OK so here's the real scoop on most of the dos and don'ts.
YOU: Don't carbo load. Do make sure you eat properly and clean all the time though, or at least the week of the race. (Now) Night before have a normal portion mostly carb meal with some protein. Do eat breakfast race morning, at least 4 hours prior to race time. 5-10 minutes before race, eat gel, and every half hour after that during the race depending on how long it is. Do hydrate several days before the race, not just the night before. On a hot day, take some electrolytes in some form to prevent cramping. Endurolytes, NUUN, etc. Don't train hard within two days of the race if you can help it. Two days before, or day before, go out for an easy ride and include a couple hard efforts maybe 2-5 minutes long, to wake up your muscles but not tire them. You should WANT to hammer at this point, but hold back. Do warm up easy before the race, at least a half hour or so depending on your race length. I include one or two hard efforts in the warmup to jack your HR. It won't feel good and you'll probably want to stop. You definitely want to feel that in your warmup and not in the race if you can help it, unless you're a badass like me and don't feel pain. :laughing: That way when you take off on the start you are acclimated to the pain already. Bring Camelbak for longer races. If you prehydrate you can probably go an hour without water, but do what you want on that. Bottles are a pain, get dirty, get lost, and are hard to drink from when MTBing.
BIKE: Same shit, different day. Unless you have race wheels, just ride what you always have been riding and same tire pressures. Lube chain well. I never bring spares, because if I flat or have a mechanical, my race is over. Do what you want on that.
STRATEGY: That will depend on your goals and attitude towards racing. I will tell you this though, the more people in front of you at the start when you get into the singletrack, the slower you will go and lower you will finish. Decide if you want to attack the race, just survive, or make friends. :laughing: