Indeed, endurance athletes hunger for a burning in their lungs, an ache in their legs. So it was last Thursday night, as this season’s third Headlamp Hustle ski race played out beneath the lights on the steep hills of the Dublin School Outdoor Center. The new snow was soft and hard to move through, and the course for this race – twisting and 2.9 miles long – had merciless hills. I know this firsthand as I was, per usual, competing in the race – and for the first half-mile, I actually led the race. The fourth race of the Headlamp Hustle Series is Feb. 5 at 6:15 p.m. Register online at dublinxc.com.