Western States is the race that first got me interested in ultrarunning. All of my training up to this point was focused on completing this course. Other than my recent nausea issues, I believed I was prepared to make a successful run through 100-miles of the Sierra Nevada mountains.
We were notified that an unusual amount of winter snowfall had resulted in about 10-miles of the course still being covered in snow. I had practiced running in the snow this past winter and did not think that would be a big deal. However, what I failed to consider was that this would also result in a much larger amount of water on the rest of the course due to the excess snow melting in the higher elevations.
Snow + Water + Running = Wet and Blistered Feet
Right on schedule, I started throwing up around 45-miles. I stopped at 50-miles and then again at 55-miles for about an hour each time hoping my stomach (and my feet) would recover. It quickly became clear to me that this would be a death march to the finish. The key word here is "finish". Nothing short of that would do for this epic race.
I learned a great deal about myself out on the Western States trail. I also gained a lot of respect for a course that is much more difficult than it looks on paper. I will be back again to try for a sub-24-hour finish. Until then, I will still proudly call myself a Western States Finisher.
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