This season a big goal of mine has been to enjoy every race i get to run, regardless of its outcome. Making changes to your character starts with the little things. Instead of just focusing on how awesome it will be when I get to the top of a mountain, I want to live and experience the journey and challenge of getting there.
I almost did not start the Ultra Race of Champions 100k. The week of the race the expected high went from 82 to 95 degrees. Not ideal for someone training in Bend where 9 months out of the year the morning lows are under freezing temps. To make things even more interesting, I had never raced over 50 miles before. I asked myself, how the heck am I going to enjoy running a 62 mile race in 95 degree temps. Nevertheless, Jade and I drove down to Auburn and met up with my sister. I let them know several times I did not know yet if I would actually start the race, but that I was leaning towards it. I told them I did not want a Did Not Finish next to my name and that if I started I would finish.
I woke up at 4am before the sunlight, still full of fears and doubts. My goal of enjoying this race was not off to a good start and the odds were against me. I had a decision to make. I could play it safe and go back to sleep, or I could see what the day had in store for me. I chose to block out all negativity and take this opportunity to build character. I prayed to God for his strength and was excited to get on the trails and see the sun finally come up.
At 6:30am we were off. Just enough daylight to not use a headlight but still 20+ minutes from the actual sunrise. It was beautiful and still very pleasant running weather at 65 degrees! When the sun came up through the canyon it was incredible. Justin Houck and I were out in the lead before mile 10 and we both marveled at how awesome the canyon lit up. Justin said “you know you are ready to race when you are having fun” and it was exactly what I was thinking at the time.
So who is Justin Houck? In running related terms Justin is an accomplished Division I runner at University of Portland who has been tearing up the trails and is sponsored by Salomon. Justin is quickly becoming one of the best ultra runners in the country and if it wasn’t for all of the difficulties he was dealing with at Western States I have no doubt he would have been top 10 there. As a person, Justin is even more awesome. Really friendly and humble person who builds cool stuff as a carpenter in Pheonix, Az.
First 30 miles of the race the temperatures were still bearable. In a race this long its important to stay very patient and enjoy what your doing. You want those first 20 miles or so to go by fast and that’s exactly what Justin and I did. We stayed under control, focused on fueling, and kept filling up our water bottles with ice. We took the downhills controlled and paced ourselves on the uphills so that our heart rates were not maxed out. Although we did not get to see our crew (Jade and Lisette) until mile 38, we made sure we were getting enough calories in at each aid station and we encouraged one another. At mile 31 we had a 4 minute lead, but in the next 10 miles that lead built to over 30 minutes because we were running steady and patient.
42 Miles into the race and things really started to heat up (literally and metaphorically). I had been putting ice in my bandana and by now it was melting within a couple of miles as we approached a high of 95 degrees. Justin and I were still running side by side and working together up to this point. We joked, laughed, built camaraderie, huffed and puffed as the miles clicked by. We were dialed in at each aid station and continued to build on the lead over the rest of the field. Although we did not speak about it, we both knew that at this point the race was up for grabs. Justin made the first move on a long gradual decent between miles 45-48. He built maybe a 45 seconds gap at most and knowing how much longer we still had to run I decided to be patient. When we started climbing again I could see Justin’s shoulders drop down a bit and that I was closing in fast. I caught back up and we left the next aid station with 15 miles to go again side by side.
Not really knowing how hard the next climb would be I decided to take advantage of how well I was climbing and make push. The western states trail climbs 1,000 feet in one mile. Our pace went from 7 minute miles to complete powerhiking at this point. This is the one time in the race I built a slight lead. But it did not last long. By the top of the climb my body was overheated and when it came time to start running again my heart rate would not go back down. It was so dang hott I cannot explain in words how tough it was. By mile 51 Justin started gapping me again and this time I had nothing left. I didn’t know how I would be able to finish and to be honest I thought I would get caught by the chase pack considering how slow I was now running. I was nauseas and could not drink enough to quench my thirst. I wanted to change socks and shoes so bad but it was no longer an option. At mile 55 I felt a blister pop and drain as I ran. I told myself just ignore pain, don’t think about it. Keep moving, no matter how slow you have to go just keep moving. As I ran by a lake I daydreamed of swimming in it and how nice the cool water would feel. I seriously considered ditching the race and jumping in.
With 5.5 miles to go everything in my body was screaming for me to stop and my stomach was in knots. My feet were bloody, my quads were cramped, and my hamstrings kept tightening up. I knew I was running slow at this point, close to 10 minute miles, which meant It was still another 50 minutes to the finish. NOooooooo! I wish I was bad at math and could have tricked myself. How in the world can my body even do this? I did not know. But again I chose to block out all doubts and committed to finishing this race, even if I had to walk. This is the point in the race where my character was being tested. My flesh was completely done and I had nothing left in me.
Honestly, this type of running is not healthy. Not in 95 degree weather. Plenty of times in the last 15 miles I kept questioning my own sanity and if it wasn’t for having committed to this race and wanting to finish so bad I would not have put myself through this kind of pain. But this truly is where I believe I made the biggest progress in my character. I submitted my mind to finishing this race and let my spirit take over. I prayed that God would let me make it to the finish and that something good would come out of this race. The last couple of miles I actually started to feel better. I was able to run up the last big hill and started to get really emotional. I was still in the middle of nowhere, no crowds cheering, no familiar faces, but I seriously felt so full.
My spirit was so full and as I finally turned into the finishing stretch and towards the crowd I thanked God for his strength and for this journey. Ive never been so happy to cross a finish line and to see Jade and my sister.
I was able to hold on to 2nd. The intense heat was affecting those behind me just as much, if not worse. Huge congrats to Justin who dominated the last 10 miles. Who woulda thought training in the 100+ heat of Pheonix would have it’s advantages!? A well deserved win for him.
“Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and you will delight in the richest of fare.”
Friends, the joy and peace I get to experience is free. It’s for everyone. It has nothing to do whether I won a race or Did Not Finish. In fact my last race before UROC I fell pretty hard and hit my tailbone. The rock ripped through my shorts and I thought I had seriously injured myself because everything was numb. But even then at the Rut 50k I saw the mountains light up with the sun in a way i’ve never seen before and I enjoyed running on these new trails of Montana. Go out and enjoy what is free and you will be rich. Encourage one another while you run the race. Here are some pics from recent fall adventures!
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