Sabah Adventure Challenge Updates - by Race Director

Was in Singapore last sat for pre clinic on the SAC race organised by Edge Adventure Sports lead by Wilson , Director & Coach.

Met fellow participants who will be taking part in the event on April 21 - 24, 2011.
(Pixs will be posted soon)

Below is the email rec'd from Avtar on tips for the SAC as I met him in Singapore for the Pre Race Clinic.

Hi Tony,

It was good to meet you and thank you for making the huge effort to come down to Singapore for the clinic.

I hope you went away with a better understanding of what to expect and also what to prepare for as far as the orienteering is concerned.It will be a tough race for some people who have not put in the training and preparation ahead of time so I need to be very honest and blunt about this and that some people will break down mentally from the level of difficulty of the race course.

BUT, it is do-able even at a steady pace and a determined effort.

The key to completing the race course is to keep a steady pace and a comfortable pace and to keep your head down when you hit the hills and mountain tracks and to just focus on what is in front of you rather than looking up on ahead.

I find I am able to keep a good brisk walking pace when going up hill and conserving my energy for the flat parts where a competitor can run it.

Another IMPORTANT factor is also keep the weight of your pack down, to make sure you have adequate water (minimum 3L I think as some people are going to finish their water before they even get to the first water station).

The size of your pack (or rather making sure it isn't too big that it actually starts to weigh you down rather than fit snuggly on to your back and is nice and compact) is important.Some competitors are putting in the training now and the effort into getting the hours and miles into their training and are not going to do last minute sessions because it simply will be too late.

Taking time out on weekends and getting solid 8-10 hours of hills and trail runs/walks/brisk walks with the pack on and also a 3L water load is crucial in strenghtning your back, shoulders and legs as well as to get your body used to weight, pace and heat over the course of the 8-10 hours.Condition training is absolutely important at this stage and making sure you also select the right shoes is also important.

Road running shoes are not recommended as they are likely to get trashed over the course of the 3 days because of the sort of tracks, the gravel and rocks you will be running/hiking/trekking over so be smart in your selection.Speak to fellow competitors, get recommendations from people who have done the SAC before and speak to ultra runners who have done ultra marathons outside of Malaysia to get tips on what to bring/how to prepare etc.

Once again, if you have questions, don't hesitate to contact me.

very best wishes

Avtar
SAC Race Director