Pre UROC 100K- Race Week

As Dave James said earlier this week via Facebook in reference to the Ultra Race of Champions 100K;

Its almost time for the big dance!

The UROC 100K this year boasts a plethora of competition even surpassing the smorgasbord of talent accrued last year for the inaugural event. Seeing what newcomers like Nick Clark, Max King, and David Riddle can do on a course which suits their talents will be exciting to witness. This years throwdown arguably holds more talent on one course than any race of ultra distance the country has ever seen. Names like Dave Mackey, Max King, Ian Sharman, Dave James, Jordan McDougal, Sage Canaday, Todd Braje, and many more will be creating mayhem in the pissing contest up front for the $20,000 prize purse. Bryon Powell of www.irunfar.com has put together a comprehensive list of potential podium finishers HERE;  and I am proud to say my name was thrown in the mix as a wildcard/darkhorse.

I predict like last year when this many elites get tossed in the mix the pace will be hard pressed in the opening miles and the wisest tactician will be the one who races his own race and puts his pride aside for the opening miles. The last 10 miles are the only ones that matter.

New this year will be the newly blazed UROC trail which feeds runners down to the Blue Ridge Parkway via singeltrack trail thus eliminating the 3 mile descent on pavement exiting the home base of the race. Runners then return back up the climb for the epic mountaintop finish where the top 5 runners will be earning a nice payday this Saturday, September 29th.

The forecasted temps look to be less formidable than last year's ominous fog which added an air of epicness to the race last year. Temp should hover in the low 70's and the chance for T-Storms is about 30%. The elite wave starts at 7:00am est and the cool 50 degree temps will be a runners dream for fast splits on the highly technical singetrack portions of the UROC course which was slightly longer than 100K last year, (closer to 64 miles according to GPS).

One guy who won't be racing this year is 2011 5th place finisher Jon Allen who barely made it to UROC due to the birth of his child. Likewise this year, my wife is due to give birth on October 10th to our first child, so lets hope I'm not out on the course when her water breaks! She'd be over a week early but stranger things have happened...

I'm looking forward to racing in my new Smith Pivlock shades with the Ignitor lens which is pefectly suited to provide high optical definition for technical trails. I'm racing in the Montrail Rogue Racer footwear which performed well last year on the multiple surfaces which make up the UROC course and of course I'll be rocking the best socks out there, SWIFTWICK!

Thanks to my PT, Lauren with Advanced Ortho in Louisville for getting me in this week several times for some last minute tune ups! The legs are feeling fresh and ready!