My Favorite 24 Hour Tips

Well, the last 24 Hours has been an exercise in communication, multi-tasking, and time management as I worked on the fringe details associated with getting ready for the 24 Hours of Moab.

This evening was spent packing my supplies for the weekend.  I spent time preparing the meals I'll be having during the weekend.  I also spent time packing my cycling cloths and supplies.  I gotta say, I'm amazed how many things I needed to charge for a race.  Between a GPS, digital camera, lighting system, and a cell phone, I had every outlet in my office being used.  I honestly think I may have surged the grid with my power needs.

So the packing is done and over the last several days I've talked to several veteran 24 Hour racers to see what they would suggest on the topic of how to prepare. 

These are some of my favorite tips:
1.  "Pack 3 times as much food as you will need and make sure the food varies in taste; knowing that 2 thirds of it will be coming home with you." 

They explained that during the race it doesn't matter what you eat, but that you eat something.  After a hard ride in the middle of the night, you never know what will sound good, so it is best to be prepared.

2.  "Bring a powdered recovery drink such as Endurox or Accelerade."

They explained that night riding in cooler temperatures doesn't trigger your thirst, making it easy to get dehydrated.  FYI - Dehydration will kill your energy.  Be sure to consume water and follow your ride with a recovery drink.  For example:  Endurox is a recovery drink that is said to promote endurance and recovery up to 55%.  Knowing you'll be riding your bike again in less than 4.5 hours, even if it only increases your endurance by 10%, wouldn't you want the advantage?

3.  "Bring wet wipes.  They will allow you to clean off the dust when there are no showers available."

Nothing is worse that being grimy and I thought this was a great idea!  I've packed some wet wipes!

I've heard dozens and dozens of tips as I've talked with people the last several weeks and all of them helped me in my preparation.  However, for some reason the above three really stood out to me and I wanted to share them. 

This will be my last post until I return from Moab.  It is time to focus...  But before I go, I wanted to say that no matter how you prepare for this event I hope it works and I  wish each of you GOOD LUCK!!! 

P.S.  For those that aren't riding, but want a piece of the action; GrannyGear.com has real time scoring, which allows you to see how teams are doing in real time via the GrannyGear.com website.  Besides my team, I hope you'll check out and root for some other teams that I know people on.

Solo:
Chris Plesko

Nick Thelen

Teams:
Feedback Sports:
Jason Young
Rob Sousa
Scott Tucker
Lisa Hudson

Ballistic Stillness:
Keith Berglund
Nigel Thompson
Bill Henderson
Brady Hill