Training Window Begins to Close

The Pony Express 100 lingers less than three weeks away. Like my other 100 milers I find that even this far before the race it seems to occupy my mind more than just about anything else. I've set a lofty goal for myself and will do everything in my power to achieve it. I believe that my crew and pacers this year (brother Brent and friend Ty) will be a massive help in getting me to that goal. Not only are they strong runners and understand me well, but they are complete goof-balls which is vital in running a 100 mile race.

Training has been quite good. Other than dealing with an on-off lingering Plantar Fasciitis issue I've felt quite well and put in some really good build-up miles. Obviously, my 47 miles 30+ hours of staying awake while helping Scott run Wasatch was a great asset, but I've also done a few other larger runs that have really helped. Last week I ran the Lake Mountain Poop Loop with good friend Matt (who will be running the 50 miler at PET). It was a bit of a slog due to both of us having tummy issues, but we got in 32+ miles only three weeks before our race. Perfect timing. I've also been putting in solid 10 mile+ days, often at a much faster pace then I plan to run at PET100. My vert has continued to stay above 5000 ft/week, which is like doing speed workouts. And most importantly, I feel like my personal life and mental state are better than they have been all year. We are settled into our house, my kids are all healthy, my wife is working a normal schedule at the hospital, and I feel like I have a stronger mental base going into a 100 miler than ever before. I now know I can run 100 miles, and I firmly believe I can do it faster than I ever have before. So that being said, unless I have a fun adventure to post I'm hoping that my next post will be to announce my massive personal success (I'm quite certain I still have no chance to win this thing).

Matt, around mile 28 of the Lake Mountain Poop Loop