This was my third year to do the challenge.
As a team member of Running Alliance Sport that puts on this race along with the Texas Bridge Series and the Bud Heat Wave, this is the only race I run, I work the finish line area for the others. The challenge is made up of a half marathon on Saturday than a full on Sunday, 39.3 miles for the weekend.
Saturday, half marathon: It's a loop course, 2 loops for the half. The day started at 3;30am so that I could get to the course and help finish setting up the after race party area, along with helping to setup the finish line and start line blowups. By the time all of this was done, it was time to toe the line! For this years challenge I would be wearing new race shirts to show my support for the Texas Line of Duty Death Task Force along with it being my bib name. Once the race started the plan was to go easy being I would be doing a full the next day, so I was going to just hold it at a 11min pace. The first loop went as planned, just played some with fueling and hydration, pace was right at 11. The next loop it was started to get a little warm. This loop went super also, finished in 2hrs 24mins, right at a 11min pace. The day wasn't over, needed to stay around to help cleanup and get the area ready for the next day.
Sunday, full marathon: This would be 4 loops. The body was a little tired, but over all feeling good. The plan for today was to keep it around a 13min pace. At the start of the race, there was thunder storms in the area, but not close enough to have a delay. About an hour into the race it started to rain, real hard! The course started to get real muddy in areas, no big deal for trail runners, but you sure could tell who the road runners were! The first two loops went real good, on the third loop about 2,5 miles out other runners were saying that there was a runner that went down about 200 yards ahead of me. Once I got to the runner, there was two other runners that stop to help her. I stop to see what I could do, she told me her right hip just gave out and she went down. With the help of a other runner we carried her to a park bench where a radio operator was at, he had already called for EMS to make the scene. Time to finish my race. The last loop was a planned power walk loop, always good to train to power walk! The course was getting crazy muddy by now! The body was starting to get tired, but the job was not over just yet! I put it in high gear and didn't look back! Ended up finishing in 5hrs 44mins, right at a 13min pace!
One more great weekend of racing! Hit the two goals I was looking for, could ask for anything better.
