Thirteen days. That's all the recovery window Tara Dower gets between toeing the line at Western States and then again at Hardrock. After last year's DNF, she's not just chasing redemption — she's chasing two of the hardest 100-milers in the sport, back to back.
Last year at Western States...
I got a bad cold the week before Western States. Initially, I could feel the tickle in my throat and knew it was going to be bad, and what followed was a week of worry, sadness, grief, and then acceptance. By the time I lined up at the start line Saturday morning, I knew I wouldn’t perform to my top ability and that I was ready to suffer but wanted to use the opportunity to fully check out the course and have fun with the community.
I had all sorts of issues that day — it seemed like everything that could go wrong did go wrong. Almost every time I coughed, I threw up. The WADA-approved cold medicine I was on made me delirious. There was blood where blood should absolutely not be. There were a slew of other issues I'll spare you the details on. My body pushed until Cal-3 and then it just stopped, and I couldn't go any further. I laid on a cot, had a panic attack where I convinced myself my lungs were filling with fluid and that I was dying, and then DNF'd. I felt like I let myself, my crew, and my sponsors down. That whole week felt too surreal. It was heartbreaking.
That experience shifted how I approach training — with more care and kindness for my body. I train really hard, but I also sleep a lot more, eat a ton, and focus on recovery. Last year I was grinding so hard that by the time I made it to Olympic Valley, my immune system was worn out. It only took a slight cold to totally derail me. This year I'm giving myself enough rest and recovery inside of an intensive training block for both Western States and Hardrock.
What You've Done Differently Since
I honestly believe my immune system was a little compromised during a tough training block. I drove 14 hours over two days, didn't sleep well a couple of those nights, and when I got to the Broken Arrow hype and saw a bunch of people, I could have easily caught whatever it was that derailed me.
To mitigate that this year: I'm doing less aggressive heat training, not doing total-body workouts, focusing on running fitness and strength, and I take zinc now. Instead of setting an alarm, I let my body sleep however long it needs by trying to be asleep by 9pm and waking up naturally in the morning. I'm also traveling to the race the Tuesday before WSER instead of two weeks before, and I'm not driving. I’m quite nervous this year I’ll catch something again, but I know I’m doing everything I can for that not to happen.
Gut Training — The Part Nobody Talks About
I train my gut with the exact sports nutrition products I'd use in a race during my training runs. I try to hit 90-100g of carbs per hour in training and about 20g less per hour on race day. I've learned that I tolerate a liquidy gel over a thick gel, they're much easier to get down. I’ve also learned it easiest to drink my gels out of a gel flask. What was helpful about last year is that I realized I was not super affected by the heat at Western States. Even being dehydrated from constant throwing up due to my coughing the heat wasn’t a factor that made the whole ordeal worse and maybe it did but I was so focused on the cold symptoms I didn’t register the heat. This was further confirmed at Javelina 100 where I got my Golden Ticket for 2026. The heat didn’t adversely affect my nutrition protocol and my crew and I managed to keep my body temperature down.
The Fueling Plan for Western States
I take in around 70-80g of carbs per hour during racing. I use Amacx gels and Precision Carbs Only drink mix. I also use Precision Fuel salt tabs and drink around 750ml of water. I only rely on aid stations for water and good vibes. Everything else, you'll just have to watch and see. 😊
Real Food vs. Race Nutrition
Real food actually doesn't factor into my nutrition plan for WSER at all. Things like mashed potatoes, rice balls, deli roll-ups, chips, pretzels, and fruit come in handy for longer races like Hardrock. I can see myself leaning on solid food in the later stages of that race.
Caffeine Strategy
For Western States specifically, I'm hoping to not be running much at night if I can help it. Either way, I use caffeine in the form of pills, caffeinated gels from First Endurance, or a Red Bull when I see my crew. I typically take a caffeinated gel 20 minutes before the start and then use a 100mg caffeine pill every other hour or when I feel a little low.
Training for Two Races at Once
I follow the training and recovery plans set by my coach, doctor, and nutritionist. Something I do well is fully trust the people on my team and stick to whatever protocol they've built for me to a T.
With my coach Megan Roche, I'm doing about one or two treadmill doubles a week. Sometimes I use a heat suit, other times an altitude mask. I also live at 6,500ft, which helps, but I still try to get higher for weekly runs. My favorite training spot right now is the La Plata Mountains, about 20 minutes outside of Durango. My strength coach, Kam Harder, gives me a comprehensive plan covering mobility, stability, and strength. And honestly, just eating and sleeping as much as my body wants has been one of the most beneficial things for my recovery and training.
The 13-Day Recovery Window
I believe that the act of fast recovery is simpler than we think. I’ve said it multiple times in this article, but sleeping and eating are my tools. When I was recovering from the 80ish miles I put in at Mammoth 200 to eventually run Javelina, I dove into a lot of recovery research. From that research, I found the most helpful things to do were to consume Tart Cherry Juice, eat whatever and whenever my body craves, and sleep a lot. I sometimes struggle with sleep, but I would still stay off my feet and lie in bed for 8-10 hours a night. During the day I also stayed off my feet when I wasn’t running or working out to maintain my fitness. I would lie in bed and take a nap or use my Therabody Jetboots. That window between WSER and Hardrock is half the time it was between Mammoth and Javelina. I’ll need to be more intentional about my recovery protocol.
Fueling Differently for Hardrock
I try not to dwell too much on the fatigue I'll likely be carrying from WSER. It's a quick turnaround, but I'm genuinely excited to test my body and mind. My fueling strategy will likely include more real food like potatoes, tortillas, deli roll-ups. I'll also try not to repeat my 2024 mistake of overloading my system in the early stages. Easing into the carbs, especially at high elevation, is really important.
Lessons from Cocodona — Crewing Side
I was incredibly impressed by every athlete out there at Cocodona 250, from the front of the pack to the very last runner. I learned something from all of them. I've thought about this a lot since getting into ultramarathons, but Cocodona reminded me that we can all push ourselves a lot further than we think we can. The human body is incredible. Even when I'm tired and depleted, I know I can push harder.
Closing: Why Come Back?
I wanted to go back to Western States for redemption. I got into Hardrock as a Dale pick and could never turn that opportunity down. Western States draws me in because of its history and competitiveness. Hardrock draws me in because of the community and the incredible San Juan Mountains.
