Adventure Racing: The Ultimate Guide [Paperback]

Barry Siff (Author), Liz Caldwell (Author), Ian Adamson (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2001

Written by two endurance athletes, Adventure Racing covers the sport from its origins in New Zealand 20 years ago through today. It delves into the nuts and bolts of navigation and orientation, mountain biking, trekking, rope skills, and paddling. Information on nighttime racing and training, how to prevent injury and illness, fuel and hydration, and what to expect after a race are included.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Veteran endurance athlete and adventure racer Liz Caldwell has competed successfully in all of the major adventure races in the world. She lives in Fort Collins, CO. Barry Siff is an accomplished endurance athlete. He lives in Boulder, CO.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: VeloPress (May 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1884737900
• ISBN-13: 978-1884737909
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,113,869 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Answers the FAQ about Adventure Racing, May 22, 2001

By 

Colorado reader & parent (Colorado Springs, CO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Adventure Racing: The Ultimate Guide (Paperback)

Adventure Racing, the Ultimate Guide offers practical advice for adventure athletes. Most questions we had before our first race, and that we've heard asked since then in our adventure racing club are answered here.

How do I eat? What do I pack? What kind of shoes? How do I train? What is a race like?

The questions are answered with their voice of experience but without alot of extra frou-frou 'all about me' inspirational stuff that makes some books by athletes hard to read.

For perspective, Liz and Barry include some gear lists from several large races and the training regimens of top adventure racers.

Don't expect this to be the only book you'll ever need to read to be an adventure racer - but it points you in the right direction so that you can figure out how to focus your education. In other words - it doesn't teach you everything you need to know about navigation, but if gives you some great tips, training advice, and points out things to pay attention to during your education.

I definitely recommend this for new and 'wannabe' adventure racers - not just someone bound for the Eco Challenge but also those with their sites on a 1 or 2 day race. If you were inspired from the couch watching exciting footage of the big races - this is a great start for your adventure.

I found this book to be more practical and answer oriented than Derek Paterson's 'Adventure Racing, Guide to Survival,' although it was good too, but in a story-telling sort of way.

PS: With my friends I started an adventure racing club for us mere mortals who want to be adventure racers. I've completed some shorter races and organized a couple - so, while I'm not an expert, I'm definitely part of the novice target market for this book. Wish they'd written it last year. ;)

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Adventure Racing--General Thoughts on Three Guides, October 28, 2004

By 

D. Williams (Bethany, OK USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Adventure Racing: The Ultimate Guide (Paperback)

I bought three books as I prepared for my first race (a sprint, which my team won thanks to the good advice found in all three of the guides discussed below): Don Mann and Kara Schaad's Complete Guide to Adventure Racing, Ian Adamson's Runner's World Guide to Adventure Racing, and Barry Siff and and Liz Caldwell's Adventure Racing: The Ultimate Guide. Of these, I found the Complete Guide good to start with, Adamson's book a standard guide to go back to again and again, and Siff and Caldwell's an ongoing delight.

The layout of Mann and Schaad's work is good for those just starting--lots of sidebars, whitespace, and basics. Adamson has professional prestige and his book is filled with the opinions/wisdom of someone with hardwon wisdom. I sensed though that as a high profile professional adventure racer, he is obligated to sponsors. His gear recommendations, which I gobbled up at first, began to seem more like celebrity endorsements by the end and I began to wish there was a more objective equipment guide. I have no doubt that Adamson's equipment recommendations are excellent; I would have liked to have gotten a better sense of comparison, though, to help me better understand why a Paladin harness was the recommendation rather than an Alpine Bod-- ie. what are the little things I am really looking for when I go out and buy gear for a discipline I don't yet do?

On Siff and Caldwell, I think the text portrays fingertip wisdom as good as Adamson's and the color photo section is great. Having read all three a couple of times through, I find myself picking up Siff and Caldwell and browsing it more than the others.

Mann and Schaad are on the bottom of the pile. I think that has something to do with the layout--which hints of Idiot's guides. I've certainly not worn out their advise but the layout has gone stale.

Recommendations: If you are completely new to the sport, and to more than one discipline, get the Complete Guide and read it first. Once you are hooked, you have to have the other two.

One area that these books don't purport to cover well is land navigation. A great book for learning those skills is Burns, et. al. Wilderness Navigation. I have taught from it several times in college level classes and it is a better fit for adventure racing than for what I have been using it (fundamental map reading and compass navigation).

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Guide Book, May 20, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Adventure Racing: The Ultimate Guide (Paperback)

This book has been an invaluable guide and should be considered mandatory reading for both racers and crew.

I've competed in one 24 hour adventure race, crewed for another and am preparing for my 2nd 24 hour race which is a couple of weeks away. The practical advice and suggestions that Barry and Liz present are excellent and have prepared me for what to expect in nearly every facet of my races. I particularly like their section about team dynamics and the importance of racing with people you like.

Adventure racing is not a sport to be taken lightly given the length and duration of races as well as the multiple disciplines involved. Research and education are crucial and this book is an excellent start for all of us budding adventure racers.