24 The Hard Way

After my DNF at WS100 earlier this year, I felt a great need to get back on the horse and try again for 100 miles. However, getting into WS is a luxury that I probably won't have for several more years. It didn't start off this way, but 24 the Hard Way became a chance for me to redeem my WS race.

First things first --- the race is held in a beautiful park in Oklahoma City and is put on by Chisholm Deupree among other co-race directors. They did an amazing job. It was extremely well organized. I really can not say enough good things about this race. If you are into timed events like this, you must put this one on your calendar. The course was good (some flat, some gentle rollers), the aid was great (best food I've ever had at a race), and the volunteers were both experienced and wonderful. They even had a monitor that showed your progress during the race. Every time you crossed the timing mat, you knew exactly how fast your pace was for the previous lap and how many miles you had accumulated.

The 24 Hour Runners

I went out to the race with Matt, Jeff, and Julie (Matt's wife). Matt and Jeff ran the race. Julie crewed for us and watched over us like a good mother hen. She's nearly eight months pregnant and was out there all day crewing for us. She even walked a mile with me near the end of the race when I was in some of the worst pain I've ever felt before in my life. I'm guessing Julie did quite a few miles walking with one of us when we needed it.

Mike, Matt, and Jeff - PreRace

Matt and Julie

My goal for the race was 100 miles. I knew I'd be disappointed if I did anything less than 85 miles, but 100 miles was my primary goal. I just wasn't sure if I was in 100 mile shape.

I started the race very conservatively. I know that I'm not a fast runner, but by using a run/walk strategy I can usually stay very consistent and be able to run late in a race when many folks can not run any longer. In fact, I walked half of each loop and ran half of each loop. After a loop or two I had it dialed in to where I would run and where I would walk. The first hours passed by very quickly. It was great fun running and chatting with every one. After several hours, Matt ran next to me for awhile and told me that I had 100 miles in me --- no problem at all. I silently agreed with him, but a lot can happen in 24 hours so I didn't want to jinx it.

Matt and Jeff were both in a groove all day long and were ticking off the miles like champs. We'd chat for a bit as they lapped me. That is really one of the special things about these timed events. They are held on a relatively small course so you get to be with people all day long. You always have someone to chat with --- or if you don't feel like talking, people understand that as well. We are all on our own personal journey out there. Jeff ended up with 112 miles and came in second place --- absolutely amazing! Matt finished with 70 really fast miles, but had to drop with foot issues. He came back later in the early hours of Sunday morning and ran some additional miles while wearing his jeans. The guy always cracks me up!

Another thing I loved about this race was the freedom of not carrying a bunch of stuff with me. During trail races I feel like Batman most of the time. I have on a waist pack or a hydration pack and will have multiple gels, salt tablets, ipod, jacket, gloves, etc. It was so nice to run with my hands free of a water bottle. Anything I needed I would stop and pick it up. And if I forgot about something -- no big deal -- I'd be back at the aid station in 12 minutes. So it was worry free running! And there were no pressures of cutoffs hanging over my head stressing me out to no end. I really loved that aspect of this race.
The day progressed and I was able to hold my pace for most of it. I had some low moments, but I always snapped out of them (big thanks to Jamie for Boom Boom Pow at 2am). I had some stomach issues, but I dealt with it OK. I also had moments of extreme joy out there. All in all, it was a great experience.

So how did I finish? 106 miles --- and the only mile that I ran the entire time was the very last loop. The run/walk plan worked out perfectly and I was able to keep a consistent effort most of the time. Overall --- great experience --- would do it again in a heart beat.

After the Race

The rest of the pictures are of the course -- just in case you'd like to do this race -- which I highly recommend!

The Run from the Ducks 2009

Let me tell you upfront, I love this race. This is my second year running it and I'll probably do it every year going forward. It is run on a roughly 1/2 mile loop through the Clark Botanical Gardens outside of Mineral Wells, TX. If you like unique trees, plants, and flowers -- you would be in heaven out here. And yes, there are ducks -- but none chased me. All of the race proceeds go to the National Vietnam War Museum and many of the race volunteers are veterans of the war.

Here is what I really love about this race - it is a loop course and you get to hang out with all of your running buddies all day long. In a regular linear race, I say hello to everyone at the race start and then never see them again (because they are usually so far ahead of me!) In this race, you see everyone over and over as you leap frog each other. You get the chance to spend a moment or two chatting about how things are going, future races, and just catching up with people. It's great. And you get to see the race unfold right in front of you.

RD Tony Mathison puts on a terrific race. He and his daughter run several miles during the race so no one will finish in last place. Tony's energy throughout the day was infectious. He and his daughter did cheers for us, they put up funny signs (which Tony rotated throughout the day), and he learned everyone's name on the course. He's a classy guy.

The lap counters were mostly veterans of the Vietnam War. They sat out in the heat all day long and gave us encouragement with every lap completed. Thank you Jim and Emelia!

My race was a more of the usual for me during a hot race. Stomach issues to battle mixed in with a little calf cramping. I finished with less miles than last year and I had to fight hard for every one of them after the fifth hour of this eight hour race. I tried a new fueling plan and ended up taking in too many calories for the first 5 hours of the race. I'm still struggling to find the right fueling mix for me during a hot race. The search continues.

There were several strong runners at this years race. Ryan, Chris, Matt, and Jeff battled it out all day long. It was really cool to watch it all unfold. In the end, Ryan ran something like 54 miles and smashed the record for the race. Very impressive -- he looked smooth all day long.

But my pick for the best race goes to my friend Josh. Josh has been battling serious back issues for the last year or so. He's had major surgery (you should see the scar on his back) and his running career is on hold for now. So he signed up as a walker for this race and did very well. It's amazing how many miles you can cover at a brisk walking pace.

Josh was struggling around hour seven (it was really hot and just about everyone was walking at this point) . He told me he was done and was going to sit down. I saw him head into the shade and sit down. I grabbed a bag of chips from my drop bag and ran with it a loop so I could throw it to him on my way back around. But when I got there, he was gone. He was back on the course. I am so proud of him for battling those demons and getting back on the course to finish it out. Congratulations, Josh!

Nate's First Trail Race

My best friend Nathan just completed his first trail race --- the Karl's Kanoe 30K at Inks Lake State Park in Texas. I could not be prouder of my friend.

Nathan has done a sprint triathlon and a few other 5K races, but this was his longest run to date. He didn't even bother running a half marathon --- he jumped straight to the 30K (18 miles) distance!

He did a crash course of training the last several weeks and was ready to go.

Nathan, Jamie, Hami, and Krewe Krejci at the starting line

Coming in after the 1st 10K loop -- looking strong!

Coming in for the finish -- the kids are pacing Uncle Nathan!

The Finish!

Terrific Job, Nathan -- we are all so proud of you!

And two days later, he's already signed up for his first marathon -- Mardi Gras in New Orleans. I told him it would be a walk in the park compared to Karl's Kanoe!

WS100

It's been a several days now and I've had much time to reflect on my WS100 attempt. I'll tell you up front that I did not finish. I made it 62 miles to the Foresthill A/S before I dropped out of the race. But like much in life, getting there is the story...

I've trained and raced the last 2 years with Western States as my focus. The fires of 2008 forced the cancellation of the race so I had one additional year to prepare. I made it to the starting line in the best shape of my life and was ready to run.


Western States is filled with history and I took it all in. It was the very first 100 mile trail race in the country. This is ground zero -- where it all started. On Friday afternoon before the race, I had to privilege of meeting the very first person to run the race -- Gordy Ainsleigh. He is a legend in the sport and paved the way for the rest of us.

Steve, Gordy, and Me (thanks, Gordy!)

Western States is a first class event (1500 volunteers), over a historic and beautiful course, and is a distinct challenge. I had a terrific friend and pacer lined up - Steve Bernhardt - who flew in from Wisconsin to run the last 40 miles with me. I had my Mother, wife, and best friend Nathan as my Krewe (we spell it differently - family thing). I had an amazing support team and I was primed and ready to run this race. I also had another ultra running buddy in the race -- Matt Crownover. He and I have logged many training miles together and have basically trained together for the last year and a half. It was his first WS100 as well - and I am proud to say he finished and ran a very solid race!

Drew (Matt's pacer and 2006 WS Finisher), Matt, Me, and Steve

The race starts in a very humane way. It sounds kind of crazy, but the first 3.5 miles are straight up the mountain to the top of the Squaw Valley ski resort. It took me roughly 1:10 to get to the top at Emigrant Pass. When I say it's a humane start, it's because if it wasn't uphill everyone would run out insanely fast due to all the pent up excitement and energy from the start. The climb to the top kind of gets you focused on the business at hand, which is to get to Auburn, CA in less than 30 hours.

Krewe Krejci - at the race start (Nathan, Me, V, and Mom)

Race Start -- ready to GO!

After reaching the summit at Emigrant Pass, I looked backwards towards Lake Tahoe for an inspiring view. The next 8 miles or so of the trail was literally amazing. Everywhere I looked was beauty. I tried to take it all in as I ran. It was something special that I won't ever forget. It was high country running and I loved it!

The Krewe - on the road - they drove roughly 250 miles supporting me during this race!

Lots and lots of waiting for the Krewe

Coming in to Robinson Flat - mile 30

The Krewe springs into Action!

I would love to tell you that I thoroughly enjoyed this race. However, by 9am it was getting hot. We were in an exposed area during the mid morning and it was affecting a lot of runners. I saw many folks who were struggling by this point. I was determined that I would not be one of the poeple suffering. I just had to manage the heat of the day and then it would cool off at night. That was my plan anyway.

I started to get leg cramps about 25 miles into the race. I have not had leg cramps in over a year, and they have always been because I wasn't drinking enough or taking enough salt. My weight was still at my starting weight - 160 - but I felt that I must not be getting enough water and salt. So I started to really pound both water and salt trying to stave off the leg cramps. The good news is the leg cramps mostly stopped. The bad news is I was taking in way too much salt and fluid.

The race started to fall apart for me around the canyons. I had been taking 3-4 electrolyte tablets an hour. I also was eating 2 GU Roctanes an hour which contain the equivalent of 3 electrolyte tablets each. So I was probably taking about 8-9 electrolyte tablets each hour. This sounds insane, right? Well, I clearly was not making good decisions by that point. The cramping issues in my legs made me believe I wasn't drinking enough. So I started to pound even more fluid (taking in 5 bottles between each A/S). And when you drink that much water, you have to have more salt - or so I thought. Bottom line, I believe I took in about twice the amount of salt that I needed and my stomach finally said "you've had too much, Mike. I think I'll make the decisions for you for awhile". My weight went up 6 pounds, but I knew I wasn't anywhere near hyponatremic. I'd had too much salt for that to happen.

The puking started in full earnest after the Devil's Thumb A/S (mile 48). I was down in the next canyon and it all started to fall apart for me. The heat was getting to me and my stomach had enough. I was in full throw up mode every 10 to 15 minutes and could not keep anything down. The awful sounds that were coming out of me where echoing off the canyon walls. Other runners patted me on the head or shoulder as they went by - most giving sympathy - others encouragement to get it together.

I finally made it in to Michigan Bluff and picked up my pacer, Steve. The krewe knew I was in very bad shape, but were hopeful that I could get myself back together. At this point, I could not eat or drink anything. Ginger, tums, Rolaids -- nothing was working. Steve did everything that he could to pick up the pieces, but I was just too far gone by then. I distinctly remember sitting on the trail, throwing up between my legs, mosquitos swarming around me, and all I wanted to do was die. It got to the point where walking was almost too much for me -- let alone running.

We finally made it to the Bath Road A/S where my krewe was waiting. They were still full of encouragement and walked with me on the uphill road to Foresthill. I could hear the trail sweep riders on horses about 20 yards behind me. They were incredibly respectful. They'd stop when I'd stop and wait for me to do my business before I could continue on. My crew wanted me to push it to Foresthill and get in under the cutoff. They encouraged me to give it everything I had left and we could then try and get my stomach settled at the aid station. It became you have to run, Mike. You have to run right now. It took all that I had to run at this point, but I started to do it. My Mom was running behind me. I could hear her footsteps and I thought to myself, my mother has not run a step in years. She is doing this for me. I have to keep it up for her. So I continued running into Foresthill and made the cutoff by 15 seconds. I then sat down in a chair and my crew tried desperately to get me back together. But it was too late. By this point, I'd been throwing up every 15 minutes for 5 hours or more. I tried soup --- wretch. I tried more ginger and coke -- wretch. I tried gels -- super wretch. I just wanted to lay on the ground and die. The ground felt like the best place for me.

After 15 minutes of this, I told them I was dropping. I didn't have enough time to make it to the next aid station and I could not stop puking. I had to walk back to the A/S and let them know. It was only about 40 yards, but it felt like miles to me. They cut off my wrist band, and that was it. I walked over to the van and laid down in the road where I continued to puke. They finally got me in the car (more puking) and drove to Auburn to the finish line where there was a medical tent.

I am insanely afraid of needles. It goes back to my childhood. I've always been afraid of shots, but getting an IV or giving blood completely freaks me out. I don't even like someone touching the nook of my arm. It is just this weird hang up that I have. I wish I didn't, but I do. I knew exactly what they were going to do at the medical tent in Auburn - give me an IV. And I wanted none of that.

We pulled up to the stadium and I basically fell out of the car back on to the ground. The ground was my best friend at this point. I emptied my stomach again for probably the 30th time and made my way down to the medical tent. My crew told them what was wrong and they prescribed an IV. I refused of course - "We have a refuser!" - so they gave me some electrolyte drink. Of course, that didn't stay down longer than 10 minutes. After throwing up twice in the tent, they basically told me to either leave or get an IV. I finally relented and took the IV.

The nurses where great and really helped me out. After 5 minutes of getting the fluid into me I started to feel better. The puking stopped, but I was still nauseous. I got a couple of bags in me and finally felt the need to urinate (it had been at least 8 hours since I'd done that). It was 3am, and we decided to head to Reno where we had our hotel rooms. We checked into our hotel rooms around 8am and went to sleep for a few hours.

I woke up to the good news that my buddy Matt had just finished the race. I could not be happier for him -- he trained hard and ran a smart race.

A few days after the race, I woke up in the middle of the night. In my dream, I was climbing Devil's Thumb over and over again -- never making it to the top. I woke up soaked in sweat. It was so bad I considered changing the sheets. But instead, I rolled over to a drier spot and tried to think of sweeter thoughts before falling back to sleep. Western States is going to stay with me for a long time. I'll be back.

The Bags Are Packed!

The bags are packed and the training miles have all been run. All that is left for me to do is get out there and run! WS100 -- this Saturday! I'm ready!

A Really Good Run

I just had one of those really good runs - one of those runs that you don’t want to end. The kind of run where you feel like you could run forever – and you want to do just that! I know we all have them, but it’s been several weeks since it’s happened to me.

It started out in the pitch dark of night, but on the horizon (if you look really hard over the houses and buildings of Dallas) I could see the sky starting to change. The temperature was around 60 degrees and is probably the last cool night before summer really gets started. There was no wind. I made it to White Rock Lake just as the sun was making its appearance and was treated to an amazing sunrise. The lake was completely still and serene. Ducks made V’s on the shoreline next to me.

And then to my complete surprise, two coyotes crossed my path. I know they are here, but I have not seen one in two years. The both looked at me from about 15 yards away and then trotted on into the narrow patch of woods next to the lake. They both looked pretty well fed – I feel sorry for the neighborhood cats!

It is pretty special to see something wild like that in inner city Dallas. In the past I’ve been treated to many owls (one swooped down on me thinking I was dinner), a beaver, coyotes, many snakes, and even a bobcat. All within our city limits. It’s really cool what you can see if you keep your eyes open.

My training has taken a turn since Jemez. I developed some pretty good tendonitis in my left ankle and could not run for two weeks. I got a shot of cortisone which helped and have been ramping up again this past week. I’ve also been doing a lot of leg weight training, elliptical, and stairs. My legs feel strong again --- and that gives me confidence going into Western in three weeks. However, I decided not to do Hell’s Hills 50K tomorrow. I just don’t want to risk injury three weeks before Western. It’s the ups and downs at Jemez that killed my ankle. I don’t have the luxury of doing that again at Hell’s Hills. So I’ll continue to run flats and do stairs for my climbing workouts until Western States. As of today --- 3 more weeks until WS100!

Jemez Mountain 50 Mile

"Wow -- that was freaking hard!" - I believe those were the first words I said to the RD when finishing the Jemez 50 miler this past Saturday. This truly is a first class race held in the mountains surrounding Los Alamos, NM. It was quite an adventure to say the least.


There is 12,000 feet of elevation gain and 12,000 feet of elevation lost during the event. And to be honest, I'm not sure what was harder --- the long climbs at altitude or some of the insane straight down descents. We climbed 3 major peaks that were over 10,000 feet and a couple of minor peaks.


The first climb of the day -- look at the tiny people on the switch backs.


At the top of Caballo -- our first peak -- you can see the town of Los Alamos in the distance.


The Talus Field

There were so many memorable sections to the course. I'll list a few here (I've made up these names -- they are not listed in the race)...

1) The Ladder --- fairly early into the race, you are running next to a beautiful mountain stream. Then out of the blue, there is a dam and you climb up this 15 foot ladder to another level of the stream. It wasn't hard or anything, just memorable --- not something you normally see in a trail race.

2) The Drop Off --- coming out of Pipeline A/S you literally drop off the side of a mountain and slide down a 45 degree washed out loose gravel and rock shoot for about a 1/4 mile. There was no trail -- just pick your fall line and get to it. It was crazy. I remember thinking to myself while staring down the lip of the funnel -- "Hell, I don't want to run down that!" But I have the cuts on my hands and bottom to prove it.

3) The Barb Wire Fence --- after a 4 mile long downhill section (awesome running!) you run into a barb wire fence roadblock. This is around mile 28 of tough effort and my legs were a little trashed. This wasn't hard -- just kind of funny to sling your tired legs over a barbed fence and flop onto the other side.

4) The Talus Field --- OK, this actually made me nervous. We climbed over these furniture sized boulders up hill for about 100 yards. The only thing was these boulders were loose and moved when you stepped on them. I could not wait to get off this boulder field. It reminded me of last year in Colorado when my entire family climbed up a large talus field to get to some leftover snow in the summer. After visiting the snow, we started climbing down. My 5 year old son, Joe got really scared of falling into these giant holes in the talus field. He kept saying, "why did we do this? this is not fun!" I had the same exact thoughts on the talus field during this race!

5) The Black Diamond --- after making your way up to the top of a mountain, you have to come down right? Well there are easier ways to run down than straight down --- but that's what we did. We literally ran straight down a ski slope. No switch backs -- no gentle curves -- just straight bloody down. And if you fell -- God help you! And this section was right before the 12 hour cutoff -- so I had to push it. My quads were on fire and my legs felt like rubber, but I made it to the A/S with 15 minutes to spare.

I loved the cross country sections where there was no trail -- just flags to follow. I also liked the mountain that we climbed that had no switch backs -- we just went straight up. I remember looking at my fellow NTTR member, Fred as he was about 100 yards in front of me. I remember thinking why is he going straight up? I quickly discovered that we weren't on a trail -- we were just following flags up a mountain. I slowly trudged after him and an hour later was rewarded with an amazing vista.


"Hey, Fred -- wait up!"



This was such a beautiful course -- if I wasn't in so much pain for most of the race, I would have enjoyed it more. I told my running buddies, that I won't be back next year -- but never say never. Now that I know the course, (where you can run hard, where you just have to hold on, etc.) I believe I could do a little better next time. But overall, it was a good confidence boost for WS100 in 6 weeks. It was a very challenging mountain race and I held my own. I was running hard until the end on tired and beat up legs. One more tune up until WS100 -- Hell's Hills 50K on June 6th in Smithville, TX!

Rocky Hill Ranch - The Race that Wasn't

My son, Joe and I drove down to Smithville, Tx late Friday afternoon for the Rocky Hill Ranch 50K. It had been raining the entire day in Smithville - huge storms with big thunderboomers. However, ultra runners are super hardy folks so I thought the race would still happen. And I really needed to get my long run in this week as I am out of town the next two weekends.

We arrive to a flooded mudpit of a campground. But it had finally stopped raining. I pitched my tent while Joe played with Matt and Julie's children. I checked in and spoke to Joe P -- race director -- who assured me he was doing everything he could for the race to happen.

We feasted on Julie and Becca's excellent dinner and then turned in early. Joe and I were asleep by 9pm. It did not rain all night and we slept well. I awoke at 5am to some sprinkles and then it started raining much harder - complete with some scary lightening hitting pretty close to the campground. I continued to prepare for the race, but in the back of my head I was wondering if they'd call it off. I left Joe sleeping in the tent and went to investigate. Race director, Joe P walked in to the main lodge area and quickly called the race off -- just too dangerous with the frequent and violent lightening. I agreed completely and went back to our tent to hang out with my son.

So no race -- but still a great experience. Joe and I got to have an incredible Father/Son trip. We laughed and joked in the tent while the storm raged around us. Joe gave each of us pretend names and made up stories. Finally water started coming into the tent and we had to retreat to Matt and Julie's camper. Everything we had in the tent was soaked! It was a mud bog all around us. Rivers of water were pouring through the campgrounds.

During a lull in the storm, I quickly broke down the tent and threw everything into the car and we headed back to Dallas. No race, but a trip I'll probably always remember for the bonding with my son.

Grasslands Marathon

photo credit: Paul Tidmore

Terrific day, terrific race -- lots of fun for the entire family -- that sums up the Grasslands Marathon! Kevin and Stacie Boudreaux did a great job as first time RD's picking up the race this year. My only complaint was that I did not do the 50 miler -- 26.2 wasn't enough -- I wanted more time on the course!

However, my body has been thanking me for not running the 50. I've been able to resume my regular training right away. After all, the real goal is Western States in 3 months!

The Desire is Returning!

So what have I been doing the last month? The first couple of weeks was all about recovering from Rocky 100. Then I realized I was having an issue with my desire returning. I've been enjoying my recent runs, but I'm not as fired up as I would like to be right now.

So how do you combat that? By putting some new goals on the calendar. I am less than four months out from Western States. It's time to get it together and get into serious training mode. So I've put a couple of new races on my calendar. I'm warming up with a 5K this weekend (OK, I'm running it with a friend and it's a St. Patricks race, so there will be drinking involved - or so I hope!). The following weekend I'm running the Grasslands marathon in Decatur, TX. It's a terrific race and I'm happy I decided to do it. Then a month later I will be doing the Rocky Hill 50K outside of Smithville, TX. A month after that, I will be doing the Jemez 50 miler in New Mexico. Six weeks later is the big dance -- WS100!

Stair stepping these races will be good for me and keep me focused. It has worked for me in the past and I'm counting on it working again.

Rocky Raccoon 100 - Success!!!

Two years of training, a few set backs and false starts, and finally I have achieved success. I have run 100 miles! I could not be happier!

The body can do amazing things -- if only the mind lets it.

Virginia always told me that Rocky was supposed to be my race. After the wildfires at Western States and the altitude problems at Leadville, I am inclined to believe her. Rocky was my first 50 mile race two years ago -- it felt right that it was also my first 100 mile finish.

The day before the 100 mile start, my children participated in the one mile kids trail race. They both did incredibly well. I know this event is really more for the parents, but I am so proud of my children. They went out there and ran hard! Sara finished in 9:08 (first girl!) and Joe finished in 9:53. I could not believe that they could run that fast! You should have seen them sprinting in towards the finish line. I loved it!

Sara in full blown sprint!

Go, Joe Man, Go!

The 100 mile race started at 6am on Saturday. We camped out at the park so we had a very short drive to the start. The weather was a little on the warm side - for running anyway. For spectating and volunteering it was downright nice! I was a little nervous at the start -- but not too bad. It doesn't make sense to get worked up at the start of a 100 miler - you'd waste too much precious energy. You just need to stay relaxed. In fact, I never even heard the RD say "go" - I just noticed that everyone else was leaving and heading up the trail. So with hugs and kisses to my friends and family, I was off!

It's OK, honey! I'll be just fine!

Jamie, Natie, Hammy, Joe, me, and Mom at the start

My race plan: I recently read an article by Gary Cantrell in Ultrarunning magazine. I am going to give him a ton of credit for my finish at this race. His article was about how an average runner (that's me) can run a 24 hour 100 mile race if he doesn't mind a certain level of discomfort, can run the uphills at the end, doesn't waste time in aid stations, and runs a conservative pace. I decided that is what I'd do. But the part about finishing in 24 hours was a dream -- I'm just not that fast -- or so I thought!

Rocky is broken down into 5 x 20 mile loops. I wanted to do my first loop in a very conservative 4 hours and 30 minutes. I knew that would put me near the back of the pack. And that's exactly where I wanted to be. I've heard so many stories of people starting this race too fast and just staggering in for a finish or not finishing at all. I did not start this race not to finish it! So I held back that first loop and ran it as slowly as possible. At one point early on, I had a pebble in my shoe so I stopped to take it out. While I was doing that, everyone passed me. I looked back into the night and did not see a single runner with a flashlight coming my way. And I thought to myself -- "perfect -- this is exactly where I want to be -- dead last!" And I was serious!

The first 20 mile loop went by without any problems. I came into the turnaround, said hello to my crew, and headed back out. My son, Joe gave me a big hug that gave me energy for miles. My crew kept me fed with breakfast tacos -- yummy!

Coming into the start finish after the first loop -- feeling strong!

Miles 20 to 40 were just about perfect. I had my tunes going and was feeling no pain. I was loving every second of it. The woods - the trail - the camaraderie with other runners - it was just perfect! I ran the second loop the same speed as the first loop so I was doing well.

The 40 to 60 mile loop got a little tougher. I had a few low moments here, but overall was feeling strong. My pace did not slow much at all during this loop. However, I was really looking forward to the night time hours when I would be running with my pacers -- Huy and Jeff.

Huy started pacing me at mile 60. That was a huge pick me up for me. Huy and I started running together 5 years ago, so it is just so fitting that he would be here for me during my first 100 mile finish. Huy had not run 20 miles in probably 2 years, but I knew he had it in him. I also knew that I would be running pretty slow by that point and he'd have no problem with the pace. We laughed and joked for the first 10 miles of this loop. It was like we were just starting out on a nice Saturday morning run. It was really quite comical. I could not believe how lucid I was at this point -- we were having very regular Huy/Mike conversations. After awhile, I kind of stopped talking during a low point. Huy then took that opportunity to quiz everyone we passed about where they were from or if it was there first time doing this, etc. He did not know it, but he had me laughing on the inside the entire time. I thought someone was going to push him over because he had so much energy!

Huy and Mike running into the night

Huy got me to mile 80 where I went back out solo for 3 miles. I was still in a low spot when I dropped him off. The 60 to 80 mile loop was a little slower than my previous loop, but not by much. I've often heard that miles 60-80 are the hardest on this course and they are right. I was very fortunate to have Huy there to get me through it - he did an incredible job. I was now determined to get myself back together for a strong finish!

After running 3 miles solo, I came into the next aid station to find my wife and best friend Nathan waiting for me. They had a surprise -- Virginia was going to run 3 miles with me to get me to my next pacer, Jeff! I can not tell you how happy that made me! The 3 miles with Virginia were the absolute highlight of the race for me. We laughed, she told me stories about the day, and I told her stories from the trail. I really think she enjoyed it. And it was such a huge boost for me! I remember telling her that I thought I could break 24 hours if I could hold it together. She assured me that I was strong, running well, and to just keep going!

There were many nice surprises for me during this race. There is a remote aid station in the middle of the woods -- you have to hike 3 miles in to get to it. Virginia, Nathan, and Jamie made this trek out there twice! I could not believe it! They took such amazing care of me during the race -- they were truly a NASCAR pit crew -- they got me in and turned around as quickly as possible. Another surprise came when Huy and I were a little turned around on the trail (I won't say lost). We came upon a group of people just standing at an intersection in the dark. I called out to them - "is this the right way"? We got a little closer - and it was my crew! They were wandering around lost trying to get back to the car! It totally cracked me up.

Virginia ran with me from miles 83 to 86 -- it was then up to Jeff to get me home. I gave V a kiss and then Jeff and I took off. I told him right away that I wanted him to get me in under 24 hours. He told me, let's do this 6 mile loop and then we'll figure out our options. I didn't know at the time, but he had plans to push me pretty hard and see if I could do even better than 24 hours.

The six mile loop came and went pretty well. I was still running strong, but I was falling a lot more often. I fell at least 4 times during the race -- once with Huy and three times with Jeff. But each time I rolled with it and never got hurt -- just dirty.

Jeff and I are now 8 miles from the finish. I can see Jeff doing the math in his head. My math skills were way gone by that time. I thought I would still be struggling to finish under 24 hours. Jeff knew we had that in the bag -- he had a new goal for me -- finish under 23 hours! He asked me what I wanted to do. I told him under 24 would be just fine with me - I didn't want to hurt that badly to finish under 23. So he then asked me, "well, do you want to run?" I said "of course I do!" He then replied, "that's what I wanted to hear. Let's just run it in and see where that gets us." I agreed to the plan and off we went.

Until that time, I had been leading Jeff and he had been following me - so I was setting the pace. Jeff decided to take the lead from here on out and he started pulling me along. We started running and really did not stop much until the end. He had me running up hills that I had walked all day - even when I was fresh! It hurt, but I wanted to do well and I wanted to finish strong so I just kept running. We passed many people at this point. There were so many people on the course who could just not run anymore. They had run themselves out and were reduced to a staggering walk. I was so glad to be able to move well at the end.

We finally got within a 1/2 mile of the finish. That's when I knew that I was going to do it. I was going to finish this race -- and I was going to finish it well! I thanked Jeff for everything he had done. He pushed me to a new limit - one that I would not have done by myself. We sprinted in to the finish line for a 22 hour 45 minute finish! This was under 24 hours and way under the realistic goal I set for myself of 27-28 hours!

I thanked the RD - Joe P - he is truly one of the best and received my belt buckle. This buckle will always be special to me. It is my first 100 and I finished under 24 hours -- amazing!

My friends and family were there to see me finish at 4:45 in the morning! There were hugs, kisses, and high fives all around. I will never forget that moment.

I'm done, right? Please don't send me back out there!

What did I learn from all of this?

The tortoise can beat the hare in these long races. You just have to plan well and execute that plan. My hydration, electrolytes, and fueling were dead on most of the day. I never had issues with my stomach or cramping. I was in and out of the aid stations extremely quickly. I knew exactly what I needed, grabbed it, and moved on down the trail. The Gary Cantrell plan works -- but it is painful! But remember, it's just one day - and you can do anything for one day, right?!

Lastly - I am so grateful to my friends and family. For one day they concentrated on doing everything they could to get me to the finish line. I'll admit, it was nice to be pampered like that for a day. I'd roll into an aid station to their greeting - "Hey, Mike - what do you need?" "I'll take 4 Advil's, 8 gels (4 blue and 4 white), 10 salt tablets, two cups of Gatorade, a taquito, take my trash, and please have my camelback filled up with water and everything else when I come back from the porta potty." This was a common request from me during the race.

Ouch, Mom -- that kind of hurts! Jeff looks ready to throw up next to me!

What's next? You know I have to challenge myself! I am quite sure that the Jemez 50 in May and WS100 in June will be a big enough challenge! But for now, two weeks of rest and then back to training!

One Week Until Rocky!

This time next week, my stomach will be full of butterflies as I get ready for my second 100 mile race -- the Rocky Raccoon 100. I did not complete my first 100 miler at Leadville this past summer. I am determined to do better at Rocky. I am well trained, I am confident, I have more experience under my belt, and I have excellent support. Those are the things you need to succeed in a race like this where so much can and will change in the course of 24 hours or so.

The ipod is loaded with mellow and upbeat tunes and the bags will be packed tomorrow. All that is left is for me to go out there and take care of business. And that is what I plan to do. A day of running in God's Grand Creation spent with my best friends and family -- who could ask for more?!

Bandera 100K

I’ve had several days to reflect on this race since last Saturday. I believe it was one of the best personal performances of my running career. Everything went well for me – the weather, the course seemed to play to my strengths, and I had a first class crew.

Friday morning, Virginia and I dropped off the kids at school and with camper in tow hit the road for Bandera, TX. It was a really pretty drive as we stayed off the main highways and took the back way to the race. My wonderful mother volunteered to watch the kids all weekend, so it was just Virginia and I for a nice long weekend.

We arrived at our campsite at race headquarters, set up the camper, and then watched the 1 mile kids trail race. My friends (Matt and Buddy) children were entered in race and all ran well. It was so cool to see the little trail runners out there - especially Matt’s youngest who is 4 and ran the entire mile very hard. You should have seen him huffing and puffing all the way to the finish! Next year, we may have my children’s trail racing debut at Bandera!

getting the feet ready!

The 100K race started at 7:30am on Saturday – a very decent hour to start (thank you, Joe Prusaitis) as the sun was coming up over the hills. I said a quick good bye and good luck to Virginia and we were off. The race started uphill, so it was very slow going at first. But that kept the runners bunched up for awhile which I kind of like during the first part of a race. Everyone is excited and very chatty during those first few miles. I got to talk to Dave Billman for many miles who was attempting this race for the third time. Dave is a strong runner and with a 100 mile finish to his credit, but for some reason he had DNF’d his other Bandera attempts and was determined to finish today. I could tell by his attitude that today would be his day. I found out later that he finished strong! I also got to run for many miles with fellow beer lover, Dan Hamilton who was stopping to take some gorgeous pictures of the course.

Matt and I at the start

And we are off! I've got a sweet walk going!

The first 10 miles flew by – I was running very well. In fact, maybe too well for I caught up to several runners who are stronger than me. I ran many miles either in front of or right behind Fred Thompson and Barbara Hitzfield who are both very talented runners. And that had me really worried. I usually can’t hold a candle to these guys and for some reason I was really close to them. But I kept pressing on at the same pace. I thought I would run hard all day because I knew that my pace would naturally drop off during the night hours when I could not see as well.

Much as been written about the Bandera course. I found it very beautiful and very rugged. The hills were not too bad (except for one where you went straight up, it seemed), but there were a ton of them. There were softball sized rocks everywhere in one section which I did not like at all. I found the first 5 miles to be the toughest part of the course for me. It was very technical and hard to really get going. If your mind drifted for a moment, you had a real possibility of falling and getting seriously hurt on the rocks.

On a personal note, I went into this race with a very heavy heart. In fact, I almost decided not to do it the day before. My company had layoffs the Thursday before the race and one of my good friends was let go. I know this is happening all over the country, but it really hits you when it is one of your friends who you have worked with for many years. I’d gone into many battles with her and I’ll really miss her. Her leaving coupled with another friend’s job loss really had me feeling low. On top of that, my buddy Josh was supposed to be running Bandera as well (his first ultra) but he had a bad back injury and was forced to miss the race. All of these things were weighing on me. I had decided that I would give myself a few hours to think about these things during the race before fully concentrating on the business at hand. However, I had to concentrate on the race just about every step of the way. If I let my mind wander, I would have ended up flat on my face! I did say many prayers for my friends while I was out there.

At the end of the first loop (31 miles) I was feeling terrific! I made the turn and headed back out for my final loop. In fact, I looked so good and was doing so well that Virginia headed into town to grab a 6 pack of Shiner for me to celebrate later that night. I guess she has more confidence in me than I do! However, around mile 40 I started to feel really strange. I had been eating 2 gels an hour for my fuel and only drinking water. I was taking 1 salt pill per hour for my electrolytes. I hit an aid station where Virginia and Matt’s wife, Julie were waiting. V could tell that something was wrong. I quickly drank a Red Bull as I felt kind of sleepy and V and Julie asked me a ton of questions to get me back on track. It was determined that I was not taking enough electrolytes – once I started taking 2 an hour I started feeling like myself again.

coming into Crossroads Aid Station

The rest of the race I was feeling no pain and running hard. I was just trying to hold my pace. My original goal for the race was 16 hours. I knew that I had that in the bag and the new goal became 15 hours. After awhile I knew that was in the bag as well. Around that point Jesse Wilson and I were leap frogging each other for miles. He mentioned that he was trying to break 14 hours. He is a stronger runner than I am and I thought he’d have no problem doing it. At that point I was content with a 15 hour finish. But for some reason, I stayed with him during those last miles. He shot ahead of me with about 3 miles to go and was running a pace that I could not manage in the dark. I wished him well and continued on.

I was actually sort of taking it easy after I thought that there was no way for me to finish under 14 hours. I was humming along to myself really not wanting the race to end (sick of me, I know) when I ran into two runners running a little slower than me. I heard one of them say to the other – “I think we are almost there. It’s only a quarter of a mile to the finish.” What? Are you serious? I yelled back to them, “are you sure?” They confirmed that we were almost home. I looked at my watch and saw that I had 2 minutes left to break 14 hours! I started running in a dead sprint for the finish line. I got to about 100 yards from the finish where I found my buddy Matt waiting for me - shivering in the dark and cold – he had finished two hours before me. I yelled to him to follow me as I was going to break 14 hours! I sprinted across the finish line in 13 hours 59 minutes and 37 seconds! I was so happy!

Joe Prusaitis congratulated me and handed me my finishers buckle. Virginia came over and wrapped a warm blanket around me and directed me to the finisher’s tent. I ate a bowl of Julie’s soup and stared at the Shiner which I had no interest in drinking anymore. It’s funny how something sounds so good to you all day and then you finish and want nothing to do with it.

There is no way I would have been able to finish under 14 hours without the help of my beautiful wife, Virginia. She acted as a one man crew and had me turned around incredibly fast at each aid station. I know I saved a ton of time at the aid stations because of her. The longest I stopped at an aid station was 2 minutes and that was to do a complete clothes change and fuel refill. All other stops lasted about 30 seconds at the longest. She asked me questions, grabbed what I needed, stuffed it in my pack, patted me on the butt, and sent me back out there for more. That is exactly what you need in a race like this and she did a tremendous job.

Bandera was tough but a ton of fun. As always, Joe Prusaitis puts on a first class race. I was able to spend 14 hours in nature with many friends. During the last miles I didn’t want it to end. I was able to challenge myself physically and mentally on a tough course and I still had gas left in the tank. And I was able to work through some of the sadness that I had in me from all of the events from the past few days of my personal life. All in all it was a great day. Next up – Rocky Raccoon 100 in 3 weeks! Now talk about a challenge! I hope I feel as good after Rocky!

Very happy at the finish!