It’s Hardrock 100 time again.

It’s hard to believe, but this year will be my 7th go at this race. It doesn’t seem like it was that long ago that I was here for the first time.

Back in 2007 I made my first trip around this incredible course. I returned in 2009 and have run and finished every year since. You might think that after so many years things would get routine, but I don’t think this race could ever be described that way. Sure, the experience gained through the years makes certain aspects easier. I have less anxiety beforehand, training seems more efficient and organizing crew and drop bags is no longer a major practice in logistics — but as familiar as I might be with the course and what is needed to put together a good day, every year is a little different. It’s always exciting.

The big fuss this year is the super-competitive front end of the mens race. There’s no fewer than six pro-level guys who, on paper, all have a shot at a win. And with Kilian Jornet— arguably the top guy in the world right now— lining up here for his first time, there’s a lot of talk of a potential new course record to be set. For the breakdown of the field, read the predictions at irunfar.com. Take a look, this field is really impressive.

As for me, well my formula is always the same. I let the leaders take off and I just run my own race (I can’t keep up with them anyway). My single goal for the day is to better my last go around in this direction, when my time was 28:20. More specifically, I’m aiming for a finish time in the 27 hour range, one that will put me in Silverton early enough to grab a breakfast rather than lunch.

Christy, Tim Mutrie, and Pete Gaston heading down to Ouray tomorrow to help with crew and pacing duties through the finish.

It all starts at 6am tomorrow and can be reliably followed at the Hardrock100 Live link here.