400K alone

[jobob]

From RUSA's Rules for Riders at http://www.rusa.org/brvreg.html :

Article 6
Each rider must be self sufficient. No personal follow cars or support of any kind are permitted on the course. Personal support is only allowed at checkpoints. Any violation of this requirement will result in immediate disqualification.

(emphasis is as shown on the RUSA website, btw)

So you're right Mimi, along the route itself you can't accept "personal support" from anyone except someone else on the brevet itself (which means that person isn't "personal support").

But at the checkpoints it's OK.

[maillotpois]

When I did my 600k, I had a plan to text message a friend periodically so she would know I was ok. (The updates were pretty funny. When I get to my other computer, I may cut and paste them for a laugh here.)

Of course, when DH asked that I do the same thing this weekend at DMD, and my phone wouldn't save the text to send when I got into cell range it all got VERY frustrating.

It might be good to have a friend at the checkpoint, but weigh that against issues of (1) now having to be at the checkpoint at a certain time for the friend; (2) possibly taking too long at the checkpoint because of the friend (3) possibly hitting a low at the checkpoint and having the friend there be an excuse not to go on. Just throwing a lot of stuff out there as stuff I would consider. For example, I purposely did the texting thing instead of calling people because I didn't want to get emotional while calling someone and that would be counterproductive toward forward progress. That was for a 600k, and it really could have happened, whereas for the 400k, it wasn't really an issue, but we all have our thresholds and they are adjustable. I just throw it out there.

[Pedal Wench]

Hmmmm, so much for getting a friend to follow. Unless I just call someone who's already finished. It would royally suck to ride the 400 only to get disqualified.

I'm still on the fence. There's a guy doing it who's the same pace, but I don't know him well except for leap-frogging a bit on the 300k. If I slow down, I'm not sure he would wait for me.

It's not the distance that's the problem - I just did 344 miles at Sebring, but it was on a closed course - no cars at night, support always 1 mile away (racetrack loops all night long.) Although the elevation on this one is a challenge, I think I can do it.

I would send text messages when I could, and keep my cell phone handy. Or just do a gorgeous century with tons of people.