I am a runner who needs a really strong sense of why to embark on new adventures. I am not a thrill seeker by nature. Nor am I bored or subchallenged by life in general. And although it might have lately appeared that I have a lot of big running projects going on on a regular basis, I was very happy for the last 2 years before CCC just training, not racing.
So how exactly does such a why for a big running goal unfold? In particular for Western States 100. A race that rather came as a surprise to me. After all, fully committing to training for Western States 100 was a complex process for me.
In November 2021 I had started basic training of what would eventually turn into a race specific preparation for a road marathon in spring. 4 weeks later, the Western States lottery results caught me by surprise, to say the least. A 100 Miler was not what I had planned in the nearby future. Particularly not the most iconic one in the world. After 3 days of pondering I made a decision and the rest is history.
During this reflection period the actual why became very clear. At least in my heart, much less in my mind, though. So it is hard to put into words. It feels like a wild mix of sportsmanlike ambition and a desire for personal growth through something I’ve never done before. But most of all it just feels right.
I am also, as always, trapped between my two of my most essential character traits. That is on the one hand longing for security and steadiness, which I find in a structured, self-contained training cycle over a long period of time. And on the other hand engaging in unpredictable chaos and the great unknown, which is most likely awaiting me on race day.
Parts of my why still unfold during this preparation and I expect even more revelations during the race itself. However I can proudly say that I didn’t have one single "What the actual f*** did I get myself into?" moment since I committed to running Western States. I clearly feel that this is what I want to do. Every day.
Hallo Chris
da hast Du ja ein großes Glück gehabt, dass Du beim ersten Mal in der Lotterie gleich gewonnen hast.
Aber das ist ja kein einfacher Lauf, alleine als ich das gelesen habe , schauerte es mir schon über den Rücken. Nun ich werde so etwas nicht mehr machen, aus Altersgründen(bald 67 Jahre) und aus Fitnessgründen, bisher war der längste Lauf in letzter Zeit beim Seentrail 2022 die 31 km. Aber ich freue mich schon auf Dein Buch darüber !
Liebe Grüße
Gabi Völkel