Jbob's Western States Mantra

I've lost myself again. Anybody got a stud finder?

Western States Silver Buckles shimmering behind me
at the 2013 Western States award ceremony. Photo by THE Mike Davis.

THE WESTERN STATES 100

This race is undoubtedly the biggest race of my life (so far), and I'm going to give it hell. I'm aiming to finish before midnight (19 hours), which I believe I'm fully capable of, but anything can happen over the course of 100 miles.

If you want to follow along on my progress, the race starts on June 28th at 5am, and you can use the following resources for live updates:

• For close to real-time tracking of all runners www.ultralive.net/ws100
• There will be live video feed at www.ultrasportslive.tv 
• Like the Western States  Facebook Page for official updates and pics.
• Follow Western States on Twitter @wser100
• And iRunFar will have race day coverage.

I will appreciate any good vibes you're willing to send me on race day.


MY MANTRA

For years, my favorite Mantra has been "Love Hurts. This must be Love". It was written on my arms during my first 100 mile race in 2011, and it has since been ingrained in my attitude towards long distance running. However this year, a new mantra somehow took over and has helped me to finish strong in several of my races. This new mantra stems from one of my favorite soccer commercials from the 2010 world cup: "Write the Future".

It's a simple idea, and it's fueled all of my top 3 finishes this year (Orcas Island 50k, Capitol Peak 50m, Macdonald Forest 50k). It's both inspiration for the runner's low and encouragement for my legs to keep running hard, knowing that I still have the power to change the course of the future.

Alternatively, the chant "I believe that we will win!" will also be stuck in my head during the race:

SPECIAL THANKS

It's been a crazy journey, especially with studying for the Professional Engineer exam and looking for a new place to live, all the while spending my weekends running and racing. With everything finally settled down, I'm now able to focus solely on my run at Western States. I feel like I'm as prepared as I can be, and I'm grateful for those who have helped me along my road to Western States, including Trail Butter, the Float Shoppe, Animal Athletics, and Ultra U.

I especially want to thank my family for wanting to crew me, and Andrew Miller for his commitment to pace me.

And thank you to my friends who have only encouraged me as I struggled to maintain some kind of social life.

And thanks to all the Race Directors and Volunteers who have worked hard to maintain the Western States trail, especially after the American Fire roughed up a good portion of it last August. I can't wait for race day.


FINAL THOUGHTS

I believe that we will win! I believe that we will win! I believe that we will win! I believe that we will win! I believe that we will win! I believe that we will win! I believe that we will win! I believe that we will win! I believe that we will win! I believe that we will win! 

It's so damn catchy...

Much Love,

Jbob