MTB Tweaks!

I am currently prepping for Tahoe MTB 100K race on July 17. I had tried MTBing about 6 years ago but didn't enjoy it for some unknown reason. But I picked it up again while we were quarantining last year in the Sierras, and I haven't looked back since. My trusty old Specialized Camber FSR has served me well, but I wanted something lighter that I can call more of a "racing machine", so I splurged on the Ibis DV9 hardtail. Many had recommended to go with HT as it is stiffer, lighter and good enough for most California trails. 

I love my DV9, but even after some initial tweaks, I was not feeling 100% comfortable on that bike. More so, as I am training for the 100K, I have been trying to do some 5-6hr rides on Saturdays but just haven't been able to nail one until today. After 3 weekends of botched rides, I decided to make some concrete changes to how I was approaching these long training rides. So without further adieu, here are the tweaks I made:

1. Shorter 30mm stem and raised it by 1 spacer: This brought the cockpit and relative position to the saddle much closer to the measurements on my other MTB (Specialized) which is super comfy.
2. Seat height adjustment to match leg extension to that on my other MTB: Upon close assessment I felt my legs were feeling but bit more extended on my DV9 compared to the Specialized. Dropping the seat post by just half a cm seems to feel much better.
3. Used both isotonic (Hi5) and non-isotonic (GU) gels (alternating): This probably had the most bang for the buck. Only GU+chews was making me nauseous and drowsy after ingesting all that sugar for 4+ hours. I had tried Hi5 (and also UCAN) in the past but it didn't work for me. Recently I read somewhere that isotonic gels (longer glucose molecules) have a different metabolic pathway (through the liver) than non-isotonic gels (simpler fructose molecules) that get absorbed in the small intestine. By consuming both, one can increase the rate of energy absorption significantly. Today was only 1 data point, but I will continue to test this theory in the coming weeks.
4. Consumed more salt (3 Nuun tabs instead of 2 in 1 bottle of water): Well, it was HOT, so more salt. That's pretty much a no-brainer.
5. Closely watched HR throughout the ride and paced myself better.
6. Picked clean lines with no jumps: I like going DH fast and jumping over small rocks and obstacles. But the downside of it is that it tires my arms, and the legs take a beating, especially with a HT. Today I tried to pick clean smooth lines as much as I could, which I believe reduced the stress significantly.
7. Didn't go crazy on the DH: Mostly for reasons mentioned in #6, and also tried not to spend all DH time out of the saddle although that is difficult with a HT.
8. Walked some technical short climbs where I'd otherwise burn quite a few matches: There are at least 5 different short technical patches where one needs to really put the power down while also shifting the weight forward AND picking the right line AND on occasion getting over ledges/rocks. 
9. Dropped the pressure in the front suspension -- it was way too high for my weight -- and it made a world of difference