Bandera 100k - WOW - two words to describe it: Brutal Beauty. I have but only positive things to say about this race. First, very well organized. Since I had no crew nor pacers, solid organization really made a difference in my getting in and out of aid stations. The volunteers were awesome! All smiles, lots of "sweetie" (guess that is a Texas thing, and I liked it!), and positive energy all around.

I entered this race with a very relaxed attitude. After banging my knee up at JFK, I had taken some time off to rehab and strengthen my legs. Only two weeks before this race did I start training for speed and hills and picking up the miles. I really was happy to be healthy again, and very excited to meet some of the other Montrail athletes (Sean Meissner and Annette Bednosky).

The race began at 7:30 - temps in the teens. Everyone looked like ninjas with their buffs over their faces and only eyes exposed. After about 15 minutes of running and early climbs, I was already warm. The day progressively got warmer and very comfortable for running.

The terrain was very rocky, rolling hills, some steep climbs, a bit of bushwhacking going on. Views were incredible! We were-warned of the sotol, which is a plant with lots of razor edges. I wore long tights which protected me from them which you little ran through in some spots. Thankfully I wore my Montrail Mountain Masochist and they were PERFECT for this rocky terrain - they had a bit more stability in the forefront. My feet were happy. I did have a couple of falls, one bloody one, but jumped back up and just said under my breath "I love this" and kept going. I met the NICEST people on the course. Annette and I ran for a bit (she has such an upbeat attitude and so motivating to others... great energy), some of the guys on the course and Aliza who ended up finishing in first place with me. And yes, we finished at the EXACT SAME TIME. We shared so much of our lives with each other on the course that the finish was just perfect. Within the last mile Aliza said to me "Do you want to duke it out?" and I replied "You bet" so we pushed it to the limit.

It was awesome. Thankfully we finished before dark because I couldn't imagine running on such a technical trail even with a headlamp in the dark.

Now the big bonus of all of this, hanging out with Annette and Sean from the Montrail Team. They're montrail_annetteandseanawesome! And it only makes me that much happier to be on this team. After the race, we went out for margaritas with some additional runners - lots of laughs, lots of shared stories.

Looking forward to the next race. Hopefully we can all get a chance to meet up with each other on the Montrail Team - because I have a feeling this is going to be a good year... for all of us!