The Complete Guide to Adventure Racing
by Don Mann, Kara Schaad

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Book Reviews of The Complete Guide to Adventure Racing

Book Review: Destined to be a Classic
Summary: 5 Stars

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.

Summary of The Complete Guide to Adventure Racing

Extreme Sports Books

• Subjects > Sports & Outdoors > Extreme Sports
• Training
• Hiking & Camping > Instructional
• Outdoor Recreation