Replacing Luck

Successfully completing a multiday adventure race isn't about luck. It is skill, conditioning and having the proper tools. Navigating through the night can be a daunting task. Especially when cold, tired, and hungry. On Team DART-nuun, we rely on Suunto to improve our conditioning and get us through the toughest navigational challenges that any race director can throw at us.

Every teammate is equipped with a Suunto t6. This is a fantastic tool that helps us improve our performance. Since we are constantly training in many different disciplines, our training needs to be focused with no "junk miles". Suunto helps us achieve quality workouts because of the features including heart rate monitor, altimeter, speed/distance information, watch, timer and lap functions. And for you women out there, Suunto has a new t-Series for women with softer wrist straps and other feminine features.

While GPS technology is not allowed in adventure racing, we will often use the X9i while training or exploring. The X9i is the worlds smallest and lightest wrist mounted GPS unit and provides incredible real-time location and post workout review of any route in the backcountry.

Where Suunto really shines, is in the dead of night when we are working toward that control in the deapest wilderness. The t6 together with my MC-2 compass provides me with all the real-time information I need to lead my team to the control. Elevation, distance traveled, direction, and elapsed time, help me to precisely keep my team focused on the fastest route. The MC-2 is the best field compass on the market. With large mirror, adjustable declination, and large baseplate, this compass goes with me whenever I head into the mountains.

Given the performance of the t6, I can not wait for an upgrade to the new t6c. This wrist computer is part of the new Suunto Training Series. This new computer has customizable screen layout, Comprehensive physiological analysis on PC, and many other new features.