One of the things which I don't care for is the amount of races going on over the weekend, everything from 5/10k to 50 mile. Seeing people on the trail who are fresh as daisies while I am on mile 75 (if I am lucky enough to get that far) may have a negative effect on my state of mind. However, knowing other 100 mile runners will still be on the course may make those fresh runners a mute point.
The theme for the race is Woodstock, 1969, there will be live music and trippy people hanging out all weekend. I am hoping the mood/theme does not take me out of my mental comfort level, as I don't like being around groups of people whose main focus is talking and eating. I will be there to run 100 miles, and everything else which happens is secondary.
I believe the above are minor things which won't negatively affect me, so I am excited about my decision to attempt something which I have been thinking about for over 20 years.
I decided my training for the next 5 weeks will be moderate, yet intense. I will run every other day, the days I don't run will be spent walking up and down the 2 hills in town.
I plan on visiting Blackwell forest preserve in Warrenville (western suburb of Chicago) 3 weeks before the race. I hope to run 4-8 hours, some of it being up and down Mt. Hoy, the largest hill in the area. I spent weekends at Blackwell in my early 20's running and hiking, and it was there that I literally ran into a man who was training for a 100 mile race. He planted the idea into my head that one day maybe I too could attempt to run 100 miles - I am now finally going to try.
