Top Irish Adventure racer and veteran of several world champs and international races; Paul Mahon (of Multisport Adventure Ireland – www.MSAI.ie) has distilled his advise into a top 10 list.

Clothing selection:-

Select suitable clothing to suit expected weather conditions and your expected progression in the race with a “What If” allowance in terms of a bike mechanical/ crash/ injury/ “bonk”!

Many start off races over dressed and then need to remove layers within a short distance of the start or persist in wearing too much clothing which can result in excessive sweating and possible later race cramping problems.

For certain stay warm and dry before a race but once the race commences you will warm up so generally it is advisable to remove rain gear before the start of the race.

Footware selection:-

Ensure footwear is well broken in before event

This may involve having trained and broken in more than one pair of shoes to take account of underfoot conditions that may change depending on weather in the days before an event.

To date there is no “One Size Fits All” in terms of footwear brands and types.

Go to a reputable shop and get advice as to what suits you.

Do not be driven by the “go faster stripes” type of shoes that are primarily aimed at the fashion rather than function market.

For most adventure racing events it is generally best to use trail shoes even if some of the running is on the road.

The slight advantage of a road shoe is often well negated once you venture off road.

Should you slip or fall because of incorrect footwear selection then the seconds you gain on the road may pale into insignificance compared to the discomfort or injury that may threaten your chances of finishing a race.

Clothing selection:-

Select suitable clothing to suit expected weather conditions and your expected progression in the race with a “What If” allowance in terms of a bike mechanical/ crash/ injury/ “bonk”!

World Champs 2007

Many start off races over dressed and then need to remove layers within a short distance of the start or persist in wearing too much clothing which can result in excessive sweating and possible later race cramping problems.

For certain stay warm and dry before a race but once the race commences you will warm up so generally it is advisable to remove rain gear before the start of the race.

Use a suitable bag:-

Select a rucksack / bum bag to suit your needs for the event.

In general you are looking to have minimal weigh and size and a bag that is functionally designed as this will ensure most comfort and optimal performance for you.

The larger the bag you select, the more likely you are to fill it with stuff you don’t really need

Ensure you have practiced running in whatever bag you think you will wear with your race kit inside and that your bag does not bounce, provides quick access to food with hip pockets, water bottle holder, etc

Plan specifically for each race:-

Find out the detail of the course (distances, terrain, profile, etc) and train accordingly

For the likes of Gaelforce, if you can’t make it to Mayo to train on the course itself then you could, if based in Dublin / Wicklow area, cycle to Kilmacanogue via a couple of hilly road climbs and “run” up and down the Sugarloaf and then another cycle afterwards.

For the likes of Achill ROAR you could start a swim or paddle if possible, then transition straight into a flattish run before a long mountain climb on foot and returning by a similar route to your bike by running a flat section and then biking an undulating route.

Know what your reasonable pace and finish time should be and don’t be tempted to go too fast at the start despite what everyone else is doing.

It is better to start slowly and be capable of finishing strongly in the second half of the race.

Prepare your Bike:-

A bike “failure” is the most likely reason that most will not finish a race and most “failures” can generally be avoided by proper preparation.

Ensure your bike is in good condition and not likely to cause you problems.

Have it serviced by a reputable shop if you are not able to do this properly yourself.

This preparation includes tyre type and pressure selection to suit the terrain expected.

Know how to change a tube and ensure you carry the correct tools to do this.

If possible you should carry a chain tool and “Power Links” to repair a chain break quickly.

Bring your mandatory kit:-

Mandatory kit is selected by race organisers for the safety of you so do cooperate and bring whatever the organisers tell you is mandatory.

Seconds saved by deciding not to carry the mandatory kit will seem such a waste if you need your first aid kit or space blanket when injured on the side of a mountain!

Take account of Mother Nature:-

Be prepared for changed weather conditions – mentally and physically

Just because it is raining does not mean you should cancel a planned training session.

Train in all weathers and then whatever Mother Nature throws at you on race day will be somewhat familiar particularly in terms of bike control on wet road descents, running down hills and of course correct clothing and footwear selection.

• Plan your food strategy appropriate to the race:-

Ensure you have sufficient food for the full duration of the event either on your person from the start or, if the race format allows it, in an easily accessible format on your bike.

You can use a small bag on your handlebars / cross bar or alternatively by using tape to attach bars and gels to your bike.

If dong this ensure you have not interfered with the correct working of breaks and gears.

Practice all your eating in training and only eat bars/ gels that work for you

Ensure you have practiced eating and drinking form bottles on your bike in particular and that you have sufficient control of your bike when doing so.

Hydrate often and early:-

Water alone is usually not sufficient for most unless in a short event (< 2 hours) or the weather is very cold.

You should only use hydration products that work for in training for your needs

Some products that are available for hydration include NUUN, Hi Five, Deoralyte, etc are generally easy to take but the key is to hydrate before you become dehydrated.

Studies have shown that being 2% dehydrated can result in a 20% drop in performance.

You may not actually feel thirsty until you are 6% dehydrated at which stage some studies have shown that there is a 60% drop in energy available.

If you do feel a cramp coming on then get electrolytes into you quickly preferably in the proportions recommended by the suppliers of hydration products.

Expect the unexpected:-

Despite the best preparation in terms of training, gear selection, nutrition, you should be prepared mentally for the unexpected as it sometimes does happen

If you have so unexpected problems along the way just deal with them quickly and efficiently and get back to racing ASAP but don’t be tempted to change your pace or strategy in order to make up time lost fixing a puncture, etc

Enjoy Your Race Day out and the night after – Well Done !

Padraig finished 3rd in Gaelforce 2007 and 4th in 2008 and 2009, he is also one of the organisers of the Days Adventure Duathlon (which will be called the Harlequin Adventure Duathlon in 2010).  He has put together this article for those in the final weeks of training for GaelForce or those just starting to train for Achill ROAR or WAR.

……..

The past 24 months has brought about a HUGE interest in strenuous endurance events with numbers soaring at all events, be they running, cycling, Triathlon or adventure racing.

The West of Ireland is lucky as it holds Europe biggest Adventure races called the Gael Force 6.(GF6)

The idea behind the event is that the 65k route could be completed inside 6hours for the reasonably fit enthusiast, still this event is not for the faint hearted as they forgot to tell you that the route is the toughest around that will challenge you mentally and physically, leaving your body in no doubt about its severity when the challenge is completed, leaving every limb aching for days after.

The Route starts at Glassan Beach near Tully Cross out on the shores of the Atlantic in the West of Ireland, where participants line up on the beach, ahead lies a 12k hilly cross country run to Killary adventure centre, next is a bumpy 1.5k kayak across Killary Ford, the first 40 kayak across in solo Kayaks the rest of the participants can do it in pairs, off the kayaks and climb the steep bank for another 3.5k cross country run to Delhi Adventure centre, where participants can change shoes to hop on their bikes for a 30k up hill cycle to the back of Croagh Patrick (The Reek). This part of the course is different from last year, with the last 4k is on a rough fire road up to the Croagh Patrick transition area, this will make it a tough finish to the bike.

Now the fun starts as participants are nearly running on empty with the tough hike of Croagh Patrick looming ahead, roughly this is a 30 odd minute hike for the Elites or up to 90mins for the novice, taking the correct line is very important, the Elites like to go straight up, but I honestly prefer the path which is a bit longer but easier on the limbs. The fastest way down is as the crow flies, straight down….

After running, walking or crawling back down the Reek to collect your bike, the last but fearsome section of this event lies ahead, the 12k bike ride has a few hidden secrets, the first 3k are sound but when you arrive at the top of the hill nicknamed locally as the Skelp, this is where you have to decide how good your bike handling skills are as this section is steep with a downhill on very rough terrain, the good news it only lasts 1km, so if you don’t feel comfortable then its best to throw the bike on your shoulder and jog down. When the off road section is finished it’s only 7k to the finish which is mostly downhill.

Finally when you reach the finish of the bike there might be a surprise of a short obstacle run to the finish line be prepared . For a total of 65 kilometres.

With 3000 people already entered, its NOW time to start your specific training.

Equipment tips

To start of with I would recommend that you get a good pair of running shoes, I recommend Solomon speed cross 2 they are sturdy and have a good sole with plenty of grip.

Get a good running camelback or rug sack not too big but one that fits all the mandatory kit that is required for Gael Force 6.

Fit good tyres to your bike, ones that will hack the gravel and stones, Ideally Continental Gator skins or Specialized Armadillos size 23, Tyre pressure is very important, check the side of the tyre for recommended tyre pressure. A road racer is best, but a hybrid could also do the job. Make sure the bike is in good working order, probably best to get it serviced.

See www.marreybikes.com for deals of GF6 packages

Now you can start training.

With 15.5k of running and 40k of cycling in is important that you do plenty of both. At first aim to build up your endurance so that you know that you can complete the distance in both disciplines.

In week one aim to run 20-30k per week and cycle up to 80k, not all at once though, break into sessions.

Training Plan.

Monday: Run 4k on a hilly off road course and cycle 20k again on a hilly course

Tuesday : Run 10k, break this session into intervals of 5minutes

Wednesday: Cycle 30k over the hills

Thursday: Day off or REST DAY

Friday: Brick session run 8k followed by 20k cycle.

Saturday: Day off

Sunday: long flat run 12k followed by 40k hilly route

The key is to start slowly, but gradually increase distance and intensity.

Also aim to look for hillier routes (mountainous best of all) to train on especially for the running, down hill running is as important as the up hill training.

If possible it would be a big advantage to have a look at the course especially the last third, which includes Croagh Patrick.

On the Bike, cycling skills are important as there are fast descent both on road and off road.GF 6 is hard with rough off road sections and hilly road sections. See www.marreytrainingsystems.com for more tips.

WAR: Wicklow Adventure Race is your ultimate goal.  Your training program represents a series of smaller steps that lead up to the event. I subscribe to the theory that we need about 10 weeks of training to properly prepare for an Adventure race like WAR: Wicklow Adventure Race. Your training will also be affected by your personal goals. Do you want to THRIVE or SURVIVE. A training program should include four different phases; Base phase- skills and endurance; Speed phase- race specifics; Taper phase- recovery; Race phase- the event, gives you feedback on the effectiveness of your training.

Goal Setting

Besides race selection, goal setting is one of the most important topics you will need to decide about. Whether you choose to THRIVE or SURVIVE, your choice will affect how you will set up your training program in terms of volume and duration. It will also probably affect your current lifestyle. You will need to evaluate your current lifestyle and determine what changes, if any, you are willing to change.

Goal setting can be broken down into two parts; the first part is dreaming the goal, and the second part is planning the steps to get to the goal.

In dreaming the goal you have probably witnessed, in one way or another, an adventure race that has intrigued you. You have probably heard about the high numbers of participants that don’t finish. This is a part of the challenge, and a big factor that might keep you from doing an adventure race is fear, or fear of failure. Your first goal should be to overcome your fear, and give yourself the opportunity to find out what you can do. You will not finish 100% of the events that you don’t start. Once you believe you can do it, the journey will begin.

In planning the steps to get to your goal, start small and build up from there. The training plan is a series of steps that build on each other, leading up to the event. Everyone will need to design their own training plan. A plan has to take into consideration the starting fitness level of a person, their time available, and their ultimate goals.

I will give you some basic building blocks that you can stack up to create your own set of steps. To begin, you need to have a starting line, and evaluating your personal situation will show you where to start..

Evaluation

Some of the questions you should ask yourself are:

• What do I want to do?
• How do I want to do it?
• How long do I have before the event?
• How much time in the day do I have?
• What skills do I have?
• What skills will I need?
• What are my weaknesses?
• What are my strengths?
• What is my current fitness level?

Answer these questions, and you will have an idea of where to begin. Try to include all your aspects; physical, mental, emotional, and mechanical.

The Training Plan – 10 weeks total

The whole idea of a training plan is to show your body what it is expected to during the event. You will practice the sports involved, and show your body the skills. Then you will show your body the duration and distances that you will be using those skills for. Then, you will strengthen your body, and work on speed. Eventually you will work your way into the race specifics, and show your body the environment and the terrain that will be encountered. At first a 10 week training plan might sound like a lot. It looks more doable when we break it down into smaller steps. These steps, or phases of the training plan are; Base phase- skills and endurance; Speed phase- race specifics; Taper phase- recovery; Race phase- the event, gives you feedback on the effectiveness of your training.

Base Phase – 5 weeks

The base phase is the beginning of your training. This is when you show your body the sport and the skills. In adventure racing, there are many skills needed. In a 10 week training plan, you should use the first 5 weeks for the base phase. So depending on your starting point, you may have more or less skills and technique to learn. You should adjust your plan accordingly. Give more time, if you need to learn more skills.

In the beginning of the base phase you should concentrate on learning the skills. As your technique improves, you can gradually build the distances and volume that you train with. The next part of the base phase is to build your endurance up to the distances that will be in your event. Here again, depending on your starting point, you may require more or less time to build up to the distances. Adjust your training plan accordingly. Remember that during this phase your pace should be easy. This phase is for endurance, you will build strength and speed in the next phase.

As part of your learning skills phase you can add in a short but similar race, like the HellFire, Tulfarris 10mile or Runways Duathlon.

Speed Phase – 5 weeks

During the speed phase you will build upon the endurance and technique that you have developed in the base phase. In the beginning of this phase is when you show your body the resistance that will be involved in your event. This is also when you increase the pace of your training to show your body the speed of the event. Towards the end of this phase is when you incorporate the specifics into your training. As WAR is in the Wicklow Mountains, add some hill repeats. Remember to take steps, and build gradually.

Taper Phase – 1 week

The taper phase is for recovery. This is when you allow your body to rebuild it itself. Gradually drop off the distances, the resistances, and the volume. Taper off the training until just before the event. This also allows your body to refill its energy stores. Taper is about maintaining the gains you worked for in the base and speed phases.

With adventure races, there is usually travel involved. You will also need the time to pack and prepare gear. So the time you have in this final week will naturally be limited.

Race Phase

This is it! This is when and where all the hard work pays off. Remember, that if you believe it, you can do it. Take the time after the race to evaluate your performance. This will give you the feedback you need to create your next training plan. Work on your weaknesses, and build on your strengths. Use what works, and do something new for what doesn’t. When you select your next event, start all over and make a new plan.

Compiled using large extracts from a Jack Crawford article published on Beyond Adventure Sports.