What do I say or how to even begin? I had plans to go spend a weekend in Denver but life & work commitments got in the way. After a week of rain I knew the trails in DFW were closed so I had a bright idea pop into my head to go run a #TROT race and see a ton of friends. As soon as Trail Racing over Texas posted a video of water covered trails I knew I had to go. Nothing but fun could be had outta mud,water and running a few miles..... The Shootout was a combination of 3 races in 1 day. 5k at 7:30am, 10k at 8:30am followed with a 1/2 marathon for a total of 22.4 miles if I opted to do the entire Shootout. I always want to get my money's worth so of course I did all 3.
5k- 1 3.1 mile loop. After arriving that morning I saw people looking at a "creek" behind the finish line and heard rumor of really deep water but I didn't care. I was running at least 22 miles this weekend so I decided to just have a good time. Old wore out kicks was the shoe of choice. Races like this is why I hoard crappy ones. The race starts and we begin down a road and I'm thinking "what the heck?" I know Rob- the RD- and he's not going to make a course easier and fortunately the road was only about .10 and onto a jeep road which promptly dumped us into about .3 mile of knee deep water. A really nice soaking with 200 people scrambling for position. After that we got on single track for a bit before hitting a submerged bridge that ended with climbing up a mud bank. After that we just had single track trail littered with knee deep mud holes and lotsa slop. Not sticky mud but just a soup. Good times!! This led us to an out and back which had a aid station at the end. And it had water & mud. At this point my legs were black as well as my beautiful #TROT tank top. After the out n back we had a very short lived section that was flat,dry and super fast. All good things must end and it did on a 30ft slope down into a creek. A creek waist deep. I tried walking down the hill and passed 5 ladies cursing as I slid down on my feet only to fall when I hit the water. More good times!! After that we walked,waded n some swam .3 or so through this swamp to our waists in water but it ended fast. Once it ended we were on another single track trail that was dry. Well til we came to the 1st turn and then we had to go back into this time chest deep water. A volunteer was out in the middle directing us and keeping everyone safe. We cleared that to run in knee deep water another .5 or so then down a muddy hill and through 2 creeks. It finally put us out on a flat straight dry jeep road and I ran hard thinking this is it and this 5k is done. LOL Not quite. There was a slight detour at the end dumping us back into the waist deep water once more before scrambling up a wet hill and a 5k was complete!!! The best 5k ever!
10k- like the 5k but we got to do the loop twice! After falling right after the 10k start into a mud pit, I drop my shirt at the 1/2 way mark and decide to take my coach's advice and just go have fun in the mud! Pretty uneventful other then getting to encourage a few 1st time trail runners to battle on through this. I've ran every distance from 5k to 100 miles before this day with the exception of a 10k. It was pretty cool getting my 1st 10k on trails in one of the most memorable races I've ever ran.
1/2 Marathon- This race was 3 loops of much the same as the 5 & 10k but had some beautiful soft single track that was pretty dry added on the end to get us to 13.1 miles. It got hot and humid and by the 2nd 1/2 marathon loop and my 5th time in the swamp, I was looking forward to it. The water rose throughout the day but the safety guys were out there watching out for everyone. My most memorable part of it was a 10yr old passing me on the 1st loop and him telling me how he got to swim through the water. Activities like that keep kids out of trouble and kudos to Mom for tagging along behind that young man. And I must say, all that water kept all the mud from building up on shoes or bodies.
San Felipe was a great race! Sliding down the hill into the swamp with Wayne like we were a coupla young kids on a sled to watching Jeff Ball, Steven Moore, Tracie Ackerhielm among other great Texas trail runners just killing it in spite of the mud and water made this race for me. Running with so many #TROT team members makes me so proud to be a part of this great organization. The elite guys and girls are so welcoming and helpful and the other Ambassadors are such a joy to be around. The TROT volunteers are nothing short of amazing. John,James and the guy in the deep water- you men rock! HOURS in frigid waters just to keep us runners safe. Thank you so much! I can't swim a lick but not once did I feel unsafe. All the other TROT volunteers- you are all the backbone of a great organization. Thanks so much! Rob & Rachel- Damn you never disappoint!! Many race directors would have been doom & gloom but you guys made people excited about running in mud and water and you made it fun! I say it over and over but Trail Racing Over Texas doesn't simply put on a race. Yea we run em but it's an event and I can't wait to run another one of these epic races!! Til next time #RunStrong
Monday, March 14, 2016
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
A-OK 50k
This race is definitely one of my favorites! Rewind to 2014 and I had just ran the Hot Chocolate 5k. A friend- Nikki tells me I can do a 25k at this little trail race in Oklahoma. Ignorance is bliss and so I agreed. Dang it was cold that day. 18 degrees but me and my friend Janet got through it together. My 1st trail race was done and I was hooked on this sport that has become a huge part of who I am today.
2015 I ran the 25k again and it was fun. Watching my friend Andrea win his 1st race ever as he dominated the 50k option was pretty cool! Someday I'll be as fast as that dude. Maybe it's the pasta he eats.........
2016- I wasn't sure this race would fit my schedule or not after my injury last fall but my coach asked if I had a March race I'd like to do that was close. This race is near and dear to me being its what got me into trail running 2 years ago plus the race director is a really sweet lady. 83 and still does ultra marathons. I hope I live that long and if so, I pray that I'll still be doing some races. Race weekend was the same weekend I had planned to spend with my son. He's never been to a trail race before so I thought it was cool to show him a part of my life where I don't see family. We drove up to Atoka,Oklahoma Saturday afternoon to check in and see the course condition. 2015 was a sloppy mess so I had to see what I was up against this year. After checking in we had dinner and went to the hotel & crashed.
Race morning- It was just beautiful! The race starts at 8am and we showed up early so I could get my stuff where I needed it. The 50k is 2 25k loops so I just wanted more nutrition for the 2nd loop. My coaches instructions were to just have a solid training run and don't do anything stupid where I couldn't finish. My training leading up to this has been solid as I rebuild my base and try to find some speed for races later in the year. I just wanted even splits and anything around 7 hours was a win for me. Loop 1- the 1st 3 miles is a series of rocky hills followed by a mile on jeep road then a mile out n back over various terrain before more jeep & gravel road. The loops end with just over a mile back through the hills. My plan was to just run and have fun. Take limited walk breaks on hills and maintain a steady pace hopefully finishing in 3:30. My plan kinda went out the window when I hit the jeep road section and for my old slow butt, I was flying and having fun. Fly as in 9:30 to 10:15 miles. That's like my normal pace training on roads but it felt great so I kept on. I caught a friend at mile 10 or so and I ran with him to nearly the finish. We slowed down to a 12:15 pace and took more walk breaks but it probably saved my legs. I've always employed some walk strategy into my ultra's simply because I'm new to the sport and don't have the years of running that so many do but I'm quickly weaning off that. It's all mental now and once I started walking more, that kinda got in my head but I finished the loop in 2.58. I was way ahead of my scheduled splits so I made myself sit a few minutes before heading back out for the last 15 miles.
Loop 2- My head and legs just really took a crap on me. I'm thinking it was all mental because I could still bomb the downhills but my mind kept trying to tell me to take walk breaks. That's a struggle I've got to get past like now. I could still get in the 13's range pace but not what I wanted at all. The afternoon got really hot and after mile 23 I skipped nutrition and only stopped at the aid stations to refill my water bottle as I used it on my head to keep cool. The last 2 miles was a struggle until I heard my friends yelling at me. Looking at my watch I had a huge PR for the 50k distance so I hustled it on in. 6:49 with my only other 50k time being 8:05 so I was happy.
Takeaways- It was just a good solid training run and I hope my son better understands this sport that I love so much. I had so much more in me and left some laying on the table but going into a 50 miler next month with super tight cutoffs, I know I can hustle and lay down some solid miles to eliminate that fear from my mind. Props to my buddy Pepe- he's been running for years but never won a race until A-OK. He won the 25k. So many other friends had great runs and it was cool seeing everyone out there handing out encouragement to others. I really love #TROT races but if you can't make one and need a small bare bones race in March and live close, I'd suggest driving up to Atoka,Oklahoma and doing this one! Til next time #RunStrong
2015 I ran the 25k again and it was fun. Watching my friend Andrea win his 1st race ever as he dominated the 50k option was pretty cool! Someday I'll be as fast as that dude. Maybe it's the pasta he eats.........
2016- I wasn't sure this race would fit my schedule or not after my injury last fall but my coach asked if I had a March race I'd like to do that was close. This race is near and dear to me being its what got me into trail running 2 years ago plus the race director is a really sweet lady. 83 and still does ultra marathons. I hope I live that long and if so, I pray that I'll still be doing some races. Race weekend was the same weekend I had planned to spend with my son. He's never been to a trail race before so I thought it was cool to show him a part of my life where I don't see family. We drove up to Atoka,Oklahoma Saturday afternoon to check in and see the course condition. 2015 was a sloppy mess so I had to see what I was up against this year. After checking in we had dinner and went to the hotel & crashed.
Race morning- It was just beautiful! The race starts at 8am and we showed up early so I could get my stuff where I needed it. The 50k is 2 25k loops so I just wanted more nutrition for the 2nd loop. My coaches instructions were to just have a solid training run and don't do anything stupid where I couldn't finish. My training leading up to this has been solid as I rebuild my base and try to find some speed for races later in the year. I just wanted even splits and anything around 7 hours was a win for me. Loop 1- the 1st 3 miles is a series of rocky hills followed by a mile on jeep road then a mile out n back over various terrain before more jeep & gravel road. The loops end with just over a mile back through the hills. My plan was to just run and have fun. Take limited walk breaks on hills and maintain a steady pace hopefully finishing in 3:30. My plan kinda went out the window when I hit the jeep road section and for my old slow butt, I was flying and having fun. Fly as in 9:30 to 10:15 miles. That's like my normal pace training on roads but it felt great so I kept on. I caught a friend at mile 10 or so and I ran with him to nearly the finish. We slowed down to a 12:15 pace and took more walk breaks but it probably saved my legs. I've always employed some walk strategy into my ultra's simply because I'm new to the sport and don't have the years of running that so many do but I'm quickly weaning off that. It's all mental now and once I started walking more, that kinda got in my head but I finished the loop in 2.58. I was way ahead of my scheduled splits so I made myself sit a few minutes before heading back out for the last 15 miles.
Loop 2- My head and legs just really took a crap on me. I'm thinking it was all mental because I could still bomb the downhills but my mind kept trying to tell me to take walk breaks. That's a struggle I've got to get past like now. I could still get in the 13's range pace but not what I wanted at all. The afternoon got really hot and after mile 23 I skipped nutrition and only stopped at the aid stations to refill my water bottle as I used it on my head to keep cool. The last 2 miles was a struggle until I heard my friends yelling at me. Looking at my watch I had a huge PR for the 50k distance so I hustled it on in. 6:49 with my only other 50k time being 8:05 so I was happy.
Takeaways- It was just a good solid training run and I hope my son better understands this sport that I love so much. I had so much more in me and left some laying on the table but going into a 50 miler next month with super tight cutoffs, I know I can hustle and lay down some solid miles to eliminate that fear from my mind. Props to my buddy Pepe- he's been running for years but never won a race until A-OK. He won the 25k. So many other friends had great runs and it was cool seeing everyone out there handing out encouragement to others. I really love #TROT races but if you can't make one and need a small bare bones race in March and live close, I'd suggest driving up to Atoka,Oklahoma and doing this one! Til next time #RunStrong
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Getting past an injury & such.....
As my last blog post said, in December I had to drop at Brazos Bend 100 around mile 50. My ankle just wouldn't hold up and the pain was up in my IT Band and knee area so I shut it down. Mentally it was bad but I knows then that I had to go see a doctor. A few days later I saw my race photos and I decided then that I must throw everything out, hire a coach and start fresh. After seeing a doctor and being told not to run for 6 weeks I immediately hired Gia Madole for my coach to get me across the finish line at Leadville. There are good coaches out there but it's what fits me the best. I knew I had 6 weeks to lose weight, change my diet and hopefully maintain my base so I started that day.
Many runners view an injury as a negative but after over racing in 2015 I feel those 6 weeks were great! My core was in terrible shape and even though I had the legs to run a 100 in October,76 in Nov and 50 in December it would have been a tad easier with a stronger upper body. I just got time to reboot and decide what my priorities are in running. Just as in life when you get caught up in the hustle & bustle you sort of forget what you are doing and this is where I was. I had signed up for SnowDrop 55hr, Rocky 100 and Vol State 500k. I quickly dropped from all of them and simply focused on Stephen. It's a pretty cool thing to do! Several days a week at the gym on a bike and doing strength/core was nice and I missed that when I tried following other runners late last year.
Diet- I had to shed 15 to 20 pounds and I have zero patience so I got into the calorie counting deal. I gave up the eating out and bought a lunch box. MyFit Foods became my friend for lunches and dinners consist of veggies,protein and fruit for the most part. Breakfast - protein shake, 3 tablespoons of rolled oats and a chia cereal that keeps me full til lunch. I started out at 197. I'm a small frame person so that's a lot for me while running. I finally got down to 180 Sunday after a run and I'll see where it leads. I've ate good before but never really "got" it. Portion controls haven't been a strong suit for me. Yes I'd eat quality food but I would just eat more than I needed. I see people's struggles on social media with weight and food. The struggle is real but for me it's just about making better choices. I can't drink alcohol and run at the level I'm wanting to be. That's a battle for me but just like food, it's a choice. I do think I need to reward myself after a tough week but I'm starting to think that may just be a way to make excuses to drink or to eat crap. I'm still working on that......
What's ahead? I've got a couple of 50 milers this spring and then Leadville 100 in August. June & July I want to spend as much time as I can in Colorado running up mountains.... No pressure. Just get use to the elevation. After Leadville I'm not sure. That's too far away and I'm just enjoying each week training. I'm back to running and last week got close to 70 miles in plus my gym work.
I guess the purpose of this blog is that no matter what life throws at you, the setback can be used as a catapult to even bigger and better things in life if that's what you truly desire. Whining and moping would have just wasted time in my very short life and nobody's got time for that...... Til next time #RunStrong
Many runners view an injury as a negative but after over racing in 2015 I feel those 6 weeks were great! My core was in terrible shape and even though I had the legs to run a 100 in October,76 in Nov and 50 in December it would have been a tad easier with a stronger upper body. I just got time to reboot and decide what my priorities are in running. Just as in life when you get caught up in the hustle & bustle you sort of forget what you are doing and this is where I was. I had signed up for SnowDrop 55hr, Rocky 100 and Vol State 500k. I quickly dropped from all of them and simply focused on Stephen. It's a pretty cool thing to do! Several days a week at the gym on a bike and doing strength/core was nice and I missed that when I tried following other runners late last year.
Diet- I had to shed 15 to 20 pounds and I have zero patience so I got into the calorie counting deal. I gave up the eating out and bought a lunch box. MyFit Foods became my friend for lunches and dinners consist of veggies,protein and fruit for the most part. Breakfast - protein shake, 3 tablespoons of rolled oats and a chia cereal that keeps me full til lunch. I started out at 197. I'm a small frame person so that's a lot for me while running. I finally got down to 180 Sunday after a run and I'll see where it leads. I've ate good before but never really "got" it. Portion controls haven't been a strong suit for me. Yes I'd eat quality food but I would just eat more than I needed. I see people's struggles on social media with weight and food. The struggle is real but for me it's just about making better choices. I can't drink alcohol and run at the level I'm wanting to be. That's a battle for me but just like food, it's a choice. I do think I need to reward myself after a tough week but I'm starting to think that may just be a way to make excuses to drink or to eat crap. I'm still working on that......
What's ahead? I've got a couple of 50 milers this spring and then Leadville 100 in August. June & July I want to spend as much time as I can in Colorado running up mountains.... No pressure. Just get use to the elevation. After Leadville I'm not sure. That's too far away and I'm just enjoying each week training. I'm back to running and last week got close to 70 miles in plus my gym work.
I guess the purpose of this blog is that no matter what life throws at you, the setback can be used as a catapult to even bigger and better things in life if that's what you truly desire. Whining and moping would have just wasted time in my very short life and nobody's got time for that...... Til next time #RunStrong
Sunday, December 20, 2015
2015 - Another crazy year in life & running
Wow! Where to start or end this year? I went hard all year! Some great times and a few low points in all facets of my life. I guess when you try to live life with the throttle wide open you get that. Running- craziness but fell short of my goal of 2015 miles in 2015. Ended the year with 1917 miles and a bum ankle that'll keep me out of SnowDrop 55hr Ultra that would have let me hit my goal but it's ok. Things happen and more on that later....
Bandera 100k - wet and cold but done.
Rocky Raccoon- tripped at mile 75 n walked in and dropped. A hour later I felt great.
Not a race but running 30 miles with Patrick Sweeney & Jup Brown for a day. Just a unforgettable moment for me.
A-Ok 25k - fun run and got another cool plaque.
Austin Rattler 75k -DFL but got gobs of Gu for my effort and a slot in Leadville.
Possum Kimgdom 56k- Done pr'd by 1:57 over last year. Maybe a 7:30 next year?
Cruel Jewel 100 - timed out at mile 26. Had my butt handed to me but met some great people. No regrets.
Captain Karl 60k x4 - that's a hard series. 4 races in 75 days but a cool buckle for completing all of them. One day I want to do it again.
Fossil Rim 12hr- Finished with 26.2 miles. I ran a 60k the weekend before and the am of the race I ran 13 with a friend on another trail. That was a fun night and the honey is great!
Mogollon Monster- I had zero business running this race and was pulled 30 miles in when I was 4 minutes over the cutoff. It was awesome seeing 3 of my friends complete this epic race! I don't know if I'll go back to this or not. Not feeling it right now.
Pumpkin Hollar 100- Done. Probably the best 50 miles of my life as I was flying and it felt great. My pacers had to drag me home. Changed shoes at 70 to some tall Hoka's and turned a ankle but made it through.
Tunnel Hill 100- A really awesome and solid 73 miles with zero issues other than a brain freeze and not putting on enough clothing before the temps dropped. Mile 75 I couldn't stop shaking and had to drop. Afterwards the ankle was in pretty bad shape... 12 hours for the 1st 50 was too dang slow but I did get a 50 mile credit. I'll take it.
Brazos Bend 100- Great start but my ankle started hurting early on. Pretty much death marched from 33 to 50. Pain got up in my right ITB and I had to shut it down.
Lotsa racing. Too many attempts at 100's but I'm ok with it. I used a coach through May and kinda went free style the rest of the year. A friend Dale guided me some through the Capt K series and gave me some race day advice at Pumpkin but I think looking back that the value of a scripted schedule is hard to beat. You can't race your way into shape. Recovery post race is such a key as well. Looking at my fall races and my 50 mile splits plummeting from 10 hours at Pumpkin to 12 at Tunnel and down to 13:30 at Brazos shows me that one cannot race that heavy at this point in my career and be successful. Downtime is key and stopping to let injuries heal is so important. Maybe I'll do better in 2016...... :) Core is also key. I hit the gym hard from March through May and slacked off. I think it showed up in my runs. Sure I finished some tough races but might have finished more if my butt would have been in there grinding it out working on the little things. I finish the year sidelined and healing up and after just a few days in the gym it's nice waking up to a sore upper body and abs that hurt. I gained so much this year but gave so much back by not continuing with that work.
Personally- it's been a good ride this year. People have come into my life and stayed and some have came in and gone back out and that's ok. I've tried to stay true to who I am and if someone did something I didn't agree with then I called em on it. A couple got butt hurt and we don't talk but I'm alright with that. Through the ups and downs in life certain people are always there. They know who they are and I care about them like they are family. I slipped a little late summer and drank more than I ever have since I started running. That hurt my running and when I saw what it was doing to me personally it was a wake up call. I've struggled with it all my life and I can't surround myself with people who do that. I've corrected that and moved on. Sometimes looking in the mirror is tough but that's the only way people improve themselves. Life is a journey and on a journey constant adjustments must be made.
2016- I'm really excited!!! I was able to roll my Leadville entry to 2016 and have already entered so I'll be toeing that line in August! I signed up for Rocky before I knew I was hurt. I may go and use it as a training run but I'll see. I signed up for Vol State 500k and depending on how I feel and what my coach says will decide that. (I gotta find a coach 1st) Brazos Bend 50 is definitely a must do as well as all of the Trail Racing Over Texas fall races. I've been blessed to be a #TROT ambassador for the 2016 season so you will hear a lot about their events from me. It's a great organization with awesome races. Personally I just hope to be a better person I was than I was in 2015. We all trip and fall in life. It's how we react to it that makes us who we are. I can't wait to see everyone out there on the trails next year! Til next time #RunStrong
Bandera 100k - wet and cold but done.
Rocky Raccoon- tripped at mile 75 n walked in and dropped. A hour later I felt great.
Not a race but running 30 miles with Patrick Sweeney & Jup Brown for a day. Just a unforgettable moment for me.
A-Ok 25k - fun run and got another cool plaque.
Austin Rattler 75k -DFL but got gobs of Gu for my effort and a slot in Leadville.
Possum Kimgdom 56k- Done pr'd by 1:57 over last year. Maybe a 7:30 next year?
Cruel Jewel 100 - timed out at mile 26. Had my butt handed to me but met some great people. No regrets.
Captain Karl 60k x4 - that's a hard series. 4 races in 75 days but a cool buckle for completing all of them. One day I want to do it again.
Fossil Rim 12hr- Finished with 26.2 miles. I ran a 60k the weekend before and the am of the race I ran 13 with a friend on another trail. That was a fun night and the honey is great!
Mogollon Monster- I had zero business running this race and was pulled 30 miles in when I was 4 minutes over the cutoff. It was awesome seeing 3 of my friends complete this epic race! I don't know if I'll go back to this or not. Not feeling it right now.
Pumpkin Hollar 100- Done. Probably the best 50 miles of my life as I was flying and it felt great. My pacers had to drag me home. Changed shoes at 70 to some tall Hoka's and turned a ankle but made it through.
Tunnel Hill 100- A really awesome and solid 73 miles with zero issues other than a brain freeze and not putting on enough clothing before the temps dropped. Mile 75 I couldn't stop shaking and had to drop. Afterwards the ankle was in pretty bad shape... 12 hours for the 1st 50 was too dang slow but I did get a 50 mile credit. I'll take it.
Brazos Bend 100- Great start but my ankle started hurting early on. Pretty much death marched from 33 to 50. Pain got up in my right ITB and I had to shut it down.
Lotsa racing. Too many attempts at 100's but I'm ok with it. I used a coach through May and kinda went free style the rest of the year. A friend Dale guided me some through the Capt K series and gave me some race day advice at Pumpkin but I think looking back that the value of a scripted schedule is hard to beat. You can't race your way into shape. Recovery post race is such a key as well. Looking at my fall races and my 50 mile splits plummeting from 10 hours at Pumpkin to 12 at Tunnel and down to 13:30 at Brazos shows me that one cannot race that heavy at this point in my career and be successful. Downtime is key and stopping to let injuries heal is so important. Maybe I'll do better in 2016...... :) Core is also key. I hit the gym hard from March through May and slacked off. I think it showed up in my runs. Sure I finished some tough races but might have finished more if my butt would have been in there grinding it out working on the little things. I finish the year sidelined and healing up and after just a few days in the gym it's nice waking up to a sore upper body and abs that hurt. I gained so much this year but gave so much back by not continuing with that work.
Personally- it's been a good ride this year. People have come into my life and stayed and some have came in and gone back out and that's ok. I've tried to stay true to who I am and if someone did something I didn't agree with then I called em on it. A couple got butt hurt and we don't talk but I'm alright with that. Through the ups and downs in life certain people are always there. They know who they are and I care about them like they are family. I slipped a little late summer and drank more than I ever have since I started running. That hurt my running and when I saw what it was doing to me personally it was a wake up call. I've struggled with it all my life and I can't surround myself with people who do that. I've corrected that and moved on. Sometimes looking in the mirror is tough but that's the only way people improve themselves. Life is a journey and on a journey constant adjustments must be made.
2016- I'm really excited!!! I was able to roll my Leadville entry to 2016 and have already entered so I'll be toeing that line in August! I signed up for Rocky before I knew I was hurt. I may go and use it as a training run but I'll see. I signed up for Vol State 500k and depending on how I feel and what my coach says will decide that. (I gotta find a coach 1st) Brazos Bend 50 is definitely a must do as well as all of the Trail Racing Over Texas fall races. I've been blessed to be a #TROT ambassador for the 2016 season so you will hear a lot about their events from me. It's a great organization with awesome races. Personally I just hope to be a better person I was than I was in 2015. We all trip and fall in life. It's how we react to it that makes us who we are. I can't wait to see everyone out there on the trails next year! Til next time #RunStrong
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Tunnel Hill 100
This adventure began by meeting friends at Boomer Jack's to celebrate Dale aka #TexasYeti Badwater 135 finish. Another friend,Lesley, was doing this race to earn her 1st 100 mile finish and Carl was running as well. Monkey see, Monkey do and I was signed up that night. Crazy friends do crazy things and drag others along but I'm not one to resist when it comes to running races. The race was 4 weeks exactly after my last 100 and I felt that was plenty of time for me to get my legs back fresh. Leading up to the race I didn't run much after my Pumpkin Hollar 100 mile finish. 40 miles over 4 weeks but all the miles were in 6 runs. My ankles were sore after that race so I just rested and fought through all the ghost pains leading up to the race.
Race weekend- myself and Carl didn't want to burn a vacation day so we flew up late Friday arriving just in time to grab dinner and go to bed after checking our gear. The race was held in Vienna,IL and so I packed all the cold weather gear I had. The race had a 8am start so we had plenty of time to catch breakfast and just rest. When the race began at 8am it was like 39 outside but with the sunshine it felt amazing. The course was on a old rail converted to a bike trail. 13.4 miles one direction before going back to the start and then 12ish the opposite direction before coming back to complete a 50 mile loop. It was real simple,straight and VERY flat. I opted using a Amphipod handheld instead of my UltraAspire hydration vest. Most aid stations were 5 miles apart with only 1 being 6.7 miles. No big deal. With 2 ultra's scheduled in December I decided to run this race pretty hard. Well my pretty hard anyway but that's relative. I started near the rear and soon passed Lesley and Preston. He was doing the 50 and running with her during his race. After passing them, I kinda set sail holding a 11:30 to 12 pace through the 1st 16 miles. I had a drop bag at each end of the course and 1 in the middle and it worked perfect. Lesley brought Josh to pace her the last 50 as well as crew her the 1st 50. I was ahead of her so Josh was really instrumental in getting me in and out pretty quick at each aid station that 1st loop. I really appreciate that kind gesture!! At 16 I was going faster than I had planned n was sitting on a 12:00 overall pace and knew I had to back off which I did. Josh suggested it and I had sort of already decided to back off to a slow run/walk and go get that buckle. 16 to mile 50 were amazingly easy miles other than stopping twice to empty pebbles from my shoes. I'd chat with a few people along the route and then I'd move on. On the far end of the course there was a long tunnel to go through. Gosh it was like 600 ft long and pitch dark so you just ran towards the light at the other end. About mile 37 I ran with a lady from Alabama named Tanya. It was her 1st try at a 100 and she was kind of down so i got her back to running with me and we had a great conversation. The girl had one heck of a power hike and was so strong! I finally needed to move on so away I went to get back to the 1/2 way mark at Mile 50. It was dark n cool so I decided to change socks and put my tight pants under my shorts and finish this race out. I wasted 30 minutes there but at the time I was looking at a sub 25 finish so I decided to take care of things before I had an issue. I took care of everything except for grabbing a coat,gloves or a hat but I felt great. Going back out I was cold but after running pretty hard the next 5 miles I soon warmed up and all was great again for the most part. Mile 63 aid station- the cold was really bothering my hands but Lesley's friend - Preston was there and graciously lended me gloves so I set back out feeling strong. I left my garmin behind and just ran off a stop watch and it worked great. I would run/walk on set intervals with an alarm telling me when to do each. I headed back to the start line which was then mile 76 to get more calories in me and grab a jacket before finishing out this race. It was a really great run...... About 2 or 3 miles from the start line a train track crosses the trail. I was heading towards it and I heard a train and then I saw it through the trees....... Yea I caught what seemed like a 100 car train. While waiting for it, 3 other runners I passed earlier caught me and I saw more headlamps coming. Standing around was just cold. I walked in circles and then jogged back and forth trying to get some heat but it wasn't enough. The train passed and I was just chattering and shaking. I found some run/shuffle and knew I had to warm up if I was going to be able to finish. I got in at Mile 76 Carl was there with the car warmed up so I sat in there for a hour trying to stop shaking. Hot soup, clothes, nothing worked. I knew I had to go back out and I made it just a few yards from the start line and the shaking started again so I walked back and threw in the towel. I knew it would warm up after daylight but I couldn't risk going out in that shape at 4am with a minimal aid station 3 miles away and the next full one another 6.7 miles past it. The race director graciously gave me a 50 mile credit and buckle and I just wanted a warm place to sit. Takeaways- prepare for the cold before it hits you....... 100 miles is dang tough but at no point until mile 76 did I ever envision a drop but things can drastically change in just a few minutes and cost you everything you worked the last 19 hours for. I've finished 2 100 mile races in the last year but I can honestly say that this was the strongest I've ever felt this deep into a race. At no point did I ever not have any run in my legs nor was there any nutrition issues. I'm blessed to have the ability to run these races at 48 years old and still be a newbie of sorts in the running world. So many people will never have the opportunity to see how far their body can carry them so I went home happy.
Hoka Conquest2 is a great shoe! I ran them 70 of 100 miles at Pumpkin Hollar and 76 miles at Tunnel Hill without a blister or foot pain. Tailwind,EnsurePlus and V-8Fusion carried me through once again with just a few chips to supplement my sodium intake. That stuff works great for me! My Amphipod handheld was great until it got cold. Next time up north I will have a insulated one. Team Trot provided me with a great race shirt and the 1st time out I had no chafing issues which happens with many brands of shirts. TrailToes- you helped save the feet and the boys once again. Everyone should try it.
Next up- Brazos Bend 100! Legs feel great and I'm ready to get it done! Trail Racing Over Texas is the premier trail racing organization in Texas and it's bound to be a great race! Yes I'm biased but for great reason! Til next time #RunStrong
Race weekend- myself and Carl didn't want to burn a vacation day so we flew up late Friday arriving just in time to grab dinner and go to bed after checking our gear. The race was held in Vienna,IL and so I packed all the cold weather gear I had. The race had a 8am start so we had plenty of time to catch breakfast and just rest. When the race began at 8am it was like 39 outside but with the sunshine it felt amazing. The course was on a old rail converted to a bike trail. 13.4 miles one direction before going back to the start and then 12ish the opposite direction before coming back to complete a 50 mile loop. It was real simple,straight and VERY flat. I opted using a Amphipod handheld instead of my UltraAspire hydration vest. Most aid stations were 5 miles apart with only 1 being 6.7 miles. No big deal. With 2 ultra's scheduled in December I decided to run this race pretty hard. Well my pretty hard anyway but that's relative. I started near the rear and soon passed Lesley and Preston. He was doing the 50 and running with her during his race. After passing them, I kinda set sail holding a 11:30 to 12 pace through the 1st 16 miles. I had a drop bag at each end of the course and 1 in the middle and it worked perfect. Lesley brought Josh to pace her the last 50 as well as crew her the 1st 50. I was ahead of her so Josh was really instrumental in getting me in and out pretty quick at each aid station that 1st loop. I really appreciate that kind gesture!! At 16 I was going faster than I had planned n was sitting on a 12:00 overall pace and knew I had to back off which I did. Josh suggested it and I had sort of already decided to back off to a slow run/walk and go get that buckle. 16 to mile 50 were amazingly easy miles other than stopping twice to empty pebbles from my shoes. I'd chat with a few people along the route and then I'd move on. On the far end of the course there was a long tunnel to go through. Gosh it was like 600 ft long and pitch dark so you just ran towards the light at the other end. About mile 37 I ran with a lady from Alabama named Tanya. It was her 1st try at a 100 and she was kind of down so i got her back to running with me and we had a great conversation. The girl had one heck of a power hike and was so strong! I finally needed to move on so away I went to get back to the 1/2 way mark at Mile 50. It was dark n cool so I decided to change socks and put my tight pants under my shorts and finish this race out. I wasted 30 minutes there but at the time I was looking at a sub 25 finish so I decided to take care of things before I had an issue. I took care of everything except for grabbing a coat,gloves or a hat but I felt great. Going back out I was cold but after running pretty hard the next 5 miles I soon warmed up and all was great again for the most part. Mile 63 aid station- the cold was really bothering my hands but Lesley's friend - Preston was there and graciously lended me gloves so I set back out feeling strong. I left my garmin behind and just ran off a stop watch and it worked great. I would run/walk on set intervals with an alarm telling me when to do each. I headed back to the start line which was then mile 76 to get more calories in me and grab a jacket before finishing out this race. It was a really great run...... About 2 or 3 miles from the start line a train track crosses the trail. I was heading towards it and I heard a train and then I saw it through the trees....... Yea I caught what seemed like a 100 car train. While waiting for it, 3 other runners I passed earlier caught me and I saw more headlamps coming. Standing around was just cold. I walked in circles and then jogged back and forth trying to get some heat but it wasn't enough. The train passed and I was just chattering and shaking. I found some run/shuffle and knew I had to warm up if I was going to be able to finish. I got in at Mile 76 Carl was there with the car warmed up so I sat in there for a hour trying to stop shaking. Hot soup, clothes, nothing worked. I knew I had to go back out and I made it just a few yards from the start line and the shaking started again so I walked back and threw in the towel. I knew it would warm up after daylight but I couldn't risk going out in that shape at 4am with a minimal aid station 3 miles away and the next full one another 6.7 miles past it. The race director graciously gave me a 50 mile credit and buckle and I just wanted a warm place to sit. Takeaways- prepare for the cold before it hits you....... 100 miles is dang tough but at no point until mile 76 did I ever envision a drop but things can drastically change in just a few minutes and cost you everything you worked the last 19 hours for. I've finished 2 100 mile races in the last year but I can honestly say that this was the strongest I've ever felt this deep into a race. At no point did I ever not have any run in my legs nor was there any nutrition issues. I'm blessed to have the ability to run these races at 48 years old and still be a newbie of sorts in the running world. So many people will never have the opportunity to see how far their body can carry them so I went home happy.
Hoka Conquest2 is a great shoe! I ran them 70 of 100 miles at Pumpkin Hollar and 76 miles at Tunnel Hill without a blister or foot pain. Tailwind,EnsurePlus and V-8Fusion carried me through once again with just a few chips to supplement my sodium intake. That stuff works great for me! My Amphipod handheld was great until it got cold. Next time up north I will have a insulated one. Team Trot provided me with a great race shirt and the 1st time out I had no chafing issues which happens with many brands of shirts. TrailToes- you helped save the feet and the boys once again. Everyone should try it.
Next up- Brazos Bend 100! Legs feel great and I'm ready to get it done! Trail Racing Over Texas is the premier trail racing organization in Texas and it's bound to be a great race! Yes I'm biased but for great reason! Til next time #RunStrong
Monday, November 2, 2015
#TROT and stuff...
The last month has been really reflective for me. I think about that 1st 5k Feb 2014 with my sister & friend Janet. That's all I ever really had in mind when I started this running journey. At the start line I knew that I would finish but I was so nervous. So many people and I had to compete against them. Boy was I wrong! I only had to compete against myself. It was a struggle that day mentally. Someone I cared about was running with me and a person I loved for many years was running it too. No not planned but it was all I could to get through the race. The weeks after the race my running exploded. I was going further each week and my body soon demanded that I get my run in. So many people helped me last year as I slogged my way through every distance except a 10k. Steven Monte,Jennifer Kimble, Nikki,Jose, Jacquline and the list could go on all day! If you are reading this and you ran with me than chances are I gleaned so much info from you to help me in my journey!
Brazos Bend 100- this was I think a turning point in my run. Sure I ran 100 miles and it was great but the people I met and the lessons I took away are so much more! I met Dale and Rachel at the start and I met a wonderful lady at an aid station that has become a great friend and confidant over the last year. Becca - you rock girl! I met the race director that day too. Robert Goyen. Just a good man who has overcame so much adversity in his life as many ultrarunners have is impressive.
In the months since then many other people have impacted my life as well. Carl and Nick have become great friends and guys I can count on anytime anywhere. Some athletes so much better than I could ever dream of being let me bounce ideas off them and they come up with great advice and I so appreciate each and every one of them. The right people have seemed to come into my life at the right time to help me in this crazy running journey I'm on. I'm very humbled!
So why Trail Racing over Texas? I volunteered at Habanero Hundred in August and watching Rob with his runners over a 23 hour period I knew I wanted to be a part of his organization. I love my Team RWB guys and yup I'm still gonna run with you but I felt this ambassador deal would give me the best chance to give back to the trail running community that has given me so much! No matter how many races I complete in the coming years the community as a whole has given me so much more and I appreciate you guys and girls helping me get my life back! To next time #RunStrong #teamTROT
Brazos Bend 100- this was I think a turning point in my run. Sure I ran 100 miles and it was great but the people I met and the lessons I took away are so much more! I met Dale and Rachel at the start and I met a wonderful lady at an aid station that has become a great friend and confidant over the last year. Becca - you rock girl! I met the race director that day too. Robert Goyen. Just a good man who has overcame so much adversity in his life as many ultrarunners have is impressive.
In the months since then many other people have impacted my life as well. Carl and Nick have become great friends and guys I can count on anytime anywhere. Some athletes so much better than I could ever dream of being let me bounce ideas off them and they come up with great advice and I so appreciate each and every one of them. The right people have seemed to come into my life at the right time to help me in this crazy running journey I'm on. I'm very humbled!
So why Trail Racing over Texas? I volunteered at Habanero Hundred in August and watching Rob with his runners over a 23 hour period I knew I wanted to be a part of his organization. I love my Team RWB guys and yup I'm still gonna run with you but I felt this ambassador deal would give me the best chance to give back to the trail running community that has given me so much! No matter how many races I complete in the coming years the community as a whole has given me so much more and I appreciate you guys and girls helping me get my life back! To next time #RunStrong #teamTROT
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Pumpkin Hollar 100
Pumpkin Hollar? I heard of this race last year and I kinda had to snicker when I heard the name of it. I then heard that it was a race "just" held on a rock road..... More on that later. After getting my butt handed to me I was looking for a more manageable race. Using the term "easier" would simply be blasphemy cause 100 miles is hard no matter where and each race presents its challenges and I thought this courses weaknesses would be a great match with my current strong points. I had a friend training for the 100k and another for the 100 miler. A lot of my friends are getting ready for 2 100's here in Texas but I wanted to do the race that gave me my best chance of success and felt fairly condident I could run this course so I signed up a few months ago and began the mental preparation. My last race Mogollon Monster just 3 weeks ago was hard and missing a cutoff at Mile 30 I think was in sorts a blessing in disguise as it gave me time to get another long run in before Pumpkin and to go into the race very well rested. Sometimes crappy things happen in life but if you are real honest with yourself you will find that things happen for a reason and getting pulled from a mountain race was great for my next race. This race I also changed up my planning,race strategy, nutrition. Everything. All the things that weren't working I put on the back burner. My last 3 100's I haven't had pacers to drag me home and I haven't got them done. This race, as soon as I signed up I went and got 2 very good friends to commit to pacing me to the finish line. More on them later.... Leading up to the race, I had to travel a lot with work. Like 7 of the 14 days before the event. I squeezed in a 53 mile run broke up into 3 segments 14 days prior at the urging of my buddy Dale. Everyone says that a long run won't help your next race unless done 21 days out and maybe that's the science of it, but science can't predict the mental strength and confidence that helped me. Nutrition wise- I threw it all out the window. I had been overeating at all my races and in turn getting sluggish. After several long conversations with a few people I knew I had to switch things up. Pace wise- Dale convinced me that I had a ton more early speed and I was wasting it by hanging out in the rear of the field and a few other friends concurred so I worked on that leading up to the race.
Race day- As I said earlier, this course was on a gravel/Rock road. Looking at the course profile, it looked fairly doable with my short running experience. It was set up on 3 50k loops with a 8 mile out and back to began the race to get to 100 miles. Aid stations were no more than 5 miles apart and from previous race reports they were well stocked. Friday am my friend/pacer Jose aka Pepe Ruuner met me at my house and we set off to pick up my other friend and pacer Jeff Maddron. Jose was there with me when I did my 1st trail run ever at Big Cedar in January 2014 so it was awesome having him with me on this part of my journey and really bolstered my drive to finish. Jeff is a young man who I've met through Team RWB and is striving to get back into running Ultra's after being out for several years as he was serving in the US Army. Both of these guys are vets and I knew they could get me through the rough spots. That night we went to packet pickup and ran into so many friends from the Dallas trail running community. Nikki and Billy who I met in 2013 when I tried to run for a couple of months were there as well as Marcus and Jenny. Jacquline and Lisa were there for their 1st 100k race and Carol was there to run 100 miles. It was basically a reunion in Tahlequah,Oklahoma for me with some of my original trail running peeps and made me proud to be running that race.
Race morning- after discussing race strategy with Dale n Carl I decided to go out with a garmin and a stopwatch and hold a 12 minute pace as long as I could and then to finish the race dependent on my pacers dragging me along. Dale wanted me to wear a hydration vest as I have in every Ultra but my 1st. I took my vest to the race but never unpacked it. Instead I opted for simply a handheld and a belt to hold any nutrition I may need. I had 3 drop bags across the course and with aid stations fairly close I knew I could manage for a few miles. The race started at 8am with the 8 mile out and back. 1st mile was fairly easy and then we hit the hills. I heard this section was tough but the jeep road made it fairly doable. I power hiked the next 2 miles up hill with a couple of run sections mixed in. In no time I hit the turn around and headed back down to the start line 4 miles away. I'm not sure what happened but I was going faster than I normally do even on a training run. I'd look at my current pace on the downhills and have to slow down. I planned on doing this section in 1:45 but rolled into start my 1st 50k loop in 1:30. The 1st loop my whole intention was to feel out the course,stay on top of my nutrition and run as much of it as I could. I had a drop bag at mile 8ish,14,23 and start line with Tailwind, Ensure,V8 fusion, Gu's(tons of em) and snacks. I opted to stick with the liquids and browse on Pringles at every other aid station to keep something solid in my stomach. There is 150 calories in 6 Pringles too so that helped some. I made the decision to drink tailwind every other aid station and on the others to simply drink water. I had 1 20ounce bottle on me and I had to make this work or resort to the vest on loop 2. Loop 1 was fairly easy. Huge hill at mile 4.5 with a fairly sharp descent after it. Mile 25 to 28 was very sharp ascents and descents and mile 23 or so to mile 25.7 was hard hot blacktop. I came into the start line with the 1st 40 done in 8:55 I believe. It was a solid pace for the 1st loop. My garmin died at mile 29 into the race with a 12:48 overall pace and I struggled the last 9 miles without it and got passed by 3 people. Wasn't happy about that but that was my best pace ever early into a ultra so big picture I was happy.
Loop 2- Jeff was pacing me this round and we went out fairly easy. I used up alotta energy the 1st 40 and really just didn't want to do anything stupid. I had another Gamin in my bag and Jeff was wearing it when I came in. Looking back now, I should have had it on and been looking at my current pace instead of asking him because I didn't push nearly enough. The loop was fairly easy with no huge mistakes. As the loop went on the temps dropped and I got really cold with like 12 miles to go. I struggled crossing a cattle guard but fortunately Jeff was there to help me through it. We had a nice conversation about everything. What is said on the trails stays there but it was some good miles. We finished up and I was simply shivering and chattering.
Loop 3- the guys brought my chair and drop bag into the restroom so I could get warmer clothes and fresh shoes on. The rocks were doing a number on my feet and I was afraid to pull off my socks to see the damage. After a quick change and throwing down some calories they had me sit by a fire. Not smart as it made the cold even colder when we headed back out. At this point my feet hurt so bad and I just wanted to finish this race however I had to. We trudged through the night. Jose I apologize for my grumpiness but everything hurt. My head,arms, feet and legs were killing me. The only thing that felt great was my stomach. We made fairly decent death march time but when a guy named Kim flew by me walking as he did the entire 100 miles I knew I was sucking pretty hard. I had chafed terrible and a major mistake was not losing the underwear at the start line. The sun soon appeared and spirits soared for me. Finally losing the underwear helped my situation in my privates and getting rid the pants helped too. Jose kept urging me to run and I gave him all I had whenever I could. We got to the last drop bag location with 9 miles left and 3 hours to go. Deep down I was really afraid of not making it. Jose stopped to fill my bottle for me so as a joke I ran ahead to make him catch me. He hadn't ran much all night so I thought why not? Well I forgot he hadn't seen this part of the course and there's a Y in the road with curves on the one I took. Needless to say, it took a couple of miles for him to catch me but I made up some time. My feet have never hurt as bad as they did that last section. We pushed on mostly hiking with short shuffles mixed in. I had a 2 hour lead on our friend Carol earlier in the race but with a 1/2 mile to the finish line, her and her pacer Jorge came flying past. I couldn't respond for a bit but it felt good knowing that a friend was going to finish the race. Finally the last 1/4 mile I was able to run again and actually had to wait for her to finish before I came in. 29:53 hours into it with a 30 hour clock I got my 2nd 100 mile buckle.
Takeaways- never ever stop believing in myself. After 3 straight 100 mile dnf's I somehow with the help of others managed to keep that fire lit to run this distance. Pacers- neither of my guys had ran a 100 before but they were friends and they believed in me. Choosing them and them helping me was a plus. Nutrition- I joked to Jose that I was the Gu miester. I must have had 40 in all my drop bags. I took 2 the entire race. I ran on minimal calories compared to my other races and I never felt bloated or wanted to hurl. I tried to do 200 to 250 an hour on this course and it was optimal for me. Dropping the vest and just using a handheld helped me so much. The vest usually slows me a minute a mile and holds sweat against my body. Im not sure I'll use it much in the future unless it's a mountain race or summer. Pace- freaking trust your training and run. I've always been trying to be cute and overthinking things. Time on feet is time on feet regardless of your pace. 100 miles is going to hurt anyway so why not go out a little faster and see what you have. I went out fast for me and still was able to muster a finish. Maybe this race will make me stronger for the next by doing so???? We will see. 2 days later I have zero blisters and I'm able to walk like a functioning human this morning so life will be back to normal soon for a bit. In 26 days me and my buddy Carl along with another Dallas friend fly to Illinois for Tunnel Hill 100. I'll see what lessons I learned last week will help me in my next endeavor. Til next time #RunStrong
Race day- As I said earlier, this course was on a gravel/Rock road. Looking at the course profile, it looked fairly doable with my short running experience. It was set up on 3 50k loops with a 8 mile out and back to began the race to get to 100 miles. Aid stations were no more than 5 miles apart and from previous race reports they were well stocked. Friday am my friend/pacer Jose aka Pepe Ruuner met me at my house and we set off to pick up my other friend and pacer Jeff Maddron. Jose was there with me when I did my 1st trail run ever at Big Cedar in January 2014 so it was awesome having him with me on this part of my journey and really bolstered my drive to finish. Jeff is a young man who I've met through Team RWB and is striving to get back into running Ultra's after being out for several years as he was serving in the US Army. Both of these guys are vets and I knew they could get me through the rough spots. That night we went to packet pickup and ran into so many friends from the Dallas trail running community. Nikki and Billy who I met in 2013 when I tried to run for a couple of months were there as well as Marcus and Jenny. Jacquline and Lisa were there for their 1st 100k race and Carol was there to run 100 miles. It was basically a reunion in Tahlequah,Oklahoma for me with some of my original trail running peeps and made me proud to be running that race.
Race morning- after discussing race strategy with Dale n Carl I decided to go out with a garmin and a stopwatch and hold a 12 minute pace as long as I could and then to finish the race dependent on my pacers dragging me along. Dale wanted me to wear a hydration vest as I have in every Ultra but my 1st. I took my vest to the race but never unpacked it. Instead I opted for simply a handheld and a belt to hold any nutrition I may need. I had 3 drop bags across the course and with aid stations fairly close I knew I could manage for a few miles. The race started at 8am with the 8 mile out and back. 1st mile was fairly easy and then we hit the hills. I heard this section was tough but the jeep road made it fairly doable. I power hiked the next 2 miles up hill with a couple of run sections mixed in. In no time I hit the turn around and headed back down to the start line 4 miles away. I'm not sure what happened but I was going faster than I normally do even on a training run. I'd look at my current pace on the downhills and have to slow down. I planned on doing this section in 1:45 but rolled into start my 1st 50k loop in 1:30. The 1st loop my whole intention was to feel out the course,stay on top of my nutrition and run as much of it as I could. I had a drop bag at mile 8ish,14,23 and start line with Tailwind, Ensure,V8 fusion, Gu's(tons of em) and snacks. I opted to stick with the liquids and browse on Pringles at every other aid station to keep something solid in my stomach. There is 150 calories in 6 Pringles too so that helped some. I made the decision to drink tailwind every other aid station and on the others to simply drink water. I had 1 20ounce bottle on me and I had to make this work or resort to the vest on loop 2. Loop 1 was fairly easy. Huge hill at mile 4.5 with a fairly sharp descent after it. Mile 25 to 28 was very sharp ascents and descents and mile 23 or so to mile 25.7 was hard hot blacktop. I came into the start line with the 1st 40 done in 8:55 I believe. It was a solid pace for the 1st loop. My garmin died at mile 29 into the race with a 12:48 overall pace and I struggled the last 9 miles without it and got passed by 3 people. Wasn't happy about that but that was my best pace ever early into a ultra so big picture I was happy.
Loop 2- Jeff was pacing me this round and we went out fairly easy. I used up alotta energy the 1st 40 and really just didn't want to do anything stupid. I had another Gamin in my bag and Jeff was wearing it when I came in. Looking back now, I should have had it on and been looking at my current pace instead of asking him because I didn't push nearly enough. The loop was fairly easy with no huge mistakes. As the loop went on the temps dropped and I got really cold with like 12 miles to go. I struggled crossing a cattle guard but fortunately Jeff was there to help me through it. We had a nice conversation about everything. What is said on the trails stays there but it was some good miles. We finished up and I was simply shivering and chattering.
Loop 3- the guys brought my chair and drop bag into the restroom so I could get warmer clothes and fresh shoes on. The rocks were doing a number on my feet and I was afraid to pull off my socks to see the damage. After a quick change and throwing down some calories they had me sit by a fire. Not smart as it made the cold even colder when we headed back out. At this point my feet hurt so bad and I just wanted to finish this race however I had to. We trudged through the night. Jose I apologize for my grumpiness but everything hurt. My head,arms, feet and legs were killing me. The only thing that felt great was my stomach. We made fairly decent death march time but when a guy named Kim flew by me walking as he did the entire 100 miles I knew I was sucking pretty hard. I had chafed terrible and a major mistake was not losing the underwear at the start line. The sun soon appeared and spirits soared for me. Finally losing the underwear helped my situation in my privates and getting rid the pants helped too. Jose kept urging me to run and I gave him all I had whenever I could. We got to the last drop bag location with 9 miles left and 3 hours to go. Deep down I was really afraid of not making it. Jose stopped to fill my bottle for me so as a joke I ran ahead to make him catch me. He hadn't ran much all night so I thought why not? Well I forgot he hadn't seen this part of the course and there's a Y in the road with curves on the one I took. Needless to say, it took a couple of miles for him to catch me but I made up some time. My feet have never hurt as bad as they did that last section. We pushed on mostly hiking with short shuffles mixed in. I had a 2 hour lead on our friend Carol earlier in the race but with a 1/2 mile to the finish line, her and her pacer Jorge came flying past. I couldn't respond for a bit but it felt good knowing that a friend was going to finish the race. Finally the last 1/4 mile I was able to run again and actually had to wait for her to finish before I came in. 29:53 hours into it with a 30 hour clock I got my 2nd 100 mile buckle.
Takeaways- never ever stop believing in myself. After 3 straight 100 mile dnf's I somehow with the help of others managed to keep that fire lit to run this distance. Pacers- neither of my guys had ran a 100 before but they were friends and they believed in me. Choosing them and them helping me was a plus. Nutrition- I joked to Jose that I was the Gu miester. I must have had 40 in all my drop bags. I took 2 the entire race. I ran on minimal calories compared to my other races and I never felt bloated or wanted to hurl. I tried to do 200 to 250 an hour on this course and it was optimal for me. Dropping the vest and just using a handheld helped me so much. The vest usually slows me a minute a mile and holds sweat against my body. Im not sure I'll use it much in the future unless it's a mountain race or summer. Pace- freaking trust your training and run. I've always been trying to be cute and overthinking things. Time on feet is time on feet regardless of your pace. 100 miles is going to hurt anyway so why not go out a little faster and see what you have. I went out fast for me and still was able to muster a finish. Maybe this race will make me stronger for the next by doing so???? We will see. 2 days later I have zero blisters and I'm able to walk like a functioning human this morning so life will be back to normal soon for a bit. In 26 days me and my buddy Carl along with another Dallas friend fly to Illinois for Tunnel Hill 100. I'll see what lessons I learned last week will help me in my next endeavor. Til next time #RunStrong
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