It’s barely 6 a.m. on a Saturday morning and I’m halfway through a mug of coffee that’s close to reaching room temperature. I open the Training Peaks app on my phone to see what the plan is for the day:
5 hours.
Endurance effort.
Hottest part of the day is preferred.
This was the theme for most weekends, actually. Wake up, fuel, endure a hefty training session up and down a mountainous forest service road, drive home, refuel, recover, say no to most evening plans and hit the bed by 9 p.m. Rinse and repeat until race day.
To most, this probably sounds dreadful—boring at best—but for me and my partner, Scott, who was also dedicating every bit of his free time towards training for the Western States Endurance Run (WS100), these weekends were magic.
We received each of our WS100 entries in two very different ways. Scott earned his bib by finishing the 2022 Western States in 10th place, securing a spot on the 2023 starting line. I got in through a sponsored bib with GU Energy Labs and Rising Hearts, a grassroots organization representing body diversity and inclusivity. As a couple, Scott, a front-of-the-pack runner, and I, a back-of-the-pack runner, have different abilities. Yet, we used very similar training styles for the same race.
Weekly Miles: Same, but Different
Scott and I both trained based on time vs. miles. So, while some runners might have 15 or 20 miles on their Saturday schedule, we’d have 3-5 hours which would then equate to however many miles we could rack up in that time. This was incredibly helpful whenever we’d set off for the trails and wanted to start and finish together. This also meant we could carpool to minimize our carbon footprint and guarantee someone was definitely picking up burritos afterward, which was an added bonus.
During these miles, we also followed similar cooling strategies that were specific to WS100. Because this Northern California race is historically hot, with temperatures easily topping 100 degrees in the canyons part of the course, it’s essential that runners wear gear like ice bandanas and cooling sleeves, along with added heat training during the hottest parts of the day near our home in Arizona. This meant bags of ice were always stocked in our freezer, and extra cooling sleeves could be found in both cars in case I forgot mine.
Fuel Together, Run Forever
While our 100-mile PRs look nothing alike (my time is almost double that of his), the way we fueled was very similar. Lots of healthy carbs and protein in the morning, big salads for lunch and a little bit of everything at dinner. I’m an avid baker and cook, so it was common for some sort of baked sweet bread or roasted southwest dish to be waiting on the kitchen counter.
We both lead very busy lives—Scott’s the founder of a coaching business and I’m a writer and creative director in advertising—but we made it a priority to sit down for dinner together almost every night, without our phones or laptops, to talk about the day while our dog begged for scraps to hit the floor. It might seem small, but that little bit of togetherness was often the bright spot in an otherwise monotonous training day.
Find Your Fun
No matter if you’re new to the sport or going after your 100th 100-mile finish, the constant grind of training for a big race can sometimes take more motivation than usual to lace up for a run. There were times when Scott and I would putz around the house searching every nook and cranny for anything to push us out the door. Yes, even two people who absolutely love running and were lucky enough to be running WS100 found it difficult at times to feel motivated for a little weekday run. Fortunately, we have tricks up our sleeves for these moments. For Scott, it was often a mix of music he’d listen to at max volume, plus a white button-down shirt he found at the Salvation Army over a decade ago. For me, my fun included sassy enamel pins I’d attach to my vest and strange t-shirts I’d picked up during spontaneous thrifting adventures.
The Final Countdown
The week leading up to WS100 was filled with reflection and celebration. Never did I ever think I’d get the chance to race this event because 1) it’s nearly impossible to get into, and 2) there’s no way I’m ever going to win a Golden Ticket to scoot my way past the lottery system. So, when I say “reflection,” I’m talking about the gratitude I felt for being at the start line in Olympic Valley, and having the opportunity to take on this iconic course.
Now, as far as “celebration,” well, that’s exactly what the week was about—celebrating the hard work Scott and I both put into this training cycle to show up as our best selves come race morning. It was also a week to celebrate the two very different types of runners we are. Scott is someone who’s pushing the envelope as to what’s capable at age 42, and not showing any signs of slowing down. Then there’s me—someone who once weighed 377 lbs. and is now leaping at the chance to take on big, scary goals like running 100- or 200-mile events. We had made it to the start line of WS100 and after months of training together, we were both healthy and ready to run our individual races.