There are many issues of "conventional wisdom" which I encountered while preparing for Western States. What follows is not an attempt to promulgate some sort of "universal truth," only to say how my personal experience jibed with those conventional wisdom ideas. I've done exactly one 100-mile race (this one), and reserve the right to change my own opinion on any of these things. YMMV in all cases.
1. Attending training camp (and/or course familiarity in general) is essential.
I didn't attend training camp, and, with the exception of a few miles of the course which overlap the Way Too Cool 50K, had no familiarity with the course whatsoever. I did naturally review the course description to have a basic familiarity with the location and extent of climbs and other major points on the course, but other than that ran the course blind.I didn't have the slightest problem as a result. The course is well marked, and my chances of making a wrong turn were nil. This isn't to say that the training camp isn't a wonderful experience for those with time, money, and inclination to attend. It is to say that, at least from my perspective, it is certainly not essential. Just getting there, for me, would mean six hours of driving that could otherwise be spent running, working, relating to my family, participating in my community, and would also mean six hours worth of consuming planetary resources (oil), six hours worth of generating harmful emissions, and contributing to global warming. What I'm saying is that there are multiple costs (monetary ones aside) to participating in the training camp and, FOR ME, they certainly wouldn't have resulted in any tangible benefit as far as the race is concerned (again, not to say they wouldn't have resulted in an extremely enjoyable weekend activity).
2. In particular, familiarity with the portion of the course run at night is highly desirable.
Even at night, with minimal lighting (a 3-LED Petzl headlamp), I didn't have any trouble following the route (i.e., spotting ribbons and glow sticks). The trail between Foresthill and Highway 49 (the section most run at night) is very UNtechnical, and straightforward. Unfamiliarity with it cost me nothing.
3. Having a pacer is practically essential.
For me, the essence of completing Western States was taking on the ultimate personal challenge. I no more wanted someone pushing (or pulling) me mentally than I wanted them doing so physically (which would be illegal, of course), so from day one I planned to run without a pacer. But because of the strength of this conventional wisdom, I was very worried about this decision, and kept asking until I found one person (Mark Williams) who agreed that it was perfectly feasible to run the course without a pacer (later I would find others as well). Anyway, I ran without a pacer, and yet again didn't find the slightest drawback to this. I was able to enjoy the unique and truly beautiful idea of running through the night alone. I suppose if I had never seen or heard anyone for eight hours I might have gotten a little freaked out, but there were other runners (and pacers) on the trail who would occasionally cross paths with me (either passing or being passed), and of course the periodic aid stations. If I had a good friend or spouse who I ran with all the time and who really wanted the experience of running a portion of the course, I quite likely would have asked them to be a pacer as a favor to them (not to me), but I don't, so I didn't. I emphasize that I made this decision with respect to Western States. If I were running another race, with fewer participants, or longer spacing between aid stations, or greater liklihood of poor course markings, I might well make a different decision.
4. Having a crew is important.
My wife was with me in Squaw Valley and that was, of course, a very nice thing (especially since it was our anniversary!). She obviously drove our car back to Auburn, and she also met me once along the course, at Foresthill, and changed my shoes for me. I was happy to have her there and have her help. But it certainly wasn't essential. I had drop bags in other places and had no problems there (changing gear, replenishing supplies, reapplying Body Glide or sunscreen, and so on) even though I was doing it myself. There are PLENTY of people at the various aid stations and if I needed help (say, changing my shoes), I have no doubt I could have had it in a second. The point is that if you WANT to see a friend or spouse periodically during the run, that's fine, or if they want to see you, fine as well, but it is certainly not essential or even all that important (except for the driving the car back to Auburn part!). I will say this - it was VERY important to me to have someone at the finish line to share my excitement in finishing. It's also the case that there's no way I could have gotten myself home by myself. So I would say that having someone to meet you at the finish is essential both logistically AND psychologically.
It is fair to say that, because I'm from Northern California, there was someone at practically every aid station who I knew, and who shouted out a "Hey Steve" or "Looking good Steve" and no doubt that was beneficial psychologically as well.Possibly I would have felt more need for a crew if I would have otherwise spend all day not seeing a single person I knew.
5. Back to back long runs are essential to prepare you for running when tired, and hence for completing a 100-miler.
I've never understood this, frankly. If you want to learn to run when tired, why run 30 one day and 20 another rather than run 40 or 50 on one day? Anway, I never took this advice, and don't feel I was in any way ill-prepared as a result.
6. You need to eat MORE (proportionally speaking) during a 100 than during a 50.
All I can say about this is that I didn't, and it seemed to go just fine. I ate about the same as during 50's - one bottle of water and one bottle of Gatorade between aid stations, and at each aid station, typically some "long-term" food (potato pieces, mini sandwiches) and some "short-term" food (cookies or brownies), along with a cup of Coke. I ate virtually nothing between aid stations except towards the end, when I had a couple GU and a Clif bar at one point or another.
7. The "canyons" are the hardest thing you'll ever do.
I've only run this race once, and I get the impression it wasn't nearly as hot in the canyons as it can be. With that caveat, I have to say I've done many runs which beat me up more than the Western States canyons. Jim Winne's Diablo 50M, to name one race, and a variety of training runs I've done in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Sure, if you life in Wisconsin, the canyons are going to be a nightmare, but if you train regularly or exclusively (as I do) on hills, the canyons are just one more climb (or two or three more). Tough ones, to be sure, but not qualitatively different than anything else. At least not at the temperature I experienced them.
This page isn't meant to imply that everyone else in the world, and every bit of advice I've ever heard, is wrong. Nothing could be further from the truth. Over the years, I have read (both in magazines and especially online on both the Ultra list and DRS) a tremendous amount of VERY GOOD advice and I continue to soak up wisdom from all sources. A huge number of things, both small and large, that got me though my first 100-miler, were the result of wisdom, conventional and otherwise, that I have picked up from other people. I am only saying here that these seven pieces of conventional wisdom, some of which had me quite worried because I was going to ignore them, did not seem to apply to ME in THIS RACE. Hopefully that will give someone else the courage to ignore them too if they feel that's the best course for them, and hopefully, they won't blame me when something goes wrong!