so... we are considering trying to 30 hour Florida Sunshine Race at the end of May. It will definitely be a stretch for us and we'll be in "tortoise" mode just trying to get to the finish line.

Any advice for a team of newbies to these long events? Obviously planning food and hydration is going to be a challenge... how about sleep? do teams typically have a tent in the main TA and sleep at all during the event?

Bill

Bill, for a 30-hour race most Elite teams won't sleep or rest at all. In our case, for races of 36 hours or less, we do not sleep. For longer races we start considering taking a couple short naps, but for 30-hr is not worth it.

But as far as sleep, obviously the more comfortable you are the better. I can tell you from many years of experience doing the Coast to Coast AR during Memorial Day Weekend, that trying to sleep outside without a tent sucks because the mosquitoes and other bugs are just insane. So if you are planning on napping at all, I would definitely suggest you put up a tent.

Thanks Manny,

We've actually decided to NOT try the 30 hour this year. Our experience level is low enough that it just did not seem like a good idea at this point in our development. Maybe a year from now, with little more experience and a little more fitness under our belts...

Bill

Some time you just have to jump in. The venue is awesome. Fuel, Hydration, and mental determination to keep going. Pace yourself and don't blow up early pushing to hard. Enjoy the Sunset and get ready to spend many hours in the dark in the Wilderness. The end will come and for days and weeks after you will continue to relive your adventure while planning your next.