Musing and Errata on the world of Adventure Racing from the Yak
presented by MPGear.com

Ian Adamson needs no introduction. He's known to adventure racers the world over as the face of competitive adventure racing. I caught up with him earlier today to get his take on Terra Traverse.

Yak: Hello Ian and thank you for taking a few minutes to answer a few questions before you head to airport. So I know you spent some time scouting a possible venue for the 2008 Terra Traverse in Canada earlier this year. Have you begun scouting the new location?

Ian: We did spend some time scouting a course in central Canada, but haven't done our recce for final course just yet. Most people know the Raid was held in eastern Canada last year. It's a spectacular region and offers no shortage of options for designing a world class course. We've done a tremendous amount of research on the best locations world wide for all future Terra Traverse events.

Yak: Terra Traverse will be a stage race as opposed to a non-stop expedition. Sleep strategy won't be as big a factor as it usually is since teams will have a chance to rest each night. What about navigation? Is this race going to come down to physical speed or will things like route choice and overall strategy still play a deciding role?

Ian: Sleep strategy and management will still be crucial while racing, although like a few other staged formats, we are providing the opportunity for teams to do a better job of this. It's likely that there will be one or more stages up to 48 hours over the course of the race so sleep will still be a challenge for many teams. Navigation, strategic planning and team efficiency will be of vital importance. One of the great features of our format is that all teams get to race head to head throughout the course.

Yak: You announced your retirement from competitive adventure racing after the 2006 World Championships in Sweden. Since then you've launched the very successful 24 Hours of Triathlon and now you'll be directing Terra Traverse. Are you enjoying your new focus on event management and production?

Ian: Stepping away from competitive racing when I did has made for a pretty smooth transition to event management. I've been directing major international races since the end of 1999 (starting with MSOQ in China) and now do a bit of production as well. Working with Barrett Productions has been great as we've crossed paths in the event and television world a great deal over the last five years. I have great respect for John and look forward to a long and productive relationship producing the best possible races for competitors and viewers alike.

Yak: Are you starting to miss racing yet?

Ian: I do miss racing and I still feel a strong pull at my core any time a major competition gets underway. Fortunately, I get to live vicariously through team Nike's success. I stay in contact with them regularly. The question I'm asked most often is "will I race again?" and the answer is a solid no. There is a possibility I would guide under the right circumstances...I won't race, but I might be willing to provide some training and "accompany" a team for a fat fee :-)

Yak: Thanks Ian. I look forward to talking with you again once the course starts coming together.