2021 Hardrock 100 race report - watching dreams come to life

 HARDROCK 100 RACE REPORT    7/16/21

What is Hardrock?

This race is different for many reasons.  It is not just another race or another 100. To most ultrarunners, it is THE race.  I have always viewed it this way. I discovered trail running in 2009 and discovered this race about the same time. It immediately was at the top of the list.  Every December the race holds a lottery, and 140 lucky runners are selected.  To enter the lottery, one must run a qualifying race to apply. Luckily the list of qualifiers was the same list of races that I wanted to run anyways so I started off by applying to HURT100 in 2011.  The qualifying races are other "mountainous" 100's around the nation and the world.  Hardrock is very rugged and remote, so the qualifiers help make sure people are somewhat self-sufficient in the mountains. Aside from the route finding being an issue, the time spent between aid station can be very long and the weather can make dramatic changes very quickly. 

Pre-race thoughts

It had been about 10 years (since my first time running the HURT100) since I've really been out of my comfort zone. Each race is tough in its own way, but I always "expected" to finish every single one. Hardrock was a little different; I knew that I had to take it seriously and be smart or else the mountains would destroy me.  I was also concerned with the total time it would likely take me to complete this race, it had been 10 years since I have been out on a course for more than 26 hours. The idea of the second day, and possibly a 2nd night, was very new to me. 

Strategy

I had a different pacing approach this race. With 13 mountain passes totaling over 33,000 ft of climb and an equal amount of descent, I knew it was going to take its toll.  A huge difference with this race, compared to others, is the fact that the climbs and descents last for 3,000-6,000 ft and around 3-9 miles at a time. That is more mountainous than any other race I have done, and far more mountainous than where I train on the east coast.  I broke my game plan into 3 sections: climbs, flats, and descents. As far as the climbs, it is what it is. No easy way to get up them, just do what I can, and not burn myself up too bad. Flats I planned to run as efficiently as possible but if I was struggling, I would walk when needed. I did not want to force a run if I was struggling so I didn't burn myself up. Descents was what I really focused on.  The key word I kept telling myself was "efficient". How to get down the mountain the most efficient way possible. If I felt my legs burning too much, I planned to walk a switchback or pause to let the blood flow catch back up.   I knew that the make or break of my race was how long I would have "downhill legs".  The moment I was forced to walk downhills, was the moment that my time goal would be out the window, and the rest of the race would be miserable.  I assumed it was inevitable, but I would try and prolong it as long as possible.

Goals / Expectations  

I'll be 100% honest with this one. For the most part, I did not have a time goal. My goal was to enjoy the race as much as possible.  I've waited 10 years to run this race, so I wanted to savor every pass, every view, every aid station. This race has some iconic spots, so I wanted to really soak it in.  However, if you know me, you know I did have a time goal in the back of my mind as well.  I have always been very competitive with myself in races and my own time goals I have in mind.  I have never cared about place or what other people are doing. It has always been me against the course. 36 hours was my best "guess". I knew if things got ugly 40+ hours was possible. But if things went really well, 32 hours was possible as well.  I created pace charts ranging from 30 hours to 40 hours for my family / crew and for myself.  I wanted to know what kind of pace I was on to mentally prepare myself, and to plan ahead regarding 2nd night light source.

Actual pre-race

I arrived in the San Jauns two weeks before the race. I never thought in a million years that this would be possible, but let’s just say my wife was dead set on this happening. Having the time to acclimate and familiarize myself with the course was an absolute game changer.  Training in the months leading up to the race went so so. I was able to get in what I needed but my legs never felt fresh, and I never had any speed.  My main goal when I arrived in Colorado was to really take care of myself and get fresh. I made the 32-hour drive in two days and arrived in Lake City at midnight.  The next morning, I met my friend Matt, and we tackled the double 14'er redcloud / sunshine peak loop.  This was a great "shock" to my body and jumpstarted the acclimation process.   The next few days consisted of hitting various parts of the course and getting comfortable as I familiarized myself with the area.  With 11 days to go before the race, I tackled the Handies peak section of the course.  Everything clicked with that run, and I felt great.  I called Kelly afterwards and told her in a very plain and simple way "I feel good.  I am going to have a good race". For the first time in a long time, I had energy and I felt strong. My excitement for the race skyrocketed.

Actual race

Enough of the boring stuff.  Let’s talk about how the race actually went.  The energy and excitement surrounding this race was insane.  I felt like all the runners were just as excited, weather they had run Hardrock before or not.  With it being canceled two years in a row, everybody was excited to get back out there. Before we knew it, we were off and headed out of Silverton and toward our first climb up Little Giant pass. The streets were lined with spectators and the energy was so fun!  I kept telling myself to take it easy, and be efficient. I was able to run with my friend Nick for the first two miles which was nice. Toward the top of the climb, I found myself in my usual spot (that gap between the lead pack and everybody else).   I was glad to be by myself for the first big downhill because I did not want to get sucked into a certain pace. I wanted to take it easy and not have any burning at all.  Made it to Cunningham, mile 9.2 right at 2:25 race time.  I saw my family, grabbed a clif bar and GU for the next section. So far, so good. 

Cunningham (mile 9.2) to Sherman (mile 28)

I left Cunningham knowing that this would be my longest stretch without seeing my wife or any family. From Cunningham to pole creek was pretty uneventful and I just focused on nutrition and being efficient.  I ran with a guy named Brian from NY and Mike Wardian mainly. We all chatted, and it helped the miles tick by. Leaving pole creek my energy started to fade for the first time (around mile 20). I start off every race drinking straight water without taking salt pills.  That way when things go sideways, I know which side of the fence I'm on.  The first storm came in around Caterac Lake. The wind picked up, and it dropped about 30 degrees.  I put on my jacket but basically left the storm almost immediately with sideways rain and wind behind me.  The descent down into Sherman was fine but not great. My nutrition was still a little off, and I did not have a ton of energy.  I was not worried at all because I knew I would figure it out.  I arrived at the mile 28 aid station at around 8:10 clock time which according to past results was about a 37–38-hour pace.  I was a little disappointed to be behind pace, but I knew I could rally.  

Sherman to Grouse Gulch (mile 42)

I left Sherman aid station with a massive quesadilla, and the sun shining again.  At this point I was headed toward the high point of the race which is Handies peak at just over 14,000 ft.  It was midafternoon and I figured this would be the most likely climb to get caught in a storm.  The 3.5-mile climb to burrows park was uneventful. I filled up my bottles and bladder knowing that I had a tough section ahead of me, and statistically the second longest section timewise. I would say the climb up Handies was one of two low points of the race.  It is a 5 mile / 4,000 ft climb that seemed to take forever.  I was dead set on getting back on track to my 36-hour pace chart so I needed to get to Grouse by 12:40 clock time.  My goal was to get to the peak by 11:10 to allow myself an hour and a half to do the 4.8-mile descent.  The final 1000 ft of the climb is steep and tough.  You are over 13,000 ft at this point, and it gets really steep and technical.  I remember seeing the final pitch for the first time, and it was a shot to the gut to see people way up where I was headed. I told myself that it was going to be tough, but this mountain ain’t gonna climb itself, so I got to work.  During that final mile the rain was coming down, so I had my jacket on and my hood up. All the surrounding peaks had much harder storms and we did not have lightning above us, so I felt lucky. I reached the summit at 11:13 clock time, my hood was up to block the rain and we were basically in the clouds.  I thought to myself, “now this is Hardrock” with a big smile on my face.  I took about a 20 second pause to savor the moment and started the downhill.  As soon as I started running, I was surprised and in total shock that my legs and energy was back!  I started running downhill and I felt absolutely perfect and fresh.  The descent was fun and as I crested the american basin / grouse pass, I could see sun in the distance.  I was excited and feeling good. I was about to see my family for the first time in 33 miles and pick up my wife who would run with me the 14 mile stretch to Ouray.  I arrived at Grouse at around 12:30 clock time and pumped to be back on my 36-hour pace.

Grouse Gulch to Ouray (mile 56)

It was great seeing my family and an old friend, Buddy Teaster, as well.  I grabbed my headlamp, flashlight, and my wife.  As we set out, the sun came out and we were feeling great!  I did not care what our pace was at all this section.  I wanted to experience this race with my wife no matter what so this was special.  We started making our way up the comparatively gentle climb, and I told Kelly all the details how my day was going. I had a ton of energy, and I was excited for the miles ahead. As we made our way up the climb the sun was setting and it was spectacular. At the top of the 5-mile climb we took a moment to appreciate everything and get ready for the long 9-mile descent into Ouray.  We really soaked it in, and it was a moment we will always remember. As we were approaching engineer aid station, I was telling Kelly I wanted to stick to GU, and how “normal” food wasn’t sitting well.  We arrived with a little bit of sunlight left. They asked me if I wanted a brisket / potato burrito and without hesitation I took one for the road. So much for not eating real food. At this point we were still in the high alpine landscape but soon approaching the rockier landscape of Ouray. We turned on our headlamps right at mile 50 and I made sure we were paying attention as the trail got narrower. We decided to walk the infamous cliff section of bear creek trail and enjoy it. We were still feeling good and loving every second of it. We soon got to the dinner plate switchbacks so I knew the highway crossing was in about a mile.  We eventually arrived in Ouray and Kelly’s pacing duties were over.  The website has 36 hour pace arriving in Ouray at 11:17pm and we arrived at 10:57 I believe. Still on track, and still feeling good!

Ouray to Chapman (mile 82)

We left Ouray at exactly 11:05pm and started the 11 mile climb up to Virginius Pass (Krogers Canteen). I was now with my new found pacer, Jason, for the night. My original pacer fell through on Tuesday when he had an accident earlier in the week and hurt his ribs. The same day, Kelly and I were running in grouse gulch and ran into Jason. We chatted for a bit and as soon as we left, Kelly said you should’ve asked him to pace. It must have been fate because we ended up running into him the next day in town. He agreed to pace, and the rest is history.  We made our way up camp bird and I was still feeling great. We had a pretty good hike going but had to pause for a second to let a porcupine pass in front of us that was the size of a bear. I did not want one of those quills launched at me, so I kept my distance.  Energy and legs felt like I had just started. We arrived at governor basin aid station after about 8 miles of steady climb. I chatted with an old friend at the aid station, shoved a whole piece of cake in my mouth and marched on toward Virginius. I am not sure which is steeper, this or grant swamp pass but this climb is no joke. As we approached the steep part, I told Jason to keep his distance or stay to the side of me due to falling rocks and boulders. This climb is three separate pitches that get steeper and steeper. As we crested the second basin, we could see the aid station for the first time. Seeing the lights up ahead was incredibly cool, but also very intimidating at the same time.  At this point it was almost 3 in the morning and all you could see is a black wall and the aid station which looked like a star.  We made our way up the final pitch, slowly but surely. You really had to pick the correct line or else you would slide back down with each step.  All I had was my dim headlamp since I needed my hands for this part and didn’t have my flashlight. We crested the top and it was a great feeling to have that climb behind me, and to be at the most iconic aid station in all of ultrarunning.  As much as my stomach didn’t want it, I felt like I had to partake in the traditional tequila shot, or else I wasn’t a true hardrocker.  Thankfully it was a pretty small one so it sat fine.  Tequila, coke, and grilled cheese.  Perfect ingredients for a successful decent down to telluride. The first mile of this decent is a little sketchy and slow but the remaining four miles into town are runnable. My downhill legs felt fine, but I was still trying to save them and not blow them up.  This decent was tough because every single mile drops about 1000 feet, so you never get a break.  We were moving good and making up time every section. I always have goals each section to keep me motivated and moving.  We left Kroger's Canteen right at 3am so I told Jason that 4:30 would be a good goal to get to Telluride.  We popped out onto the streets at 4:10am and arrived in the aid station at 4:15. My good friend Chris from TX was there, and it was great to see him.  I was there for about 10 minutes and left with my headlamp and flashlight for the final hour darkness.  This is historically the longest section of the race.  Distance wise and time wise.  It is almost 10 miles with the first 7 climbing up to Wasatch basin and over Oscars pass (San Jauquine Ridge between Telluride and Ophir). I would say this was my low point of the race.  The climb is long. Very long. And it hits at tough part of the race. At this point, it was very overwhelming how many miles I still had left.  About halfway up the climb the sun came up and I turned off my headlamp.  Such a relief and new energy to be in the daylight again.  On fresh legs, this might be one of the coolest trails / hikes of the race.  The climb has so many different sections and basins.  Each with its own waterfall, river, and/or wildflowers.  We were moving good and passed a few runners.  According to past results, at my pace, it takes runners an average of about 4-4 ½ hours to do this section.  We left Telluride at 4:25am so my goal was 8:30am for Chapman.  We crested the top of Wasatch basin and it took us a second to find the trail. It was at the bottom of a snow field. I wasn’t sure of the best route, but the snow picked my route for me. I took one step on it and immediately fell to my butt and started sliding down out of control.  It pulled my shorts up so high and the sharp ice gave me about 1000 cuts up my legs and ass.  For a second, I thought it ripped my shorts and that I was going to have to finish the race bare assed.  That would have made for a good story! We made our way over to Oscars pass about a quarter mile over and I was so glad to be done with that climb. I was pretty gassed from that climb so when I looked across the valley to see grant swamp pass for the first time, it was extremely deflating.  It looked like a wall and there was no way I could get up it.  As we started the relatively short decent down into chapman my legs wanted nothing to do with the boulders.  The first couple switchbacks are nothing but basketball size boulders and with 80 miles on your legs, it sucks. This was my most painful decent of the race.  To be honest, it was my ONLY decent that I had pain.  There was no easy way to get down it. It was steep enough that applying the brakes hurt but going too fast hurt as well.  We made our way into one of the most badass aspen forest I’ve ever seen and into Chapman aid station at 8:05am. During nighttime of 100’s I personally don’t take caffeine or do anything to fight the fatigue.  I have always had good luck just letting it happen and then regrouping once the sun is up.  Since it was morning time and my body’s natural coffee time, I drank some coffee to get the day started off right.  At this point, I was flirting with the 34-hour pace, and I was pumped.  This concluded Jason’s pacing duties, and it was the start of my finish. I thanked Jason for keeping me awake, keeping me on course, and making those 26 miles much more enjoyable than they would have been if I were alone.  It is very easy to fall into a relaxed and slow pace when you’re by yourself at night.  He kept me distracted and pushing.

The finish (Chapman mile 82 to the finish)

I left chapman at 8:15am with the 34-hour goal in mind.  I was fully expecting to hit a massive low point and / or a death march at some point.  So, to me, a 34-hour finish was a good goal at this point.  I had two mountain passes, 18 miles to go, and still a ton of energy.  My legs were moving great, and I was ready to tackle this section.  Maybe I was a little too pumped because I blew through the very first turn not even a quarter mile from the aid station.  The trail seemed worn and there were footprints, so I assumed I was on the correct trail. After about half a mile I came to an intersection with no markers. I thought it was odd, but I was heading the correct direction and I would still see signs of foot traffic, so I kept going like an idiot.  About another quarter mile goes by and suddenly, the trail bends to the left and starts heading back toward the aid station. I knew something wasn’t right and the footprints were facing the other direction.  I had been carrying my phone in my pack for 83 miles at this point for emergency use only.  I do not wear a GPS watch, so I did not have the course on my watch like a lot of other runners. I opened backcountry navigator pro (which is what I’ve used for training and mapping purposes for years), and I saw that I was supposed to be about 700 ft above where I was at this point. I typically can navigate terrain extremely well because I study maps, so I was a little disappointed in myself getting off course. The intersection was well marked, and I did everything you are not supposed to do. We’ll blame it on fatigue. I made my way back to the correct trail but wasted about 25 minutes.  I was feeling great and started passing all the same people that I passed on the previous climb.  The next few miles were annoying and technical.  I crested the final boulder field and was staring at a wall, also known as grant swamp pass.  This was my second to last climb and mentally I wanted to get it over with so bad.  I had about 85 miles on my legs at this point, so this is probably one of the most intimidating sights in all of trail running. I took a deep breath and started making my way up.  I found a good line that hugged the left side so I would use the rocks to help pull myself up.  It is steep and loose.  If you didn’t step on a rock or in somebody else’s footprint, you would slide back down.  I stayed focused and determined.  Once I crested the top, I was anxious to see the infamous island lake for the first time in my life.  It is probably the most iconic spot on the course, and one of the prettiest views I’ve ever had in the mountains.  It was truly amazing. 

This is the turning point of my race.  This was the moment that I stood there and soaked it all in, I took a deep breath, and got focused.  I had 15 miles to go; two descents and one climb.  At this point it was 10am and I was still feeling great. Good enough that I moved my goal from sub 34 hours to sub 33 hours.  According to past results it takes people at my pace about 4 hours to get from KT to the finish. I figured if I make it to KT in one hour, that gives me 4 hours to get to the finish for a 33 hour finish.  I made the decision to say screw any sort of pacing strategy and just let it rip.  I was no longer going to take the downhills easy and try to save my legs.  I figured that if I blow up, I am close enough to finish that I’ll just walk it in.  I had been looking forward to this moment all race and purposely saved my iPod for this moment.  I put in my earphones, said goodbye to island lake and started the decent into KT (mile 85-mile 89).  As I started the downhill, my legs went from feeling good to feeling great.  The music gave me a new energy and I was the most jacked I’ve ever been during a race.  I was heading downhill as if my legs were 100% fresh.  It was a little annoying because I was feeling so good, but this section had a down tree to crawl over about every 50 feet.  I hammered it down the Kamm Traverse into the aid station right on time.  I was focused and determined.  I arrived at 11:03am, filled my bottles, grabbed 3 gels, and was gone within a minute. 

One more climb to go. One more mountain ahead of me. I was in disbelief at how good I felt. I had three hours and fifty-five minutes to go sub-33.  At this point I had done the math several times for a sub-32, but quickly dismissed it.  I knew according to past years, very few people had ever made it to the finish from KT in under 3 hours.  I felt so good that I wanted to give it a go.  I told myself I needed to get to the top of the final climb (7.5 to go) by 30:20 clock time to give myself any sort of chance.  I was hammering the climb and running a lot of the uphills for the first time all race.  For some reason my breathing never increased too much.  I made it to the top of the climb around 30:30 clock time and I knew that there was no way I could make it to the finish in an hour and a half.  Once again, I gave up on the sub-32-hour goal.  I started my final decent with thunder cracking all around me, but never on top of me. My downhill legs were better than ever, and I did the math once again for a 32-hour finish.  I arrived at Putnam aid station with 1:08 to make it to the finish.  It is about 6 miles to the finish and mostly downhill.  Once again, I filled my bottles, grabbed 2 gels, and hit the trail.  I gave myself a little pep talk and told myself to leave it all out on the course. I wanted to come away with no regrets.  I picked up the pace another notch and was moving quicker than when I did this section during training.  At this point, I will not be able to put into words the feelings I had.  I can honestly say this was the sweetest moment of my running career and possibly my life.  I had never experienced adrenaline like this and was trying to keep the tears at bay so I could see the trail.  This section is somewhat technical, but my legs had no problem navigating the boulders.  I wanted to make it to the river with 25 minutes to spare for the final 2.3 miles to the finish.  I was moving very quick, and ran into spectator named Anna. She was out there waiting for her friend Darcy to come through. I thought I was much closer, but she told me I still had over a mile to the river. It was a little deflating and I basically convinced myself that the 32-hour goal wasn’t happening.   At this point I was absolutely giving it all I had and moving at about a 7-minute pace on the smooth sections.  I made it to the river and saw my family all there.  I wasn’t sure if they would be there or not since I was so far ahead of pace.  I had 23 minute to get to the finish to break 32.  I made my way through the river as quickly as possible and let them know my goal.  The final 2.3 is about half uphill and half downhill.  I ran 100% of it giving it all I had.  At this point I assumed I was going to miss it by 2-3 minutes, but I didn’t care. I wanted to come away with no regrets.  I made it to the never-ending uphill gravel road to the shrine monument which signified my final turn toward town.  This uphill part was tough, and I was breathing as if I was doing a speed workout.  I made it to the final turn down into town with 4 minutes to go.  I wasn’t sure how long it was to the finish, so I didn’t know if it was going to happen or not.  I was in a full sprint and made it to the street and could see the finish line crowd.  I looked at my watch and it read 31:57:30, and for the first time I realized that I was going to break 32 hours.  This was one of the most emotional quarter miles of my life. As I approached the finish line, I saw all my family and friends.  I gave some high fives and rounded the final corner to see the rock for the first time.  This is the moment I’ve dreamt of for 10 years.  This is the moment that has kept me up at night for all these years. I always imagined it being special but had no idea it was going to be this emotional. 

I entered the finish chute at 31:58:20 and kissed the rock.

I made it from KT to the finish in 2:56, a pace that has only been done a handful of times.  I was in total shock and could not believe it was over.  Kelly ran over to me with tears that I’ve never seen on her face.  We hugged and I received my finisher medal from Dale. 

Words cannot describe what this race means to me and what this finish meant to me.  

This is something that I will always remember the rest of my life.

Kelly and I want to sincerely thank everyone who cheered him throughout the race.

We also want to thank everyone who donated to the Travis Manion Foundation- this is an incredible foundation that does amazing work for our veterans & families of fallen heroes. We are proud to help support them and their efforts. 

Sincerest thank you for those who donated to the Travis Manion Foundation 

in support of Brian's dedication of this race. 

Together, we raised $2,211.

Mt Tammany 10!

Mt. Tammany 10! Race Report and HR100 training
4/8/19

On 3/23/19 I ran the Mt Tammany 10! Race in Delaware Water Gap, NJ.  It is a low key classic ass whoopin. It’s a 3.8 mile loop that goes up about 1.3 mile and 1,200 ft, about 1/2m of flat, then about 2 miles down and 1,200 ft decent. You do the loop 10 times. The course has a wide variety of ice, snow, mud, and moss. One thing is consistent though, the boulders. The entire loop is very very technical which makes for a lot of effort and very slow miles.  You have a loose cutoff of 10 hours to start your final loop which before the race i never thought about it. I expected to finish the race in 8 - 8 1/2 hours. I started my final loop at 9:20 clock time only 40 minutes ahead of cut off. Oops.

After loop one with fresh legs, i looked down at my watch and it took me 55 minutes. At that point, i knew it was going to be a very long day and breaking 10 hours wasn’t going to happen. My body was off all day. Only a couple hours in, I was fatigued and my stomach was very swollen and painful. I slowed it down and the final 25 miles were slow and steady.  I finished the race in about 10 1/2 hours and I enjoyed it overall. I love that type of format and it was a great training run for hardrock. I needed a good wake up call that i need to get my butt in gear.

The weeks prior i had been battling some sinus crap so i went into the race a little tired and off. The next day I felt horrible and ended up with he flu. I’ve never had the flu in my life but writing this 2 weeks later, I finally feel normal again. I don’t think i had the flu during the race but my immune system was definitely compromised and let the flu creep in the days after the race. With my body aching from being sick plus the soreness of 12,000 ft of downhill, i was the most sore i’ve ever been.

Fast forward two weeks to today. This marks the beginning of my actual Hardrock training.  I don’t schedule out very specific training since life typically gets in the way. Instead I have some guidelines that I will follow.

1. Get leaner. I have about 15 pounds to lose to get to my ideal race weight.
2. 3 major long runs. At the end of April, May, and June I will get in about a 30-35 miler with about 10-12k feet of gain for a solid training run.
3. Weekly mileage will be between 50-90 for the next 3 months with a solid long run each week.

If i follow those three rules, then I will be ready. I have a solid base and i have mapped out some good routes with plenty of climbs / descents. It is finally spring time here and I am looking forward to spending a lot of time outdoors. I have been reading up on the course and trying to memorize some of the troublesome parts.  I may write another post about a month out from the race to document how my main training block went. No more just going through the motions. Time to focus and get serious.

Hardrock 100 thoughts

1/31/19 - Hardrock 100 Thoughts

I have a new motivation that I haven’t had in years. A new fire. I haven’t written a blog post in almost 5 years. I never lost the love of trail running or mountains but I lost some of the passion.  This past month has brought back old memories. Memories of not being able to sleep because of excitement of an upcoming race. Memories of actually looking at a race website over and over and reading every race report i can find.

Rewind to 2008. Discovered Hardrock. Blown away by it but intrigued.
2009 - decided i wanted to get into trail running and ultras.
2010 - did my first 100 and decided i wanted to do more and start qualifying for Hardrock
2011 - got into the HURT 100 and qualified for my first time.
2012 through 2017 - put my name in every year without getting chosen

December 1, 2018
For the past several years the first Saturday of every December consisted of a run with friends and watching the hardrock lottery somewhere. This year I had a feeling. A feeling strong enough that my wife and I talked about Hardrock for months prior as if I had already gotten in. We even booked a room in Silverton for the race before the lottery even happened. That morning we ran 5 miles together then I continued on for about an additional 20 miles to end at a brewery to watch the lottery. The first 20 names (half) were chosen and mine was not one of them. It started to feel like every other year that I would go to plan B. Then number 21 of the lottery read Brian Hopton-Jones. I put my head down on the table and half laughed half cried half breathed a sigh of relief that we had something major to look forward to. I was in dire need in life and running for something like this to happen.

December 2, 2018
I woke up and my eyes opened up wide and I thought holy shit this is real. I’m officially signed up and training for Hardrock. It could not have come at a better time. The past year has been rough. Adjusting to Pennsylvania life, starting a new career, and dealing with PF for the first time.

I have been getting a solid base so far. I live about an hour from about 12 trailheads on the AT so i’ve mapped out some good training spots.  I do not feel like I’m at a disadvantage at all living at sea level. I have always said its the effort and training you do, not what you have available.  I have several different spots that have multiple 800-1000 foot climbs. My long runs will be more repeats and out and back spurs on the these climbs. My game plan is to train the downhill muscles more then anything. I feel like those are very particular muscles that during a mountain race, they are the first things to go. I know it is inevitable at Hardrock but my goal is to delay the shot quads as long as possible.  I also have an incline trainer treadmill. It goes up to 40% which is great hill training. I have been doing solid workouts during the week with good climbing and speed work that I would otherwise not be able to accomplish on the roads.

As of now my training is separated to two blocks. Now to March 23rd and then April til the race. March 23rd is a 40 mile race called the Mount Tammany 10!. It is 10 repeats up and down a mountain at the PA / NJ border with nearly 12,000 ft climb and descent. I will take a short 1-2 week break then my main training block will start. I will focus more on workouts, hill repeats, and quality climbing/descents then total mileage. The plan is to be all around stronger then I ever have been. This is my shot at Hardrock and I don’t want it to go to waste...

Cactus Rose 100 2014

The game plan and the pre race routine was the same this year.  Put up as good of a time that the day will allow and see where that puts me.  One thing was different this year though.  No crew/pacers.  I did away with pacers last year but still had Kelly crew me, but this year I was on my own.  Kelly has really liked trail running this past year and she was on a relay team.  I wanted her to concentrate on her race and have zero obligations to help me with mine.  if she wanted to come to some aid station to see me she was more then welcome but I had it set up to get my own stuff at the aids. 



before the start

The forecast leading up to the race didn't look good.  I knew with the heat index being mid 90's that I couldn't be too hard on myself with my splits and overall finish time.  I knew it was going to be a slower year.  we started out on loop one and everything felt good.  it was about 65 degrees and we started off at about the same pace as always flying through mile 10 nachos at about 1 1/2 hours.   I knew before the race that I had two main people to watch out for.  Lorenzo and Pompilio.  I've never met Pompilio and I don't know very much about his running.  All I knew was that he was ahead of me at mile 51 at the Mogollon Monster last month when it got cancelled.  I knew Lorenzo is a solid runner and we have very similar styles and game plans.  Lorenzo is extremely nice and I looked forward to sharing miles with him.  the rest of loop one was pretty uneventful and Lorenzo and I ran almost the entire thing together coming in at 4:11.  that was the fastest I've ever done loop one.  I've come in around 4:15 the past three years in a row.

Loop 2 started and things were the same.  to my surprise, I passed pompilio at mile 27 at the bottom of cairns.  he didn't look good.  I knew something  wasn't right.  I saw Kelly on top of Boyles bump going the opposite way and she looked good and said she was having fun.  I was so relieved to hear that especially since this was her longest run to date.  at around mile 38 (ice cream hill) Lorenzo and I were beginning to feel the heat.  Things started to slow down and my stomach went south.  I couldn't tell if I was dehydrated or off on electrolytes.  I experimented and took a salt pill.  we remained together until mile 45 aid station.  I started feeling a tad better and I left before him.  I ran a pretty solid section into the lodge and came in at 9:06 clock time.  Kelly was there and I saw Lorenzo come in not too far behind me.

Coming into mile 55

 

I left for my third loop not knowing that I wouldn't run with anybody again for the rest of the race.  I kept looking over my shoulder but little did know that it was pointless.  loop three was an interesting loop.  I never felt like death but I never had a high like I normally do at some points during this race.  my stomach still hurt and I was getting frustrated because I still couldn't figure out if I needed more water or less water or more salt or less salt.  I have a very simple routine with gu's and I don't stray from it. this was a very slow loop for me but my legs still felt great.  I was able to run anytime I wanted but my stomach would always cut those runs short and I would have to walk it off for a minute. once the stomach felt better I would do it all over again.  my original gameplan was to have my handheld flashlight at the lodge and pick it up at 75.  on loop 1 I made a smart decision knowing it was going to be a slower year and saved my headlamp for mile 70 incase I couldn't make it to the lodge in the daylight.  thank god I did that because on top of cairns it got dark, very dark.  it was a new moon so I had zero help from the moon.  I flipped on the headlamp for the first time ever and saw my first tarantula of the race on a rock right where I was about to put my hand to pull myself up one of the ledges.  coming into the lodge my stomach got even worse. 

I left for loop four at around 14:50.  about 30 minutes slower then last year and almost 1 1/2 hours slower then 2012.  this year the heat kicked my ass.  my stomach was so jacked up that I was on the verge of throwing up and I have never thrown up during a race.  I was yawning and my eyes were heavy.  all I could think about was how bad I wanted to sleep.  But quitting wasn't an option.  I have never quit a race even though I have felt much worse then this.  I was in first and I had a 500 mile jacket waiting for me after this final loop.  I stayed focused and turned things around after a couple miles.  I started feeling better and saw 2nd place right after that.  I knew my lead was over an hour but that means nothing in a 100.  I started feeling good enough to know that if I kept it up there would be no way he would catch me.  I laid down some good miles and it wasn't all that bad.  I was able to run all the runnable stuff really well and my energy levels were great.  at the start of loop 4 I made my new goal sub 21 and stayed focused on that.  I made new goals for each aid station.  my new handheld flashlight and head lamp were working great.  I could see markers glowing a mile away.  I came into nachos at 19 hours and which was about 5 minutes off if I wanted a sub 21.  every other year at this race, the last 10 miles sucked.  I struggled big time to run the runnable stuff and the sections felt like eternity.  this year my stomach settled down and my legs felt great.  at this point I had zero hot spots on my feet and zero chaffage.  I dread this section big time but this year it wasn't all that bad.  I ran pretty much everything that should be run and came in with a normal split.  I saw Kelly again at mile 95 for the final time.  she was happy to see I was feeling good (unlike last year) and I told her I would see her at the finish.  I've been thinking about this moment for years.  This is the fourth year in a row that I've been after a major goal at this race and/or the win.  I've come up short every year placing 3rd.  This final section was special though.  I was feeling great so running was very enjoyable and I had a 1st place trophy and a 500 mile jacket waiting on me.  I missed 21 hours and came in at 21:08 and was happy to be done. 

I've thought about this moment for so long that I couldn't believe it happened.  this year was definitely a slow year.  I never imagined that a 21 hour would win it, but the heat was a killer.  I had no clue where 2nd place was and Kelly and I hung out for 1 1/2 - 2 hours but I couldn't stay awake any longer.  it turns out I probably left right as he was coming in.  I am extremely proud of Kelly for doing so well at her race.  25 miles is a long way to go especially on such rugged terrain.  She met me at just about every aid station after mile 50 to show support.  it was such a fun weekend and the people of trail running is what keeps us coming back for more.  huge thanks to joe and the team for putting this race together once again for us to all come out and suffer.

new year, new goals!

2013 was a big year for me.  Not for running but in life.  my fiancée and I bought a house, I got engaged, and I moved for the first time ever.  Our house needed a ton of remodeling so it was a busy year.  I did 5 races instead of my 13 in 2012.  I trained but just enough to get by so I didn't really nail anything like I did in the previous years. 

2013 in review:

January - HURT 100 while I did quite a bit better then 2012, I don't feel like I nailed it like I can.  I ran a 26:47, but I feel like closer to 24 is my true potential.

February - Cowtown 50k - I did this race spur of the moment so what can I expect? I had hopes of 3:45ish but came in around 3:58 with a poor finish.  I injured the IT band over my left hip which put me out for 3 months.

July - My hip healed just in time to get in training for Tahoe Rim Trail 100 July 20th.  I've wanted to go to Tahoe my whole life so it was a great experience.  I fell apart the last 20 more then I ever have in a race.  My 22-23 hour finish quickly turned into wanting to quit and a 26 hour finish.

September - Rough Creek 40.  I half way trained and knew my endurance wouldn't last 40 miles so I did ok the first 20 then suffered the last 20.  I still managed to win but ran it over an hour slower then 2012.

October - Cactus Rose 100.  I got in better shape but still not ideal.  I ran a 20:38 which was about 1 1/2 hours slower then I wanted but nutrition had a lot to do with it.  One day I will actually nail this race.


2014 looking ahead:

over the winter I lacked motivation to get out and train when it was cold.  I got in miles here and there but never trained enough to make it to my planned races (bandera 100k and rocky raccoon 100m).  here's a breakdown of my goals for the upcoming year.

Feb - I'm focused now and I would like Feb to keep going good and hit at least 300 miles.

March - High milage month with some speed training.  Im planning on possum kingdom april 12th and I want to nail it so march will be an important month.  I haven't done speed training in years but I know the importance so twice a week I will substitute my regular run for some sort of interval or tempo run. I would like to average around 80 per week.

April - Nail possum kingdom 52 miler in around 7:30.  I will need to be lean and top of my game but I need a goal that will force me to stay focused.

May - stay in shape and stay lean.  May 10th the dallas to fort worth run will be fun and then 2 weeks later I plan on going to new mexico for some good mountains.

June - stay focused despite my bachelor party in new Orleans.  possibly captn karls at the end of the month? might be good motivation to stay focused.

July - getting married july 12th.  our honeymoon will be in seattle area and Canada with plenty of mountains to go hiking / running on so hopefully it will be easy to stay in shape during that period.

August - major focus month.  high milage, intense training.  no races planned.

September - most important month of the year (running wise). September 6th captn karls finale at reveille ranch. I would like to better my time of 5:45 and possible go under 5:38???  then recover good and stay very focused for Mogollon Monster 100 in Arizona September 27th.  That's my main race this year.  Its my kind of course and I want to nail it.

October - recover from MM106 and play cactus rose by ear. 

November / December - stay lean and who knows??? probably train for bandera 100k.

my main goal for 2014 is to stay motivated and not have any blow off months.  I want to nail every race I enter (or at least properly train).  I enjoy the training and trail running scene so I would like to get back into it.

2013 Cactus Rose 100 Race Report

PRE-RACE REPORT    10-23-13

This summer hasn't gone very well from a running perspective.  Last year I did two captn karls races, rough creek and my usual 45 miler leading up to cactus and they all went perfect.  This year I struggled on all my long runs and struggled through rough creek as well.  After Rough Creek I got focused and thing turned around.  I got in a couple 90 mile weeks and leaned up a tad.  since then I've had some really good runs.  Nothing as long as I would have liked, but I'll take it.  I've had to do some major mental adjustments to make sure I'm prepared for this.  Last year I finally met my time goal of 19:20 so I'm a little more relaxed this year.  Maybe that's what the problem was, I didn't take training serious enough?  This past month my runs on the trail have been very fast but not too long so I know I can at least do loop 1 fast.  This year speed isn't my concern its how long my body will hold up.  If my body can hold up then I'm optimistic about this weekend.  I would like to beat last years time and ideally go closer to 18:30, but being up front is what I'll pay more attention to this year.  Steven isn't running the 100 this year but I feel that its going to be the most competitive and even matched field ever at this race.  Lorenzo has got to be the one to go after with his back to back 2nd place finishes here.  Brandon Ostrander will be out there for his first 100.  Will he be more conservative with it being his first 100 or will he be up front?  Nathan Leehman is one to watch as well.  He's done a shit ton of 100's this year and they've all been solid.  Eric Gilbertson will also be up front.  I've never been in the same race as him and not finished back to back with him.  Im sure i'm missing somebody on the sign up sheet or maybe all those people from mexico are from the tarahumara tribe and will dominate in their sandals.  Even though I may crash and burn, I'm still going for it because those who don't take a chance don't get a chance right?

10-28-13

RACE REPORT

You learn a lot every race.  I compare ultra running to golf. There is no such thing as a perfect round or race and it leaves you always wanting more.  This year was no different.  I feel I am very good with nutrition and I'm able to figure out and fix it but I can't seem to have a perfect 100 nutrition wise.  One thing that I can say I am very happy with is the way my legs held up though. I'm more confident then ever that if I can nail a 100 nutrition and pacing wise then I can post a good time.

PRE RACE

With my brother's wife being due pretty soon he had to sit this one out from crewing me.  In the years past he has always met me at each aid with my gu and bottle ready.  It is a huge time saver and helps me out big time.  My fiancé, Kelly, stepped up to the plate ready to help me out.  We still camped out by the start and did everything the exact same.

Before sending me off!

LOOP 1

Every year at this race I wake up and throw on a ton of clothes and blast the heater in the truck.  This year was far from that.  I slept on top of my sleeping bag, woke up and comfortably changed outside.  I loved the warm start but knew it was going to be a tougher day because of it.  It was nice not having to take off anything all race or put anything on though.  Usual pre race routine done and up front ready to go.  I said my final good bye to Kelly and chatted with some other runners and we were off.  Steven and some other 50 milers or relayers took off and from the start it was pretty much Eric, Nathan, Lorenzo and myself together.  We ran the first section solid in just under 42 minutes which was my goal.  Last year I was still bundled up with several layers but this year I was drenched in sweat already.  The four of us chatted and joked for the next section and it felt good.  Just before nachos Lorenzo dropped off and at about the same time Nathan put a little gap on Eric and I.  I passed through nachos at the 1:29 mark which was right on schedule but I felt like I was running a 50 milers effort instead of a 100.  I knew there was plenty of time to hurt so I backed off a tad on the next section.  Eric, Lorenzo, and myself came into equestrian somewhat together and Eric and I left together.  We ran together pretty much all the way to the lodge with eric creating a little gap.  I finished loop 1 in 4:15 which was about 12 minutes slower then what I wanted but the heat and humidity was a killer.  I feel that I was working pretty hard and anything more would have been too much.

Coming into Boyles - mile 20 @ 3:18

LOOP 2

The entire first loop didn't feel that great but when I left for loop 2 things started to get better.  I did the boyles/cairns section faster then the first loop and I was feeling great.  Coming into boyles Kelly had my bottle and everything ready just like every other time.  I left the 30 mile mark in 3rd and at 5:07.  Toward the end of loop 2 is when I start to struggle every year.  I was paying extra close attention to it this year.  Miles 30-40 felt great just like every other year.  When I left mile 40 with Eric still I started to feel the first signs of stomach issues/fatigue.  Every 100 I drink too much and I get a little low on salt at this point.  So I popped an S cap and kept running.  At this point I was able to run perfectly fine but just not quite a fast and not quite as comfortable.  At mile 45 I ate the usual and left feeling a tad worse.  Halfway back to the lodge I popped a couple more S caps trying to fix my problem.  Coming into the lodge it got worse.  I didn't have much of an appetite and I was feeling pretty bad.  Usually as soon as I take a salt pill I feel better within 15 minutes.  Not this time. 

LOOP 3

 I left for my third loop just shy of 9 hours and feeling pretty bad.  I was really struggling mentally also.  I wasn't getting any better and I wasn't wanting to do another 45 miles like this.  Exact same thought process as last year.  I started really thinking about what the problem could be. I have a simple routine and its the same routine as every other race and 100.  I finally realized that I wasn't drinking enough and that made me happy to figure something out.  I decided that I was going to ask Kelly to throw on her shoes and pace me from mile 55 back to 65.  That would at least force me to do another 10 miles and also to try and get myself together.  While she was putting on her shoes I took those couple of minutes to re group and drink water.  I drank 3 hand helds (60 oz) at the aid station and left with two more in my hands.  We left on the run and I started to tell her what I was thinking.  We were talking and having a good time and before I knew it, I was feeling great again.  We ran that five mile stretch pretty solid and came into nachos feeling great.  I must have been way behind on fluids because I downed 100 oz that section and had no need to pee or anything.  I got back on my normal routine and was ready to rock n roll.  I felt good the rest of loop 3 and was back in game mentally.  I came into the lodge at 14:26 and still feeling great.

LOOP 4

At this point it was just now getting dark and I left with my headlamp on.  I was about 40 minutes behind last year but I didn't care.  Miles 75-90 I felt great.  I hammered the hills and ran 100% of it except the steep climbs up each main hill.  I caught Eric after sky island and we ran together until base of mt Fuji.  I was at an all time high and moving good.  I hiked up the steepest grade of the course and ran the rest of the 3 sisters up and down.  I was now in 2nd and I didn't know if Nathan was still moving good or if he was struggling.  I knew if I didn't push as hard as I could then I would regret it.  I ran the whole climb up to the saddle before descending back into equestrian.  I did my usual and left ready to tackle ice cream hill again.  Everything was going great but after that brutal 1.3 miles stretch up and down ice cream hill I was feeling it.  I went too hard trying to catch Nathan and I was done.  I left nachos feeling pretty bad but able to keep running the runnable stuff.  Your definition of runnable changes every loop.  My mouth got really dry after leaving the aid station and I only had one bottle of roctane stuff.  It is very high in sodium so if your mouth is dry, then it doesn't quench your thirst.  I was beyond thirsty but couldn't drink it because it was too salty.  Since I was so dry I couldn't eat anything either.  This whole section was just a downward spiral.  My run became slower and also the runnable stuff because a struggle just to run period.  I've never been this thirsty.  I came into 95 and I chugged 3 handhelds of water.  With my drop in calories and the time of night I started shaking really bad from the cold water and my body temp dropping.  I almost threw up and had to stand there for a couple of minutes.  I took 2 gu's and left with a 3rd one.  As I was leaving Kelly told me that Eric was coming in.  I told her I was in bad shape and I was doing what I could.  The 2 gu's that I took at the aid station were starting to kick in and I started walking faster to try and loosen up.  I kept walking faster and faster and I was soon able to run.  I figured if I was running that he would have trouble catching me.  I ran the first 2 miles of the final section pretty solid and to my surprise I heard foot steps right behind me.  He was surprised to see me and I saw that he was moving really fast so I didn't think I would have been able to keep up.  I gave it all I had, but it wasn't enough.  There was no way in hell I was going to let another person catch me so I kept running til the base of lucky peak.  It wasn't the fastest run but It was all I had.  As I got to the top, I saw Kelly there waiting for me.  She was a bit worried about me because of the way I left mile 95, and I told her I wanted to run it in with her.  We got down lucky peak and picked our way through the final 1/2 mile of rocky terrain.  Once we turned the corner to get on the gravel road, we were on the final mile and ready to be done.  I came in 3rd once again, and finished in 20:38.  There wasn't really anybody at the lodge besides some runners in bad shape so we just sat there for a little bit and ate and drank some before heading back to the tent.  After tossing and turning and little 20 minute bursts of sleep I was ready for the sun to come up and get the hec out of there.  We were up around 7 and loaded up the car to hit the road.

SUMMARY

With the heat and my dehydration I had more stomach issues then ever this race, but my legs held up great.  I was able to move pretty good through the technical stuff even at night on loop 4.  This gives me confidence that if I can nail it nutritionally that I can run the whole thing hard next year.  I really can't thank Kelly enough.  She crewed all 20 hours and did a perfect job.  She has no idea how much she helped me time wise and mentally.  I would also like to thank Joe, Henry, Joyce and all the other volunteers.  Cactus Rose is my favorite race and love it.  Cant wait to get that 500 mile jacket next year!

2010 CACTUS ROSE 100 RACE REPORT

CACTUS ROSE 100 2010 RACE REPORT

 

**I've had this saved on my computer and decided to post it for the memories of my first 100 and my first time on this course.  this took me back to one of the best races / accomplishments of my life.

This being my first 100 I didn’t know what to expect. I’ve read stories about all the pain, hell, and doubt that goes on during a 100 so I was expecting the worst. In Feb of 2009 I ran my first ultra, the cowtown 50k. I did two 50k’s that year but my main goal was to break 3:10 in the marathon which I did at white rock in December of 2009. About a year before qualifying I discovered ultras and trail running. I was anxious to get started with that, but I told myself that I must break 3:10 in the marathon before moving onto the next goal. I ran my first true trail race in Jan of 2010, the Bandera 50k. It whipped my ass. I wasn’t nearly prepared enough and didn’t know what to expect. My time was slow, by body hurt like hell, but something about it left me wanting more. I quickly signed up for a 50 miler a couple months later, but with a better game plan together. Doing a 50 miler had been on my mind for about 2 years at this point and I had every intention of doing one all along. Also, that whole time a 100 miler was on my mind but I told myself I need to get some 50 mile experience before even thinking about that. I did the hells hills 50 in April, and at about the 48 mile mark was when I decided to pick out a 100 and go for it. The 50 never truly tested me, and I think that’s what I’ve been after all along. A true test when I have to pull everything last thing out of me to keep going and see just how bad I really want it. About a week after hells hills I landed on cactus rose 100 Oct 30^th. It was the same course as the Bandera 50k I had done, but about 6 miles of flat sections cut out for a 25 mile loop. It scared the hell out of me picking such a difficult race for my first one, but the difficulty is what drew me to it. As training went on I felt that the more technical a course is, the better I perform. I had about 6 months of training, and knew if I really wanted it that I could make it happen. I respect the 100 mile distance and know that it is not a joke. So I took training very seriously. I hit another 50 miler, a 45 miler, about (8) 40 milers and countless 30-35 milers. Training in the heat really took a toll on me. Around the beginning of August things weren’t going too good and I started really second guessing doing the 100 at all. I took about a week off and started back fresher then ever and things really started looking better. As the weather cooled, I amazed myself with every long run I was doing by holding the same pace for 6,7, or 8 hours at a time. Still I knew that doing 100 is a totally different ballgame. I was predicting about a 28 hour finish time. I calculated a 12:20 first 50 then about a 15:40 second half. That allowed for some very low points and slower running at night.

As the race approached I decided to camp at the start/finish for the first time. It really worked out nice and that is what I’ll always do from here on out. The days before the race I was surprisingly calm and confident about myself. I was mostly pumped because my family was going to be there crewing for me and this was my chance to show them that I can do this stuff. They would be getting there when I was around the 40 mile mark. I had three great pacers lined up; Dalton, jen and my brother. The plan was for Jen to do 50-75 with me and mainly keep me company and keep my mind off of the pain. Then I planned for Dalton to do miles 75-95 with me because that was going to be most of the low points and with his 100 mile experience I felt comfortable with him with me during that time. The last 5 I had my brother pacing me so I could finish with a family member and give him the opportunity to see the course. The course would consist of (4) 25 mile loops with 4 drop bag areas. The course is very rocky with very little sections that you can really open up the pace. There are few 100’s that are more technical, but there are mountain races that have quite a bit more elevation change. The hills on this course aren’t the longest but they are nasty. Filled with loose rocks and poor footing, they give even the most experienced runners a challenge. You can face a challenge with fear or look it dead in the eyes and tell it to bring it. Going into it with confidence is very important, and you can never let the course beat you mentally. The race was a self supported format which I really liked. Everything was laid out and I felt I was as prepared as possible.

Loop 1- I woke up pretty calm, and ready to take on the challenge. I got a horrible night sleep but knew that I wasn’t the only one so it didn’t scare me at all. I lined up a little toward the front knowing that I wouldn’t want to be behind too many people once the course cut down to single track. Also we had to sign in at every aid station and didn’t want to get in a long line at the first one. I started off at a pretty light jog the first 5 miles only walking lucky peak (kind of forced to walk it). My game plan was to run the runnable sections and walk the hills up and down. Also my plan was to really pay attention to my legs and keep them feeling fresh for at least the first 50. I hit the first 3 sections, about 15 miles pretty solid and was already over 30 minutes ahead of schedule. Loop one went great and I did everything according to plan. I talked with fellow runners to help keep my mind off of things and took in plenty of calories. That is one thing that I believe in is taking in quite a bit of calories and keeping as much as possible from gu/chomps type stuff. Loop one was clocked at 5:15 about 40 minutes ahead of schedule.

Loop 2- I knew that being 40 minutes ahead of schedule was either really good or really bad. I felt good and was taking it easy so I was still confident. I started out on loop 2 a little more conservative knowing I still had a long long ways to go, plus the sun was heating up. It hit about 80 that day which isn’t too hot but hot enough to where electrolytes play a big role and nausea can end a race which it did for many runners that day. I had a lot to look forward to at this point, I knew that my family would be there which always lifts your spirits and also this was the last loop without a pacer. I ran with two main people the first 34 miles. At about 34, the guy I was chatting with told me to go ahead that he needed to slow down. I couldn’t tell if I should also slow down because I was going too fast or if my higher calories were doing me good. He had run about 5 other 100’s so I trusted his judgment, but I was feeling too good to slow down. I came into equestrian at mile 35 about 40 minutes ahead of schedule and knew that was going to grow because I had the easier sections in front of me. The next 10 went by pretty uneventful and was pumped to come into equestrian at 45 because I knew my family would be there. Jen was also there and everybody was ready to go. They helped me fill my bottles and get going a little quicker. I left the aid station feeling great, but that quickly changed. At about mile 47, I started feeling nauseous, sluggish, and not very good. The heat was starting to factor in and I didn’t realize that my electrolyte plan was insufficient. Endurolytes don’t have nearly the amount of sodium that I had thought. My stomach was feeling sloshy and my energy was zapped. Loop 2 took me about 5:55. I made it into 50 at 11:10 about 45 minutes ahead of schedule but knew that things were about to get slower. A doctor on site asked me some questions and we came to the conclusion that I needed some more salt. He gave me S! caps which have quite a bit more sodium and I immediately started feeling better. Without him I don’t know what I would have done.

Loop 3- Jen and I set out from the lodge at the halfway point. My stomach still wasn’t right, but we started out running and I figured I would gamble and let it settle on the run instead of walking too much. We talked the whole time and it really kept my mind occupied and that’s when things starting getting good. Between 55 and 60 we were making great time and I felt great (not a bit worse then mile 1). We hit ice cream hill at about mile 62 and when it was starting to get dark. I was feeling stronger and stronger and amazed at how good things were going. We came into mile 65 and I was pumped, probably the most energy I had all race. I let Dalton know I was feeling good since he was going to be pacing me after another 10 miles. Having my family there was awesome because I would feed off of their energy and kept me at a high nonstop. At this point it was completely dark with 35 to go. We kept a very steady pace through the next 10 miles which were the hardest sections of the course. Miles 70-75 was when I started passing people and the other runners were looking bad. I fed off of that and kept trucking hard. Running every bit of the flatter sections and power walking up the climbs. That loop was the slowest which was fine because I new that I was going to start hurting at some point so I was still being conservative. I clocked loop 3 at about a 6:35, and by this point was about 2 hours ahead of schedule. I thanked jen for what an awesome job she did then got ready for loop 4.

Loop 4- this is it. As Dalton and I set off, I immediately started doing calculations in my head. I was feeling great so I had no plans of backing down. I knew that a 26 hour finish was very feasible and was pumped knowing that I was going to make a great time. I calculated out what a 25 hour finish would be and knew that if things went good that a 25 hour finish was possible. I did the math for a sub 24 time and quickly erased that thought. I would have to run a 6:10 final loop. That was 25 minutes faster then loop 3, and I felt like a held a pretty good pace on the third loop. I also realized that my brother would have to do the last section with me in the dark. He had never run trails in the dark and especially nothing like lucky peak. I was skeptical and I knew he would be too. Dalton and I hit the section at a pretty good pace. Marching up the climbs with tremendous intensity and running the rest of it with a good pace and my legs still felt like new. I was expecting things to get very ugly by this point and was thought that the final loop was going to be closer to an eight hour loop. We came into mile 80 as fast as I had done that section all day. He is really competitive and immediately looked at the pad to see how far behind I was from the next guy. He made sure no time was wasted and we were on our way in no time. Miles 80-85 was the hardest section. This section was taking me about an hour and a half the first three times. We stuck to the game plan and ran everything that was runable and power walked up sky island at a pretty good pace. Coming down it is very technical and tough in the dark. The #4 trail that winds through the backside to the sisters is also very technical with lots of smaller steep hills that annoy you because you seem to forget about them every time. There is about a quarter mile stretch of pretty smooth trail leading up to the sisters which gives you a bit of a rest and allows you to pick up the pace a little. By the time I got on top of the sisters I was feeling great knowing that most of the hills were completely done for the day. I walked up fuji, the backside of the first one (the steepest climb of the entire course), then actually ran the climbs and descents of the next two. That astonished me because I walked those all day and finally 82 miles into it I decided to run them. I was passing people going the opposite way on their third loop and they all looked like they were in a ton of pain, but of course I fed off of that and kept trucking. At about mile 84, Dalton and I did some calculations and realized that a sub 24 finish was possible. I couldn’t believe it and we quickly got a game plan together to tackle it. We said that our goal was to be out of equestrian at 20:30 which would give us 3:30 to do the final 15. That was averaging 1:10 per section which was the same pace I was doing all day. When we pulled into the station he mentioned to my sister that I was on the verge of a sub 24 and that it might be a good idea if he continued to pace me instead of my brother. We set out at 20:30 on the dot, and I was determined to get it done. I was feeling great and we set out running at about an 8-9 minute pace. That all stopped when we hit the ice cream hill section for the last time. Before reaching the hill you go through about three smaller dry rivers that are very steep descents and climbs. At about this time my big toe started screaming in pain on the descents. I felt it all day but by this time it was too late to mess with it. The section leading up to the hill seemed to take forever and it all made sense when we realized that some how we went in a circle. I quickly shrugged it off knowing that we did the first two miles of that section extremely fast. But at that time I was not in the mood to spend any more time on ice cream then I had to. It’s not the steepest hill but I feel that it’s the nastiest. Coming off of the hill was when the higher pace started taking a toll on me. We came into nachos at mile 90 right on schedule which was good because the next two sections were fairly easy. As I came in, the 4^th place guy was sitting down. We told them that I was feeling good and he jumped out of his seat and I never saw him again. Before the race I knew I would run the first half pretty conservative so I told my brother that whatever place I was in at mile 50, I was going to pass half of those people the second half. I’ve always been a pretty strong finisher. We grabbed some food, I refilled my bottles and we were off. We had 2:20 to tackle the last 10 miles. At this point running was becoming a struggle for the first time all day. I was taking walking breaks on runnable sections for the first time. Dalton would not let me get off pace and we kept on. That section went pretty much the same throughout, a slow painful jog with walking breaks, but we stayed on pace. We came into equestrian at mile 95 and it was as dead and empty as it gets. It was about 3:40 in the morning and I was 3 ½ hours ahead of schedule. My family was sound asleep because they were not expecting me so quickly. I woke them up knowing that if I let them sleep they would have missed the finish and sat there expecting me for quite some time. Brenna and jenny jumped out of the tent and I told them I was fine and that im very close to breaking 24 hours. I told them that I didn’t need anything and that I would see them in a little bit down at the lodge. My biggest mistake happened at this point. I am very disciplined about sticking to a game plan and staying consistent on calories. My adrenaline was very high at this point and I thought that I could skip eating at the aid station to save time. I had some food in my pockets which I knew was enough to get me through the last 5 miles. We started out at a very brisk pace. I had 1:17 to make it to the lodge. I felt pretty confident about that since that section took me between 1 hour and 1:10 all day. About a mile into the section no words had been spoken yet and Dalton said “man you’re not leaving this to chance are you?” I said nope and kept trucking at about a 9 minute pace. I was focused and thought that I had it in the bag. After running for 23 hours your body is on the verge of shutting down and dropping calories for a split second can send the body into extreme fatigue. About a mile and a half into the section we hit a pretty technical part at which I stopped running and started walking up it. I tried to start running again and my body shut down. Skipping food at equestrian caught up to me. Even my walk slowed way down. My stomach got nauseous and my speech got slurred. Dalton told me that we had better pick up the pace because this wasn’t going to cut it. This was by far the hardest wall I had ever hit during anything in my life. My eyes started to close and I would try to talk but nothing would come out. If I didn’t look straight at the ground I felt like I would fall over. I tried to power walk but it wouldn’t work. I tried to start running again but I was practically running in place. At that point I wasn’t sure about breaking 24 and I honestly didn’t care. I was so exhausted that I just wanted to walk it in and be happy with my time knowing that I still completed 100 miles. Dalton kept pushing me to get going, and kept doing calculation on how long we had to go but I didn’t care. I was on the verge of snapping and telling him to let me be. But deep down inside I knew that I did want it. And I also knew that this is what I’ve been wanting all along: a true challenge. I wrote motivational quotes on all my gu’s to remind of me things while I was out there. All those quotes started coming to mind with two in particular. One of them said “you’ve always wanted a true test, well here it is” and the other said “there is a point in every ultra when you are faced with a decision-a decision to give up or search deep with yourself and preserve it til the end”. I thought to myself well here it is I’m about to find out what type of person I truly am. I’ve got 3 miles left and im faced with a decision. I could have easily decided to walk it in and be satisfied, or as another quote said “I’ve never regretted pushing myself when things get tough but I’ve regretted quitting every time”. I then decided I would give it all I’ve got knowing I could come off that course without any regrets. I made a smart move to reach in my pocket and eat some chomps. As soon as I was done I popped a couple gin gins in my mouth (they take away nausea and work wonders). About a minute later I was at mile 98 staring at the base of lucky’s peak. The sugars started kicking in and I started climbing up it. The power walk that I had going on all the other climbs was gone, but lucky isn’t too long so I knew all I had to do was just get up it. Once I got to the top I knew with my big toe that the descent was going to hurt like hell. On the way down I really had to try and mask the pain, but knowing it was my last descent of the race kept me going. Once we got to the bottom Dalton told me I need to jog it in, no more walking. I had about a mile and half left and it was still way too far to know that a sub 24 was going to happen. Running was very painful but I knew that I didn’t want to leave anything on the course. For the next half mile I was ready to be done. I painfully jogged it and was looking for that turn that took me to the jeep road. It was the longest half mile of my life. We were discussing that the turn would be exactly one mile left when it popped up out of nowhere. That was a huge sigh of relief and we looked at our watches and saw that I had 17 minutes left. That was the first time that I knew I would break 24 no matter what. We picked up the pace a little bit and my spirits were back up to where they started. We talked about what a day it had been and I thanked him for the push. As we took a right turn out of the woods I could see the lodge for the first time. Every bit of pain was gone and I took off. I never thought that breaking 24 was possible on this course. Not for a first timer, especially with my short ultra experience. I could see my family standing there and what a feeling it was. The months leading up to it, you just don’t know if a finish is even going to happen. I think that’s what drew me into the 100. I love the challenge of something that you’re not sure if you can do or not. Crossing that finish line was one of the most surreal moments of my life. I could type ten more pages trying to describe the feeling but couldn’t come close. I ran the last mile in under 10 minutes and my official time was 23:53. It was simply a perfect race. Everything seemed to fall into place perfectly. I completed the final loop in 6:05, 30 minutes faster then loop 3 or over a minute per mile faster. Knowing that I didn’t just complete a 100 but I executed it so well was the best feeling of all. I felt that I had finally proven myself to my family and most of all to myself. There is a lot of self doubt that goes on during a 100 but that was all gone. I wasn’t sure if I would ever do another 100 because I knew it would be hard for it to go that smooth. They gave me my buckle and joyce gave me a hug but I think it was more to make sure I stayed standing. I was in shock and could not believe that it was over. We stayed for a couple minutes got my bag and headed to the car. Once we got to the car it was time to take off my shoes and get into something comfortable. When I saw my toe I could not believe how big the blister was under my nail. I got into some sweats and pretty much fell asleep as soon as I sat down in my truck. That was the first time I sat down in over 24 hours and it was painful because my legs were cramping with every position I tried to put them in. my family got my bags from boyles and nachos while I sat in the truck. I slept for about an hour or so then woke up with some major hunger pains. I immediately said ihop and phoned ahead to my brothers vehicle. We arrived at one in about 10 minutes and I was ready to tear it up. I felt pretty good and was surprisingly alert. Besides in the car, I did not take a nap that day and had sushi for lunch with my bro and went trick or treating that night with my nephew. I got to bed that night at about 9:30 and woke up at 10:00 the next day. It was a solid sleep and got me caught up for the most part. I lied there for a second scared to move not knowing what to expect. I was surprised to see that my muscles weren’t really sore and I had absolutely no joint pain. I was ready to get back at it except for my toe. My blister had gotten so big that it dislodged my toe nail. Days went by and it didn’t get any better. It started to get infected and swollen and very painful. Finally a week later I called the doctor and scheduled to have it removed. Within two days of the removal I was back running with my application turned in for western states. Right now I’m trying to find that next 100 or next challenge. I learned so much from my first one that I think I can go out competitively and harder. We’ll see how that plays out!

Loop 1 - 5:15

Loop 2 - 5:55

Loop 3 - 6:38

Loop 4 - 6:05

First 50 - 11:10

Second 50 - 12:43

Took in about 200 calories every aid sation, ate about an additional 100-150 in middle of each section, and took in about 100 fluid calories each section.