Bad Decisions - The Quest for a 100 miler

Alright, time to fess up.  In the latest "WTF idiot thing is Rae doing now?" I've been a little negligent at the updates.  Some of you know through the grapevine, but I've held off on a post for a few reasons - 

1.  It's probably the dumbest thing I've done

2. I wasn't sure I had the nerve to do it

3.  See reason #1.

But now that it's race week (what) it's about time to lay out the next adventure - the what, the where, the who, the why (LOL).  And this one's a doozy.

Post Boston, I was at a bit of loose ends for what I wanted out of the 2024 race season.  I'd spent 2022 and 2023 honing on some very specific goals, and 2024 eluded me a bit.  I already Boston Qualified (for 2025 if I want as well), and Kona 2024 isn't a thing unless I get a sex change (sorry, that's not the big news).  A sub 5 70.3 was up for debate, but I was lacking in the actual wanting to ride my bike (not new news) and I've only been swimming for the gossip and scenery (again, not new news).  That left running.  Which I like.  A lot.  But what to do with it?

As the universe usually does, it sends me some dumb new influence with really bad ideas when I need it most.  In 2019, it was a sub 6 quest. 2021, it was a bomb cyclone at World's.  This time, we upped the ante - I met a runner during Boston that made my bad choices look like amateur hour, and through the past few months, we've egged each other on to increasingly bad calls.  It's a red flag friendship that is a realllly bad idea because we don't have the ability to say "no".  Back in May, I crewed him at Mind the Ducks, the 12 hour looped one mile race I've done a few times - but this guy did it with a 50 pound pack, an somehow did 56 miles in 12 hours, which is my....non pack record.  WTF.  How could we do dumber than that?

Hold my beer (err....Kraken on the rocks).  Because whats dumber than a 12 hour looped race?  A 24 hour one.  Yep.  I didn't stutter.  The same guy that RD's Mind the Ducks also runs a race called "Candlelight 24 hour ultra" which is a one mile loop you run - as many times in 24 hours - as you can.

It's ridiculous.  It's stupid.  And eight weeks ago, I decided to do it.  So for the last two months, I've done a steady build, with many mid run back to back runs, one 100 mile week, and a long run of 40 miles. I pulled my prep plan off the internet and out of my butt.  Will it work?  I have no idea.  But why not test it out an see what happens?  (SMH).

The goal for race day?  If the weather cooperates, I want 100 miles.  The course sucks (sorry Gil).  It's almost half trail, more uphill than down, and not flat at all.  I hated it when I ran it at preview, so 100 laps sounds like a great idea, am I right??

As I sit here 5 days out, I have no clue what to expect.  I'm asking myself the dumbest questions like - what shorts to wear?  I run in coeur shorts, but what doesn't chafe at 40 miles, who TF knows at 100?  Same with socks....I don't run in socks.  Ever.  But hot damn that sounds dumb as hell (this is gonna be a game day decision, and yes, I will take feet pics (I can sell those on the internet, right? )) What do you eat for 24 hours???  My packing list ranges from snickers bars and coke to fireball, and the magnitude of this race is just unfathomable.

So like I always do, I'll head into it with my eyes up, a deep breath, and plan to have the best time of my life!  Will I get 100?  I'm gonna try my best.  And if I fall flat on my face, I'll shake it off and laugh and then get back up and try again.

Here's the big ask - if you've got an hour to spare this weekend, I would LOVE any cheers, jeers, or just throw fireball at me for an hour and tell me I'm an idiot :)  I will have a tent and camp chairs and a super enticing buffet table full of gu, coke, and aquaphor - what could be better than that?  (Don't answer that, Barry :-P)

The details:

Where: Rochester Rotary Sunshine Camp, 809 Five Points Rd, Rush, NY 14543

When: Saturday July 13 at 7am - Sunday July 14 at 7am

The why: To laugh at Rae (more than we normally do)

And if you can't make it - stay tuned for this hella crazy race recap, if I'm alive to write it! :)