Desert Winds Preparation

How to prepare for our expedition adventure race in the desert of Nevada, USA...

It is all about being competent. You don't have to be expert at anything. You don't have to be super fit. But, you do have to be competently fit and competent at all the skills. Your feet have to be tough. You shoulders need to know how to carry a pack. Your team needs to know how to work together to solve any number of untold problems. And your team must be able to work together, care for each other, and have the heart to finish anything.

Training and Coaching

Are you looking for training and coaching? We recommend Teri Schneider. Teri is one of the most experienced endurance athletes anywhere and a motivational speaker of renown. Click here for more info about Teri.

The Nav

You've got to be competent at the nav. In preparing for this race; the need to practice your navigation cannot be over emphasized. So, every time you hike, bike, or paddle, give yourself a couple of waypoints, take a map & compass, and practice your navigation. TIP: You SHOULD train in your local area with maps. Yes, even the areas you've trained in 100x's, using a topo map in your home environment is extremely beneficial. Order your topographic maps here at MYTOPO.

The Biking

Become fit for long rides on jeep roads, rough jeep roads with gravel and sand. Include big hill climbs in your training.

The Trekking

Include long treks in your training. Gradually increase the distances and the pack weight until your team is good at completing 50 mile treks over rough mountainous terrain with no problems, foot or otherwise. The stress that long treks puts on teams is the number one reason for expedition race failure.

The Paddling

Become competent at paddling long distances of up to 60 miles. Learn to stay hydrated and fueled. Learn to not get hypothermic and learn to recover from hypothermia. Here are some good articles on hypothermia prevention. Learn to paddle in high winds and waves. Here are some articles on high winds. Learn to paddle and navigate at night. And you must be able to recover from a capsize.

The Climbing

This will be a BYOR (bring your own rope) race. So, you will have to know how to put a rope in the anchors (we provide those), rappel, retrieve your rope, and continue to the next rappel. Why bring your own rope? Because, this is what and how a climber/climbing team would have to do it. Desert Winds races are real adventures, "adventures for adventure athletes." We'll have a complete update on this later.

Staying Fueled and Hydrated

Have a good food plan for 5 days. Supplement your food with electrolytes and the right supplements. Feed the Machine is a good source for sports nutrition, see the banner on the right. You will be able to find water on the course. You need to know how to filter and or treat it. During your training, practice staying fueled and hydrated.

The Temperatures and Weather

It will be hot, not as hot as mid-summer, but hot enough. Be prepared for it and be able to survive it. You will have all Summer to become heat acclimated. Here are some articles on dealing with the heat.

Email us about Desert Winds Expedition Race Preparation

928-767-3061

presented by the Desert Winds Adventure Series

September 18-25, 2010