How to Train for an Adventure Race
A Personalized Approach to Building Strength, Endurance, and Strategy
Adventure racing isn’t just about fitness—it’s about adaptability, problem-solving, and working with your team to navigate unpredictable challenges. Whether it’s moving efficiently through remote landscapes, making smart route choices, or staying strong after hours (or days) on the course, your training needs to prepare you for more than just running, biking, and paddling. It should reflect the unique demands of your race, your body, and your mindset.
I’ve spent years fine-tuning my approach to training—balancing endurance, navigation, technical skills, and mental toughness to prepare for multi-day races. This guide is built from experience: what works, what doesn’t, and how to structure a plan that gets you to the finish line in one piece.
Step 1: Train for the Race, Not Just the Sport
A 24-hour race in the Bay Area is very different from a 6-day race in Scotland. Your training should reflect the terrain, climate, and duration of your event. Here’s how to start:
• Study the course. Look at past race reports, elevation profiles, and expected conditions. If there’s a lot of steep climbing, incorporate long ascents into your training. If paddling is a major component, get on the water as much as possible.
• Simulate race conditions. Train with your pack, in the same shoes, using the gear you’ll rely on during the race.
• Practice long efforts. Adventure racing isn’t about sprinting—it’s about sustaining effort for hours (or days). Your training should build endurance gradually.
For example, when training for Expedition Oregon, I knew we’d be carrying packrafts and full expedition gear while moving through rugged terrain. That meant long days with weighted packs, emphasizing hiking, bike carrying, and technical whitewater practice rather than just standard running or biking workouts.
Step 2: Build Strength, Not Just Endurance
Adventure racing requires more than just aerobic fitness. Strength matters when you’re hauling a loaded pack up a mountain, dragging a bike through a swamp, or paddling into a headwind for hours.
• Core and stability training. Strong glutes and a stable core help prevent injury and maintain power over long distances.
• Grip strength and upper body work. Essential for bike handling, paddling, and climbing obstacles.
• Single-leg and balance work. Uneven terrain demands strong stabilizers—think step-ups, lunges, and single-leg deadlifts.
I’ve found medicine balls, kettlebells, and Bosu ball work to be key for improving balance and functional strength without overloading my legs. Adventure racing is about efficiency, not just raw power—every movement should be working toward that goal.
Step 3: Train Your Brain (Navigation and Decision-Making)
Many adventure races are won (or lost) in navigation. Physical fitness won’t matter if you’re lost in the woods. Your training plan should include:
• Regular orienteering sessions. Get comfortable with map and compass work under pressure.
• Route-planning practice. Even when you’re not racing, study maps and plan efficient routes.
• Fatigue-based decision-making drills. Practice making route choices after a long ride or run—just like in a race.
I’ve been working on incorporating more Bay Area orienteering courses and designing my own navigation challenges while training. One of the best ways to improve is to teach navigation to others—it forces you to refine your understanding and think more clearly under stress.
Step 4: Train Transitions Like a Discipline
Adventure racing isn’t just about the time spent running, biking, or paddling—it’s about how quickly you can switch between them. Every unnecessary delay adds up.
• Bike-to-run transitions. Train your legs to handle the shift from cycling to running efficiently.
• Paddle exits. Getting out of a boat quickly and smoothly matters in tight race sections.
• Gear swaps. Practice changing shoes, adjusting your pack, and refueling fast.
During races, I’ve learned that a smooth transition can save minutes, while a chaotic one costs energy and time. The key is rehearsing every detail until it’s automatic.
Step 5: The Right Type of Endurance Work
Endurance training isn’t just about logging miles—it’s about training your body to function efficiently under stress.
• Back-to-back long days. Instead of one long session, do two medium-length ones on consecutive days to simulate race fatigue.
• Mix intensity levels. Long, slow efforts build endurance, but short, hard sessions train your ability to recover quickly.
• Train heavy. Race light. Occasionally train with extra weight so your race-day pack feels effortless.
For Itera Expedition Race, I’m focusing on long MTB rides, weighted trekking, and extended paddling sessions to prepare for long days moving between disciplines.
Step 6: Prioritize Recovery Like a Pro
Adventure racing punishes bodies that don’t recover well. Every training block should include:
• Deload weeks. Scale back training volume every 3-4 weeks to avoid burnout.
• Mobility and flexibility work. Stretching, rolling, and yoga help keep everything moving well.
• Intentional rest days. Rest is training. Skipping it leads to injury and diminishing returns.
I start every morning with stretching—not just because it feels good, but because mobility work keeps me injury-free and performing at my best.
Step 7: Test, Adjust, and Keep it Fun
Your training plan should never be rigid. If something isn’t working, adjust it. If you’re bored or burnt out, mix things up.
• Track progress, but don’t obsess. Pay attention to what’s working and tweak as needed.
• Make training social. Training with a team or friends builds motivation and accountability.
• Remember why you’re doing this. Adventure racing is about the experience—don’t lose sight of the joy in the process.
I’ve learned that training should reflect the spirit of adventure racing itself: adaptive, dynamic, and fun. The more you can integrate these principles into your plan, the stronger and more prepared you’ll be when the race starts.
Sample Training Week
Monday
Strength + Navigation (gym + map work)
Tuesday
Endurance Run + Skills (trail running + bike repair)
Wednesday
MTB Ride + Teamwork Drills (communication, pacing)
Thursday
Active Recovery (yoga, swimming, stretching)
Friday
Race Prep, skills or navigation (team strategy, gear maintenance)
Saturday
Long Multi-Sport (3-5 hours simulating race conditions)
Sunday
Rest or Optional Cross-Training
This is just a template—adjust it based on your race goals, fitness level, and recovery needs.
Final Thoughts
Adventure racing rewards prepared, adaptable athletes. The best training plan is the one that works for your strengths, weaknesses, and goals. Train smart, recover well, and get ready for the challenge ahead.
Now, let’s get to work. See you at the start line! Yeehaw!!