Vapor Trail Part I: The Preamble

So I did Vapor Trail 125. Well, most of it anyway. Before I go into a detailed account of my race, I'd like to start with this.

A Request for Organizers/Promoters of Endurance XC Races

Over my actually kind of long career of racing, I have had the pleasure to compete in many different races in many different and unique regions of the country. Since my preferred form of cycle-based torture is long endurance races, many of the races I have attended have been supported by aid stations out on course. These aid stations run the gamut of nothing more than a dude with an easy-up in the woods and a bunch of water to a small full-service restaurant and bike shop. Most of them offer some kind of drink mix as well as a number of sweet and salty snacks for racer to gorge themselves on while wondering why they are going to leave the wonderful bounty of food laid out in front of them. A staple of aid station food at most endurance races in the peanut butter and jelly sandwich (PB & J hereon). The PB & J is, after all, a perfect source of energy for the trials ahead; it contains an ample amount of nutrients to keep a racer fueled up until the next aid station. Everyone loves a good PB & J mid-race right?

Well, not everyone. I, and probably a decent minority of other endurance racers, have a severe peanut allergy. Severe enough that if you eat your PB & J, then grab a handful of salty tortilla chips, then I come along and grab a handful of the same chips, I am risking going into antiphylactic shock in the woods, miles away from any medical care (and no, an EpiPen is not medical care. The EpiPen is only designed to keep you from dying before you get to the hospital). No, when I see a tray of PB & Js sitting on a food table at an aid station, it means that I'm not getting any food at that aid station. This makes it difficult to plan a nutrition strategy at races where you are limited to a certain number/size of drop bags.

My request is simple. I don't want to eliminate the PB & J from aid station food menus, I just want race promoters to remind their aid station volunteers to be cognizant of this very dangerous food allergy and to do their best to keep the PB & Js separate from the rest of the food. Maybe even put them on a separate table?

That's all... I'll be back later with Part II of my Vapor Trail story.