The only thing to do in a situation like this is laugh. You better laugh at your plight during the Lone Star Hundred otherwise you will just curl up in the fetal position on the side of the trail and ball your eyes out. Everything about this race is funny. Runners signed up for it, me included, so we have no excuses. The length, altitude, total elevation gain, abundance of sharp rocks, steepness of trails and prickly vegetation are all ridiculous! Throw in some West Texas weather and you are in for a wild ride. At least the rattlesnakes are mostly dormant this time of year. Mostly.
The wonderful folks at Trail Racing Over Texas put on the Lone Star Hundred in the Franklin Mountains State Park in El Paso, TX. They offer 100K and 100 mile distances as well as relays. I signed up for the 100 miler knowing damn well what I was getting myself into because I train out here every weekend. I knew I would be trying to tackle three 33.5 mile loops with about 6500 feet of vert on each lap.