- Friday 30 November 2024
This month we speak to Carl Silver, our reigning Summer Series Champion and an incredibly experienced racer. Carl has been racing with us for nearly two decades and here he shares his hints and tips to make your next Questars adventure race a success. Enjoy!
When did you participate in your first Questars adventure race?
I first raced in the Novice category with a friend in the New Forest in April 2006. We got a bit carried away and were 38 minutes late!
Roughly how many Questars adventure races have you participated in?
I’ve done them fairly regularly since 2006 so it probably adds up to quite a few!
What do you like most about Questars adventure races?
The Questars races have a great mix of being super friendly and still having great competition throughout the field
What do you like most about adventure racing?
In other racing I’ve done, it can get quite tight and aggressive. With adventure racing, the fact that everyone is heading in different directions with different strategies means it doesn’t feel like head-to-head racing and everyone seems more relaxed and keen to help their competitors.
Why did you first get into adventure racing?
I was racing long distance triathlon with only one or two races a year. The adventure racing was a lot more friendly and added an extra mental aspect into the racing. I lost interest in triathlon fairly soon after!
What advice would you give to someone just getting started in adventure racing?
Adventure racers are a friendly bunch, if you need any help or have questions just ask. Enjoy it, the races are always fun even if things aren’t going quite as well as expected.
What is the best piece of advice that you were given when you started adventure racing?
Run first if you can. Bike speed doesn’t drop off as fast as running pace when you’re tired and it’s usually a lot easier to short cut your planned route if you’re short of time at the end.
What is your strongest and weakest race discipline? How do you combat your weakest discipline?
My running used to be a lot weaker than my biking, but I’ve been doing quite a few mountainous ultra runs in the last few years and this has helped level them up. My map reading is often a bit rusty at the start of the year and I keep meaning to do some winter orienteering races but never get around to it.
What does your training plan for an adventure race look like?
I live 30 miles from work and usually manage to get a couple of commutes on my bike, nice and easy on the way in and add in some intervals on the way home. This is a great way to get some volume in without affecting the family time too much. I also get a couple of runs in during the week. The weekend varies quite a lot depending on family commitments and what I’ve got coming up, but I enjoy trying to keep up with the local chain gang and try to get a longer run in if I can.
How do you fuel yourself for a Questars adventure race?
The fuelling makes a massive difference over a 6-hour race. It’s very noticeable that my good races are the ones I keep on top of my nutrition. I always get distracted so I now set a 30-minute timer on my watch to remind me to eat. I use different bags for running and riding so have both loaded up with drink mix and some gels and can quickly change in transition. On a good day I manage to get close to 90g of carbs per hour running and riding.
What type of bike do you normally use for a Questars adventure race?
I usually use a hardtail MTB with semi-slick tyres. I’ve used a cross bike a few times, but for me there’s not a lot of speed difference in hard flat tracks and road. Any advantages of the cross bike are quickly lost with a puncture or more technical terrain.
What’s the one piece of non-mandatory kit in your bag that you could not do without?
A compass. I don’t use it all the time, but when I’m a bit unsure of the navigation it’s almost essential.
What’s the worst mistake you’ve ever made during an adventure race?
I lost my map on the Kayak once. It took me ages just to find the event base where I managed to pick up another copy. I now take a picture of it before I start just in case!
What is the most difficult part of adventure racing?
I often struggle to adapt my plan quickly enough when things are not as expected. Particularly if conditions make the bike slower or faster than planned.
What are your top five tips for adventure racing success?
1. Run first if possible. Trying to make it back in time when tired on the bike is a lot less unpleasant compared to running!
2. Set a realistic plan at the start. Have a good idea of the distances you think you can cover for each discipline. This makes it easier to form a rough plan before the start and reduce the decisions that need to be made during the race
3. Eat as much as possible. Start eating early on and keep going.
4. Don’t spend too long making route decisions. The first instinct is usually OK, it’s easy to waste minutes pondering different routes
5. Use ‘attack points’, large or obvious features on your route that are easy find. While on the way to that point you don’t have to focus so much on the navigation – have something to eat or enjoy the view.
Thank you so much Carl! Terrific advice for those looking to get into adventure racing, we are definitely run-first racers too and find this really helps in the latter part of a race.
Fancy giving adventure racing a go? Click on the link below to our upcoming events:
