Cactus Rose 100 Race Video

The 2012 Cactus Rose 100 is now over.

I don't want to go into too much detail because I'm gonna start my actual race report, but I did put together a video I made. It consists of a pre and post race interview with myself.

Hopefully I'll have my actual race report done by this weekend! Thanks to everyone that made the 2012 Cactus Rose 100 possible.

_Jacob_

Whispering Pines 50K Race Report

The Whispering Pines 50K was the race that almost wasn't. I literally waited till the last minute to register, and didn't really train like I should for the race. I hadn't actually run on trails since July and had been strictly road running due to time constraints.

Regardless, I knew that I needed at least one longer run before I thought about registering for the Cactus Rose 100 so the Whispering Pines 50K fit perfectly into that schedule.

This race was meant to be nothing more than a training run and placing in the top three never crossed my mind. I was gonna go out there and run the "race" I had planned.

The course was three laps of 10.3 or so miles on some beautiful rolling trails in the piney woods of East Texas. There were tall Pine trees everywhere with the occasional rock or two with the rest being perfect   pine covered single track.

I drove out to Tyler the morning of and arrived early than planned. It allowed me about an hour to change and set up my chair near the finish/start area. Dave did the pre-race meeting while I finished up some last minute business, then I headed over to the start line to chat with friends for a few minutes before we were sent off.

Cedar Ridge 36K Race Report

I knew going into this little gem of a race that it was going to be stupid painful. Not only was the race on a fairly technical and hilly course with some pretty steep quick climbs, but it was "only" 22 miles. (Yes, I know how ridiculous that sounds)

If you want to check out my "Pre-Race Chat" you can check that out for yourself.

My alarm went off at 0430, which was stupid early by my standards. I arrived at the Cedar Ridge Preserve around 0530 and was quickly set up by the finish/start line. My friend Brian was there and was really the only runner I was concerned about. I'm sure there were faster people, but I know that Brian is a bit of a better runner, so my goal was to stay near him.

The race was four loops of around 5.6 miles. We did two clockwise loops, then two counter-clockwise loops. The course profile is pictured below.

From EnduranceBuzz Adventures

I heard reports of between 2,500ft to 3,000ft of gain for the entire 22 miles. Who knows, but it was fun to say the least. 

Brian (Mountain Goat) and I chatted for a few minutes before the race, and were ready to go at 0615 at the starting line. 

Lap 1: 

Dave (the RD) shouted "GO!" and we were off. Brian knows this place forwards, backwards, and upside down, so my original idea was to let him lead off and show us around. 

Within a minute or so, some guy comes running around us and takes the lead. We didn't recognize the guy so we tried chatting it up with him for a few seconds. He wasn't very talkative, but we soon found out he was a road runner and this was his first trail race. At this point we realized he was either going to completely smoke all of us, or he'd completely blow up and destroy himself on the technical trails. 

We hit a fairly long jeep road downhill and the guy started pushing it. I was prepared to let him and Brian go, but Brian made the smart decision and let him go. If he could hold that pace, more power to him! 

Brian and I ran the rest of the first lap together. We chatted on and off, but Brian was feeling pretty uncomfortable so we spent parts in silence. As I've said before, Brian is a killer climber, so he'd pretty much drop me on the uphills and I'd catch back up on the downhills and flats. I've finally embraced my downhill ability and just let it go. Some would call it reckless, I call it fun! 

Some guy caught up with us at some point and ran for a few miles then dropped off. Brian and I finished the first lap together in the same time of 47:35. We was no time at the start/finish. I grabbed my extra handheld that was already full with water and gels and was immediately back on the trail. 

Lap 2: 

Lap 2 was interesting. When we left the start/finish, I was first out with my bottle and Brian was right behind me. About a quarter mile in I heard Brian shout some choice words and found out he'd hit his leg on some rebar or something. I made sure he was OK, and kept running. I looked back and Brian was still behind me. 

It was at this point that I thought maybe this was my chance to put some space. I quickly changed my mind and just decided to run my race. It turns out that I did put some space (enough that we couldn't see each other) and finished the second lap in 49:47, only 1:11 ahead of Brian and a full 4:06 behind first place. I refilled my water bottle at the start/finish, then turned around to start my final two counter-clockwise loops. 

Lap 3: 

I quickly saw Brian on my way back out and he was closer than I was thinking. My goal here was just to push the flats and downhills and keep quick hiking the uphills. 

I was already digging deep and didn't have much more in me. I knew if Brian caught me, there wouldn't be much I could do. I was really capitalizing on any flats and pushing the pace well, cause I knew Brian would still be running the uphills. 

The sun was now shining down on us and it was getting warm. Probably close to 90 degrees. I was drinking more water and realized that I'd actually have to stop at the halfway aid station this time. We came off a steep downhill and I rolled into the aid station. I refilled my water and walked out. I was just trying to stay out of view of Brian at this point, cause I didn't want him to see me walking. I also ran out of water just before the aid station, and I knew on the second lap I'd need to be sure and grab my extra bottle for the fourth loop. 

I now came to that jeep road grinding up hill. I ran to the start of the hill and hiked up as fast as I could. I kept looking back, waiting to see Brian come flying up the hill, but didn't I knew if I could make it to the top, I'd at least finish the third lap before he caught me. 

I made it to the top and smashed the downhills and flats into the start/finish. I finished my first counter-clockwise loop in 54:35, only 1:18 ahead of Brian, and 9:09 behind first! 

Lap 4: 

The last lap I started with two bottles and got out of the start/finish area as quick as possible. As soon as I was out I walked for a second to eat a gel and got right back to running. My goal on this last lap was just to run as much as possible and suck it up. 

I really pushed the downhills hard this lap because I knew that's the only was I was going to stay ahead. I hiked all the inclines and ran almost all the flats. It was getting hot and I was drinking a lot of water at this point. 

I was running scared and just trying to hold off Brian, where ever he may be. I didn't expect to hold him off for so long. When I originally put a gap in between us, I didn't think it would last long. Now that I was still holding him off, I knew I needed to keep it. 

On my way into the aid station I pulled off both my lids, so I could refill and get out. Once out I ran all the way to the bottom of the jeep road and started power hiking pretty hard. I kept looking back here just waiting for Brian to round the corner. Again, I knew if I could get to the top of the jeep road I could bomb the downhill into the finish. 

Before I knew it, I was at the top and I still couldn't see Brian. I was pushing about as hard as I could go at this point. I was totally ready to be done. I'd been redlining almost the whole time. 

Finally I made the last left turn, did a short uphill with stairs and knew that was it. 

I crossed the finish line in 2nd place, 8:00 ahead of Brian, and a whole 10:49 behind first place. 

Post-Race:

I finished, chatted with a few friends, and waited for Brian to finish so we could begin our "recovery". 

It was fantastic getting to race with Brian again and great having him there to push me as always. This will probably be my one and only time I beat Brian! Turns out the roadie in first place was a heck of a runner! My hat is off to him for coming out and just destroying a few seasoned trail runners. 

David and Endurance Buzz Adventures put on a great first time event and really did a great job of course marking and race organizing. The post race watermelon was a fantastic touch, as well as the extra goodies for the top 3 finishers. 

Final results along with splits can be found HERE, and I'm sure David will do a quick write up on Endurance Buzz as well. 

Congratulations to everyone that raced. I expected a lot of first time trail runners, and there were quite a few! It's always great to see a bunch of first time trail racers.

_Jacob_

Summer Solstice 6HR Run Race Report

Every time I finish a race or run some fairly absurd distance I'm still in awe that I'm able to do what I do. It's almost a surprise every time I pass that marathon mark, and just keep running. I hope that I never become used to running ultra distances and that I'm always thankful of what I can do.

Last Friday night, I had another really great race. (My first being the Leona Divide 50M earlier this year) Earlier last week I wrote a blog about why I like this race. Check it out HERE.

I don't know why I felt like I had to prove something to myself, but for some reason I felt like I wasn't a "real" runner if I couldn't run 40 miles at this race. It's the most ridiculous idea ever, but I feel as of late I've become more of a long distance hiker/trail jogger, etc instead of a true runner.

I proved myself completely wrong on Friday night. Below is a comparison chart of my splits for the past three years. See the results for yourself.

I think that I've finally learned how to suffer. I've finally learned how to listen to my body. I've finally learned how to be an ultra runner. It took years of stupid mistakes, puking on the gorgeous 5 mile downhill descent towards the Jemez finish line, sitting on a log on the Highline trail, and multiple races where my nutrition just wasn't there.

My 6 hour adventure this year started just like the other two years.

We headed off onto our one mile loop at 9pm. Unlike years past, this time I ran my own pace. I let two other guys run off into the distance knowing I'd see them again if my race went the way I planned.

It took about 5 miles to warm up but finally around mile 6 I was feeling good and still running around an 8:30 pace. To make a long story short, I maintained by goal pace up until mile 27 when I took a quick pee break. Things were going perfectly. While I was definitely getting uncomfortable I was still moving extremely well.

Somewhere around miles 28-31 I experienced a "low point" of sorts. My body was all the sudden craving something other than the gels I was eating every 25 minutes and S-Caps. I was recognizing that my body was telling me something. About a mile later I realized I had an ice-cold Redbull in my drop bag. I'm not a huge advocate of energy drinks while exercising, but this Redbull HIT THE SPOT. The quick cold sugary mix brought me back within a mile or so and I was back in the game. Mile 32 was my slowest mile at 9:58. That was with around 2 minutes of walking. My first significant walk break was mile 29 I believe.

I was constantly doing math in my head trying to figure out how slow I could run and still get the 40 miles I wanted. I kept crossing the starting line thinking that mile had to be over 10 minutes, but none of them were. I was still moving.

By mile 38 I was convinced I was stopping at mile 40. This whole time I had caught one of the guys that went off the front, but one of them had lapped me at least 2-3 times.

For this reason that I wasn't really sure what place I was in, so I just kept pushing through. I knew that when that clock hits 6 hours I was done. I could suck it up for two more miles. Sure enough my last two miles were by far the fastest by over 45 seconds. I crossed the line for the 42nd time in 6:01:55 and knew I was done.

I had run 42 miles at an average mile of 8:37. It was now 3:05AM.

The RD handed out overall awards within a few minutes and I found out that I had gotten 2nd place to someone that had run 45 miles.

The funny thing about this, is that I was as happy as could be. I knew that even on my best day I wouldn't have been able to run 45 miles. I was 100% happy with my race and that was what mattered here.

I accepted my $25 gift card to Target for 2nd overall, got back in my car, and headed back to Plano, Texas with a huge grin on my face.

Next stop. Silverton, CO.

_Jacob_

Leona Divide Race Report

Now, if you've read my race reports before, then you know I'm pretty detailed. For those of you that don't like reading here's the down and dirty:

Summary:
-One of my best races yet performance wise
-New 50 mile PR by around 45 minutes on a much harder course
-Dropped my S-Caps somewhere around mile 18 so I just used what they had on course
-Did have a low point around 24-26 miles
-Had another low point around 36-37 miles
-Had really high points (other than the first 20 miles) from 31-34 miles and 40-43, then the finish in
-Ran a 7:10/mile pace the last 3.9 miles
-Finished 38th of around 260ish?
-3rd Texan
-Ran all the downhills hard
-Hiked the big uphills hard
-Ran the flats

Splits:
8.5 -> 1:10:51 (8:20/mile)
4.4 (12.9) -> 44:55 (10:12/mile)
3.5 (16.4) -> 31:00 (8:51/mile)
4.0 (20.4) -> 52:03 (13:00/mile)
3.3 (23.7) -> 32:33 (9:51/mile)
5.8 (29.5) -> 1:00:07 (2:43/AID) (10:21/mile)
5.8 (35.3) -> 1:08:07 (11:44/mile)
3.3 (38.6) -> 32:26 (1:27/AID) (9:49/mile)
4.0 (42.6) -> 37:26 (2:27/AID) (9:21/mile)
3.5 (47.1) -> 48:23 (1:08/AID) (13:49/mile)
3.9 (50.0) -> 28:00 (7:10/mile)

Profile:

For those of you that like reading, continue on!

I had been eyeing this race for awhile now.

After looking through results from previous years I came to the conclusion that it was possible to run a pretty quick time despite all the climbing. With that in mind I set some pretty ambitious goals (for me at least) and set out for SoCal last week.

If you want to check out last weeks blog post on my goals then CLICK HERE.

I started the race with a pace chart that was set at an eight hour pace. Ambitious, but I was prepared to do what it took or crash and burn trying. I've never actually "raced" a 50 miler before and was ready to do so here.

The fast guys lined up!

 (Photo Credit: "A Runners Circle Running")

The front runners @ the start! 

(Photo Credit: Stephanie Deveau)

At 0600 with the sun still below the mountain ridges around us the race director sent us on our way. The course begins with a very smooth 8.5 mile run to the first aid station. We climbed around 800ft in the first 2-3 miles. I ran every step.

I didn't feel like the effort was too high and just enjoyed the incredible sunrise among the mountains. The views got better and better the higher we got. Around three miles in the fire road leveled out and actually started to drop a little all the way to the 8.5 mile aid station.

I reached it around 10-15 minutes ahead of my 8 hour dream pace. I was really surprised, considering all the climbing we just did, and hoping that I didn't push too hard too early. I finished that 8.5 mile jaunt in 1:10:51 (8:20/mile).

I turned out of that aid station and began a 700-1,000ft climb up another fire road to the PCT. I didn't really plan on this climb and was slightly caught off guard. Regardless, the views just kept getting better. As we ascended the fire road I could see the canyon road far below steadily dropping away. Across from us on the other side of the canyon, another ridge of mountains, equally as impressive as the ones we were running.

I did take a few very rare hike breaks here, because I knew some good running was about to start when we hit the PCT and I wanted to be prepared.

Before I knew it, I was cruising along the PCT. It was beautiful.

I maintained a steady running pace here and just enjoyed the course and early morning cool breezes. Soon I was at the 12.9 mile aid station. I refilled my bottles with water and was out in no time. Taking less than 30 seconds.

The next section was jaw dropping. About a mile from the aid station we began dropping down a canyon to the next aid station. It was around a 1,000ft drop in 1.5 miles or so. As I was running along the ridge I had the biggest grin on my face. It was a difficult task to keep my eyes on the trail. The mountains on my left had 90% of my attention. The rising sun was casting shadows that were unbelievable. The trail here was fairly narrow and the consequences for a mistep were high.

When we hit the steeper sections of downhill I really had to pay attention. Something new I was trying for this race was really opening up on the downhills and taking advantage of them. I cruised into the 16.4 mile aid station still around 10 mins ahead of my 8 hour dream goal.

Coming into the 16.4 mile aid station

(Photo Credit: Stephanie Deveau)

The next section I was prepared for. It was a 1,600ft climb in 3.5 miles.

I crossed the road and ran to where the incline was and started my hike. Occasionally the trail would slightly level out and I'd run 50-100ft then back to hiking. Once we were at the top I started running again and noticed it was nice and runnable. It was also here that I found out I'd either dropped my S-Caps somewhere or I'd left them at the last aid station. Wow.

This was pretty demoralizing and all I could think was that my race was over.

I quickly started thinking of what to do and asked my new found friend Felipe if he had any salt. Sure enough he had some Salt Stick product. Not knowing how much salt they actually had I took two of them.

My plan was to see what they had at the aid stations and take from them from here on out. I made it the four miles for that section in 52:03 and a 13:00/mile pace. Not too shabby considering the hard hiking we did. Once at the aid station I found there salt product, grabbed a hand full and headed out.

I knew the next section was pretty much flat so I planned on running as much as possible. I started taking two of whatever salt product I got from the aid station every hour. After a few hours my stomach started bothering me and I realized I was probably taking too much. I started taking one every 30 minutes and that helped a lot!

Me and Felipe finished that 3.3 mile section in 32:33 (9:51/mile). I felt "OK" but wasn't 100% anymore. I came out of that aid station ahead of Felipe and the trail became jaw dropping beautiful. The next few miles were gradually uphill and I didn't know that. I did quite a bit of hiking and was getting down on myself. I knew there was a significant downhill coming and was ready. (yet dreading the turnaround when we'd have to go back up it)

Soon the 50 mile leaders were flying past us and I knew the downhill was coming. Felipe passed me here and I was pretty much solo.

I reached the downhill fire road and was pushing the pace hard. I ran the entire way back down the fire road. I caught Felipe and we ran it all the way to the turnaround aid station. Mile 29 something or other.  5.8 mile section in 1:00:07 (10:21/mile). I spent around 2:45 in the aid station cleaning my face and refilling my bottles then was back out.

The hiking began. Felipe said we needed to run everything that we could, so every time the fire road leveled out at all we'd run it. Believe it or not it only took us around 30 minutes to hike back up. Once I was back on the PCT Felipe was out of sight. I was feeling MUCH better and started running again. Next thing I knew I was FLYING down the PCT on some sketchy sections of trail where again, the consequences were high for a mistep.

This is when I realized this section was definitely uphill on the way out, and downhill now.

I kept pushing the pace and was trying hard to catch Felipe. The trail was beautiful and I was LOVING this section. I was on a high and wanted to take advantage.

Soon I could see Felipe up ahead and caught him. We ran together for a few minutes then he let me passed and I pushed the pace to the next aid station. I covered that section in 1:08:07 (11:44/mile) including all the hiking up the fire road.

I refilled the bottles and was out of that aid station in no time at all.

The next section was dreaded, yet flat. It's very exposed, twisty, lots of small 5-10 ft ups and downs with sand that would get in your shoes.

As soon as I left the aid station I hiked so I could eat my waffle, then Felipe caught up. I let him hop in front as he was feeling good. I followed him and we were really running good. Then the another low hit. I was fading a bit but still running almost everything. I kept looking around the next corner to see if we were out of that section yet. It seemed like forever. Fortunately it was only 32:26 for that 3.3 mile section (9:49/mile), 6 seconds faster than I covered it on the way out!

When I pulled into the next aid station I didn't see Felipe, but did see Jen Shelton and my friend Paulette. This was about to get interesting.

I refilled my bottles and got out of the aid station in 1:27. The trail unfortunately turned up for a bit, before we started the big 1,600ft drop down to the drop bag aid station. As I was hiking Jen and Paulette came flying past me. I figured that was the last time I'd see them.

I hiked/walked till I finally hit the downhill. I knew it was big and I was planning on taking full advantage. As the trail descended harder and steeper, I opened up more and more. I was flying around the ledges with reckless abandon and knew that I needed to make up as much time as possible for the big climb back up the canyon.

My 8 hour dream goal was definitely slipping away, but 8:30 or even sub 8:20 were still within sight. I thought they were unlikely, and that sub 9 was probably more realistic, but I was pushing like sub 8 was still possible.

Soon I could see the canyon road about 800ft below and knew I was getting there. I opened up my stride even more and let my body weight pull me down the mountain.

I then saw Paulette ahead and passed her about a 1/4 mile before the aid station. I covered that 4.0 mile section in 37:26 (9:21/mile). I was out of that aid station after 2:27 and refilling my food from my drop bag.

Once out of the aid station I knew it was one more big hike uphill till the final push downhill to the finish. All I had was one more climb.

I had the biggest smile on my face when I was descending this canyon. This time, it was far from a smile. I tried to run when I could but it wasn't for anymore than 50 ft. I was hiking as hard as I could. For a brief second I saw Felipe about two switchbacks ahead of me.

Behind me I could see Jen and Paulette was about to pass me. She was soon blazing past me and Jen was closing in. The sun was just beating down on us and I was pretty miserable. I felt like this hike was going to take forever. Literally. I couldn't see the top and had no idea how long it would take. I kept doing calculations in my head and figured I'd be luck to break 9 hours now.

At one point I actually sat down under some brush for some relief from the relentless sun. I caught my breath and started hiking again.

Finally I reached what seemed to be the top. Jen hadn't caught me yet. I decided to pull of the trail and pee, then sit down for another second. When Jen finally came around the corner I decided I'd try and hang with her as long as possible. We got to chatting and had a good little time. It really helped the time pass here. She then pulled off into the bushes to handle some business and I cruised into the last aid station. That 3.5 mile stretch took 48:23 (13:49/mile) and I spent 1:08 in the aid station refilling my bottles.

I turned out of the aid station and saw the fire road go uphill?! Ugh. Did not plan on this. I started hiking again. The road kept ascending. I hiked as hard as I could then finally got hard on myself. I had less than four miles. I could run this.

Then I started running and didn't stop till the finish line. Soon I crested the mountain and the fire road started turning into a descent. I started opening up the stride and began brining the pace down. Then all the sudden I was running almost wide open. I looked at my watch and realized that I was going to be really close to 8:30 if I kept this up.

Before I knew it I could seen Paulette up ahead. She's a fast downhill runner so I was surprised to see her. I soon caught up and thought she'd come with me, but she didn't. I kept pushing harder and harder. Soon I saw another 50 miler and passed him. My next goal was to hopefully catch Felipe.

The views were gorgeous and I was really enjoying the run here. My goal going into this race was to finish with a smile on my face and running. I was achieving both and in a decent time.

The fire road was nice and smooth here so I just focused on running as fast as possible. I then started recognizing the turns and knew I was a 1/4 mile or so away from the finish. Still no Felipe.

Last turn!

(Photo Credit: Terry Majamaki)

I watched 8:30 pass, but was still close. Then I rounded a quick switchback and knew it was straight down to the finish. I turned right off the fire road and up behind the community center to finish in 8:33:44. Felipe was waiting for me after finishing in 8:30:14! Just awesome. That's why we ultra run.

I hadn't known this guy 9 hours ago, but we were now best of friends and 50 miles closer ;)

Me and mi amigo Felipe!

Post Race:

I gave my new friend a big ole hug and we chatted for a half hour or so next to the finish line. Someone else I'd been running with offered me a Negra Modelo and I of course said "yes please" and "thank you". Less than 3 minutes after finishing and I already had a beer in my hand. I love ultra running.

I talked with all the friends I made out on the trail and just hung out with some awesome runners. I was in awe of some of the competition walking around. Tim Olson, Dylan Bowman, Jorge, Dom, Yassine, Jamil and of course Steven! haha. But seriously, it was awesome. I honestly didn't care what place I'd come in, I was just happy I'd run the best possible race I could have.

I then headed back to the car, changed into some flip flops, grabbed my cooler and headed back to the finish to wait for my friend to finish the 50K all while eating Fajitas and enjoying a good SoCal IPA.

Leona is a great race. On the website they say it's got a lot of climbing but is very runnable. I didn't really know what that meant. Now I do. ;)

I can't help but give credit to God for my ability to do what I do. Hopefully everything I do, including my ultra running endeavors bring glory to Him.

My wonderful wife is always supportive and makes sure that I keep a healthy balance! Couldn't do all that I do without her by my side.

A huge thanks to my favorite sporting goods store Sun and Ski Sports in Frisco, Texas for all my nutrition and running needs. Those guys are the best and always have a smile on their faces!

Congrats to everyone that ran this weekend. It was a beautiful race and a great time of running.

If you wanna check out all my photos from the trip to California you can see them HERE.

_Jacob_

Finish Medal

(Photo Credit: Stephanie Deveau)

Cross Timbers Trail Marathon Race Report

After taking not running at all in the month of January due to some extensor tendinitis, I was extremely excited to run the Cross Timbers Trail Marathon. I've been eyeing this race ever since I started trail running, and this year it finally fit into the schedule. I wasn't too sure how smart it would be to run a fairly technical trail marathon after taking ~40 days off from running, then only "training" for two weeks or so.

I decided to go for it, and just take it easy, and enjoy the chance to run.

So, with no further adieu, here is my race report from the 2012 Cross Timbers Trail Marathon. As always, my race reports are detailed (sometimes to the point that's it's annoying) so if you don't like it, don't read it :)

Pre-Race:

The race was up at Lake Texoma about an hour and twenty minute drive from my front door.

I decided to head up Friday night and camp out with some good friends (what ultra/trail running is really about) and arrived around 7:00pm.

It was already dark so I quickly set up my tent next to my friends, and headed over to the race area to grab my packet, meet up with my friends already there, and enjoy the pre race pasta meal. (included for most ultras believe it or not!)

I found Brian and Matt, got introduced to Matts great family, then enjoyed my pasta dinner while chatting about the PLAIN 100 with Brian. (But that's being saved for another blog post)

After dinner I grabbed my packet and we headed back to our campsite and mulled over the new trail map I purchased for PLAIN. It was great getting to just hang out and chat ultras and dream races. This is almost always my favorite part of trail races.

Around 10pm we hit the sack, but not before I tried to check the radar one more time. The forecast was for rain starting around 2-3am and hopefully clearing by the next afternoon. It was going to be in the mid 40s. I knew that mid 40s and rain would be miserable, but was ready for anything.

I tossed and turned for hours, but I finally think I got some decent sleep from 2-6am when my alarm went off. Just like predicted it started raining lightly around 2-3am, but had let up to a light mist by the time I crawled out of the tent.

Brian and I headed over to the start line and were ready to go by 7am.

For this race I carried one water bottle, a spy belt with an extra amphipod pocket, and wore way too much clothing. My plan was to take one gel every 25 minutes, then 1 S-Cap every hour. I stuck to this pretty well except for one point towards the end I opted to skip the gel cause I was almost done.

Race Time:


We got some last minute instructions and off we went. We did a quick mile or so out and back, then hopped on the single track.

I stayed right with Brian until about a half mile into the single track and let him go. He's  a heck of a climber, and I was not in the right shape to be running like that so early in the race.

We also noticed that it was incredibly muddy. I mean like shoe sucking, slip on your butt, grab a tree to get up the climb muddy.

MUD (Photo credit)

Within a mile I was all by myself running down the muddy single track next to Lake Texoma. The views were awesome, especially with a 20-30ft cliff down to the water on my right. It was sketchy, but I like it that way.

The trail was up and down winding through the trees. No huge sustained climbs, but plenty of 50-100 ft stuff.

I enjoyed all the quick steep climbs because it really broke everything up. Around mile 3-4 I started hiking the steep stuff and then focusing on really jetting down the other side. 

Around mile 3 I started seeing people ahead of me, so I just focused on trying to catch them. I did catch one guy and just stayed on his heels for probably 3-4 miles. Brian had told me before the race that the technical steep stuff fades about half way and then it becomes very runnable. I was looking forward to that. 

We made it to the next aid station and I knew from here it was fairly flat to the turn around. (looking at the profile above it wasn't all that flat)

I quickly refilled my bottle and headed out ahead of the guy I had been pacing off of. I wanted to get ahead of him now and stay there. I pushed the pace and soon caught the guy that went off the front of the marathon. Looks like he'd blown up and was quickly falling back. 

I dropped him and headed on. By my calculations I was somewhere around 7th-8th place. 

We had a few more technical climbs that I couldn't help but compare to parts of Zane Grey. 

Zane Grey style... (Photo Credit)

LOVE this kind of stuff! (Photo Credit)

Then all the sudden, the trail leveled out onto some nice smooth single track and I was gone. I decided that if I was going to place anywhere near the top 5 or 3, I'd have to make up my time on the flat stuff. I quickly pulled away from the people behind me and questioned whether I could hold this pace to the finish. 

The trail cut through a grassy field, down some pavement, then back onto more muddy single track. 

I was now encountering a few of the lead 50 milers, and thanking the good Lord I decided to just do the marathon and not 50 miler in these conditions. (50 milers I salute you!)

I decided to wear my GPS for the race (which I've never done before) and wasn't too sure how accurate it was. I knew with the windy single track that it would probably be a mile or more off. 

Soon enough I saw my friend Brian coming back the other way and knew I had to be getting close to the turn around. (the course was one out and back) I soon did reach the turnaround and saw that my GPS read 2:01:43 and ~12 miles. Well, I knew that wasn't totally accurate, but close enough for me. My new goal was to make it back to the start with a negative split and hopefully under 4 hours total. 

I said hi to my great friend Malea who came out to help at the turn around aid station and headed back out. I was feeling the fatigue in the legs and was dreading more mud. 

After maybe 2-3 minutes I all the sudden run into my friend Brian running BACK toward the aid station. I say, "BRYAN! What are you doing?!" 

He stopped to pee or something and came back down the wrong direction. Hahahaha. I couldn't help but laugh. This is the guy I want to come to PLAIN... a course with NO course markings... 

So, now I have someone to run with! We kinda chat goals and I let him know I'd really like sub 4. We maintain a good pace and talk about how we've gotta hold this pace to the rocky/technical steep section if we're gonna break 4. 

Brian makes one more detour (thank goodness I was there to catch it) and then we're back at the pavement section. We're still running good and I notice our last mile was 8 something. Not too shabby. 

We hit a few short climbs and I really notice here what a climber Brian is. This dude just shoots straight up without breaking stride. From here on out, I call him Mountain Goat. 

Meet Brian (minus the umbrella, package, and snow)

So from here on out, I'd let Mountain Goat skip up the climbs, then I'd catch him on the downhills and flats. (what he calls his "weakness") We play this game for awhile and are soon back at the tougher section of trail. 

The trail is absolutely shredded, and the mud is just out of control. I couldn't believe my shoes were staying on.  A few times I'd watch Mountain Goat slide down a hill only to end up on his butt. I'd hang on to trees and work my way down. 

Mud (Photo Credit)

Mountain Goat and I kept pushing each other still hoping that sub 4 was in our grasps. I knew that once we crossed another road it was only around 3 miles back. I was completely out of water and I had stopped sweating. I think I'd taken too many S-Caps and not enough water. 

Then all the sudden we could see the road. I was working my way back up to Mountain Goat when I went to step up over a root. My right leg cramped and I was stopped to a stand still. I forced the cramp out, but had to seriously back off the pace. 

I watched Mountain Goat fade off into the distance and just focused on getting to the next aid station so I could get some much needed water. It was great getting to run with him as long as I did. Definitely took my mind off the pain.

Once I downed a few huge gulps of water from the aid station I was good to go. I pushed the pace all the way back, but the trail was WAY too technical/muddy to really do much good. The fastest miles I could pull out were 10-11:30/mile. (based on my inaccurate GPS) 

My goal to the finish line was not to get passed and enjoy this beautiful section of trail. Finally I could hear the finish line but not before one more horrible little climb that was of course caked in mud. I passed two half marathoners who were hanging onto a tree and jetted down the other side of the hill to the finish. 

Post Race:

Unfortunately my semi-goal of sub 4 was gone and I finished in 4:08:05. (unofficial until results are posted) I'm gonna guess that I ended up 6th or 7th, will update when results are up. 

I saw Matt as I crossed the line, then quickly looked for Mountain Goat to see if he broke 4. 

No go for him too. 4:03 and some change. Neither one of us really had any specific goals, and the muddy conditions really changed everything. 

We headed back to the camp site to change and of course indulged in some post race brews and hamburgers. 

Final Thoughts:

All in all, I'm really happy with the effort considering the conditions and I'm really looking forward to trying this race when the conditions are so bad. It's definitely a well managed and all around great time kind of race. 

I can't help but think that my base is still there despite taking January off. My legs felt great the whole time and I never fell apart. I finished the last mile about as fast as I started. 

Huge thanks to Matt C. for letting me crash at his camp site, and a big congrats to all my fellow trail runners for another great race. 

_Jacob_

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_

2011 Wild Hare 50K Race Report

Oh Wild Hare how I love you.

This race didn't really get put on the schedule till pretty late in the year, and I was originally planning on the 50M, but the guy I was riding down with decided he was going to do the 50K, so in for the 50K I was as well.

Earlier this year I set a new 50K PR of around 4:35 with very little specific training and not really meaning to set a new PR.

For the Wild Hare the goal was at least a new PR, a sub 4:20 race or a top three finish. If you're interested in reading specifically about my goals you can read my post last week HERE.

In short, I got all my goals on Saturday, something I honestly didn't expect would happen. I thought that a sub 4:20 50K was a bit ambitious for me especially on trails, but alas, I surprised myself.

I finished in 4:14:21, 3rd Overall.

If you're interested in reading the specifics read on.

If you're reading this in hopes of getting a details course description, etc. this is gonna be the wrong report. CLICK HERE to read my 50M race report from last year which has A LOT more detail.

I'm gonna try to keep this short, but we all know that's unlikely.

The Wild Hare 50K

This years pre race went almost exactly like last years. My friend Ben (who ended up running the 25K) picked me up in Plano and we headed straight down 35, off to 77, down to Warda. 

We arrived in just enough time that I could set my tent up in the little bit of daylight that was left. We grabbed our packets from Joe, then headed back to Giddings to have our Subway sandwhiches. 

Once back to the camp site I couldn't help but head back up to the house to chat ultra stories with Joe and the others. Joe's the only person I've ever met face to face that's done Barkley, so I finally got the nerve to ask him about it :)

Headed back to the tent and slept great. Had a lot of weird dreams about not waking up in time for the race but that was it. 

Race Morning

The alarm went off just before 6AM. I then heard the 50M start at 6. I stuck my head outside the tent and realized it was quite a bit warmer than I expected, so I opted to wear just my singlet and shorts. No gloves, arm warmers, or beanie. 

Gotta love Texas weather!

I headed up to the race start in plenty of time to take my ritual duece and proceeded to the start line which had been moved down to the entrance to the barn. 

Lap 1

Joe shouted go and we were quickly off. The course this year for the 50K was a 1 mile warm up loop followed by 4 7.5 mile loops, only slightly different than previous years. 

My goal was to jump near the front by someone went off a bit harder than I was comfortable with. Looked like the others were ok with him running off too. We finished the warm mile and of course I forgot to hit my split on the watch. 

The first few people were running a bit faster than I was comfortable for 50K so I dropped back into 5th place. I looked behind me and there wasn't anyone for quite a ways. Looked like my competition was right here with me. 

I don't use a GPS or anything fancy like... just my perceived exertion level. I felt like I was running somewhere around an 8/min mile and sure enough I finished the first loop pretty comfortably in 1:08:17 which was an 8:02 avg. 

I tried something slightly different for nutrition because I didn't want anything solid for such a short race, just gels. I decided to take one gel every 25 minutes and 1 S-Cap every 30 minutes. This ended up working well and I was never short on energy. 

Lap 2

After crossing the timing mat, I refilled my water bottle and immediately headed back out wasting NO time! 

I passed someone while they were re-fueling and I took advantage of this to open up some space. Here, someone caught up with me when we entered the wooded twisty single track section and he ran right behind me. 

The 25K had started just minutes before we started out second loop, so we spent the first 3 miles of this loop flying through 25Kers. It was a bit annoying, but also kept us moving fast and not slowing. 

I let the guy pass me towards the end of this section and caught up with him at the ~3.5 mile aid station.  We ran it out together and maintained a steady pace. It felt very similar to lap 1s perceived level. Towards the back side of this lap he started to fade and told me to go on. (I later found out that this was his first 50K! Congrats to him on finishing)

When I left him behind I tried to maintain the quick pace we were running. I still couldn't see anyone in the 50K in front of me, but was hoping I'd catch someone. I finished this lap in 4th place and in a time of 1:00:31 for that lap which ended up being an 8:04 pace. 

Lap 3

I again refilled my one water bottle and headed out as quick as possible. Spending no more than 5-10 seconds refilling. 

As soon as I pulled out of the aid station I could see 3rd place just running ahead! Awesome. I quickly caught him and when I did I picked up the pace just a bit to make sure I left him behind. 

Once I made it back to the wooded single track section I looked back and he was gone. 

On this third lap I started to feel the pace in my legs and knew this was gonna hurt pretty good by the end. I saw sweating like a mad man since it had warmed up pretty good. (By no means was it hot, but reasonably warmer than it has been the past few weeks)

During this section I started thinking I should try to run this lap as close as I can to the last two laps so I'd have plenty in the bank by the fourth and final lap. 

There were plenty of times during this lap that I wanted to walk, and most definitely would have in the past, but recently I have really gained confidence and mental toughness in my ability to keep running when I don't want to. 

I kept thinking about the NYC Marathon two weeks ago, and my first 100 miler back in October, and how the 100 miler hurt so much more. How if I could run a 100 in 21:26, I can deal with this pain for another 2 hours or so. 

I finished my 3rd lap in 1:01:53 (only 1:22 slower than my previous lap) and at an average pace of 8:15/mile. 

Lap 4

Lap 4 started just like the others. I refilled my water and headed out. At this point I started doing some math and realized I could run around a 1:10 lap and still break my goal of a sub 4:20 race. I knew the odds were good, but was still a bit nervous that the wheels could come off at any minute. 

I got a bit of a second wind after leaving the start area, but that quickly faded when I got to the twisty wooded section which I just despise. 

I knew that if I could just finish this section I'd be able to hopefully push the pace into the last 3 or 4 miles. The motivation I was getting from the BOP 25Kers/50Kers was really nice, and much appreciated. 

I knew I was still running a fine line between going too hard, but I was ready to risk it. I was well on my way to a 20 minute PR. 

When I got close to the ~3.5 mile aid station I could see the 2nd place girl running out. She still looked like she was running a 5K, and I knew it would be a test to catch her. I mentally decided to keep running my race and not actively try to catch her. I just didn't have it in me at that moment...

Once through the aid station I knew a sub 4:20 was pretty much in the bank and I was now running for a new PR, and possibly 2nd place. 

I kept getting glances of the girl in front of me, but it didn't look like I was gaining all that much. Finally I came to the end of the big field section on the back side and was almost to the suspension bridge. I looked to my left and I could see the girl hiking up the climb. 

I don't know why, but I didn't want to sneak up on her, so I let her know I was coming. I think I said something along the lines of, "Go Girl!"

At this point she sees me and gets it.

I knew it was on. 

I ran up the bridge and power hiked the climb. Once to the top I started pushing deep for my final chance to catch her. I kept looking ahead but didn't see her. With probably 3/4 mile to go, I pass a guy and he says, "She's just ahead! You got her!"

This gave me a bit of motivation so I dug even deeper. If I didn't catch her at this pace, more power to her!!

I was running about as quick as I could go, then out of nowhere I was face down in the dirt.

Ugh. My foot caught a root and my calf had totally seized up. I quickly un-seized it, and got back to running, but that was it. 

I'd just run 30.5 miles without falling once and of course it would happen with less than a quarter mile to go. 

When I made the final turn I could see the finish line and she was already through it. I crossed the line in 4:14:21, in 3rd place, and set a new PR by 21 minutes. 

She had beaten me by 31 seconds. Mass kudos to her for running a heck of a race. My last lap was in 1:03:37 at an average pace of 8:28/mile. My slowest lap by about 1:40, but I couldn't be much happier. I pushed the pace early and pushed the pace late. I did what I could and ran the best race I could that day. 

I congratulated her on the win and found out from Joe that he was going three deep for overall! Of course he has the best hardware ever. I ended up with some yard art! A handmade armadillo on a stick!

Thanks to Joe, his wife Joyce, and Tejas Trails for another fantastic race. Somehow, they know how to keep that low key feel even when their races grow. This race will stay on my list for some time to come. 

Over the year I have started to learn something about myself and ultra running. When I first started ultra running I wasn't very good at dealing with the pain that running such long distance will bring. 

I have recently started to become much better at dealing with the pain. At the 50K, there were plenty of times I wanted to walk, and could have walked, but I didn't. I knew what it would take to get that new PR and maintain my 3rd place OA. 

This was a great way for me to "finish" my running season and start the thanksgiving holiday. 

This week, I am thankful for my ability to run. I am thankful for my wife, family, and friends. But above all, I'm thankful for the God that has given it all to me. Because lord knows... I'm not worthy. 

-Jacob