I'm often reminded of a friend of mine who was a very good runner, when he ran the race for the first time (on a lot of training up to Barr Camp and back down)...his comment after the race..."I wish somebody had told me that the race doesn't even start until Barr Camp!" Lesson learned; don't stress about all the runners hauling up Ruxton, and that are jamming up the W's ahead of you (you'll pass a good majority of them later)...just relax, do a mental check of how all your systems are feeling and if you need to make any adjustments...then enjoy the moment, conserve your energy, and let it fly on the top half of the mountain! If you've run a smart race to Barr Camp, you should be in great position to have a fantastic race as you pass the people who went out to fast like they're standing still! Err on the side of caution! If you've got it in reserve you can always use it up top...whereas once you've red lined your engine early on, it's very difficult to recover! In response to: Suppose you could give ONE bit of advice to people for this race? (Chuck n Cincinnati, do you read me?) I may share the fact that last year before the start in Manitou Springs, a volunteer handed me (and others) a paper towel sheet she tore off a roll of paper towels to use in the portable toilet. If you prefer to use something else, you may want to bring it with you. To all race organizers & volunteers & rescue ~ first aid personnel: THANK YOU again.
