There are several riders who were up front and unmedicated who believe that this is possible because they did it too. I was also surprised and I have since spoken to various medical types and done more research. Those who did this were definitely outliers but you would expect to find a few outliers in a group of several hundred motivated and prepared individuals

I did try hard to prepare for sleep deprivation but there is not a lot you can do in advance. I also did a lot during the ride to minimize my need for sleep.

I was also very tired at times and I think I would have finished a bit sooner had I slept more. The hard part is maintaining good judgement regarding your own state even while you are sleep deprived.

 

I don't hate it when wealthy people win, but just for the record, I was "all in" to do this ride and had I not won, would have had to sell the bike immediately afterward to continue to pay the bills.

 

I had a lot of good advice regarding diet and carried a variety of foods. I am considering a seminar for those interested in optimizing their performance in next year's Hoka Hey which would include information on a variety of topics including diet.

In the meantime I am working on a website and learning to tweet.

Thanks to all for the congrats and good wishes. Riders are a great crowd. I may be scarce online for a couple of days as I am driving cross country and may not have internet til late in the week but will endeavor to answer questions and stay available on this forum whenever I can.