Buckle Quest - Part I - The Pre-Race Prep

In the week before a 24 hour race, it can be hard to focus on anything but the race. I spent a lot of time making lists, choosing my outfit(s), and gear.

The night before we left, I finished packing. I took pictures to give you an idea of the logistics and planning that went into the event.

A significant issue with running for that long can be the weather. It is obviously hard to predict what you may need at 2:00 am days in advance. With that thought in mind, I packed a lot of clothes. I planned on multiple changes and layering options to prepare for anything the spring weather may throw at me.

Included: 2 bras, 2 hats (1 for day, 1 for cold night), 3 shirts (2 short sleeved, 1 long), 1 pair gaiters, 1 pair gloves, 2 pair socks, 2 pair shorts, 1 pair pants, 1 running jacket, and finally 2 pairs of shoes.

Next came the medical supplies.

Included: baby wipes, blister care kit, Tums, Body Glide, sunscreen, Vaseline, ibuprofen, head lamps + extra batteries, pain spray.

Another important aspect of ultra running is the food. The aid stations have been great at all 3 I have ran, but sometimes you have a specific craving and that option is not available. This is what I brought:

In order to keep as organized as possible, I separated our stuff into different bags. Each one was specific to weather or time of day. I also put everything into a wide, shallow tub so we could find things without having to look very hard.

We packed everything up and drove to Riverside on Friday. We set up our tent for Friday night sleeping and for Colby on Saturday night.

After a great dinner with friends, we set up our barn stall we were sharing with the Jester Nation.

We set everything up in advance, with the hope of having a stress-free morning. I AM NOT A CAMPER, so I was nervous about sleeping out there, but all went pretty well, with the exception of our farting, pacing, grunting neighbor:

Next up - Buckle Quest, Part II - Running the Goat