Quote Originally Posted by tenn_hiker View Post
And now I remember why I usually don't post things on here..
Well, you could have announced that you were going to do it closer to your start and said you thought you had a good chance because you're in really good shape and/or have a lot of willpower. Then the rest of us would sit back and wait for signs of your inevitable failure to break the record. That usually happens on day 1. You'd be one of many that hit the trail without the experience that are doomed to failure.

The record is very tough to beat right now, and I don't believe any amount of physical fitness or willpower can allow the record to be broken without a good deal of experience. Now if you don't necessarily have to have that experience yourself, but it means having a really good support team that can give you tips on how to waste the least amount of time in camp/town, carry the least amount of weight, how to cope with closures and fires, deal with illness or injuries and all the other things that come with a great deal of experience. You can't afford to make many small mistakes.