2025 Habanero 50k

The Background

After I DNFed Mohican 100 mile, I took six weeks off running.  I had hurt my back falling in the race and gave it some time to heal along with my normal break after a season. I started hiking during our trip to Scotland, especially to the Glasgow Cathedral and up the hill to the Necropolis.

My weight had crept up to 182, so when we got back from Scotland I dieted, getting it down to 165 before the race season began.  Between work stress and low calories, I did not run as much as I hiked, mainly on a mile-long dirt road by my house.  My hiking pace was in the 14- to 15-minute range. Plus, I did some stairs at work on breaks.

Terri and Paloma came with me to 7IL.  I had bought a canopy for them, and after seeing me at the start they went to Brenham for lunch and a visit to a bookstore. 

The Race

The high was 92, 5 degrees cooler than last year. But it was still very hot. For most of the race, my vision was blurry, more so than last year.

I ran much more of loop 1 than I did last year.  I finished the loop in 1:24, versus 1:29 last year.

On loop 2, I did more hiking, but I really pushed the pace, running some and hiking at 14-minute pace at times.  My heartrate was way in the red, but I paid that little mind.  I finished the loop in 1:32, versus 1:38 last year.  So at this point, I was 11 minutes ahead of last year's time.

I hit a mini low after lap 2, but recovered quickly and continued to move fairly well. At some point on loop 3 I think, a line of cows ran across the trail, and I had to wait for them.  It was pretty cool to see!

When I reached the midway aid station at around 15 miles, I hit a major low.  I think I was a bit behind on calories. Last year, I had drank 2 full bottles of Gatorade each loop.  But I lost a bottle at some point, and they had a different electrolyte drink at the start.  Though I did take 2 cups of Gatoritas after finishing loops.  But mainly I think I went out too hard.  I had said earlier to Terri and Paloma that my goal was to beat my time from last year, which as 8:15.  That seemed out the window, so I told myself just to survive and keep moving.

In survival mode.

I struggled on. I finished loop 3 in 1:47, compared to 1:43 last year.  But I took a lot of time after crossing the line to regroup and use the restroom, which would factor in loop 4's time.  Terri and Paloma were back, and it was great to see them!

About to begin loop 4 in survival mode with 2 Gatoritas.

I rebounded on loop 4.  Though the time of the loop was 1:51 (1:44 last year), some of that was at the finish line aid before I started the loop.  I was able to hike 16-minute miles.  My shoes were old, and the soles of my feet hurt from lack of cushioning  and my ankle was skinned from something worn down on the shoe.

I began loop 5 at the exact same time elapsed as last year, unbeknownst to me. I started the loop the wrong way but quickly realized it, which cost me a couple of minutes. I could tell that beating last year's time was possible. So, I hiked as best I could finishing a 16:03 and 16:01 mile.  After I made it to midway aid station, I ran down the hill.  I threw in a few quarter-mile running spurts over the last 3 miles, which was enough to finish in 8:12, 3 minutes faster than last year.

I finished 38th out 79 finishers (top 48%) and 90 starters (top 42%).

Reflections

I traded dieting for running in the training leading up to the race.  Long term for the season, that may be good, but if I had ran more I would have had the strength for more running versus hiking in the race.

15 years on I can still go out too fast!  Probably won't ever master that one.  But I made up for it by fighting on the last loop.  I felt good that I worked to reach the goal of beating last year's time. Doubly good because it was the first race of the season, whereas in 2024 I was better trained. 

Next up is a new race, Horse Thief 30 Mile, which has a lot of hills.  I'll see if I can do some stairs before the race!

 

2013 Bandera 100k

Retrospective Race Report

I went into the season not knowing if I would run the Bandera 100k.  I had never finished an ultra at the start, but completing Rough Creek 40 Miler, Cactus Rose 50 Miler, and Texas Endurance Run 50 Miler gave me confidence.  I hoped to earn my first belt buckle and, best case scenario, a Western States qualifier.

Before the race, my family and I stayed at the Flying L Ranch.  A couple of cowboys heard I was running. "Not 100k?" one said.  "Have you every been up in those hills?" one asked.  I mentioned Cactus Rose.

It was muddy in the race, and my shoes were caked in mud bricks, which I tried to scrape off on rocks.

At about 40 miles, I hit a low.  I remember saying to another runner, "My legs are good, but my mind is gone."  I hiked a bit.

But I rebounded at around 50 miles.  I remember it being very exciting running through the hills.  Running atop a plateau, I kept waiting for the drop back to the lodge.  Finally, I made it.

I was in 14:17, I was 55th out of 186 finishers, earning a Western States qualifier.  This was one of the best races I ever ran.  In one sense, it was my peak as a competitive runner.

The high of this race is one reason why Bandera is always special to me.

DNF list

Here is a list where the last time I ran the race, I DNFed.  Could I find redemption at any of these races?

Grasslands 50 Mile (2012)

Bighorn 100 Mile (2014)

Pandora's Box of Rocks Marathon (2017)

Bear 100 Mile (2018)

J&J's 101 Mile (2022) - now Texas Dirt Festival 50k max

Badger 100 Mile (2022)

Cactus Rose 100 Mile (2023)

Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile (2024)

Arkansas Traveller 100 Mile (2024)

Mohican 100 Mile (2025)  

Defunct

Rough Creek 40 Mile (2022)

2011 San Antonio Rock and Roll Marathon

Retrospective Race Report

After running the 2011 Frankenthon slower than I had hoped, I decided to run another marathon, the San Antonio Rock and Roll Marathon.  At this point, I had not begun blocking out full seasons, nor did I really know that I would be racing many marathons a year as a norm. I was making it up as I went.

I remember touring San Antonio, a wax museum and the Alamo, with my family.

I remember some bands on the course.  I remember running up an underpass near the finish, feeling beat.

I remember feeling great that I had done an extra race, even though i did not crack sub-4 hours.  This may have planted the seeds for my preference for running many races a year.

Results

 

2013 Love Run Marathon

Retrospective Race Report

I was on a high after finishing my first Bandera 100k and winning 2nd place in my age group at Natural Bridge Caverns Half Marathon. 

I remember that I got off course a bit and had to backtrack, which cost me some time. This would not be the last time that happened!

I did slow a bit from the previous year, when they called the same race Orphan Hope.  First half was 1:46 and second half was 2:33, not only did the getting lost impact me I must have crashed a bit.

Still, I was 13th our of 44 runners.

Results

Results Splits

2012 Orphan Hope Marathon

Retrospective Race Report

I had run my fastest marathon at Houston Marathon 2012.  I was planning on running my first ultramarathon at Grasslands 50 Miler.  But I had never run a trail race.  

I remember thinking the hills at Huntsville State Park were big.  Little did I know I would race much big hills over the years. Other than that, I do not remember too much.

I was 11th place out of 82 runners.  As of 2025, this was  2nd fastest marathon of my career, even though it was trail.

Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I had kept focusing on the marathon in 2012 and on.  I might have been able to run a few more sub-4 hour races.  Perhaps even qualify for Boston.  But I wouldn't trade the ultras I ran for that.

Results

James and Paloma

 

2012 Houston Marathon

Retrospective Race Report

I had run 4 marathons, never cracking sub-4 hours.  I was still spooked by the crash at my first marathon of going out too fast. 

I had also wanted to run Houston Marathon as my first marathon.  But they had a lottery system in 2011, and I was not selected.  Instead, I ran USA Fit Marathon that year.

They still had a lottery in 2012, but my 2011 Houston Half time of 1:48 got me in.

By this time, I also had read Ultramarathon Man and was planning on my first ultra at Grasslands 50 Miler. So instead of Houston being my focus race, I was running this as one step in that journey.

For some reason, despite my fear of going out too fast, I started off at 8-minute miles.  Somehow, I managed to hold on to that.

I mainly remember getting to Memorial Park around mile 20 and feeling like I could hold the pace.

Then, I remember in the last mile or so pushing it and passing people as I made to to the George R. Brown Convention Center.

As of 2025 when I am writing this, I have never come anywhere close to running as fast for the marathon and it is the only time I broke 4 hours.  It is a highlight of my career.

Paloma at Amy's Ice Cream

James