As I sit to type this, the bell hath tolled on the 20th hour, August 13th, 2014. The Fat Dog 120 starts at 10:00 AM on Friday the 15th, meaning there are only 36 hours to go.
The wait has been long. Almost a year ago to the day I started running after my year-long hiatus (post-Leadville un-motivation) and gradually ramped my way up from 20 km per week to 160 km per week. Again. It was October 1st when I registered for Hardrock, and December 7th when I didn’t get in. December 11th I registered for Fat Dog 120, “British Columbia’s answer to the Hardrock 100”.
So training went pretty well for dozens of month, I avoided injury and sickness, for the most part, and here we are.
It’s quite a thing, I realized, to even make it to the starting line of a big “A” race. So many things could go wrong, so many opportunities to back out. I guess it’s good they charge so much for the races! So though I put a lot of pressure on myself to do well, I have to remember that even getting here is a huge accomplishment.
My whole fam-jamly is here to crew for me, pretty much. Sis, Bro and Dad, and my buddy Ross is going go pace me into the finish line. It’s good. We’re missing our Crew Chief from Leadville, so that is sad, but such is the life of a on-call resident doing a neurosurgery rotation, or whatever the hell.
The Bro and I digging into the crew supplies.
We got all our stuff loaded into boxes. We even put together two drop bags, though the locations of the drops are so pointless if you have a crew that we probably won’t use them.
Lucky number 189, baby. Drop bags or incredible fashion accessory?
Anyway, we’re going to try to post updates on the Twitter, hashtag #FatDog120, or on my profile at https://twitter.com/symmitchry and on Facebook. Internet access is limited, but we’ll do what we can!
If anyone wants to come to the finish line, the fun should start around noon on Saturday and continue all night until Sunday morning!
Wish me luck. Let’s go run 120 miles.
God Speed, Bib # 189.
ah mitch. i think of you every time i get out for my annual 4k jog. how you pushed me to sprint for the last bit of every run, how you paced me on my 10k where I unwisely replaced my blood with red wine the night before and couldn’t even sweat.
i was sad when you stopped running after leadville and i’m glad you’re back on it. have fun this weekend, but only once it’s over. can’t wait for the trip report.
Get ‘er done, buddy! Go well, Team Le Blanc.
God Speed Mitch!!! I am at the finish line in Spirit and cheering you in as always!
Way to go Mitch, congratulations on your second place finish, that was an amazing time to complete the race on!!… rest, feet up and see you in Victoria for Octobers Marathon…… 😉