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
Sunday, December 20, 2015
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
Monday, September 28, 2015
Mogollon Monster
Gosh I'm really not sure where to start or what to even write. I had talked about doing this race in 2014 but quickly backed out knowing I'd be in over my head. After getting hammered mentally at Cruel Jewel 100 back in May, I knew I wanted to do another mountain race irregardless of the outcome. 100 miles is hard no matter the terrain but the views are unbelievable the higher you go. I rolled my Leadville entry knowing that physically I was unable to complete that race this year and somewhat felt the same going into Mogollon. I have more races this fall on more manageable courses for me at this stage of my running but decided to go ahead and run this race and worst case scenario, help some of my friends get a finish if I couldn't. Our Texas group was myself, one of my best friends Steven, Pomillo,Ace,Nancy,Lonnie and Julie. Everyone else was VERY accomplished runners and it was an honor to hang with these guys for 3 days.
The race was set up at 106 miles with somewhat liberal cutoffs when we signed up. A week or so before the race it was announced that it was 109. 106,109,whatever. It was still going to be dang tough. Race morning we all met at the start line. Jokingly a lady in our group asked the race director if the cut offs were extended because of the additional mileage. He joked back that they were unofficially loose times. I'm not sure what that means but for alotta rear pack runners in Ultra's, cut offs are one of the most important aspects of a race in order to get a finish. We all can't be elites. Anyhow the race starts at 6am with a 8.6/10 mile section. I don't think anyone really knew how far the sections are. We asked about it and was told that they weren't big on exact miles...... Ok- that's kinda important to a rear pack person that's going to be chasing the clock. My stategy was to run the downhills, hike the ups and run/walk the few flats that there was going to be. This race is up and down the Mogollon Rim in Pine,Az and the 1st section took us up over the rim. The climb in that 1st section was brutal but short. Maybe 2 miles? I played leapfrog with a guy from Cali. He was fast on downhills and I'd pass him every up. We did that for the entire section but the company was great. Once I crested the top and looked across the rim it was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. I try not to push my faith off on others but I commented to the guy I was with that if anyone didn't believe in God, seeing that rim would probably make them change their mind. You can believe in whatever you choose but that kind of beauty has been unmatched in what I've ever experienced in life. After cresting, we hit a aid station at what I had was 10 miles. I was spot on with my time and felt great! After refilling my water and eating I headed back out for 5 miles to the next aid. These 5 took me along a fence before crossing it and through some open woods and then down a gravel road for almost 4 miles. Just a mindless section but easy on the legs. Looking back, I could have ran that part hard and still been ok physically but I stuck to my planned pace. 2nd aid, I rushed through it and on to section 3 which was about 5 miles but with a descent down the rim. I was excited to hit those 2 miles of descent and roll into the next aid. It was all great until I hit the downhill. I've ran Cactus and Bandera both and they are pretty dang tame. It's almost like a truck dumped loose rocks for 2 miles down a trail. I couldn't run that section at all. I'm a great hiker and can hold a pace for hours on end around 15 to 17:30 minute miles but my Garmin kept coming up with like 23 minute miles. Just a soul sucking descent. After that it was just short up and downs into Aid 3 named Geronimo. The volunteers were great and they got me out of there fairly quickly and away I went on to the next section.
Section 4- 10.2 miles. I asked countless locals how far this was and they all said 8.6 but every runner with a Garmin had 10 to 10.2 that I asked...... Who knows how far it is? I know this was a rough but doable section. It's very exposed to the sun and the temps were bumping 90. About 7 miles in the sweeper caught me by suprise. I've never ran a race and seen one. He crawled right up on my butt and wouldn't back off. I'd go faster and him n his partner would speed up. He said they left 15 minutes after the start.... Anyway it was frustrating having a chatterbox in my back pocket that last bit. I'm usually alone and trying to figure out what I need to do in order to save time. At 10.2 miles I rolled into Washington Park at 4:08 on my watch with a 4pm cutoff. The Hamm radio operator said I was out. I asked him the time and he had 4:04 but said I had to ask the RD to continue. I of course got really upset and took off my gear and sat down to pout. About a 1/2 hour later the RD asks me why I'm still there n not running???? I was polite....... At that point I knew that even if I got to the next aid station I was probably going to fight cutoffs and with a more manageable 100 in 3 weeks there was zero point in trashing my legs so I turned my focus onto the other runners that I came here with.
Takeaways- 30 miles on that course was fun. I'm not ready for mountain racing. I'm running Leadville in July 2016 but until then I will run races that I'm more than fairly confident on completing. I went into Cruel Jewel super fit and left there a mess physically. This race, I went into it as a stronger runner but less fit in my upper body and came home ready to run again in the morning. There are easier big named mountain races that look tough on paper but aren't a Mogollon or Cruel. Maybe one day I'll do one of those. In the meantime my schedule is full through 2015. Pumpkin Hollar is 19 days away and I have 2 really great friends to pace me and hopefully another to crew me n kick me in the butt when I get pouty.
I'm really proud to know Steven Monte,Pomillo Romero and Lonnie Coone. Crewing Steven n Pompi from 52 to 109 and Lonnie from 86 to 109 was pretty cool and I'm thankful for the front row seat as they finished a hard race with so much stacked against them. Nice run guys!
I have griped about certain aspects of this race but at the end of the day, I was in way over my head. If you wanna get stronger, you just have to work harder and run more. It's pretty simple. Til next time #RunStrong
The race was set up at 106 miles with somewhat liberal cutoffs when we signed up. A week or so before the race it was announced that it was 109. 106,109,whatever. It was still going to be dang tough. Race morning we all met at the start line. Jokingly a lady in our group asked the race director if the cut offs were extended because of the additional mileage. He joked back that they were unofficially loose times. I'm not sure what that means but for alotta rear pack runners in Ultra's, cut offs are one of the most important aspects of a race in order to get a finish. We all can't be elites. Anyhow the race starts at 6am with a 8.6/10 mile section. I don't think anyone really knew how far the sections are. We asked about it and was told that they weren't big on exact miles...... Ok- that's kinda important to a rear pack person that's going to be chasing the clock. My stategy was to run the downhills, hike the ups and run/walk the few flats that there was going to be. This race is up and down the Mogollon Rim in Pine,Az and the 1st section took us up over the rim. The climb in that 1st section was brutal but short. Maybe 2 miles? I played leapfrog with a guy from Cali. He was fast on downhills and I'd pass him every up. We did that for the entire section but the company was great. Once I crested the top and looked across the rim it was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. I try not to push my faith off on others but I commented to the guy I was with that if anyone didn't believe in God, seeing that rim would probably make them change their mind. You can believe in whatever you choose but that kind of beauty has been unmatched in what I've ever experienced in life. After cresting, we hit a aid station at what I had was 10 miles. I was spot on with my time and felt great! After refilling my water and eating I headed back out for 5 miles to the next aid. These 5 took me along a fence before crossing it and through some open woods and then down a gravel road for almost 4 miles. Just a mindless section but easy on the legs. Looking back, I could have ran that part hard and still been ok physically but I stuck to my planned pace. 2nd aid, I rushed through it and on to section 3 which was about 5 miles but with a descent down the rim. I was excited to hit those 2 miles of descent and roll into the next aid. It was all great until I hit the downhill. I've ran Cactus and Bandera both and they are pretty dang tame. It's almost like a truck dumped loose rocks for 2 miles down a trail. I couldn't run that section at all. I'm a great hiker and can hold a pace for hours on end around 15 to 17:30 minute miles but my Garmin kept coming up with like 23 minute miles. Just a soul sucking descent. After that it was just short up and downs into Aid 3 named Geronimo. The volunteers were great and they got me out of there fairly quickly and away I went on to the next section.
Section 4- 10.2 miles. I asked countless locals how far this was and they all said 8.6 but every runner with a Garmin had 10 to 10.2 that I asked...... Who knows how far it is? I know this was a rough but doable section. It's very exposed to the sun and the temps were bumping 90. About 7 miles in the sweeper caught me by suprise. I've never ran a race and seen one. He crawled right up on my butt and wouldn't back off. I'd go faster and him n his partner would speed up. He said they left 15 minutes after the start.... Anyway it was frustrating having a chatterbox in my back pocket that last bit. I'm usually alone and trying to figure out what I need to do in order to save time. At 10.2 miles I rolled into Washington Park at 4:08 on my watch with a 4pm cutoff. The Hamm radio operator said I was out. I asked him the time and he had 4:04 but said I had to ask the RD to continue. I of course got really upset and took off my gear and sat down to pout. About a 1/2 hour later the RD asks me why I'm still there n not running???? I was polite....... At that point I knew that even if I got to the next aid station I was probably going to fight cutoffs and with a more manageable 100 in 3 weeks there was zero point in trashing my legs so I turned my focus onto the other runners that I came here with.
Takeaways- 30 miles on that course was fun. I'm not ready for mountain racing. I'm running Leadville in July 2016 but until then I will run races that I'm more than fairly confident on completing. I went into Cruel Jewel super fit and left there a mess physically. This race, I went into it as a stronger runner but less fit in my upper body and came home ready to run again in the morning. There are easier big named mountain races that look tough on paper but aren't a Mogollon or Cruel. Maybe one day I'll do one of those. In the meantime my schedule is full through 2015. Pumpkin Hollar is 19 days away and I have 2 really great friends to pace me and hopefully another to crew me n kick me in the butt when I get pouty.
I'm really proud to know Steven Monte,Pomillo Romero and Lonnie Coone. Crewing Steven n Pompi from 52 to 109 and Lonnie from 86 to 109 was pretty cool and I'm thankful for the front row seat as they finished a hard race with so much stacked against them. Nice run guys!
I have griped about certain aspects of this race but at the end of the day, I was in way over my head. If you wanna get stronger, you just have to work harder and run more. It's pretty simple. Til next time #RunStrong
Monday, August 31, 2015
Captain Karl's Revielle Peak Ranch
Gosh I'm not sure where to start... This was the 4th 60k to do in 75 days and a finish would mean a buckle for completing all of them. The previous 2 weekends I didn't run much. I ran quite a bit in between the previous races and after the last one I wound up with strep one weekend and the next I volunteered a double shift at Habanero Hundred. I went into the race still mentally drained but physically I felt great. This one is billed as the toughest one and the most popular one and both turned out true. As in 2 of the previous 3 races my buddy Dale agreed to go and work an aid station while I tried to finish out the series. He's been a godsend to me keeping me motivated and my head in the game. People like that are rare in one's life so must be treasured. We got down to Burnet,Tx where the race was and there were so many new faces than from the previous 3 races. I'm proud to say that the DFW area had a few runners as well as volunteers. Going into a race the faces of people you know always Gives me a smile. The course was set up in 3 12.44 loops. I had ran the course last year doing the Box of Rox marathon so I knew the challenges that awaited. Brad, the RD had the aid stations set up at 1.25, 3 -3.2 or so and then another 1.25 to the start/finish line. Basically a 1.25,3 5k's and a mile to complete a loop. Easy peasy!
The race started and I felt pretty awesome! I went out towards the rear of the field but not in the back. A friend told me I was going a little fast but it was cloudy and temps were ok. I use the 1st loop usually to check out the course and run as much as I can while it's still light. Everything was great and I got to Mile 8 where Dale was volunteering and refilled my nutrition for the next loop. After battling rocks and having to power hike some the trail turned into a smooth trail and my friend I was running with wanted to run so away we went. It was dark but I was seeing red spots on the ground. I knew I was getting behind on my hydration but we were set up to complete a 3 hour loop. It was all good until I stumbled on a rock and hit the ground. My knee was banged up and my head hit another rock I guess. It hurt like heck but I had to get up and start hiking to work out the kinks. I'm not real sure how far I hiked but I was real groggy and wanted to just lay down so I did. I laid there maybe 5 minutes and then my friend and a guy with us, Wayne helped me up. I had to walk it out...... I did for maybe .10 of a mile or so- I don't really remember. We were going up a hill and my knees were shaking and I knew I had to find a big rock to lean against and gather myself back up. I soon found the perfect place and told my friends I was just going to nap and I'd be ok. I sat there and tried eating a Gu but wanted to hurl really bad. I finally convinced Wayne to go on and save his race. My other friend wouldn't leave. She texted Dale and she stuck with me for 24 minutes. I FINALLY got her to go hoping she'd get some help and save her race as well. After she left I don't remember much other than just staring at the stars in the dark. It was beautiful. At some point a guy running the 30k stopped and shook me asking if I was ok. I dunno who it was or what all he said but I was able to get up and finally hurl. That felt so good! I started walking it out sucking on water. The more I walked the better I felt and was able to get back to the last aid and get my pack refilled and finish the loop.
Loop 2- I wanted to see where I was time wise and see if I could catch my friend. I hiked and jogged until I felt better. The aid stations were great checking on me and I assured them I was moving fine. Towards the end of loop 2 I finally caught my friend and I knew then that no matter what she was going to finish.
Loop 3- LOTSA power hiking! I broke down the course in my head and the time left to complete it and we went to work. At this point we both just wanted a finish. I needed it for a buckle and we got it done with like 7 minutes to spare. Crossing the pond dam and hearing people cheering us on felt great! As usual Pompillo was there waiting on me after he had crushed the course record. Thomas Orf it was great seeing you there as well! Chris Oles man you are a warrior! Julie- a lady that I ran the series off and on with, it was great seeing you with that buckle! Nancy & Bill- you guys inspire me so much and Robin we need to run together more!
Takeaways- man this was a tough series! I guess on this race I learned to never give up and value the ones that help you. My friend that almost threw her race away by staying with me for nearly 30 minutes at mile 9 gave me the inspiration to push on for 28 more miles. Knowing your pace and how fast you can get somewhere is so vital to finishing a race like this. Being slow but having a pretty good power hike saved me a couple of times during these 4 races. Never give up just because you feel bad. Your body and mind changes if you just keep pushing forward! These are lessons I'm taking with me to Mogollon Monster 100 in 27 days. The hay is in the barn and I'm going to rest my mind and just do maintence runs with the legs. Til next time, #RunStrong
The race started and I felt pretty awesome! I went out towards the rear of the field but not in the back. A friend told me I was going a little fast but it was cloudy and temps were ok. I use the 1st loop usually to check out the course and run as much as I can while it's still light. Everything was great and I got to Mile 8 where Dale was volunteering and refilled my nutrition for the next loop. After battling rocks and having to power hike some the trail turned into a smooth trail and my friend I was running with wanted to run so away we went. It was dark but I was seeing red spots on the ground. I knew I was getting behind on my hydration but we were set up to complete a 3 hour loop. It was all good until I stumbled on a rock and hit the ground. My knee was banged up and my head hit another rock I guess. It hurt like heck but I had to get up and start hiking to work out the kinks. I'm not real sure how far I hiked but I was real groggy and wanted to just lay down so I did. I laid there maybe 5 minutes and then my friend and a guy with us, Wayne helped me up. I had to walk it out...... I did for maybe .10 of a mile or so- I don't really remember. We were going up a hill and my knees were shaking and I knew I had to find a big rock to lean against and gather myself back up. I soon found the perfect place and told my friends I was just going to nap and I'd be ok. I sat there and tried eating a Gu but wanted to hurl really bad. I finally convinced Wayne to go on and save his race. My other friend wouldn't leave. She texted Dale and she stuck with me for 24 minutes. I FINALLY got her to go hoping she'd get some help and save her race as well. After she left I don't remember much other than just staring at the stars in the dark. It was beautiful. At some point a guy running the 30k stopped and shook me asking if I was ok. I dunno who it was or what all he said but I was able to get up and finally hurl. That felt so good! I started walking it out sucking on water. The more I walked the better I felt and was able to get back to the last aid and get my pack refilled and finish the loop.
Loop 2- I wanted to see where I was time wise and see if I could catch my friend. I hiked and jogged until I felt better. The aid stations were great checking on me and I assured them I was moving fine. Towards the end of loop 2 I finally caught my friend and I knew then that no matter what she was going to finish.
Loop 3- LOTSA power hiking! I broke down the course in my head and the time left to complete it and we went to work. At this point we both just wanted a finish. I needed it for a buckle and we got it done with like 7 minutes to spare. Crossing the pond dam and hearing people cheering us on felt great! As usual Pompillo was there waiting on me after he had crushed the course record. Thomas Orf it was great seeing you there as well! Chris Oles man you are a warrior! Julie- a lady that I ran the series off and on with, it was great seeing you with that buckle! Nancy & Bill- you guys inspire me so much and Robin we need to run together more!
Takeaways- man this was a tough series! I guess on this race I learned to never give up and value the ones that help you. My friend that almost threw her race away by staying with me for nearly 30 minutes at mile 9 gave me the inspiration to push on for 28 more miles. Knowing your pace and how fast you can get somewhere is so vital to finishing a race like this. Being slow but having a pretty good power hike saved me a couple of times during these 4 races. Never give up just because you feel bad. Your body and mind changes if you just keep pushing forward! These are lessons I'm taking with me to Mogollon Monster 100 in 27 days. The hay is in the barn and I'm going to rest my mind and just do maintence runs with the legs. Til next time, #RunStrong
Monday, August 10, 2015
Captain Karl's Colorado Bend 60k
After running the 1st 2 races of this 4 race series I had to go for another one. Getting a buckle for running 4 60k's at night on tough trails is definitely a motivator but more so is just the allure of mental training on how to function during the night when tired. I had never ran the course so I started asking questions and really all I heard was how hard it was and that it had lotsa rocks. Typical trails in central Texas but after reading old race reports I knew there were several good climbs involved as well. Bonus work!! Last week I was given the opportunity to run Mogollon Monster 100 in September so hills are definitely a plus for me this month!
I've been traveling to these races with my buddy Dale but after his recent Badwater 135 finish he had other obligations so my friend Eric decided he'd run the 30k and drive me back so I could catch a nap afterwards. Great guy! We made the trip and got down to Lampasas at 4. Like 3 hours before the race but it gave me time to catch up with friends I only see at races. The people is what running trails is all about! The only goals I had was to finish, run on mostly the nutrition I had brought and lastly was to not finish before the sun came up. That sunrise gives you a burst of energy and until I totally trust that, I'll struggle at the 100 mile distance. These night runs I view as great training. I'm too old n slow to race it so I'll let the fast ones have that battle.
The race started at 7 and I hung out in the rear. At 1st with my friend Janiel but I knew she wanted to push harder than I planned on so I let her go. The 30k people started at 7:15 and soon began catching us and I just didn't get pulled into their speed and gave them as much room as possible. This week I've had some things on my mind so I ran mostly alone doing the thinking thing. The 1st loop was easy with my nutrition and energy levels spot on. I noticed that the 1st and last 3 miles of the loops were just mostly a graveyard for rocks but the rest of the course was fairly easy. The major climbs were on jeep type road stuff and the only other tough section was at about mile 9 to 10.5 but then it kicked you onto a gravel road for a 1/2 mile to recover. The easy parts were really good running if a person wanted to run it fast.
1st loop was done and I grabbed my Tailwind and the last 4 Gu's I'd brought and downed an Ensure I had and I headed back out. I guess that Ensure really wasn't good for me because at the 1st aid station (mile 21) I really wanted to just puke it out but couldn't. Fortunately the aid station had Coke and Ginger Ale and I got some down n headed out. Soon after I was fine and life was good. Good til I kept hearing a noise behind me. Some huge dog/coyote thing was tailing me. I'd turn around and put my light on it and it'd freeze. I'd go and it'd go to. We played this game for a mile or 2 until I started shouting at it. It got on out of there and I was alone again. At mile 27 I ran into my friend Nancy who pulled a glute and was just trying to get through it. I tried staying with her but with me wanting to see the sunrise, I knew I would be cutting it close on time. No finish=No buckle so I wasn't happy but had to push on. As I was on the last 3 miles, the sun came up and I got to put up my headlamp and run it in just as I had planned.
Takeaways- I'm really not sure. This was a race where nothing went wrong and I followed my plan and had a big grin when I finished. Nothing spectacular about my time but I wasn't there for that. My nutrition was almost spot on for over 11 hours. I took Coke twice at aid stations, 2 cookies, 2 pieces of watermelon and a banana which I promptly spit out. I learned I can go a little while unsupported except water and be fine and I learned even more how much energy a sunrise gives you! Nancy did finish in time. The girl is a warrior!!! Props to Scott & Melanie Rabb! You guys ran a tight aid station! Thanks for being out there supporting the trail community! Brad Quinn, you put on another stellar event! More people should run these races and experience the thrill of running through the night! Great racing and for guys like me, it's awesome 100 mile training. As I'm writing this, my friend Gia finished the Bigfoot 200 today with 1st place female and I think 5th overall. I had planned on pacing her but couldn't get the time off work. I'm proud to call her my friend n Gia, I owe you a pacing gig! Runners like her keep me motivated! Til next time, #RunStrong
I've been traveling to these races with my buddy Dale but after his recent Badwater 135 finish he had other obligations so my friend Eric decided he'd run the 30k and drive me back so I could catch a nap afterwards. Great guy! We made the trip and got down to Lampasas at 4. Like 3 hours before the race but it gave me time to catch up with friends I only see at races. The people is what running trails is all about! The only goals I had was to finish, run on mostly the nutrition I had brought and lastly was to not finish before the sun came up. That sunrise gives you a burst of energy and until I totally trust that, I'll struggle at the 100 mile distance. These night runs I view as great training. I'm too old n slow to race it so I'll let the fast ones have that battle.
The race started at 7 and I hung out in the rear. At 1st with my friend Janiel but I knew she wanted to push harder than I planned on so I let her go. The 30k people started at 7:15 and soon began catching us and I just didn't get pulled into their speed and gave them as much room as possible. This week I've had some things on my mind so I ran mostly alone doing the thinking thing. The 1st loop was easy with my nutrition and energy levels spot on. I noticed that the 1st and last 3 miles of the loops were just mostly a graveyard for rocks but the rest of the course was fairly easy. The major climbs were on jeep type road stuff and the only other tough section was at about mile 9 to 10.5 but then it kicked you onto a gravel road for a 1/2 mile to recover. The easy parts were really good running if a person wanted to run it fast.
1st loop was done and I grabbed my Tailwind and the last 4 Gu's I'd brought and downed an Ensure I had and I headed back out. I guess that Ensure really wasn't good for me because at the 1st aid station (mile 21) I really wanted to just puke it out but couldn't. Fortunately the aid station had Coke and Ginger Ale and I got some down n headed out. Soon after I was fine and life was good. Good til I kept hearing a noise behind me. Some huge dog/coyote thing was tailing me. I'd turn around and put my light on it and it'd freeze. I'd go and it'd go to. We played this game for a mile or 2 until I started shouting at it. It got on out of there and I was alone again. At mile 27 I ran into my friend Nancy who pulled a glute and was just trying to get through it. I tried staying with her but with me wanting to see the sunrise, I knew I would be cutting it close on time. No finish=No buckle so I wasn't happy but had to push on. As I was on the last 3 miles, the sun came up and I got to put up my headlamp and run it in just as I had planned.
Takeaways- I'm really not sure. This was a race where nothing went wrong and I followed my plan and had a big grin when I finished. Nothing spectacular about my time but I wasn't there for that. My nutrition was almost spot on for over 11 hours. I took Coke twice at aid stations, 2 cookies, 2 pieces of watermelon and a banana which I promptly spit out. I learned I can go a little while unsupported except water and be fine and I learned even more how much energy a sunrise gives you! Nancy did finish in time. The girl is a warrior!!! Props to Scott & Melanie Rabb! You guys ran a tight aid station! Thanks for being out there supporting the trail community! Brad Quinn, you put on another stellar event! More people should run these races and experience the thrill of running through the night! Great racing and for guys like me, it's awesome 100 mile training. As I'm writing this, my friend Gia finished the Bigfoot 200 today with 1st place female and I think 5th overall. I had planned on pacing her but couldn't get the time off work. I'm proud to call her my friend n Gia, I owe you a pacing gig! Runners like her keep me motivated! Til next time, #RunStrong
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Fossil Rim 9 hour Run
The previous weekend I had ran 44 miles with the highlight being surving a near DNF because of time. All week my feet hurt and walking was limited, much less dreaming of running a race. Blisters under the pads of your feet heal slow unless you go see a doctor. Which being a man, I'm hard headed and so I suffer through it. Running a race was the last thing on my mind but really wanted to get a few miles in Saturday morning and the plan was to take a cooler of beer and cheer on my friends running the race.
Saturday morning rolled around and I made plans to meet my friend Lisa in Oak Cliff to try out my feet and see how I felt. She mentors a group so we got there early to make sure the trail was clear before her group arrived. Away we went with me taking the spider webs on. I'd never ran that trail before but it was great. Great until about .10 before the loop ended and I tripped up and crashed into a log. After shaking it off we headed back. Next loop was with the group and I still had a little blood coming out so I go to the rear and 2nd hill I hit the ground again. Dang, just wasn't my morning! I let the group drop me and go on and I decided just to jog n get my head straight. After a wrong turn n doing the main loop twice I was ok. I finally met back up with Lisa and we finished out her group run plus the extra miles she needed. I was at 13 and was happy but sore. Off for a tacos and a nap.
After a great nap and hot shower I felt awesome so I made a quick decision to give up on spectating Saturday night and go run Fossil Rim. It's a 2.69 mile loop at Cedar Ridge Preserve. I heard it had 300ft of elevation gain per loop and after running numerous times there I know it well. The format is either a 3,6 or 9 hour race with everyone doing as many loops as possible during their allotted time. My goal going in was to hit 27 miles in order to have a 40 mile weekend and then just see friends. I got there early to get my face time with friends I seldom see. That's part of why I run in the 1st place.
At 10pm sharp the race started with the 6 and 9 hour runners with me doing the 9 hour. A friend told me on a Facebook post that when he thinks of me, he thinks of moderation. Pretty sure it's not running Sam! The race had the usual suspects with speed up front. Those guys and girls are fun to watch! I started with a friend and we hung out mid pack until the trail and runners separated us. We hooked back up at the start but her pace at that point was more than I wanted. The next 3 loops I ran alone other than chatting with a few people along the way. Just a nice easy night! Loop 5 I hooked up with my friend Jacqueline and we walked a lot just talking and solving the world problems. Yup, the girl has all the answers!!! It's always fun running with her! After that loop and looking at the clock, I had plenty of time so I sat down with a Coke n Snickers I'd brought and chatted with my awesome friends manning the one aid station until my friend came back around. After 40 minutes she showed up and we ran the next 5 loops together finishing up at 7. This was a great event! Thomas Orf won it but stayed and cheered on every finisher! The guy is a great runner and 1st class act. Seeing so many great runners from all over Texas was great and the volunteers were wonderful! Endurance Buzz ie:David Hanneburg always puts on great events and I would recommend his races to either a first time trail runner or an elite. They never dissapoint!
Takeaways- I felt like crap all week but after getting started it went away and I felt great! Never convince yourself you can't do anything! Also it's possible to spend the night with someone,lose your underwear ie:chafing and still have fun running! The feet feel great and now it's about getting ready to finish the Captain Karl 60k series! Til next time #RunStrong
Monday, July 20, 2015
Captain Karl's Muleshoe Bend 60k
After surviving running through the night at Pedernales 60k I had to run the 2nd race of this series. I need the miles at night on trails and I'm a glutton for punishment I think. Like last race my buddy Dale went along to do some volunteer work at a aid station and my friends Carl and Jeff went along as well to run the race. These night races are unique because of pre race meals and driving down the day of the run. No hotels so that makes it more attractive to me. Go run and get home! Race am Dale asked me to pick him up at Bachman Lake in Dallas after he did a 5k with his family so I got up and headed that way. Upon getting there I realize the 5k hadn't started so I decided to join them. I was wearing flip flops but I went ahead. That race was fun just chit chatting around the lake and off we went after meeting up with our friends in FTW. We decided on Bucee's gas station food for a late lunch and that was cool. They have a great brisket sammich! Off again for Muleshoe Bend near Marble Falls!!
On the drive down I discuss the race and because of the heat I made a decision to go slow at the start, run a fast 3rd or 4th loop and just get a respectable finish. This is a 4 race series and don't do anything dumb. After arriving n walking up to check in I saw the dumb part had already been done as the pads on my feet were sore from my little flip flop 5k but I had to run this race. It's 37 miles. 4-9 mile loops with a out/back to start out to get the extra mile. Loop courses are tough mentally when you get tired and if you linger at the start between loops it's easy to talk yourself into a DNF so I sent all my gear with Dale to the 1st aid station making the start line just a place for water n watermelon. 1st loop was just easy. With a 7pm start I had 2 1/2 hrs to see most of the course in the daylight without pushing. Another friend,Chris, was at the 2nd aid station and I loved seeing a guy that I really look up to out there giving back to our running community. 1st loop was pretty even just talking and trying to get back to the 1st aid station on the course. I got passed by quite a few friends doing the 30k and it's always good to see them. 1st loop - 2:41 and I was happy.
Loop 2 I took it down even slower and decided to make loop 3 the one that counts after it cooled off. I just power hiked, jogged and stayed on top of nutrition & hydration. Zero issues and a 2:58 loop. I knew I had some cold Snickers at the 1st aid so away I went for the chocolate and see how fast I could go and try to catch a couple of friends. At the 1st aid I took a little break and got my calories up and filled my pack for a hard loop and see how fast I could do it. I was shooting for a 2 hour loop and away I went. Watching my watch I knew about where I was until I passed a guy going the opposite direction. He said I was going backwards but I continued on. About 30 minutes later I run into a married couple I left at the start line and they convinced me I was almost back to the 1st aid station instead of where I needed to be. I was sunk mentally. I've never been in this spot before and so I decided to just stick with them. We walked forever it seemed til we got to Chris's aid station and looking at the clock I was about to be short on time. I had to start loop 4 at 4am or I was out of the race. My feet hurt like heck and my morale was in shreds so I let the couple go on and I just walked. Not power hiked but just a simple walk feeling sorry for myself. About a mile from the finish I see the couple and the lady is laid down and the hubby is trying to get her going. I pass them and soon they are off running and pass me. I'm just like wow! That girl was done and she found some run somewhere so I hustled on into the start line at 3:53am. 7 minutes to spare! I get there and the couple was long gone so I headed out alone.
Loop 4- I knew I had 3:07 to finish it and I couldn't do any more dumb things today and miss the 7am cut off so I power hiked and jogged to the 1st aid. About a 1/2 out my buddy Dale is waiting on me to hustle me along. We get in to refuel and head out chewing on my last Snickers. He goes out a 1/2 with me and I just jog the flats and power hike for the next mile until I see a headlamp in the bushes. The lady that was so tired earlier was lost. Her hubby is trying to reach 400 miles in the Tejas 400 and couldn't risk a dnf so she was alone. This girl was like a angel to me and gave me a reason to move with a purpose. She was going to finish this race! We power hike and run when we can and soon I can hear the 2nd aid station. We get water and head out. Daylight is coming and I knew we had to run ASAP. Run we did and soon she passed me but I kept her in my sights just so she wouldn't stray. About a mile out, my buddy Dale aka #TexasYeti is hollering for me to move a little faster. Soon he joins me and we top the last hill and finish with 15 minutes to spare. Daniela, it was nice sharing some miles with you and thanks for the motivation when I was beating myself up so bad. Angels come in all forms and her along with Dale were mine and carried me through the finish. Takeaways- That person you could easily overlook in life could save your bacon in an instant as well as couples running ultra's together is too cool! They are very blessed people! Ohhh And never be ashamed of a DFL. The medals are all the same. Til next time #RunStrong
On the drive down I discuss the race and because of the heat I made a decision to go slow at the start, run a fast 3rd or 4th loop and just get a respectable finish. This is a 4 race series and don't do anything dumb. After arriving n walking up to check in I saw the dumb part had already been done as the pads on my feet were sore from my little flip flop 5k but I had to run this race. It's 37 miles. 4-9 mile loops with a out/back to start out to get the extra mile. Loop courses are tough mentally when you get tired and if you linger at the start between loops it's easy to talk yourself into a DNF so I sent all my gear with Dale to the 1st aid station making the start line just a place for water n watermelon. 1st loop was just easy. With a 7pm start I had 2 1/2 hrs to see most of the course in the daylight without pushing. Another friend,Chris, was at the 2nd aid station and I loved seeing a guy that I really look up to out there giving back to our running community. 1st loop was pretty even just talking and trying to get back to the 1st aid station on the course. I got passed by quite a few friends doing the 30k and it's always good to see them. 1st loop - 2:41 and I was happy.
Loop 2 I took it down even slower and decided to make loop 3 the one that counts after it cooled off. I just power hiked, jogged and stayed on top of nutrition & hydration. Zero issues and a 2:58 loop. I knew I had some cold Snickers at the 1st aid so away I went for the chocolate and see how fast I could go and try to catch a couple of friends. At the 1st aid I took a little break and got my calories up and filled my pack for a hard loop and see how fast I could do it. I was shooting for a 2 hour loop and away I went. Watching my watch I knew about where I was until I passed a guy going the opposite direction. He said I was going backwards but I continued on. About 30 minutes later I run into a married couple I left at the start line and they convinced me I was almost back to the 1st aid station instead of where I needed to be. I was sunk mentally. I've never been in this spot before and so I decided to just stick with them. We walked forever it seemed til we got to Chris's aid station and looking at the clock I was about to be short on time. I had to start loop 4 at 4am or I was out of the race. My feet hurt like heck and my morale was in shreds so I let the couple go on and I just walked. Not power hiked but just a simple walk feeling sorry for myself. About a mile from the finish I see the couple and the lady is laid down and the hubby is trying to get her going. I pass them and soon they are off running and pass me. I'm just like wow! That girl was done and she found some run somewhere so I hustled on into the start line at 3:53am. 7 minutes to spare! I get there and the couple was long gone so I headed out alone.
Loop 4- I knew I had 3:07 to finish it and I couldn't do any more dumb things today and miss the 7am cut off so I power hiked and jogged to the 1st aid. About a 1/2 out my buddy Dale is waiting on me to hustle me along. We get in to refuel and head out chewing on my last Snickers. He goes out a 1/2 with me and I just jog the flats and power hike for the next mile until I see a headlamp in the bushes. The lady that was so tired earlier was lost. Her hubby is trying to reach 400 miles in the Tejas 400 and couldn't risk a dnf so she was alone. This girl was like a angel to me and gave me a reason to move with a purpose. She was going to finish this race! We power hike and run when we can and soon I can hear the 2nd aid station. We get water and head out. Daylight is coming and I knew we had to run ASAP. Run we did and soon she passed me but I kept her in my sights just so she wouldn't stray. About a mile out, my buddy Dale aka #TexasYeti is hollering for me to move a little faster. Soon he joins me and we top the last hill and finish with 15 minutes to spare. Daniela, it was nice sharing some miles with you and thanks for the motivation when I was beating myself up so bad. Angels come in all forms and her along with Dale were mine and carried me through the finish. Takeaways- That person you could easily overlook in life could save your bacon in an instant as well as couples running ultra's together is too cool! They are very blessed people! Ohhh And never be ashamed of a DFL. The medals are all the same. Til next time #RunStrong
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Avacadoes
Lately since I'm single I've had kind of a joke in passing with people that my next significant other had to know how to cut up an avacado with relative ease. It's one of the things I'm truly terrible at. As a single guy off n on for right at 6 years, I've somewhat developed a "wish list" of certain traits with hopefully someday a lifelong partner. Heck just Saturday I was making a joke about finding a woman who would cut up my avacadoes for me. Yes, it is one of my favorite things to eat! Finally Sunday I broke down and went to the grocery store as all I had to eat was Peanut Butter and canned soup. After browsing around trying to think of awesome healthy things to eat I decide to come hell or high water I was going to cut up my own damn avacadoes. I don't need a woman for something this simplistic!!! I get them and some fresh tortillas and away I went. I was going to conquer the one thing that I cannot do on my own. Sounds really easy.....
Monday night I get home and I cut them up just as a friend told me and BOOM! My dinner was served!! I loved it and went to bed fat and happy!! I had this feeling like I don't need a woman to cut up my food and I'd be just fine without one. Sounds crazy but as a guy that prides himself on doing ok in a kitchen, this has been a nemesis that I conquered! Well tonight I got home and wanted the same dinner. I picked my avacadoes Sunday with I thought the same softness but that was nothing but a trainwreck. I had it all over me, the counter and my plate. Finally I was able to muster up a resemblance of a few avacado slices to eat on my tortillas and it was pretty much a crappy dinner...
Why am I writing this??? As I was eating alone and thinking, I realize that some battles in life we cannot fight alone. Whether it's love, life or just my running. I can strike out on my own and do my training alone for awhile but at some point it'll bite me and I won't be able to push on without help. The same with being with someone for hopefully forever. If you just settle you might not ever find someone to help you cut up avacadoes. The same can be said for life.
No 2 avacadoes are the sane just as no 2 races are the same or just as different situations in life are alike. Without someone helping us along then one day we will have perfection followed by just a hot mess. Having that one person there- whether it be a coach, significant other or just a friend will keep things sliced perfectly. Now I gotta get to the store and try to pick out my avacadoes a little better???? Til next time #RunStrong
Monday night I get home and I cut them up just as a friend told me and BOOM! My dinner was served!! I loved it and went to bed fat and happy!! I had this feeling like I don't need a woman to cut up my food and I'd be just fine without one. Sounds crazy but as a guy that prides himself on doing ok in a kitchen, this has been a nemesis that I conquered! Well tonight I got home and wanted the same dinner. I picked my avacadoes Sunday with I thought the same softness but that was nothing but a trainwreck. I had it all over me, the counter and my plate. Finally I was able to muster up a resemblance of a few avacado slices to eat on my tortillas and it was pretty much a crappy dinner...
Why am I writing this??? As I was eating alone and thinking, I realize that some battles in life we cannot fight alone. Whether it's love, life or just my running. I can strike out on my own and do my training alone for awhile but at some point it'll bite me and I won't be able to push on without help. The same with being with someone for hopefully forever. If you just settle you might not ever find someone to help you cut up avacadoes. The same can be said for life.
No 2 avacadoes are the sane just as no 2 races are the same or just as different situations in life are alike. Without someone helping us along then one day we will have perfection followed by just a hot mess. Having that one person there- whether it be a coach, significant other or just a friend will keep things sliced perfectly. Now I gotta get to the store and try to pick out my avacadoes a little better???? Til next time #RunStrong
Monday, June 29, 2015
Running through the night- Pedernales Falls
Captain Karl's Pedernales Falls 60k was simply a gut check for me. After being somewhat in a fog mentally & physically the last 30 days I needed to complete an ultra for my own sanity. At Cruel, after it got dark I had some issues running- most were physical from not being able to much but it put a huge mental block in my head so I decided the only way to fix it was to simply run all night. The month of June I hadn't really had a schedule but still managed to log over 160 miles since Cruel. My gym work has been lacking some but it's been sort of a nice break from the daily grind. I felt pretty confident in my legs and when they failed me then my heart could get me on across the finish.
I signed up over a month ago and my buddy Dale decided to go and get some aid station duty and help in the driving home as well. Dale has been a godsend to me in several races and this one was no different. If you ever see him at a race and you are really sucking, just ask the dude and he will get you back going. On to the race- we got to the state park about 2 hours before the race starts and it gave me plenty of time to chat with people I only see at races or creep on em on Facebook so the face time makes running races well worth it. Chatting with everyonr and catching up is where it's at! The race was set up to be 2 17.2 mile loops and at the briefing we were informed about having to cross a pond?? I was like ok. The RD got jokes tonight.
The race starts and as usual I go near the rear- yes I am proudly a middle to rear pack runner. After getting going I feel great and pass up as many people as I could until it went to a single dirt trail. We had to do a short out and back to get some extra mileage to make the 60k and so during that I walked a uphill n dang my calves were on fire walking so I had to run. We hit the "duck pond" and the jokes were on us. It was knee deep and I'm just guessing 200 yards across. They had kindly put flag sticks in the water. I was hoping they had snake proof netting attached but I doubt it. I got across that and soon just found a comfortable slow pace. It was hot and my only goal was to complete the race without needing a long term recovery period. A lady from FTW soon joined me and we hung out chatting. We passed a few people and got passed by the 30k runners who were doing 1 loop. It was really uneventful. When it got dark, my light wouldn't fit my head so when I stopped to fix that I lost my running partner but I really needed the time to work on my running in the dark on a new trail. The loop was great as I walked the hills and ran the flats n downhills. Well great til mile 15 and my kidneys started screaming when I ran. I had dehydrated myself without realizing it so I power hiked and jogged it to the start line. I ate 6 salt tabs, as nuch watermelon as I could stand and sucked down water. Immediate relief but I took it real easy leaving for my 2nd loop.
Loop 2- uneventful as well and playing it safe as to not risking a dnf. The "duck pond" at 1am alone was a little weird but I figured this part of Texas didn't have gators and I just shuffled on through it. I ran when I could and walked a ton. I hit Dale's aid station twice per loop and when I passed him he gave me a little advice on some things I didn't know. Thanks man! I pushed on through without seeing a soul until mile 30 or 32 at the far aid station that was unmanned. I was changing my headlamp batteries and a guy comes in and we decide to get back to Dale's station together. Through talking and working on stuff, I skipped nutrition but felt great. We just had 4 miles to Dale n 2.5 after that for the finish. All is well and good for about 3 miles and then I totally bonked. No energy and no way to make good decisions. I guess our little power hike turned into a death march because we were getting passed by people I hadn't seen since the start. I was able to tell a friend to have some coke ready at the aid station to get me back going and when I finally stumbled in it was iced down and waiting. I'm not a proponent of soft drinks but that's like jet fuel and I was able to run the last 2.5 miles with my fastest miles of the day. I'm not ultra competitive and for me that's not what running is for but it was nice flying down the trail at the end and passing people. Another ultra was in the books and I found out what I needed to learn about myself that night. No blisters,chafing or soreness so it's all good!
Biggest takeaway- When you get your butt kicked, don't stop. EVER! Sign up for another race and go find a way to finish it. DNF's are going to happen but it's not the end of a running career. I wallowed around in self misery for 2 weeks after Cruel. The only thing to cure it was to cross a finish line.
Now it's off to Denver this week for 4 days of running up mountains and hopefully hanging with some cool people. A runcation I guess but it'll be fun. No race- just run free. Til next time #RunStrong
I signed up over a month ago and my buddy Dale decided to go and get some aid station duty and help in the driving home as well. Dale has been a godsend to me in several races and this one was no different. If you ever see him at a race and you are really sucking, just ask the dude and he will get you back going. On to the race- we got to the state park about 2 hours before the race starts and it gave me plenty of time to chat with people I only see at races or creep on em on Facebook so the face time makes running races well worth it. Chatting with everyonr and catching up is where it's at! The race was set up to be 2 17.2 mile loops and at the briefing we were informed about having to cross a pond?? I was like ok. The RD got jokes tonight.
The race starts and as usual I go near the rear- yes I am proudly a middle to rear pack runner. After getting going I feel great and pass up as many people as I could until it went to a single dirt trail. We had to do a short out and back to get some extra mileage to make the 60k and so during that I walked a uphill n dang my calves were on fire walking so I had to run. We hit the "duck pond" and the jokes were on us. It was knee deep and I'm just guessing 200 yards across. They had kindly put flag sticks in the water. I was hoping they had snake proof netting attached but I doubt it. I got across that and soon just found a comfortable slow pace. It was hot and my only goal was to complete the race without needing a long term recovery period. A lady from FTW soon joined me and we hung out chatting. We passed a few people and got passed by the 30k runners who were doing 1 loop. It was really uneventful. When it got dark, my light wouldn't fit my head so when I stopped to fix that I lost my running partner but I really needed the time to work on my running in the dark on a new trail. The loop was great as I walked the hills and ran the flats n downhills. Well great til mile 15 and my kidneys started screaming when I ran. I had dehydrated myself without realizing it so I power hiked and jogged it to the start line. I ate 6 salt tabs, as nuch watermelon as I could stand and sucked down water. Immediate relief but I took it real easy leaving for my 2nd loop.
Loop 2- uneventful as well and playing it safe as to not risking a dnf. The "duck pond" at 1am alone was a little weird but I figured this part of Texas didn't have gators and I just shuffled on through it. I ran when I could and walked a ton. I hit Dale's aid station twice per loop and when I passed him he gave me a little advice on some things I didn't know. Thanks man! I pushed on through without seeing a soul until mile 30 or 32 at the far aid station that was unmanned. I was changing my headlamp batteries and a guy comes in and we decide to get back to Dale's station together. Through talking and working on stuff, I skipped nutrition but felt great. We just had 4 miles to Dale n 2.5 after that for the finish. All is well and good for about 3 miles and then I totally bonked. No energy and no way to make good decisions. I guess our little power hike turned into a death march because we were getting passed by people I hadn't seen since the start. I was able to tell a friend to have some coke ready at the aid station to get me back going and when I finally stumbled in it was iced down and waiting. I'm not a proponent of soft drinks but that's like jet fuel and I was able to run the last 2.5 miles with my fastest miles of the day. I'm not ultra competitive and for me that's not what running is for but it was nice flying down the trail at the end and passing people. Another ultra was in the books and I found out what I needed to learn about myself that night. No blisters,chafing or soreness so it's all good!
Biggest takeaway- When you get your butt kicked, don't stop. EVER! Sign up for another race and go find a way to finish it. DNF's are going to happen but it's not the end of a running career. I wallowed around in self misery for 2 weeks after Cruel. The only thing to cure it was to cross a finish line.
Now it's off to Denver this week for 4 days of running up mountains and hopefully hanging with some cool people. A runcation I guess but it'll be fun. No race- just run free. Til next time #RunStrong
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Cruel Jewel 100
. Over the past few days I've struggled mightily about even writing a blog about this adventure. From my performance standpoint there isn't much I want to remember after battling just to walk to the restroom all week but these adventures at the end of the day isn't about me. The Cruel Jewel 100 is bigger than any one person. If it will help one person decide to run it OR back out then it's worth writing.
Myself and Steven Monte picked this race as a tough spring 100 that not many people had done. Going in I knew deep down that I was wading off in the deep end of the pool pretty quick in my running career but why not? A DNF although bitter will pass. Staying at home and wishing I tried would follow me to my grave. I trained really hard for this race. My mileage went up as well as my time in the gym. I can honestly say that I went into the race in the best physical shape of my entire life. Clean diet, staying sober and lots of rest does wonders. I ran a 75 n 56k as prep races and both went off as planned. On to the race...... Me n Steven flew to Atlanta and drove our rental up to Blairsville the day before the race. Georgia mountains are breathtaking. It's not Colorado snow capped mountains but it's dang sure nice.
Race day- We had a noon start which was different but I liked it. Once we got going I found the back as usual but looked for Jeremy. I know he's a smart runner and I wanted to keep him within my sights to control my pace. The 1st 3.7 miles was easy. We had about a mile of winding ups & downs and then 2.5 of just a slight downhill. Very runnable but the fear of going too fast early kept me at a little jog. Right before the 1st aid station- water stop only we had a pretty good little creek crossing but my new found friend- Wayne found a log n rope so we crossed and stayed dry. Pretty uneventful section with just running and chatting. After that aid I knew we were hitting the "meat" of the course. After a road crossing we went up a hill and kept going up. It was just 4.4 through here but it seemed like an eternity. The uphills soon became my valleys and the downhills my peaks. Being from Texas, I'm use to switchbacks winding up. Oh heck no! I guess Georgia never grasped that concept. It was grinding straight up, walk a bit then straight down. Repeat & Repeat. I wore a stop watch and figured my pace so I'd know when to expect a full aid station. Those 4.4 seemed like 7 but I struggled through with Wayne and we finally got there with 90 minutes to spare. Yes they had cutoffs at every aid station......
Aid station #3. To get there we had to go 7.5 miles. In Texas I'm blessed to say that's easy miles. In Georgia- not so much. Just more of the uphills going for a mile with the downhills the same. Through here I lost Wayne and got passed by the last guy on the course in his little trot. He claimed it was his 1st 100 but hmmmm. Dude was strong. I battled on through here and it was just tough sledding. Inclined treadmills & StairMaster is child's play on these hills. I went on through these miles and did 2 more sections. At nightfall I had difficulty running and just had to walk it in to my last aid station of the race. Mile 25.5 n 11 hours later I was done. I got a ride back and caught a nap while waiting on Karl Metzler to come in with his 15th 100 mile win a little over 12 hours later. In my book he's in the top 2 100 guys in the U.S. and watching him sludge that last 1/2 mile battered and bruised I knew it was a hard course. 106 miles with 33,000ft of elevation gain. 70% of the hills in 40 miles..... I napped most of the day in between watching runners come in and of course I drove the RD batty checking on Steven's whereabouts. About 3:30pm he was 25.5 miles out and I waited some more and around 7 I couldn't take it anymore so I grabbed my vest,poles and lights n headed out. 6 or so miles in I found him in great spirits trudging along and we had a good time getting back to the start line. The road is paved the last 1/2 mile or so and Steven was one of just a few to run down that last hill to get his buckle. I knew I was in way over my head but watching him cross that stripe felt pretty damn good. Nothing in Texas is real comparable to these hills. Cactus Rose 100 is runnable in most sections and Eacarpment hill at Cedar Ridgr isn't long or steep enough to prepare you for this. Finish or not, it's pretty safe to say that everyone got their butt handed to them. The locals will run the Georia Death Race which goes down the tough part once but very few will do the 100 and try the "Dragon Spine" twice. It was an epic race and I learned a ton. Will I do it again? Heck no!!! Least not til 2016! Going to Oklahoma Tuesday my dear Dad watched me limp to the truck and wince at every bump. He looked over and asked why I run stuff like this. Without boring him about how I know I can do certain races and need the test of physical & mental strength and to get my butt kicked, I could only say it's FUN! ANd I'm a runner... Til next time #RunStrong
Ohhh and just a side note- According to every experienced runner there, next to Hardrock this is the toughest. I heard one lady who ran the Slam last year say this was harder than those. If you want a test then it's a must do. And RD and his wife are just lovely people to be around.
Myself and Steven Monte picked this race as a tough spring 100 that not many people had done. Going in I knew deep down that I was wading off in the deep end of the pool pretty quick in my running career but why not? A DNF although bitter will pass. Staying at home and wishing I tried would follow me to my grave. I trained really hard for this race. My mileage went up as well as my time in the gym. I can honestly say that I went into the race in the best physical shape of my entire life. Clean diet, staying sober and lots of rest does wonders. I ran a 75 n 56k as prep races and both went off as planned. On to the race...... Me n Steven flew to Atlanta and drove our rental up to Blairsville the day before the race. Georgia mountains are breathtaking. It's not Colorado snow capped mountains but it's dang sure nice.
Race day- We had a noon start which was different but I liked it. Once we got going I found the back as usual but looked for Jeremy. I know he's a smart runner and I wanted to keep him within my sights to control my pace. The 1st 3.7 miles was easy. We had about a mile of winding ups & downs and then 2.5 of just a slight downhill. Very runnable but the fear of going too fast early kept me at a little jog. Right before the 1st aid station- water stop only we had a pretty good little creek crossing but my new found friend- Wayne found a log n rope so we crossed and stayed dry. Pretty uneventful section with just running and chatting. After that aid I knew we were hitting the "meat" of the course. After a road crossing we went up a hill and kept going up. It was just 4.4 through here but it seemed like an eternity. The uphills soon became my valleys and the downhills my peaks. Being from Texas, I'm use to switchbacks winding up. Oh heck no! I guess Georgia never grasped that concept. It was grinding straight up, walk a bit then straight down. Repeat & Repeat. I wore a stop watch and figured my pace so I'd know when to expect a full aid station. Those 4.4 seemed like 7 but I struggled through with Wayne and we finally got there with 90 minutes to spare. Yes they had cutoffs at every aid station......
Aid station #3. To get there we had to go 7.5 miles. In Texas I'm blessed to say that's easy miles. In Georgia- not so much. Just more of the uphills going for a mile with the downhills the same. Through here I lost Wayne and got passed by the last guy on the course in his little trot. He claimed it was his 1st 100 but hmmmm. Dude was strong. I battled on through here and it was just tough sledding. Inclined treadmills & StairMaster is child's play on these hills. I went on through these miles and did 2 more sections. At nightfall I had difficulty running and just had to walk it in to my last aid station of the race. Mile 25.5 n 11 hours later I was done. I got a ride back and caught a nap while waiting on Karl Metzler to come in with his 15th 100 mile win a little over 12 hours later. In my book he's in the top 2 100 guys in the U.S. and watching him sludge that last 1/2 mile battered and bruised I knew it was a hard course. 106 miles with 33,000ft of elevation gain. 70% of the hills in 40 miles..... I napped most of the day in between watching runners come in and of course I drove the RD batty checking on Steven's whereabouts. About 3:30pm he was 25.5 miles out and I waited some more and around 7 I couldn't take it anymore so I grabbed my vest,poles and lights n headed out. 6 or so miles in I found him in great spirits trudging along and we had a good time getting back to the start line. The road is paved the last 1/2 mile or so and Steven was one of just a few to run down that last hill to get his buckle. I knew I was in way over my head but watching him cross that stripe felt pretty damn good. Nothing in Texas is real comparable to these hills. Cactus Rose 100 is runnable in most sections and Eacarpment hill at Cedar Ridgr isn't long or steep enough to prepare you for this. Finish or not, it's pretty safe to say that everyone got their butt handed to them. The locals will run the Georia Death Race which goes down the tough part once but very few will do the 100 and try the "Dragon Spine" twice. It was an epic race and I learned a ton. Will I do it again? Heck no!!! Least not til 2016! Going to Oklahoma Tuesday my dear Dad watched me limp to the truck and wince at every bump. He looked over and asked why I run stuff like this. Without boring him about how I know I can do certain races and need the test of physical & mental strength and to get my butt kicked, I could only say it's FUN! ANd I'm a runner... Til next time #RunStrong
Ohhh and just a side note- According to every experienced runner there, next to Hardrock this is the toughest. I heard one lady who ran the Slam last year say this was harder than those. If you want a test then it's a must do. And RD and his wife are just lovely people to be around.
Friday, May 8, 2015
Running and Relationships
People often ask me why I'm not married, have a significant other,blah blah blah.... I am told I run too much, spend too many early mornings at the gym. I go to bed too early and some more noise about my eating habits,etc. . I guess most people don't remember the guy that drowned his fears in alcohol for years and ALWAYS had to be in a relationship. That needy guy is gone replaced by a person who believes in himself and is very passionate about life. Sure I meet people and at the 1st sign that someone could upset my apple cart I go away. See my lifestyle, my running community and my enjoyment of the peace I've found is my relationship. I can be who I choose to be every day with a clear mind. Nobody is asking me to stay put at a bar and miss a beautiful sunrise the next day. It's kinda cool. I can pick a vacation- ie:run and go do what I enjoy doing the most right now in my life. Who else can do that? Not many but it's my life and my journey.
I see peers struggle daily in their personal lives at times. Everyone wants to blame the easy stuff. Drinking,working,friends,golf,running but nearly everyone ignores the elephant in the room... Dang those are battles I don't want to fight and don't have to right now. Everyone says there must be balance in life. Yea I hear that alot too. Most who say that has never ran an ultra. I'm I being selfish? Yes for sure but when I'm laying in that casket covered in dirt nobody will be there either and that's ok. As a kid my Dad use to say when he would meet my friends "Birds of feather flock together." He was so right on so many levels! Til next time #RunStrong
I see peers struggle daily in their personal lives at times. Everyone wants to blame the easy stuff. Drinking,working,friends,golf,running but nearly everyone ignores the elephant in the room... Dang those are battles I don't want to fight and don't have to right now. Everyone says there must be balance in life. Yea I hear that alot too. Most who say that has never ran an ultra. I'm I being selfish? Yes for sure but when I'm laying in that casket covered in dirt nobody will be there either and that's ok. As a kid my Dad use to say when he would meet my friends "Birds of feather flock together." He was so right on so many levels! Til next time #RunStrong
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Possum Kingdom 56K
I'm sure many people ask themselves why I write a blog about almost every single freaking race.... I do it for myself so if I ever run it again I can look back & I like to see where I was at mentally & physically during that period.
Possum Kingdom was where I ran my 1st Ultra just a short year ago. I know very little about running now at times and I knew a whole lot less than. A friend-Nikki convinced me I could run 34 miles last year and I did. Kinda.... I got it done & didn't quit when it got hard. That was the start to a wild & exciting year so I felt it was fitting for me to return and run it again. Originally I was going to run the 52 mile option this year but my coach wanted me to run Sat & Sun as I ramp up for Cruel Jewel 100 so the 56k it was. That was awesome so I got entered. Friday I knocked off work a little early and headed west to spend the weekend at Possum Kingdom Lake with tons of friends. Dave Hanneburg is the race director for this event as well as all the other Endurance Buzz races. If you've never ran one of his races then you are truly missing out on a great time.
After camping with my Team RWB friends I wake up and get ready for the start . Just like last year, I meet Matt Crownover in the bathroom and we chat about different upcoming races. Too funny meeting the same guy at the same place 2 years straight. The race starts at 7 and I immediately hook up with my 1st running mentors Nikki & Marcus. I hadn't ran with them since Jemez last May so it was awesome sharing 3 or 4 miles before I needed to move on. It was a dang uneventful race for me other than seeing almost all the Dallas trail running community at different points during the day. The 1st & 3rd Aid station Teresa & Monica M were manning it among others. Too cool seeing familiar faces. The far aid was Ray, Agustin & Andy doing a great job. 1st loop was 17 miles and I ran the entire loop. 2nd loop I backed off and walked the ups,ran the downs and walk/ran the flats on minimum calories. I viewed it as a training run and knowing I had to run Sunday I held back. It was a awesome loop. Sonia & Laura blew past me but it was great chatting with them. They are great closers and I hope someday to be in their company. At the last aid station Nikki & Marcus caught me and Nicole-winner of the 52 miler came in too. It's pretty awesome sharing trails with people like that. I finished the race in 8:20. I missed shaving 2 hours off my 2014 time by 6 minutes but those 6 minutes I figured I used chatting with great people so all is good.
My takeaways from this race? I watched my friend Lesley battle back from a injury and finish the 52 miler and Blanca rolling a ankle but pressing on and finishing the 56k. I think that we as people can do anything we choose if we put our mind to it. It was great seeing my friend Marcela and others earn the right to call themselves Ultrarunners. Watching Nicole & Shaheen dominate the field makes me want to run faster but watching my friend Dale & Brian struggle but finish the 52 miler makes me want to never quit a race. I think everyone that ran Saturday gave me a little something to take from this race and I appreciate it.
In May 2014 I still wasn't sure where my place was in the running world or why I was even running. I still fought the drinking & was probably running for the wrong reasons. Last year's race changed me and made me a better person and I can't wait to see where I'll be as a person when I toe that line in 2016. Til next time #RunStrong
Possum Kingdom was where I ran my 1st Ultra just a short year ago. I know very little about running now at times and I knew a whole lot less than. A friend-Nikki convinced me I could run 34 miles last year and I did. Kinda.... I got it done & didn't quit when it got hard. That was the start to a wild & exciting year so I felt it was fitting for me to return and run it again. Originally I was going to run the 52 mile option this year but my coach wanted me to run Sat & Sun as I ramp up for Cruel Jewel 100 so the 56k it was. That was awesome so I got entered. Friday I knocked off work a little early and headed west to spend the weekend at Possum Kingdom Lake with tons of friends. Dave Hanneburg is the race director for this event as well as all the other Endurance Buzz races. If you've never ran one of his races then you are truly missing out on a great time.
After camping with my Team RWB friends I wake up and get ready for the start . Just like last year, I meet Matt Crownover in the bathroom and we chat about different upcoming races. Too funny meeting the same guy at the same place 2 years straight. The race starts at 7 and I immediately hook up with my 1st running mentors Nikki & Marcus. I hadn't ran with them since Jemez last May so it was awesome sharing 3 or 4 miles before I needed to move on. It was a dang uneventful race for me other than seeing almost all the Dallas trail running community at different points during the day. The 1st & 3rd Aid station Teresa & Monica M were manning it among others. Too cool seeing familiar faces. The far aid was Ray, Agustin & Andy doing a great job. 1st loop was 17 miles and I ran the entire loop. 2nd loop I backed off and walked the ups,ran the downs and walk/ran the flats on minimum calories. I viewed it as a training run and knowing I had to run Sunday I held back. It was a awesome loop. Sonia & Laura blew past me but it was great chatting with them. They are great closers and I hope someday to be in their company. At the last aid station Nikki & Marcus caught me and Nicole-winner of the 52 miler came in too. It's pretty awesome sharing trails with people like that. I finished the race in 8:20. I missed shaving 2 hours off my 2014 time by 6 minutes but those 6 minutes I figured I used chatting with great people so all is good.
My takeaways from this race? I watched my friend Lesley battle back from a injury and finish the 52 miler and Blanca rolling a ankle but pressing on and finishing the 56k. I think that we as people can do anything we choose if we put our mind to it. It was great seeing my friend Marcela and others earn the right to call themselves Ultrarunners. Watching Nicole & Shaheen dominate the field makes me want to run faster but watching my friend Dale & Brian struggle but finish the 52 miler makes me want to never quit a race. I think everyone that ran Saturday gave me a little something to take from this race and I appreciate it.
In May 2014 I still wasn't sure where my place was in the running world or why I was even running. I still fought the drinking & was probably running for the wrong reasons. Last year's race changed me and made me a better person and I can't wait to see where I'll be as a person when I toe that line in 2016. Til next time #RunStrong
Monday, March 30, 2015
Austin Rattler 75K
This was a pretty awesome event. It wasn't on my schedule or radar until my coach mentioned that it'd be a great training run for me. I've already entered Possum Kingdom 52 miler on April 11 to get a long run in for Cruel Jewel 100. I thought why not? Go and try a few things and take care of the legs plus it was a qualifier to get me in the lotto for Leadville 100. They were giving out 25 slots for this year but I really just wanted a quality run and get out unscathed. I tried recruiting some local runners to enter but no one would so I headed out Saturday am. They had a qualifying race for the mountain bike race in Leadville and I got to watch that. My coach hooked me up with Brian who had a camper for me to crash in. Thanks Brian!!!
Race morning started at 5 with packet pickup. Afterwards I kinda browsed through the entrants trying to find someone I knew but most were from out of state. This was the only race I've ran that I didn't know anyone competing at my distance but it was cool meeting runners from all across the United States. It was a great group of athletes assembled. The race started at 6am and I ran my zone 1 & 2 pace. In preparing for Cruel Jewel 100 I kept the same pace regardless of hills or flat. Just a nice easy run enjoying bluebonnets and pine trees. 1st loop was very uneventful running with a lady from Golden,Co who had rode the 100k the day before. I finished in 3:10 and was spot on with my pace and decided to drop my vest and run loop 2 with just a handheld. I know- DUMB!! Loop 2 started out perfect. I put my nutrition in my pockets and just rocked along. It was great until between mile 6 & 12 and I ran out of water. At that point I had 3 miles to the next aid station and it got hot. Tailwind is a great product but if I don't have water it gets bitter fast to me. I pushed on and after passing a couple of people suffering I backed off and finished the loop running the downhills and hiking the uphills. That little episode cost me 40 minutes on my lap time and I finished in like 4. As I came into the start line I saw a few people suffering so I made a quick decision to load my vest with water and power hike loop 3. I know at Cruel there will be plenty of hiking and if you don't practice it, you will suffer later so off I went. Vest,Salt tabs, some Gu and a handheld water bottle. By now it was close to 85 with a strong wind. Wind dries me out so I just tried to maintain a 16:30 pace. I really thought my chances for a Leadville slot were long gone and I just was trying to get done without a setback in my training. Nothing was to be gained by pushing hard. I hiked on and at aid stations I used my handheld to soak myself with water. My clothes would dry out in 15 minutes but it was sure nice. I kept moving and finished in 11:28. 1/2 mile from the finish a spectator told me a Leadville slot was waiting on me so I sprinted in and was just overwhelmed. The founder of the Leadville series- Ken Chlouber was waiting with my coin and envelope to this years race. Wow is all I can say today.
My journey running has been short compared to so many people I know. I'm not a super strong runner and somewhat know my limitations. The people who have came into my life during this journey are just awesome. One day I will sit down and name every one but there is just so many. I appreciate each and every one of them and without them I wouldn't be writing this today. Sometimes it seems like yesterday that I was on cloud 9 when I ran 10 miles in a week. I guess what I take away from it all right now is that if you put in the work, try to be a better person, remember who you are, be thankful everyday and never say you can't then good things will happen to you. I personally Thank God every day for the new lease on life he has given me. Leadville100 isn't until August and I've got to get back to work on Cruel Jewel 100 asap 1st. Til next time- Run Strong
Race morning started at 5 with packet pickup. Afterwards I kinda browsed through the entrants trying to find someone I knew but most were from out of state. This was the only race I've ran that I didn't know anyone competing at my distance but it was cool meeting runners from all across the United States. It was a great group of athletes assembled. The race started at 6am and I ran my zone 1 & 2 pace. In preparing for Cruel Jewel 100 I kept the same pace regardless of hills or flat. Just a nice easy run enjoying bluebonnets and pine trees. 1st loop was very uneventful running with a lady from Golden,Co who had rode the 100k the day before. I finished in 3:10 and was spot on with my pace and decided to drop my vest and run loop 2 with just a handheld. I know- DUMB!! Loop 2 started out perfect. I put my nutrition in my pockets and just rocked along. It was great until between mile 6 & 12 and I ran out of water. At that point I had 3 miles to the next aid station and it got hot. Tailwind is a great product but if I don't have water it gets bitter fast to me. I pushed on and after passing a couple of people suffering I backed off and finished the loop running the downhills and hiking the uphills. That little episode cost me 40 minutes on my lap time and I finished in like 4. As I came into the start line I saw a few people suffering so I made a quick decision to load my vest with water and power hike loop 3. I know at Cruel there will be plenty of hiking and if you don't practice it, you will suffer later so off I went. Vest,Salt tabs, some Gu and a handheld water bottle. By now it was close to 85 with a strong wind. Wind dries me out so I just tried to maintain a 16:30 pace. I really thought my chances for a Leadville slot were long gone and I just was trying to get done without a setback in my training. Nothing was to be gained by pushing hard. I hiked on and at aid stations I used my handheld to soak myself with water. My clothes would dry out in 15 minutes but it was sure nice. I kept moving and finished in 11:28. 1/2 mile from the finish a spectator told me a Leadville slot was waiting on me so I sprinted in and was just overwhelmed. The founder of the Leadville series- Ken Chlouber was waiting with my coin and envelope to this years race. Wow is all I can say today.
My journey running has been short compared to so many people I know. I'm not a super strong runner and somewhat know my limitations. The people who have came into my life during this journey are just awesome. One day I will sit down and name every one but there is just so many. I appreciate each and every one of them and without them I wouldn't be writing this today. Sometimes it seems like yesterday that I was on cloud 9 when I ran 10 miles in a week. I guess what I take away from it all right now is that if you put in the work, try to be a better person, remember who you are, be thankful everyday and never say you can't then good things will happen to you. I personally Thank God every day for the new lease on life he has given me. Leadville100 isn't until August and I've got to get back to work on Cruel Jewel 100 asap 1st. Til next time- Run Strong
Monday, March 9, 2015
Random Training Thoughts & Guys Running Down the Road
It's been 6 weeks since Rocky Raccoon100. Heck yea I'm still stewing over that but like life, I need things like that to push me on to other adventures. I did quite a bit of self evaluation and decided that I'd best train harder for my next race- Go big or stay home.. That being said, my core and upper body strength really blows. Jennifer -my coach- told me to get in a gym. Well heck Ive never gone to a gym on a regular basis so it's a steep learning curve but after a month of going 3 to 5 days a week I can start to tell a real difference. At 1st I told myself I couldn't afford it but then got to adding up the few beers I did drink every week and heck I could do that plus some if I quit that. I can't finish my next race if I'm drinking every day or every week anyway. People that don't drink always tell me just to stop. Sometimes I wish I could but it's more complex than that. I do enjoy a beer with pizza or with the guys and a glass of wine or stiff drink after a beat down of a run. Anyway- got off the booze and have been going at it hard. Gym in the mornings & run after work. Some say it's over the top but I say it's more commitment and keeping my word that I'll finish. When you have a coach helping you improve, you gotta put out max effort. My best friend Steven will travel with me to Georgia. We will run seperate but he can't worry about me. Pompy may go and he can't either. Last but definitely not least- my pacer and crewperson- Kerri will put that foot up my butt if I falter so needless to say, it's just non stop work.
On to my epic weekend. My friend and someone I consider a mentor- John Sharp messaged me and asked me to run with these guys crossing the USA. It had rained all week & I knew trails were out so I was going to join him on Saturday. After committing I had forgotten I had promised a friend Id help her move that day. Needless to say, John had to wait a day so I could help with the move. Going from a 3rd floor apt to a 1st floor is work! Fortunately Jorge Gonzalez showed up & we got it all loaded. Once we got to her new apartment a couple showed up like angels and with their help we got it off in no time! Its a real joy in life helping others out so it was a great day seeing her kids in their new room!
Sunday- I talked to John Saturday night and they were just outside of Jacksboro,Tx. John Sharp is a ultra beast - he's ran the Texas Indepence Relay 200 solo, Hardrock 100 a few times, a 333k in India, some crazy race in South America as well as many other races. His side kick Gina was going to be there so I was pretty pumped to share some miles with these 2. She acts like a sweet little girly girl but she's a great ultra runner as well. Just the kind of people I can learn more from. These 2 guys crossing the country I knew nothing about but if John knows them then they gotta be pretty hardcore. I meet up with them in Jacksboro,Tx and another guy,Eric, shows up fromArlington to run as well. These 2 guys Jup & Pat are just great individuals. They are running coast to coast to promote the 100 Mile Club. It's a program in schools to get kids active and hopefully fight childhood obesity. Currently the program is in 8 states and needs to be in all 50. Jup is from New Zealand and lately from Japan and Pat hailed from Hunington Beach,Ca. They have a 2 person crew in a RV - Vanessa and Shaky who drives ahead and waits on them so Pat & Jup can refuel and get another 5 or 10 miles down the road. We left Jacksboro and we ran and talked and ran and talked. After about 1/2 mile I soon found out if we ran harder John is less likely to sing and that's a plus. Both Jup & Pat spent time with everyone telling us their stories and wanting to hear ours. When we got close to Bridgeport we decided to run a Beer Mile. Back when I drank a lot I could down a beer pretty quick but after 18 miles before starting it was a little tough but Myself, Gina- The Legend and Pat got it done. Pat in like 7:05 and of course I brought up the rear!! After that we had to run a few more miles on into town where they spent the night. I thought about Sunday all day today and what I learned from it. I think what made it epic for me is what I think I took away from the entire weekend. Commit to helping your fellow man and follow through with it. Personal Records and however many marathons you run will not matter once you are gone. Jup & Pat and many others do so much more with their running to impact others and hopefully will have a lasting effect on real lives. Heck yes I still have personal goals with finishing Cruel Jewel 100 in May being my next one but along my journey what can I do to help others? I'm active with Team RWB but are there other avenues I can help others as well? I'll be looking for that. Til next time #RunStrong
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Rocky Raccoon 100- going off the reservation.
What a weekend! This all started with conversations after Bandera. At Brazos Bend100 I met a lady-Rachel that ran the race but got to 55 n had to drop. Went out to fast and that magnifies other issues. If you have never ran a ultra- n I've ran just a few- it's tough to explain. It's pace, nutrition, hydration and unless you are a superb runner (I'm not) it's also time management. Anyway- we met at Brazos and when Bandera rolled around she asked me to pace her the last 20 or 40. I was like sure! A week or so later, her friend wanted to pace her so I thought, well I'll just jump in the race n hold her back til 60 when her friend steps in. Most of my close runner friends are people who run ultra's n most choose the 100 mile distance without much difficulty. I wouldn't trade my friends for anything but it's easy as a new runner to lose respect for the distance. I have a great coach who has shown me so much about running. I honestly think she is the best around and I hope she will guide me for as long as I run. During my conversations about Rocky, I didn't say anything to her. Actually I didn't about Bandera either. Epic fail on my part and it was a total lack of respect on my part. We had a plan after Brazos and I've really butchered that. Hopefully it'll be mended and we can get on to the business of making me a better runner.
On to Rocky Raccoon 100- me & Monte drove down to Huntsville and camped out. Dale Cougat, Kerri and Rachel fixed us a great dinner and we went back to our tent and crashed. Race morning we arrive 4 minutes before the start and I find Rachel just as we start. I knew timewise where we needed to be in order for her to have enough stamina to run 100 miles if she had the heart to suffer through it. We started loop 1 and 2 miles in I faceplant in the ground #stupidroots so we just slow it up and feel our way through the dark waiting on sunlight. Loop 1 (20 miles) was uneventful and we finish in 4:57. I knew Loop 2 would be a tad slower but again uneventful. It's fun running these events and seeing all my friends and making new ones. Sure enough Loop 2 was 5:27 and Rachel was as strong as ever. Loop 3 was more of the same. Run the downhills, walk the ups and walk/run the flats. We picked up another friend-Yvonne at about mile 53. She was fun to have along and another ear to hear me mouthing off. Mile 55 I lost Rachel at a aid station so I pushed on to the start line to begin the 60 to 80 mile loop. I knew Rachel had her regular pacer there and would be fine til mile 100. I started the 4th loop feeling strong so I thought heck, Id push the pace and see if I can get my loop times back in the 5's. Along about then is when light rain began but I tried hauling the mail when I was able to. The cutoff time to begin loop 5 was 6am n I was looking at a 4:30am. I was in great shape until I hit a #stupidroot and went flying. I tried running but could barely walk. It's very humbling going from something epic to walking a 25 minute mile. The leg never got better so at about mile76 I caught a ride to the start line to throw in the towel.
Takeaways from this race? While in a aid tent, my friend John Sharp was trying to get my shins loose. That was great but our conversation about my awesome coach & listening to your coach resonated louder. I had a plan for 2015 and I've ran 2 races that she was not privy too. Total lack of regard and disrespect for her. John, thanks for reminding me of that. Hopefully I can learn to be a better client to her from my shortcomings. I've always said that life is a journey and we must learn lessons along the way. I think I did this today about 5am.
Rachel and her pacer went on and finished the run and she earned her 1st buckle. I'm proud to know Rachel and hopefully she will keep on doing ultra's. For me? I think I need about a month off and go to a gym to make my core stronger and be kind to my legs. This and hopefully learn to be a better person through this. Til next time RunStrong!
PS- MANY friends of mine earned their 1st 100 mile buckle and many of my veteran friends got them another!
On to Rocky Raccoon 100- me & Monte drove down to Huntsville and camped out. Dale Cougat, Kerri and Rachel fixed us a great dinner and we went back to our tent and crashed. Race morning we arrive 4 minutes before the start and I find Rachel just as we start. I knew timewise where we needed to be in order for her to have enough stamina to run 100 miles if she had the heart to suffer through it. We started loop 1 and 2 miles in I faceplant in the ground #stupidroots so we just slow it up and feel our way through the dark waiting on sunlight. Loop 1 (20 miles) was uneventful and we finish in 4:57. I knew Loop 2 would be a tad slower but again uneventful. It's fun running these events and seeing all my friends and making new ones. Sure enough Loop 2 was 5:27 and Rachel was as strong as ever. Loop 3 was more of the same. Run the downhills, walk the ups and walk/run the flats. We picked up another friend-Yvonne at about mile 53. She was fun to have along and another ear to hear me mouthing off. Mile 55 I lost Rachel at a aid station so I pushed on to the start line to begin the 60 to 80 mile loop. I knew Rachel had her regular pacer there and would be fine til mile 100. I started the 4th loop feeling strong so I thought heck, Id push the pace and see if I can get my loop times back in the 5's. Along about then is when light rain began but I tried hauling the mail when I was able to. The cutoff time to begin loop 5 was 6am n I was looking at a 4:30am. I was in great shape until I hit a #stupidroot and went flying. I tried running but could barely walk. It's very humbling going from something epic to walking a 25 minute mile. The leg never got better so at about mile76 I caught a ride to the start line to throw in the towel.
Takeaways from this race? While in a aid tent, my friend John Sharp was trying to get my shins loose. That was great but our conversation about my awesome coach & listening to your coach resonated louder. I had a plan for 2015 and I've ran 2 races that she was not privy too. Total lack of regard and disrespect for her. John, thanks for reminding me of that. Hopefully I can learn to be a better client to her from my shortcomings. I've always said that life is a journey and we must learn lessons along the way. I think I did this today about 5am.
Rachel and her pacer went on and finished the run and she earned her 1st buckle. I'm proud to know Rachel and hopefully she will keep on doing ultra's. For me? I think I need about a month off and go to a gym to make my core stronger and be kind to my legs. This and hopefully learn to be a better person through this. Til next time RunStrong!
PS- MANY friends of mine earned their 1st 100 mile buckle and many of my veteran friends got them another!
Monday, January 12, 2015
Bandera 100k - What would it prove?
Recently someone asked me what I had to prove after I signed up for Bandera 100k. I think I responded something about just to myself but I've really been contemplating what's driving me right now. I truly love going to the dark places mentally that I experience during an Ultra. The euphoric feeling I get after finishing a race is a high for me that I've never experienced but there is more to it than that. All my life I've never been good at finishing anything. Hobbies, Marriages,Fatherhood,etc. I feel amazing after I finish a run. Some run to win, set personal records,etc. I run for myself and to hopefully help others struggling. Yea I have personal goals. Tejas 300-finish Cactus,Bandera & Rocky was one. I faltered at Cactus but felt I needed a Bandera finish.
Friday I got Monte & Pompillo picked up and away we went to Bandera and to find our friend we were staying with. Saturday AM came early and we had grits waiting on us. I'm not a grits eater so they were great! Thanks John! I planned on running the race with another friend-Dale. If you run ultra's near Texas you may not know him but I know you have heard his Yeti calls during a race. Kinda makes you smile. At the start I bounce around the rear chatting with friends I only see at races and trying to listen for Dale. Sure enough I found him and we went to work on Loop 1-31 miles. There was ice on my truck that morning but the temps felt great. We hooked up with 2 of Dales friends- Kerri&Brittany and shared a few miles. At about mile 10 I left them at a aid station and just enjoyed the rocks,hills and just sticky mud between Chapas & Crossroads aid station. Crossroads I met a guy named Allen and we swapped stories til Last Chance aid station. He's ex USAF & works with vets now. Awesome guy! After Last Chance I was going up Cairn's Climb and ran into a older gentleman and hearing his ultra stories those 5 miles was cool. Everything from Barkley to Hardrock to the races he directs in New Mexico. Loop 1 was done in 9:15 and there was Pompillo waiting to get me fueled up and Dale with the girls ready to go.
Loop 2 started great. The girls dumped us on the 1st climb but we soon caught them right after dark when the rain started. Everyone took turns leading our train as Kerri made the train whistles. It was almost closer to a fun social event than a ultra until about mile 43. I was having a hard time keeping up and finally resigned myself to gutting it out alone. That lasted til the next aid station and Dale was waiting to push me. After Crossroads Aid we picked up a friend from Fort Worth,Ray, and the 5 of us battled on staying within earshot until Lucky's Peak. This little hill is relentless and the rocks just bite you. After that climb I was spent and the girls pushed on without us. The last 5 miles were dang tough. Id get to a low point, eat Gu's n be okay in a few minutes. The sticky mud turned to muddy soup and we gave up trying to dodge standing water. We rolled into the start line about 6am Sunday am. I was battered and bruised but on an emotional high of course!! 62 miles done and Joe P was handing out the buckles. What did I prove to myself? I can fight back everything that tells me to quit. Did I prove anything to anyone else? That's not even on my radar. My race- My pace.....
Short version- loop 1- cold,wet,rocks,hills,mud
loop 2-repeat but colder wetter & more sloppy mud
#RunStrong
Friday I got Monte & Pompillo picked up and away we went to Bandera and to find our friend we were staying with. Saturday AM came early and we had grits waiting on us. I'm not a grits eater so they were great! Thanks John! I planned on running the race with another friend-Dale. If you run ultra's near Texas you may not know him but I know you have heard his Yeti calls during a race. Kinda makes you smile. At the start I bounce around the rear chatting with friends I only see at races and trying to listen for Dale. Sure enough I found him and we went to work on Loop 1-31 miles. There was ice on my truck that morning but the temps felt great. We hooked up with 2 of Dales friends- Kerri&Brittany and shared a few miles. At about mile 10 I left them at a aid station and just enjoyed the rocks,hills and just sticky mud between Chapas & Crossroads aid station. Crossroads I met a guy named Allen and we swapped stories til Last Chance aid station. He's ex USAF & works with vets now. Awesome guy! After Last Chance I was going up Cairn's Climb and ran into a older gentleman and hearing his ultra stories those 5 miles was cool. Everything from Barkley to Hardrock to the races he directs in New Mexico. Loop 1 was done in 9:15 and there was Pompillo waiting to get me fueled up and Dale with the girls ready to go.
Loop 2 started great. The girls dumped us on the 1st climb but we soon caught them right after dark when the rain started. Everyone took turns leading our train as Kerri made the train whistles. It was almost closer to a fun social event than a ultra until about mile 43. I was having a hard time keeping up and finally resigned myself to gutting it out alone. That lasted til the next aid station and Dale was waiting to push me. After Crossroads Aid we picked up a friend from Fort Worth,Ray, and the 5 of us battled on staying within earshot until Lucky's Peak. This little hill is relentless and the rocks just bite you. After that climb I was spent and the girls pushed on without us. The last 5 miles were dang tough. Id get to a low point, eat Gu's n be okay in a few minutes. The sticky mud turned to muddy soup and we gave up trying to dodge standing water. We rolled into the start line about 6am Sunday am. I was battered and bruised but on an emotional high of course!! 62 miles done and Joe P was handing out the buckles. What did I prove to myself? I can fight back everything that tells me to quit. Did I prove anything to anyone else? That's not even on my radar. My race- My pace.....
Short version- loop 1- cold,wet,rocks,hills,mud
loop 2-repeat but colder wetter & more sloppy mud
#RunStrong
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