Subject: My first 100 and what I learned from it From: Alex Sox-Harris Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 08:46:30 -0700 (PDT) This race report outlines what worked for me during and before my first 100-mile attempt (WS100) and what I wish I had done differently. I benefited greatly from the advice, experiences, and opinions offered on this list, so I hope this report helps others prepare for their first hundreds. Some background: I did my first ultra in 2002 and previously did long distance triathlon. Until the WS lottery, I averaged about 50 miles per week, never exceeding 22 miles for a long run. I have only run three 50-mile races and one 100-KM race prior WS100. I usually finish in the middle of the pack or back-of-the-middle of the pack. I'm 6'4" 210lbs. I'm an Aries and my favorite color is green. Training: Starting in December, I built from 50 mpw to 70-75 mpw in May. Weekly long runs built to over 30 miles by March. I trained in 4-week cycles: 3 weeks of honest running and 1 week almost completely off (10-15 miles total). The week of rest really kept me physically and mentally fresh. I never got into the valley of fatigue I had experienced preparing for other big races (Ironman). The day after the long run, I usually ran 7-12 miles, rarely more. I rested Mondays and Fridays. I did 1 run of 64 miles (Miwok+ "bonus miles"), 1 run of 47 miles (very hilly, by myself), and 9 other runs longer than 30 miles. All long runs were on mountain trails (30 miles = 6 hours). I did no cross-training or weight training. My last long run (20 miles) was on June 6th. After that, I really did very little. Other Preparation: 1) I did the WS training runs. Although not completely necessary, I found these experiences really helped me on race day. For example, the hills during the last 20 miles of the course are small, but I'm glad I had seen them before. It was fun to see the first 30 miles of the course for the first time on race day. Some people really encouraged getting into the canyons more than once before the race. Once was important but I'm glad I didn't make a big effort to get up there again. 2) I sought advice from experienced WS runners: Stan Jensen was especially helpful. Another resource I put some faith in was Steve Patt's WS100 report: http://alumnus.caltech.edu/~slp/racereports/westernstates02.html 3) I spent a lot of time preparing mentally for "down periods". What was going to motivate me in the wee hours? I could write a long report on the specific details, but I'll spare you. Lets just say I had a long list of things to tell myself if I wanted to quit. I also told my pacer what to tell me if I wanted to quit. As it turned out, doing this preparation resulted in not having to use it. Two goals: First and most important, I did not want to seriously hurt myself. Second, I wanted to finish under 30 hours. I suspected a faster time might be possible, but I just wanted to finish. I knew that getting greedy would reduce my chances of finishing. The Race: Instead of a narrative of the race, I'm focusing on things I think might be valuable for others. Nutrition: After reading a great article in Ultrarunning last month, I estimated I need about 300 calories/hour. During the day, I drank 24oz of water and 24 of GU20 or CLIP2 between every aid station, plus 150 calories worth of Lava Gel. At night, I drank less and ate more at the aid stations (soup and sandwiches). My weight remained within 2 lbs the entire race. Uncharacteristically, I had ZERO gut problems, no low energy periods, and very little variation in attitude. I don't know if this was due to my special recipe, staying cool, or luck. Heat Management: I was nervous about the heat. Luckily, it was only in the mid 80's. Starting early, I put a plastic bag with ice under my cap at every aid station. I also got wet at every opportunity. I also did a fair amount of walking down into Eldorado Canyon. This was hard to do cause I love running downhill, but avoiding the quad and heat stress paid off later. Foot Care: I wished I had tried some taping strategies in training. As I listened to the blister prevention talk at Squaw the day before the race, I was kicking myself. I didn't want to make the mistake of trying something new on race day. My feet did ok but could have done better I think. Apparently, its common for people to have no foot problems in shorter races and then have foot problems during 100-milers. My toe socks worked great but I need to figure out what to do for my heals. Pace and Attitude: My strategy was to stay comfortable and never strain unless I got close to the 30 hour pace or cutoffs. I was amazed how easy I could go and retain or improve the buffer on the cutoff. Contrary to my nature, I resisted getting greedy on the time goal. Instead of fantasizing about how fast I might go, I took my splits as encouragement to not push any harder. From Michigan Bluff (mile 55), I only ran probably 5 miles, but I had an energetic and quick walk/shuffle that I felt I could do forever (and safely) throughout the night. Just before Foresthill, I took 800 mg of Ibuprofen for leg and foot soreness and repeated this every 5 hours. It really avoided a pain-related slowdown. Something was working because my pace, energy, and attitude were surprisingly consistent until the end. I never felt that bad or considered quitting. I didn't even feel sleepy. This was especially surprising cause I love my sleep! My time of 27:26 was much faster than I thought I could do, especially without straining myself very much. I could have gone further, but was glad I didn't have to! Pacers: I am very independent and do 99% of my running alone. I thought about not using a pacer, but out of respect for the distance and the unknown, I decided to use one. Actually, I had two great pacers. Luckily, they did not have to perform any heroics. In my opinion, having a good pacer is clearly a big advantage even if you don't use them to keep you going. Just the company, sense of safety, and presence of someone who is less fatigued is a good thing. Whenever I would pass someone struggling and alone in the dark, I would think "I'm so glad I have a pacer!" Summary and Other Thoughts: I usually run a dumb race and have to be tough. At WS, I finally ran a relatively smart (and lucky) race so didn't have to be that tough. I'm also glad it wasn't 15 degrees hotter or I'd be writing the "Why I Needed an IV at Last Chance" report. A thought I had walking up Devil's Thumb: Ultra running is the only sport where you don't even slow down as you pass a 69-year old man throwing-up on the side of the trail. (who then proceeds to fly past you 20 minutes later) Running 100 miles through beautiful country is quite a privilege. I feel really lucky to have had the opportunity. I give my heartfelt thanks to everyone (RD, volunteers, pacers, family) who allowed me to indulge in this adventure. I hope this info helps. Alex Sox-Harris