Team Geared Up

KERRY, IRELAND (Team Geared Up) - Last weekend Nathan Kingerlee ran an Adventure Racing training weekend in Killarney with his business OutdoorsIreland.com. In this 2-part TGU guest post series, Nathan covers his 8 top tips for adventure racers.

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Continued from Part I (tips 1-4).

5. Plan your transitions carefully
Time is often lost due to a lackadaisical approach to transitions. It is not difficult to ensure that what you need for the next stage is where you want it but people still seem to get it wrong. For those really competing or chasing fast times transitions can be where seconds and minutes are won and lost. A few minutes checking or preparing a boat, bike or even just a helmet in advance can save time in a race. If a backup team is preparing your transition area make sure they know what you want. Lastly, for major transitions, say boat to bike for example, practising in advance is really helpful in identifying the most efficient strategy.

6. Clothing and footwear
During the event you want to minimise the number of changes you have to make to your clothes and footwear. There is a vast array of styles and fabrics to choose from.
Look for advice from people who have more experience, and experiment as much as you can in advance of racing. The more knowledge you have of the course and terrain, the easier it will be to decide on what you need. Pay a lot of attention to your shoes and socks. One blister and your day will be hell.

7. Skills Practice
More and more adventure races are including stages requiring technical skills such as abseiling, jumaring, technical mountain biking, navigation etc. The only way to become proficient is to practice. Tuition from a qualified professional instructor is often the best approach for learning and also for advice about equipment selection etc.

8. Look after yourself
As in any sport where the body is pushed to it’s limits, the importance of looking after yourself beyond training and racing cannot be stressed too highly. Nutrition during racing and training is important but equally so is your general diet and lifestyle. Properly warming up and down, stretching etc before and after training is vital. As is eating and drinking in the hour after a race or training session. If you are training and racing hard over several months then you body will need several weeks rest at some point.

-Nathan.

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Catch tips 1 to 4 in part I yesterday (Thursday).

Learn more about these skills at Adventure Race Training with Nathan Kingerlee of Outdoors Ireland at info@outdoorsireland.com or +353 (0) 86 860 45 63.