Nothing much happened this week. A new year! My weight is at 167 lb. Not sure if it has an effect on my performance, but I recorded it down. We will see if in June it is still the same.
I had a kind of normal training like the previous week. Been waking up consistently and running consistently. Changes don’t come overnight. I mean performance here. I always try to see if I can do more.
Monday: New Year. redeye 50k. It was a nice training run. I will post on it soon. The week does flow together from one week to another. I am losing track of time.
Tuesday, couldn’t remember much. Probably was an off day. Missed evening training probably for the same reason.
Wednesday: ran in the morning.
Thursday: ran in the morning and again at night.
Friday: felt a bit funny with my left ankle so took the day off. Also, so could run better over the weekend
Saturday: Had a big run. Mid Maryland 50k.
Most beneficial for me this week was I met the first person who completed the ultra grand slam. He is a friend of a friend. So I had some good advices. He also ran the Western States 10 times. I have watched many youtube videos, like Tom Evans’, but to met someone who is willing to opening talk about their race experience and who seems to have a genuine interest in my attempt at the race is rare.
One of couple helpful tips I received was on pacing. As a runner, we should keep track of (all) the cutoffs, because crew might not give an accurate feedback of how their runner is doing, due to either misjudging the pace or being too optimistic of their runner ability. The key is keep moving, and moving quick through the aid station. Ultimately it is the runner’s responsibility on time keeping. He advised to carry a pace chart and cutoff time sheet on you.
I think the most inspirational part was his last Western States (2014). It was humbling to know he was over the 30 hr time cut off at the first aid station, then fought back, going from aid to aid in near cutoff, but he made it to the finish line (splits are available online, which will be helpful for me to judge my own progress).
I hope I won’t be the guy fighting from cutoff to cutoff, but I do have to prepare for that scenario. Race is toughest when there is no margin for mistake. Mental toughness.
He said he will keep track of my race progress during my race. I think my splits will be available online almost instaneously (there’s a website for 2023, so likely it will be same for 2024). I think that is a motivation,when he said before I think of quitting during the race, know many people are following my progress. Yes, basically, don’t quit as tempting it may be.
For next week, yes being careful of my left ankle. It is acting up for some reason. I need to be healthy to get through next week, which will MMT training 1, and also Water Fall 50k, another double day run.
In awe 
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One response to “[606] WS week5 or 1.1”
Fighting cutoffs are never fun, and I’ve been there and done that many times. For me, having the calm, the positive thinking, the good focusing work well.
I had a crew at my second attempt at MMT 100. I also had a pacer. I did not ask him to pace me, but rather shrugged him off when he offered. I was going to quit at mile 62. my crew man saw me take my bib number off and he gave it to the aid station captain. No one wanted to see me quit, other than my crew guy.
good crew, good pacer will make sure you’re on time at the aid stations… sometimes speak some tough words (wrapped in kindness) because 100 milers are never totally easy, even though some are easier than others. I’ve finished flat 100 milers without too much focused training, but races like WSER, Wasatch, Leadville, Hardrock… they are not one of the more “doable” ones.
train well. go into the race with confidence, but crew and pacers are human. we make unintentional mistakes. my crew guy at MMT 2010 wanted me to take more time at aid stations, I did not follow his wishes. I kept moving, quickly in and out of the last few. Then I was told that there’s 3 miles left when I thought the end was right there (First year for the major changes in MMT – starting at Caroline’s Furnace). I had 30 minutes to cover 3 miles. I had to sprint, and I did when I could. I finished with less than 2 minutes under the 36 hour cutoff. If I took more time at aid stations, I may not have finished under the final cutoff.
Best wishes at the double training at MMT. Sometimes long weekend runs are just time on your feet, but sometimes you can do speedwork when the sections are runnable. But you know that already.
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