by Jess Evans
July 23, 2018
And we are off! Teams 361 Adventures and Only MOSTLY Lost are packed and on their way to New Hampshire.
We held numerous phone calls to discuss the information coming from the race director and what we need to be prepared for. We set up our spreadsheets with guesses on our progress through the course and when we will need our gear. We packed and re-packed to hit the correct bin weights. The preparation process was slow and methodical.
Probably the most difficult aspect of the planning for me was planning the food. Not only do I have a restricted diet due to food allergies, but then I have to see which foods can last un-refrigerated for 4 plus days. I can’t eat a lot of pre-packaged foods that are full of preservatives. Additionally, we all have to determine how much food we need to carry between bin visits. We must have enough calories to get through the leg we are on, but not too much where we are carrying extra weight. It is a delicate balance. How many calories per hour do you think you are going to consume? Food prep for me is a very “deep thinking” process.
As the looming departure date approached, final prep needed to be checked off the list, like making sure my bike is tuned up, charging up all my batteries and lights, and locating extra straps to affix items to my pack. Luckily, after having done just a few of these expedition races, I have a general list I can go through and then narrow it down from there to be specific for the race.
Now we are all excited and ready to hit the race course.
To read more on my Expedition Racing experience, read Expedition Racing From a Novice, a blog post from March 2018.
