The Butte 50: First Time Endurance Racer

I raced in the Butte 50 endurance mountain bike race in July. I plan to review my experience of being a novice racer in such an event and the steps I took to prepare. This event significantly changed my approach to mountain biking and has become a singleminded focus and goal for next year. I will try and break my entries into sections to make it easier to digest as I have a lot to say on the subject....Thanks!