The Road to 100
I may have officially gone crazy. I registered for my first 100-mile trail race. It will be Javelina Jundred, this October, in Fountain Hills, Arizona (near Scottsdale). I never said I was not going to do one, I kept the option open. Now that I have completed my triathlon race this year, I’m ready to start training for my first ‘hundo.’
I decided that this time, I will train myself. No official coach. This will be the real test of my discipline and motivation to get through training and finish the race. If I don’t finish, I will not be too harsh on myself; failure is fine if I learn from it. But, before we get to that point, I still have time to train, get better and stronger, and be ready to complete this 100-mile race.
I chose Javelina because this is where I finished my first 100km race and I loved it. It is one of the relatively easier 100 milers as there is not too much elevation gain (7,900 feet total elevation gain over 100 miles, highest point ~2,500 feet above sea level). “Easy” is relative; a normal person may think that there is no such thing as running an easy 100 miles in 30 hours. The loop course, done in a washing machine fashion, allows runners to see other participants every so often. This event is held on Halloween weekend, so many people dress up in costumes, and it makes racing very entertaining. The challenge here is the heat; even in October, it can get very hot during the day in Arizona. At the 100km race I did a few years ago, I saw one of the ultra-endurance athletes that I admired and followed, Jason P. Lester (JPL). Quick side bar: JPL has been competing with 1 good arm and a prosthetic arm. He is an ultra-triathlete (founded the EPIC5 ultra-triathlon) as well as an ultra-runner. JPL doesn’t let his disability stop him from his ultra-endurance activities. You see why he is one of my inspiration to do better and not complain. When everything starts aching and hurting, I motivate myself by thinking of others who have a disability, or other challenges, and they still persevere.
During these next 12 weeks, I will focus on areas that I still need to work on: running at night and keeping awake, nutrition, and mentally motivating myself during those rough evening hours. I promise to be disciplined with my training, but also give myself permission to rest when my body needs it. Let’s see how this next adventure goes!
