Western States 100 2011

Well my training is done, taper well under way and I'm pretty sure I have my nutrition and hydration strategy really 'dialed in' for Saturdays race.

Here's what my run training schedule has looked like in the 6 week lead up to this years WS100:

May 14th: 4.6 miles - 42 minutes
June 3rd: 5 miles - 1 hour
June 21st: 2.12 miles - 19 minutes

So pretty consistent as you can see. This mornings run was the icing on the cake really where it all just came together in that first 2 miles and then a hard push the last 0.12 back to the car.

I may as well joke about it because there's pretty much nothing I can do about it now. I have done some basic cycling and swimming but not loads.

Last night I had one of those 'this is total stupidity' moments where after 2 weeks of talking myself into starting the race, I decided it was pointless. My 'coin flip' was the 2 miles this morning. If I was pain free through the night, during the 'run' and all day today with no residual effects and felt ok then I would start. It's 2pm and so far I am pain free so I am about to pack some stuff in a bag. I have to look at this as a very long training run for the other Grand Slam races. Job 1 is to finish, Job 2 is to finish and not cause further injury. If I can achieve those goals it will be a minor miracle but perhaps being forced to go slow will allow me to save more in the tank for Vermont? Anything could happen....

I fly tomorrow morning to Dallas and then on to Reno from where I drive up to Truckee where I am staying for the week (end). Finally it's on to Squaw Valley on Thursday morning. I am supposed to be meeting the other Grand Slammers there (the others doing all 4 x 100s this summer) but I don't really feel like I can legitimately turn up to that meet. I will go along however to catch up with my buddy David Snipes who has already run 3 x 100s in the past 2 months and is adding the Grand Slam plus Angeles Crest in the same 11 weeks.

The RD announced the course change due it being a 'snow year' and it turns out that between miles 3 and 15 and again between 31 and 35, we can expect 'thick snow'. They have re-routed and re-planned the first 3rd of the race and the distance between aid stations has been strung out. All of that is pretty much irrelevant to me, I've done no training so the best I can hope for is to slog it out at the back and scrape through the cut offs one by one in an attempt to make the 30 hour time limit. It will likely slow everyone else down however and therefore I will have more company at the back as a result I would guess....

Going in to a race with zero expectations is kind of refreshing. I am just excited to see the mechanics of the race and gain some further useful insights into race management/ logistics etc for our own Centurion Races. The only other remaining question is how much stuff I buy at the pre race expo because as everyone knows you can't wear race logo gear of races you haven't finished. I have some comrades stuff in a box which i got free even though i didn't start so I guess if the worst comes to the worst I can just fill it up with Western States stuff too and then get it out sometime in the next 2 decades when I might be able to turn in another chance to run and perhaps even a semi - decent finishing time....

'Don't the best of them bleed it out whilst the rest of them peter out'