The decision to run the Black Canyon 100K Ultra in Arizona was a bit last-minute because I didn’t get into any of the other three events I had entered lotteries for. I knew about 12 weeks out that this would be the event I would have to aim for, my second time at the 100K (about 62 miles) distance. I needed Black Canyon, because I really wanted to run a Western States qualifier this year. I had missed out last year due to injury.

For those new to the ultra world, Western States is the Kona of ultra running or the Boston of marathons – you have to qualify, but that can be tricky. The catch is that you have to enter a lottery to run a qualifying event to qualify for the lottery to run the race. Got all that?

Race Day is finally here. You’ve spent weeks training and have invested a lot of hope and hard work. Take some time this week to make sure race day goes how you want so you get to the start line ready to go. Get ready to race!