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What is sleep?

December 20, 2009 AdventureLisa 0

My interest in sleep initially stemmed from my ability to sleep anytime and anywhere and then later from AR – particularly with regard to sleep cycles, duration and deprivation. AR-induced sleep deprivation is of special interest because in events it is easy to observe how each person responds differently, some having higher levels of tolerance than others.

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Headlamps and batteries

December 20, 2009 AdventureLisa 0

Frequent questions about lights keep popping up on the mailing lists. I do not claim to be an expert but our training circumstances over here in Namibia prompted me to do many hours of research on the subject. So my two cents’ worth…

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Short Roping

December 20, 2009 AdventureLisa 0

Short-roping is when a “guide” (the more confident person) and a “client” (the less confident person – either through inexperience, injury, exhaustion, or a variety of other reasons) move together over terrain that is subjectively or objectively hazardous.

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First Aid Kits

December 20, 2009 AdventureLisa 0

After doing a medical standby at a recent adventure race, it became apparent to me that the contents of the mandatory first aid kit that was to be carried by each team was a bit of a grey area. Teams were producing first aid kits that ranged from minimalist to outright overkill. One team produced a first aid kit that could probably fit into my wallet while another team produced two kits.

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Selecting Kayaks for Adventure Racing

December 20, 2009 AdventureLisa 0

The following points need to be considered when selecting a craft for adventure racing. Some time ago the idea was raised that adventure craft should conform to a 1:10 ratio. This means that the beam width of a craft should not be less than a 10th of its length.

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Choose Your Weapon: Trail Shoes

December 20, 2009 AdventureLisa 1

A woman called this past week and asked me to recommend a trail shoe brand and model to her for running Cape Odyssey in October. Instead of a recommendation, she got a lecture on choosing shoes. Trail, or “off-road”, shoes have a tread more chunky and aggressive than road shoes to increase traction.

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The AR Kit Issue

December 20, 2009 AdventureLisa 0

I recently did a talk on adventure racing (AR) and a lass in the front row was glowing at slides of international adventure racing legends Mike Kloser, Ian Adamson and Nathan Fa’ave projected on the wall.