Proper Octane Mix

Lack of air.

Lack of water.

Fatigue.

This morning in class I mentioned these three as essential to success, completion or achievement. It was fresh on my mind because I ran out of one of them yesterday and it led directly to another. Doom dots connected devastatingly. 

I made a few critical errors in pre-race preparation being focused mainly on putting together my camera kit, more than the actual execution of the mission. The detailed version means that as I charged batteries for three Go-Pros, two Canon Vixias, double checked memory card capacity, loaded mounts, filters and lens cleaners into the back pack I would tote for 6 miles of rugged off-road terrain, I forgot proper footwear, emergency nutrition and the killer, water. 

So I failed on number two which directly, and negatively, caused number three. A chain reaction that at one point on the course caused mental confusion enough for me to lose a camera I had set up on a tree as I moved ahead on the course to shoot video from another angle, with zoom and some elevation. I was dehydrated to the point of needing to stop, collect thoughts and data then develop a strategy for completion. Worse, I had no idea of where I was on the course. 

Perhaps most frustrating of all is the realization that this situation had compromised my ability to execute the mission. Concerned for consciousness I inadvertently spend way too much energy just trying to keep moving instead of positioning myself in the best and most advantageous location for video capture. It is demoralizing to remember that I used to do one camera shoots for Ironman (140 miles) and adventure racing (sometimes 24 hours) and now bonk during a little 6 mile loop. Place expletive here italized and bolded. 

This aging thing truly sucks. 

Bringing us full circle and back to the three elements necessary for success. Next time you bravely head out for a ride or a race, training or testing, work or play, remember to:

Breathe.

Drink.

Fuel up (as fatigue is your motor running low on the proper octane mixture).