Mike, Chris and Eric all make great points. In the 2019 IBR I took advantage of the full 8 hours of rest for each of the 3 rest boni. I also managed to get good sleep at the 2 checkpoints. Along with some naps in between I was able to finish fairly well. In 2021 I disregarded the importance of sleep and the buildup of fatigue. The deeper I got in the fatigue hole the worse my decision making ability was. I did not realize it at the time but in retrospect it is obvious. Late on day 3 there were several times I thought about abandoning my plan and heading for the checkpoint. Had I done that I would likely have made the checkpoint, as it was I didn't and ended up DNF the first leg.
The importance of rest cannot be over stressed. Everyone has their own strategy for dealing with it. I will be much more aware the next time around.
The importance of rest cannot be over stressed. Everyone has their own strategy for dealing with it. I will be much more aware the next time around.