One year ago today I ran the Run Rabbit Run 50 miler in Steamboat Springs, CO (Race Recap here).   Three weeks ago I ran the Castle Peak 100k at Donner Pass near Tahoe.  This morning I’m sitting in an Airbnb cabin in Pine, AZ, 24 hours out from starting my first 100 mile run.   A bit bit nervous/anxious about it, but more than than I’m amped to get out there and run.   Having never done one, I look at the 100 mile distance as the pinnacle of ultra-running.  In a way I’ve been building up to it since I got into distance running two years ago.

The run this weekend will be the Mogollon Monster 100, which starts at 6am tomorrow. It’s a relatively small race – with less than 100 entrants this year.   But it has a reputation as being hard, and it is a Hardrock qualifier.   Only a handful of people have ever gone under 24 hours here, so that attests to the difficulty of the course.   It starts and finishes in Pine, AZ, and does sort of a lollipop/cloverleaf type route.  It gets its name from the major terrain feature that it follows – the Mogollon Rim – and the Sasquatch-like creature that is reported to roam the wilderness in the area.

Greg is coming out to pace me from mile 56 on.  It’ll be good to have someone to run with at that point in the race.   Dad is coming out for the start and one of the early crew aid stations, then he has to head back to Prescott and Phoenix.  And Allie and Finley will be my main crew, and I’ll see them at miles 20, 43, and 78.   Because of the cloverleaf-like shape of the course, I will pass through the main crew aid station three times, so they won’t have to move around during the race.

My goals for this race are pretty loose, but I do have a few.

1. Finish
2. Sub 28 (Re-assess at 50 miles)

Strategy:

1. Go very easy for the first 50 miles.  I want to feel “Ok” when Greg joins me at 56.
   • Respect the altitude (race is between 5300-7700 feet)
   • Back off if I feel myself getting winded or spiking heartrate in first 50 miles
2. Walk the big uphills.  Fall in with a group if/when I can
3. Eat at every aid station from mile 20 on.
4. Drink a lot of water.
5. Appreciate the trails, terrain, and the views

Castle Peak was a bit of a gut check, because I didn’t do the above things.  I bonked pretty good at mile 43, and had to walk (slowly) six runnable miles until I got to an aid station and re-hydrated and got some calories in me.  I bounced back in the last 12 miles and was able to run strong to the finish.

I expect to hit similar points through the Mogollon.  It is good to know, though, that I can bounce back.  Just need to be conservative early, stay hydrated and keep up the calories and electrolyte intake.

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We got into Pine last night, and have a down day today.  Wednesday and Thursday we spent time with Opa and Oma (my grandparents, Finley’s great-grandparents) in Prescott.  Today we may go for a short hike with Finley at some point, or we may do nothing.  Check-in starts at 4 at a local pizza/beer joint.

Finley is awake and running around the cabin, so I’m going to wrap this now and tend to Daddy duties.   Tomorrow will be fun.  I will post a recap afterwards.