So you want to give Adventure Racing a try?

Adventure Racing is about challenging and pushing your body to the edge. It is essential that you prepare correctly, by undertaking a controlled program of specificity, strength training, balanced nutrition and stretching. Below are some useful tips.

Specificity Training:

Specificity is the concept of concentrating the biomechanics, energy system use and psychological control factors required for exercise, on certain muscles intricately involved in that exercise. i.e. Training at low velocity increases low velocity strength substantially but has little effect on high velocity strength (Coyle and Fleming, 1980).
Check out your race components; complete those distances, in that terrain, during those hours, in that weather and with the same equipment. This trains specific muscles and increases muscle memory. However, it is important to do other general exercises to build your overall strength, as in a race scenario, you fatigue and will need all muscles in your body and every energy reserve you have.

Brick training – teaches your body how to transition from one exercise to another through repetition and practice. In an adventure race you will be required to change between activities repeatedly; which for many is the hardest part as their body struggles to switch on different muscles. To ensure optional performance it is important you teach your body how to switch from one discipline to the next quickly The more you practice this, the quicker your body will respond on race day. Bricks are demanding on your body though, so only plan on doing 2-3 bricks during your final lead-up to the event.

After all training programs... stretch!

Stretching improves more than just your range of motion. Studies have found that regular stretching can improve performance, speed and stamina. In one study, repeated stretching lead to:

• 18% increase in flexibility
• 32% increase in muscle load baring capacity
• 20% increase in muscular endurance