This posting continues my irregular articles with tips on how to train for various major world ultras which I've personally run several times. I've been top 10 at Western States nine times (having run two different snow routes and the official course too), with a best time of 15:47. I've also completed the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning which involves four 100-milers in the same summer, starting with Western States.So I now feel that I've learned enough about the race to be able to give a few useful pointers for anyone planning on running this iconic event. There are things I've learnt along the way that you may find helpful, as have runners who I've coached for the event over the past decade. You can find out more about coaching here I'll include posts on other races over time and have already written about how to train for the Marathon des Sables Flat 100 milers like Rocky Raccoon and Comrades Western States Endurance Run (WS100 or WSER) in California from Squaw Valley to Auburn is the race that began the concept of 100-mile trail races. The history can be found here but in summary, there was a 100-mile horse race along the Western States trail that had a runner attempt the course in 1974. This captured people's imaginations and it became an event in itself as well as spawning other races to lead to 96 North American 100-milers at the time of writing, plus many others around the world. It's also part of the ' Grand Slam of Ultrarunning ' which involves running four 100s over one summer - WS100, Vermont 100, Leadville 100 and Wasatch 100.

For me, the thing that makes Western States so special is the history with a beautiful course through mountains and canyons. It's also incredibly competitive, increasingly so in recent years (in 2012 the time for 10th place overall would have won the race outright almost every other year!) which creates an atmosphere of everyone peaking and not using it as a training run, as can happen at many races. It has approximately 1,500 volunteers to cover almost 400 runners (and their pacers and crews), showing how the running community really gets behind the event.The race is extremely difficult to get into due to an over-subscribed lottery. However, there are several races within the Montrail Ultracup that offer entry places for the top two men and women who don't already have a guaranteed entry, rolling down to third if required. The top 10 runners from the previous year are given guaranteed entries too. Foreign runners can also get into the race with special consideration given for anyone who could enhance the competitiveness of the event.

Core training is more important than for shorter races since poor running form over a full day (or more!) will slow you down a lot and raise the chance of injuries. However, sit-ups and what you may normally think of as core work for getting a six-pack won't be very useful because these don't help your muscles for the specific movements performed when running - as a general rule, exercises performed standing up and challenging your balance (like on one leg) will be most useful.

Core training is more important than for shorter races since poor running form over a full day (or more!) will slow you down a lot and raise the chance of injuries. However, sit-ups and what you may normally think of as core work for getting a six-pack won't be very useful because these don't help your muscles for the specific movements performed when running - as a general rule, exercises performed standing up and challenging your balance (like on one leg) will be most useful.

Don't over-race before the event. It's tempting to try to do too many long runs or races to give you confidence but it's definitely better to turn up a little under-trained than a little over-trained, as the official race booklet advises

Practice hydration i n your training runs and try to get an idea of which sports' drinks you can stomach best, ideally trying out the brand of drink that currently sponsors the race since this will be available at every aid station even when your crew isn't there. The rate you need to drink at will vary with temperature and effort so doing training runs that simulate the race will give a better idea of the correct rate to drink at, but the feeling of thirst and the frequency and color of your urine (not clear but not darker yellow or brown either) are both good indicators.

Practice hydration i n your training runs and try to get an idea of which sports' drinks you can stomach best, ideally trying out the brand of drink that currently sponsors the race since this will be available at every aid station even when your crew isn't there. The rate you need to drink at will vary with temperature and effort so doing training runs that simulate the race will give a better idea of the correct rate to drink at, but the feeling of thirst and the frequency and color of your urine (not clear but not darker yellow or brown either) are both good indicators.

Heat stroke can be a significant risk so it helps a lot to train for the high temperatures, either using time in a sauna or jogging at the hottest part of the day with multiple layers on

Heat stroke can be a significant risk so it helps a lot to train for the high temperatures, either using time in a sauna or jogging at the hottest part of the day with multiple layers on

Don't just practice running as you will be doing some power-hiking, guaranteed (unless you break 15 hours). For example, in running sub 16 hours I probably walked up to 10 miles of the total distance, but a strong power-hike can be almost as fast as a jog and can be much more efficient

Don't just practice running as you will be doing some power-hiking, guaranteed (unless you break 15 hours). For example, in running sub 16 hours I probably walked up to 10 miles of the total distance, but a strong power-hike can be almost as fast as a jog and can be much more efficient

Don't just focus on just uphill training as those downhills add up and can force you into a death march to the finish, even if well training, so the more you can do, the better

Don't just focus on just uphill training as those downhills add up and can force you into a death march to the finish, even if well training, so the more you can do, the better

If you don't train for the specific challenges of the course (that specificity point comes in again) then these will be your undoing

Bad or inadequate nutrition will slow you dramatically and the effect in a 100-miler is exponentially larger than in a shorter ultra. There're 25 aid stations with a wide variety of food and drinks, making some of the best-stocked aid stations in the US. So don't forget to look at who the sponsors are on the official website to try out their products so you know in advance whether they work for you in long runs or if you'll need to supply a lot of your own food and drinks. Your crew can supply these at multiple points along the course.

Beware of hypothermia in the early miles. Although the race is known for heat, it can involve cold, wind, rain, snow, hail etc early on - it's the mountains after all. So check the forecast and carry a little too much clothing if unsure as you can always leave it at an aid station or tie it around your waist.

Clock-watching and aiming for a sub 24-hour silver buckle can push you too hard, too early and it's better to go at a pace that your body dictates instead of a set schedule. This should lead to a faster finish time anyway and if that time is over 24 hours then you probably aren't in shape for a silver buckle and could DNF by aiming for one as the main target.

Related to the last point, like in most ultras, people tend to go out too fast at WS100. It starts with a steep climb and there's no need to burn yourself out at this point. This applies to the entire first half since the course gets easier in terms of terrain after Foresthill at 62.0 miles and if you're in good shape at this point you can run some relatively fast miles and catch up time. This will also be more enjoyable than going too hard, blowing up and death marching in on sections of trail that should be easy to run on.

Altitude can be a minor issue in the early stages and it's worth giving it a little respect by not pushing too hard, but that is already sensible as mentioned above. So, the not-going-out-too-fast is important enough to be in three different bullet points.

Blisters can also ruin your race. Having changes of socks and/or shoes can help, especially at aid stations after water crossings, but this isn't necessary. A better option is to find socks and shoes that don't cause issues in the first place. The shoes will be very individual, but I'd suggest a good fit with a fair degree of protection from the rocks and that don't allow your feet to slide around much. Socks are worth an investment to not just get the cheapest pair from Walmart and Drymax are the best I've ever tried and are what I use for all of my runs. I had no blisters from the 2012 WS100, although I may lose a toe-nail or two, which can't really be avoided with that much downhilling.

Not eating enough can end your race or at least slow you down a lot. Odds are you won't be able to force down enough calories during the race no matter how hard you try (although I can think of a couple of people who virtually manage to eat their own body-weight in an ultra!).

Be careful about markings which are generally good but if you stop concentrating or rely on the guy in front paying full attention, you may add on mileage. Every year I've run there have been men at the front who've got temporarily lost because the markings are not always perfect, and a minute of your mind wandering can lead to not seeing a turn.