20 June 2012

Western States 100 - nearly there! (the long version)




On 23rd June at 5am I will line up in the half dark above the crystal waters of Lake Tahoe California. Around me will be 370 others, drawn from the diverse and everso slightly bizarre world of ultra running. Some professional world class athletes, some who have dedicated their whole lives with a passion to running through the mountains, a few exceptionally hairy mountain goat-like individuals, and many like me who just love the challenge and the excitement we are all anticipating.


This is Western States 100. A 100 mile trail race from Lake Tahoe to Auburn, crossing the mountains of the Sierra Nevada. The event is legendary in the world of ultrarunning, being the first ever 100 mile foot race, and one of the hardest contested to get a place on the start line. Just to arrive here I have had to run 100 kilometer races and put in hours of voluntary service, and then only to earn a 1 in 15 chance of getting a place in the lottery. But luck smiled on me (even if not everyone sees that as lucky!) and here I am. Since the end of last year I have pounded over 1200km of trails, 20km of ascent and narrowly dodged an array of injuries, and as a result I am just about ready to go!


A little bit of curious history. The route used to be an annual horse race, until 1974 when one guy had a lame horse and decided to enter anyhow – but without his horse and modern long distance trail running was born. Looking back it seems improbable that anyone would elect to do this, as the toughness of the course usually got the better of a good number of horses each year, often in a terminal way. Full marks for spirit of adventure!


The course

So the horn will sound across Tahoe and we will bound (struggle) up the first hill together, a crippling 1000m ascent over the first few miles to the highest point above Squaw Valley ski resort, the start of a 16 hour journey for the leaders, though more like 30 hours for me.



We will slip and slide through freezing temperatures, snow and ice at the top of the mountains, then descend into the dusty canyons where temperatures can exceed 40C. We will climb a total of 5.5 kilometers, and descend another 7.5km, through rocky trails, streams, and forests.


We will not stop except to refuel. As the participant guide explains, as far as we know, no one has ever finished a race while in a chair. And once sitting down it is near impossible to stand up again, so keeping up and moving is the only way!

And of course as it takes 30 hours, I will be running through the dark, with the company of my good friend Jordi who will stop me from falling asleep and disappearing over a cliff! And then the sun will rise and I will arrive seeking chips, beer and massage, into the arms of my family at Placer High School Stadium. A happy man too, if I can make it over the line in one piece!

The hows and the whys

Everyone I tell about this seems to have a similar initial reaction, which is how on earth can you run for 30 hours non stop. Then after a few minutes of reflection, they soon arrive at ‘why?’, and I confess that I don’t have great answers for either of these. But I will by the time I have finished, so check back here after the event and I can tell you all about it!

In short, getting to the end is going to be part an eating and drinking competiton (what gets used up must be replaced, or I will fall over), part mental game of making myself suspend reality and keep the motivation and self belief in tact through inevitable discomfort and fatigue, and a little bit of being fit and well trained, though this is definitely the least important of the three, I believe...

Why?, is more about enjoying the process of doing something that I once could not even understand, let alone see as a realistic goal for myself. Whether I end up being one of the 65% who finish or not this weekend, the process that has got me to stand on the start line has been life changing and inspiring. And more importantly I just love the liberating feeling of being able to run through wild country like this, there is nothing quite like it, makes me feel alive, so why not! And to top it all, I get to take the family to California for a holiday as a result too, a great bonus.

This is also a great way to do some good for my adopted charity Deafness Research. If all of you lot can do your bit to support me by donating to this great cause ( https://www.justgiving.com/JulianPieters ), the additional motivation that this will deliver will be invaluable, you will help me to succeed and you will help do a great job through this fabulous charity. So please go there now, please do your bit if you can!

And when all the running has been run, I think I will be glad to be able to put my feet up at the weekends a bit more often. I think Emily and the girls are keen to have me back home a bit more, so one major source of motivation for this weekend is knowing that if I succeed I will never have to go out and do it again!

The last few days...

Training at Red Rocks - 43C out there
I have had a crazy few weeks, culminating in a week in Las Vegas for a trade show, slipping out once in a while to run in the >40C heat, including a couple of trips the magical red rocks. I would have stopped for a climb, but it was frankly too hot and sweaty to contemplate anything (including running for that matter).

Another shabby training venue, Mammoth Lakes
I have a few days now up in the high country getting used to thinner air, climbing the peaks near Yosemite for a few days. Then to San Francisco to collect Jordi, my pacer. Being small and Catalan means he is a lucky charm for me, as the world leading ultra runner is from a similar mould! Then picking up all of my girls (very excited about this!) and heading to Tahoe. Other than that, lounging around combined with excessive eating and drinking are the order of the day!


Then off we go. The race is phenomenally well managed, attracting a huge number of volunteers and crews. One benefit is that you can follow me as I battle in and out of each checkpoint here http://www.ultralive.net/ws100/webcast.php following runner 316.
And that’s all there is to say, until I lie smiling in the sun in Placer High School stadium on Sunday, and then I will be sure to let you all know about it!

Battered toes. Don't do it kids...

18 June 2012

Western States 100 - a quick intro



On 23-24th June I am running 100 miles non-stop through the Sierra Nevada mountains in California, for fun, for the challenge and to raise money for the charity that I support. This is a legendary race, the Western States 100, about which there is chapter and verse here… www.ws100.com. This is a tough event and will push me to my limits in every conceivable way. It marks the culmination of 3 and a half years of running, and the end of a fantastic journey for me.

I am hugely excited by the event, and by all the interest that friends, family and colleagues have expressed, and I will hope I can do justice to all the great support I have had. I will post my reports here after the event, but you can participate by following the event live if you wish, on www.ws100.com, and you can track my progress – runner 316 – on this site http://www.ultralive.net/ws100/webcast.php

And please help to motivate me, and to do some good in the world, by helping me support Deafness Research, a charity to which I have a long term commitment. You find out more, and do your bit to support me here… https://www.justgiving.com/JulianPieters
 
Wish me luck…