Planning a Team Training and Race Schedule por Tim Lloyd
The success of any team requires careful and structured planning and in adventure racing this is even more important because of the diverse range of disciplines and athletes involved in the team. This article explains the way in which Team Saab Salomon approach these issues, and how we go about planning a season’s training and racing.
Picking the Team
The single most important thing in AR is teamwork. If you get this right, many of the other aspects will fall into place without too much difficulty. So what do I mean by teamwork?
1) First, all of the team will need to have shared objectives, the most important of these being to enjoy their racing. Try to choose team mates you know you can get on with and enjoy spending time with, AR can bring out the best, and also the worst in folk, so it’s always advisable to be with people you like!
2) Next, consider the disciplines involved and whether the athletes possess the technical ability to complete all stages of the race. (This time last year many of our team had never even stood on a pair of inline skates, but by now we are all pretty confident.)
3) Also, consider the length of the races and the level of competition you want to compete at. You should all be of a similar ability level so no one is left behind or waiting out in front. This is bound to happen but if it happens too often teamwork and morale will suffer. Having said that, it’s worth trying to get together a team with a diverse range of specialist skills. The ‘expert’ team member can then help the others raise their game in that discipline and this in turn brings more confidence and team cohesion.
4) If your races require a team assistant, make sure that this is something that is thought of in the preparation stage too. The team assistant’s role is a crucial one and can make the difference between winning and losing a race. It is very important to include the assistant in planning and decision making, and make sure that your assistant is an organised and ‘switched on’ person.
Goals and Objectives
One of the first things you will want to do once you have a team together is discuss you goals and objectives, it’s really important that everyone in the team knows what the aims are so you are all working towards the same target.
Your goals can be in various forms including competition goals (e.g. what position you want to finish in the race), technical goals (e.g. to improve your inline skating), fitness goals (e.g. 10k time) or more general goals (e.g. to complete a race series or just to enjoy your racing). Goals should be achievable but challenging, and only when you have set your targets will you be in a position plan your training and race programme.
Part of the goal setting process will be to plan your race schedule. There are lots and lots of races to choose from now, catering for all levels from the total beginner to the world’s best. The easiest mistake to make is to be too ambitious and try to do too much. In the beginning choose something short and easy, see how it goes, and then progress from there. It all comes down to preparation, the sooner you can plan your race programme, the sooner you can tailor your training.
If you are trying to achieve some competition specific goals, try to be selective with the races you will do, racing every weekend will definitely not produce the best results. Choose one or two ‘big’ races for the year and add other races that will best prepare you for these. (By ‘big’ races I mean those important races for you.)
For Saab Salomon in 2003 we have these targets. Our competition specific targets are:
(a) Top 3 of the World Tour rankings and at least 1 win on the World Tour series.
(b) To become the British AR Champions.
(c) To finish in the top 5 of the Raid Gauloises.
Of course these will not be easy to achieve, but setting them now gives us more time to prepare, and will give us a better chance of success. For a team starting out the goals might be to finish their first race, or to be in the top 50%. It does not matter what it is as long as you agree and it’s achievable and challenging.
Our general goals are:
(a) To continue enjoying AR.
(b) To raise the profile of the team in the UK.
(c) To raise the profile of British Adventure Racing on the continent.
(d) To be a British team at the top of the World AR stage.
Because our sponsors make a considerable investment in the team, we feel it is very important to raise the team profile, which is why we are targeting the races that will be televised in GB, including the BARC races and the Hebridean Challenge.
Team Management & Sponsors
You may think this isn’t applicable to you because you don’t have a team manager – but the opposite is true. All teams need managing to some degree and the role of the team manager/leader is a very important one.
For every race entries have to be made and equipment and transport organised. If you are going to train and plan together as I’ve suggested then meetings need setting and courses might need to be booked. If you’re serious about it, or entering a big race like Adrenalin Rush, there is more to do; maps to order, perhaps sponsors to chase or support crews to find.
If you hide your head in the sand and don’t decide who is doing these jobs, and when they will be done, you’ll undoubtedly find yourself on the start line feeling disorganised, disadvantaged and knackered after sorting them out at the last moment!
Few teams are lucky enough to have a team manager doing the role I do for Saab Salomon, but how many teams have asked around to see if a friend wants to be part of the set up and get involved? Assuming there isn’t a non-racing team manager, then you’ll have to decide if there is a team leader or captain, or share out the work to be done between you, which is what happens in most cases.
Finance comes into this as much as time management. There is only so much the budget will stretch to and a realistic assessment of the costs of racing has to be made.
This naturally leads onto the issue of sponsorship. Looking for sponsors is time consuming in itself, and if you are lucky enough to have one you must do everything you can to keep them. Always inform them of what the team is doing and help them out as much as possible. Send reports and results after races, write articles for them, and give feedback on kit etc. Never forget that most sponsors will want something in return for their investment, and it’s up to you to make sure this happens. If you’re in a team it’s probably best to give this responsibility to one individual in order to ensure that the job is done.
It’s the same for most of the issues in a team, people need to know what their responsibilities are, otherwise they will often assume that someone else has done it.
Training Schedule
First, you do need a training schedule which involves the whole team, not with everyone doing their own thing.
When it comes to planning the schedule, preparation is the key once again and the main points you will need to consider are fitness and technical ability (skill levels).
You might spend more time on one than the other, or possibly equal amounts of time on both. Remember that both can also be combined, 2 hours in a kayak can be a good physical workout but also good skills training. Find out as soon as you can what skills will be required in your races and start to learn them as soon as possible.
It’s amazing how difficult it can be to make up time lost on a short technical stage and it can break your heart. In the 2002 French X-adventure Raid we finished 5th, a mere 30 seconds from 4th and 1 minute 30 seconds from 3rd. The race was won in about 24 hours and we dropped over 10 minutes on a 20 minute inline skate section. This just goes to show how important it is to have all the skills and that the top teams cannot afford to have any weakness.
Some of the disciplines that we came across in 2002 included running (road and fell), biking (road and fell), orienteering (foot and bike), skiing, sea, flat-water and white-water kayaking (K1 and K2), flat-water and white-water Canadian canoeing, white-water rafting, swimming, hydrospeed (white-water swimming with a big float!), inline skating, horse riding, abseiling and rope activities, climbing, via ferrata, winter mountaineering, etc, etc.
There is a lot to learn and if you are serious about improving it might be that you need to look at paying for some specialist training, be it with a climbing guide or a canoeing instructor.
In addition we raced in temperatures and altitudes at both extremes of the spectrum. These all add to making AR a sport where preparation is crucial, but also a sport which offers opportunities and locations that no other sport could ever do.
In Team Saab Salomon we meet for one weekend each month to carry out specific team training. This will include activities like Canadian canoeing, kayaking in double kayaks (K2’s), towing techniques, skating, etc. (Activities such as running and biking are trained every day by the individuals in the team so fitness should not be a big issue.)
It is very important to make the most of the time that the team has together by working on the things that cannot be done on your own. The other advantage with meeting to train is that it builds the team spirit, we always make an effort to socialise when we’re together, there’s nothing wrong with a few beers on a training weekend. After all, running and biking up and down mountains can make you very thirsty; ask Steve Birkinshaw, he’ll tell you!!
Get yourself a year planner or a diary and put your race and training dates in. If it’s looking too busy then you’ll need to cut it down. We all have other commitments outside AR so you’ll have to prioritise and possibly be selective.
Once you’ve done all these things, all you need to do is get out there and enjoy yourself. That’s what it’s all about at the end of the day, spending time in great places with great people, that’s the big attraction with AR, and that’s why more and more people are getting into it. Good luck with your racing whatever you’re up to.
ver o original
Picking the Team
The single most important thing in AR is teamwork. If you get this right, many of the other aspects will fall into place without too much difficulty. So what do I mean by teamwork?
1) First, all of the team will need to have shared objectives, the most important of these being to enjoy their racing. Try to choose team mates you know you can get on with and enjoy spending time with, AR can bring out the best, and also the worst in folk, so it’s always advisable to be with people you like!
2) Next, consider the disciplines involved and whether the athletes possess the technical ability to complete all stages of the race. (This time last year many of our team had never even stood on a pair of inline skates, but by now we are all pretty confident.)
3) Also, consider the length of the races and the level of competition you want to compete at. You should all be of a similar ability level so no one is left behind or waiting out in front. This is bound to happen but if it happens too often teamwork and morale will suffer. Having said that, it’s worth trying to get together a team with a diverse range of specialist skills. The ‘expert’ team member can then help the others raise their game in that discipline and this in turn brings more confidence and team cohesion.
4) If your races require a team assistant, make sure that this is something that is thought of in the preparation stage too. The team assistant’s role is a crucial one and can make the difference between winning and losing a race. It is very important to include the assistant in planning and decision making, and make sure that your assistant is an organised and ‘switched on’ person.
Goals and Objectives
One of the first things you will want to do once you have a team together is discuss you goals and objectives, it’s really important that everyone in the team knows what the aims are so you are all working towards the same target.
Your goals can be in various forms including competition goals (e.g. what position you want to finish in the race), technical goals (e.g. to improve your inline skating), fitness goals (e.g. 10k time) or more general goals (e.g. to complete a race series or just to enjoy your racing). Goals should be achievable but challenging, and only when you have set your targets will you be in a position plan your training and race programme.
Part of the goal setting process will be to plan your race schedule. There are lots and lots of races to choose from now, catering for all levels from the total beginner to the world’s best. The easiest mistake to make is to be too ambitious and try to do too much. In the beginning choose something short and easy, see how it goes, and then progress from there. It all comes down to preparation, the sooner you can plan your race programme, the sooner you can tailor your training.
If you are trying to achieve some competition specific goals, try to be selective with the races you will do, racing every weekend will definitely not produce the best results. Choose one or two ‘big’ races for the year and add other races that will best prepare you for these. (By ‘big’ races I mean those important races for you.)
For Saab Salomon in 2003 we have these targets. Our competition specific targets are:
(a) Top 3 of the World Tour rankings and at least 1 win on the World Tour series.
(b) To become the British AR Champions.
(c) To finish in the top 5 of the Raid Gauloises.
Of course these will not be easy to achieve, but setting them now gives us more time to prepare, and will give us a better chance of success. For a team starting out the goals might be to finish their first race, or to be in the top 50%. It does not matter what it is as long as you agree and it’s achievable and challenging.
Our general goals are:
(a) To continue enjoying AR.
(b) To raise the profile of the team in the UK.
(c) To raise the profile of British Adventure Racing on the continent.
(d) To be a British team at the top of the World AR stage.
Because our sponsors make a considerable investment in the team, we feel it is very important to raise the team profile, which is why we are targeting the races that will be televised in GB, including the BARC races and the Hebridean Challenge.
Team Management & Sponsors
You may think this isn’t applicable to you because you don’t have a team manager – but the opposite is true. All teams need managing to some degree and the role of the team manager/leader is a very important one.
For every race entries have to be made and equipment and transport organised. If you are going to train and plan together as I’ve suggested then meetings need setting and courses might need to be booked. If you’re serious about it, or entering a big race like Adrenalin Rush, there is more to do; maps to order, perhaps sponsors to chase or support crews to find.
If you hide your head in the sand and don’t decide who is doing these jobs, and when they will be done, you’ll undoubtedly find yourself on the start line feeling disorganised, disadvantaged and knackered after sorting them out at the last moment!
Few teams are lucky enough to have a team manager doing the role I do for Saab Salomon, but how many teams have asked around to see if a friend wants to be part of the set up and get involved? Assuming there isn’t a non-racing team manager, then you’ll have to decide if there is a team leader or captain, or share out the work to be done between you, which is what happens in most cases.
Finance comes into this as much as time management. There is only so much the budget will stretch to and a realistic assessment of the costs of racing has to be made.
This naturally leads onto the issue of sponsorship. Looking for sponsors is time consuming in itself, and if you are lucky enough to have one you must do everything you can to keep them. Always inform them of what the team is doing and help them out as much as possible. Send reports and results after races, write articles for them, and give feedback on kit etc. Never forget that most sponsors will want something in return for their investment, and it’s up to you to make sure this happens. If you’re in a team it’s probably best to give this responsibility to one individual in order to ensure that the job is done.
It’s the same for most of the issues in a team, people need to know what their responsibilities are, otherwise they will often assume that someone else has done it.
Training Schedule
First, you do need a training schedule which involves the whole team, not with everyone doing their own thing.
When it comes to planning the schedule, preparation is the key once again and the main points you will need to consider are fitness and technical ability (skill levels).
You might spend more time on one than the other, or possibly equal amounts of time on both. Remember that both can also be combined, 2 hours in a kayak can be a good physical workout but also good skills training. Find out as soon as you can what skills will be required in your races and start to learn them as soon as possible.
It’s amazing how difficult it can be to make up time lost on a short technical stage and it can break your heart. In the 2002 French X-adventure Raid we finished 5th, a mere 30 seconds from 4th and 1 minute 30 seconds from 3rd. The race was won in about 24 hours and we dropped over 10 minutes on a 20 minute inline skate section. This just goes to show how important it is to have all the skills and that the top teams cannot afford to have any weakness.
Some of the disciplines that we came across in 2002 included running (road and fell), biking (road and fell), orienteering (foot and bike), skiing, sea, flat-water and white-water kayaking (K1 and K2), flat-water and white-water Canadian canoeing, white-water rafting, swimming, hydrospeed (white-water swimming with a big float!), inline skating, horse riding, abseiling and rope activities, climbing, via ferrata, winter mountaineering, etc, etc.
There is a lot to learn and if you are serious about improving it might be that you need to look at paying for some specialist training, be it with a climbing guide or a canoeing instructor.
In addition we raced in temperatures and altitudes at both extremes of the spectrum. These all add to making AR a sport where preparation is crucial, but also a sport which offers opportunities and locations that no other sport could ever do.
In Team Saab Salomon we meet for one weekend each month to carry out specific team training. This will include activities like Canadian canoeing, kayaking in double kayaks (K2’s), towing techniques, skating, etc. (Activities such as running and biking are trained every day by the individuals in the team so fitness should not be a big issue.)
It is very important to make the most of the time that the team has together by working on the things that cannot be done on your own. The other advantage with meeting to train is that it builds the team spirit, we always make an effort to socialise when we’re together, there’s nothing wrong with a few beers on a training weekend. After all, running and biking up and down mountains can make you very thirsty; ask Steve Birkinshaw, he’ll tell you!!
Get yourself a year planner or a diary and put your race and training dates in. If it’s looking too busy then you’ll need to cut it down. We all have other commitments outside AR so you’ll have to prioritise and possibly be selective.
Once you’ve done all these things, all you need to do is get out there and enjoy yourself. That’s what it’s all about at the end of the day, spending time in great places with great people, that’s the big attraction with AR, and that’s why more and more people are getting into it. Good luck with your racing whatever you’re up to.
ver o original
