24 Hour Ultra: Already Feeling The Love

The 24-hour ultra challenge is this Saturday and I'm pleased to report I am feeling MUCH calmer about it. I finally got it in my head that I'm just going to go out there and see what happens. If I make it the full 24 hours, awesome. If I make it for 12 hours, okay. If I run screaming from the 1-mile loop after 30 minutes...well... who among us will really be surprised?

I have to say I have been overwhelmed with support from my running community. Friends are sending me e-mails, good wishes, and I have a whole host of people showing up at different times during the day to run a few laps with me and offer encouragement. Given that this race is over an hour outside of Greensboro, that's a quite a time commitment for someone to do on a Saturday. I've been so touched this week by the generosity of my friends. I've said it before and I'll keep saying it - the best thing running has brought me is friends. Wonderful, supportive, fun, loving, caring people. I'm so lucky. 

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24-Hour Ultra - In Or Out? I Can't Decide...

Some of you may recall that back in July I signed up for my first ultra. A 24-hour race on just under a 1 mile loop trail. People said I was crazy. I scoffed.

I'm not scoffing any longer. The race is next weekend and I am FREAKING OUT. So much so, that I called my sole sister Cindy (the only person who signed up to do this race with me, btw) today and told her I couldn't do it. I was out. Back in July when it was light until 10 pm and there was no biting wind at night, it seemed like a good idea. Now, it just seems stupid. I gave her my list of reasons for bailing: 

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