As I write these lines, I am wrapping up the third last week of my @wser preparation. 2 more weeks to go and I will stand at the start line in Squaw Valley. Since my Runcation in Greece a kind of "Nothing can stop me now" mentality manifested and finally replaced weeks of doubt and concern. During that time I didn’t want to engage with Western States in any way.
I am a very visual person. When I have an image of something in my head, it’s much easier for me to deal with it. That’s why I started creating a so-called "race script" last year, when preparing for CCC. Being a whiteboard nerd I took to this task like a duck to water. Besides a detailed elevation profile, markers for aid stations, sunrise / sunset times, etc. I also browse the internet for photos of significant sections or crucial spots of the race course. This is particularly helpful, if you haven’t run a race yet and have no idea what to expect. It all adds up to a wonderful race script whiteboard scribble, that slowly consolidates a picture of me running on race day.
However it was, once again, my coach @myperformancepsychologist who brought this to another level with the following advice: "Don’t visualize perfection. Visualize failure and manipulate it!". In practice this means to not picture yourself running this course on a wonderful day, feeling strong from start to finish with not trouble whatsoever. Instead I imagine myself in pouring rain, twisting my ankle, completely running out of energy, dehydrating, falling over, having a massive headache, throwing up everything I eat and freezing terribly and then visualize how I fix these problems during the race. It kind of goes like this: "On the climb up to Grand Col Ferret you fall over and graze your knee. What do you do about it?". In the end you not only get a more realistic picture of how racing this course will be like, but also a game plan for a lot of things that can and will go wrong on race day.
As for Western States I am currently in the middle of creating this race script. It’s both, great fun but also terrifying. Mainly because I will have to deal with some challenges, that are completely new to me. Most notably: I never raced 100 Miles before and I never raced in such intense heat. However I am sure that in the end it’s going to be like all ultra marathons: The number of things that can possibly go wrong and put you into trouble is endless and it’s most likely not going to be what you have prepared yourself for. Either way, I am ready to face it.
13 days to go.