Racing To The Extreme - The Growing Craze Of Adventure Racing
December 4th, 2008

One of the newest and fastest growing extreme sports is adventure racing. This is not one sport with one set of rules; this is more like the extreme Olympics. The name gives you a tip-off about the nature of the sport -- it's all about competition. The first one (or first ones, if it is a team event) across the 'finish line' (be it real or symbolic) is the winner. And one warning is in order, in case you didn't know it, the combination of a competition sport combined with the concept of extreme sports is highly addictive.

Just a note for those of you entirely unfamiliar with the concept of extreme sport; extreme sport isn't about a death wish or even a desire to take wild and ridiculous chances (although all of the above are possibilities). Extreme sport is about an individual challenging him or her to beat the odds, regardless of the odds. It is about an individual achieving a level of focus, determination and results in accomplishment that an individual had previously doubted him or herself capable of achieving. In a nutshell, that's extreme sports.

There are several sports 'officially' involved in this world of adventure racing, following is a look at some of them. Some of these races, by the way, may be quite long and involve training like you would do for a marathon.

Hiking/running/scrambling: This competition is held on mixed terrain and, like most extreme sports, in any weather. Most of these competitions start out with a run from a starting point to a piece of difficult terrain that requires you to hike up or scramble. Scrambling, in case you are not familiar with the term, is climbing without the use of ropes and using your hands only for balance (not for grabbing or pulling yourself up).

Paddling: You may be paddling a canoe or rowboat, but usually a kayak across a pool, a lake or a bay, so water conditions can vary from smooth to very choppy. Getting good at paddling in all of these conditions is a real advantage in adventure racing because it's the weakest event for many adventure racers. If you are good, it can give you, or your team, a great lead.

Navigation: Many adventure races have a section where navigation is an actual event but even where it is not a standalone event. It is an important component in any cross-country event. What this is all about is your ability to read a terrain (topographical) map and read a compass and put the two together to find a target location (before anyone else). If you do this well, it's like paddling. Many adventure racers are weak at navigation so you will have a real advantage.

Mountain biking: Your first instinct for a mountain biking course is to get rid of the extra weight, like the headlight. In the world of adventure racing, you may well be biking at night so scratch that instinct. Instead replace a heavy, clunky light with a lightweight light that gives you a bright light for the rough terrain and a lower-power light for the roads. Another tip, if you are racing with a team, ideally everyone should have the same bike to make parts swapping possible (if necessary).

Climbing: Some races will have a climbing or rappelling (the opposite of climbing) component. Practice in this event, as in all events, makes perfect and anther thing that will be perfect is buying lightweight climbing gear and be a minimalist so you don't weigh yourself down too badly.

Teamwork: No, teamwork isn't a competition . . . just a necessity. If you are racing with a team, as many races require, your teammates will be more than just fellow adventurers, they will be extra arms, legs and brains. At their best, the team will function like a well-oiled machine and will move as a unit, to a successful finish. At their worst, individual preference will grapple with unity and, like Humpty Dumpty, the team will need an army to reassemble it as it falls to pieces far short of the finish line.

Make no mistake; the winning team in any race will not necessarily be the one with the strongest or fastest or even the most skilled individuals. The winning team will be the one that does not have individuals -- just team members. This team member mentality is by no means easy. Competitive sports can get very emotional and emotions can lie to waste the tightest teamwork

---

Please use the form below to comment on this page:

Name:
Email Address:	(kept private)
Comments:
Let me know if my message is replied to:	yes
Please enter the digits 513 in the box. This keeps away spam robots:

PHP Warning: Unknown(): Unable to load dynamic library 'C:\Program Files\HSphere\3rdparty\PHP\PHP5\ext\php_curl.dll' - The specified module could not be found. in Unknown on line 0 PHP Warning: Unknown(): Unable to load dynamic library 'C:\Program Files\HSphere\3rdparty\PHP\PHP5\ext\php_gd2.dll' - The specified module could not be found. in Unknown on line 0 PHP Warning: Unknown(): Unable to load dynamic library 'C:\Program Files\HSphere\3rdparty\PHP\PHP5\ext\php_mysql.dll' - The specified module could not be found. in Unknown on line 0