NDW100 Taper Tantrums: 3 more sleeps

 I COMMIT, I WON'T QUIT!!

With three more sleeps to go until race day, when we line up to run 100 miles along the North Downs Way in Southern England, my mind has been a bit more calm, now that the pre-race Webi-gnar is behind us.  I'm watching lots of videos by the likes of Ben Parkes and Billy Yang and others, where they map out things like their WHY.  Why do they run these races?  Yang talks about Gratitude, for one.  

Yang has some compelling and very thoughtful arguments about the complacency of modern day life, and how there is a pleasure to be had in feeling a certain level of discomfort to balance it out. While Yang's video focused on Leadville 100,  Parkes's video of his girlfriend Sarah Place finishing the Thames Path 100 is a lesson in how an even-keeled approach and determination can result in some very happy vibes.  

There are a lot of videos out there, but the good ones are the ones where you can actually take something away and use it.  Yang's video shows the pre-race meeting where the race director asks the participants to commit to the race, and to promise they won't quit.  Thus the leader of this blog post: I COMMIT, I WON'T QUIT.  In my pocket I'll be carrying a map with this written on it, along with instructions to my self of each thing I need to do at the drop bag locations.

Another inspiring runner of 100 milers is Jeff Pelletier, a fellow Canadian. He has an almost machine-like ability to complete very long ultras, compiled over long experience and consistency in his approach.  He obviously feels all the thing other ultra runners feel, but he EXECUTES and keeps his brain smooth and anti-judgemental.  This is clear from his face and his tone of voice.  It seems he's always smiling, whether in the roots and rain of Quebec's Mega Trail or on the mountain-sides of the UTMB.

I've got my drop bags finalised now and have starting charging up my power pack and headlamps.  I'll top up the watch charge and phone charge on the morning of the race, and then I'll be ready to go.  I've even got my pre-race drink and morning gel for the drive over to Farnham.  Now I just have to keep my brain calm, and carry on.