DamNation Volunteer Report...

Unfortunately I will never be running the Rocky Raccoon ever again.

Why?

Because I'm gonna be volunteering at the DamNation aid station from here until the Rocky Raccoon stops doing what Rocky Raccoons do. 

This past weekend was so many things. It was tiring. It was invigorating. It was satisfying. It was inspiring... and it was hard. 

I've run 100 miles before... and let me tell you this. It's A LOT easier to stay awake while running, than it is to stay awake at 4AM when people are trickling through Damnation in the cold darkness... but I'm getting way ahead of myself. Let me jump back to Friday and try to do this a bit better... and hopefully much shorter than all my other reports. 

Friday, February 3rd 2012:

Lynn B. and John M. (a stud of an ultra runner) picked me up at my place around 0800. We talked our way through DFW traffic as we worked our way down to Huntsville State Park for the ever popular Rocky Raccoon 50/100 Mile Endurance Run. 

Sam says, "Welcome to TEXAS!"

We arrived into Huntsville around 1215 and had a nice little lunch with all our or NTTR (North Texas Trail Runners) friends at the local Subway, then we all headed out to the park so we could start setting up the aid station. 

Around 1630 we were done setting up and headed back into town to have a few brews/hamburgers at the local pub before heading back to the park to pick up all the drop bags for the 100 mile runners. After loading the trucks up we made the trek back to Damnation and began sorting 250-400 bags. I had been assigned the duty of keeping up with/tracking/organizing the drop bags. I knew it was a big task, but was ready to take it on and give it my best. 

Finally the bags were set and all that was left was me, Lynn, and John. We were the only ones camping over night at the aid station. Everyone else went back to town. 

I looked over the bags one  more time to make sure they were where I wanted them and it all looked good. We of course had to award the "Best Drop Bag" and "Smallest Drop Bag" awards before retiring into the dark aid station tent to chat ultras and life. It was a beautiful thing being in the woods in the dark just getting to chat about the things we love. In a way, it almost felt like the calm before the storm. 

We retired to our tents around 2300. There had been light sprinkles all night and flashes of lightning every 2-3 minutes without thunder. Once I was in my tent all tucked in, I head the first boom of thunder  following the lightning. I knew the storms were moving closer, but didn't know how long it would be. 

Saturday, February 4th, 2012:

I slept on and off all night, then woke up for good around 0445. I started getting dressed and then around 0455 the skies opened and the storm began. The rain was pounding down and the lightning was constant. I looked at my watch again. It was now 0500 and the early starters were in this mess now. I waited for the rain to slow a bit and finally got out of the tent around 0515. My rain jacket was finally paying off. 

I'm gonna try to keep this short like I said earlier, but it's difficult because it was such a long weekend. Runners started showing up around 0540. Runners didn't stop coming till Sunday around 0800. Like I said earlier I was in charge of drop bags. So I just stood near the drop bags the entire weekend to make sure they didn't get mixed up, to grab a bag for someone that needed, to help that person with their bag if they needed it, etc. 

The rain continued till around 0800, then stopped for a few hours, and then we had one more quick rain around what I felt like was 1000-1100. After that the rain was done, but the damage was done. Everyone said the course was nice and muddy out there. 

When that morning started I didn't really know any of the names on those drop bags. As people started coming through I was putting names with bags, bags with faces, etc. I started to know the people that went along with the bags. 

I started meeting people that I was friends with on FB, but hadn't yet met in person. What a way to meet!! 

I did have one REALLY personal investment in that 100 mile race though. That was my great friend Malea. Not only is Malea a great friend, but she was my 6th grade English teacher. Yes... she was my teacher 15 years ago in the small town of Midlothian. Back when I was a chubby little 12 year old middle schooler.

Malea, while not fast, is one of the great examples of an ultra/trail runner. She's as stubborn as a mule, but as sweet as you'll ever meet. When she told me she was going to go for the full 100, I told her I'd be there. 

I kept an eye out for her the entire race. Unfortunately, Malea made it 60 miles and was falling behind the cut-off and did not continue. Each and everytime (6 times total) that Malea came through Damnation it was a true honor and a privilege to serve her.  In my heart, she will also be a 100 miler. 

As the day progressed I saw so many friends and soon to be friends coming into and out of Damnation. There was Jeremy "Gnarly Feet" Day, Brian Jones and Buddy out there pacing the incredible Matt Crownover (getting sub 20!), Nick Polito finishing his first 100 sub 24!, Jeff Miller finishing the Tejas 300, Jennifer Kimble, Ben Martinez and his crew!, David Zuniga, Tom, Neal Lucas (you'll get it next time Neal!), Lalo and his amazing wife Amanda!, Jennifer Fehmel, Clive, The amazing Larry!, Josh Bart, Daniel Ford, Scott "flying" Rabb, plus all of my incredible volunteer buddies... then of course the aid station captain himself Lynn Ballard. Lynn by far slept the least out of all of us (Then drove us home!) and was on fire the whole time.

Lynn "Blister Poppin" Ballard!!

Jeremy "hey look at my feet!" Day!!

Another story that I got to watch unfold was the race for Larry West, or "Laz" as many of you know him. The only way I knew him before the race this weekend was just by following any random posts I saw in Tejas Trails. (The group on Facebook) I wasn't even friends with Laz on FB. 

After hearing about Lazs training and possible illness leading up to the race I had my doubts that he'd be able to finish the race, but from the first time I saw him at the aid station, I made it my personal responsibility to get him to the finish line and the proud owner of a RR100 finisher buckle. 

Over the next 24-30 hours or so I kept an eye out for him coming into the aid station. Every time he'd come in, I'd offer him anything I could get him to eat/drink, and pushed him out of the aid station to make sure he didn't stay too long. A few times I even walked a 100 yards or so with him. 

When darkness set in he had his pacers coming in with him as well. I also kept an eye on them and made sure they weren't letting him get away with anything. I'd hand him some potato soup, and tell his pacer to make sure he ate it all! They did an incredible job and helped secure his success. 

He finally came through Damnation again before sun up and I knew it was getting really close to the cut offs. He seemed tired and a little "out of it", so I grabbed the trusty mix of hot chocolate and coffee with ramen noodles and pushed him right out of the aid station. 

I knew our cutoff was 0800 for people heading back in. I felt that he needed to be back in by 0730 to almost guarantee a finish. Around 0645 I walked out on the course to pick up any possible trash and kept an eye out for Laz. I finally saw him and his pacer walking it in. I looked at my watch and knew it was close, but didn't let him know it. I just told him to focus on that buckle. 

I walked with them back to the aid station and again handed him calories and walked them out. All I wanted to see at this point was him finish this race. 

Sunday, February 5th, 2012:

Our cutoff came at 0800 on Sunday morning and we started tearing everything down. After around 1.5-2 hours everything was down and we were loading up the final drop bags to take back to the start/finish. 

We made it back to the start/finish around 1130. Just 30 minutes before the final cutoff. 

I jumped out of the truck and immediately started looking at the finishers sitting around. I'd seen all these faces out at Damnation and they were all proudly holding their belt buckles. 

Then I looked up closer to the finish line and I saw Laz with his daughter, wife, and friends. He'd done it. 

I was overwhelmed with such joy at this point. Seeing all these people and knowing that I was somehow able to help them get to this point. I know it probably wasn't much, but I was now somehow attached to all of these people. 

I pretty much ran over to Laz and gave him a big huge hug and congratulated him for what he'd accomplished. There were so many times I was afraid that he wasn't going to make a cut off, or that I wouldn't see him again because he'd stopped at the start/finish. Sure enough he hadn't and displayed incredible perseverance. Seeing him at the finish with his family was a beautiful thing.

Congrats my friend

After all things were said and done, I can say that watching all my friends come through Damnation and then finish or try their very best to finish, gave me such a fulfilled feeling. I absolutely cannot wait to come back to Damnation and do it all again. This was easily as satisfying as running 100 miles myself.

If you're interested in seeing the rest of my photos from the weekend you can check them out HERE. 

To all of you that finished or tried to finish Rocky, I want to congratulate you on something awesome. You all showed us that anything is possible. 

A few side points from the weekend:

-I slept 45 minutes in around 48 hours

-Damnation sees around 10,000 athletes per race

-The race winner unfortunately had his car towed for illegal parking

-I have a new found respect for BOPers (Back of the Packers)

-I've never been so tired in my entire life

-I feel like I ran a tough 50K (My legs and feet are SO sore!)

If you've never volunteered at an ultra let me encourage you to do so. It's an experience you will never forget and is just as good as racing. 

Rocky Raccooners.... I'll see you next year. 

_Jacob_