TRAIL
( MIS ) ADVENTURES trail ( mis ) adventures by CARLA LEA FARINA
Fail to Prepare , Prepare to Fail
As the race calendar kicks off , I would like to take this opportunity to share some of the important things I have learnt over the years in my trail running career . Many I unfortunately learnt the hard way , and I hope that passing on my ‘ wisdom ’ will help you go into your own adventures better prepared than I sometimes was !
Images : Courtesy Rhino Challenge & Carla Farina
It helps to pack two shoes that actually form a pair !
First things first , when you head out on a trail race or run there will often be camping involved . My first bit of advice , and please read this carefully , as I have made this mistake too many times to count , is to please , please make sure that you remember your pillow . You can get by leaving almost anything behind on the camping front , except your pillow . It is awful having to wake up at 4am after not sleeping because you have left behind the most important piece of camping equipment !
Secondly , make a generic list for every distance you are running . For the shorter distances , the basics will do : Shoes , socks , possibly a hydration pack … you know , the usual things . However , when you are packing for longer distances , there is one essential : Batteries . Lots of batteries ! Then , once you have the batteries packed , please , please , please remember to pack the headlamp , too . I have on more than one occasion had to scramble to find a headlamp , even though I had enough batteries to power the Titanic !
While we ’ re on the topic of batteries , here is the next thing to remember : It is very important to pack the right size batteries . This happened to me at the Karkloof Backyard
Having the right gear for the conditions is essential
Ultra event – I thought I was so prepared , yet I had the wrong size batteries . Thank goodness Andrew Booth came to the rescue and gave me a battery that lasted just long enough for me to complete the number of loops I had intended to run .
More Gear Essentials
Right , now let ’ s talk about shoes , because that ’ s where I have made the mother of all stuff-ups ! I am fortunate to be sponsored by Hoka One One , so I have many shoes that are very similar , but all slightly different . So , what did yours truly do ? I packed two shoes from different pairs , and to make it even worse , I also managed to pack two left shoes . Luckily , at this particular race the sponsors were Hoka , so I managed to buy a new pair and still run .
Moving on to your hydration pack , when packing I suggest always checking that the pack seals properly and that there are no leaks . When I ran Kruger to Canyon , I failed to do this and ended up drenched from my leaking water bladder , with a soaked phone that didn ’ t work again , even after a week in rice . Thank goodness I was not charged by a wild animal , as we were supposed to phone Andrew if that happened !
The next thing I suggest making sure you have is anti-chafe cream . Other than having a thigh gap , there is no way to really avoid chafe without some decent chafe cream . The first year I did the Pondo Ultra , I failed dismally on the chafe cream front and couldn ’ t walk properly for about two weeks . The next instalment , I generously applied Squirrels Nut Butter everywhere and didn ’ t have any trace of chafe – I even managed to finish the race and party with Matt and the rest of the Pondo crew for hours after we had finished the race .
On a final note , here are some of the more not so obvious things that can make the world of difference out on the trails – especially if you don ’ t have them when you need them :
• Sunblock … Put it everywhere . And then wash your hands … because it is no fun getting that stuff in your eye !
• Post-race comfy shoes … I once forgot these and had to sport the most awful pair of fluffy PEP slides . ( If you ask Lauren Booth nicely , she may even still have the video .)
• At least two towels … Trust me , you ’ ll thank me for this advice .
The Rush of Adventure
As life gets back to normal and I start heading out on more trail adventures , I am sure I will learn of more – and better – ways to be prepared , but let ’ s be honest , I don ’ t think you can ever be completely prepared for everything . And you know what , I think that is half the excitement , and the rush , of trail running .
Speaking of planned adventures , as I write this , I am looking forward to heading out for almost 4000m of climbing at the end of the month , when I attempt to complete the Beast Ultra . Knowing me , I am sure this will involve some epic misadventure , so stay tuned !
They say you need to be a wee bit crazy to run !
About the Author
While Carla ’ s ‘ day job ’ is Head Tennis Coach and Director of Tennis at Game Set Match Tennis in Johannesburg , her second love is trail running , which she tackles with an unquenchable thirst for adventure , a never-say-die attitude , and a healthy sense of humour about all the misadventures that befall her on the trails !
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