Way to go, Russ!! Crossed the line in 28:10. So proud of you!!
Don't make excuses for why you can't get it done.
Focus on all the reasons why you must make it happen.
Yeah that is an amazing effort. Seen some of the photos on FB and he looks fresh as 5 miles from the finish. Bet he wasnt feeling that way though
“Attitude is the Difference Between an Ordeal and an Adventure”
Goals 2016
Do stuff
Wow, 28 hours! Hat's off to you Russ!
DutchieRun the day, or the day runs you.
Imminent Catastrophe
Thanks everyone!
Yeah it was unreal. As I started up the hill out of Squaw Valley I just kept shaking my head and thinking, this can't really be happening.
Here's the quick back story:
6 years ago I ran a 26.2 trail run that finished at the iconic No Hands Bridge (mile 96.8 on the WS course). I had run maybe one 50k at the time. As I finished one of the volunteers there (most of them also work Western States) said to me, "You should run a qualifier and enter the Western States lottery". I thought she was joking, the thought of running more than 50k had never even occurred to me. But she was serious and encouraged me to do it. The kindness and encouragement toward a Georgia geezer who had barely made it through a marathon really struck me.
Two years later I ran my qualifier (Tarawera). From then it took me four lotteries to get picked.
Last July I was planning on running the Tahoe 100 without a pacer, and a couple of days before the race a Facebook post said that Ann Trason was looking to pace someone. Ann Trason, are you kidding me? Maybe Michael Jordan wants to shoot hoops too? I leapt at that and had the incredible experience of running with a legend for 30 miles. Unfortunately I had severe medical issues that knocked me out of the race at mile 92 (yes, mile 92) and I spent the night in the ER. So I felt like I needed redemption.
But I rebounded and completed the Javelina Jundred so qualified for the lottery again, and got picked! I trained like never before for this race.
It was hot from mile 24 on and just kept getting hotter and I was falling behind my pace, by mile 48 after the infamous Deadwood Canyon and climb up to Devil's Thumb I was really struggling and thinking that I wouldn't finish. Then I started to rebound, all that hard training took over and in the second half, driven by my awesome pacers, I passed a lot of runners. Finally I arrived at No Hands Bridge, the place where it all began 6 years ago, and that was pretty cool. My pacer took a picture.
Even cooler, the last mile Ann Trason ran with me. The 14-time winner ran with ME!
Quite a day.
"Able to function despite imminent catastrophe"
"To obtain the air that angels breathe you must come to Tahoe"--Mark Twain
"The most common question from potential entrants is 'I do not know if I can do this' to which I usually answer, 'that's the whole point'.--Paul Charteris, Tarawera Ultramarathon RD.
√ Javelina Jundred Jalloween 2015
Cruel Jewel 50 mile May 2016
Western States 100 June 2016
What a great story! Thanks for taking the time to post it - as I imagine even your typing fingers must still be a bit fatigued from your epic run. I've been dying to know how it all went down.
Having done it now, do you think you would have been ready for it 4 years ago when you first qualified or were the intervening years, races, and training all essential building blocks to your WS success? I'm so impressed by your tenacity in pursuing your goal. Frosting on the cake to have Ann Trason run you in, eh? You must still be on a high. Congratulations again! You did it!!!
Good question! I'm absolutely glad that I didn't get in before this, I probably would not have finished. Actually it was my trainwreck at Tahoe last year that made the difference. After that I felt I needed to refocus my attitude, and trained harder than ever before. Plus I felt I had let Ann down, I really had no choice but it still nagged me. And I learned an awful lot in those four years that helped me. The result was that I felt confident before the race and for the first time ever I actually slept pretty well the night before a 100-miler.