On the Day
Preparation
Prepare well the week leading up to the event. Eat right, make sure you drink plenty of water or electrolyte drinks and get plenty of sleep. Have a meeting with your team and support crew and make sure your support crew knows your schedule and has all the items you will want while out on the trail.
Registration
Arrive early for registration. You have plenty of mental stress ahead of you - no need to start the day with stress.
Nothing New
Do NOT try anything new for the event!! Don't wear new runners. Don't try a new fancy drink you've never had before under physical stress.
Step by step
Take the event step by step. Break it down into smaller, more manageable pieces. Don't think of it as a 100km block. Think of it as a countdown to the next checkpoint. Or, when it gets tougher, only 10 more minutes and I can have a chocolate.
Eye on Nutrition
Make sure you - and your team mates - are eating and hydrating properly.
Be prepared for hot and cold weather
Always keep in mind the weather! If it is hot and sunny, use the sunscreen and hats and keep up the fluids (electrolyte drinks in particular!). But beware the change to cold or wet and have warmer clothes ready.
Only go as fast as your slowest team member
Set the pace based on how the weakest person at the time is feeling. It may be frustrating, but it means your team will finish as a complete team of four. That slower pace just might be your saving grace.
Keep in Phone Contact
Use your mobile phones to advise your support team when you are approaching. Let them know how everyone is travelling and what types of things you'll want at the checkpoint. It gives them time to prepare.
Agree on a Plan
Have your "day to night" checkpoints clearly agreed on and make sure your support team is prepared with all necessary equipment for walking at night - warm clothes, torches, spare batteries and spare bulbs. Don't forget the spare batteries and bulbs!!
Remember to Rest
You should ensure you take adequate rest stops during the event. The desire to finish the event should never override the need for personal safety. No team member should continue if they feel that by doing so, they will be endangering their own health or safety, or that of other members of their team.
Early Morning Walking
Most walkers find the early hours of the morning the hardest time, particularly if you are walking on the second night. Take a rest at the nearest checkpoint and resume walking prior to the checkpoint closing.
Think about why you are doing this: it's not just the personal challenge. You're helping hundreds of people who experience this type of hardship on a weekly if not daily basis.
