Tips for novice racers

Gear:
What to wear? Our races are organized in Thailand which has a tropical hot climate all year long. Basically your gear must be light and hot climate friendly.

Shorts and shirts: You will wear the same clothes during the duration of the race (no change at transition zones). You will run, cycle, swim and paddle with the same outfit. So choose clothes comfortable for running, cycling, paddling and Swimming. As you will get wet, we recommend a dry-fit/climacool kind of material that will get dry quickly after getting wet. Cotton t-shirts are certainly not recommended.

Shoes: Off road running shoes or Adventure Racing shoes must be your choice. Avoid normal running shoes made for paved road running. Again choose light and climacool models with aeration holes (no Gore-Tex products!). Please note that you will swim with your shoes as well.

Headwear: Bike helmet is mandatory during cycling sections in all our races. Bike helmet is also mandatory for some dangerous runs. (Racers are informed prior to each race about that). We strongly recommend a cap or a bandana as a protection from the sun at all time when helmet is not mandatory.

Bikes and helmets: A Mountain Bike and a helmet are part of the mandatory gear for each of our races. You can bring your own bike/helmet or you can rent them through the organization.

Eyewear: We recommend sunglasses that will protect your eyes from the sun but also from branches and thorny bamboo species during jungle hiking and running

Cycling gloves: Recommended for comfortable cycling especially while sweating in Thailand hot climate. It will also help in the jungle where you will need your hands to grab roots, trees or bamboo (thorns)

Bike repair kit, pump and inner tubes: Are part of the mandatory gear for each Race (see mandatory gear list).Tool kit including a chain repair tool. A chain quick missing link is also recommended.

Backpack-Hydration system: You will need to carry the repair kit, pump, tubes but also your personal belongings such as a bandana, glasses, a first aid kit, some food. BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT IS THAT YOU NEED TO CARRY WATER. As mentioned above, Thailand has a very hot climate and it is essential to drink and hydrate your body AT ALL TIME. We therefore recommend a proper hydration pack. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydration_pack

An hydration pack is a type of hydration system built as a backpack or waist pack containing a reservoir or "bladder" commonly made of rubber or flexible plastic. The reservoir contains a capped mouth for filling with liquid and a hose that allows the wearer to drink hands-free. Most hoses end with a "bite valve" that opens when the user bites down on it; the valve may be protected by a dust cover. Some hydration packs are insulated to keep water from freezing or becoming warm. Reservoir sizes commonly range from 1.5 to 3.0 liters.

You have here 2 options:
•You can buy the complete system (pack and reservoir)
•You can buy the reservoir and a backpack separately. In this case, make sure that the back pack has the built in pocket for your reservoir

Of course you still can carry bottles of water in a back pack but this is not very comfortable and is not recommended. We believe that the hydration system (pack and reservoir) is an essential gear for the adventure racer.

Where to buy that kind of gear? Coming soon

Food: Apart from an early solid breakfast, you will need to carry some food with you during the entire race as there will be no McDonald on the way. Biscuits, bananas, cereal bars, sugar cubes, dry fruits, power and energy bars or gels are what we would recommend.

Drink-Hydration: Basic rule is to refill completely at each CP/Water station. DRINK A LOT before and during the race. Use the electrolyte drinks and powders provided at the Water stations. These electrolyte drinks (M-Sport) and powders (Strong-K) will replace salts that you have lost while sweating and will help against cramps. DRINK DRINK DRINK-REFILL REFILL-REFILL

Transition zones: At the end of each section (run-bike-kayak-swim) your team will have to check the time. Each team will receive a chip timing device that one of the teammate must carry with him. The time is recorded automatically in the chiptiming computerized system. The two members of each team must check TOGETHER.

Navigation: An important part of Adventure racing is navigation. Your team has to follow the course as it is marked. Our race marking is quite simple. We are marking with orange ribbons that your team will have to follow. Ribbons are usually hanged on trees, poles. The distance between ribbons varies depending of the discipline. In the jungle, the distance will be shortened (20m). On a paved road cycling, the distance can be lengthened to a maximum of 100 m. So if you do not see any ribbons for more than 200-300m, that means that something is wrong. Go back to the last ribbon you have seen and try to understand where you made the mistake. Always use common sense while navigating.Sometime we are also using shredded orange paper, especially in urban areas where children like to remove or play with orange ribbons. Other signs are used and will be presented to you at the race briefing prior each of our races (crosses, arrows, caution and more..)