11 Days to Go

pm: 5 miles. Still getting my strength back. It's hard to know what the best prep is from here on in but traditionally I've done almost nothing in the last 2 weeks before big races and invariably it has worked a treat. I'm not going to pull nothing out but literally just keep things ticking over. My legs are still pretty tight and as they loosen up I'll hit the track a couple of times and get some nice easy miles in. 

The entry list for RR100 went from a big field with a couple of really fast guys to a who's who of US 100 mile champs. Hal Koerner (2 x WS100, AC100, Bear100, CDR winner), Anton Krupicka and Scott Jurek two household names in the ultra running world all dropped in at the same time last night. Along with Zach Gingerich and Karl Meltzer you have arguably got 5 of the top 10 US ultrarunners lining up in one race extremely early in the season. What's more it's 'flat' (5500 ft of gain over 100 miles) and fast. Personally I think the Course Record of 13:16 could go down if they each push each other hard but not too far. Out of the 5, I would say it is between Zach and Anton. Hal has a great record in the mountains but maybe can't hold such a fast pace. Karl is very much a mountain guy. Scott has been on a long path back to success after a year or two in the doldrums but recently ran 165miles+ to break the American 24 hour record. With that he cannot be dismissed but undoubtedly he is not at his previous best yet. Anton has a 13:32 on this course already and has only improved since then. Zach ran a 13:20 at Umstead on a track with 8000ft of gain so technically 'should' go faster at RR. And then there is Ian.

This is his time to shine. I think this is where people will sit up and take notice of him. If it goes to plan, he has the leg speed and endurance to beat this field if he can race his own race and hold it steady and injury free....

Given that the course is 20 mile laps, tt will be fascinating for me to watch the race unravel. I am going out to try and just do my best. For the first time in a 100 I'm not just there to finish, I've already done that on this course, I am there to push it and see if I can turn in the kind of 100 mile time I know I am capable of. If I can avoid getting lapped it'll mean I am on course for roughly a 18 hour finish. Without giving too much away, I am hoping I won't get lapped....