Don't ride in a group. Although moral support might be nice, when you're in a group you travel at the speed of the slowest rider. Each puncture, each breakdown, each rest stop is cumulative and affects the whole group. Ride solo, go with people who match your pace, chat with them, have a laugh, and if you need to stop, let them go. Or if they stop, you can carry on.

Don't be fanatical about checking in before eating and sleeping. You can lose half an hour or more in a long queue. If you have time in hand, and the queue for the check in is long, go chow. check in later. If the queue for chow is long, and it's day time, ride on to the nearest town and buy some bread and ham, or whatever. Don't let your ride be ruled by queues.

Take a digital camera, take photos. After the ride, the days will be one blur, very hard to remember things.

PBP is hard mentally rather than physically. It's hard to get enough sleep. If the weather's good and you have time in hand just crash and sleep wherever, in a ditch, under a tree.

I'm not doing PBP this year (sob) but next tiem round I'll be 49. Ideal to do it just before 50!