I have been preparing a training plan over the last several days. I have decided to try increasing the amount of quality sessions or speed work.

Just to see how my body reacts and if it works like it should then hopefully I will be more able to race better and more often.

I have stolen Michael Adams training that he put together for Oceania and adjusted it to include Biking and Kayaking. I understand that the Multi tiered program is supposed to allow you to maintain fairly good speed all the time, which is what I would like to achieve.

Not sure if it will work, I might well break down, but you never know unless you try.

Basically I am sick of being slow, I have plenty of endurance which is fine for AR, but multi sport and Orienteering require a bit more specific training to be successful.

I have been doing OK I guess, but I think that is more the result of being naturally fairly fast, and I would love to start racing at my potential just to see how good I can get.

Look out folks.

I have managed to set up a feed to the right, which shows my last 5 training sessions. You can click on the link which should take you to "Garmin Connect". Shows GPS and HR details. Fancy Stuff.

Well. I have done my usual trick of wasting away during an Adventure race. I weighed in at 76.6 kg this morning. That is a reduction of about 8 kg since I left NZ.

I also suspect I have put on a couple of Kgs since finishing the race. I wish I had taken a before and after nude photo for display.

Just sitting in the Airport on the way back to life after winning Primal Quest Badlands.

Personally I really enjoyed the race, it was generally a real navigational challenge from one end to the other. It was great to do a race with very few restrictions on route choice or limitations on where we could go.

The teams with strong navigations skills did the best.

Here a few photos from the race. I plan on scanning the maps later on.

We drove out to the Badlands to check it out and went for a jog. Cool landscape, much greener than expected, although still hot.

Not as bad or scary as I was expecting. Could be interesting navigating through here, especially at night. Most of the erosion bits are not climbable.

Packing up a weeks worth of race food, yummy.

We have been chilling out in a Hotel in Rapid City, South Dakota, USA for the last few days. Killing time, adjusting gear, shopping, packing and unpacking. Trying to do the limitless things that need doing before beginning racing on the 14th. It doesn't help that we require a massive amount of gear for this race.

I have put my compulsory equipment into my race pack, and it is super heavy, and that is before adding team items, food and the recommended 6L of water. Ouch its gonna hurt.

I admit to being a little nervous with almost 1000km of racing this will be the longest race we have ever done.

We have managed to get out and do some training over the last few days, a couple of rides where we found some nice single track and some horrid sticky mud that clogs up tyres and shoes.

It hasn't been as hot here as I was expecting, but we are heading off to do a little run in the "Badlands" this afternoon which is apparently pretty warm, and should give us some idea of how hot it will get during the race.

Everyone is feeling good except for Roy who has picked up some bug and has the shits, which isn't nice for him, but at least no one else has it.

The race website is www.ecoprimalquest.com they normally do a great job of team tracking, photos and news once the race gets underway.