Ultra Prep, Part 1: Bring On the Weekend Weather Forecast!

Following yesterday's "training run," and subsequent evaluation of how I'm feeling, it appears as though I will be making the solo trek about an hour-and-a-half away to run in the BPAC 6-Hour Distance Classic.

Whether this is a good idea or a foolhardy lark will likely only be determined on Sunday evening after I have a) driven the 80 miles to suburban Buffalo, b) run about twenty six or so miles in six hours straight, and c) turned immediately around and drive home. Now that I have the correct date (Sunday rather than Saturday---as I had been posting prior too yesterday), I can begin to finalize preparations and expectations around how the day (and run) will go.

The greatest variable that will likely impact my performance (beyond training) is the weather. For me, it has always been an indicator of what might come to pass. Last fall, when I attempted to run the Rochester Marathon I ended up pulling out at mile 17 due to the extreme humidity and heat. On the more positive side, in November 2007 I ran the Mendon Trail Ultra (32.6 miles) in cool, cloudy drizzly conditions, which are much more preferable. The weather forecast for Sunday (as found on the Weather Channel's website) is:

Weather: Partly Cloudy, 72°F, 30% Humidity, Wind: From SSW at 9 mph; feels like 57°F.

It would appear that there will be a mix of the two "types" of weather for which I have gained experience running in. Now, I'm no weather person, but I would bet that there will be little actual precipitation (30% chance = thunderstorms?), but that it will indeed be warm (by April upstate New York standards anyway. The potential for this weather pattern doesn't concern me so much, as knowing is half the battle, and given the forecast, I can pack accordingly for some eventualities...

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!