'How to' 1 of 4 - Analysis
In the run up to Atlas mountain race I want to make 4 short ‘how to’ videos, to help others and talk about my thought process leading into a big race. I cannot cover everything in these short clips, or I’d be talking all day, but I will try to pick out the main elements. You can watch the video or read the text below.
As an Engineer I love a good analysis and breaking things down into their important parts. This should be done before you enter a race to determine if it’s for you. Then once you’ve got your place and are preparing, it’s the first thing to do in depth. You need to become informed what you are going to encounter, to allow you to select the right gear.
I am partnered with Ride with GPS and I do a lot of analysis through their platform. It’s got different map bases so you can see satellite, street view, OSM, all with the route overlaid, allowing you to investigate the location, route and factors below.
The important factors for analysis to determine are:
Route: Do you need to plan one, or are you given one? Its saves a lot of time being given a route, but you still need to learn it. You need to know the turns and the towns you pass through for resupply. Do not just turn up and the start of a race and load up the route file. Spend time getting acquainted with it beforehand. That way when it’s getting dark and the weather is drawing in, you will know if you feel comfortable pushing over the mountain pass ahead with the town on the far side, or if you’d be better to wait a while for improved conditions.
Location: Where is it? How early do you need to arrive? Are their visa/travel complications? Is it a ‘dangerous’ place? Vaccinations? Medical precautions? Insurance? Bike parts availability? There are quite a few factors to consider here, and many will apply differently depending on where you are from. That said, you need to learn a bit about where you are going – so that you can feel comfortable and be equipped. Will your telephone work or do you need a local SIM? Often visas and vaccinations can take a long time, so having done your location analysis well in advance will leave you without last moment stress.
Terrain/topography: What is the terrain like? Ground conditions? Altitude? Water availability? These questions start to set out the bike and kit you will require.
Weather: What should it, and what could it be like? What are the best and worst-case scenarios? It is all good and well being prepared for the average weather, but in these current times, the weather can swing violently and we can experience extremes.
Local culture: Special requirements? Food availability? Language? Respect? We often fly into countries, race flat out and then leave. I feel it is important to not just take from a place but to give back too. There are many ways to give back, and it can be as simple as understanding the local culture and interacting with people. I was lucky enough to be able to spend 6 weeks in Kyrgyzstan before Silk Road Mountain Race, allowing me to stop, drink tea and share stories with locals. Perhaps you don’t have time, but gestures as simple as learning please and thank you in a native language can go a long way.
No matter how much you prepare, things never go to plan. I am far from perfect and I will always be learning. At the Italy Divide in 2019 I made the mistake of not taking proper ‘winter’ kit. When we left Naples the weather for the week was perfect, even in the Dolomites. However, when we got to 1,200m in the Dolomites on the final day it started snowing. I was not equipped and caught out in a blizzard. In this situation, instead of pushing through what I considered dangerous conditions that I was not equipped or prepared for, I stopped and took shelter until they cleared. So, when things go wrong or you are caught out, even I put safety first. I went away and learnt a valuable lesson, to be prepared for the worst-case possible – not the average or predicted. In Italy the consequences for mistakes are small, in remote parts of the world, they can be a lot more serious.