The Background
This fall/winter season, I had run four virtual races: Release the Kraken 50k, Freddy Yeti 50k, Trivium Marathon, and Possum King 50k.
While in theory this should have gotten me in shape, and I did do 20 straight miles of running before hiking at Possum King, a month had passed. I had gotten busy, tired from work, and I pulled out of a couple of virtual marathon opportunities. I had finished the Turkey Trail Trot 13.1, which originally was to be a marathon, to get enough miles for the TROT Milestones 750 mile jacket. With limited running in that month, I was less fit than I would have liked.
Big picture, over the past 6 years, I had DNFed at 100 mile goal races: 2015 Rocky Raccoon, 2018 Bear, 2019 Arkansas, 2019 Cactus Rose. I had planned for a 100 miler during the spring/summer TROT virtuals and didn't do it. At times, I thought the 100 mile distance was beyond me, despite 2 previous finishes.
But the dream of running a 100 mile race stayed with me. Noticing in a Facebook comment the Snowdrop Ultra Virtual 55 Hour Race, I thought this might give me a better chance of success because of so much time.
But the thought of completing 100 miles was still daunting.
My neighborhood loop would be a recipe for mental disaster after running hundreds of miles on it this year. Parks and trails around me close at dusk.
So I decided to rent a cabin. Scanning the Texas State Parks website, there was one available during the winter break at McKinney Falls State Park. It had some cool features to check out: waterfalls on Onion Creek, a 19th century homestead, a 500-year-old tree. There was a 3 mile paved bike trail around the cabin plus miles of natural surface trails on the other side of the falls. I made a reservation for Sunday, December 20th, checking out on Wednesday December 23rd. The cabin had electricity, AC, a fridge, and a microwave.
Terri had to work, so I drove up solo. Arriving, I checked out a bit of the trails so I'd know where I was going the next day.
The falls were really cool. I would have to leap over small sections to cross to the other side.
The Falls
Ruins of a Mill
Horse Trainer's Cabin
The Race
I started off at 7:10 am Monday in the cold. Running maybe 3 miles on the bike trails, up and down the moderate inclines, I quickly decided to start hiking. Mentally not quite there and unsure of my fitness, I focused on knocking out 16 or 17 minute miles. Throughout the rest of the race, it would be a little bit of running and a lot of hiking.
The short Picnic Trail connected the bike trail to a limestone beach. Then I crossed the falls, loving the adventure of jumping across.
Dawn on the Falls
On the other side, climbing a short trail, I found the Homestead. The home of Thomas McKinney, trader and co-founder of Galveston, the Homestead was built by slaves on McKinney's horse racing ranch in the 1850s. Looking at it reminded me of the sad legacy of oppression in America.
The Homestead
Moving on, I found the trails muddy and my shoes were soon caked. Nevertheless, I hiked all the trails on the other side of the falls, crossing back at about 13 miles. Not wanting to be slowed down by the mud, I decided stick to the bike trails and the Homestead area.
I figured out a 5-mile-and-change loop: the cabin to the Picnic Trail, across the falls, up to the Homestead, the bike loop, and back to the cabin.
The weather warmed to high 60s as I kept moving.
At 19 miles, I staggered, weak, dizzy, and sleepy. Returning to the cabin, I ate and lied down, dozing a few minutes. This repeated at 22 miles. In the second rest, my watch beeped and somehow jumped ahead a half mile; I made sure to note the discrepancy so my distance would be accurate.
Heading out again, some music helped, in particular Crowded House's "Don't Dream It's Over" and Bob Marley's "Redemption Song."
I got through the day and it was maybe 35 miles in as night fell.
Sunset at the Homestead
Mentally shaky, cold setting in, I decided to break for the night at mile 40. My A goal was to run the race continuously until I finished, but a combination of mental weakness and a desire to be conservative led me back to the cabin. I showered, ate a delicious Buck-ees roast beef sandwich, and then slept till the morning.
Now there were two ways it could go if I were to reach my goal of 100 miles. I could repeat another 40 miles on Tuesday, then have enough time for 20 on Wednesday, or just knock out 60 and finish.
60 miles left. I had run 100k twice in 2020...I could do this.
But the mental distance to 100 miles was still daunting.
Day 2 started off well with 16-or-17-minute miles. At dawn, I found Old Baldy, the 500-year-old bald cypress that had lived the same time as Leonardo da Vinci.
Old Baldy at Dawn
At mile 50, I texted my friend Cesar. He rooted for me for the rest of the race.
I moved well, then hit a mini-low at maybe 54 miles. This time I did not lie down but sat at the cabin table and ate pepperoni, cheese, and crackers, drinking coke. Repeated the low and the break at 59 miles.
I had told myself to save music until 100k, and beginning another loop at 64 miles, the songs brought me back to life.
I reached 68 miles, the farthest I had run since 2014 Cactus Rose.
My son James called me at 71 miles as I hiked on the limestone beach towards the Picnic Trail; Paloma was in gymnastics practice. James asked if I was running and I said I was hiking; only elites could run 100 miles straight. James said if I could do 100 miles, I was pretty elite! My kids rooting for me was a reason to finish.
Sunset on Day 2
I hit another low at maybe 76 miles as the sun set. I staggered in the night to 80. Having reached my minimum goal for Day 2, I set out for more. Finding myself in bad shape, I switched to the shoulder of the park road, moving at 30 minutes a mile, my right knee suddenly inflamed. I made it to 83 miles.
At the end of Day 1, I was perhaps a bit weak mentally, slept too long. At 9:30 pm on Day 2, it turned out to be wise to rest. I showered, ate, and slept a few minutes, my knee hurting. Waking up at around 11:45pm, straight out of bed I walked down the road to see how my knee was.
I could move. I changed back into to my running shorts and started out.
I did the bike loop, as I was worried about my knee hopping across the falls. My knee ended up feeling fine, so at 86 or so miles, I decided to do the whole Homestead + bike loop. This I calculated would take me to around mile 93.
The Homestead at mile 89
After moving pretty well through the loop, I was at 93 miles. Less than 7 to the finish. One more loop and then some change.
Calculating the time, I could finish in under 48 hours. This motivated me, as it would prove I could do 100 miles at future 48 hour races maybe.
Heading out at 20+ minutes a mile, it was mental work but I was not in a tortuous place either.
Mile 94. Trying to capture the falls in the background.
After crossing the falls and seeing the Homestead one more time, I made it back to the bike loop at mile 95. Turning on my MP3 player, I listened to Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man" and some other songs, but my head couldn't really handle the music and I shut it off after a while. But the music helped get back to the park road, back towards the cabin.
I calculated 1.9 more would take me to 100.1 miles. .95 out, .95 back.
It was the same as all the other races: grind it down; the time would pass. I hiked down the park road, down the bike trail to the turnaround point. 99.15 miles. Then I hiked back to the cabin.
Because I recorded the distance in segments, I quickly added up the recordings. I wasn't quite sure if it was all correct so I did .16 miles more to make sure.
Then I was done at 6:11 am Wednesday. 47:01 hours. I had finished a 100 mile race.
Reflections
I had accomplished my dream of 6 years. It was not a 100 mile race through the mountains or a traditional 30 hour 100 miler. I didn't run it continuously like I had hoped. But I didn't give up and found my way.
I was grateful for my spiritual journey. God guided me on the right path. I was grateful for Terri, supporting me through so many races.
Paloma called me the next day; she said, "100 miles! Really?" I was glad I had finished.
I learned a mini-sleep can recharge me. I was proud that I kept going during Tuesday night after a short break. Definitely later I was glad to be done before dawn and not having to go into a third day.
Conversely, I could have done better on Day 1...I could have gone to 50 miles or taken a short break instead of all night.
But overall this was great. Over the years, I knew that if I did not reach my goal of 100 miles it would trouble me.
And 2020 was a great year of running. To finish first on the TROT Spring/Summer Virtuals Leaderboard and end with a 100 mile finish...what more could I ask for? Running kept me going when my spirits were low amid COVID-19.
What for the future? I have no idea at this point. But I love running and look forward to more adventures.
Thanks to the Snowdrop Foundation for putting on the race and Terri, my kids, and Cesar for the support!
Results/Strava
