New York Fun Run

While reading Dean Karnazes's "Ultra Marathon Man," I got wild delusions of running the Western States 100 and earning a shiny new belt buckle. The thought of a brutal, day long, run/hike through snow, over mountains, and across rivers sounded like the perfect way to spend a weekend.
In just over a month, I'll be a little closer to possibly realizing my dream (most people's nightmare). On April 12, I'm going to be participating in a 50 mile endurance race in Bear Mountain, New York. In order to run the WS100 you need to complete another "ultra" in a specific amount of time, volunteer a number of hours at a race or doing trail work, AND have your name drawn in a lottery system. Hopefully I'll complete the NY race in under 11 hours and I'll be able to get my name in the lottery for the 2009 WS100. My actual goal for my first 50 miler is 9hours. Which is a 10:48 pace. As long as I can go out slow, I'm confident that I will be at the tape in plenty of time for the awards ceremony, 10 hours after the 5:00am start.
Maine winters and hectic work schedules aren't very conducive to training for an ultra, but I've been hitting the YMCA 4 to 5 times a week for varied workouts: 8 mile jaunts around the 1/12 mile track, hills on the treadmill, 10 milers, speed workouts, and snowshoeing on the weekends. Unfortunately this past weekend I got as sick as I ever remember being, so I haven't been active for almost a full week, so the month leading up to the event is going to be that much more crucial.
For more info on this insanity check this out.