After checking in and chatting with friends, I lined up with 214 other people crazy enough to attempt to run 62 miles over rocky, hilly, cactus-infested terrain. Sounds like a great way to spend the first Saturday of the new year, huh? Having gathered some data from previous training runs, I had made a pacing chart that I would attempt to follow to keep me on target for a sub 13 hour finish. While I had very specific targets I hoped to hit for each section, I wanted to simply run the first 15-20 miles on “feel”, not worrying too much about being ahead/behind schedule. As we scurried down the jeep road that marks the start of each 50K loop, I settled into what I felt was a very comfortable pace. I spotted Chris, Tanya and Jason, Rachel, Stefan, and many others before we hit the first small climb of the day at Big Nasty. After that we were headed up Chris’s favorite trail (sarcasm noted), Sky Island. Despite being relatively short, this trail is rocky and steep, although it does yield some of my favorite views of the park. Down the technical back side we went, over loose rock and steep ledges. I talked with Bill and a fellow from Tulsa, and within minutes we were on the road that would lead us to Ice Cream Hill. Ice Cream is tough at any point in the race, but I was glad we got to tackle it early. Up and over we went, down to Trail 1, where we could hear the music from Bill Gardner at the Nachos aid station.
After battling numerous stomach issues in long races (the last being at Wasatch), I decided to try to race primarily on liquid nutrition in the form of Carbo Pro. I hoped it would be easier on my stomach, and it would cut down on the amount of other stuff I would need to carry with me. I carried 2 bottles from the start, so I was able to blow right through the first aid station without breaking stride. If nothing else, this was a huge mental boost to me. I glanced at my watch, curious (but not worried) about my pace, and was stunned to see that I had made it through Nachos (mile 5.6) a full 9 minutes faster than planned! I told myself not to panic, just to keep running at a comfortable pace and see what happened. The section of trail between Nachos and Chapas is a nice mix of rolling wooded singletrack and open rocky nastiness. While not entirely flat, this section is very runnable, comprised of many short rollers. I tired to run as much as I could, walking very little. My body still felt good, so I assured myself I was doing the right thing. I had allotted myself an hour to complete this section, so needless to say I was shocked when I cruised into Chapas (mile 11) only 51 minutes after leaving Nachos. I was now nearly 20 minutes ahead of my pace chart. Still not quite time to worry. Besides, I knew the warmer temps would come soon, so I thought it might not be such a bad idea to bank a little extra time while it was cool out. I was, however, a bit concerned when I spotted my friend Rachel leave Chapas at the same time as me. She is faster than I am, so if I was up with her, I might be in trouble. Oh well, I was here to race.
After grabbing 2 new bottles of Carbo Pro from my cooler (I had pre-made 13 bottles for the race), I joined Rachel and jogged out. We had 6 relatively flat miles ahead of us, but Joe (race director) had added an extra half mile on this section to make the overall distance closer to 100K (I had clocked it on my Garmin at just under 61 the previous 2 years). After a mile or two, Rachel began to pull away from me (as expected), but within minutes I heard a voice calling my name from the woods. Was that Rachel? Despite the course being “idiot proofed” (not my words) and well marked, Rachel had missed a turn. To make matters worse, the top 2 men in the 50K race had caught up and mistakenly followed Rachel. They soon found their way back on the correct trail and sped off again. About this time our friend Tanya came zooming past, running like a woman possessed. She was flying. Not far behind was Dave Brown, who was running the 50K and running strong. Dave and I chatted for a moment, and then he was gone (he went on to win the 50K race by nearly 10 minutes in 4:04). The rest of this section was fairly uneventful, with exception of the added section of trail and the emergence of the heat. If there is any place you don’t want to get stuck in the heat, this is the place. With nothing to shade you from the sun, the open field offers no relief. Although starting to feel the effects of the sun and beginning to slow down just a bit, I was pleased with my race up to this point, hitting the Crossroads “In” aid station (mile 17) in under 3 hours.
The heat was out in full force at this point, and I was suffering. My legs felt decent, my stomach was great, but I had no energy. Having been in this position before, I knew the heat was the cause of my discomfort. I also knew that I needed to make forward progress, no matter how slow, and that once the sun started to set I would feel alive again. This is where experience was a huge plus for me. I never considered dropping (as I debated many times last year), despite not feeling great. I tried to run, but my body was having no ne of it, so I reluctantly hiked as quickly as I could. After nearly 3 miles of gradual uphill, I was at the base of Lucky Peak, arguable the toughest climb on the course. Although short, Lucky is steep and full of loose rock. Upon reaching the top (and panting), runners are rewarded with an equally difficult descent down the backside, which is full of treacherous rocks and steep grades. I have fallen numerous times here on training runs, and I was in no mood to duplicate the feat during the race. After safely (i.e. “slowly”) making my way down Lucky, I jogged the short distance to the final aid station, Last Chance (Mile 26), where I was greeted by Olga. After reprimanding me for not drinking enough (my bottles were both still over half full), she filled my bottles with ice and sent me on my way, urging me to keep drinking. It’s hard to believe that 70 degree weather would necessitate drinking over 30 ounces of liquids per hour, but that is exactly what I needed and what I continued to do the rest of the race.
The next 5 miles included 2 big climbs, Cairn’s Climb and Boyle’s Bump, but it is also some of my favorite terrain in the park. The descent down Boyle’s is a blast, probably because you know the loop/race is almost over. Either way, I was looking forward to it. Somewhere between the 2 hills, Chris Russell caught up with me. He’s a tall guy like myself and was feeling the ill effects of the heat as well. We chatted for a bit before he took off ahead of me up Boyles. I trudged along, knowing that my hopes of a sub 13 hour finish were more than likely gone, but still confident that I could salvage my race when things cooled off. I hit the bottom of Boyles and ran down the road, passing several runners who were headed out on their second loop. The half mile stretch that followed was awesome, as runners exchanged greetings and wished each other well. Misery loves company, and we all knew what the other was suffering through. People were hanging out at the lodge (mile 31), cheering runners on, which always gives me a mental boost. I also knew that my friend Kelli would be waiting here to pace me the last 50K. Having company would be nice and might take my mind of the fact that I wasn’t feeling much like running. I had hoped to make it into the Lodge in less than 6 hours, but the heat slowed me down to a modest 6:10 first loop. Not bad, but it was still hot, and although darkness would bring cooler temperatures, it would also make it difficult to run fast over the Bandera rocks, especially on tired legs.
I knew I needed to sit down for a few minutes to hydrate and collect my thoughts, preparing myself for another loop. After downing a bottle of water/Gatorade, Kelli and I set out to finish what I had started. The next 7+ hours were fairly uneventful, but I will try to hit some of the highlights. We played leapfrog with Chris R. for much of the first 17 miles of the loop. Usually, he would pass us on the trail, only to have us pass him at an aid station (imagine that J). I made a conscious effort to drink more, switching between Carbo Pro and a Gatorade/water mix. I ate soup (mostly Ramen), half a turkey wrap, and some mashed potatoes on this loop. Once we hit Nachos (mile 36.6), things started to turn around. I could see the sun getting lower in the sky, and the energy seemed to come back to me. I ran a little more, then even more. By the time we hit Chapas (mile 42), I was feeling good enough to run more than I walked, a far cry from what was happening in the middle miles of the race. When we hit the field section, I once again caught sight of Chris and his bright yellow shirt off in the distance. My new goal became to try to catch (and pass) Chris before the end of the race. Chris met his pacer, Daniel, at Crossroads (mile 48), and after Kelli and I grabbed a few things, the four of us set off down the road. I was feeling much better, so we started to jog ahead and pull away from Chris, who we wouldn’t see again until the finish.
We donned our headlamps, scurried up and over the Sisters, and came back through Crossroads (mile 53) one final time. I knew the race was almost over, and I set my sights on keeping it under 14 hours. We ran most of the flats, hiking the rest. I felt terrific, better than I did at mile 20. Once the sun was gone, my spirits returned, and my legs felt fresh. Over Lucky Peak, Cairn’s Climb, and Boyle’s Bump we went. I stopped in my tracks after seeing a rock that I swore was some sort of bobcat. I kicked a rock so hard that I immediately knew my toenail was a goner (yep, it’s nice and black right now). Once we hit the bottom of Boyle’s, we “sprinted” to the finish, crossing the line in 13:49. While not the sub 13 finish I had hoped for, I ran 10 minutes faster than last year, and given the circumstances involving heat (lots of people were suffering out there), I was pleased with my performance.
Looking back on my Bandera 2012 experience, I take away more positives than negatives. I was very pleased with my overall nutrition. I ran nearly 14 hours and ate ZERO gels and shot bloks. I never had stomach issues, didn’t have to use the restroom, and generally felt good all day. My training and preparation left me feeling good. My legs felt awesome most of the day. My course knowledge helped a ton. Had the weather been cooler, maybe I could have gone under 13 hours. I will definitely be back next year with the same goal. Having Kelli pace me was huge. I’ve been on both sides of pacing, and I know how difficult it can be. Thanks again Kelli! Finally, I had an absolute blast on the trails. 14 hours went by in a flash. I never had that “what in the heck am I doing out here” moment. Running among friends in such a beautiful setting is priceless, and I consider myself lucky to get to do it.
A race without a Brian puke is like a...I don't know. It ain't right. Good report Brian, I can't wait to get back out there.
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