Am I really doing 100 miles?!

I'm as ready as I could be this year for CC100.  I've put in some really big mileage weeks, I've done my cross training, trained at elevation for 4 weeks over the summer (2.5 weeks in Silverton, 1 week at Tahoe, and some other misc time in the North Cascades, Eastern Oregon, and Mt. Spokane).  Elevation training was just a side benefit of traveling to some really cool places this summer to race, crew, play, and work as a guide for a running tour.   

Overall I'd like to have put in more high mileage weeks in June and early July.  Due to some rookie mistakes (racing too much, racing through injuries, racing on roads for 50 miles, and not icing/massage soon enough) I had to take off 3 weeks in June and I felt like I got a slow start to training in July.  By late July I'd put in a good 85 mile week, then a 125 mile week, and then another 85 mile week before I started my taper around August 12.  That following week was about 38 miles, and this week will be about 20  miles, with the biggie on Saturday, August 27th at 10am.

Back to being "ready." Part of why I love racing is the challenge, the extremes, the adventure.  I actually enjoy the feeling of my body slowly being broken down and coming through it feeling cleansed.  I can't think of anything I'd rather do for 24 hours.  I'm especially excited to run through the evening in to the night and see the day begin.  I am looking forward to sharing the experience with some of my best friends, my crew and pacers James Varner, Brandon Williams, and Al Coyle. Thanks for your support guys!  I'm also looking forward to running with many good friends who will be racing as well.

More about 100 mile race preparations later, but for now let's just say that I'm making lists to remind me to make lists.  Yikes.