Acknowledgments To Jim Kerby who started me running, To Leon Draxler who goaded me into entering, To Fred Stafford who prepared me for this race by forcing me to chase him up every hill in Puget Sound To Jamie Gifford who inspired me to go packless and wear fashionable shorts with pockets... I hereby dedicate this testimonial of my first Western States run. My name is Doug Nast from Issaquah WA near Seattle, and I completed my first WS100 in 2004 with a time of 29:24. Rather than provide a mile by mile account of mine own exploits, I felt the public would best be served if I shone my feeble and yea, wavering light into the dark abyss that is known as Western States Mythology. You will permit me a moment of fleshly vainglory by entitling this work: Veteran Ultra-runner Doug Nast Explodes Ten Western States Myths Myth 1: The course is easy; downhill point-to-point. False. How can a run that's downhill on paper appear to be just the opposite? Could this be one of those magnetic anomalies, like Spook Hill in Florida? Or is it merely another manifestation of the age- old observation that the joys of the downs do poorly compensate for the suffering of the ups? In any case, to one with the legs of a mere mortal, such sustained descents as exist on this course are barely runnable, and are peppered with short, vicious climbs besides. To those who walk lightly and have the strength-to-weight ratio of titanium, this might be any easy-ish course. To a 210-pound oaf with skinny legs it is a bear. Myth 2: I can use the 30-hour cutoff figures to plan my race. False. Well, I tried this and found the figures absolutely useless. First, the numbers in two printed official publications did not agree with each other, and the numbers on the aid station placards agreed with neither. Many of us found ourselves 10 minutes ahead around Peachstone (73 miles), and inexplicably 1.5 hours ahead (i.e. 3:00 AM) a few miles further on at Rucky Chucky (78 miles). I had a vision of 28 hours. I allowed myself to imagine the taste of victory champagne. The ministrations of run groupies danced in my head. After all, I felt good, and the average 30-hour runner would probably be pretty spent by now. The margin against cutoff could only get better. I could see by the goofy grins on my companion's faces that their thoughts were running in similar directions. Well, I must tell you now that many of those who indulged this Elysian fantasy did not finish. I did, with scant 36 minutes to spare, by putting my head down and running to the internal rhythm of Vangelis' score in Chariots of Fire. I thought I was running for 28 hours and glory. Or England and glory if you like. Little did I know I was running for my life. My best advice if you are within an hour or two of cutoff: Take to your heels as if the hounds of Hell were loosed, because Auburn (100.2 miles) awaits, and there is many a dark turning between heath and home. Myth 3: The whole thing with the rattlesnake warning is just to scare the rubes. False. Idiot. Heading into Deep Canyon I myself was nearly killed by a rattlesnake, estimated to be at least 8 feet long in an uncoiled state. The vile worm slithered sideways across the trail under my very feet, cooly hurling imprecations with its accursed rattle like the hell-spawn it clearly was. If I could bottle the jolt of energy it inspired, I could make a fortune on the quack fountain-of-youth circuit. A woman caught me from behind and we both briefly stopped to dip our hats in a stream. I innocently asked her if she had seen the rattlesnake. She said no, but that snakes were the one thing she was very concerned about. I started ahead and never saw her again. I wonder if Mackey could use this idea? Myth 4: I am going to take it easy til Foresthill and then turn it on. False. Idiot. First, unless you are running 100+ miles per week, you are not going to turn "it" or anything else "on" after 62 miles. The best you can hope for if properly trained is a slow rate of deterioration. Unless you are a 24 hour runner you will be running the 16 mile downhill (well, as a general trend) to Rucky Chucky (78 miles) in the dark. Refer to the elevation profile (available at website) for this section, and note the continuous ups and downs. Realize that the maze-like switchbacks that accompany a descent do not show up on this profile, and that it will be dark. You will not run this section fast. Myth 5: I am going to take it easy til Rucky Chucky (or Green Gate) and then turn it on. False. Idiot. First, unless you are running 100+ miles per week, you are not going to turn "it" or anything else "on" after 78-80 miles. The best you can hope for if properly trained is a slow rate of deterioration. You will be running at least half of this in the dark, and the section is not as flat and fast as your fantasies might have it. For example, check out the elevation profile (available at the website) for the 13.5-mile run from Green Gate (80 miles) to Highway 49 crossing (93.5 miles), and note two things. Only the strictest sort of Nazi statistician would call this a "downhill run". Only a madman could call it a "flat run". It starts around 1500 feet, ends around 1300 feet, and it goes up and down like a yo-yo in between. Myth 6: The race is well organized and supported. False. While its true that an unparalleled number of volunteers provide excellent support while waiting on runners hand and foot, performing ritual foot washings, karmic cleansings, and life saving transfusions, the following serious deficiencies were uncovered in an informal runner poll: They drew too much pre-race blood for the volunteer test, there was not enough water at the finish, there was not enough shade at the finish, the temperature of the showers could not be controlled, the award ceremony was too long, too hot, etc., the cutoff numbers made no sense, the food at Auburn was icky, and the cigar guy at Foresthill exhaled in my direction. (Any wonder why radical Islam is coming over the ramparts?) Myth 7: It gets dark at 10:00, so place your flashlight based on that. False. Idiot. Like me you forgot that in the summer in the northern hemisphere sunset is later the further north you go. (This has to do with the fact that the earth's axis is not perpendicular to the plane of the ecliptic, the reason for the seasons). On 6/26 in Seattle the sun sets at 9:11, resulting in dark no later than 10. Since the 30-hour cutoff for Foresthill (62 miles) is 10:30, I naturally assumed I would be there no later than 10. This meant I would worst case arrive at dark, but taking into account that the last mile or two is on asphalt, the risk was zero. I therefore put my first light at Foresthill. Aha! On 6/26 in this part of CA the sun sets at 8:33, resulting in dead dark no later than 9. Both the sun and I kept to our respective schedules, and I left Michigan Bluff (55 miles) shortly before sunset, with 7 miles and nearly two hours to go til a flashlight was available. I had to run on people's heels while peering between their legs through some nasty sections of trail between Michigan Bluff and Foresthill. I only avoided a nasty fall or sock in the nose by the grace of God and the forbearance of my fellow competitors. Myth 8: You don't really need a hat for the second day. False. Idiot. Like me you took your hat off when it got dark, but neglected to install one in a drop bag on ahead. You will be punished with heat stroke, and honestly, you know you deserve it. You will alternately whither and whine. You will remove your shirt and tie it around your head. Your shoulders will smoke, and you will cool them with water. The water seems to act as a lens to re-focus the energy from the merciless sun. Long forgotten images from WWII movies set in North Africa flit through your brain like heat lightening. The brave English officer stripped naked on the sweltering sands.... wait, it looks like Robie Point (99 miles) is just ahead.... Myth 9: The climb to Robie Point is a tough finish. False. Nothing this close to the end can be tough. This climb is steep-ish, but short and sweet. If you have a conversation going (with yourself if need be), you won't even notice it. You can smell the Auburn asphalt from there, you know you are done, and nothing in the world can hurt you. To me the climb to highway 49 crossing (93.5 miles) is much worse. Though less steep its equally un-runnable, is almost 2 miles in length, and you know you have 7 miles to the finish once you hit the top. Myth 10: The (Supply your favorite section name here) part of the course is easy. False. Idiot. No part of this course is easy.