Adventure Racing II: Jeremy Paquin

This is the second article in a series on Adventure Race Preparation by Jeremy Paquin, a friend of Catalyst.  Jeremy's preparing for the daunting 1-man solo
event at the Frontier Challenge, Sept. 6, at Searchmont Resort.  You can read part 1 of the series here.                        -Chris
Adventure Racing was essentially the brain child of Frenchman and modern day explorer - Gerard Fusil. The first Raid Gauloises was held in 1989 in New
Zealand. All of the competitors were European, traveling as a co-ed team of 5 by various means, not only in and around the country, but from one side to the
other over a period of 10 days! Since then, races have been held in the most remote and unforgiving corners of the world including Oman, Borneo,
Patagonia, Madagascar, and Kyrgyzstan.

Early competitors were often long-distance athletes: mountaineers, cross-country skiers, triathletes, and of course, long distance runners.

It’s no surprise runners were drawn to adventure racing. Obviously all adventure races, no matter the format, include sections, often ultra-long sections, of
trekking.

Personally, I took up trail running in the coastal mountains of British Columbia in the summer of 1999. I was dressed in cut-off jean shorts, I swear this is true,
and hulking Brooks running shoes two sizes too big. I could go non-stop for a whopping 12 minutes! Regardless, pine needle-covered paths with multiple
stream crossings and incredible views had me hooked. I spent what I thought was an absurd amount of money for a pair of real running shoes. And I still
have them today, grip-less and torn. I use them as lawn mowing footwear.

No one ever says running is exceedingly fun, or easy for that matter. It tests your legs and lungs, your heart and mind, your will and determination.

In the past 5 years, I have coached perhaps 150 runners in a variety of different clinic formats. In my experience, there are essentially 3 glaring points to
highlight to all runners, from the true beginner to the more serious amateur competitor.
1 - Use Correct Pace

It never fails. Beginners always run too fast. Slow it down and set a comfortable pace. A good rule of thumb, is that when you’re out for a run, you should be
able to hold up your end of an on-the-run chat. Rookies often complain: "Running is too hard!" Well of course it is, if your heart rate is beating at 90%
theoretical maximum heart rate and your respiratory rate is through the roof. It’s no wonder many people who take up running quit after only a handful of runs.
Learn to use walk breaks whenever necessary. Believe it or not, I use them all the time (shhh, don’t tell anyone!). In 2006, at the Run the Great Lakes Half-
Marathon, my running clinic participants were surprised to learn that I had used 4 walking breaks during my personal best time of 1:26 (good for 4th overall). I
like to say "Walking is a runner’s best friend." So my advice is to use a slow and steady pace, that way you can keep running feeling pleasant, until you can
gradually build a stronger endurance base.

2 - Listen to Your Body

When I took up running nearly a decade ago, I was hardly in tune with my body’s cues. I had a bad habit of ignoring aches and pains and thought I could just
run through the discomfort. If pain begins to linger somewhere, rest immediately, and see a health professional such as a physiotherapist, to address the issue.
To learn more about my body’s physiology, I wore a heart rate monitor for the better part of a year while running, mountain biking, trekking, cycling, even
around the house and while I slept. By the time I was prepared to tuck the monitor away, I could guess my heart rate within 5 beats while doing anything, by
cueing into my breathing rate and by feel alone. A good strategy while training, is to adopt a hard / easy approach to your running. That is, run hard one day,
then run easy (or not at all) the next day. This way you can minimize the risk of injury and get the most out of your hard workouts. Learn to read your body’s
cues and you’ll learn to run more efficiently.

3 - Replenish

It never ceases to amaze me how active and seemingly intelligent people neglect their bodies after a solid workout. They may return from an hour long run,
or completely soak a spin bike during an hour cycle, then go the entire afternoon (perhaps 3 or 4 hours) without eating! It is imperative that you replenish
fluids and glycogen stores quickly after a training session. My personal rule of thumb is that within 30 minutes I am eating and drinking. Often I am taking in
fluids as soon as the shoes are off, and eating a high-carbohydrate meal immediately following a shower. Replenish your energy stores quickly, so that you
can get the most out of your next workout, and continue on the road to improvement.