Just like last year, the decision to start the run at night was last minute. This way if I had to be home at 2:30 p.m. to watch the kids for two hours I wouldn't have to drive home, go back out in the late afternoon, and possibly contend with thunderstorms in the evening. I could just focus on running one course and then the next without any detours or distractions.
I also vowed not to repeat a few major mistakes from my 2022 Ultra Challenge:
1. Do not attempt to run the longest trail course in the dark, even if it's one of the first courses you do.
2. Make sure to have a functioning Lightning cable in the car to charge your iPhone so you don't have to knock on the race director's door after running 50 miles and beg for a spare one because you rely on RunGo for the final course.
Getting Lime Hollow done in daylight was imperative. I'm not over familiar with Lime Hollow Nature Preserve's convoluted network of short, twisty trails. There are plenty of opportunities to take wrong turns, especially in the dark. I also wasn't sure if I'd get busted by the cops or a ranger if someone spotted my car in the lot at some ungodly hour. The course is a 30-minute drive
