Dropping Out of Wasatch 2015

I apologize to anyone who tried to get into Wasatch this year, I totally blew it...again.

Perfecting my Hugging form on Mt. St. Helens 

Hello! I've decided to drop out of Wasatch 100 mile run 5 weeks prior to the race. Since so many of you (ultra runners) have been in similar situations, here's a reflection on why I made my decision.

Plantar fasciitis has seemingly crept back into my life, even though I was in denial for a while. It started immediately after I finished a fast run around Mt. Hood in shoes that were too narrow (and perhaps I still wasn't recovered from my trip to Europe), and it seemed manageable for a time. However, as I was frolicking on Mt. St. Helens today for 36 miles, my foot had gotten worse. By the time I reached my car, I had made the decision to drop.

Being that I'm 5 weeks from Wasatch, this is technically when my peak training should be happening. Granted, I feel like I'm in great shape (Europe made sure of that), but this injury feels like it would probably take more than 5 weeks to cure. So I seemingly had two choices: continue training through the injury (the stupid choice) or stop training and let Jbob heal.

Another huge reason why I dropped is because, although I've taken full advantage of my company's liberal vacation/unpaid time off policy, I only had enough vacation for one of two choices: run Wasatch, or go to Disneyland with the family (and my nieces and nephews). Granted, Wasatch was scheduled first, but it was a tough choice.

My goal for Wasatch was to give it my all, hoping that would be enough for a podium finish. This was a huge goal for me, and it would have been a dream of mine to really nail this race. But if I ended up running the race and had to drop out or bonk hard at mile 60, I'd be crying for the last 40 miles wishing I had decided to go to Disneyland with my family. And since I won't be able to arrive at the Wasatch starting line healthy, trained, and confident...I'd rather spend my time with my family.

New goal: Win Disneyland.

This is the 2nd time I've registered for Wasatch and had to bail due to injury (the first time was in 2012). Until I get a chance to run the race again, Wasatch will continue to be my Great White Buffalo.

Thank you EVERYONE who has been a big support to me for this past year, including Trail Butter, The Float Shoppe, Evolution Healthcare & Fitness, and Bioskin. I really appreciate it.

My next race is the Hagg Lake 50k/25k in February 2016. Until then, I'll be socializing more, napping more, and dancing at my friends' weddings without fear of ruining my taper for Wasatch.


Much Love,

Jbob