Support Crew Information

If you are competing in WildEndurance it is a good idea to invite a few of your friends to be a support crew for your team.

During the event your support crew can meet you at the five designated checkpoints around the course to provide moral support, clean dry clothes, food and liquids.

For information you need on where check points are and facilities available.

Your support crew can also assist you with your training before the event and with fundraising.

Being in a support crew is great fun and brings you up close and personal with the event.

Below are some helpful tips for your support crew on what they need to do to prepare for the event, what they will need during the event and how they can ensure they can give the best possible support to ensure you complete the event and meet your goals.

Caring for the team

There are some important things a support crew needs to do and know in order to assist their team:

Talk to the team about how they are going to approach the event, their expectations and what food and fluids they will need. For instance, they may like to start on savoury solid food and then shift to sweet, more easily digested food later.

Find their preferred drinks and prepare mixtures in advance.

Have variety of food at each Checkpoint. Keep some (good) surprises in reserve.

Don't forget to ask the team before they leave what they would like at the next stop.

Have items ready for your team before they arrive and walk with them as they eat/drink/put on or take off clothing. Don't make it too easy or too comfortable for them to stop, as this time will accumulate.

Wear a bum bag containing a tube of sunscreen, lip balm, Vaseline and favourite simple foods (muesli bars, fruit sticks, gels). It's on hand then if you need it quickly, and will save you returning to the car.

There will be times when some team members will not want to eat. Try to find out what they like and have a few different items as a surprise (eg on a hot day, icy poles go down a treat, custard or chocolate milk may slide down well when the desire for food has gone, salty foods like cheese and olive bread sticks can be something appealing).

Take some instant mashed potato to cook on your camp-stove, adding salt, milk/water as required. This can be a very good option when calories are needed and nothing is appealing. Also, you can use the mix to thicken and add calories to soups, minute noodles etc.

We have a mantra "Beware the chair". Try to minimise the time the team spends off the road. Some prodding might be needed if you think they are hanging around for too long. Remind them "The sooner you get going, the closer you'll be to the finish".

Looking after yourself

It is important support crew members look after themselves as well!

You will have to be prepared with clothing for temperature extremes from sub-zero to 30oC and you will also require food and fluids to sustain you throughout the event.

Take 2 alarm clocks for the crew to make sure you are on time at each of the checkpoints.

Take along a folding chair to sit on outside of the car for when you are waiting for your team to come in. This will also be useful if your team needs to change socks, dress blisters, etc.

Make sure you have some treats for yourself that you can enjoy and/or something that will help to pass some waiting time, whether that be particular food, a book, binoculars for birdwatching, music etc.

If you don't look after yourself, you'll be no good to your runner. Make sure you eat and drink regularly as it's easy to either forget or think you don't need to.

Make sure you get some sleep, again you will be the most useful if you are alert and cogent.

Put on sunscreen and reapply as necessary. Don't allow yourself to become dehydrated or sunstruck.

The crew car

It is important to keep your crew car neat and organised

Organise the supplies in a way that you can find whatever you need at any time. Boxes can be a good way of organising items. You may want to put savoury in one box, sweet in another.

Write the contents on both the top and bottom of cans with a felt tip pen. This saves pulling it out to see what it is.

If your team is using electrolyte/carbo powder, write the dilution (eg 1 scoop per 500 ml) in a waterproof pen on a label (can be masking tape) and paste onto the container. No sense wasting time trying to read small print on a label in the dark early hours.

Make sure the 1st aid kit is easily accessible and everyone knows where it is

Put items back from where you got them. Things can easily get messy and chaotic as the race progresses and you don't want to have to waste time and energy with unnecessary searching.

Know where the change of clothing/socks/shoes/night gear/spare batteries are for your team members

Psychological support

Look at your team's body language. When individuals start to get really tired, particularly in the wee hours, remind them to lift their chest and move with their whole body.

If you're walking with your team, encourage them to stride out if you notice their step shortening through fatigue.

Everyone has a different approach and different temperament. Teams, be kind to your crew, they are there to help you to achieve your goal and want you to succeed. Crews, be kind to your team, at times they may be fragile, and they will definitely feel fatigued.

Be encouraging

It obviously can depend on how well you know your team as individuals, but occasionally a good crew needs to be tough

Ensure that your team are all adequately hydrated by checking if they are frequently passing urine. Ask if it is 'clear, colourless and copious?'

Your teame will go through a range of emotional highs and lows during the event based on: fatigue, mental composition/state, pain, perceived performance, body's circadian rhythms, etc. Nutrition can play a significant role in controlling the lows. A steady supply of calories will help to keep the mood up. The rising sun tends to have a positive impact on both teams and crew.

Above all, if the crew has high spirits, is positive and believe in their teams goal, this will help everyone. If the crew is having squabbles, complaining or in general doesn't appreciate or respect their team's goal, at best this will create unnecessary concern

Take a sense of humour.

Some suggested items

Here are some suggestions of some things to take with you:

Course directions, maps, checkpoint details

A full tank of fuel

Water. Old 2 or 3 litre juice bottles are a good size and maybe one 12-15 litre container to top them up

Esky for food and drink.

Ice packs and ice

Food and drink for runner (obviously)

Food and drink for crew (very important!)

Portable camping stove for coffee/tea/heating soup/mash potato etc.

Coffee/tea/soup/sugar/milk

Basic first aid kit (eg. blister treatment, headache tablets, sunburn treatment, emergency blanket, conforming bandage, non steroidal anti-inflammatories, etc)

Wool blanket

Cutting board and knife for making sandwiches etc

Spoons and mugs

Torches - both headlamps and hand-held torch for the car.

Pens, paper and calculator

Small/compact fold up chairs

Insect repellent

Sunscreen &lip balm

Alarm

Garbage bags

Antibacterial wipes for use after toilet stops and to clean hands before preparing and handling food

Toilet paper

Ziplock bags (good for holding loo paper for runner, left over food etc and also good for making up small ice packs)

Oil for massaging

Toothbrush and toothpaste – this will help your team to feel fresh

Bowl and towel for team to wash face or other parts of the body. Also useful for soaking

Can opener

Safety

Drive conservatively and do not speed. Roads are not closed to traffic and teams will share the road with both support vehicles and regular traffic at some points.

Be patient when driving. Your team's pace ultimately determines your arrival time, not your driving speed.

Be cautious at night. Be prepared to encounter both wombats and kangaroos during the evening. Expect them to run erratically in front of your vehicle

Crews should wear light and bright clothing and reflective vests are a good idea at night.

All members of the support crew must have the opportunity for some sleep during the event. If a crew is overly tired or exhausted they will be of less use to their team during and after the event.

 

The assistance of Diane Weaver in preparing this information is gratefully acknowledged.