When I asked for some adventure racing tips last week, you all stepped up to the plate and offered up your best advice and—unsolicited but hugely appreciated—encouragement. Most of your suggestions were much simpler than I expected, and this seeming simplicity made me wonder whether the race itself is more straightforward or, on the contrary, tougher than I imagine, since racers seem to focus on the simple things most. We’ll find out during the Big Mountain Adventure Over the Edge sprint race tomorrow. But, for now, here are the top 10 adventure racing tips from you.
10. Wear appropriate clothes.
9. Pack light. One friend half-jokingly, half-seriously told me, “Pack what you think you need. Then pull half of that out.”
8. Eat often. Food is your energy-friend. There is a direct relation between the food you eat and the energy you have!
7. Don’t assume the people in front of you know where to go. Watch other teams for clues, but don’t rely on them. They just might be going the wrong way!
6. Figure out how the scoring works, beforehand. And strategize based on that info.
5. Don’t break anything. Stay whole and healthy, and you’ll be happy too.
4. Help each other. If one teammate is struggling and the other feels good, take some gear off the struggler. Take a break if you need it.
3. Be nice to each other, because you’re doing this for fun. A scuffle with your teammate won’t get you to the finish any faster.
2. First and foremost, have fun and enjoy the new challenges.
1. “Punch and GO!” Give it your all and embrace your competitive nature.
Many thanks to Paula of Team No Sleep & Topo Adventure Sports, Crystal, Team Cuteness, Donna Swan Abell, Lyndsey Clark, Jill Diamond, Momentum Life Coaching, and Susan Hayse, who took the time to share encouragement and advice.
