Race preview: Run Like the Wind 24-Hour Run

WHERE ARE WE GOING?
Austin, Texas

WHEN?
Saturday, Dec. 3

WHY?
Run Like the Wind 24-Hour Run

NO REALLY, WHY?
Playing off of my 12-hour run over Labor Day weekend, I picked another timed race that will give me a crack at my first 100 without having to worry about a DNF. This should also be a learning experience as I prepare for Rouge-Orleans, where there will be no margin for error.

WHO ELSE IS GOING?
Last year's race had 8 entrants. The year before had 15. So I'm guessing there will be between 8 and 15 runners. There are 12-, 6- and 3-hour events also.

WHAT'S THE FORECAST?
The forecast has been gyrating wildly for the last week... cold, warm, rain, no rain. The current forecast is somewhere in the middle of what it's been, so that's what I'll plan for: cloudy and low 50s at the start, warming to the low 60s before the wind picks up and rain rolls in after dark with a low in the low 40s. This will take some creative wardrobing, it appears.

HOW DO WE WIN?

The course is a 1,000-meter mulchy loop. That means I'll need 162 loops to hit 100 miles. After the 12-hour race, a 46-mile training run a few weeks ago and volunteering overnight at Ultracentric last weekend, I don't think mental fatigue will be a problem. It'll just be a matter of how my legs and feet hold up.