I really find long rallies less stressful than short rallies. A 12-hour rally can be crazy as getting five minutes behind schedule can throw off your entire plan. Over a 11 day rally, if your plan goes off the rails for any number of reasons, you will probably have the time, even if it takes close to a day, to get your shit back together and then get back in the game.
I find events like the IBR to be very therapeutic. After a stressful month at work and in my personal life (I'm in the middle of a move), the IBR is going to be a vacation. My only job for 11 days is to ride, with a little bit of pressure and competitive spark thrown in to make it even more fun.
Regarding butterflies, not really. My pulse doesn't start to rise until I open the rally pack for the first time. That's when shit gets real.
Regarding prep, of course there are a few things you can't blow off and have to take care off months in advance: hotel reservations at start/checkpoint/finish, getting proper insurance levels, Medjet policy, etc... But at this point I don't require much prep to head off for a rally, even one as long as the IBR. Due to the length, I do take a few extra things: larger tool kit with some spares, ground pad for napping, my favorite protein bars and electrolyte replacement, bike cover.... But really, the only reason I've had to do extensive prep for this IBR is that my rally bike was destroyed during Butt Lite last summer. A damn 19 year old with no license, and who happened to be texting while driving, "decided" to run into the back of my bike at 35 mph while I was at a complete stop. I picked up a good used FJR last September and then proceeded to wait until April to start adding the farkles I had bought over the prior seven months.
In the last week, in addition to packing the bike, the only thing I've done is put on a fresh front tire (PR4 GT), change oil/filter, and change final drive oil (thanks Justin P for hosting me in your garage for the last two).
I definitely had to put much more advance thought into packing since the movers packed up my place last Friday, so if I didn't set it aside in advance, then I wasn't going to be able to take it. Moving out of my place the week before the IBR was not the best idea, but I really didn't have a choice as I am in the military and being transferred to D.C. the week after the IBR.
Some say it is good to have a long ride to the start as it gets your head in the game. I say BS, after the '13 IBR, I am glad I only have a five hour ride to the start/finish. I'll be leaving mid-morning on Friday.
At least the bike is ready and sitting safe in a 10x10 storage room.
