Turning the Game Upside Down

Running a race typically means that I run the given distance as quickly as the day lets me. Half Marathon, Marathon, 50k.... whatever. I start with X amount of miles to go. I finish when X amount of miles are done. The end. It's good for my head. I can do math along the way:

- 14 miles to go
- 2 more Paynetowns to go (Paynetown is a 6 mile trail loop I do all the time. Now it is also a unit of measurement).
- 9 miles to go. YAY I'm in single digits!
- 5 miles to go, so at 5 miles per hour I'm done in an hour!
- Easy Threesy to go! (or a 5k)

As you can see, I'm a counting down kinda gal.

So, what do I do when there is no set number of miles? Well, first off I have a mild panic attack because I resist change. But THEN I get very curious. And THEN, before I know it...

I'VE SIGNED UP FOR A 12 HOUR RACE!!

It's next weekend. 12 hours of running, in June. This is easily my worst idea or best idea yet.

A couple of friends that have a habit of talking me into all kinds of stupid running ideas planted this one in my head too. They actually ran the race last year and went on and on and on about how cool it was. I resisted at first, saying that I have no interest in such a thing. But the more they talked about it, the more interested i became in the idea.

This kind of race turns my game completely upside down. And that's kind of exciting! Also, a little terrifying.... but I chose to focus on the exciting. I keep telling people I'm shooting from somewhere between ten and forty miles. I like to give myself a bit of a cushion. But this also isn't a goal race of any sort. More of an experiment.

How do I plan and pack for this race? I have no idea. All I know is that I have a cooler and a LOT of liquid. All I can think about for this race is liquid and ice. And that's as far as I've gotten. Thankfully I still have a few more days to come up with a bit more of a plan.....