Honor Scroll 2013 Recap

I went into the race with a swagger and walked away with a bruised ego and new perspective. Didn't see that one coming.....

The Honor Scroll is my favorite fundraiser of the year.  I know this seems ludicrous considering the many times that the pink tutu pictures get passed around but believe me, this is my favorite.  The generosity of people never ceases to amaze me. As of race day there was close to $1100 in donations and 180 names on the scroll. As a dude that begs for money every other month.... I call this is a huge success. Thank you to all who participated.

 Coming into the Ouachita 50 mile trail race I honestly, and realistically, thought it was possible for me to run this course in 8 hours and 30 minutes. I had discussed it with my coach, Jeff Kline from PRSFit, and he was on board with the idea. The training was solid and I had just come off a sweet sub 20 at the Rocky Raccoon 100 and a 4th place overall at the Arkansas Traveller so my expectations were high . I had, in fact, come in sub 9 at this race in 2010, so I knew it was very possible. My dad, as is becoming a very welcome and encouraging trend, was coming to support me.  All I had to do was show up, right?

Here is the rundown.... I showed up the day before, grabbed my packet and found a campsite. My dad and step-mother met me and we had dinner, sat around the campfire and  relaxed. As the sun went down so did the temperature and before they left it was getting really cold. They tried to talk me into getting a room at a local hotel but...... I am a man. I have a beard. I sleep in a tent. I stayed and they left. It didn't take long to realize just how cold it was. I woke up shivering and looking for more blankets. My two sleeping bags weren't getting the job done and I had to re-evaluate the situation. I'm usually good at rolling with the punches so...... I am a man. I have a beard. I sleep in my truck. I know this sounds too cozy and comfortable for a true trail runner but sometimes you have to treat yourself.

It was really tough to drag myself out of the warm sleeping bag and into the chilly Arkansas morning but I somehow managed to roll around at the last minute and hurried to the starting area. I opted to wear a jacket to leave at the start and taking the risk that it would still be there when I finished. (it was because ultra runners are awesome like that) After the normal trail briefing from the RD Chrissy Ferguson, which included the standard "I will kick your ass if you..... " speech, we headed towards the starting line. Because of the need to tuck the Honor Scroll, I wore a back pack hydration system. This is not something I typically run with but for this race it was necessary so I fumbled around with it trying to recall the best position for comfort. After greeting a few friends and wishing I had some coffee, it was time to start.

It was still dark but the first mile was on pavement and it was easy enough to run without a headlamp.  I  managed to hold back and refrained from taking off too fast as had been the common practice in past events. As we eased off the pavement and onto the trail, the sun began to rise and the forest came alive with the chatter of 200 runners still excited about the journey ahead of them. This is my favorite part of any trail run. It is the time to look around and talk to strangers. It's an awesome opportunity to make new friends. Sometimes you make friends and run a few miles with them before splitting off. Sometimes you run several miles together before continuing on individual journeys. Sometimes, yet much more rarely, you find someone early on and continue through the majority of the race with them. I got caught up in a pack of runners along a single track section of the trail and decided to settle in with the slower pace as we began the trek up the base of  Pinnacle Mountain.

Around mile 4 we hit the "climb". I try to explain this as a not really a walk, not really a climb, more like a bear crawl straight up the side of a giant Arkansas rock. Coming into the race I told several people that my plan was to not be the first one to the top and there was absolutely no danger of that as I found myself in the midst of a pack of runners trying to negotiate the slippery rocks. It was pretty amazing to look back and see a string of runners stretched out along the mountain. This climb is not easy. It is very difficult but also rewarding. As we approached the top, photographers were waiting to get our pictures. I'm always impressed with these guys. They don't haul their gear up the same trail that we do but it's not like they were dropped on the top by helicopters either. They then print and sell the pictures at the finish line for ten whole dollars which, as most runners know, is crazy cheap for a professional, high quality action shot.

Coming down the mountain wasn't much easier. The rocks were huge and the trail was steep.  I didn't trust myself to move very fast so I took my time and proceeded with caution. As the climb migrated into trail, the pace began to increase. Single track trails are my preferred terrain to run and this portion seemed very fast. Unfortunately, I checked my watch and it told a different story. My effort level was right where I thought it should be but my actual pace wasn't even close. I wasn't real sure what was going on but knew it was important to keep running regardless of time. Things have a tendency to work themselves out and with 45 miles to go there wasn't a need to panic or change strategies. Yet.

 Something must be wrong with my watch. There is no way this can be right. Satellites are unreliable when the terrain gets this rough. I've got to running faster. The climb over Pinnacle Mountain had taken some time but not THAT much time. At one hour and 12 minutes into the race my GPS registered 4.77 miles. Huh? How am I gonna come in under 9 hours by crawling 15 minute miles? These were some of the thoughts going through my head during the first few miles of the OT 50. It was time to get stepping.....

Over the next few miles I picked up the pace and logged some solid miles. I still wasn't "feeling it" and after about 10 miles it was apparent to me that my goals would need to be adjusted. Not really a big deal because I have become used to the idea that the longer ultras require a different mind set than most distances. In a shorter race, say up to 50k, if things aren't going well early on it's not that much of an issue because you can always warrior up and push through. This hurts but usually results in a finish time that is in line with goals. In the longer distances, for me, things are much different. Pace is important early on but not nearly as much as effort. Pace can be made up with a good second wind late in the race but effort.... too hard of an effort in the beginning will really mess things up. It's about like running out of fuel in your vehicle and the gas station is 40 miles away. On top of a mountain. Makes the trip take a LOT longer.

Knowing that my "A" goal of 8 hours and 30 minutes was no longer in play, I settled into an easier pace and continued along the rough single track trail while doing some quick calculations in my head. Having run this course a few times, I knew that there would be about 6 miles of very runnable trail coming just after mile 16. This was also an out and back section, making it more like 12 miles of good running. Nine and a half hours was still very possible and, while that wasn't exactly what I wanted, it would work. Keep stepping boy....

The sun was up and the temps were climbing. I don't know how warm it was but it was starting to feel really hot during the next few miles. I stayed on top of hydration and supplemented with Endurolytes. As the salt started crusting around my eyes, I reached the start of that "runnable" section of the course and I knew the fun was about to begin. Coming around a sharp turn on the trail I slipped in the mud. Mud? Oh yeah.... it had rained like crazy on Thursday night and Friday morning in Little Rock. Duh... I knew that but the sun was shining so bright that I had completely forgotten that there would be some muddy parts.

How much mud? About 10 miles of it. Out and back for an even 20. Well, that's not exactly true but it's close. There were also several creek crossings. Some were thigh deep but most were just mid shin or ankle high. I don't really mind running with wet feet, in fact I often look for mud puddles on training runs but this day it just seemed to really slow me down. As the miles ticked off and I approached the turn around at mile 26 my energy seemed to fade. My legs felt heavy and my mind was wandering. I left the turn around in 17th place at 5 hours and 15 minutes. Much slower than I had hoped.

As I stumbled across the lonely miles of the muddy trail my spirits were very low. I'm not real proud of it but..... I was feeling sorry for myself. Shocked, embarrassed, in denial, looking for excuses and wanting to quit. How could this be happening to me? Why is this happening to me? I'm supposed to be up front and running strong. I'm supposed to..... SHUT UP. It occurred to me how arrogant, selfish, childish and out of touch I was acting at that moment. I had completely lost focus of why I was here. I wasn't here to run an 8:30 or finish in the top 5. I was here to HONOR those names on the scroll and I was doing a terrible job. The questions I was asking were questions they had all probably asked at one time or another through the course of their battles. They had the right to ask. I didn't. I was running a stupid race, not fighting for my life. This was like a huge smack in the face. It was time to shut up, move on and show some pride and gratitude for those that I was privileged enough to bring along. Keep stepping boy......

This moment of enlightenment didn't propel me to the front of the pack. It didn't motivate, inspire or give me super powers. It did, however, reinforce what I already knew about any long distance endurance event. Some days you kick ass and some days you get your ass kicked. This is just how it goes. If it were any other way, most of us probably wouldn't accept the challenge and lace 'em up. Life is full of pitfalls and obstacles. Some are huge, serious and can be difficult to overcome, like cancer. Others are small, minor, insignificant and easily overcome by simply adapting to the situation. All that was required of me was to summon the stamina and will power to continue with a relentless forward progress for a few more hours. Just a few more hours and my day was over. One day. That is absolutely laughable when compared to even one minute in the life of somebody diagnosed with cancer.

So I continued on. Up and down the rocky, muddy trail. I ran when I could, walked when I had to and smiled because I could. Running and walking down the final stretch of road heading into the finish line I pulled out the scroll and put my  feelings on video. Thankfully the audio turned out horrible and we will all be spared the embarrassment of watching me cry while incoherently attempting to thank everyone involved and explain how much it means that WE made this journey once again. I crossed the finish line in 21st place at 10 hours and 52 minutes. This was much slower than I had ever run a 50 miler before, including my 100 mile split times, but I was filled with pride and holding the Honor Scroll high. My dad, a big part of the reason I run this race every year, was waiting with a smile and a hug. As we unrolled the scroll at the finish line, I couldn't help but smile and tell myself that WE did okay.

 I always get emotional when preparing for any of these big dumb fundraising stunts but this one in particular really gets me. I have spent a lot of time wondering why that is and the reasons are pretty clear. No matter how many names are on the Honor Scroll, it will always be too many. The course is very difficult and humbling which, in my mind, signifies the struggles and setbacks that will be encountered as we continue the uphill battle against cancer. This battle requires
all of us to remain steadfast in our attack and continue pushing with that relentless forward progress.....

50 Mile Honor Scroll Run

Sometimes we work really hard pursuing things we think are important. For my first marathon back in 2007 I put in many miles and hours of training pushing myself to new limits on a weekly basis and getting better, faster and a little closer to my goal. During that first marathon, I pushed myself hard never losing sight of the goal. I wanted to run a Boston Marathon Qualifying time. In my mind this was the gold standard for running. This would mean that I had accomplished something. I wanted to feel like a real runner, like I had a reason for running, like I had a purpose. I kept my eye on the prize and wouldn't settle for anything less than achieving the goal. The sense of accomplishment I felt as I crossed the finish line with a BQ easily in hand was like nothing I had experienced. It was an amazing feeling that I thought would never be topped. Seems silly now as I look back. 

I have recounted the reasons why I got involved with the fight against cancer many times but will do so again for anybody that is late to the party. In December of 2009 as my Dad was minding his own business and not bothering anyone, the phone rang. It was bad news. Esophageal cancer. Chaos ensued for the next couple of months and the road to recovery for my Dad began. Good news. Except the part where my Mom's phone rang in early March. More bad news. Colo-rectal cancer. More chaos. More questions. More anger. More of that helpless, sick feeling you get when someone you love is hurting and you can't do anything about it.

One way that I chose to deal with the emotional stress was to run. Clearing my head for 3, 5 or 10 miles at a time. It was during these runs that the Honor Scroll idea was born and while I still had my "eye on the prize" it was very clear to me that the "prize" was much different. It was no longer about a self-centered personal goal. It was so much bigger, more important and no longer something that I would ever achieve on my own. It takes a combined effort from passionate people that have the same burning desire to eliminate the evil that is cancer from our future. In times of great despair and uncertainty, it helps to know you’re not alone and that there is an answer–hope.

It really was the race of my life. I have never felt better in a long distance race than I did that day. Never bonked, hit the wall or felt like quitting. It could have been pure luck but I believe it had more to do with the power within the Scroll. Coming down the final 2 mile stretch I grabbed the Scroll and carried it in my hand. Thinking about all the positive energy the Scroll represented brought tears down my cheeks and goosebumps to my body. This lifted my spirits and allowed to pick it up a little more allowing me to run the FASTEST mile of the race – 

This is what I experienced on that April day back in 2010 as I completed my first 50 miler. I had no idea at the time just how significant this day was. No idea how much of an impact it would have on me. No idea that it was just the beginning. I was exhausted both physically and emotionally. I couldn't distinguish sweat from tears. Sometime during this experience I realized just how lucky I was to have the opportunity to represent and honor the nearly 200 names I carried that day. It was a moment of enlightenment. I was not special. I was not talented. I was not a rock star. I was simply another weapon in the fight. I thought that I had kept my eye on the prize throughout this process but.....

Running became different for me that day. It  had nothing to do with finishing times, overall positioning, personal accomplishments or trophies. It seemed much simpler. Running is a gift. You can keep it for yourself or you can give it to others. In the past, I was selfish and always kept it for myself but that day as I basked in the glow of a third place finish, it was easy to understand what had happened. Through the emotional journey of the past 6 months, I had unknowingly given my running to a cause much bigger and more important than myself. It wasn't me that finished so well that day. It was the passion, desire and drive to fight a beast that indiscriminately attacks and destroys lives. It was the combined goal of so many that brought me across the finish line that day.

On April 20th, I will run 50 miles in the Ouachita Trail Race. For the 4th consecutive year I will be carrying an Honor Scroll with the names of people that have had or been diagnosed with Cancer. If you have been or you know somebody that has been affected by this terrible disease then PLEASE allow me the honor of bringing them along on this challenge. If you will send their name and status- I will add them to the Honor Scroll. You can send the names via email: runlikeamug@yahoo.com Of course, awareness only goes so far and I am also taking donations for the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life. The donations are secondary and are NOT mandatory, I will carry the names REGARDLESS. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DONATE in order for their name to be listed on the scroll. Please allow me this opportunity to help in my very small way (I don't have much else to offer but I CAN run).

If you do choose to donate, checks can be made out to the American Cancer Society and mailed to my address:
David Murphy
212 Murphy Lane
Wasola, MO 65773




Donate online by clicking here -----> Relay for Life

Paypal users can donate here.....

 

Please just take a minute to think about it. Remember- I will be honored to carry the names with me even if you do not make a donation.

Eye on the Prize

“How bad do you want it? Is it really that big of a deal? Sure it was important this morning. And yesterday. And everyday for the past 4 months. But really, is it still that important? Right now?” It’s really kind of funny when you think about it. So many times in running we put in the hard miles, hours of cross training, sacrifice sleep and shuffle family schedules to meet our goals. We work for months, pushing our bodies to the limit only to find ourselves tempted to throw it all away in a moment of self pity and doubt. I am very guilty of having bargained with myself in the past, letting time goals slip away and losing overall position, in the late stages of a race.

At mile 92 of the Rocky Raccoon 100 I was in danger of, once again, becoming a victim of compromising my goals and settling for less. Why? Simply because I was tired. My legs hurt. I was cold. It was dark. It wasn’t important. My feet hurt. My back hurt. I was hungry. I needed to sit down. I wanted...... whatever. The only thing easier than quitting is dreaming up an excuse to do so and the excuses were coming faster than I could process them. I could walk the rest of the way and still finish in 22 or 23 hours, collect another sub 24 belt buckle and call it a great race. Nobody would care. Nobody except me.

Back in October, after finishing the Arkansas Traveller 100, the thought of a sub 20 hour finish at Rocky began creeping into my head. The VOICES were chattering and I started to believe them. I consulted with Jeff Kline, head coach and founder of PRS Fit, and he confirmed that it was a realistic and achievable goal. PRS Fit is an online coaching service that provides one on one training for runners of all levels even mere mortals like me. I had been training with Jeff since June of 2012 and the AT100 was our first real test. Considering my strong finish, I was convinced that if I trusted and followed through with his training plan, we would have success at Rocky in February. Jeff made plans to make the trip from Colorado to Texas, at his own expense no less, for crewing/coaching and pacing purposes.

The training schedule was sent to me weekly. As each week unfolded, I began to realize that something would have to change. 2 - 2.5 hour runs during the week would require a different approach. In the past, I had mostly confined the mileage to 5 or 6 during my lunch hour and then piling some long stuff in on the weekends. I started waking up early and running on the treadmill before work. It wasn’t long before I was waking up at 1:45 a.m. to run 2.5 hours before leaving for work at 5 a.m. I quickly adopted the mantra "Eye on the Prize" and repeated that to myself over and over and over.....

Of course, November and December, are insanely busy months for those of us with families. Things got a little more hectic when both my five year old and ten year old boys signed up for the local basketball league. As much as I wanted to have a great race in February, that was not going to take precedence over watching my boys play. With the youngest playing on Friday nights and the oldest playing on Saturday, I had to figure out how to squeeze in long runs that started at 20 miles and peaked at 50. At first, it was stressful to “map” it all out but then I had a realization. 100 milers are run on tired legs and tired bodies. I could simulate some of that by sleeping 3 or 4 hours on a Friday night and then jumping on the treadmill before Saturday’s ball games. A few times, I had to split the run and do half before and half after a game but most of the time it was done beforehand.

December wrapped up with 350 miles and January had close to 300. By the time Jon Wilson and I left for Huntsville, Texas, I felt very confident about the sub 20 hour goal. Jon was running his second 50 miler and had a great training period also. On Friday morning we met up with some fellow Idiots for a pre-race trail inspection. I always like to run a portion of the trail just get a feel for the terrain and course conditions. The course is a 20 mile “loop” but the initial 3 miles is an “out and back” situation. After 6 miles of running, laughing and shooting video, we were ready to call it a day and relax before the race.

We met a group of PRS teammates and members of the Idiots Running Club for dinner on Friday night. Coach Jeff and I discussed race strategy, pacing and nutrition. Jeff Jones was also running the 100 miler, his first, and we all agreed that he and I would run together for the first three loops if possible. The plan was to average 3:30 per loop for those 3 and then try to hang on and come in under 20 hours. I laughed and said that since my racing bib number was 37, I would finish in 19 hours and 37 minutes. Returning to my hotel room I started to sort my race gear. Inside my bag I found some Jelly Beans, a card from my wife and a couple of awesome pictures from my boys. My family means everything and it’s always a huge boost when they reinforce just how much they believe in me.  

 Once again, I used this 100 miler as an opportunity to raise money for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. Most of you know the reasons why I am so passionate about this cause so I won’t rehash it here.The support, as always, was amazing and the donations have totaled over $1,100 with money still coming in. Thank you to everybody that participated in this event. I am, of course, still accepting donations and will continue to do so until there is a cure. My dad, a cancer survivor, told me he would be making the 11 hour trip to Texas to watch. This would mark the first time he had seen me race so to say that this provided some extra incentive to do well would be a huge understatement. I watched cancer steal many things from him, and I watched helplessly as my version of Superman stumbled, but it couldn’t touch his inner character or desire to fight and ultimately win. I don’t have a tenth of that type of mental strength but I was motivated to step up and make him proud.

On to the race..... Jeff Jones and I ran together for the first 20 mile loop starting in the dark with headlamps and finishing in 3:12:54. It was largely uneventful but did provide us with a good feel of the course and a sense of the upcoming weather conditions. It was going to get warm later in the day. Jeff and I talked, laughed and had a great time with several other runners. Sounds silly but I always enjoy this first loop because it gives me a chance to judge, and be judged, by others in my “pack”. At 5’11 and 200 lbs I don’t exactly look like a runner. I love to hear people talk about their overall time goal and then try to decide where they will actually come in. I usually take note of a few that have goals similar to mine and then attempt to keep tabs on them through the day. This was no exception as I made mental and, because I can’t keep my mouth shut most of the time, verbal observations of those going out entirely too fast. I’m sure they thought the same thing about me.

As we set out on the second loop, Jeff commented that he had never felt better on a 20 mile run. I found it interesting because my legs were feeling a little heavy from about mile 10 on. Of course, I wasn’t about to admit that to anybody but I was slightly jealous of him and a little disturbed at how I felt this early. Luckily, I have run a few of these and know that things can change in a hurry and it didn’t matter how I felt at mile 20. The day was still young with 80 miles to go and several hours with varying degrees of physical and mental pain in store, the plan stayed the same. Keep moving forward and don’t look back.

Things stayed pretty much on track through the first part of loop two. Around mile 27, I noticed Jones was beginning to struggle with staying on his feet. He started tripping on the famous roots of Rocky Raccoon, certainly not the first or last victim to succumb to this pitfall, and hit the dirt several times. I didn’t say a whole lot because I really didn’t want to jinx myself and there isn’t much you can say other than, “Pick up your feet or you will be on your face.” It was around mile 30 or 31 that I quit hearing him fall and realized our plan to run 60 miles together was not going to happen. Jeff is a former Marine and that alone was enough to convince me he would be fine. Combine that with his better than average running ability, it was easy for me to continue on and run my race secure in the knowledge that he would finish his first 100 miler and probably do it under 24 hours.

As I wrapped up loop 2 in 3:30:35, the noon sun was promising to make the 3rd loop a little tougher. I set out for miles 40-60 with a little less enthusiasm than before but still on pace to hit my goal. This loop really was hard on me. The temps rose into the 70’s which is not super hot but when the temp at home was like 10 it sure seemed warm. Like any race that requires travel the locals fared much better than the rest. I had salt caked around my eyes and my shirt was drenched leaving me struggling with burning eyes. At every aid station I sucked down Gatorade, if it was an option, poured water over my head and face and filled my carry bottle with ice when it was available to keep my core temperature down and reduce the chances of dehydration and cramping.

There is a 6 mile stretch called the Dam Nation Loop that is probably the toughest part of the course. The trail becomes rough and is a very long, lonely stretch that wears a person down mentally. Every single ultra, no matter the distance, has a low. That point that tests your mental endurance more than your physical. I was there. This stage was very hard for me to continue running. All I wanted was to sit down in the shade. Maybe lay down for a few minutes. Fortunately, every time I started to have myself convinced that this was a great idea, I would come up on somebody walking and struggling worse than me. I always like to say that I’m not competitive but.... well, we all know that’s a lie. Nothing better than picking somebody off, passing them and pretending to feel great. I finished this loop in 4:00:23, slower than the first two but keeping on pace for my goal.

The 4th loop. Miles 60-80. This meant two things. One, I could have a pacer. Two, I would need a headlamp because it would be getting dark soon. Oh wait... It also meant that if I could finish the next 40 miles under 9 hours then I would hit my goal. No problem, right? Wrong. I had this same scenario the past two years and failed to deliver either time. But I knew that I had just survived the toughest part of the race and the next 20 miles would be very revealing. Coach Jeff geared up and hit the trail as my pacer. We were less than one mile in before we met Jon Wilson finishing his 50 miler. He had a tough day due to some dehydration, cramping and and IT Band issue but he was still going to finish strong with a very respectable sub 10 time. He then, like always because he is an awesome friend, took over as my Crew Chief. Nice work, Professor.

As we came through the mile 64 aid station I saw my Dad waiting. We stopped briefly as I introduced Jeff and posed for a quick picture. This was the first time I had seen him during the race and it really put an extra spring in my step. We made it to about mile 67 before it became necessary to use the headlamps. Maybe I was delirious or completely exhausted but Coach had me laughing and smiling the entire loop. Even the hell of the Dam Nation Loop was mellowed by our nonsense. Jeff is not a trail runner. He is training for an Iron Man this spring. The trail proved to be a little difficult for him and he tripped a few times. The fact that it was completely dark and he had never seen this rough part of the trail were probably major contributing factors. Still... call me mean or whatever but I laughed every single time.

Jeff brought me through this loop in 4:14:54, much better than I had managed in the past and leaving about 5 hours to hit my goal finish time. I took just a minute to change shirts, opting for a long sleeve tech, because I was afraid it might cool down. Thus far it had not. In fact, it became more humid as the sun disappeared but I have been caught in the damp cold of a Texas night before and wasn’t going to take any chances. At this point, Tanci Foster, a PRS team mate, Huntsville area resident and member of the Idiots Running club took over pacing duties. Coach gave her a few simple instructions, basically telling her not to let me be a sissy, and we were off.

Tanci led me through the next 12 miles in 3 hours. This was exactly what I had hoped for. Having been through this loop four times already, I knew that these were the hardest miles. A couple of things I observed during this time. Tanci is a pretty tough lady. She started her day with spin class, boot camp and then came over to the race where she hiked in a few miles to volunteer at the Dam Nation Aid Station. She left to meet her husband and children before returning with her son to pace me. She had never ran more than 13 miles yet here she was, tired and worn out from a long day, pacing me through midnight. She certainly did not have to do this, the pay was horrible, she was tired and I’m sure that I wasn’t as gracious as I should have been. Especially when she tripped and fell. Seems like this part of the course was not easy on the trail newbies but I couldn’t help but laugh.

As we came through mile 92, Coach Jeff and Jon were waiting. I really didn’t want anybody pacing me through the final 8 and was very relieved to find out that Jeff did not plan to. He told me that I had one hour and forty five minutes to finish with a sub 20. I did the math in my head and knew that as easy as it sounded, 8 miles in 1:45 was going to be tight. I mean, at mile 92 things kind of slow down. I took off and felt pretty good crossing a section of single track trail until my headlamp went very dim and I managed to trip. For some reason I didn’t find this near as funny as it was when my friends were tripping. Weird. I was a little irritated by the headlamp but it was my own fault. Jon and I had made a special trip to Walmart the night before for fresh batteries. I’m positive that I had a plan or some beyond genius level reason not to change them out before the race but I really can’t remember what it was. Whatever. I needed to figure out exactly how to finish this race without a light because the one I had wasn’t going to last much longer.

Somewhere around this point I met Jeff Jones and his pacer, Chris Cochran, on the trail. They were about 6 or 7 miles behind me and Jeff was looking really good. This was very motivating to me. I love watching my friends succeed and Jeff was 15 miles from rocking a sub 24 in his first 100 miler. Nothing sweeter than that. Continuing across this section much slower than I would have like was frustrating but I really couldn’t blame anybody but myself. WHY hadn’t I put in fresh batteries? Dumb. Then something weird happened. I came to a crossroads in the trail and noticed three headlamps going the wrong way. Could it be my crew hiking back to the main road? Nah.... “Hey!! Coach!! Jon!! Is that you?” I couldn’t believe it when they answered. I told them that I needed a light and Jon responded, “Sure. Come get it.” Come get it?? I wasn’t super polite here but I asked if he might bring it to me and continued running on the course. Jon laughed and chased me down, traded lights and headed back to meet me at the finish line. It’s good to have friends.

It was at this point that I really had to question things. Did I still want it as bad as I did the day before? Did I still have my eye on the prize? I asked myself these questions several times over the next 3.5 miles. The answer was always, without hesitation, yes. I managed to cover those few miles in 39 minutes. For me, that is blazing fast for 95 miles in to a race. I snagged some water and a small cup of mashed potatoes at the last aid station and continued on my way. Talking to a dude that was pacing another runner as we left the aid station, he told me that his buddy was up ahead and hurting. I couldn’t help but lick my lips at the thought of picking up another position in the race. I had no idea which place I was running in overall but it didn’t really matter. All I knew is that I could be one spot higher if I put a little effort into it.

I did run. The next 4.5 miles were tough but I really felt good considering where I was in the race. In my previous 100’s there wasn’t much opportunity for me to run during the final 30 miles or so because I always had some swelling and a lot of pain. Not this time. I felt good. My body was tired but not hurt. My heart rate had dropped over the course of the day and averaged 126 for the entire 100. The final 3 miles is an out and back so I was able to meet a lot of people heading out for their 4th and 5th loops. It was motivating to see the looks on their faces and hear the comments about how good I looked as I made the final push. Having memorized the entire course I knew my finishing time was going to be close. Not close to 20 hours. I’m talking about close to the 19 hours and 37 minutes I had predicted the night before. It was almost laughable. Almost.

As I came down the final straightaway that led to the finish line and the official clock became visible it was apparent that I had pulled off not only a sub 20 but also hit my prediction like a bulls-eye. My official finish time was 19 hours 37 minutes and 25 seconds. 19th overall and 5th in my age group. Not bad for a slacker like me. It was extra sweet to see not only my coach, friends, teammates and IRC members cheering for me but my Dad was waiting with a huge smile. I felt a lot like I did when I was just kid on the high school wrestling team so many years ago that would look up into the stands to see if his Dad was watching. Funny how some things never change.

Rocky Raccoon 100 Video

Rocky Raccoon 2013 pre-race trail inspection and race day video with the Idiots Running Club. It's a bunch of nonsense but it was fun.