Dear First-Time Western States Runner,
by Gabriel Huseas
Congratulations on getting in! You’ve waited 15 years. That’s incredible. Now here’s the best advice I can give you–
1. Don’t Train. Let Fate Decide.
Why not? After all, you’ve waited 15 years for this moment. Why ruin the mystery with preparation? Let the universe dictate your splits. Also, stretch once. For vibes.
2. Go out hard. You’re owed it.
This is your Super Bowl. Drop a 6-minute mile at the start to let everyone know you’ve arrived. Don’t look back–unless it’s to smirk.
3. Use this race to test new shoes.
Never worn those bad boys before? Good. That’s how you find out if they’re special. Bonus points for breaking them in on the first downhill.
4. Skip the early aid stations. Save time.
Hydration is a scam invented by Big Tailwind. Just chug warm Coke at mile 40 and trust your kidneys to catch up.
5. Don’t eat until you see the Escarpment.
REAL ultra runners don’t need fuel–just ego and trauma. If you get dizzy, run faster.
6. Refuse a pacer. They’ll only slow you down. This is about you, after all.
Run alone. In silence. In the dark. With your thoughts. Let your inner demons do the pacing.
7. Go live on Instagram during the canyons.
You need to capture this. Every switchback. Every tear. Let your followers see you cry, just make sure the lighting is decent. (find my affiliate link for the GoPro ring light attachment)
8. Tell everyone on the course it’s your first 100 miler.
And that you “don’t really get the hype.” Then ask them if Leadville is longer.
9. Don’t stop at Robie Point. It’s a trap.
Keep running. Straight through the finish line. Into the river. Swim upstream back to the starting line. Become legend. #WWDGD
10. Kiss the rock. Wrong race? Doesn’t matter.
Bring your own rock. That’s what drop bags are for. People will understand. Or they won’t. You’ve already won.
11. Good luck out there!
and remember: You’ve waited 15 years for this, so definitely go hard from the start and don’t ease up ’til you feel track.
Next week’s advice column: “How to DNF Gracefully While Blaming the Course Markings and Weather.“