout for new ideas and take advice from 'experts' with a grain of salt. Although there are experts on endurance training, I have yet to meet or read of one that defines endurance sports as being longer than 10-12 hours. It is an entirely different ball game when you are talking about 3-10 days of non-stop exercise. Most nutritionists would faint if they saw someone eat a ¼ lb of butter wrapped in a pita but it seems to work for some of the best teams.


Funding

Adventure racing is expensive. That's all there is to it. And the more seriously you take it, the more expensive it becomes. There is always lighter, more efficient gear available. Therefore, unless you are independently wealthy, it is important to plan ahead to minimize your spending. Obviously the best way to make a race affordable is to get sponsorship for your team. This can either be in the form of a financial sponsor (a company that gives you a cheque for the right to name your team and put logos all over you) or a product sponsor (companies that give you product to use during the race). It is not easy to get sponsorship for your first race. Even for subsequent races it is a difficult and long process. The key to success lies in being able to offer guaranteed exposure to companies that sponsor your team. This means, not only do you have to prepare many documents and make many calls to potential sponsor companies, but you must first prepare many documents and make many phonecalls to drum up media attention (unless of course you're going to win the race and the media will come to you). To get the media to listen, you've got to figure out what is interesting about your team competing in this race and exploit the hell out of it. It's a long, tiring process.
Since we are primarily talking about preparing for your first race, we will assume that having a major sponsor pay your bills is not an option. There are still many things you can do to lower your costs. There are many discounts to be had by those that ask. First, you should make a list of all of the gear your team will need to purchase. Categorize it by supplier or store so you can figure out which are the best stores or businesses to hit up for pro-deals or discounts, and how much leverage you have with that store. Make sure you contact the organizers of the race you are competing in, as they may have already set up pro-deal arrangements with some companies.


Putting it in Perspective

As you can see, there is a lot to learn about how to prepare for an adventure race, especially if you want to take on a longer race. In fact, it may seem a little daunting when you look at it all at once. Well, it is…if you want to be a top team in a long race. If your aspirations are anywhere below that, then things become a little easier. You don't have to know everything there is to know about adventure racing to do your first race. You don't even have to have all of the right gear. In fact, part of the draw of this sport is that you learn new things at every race you enter. So don't expect to be an expert your first time out, and don't be intimidated by the depth and breadth of learning you can put into adventure racing. Besides, if you had it all figured out you would have so much less to talk about in the bar after the race.

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