2011 Iron Butt Rally

[Slonishku]

I'm in, too. After my DNF on the RE5 last year, I want to do it right this time. No BS, just a solid mount (an FJR this time), and plenty of saddle time on it ahead of time.

I'm happy to discuss what I've learned as well as a few key concepts I picked up from Jim Owen, Jeff Earls, etc. during the Denver meet. Just PM me if you'd like. Also, being that I'm in So Cal, my house is open to you if you need a jump- off place to begin your trip back home. Laundry machine and all!

Alex  

[squeezer]

Congrts.
I did not enter this year - but I am glad STN rill be representing.

Come on down and do the MD2020 on memorial day - I'll be there yet again, and I'm going to talk Squeezer and his son to come down and judge!

You will meet many of your fellow riders and they are all great.

Hey! I think we're gonna do that! I need one more family dinner to convince the wife that it's an excellent idea.

D-Mac: The MD2020 really is an excellent warm-up. Rallybastard Rick is a two time IBR competitor, former staffer (and staffed the 5K this summer), top 10 finisher, and pretty much sets his rules up to mimic the IBR so it will work as a good practice run. Plus, as DNA noted, he always tosses in some kind of skills workshop on the night before the rally and it will be a great chance to meet a lot of your fellow IBR riders.

Besides, what else are you doing Memorial Day Weekend? Grilling weenies?  

[D-Mac]

I'm in, too. After my DNF on the RE5 last year, I want to do it right this time. No BS, just a solid mount (an FJR this time), and plenty of saddle time on it ahead of time.

I'm happy to discuss what I've learned as well as a few key concepts I picked up from Jim Owen, Jeff Earls, etc. during the Denver meet. Just PM me if you'd like. Also, being that I'm in So Cal, my house is open to you if you need a jump- off place to begin your trip back home. Laundry machine and all!

Alex  

Alex,

I followed your prep and ride on the RE-5 closely. Truly epic and one of the best stories of the '09 IBR. It's great that you're getting a shot at it again!

I will PM you soon. Clean clothes will be at the top of my list by Day 11.

[D-Mac]

Hey! I think we're gonna do that! I need one more family dinner to convince the wife that it's an excellent idea.

D-Mac: The MD2020 really is an excellent warm-up. Rallybastard Rick is a two time IBR competitor, former staffer (and staffed the 5K this summer), top 10 finisher, and pretty much sets his rules up to mimic the IBR so it will work as a good practice run. Plus, as DNA noted, he always tosses in some kind of skills workshop on the night before the rally and it will be a great chance to meet a lot of your fellow IBR riders.

Besides, what else are you doing Memorial Day Weekend? Grilling weenies?  

Thanks! The MD2020 is at the top of my list for those reasons. I really, really need to do another rally beforehand and my bike should be ready for a shake-down by then.

When does registration usually open?

[squeezer]

Thanks! The MD2020 is at the top of my list for those reasons. I really, really need to do another rally beforehand and my bike should be ready for a shake-down by then.

When does registration usually open?

Usually opens in early January (I think it was Jan. 9 last year) and closes in mid to late April (April 23 last year).

Unlike the Cape Fear, it doesn't fill up on the first day. I think last year, Rick kept registration open until the deadline.

[DNA]

D-Mac,

As the rally is usually a ~36 hour event, you can easily use it an a center for a 4-5 day LD ride.

Friday- Ride to MD - should be a medium long 800 mile day.  Start early and hit the check in deadline.  Learn how riding on a deadline makes you do stupid things and temper it when it is a soft deadline with only a 4:00AM wake up penalty.
 
Sat-Sun - ride rally - I usually do ~1400 miles
Sunday night - frivolous dinner and BSing a plenty

Up early on Monday and ride home - tell the fam you will be there for dinner and watch your goal cruble in holiday traffic  

This should give you a sense of 3000 miles in 4 days.  On my summer trip - I found days 4,5 and 6 were progressively more difficult.  

The 1500 that took 24 hours on day 1 took 36 on day 7 and was not fun - at all.

In summery, if you do decide to ride the MD2020, use the ride there and back as part of the training (leave early, hot gas stops, etc..).



11 days is beyond my skill set today.

[D-Mac]

D-Mac,

As the rally is usually a ~36 hour event, you can easily use it an a center for a 4-5 day LD ride.

Friday- Ride to MD - should be a medium long 800 mile day.  Start early and hit the check in deadline.  Learn how riding on a deadline makes you do stupid things and temper it when it is a soft deadline with only a 4:00AM wake up penalty.
 
Sat-Sun - ride rally - I usually do ~1400 miles
Sunday night - frivolous dinner and BSing a plenty

Up early on Monday and ride home - tell the fam you will be there for dinner and watch your goal cruble in holiday traffic  

This should give you a sense of 3000 miles in 4 days.  On my summer trip - I found days 4,5 and 6 were progressively more difficult.  

The 1500 that took 24 hours on day 1 took 36 on day 7 and was not fun - at all.

In summery, if you do decide to ride the MD2020, use the ride there and back as part of the training (leave early, hot gas stops, etc..).



11 days is beyond my skill set today.

That's almost exactly how I did the NSR last year. With about 600 miles to/from the rally it ended up being close to 3000 miles in 4 days. I've done similar stuff on other rides too (700-800 miles to somewhere, short rest, and then come back the following day).

I'm looking at Cape Fear or MD2020 depending on my schedule. I have friends in Maryland that I'd like to drop in on, so the MD2020 might be my first choice.

[DNA]

Do both - you need the seat time and both are a blast.

[D-Mac]

Do both - you need the seat time and both are a blast.

I might, and you're right. It'll depend on what the wife/kids have to say about it. Cape Fear likely conflicts with work (not that I'm gonna let that get in the way). One good thing about being a prof - I have an open schedule from mid-May to mid-August.

[Slonishku]

There are so many things you can do to get ready... so many things.

Develop systems, routines, and checklists.
Practice making gas stops quick and efficient. Do it the same way, every time. Analyze, refine.
Every time you buy gas, always get a reciept, check every reciept for all elements necessary for a fuel log. Maintain a fuel log (print it off of IBA website).

Find some of the bonus locations from previous rallies. Try visiting them with the bike in rally configuration. Take a photo, fill out the log, etc.

Experiment with easy road foods. After a lot of trial and error, I've found Cliff Bars do the trick right for me. YMMV. I'd suggest going to a well-stocked grocery store, to the area where they keep such things, try several out. During the '09, there was a fellow rider who kept a stash of small "clementine" oranges in his topcase. On a few occasions when we crossed paths, he threw me one. They were fantastic. I also take along one or two "Ensure" drinks per day, and try to drink a pint of milk when I can.

I'm already incorporating a weight loss and exercise plan into my preps. I plan to shed 15-20 excess pounds. Better for me, better for my stamina, easier on my tires, gas...

Know thyself. How do you handle stress when you're tired, confused, hot, dry, and dusty, trying to fill out a bonus log in the dark, in the middle of the desert, with the wind blowing your paper all over the place as you try to hold your dying flashlight in your mouth while sand is blowing in your eyes, your sidestand sinks in the dirt, your bike falls over, and you just want to say "fuck it". What do you do then?

When you're riding or driving, what are the first things that indicate that you're becoming truly fatigued? I know I start bouncing my legs around, maybe subconsciously trying to get blood flowing. When I start that, it's time to stop. Right then. Much further, and I won't be making the go/ no go decision very well.

Next time you wear out a rear tire, try drilling a hole or two in it and practice plugging it. Do similar drills with all the tools you carry.

Try stopping in a safe, but dark, roadside location and changing a headlight bulb. Various fuses. Whatever, but do so on the spur of the moment with only the tools you'll be carrying on the rally.

I could go on for hours, and barely scratch the surface. Besides, I'm probably spouting things you already know.

[D-Mac]

Alex,

Great advice. Keep it coming.

I have an old car tire that I practice "patching" regularly. Keeping a gas log is a great idea too. The more I can make this stuff a habit, the easier it'll be when the time comes to use it. I'm most worried about the later days of the rally - when my judgment is like going to be poor. If I can get some of this stuff down to being automatic, it'll make things easier.

My wife is a dietitian, so I'm probably going to start listening to her (Ensure is a great idea - that stuff supposed to be very good for you). I'm a field biologist by training, so keeping long hours, spending time in unpleasant conditions, and surviving on a diet of Cliff bars and propel packets+water is nothing new. I'm sure your experience out-of-country prepared you well too.

One thing I need to do is learn to deal better with the heat. I grew up in Canada and have never gotten used to the hotter US summers. The idea of Death Valley in June scares me badly. I've never ridden in the southern US and I've only been to So Cal once (in January). I've already put a cooling vest on my list. I know all about cold and can handle pretty much anything on that end. I've also done a lot of riding in bad weather (not on the RT mind you).

As I get questions, I'll post them or PM you. I truly appreciate the help!

[squeezer]

I might, and you're right. It'll depend on what the wife/kids have to say about it. Cape Fear likely conflicts with work (not that I'm gonna let that get in the way). One good thing about being a prof - I have an open schedule from mid-May to mid-August.

I'm also a prof.  I've done 3 Cape Fears and, yeah, taking a weekend off in the crunch time of mid-April makes life ugly for awhile. And each time, I've sworn during the following week that I would never do that to myself again.

And then I do anyway, because two weeks later, it seemed totally worth it.    

It may cost you more time than me since you'd have to get home to Michigan from Wilmington, NC, and I only have to ride home to PA. Still, if you can make it work with the class schedule, you'll be glad you had the extra practice.

I won't be running it this year, but for reasons other than work schedule.

[Slonishku]

It's a pricy venture, but you might want to look into some LD Comfort undergarments. I tend to stick with the long sleeve tops and full length tights, as they have a good cooling effect when you soak them with water. I just plain don't do long rides without them anymore. I have 2 sets now. One is on me, the other ready to be swapped out. If you get really hot in a dry environment, you can always buy a bag of ice and put the whole unopenned bag in your jacket.

[D-Mac]

I almost never ride without the LD comfort tights. I also like the full-length ones over the shorties. Gotta try the tops too. Mine are ready for replacement.

I hadn't thought about soaking them.

[Specter]

It's a pricy venture, but you might want to look into some LD Comfort undergarments. I tend to stick with the long sleeve tops and full length tights, as they have a good cooling effect when you soak them with water. I just plain don't do long rides without them anymore. I have 2 sets now. One is on me, the other ready to be swapped out. If you get really hot in a dry environment, you can always buy a bag of ice and put the whole unopenned bag in your jacket.

+1.   Took two pair of long sleeves and tights on the Ten n Ten.  I was reasonably comfortable, even in 110 degree heat.  Washed them in the hotel sink every other day. Wouldn't wear anything else under my riding gear.

[Rocket_Cowboy]

+1.   Took two pair of long sleeves and tights on the Ten n Ten.  I was reasonably comfortable, even in 110 degree heat.  Washed them in the hotel sink every other day. Wouldn't wear anything else under my riding gear.

Two pairs are a great idea.

I had two pairs of Tech Sox, but only one pair of LD Comfort gear. I washed everything almost every night, but most mornings the LD Comfort gear wouldn't be quite dry making for some chilly morning rides. With two pair, I could have had one pair drying while I wore the other, and this wouldn't have been a problem.

Still ... I've not found anything better for under the stich.

[wibornz]

If I was trying to get ready, I think I would print out locations for the first half of the 2007 IBR.  And go do it.  Treat it just like you are in the rally.  Act like the locations were just handed to you.  Map your route, get on the bike and ride.  Treat it as if it was the real deal.  Then evaluate, score your self.  If you are in the running at the end of the first leg of the 2009 IBA you should have a good base line to determine if you are on the right path and what if any adjustments that you may need to take.

[Ignacio]

If I was trying to get ready, I think I would print out locations for the first half of the 2007 IBR.  And go do it.  Treat it just like you are in the rally.  Act like the locations were just handed to you.  Map your route, get on the bike and ride.  Treat it as if it was the real deal.  Then evaluate, score your self.  If you are in the running at the end of the first leg of the 2009 IBA you should have a good base line to determine if you are on the right path and what if any adjustments that you may need to take.

Great advice!  I did just that!  But I had staff score me.

To be serious I did just that with Leg 2 of the '05 Butt to get ready for '07.  That particular leg was easier for a rookie to digest and come up with something similar to the riders because it wasn't a make-or-break leg.

Even bench rallying is HUGELY helpful.  Some evening commit to a time to start, have a leg you haven't seen before printed out, a laptop setup, maps, whatever you'd need for routing at your kitchen table, say "Go!" and start your routing.  Once you have a plan done note the time and compare with the routes of some of the top dogs on the IBR website.  1-2 hours planning and you come up with a route that would net you 6th place with hours to spare...you're on the right track!  3-4 hours and your helmet is on fire and you come in 1st place or 65th place...practice more.

Leg 2 and Leg 3 of the '09, however, were very interesting if you want to see how Top 10 riders did it vs. the rest of the pack...and Leg 2 in particular had a few riders do very different plans (I and a couple other Top 10 for that particular leg went to Minot, North Dakota while most went to Louisiana).

The IBR site is great because they include actual packets of the rallies (and waypoint files since '09)

Weather is the hard one to approximate.  That one you can write up some weather scenarios like, "Big thunderband in the midwest Tuesday to Thursday" and put them in a hat.  After you come up with a route....pull out a scenario and think what you'd do to replan or adjust your route.

[Slonishku]

It's vital to know, very realistically, what sort of pace you can expect to maintain in terms of MPH.  I think a good method is to go out and ride a couple of back-to-back saddlesores without going home during the exercise. Plan on getting them certified in order to hold yourself to some IBA fuel log and mileage standards. Ideally, plan your rides around several former IBR checkpoints per day. Get to the bonii, properly log them, maintain a fuel log, the whole bit.

After that, assess the pace you were able to maintain, aside from sleep hours. What slowed you down? Were you pushing yourself a bit hard? Could you realistically maintain that pace for 11 days?

Once you have this information available to you, use it.

For example, say you come up with 46.5 mph. Once the checkpoints and finish are announced, go to MS Streets and Trips and play. If Bangor, Maine is announced as a checkpoint, look up "Bangor, ME" in S&T. Under the "tools" menu in S&T, select "Create Drivetime Zone", and plug in 960 minutes. That's 16 hours. You should now be looking at a shaded area covering the area from which you could reach Bangor in 16 hours or less at S&T nominal driving speeds. KNOW THIS INFORMATION PRE-RALLY.

Once you get the bonus pack, you figure a route that ensures you will be within the shaded zone with 16 hours + necessary rest time + time to grab desired bonii within said zone + "D'oh!" factor time. I'd call it 20-22 hours, unless you're very sure of yourself and want to cut it closer.

Double check whatever route you chose using this information against your realistic maintainable pace you determined earlier. That sould help you zero in on what you can expect to achieve during the final day of the leg when you're going to be slammed with fatigue. Either be rested enough to do this part straight through, or factor in plenty of rest time within it.

Don't DNF by overextending yourself and blowing a checkpoint.

[D-Mac]

Thanks guys. This is really helpful. I've been thinking along these lines, and it's good to know I'm not totally off track. I used some data from my first three IBA rides to plot my route for the NSR and I was pretty close on time (had I run my entire route, I would have had about 45 min to spare - not bad for a 36h rally). The big unknown in that rally (for me) was how quick I would be on back roads, and when collecting bonuses (I did something like 22 bonuses, which gave me a good idea of my stop time and how to improve it). I will be using that data, plus some additional data I gather from new rides to get my average. The veterans all seem to have an excellent handle on their average speed and use it to assess their progress.

I agree that it IS tempting to over-do it when playing with maps and then end up getting behind and throwing away valuable bonuses. Likewise, leaving too much time seems like it could lead to being close to the finish line with not enough points to place well, and not enough time to go back and get enough points elsewhere. Ideally, I'll establish some personal checkpoints and outline a few decisions on each leg based on whether I'm ahead or behind in my ride. The additional distances and bonuses make the IBR tougher in some ways and easier in others to rely on average riding times to plot routes. Since my goal is to finish (not win) I will have the luxury of plotting routes that should (hopefully) allow me a cushion on time AND points. I do need to get more practice plotting routes, and using MS S&T (Mapsource seems to suck for the early stages of plotting routes).

I'm thinking of doing another Saddlesore soon. My plan will be to pick a day with questionable weather, keep a log, and use some photos/SPOT to sort out my rates of travel on state roads, interstates, etc. I also need to iron out what needs upgrading on the RT.

Any thoughts on how I should get my bike to the rally? I'm thinking of riding it out a few weeks early.