ARDotWATCH Beginner’s Guide to AR

by Doug Silk

Welcome to the wonderful world of Adventure Racing! Not sure what it’s all about? Wondering if you can do it? Or how do you even get started? I’m Doug Silk -- the founder of ARDotWatch (FB/IG/YouTube) where we bring you live course updates, team interviews and race coverage from your favorite adventure races. At ARDotWatch, we know that you have questions and wanted to lay out our take on Adventure Racing and what it takes to begin this new journey.

My Adventure Race journey started in 2020 when the world changed for everyone because of Covid. I’d been competing in triathlon and Ironman racing for over 10 years. I completed 5 full Ironman events and almost 30 half Ironman events, not to mention hundreds of other Olympic and Sprint distance triathlons or running races over a decade of racing. I am a certified triathlon coach and have coached amazing athletes all over the country to reach the finish lines of all kinds of races. But something was missing from my racing world.

As anyone in endurance racing can attest to, there are ebbs and flows in motivation regarding competing. A close triathlon friend told me to go on Amazon Prime and watch Eco Challenge – World’s Toughest Race. I didn’t know when I sat down to watch the first episode how much it would change my life! Having made a lot of friends in the Adventure Racing world now, I can tell you that single show brought so much attention to the sport and brought in new athletes all over the world. It changed my outlook on racing and lit a fire in me to embrace a new challenge.

Many of you might be looking into AR after watching the new movie Arthur the King, so I wanted to share with you some things that will help you begin your new venture.

As a coach and seasoned endurance athlete, I knew that the first place to start with Adventure Racing would be to learn as much as I could about the sport and what it took to compete. So, I watched any video I could about it, talked to athletes and coaches, read articles, and figured out the gear and training I needed to get my journey started. I quickly realized that much like triathlon coaching, everyone has an opinion of what you might need or how you should train, but there are some core aspects that everyone agrees on to prepare for your first Adventure Race. Those aspects can be broken down into three categories: Training, Team and Gear Selection, and Choosing the Right Race.

Before we get started with those categories, let’s define Adventure Racing. For me, an Adventure Racing is a race that takes place in a defined mapped area where checkpoints are dispersed across that area and highlighted on a map. A racer will use only those maps and a compass to locate checkpoints and will travel under their own power either on foot (trekking), on bike (biking) or on a watercraft of some sort (paddling). Unlike most running races or triathlons, there is no set mileage, there is no set route, and you ultimately get to choose your own adventure. Races are listed by the total time allowed to complete the course instead of a distance; as an example, races can range from 4 hours to 264 hours. Yes, you read that right, Eco Challenge was 11 days or 264 hours. Most races have a few mandatory points that you must collect to be an official finisher, but the rest of the points are completely up to you to decide to get or not. Race winners are determined by the team who has the most amount of check points and finishes in the least amount of time. Now that you have a basic understanding, let's look into the things that will help you get to your first starting line.

Training:

One of the most intimidating things for anyone getting involved in endurance racing is figuring out how to train for the intended race. Unlike running races where there are apps like Couch to 5k or even triathlon training where there are numerous resources written and available for training, Adventure Racing involves a lot of unknowns. One known is that you will have to trek, bike, and paddle your way to points, and you will need to know how to read a map and use a compass.

Trekking: While this can appear to be one of the easier things to train for, I think it's important to remember to train correctly. In adventure racing that means not just going out for leisurely walks with your family but preparing to go out and trek with a purpose. One of my old teammates used to say that my trekking pace was his slow jog pace, so when you are thinking about how you should train for a trekking portion, I would say to trek with a purpose.

Some other factors to consider while trek training are elevation, trail work and off trail work. Most adventure races combine several of these factors in a trek leg of the race, so you want to make sure that you prepare in the various types of terrain. Don’t just prepare on a flat paved surface. If you do, your body will be in shock when you are hiking up/down steep terrain or go off trail.

Another factor in your trek training is carrying a pack. In AR there are always lists of mandatory gear that racers are required to carry, and, unlike most running races and triathlons, you have to provide all your own nutrition and hydration during the race--meaning that you will be carrying everything with you for much if not the entire time on course. Invest in a comfortable pack with a hydration bladder and practice trekking with it. And go heavier in training than you will on race day.

Biking: You would think that coming into AR after a decade of triathlon racing would have had me prepared for the mountain biking section. Well, I will be the first to tell you that while it helped me endurance wise, mountain biking is a very different animal. I tell you this to point out that all of us come in with different levels of bike knowledge and handling prowess, but if you aren’t preparing for the types of riding you will be doing for your specific race then you will suffer more than you should.

Mountain biking requires a level of attention to detail that is often overlooked with traditional road riding. You have to be alert every second to the trail beneath you, the forest around you, and the obstacles ahead of you. I highly suggest that you get out on some trails and practice riding in similar areas to the ones you will be racing in. On race day, if you are the navigator, not only do you have to be able to control yourself and your bike, but you also have to keep track of the maps, where you are on them, and what you should be looking for. So, if you aren’t comfortable riding your bike in those conditions and doing more than one thing at a time, the bike section is going to be even more difficult.

You can train for the riding itself  in many different ways to prepare yourself physically—outside, inside, weights, etc. However, I would highly recommend getting outside and riding trails and getting comfortable winding through single track areas and climbing on your bike. Any experienced Adventure Racer will also tell you to be prepared to hike-a-bike as well. Undoubtedly, at some point or multiple points in an adventure race, you will be pushing your bike up steep inclines, carrying them over trees or rocks that are on the trail or off trail. While most people don’t “train” for the hike-a-bike, it will definitely be a fixture in most of your races, so you should prepare for it.

Paddling: I think this is often the most overlooked portion of training for most racers; I know it is for me. I think it is probably because it's often the most time consuming and usually the most weather dependent. Also, most racers rely on the race to provide the canoe or kayak for the race. But even if you don’t have your own boat, there are some things that you can do to prepare yourself for the paddle section. It can be as simple as doing upper body work at the gym or even more simple as doing pushups and sit-ups. Paddling is an upper body and core utilizing activity, so if you can do exercises that strengthen those areas you will set yourself up for success in any paddle leg. I think it is important to be familiar with paddling a canoe or kayak on both flat water and moving water. You don’t want the first time you are experiencing something on the water to be during the race, so find a local group and try to get out and rent a kayak or canoe and get the feel on the water. The more experience you have paddling, the more confident you will be on race days.

Orienteering: To me this is the skill that you need to embrace and learn the most to be an affective Adventure Racer. There are some beginner races that will not require strong orienteering skills, or there will definitely be some points that you can get without strong map and compass skills, but if you want to excel and feel confident as a racer, this is the skill that will get you there.

What is Orienteering? It's the ability to know how to read a map to determine where you are, identify terrain features in conjunction with a map, and to utilize a compass to help you navigate from point to point in an unfamiliar area. Most of us rely on our phones to navigate from location to location and the days of pulling out a road Atlas to figure out where to go on a road trip are far behind us, but once you master this skill you will be able to navigate your way in and around anything with ease.

To me this is the key component that makes Adventure Racing unique and much more challenging than any other kind of endurance race. It is why I refer to Adventure Racing as a “thinking man’s game”. Being able to strategize based on your ability to effectively evaluate a map and determine route options and then make them come to life in reality by understanding terrain features and using a correct compass heading is what separates the elite teams from the recreational teams. I have made the podium of races over much more physically gifted teams by utilizing my orienteering skills to make bold route choices to cut time and effort off of my route and eventually beat them.

So how does someone hone this kind of skill? There are some really great book options out there, one of the best is Squiggly Lines by Mark Lattanzi. It provides an entry level understanding of orienteering and gives users some tools and tricks to help them get out in the woods and hopefully not get lost. But I really think one of the best resources out there for learning are Orienteering groups. I am lucky that I live in Northern Virginia and have the Quantico Orienteering Club that hosts events and training that will help you practice those skills. They have all different levels of courses from beginner to advanced and you will always be able to find like-minded individuals who are part of the club that will be eager to teach you and help you learn how to get better. I have been lucky enough to make many Adventure Racing friends out in the middle of the woods during an orienteering event, so go out and get lost, make friends, and learn how to get better. It will make you a better adventure racer and take the anxiety out of the event.

Team and Gear Selection

Now that you know how to train and prepare for your first race, what do you need to have and how do you find other people to do races with? I am going to go over the basics of what you need to go out and do your first race, but understand that these are just basics and you are going to try things that work and find that other things you try do not work. But as far as basics, I think you need the following:

Bike: You will need a mountain bike or at the very least a gravel bike in order to complete an adventure race. Most races consist of a mix of road riding, dirt, or gravel trail riding, probably some sort of single track riding and could include some technical riding over rocks, trees, and other obstacles. You will need a bike with at least a front shock on it and wider tires. I would not go out and break the bank on a brand new mountain bike right out of the gate unless you just know that you are getting a great deal and that the bike will suit you. I would begin with a used bike within your budget and go from there. Bike shops often will offer rental bikes where you can take out more expensive ones for the day and ride them on trails to see if it's something you will want to invest in. But you do not have to break the bank on a bike. I don’t think you need to focus on specific components or full suspension bikes right away--focus on making sure you get the right size bike for you and that it feels comfortable to ride.

Backpack: Here is another piece of gear that I think you can save some money on and get used when you are first starting out. There are a lot of size and brand options that are out there, and many of those choices will be determined by the length of the course you are doing. I would start with a pack that is lightweight, has a bladder storage area, has enough storage for a first aid kit, extra clothes and food and something that has a waist strap so that you help keep the weight off your shoulders as much as possible. You do not have to break the bank on this item when you are first getting started, but you definitely want to make sure it's comfortable enough for 4-12 hours because you will be carrying your gear with you the whole time and want to make sure you are comfortable with it for that long.

Good hiking shoes/socks: This is something I would not skimp on. Adventure Racers need to make sure that they take care of their feet above everything. As your feet go, you go. So I recommend researching and finding the right shoes for you. I personally train and race in the Hoka Speedgoat 5 Mid GTX Hiking Boots, but everyone has different likes and dislikes. For me the Hokas are a great mix of cushion, function and have the high top for additional ankle support/cover. Shoe and sock choices are very personal so I am not here to tell you what to buy, but just to enforce that you need to make sure you get comfortable shoes and moisture wicking socks that you can stay in for hours and will be comfortable to walk in on any terrain.

All the other gear stuff is easily accessible and you will be able to find all the mandatory gear requirements on an events site and can easily get most things on amazon.

When you first get into Adventure Racing you might be doing races solo because it's hard to convince someone to go out and potentially get lost in the woods with you for hours while you push your body both physically and mentally to your limits. That being said, you will make new friends at races or even orienteering events while training and decide to team up, or you might be able to persuade your friends or spouse to join you for a race. Eventually you will choose to team up for a race and need to select the right teammate. I did my first 6hr virtual race with my wife, who had never done an adventure race, but came from a running and triathlon background. I figured that I already knew I could stand being around her for hours at a time, we could be brutally honest with each other about how we were feeling and what we wanted to accomplish, and she is as competitive as me, so I knew she would push it.

I learned a lot about racing with someone else during that race, and she learned that she never wanted to do another adventure race!

So what did I learn from that race and the many I have done since then? I think that honest communication is the key to finding good race partners. You have to be willing to be honest with yourself and potential teammates about your abilities and your expectations. I think you have to make sure that your race goals, pace goals, and strategy match up. Generally, if you can match on those three things, you can get through any race. Some teams have shared with me before a race that their team goal is to make sure they stay married or remain friends at the end of the race. So while you are out there, you definitely need to remember that even though it's a race, if you have chosen to be on a team, you are doing this together and that relationship is much more important than any results.

Race Selection

Now that you know what it takes to train, what gear you will need and how to find the right partner it’s time to discuss what race to do. You might think that this is the easy part and a low priority item and that if it fits in your schedule then let’s just do it. But I think this is actually the thing that should be the highest priority, because it really can determine your future interest in Adventure Racing.

As we talked about in the team selection, my wife joined me for my first race and I took her out on a course without really knowing anything about it, not really fully knowing what I was doing myself, and it kind of ruined her for the whole process and now she doesn’t want to do AR again. I often wonder if I had been more strategic and thought more about what the experience was going to be for her, she might have become more interested in the sport. So your choices do matter, not just for your team, but for yourself. If you don’t choose a race that gives you the best chance of success then the likelihood of you doing another one goes down and we would like to keep you coming back for more races.

I used to tell people in triathlon racing that course selection is as vital to your success as the training and preparation and if you aren’t choosing them based on your strengths and weaknesses then you aren’t optimizing your results. The same holds true with Adventure Racing. There are a ton of racing options out there and you should be able to find a length of race and location that suits you well. USARA provides a calendar with all of the sanctioned USARA races throughout the year, so you can plan well in advance and visit the race websites to find more about each race. But here are some considerations for making your selection:

Duration: Do you want to start off with a 4hr race, 12hr race, 24hr race or more? Each of those bring different challenges and experiences. I suggest a progression from shorter to longer races to gain experience and comfort with what you are doing.

Modalities: Do you want to do a race that includes paddling, trekking, and biking or do you want to just trek and bike or paddle and trek? There are race options for everyone, and you just have to go to race websites to determine what fits you.

Difficulty: You can find races of all types out there. There are some races where the race director doesn’t want anyone to clear the course and they are considered very difficult, other race directors want to make the course family friendly, and there are plenty of races in between. At most races, since this is a choose your own adventure course, you can choose not to do the most difficult portions of courses and still complete the course.

You also need to factor in traveling with all your gear, lodging and other factors into race selection, but since that is individual specific, this should be a good starting place when making your decision.

I am thrilled that you have decided to start your journey into Adventure Racing. We at ARDotWatch want to not only see people “Live the Adventure,” but we want to help tell your stories and bring the stories of your adventures to life. We hope that this guide helps give you a basic understanding and starting point to begin your Adventure Racing career, and we look forward to seeing you out there on a course one day soon. Feel free to message and/or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, and maybe we will bring your story to life!