Thank you...Thank you...Thank you!!!!
I'm not sure how I made the decision to sign up for this race but I'm sure glad that I did! I'm new to this whole blogging deal and I'm trying to work on getting this one out in a timely manner. First and foremost, I need to start by thanking everyone who was involved in making this race possible for me. Thank you Aja for supporting my craziness throughout training. Your love has carried me out of many dark moments. To my colleagues for picking up the slack at work to let me train...thank you! To my coach, mentor, and friend, Liza Howard, you are awesome!!! Thank you for keeping me motivated and inspired throughout training and during the race. There is something magical happening at the Sharman Ultra Endurance Coaching group. Thank you for being patient with me out on the trail and fetching my kit at the aid stations. It's not easy being a pacer, let alone helping me at the aid stations. Thank you!!!
My race reports are normally pretty lengthy. If you are looking for a short version, here are the cliff notes:
My race reports are normally pretty lengthy. If you are looking for a short version, here are the cliff notes:
- Preparations: Train slow, Rest, Race fast
- Before any race, stay at a hermitage and speak to a guru before you race
- Violate every rule in your VRBO cabin
- Run with meaning
- MOG100 is a brute of a course. Don't worry about the finish line. Focus on getting to the race healthy, and perform well by focusing on the here and now.
- Take each section and run those well. The finish will come in due time.
Preparations
To date, I have done one other hundred miler, a staged race, and a 50 mile night run over the past two years. Mogollon Monster 100 was an impulse decision one late night after running the OSS 50-mile night run. I'm not sure why I signed up for the race but I knew one thing...this race was going to test my abilities in more ways than one. When I think about it, this is all I ever really wanted in my running. Whether it be training or the actual race, I only want to grow physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Having run Marathon Des Sables (MdS) and the 50-mile night run in the last couple of months, both Liza and I could tell that I wasn't recovering as a quickly as I had in the past. The demands of MdS did something to my physical and mental faculties that I can't explain. Going out on easy runs was a big task for me regardless of the distance. To change things up, Liza created a training plan that had me run/walk workouts at much slower speeds and focus on maintaining a steady HR. In the beginning, this training was by far the most frustrating thing I have ever experienced in terms of training. As the months went by however, my performance increased, my energy levels went up, and my body finally felt recovered.
The Mogollon Monster 100 is super technical, and running sustained grades was an important aspect of training. Living in Poland, this is pretty hard to accomplish. A couple of times, while back in the U.S., I was able to get out on some long runs along the Appalachian Trail, Phoenix Mountain Preserve, and the mountains of eastern Oregon. Most of my "hill" training was completed on a treadmill. Liza whipped up some awesome hill workouts, all of which were performed at a steady state. Additionally, to normalize the course grades, I would run various aspects of the course using data I obtained from various Strava accounts of folks who have run this course. I would work on those sections during my long runs. My favorite course section to train were miles 40-70.
I was also very lucky to spend 4 days in Pine, AZ prior to the race and spent lots of time scouting the route. Mainly, I wanted to get a look at the four big climbs and where a majority of the aid stations would be located. In talking with various runners who have run the course previously, many noted discrepancies within mileage charts and the course manual. Knowing the actual distance between aid stations can be the difference in carrying a water bottle or hydration pack, or even how you set yourself up for running in the heat of the day. Being out on the course ahead of time also allowed me to soak in magnificent views this area has to offer.
Having run Marathon Des Sables (MdS) and the 50-mile night run in the last couple of months, both Liza and I could tell that I wasn't recovering as a quickly as I had in the past. The demands of MdS did something to my physical and mental faculties that I can't explain. Going out on easy runs was a big task for me regardless of the distance. To change things up, Liza created a training plan that had me run/walk workouts at much slower speeds and focus on maintaining a steady HR. In the beginning, this training was by far the most frustrating thing I have ever experienced in terms of training. As the months went by however, my performance increased, my energy levels went up, and my body finally felt recovered.
The Mogollon Monster 100 is super technical, and running sustained grades was an important aspect of training. Living in Poland, this is pretty hard to accomplish. A couple of times, while back in the U.S., I was able to get out on some long runs along the Appalachian Trail, Phoenix Mountain Preserve, and the mountains of eastern Oregon. Most of my "hill" training was completed on a treadmill. Liza whipped up some awesome hill workouts, all of which were performed at a steady state. Additionally, to normalize the course grades, I would run various aspects of the course using data I obtained from various Strava accounts of folks who have run this course. I would work on those sections during my long runs. My favorite course section to train were miles 40-70.
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| Treadmill training - 30 mile long run |
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| On trail toward Hells Gate - Looking back toward Washington Park Aid Station |
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| Sunset Views off the rim are amazing! |
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| Google Earth fly through of the route. Washington Park Aid Station via powerlines to the top of the rim |
Awakening Spirit
Prior to my scout trip, I had some difficulties with a cabin reservation in Pine, AZ which ultimately led to a cancellation of my reservation. As fate would have it, I found a small cabin in a place called Awakening Spirit, a personal retreat center. The place is located just outside of Pine, AZ and is designed to be a place of self-reflection and meditation. For me, I just wanted to a place to lay my head. As fate would have it, I would get more than just a place to stay.
I arrived pretty late and did not get a chance to meet the owner of the center, Bodhi Heart. The next morning I woke up, got changed and went up and had tea with Bodhi on his deck. What was meant to be a 45 minute drink session ended up being a couple of hours. Our conversation covered a wide variety of topics and ended with the question of why do I run and the spiritual gain I can get from running. As he asked questions, I talked and we'd explore the response a little.
My focus for this race was set out of a small discussion on how I analyze too much. He told me stories about his experiences in the himalayas and traveling through Asia. He explained to me the idea of the "here and now." He gave me some immediate examples of how "here and now" can be used in running. He explained to me that my discussions of the race have been all about what's going to happen in the future and how it's silly to stress about it when that time and space is not even present. What's present is the "here and now" and to be successful in the future I must focus on the "here and now". I'm not sure why it took this experience to understand that concept but I went back to my cabin and thought about how I'll use the "here and now" concept in the race.
To be surrounded by a herd of elk and in the quiet mountains was exactly what I needed before the race. I concluded there is no reason to stress about how hard the course is going to be, but rather focus on what I needed to do to perform well in the "here and now."
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| Sky Dancer - The cabin I stayed in Photo Credit: Bodhi Heart |
23-Page Cabin Stay
Jay Danek the co-RD for MOG100 had leased a cabin for the night and graciously extended the invite to Liza and I and some of the other runners. After registration and some dinner, we worked our way up to this huge cabin that overlooked the city of Pine. While I had some alone time, I pulled out my gear bags and did some last minute logistics and inventory. After that, I went to the main area and met the rest of the crew staying at the cabin: Larry and Olga and Tommy. We had some hilarious conversations over the course of a couple of hours. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. One of the things Jay kept highlighting was the rules for the cabin. They were literally a book. Every now and then Jay would pull out the rules and see how many rules we were violating at that time. We were pretty much in violation every time the rules were reviewed.
After a few hours, we retired to our rooms and settled in for the evening. I spent the rest of the evening doing a little homework, reviewing my time tables and course notes, and prepping my race bib.
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| This race was dedicated to TSgt Marty Bettelyoun (SERE/CCT) and A1C Colten Lauterbach (SERE) |
Race Day
The morning of the race started with a 5am wake up. We gathered our stuff, made a couple of logistical moves before heading to the starting line. This morning came entirely too quickly and I began to wake up as we pulled into the Pine Trailhead. We were one of the early folks so parking was primo. The morning was slightly chilled but almost perfect for running. Normally, I'm pretty nervous at the starting line. I've had problems in the past with getting too nervous at the start of the race and experiencing the post adrenaline dump a few miles down the road. This morning was different. I've grown confident in my running abilities over the last few months and all I focused on were those actions needed to perform well in the here and now. With 10 minutes left before the official start of the Mogollon Monster 100, Olga had Larry take a picture of the three of us, we got the final race briefing, listened to the National Anthem and we were off!
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| New Friends: Tommy, Olga, and I Photo Credit: Larry King |
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| Race Director Jeremy providing the race briefing prior to start Photo Credit: Andrew Pielage |
Going toe-to-toe with the Monster
Pine Trailhead to Pine Canyon Aid Station:
With over 100 miles of racing ahead of us, the start was full of both excitement and reserve. The first section of the race had us working up Pine Canyon for roughly 10 miles. We worked up one ridge, ran along the side of the canyon, down some long gradual switchbacks, along the Pine canyon creek, and up the rim around mile 8.5 to the Pine Canyon Aid Station at around mile 10. This section was a good warm-up and the climb wasn't as bad as expected. I took around 2hr10min to reach the aid station and only stuck around long enough to fill my water bottle. At this point, there were three of us that were running within less than a minute of each other.
Pine Canyon to Dickerson Flats:
The beginning of this section followed along a barbed wire fence and onto the General Crook trail and then to a dirt road into the aid station. This was the first section up on the rim and I could feel the altitude a little bit. I was able to settle into a nice pace and ultimately finished this section around 54 minutes. At Dickerson Flats aid station, I grabbed a couple pieces of fruit, a PB&J sandwich and had my water bottle refilled. I spent a little over a minute at the aid station and just long enough to pull my mileage/time table out to see if I was on track. It was here that I figured I was slightly off my time table. I didn't worry because I knew we had a long downhill section ahead where I could make up some time.
Dickerson Flats to Geronimo:
This section, in my opinion is the best downhill section on the course. It's technical, rocky, and in some cases it's worse when you try to take this section slow. In good fashion, I took this trail full-on and absolutely had a blast with the trail. One aspect of this course that I loved was the exposure I had on every major ascent and descent. My biggest challenge on this section was trying not to take a fall while soaking in the beauty of the surrounding area. This section took me around 56 minutes to complete. One thing that I forgot to do was to spot the Weber trail intersection so I knew where it was on the return. My time at Geronimo aid station was also minimal. I had a drop bag at Geronimo that contained extra tailwind, a small water bottle, and a hat. I knew that I would be running the next section in the early heat of the day and the section was exposed. The small bottle was going to be used to keep cool and the hat for shade. I ate a couple of bananas and shoved off onto the next section.
Geronimo to Washington Park:
I left Geronimo in high spirits. I was ahead of the time charts without compromising the steady rhythmic pace I was running at. This section was about 9 miles and consisted of a short climb in the beginning and a wide variety of terrain. On some sections we were running on exposed solid red rock, other sections were lush ferns under a pine canopy, as well as just plain hot. I didn't care about pace in this section and primarily regulated my effort by heart rate. It was getting hot out and I didn't want to finish this section heat challenged. I used one bottle for my tailwind and another bottle to spray water on me to cool off. Each time I would pass a spring, I would quickly fill my "cool bottle" and quickly get back to pace. For most of this section, I only saw one other person and that was Julio Palma. At this point, we were the only runners still leapfrogging one another. As we crept closer to Washington Park aid station, I began to feel the heat. We started to climb steeper sections and the pace started to get a little faster as both of us desired nothing more than to get to the aid station. The last half mile or so was a very fast pace for us and we ran into Washington Park in good form. I had done some calculations in my head and at this point, I knew I was almost an hour ahead of my time table. My biggest concern was preventing a heat challenge and the only thing I could think of to help prevent this was a good ole' soaking in the creek. I was ahead of schedule so I set a time limit of 15 minutes at this aid station. After eating some watermelon and drinking a bit of coke, I grabbed my new shirt and socks and ran down to the creek. I jumped in the creek and laid there for almost 8 minutes. By then, I was beginning to shiver pretty hard. I was pretty chilled and got dressed with a fresh shirt and pair of socks. Still very chilled, I returned to the aid station and grabbed my visor, a hydration pack, and chill scarf and checked out of the aid station. The cold water felt good on my legs and I felt extremely refreshed and ready to talk on the big climb out of Washington Park. This place was filled with race volunteers that were super awesome to work with. They all were very patient and cheerful which set the mood runners needed when leaving the aid station.
Washington Park to Houston Brothers:
I was feeling pretty good despite having already run almost 28 miles. I was still pretty chilled leaving Washington Park and begin to take on a slight jog as I worked through the small rollers leading up to the last steep climb. After 15 minutes or so, I could see the last climb to the top of the rim as well as 4-5 runners. I wasn't sure whether they were runners already in front of me or if they were runners that passed me as I lounged in the creek at Washington Park. Either way, I knew had new goals in mind for this climb. My intention was to pick a runner and try to work my way up to them, once I caught that runner, I would pick another one. This section went very quick and I was surprised at how fast and efficiently I made it to the top of the rim. There was one runner that I had tried to catch before I got to the top of the rim but didn't get the opportunity. Once at the top, my new goal was to try and catch him. I ended up catching him about a mile from Houston Brothers turn-off. The exposure on the top of the rim was pretty open, so it felt a lot hotter than it probably was. I ran a majority of the road into Houston Brothers only walking a few times on the more steeper sections of the road. The Houston Brothers volunteers were awesome and very quick to get my hydration pack filled up and get me out of there. This section took about 2 hours to complete. I tried to not push the pace but just kept moving forward with a purpose. On my way out, I pulled my soggy time table out and read some notes I wrote down for this section: "This section is very runnable," Jay Danek. Yes... I finally get to turn-over the legs on some awesome terrain!!!!!
With over 100 miles of racing ahead of us, the start was full of both excitement and reserve. The first section of the race had us working up Pine Canyon for roughly 10 miles. We worked up one ridge, ran along the side of the canyon, down some long gradual switchbacks, along the Pine canyon creek, and up the rim around mile 8.5 to the Pine Canyon Aid Station at around mile 10. This section was a good warm-up and the climb wasn't as bad as expected. I took around 2hr10min to reach the aid station and only stuck around long enough to fill my water bottle. At this point, there were three of us that were running within less than a minute of each other.
Pine Canyon to Dickerson Flats:
The beginning of this section followed along a barbed wire fence and onto the General Crook trail and then to a dirt road into the aid station. This was the first section up on the rim and I could feel the altitude a little bit. I was able to settle into a nice pace and ultimately finished this section around 54 minutes. At Dickerson Flats aid station, I grabbed a couple pieces of fruit, a PB&J sandwich and had my water bottle refilled. I spent a little over a minute at the aid station and just long enough to pull my mileage/time table out to see if I was on track. It was here that I figured I was slightly off my time table. I didn't worry because I knew we had a long downhill section ahead where I could make up some time.
Dickerson Flats to Geronimo:
This section, in my opinion is the best downhill section on the course. It's technical, rocky, and in some cases it's worse when you try to take this section slow. In good fashion, I took this trail full-on and absolutely had a blast with the trail. One aspect of this course that I loved was the exposure I had on every major ascent and descent. My biggest challenge on this section was trying not to take a fall while soaking in the beauty of the surrounding area. This section took me around 56 minutes to complete. One thing that I forgot to do was to spot the Weber trail intersection so I knew where it was on the return. My time at Geronimo aid station was also minimal. I had a drop bag at Geronimo that contained extra tailwind, a small water bottle, and a hat. I knew that I would be running the next section in the early heat of the day and the section was exposed. The small bottle was going to be used to keep cool and the hat for shade. I ate a couple of bananas and shoved off onto the next section.
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| Cruising down Turkey Springs Trail Photo Credit: Howie Stern Photography |
I left Geronimo in high spirits. I was ahead of the time charts without compromising the steady rhythmic pace I was running at. This section was about 9 miles and consisted of a short climb in the beginning and a wide variety of terrain. On some sections we were running on exposed solid red rock, other sections were lush ferns under a pine canopy, as well as just plain hot. I didn't care about pace in this section and primarily regulated my effort by heart rate. It was getting hot out and I didn't want to finish this section heat challenged. I used one bottle for my tailwind and another bottle to spray water on me to cool off. Each time I would pass a spring, I would quickly fill my "cool bottle" and quickly get back to pace. For most of this section, I only saw one other person and that was Julio Palma. At this point, we were the only runners still leapfrogging one another. As we crept closer to Washington Park aid station, I began to feel the heat. We started to climb steeper sections and the pace started to get a little faster as both of us desired nothing more than to get to the aid station. The last half mile or so was a very fast pace for us and we ran into Washington Park in good form. I had done some calculations in my head and at this point, I knew I was almost an hour ahead of my time table. My biggest concern was preventing a heat challenge and the only thing I could think of to help prevent this was a good ole' soaking in the creek. I was ahead of schedule so I set a time limit of 15 minutes at this aid station. After eating some watermelon and drinking a bit of coke, I grabbed my new shirt and socks and ran down to the creek. I jumped in the creek and laid there for almost 8 minutes. By then, I was beginning to shiver pretty hard. I was pretty chilled and got dressed with a fresh shirt and pair of socks. Still very chilled, I returned to the aid station and grabbed my visor, a hydration pack, and chill scarf and checked out of the aid station. The cold water felt good on my legs and I felt extremely refreshed and ready to talk on the big climb out of Washington Park. This place was filled with race volunteers that were super awesome to work with. They all were very patient and cheerful which set the mood runners needed when leaving the aid station.
Washington Park to Houston Brothers:
I was feeling pretty good despite having already run almost 28 miles. I was still pretty chilled leaving Washington Park and begin to take on a slight jog as I worked through the small rollers leading up to the last steep climb. After 15 minutes or so, I could see the last climb to the top of the rim as well as 4-5 runners. I wasn't sure whether they were runners already in front of me or if they were runners that passed me as I lounged in the creek at Washington Park. Either way, I knew had new goals in mind for this climb. My intention was to pick a runner and try to work my way up to them, once I caught that runner, I would pick another one. This section went very quick and I was surprised at how fast and efficiently I made it to the top of the rim. There was one runner that I had tried to catch before I got to the top of the rim but didn't get the opportunity. Once at the top, my new goal was to try and catch him. I ended up catching him about a mile from Houston Brothers turn-off. The exposure on the top of the rim was pretty open, so it felt a lot hotter than it probably was. I ran a majority of the road into Houston Brothers only walking a few times on the more steeper sections of the road. The Houston Brothers volunteers were awesome and very quick to get my hydration pack filled up and get me out of there. This section took about 2 hours to complete. I tried to not push the pace but just kept moving forward with a purpose. On my way out, I pulled my soggy time table out and read some notes I wrote down for this section: "This section is very runnable," Jay Danek. Yes... I finally get to turn-over the legs on some awesome terrain!!!!!
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| Cool-Refreshed-Happy Photo Credit: Larry King |
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| Heading up our 2nd major climb of the course Photo Credit: Larry King |
Unbeknownst to me, this section starts off with a couple of rollers that are short, semi-steep, up and downhills. Having just read my notes, I took off at a quick pace ready to run this section. I struggled through the rollers and began to question my running abilities (LOL). I may or may not have been cursing Jay's name at this point. After a few miles, the trail becomes much more noticeable and was slightly downhill. I had to really stay focused in this section. I was running but I was starting to feel my legs tire. My breathing wasn't coming easy either and I actually felt like I was slightly congested. I managed to pick up the pace through the final miles of this section. The air was cool and the scenery was amazing. This is a very quiet section of the trail and I heard nothing but bull elk bugling in the woods. One of my favorite moments! This section took a little less than an hour and half for me. My focus through this section was reciting "here and now", "in order to perform well focus on the here and now - don't worry about the past or what's next...here and now." About a half mile from Pinchot Cabin, I managed to somehow catch another runner. We chatted for a bit and hiked the last hill up to the aid station. Pinchot Cabin is an original crew of the MOG100 and they were very organized. One lady helped me sort through my kit and was very efficient. I grabbed some fruit, drank some ginger ale' and left the aid station fairly quickly. I took a little less than an hour and half to complete 7.5 miles which helped me make up some lost time.
Pinchot Cabin to Washington Park:
We were escorted out of Pinchot Cabin and were told some instructions about how to get onto the Fred Haught trail. She told us there were three runners about 5-10 minutes ahead of us. I was pretty excited at this point because I had been wondering where Julio Palma and Stephen Stromberg were at. I was getting slightly discouraged that I wasn't able to catch up to them and began to question my stop at Washington Park. After a quick goodbye, we took off down the trail, onto a road, and quickly back into the woods. The heat of the day was beginning to release and I could feel the cold sumps in the woods. The cold air was great! I did a quick mental assessment and, despite having spent a whole day in the sun, I actually felt pretty good. I was still pushing the pace on runnable terrain and power-hiking the hills. Before I knew it, I saw a runner ahead of me and realized that it's Pompilio Romero. We chatted a little bit and I found out that he was having some stomach cramp issues. We ran for a little bit and then said our goodbyes. After a mile or so, I looked out and finally saw Julio and Stephen. They were clipping pretty good up the dirt road toward the top of the rim. It didn't take long for me to reach the top of the rim. As I started the steep downhill descent, I could see both runners at the bottom of the steep section. I wasn't too far behind and calmly picked my way down the steep section. About halfway down, my watched lights up and realized that I'd ran 50 miles in 11hrs29minutes. This meant I was about 30 minutes ahead of schedule and this was very surprising to me! This motivated me even more to pick up the pace and get into Washington Park early. I promised that I would take another quick dip in the creek if I got to Washington Park ahead of schedule. With about a mile left, I picked up the pace and ran into Washington Park. I was very relieved to get into Washington Park and also caught back up to Julio and Stephen. I was also excited because I got to pick up my pacer, the one and only, Liza Howard. I spent a little less than two hours on this section and I was feeling pretty good about that. As I rolled in, Liza was ready to help me out and we were very quick to sort through kit and other stuff. I grabbed some coke, watermelon, and a PB&J sandwich before heading down to the creek. I knew I didn't have enough time so I jogged down the creek. When I got to the bottom, I spotted a photographer and realized this was the location where runners crossed the creek heading to Hell's Gate. I jokingly told him he's in my bathing spot. We joked around and I jumped in the creek and relaxed in the cold water. I stayed there a few minutes. As I was getting out, I saw Julio and his pacer take off as well as Stephen take off. Liza was not too far behind and I grabbed my stuff and headed back up to Washington Park. We chatted about my goals and she gave me some really good advice about the next section. I was feeling 10x's better than coming into the aid station and was more awake and alert. We quickly got everything packed up and I got my kit ready for running at night and took off for Hells Gate. I was extremely happy and thankful to have Liza on the trail with me. We departed Washington Park at 6:12pm and were basically on track with the time table.
Washington Park to Hells Gate:
I knew this section was going to be pretty rough and I thought I accounted for the navigation challenges of this section. Little did I realize how difficult this section was going to be at night. Liza and I started off doing a little run and walk strategy. I tried to keep a solid forward progress despite the terrain. Just as the sun was going down, I heard some rustling in the trees about 25 yards off the trail and then we heard a big bull elk bugle. I silently reflected on the conversations I had with Bodhi Heart the previous day. This eventually led to Liza and I having some really good conversations. She also informed me that she received some talking points from our MdS friends and those were going to last us all night long. It was great to have her on the trail. About 2.5 miles in we spotted some headlights in front of us and a headlight behind us. Before we knew it, all off us had converged in this clearing and looking for the trail. After a few minutes, all of us were back on trail and scanned the darkness for reflector tape. This was slow going and lasted the rest of the section. This completely blew my time table out of the water. I had predicted this section to take 1:15 to 1:30 and it ended up taking roughly 2:40. The tall grass and hard surface of the ground made it difficult to run this section. Liza and I had also talked about how difficult the section could be if you were alone. In retrospect, I'm unsure whether the decision to stay with the group was the best decision, or if forging on with just Liza and I would have been better. Getting to Hells Gate was a big relief. The group was beginning to second guess the distance and navigation so seeing the lights of Hells Gate was awesome. I had other business I desperately needed to tend to once I got the aid station. Liza and I announced our number and asked if someone had any toilet paper (mountain money) and quickly dashed off into the woods. This took FOREVER and was difficult to accomplish with legs that have run over 55 miles. When I came back the group had already left and Liza was waiting for me with my pack. I got my pack on and grabbed some Oreo cookies and we took off into the darkness.
Hell's Gate to Buckhorn Springs:
It was dark but the moon was absolutely brilliant! I couldn't help but notice the moon and stars and how remote we felt. Liza and I were in good conversation and slowly tried to pick our way through the trail. I'm normally pretty good a running at night but I was finding this terrain to be tough to navigate. You have to constantly be looking for the reflectors. Sometimes they are clearly visible and sometimes they are in places you wouldn't expect. This meant our pace was slow even in terrain that is runnable. After a mile or so, we could see the group of runners ahead of us and they were starting to work their way up the Myrtle Trail which is the third major climb of the course. This climb takes you almost up to 8,000 feet in elevation. We tried to stay focused on the trail and not get frustrated at the navigation. The grass is tall and we found ourselves constantly trying to look for the reflective tape. We forged on and eventually made our way to the top of the rim. We ran overland toward the Rim Road and ran/walked the road all the way into Buckhorn Springs. While on Rim Road, we managed to catch up and pass a couple of runners. We continued to press forward into Buckhorn Springs. At the aid station, I ate some chicken noodle soup and some coke. We filled my hydration pack and quickly moved out of the aid station. At the last minute, I grabbed some espresso beans and threw them into my mouth. Surprisingly, this section took us 2:41 minutes to complete. My time table had me finishing this section in 2:30, so not too far off.
Buckhorn Springs to Pinchot Cabin:
Let's just say that I learned that chocolate and coffee beans are a bad combo for me at almost 70 miles into a race. The laxative aspect of caffeine had me instantly dropping my pack and sprinting off into the woods about a mile into this section. When I finished, I was in a panic because I remembered that I didn't have toilet paper with me. In my fatigued mental state, I tried to figure out what to use and it dawned on me that I had a head band. Off with the head band and I wiped away! Needing more material, it's now clear that I must sacrifice a sleeve of my shirt. Rip away! I dug a cat hole for my biz and used a stick to place my headband and arm sleeve into an empty bag that was in my pocket. I relaxingly strolled back to the trail where I met Liza. We joked about my sleeve and began to start running again. A few miles into this section we caught a couple more runners. Steven Baily, another runner hung with us and we chatted about the races he's done and got to know him more. Liza was doing a great job keeping my mind busy as I struggled to fight the deep thoughts of "this is starting to suck." About mile 70, Liza checked the navigation and yelled out that we had about three miles left. In my mind, I kept thinking Pinchot Cabin was at mile 72. Liza had told me multiple times before that Pinchot Cabin was at mile 73; but for some reason 72 stuck in my brain. It was this moment that I had a dark spell. It finally sunk in that I still had three miles to reach the aid station. I told Liza, "knowing that it's an extra mile just breaks my heart." She laughed and told me that she's always told me it was mile 73. My pity party started and pretty much stayed present until Pinchot Cabin. As we got into Pinchot Cabin, we saw one runner leave and we thought this was probably the 4th place runner. We confirmed our suspicion when we got into the aid station as they announced that Steven and I were in 5th and 6th position. Liza asked how long I wanted to stay as I sat in a cozy chair next to a cozy fire. I told her "how about 15 minutes." She replied with "sounds good, we'll leave in five minutes." The volunteers, Liza, and I laughed pretty hard and we got prepared to head out of the aid station. At this point, Julio and his pacer had caught up to us and checked in and out in a matter of minutes.
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| Exhibit A - Attacked by the Mogollon Monster |
Steven and Julio and his pacer all took off with Liza and I in tow. Almost immediately out of the aid station I had to stop to put on some warm clothes. Liza and I headed down the trail and back up the other side. As we ascended the trail, Liza and I both caught a flash of light on the other side of the meadow. It was here where we started to question the trail. I seemed pretty convinced that we may have gotten on the wrong trail leaving Pinchot cabin. Liza pushed up the trail and found a yellow streamer, and on we pushed. This section seemed to go a little faster. A couple of times we got a little turned around but were able to quickly get on track. We had managed to convince ourselves that maybe Julio, his pacer, and the other runner may have gotten off track. We had been leapfrogging them for a few miles and it was pretty unusual to go this long without seeing them. As we ran along the trail, Liza and I had a couple laughs about my pity party and the conversation was good. I can't overstate how happy I was to have her on the trail with me! Cruising into Houston Brothers was a bit disorienting because I mistakenly thought I was on the wrong trail. Once in Houston Brothers we made quick with time and only had to make a few personal adjustments. This section took around 2hrs40minutes; about an hour off my overall time goal.
Houston Brothers to Washington Park:
I left with a cup of chicken noodle soup in hand. I'd been living off this stuff through all the aid stations that we've passed through during the night. We quickly worked our way onto Rim Road and started to do a run/walk strategy. I tried to run as long as I could but the thought of having to run for almost 24 hours seemed to make me slightly tired. I tried to stay as focused as I could and continued to recite the mantra "here and now." Liza continued to be positive and kept the conversation moving along. Running the rim at night was awesome and we continued to soak up the stars and the low-light of a new day. It was about 3am and I was starting to mentally prepare for the second and last drop into Washington Park. We reached the top of the rim about an 1hr15min after leaving Houston Brothers. We were making good time and were about to make the last and final run into Washington Park. On our way down, I ended up taking two nice falls on the steep section. While on the steep section, we managed to spot three headlamps moving into woods toward Washington Park. We talked about how that had to be Julio, his pacer and Steven. My watch batteries finally died at mile 85. Once we got back on runnable terrain, Liza and I picked up the pace and ran the rest of the way back into Washington Park. The aid station was still hopping and popping even at 5am in the morning. Jay Danek, the co-RD, met Liza and I as we ran into the aid station. We grabbed some food, and dumped the kit we didn't need. Jay handed me my pack and some Top Ramen in a cup. We didn't stay long, and in no time we were ringing the bell on the way out.
Washington Park to Geronimo:
As we left Washington Park, we heard that Sion (2nd Place finisher) just reached Geronimo and the 3-5th place runners had just left Washington Park within 10-30 minutes ago. This section was approximately nine miles. Leaving Washington Park was the first time that I felt confident I was going to finish Mogollon Monster 100. Since the start of the race I didn't think about the finish. My sole focus has been on completing each section as best as possible. Essentially... focusing on the here and now. In my time table for this section, I wrote, "Tough section-----you need to grind this out and stay focused." This was by far the hardest thing to do. As I let the finish soak in, I let the focus of the current section fade. Thoughts of the finish transitioned to how beat up my body felt. I began to feel all the aches and pains of the run. In and out of these thoughts seem to coincide with the running and walking that I was doing on this section. My right leg began to feel fatigued almost as if I had no calf muscle to push off. I was chatting with Liza about it and she recommended that we sit for a few minutes. I didn't want to sit and thought I could forge ahead. After a few more minutes of struggling, I told Liza that I wanted to stop for a couple of minutes. She set the timer for 5 minutes. We sat down and I began to fade into a light sleep. Her alarm went off and we were back up and walking and then eventually jogging. About 6 miles from Geronimo, my heart sank. We heard two runners coming from behind and they were moving pretty quickly. I was beginning to get pissed at the fact that I was going to get overrun in no time. I seemed to be moving so slow in this section. For some reason, the thought of being chased put a spark into me and I made the commitment that I wasn't going to be caught. Not here, not ever. We picked up the pace and ran a majority of the time into Geronimo only stopping to walk the uphill. I remember at one point, I told Liza that "all I want to do is get off this rolling terrain shit and get onto the big climb." Yeah, because I was so miserable on that section that all I wanted was to be on something harder...LOL. We reached Geronimo and Liza was already prepping me with what we needed to do in the aid station. We ran into the aid station, took my pack off and dropped it into the gear bag and pulled out a water bottle. I ate some food and asked if anyone had some tylenol. One of the volunteers had some and I took a couple of tylenol to soothe the pain in my right leg. We were in and out within a few minutes.
Geronimo to 100 Mile Aid Station (more like 103):
As we left the aid station, I felt an immediate pop and sting in my heel. A heel blister on my right foot burst and that's exactly what I needed to have happen right before a climb. We stopped and Wild-Med Liza hooked me up. We hopped on the Turkey Springs trail and began to slowly chop down this beast of a climb. At one point, I got so messed up in the directions and navigation on this section that Liza essentially had to give me a navigation 101 lesson. She whips out the map, shows me some magic, we walk around the corner and BAM the sign for Weber Trail is literally around the corner. I give her a huge smile and we continue to hike up the terrain. At this point, we weren't hearing the runners behind us but I knew they were there. I didn't want to stop anymore and I focused solely on the here and now. My job until I reached the top was to put one foot in front of the other and repeat! As we got closer to the top, the terrain was getting steeper and steeper. As we continued to climb, I could start to hear the tips of trekking poles below me. I stopped for a few seconds to hear the rhythm of the poles and tried to estimate how fast they were walking. As we climbed, I refocused and kept putting one foot in front of the other. We crested the top of the rim, looked for the yellow flagging tape, and worked our way to the aid station. We reached the aid station, filled up our drinks and headed back out on the trail. There was a sense of urgency in both of Liza and I. I was not doing too hot having run 100 miles and I was trying to keep it together so I could run efficiently over the next couple of miles. At this point, all I'm thinking is "run well...here and now." I was tired, my right leg hurt, my right rib cage hurt, and I was fading. All that was left is a run across the flat, a long descent on Donahue Trail, and a two mile run into Pine, AZ. At this point, I'm happy with where I'm at in the race. I ran a solid race and now I just needed to focus on not getting hurt on the descent.
100 Mile Aid Station to Pine Trailhead:
I was trying to hold back the panic as we left the aid station. I knew there were two runners behind me that had leapfrogged with me for almost 50 miles. For the most part, the two runners in front of me and the two runners behind me had been running together since mile 3. I knew Julio was in front of me and we'd literally ran together the first 28 miles of the course and then leapfrogged amongst the other runners. Now, the time had come to solidify where we were going place. Although a top ten finish was a goal, I did not let this goal become the sole focus of my run. There are far too many aspects of this race to allow for that. I would achieve my goals by focusing on running well in the here and now. Liza was running down the time table for me and we were discussing the main navigation points as we left the aid station. Just to confirm, we yelled back to the HAM operator and asked how far down the road was the turn-off for Donahue trail. They yelled back "about 1 mile." So we turned around and began to jog. Within a 100 meters we saw a yellow flagging tape hanging in the tree and another one down the trail. Confused....we trust the yellow tape instead. This flat provided some time for me to start jogging again and I began to reflect on the journey so far. As I thought about my successes in each of the sections, I began to create mental commitments for the next two sections. All I need to do is run well in the here and now.
We crested the rim and began to descend Donahue trail. This section is steep and very technical. Imagine a trail that has become the path for rain during monsoon season. Lots of loose rocks, roots, small rocks, and loose dirt. The more we ran this trail the more aggressive I became with my running. I was super motivated to maintain my position and not getting overrun in the last few miles. We began to pick up the pace even more. My legs felt light, the cardio felt great, and I just let my body react to what my eyes were seeing on the trail. About half-way down we ran into two groups of hikers and I began to hear the traffic on the highway. I started to run this section so fast that I got a little scared, but I stayed relaxed and the eyes took care of everything. As we rounded a corner, I caught a glimpse of a runner and it was the Steven the guy who left with Julio and his pacer at Pinchot Cabin aid station. Liza and I were surprised and we chatted a little. As we passed Steven, we congratulated him and kept running. Now, I was full-on high alert! Liza and I continued to talk and we discussed that Julio couldn't be too far ahead unless he's running. As we talked, once again I picked up the pace. My stride increased and the power I put into each take-off is more than I ever had throughout the entire race. A few minutes later, we turned another corner and saw Julio and his pacer. My mouth just about dropped! I hadn't seen Julio since Pinchot Cabin and here we are about 4 miles from the finish. The switchback was so quick that I didn't get a chance to slow down and we just blew by Julio. I touched Julio's back and congratulated him as we ran by. We were still on technical trail so it was really tough to try and slow down. As we passed him, Liza and I pretty much concluded that I need to give it my all for the last few miles. That was a given. I never thought I'd ever be in a position where I would need to run as hard as possible to compete for a position on miles that are already over 100. Now my goal was to not let Julio pass me. My assessment of Julio was that he can make a good run for a couple miles when he needs too. I've seen it over and over again with him on this course. I picked up the pace even faster and tried to compose myself. I didn't know where the energy and motivation was coming from but I knew I needed to try and give it my all. We were now running on gradual terrain and less then a mile from the Pine Trailhead. I stayed focused as much as possible and tried to listen to Liza as she counted down the distance to the trailhead. During the last half mile, I began to panic and my mind began to wonder about whether I could maintain the pace I was running. There was no doubt I had to try. As we rounded another corner, Liza looked back and told me that Julio and his pacer were now running and they were within sight. I straight up panicked! I picked up the pace as much as I could and ran it out. Within a few minutes, Julio was running behind us and passed me on a straight section of the trail. We caught up and hung with Julio for a few minutes and he began to pull away. I struggled to maintain the pace. It had been a long time since I'd been in competition and was literally navigating new terrain. We entered the last little downhill into Pine Trailhead and were running at an all-out speed. We blew by the trailhead and completely missed my parents who were at the trailhead. Julio hit the parking lot first and a few seconds later I hit the parking lot. We were both sprinting down the hill to the highway culvert. Both of us probably thought we could get a breather transitioning through the culvert.
Pine Trailhead to the Finish:
Julio and his pacer were first to hit the highway & trail intersection. We caught them and both made our way into the culvert. My legs were shaking uncontrollably from the descent and I tried my best not to think about it. I knew that I had to quickly get through the culvert and make a small scramble to the highway. We crossed the other side and I saw Julio fly up the scramble. I followed suit and for some reason I felt like I was moving like a three-toed sloth. Liza was behind me speaking words of encouragement and trying to keep me calm. We were now within a mile and a half of the finish. We ran to Bradford road and made the left down the hill. Julio's lead had lengthened and he was about 50 yards in front of me. As I ran down the hill, my legs were starting to get heavier and heavier. Running the road is a different kind of running and a kind that my legs despise...LOL. We made a right hand turn and were running a slight uphill. It was during this turn that Julio left his pacer and was now running a beautiful stride and pulling away. Watching this, I stopped to walk and catch my breath. It was a short period and I was soon back to jogging. I jogged and walked to the top of the hill and made a right back onto the highway. This was the final stretch of the race and I was mentally and physically exhausted. All I could say to Liza is how exhausted I felt and Liza kept telling me not to focus on that and think about all the things I've done to get to this point. We were running but definitely not as fast as I was running earlier. Liza told me we were about a half mile from the finish and we begin to pick up the pace. I could see Julio in front of me as he made the final turn to the finish line. Within a matter of minutes, I made the final turn into the Pine Community Center and the finish line was well in sight. I began to get emotional as I realized that I am going to cross this finish line and finally get a belt buckle. The last 20 yards seem to go on forever. My mind is flashing back to all the sacrifice that Aja, my girls, my family, and colleagues have made just for me to chase this dream of running hundreds. I'm flashing back to all the conversations I've had with Liza about training, the running mindset, and life. I flashed back to the names written on my arm: Bettelyoun and Laterbauch. There's a hesitation---thought I have for a split second that if I cross---this section in life is finished. Everything that I've worked hard for the last few months will be done. I cross under the Mogollon Monster 100 mile finish line in a complete mental haze. In true Mi-Ki-Do (My Powerful Way) fashion, I raise my hands and close my eyes. There is a huge sense of accomplishment but also a feeling of emptiness. In all of my training for MOG100, I never envisioned myself crossing the finish line. I trained to each section and going into the race, my focus had only been for that section alone. Here I am crossing the finish line and I'm not sure how I feel about it. It's strange I know. I'm not sure of the sequence of events but I'm pretty sure that my parents came up first and I gave them a stinky hug, then Jeremy and Jay came up to award me the MOG100 belt buckle (my first one), and then I saw Liza and gave her a big hug and a thank you for pacing me all those miles. I'm pretty sure Julio and I chatted for a couple of seconds about the last couple of miles. A few pictures were taken and then we walked over to the pavilion and started to sort out kit and eat some food. As this point, I'm in pretty good condition except my legs won't stop shaking. We pushed it pretty hard to the finish and my legs are still trying to calm down. It's finished and I completed my 2nd 100 mile race!
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| By left pole-Dad in black, Jay on video, and Liza in the back Crossing the finish line Photo Credit: Andres Pielage |
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| The Race Director, Jeremy D. and I with my belt buckle. Photo Credit: Andrew Pielage |
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| Liza and I all cleaned up and hanging out at the finish line. Photo Credit: Liza Howard |
After-thoughts
I had a love-hate relationship with this course throughout the race and this is why, in hindsight, I'm in love with this course. Sure there are many things that could be "improved" but I believe this course remains true to what many technical runners long for in a race. It's not a trail that a double-wide trailer can fit through. The conditions are constantly changing which means you have to constantly be thinking strategically about what you're going to need. The decision-points are literal dilemma's sometimes. Jeremy, Jay, and Noah and the volunteers do a great job of putting together a really good race.
Overall, I'm very happy with my running on this course. It's hard to look back on a race and critique. Sometimes I feel like I'm not in the right mindset to do so after I'm rested and off my legs a few days. But here we go:
Three things I did well:
1) I kept a manageable pace throughout the course.
2) Pushed hard on the up and downhill
3) Took care of myself--stayed up on nutrition and hydration. No heat challenges
Three things I didn't do well:
1) I got to comfortable and ran the pace of other runners.
2) I think I spent a little too much time at some of the aid stations.
3) I wish I had a kick the last couple of miles of the race.
Three things I need to improve on:
1) More core and upper body strength
2) Incorporating a better stretching program
3) More course simulations for my long runs
Overall, I'm very happy with my running on this course. It's hard to look back on a race and critique. Sometimes I feel like I'm not in the right mindset to do so after I'm rested and off my legs a few days. But here we go:
Three things I did well:
1) I kept a manageable pace throughout the course.
2) Pushed hard on the up and downhill
3) Took care of myself--stayed up on nutrition and hydration. No heat challenges
Three things I didn't do well:
1) I got to comfortable and ran the pace of other runners.
2) I think I spent a little too much time at some of the aid stations.
3) I wish I had a kick the last couple of miles of the race.
Three things I need to improve on:
1) More core and upper body strength
2) Incorporating a better stretching program
3) More course simulations for my long runs
Mogollon Monster 100ish Racing Stats
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| Elevation Profile (Watch died at mile 85) |
Average HR: 143
Average Pace: 16:01 (Moving=14:57)
Elevation Gain: over 25K'
Course Time: 28:59
Overall Place: 5th
Age Place: 3rd
