I can't wait! I can't wait! I CAN'T WAIT!!!!

Serious race excitement going on here.  Just 4 days until the Cactus Rose 50 miler in Bandera, Texas!!  Folks have been lamenting the high temps predicted over the last couple of weeks, then I heard rumors of this:

Ahhhh!!!!  Woohoo!!

And I finally sit down to read the race doc, and this is what I see:

COURSE MARKINGS: We mark the course with bright yellow arrows & reflective ribbons. Also, we like to use the occasional red Wrong Way sign in places where we already know that you like to go, even if it is the wrong way. We do not use glow sticks now that we know how much better the reflective flags work. As long as you have a good light, the reflective material can be seen much better than an old fading glow stick. Still, it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO STAY ON THE COURSE. If you get off course, return to the place where you got off. A good thing to keep in mind is that the person you are following might not know where he is going. Just because he's faster does not mean he's smarter. If you do blindly follow a person off course, you have become a LEMMING and deserve the extra distance for your mental laziness. Remember to tell me when you are done so I can charge you for the extra distance you did not pay for.

Heehee!! This is why I LOVE these races.  No whining or complaining tolerated.  Take care of yourself.  There is no hand-holding here - especially at CR.  This is designed for veteran trail runners, and it is pretty bare bones.  It is a physical feat to run it, but it is also a lesson in strategy.  Bad decisions = DNF.  Heck, there is a pretty decent chance of DNF'ing (Did Not Finish) while making only good decisions.  Bad decisions just insure that fate.

I will be shopping tonight for all of my supplies, and I will add a post about prep for this race - it is different even from any other ultra I do, and THAT is what makes it so exciting!!  I can't wait! I can't wait!  I CAN'T WAIT!!!  Woohoo!!! :)

Happy Running Y'all!!
Edie