Failure Modes Analysis

All we want to do is finish; that is all. While 28 hours would prolong the agony, if that's what we do it in, then that's what we'll do it in. We won't be chasing a time. Yes, 24 hours is a nice round number but if we simply cannot push the discovery through the water in that time then no amount of positive mental attitude is going to change that. It will be, what it will be. I have however been thinking a lot about things going wrong, not necessarily because I think they will but because I really don't want them to. I am in the lucky position of having completed the event last year but I am worried about something that I do or an injury that I sustain causing our retirement and meaning that  Adam does not see Westminster. I didn't think that I would be that fussed this year, that I would be the cool 'old hand' who would see us through but the closer we get the more I have the feeling that I really don't want to stuff up. It genuinely would be heartbreaking.

So, what could go wrong? Have we done everything that we can to avoid failure? Can we do anything else? These are the main things that I've been worrying / thinking about;

Breaking the boat. Don't drop it so have good technique when portaging and good communication. Don't roll the boat off your shoulder while the other crew is unaware. Have some putty with the support team to repair damage if possible. Carry an electrical block joint and small screwdriver in the boat to repair a broken rudder wire, but check the wires thoroughly before the race. Carry a spare rudder. Locktite all nuts. Check footbars / plates etc for damage. Take care of the boat on the course; it's got to go a long way.

Paddler injury. The really big unknown. Can you legislate for this? Well, I guess the better ones technique then the more you are doing to minimise this. So, technique, technique, technique. Ours is far from perfect but it's a hell of a lot better than it was 6 months ago.
Portaging injury? Again, good technique required. The fact that our boat is pretty heavy means that we have to shoulder carry so we should be minimising the risk of a wrist or lower arm injury. A lot of cockpit carrying, while faster could lead to problems later on. Don't fall over. If it's really muddy underfoot and you haven't got decent grip you're probably asking for trouble. Either get decent footwear or slow down.

Getting cold. Don't fall in!  Be in the right boat. If you must fall in, then get paddling again as quickly as possible. Ensure that your support always has a fresh base layer at every portage just in case to get out of your wet clothes as quickly as possible. I didn't need a full kit change; a new base layer, cag and BA back on; jobs a good 'un.

 Don't hang around too long on the night portages; everything begins to slow down so don't dawdle. Try to keep moving down the course.

Nutritional mistakes. Know what you can tolerate and eat little and often. If your stomach starts feeling heavy or bloated think about cutting back on your carbs and/or get your heart rate down if you're pushing too hard. Switch to water for a bit and get your stomach under control. We need to practise with our food and drink more over extended periods; we just have not done enough of this.

Support going wrong. Have two teams. Ensure they know the course and have good maps and directions. If it does go wrong - keep paddling, keep moving down the course. They'll find you eventually. Carry a phone if you need to and / or write your supports mobile number on your boat and get someone else to call. KEEP. PADDLING. DOWN. THE. COURSE.

Loosing positivity. Keep comunicating with each other. Ask how each other's doing. If there's a problem, talk it through and try to sort it. After 22 hours, even a wonky piece of duck tape can tip you over the edge, so sort it. If you get a headache, shoulder ache, neck ache, take some pain killers. Another 20 hours of paddling isn't going to make it better.

I'm sure there's a thousand other things but these are the main ones that keep coming back to haunt me.

Please don't let me screw this up.