Pre Run Rabbit Run

The past week has been up there with the best of the trip so far. It's been great running with Woody again and I cannot really describe just how epic Utah is. It really is a place you just have to see to believe the scale. Also going back to Silverton was great fun. I knew after Hardrock in July I needed to go back and as I wanted to show Lauren the best of Colorado then there was no better place. To be honest I think it's the best place I have seen here and easily the best for running. I could happily come on a month long holiday and just explore more of the San Juans.

The San Juan's

It's been two weeks since my knee swelled up and whereas it is much better now I cannot say it is 100%. I have still been running but no big mileages at all. Maximum 10 milers a day and that's all over the past two weeks but most of that has been at altitude and with a fair amount of climbing.

So the race is only a day away. On Friday morning at 8am I attempt to complete my second 100 miler. Run Rabbit Run 100 in Steamboat Springs. So how do I feel?? Well I feel strong. Way stronger than last year at Leadville but the knee really is an issue. I honestly just want to get around this course and enjoy it with my friends whether I finish in 28hrs or 36hrs I do not care. Of course a fast time would be nice if I was feeling good out there but I will never know until mile 50 if I am feeling good or not. If I do feel good at 50 miles and my knee has not got any worse then I will be telling my pacers to push me hard but If I appear at mile 50 or before and I am in pain then It will be a long long race and I will just hope to get around it.

Early morning easy hike up Hahns Peak on Wednesday

Too many people just expect me to finish this race and it does get to me a little. I know everyone is just trying to make me feel positive. I feel like there is pressure that I must get it done or I have failed. Yeah I have trained all summer for it and feel good but finishing a 100 miler is not normal. It is normal to DNF. So for me just to finish will be incredible. After all I may be a pretty experienced runner and I can be fairly quick over short distances sometimes but I am by no way an experienced 100 miler.

The course is 103 miles , 70 miles of which is on single track trails 8 miles on tarmac and the rest on rough jeep roads. It has 6100m of climbing (not quite UTMB or Hardrock but enough) it has 1000m more than Leadville but I have done that ascent on the Mont Blanc 80km before so having that climbing spread over twice the distance should hopefully work in my favour. I am genuinely not afraid of the climbing , descending or flats on any part of this race. That statement I am sure will come back to haunt me. There are some tough climbs but I can manage them. I am just concerned about the knee. I know that as long as I don't get injured I can finish. It may be long and slow but I know my body will get around the course. I would just love to be able to do it and feel okay on the sections I run with my friends. I really will try and go out very very slow and build up from mile 40 if this strategy is at all possible. I want to be near the back until mile 40 and I have told my team to tell me to slow down if I am going too quick. The cut-offs seem generous so I am not really concerned about them. If I can just keep my pace slow and eat well and not have stomach problems then who knows.

Just spent two amazing days chilling out here
away from all the race hustle and bustle in Steamboat

I am on my own until mile 42 then Angie joins me for 20 miles probably around early Friday evening. Kim then does a short 10 from early early morning(Saturday) and then Woody joins me for 29 miles at some silly hour on the Saturday morning to the end. I will be using four drop bags and the rest will be crew access points so they will have my kit. Crew can access a lot of the checkpoints so it will be good to see them fairly often. When I pick up Woody though we are on our own for 25 miles of single track until the rest of the team can join us and run the last 5 miles to the finish with us which will be pretty sweet if I get there.

Somehow she never fell in

Predicted time? I don't know. I have calculated so many and they have varied from 27hrs to 34hrs so I have no idea. I will take anything under the 36hr cut off. My finish time could be anything from 2pm on Saturday to 8pm which is the cut off. It is a hell of a long time to be on your feet and even for my pacers and crew to be up from 8am Friday and be with me all day and then have to start running the next morning! It's a hell of a big ask. Having now been there and done it twice on this trip I know it is a tough job but my god do I appreciate having these three on my team this year. They are all very strong runners and great chat and I cannot wait to get on the course with each of them although I do expect the possible 8-10hrs of running with Woody to be quite entertaining. I know for sure that girl will not let me stop moving and I will be needing that for sure. Angie and Kim will be great but having one of my friends from home pacing for me on a 100 miler in Colorado is going to pretty special or it may end up ruining our friendship! Who knows.

Hahns Peak from our Cabin

So you can track me on Ultralive.net from 8am US time on Friday morning which I think is around 3pm UK time. My number is 350. You can just input my name on the search bar and it should all pop up. I also think Angie or Kim will be posting pics and updates to Facebook as the race goes on.

So here goes. Another bash at doing 100 miles in one go. Excited and very nervous and I hope I can just enjoy it as much as possible.