Who are the San Antonio Adventure Racers?
The San Antonio Adventure Racers are a small, dedicated group of individuals who get together to train and race. We get a lot of emails from folks who have heard of adventure racing, but don't quite know what it's all about. To help answer your questions, we created this FAQ page. Hopefully, this page will give you enough information to help you decide if adventure racing is for you. If you have any other questions, feel free to email us at the address below.

What is adventure racing?
Adventure racing is a team sport that incorporates multiple disciplines such as running, hiking, biking (off road and on road, but always on a mountain bike), paddling (in a kayak or canoe), ropes (climbing, rappelling), and orienteering (use of map and compass). The team always travels together and must start and finish the race together. This is not a relay race. This is not the Amazing Race. This is not the Muddy Buddy or the Warrior Dash.

At the beginning of the race, the team is given a map and some coordinates. The team plots those coordinates on the map and then follows the race director's instructions to find those targets (called "checkpoints"). Unlike a triathlon where the distances and order of events is always known before you even register for the race, adventure racing is a bit of a mystery. This helps keeps the "adventure" in the event. Plus, teams have the option of choosing their own routes to find checkpoints. Some teams will elect to take a shorter route by cutting directly through thick brush, where other teams may elect to take a longer (but easier) route by staying on trails.

Adventure races vary in terms of distance/time to complete. Sprint races are typically about 2-4 hours long. It's debatable as to whether sprint races can even be called "adventure races" because sprint races typically have you follow a marked course where no orienteering experience is necessary. They're not very adventurous, but they are over quickly and they can be a lot of fun.

Longer races, sometimes called "sport courses" are around 12 hours long. The longest races currently in Texas are about 24 hours long. Yes, you race for 24 straight hours. No, you don't sleep during the race.

What Adventure Racing IS NOT.
Adventure racing in its original form is not a "Muddy Run", "Hell Run", "Obstacle Course" etc. Events like the Warrior Dash, Spartan Race and others have gained in popularity over the last couple of years because they can be done with little to no training and can be completed in minutes versus hours or days. Don't get us wrong, these races can be a lot of fun. And, for someone who is just looking to get off the couch and hang out with their friends for a little while, these offer a good start.

That being said, it's important that we reiterate that these races are not really an "adventure race". So, if a friend of yours said they did an adventure race and then included the words Warrior, Spartan, Buddy or Hell in the conversation, they aren't talking about adventure racing, they're talking about a muddy obstacle course.

So, take a moment and re-read the "What is Adventure Racing" section a couple of paragraphs above and ask yourself, "Do I really want to do adventure racing or am I just looking to do a muddy obstacle course?" If the answer is "I want to do an adventure race", keep reading.

What do I need to do adventure racing?

At a MINIMUM you will need:

• Mountain bike: Yes, you must have a mountain bike. A real mountain bike with fat, knobby, trail ready tires. Yes, you should be proficient (not a pro or an expert) riding that mountain bike on trails. Yes trails. Not the cul-de-sac in your neighborhood or down the paved path in your local park. Real trails with dirt and rocks courtesy of Mother Nature.
• Mountain bike: No, this isn't a mistake. It's listed twice just in case you missed it the first time. Popular brands of mountain bikes include: Specialized, Giant, Trek, Kona, Niner etc. You don't have to spend $5000 on a new bike but at the same time, a $100 bike from Wal-Mart is quite honestly a safety hazard. For around $600-700 you can get an excellent starter mountain bike that should last you for a couple of years.
• Mountain bike: And for emphasis, we listed it a 3rd time. It's kind of a big deal. We're just sayin
• Running shoes: Get whatever works for you.
• Hydration backpack (e.g., Camelbak)
• Helmet
• Technical fabric shirts, shorts etc: Specifically, you want something with the ability to wick moisture away from your body. If it happens to have a UV rating associated with it, even better.

Besides equipment, do I need anything else to race?
Yes, and this is WAY more important than the best equipment you could ever buy.

• Commitment to Train: Adventure racing is a team sport and the team can only move as fast as the slowest person. You owe it to your teammates to be in your best shape when it comes time to race.
• Reliability: We are all busy with work, family, friends etc. It's important that if you tell your teammates or partners that you'll make a training workout that you actually make it on time and/or let them know that you will be late or can't make it in enough time so that they can plan accordingly. If people can't count on you to train, they probably won't race with you.
• Time: Training for adventure racing can be time-consuming. You should be able to devote 4-6 hours during the week and 4-8 hours each weekend to training. If you can't make it to train with the group one day, you need to make up the training on your own.
• A Good Attitude: Adventure racing is tough and we all have our strengths and weaknesses. It's important that you are considerate, understanding and respectful of your friends and teammates at all times. This includes the times when you're hurt, tired or frustrated. Don't be the guy(or gal) that no one wants to race with because their attitude sucks.
• Money: Adventure racing can be costly... see "How much does it cost" below.

Do races get rained out because of weather like some triathlons?
Races are held regardless of weather although the race directors may modify the race in life threatening conditions. We have raced in 110-degree heat. We have raced in the rain. We have raced through mud, sand, rocks, thorns and everything in between. We have crossed a raging river with our bikes on our backs. And, we have raced when it was so cold outside that you couldn't feel your hands. While the training and workouts we do are designed to prepare us as best they can for the elements, there is no way to prepare for everything, hence the name "Adventure Race".

What happens if I get hurt?
At some point during racing or training you're going to get hurt. And by hurt we mean scraped up, cut, bumps, bruises etc. There isn't a person that we race with that has not crashed their bike, tripped during a run, fallen, or accidentally gone swimming at some point during a race or training. It's part of training/racing and as much as we all want to avoid it, stuff happens.

Now, being hurt and being "injured" are two different things. An injury is something that biomechanically prevents you from being able to train or compete. A broken collarbone, dislocated elbow etc. Injuries do happen during training and racing and we just deal with them as they come up.

Where do we train?
We usually meet at OP Schnabel Park a few times during the week to run, ride, and do strength/endurance training workouts. On weekends, we do longer workouts at places like Government Canyon State Park, Flat Rock Ranch in Comfort, and Bastrop State Park.

When do we train?
During the week, we meet at around 5:00. The time is flexible and we can swing back through the parking lot to pick you up if you let us know you'll be there. On weekends the workout start times vary depending on what we're doing. Sometimes we'll start at 7:30 a.m. and sometimes we'll have to spend time driving somewhere before we can get started.

How do we train?
Sometimes we ride. Sometimes we run. Sometimes we do both back to back which is called a brick workout. As a race approaches we will usually take a day or two and go paddle somewhere as well as work on our navigation. On those weekends we typically try to do a little bit of everything that might be involved in the upcoming race which makes for a good long training session.

How much does it cost?
We don't charge any fees or membership dues or anything like that. As mentioned above, adventure racing can get expensive and we don't want to add to that. You'll need to have or purchase gear like a bike, helmet, backpack, and shoes. You'll need access to a kayak or canoe, a paddle, and a PFD (personal floatation device -- a.k.a. "life jacket"). If you want to do longer races, you'll need things like a headlamp and bike lights. Races cost about $150 per person. Throw in gas and lodging related to events and you can see how the cost can add up.

What races are there in the state?
There are a few race directors in Texas. Too Cool Racing offers great races that can accommodate a variety of skill/fitness levels. Terra Firma mainly offers sprint races. Texas Adventure Racing hosts a couple of good races every year. Most races are held in or near state parks, or state natural areas i.e. Huntsville State Park, Bastrop State Park etc.

What do I win? What's in it for me?
You don't receive "prize money" or "expensive prizes" for winning or placing in a race. Adventure racing is about friendship, camaraderie, enjoying the outdoors and living an active life. A by-product of that activity is that you end up getting in pretty good shape.

Still, the reward of knowing that you rappelled down that cliff or rode up that hill or swam across that river is infinitely more meaningful than any prize could ever be. Think of it like this: Adventure racing is kind of like being a kid again where you get to go out and do all of the things you stopped doing when someone told you that it was time to grow up.

Want to join us for a run or a ride? We'd love to have you as part of the group.

Shoot us an email at: info@sanantonioadventureracing.com