Course:  The RR100 is held at Huntsville State Park in the beautiful, piney woods of south-central Texas, north of Houston.  It is run on a 20 mile loop around a lake with a couple out-and-back portions.  The surface is mainly sandy loam trail with some jeep roads.  The race could be called “Rooty Raccoon” because of the numerous webs of the trip-traps.  This year there were even more due to erosion from recent rains.  There were several mud puddles on the course - a couple that were 6-8 inches deep and hard to avoid.  Aid is 3-4 miles apart.  The stations are well-run, have a good variety of food and drink, and the volunteers are awesome.

Training:  The major ultrarunner magazines have decided not to use my training schedule as the standard for 100 miles.  I only did a couple runs on trails (breaking my own rule from last year).  In the four months leading up to the race, I actually didn’t run at all for three of the weeks.  My longest training run was 33 miles about a month out.  My biggest mileage week was 41 miles (the same week I ran the 33-mile long run).  If anything, I guess I’m proof you can run 100 miles with low training miles.

My Goals:  After having to drop at 80 miles last year, I was determined to finish, but just how quickly?  My main goal was sub-24 hours, but I didn’t think sub-22 was totally out of reach.  I hoped to average 3:40 the first three loops finish 60 miles around 11 hours.  I figured that would set me up well for the night and give me a good time cushion.  I also had added incentive to finish, as I was running to raise money for my son’s Scout troop.

My Mantra:  “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline.”  II Timothy 1:7  NO FEAR THIS YEAR!

The Race:  The temp starting out was 29° (unofficially).  I wore long shorts over tights, two long-sleeved wicking shirts, gloves, and a light toboggan.  I also wore gaiters over my Montrail Masai’s.

1st Loop – It was dark about the first hour.  I did lose my headlamp.  I think a tree gnome stole it.  Thankfully, I brought a backup.  I finished in 3:40 (11:00/mile pace).  I didn’t eat anything on this loop, and I felt pretty good.

2nd Loop – I donned my mp3 player for a little jammin’.  I started eating at all aid stations (mainly PB&J quarters).  I also started taking HEED electrolyte tablets every hour or so.  I fell once, but surprisingly not because of a root, but because of a raised slat on one of the numerous bridges throughout the course.  I finished in 3:52.

3rd Loop – The eventual winner “looped” me as I was starting out.  He looked very strong…and a lot like Jesus.  I started to get a little leg weary.  I enjoyed some good conversation with a couple of the runners, which helped the time pass.  The temp peaked at about 56°.  I did start getting a little nauseous.  I don’t know that I was eating enough.  I fell again - this time due to an invisible root.  I finished in 4:10 (11:42 for 60 miles).

4th Loop - Having learned my lesson from last year, I was going to be warm come nightfall.  I donned two pair of gloves and a wool toboggan.  I grabbed my spare headlamp and my new 10-led green handheld.   Matt Long paced me this loop, and he was a lifesaver right from the beginning – I forgot my jacket, so about a half mile in, he had to turn around and go get it for me.  While he was gone, I saw my lovely wife and three boys drive by when I crossed the only street crossing.  They weren’t planning on coming down, so it was a nice surprise seeing them. 

Matt and I talked quite a bit, and I felt pretty good.  We did miss one turn and went a couple hundred yards past it before we realized it.  I was determined to defeat the night this year.  I did fall four times on this loop, but just got up and kept going.  I think it was a combination of darkness, fatigue and depth perception.  I had lasik surgery on my eyes a couple weeks prior to the race.  I had had no problems until race day when my right eye was foggy from the start and only go worse as it got later. If it had not been for a good left eye, I wouldn’t have been able to finish.

My left ITB starting hurting quite a bit, especially if I stopped for any amount of time.  I would have to walk a couple hundred yards to loosen it back up.  I didn’t try as hard to avoid the puddles, so my feet got pretty wet.  I ate odds & ends at the aid stations and started taking in some warm fluids.   Matt was a good support shadow the whole loop.  I finished in 5:11.

5th Loop – Chris Medley paced me this loop.  Because I knew I could pretty much walk it in and still beat 24 hours, that’s what we did.  Chris and I started out talking a lot, but that didn’t last long.  I was starting to fall apart.  Chris became more of a nurse and guide than a pacer.

I started getting nausea/heartburn, so wasn’t eating much. My left ITB and now hamstring was really bothering me.  If I stopped for any amount of time, I could hardly get going.  And I stopped a bunch to pee.  Having had to pee only one time per loop the previous four loops, I stopped 5-6 times this loop.  I’m guessing it was the caffeine pills and coke.  We did have a humorous moment when I tied a knot in my drawstring and Chris had to untie it, so I could pee.  My fingers just wouldn’t work.  I can only imagine what the other runners thought, but I didn’t really care.

I stopped trying to avoid most of the puddles, so my feet were soaking wet about halfway in.  I also started getting very cold with about ten to go.  I think the temp dropped to around 34-35° this loop.  My handheld batteries were dying, and I brought the wrong size batteries, so Chris had to be my root-spotter.

After the last aid station, I was sure someone had sabotaged the course.  I don’t remember passing a couple landmarks that I had mentally marked.  We stopped and asked a couple other runners who informed us we were on the right trail, but I didn’t believe them.  Chris tried to reassure me, but I was getting upset.  I kept telling him I was going to be hacked if I didn’t break 24 hours because someone jacked with the course.  Well, once we passed the Nature Center I realized Chris and the others were correct, and we only had one mile to go.  It’s amazing how fatigue and pain can turn us from sane people to paranoid psychos.

Terre (my wife) and Matt were there to greet us near the finish line.  I hobbled in the last half-mile or so.  My gait wasn’t pretty, but the finish line sure was!  I finished this loop in 6:28 for an overall finishing time of 23:21.

The finishing tent was warm and cozy.  I sat for a spell and took of my shoes to survey the damage.  I was amazed in a good way – no blisters and I’ll probably only lose a couple toenails.  After slamming several roots, I thought I’d lose at least four.  I stayed in the tent about 30 minutes, then we all decided to go ahead and drive the three hours home.

Conclusion:  I was really happy to finish under 24 hours.  I am most proud of the fact that I fell six times, but just kept getting back up and moving forward.  There were a few things that helped buoy my confidence, namely my pacers, Matt and Chris, and my family.  I have a new admiration for the runners that finish without family and friends there to support them.

I am now 1½ weeks out, and I’m still walking with a limp.  I ended up with a moderate hamstring strain.  My left leg is just now getting back to its normal size (it was about twice a big as my right leg the first week).  I’m getting the itch to run but will hold off another week or so.  I’d like to do a 50K in early March.

The RR100 is a great ultra.  RDs Joe and Joyce Prusaitis and their crew do a terrific job!  The volunteers are wonderful and as diehard as the runners, especially the deep night crew.  Because of the muddy condition of the trails, I saw several volunteers toting coolers and boxes of food back to some of the aid stations.  That made me glad to be running and simply carrying my handheld water bottle.