The Unbreakable Rules Of Attending An Endurance Race

I did not prepare myself for the 2024 Rolex 24, and as a result, I diedScreenshot: Samsung Health

My biggest mistake at this year’s Rolex 24 actually began in the weeks leading up to the event: I did not prepare myself.

If you’re doing the Rolex right, you’re going to be running around like a chicken with your head cut off for far more than 24 straight hours. In one weekend, you’re going to walk tens of thousands of steps, ruin your sleep schedule, and enact hateful crimes against your own body. To mitigate that, you’re going to want to prepare.

There are lots of definitions of “prepare” in this context, but I highly recommend one thing: Walking around with a full backpack.

It sounds trivial, but if you’re emerging from a restful winter hibernation and immediately hitting the race track, your body is not going to be ready. I max out at, like, 1,000 steps a day during a normal week; at the Rolex, I walked 40,000 steps in the course of two days. My feet, hips, and legs are currently dead; add onto that the fact that I was carrying around a heavy backpack, and my core, back, and shoulders also ache. If you can prevent that kind of shock to your body, you’re going to have a much better time at the race because you’ll be able to do more without feeling exhausted.