Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) pushes athletes to their limits as they race over, under, and across a variety of challenges. But as popular as these races have become, there are few resources available to help OCR competitors improve their performance. Training for Obstacle Course Racing: A Practical Guide for the Busy Athlete provides elite-level instruction for the non-professional athlete, from beginning to experienced racers. Topics covered in this book include: Selecting and maintaining equipment Techniques for conquering specific obstacles Developing a training plan Strength and conditioning Developing a sound and safe nutrition plan Common injuries and injury prevention Preparing for competitions Most OCR athletes must be able to effectively balance strength and conditioning workouts, obstacle training, family, work, and recovery. This book is designed for just that purpose, helping athletes develop programs for their specific needs, whether training for health and wellness or winning the race.

Venture out to your local greenspace or just into your back yard, and try the amazing array of outdoor activities - from building a hidden sheet den to creating watering stations for bees. While you are there, scavenge and forage for raw materials and then extend the fun with creative makes and recipes to do back at home such as leaf printing, stick boats and stinging nettle crisps. Get to know the wild parts of your city or town with handy bug, plant and tree ID sections, plus a scavenger hunt and cloud-spotting game that can be done when out and about. Games to play with organized groups or with your family and friends adds another dimension to this book that is bursting with ideas for urban outdoor adventures.

'Filled to the brim with advice, tips and inspiration to enable you to achieve your dreams over whatever distance you want your legs to carry you' Chrissie Wellington, OBE, four-time Ironman Triathlon World Champion From complete beginners to seasoned off-road runners, The Ultimate Trail Running Handbook has all the training and nutrition advice, skills, gear and motivation you need to become a fit and confident trail runner. There are training plans that take newcomers from 5k parkrun to first trail marathon, while for experienced runners there are sections on strength work, injury prevention and advanced training plans to boost performance up to 50k (30 miles). To keep you enjoying every step, you'll find advice on how to choose the right gear; over 20 easy, healthy recipes; inspiring stories from real trail runners; and advice from top athletes and coaches. And if you want to explore new trails, you can use the navigation and route planning section to create your own exciting off-road adventure. If you're a trail runner or would like to become one, this book is your new best friend.

A New York Times bestseller and a Book of the Year for the Evening Standard and The Times.

Is getting a little less comfortable the key to living a happier, healthier life?

When journalist Scott Carney came across a picture of a man in his fifties sitting on a glacier in just his underwear, he assumed it must be a hoax. Dutch guru Wim Hof claimed he could control his body temperature using his mind and teach others to do the same. Sceptical, Carney signed up to Hof’s one-week course, not realising that it would be the start of a four-year journey to unlock his own evolutionary potential.

From hyperventilating in a Polish farmhouse to underwater weight training in California, and eventually climbing Mt Kilimanjaro wearing just shorts and running shoes, Carney travelled the world testing out unorthodox methods of body transformation and discovering the science behind them.

In What Doesn’t Kill Us he explains how getting a little less comfortable can help us to unlock our lost evolutionary strength.

"Leisure activities undertaken in nature_are immensely popular. This book examines the new serious leisure concept of nature challenge activity (NCA),_exploring how_NCA_unfolds in an aesthetically appealing natural environment with implications for consumption and environmental sustainability"

This book investigates extreme sports, defined as sports in which athletes challenge and transgress societal perceptions of what is humanly possible to achieve, in terms of physical training and bodily development/performance. Situated within a growing body of literature analysing the impact of new training trends on an individual's body, identity, lifestyle and perception of his/her social surroundings, Extreme Sports, Extreme Bodies focuses on the gendered and embodied experiences of bodybuilding, Ironman triathlon, and mixed martial arts. Through their ethnographic analysis, Andreasson and Johansson present a unique and updated account of the increasing phenomenon of extreme sports and extreme bodies in contemporary Western society, grounded in the sociology of sport, body studies and embodiment literature.

With more and more people heading into the winter backcountry on skis, snowshoes, and snowmobiles, avalanche safety is of paramount importance. Allen & Mike's Really Cool Avalanche Safety Book distills the sometimes overly technical information of snow science into a user-friendly format with helpful illustrations and easy-to-understand text. With years of experience as NOLS instructors to draw on, Allen O'Bannon and Mike Clelland team up to give winter recreationists the information they need to stay safe in the backcountry, including how to prepare for your trip, proper equipment and how to use it, snowpack assessment, choosing safe travel routes, decision making, and rescue scenarios. Written for both aspriring winter backcountry travelers and experts alike, this book is a must-read for anybody who loves to experience the solitude and beauty of the snowy mountains.

Skateboarding: the background, technicality, culture, rebellion, marketing, conflict, and future of the global sport as seen through two of its most influential geniuses Since it all began half a century ago, skateboarding has come to mystify some and to mesmerize many, including its tens of millions of adherents throughout America and the world. And yet, as ubiquitous as it is today, its origins, manners, and methods are little understood. "The Impossible" aims to get skateboarding right. Journalist Cole Louison gets inside the history, culture, and major personalities of skating. He does so largely by recounting the careers of the sport's Yoda--Rodney Mullen, who, in his mid-forties, remains the greatest skateboarder in the world, the godfather of all modern skateboarding tricks--and its Luke Skywalker--Ryan Sheckler, who became its youngest pro athlete and a celebrity at thirteen. The story begins in the 1960s, when the first boards made their way to land in the form of off-season surfing in southern California. It then follows the sport's spikes, plateaus, and drops--including its billion-dollar apparel industry and its connection with art, fashion, and music. In "The Impossible, " we come to know intimately not only skateboarding, but also two very different, equally fascinating geniuses who have shaped the sport more than anyone else.

The Camino de Santiago de Compostela (Camino Frances or Way of St James) is among the world's most famous pilgrimages: Christian pilgrims have travelled to the shrine of St James in Santiago, northern Spain, since the ninth century. This guide provides all the information you need to successfully cycle the Camino. The Camino Frances is the most popular variant of the Camino, linking St Jean-Pied-de-Port on the French-Spanish border with Santiago via Pamplona, Burgos and Leon. The guide presents the journey in 18 stages. Two versions of the route are described, the first (770km) based closely on the walkers' route and suitable for hybrid or mountain bikes; the second (798km) a 'road route' for road and touring cycles. It can be cycled in around 10-14 days and is very well provisioned. Clear route description and mapping are accompanied by notes on local points of interest, as well as background information on Spanish history and the history of the Camino. The practicalities are also thoroughly covered, including travel to and from the route, accommodation, facilities, kit and how to qualify for and obtain your Compostela (pilgrims' certificate). Whether you're seeking a spiritual journey, a physical challenge or just a holiday, the Camino promises an unforgettable experience - from the beautiful landscapes, historic towns and rich culture of northern Spain to the famed camaraderie with other wayfarers. Blending information with inspiration, this guide is an ideal companion to cycling this UNESCO-listed route.

Discover the pleasures of slow travel with this inspiring introduction to the beauty and possibility of the great outdoors.

Whatever your pace or purpose, the stories within will provide you with a fresh perspective on what it means to be “outdoorsy,” whether that means trekking from hut to hut in New Zealand, saddling up at a Patagonian ranch or simply taking a moment for mindfulness amid the pristine peaks of Bhutan. Featuring vibrant photography, practical guidance and thoughtful reflections on land stewardship, Kinfolk Wilderness brings together inspiring itineraries from five continents that promise adventure, inspire awe and spark a deeper connection to the landscape. You’ll find entry points into bucolic European idylls from Denmark to Romania, discover new hiking trails through the ancient hills of Iraqi Kurdistan and learn how to stargaze in the haunting dark-sky deserts of California.

Guided by the belief that travel is as much a state of mind as an action or itinerary, Kinfolk celebrates a way of exploring our world that not only fosters thoughtful perspectives on the places we visit but also deepens our relationship with home once the journey is over.

Through a mixture of original stories and traditional tales, Adventures in Nature offers an abundance of ways for families to connect with the earth. As our ancestors did before us, the book follows the seasons contained in the 'Wheel Of The Year', with each entry focusing on a story that brings us closer to the natural world, accompanied by simple craft projects, activities and mindful moments. In our busy, modern lives we have become increasingly disconnected from the world around us, and stories are an age-old way of re-establishing that link, nurturing a love for the environment and embedding awareness and respect for the planet within our culture. This book allows you to discover your very own adventures in nature through story.

Nature sports such as skiing, climbing, and surfing have had a significant influence on Western popular culture since the mid-twentieth century and participation in such sports continues to grow. Written in a clear and accessible style, this important book provides a comprehensive philosophical analysis of nature sports. Philosophy and Nature Sports offers an engaging inquiry into how nature sports differ from mainstream sports, how these differences are related to their value as human activities, and the role of the environments in which such sports take place. Addressing the claim that the most distinctive feature of nature sports is the relationship between participants and the natural world, the book also examines a wide range of topics, such as ethics, risk, gender construction, the social role of nature sport subcultures and the aesthetic experiences of nature sports athletes. Tying these together is the question of what it is that attracts us to nature sports and why they hold meaning for us. This is a valuable resource for students and academics in fields such as alternative sports, alternative sport subcultures, sport philosophy, sport and social issues, ethics, and phenomenology. It is also a fascinating read for outdoor educators and practitioners.

'Full of wisdom' - Dr Xand van Tulleken 'Raw, relatable and uplifting' - Wayne Bridge 'A must-read' - Jade Jones OBE 'A brilliant book' - Jenni Falconer Harness your fears and supercharge your life with this inspirational guide. As someone who has lived outside her comfort zone, Aimee Fuller has a lot to say about fear. A former professional snowboarder who spent years riding on the fine edge of progression at the top of her sport, she made history as the first woman to land a double backflip in competition and competed in two Winter Olympics. In 2019, Aimee fronted the documentary Running in North Korea, which shows her running her first-ever marathon in one of the most isolated countries in the world. Through testing her own resilience, she has discovered that while it is scary to step outside your comfort zone, it can also be a prerequisite for growth. In this bright and insightful book, Aimee gives an honest account of her experiences with fear and how, when the worst happens, she manages to pick herself back up again with purpose and an even greater thirst for life. Encouraging you to get up close and personal with your fears, Aimee shows you: -What fear is, both physically and mentally -How to recognise it in yourself -How to be mindful of fear without letting it take control -How to reframe fear and build a healthy relationship with it -What to do when things go wrong Drawing on her training as a professional athlete, Aimee provides confidence-building tools that can be applied to any aspect of life, like goal-setting, maintaining consistency, celebrating your strengths, learning from failure, taking comfort in choice, owning your decisions and visualising success. Fear Less, Live More is for anyone who wants to be the driver of their own life.

Stand Up Paddleboarding is the fastest growing water-based activity worldwide. Thousands have tried it, with many more taking it up each year. It is easy to make the first steps to stand on a board and paddle. But many want to take this further - be it paddling greater distances, starting to race, SUPing in the surf, using it to improve their fitness or enhancing their well-being through yoga. To develop your SUPing requires a combination of improved technique, skills, fitness and mental attitude. This book will help anyone interested in SUPing get better at it. It shows how to improve your efficiency, technique, skills and physical capability before exploring the different ways of participating and the equipment you need. It suggests that seeking continuous improvement and rising to personal SUP challenges can help you enter the flow state, which enhances happiness. Packed with photos and photo sequences, this book provides both the inspiration and a blueprint for understanding how to improve your SUP capabilities in the area you choose.

Explore the National Parks with this handy pocket map. Handy little full colour map and guide of Lake District National Park. Detailed mapping and visitor information to the National Park along with a selection of photographs. This small map with additional text and photographs gives a great overview of the Lake District National Park, and is the perfect companion for exploring this beautiful area of Northern England. Clear, detailed mapping Key park, tourist and travel information Ideal for planning visits to the National Park Index to help locate and plan your trip This and the Lake District Park Rangers Favourite Walks (ISBN: 9780008439149) are the perfect companions for exploring this superb walking area of Northwest England.

Coaching adventure sports is part of the core work of many adventure educators but has been largely neglected in the adventure studies literature. This is the first book to link contemporary sports coaching science with adventure sports practice. It examines the unique set of challenges faced by adventure sports coaches, such as the dynamic natural environment and the requirement to train athletes to levels of high performance outside of traditional structures of competition, and explores both key theory and best practice. The book covers key topics such as: Skill acquisition and skill development Models of learning and teaching Performance analysis Tactics and decision-making Training principles Mental skills techniques Goal setting and progression Risk management Each chapter contains applied examples from a range of adventure sports, including mountaineering, rock climbing, canoeing, kayaking, surfing, and winter sport, as well as practical coaching techniques and a guide to further reading. Written by a team of authors with wide experience of coaching, teaching, researching and high performance participation in adventure sports, this book is invaluable reading for any student or practitioner with an interest in adventure, outdoor education, sports coaching or lifestyle sport.

From the bestselling author of THE WALKER'S GUIDE TO OUTDOOR CLUES AND SIGNS A must-have book for walkers, sailors, swimmers, anglers and everyone interested in the natural world, in How To Read Water, Natural Navigator Tristan Gooley shares knowledge, skills, tips and useful observations to help you enjoy the landscape around you and learn about the magic of the outdoors from your living room. Includes over 700 clues, signs and patterns. From wild swimming in Sussex to wayfinding in Oman, via the icy mysteries of the Arctic, Tristan Gooley draws on his own pioneering journeys to reveal the secrets of ponds, puddles, rivers, oceans and more to show us all the skills we need to read the water around us.

Since their emergence in the 1960s, lifestyle sports (also referred to as action sport, extreme sports, adventure sports) have experienced unprecedented growth both in terms of participation and in their increased visibility across public and private space. book seeks to explore the changing representation and consumption of lifestyle sport in the twenty-first century.

The essays, which cover a range of sports, and geographical contexts (including Brazil, Europe, North America and Australasia) focus on three themes. First, essays scrutinise aspects of the commercialisation process and impact of the media, reviewing and reconsidering theoretical frameworks to understand these processes. The scholars here emphasise the need to move beyond simplistic understandings of commercialisation as co-option and resistance, to capture the complexity and messiness of the process, and of the relationships between the cultural industries, participants and consumers. The second theme examines gender identity and representations, exploring the potential of lifestyle sport to be a politically transformative space in relation to gender, sexuality and race . The last theme explores new theoretical directions in research on lifestyle sport, including insights from philosophy, sociology and cultural geography.

The themes the monograph addresses are wide reaching, and centrally concerned with the changing meaning of sport and sporting identity in the twenty-first century.

This book was previously published as a Special Issue of Sport in Society."

Olympic gold medallist and multiple world champion, Paul Goodison, explains why this book is important if you want to win races. He says: "To win sailboat races you need to sail the boat fast. This comes down to hours on the water training and tuning - there are few shortcuts to hours of practising on the water. To consistently win races you need to sail fast and smart - making the right decisions to sail the best course. If you are not the fastest boat, you are still able to win races and regattas by managing risk and sailing smart. This is where good tactics come in. But, unlike boatspeed, tactics may be learnt by thinking about each leg of the course and different situations from the comfort of your own home. Jon Emmett's new book, Tactics Made Simple, is a great tool to help fast track this learning." This book explains simply, through hundreds of diagrams, what tactics can be applied around the race track. Individual boats in each scenario are given names so that you can easily understand what they are doing. Individual chapters take you around the race course, from before you get on the water, through the pre-start, start, different legs and manoeuvres. Each section contains detailed advice for the beginner, intermediate and advanced sailor so you can just look at the level of tactics relevant to you. Ideal for dinghy sailors, there is also a wealth of advice that will benefit yachtsmen. This is a practical way to improve your racing results, whether starting out, moving up the club circuit or competing at national level and beyond. Originally published by Wiley Nautical as Be Your Own Tactics Coach.

Ray Mears is a household name through his television series Tracks, World of Survival, Bushcraft Survival, The Real Heroes of Telemark and many more. He is a private individual who shuns publicity whenever possible and would prefer to let his many skills tell their own tale - until now. In MY OUTDOOR LIFE, Ray tells of his childhood and the formative years when he first developed a passion for both bushcraft and the martial arts skills that are central to his life. Having travelled the world several times over, he is no stranger to risk and has had more than his fair share of dangerous and life-threatening encounters to share with his readers. But his life is so much more than a tale of derring-do. Shortly after he returned to England having narrowly survived a serious helicopter crash, his father died. Just a year later, he had to face the death of his first wife Rachel. The book conveys the many sides of Ray Mears, taking us up to the present day - including the previously untold story of his involvement in the man-hunt for murderer Raoul Moat. MY OUTDOOR LIFE gives us all a chance to share a life-story as rich and as inspirational as a walk in woods with the man himself, Ray Mears.

The perfect companions for exploring the National Parks. Walking guide to the Peak District National Park, with 20 best routes chosen by the park rangers. Each walk varies in length from 2 to 10 km and can be completed in less than 4 hours. 20 best routes chosen and written by National Park rangers Walks from 2 to 10km Detailed description for each walk with highlights clearly marked on the map along with an accompanying map and photographs General information about the National Park plus basic advice on walking This and the Peak District National Park Pocket Map (ISBN: 9780008439217) are the perfect companions for exploring this superb walking area of England.