W100: The Race Day Eve

Date: September 6, 2018

Distance: 0 miles

Purpose: bring it all together

All is set. The drop bags are packed. The fluid and nutrition has been properly stocked and placed. The ginger-ale and coconut water has been bought. The extra underwear, socks, shirt, and bandaids are all stashed and ready to roll. The headlamp has batteries. The race bib number has been procured and pinned. The 4 pacers are locked and loaded. The wonderful, beautiful, supportive, constant, loving wife has all the instructions needed to get there. I have even written the names of some very important people in my life, from this side of the Veil and from beyond the Veil as well, on my left forearm as inspiration and healthy distraction during tomorrow’s journey:

-        OMI

-        KEVI

-        AVI

-        RORY

-        COLT

-        E-RAE

-        BEX!

All this preparation can only mean one thing: The Wasatch 100 is tomorrow.

I have decided to go with the hydration belt for the first 34 miles. I should have enough water and nutrition to get to Bountiful B aid station and get re-fueled. From there, it will be aid every 5-7 miles all the way to Big Mountain.  There I have Becky waiting for me and the race essentially starts over.

The next time I write will be a description of how the actual race went in painful and peaceful detail.

I was driving home from work the other day along 700 East. There is a section of that major highway that provides a sweeping view of the Central Wasatch. I looked at each high point from south to north: Lone, Twin, South Thunder, Middle Thunder, North Thunder, Twin, Olympus, Grandeur, even modest Meridian and Ensign Peaks on the far north end of the valley. I have journeyed to each one of these great Alpine Sentinels of northern Utah over the past 8 months. And this list does not include those peaks that you can’t see from 700 East that I have summited: Superior, Davenport, Clayton, Pfeifferhorn, Dromedary, Sunrise, O Sullivan, White Baldy, Lake Peak, Mount Aire. That’s a lot of summits, representing a lot of hours on the trail over a lot of months. Yet in my obsessive tendencies, there are still more summits in the Central Wasatch I wish I could have tackled this summer that were on my list, but I just couldn’t squeeze in before the W100: Raymond, Wolverine, Gobbler’s, Kessler, Devil’s Castle, just to name a few.  Could I have done more? Of course I could have. But given my demands on my time of being a husband, a father, an employee, a homeowner, a member of my Church, I honestly can say that I did the best I could. I’m happy with where I am at going into this race of all races.

I have so thoroughly enjoyed training on these peaks and getting re-acquainted with each of them. They all have such unique personalities, as defined by their wildlife, flowers, geology, drainages, and popularity.  I have absorbed their beauty, felt of their spirits, drank of the inspiration that is found on each of their summits. I will take some of that Spirit with me tomorrow. I will give it my all. I will not stop moving. I will keep moving. I think I can, I know I can, I want to, I will finish.

I was born for this.  

Let’s roll.