Race another 100 miler 4 weeks before.
Ideally, pick a difficult race with a competitive field and race it hard. This big “training run” before your race is ideal for stressing your body and depleting energy levels.
Don’t run in the 2 weeks leading up to the race.
Make sure to add lots of life stress and run minimally. Stale legs are perfect for a strong DNF. I suggest things like buying a house and going back to school, they worked great for me! Other options include getting a new pet or starting your own business. I found that all these worked well together to increase my stress and decrease my time spent running in the two weeks leading up to the race.
Make sure to not give the course map more than a brief look!
Everyone loves surprises! Elevation profiles and crew driving directions are overrated and for sissies.
Start aggressively!
You haven’t run 120 miles with 8000 metres of climbing before? Perfect! Start with a strong pace and test your limits. You finished with a bit in the tank after your last 100 miler, so you can definitely survive a faster pace when running 120.
Bring minimal gear!
It’s a long, remote and exposed course. You wouldn’t want any extra gear weighing you down out there. A sleeveless shirt, shorts, windbreaker, and survival blanket are more than enough. Make sure to do this even if the forecast says it might get a little cold and rainy.
When you get cold, make sure to stop eating!
When it inevitably rains, then hails, your hands will be cold and make eating difficult. Just stop eating, you definitely don’t need food to keep you moving towards that next warm aid station.
And finally,
Get hypothermia!
Make sure to get your core temperature low enough that you stop shivering, this is sure to get the medical team worrying, and get you a free ride out of the woods in a 4×4!
Trying out new Halloween costumes mid race, this is my baked potato!
With these simple tips, you too can put yourself on the DNF list at your next race! Good luck out there!
On a more serious note, I’ll be back at Fat Dog next year with another year of training in my legs and another couple layers in my pack.
Once you DNF, enjoy watching all your friends suffer on course from the comfort of your plaid flannel jacket in front of the stove while grilling up quesadillas.