Runhundred: My Western States 100 Story
The life-changing journey behind my new book
[Diesen Das Z Letter gibt es auch auf Deutsch]
It’s Western States!
The most legendary 100-mile ultramarathon in the world takes place this Saturday. The Western States Endurance Run in California is one of the most important events in our sport and deservedly attracts tens of thousands of running enthusiasts and the absolute top elite every year - even if only just over 300 runners are ultimately allowed to start.
The gun goes off at 5 a.m. American time (PST). That's conveniently 12 noon for most of us over here in Europe. So if you don't have anything too important planned – even if you do – I highly recommend watching the race live. There's a great livestream on YouTube showing the entire race. As always, the commentary will be provided by the dynamic duo of Dylan Bowman and Corrine Malcolm. There's no one better for the job, that's for sure.
I myself will be hosting a small watch party at home and reminiscing about my 2022 race with my friends and my Western States crew.
Hundert-Meilen-Herz
Most of you already know how much my own experience racing Western States has influenced my life and how many wonderful things have come out of it for me. Among other things, my first book, Runhundred, which was published in English in December 2023.
I knew from the beginning that I would also publish the book in German, but I quickly realized that a 1:1 translation would not be enough. I wanted my story to be told just as honestly, engagingly and profoundly in German as in the English original. This wish ultimately led to me writing the book a second time, so to speak. A lot of work, but it was worth it.
Hundert-Meilen-Herz, the title of the German version of Runhundred,will be released on September 24
The book tells the same story as Runhundred, but it feels different. At least for me. The German language forced me to write more openly and directly in many places than in English. A foreign language often acts as a kind of protective shield that dampens the emotions a little when reading and writing. This protective shield was not present in Hundert-Meilen-Herz and so, while translating and/or rewriting, I immersed myself once again deeply in all the beautiful, great, mysterious, dark, disturbing and overwhelming things that happened to me during my Western States race.
I am very happy with how it went. By that I mean everything. Even though I don't want to have experiences like the one described in Hundert-Meilen-Herz and Runhundred too often, I am deeply grateful for all the changes and new perspectives it has given me as a runner and as a person. And I am so happy to be able to share all of this with you out there.
Teamwork
A book project is usually teamwork, just like an ultramarathon. In the case of Hundert-Meilen-Herz, I am very lucky to have two dedicated supporters at my side:
They both know exactly what they're doing when it comes to running publications and are at least as keen on Hundert-Meilen-Herz as I am. So it's going to be really cool.
I deliberately chose two such professional partners. My clear goal is to reach as many people as possible with my book. I'm not (only) thinking of ultra runners, but specifically of all running enthusiasts who want to dive deep into the story of an ordinary amateur athlete who experiences an extraordinary run.
Life-Changing
Much of what happened to me at Western States, most of you have experienced yourselves in one way or another. And while "life-changing" is a big word, it describes this kind of experience very well. Often, it's a combination of particularly painful and particularly beautiful things that leave a lasting mark on us as runners and as people. And that's exactly what I write about in Runhundred and Hundert-Meilen-Herz.
Western States has written many stories over the decades. This is mine; and I can't wait to share it with all of you!
Everything Not Running
A lot of my book is about heat. She is the biggest challenge you face at Western States. In particularly hot years, it can be over 100 degrees in the shade. But in the canyons of the Sierra Nevada, which you have to cross many times, there is no shade. There is literally no air movement in the canyons, and the heat is reflected mercilessly off the canyon walls.
In Runhundred, I describe my greatest antagonist this way:
“To put it into simple words, the heat was insane. I desperately played around with different efforts to find a sweet spot at which I would not produce too much heat myself from pushing too hard, but at the same time could keep on moving forward. With solely one goal in mind. To reach the next aid station for yet another cooling procedure. In so doing, I negotiated with the heat fervently, but couldn’t prevail. It simply would not let me gain ground without drowning increasingly in dizziness and fatigue. Yes, drowning. That’s how it felt.”
So as not to be completely at the mercy of the heat, in the months leading up to Western States I created my own collection for my running brand Willpower, which is designed for running in extreme heat: Beyond the Heat.
This collection is characterized by high breathability, UV protection, cooling function and low weight. Above all, however, the Beyond the Heat clothing is completely white. This makes a huge difference when running in the blazing sun. Believe me, I learned that the hard way.
To celebrate the Western States weekend, I've relaunched the Beyond the Heat collection at Willpower. So if you have a race in the heat coming up, check it out.
Time difference to Olympic Valley is nine hours. So start will be at 2pm CEST tomorrow.