"I Almost Ran Into That Bathtub!" RADTALKS: Session 1

Last night we gathered at our Westmorland Street location for a talk about Adventure Racing with Troy Johnston, founder of Natural Selection Adventure Racing.  It was he first in our new series of free outdoor clinics called #RADTALKS
A great big THANK YOU to Troy and all of you who attended.  I think we can agree that it was an informative and fun chat.   The highlights for me were the stories from the middle of the race when people started hallucinating.  Runner's high?  

 Troy gave us the 411 on how adventure races, like his own "RACE THE PHANTOM" and "WHO'S YOUR DADDY?" actually work and what it takes to set it up, both gear-wise and mentally.  A lot goes in to staying safe and sane on the course.

The major difference between adventure racing and multi disciplined races like Iron Mans and triathlons is the orienteering aspect to them.  There are "controls" along the routes, shown to you on a map you receive on race day.  each control is worth a different amount of points.  To win the race you and your team have to plot a course where you collect the most points and hit all the mandatory controls between the start and finish lines using only a map and compass.  It's not a "I got there first" winner, it's a "We got there best!" winner.
  
"Who's Your Daddy?" is set up as an intro in to adventure racing with a shorter than usual eight hour run time.  "Race The Phantom." has three different race lengths this year: 8, 24 & 40hrs.
Troy gave us the secret locations on where both of these races will be held and I'll tell ya, I can't wait for Race The Phantom!  Both races include: running, canoeing (with portages) and cycling.  "Who's Your Daddy?"  also features the notorious Picaroon's sponsored tire pull. Whoa.  Read on for race dates and more info.

Who's Your Daddy?!: June 1st (Location: Secret)
Race The Phantom: August Long Weekend (Location will be announced soon! Check the NSAR website for updates!)

Setting up the controls for races like these takes some serious thought and labour intensive logistic coordination and VOLUNTEERS. Troy says that the course is generally run 3-4 times while setting up and tearing down - and he is POSITIVE you will be able to find the marks, that is if you have read your clues and set your compass correctly! If you want to help out in setting up the courses, please contact Troy here.

When you get to the nitty gritty, you need the right gear. This is when the gear junkies in the room moved to the edge of their seats and spilled their drinks...
First up: FOOT CARE.  "The two minutes it takes to care for your feet is worth the time" Troy says; foot care is the most important part of the race. For footwear, he suggests checking out the selection of Salomon footwear. He is fond of the XA Pro Ultra, while many of the other experienced racers in the room shared  love for their particular Salomon shoe; others were wearing the Mission, or Crossmax. You can check out our full selection of Salomon shoes set for AR at our shop.

For every race there is mandatory gear, and there is gear you want to have with you. Recommended things to bring are extra socks & baby wipes. Making sure that you have electrolyte replacement is key. Is is advised to start eating and drinking almost right away and really listen to your body so you don't completely lose it somewhere in the course.
Team-mates are your life force when racing. Work together through everything. Everything.

You're stuck with him.

Most importantly HAVE FUN! Though you might want to die immediately after and swear off racing forever, you'll want to come back for more once you gather round the camp fire and start sharing stories post-race. Adventure racing really is accessible for anyone and most times your are hiking quickly, not sprinting. So don't let the thought of running full tilt for 40 hours turn you off. Get out there, be safe and give it your all!

We spent the rest of the evening swapping sleep deprivation stories on the trail and checking out some of the useful gear you can get at Radical Edge. We're sorry if you couldn't make it lastnight, but we hope to see you at next month's #RADTALK. Stay tuned to see what we're up to next. If you have any questions about adventure racing you can contact Troy here. Or if you have suggestions or want to be a speaker at RADTALKS email us at adventure@radicaledge.ca

Thanks Again!