Guillaume Calmettes Quads

#BM100 #SET21 The Barkley is the ultimate revealer of truth. Most will find out that they are not as tough as they hoped they would be(or as most perceive them to be); a select few will become legends. All will be grateful and better for the experience. ~Henry Speir

#BM100 #SET18(cont) Furthermore, the Barker who fancies himself a 5 looper, a training week of +/-30k ft would be a minimum to shoot for and +/-50k ft shouldn't be considered as "too much" (attrib: Brian Robinson, Mike Tilden, Jim Nelson and other successful Barkers since).

#BM100 #SET18 Navigating around the Barkley course is no doubt a challenge. However, the primary driver for causing the once aspiring Barker to quit(direct or indirect) is the cumulative effect of the brutal climbs and descents. See: Barkley self-evident truths #1 and #3. ~H.S.

#BM100 #SET18 Corr: In training for the Barkley, a focus on miles trained per week is not nearly as useful as an approach that prioritizes elevation gained/loss per week. A logbook of 100+ mile weeks is useless if those miles are not also accompanied with significant climbing.

#BM100 #SET17 Implicit in your desire to enter the Barkley, and subsequently being granted entry into the event, is your steadfast commitment to self-extract, if necessary, and make your way back to camp on your own power, accept under the most extreme of circumstances. ~H.S.

#BM100 #SET#16 (cont) its features and how they are all interconnected; how the trails are all interconnected and how the Barkley course fits and flows within/around the park. (attrib: Jonathan Basham; also: Laz, Furtaw, others) (2/2)

#BM100 #SET16 Knowledge and understanding of the actual Barkley course and how to navigate around it is fundamental to success and goes without saying. However, equally as important and useful, but often overlooked, is the "big picture" mental map of the park, (1/2)

#BM100 #SET16 Corollary: Do not underestimate the value of running the official marked trails within FHSP. Both directions. Multiple times. Every. Single. Trail

#BM100 #SET15 Cor 2: The best comprehensive Barkley training is during the event itself; if you are in, keep moving forward-your next chance is at minimum a year, but more likely more than a year away! But you must move with dispatch, ever mindful of Barkley self-evident truth#3

#BM100 SET#15 Corollary 1: "Mudder/Death Race/Tough Guy/OCR" type running events and experience are even more useless.

#BM100 SET#15 (cont) That is not to say that it's not useful at all; it's just not as useful in preparing you for the Barkley as you likely assume it to be. See: Barkley self-evident truths #1 and #5.

#BM100 SET#15 Realize that all that trail running training and experience you have is only tangentially useful at being successful at the Barkley. Furthermore, some of the experience and habits you've gained in this pursuit can even be somewhat counterproductive at the Barkley.

In an attempt to distract the brains of this operation while we were climbing, I was sharing the Self-evident Truths of Barkley. @henryspeir deserves full credit for creating & sharing this information. #BM100

sleep & a trek to fire tower are in order....#AllezAllez2023

#BM100 It took us 7 minutes to get in & out onto Loop 2. *I* was ready to go after 2 minutes. Allez Allez!

#BM100 SET#14 If you haven't spent much time with a USGS 7.5 min topo quad and a compass and utilized these to navigate in unfamiliar territory; and you can't tell the difference between a draw and a spur on said quad go back, reread and double down on Barkley SET #8

#BM100 SET#13 While "Out There" the course is in command; between loops, YOU are in command. The successful Barker will visualize, plan and parsimoniously manage every minute between loops. What you do or fail to do here could be the beginning of the end of your Barkley outing.

#BM100 SET#12 Corollary 1: The Barkley virgin is much less likely to be scrapped at night as with additional set of lights and pair of eyes, the virgin now becomes less parasitic. See: Barkley self-evident truth #9

#BM100 Self-evident Truth#12 All other things being equal, during the nighttime, the successful Barker will leverage pairing and teamwork possibilities with those around him. Being ever mindful, of course, of Barkley self-evident truth #11.

#BM100 We'll be coming around the mountain when we come!!! Allez! Almost time to eat!