Anybody doing Bikerpelli/Kokopelli? Vegas vets?

So I went and signed up for this massive mountain bike camping tour back in January, all optimistic that I'd shed my winter weight miraculously and be able to handle some serious climbing and sleeping on cold, hard ground three nights in a row. Well, I haven't dropped the weight as fast as I wanted and have been having some pretty significant stiff neck/hand numbness issues that necessitated physical therapy and lotsa massage (i know, poor me, right?).

It's called Bikerpelli-- the Kokopelli trail in three days, about 50 miles/day of singletrack and doubletrack with some pretty decent climbing. Anybody heard of it/done it/doing it this year? I hope I can hook up with another hill slug/ social rider or two and sweep the course in a leisurely six-hour fashion each day.

I'm just not a fan of pushing it so hard that I lose my balance at the top end of my heart rate zone, get wheezy or stop having fun. It's fun, dammit! (Bull Durham reference)

I'm hitting Vegas this week and plan to ride the trails for five straight days in the Red Rock Canyon area. Probably the second or third day will be a major ride, so I should be able to get an idea of how much mileage/climbing I can do comfortably at this point, and know how hard I need to hit the gym/spin class/road all bundled up as it sleets on me in April.

Anybody got tips for Vegas dirt?