Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Destined to be a Classic, October 15, 2001
This book is destined to be an AR classic! No doubt in my mind. While Don Mann and Kara Schaad are the principle authors, their decision to incorporate the wisdom, advice and lessons learned by themselves, other racers, and support people from the racing community that makes this book a gem. Kudos to getfitnow and Hatherleigh Press ! They have presented another smart, graphically designed book (check out Stew Smith's "Max Fitness" for another example). The book is nicely sized, uses gray charts for emphasis, key points are bullet listed, concepts are bolded, and both black and white and color photographs are sprinkled throughout. This book proves adventure racing is a compressed expression of human experience and that it is all about what the human spirit is capable of in adversity. A metaphor for life.
Chapters are thematically structured. No stone is unturned for the beginner or experienced racer. In retrospect this book is extraordinarily ambitious in scope and depth. Don and Kara do not fall short of these checkpoints. Everything -and I mean EVERYTHING- is covered, from clothes, navigation, trekking, paddling, biking, climbing, horses, etc. If it can happen in a race, Don and Kara cover it. The writing is intelligent as it is balanced: technical discussions include practical application of concepts and principles. Don, Kara, and numerous contributors avoid technical jabberwocky where possible by illustrating their advice in each of their thematic chapters. The two chapters that I found most technical were mountain biking and climbing; and it is deservedly technical. It is the symmetry, however, between information and implementation that makes this book a solid winner. The book calls itself a primer but that is not accurate. A primer teaches you basics, like grammar. This book shows you the language after grammar. For example, the "Getting in Gear" chapter, will give you a gear list and reasons on why to pack X, Y, and Z. Anecdotes "from the field" in the same chapter from experienced racers will illustrate techniques and often, some hard-earned lessons on why you pack that X, Y and Z. Concept reinforced by Application. Theory is supported by Experience..Anecdotes from racers supplement the expert guidance and tips in each chapter. Racers explain how using a concept that Don and Kara explained earlier in the chapter saved them time and averted injury. They also are honest when they violate key principles and paid dearly with lost time, frustration, and injuries. There is a purpose to everything that is explained in clear, concise language. These racers are real people not super-humans. All the anecdotes from racers throughout the chapters deliver high and low points from real races. Don and Kara have done the readers a service by collecting years of experience from these racers. Racers feel strong, wimpy, irritated, and triumphant in a race. Want motivation: read any one of the essays by Angelinka Castaneda and I guarantee you that she will set your attitude straight. She is gutsy, humorous, and heroic. These anecdotes also assist readers in learning about the many Adventure Races that have cropped up all over the US and abroad. Special mention should be made of the contributions made by medical staff and support people. Read some of their anecdotes and you realize the behind the scenes are as hard as front line action in a race. Where do Don and Kara exceed my expectations? It is in chapters, like "Nuts and Bolts" where you learn training trips to prepare for an Adventure Race. It is in chapters, like "Nutrition and Hydration" where you learn what types of food you eat. What makes this book real? Any one of the real race scenarios: afraid to carry extra water for hydration because you're too macho about weight constraints? Read Don's brief description of dehydration at the X-Games in Baja and avoid paying the price. This isn't Survivor! You'll learn and be glad that bears are poor sighted Winnie the Poohs that can really ruin your day. You'll also learn more than you'll ever want to know about creepy crawly things. Don is tough, but you'll see that an ill-placed hand on an electric caterpillar humbled the retired SEAL. He is also honest about his mistakes (over-training). All these racers in this book have done it all and the reader benefits from their mistakes and relishes their victories, while understanding that it is solid principles and techniques outlined by Don and Kara and other contributors that make the impossible seem approachable. This gem of a book puts all that knowledge and experience at your fingertips. It is up to you to put your body beyond that last 10% of your perceived barriers. An elite few do it all the time by working hard and smart. As I said earlier, this book is destined to be a classic. I expect to see updates and future editions.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not just for Adventure Racers, October 25, 2001
By A Customer
The Complete Guide to Adventure Racing by Don Mann and Kara Schaad is destined to become the definitive work on adventure racing. I am not an adventure racer myself, but I am a runner and mountain biker with aspirations to do an adventure race one day soon. I have found this work to be not only informative, but inspiring as well. I especially enjoyed reading the articles by top adventure racers, tips from experts in every
field of adventure racing and the personal stories of those who have fulfilled their dreams of extreme challenges. The book is well written and the photography and illustrations are first class. Don and Kara have assembled advice and instructions from the best multi-sport athletes in the world. I have read every book ever written about adventure racing and this is, by far, the most informative. I consider it an invaluable addition to my "library" of sports and fitness literature. If you have ever competed in an adventure race, simply have a dream of someday pushing the limits of your physical boundaries, or you just want to read interesting stories of those who have, The Complete Guide to Adventure Racing is a "must read".
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The "How to Book" for Adventure Racing, August 4, 2002
I recently spent a week providing foot care assistance to racers in the Primal Quest Expedition Adventure Race and discovered the seriousness of the sport. Adventure racing has made the big time and more and more athletes are entering its uncharted territory as they tackle sports they know nothing about. Many athletes are well-honed teams that work together well and are strong as they race. Many others however, need help as they try sport disciplines new to them and they struggle trying to understand how to build all this into a dynamic team in a race setting.This is where The Complete Guide to Adventure Racing comes in. This one book can make the difference between learning the ropes from people who know, or learning by trial and error-and maybe getting hurt in the process. Adventure racing is about multiple sport disciplines: trekking, running, climbing and rappelling, mountaineering, white water, mountain biking, navigation, team dynamics, food for fuel, support crews, training, lots of gear, and more. This book covers all that and more in an easy to read format. Many racers and sport specific individuals have contributed their tips and stories about how to race well and succeed. Don and Kara have advanced the sport by writing this book. There is something here for the adventure racing veteran to the newbie. Shorten your learning curve by reading this book. John Vonhof
Contributor to The Complete Guide to Adventure Racing
Author of Fixing Your Feet: Prevention and Treatments for Athletes
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