What lessons have I learned from this experience

_{What lessons have I learned from this experience?}

The COURSE: There are sections of the course more suited to a full-suspension MTB. If vehicle space allows, bringing this type of bike would help.

The CREW: We had an absolutely perfect crew , specially considering all 4 of us were rookies. Again, if vehicle space allows, 3 crew members would be ideal, so 1 crew gets a chance to rest. Or maybe a crew switch in Furnace Creek would also work. It is very critical that the crew members have an understanding of their roles. Egos need to be packed in the suitcase for 48-hrs. Prima-donnas, know-it-all types, and inflexible personalities will not be good candidates for crew members. The lifeblood of the team rests in the crew's hands. Without them, we DIE! Jason and I were extremely fortunate to have a crew that had great personalities, easy-going, flexible, yet determined to finish and will never let us quit.

The SUPPORT VEHICLE: Obviously, slightly larger vehicle for relay teams would help a lot. More mounts for extra wheels. I equipped our minivan with a power inverter, so we could have brought a small microwave with us if we had the space.

The RIDER: Pacing is very critical in this race, even if not doing solo. Though I do not believe the hard pace on Stage 1 caused my G.I. problems, having more candles in my pocket to burn in reserve may have given me more energy once I started experiencing my G.I. issues.

The NUTRITION: I still think I did not eat enough. Hydration was never an issue as I was using my Camelbak, specially on the longest and hardest stages. But, even at the expense of scrubbing a little bit of speed while eating, taking in more calories, specially in the form of real food and not the genetically engineered bike foods, usually prevents that empty-stomach feeling. Even the ProBar products which are loaded with carbs and chewy nuts were not enough to really satiate the system. Bottom line is, I can not expect to do well on just bike food once I start approaching 200 miles or 24 hours (whichever comes first).

The TRAINING: Definitely more night training, specially as the event closes in. Duplicating training with the hours I would be riding helps acclimate the body with when expectations of the effort is needed. There is no substitute to knowing that I have been able to do a 3,000 ft. climb at full effort at midnight during training.

The SOLO QUEST: Well, doing this race solo is a whole different ballgame. Training mileage needs to increase. And the mindset/pacing needs to be reset. A rookie soloist would need to resist the temptation to burn too many matches early on. If not, it is a guaranteed DNF.

My current 350-miles/week will not be enough. I would probably need 500-miles/week. Funny how that works out. When I trained for centuries, 100-miles/week would be sufficient to survive, 200-miles/week for Double Centuries, and 300-miles/week for 2X Team of the FC508. I guess if I did add nighttime riding, then 500-miles/week would be achievable.

If my winter base mileage holds up, I will evaluate if I am brave/crazy/stupid enough to try for solo next year. That is when I turn 50 years old. So, 10-miles for every year. MID-LIFE CRISIS IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL THING!

The ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: Event pictures courtesy of Chris Kostman of AdventureCorps http://www.the508.com/

07/03/07