Part 2:  Tips and tricks before the race

1. SLEEP!!!! Make sure you get plenty of sleep from Thursday/Friday night.  The day before folks usually have a hard time sleeping.  So make sure you give your body the maximum amount of rest you can.
2. Pack your gear the night before:  Logical right?  You’d be surprised how many riders freak out in the morning because they realize they left that extra tube at home.

Quick Checklist:

• Bike
• Helmet
• Headband/do-rag
• Gloves
• Shoes
• Socks
• Bottles (filled with water)
• Heartrate monitor/GPS/whatever you use
• Sunscreen
• Extra tubes, patch kit, emergency bike tool
• Gu/Shotblocks/whatever you eat during the ride

3. Talking about tubes, make sure you have at least two extra tubes with you on this ride. For some reason, the combination of heat and awesome Wichita Falls road conditions is really tough on them.
4. Whatever you do, do not wear underwear under your riding shorts.  It’s a ‘sensitive’ subject but we speak from experience when we say that saddle sores, ingrown hairs and blisters full of puss… well, you get the picture. Some of the real manly guys use Chamois/Butt Butter.  Yeah, yeah… but it works!
5. Sunscreen: You are going to be in the sun for at least 5 hours or longer at 90+ degrees.  Nuff said.
6. Don’t listen to one of the Wheelbrothers called Wade.  There are more then one gears on your bike. Use them!
7. Find a great group to ride with and draft, if you are experienced enough to do that. Remember to ask for permission to do so before hand. 99% of the time it’s fine but there are anal retentive goobers everywhere.
8. Draft wisely: If you do not know the folks you are drafting of be careful. Figure out if they know what they are doing and if they can hold a steady lane.  If not, the potential couple minutes you are shaving of your overall time, might not be worth the road rash.
9. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate: Read part 1 – yesterdays story on how to survive the HH100.
10. Keep your head up and have a great time.  ENJOY the ride.  Don’t take it to serious and relish in the experience of riding with 13,000+ other riders.  Make new friends and most importantly, if you see one of the Wheelbrothers say ‘Hi’!!!!

Part 1:  How not to die of dehydration

Written by Brad our team Doctor (Okay, so he happens to be a Doctor that rides with us… details, details… he still knows what he is talking about!)

There are a lot of prevailing theories on how best to hydrate for an event such as the HHH so let’s break it down into its simplest terms:

1. It’s all about the day before:  hydrate your brains out 24 hours before the ride.  Use water or electrolyte solution.  If you are not drinking, then your not allowing the individual cells to retain the fluids that it will desperately need.
2. Avoid all caffeine for 24-48 hours prior to the ride.  Remember that caffeine is a mild diuretic (makes you urinate more) and obviously this is the opposite of what we need to be doing.
3. Take a multivitamin the day before and the day of the race.  If you cramp often, consider adding an OTC potassium tablet (8-10 meq should do) the day before and the day of your race.
4. Complex carbs the day before the ride to eat (pasta, rice, pizza).
5. Hydrate during the race.  I have observed that most riders under hydrate.  I plan on stopping at mile 25-30, 50, 70, and 90 miles.  Bring 3 bottles with you and make sure they are gone before you get to the rest stop.  The desire to drink decreases as your cardiac output increases so you have to remember to drink.  What’s the best solution?  There is great debate on this one but water vs electrolytes is probably a wash.  During extreme conditions (of which this will be) electrolytes show a 3-4% improvement in performance in elite athletes only (and we ain’t that except for Ron – Cat Racer extrodinaire).  I start out with 2 waters and one Gatorade and after the first stop I switch to 1 water and 2 gatorades.  Why?  Electrolyte solution doesn’t quench your thirst like water does and therefore your more likely to drink.  Also,  you’ll need the calories during a long event like this.
6. Are you urinating?  If the answer is no, then significantly increase the volume.  I want everyone screaming to pee at that first rest stop.
7. Pickle juice?  A trendy pick and has some merit but I wouldn’t try it for the first time on ride day.  It may upset your stomach and that is NOT where you want to be.  Also, it tends to turn off the desire to drink more.
8. Kick some ass…

So Chris our team test subject, tried this method during the Goatneck race and reported, that he had finished the race feeling better and faster then ever before.

Rumor has it, that he set up a shrine of worship with Brad’s picture on it.  Kind of strange…

Not that there is anything wrong with that.