Welcome to the official start of the training block for Umstead 100. The past few weeks, hopefully, you have been working to build your base; now we’re about reacquainting your legs with the road and trail. Now, the work truly begins. As we embark on this 25-week journey, we start not with speedwork or hill repeats, but with the single most important tool in your arsenal: your reason for being here.

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This is part of a series of posts regarding how we prepare, plan, and train to complete the 100-mile Ultramarathon Umstead 100. Our series for this event: Collecting Laps: one lap at a time to 100. For all the ultrarunning series, here, follow the link. Training for a 100. Alternatively, you can also follow our Podcast so you don’t miss the weekly summary post.

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From this moment on, every single run is a dress rehearsal. It’s an opportunity to test gear, nutrition, pacing, and your mental fortitude. But none of that matters without a foundation. The question you must answer is, “Why am I doing this?” Your ‘Why’ is the bedrock you will stand on when you’re 70 miles in, soaked by a downpour at 1 AM, and every cell in your body is screaming at you to stop.

For the veteran runner, this is a chance to refine a well-understood ‘Why’. For the first-timer, this is the time to discover it. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you need a profound, earth-shattering reason right now. Motivation is not static; it’s a living thing you will nurture and shape throughout this journey. The good news is, you’ve already made the commitment by signing up. Now, let’s do the work to give that commitment purpose.

Assessment:

It’s time for an honest audit of your motivations. Think beyond the moment you clicked “Register.” Reflect on the runner you were a year ago and the runner you want to become. This is where the cycle of excitement and apprehension begins, and it’s completely normal. One day you’ll feel invincible; the next, the sheer scale of 100 miles will feel crushing.

This internal conversation is not a sign of weakness; it’s a sign that you respect the distance. Use this time to observe your own thoughts. Are your reasons rooted in external validation (praise from others, a finisher’s photo), or are they internal (personal discovery, testing your limits, proving something to yourself)? Both have their place, but internal drivers are the ones that provide the most durable fuel. Acknowledge the doubts—the “What have I done?” moments—and meet them with the quiet confidence of “This is exactly where I need to be.” Every reflection solidifies your purpose.

Planning:

The ‘Why’ is not an abstract concept; it needs to be a tangible tool. Your task this week is to forge your reasons into something you can hold onto. Reflect on these questions and, more importantly, document your answers.

• What do I truly want to accomplish with this event?
• What are my deepest personal reasons for taking on this challenge?
• Who am I doing this for? Is it for me, or in honor of someone else?
• What part of my life’s journey has led me to the starting line?
• If I succeed, what will it mean for me? When it gets hard, what memory, person, or idea will keep me moving forward?

Write the answers down. Put them on a sticky note on your mirror. Make them the lock screen on your phone and/or computer. Condense them into a single/two-word mantra. These answers must be accessible in an instant, because you will need to recall them when you’re too exhausted to think.

Diabetes Learning Notes:

For the Type 1 runner, our ‘Why’ often carries an additional, powerful layer. The challenge isn’t just 100 miles; it’s 100 miles while manually performing the function of a vital organ. Embrace this. Frame your diabetes management not as a burden, but as the second discipline of your ultramarathon. You are not just a runner; you are a master of logistics and physiology.

When you perform your Assessment, it must include your approach to diabetes. What have you learned about your blood glucose trends on long runs? Which fuels work, and which could send you on a glycemic rollercoaster? Your ‘Why’ might be deeply connected to proving that T1D does not set your limits. Let that be your power.

In your Planning, your diabetes management plan is as critical as your pacing chart. The questions above get a T1D spin: “What will it mean for me to complete this challenge while successfully managing my diabetes?” When you’re digging deep at mile 80, your reason might be as simple as, “I am doing this for every person who was told they couldn’t.” Make that ‘Why’ your unbreakable foundation.

This week’s actual numbers:

Week 25	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat	Sun	Total
Plan	Stretches & Rolling	3	5	3	Rest	13	15	39
Actual	Stretches	6	11	Stretches	Rest	15	0	32

Next Week Plan:

Week 24	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat	Sun	Total
Plan	Stretches & Rolling	3	5	3	Rest	13	18	42