Having competed in La Carrera Panamericana and having attempted to send reports back to friends and family on a regular basis I know all too well how much of a challenge it can be. Besides finding a computer not to mention the time to get to one, as the race heats up, everyone begins to use up everything needed to stay on their A-game. They are not getting the amount of sleep they are accustomed to. The beds and pillows are not like the ones at home that feel so comfortable and familiar. The weather is different. And tension and anxiety begin to take it's toll on pilotos and teams. It's just part of racing and you either deal with it or you don't. I have seen men and women deal with it all as if they were pros that have done it for years. On the other hand I have witnessed some who thought they were pretty tough pack it up in the middle of the race and tell their team, "I'm outta here and on a plane in the morning. I can't take it any more."
It's also easy to see from a blogging side of things. Blogs that often started out with almost daily reports find longer gaps between each post. Having been there I have seen first-hand how and why. It's tough as hell dealing with it all. If I had it all to do over again I would try to have someone along whose sole purpose in life would be posting to the team blog.
I hope all the teams will just find some time to get away even if only for an hour and just have some "Me Alone" time. I remember in Zacatecas when my son and I went for a walk and talked about home and forgot entirely about the race. Then when we got back to our hotel it was as if a switch clicked and we were back at La Carrera Panamericana all freshly recharged and it was just a walk. One of the best I ever took.
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