Under normal circumstances, this would be my last week of hard training for a 100 miler -- last long run is usually done 3 weeks before the race. These are not normal circumstances, so I'm still not clear on how my training is going to wrap up for MMT. One thing is for certain though, the bulk of the heavy lifting is behind me. I reckon this is a good time to evaluate how things went.
Training volume: This was probably not what I was hoping for, hours/week-wise. Certainly, things were a bit light, through no fault of my own. A very drawn-out, muddy winter and spring occasionally made hitting the trails either impossible, or at the very least, not fun. In addition, training for "the most difficult 100 on the east coast" (or however this race bills itself) with a newborn at home presents some scheduling challenges. Having said that, I think I did quite well. With the exception of this past week when I got sick, I religiously got in a weekly long run, hill repeats, some hilly mid-week road runs, a good amount of cycling, and hit the gym twice a week. There was probably a bit more road running than I would have liked, which over time resulted in some little bumps and bruises. Hopefully these will fizzle out over the taper period. For Wasatch last year, I think it is safe to say I overtrained, so I went into this with a bit more focus on alternating between hard/easy workouts. I really made the long runs count as well. Plus, I put in a very solid base all winter long between trail running and showshoeing. Overall, I am confident in the fitness level.
Gear: This race is going to be spartan for me. I almost wish I was fast enough to only run with two handheld bottles. Nothing fancy, no extra shoes, no change of shirt. Some basic stuff in the drop bags, but other than that, the Nathan, Brooks shoes, sunglasses, and an iron will.
Course Knowledge: Nonexistent. Other than prudent planning so I know which drop bag to leave my night time stuff in, I am not going to try to memorize every rock on the trail. I know it is very rocky and there are some long climbs. I will probably have a piece of paper with me so I know what the aid station cutoffs are, but other than that, I'm going to just put my head down and charge. In my experience having run 100 miles twice before, it is always the sections of the course that look easy on paper that end up taking me by surprise (at Wasatch, the climb to the top of Sessions Pass almost killed me -- on paper it looks like nothing).
Other: One of the things I thought I did well at for Wasatch last year was blitzing in and out of the aid stations. I think I was able to do this because I did not rely on aid station fare as my main source of calories. The strategy was to top off the Nathan if I needed it, and eat some solids if I felt like it. Other than that, get out of there. I tried to keep it under 3 minutes and with a couple exceptions I stuck with that, especially late in the race.
In order to be successful at this, my strategy will be an emphasis on taking care of myself early in the race, since the race doesn't even really start until mile 60. I will focus on eating, drinking, and going slow early.
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