Last year I got my 500 mile jacket from Joe Prusaitis' Rocky Raccoon 100 mile race. I decided then to go for the 1000 mile award. It seemed like an easy decision to make at the time. I felt like I was ready for Rocky this year. After running the challenging Heartland 100 mile race in October, the hilly Big Dog 50k in November and the very rugged and rocky Bandera 50k in January all with decent times I was very relaxed about Rocky. I did become a bit nervous as I watched the temperature forecast for Huntsville, Texas dropping this past week. I don't like cold races. Cold makes my legs stiff and I can get hypothermia easily. On the positive side I had two super ExxonMobil Tiger pacers lined up. Sema Beavers was set to accompany me from mile 60 to 80 and Tracy Jones would run me from mile 80 to the finish line. I hoped to cross it with her just before 6:00am Sunday, February 4th for a sub-24 hour finish. I've only accomplished that once before (23:50) at Rocky.

On Friday evening I set up my tent in Huntsville State Park just beside the Start/finish Aid Station where I would pass every 20 mile loop. Inside I had two cots, a chair and a light. It was a place to organize my gear and a shelter for Sema and Tracy while they waited for me to finish loops three and four. At the race banquet Friday I met friends from past races including Catra Corbett (several colors of hair, tattoos and 25 body piercings - met her at Western States), Chrissy Weiss (the style queen of the "ultra" scene and maker of "dirty girl" gaiters - I have three pair), German Callazos (Western States), Les Ellsworth (went temporarily blind during last year's race but was back with a theory and treatment from his doctor), Kim Pilcher (ran 60 miles with her last year), Susan Bell (ran Bandera with me), Robert King (a good friend, always a tough competitor and speed daemon), Peter Vrolijk (another speed daemon) and two older guys from our Houston club Evan Groutage (57) and Fred Ward (63). I also made a new friend, Padma Subbaraya, running her very first 100 mile race with her husband as her support crew. Missing was Mark Henderson, injured after running four consecutive Houston Marathons in 24 hours (most people run them a year apart). It was bitter cold when I left for my hotel room in Huntsville.

When I awoke at 3:30am on Saturday it was 28 degrees. There was a thick coat of ice on my car. Arriving at the start I organized my gear in my tent and talked with shivering runners. The word from the race volunteers was that the mud was bad this year and that there were unavoidable mud holes that were ankle deep. The idea of having wet feet for the entire race did not thrill me. Just before 6:00am Joe coaxed us away from a couple gas heaters and lined us up. The horn blew and we were off and running! I wore three layers on top, a pair of tights, a beanie and gaiters to keep the sand out of my shoes. I had left a drop bag full of supplies to be transported to the Dam Aid Station. My tent was literally filled with extra clothing, lights, food and equipment. Like a good Royal Ranger Commander I was "Ready for anything". Anything can happen in 100 miles.

I planned to run the first loop close to four hours and I made my goal. The mud was there all right but there were ways to get around most of it and my feet only got a little wet. I did not feel right though. It was a sort of problem that I could not specify. I just did not feel in the rhythm of the race. I compensated by talking to those around me and made some new friends. I met a couple from Tulsa. The lady, Kathy, was running past 50 miles for the first time. I ran with her for quite a few miles. At one point I was running with Rocky Ricoon, a real man by that name! A 100 miler is a social as well as a sporting event in my opinion so I introduced myself to everyone I met. I took time after the first loop to change all of my clothes which were soaking wet. Wet clothes are a sure path to hypothermia and one of the most common causes for DNF (Did Not Finish).

The second lap felt stronger. I passed the marathon distance just before reaching the Dam Aid Station and then passed the 50K distance on the six mile "out and back" between the Dam and the Far Side Aid Station. The course has two major out and backs: a three mile dirt (mud!) jeep road to and from the Highway Aid Station and that cursed six mile trek. The only good thing about them is that you get to see others running in the opposite direction and can greet them and judge their progress in the race. By that means I knew that Catra and Chrissy were running strong together and were close to Kim and Les also running as a pair. They were a couple miles ahead of me by the end of the second loop. Fred was a little ahead of me and Evan behind. Running off a wooden bridge near the end of the six mile out and back I was startled to see my doctor, Dr. Nofal Musfy, MD running toward me! I had forgotten that he had entered the 50 mile race being held at the same time. Distracted I tripped over a root and fell flat on my face at his feet! He picked me up and as he held me he said "Bob, be careful!"

At the end of 40 miles I was back in my tent changing clothes. The time was about 2:30 at the temperature had maxed out no higher than about 50 degrees. It was still a pretty day and I thanked the Lord for the dry sunshine. I knew that after just one more 20 mile loop I would see Sema and that was motivating me. I felt even stronger on the third loop than on the second! I crossed the 50 mile mark at 11:03 feeling like a million bucks. By now I was getting hot chocolate or soup at every aid station and I can run on sugar, carbs and salty broth. The soups and hot food that were being served were excellent. Mark Henderson says "The fair at hunerds is good eatin'" and he is right. At the Dam station I was chewing on a boiled potato dipped in salt and a Bit-O-Honey candy at the same time when a volunteer offered me a slice of cold sausage pizza. How can you beat that?

On the jeep road I saw Chrissy running alone. She had a pained and dejected look. I struck up conversation and she perked up. She had fallen and hurt her shoulder. I complimented her on her blue leopard running outfit from last year that looked just like a mini-dress with matching gaiters - it was a stunner. Chrissy said "You can never wear too much leopard". The outfit she had on was also very appealing but she was running very slowly (my walk was just as fast) and I was concerned for her that she might not finish. Catra had sped on ahead. I picked up my head light and LED flashlight at the second pass through the Dam station (53 miles). As I entered the "wilderness" between the Dam and the Swamp it began to grow dark. I was excited because I knew that if I could get to the wilderness before dark I had a good chance to break 24 hours. Unfortunately I had made a tactical error. The lights I left at the Dam were not my best and strongest. I ended up trying to patch off other runners lights and they were not running as fast as I wanted to go. The error probably cost me 15 critical minutes. At that moment, though I was so excited about seeing Sema at the end of the loop that I did not take note of it.

It was pitch dark when I reached the 174 Aid Station on the other side of the swamp 2.8 miles from the 60 mile mark. I ran it in as best I could with my poor light and announced my presence, "186" at the Start/finish station. Tracy met me and Sema was bundling up at the tent for the long cold 60-80 mile loop. I was so pumped! I said "Sema I'm going to take you for a 20 mile run!" I felt absolutely fresh! After changing clothes again (each cycle took at least 10 minutes) and picking up better lights I took off with Sema. It was 8:00pm. I sang songs to her, told stories and we even talked about the lab. At the Highway Aid Station (mile 64) Mariela was waiting. It was great to see her! She had some tasty chow cooking too. The jeep road did not seem like a chore this time around. We were passing lots of runners that were now doing little but walking. I've been there. Three times I've had to walk out the last 40 miles of a 100 mile race because of trashed quads. This time my quads were singing a happy tune. All that hill work paid off. Well despite my jubilation I began to realize that I could not possibly break 24 hours. Too much time had been spent changing clothes, walking around mud lakes, picking through the dark with poor light etc. I reset my sights on the more realistic goal of just finishing strong. Sema was helping me get there.

Everything in a 100 mile race changes at night. You no longer recognize runners, you just see lights. You don't want to shine your light in someone's face so you are content not to know who is passing. You hear muffled voices saying "good job", "looking good" etc. I saw Catra out on the edge of my vision once. I did not see Chrissy again and I feared that she had dropped. Sema and I passed 70 miles still running the flats and downhills. About that time I told Sema that I might feel sleepy soon because it was my bedtime (11:00pm). She gave me a few mental tests like math problems and I passed them all. We were still having great fun.

At midnight we entered the Wilderness at mile 74. I figured it was a good time for a scary story and I told a good one about my ancestor Josiah Birch, the undertaker. Sema was very quiet and I thought that maybe she might have been a little frightened. We crossed the swamp and about the time we reached the 174 Aid Station (mile 77) I began to feel a lot of pain on the bottom of my left foot. I knew the feeling too well. A massive blister was forming. I began to walk gingerly avoiding any step that would aggravate it. Naturally we slowed down. Now the other foot was hurting. My mood sank. When we reached my tent at mile 80 it was about 2:30am. Sema tried applying foam padding to the bottom of my feet and wrapping tape around them over my socks. The logistics of changing took time as I was moving slow and there were two girls in my tent. Tracy could tell that I was hurting but she tried to keep me positive as we headed out at about three in the morning. We said our goodbyes to Sema who headed home.

At this point it was a 20 mile hike. I still hoped to run but every time I tried the pain was excruciating from hitting my foot against an uneven surface. Walking allowed me to pick my foot placement more carefully with less pain. The foam padding seemed to be making it worse. The pain was almost unbearable. Tracy was doing a great job being an encouragement but I was not responding. At Mariela's Aid Station (mile 84) I asked Mariela what I should do. At first she said "How about a kitchen knife". I responded with "No I'll take a fork". It was a joke in reference to the time I found her at mile 70 trying to poke a hole in a blister with a fork! Anyway it lightened me up. Tracy led me over to the fire and I sat down, a dangerous thing to do in a 100 mile race. (See Tracy's pacer report for her perspective) She proceeded to take off my socks and remove the wrap and foam. Heads around the campfire started shaking. I knew they were seeing a nasty situation. Some one suggested duct tape. It fixes anything! I was game so Tracy began to duct tape my foot. She was getting high compliments from Mariela and the others for being such a great pacer - cleaning my nasty feet. I got up and immediately felt better. I tried running a little, picking the areas cleanest of roots and rocks. I felt just good enough to keep going at a good walking pace. At the Dam Station (mile 87) I prepared myself mentally for the big out and back. If I could pass this test I knew I could complete the race. Tracy recalls that I was very quiet (usually a bad sign) but I was experiencing so much at once - the full moon, the woods, the night, the dancing lights, the sleepy haze, the roots, the mud, my fragmented thoughts and images, memories and songs from long ago, the pain and fatigue - and of course Tracy's presence and encouragement. Life's intensity had reached new heights.

Just before dawn Tracy saw a man sanding by the trail without a light. She saw the same man twice. Without a light he could not be a runner. I saw nothing but I remembered that at that very spot a few years ago a man died while running the Sunmart 50 mile race. He had been warned by his doctors but entered the race anyway. Now he volunteers as a pacer if you don't have one when you pass that spot in the night time hours. The Coon needs all the volunteers it can get - real or legendary, living or not. It seemed like a good time for a story so I told her about old Josiah. Fortunately for Tracy it began to get light. We rolled into the Dam Aid Station (mile 93). The big test was over. The rest of the race was a quiet, agonizing push but one with a glowing purpose - get to the finish! Both of us were struggling now knit together in quiet desperation. A quarter mile out I began to run. My speed increased and my legs responded as I knew they had plenty of run left in them. I sprinted the finish as Tracy fell back just a little to give me the spotlight. My time was 27:32:44.

Tracy and I planned to get a nap before breakfast but I had another problem. I could not find my car keys. We looked in every bag, all over the tent, all around the tent and Tracy asked the race officials. No keys. Finally we ate breakfast and sat through the awards ceremony. I got my buckle and returned to the tent. I looked again. Nothing! My brain was so mushy that I could not remember a thing about them. Fortunately my car was left unlocked so that I could put my gear in it and lock it up. Tracy helped me take down my tent and pack up. She got my tent back in the bag! Then she drove me home and turned me over to my wife Kathy. What a pacer!

Kat and I drove up the next morning (four hours round trip) with the spare keys and retrieved the car. That evening after work I unpacked it. The last bag contained the world's nastiest wet clothes. Disgusted I started pulling them out and then inverted the bag. The last thing to come out was - you guessed it - the car keys.

Catra ran a strong 25 hour race. Chrissy did drop but she was feeling much better and in better spirits in the morning. Les came in at 27:40 but became temporarily blind for some hours after. German ran a spectacular 22:51 and Kim a super 25:59. Robert King was 8th overall finisher at 17:45. Susan finished at 27:59, Evan at 29:15, Fred at 25:47 and Padma was not the last finisher at 29:39. ExxonMobil's Peter Vrolijk was 6th overall with an incredible 17:03! Rocky Rikoon finished at 27:42 - I beat him Ha!