Craving the thrill (and slight insanity) of back-to-back racing?

Whether you’re eyeing a Spartan Trifecta weekend, the Broken Arrow Skyrace Triple Crown, or the legendary Marathon des Sables, multi-stage events blend excitement with elective suffering. But without the right preparation, an epic adventure can quickly turn into a death march.

Back-to-back races demand more than just toughness.

You’ll battle cumulative fatigue, delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), glycogen depletion, tricky fueling puzzles, and the mental strain of gearing up for another hard effort.

The good news?

You can absolutely train and recover strategically to crush these big (and often scary) goals. With the right training, nutrition, recovery, and mental preparation, you’ll not only survive multiple start lines—you’ll thrive on them.

In this article, you’ll learn how to build robust endurance, develop fatigue resistance, master race-day nutrition and hydration, and optimize recovery. Let’s make sure you’re not just crossing finish lines—you’re dominating them.

Training for Back-to-Back Racing Success

When you’re facing multiple start lines in a single weekend, it’s not just your endurance that matters—it’s your fatigue resistance that makes the difference.

Fatigue resistance (also called durability) is how well you hold your performance as tiredness builds. As Coach David Roche explains in Trail Runner Magazine, “Fatigue resistance is the extent of performance deterioration late in events, often unexplained by normal physiological profiling while fresh.”

In simpler terms: the better your fatigue resistance, the harder you can close on tired legs—and the stronger you’ll feel across consecutive races.

Fortunately, fatigue resistance can be trained. Here are five strategies to help you sharpen it before race weekend.

5 Training Strategies for Building Fatigue Resistance

1. Back-to-Back Long Runs
2. Doubling
3. Moderate Running Finishers
4. Downhill-Specific Workouts
5. Weighted Hiking

As an important note, these example workouts should be tailored to your ability and experience level. Avoid adding a brand new training intervention into your training too close to your race.

Back-to-back long runs: If you want confidence heading into a multi-day event, stacking back-to-back long runs is your bread-and-butter workout. The goal is simple: combine two runs on consecutive days so that their total volume (distance or vertical gain) mirrors your event’s demands.

• Day 1: Longer, higher-quality effort to simulate race intensity.
  
• Day 2: Slightly shorter, done easy or with some moderate work to train recovery under fatigue.
  

Back-to-back long runs are best used during peak training weeks, at least 3–4 weeks before race day to allow full adaptation.

Why does it work? Running long on tired legs teaches your body to recover faster and maintain efficiency under fatigue. It’s also a chance to fine-tune fueling and hydration under race-like conditions.Tip for short distance back-to-back races (like a Spartan Sprint & Super): Focus less on volume and more on mimicking intensity across both days. Occasionally practice two hard sessions stacked close together to stress your lactate tolerance—but don’t race your training too often, and avoid cramming these runs too close to race day.

Example Back-to-Back Long Run for an Athlete Preparing to Race the Broken Arrow Triple Crown (Ascent, 46K, 23K):

Day 1: Quality long run (15-20 miles) on race-specific terrain that includes a VO2 workout followed by threshold intervals. This could look like 5 rounds of 1 minute on (RPE 8-9)/1 minute off, followed by 3×10 minutes (RPE 7) with 2 minutes easy running between reps. For advanced athletes, they could also add in 20-30 minutes at (RPE 5-6) before wrapping up with easy miles.

Day 2: Medium-long run (13-18 miles) on race-specific terrain that includes an uphill tempo embedded into the run. This could look like a steady uphill tempo of 20-30 minutes at RPE 6 in between easy miles.If you’re a newer runner or if you’re feeling wrecked from the previous day of quality, opt for an easy, but still long run on the second day.

Double Workouts (Doubling): two workouts in a single day is another powerful way to build fatigue resistance. It challenges your body to recover rapidly between sessions, mimicking the quick turnarounds of multi-race weekends.

• Morning: Prioritize speed or endurance (intervals, tempo, or moderate effort runs).
  
• Evening: Focus on endurance or threshold work—or opt for cross-training or incline hiking if you’re injury-prone.
  

Doubling forces you to practice rest, fueling, hydration, and even mid-day recovery strategies like napping.

Start slow: Introduce just one double session per week at first. Monitor recovery closely and add more only if your body handles the extra stress. Remember—the goal isn’t to crush yourself, but to train for consistent performance under cumulative fatigue.

Example Double for an Athlete Preparing to Race a Spartan Trifecta Weekend: 

AM Workout: 2 rounds of 2x400m, 2 rounds of 4x200m

After a warm up, run 2 sets of:

• 2x 400m at 5K to mile pace (start slower than 5K pace and progress from there if needed), 200m easy jog recovery between reps
• 4x 200m at mile to slightly faster than mile pace (option to start slower than mile pace and progress as you go), 200m jog or walk between reps
• 3 minutes easy jogging between sets

Cool down with 10-20 minutes easy jogging

PM Workout: Uphill Treadmill Tempo

After a 10-15 minute warm up, run at a race-specific incline on the treadmill for 20-30 minutes at a “fun” hard effort (usually RPE 6-7). Cool down with 10-20 minutes of easy running.

Related: 5 Incline Treadmill Workouts to Improve Your Running

Moderate Running Finishers: After a hard workout, extend your session with 5–10 minutes of moderate-effort running instead of shutting down immediately.
This builds the ability to sustain pace when fatigue makes even moderate effort feel tough—exactly what you’ll need on day two or three of racing.

• Start small: 5–10 minutes at moderate effort (RPE 5–6)
  
• Progress gradually: work up to 20 minutes over time
  
• Optional: sub uphill treadmill running or cycling if dealing with injury history
  

Example Moderate Running Finisher: After a sufficient warmup, run 10×1-minute hard hills (RPE 8-9) with 60s jog between reps followed by 10 minutes of moderate running (RPE 5-6) before cooling down.

The goal isn’t extra mileage—it’s conditioning your body to stay efficient under fatigue. Newer runners or those who struggle with injury may want to opt for shorter bouts of moderate running after big workouts. 

Downhill-Specific Workouts: Uphills get the glory, but downhills are where your legs take the real beating—especially across multiple race days. Eccentric muscle contractions during descents shred muscle fibers, leading to lingering soreness and cumulative fatigue.

The fix? Downhill-specific workouts.

• Regularly run moderate-grade descents, gradually increasing time and intensity.
• Focus less on speed, more on muscular durability so your quads aren’t wrecked after race one. (Bonus: you’ll also get faster downhill!)
• If you’re new to downhill-specific workouts, these types of sessions should be done 7 weeks prior to racing to allow for recovery
  

No hills nearby? Use a treadmill with negative incline or substitute slow, weighted step-downs to build similar eccentric strength.

Consistency and gradual exposure are key—train your muscles to adapt, not revolt when the downhills stack up.

Example of a Downhill-Specific Workout:  After a thorough warm up, find a moderately steep, runnable downhill (10-20% decline) with approximately 1000 ft of vertical loss. Run downhill hard for 4-8 x 60s. These reps should challenge your comfort and expose the quads to eccentric contractions. Focus on rapid cadence, quick turnover, and gentle landings to minimize braking impact. Recover between reps with easy running or hiking uphill. 

Weighted Hiking: Weighted hiking (aka rucking) is an underrated but brutally effective way to build fatigue resistance, strength, and race-day durability.

• Start light: 5–10% of your body weight; advanced athletes can build to 15–20%.
  
• Increase weight or duration gradually over time.
  
• Focus on steep or sustained climbs to maximize adaptations.
  

Weighted hikes are lower-impact than running but strengthen legs, hips, core, and upper body—essential for obstacle racing and mountainous events. As a bonus, these weighted hikes simulate race-day stress (like carrying sandbags or heavy packs) without excessive pounding, making it a smart tool for injury-prone athletes.

Example Weighted Hike: Warm up with 15-20 minutes of easy, unweighted hiking or running. On an uphill treadmill or stairmill add a loaded pack and hike for 4-6 x 15 minutes (RPE 5-6) with 5 minutes easy between sets (RPE 2-3). Cool down with 10-15 minutes easy unweighted hiking. 

Important note: weighted hikes aren’t intended to be high intensity cardio sessions–save that for your running workouts. To build strength and resilience you’re better off loading your pack heavier and moving slower rather than using less weight and attempting to run or hike faster.  This slow pace / high resistance often results in a lower heart rate for a given RPE;  let the legs outwork the heart with these workouts.

If all of that training makes you tired just reading about it (and even if it doesn’t), you’ll want to prioritize the next section—because recovery is what transforms training stress into performance gains.

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Recovery Practices for B2B Racing Success

Here’s the harsh truth of multi-day racing: you can train your legs off, but without nailing recovery, you’ll probably find yourself stumbling (literally) by day two. If training provides the spark, recovery is the firewood keeping your flame alive. Simply put, stress without rest is just stress—and racing multiple times in a weekend is a whole lot of stress.

In this section, we’ll tackle critical recovery practices to keep your body and mind race-ready, including nutritional strategies for glycogen replenishment, hydration protocols to manage electrolytes, and practical ways to get great sleep. We’ll also explore active recovery techniques to reduce soreness and prime your muscles for back-to-back days of type 2 fun.

Nutrition & Hydration for B2B Racing

In back-to-back racing, nutrition and hydration aren’t just about performance—they’re about recovery.

Your ability to bounce back between races depends on three key factors:

• Glycogen replenishment (restoring carbohydrate stores)
  
• Muscle protein synthesis (repairing muscle damage)
  
• Hydration status (regulating temperature, nutrient transport, and inflammation control)

The more attention you give these after each effort, the better you’ll feel—and the stronger you’ll race on day two and beyond.

Glycogen Replenishment: High Octane Engine Fuel

Think of your muscle and liver glycogen as the gas in your tank. As you run faster and further, your fuel tank gradually diminishes its stores. When you eat enough carbohydrates in your daily diet, glycogen is replenished over 12-16 hours. However, in the context of racing something like a Spartan Super in the morning and a Sprint in the afternoon, you’re going to have to be more intentional with glycogen replenishment–especially if you also raced a Beast on the prior day.

• Timing matters
  • Refuel within 30–60 minutes post-race.
  • Pair carbs with protein to enhance glycogen synthesis.
  • Avoid high-fat foods immediately post-race (they slow absorption).
• Carbohydrate Type matters: focus on quick-digesting carbs: recovery drinks, white rice, cereals, chocolate milk.
• Carbohydrate Quantity matters
  • Aim for 1–1.2g carbs per kg bodyweight per hour for the first 4–6 hours post-race.
    • (Example: A 70 kg athlete = 70–84g carbs per hour = ~280–500g total.)
• Carbohydrate Loading: you can boost glycogen stores prior to endurance events (90+ minutes), by carb-loading. This can significantly enhance your ability to sustain high-intensity efforts on back-to-back days.
  • 8–12g carbs per kg/day for 36–48 hours before racing–yes that is A LOT of carbs!
  • Prioritize low-fiber, high-carb foods—and lean on liquids if appetite is low.
  • Practicing carb-loading strategies during training helps identify foods that work best for you come race weekend.

Key takeaway: nail your carb intake before, between, and after races to stay fueled and ready for the next start line.

Muscle Protein Synthesis: Repair & Rebuild

Running is a catabolic activity, meaning that it creates muscle breakdown. In order to adapt to your training run, the body undergoes muscle protein synthesis which repairs the damaged muscle fibers and mitochondria, making them even more resilient to subsequent training. When you’re racing in back-to-back events, your muscles are under more stress with even less recovery time. If you eat to support muscle protein synthesis between events, by eating enough protein and timing it properly, you can avoid severe muscle soreness and feel a bit fresher on the next start line. 

• Timing matters
  • Take in protein and carbs within 30–60 minutes post-race.
    
• Protein quantity and type matters:
  • Prioritize complete proteins (especially whey isolate).
  • Plant-based? Use a blend (pea, rice, soy).
  • Target 20–30g protein per recovery meal, rich in leucine (2–3g leucine per serving).
  • For deep endurance recovery on the mitochondrial level, 30–45g protein may be even better.
• Menstrual cycle may impact protein needs: for athletes with a menstrual cycle, during the luteal phase, amino acid oxidation increases—consider slightly higher protein intake if needed.
• Consider Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs):
  • If racing longer than 3–4 hours, 5–10g BCAAs/hour can help limit muscle breakdown (especially when full meals aren’t practical).
  • Remember, BCAAs aren’t a stand-in for whole foods or complete sources of protein!

Key takeaway: Get your protein in early and often to rebuild muscles between races.

Hydration: Keep All Systems Running Smoothly

Hydration doesn’t just mean drinking water when you feel thirsty. It’s finding the right combination of fluid and electrolytes for your physiology and the race-day environment. Hydration is arguably more important than fueling; losing as little as 2-3% of your bodyweight in fluid can negatively impact your endurance performance. In terms of recovery, proper hydration helps the body flush waste products, regulate body temperature, manage inflammation, and deliver nutrients to muscles.

While the recommendations below are generalized for all athletes, it’s important to recognize the individuality of sweat rate and sweat sodium concentrations. Some athletes lose as little as 200 mg of sodium per liter of sweat, while others lose up to 2,000 mg of sodium per liter! If you struggle with persistent cramping or GI issues, it might be worth investing in a sweat sodium test and/or working with a sports nutrition dietitian or coach who can help you identify the root causes and refine your hydration approach. 

Hydration Recommendations for Endurance Performance

• Pre-Exercise:
  • Drink 8–24 oz of fluids 4 hours before your race.
  • Take in another 4–12 oz (with sodium) 2 hours before start time.
  • As start time approaches, fluid intake quantities reduce
  • Heavy sweaters? Consider sodium pre-loading.
• During Exercise:
  • Aim for 12–32 oz fluids/hour, depending on sweat rate.
  • Sodium intake: 300–500 mg/hour for most athletes; up to 1,000–2,000 mg/hour for heavy sweaters or hot conditions.
  • Prioritize electrolyte products with enough sodium, not just potassium or magnesium—read labels carefully.
    
• Post-Exercise:
  • Rehydrate with 16–24 oz of fluid per pound lost.
  • Good pre-race hydration minimizes the deficit you need to make up later.
  • Note: If you’re subject to anti-doping tests and you’re attending an event with vendors offering IV infusions for rehydration and recovery, anti-doping agencies prohibit IV infusions and/or injections of more than 100mL (~6.8 tablespoons) per 12 hour period that are administered outside of a clinical, surgical, or hospital setting. 

• Individualize Your Plan:
  • Practice hydration strategies in training.
  • Estimate sweat rate with tools like Gatorade Sports Science calculators.
  • Consider a sweat sodium test (like Precision Fuel & Hydration) if you have frequent GI issues, cramping, or extreme sweating.

Key Takeaway: Start hydrated, stay hydrated, and personalize your plan based on real training data—not guesses.

With nutrition and hydration dialed in, let’s tackle another fundamental piece of your recovery puzzle—one that too often gets overlooked but can dramatically affect your performance: sleep.

Sleep: Your Secret Recovery Weapon

Okay, maybe it’s not a secret, but the nightly endeavor of sleeping is highly underrated compared to other recovery practices. While it may not be as flashy as an infrared sauna or Normatec boots, sleep is a potent (and legal) performance enhancer–especially when you are asking so much of the body when racing on consecutive days. 

Why is sleep so critical? It is the body’s best chance to hit the reset button. During deep sleep, your body repairs muscle damage, replenishes glycogen stores, reduces inflammation, and regulates hormones responsible for stress and recovery. While athletes can get away with one night of poor sleep leading into a single-day event, the waters become murky when racing on consecutive days. 

One study published in Psychophysiology found that sleep deprivation significantly elevates perceived effort during prolonged exercise. Essentially, when you’re sleep-deprived, the brain interprets the same pace and intensity as harder, causing fatigue and sub-par performance. On top of the mental benefits of sleep, it also assists with muscle repair, glycogen synthesis, and inflammation management–three things that are absolutely essential for racing multiple times in the span of a few days. 

How much sleep is enough? Most research suggests that athletes should aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night, but in reality, this isn’t always feasible, so napping–even if for only 20-30 minutes–can be particularly helpful. In the context of back-to-back racing, naps can be powerful tools for improving cognitive function and decreasing perceived effort during the subsequent races. 

Practical Tips For Improving Sleep Quality for Back-to-Back Racing:

• Stick to a schedule: the body craves routine. Going to sleep and waking at roughly the same times every day (even weekends) trains the internal clock for better sleep quality. If possible, try to stick to it on race weekend. If the race is in a different time zone, start shifting  the bedtime and wake-up schedule incrementally toward the destination time zone several days before departure (roughly 30–60 minutes per day).
  
• Curate your sleep environment: Keep your bedroom cool (around 60–67°F or cooler), dark, and quiet. Use blackout curtains, earplugs, or white noise machines if needed. Avoid screens (phones, tablets, laptops) at least 60–90 minutes before bedtime. The blue light from these devices suppresses melatonin—the hormone responsible for signaling your body to sleep.
  
• Try to find down-regulating activities that work for you: Breathing exercises that emphasize long exhales, meditation/visualization, gentle stretching, or journaling before bed can quiet your mind, reducing race anxiety and improving overall sleep quality.
  

• Avoid heavy meals high in protein and fat close to bedtime. Instead, have a small snack of carbohydrates and moderate protein, such as yogurt with granola, a banana with nut butter, or a small protein shake with berries.
  
• Watch your caffeine and alcohol intake in the afternoon and evening—both significantly disrupt sleep quality.
  
• Stay hydrated throughout the day, but ease fluid intake 1–2 hours before bed to minimize overnight bathroom trips.

Once you’ve established a solid foundation of nutrition, hydration, and restful sleep, there are some extra recovery tools worth exploring—let’s take a closer look at these next-level strategies.

Additional Recovery Tools: Fine-Tuning Race Recovery

It’s tempting to skip straight to ice baths, Normatec boots, and supplements. But without fueling, hydration, and sleep dialed in, those tools won’t save you. True recovery starts with basics—not biohacks.

Once your foundation is solid, though? These tools can help squeeze out marginal gains—especially during multi-day racing weekends.

Let’s dig into when, how, and why these tools can help you feel fresh(er) when you’re facing multiple start lines in a single weekend.

Compression & Self-Myofascial Release Therapies

Compression and self-myofascial release therapies (a fancy term for foam rolling or using massage tools) have become recovery staples among endurance athletes, and for good reason. 

• Compression garments (socks, sleeves, tights) improve blood flow, reduce swelling, and may minimize DOMS—especially useful during multi-day racing.
  
• Pneumatic devices (like Normatec boots) amplify these effects by flushing metabolic waste between races.
  
• Foam rolling and massage tools relieve muscle tension and improve flexibility.
  
  • Focus on tight spots: apply pressure for 30–45 seconds, breathe deeply, then move on.
  • Budget options (lacrosse ball, tennis ball, hard water bottle) work just as well as fancy gear.

A couple of notes: Getting a deep-tissue massage too close to race day can leave you feeling more sore and sluggish rather than refreshed. Opt instead for gentle, relaxing massage styles, and if massage isn’t already a regular part of your routine, avoid introducing it in the week before your event.

Cold & Heat Therapies

Cold and heat therapies can be valuable additions to your recovery toolkit, though each comes with its own set of caveats. 

• Cold therapy, including ice baths, cold plunges, or cryotherapy, temporarily reduces inflammation, decreases muscle soreness, and numbs pain—potentially beneficial when trying to quickly bounce back during a multi-day racing event. However, research indicates that routinely using cold therapy immediately after training may blunt long-term training adaptations (like strength or endurance gains), so reserve ice baths for occasional use or during multi-race weekends rather than after everyday workouts.
• On the flip side, heat therapy—think saunas, hot baths, or heating pads—promotes muscle relaxation, improves blood flow, and supports overall stress reduction. Regular sauna use has been linked to cardiovascular health and general well-being, making it beneficial as part of a longer-term recovery strategy. Just be careful with timing: heat should typically be used later in the day after inflammation subsides, rather than immediately following exercise when muscles are already inflamed or swollen.

Takeaway: Cold therapy is best reserved for times when rapid recovery between intense events is necessary, while heat therapy works better as a gentle, relaxing aid, ideal for evening recovery or on rest days.

Supplementation

​​When it comes to the realm of supplements, it is overflowing with claims and promises, but only a handful consistently show reliable benefits. A few evidence-backed supplements that might enhance recovery include:

• Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil): Known for anti-inflammatory properties, omega-3s (EPA/DHA) can reduce soreness and improve joint health, particularly beneficial during heavy training periods or multi-stage events. For athletes, the recommendation is 2-4 grams of omega-3s daily. Keep in mind that you can get plenty of omega-3s from your diet. Oily fish like sardines, salmon, mackerel, herring, and anchovies are high in omega-3 fatty acids, while plant-based sources like flax, chia, walnuts, and hemp are rich in Alpha-Linoleic Acid (ALA), which converts to omega-3 fatty acids.

• Magnesium: a mineral  involved in over 300 enzymatic processes in the body, including muscle contraction, nerve function, and energy metabolism. Magnesium plays a critical role in recovery and sleep regulation. Magnesium can reduce muscle cramping, support neuromuscular recovery, improve sleep quality, and help regulate cortisol (the stress hormone). It’s particularly helpful for endurance athletes with high sweat loss or those experiencing sleep disturbances. Magnesium-rich foods include: dark leafy greens (kale/spinach), pumpkin seeds, quinoa, brown rice, beans, lentils, and dark chocolate (70% cacao or higher). If supplementing, look for Magnesium glycinate, citrate, or malate which are more bioavailable than magnesium oxide. Too much magnesium—especially magnesium oxide—can cause gastrointestinal distress. Start with a lower dose and avoid taking it with calcium-rich meals, which may compete for absorption.

• Tart cherry juice or concentrate: Research supports its ability to reduce inflammation, muscle soreness, and enhance sleep—making it ideal for multi-day racing scenarios. It is rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, and may also aid sleep, which enhances overnight recovery. Typical dosage for tart cherry juice is 8–12 ounces (240–360 ml) of tart cherry juice or 1 ounce (30 ml) of concentrated juice twice daily, starting 4–5 days before and continuing through the event or recovery period. Best used in blocks, not continuously year-round. Be sure to test out the protocol and be sure tart cherry juice agrees with your GI system before using it for back-to-back racing.

• Collagen Peptides with Vitamin C: Supports connective tissue health (tendons, ligaments, joints) and may enhance recovery from exercise-induced joint or muscle pain. Might be useful for masters athletes or those who experience joint stress during multi-day events. Dosage recommendations are 10–15 grams daily, ideally paired with vitamin C (~50–100 mg). 

• Ashwagandha (adaptogen): Reduces cortisol (stress hormone), decreases anxiety, and may improve recovery from physical stress. Potentially helpful for managing stress response, improving sleep, and potentially aiding recovery between races. Most studies point to 300–600 mg daily of standardized extract for effective dosing.
  
  
• Curcumin (turmeric extract): Promising studies suggest curcumin reduces inflammation, muscle soreness, and oxidative stress, although research is ongoing. Curcumin has low bioavailability on its own; ensure the supplement includes an absorption enhancer. Should be used consistently for a few days before and during high training or race stress for optimal effect.
  

Before you rush to the supplement aisle, however, remember these are intended to support—not replace—foundational recovery strategies like nutrition, hydration, and sleep. Supplements should always be approached with caution, as responses vary among individuals. Always choose high-quality supplements that are 3rd party tested and certified safe for sport. Consider consulting with a healthcare professional or sports nutritionist before integrating new supplements into your regimen.

Bottom line: While some supplements can provide small yet meaningful benefits, they’re at the bottom of the list and should come second to dialing in your fundamental recovery practices first.

Ready, Set, Race!

Conquering back-to-back racing might seem daunting at first—because it is! But with targeted training, deliberate nutrition and hydration strategies, proactive recovery, and optimized sleep, it’s absolutely possible (and rewarding) to perform strongly day after day. Racing multiple times in quick succession magnifies every tiny detail—from your choice of gels to your bedtime routine—but it also magnifies your potential rewards. By building fatigue resistance, mastering your fueling strategy, prioritizing restorative sleep, and selectively leveraging additional recovery tools, you set yourself up to thrive under pressure rather than merely survive it.

Remember, training and recovery for back-to-back racing aren’t just checkboxes to mark off—they’re interconnected parts of a comprehensive approach that allows you to embrace multi-day events with excitement rather than dread. It takes experimentation, patience, and attention to detail, but when race weekend arrives, you’ll line up at each start feeling prepared, resilient, and ready for whatever challenges lie ahead.

And most importantly, amidst all the hard work, planning, and meticulous preparation, don’t forget why you signed up in the first place: to test yourself, push your limits, and—hopefully—have a ton of (type 2) fun doing it.