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MOMAR team athlete, Gary Robbins, is gearing up for the Western States Endurance Run on June 27-28. This is a 100 mile trail race in California all done on FOOT. It’s probably hard for even the most seasoned MOMAR racers to relate to running this far so I figured it would be a good idea to ask Gary a few questions about this masochistic event.
MOMAR: What is the Western States Endurance Run all about? Why is this race considered the granddaddy of ultrarunning?
Gary Robbins: Western States was the pretty much ‘the birth’ of ultrarunning as we know it today. The first ever WS100 run was way back in 1977 and by 1979 it attracted 143 people! It has sold out every year since then! It is also steeped in American History and was originally a horse race that began in 1955 ‘to prove that horses could still cover 100 miles in a single day’. I learned of WS about five minutes after being told what an actual ultra run was back in 2004, ever since then I’ve known that I would attempt it one day:) It’s got 18,000 feet of climbing and 22,000 feet of descent, which plays nicely into what I consider to be my strength as a runner 
MOMAR: Training for this must be insane! Can you how describe much you ran during your biggest mileage week?
GR: If I did not come down with a cold during my final week of training my answer would have been 200km, in the end my max mileage was 165km in seven days. I eclipsed the 100mile/160km barrier five times this year and averaged 450km per month since Jan 1st…and there are plenty of guys ‘down south’ who were physically able to log way more than I could handle!
MOMAR: As a frame of reference, what is your best time doing a 10km road run, the Grouse Grind, and shotgunning a ‘killer’ Miller.
GR: Hmmm, haven’t done a 10k in 3-4 years, hate ‘The Grind’ cause it’s full of stressed out people and they don’t allow dogs, and can chug with the best of em but have actually never even attempted a shotgun! BCMC parallels The Grind and I can bring Roxy along. I’ve made it down this trail in 17min and can do a return lap in just over 50min. I managed to knock down a 20k road run, at the very end of a 100m week and to finish off a 60k day in March in 1h24m. I was pretty happy with that one:)
MOMAR: Has there been anyone who inspires you as a runner? Scott Juryk, Ray Zahab, Forest Gump?
GR: I don’t know that I’d say I find inspiration from any fellow runners. I love reading about them on their blogs and seeing what it is that they do for training though. I find more inspiration through good adventure books such as Colin Angus’ ‘Beyond The Horizon,’ his wife Julie’s ‘Rowboat In A Hurricane,’ Alfred Lansing’s ‘Endurance,’ Heinrich Harrer’s ‘The White Spider,’ etc, etc. I LOVE to read about insane adventures and they always put into perspective just how small what I attempt to do really is.
MOMAR: I’ve seen ultra endurance racers lose all control of their bodily functions as they cross the finish line. Are you willing to let this happen to you if it means a spot on the podium? (And, yes, it would be on YouTube.)
GR: Bryan, I’ve peed on myself in no fewer than five races, but that might be as far as I’d let it go…hmmm, if we’re talking podium though…yeah, I ain’t stopping for nothing!!
MOMAR: Your dad seems to be one of your biggest fans. That must be pretty cool to have him fly out to support you at the race.
GR: My Dad is truly an amazing person, and my Mother is just as great and supportive, but they’ve never been able to see me race before! I grew up in Nfld and only started running and adventure racing when I turned 27 (five years ago), so this will be the first time I’ll have my Dad along to share in the pain and joy involved in an event such as this. I consider him my ‘money in the bank.’ So much of racing is mental and I already know what a HUGE boost I am going to get as I intersect with him and my crew six times throughout the race. That adrenaline alone has to be able to kill some of the pain along the way!
MOMAR: What is your plan to prevent chafing? Please explain in great detail.
GR: HAHA, I’m going to rub down my entire body with ‘Grey Poupon’ of course! Hmm, I wonder if I left that as my answer what kinda e-mails I’d receive? ‘Sport Shield’ is a fairly new product and it trumps ‘Bodyglide’ in so many ways. One app and you’re good until you scrub it off! My pre-race chafe regime will last all of 65 seconds:)
MOMAR: Are you willing to publicly share your goals for WS100?
GR: I was worried you might ask this one, and typically I’d say no cause there are so many factors surrounding a race of this magnitude. I will say this however, this WILL go down as THE MOST COMPETITIVE 100 Miler EVER run in North America. There are top runners/champions from across the U.S., Italy, France, Japan, England, and on and on and on. Just to give you an idea of what I’m up against here, the seven time undefeated Champ is back after a few years hiatus. The two previous winners will return. There is a Japanese runner who just won a 100km trail race in China in a time of 6h52m…no, that’s not a typo. There is a Brit who also ran a sub 7hr 100k this year, there is an Italian who has won the 163km ‘Tour De Mont Blanc’ twice, etc, etc. In fact in the last 17 years of this race, there have only been seven different people who have claimed the overall victory. The ‘blogisphere’ is buzzing with people just attempting to pick the top ten for this one…all that I have to say is this, top ten gets you an auto entry back into the event again next year, and the worst I’ve finished in any running race in the last twelve months (hangover runs not included here) is second. This includes races in British Columbia, Ontario, Washington Stage, and Viriginia with distances ranging from 50km to 50m to 100m. I know what I can and cannot do. I will leave it all out there and am already certain and confident that I could not have done anything further to prepare for this event. I am healthy, I am rested, and I simply CAN NOT WAIT for it to begin!!
MOMAR: Will you be building a special iPod playlist to listen to during the race? What is the song that will start off this playlist and what song do you want to be playing as you cross the finish line?
GR: I have tried and simply can not run with music, but I do like getting a song in my head and singing it over and over again in between the numerous other thoughts that rush through my mind out there. I’m really attached to K’Naan’s ‘Waving Flag’ right now and am pretty sure I’ll be singing it to myself during the tougher climbs, like the 36 switchback climb leading up to ‘Devil’s Thumb’ at mile 48!
MOMAR: Do you think you will cry when you cross the finish line?
GR: I will personally guarantee that I will cry when I cross the line, although we have yet to determine if they will be tears of joy or tears of pure suffering!!
Photo by: Glenn Tachiyama
