Greetings pee-rah-tays  Looking forward to seeing you all enjoy yourselves and make some yellow noise next weekend, the pirates in Lanza did you proud last week I hear. Here's some TC Top Tips if you've not seen em on TripeyTalk: Use Conti GP4000s tyres unless you want punctures. I had no issue on the deca, and there were flints everywhere given the wet days. Cured ChrisE's puncture maladies when I leant him my only spare tyres on around Day7, but I was so confident I wouldnt need them. Keep out of the gutter, and only in the swept path i.e. avoid flints! Use decent Conti tubes too. Wear two pairs of cycling shorts. Provided you've tried this in OK training. Amply lube up your nads n feet. Vaseline or other posher varieties. Don't think about the distance. When yu've done a few laps, that your unit of measure. Just take each lap as your goal, in a sustainable fashion. Tweaking your pace/fuel/drink/breaks etc constantly based on feedback. Time each lap. Easy entertainment to while away the hrs.
Chat / wind up your fellow competitors ditto. If you need something or have a worry, ASK! Advice n kit sharing is common at this feel good event. This advice applies to crews. Team up and share responsibilities perhaps, so more folks can get breaks while the athletes are still looked after. Fix any issues early. Dot let them fester till they're big issues. eg blisters etc. Powerwalk the uphills on the run course. Ideally refuel here. Dont go crazy on the long downhill, unless your me.  If you want a time out, then take it, and get some real food down you. You'll resume refreshed. Porridge n noodles etc are good. A few cheesy biscuits like Ritz or even pork scratchings for a savoury salty twist. If scared about getting cold on the swim, get a surfers rash neoprene vest. Sleeveless is safest. You can use cycle arm warmers. Ebay is our friend. Or you can just use layers underneath e.g. run vest.
Vaseline your forehead and nose, cheeks, hands n feet, chest / torso etc.
I assume everyone who might want one has a swimmers neoprene 'gimp' hat :lol: Get a decent feck off headtorch and/or hand torch for the run. Some more from the Rev G: I would add overshoes for the bike and a pair of full finger bike gloves, just in case, spare set of warm dry clothes for both bike and run + rain gear for both, solid food like TC says, liquid porridge and honey may look gross, but, you can gulp it down quick and its quite easy to digest, savouy food not sweet, unless your used to it or like puking after the 15th gel
. Dry socks after the first marathon are soooo good, lip salve is a biggie for me as my lips chap and crack on Ultras.
TRUST YOUR CREW, so important, if they say eat, do it, if they say go to the loo do it. If they tell you to change your clothes, just do it. Crews are so important and take a lot of pressure off your thinking 20 hrs into a race when your trying to dodge the hallucinations ( not kidding, most of us have had it ).
Swim, nice and steady, treat it as a warm up, to get the blood flowing, exit, get the crew to feed you as you change or vice versa.
First few laps of the bike easy, how easy, kids on BMX can beat you, have a little reward planned for getting to 112 mile another at 224, tell your crew or see me if you're struggling a | 
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