The success of any team requires careful and structured planning and in adventure racing this is even more important because of the diverse range of disciplines and athletes involved in the team. This article explains the way in which Team Saab Salomon approach these issues, and how we go about planning a season’s training and racing.

Picking the Team

The single most important thing in AR is teamwork. If you get this right, many of the other aspects will fall into place without too much difficulty. So what do I mean by teamwork?

1) First, all of the team will need to have shared objectives, the most important of these being to enjoy their racing. Try to choose team mates you know you can get on with and enjoy spending time with, AR can bring out the best, and also the worst in folk, so it’s always advisable to be with people you like!

2) Next, consider the disciplines involved and whether the athletes possess the technical ability to complete all stages of the race. (This time last year many of our team had never even stood on a pair of inline skates, but by now we are all pretty confident.)

3) Also, consider the length of the races and the level of competition you want to compete at. You should all be of a similar ability level so no one is left behind or waiting out in front. This is bound to happen but if it happens too often teamwork and morale will suffer. Having said that, it’s worth trying to get together a team with a diverse range of specialist skills. The ‘expert’ team member can then help the others raise their game in that discipline and this in turn brings more confidence and team cohesion.

4) If your races require a team assistant, make sure that this is something that is thought of in the preparation stage too. The team assistant’s role is a crucial one and can make the difference between winning and losing a race. It is very important to include the assistant in planning and decision making, and make sure that your assistant is an organised and ‘switched on’ person.

Goals and Objectives

One of the first things you will want to do once you have a team together is discuss you goals and objectives, it’s really important that everyone in the team knows what the aims are so you are all working towards the same target.

Your goals can be in various forms including competition goals (e.g. what position you want to finish in the race), technical goals (e.g. to improve your inline skating), fitness goals (e.g. 10k time) or more general goals (e.g. to complete a race series or just to enjoy your racing). Goals should be achievable but challenging, and only when you have set your targets will you be in a position plan your training and race programme.