Footsteps For The Fallen
A 55 hour race, yes thats right 55 hours!
Lets make it even more fun by saying it's ran on a .75 mile loop!
This is my second year for this race. It's put on by the
Snowdrop Foundation, based out of Houston.
With this race being 55 hours, most people are seeing just how far they can push themselves. For me it would just be a training run, stopping at 100 miles. It's really hard to have a game plan as to just how am I going to manage 55 hours. Then on the first day, somewhere around the 30 mile mark it hit me, 50-40-10. I would do 50 miles the first day, 40 miles the second day, and 10 the last day. This would give me some much needed down time, and being I paid for 55 hours of fun, I wanted to enjoy all 55 hours!
I would be going it solo, but we would be fielding a relay team also. The relay team would be made up of 10 runners and would have someone on the course at all times.
Monday, 12-29-2014 was move in day some runners could set up their tents and packets. We would have a 10x30 enclosed tent with heat so the relay team along with myself could get out of the weather and get so good rest.
The weather over the 55 hours stayed about the same, mid to low 40'sF with rain at times. The course is crushed granite.
Crew, same as last year, my son. I can't say enough good about him for helping not only me, but being the go to person for the relay team!
Tuesday, 12-30-2014 race morning! The race would start at 7am, and the course would have tower lights around it, so no need of any light system, one less thing to deal with! Unlike last year, I would be carrying a 20oz handheld this year. This would let me go 4-5 miles before have to stop and refill and get food, just like any other trail 100 miler. For my hydration I would be using
Nuun. Once all the pre-race photos were taken, it was time to toe the line! Like most 100 milers, I would start way back in the pack, making myself start slow! Like most 100 milers, it started uneventful. I walked the first half mile so I could get warm and not hurt anything, then I started a slow run. After that, it was round and round we go, .75 miles at a time. Now this can be so crazy on the mind seeing the same thing, but the good thing is, you're never that far from your gear or help if needed. The course had a lot of water in areas, so I told myself, lets stop at mile 25 and do a sock and shoe change. I was wearing Drymax trail socks and Hoka One One, Stinson lites. So at the 25 mile mark I stopped and did a change and also had some lunch, rice and beans, then off I go. Then somewhere around the 30 mile mark it hit me, 50-40-10, thats the plan! Last year I was one of the runners that got to run into Texas Childrens Hospital on the last day, so I missed all the epic stuff that happen at the end of a race. By doing a 50-40-10, this would let me be in good shape to see everything, and be rested enough to help anyone fighting the clock. It was around 8pm I finished up the first 50 miles. Now it was time for a fast meal and get some rest. The plan was to be back out on the course at 6am.
Wednesday, 12-31-2014, day 2. Back out on the course at 5am, couldn't sleep, and I was telling myself, if you get out there a hour early, you'll be finished a hour early! It took a few loops for the body to wake up. I wanted to keep a 15min mile pace for the 40 miles. Sounds so easy when the body is fresh, but after 50 miles, it's like, what is this! But it's all a matter of fueling the machine and hydrating, with
Nuun of course! The course was getting dry, so the feet were happy about that! Around and around I go, until lunch, then I would stop and eat a warm meal. What was for lunch, hamburgers and beer! Yes you got it, Beer! Not sure what my mile was, I decided to not wear my Garmin after the first day. I just knew I need to hit the 119 loop and stop, that would put me at 90 miles. The reason for not wearing the Garmin was, doesn't matter what the miles it may say, it's what the official timer is saying, don't need anymore mind games than already may be there. Once I hit the 119 loop mark, it was a quick meal and bed time! To my surprise dinner would be nice fatty Pizza, OMG was it so good, so good that at midnight I got up for more! I told myself I would like to be back out on the course by 6am.
Thursday, 01-01-2015 day 3, Happy New Year! I was back out on the course right at 6am, feeling so amazingly great! I had 13 loops, thats 10 miles to do by 2pm, that the end of the 55 hours. I couldn't get over just how great I was feeling! I was running like any other day! It took around 2 hours to finish the 13 loops, not bad. I ask two of the relay team members to walk the last loop with me, thanks Scott & John M.! I crossed the line in the 49 hour time frame, feeling great! That a long ways from my 100 mile PR of 28hrs 27mins 52secs, but I got to enjoy this 100 miles so much more!
BUCKLE time baby!! The feeling of being handed a 100 mile buckle is like nothing else! This would be my third buckle, and the meaning of what it takes to earn one gets deeper with each one.
Time to break down camp, but still be there for the relay team. Once we had most of the camp loaded up in the truck, my son and I walked over to the aid station to get some food. This is when Kevin, the Founder and President of the Snowdrop Foundation, was telling me about two runners digging deep and not sure if they would make cutoff. Not on my watch, I'll do everything I can to help anyone earn their buckle! The first runner was in some of the best hand out there, Frank, he knew what needed to be done to help that runner earn their buckle! The second runner was still in need of someone. After grabbing a bottle of water and pedialyte for them, off I go to aid them. They needed 5 loops to finish, having around 2 hours to do it, easy cake, so I say. One loop down, two loops down, three loops.........now the victory loop! But before that, I ask them if they had one the shirt they wanted to finish in, no it's in my bag in the tent. Boom, off I go to get her shirt and hat she wanted to finish in. We made the change on the backside of the course, and it was like a force field of energy came over her! We told her that it was going to be all her once we got about hundred feet from the finish line. WOW, did she ever take off when we said go! And just like that, we had the newest member of the 100 mile buckle club! What an amazing finish to an amazing 55 hour race!
In closing. It doesn't matter how fast or slow you are, it's the drive you have deep inside that will get you to the finish line. To see someone earn their first 100 mile buckle, way past the point that they wanted to quit, priceless!
Sometimes to give your all, you have to give away all your control
Gear:
Nuun Hydration #TeamNuun
Garmin 310XT
Drymax trail socks
Hoka OneOne, Stinson Lites
CWX, proshorts
VOmax custom Footsteps For The Fallen shirt
Hydropel lube
The relay team ended up with 307 loops, 233.3 miles!!!
