Bandera 100K & Rhabdo Crumble Pie

Thank you...Thank you...Thank you!!!!

First, thank you Aja for putting up with all of my crap the last few months and especially the last few days. Thank you Liza (Sharman Ultra Endurance Coaching) for providing research-based training and always inspiring me with your donut, coffee, and beer cravings. Thank you Merrell for the super comfortable shoes that keep my feet full of support and blister free!!!

SPECIAL SHOUT OUT to Team RWB Trail Running Camp - Group D mentors--Dominic Grossman, Jason Schlarb, Joe Uhan, Matt Hart, Meghan Arbogast, and Paul Terranova. It took every ounce of running knowledge and discipline that I learned from all of you to complete this course. Thank you! 

Cliffs Notes Version:

• Preparations: Trained slow with trail speed build-up, lots of rest, race fast.
• Goal: Use Bandera 100k to gain some data for MdS training plan. Run first loop within 157-167 HR. Assess and try to match time on second loop.
• Running was going awesome the first 20 miles. 
• Felt very sick with hardcore upper leg cramps around mile 20. 
• Peed dark (coca-cola like) urine around mile 22. 
• Felt like death around mile 26. 
• Was completely out of it during miles 30-48, ran hard when I could focus on my form and trail and went back to jogging/hiking when I felt bad.
• Miles 48-52---hated life and wanted to crawl into a ball and sleep. 
• Miles 52-61---Chad Prichard and Lorenzo Sanchez urged me to run with them. It took everything I had to stay with them. 
• Finish---ran in Old Glory with Chad and Lorenzo--super great feeling. 
• Thanked the heavens above that I finished!
• Ate a Sonic burger with Liza. 
• Left for a meeting in Dallas the next day. 
• Was admitted into the hospital overnight with Rhabdomyolysis.

Preparations

Training for Bandera started immediately after the Team Red, White & Blue Trail Running Camp. This was a perfect transition to training with my new found trail running knowledge. The plan was to continue to recover from Mogollon Monster 100 for a few more weeks and then gently build-up for Javelina 100K and build-up again to Bandera. The month of January seemed like a perfect time to run a 100K as a baseline for Marathon Des Sables training.

The training plan for Bandera was to incorporate several recovery runs, speed, and hill workouts for the week. Every workout has been geared toward specific workout ranges. My long runs consisted of staying within a specific heart rate range instead of mainly working under a heart rate as determined by the Maffetone Method.

My training in November and December couldn't have been more perfect. I spent a fairly decent amount of time on technical trails in Oregon, Virginia, and Arizona. When I wasn't able to run on trail, I did lots of course simulations on the treadmill. During any of my long runs, the goal was to always have an elevation gain similar to the Bandera course.

Personally, I feel my biggest improvements as a runner came in the months of November and December. I took everything that I learned at the trail running camp and could physically feel the difference in my running abilities. Leading up to Bandera I felt efficient, light on my feet, and very well trained. My last long runs were evidence that I would be able to stay within a specified heart rate range and sustain a solid race pace.

Bandera Training and Race Goals

1. Begin to incorporate 4-5 back-to-back runs in preparation for the rigors of MdS training.
2. Maintain a more focused diet - No candy/junk and no reliance on caffeine. 
3. Become efficient within a specified heart rate range - both in training and racing. 
4. Gather data on pace(s) within the HR range throughout race day. 
5. Minimize time at aid stations - in and out for regular aid stations, no more than two minutes at crossroads and the 50k mark.

Race Dedication

Photo Credit: Gary Herman (Facebook)      

"I feel weak, mainly fatigued. I try to put one foot in front of the other like a good POW and know that to gain energy, you must make energy, the long walk with the 100lb invisible pack is wearing on me. My backpack is heavier as there is more gear in it to overcome all the things ahead of me. I have done this before, and did not quit. I will not quit, but now the mud rises above my ankles and walking toward safety is a bit more difficult. It's not dishonorable to know you have tried your best." Gary Herman 

This race was dedicated to MSgt Gary Herman. The first time I met Sgt. Herman was my entry interview to be a SERE Specialist in the USAF. As with all other interviews, we conducted the Q&A session with me in the front leaning rest (push-up) position. I remember him saying if I stopped doing push-ups, I would not get into the program. That meant I quit and SERE Specialists don't quit. I was "recovered" after the interview was complete. I never got a smile or gesture that suggested what I did was an accomplishment. It was as if what just occurred was part of the everyday job. I spent close to six-months training in the SERE entry program called STOCK. Everyday our team would get smoked in some kind of endurance training run and everyday someone would quit. Each time, Sgt. Herman and the other cadre would end our session and it was always non-emotional and, simply just another day. As the months went by, we began to take on this mentality and continued to grow stronger both individually and as a team. Most of the time, we did our smoker runs in the morning and came back to the "hut" in the afternoon for more survival learning. As a SERE specialist trainee we first learned to cope with challenges by pushing lots of Texas dirt and mud. I always remember Sgt. Herman telling animated stories of various prisoners of war (POWs) and other individuals who survived. He would always summarize those stories with reflective lessons learned. Those formative months really instilled the concept of what it meant to survive and return with honor. He was a good mentor, and I always heard stories about Sgt. Herman in every 'fire circle' I was a part of. In the end, Gary took the fight to stage 4 colorectal cancer for seven years and returned with honor on December 18, 2015.

The Bandera 100K Course

The race is located within the Hill Country State Natural Area just outside of Bandera, TX. The steep limestone hills and grassy valley terrain make for an amazing and challenging course. The hills are just steep and long enough to deceive runners into taking the hills full-on and not worrying about consequences down the road. The course is super rocky, the terrain is tricky, and the flats have limited spots that are forgiving. It's a lot of single track with some dirt roads. Some folks may look down on dirt roads but these roads are pretty much exposed bedrock that look more like dry rocky river beds. This course truly defines the meaning of being a "Rock Hopper" and I absolutely loved it! 

Traveling to Bandera, TX 

Week Prior to the Race: In December, I was lucky to spend the last two weeks in Arizona and spent all of my training runs on super rocky and hilly trails. After Arizona, I flew to Lisbon, Portugal where Aja and I were going to spend a few days prior to New Year's festivities. I caught a cold in Lisbon that had me down for the count for a few days. Once we got to Warsaw, Poland I was able to get plenty of rest and delayed my flight to Texas a few more days to get even more rest. This helped on many levels as I was able to finish and turn in my literature review outline, and rest a few more days in the comfort of our home. I flew to San Antonio, TX on Thursday where I stayed with Liza (coach) and had the honor of staying in Asa's (Liza's son) awesome room. On Friday, we traveled out to Bandera where we registered and watched the Bandera kids one-mile race. All of the kids were ridiculously fast. Asa and Liza participated in the race. I went out on the course and took pictures of the racers. It was then that I found out that Asa is going to be a force to be reckoned with. Here's the proof! 

Asa taking it to the Bandera Course with Liza in tow.

During the day, Liza talked about how it can be beneficial to review what you accomplished in training as a means to give you confidence prior to the race. That night, I laid in bed scrolling through my training for Bandera and training within my goal heart rate range. I fell asleep believing in what I've already accomplished and what I was about to do tomorrow.

Pushing More Texas Dirt and eating Rhabdo Crumble Pie  - Race Report

Morning of the start: Liza and I traveled to the course together and I felt humbled and honored to be in her company. She is very laid back and helped me relax the morning of the race. I'm still very new to racing and she helped keep the conversations light and comical despite being o'dark thirty. The hour drive from San Antonio was good for me as our discussion grounded me back to the goals of the race. Our first stop was dropping off a bag at the Crossroads Aid Station and then proceeding to the start line. After working our way through the parking serpentine, we cruised over to the starting line to check the morning logistics. I forgot to grab some bib pins for my USATF bib the day prior so I grabbed a few of those and headed back for the car. We went down for a quick 45 minute nap and woke up at 7am. I fiddled around with my race vest, got my drop bag ready and headed for the start line. I was nervous for the day and for the race. At the start line, I ran into many people that attended last year's RWB Trail Camp. I also ran into Lorenzo Sanchez and Chad Prichard. We talked and laughed and talked about our goals for the day. Lorenzo was running with Chad for his first ultra and there was no doubt we would see each other on the course. Chad and I were mentored in the same group at the trail camp. We spent lots of time together during the camp and he is very good runner.

As the countdown began, I made sure to squirm my way up to the front and settled in a few people behind Paul Terranova. Paul was a group D mentor and I felt like I was back at the trail camp. As Race Director, Chris McWatters, counted down the seconds, I took a deep breath and took the first steps toward that belt buckle at the finish. 

Start-Lodge to Nachos (0-5.60 miles): My plan was to get out in front of the big pack so I would have some space to work the hills during the first couple of miles. I ran the first mile fairly hard and then settled into the goal HR range. I ran with a group of 4-6 people that settled into a nice easy pace. Almost everyone power-hiked the hills, ran the downhills and increased the pace on the short flats. It was a beautiful, clear, cold morning and the running/hiking came easy. The group ran into our first "sotol forest" a few miles into the run and we made a few comments about how bloody our legs already looked. Steven Moore led the last of the significant climb in this section and let out a big cheer and disappeared into Texas hill country. Our group of runners cruised into the Nachos aid station (AS) and were in and out in no time. At this point, I felt really good and the running was on par with training. I wasn't doing anything special other than running and hiking within my goal heart rate range. 

Section Pace: 9:28.  

Nachos to Chapas (5.6-11.04): This section consisted of roller hills and single track and what I think was old dirt road (double-wide). Although the terrain wasn't as aggressive as the first section, the rocky terrain was still a challenge not to overlook. Our group of six runners began to disperse and everyone fell into their own pace through this section. This section went pretty fast and I was enjoying my time on the trail. The further I ran, the more my body warmed up and my trail running anxiety began to settle. Roughly a mile out from Chapas AS, we navigated over a large mud puddle by taking a few leaps to the other side. After I made the jumps, my body felt a rush of something that I can't explain. It felt like what you would feel during an adrenaline rush. I stopped and walked a few steps and during this time I started to feel slightly sore in my quads and lower-back. I stepped off the trail because I felt the urge to urinate and quickly walked back into the woods a few steps and did the deed. The urge felt like I had to urinate a lot but, in reality it ended up being a small tinkle of urine that looked dark, almost like a watery sun tea consistency. I made note of my urine and soreness and quickly settled back into my HR range. As I ran, I did a mental check of my physical status and noted to drink more fluids when I got into Chapas AS. I'd never seen my urine like that before and simply thought that maybe it was a by-product of something I ate or drank the day prior. I arrived into Chapas AS and quickly went to work. The Team RWB volunteers were awesome in helping me out. I also noticed that I caught up with the other runners I was with. I quickly put down 3-4 cups of water, a small cup of coca-cola, and grabbed another for the road along with a PB&J sandwich. The soreness in my quads seemed to have sub-sided but I the soreness in my lower back seemed to increase. As I jogged out of Chapas AS, I ate the sandwich, downed the coca-cola, and took a couple salt tabs I had in my vest. I went through another check and figured I should take the couple Salt Stick tabs in case I was dehydrated. At this point, I thought it was still too early to diagnose anything so I just kept mental notes of my signs and symptoms and made sure to support my body.

Section Pace: 8:58

Chapas to Crossroads-1 (11.04-16.98): Any Bandera race report will tell you this is very runnable terrain. It's a chance to lengthen the stride a little on solid trail with minimal rocks. Aside from my urine issues and sore back, I was feeling pretty good. I was still able to run within the target HR range and now I just focused on maximizing my running efficiency through the section. I didn't waste any time getting water into my system and took sips every quarter mile. The goal was to settle into running and cruise into Crossroads-1. Around mile 13 I had to urinate again, so I stepped aside and tried to tinkle. This time the urge was there but the urine wasn't. I spent a few seconds and said a couple curse words and then proceeded to run again. About 30 seconds later, I felt the urge again and this time I was able to urinate. The color was even darker than before and I cramped in the lower-back as I urinated. I began to get a little frustrated because I was in disbelief that I could have been that dehydrated. I'd stayed up on my hydration. I decided to take couple more Salt Stick capsules and down my water bottle. I figured better in my system now then hanging out in my water bottle. I settled into running again. About a mile out of Crossroads-1, I started to feel symptoms like I was getting the flu but without the fever. By the time I rolled into Crossroads-1, I was experiencing body-aches and lots of soreness in my lower-back, abs, and quads. As I entered Crossroads-1, I wasn't sure about anything in terms of running and had a brief thought of dropping. I quickly turned my focus to the sounds of cheering and made it a point to focus solely on the positives that were coming from the aid station. I was still with the original running group and we quickly dispersed to our respective drop bags. I quickly grabbed another granola bar and gum for the road, filled my water bottle, and chugged down some more fluids. I grabbed some solid food for the road and left the aid station. 

Section Pace: 9:14

Crossroads-1 to Crossroads-2 (16.89-21.85): This is a quick five mile loop that consists of a few technical rollers followed by a good climb and a nice technical descent back into Crossroads. Leaving Crossroads, I had only one thing on my mind, and that was to get back to Crossroads safe and sound. The running was still coming pretty easy despite not feeling very well. There was nothing I could do about my situation so I chose not to think about it other than to take mental notes on how I was feeling. I focused on my running form and thought about Joe Uhan's discussion at camp about how focusing on running form and cadence turns into running efficient which produces a good pace. On the first hill, I began to experience cramping in my inner thigh. Each uphill step required that I stop for a split second and shake out my quad. The harder the cramping got the more frustrated I became so I decided to hike as hard as possible on the uphills. Although this was very painful from a cramping perspective, I felt it was better to experience one prolonged cramp and a good quad shake-out at the top of the hill then lots of little cramping sessions. At this point, being efficient and getting into Crossroads-2 was my only focus. I hit top of the long climb and finally started to feel better as I worked my way down the descent in into Crossroads. My symptoms were starting to subside and the fog of being sick began to fade. As I jogged into Crossroads for the second time, I was relieved that whatever I went through had passed. I was still very sore but was confident I could continue to run through it provided it didn't come back. I never felt the urge to urinate during this section and to be honest, I didn't want to urinate out of fear of seeing something worse. I had everything I needed out of my drop bag during my first visit at Crossroads so I made quick use of my time doing the exact same things...filled water bottle, chugged more water and some ginger ale to calm the stomach, grabbed some more Salt Stick capsules and some food for the road. I knew I looked how I felt coming into Crossroads, and once again focused on all the positive energy coming out of the aid station. 

Section Pace: 11:00

Crossroads-2 to Last Chance (21.85-26.10): With Crossroads-2 behind me, I began to do another mental assessment. I was still achieving all of my goals for the race despite what I had just went through. I was closing in on the 50K mark and felt as if I was on an upswing from whatever I just went through. The cramping in my legs was gone and I didn't feel sick. I settled back into a solid mental state and continued to focus on running efficiently. I refused to think that I was falling apart and went through some guided imagery as I started my way toward the Last Chance AS. The first mile after Last Chance went fairly easy. I could feel my stomach a little water sloshy so I backed off of taking any water in during that first mile. I felt another urge to urinate again around mile 22. Not wanting to kill my new-found momentum, I quickly ran into the woods and urinated. To my shock, it was even darker than before. It looked like I just urinated coca-cola. I thought to myself "not good" and got back to running. I didn't make light of my current situation and felt that maybe I'd start urinating clearer after awhile since I was feeling a little better...maybe my body was still catching up. Running on this section was very windy but you could still keep a good pace. At this point, I was running into other runners who were running the 50K. I recognized a few of the runners from trail running camp and we said our greetings and continued running. Around mile 24, I ran into a kid who was running the course in Croc sandals. I passed him and he slipped in behind me. I was starting to feel the 'sickness' come back again and was beginning to slip in focus. This kid was the perfect distraction for me. He quickly struck up a conversation and told me how he was having a good day on the trail and he was hoping for a good time. He asked me about the route and how close he was to the finish. We exchanged some motivational words and he slowed to a walk. I took that positive exchange and ran with it as long as I could. I crossed the last drainage before making my way up the last climb. I cramped like no other as I worked my way up the hill. My stomach felt pretty queasy as I climbed and puked as I crested the top. I actually felt better after puking as it was kind of a reset of my system. I ate a granola bar, took a couple of salt capsules, and downed my water bottle. Once again thinking, better in than out. I came off the technical descent and into the Last Chance AS feeling pretty torn up physically, but mentally, I was very focused and determined. As I ran the last the mile into Last Chance AS, I thought about how a DNF is not possible. If I DNF from this race, I'll just be sitting at the Lodge trying to recoup from whatever health issue is going on. If I'm dehydrated then I'll just be sipping water all day watching people finish. I would much rather suffer on the trail than people-watch all day. Either way, the medical plan was to support the system, stay hydrated as much as possible and not to become electrolyte deficient. I was in and out of Last Chance and ready to hit these last climbs. 

Section Pace: 11:24

Last Chance to Completion of First Loop: (26.10-31.00): Leaving Last Chance AS I was a mess! Emotionally, I started to fade pretty fast and lose focus. Physically, things were getting complicated and what I was experiencing was far beyond my medical expertise. I knew my running was still going alright but I also was realistic in that I was not going to be able to continue much longer with what I was going through medically. This was by far the lowest point of my run. On the plateau after the first climb, my emotions were all over the map. Right as I was beginning to descend, I nailed a rock with my right toe which sent me flying down the trail uncontrollably. I managed to stop myself and began crying a little. I began to laugh at myself crying and said out loud "you are a mess." Out of nowhere, a female voice said "no you're not, you're looking good." I thought I was hearing things as I worked my way down the hill. I rounded the corner and ran into two female hikers taking a rest as they climbed up in the opposite direction. We chatted a bit and we made light of my messy descent. This brought a little focus back into what I was doing. I worked my way back up the second climb and by now I was starting to feel better again. I wasn't in a fog anymore and I begin to set my sights on getting into the lodge. I went into guided imagery once again and focused on moving my body as if  I were running effortlessly. I told myself out loud to move my arms, neutral spine, good deep breaths, and turn the legs over. Before I knew it, I was on the trail heading towards the completion of the first loop. I quickly focused on soaking in the positive vibes. At this point, my inner thoughts were screaming to DNF so I knew I needed to be very mechanical in getting in and out. I crossed the line and went straight for my drop bag. I grabbed a couple life-saver gummies, some Tanka & Cranberry jerky, and a couple pieces of gum to chew on. After that, I went over and got my water bottle filled and refilled my vest pocket with some capsules for the road. At this point, my quads were beyond sore and my groin area hurt from all the cramping that occurred in my inner thighs. I took a few minutes and did some deep stretching of those areas. I knew the next couple sections had lots of hills and I needed my quads to be ready for the next section. I gave my quads a quick pep talk and worked my way back on to the trail. Round 2: Ding...Ding! 

Section Pace: 12:48

Start of Second Loop to Nachos to Chapas (31:00-42.04): I ran into Sarah Lavender Smith, Chad Prichard, Lorenzo Sanchez as I was leaving the start of the second loop. We greeted each other with high-fives and hugs. Lorenzo made a comment that I was looking good and I replied something to the effect that I was a complete mess. We parted ways and I settled in on a good pace. As I left the aid station, I quickly began to work on goals for this section. I knew there were some good climbs and lots of rollers in this section so I decided to tune out everything for the next few miles and focus solely on my running form. If my body started to feel sick again, I was going to slow down to a jog and focus on getting better, but keep moving forward. Once I felt good, I was going to pick up the pace and run. I started to motivate myself to pick up the pace and out of nowhere I saw another runner come bombing off the trail toward the start/finish. We exchanged "good job...looking good" remarks and then I realized that was Ken Letterle. We met and ran together for awhile this past summer at Mogollon Monster 100.  I shouted "Ken is that you!?" He came to a jog and looked back and said "yes, who is that?" I replied with "Ricky from MOG100!" We both laughed and yelled out "hey, what's up" and went back to running. As I ran, I smiled to myself and kept thinking how small of a world the ultra-running community is. Those 11 miles were my favorite out of the entire course. The trail constantly changed and you had to pay attention or you'd take a header into the sotol. Over the first couple of miles, things seemed to relax a little and I got into a good groove. I worked my way up to the saddle of the big climb and looked back at the trail. I caught a glimpse of Chad and Lorenzo coming off the first climb and working their way off the hill. Judging by their pace, I figured that I' d see them within the next mile. By the time I got into Nachos AS the second time, I was a complete mess once again. Every symptom I had experienced earlier was back again and came on super strong this time. I thanked my lucky stars that it didn't happen when I was on the hills. I moved in and out of Nachos and focused on getting to the Chapas AS. This section wasn't the lowest for me but it was the toughest section because I just plain hurt all over the place. Even though I was suffering pretty badly, I kept telling myself that it was going to subside and to focus on running form. I repeated "focus on form" constantly. To my surprise, I actually passed a runner which helped boost my confidence. I knew my time and goals were blown out of the water at this point as I struggled to keep going and deal with the pain. I came off the trail just outside of Chapas AS and jogged into the station. My head was very foggy and I knew I looked as bad as I felt. I kept focused on what I needed at this aid station. Out of nowhere, I heard my name and some yelling. I looked all around but didn't have the mental awareness to pick up on who it was. I saw someone in a black coat walking parallel to me. I thought "clearly she isn't talking to me" but I waved a half-confident wave and proceeded into the Chapas AS with a list of stuff I needed. I went down the drill I'd been doing all day and was ready to head back out when someone asked if I wanted some ramen noodles. Heck yeah I wanted ramen noodles!!

Section Pace: 12:40

Chapas to Crossroads 3 to CrossRoads 4 (42.04-52.85): They poured me some noodles in a container and I proceeded to walk down the road as I sipped on noodle broth. I thought about the weird exchange that occurred right before Chapas AS. Out of nowhere it occurred to me that the lady was Sarah and she was yelling "good job Ricky, just keep doing what you're doing." I turned around to see if she was still there but couldn't find her. I felt bad for not recognizing her and hoped she didn't think I blew her off. I walked along the trail eating my noodle soup. Despite feeling bad physically, the soup was very inviting. I just hoped that I could keep the noodles down. My body desperately needed nutrition. From Chapas to Crossroads-3, I had another flare up. This time it didn't seem to be as harsh as the last time. I noted that the last time I urinated was almost 20 miles back. I was a little concerned but pretty numb to my symptoms. I was able to jog through this flare up and headed into Crossroads AS for the third time. I looked down on my arm and read "Herman."

The trail is easy running so I slowly faded into deep thought. I thought about a time when we were out on a long ruck-march in the "back 40" with Sgt. Herman. He set the pace and walked us into the Texas dirt for hours. After a quick break, he said it was quitting time and told us we needed to keep up with the pace of the truck if we still wanted to be SERE Specialists. No one quit that day but we were very battered and tired. Back at camp, he asked our team to think about a time when we wanted to quit but didn't, and why we didn't. He asked if we were faced with the same decision-point if we would quit. I remember each of us responding with a stern "no." He followed up with "why." There was silence amongst our team. Then someone answered and said because we know we can make it through the situation so there is no reason to quit. He calmly replied with "boys, let this be your first lesson in resilience." I remember that day very vividly. That discussion set the framing for my mental state going into and completing one of the toughest pipeline training programs the military has to offer. 

As I neared Crossroads-3, another runner came into view. He stopped and bent over on the side of the trail. I came to walk and asked if he was ok and he responded with "I'll be alright." I picked up the pace running into Crossroads-3 and entered the AS feeling pretty tore up. Susan, Liza's friend, who ran the 50K earlier, cheered me into Crossroad-3. She was full of complements and helped me get situated. I soaked in the positive vibes once again and put on my happy face. We had a quick discussion about how Liza was doing and she said she left Crossroads-4 around an hour ago and was looking good. Lorenzo and Chad finally arrived behind me and urged me to run with them. Inside, I would have loved nothing more than to run with them but I also knew that they'd catch me very soon even if I got a head start. I took off down the road in a fast walk as I ate some food and pounded some coca-cola. Lorenzo, Chad, and another runner caught up to me. We made a few jokes at each other and talked about our race experiences thus far. Suddenly, I had the urge to urinate again. I was very excited and darted off into the woods for a quick urine color check. It was still dark colored but I took note that I was thankfully urinating again. The only negative was that I urinated all over my right shoe!

I now had a new goal in mind in order to stay focused. I had to do absolutely everything I could to keep Lorenzo and Chad within sight. I got back on the trail and hit the first climb. I recalled how I was cramping pretty bad when I first made this climb and now I seemed to be on the mend. I cruised up the hill and ran into Lorenzo and Chad who were making their way down and up another hill. I lost sight of them on the last climb but caught back up to them at Crossroads-4. I was within 10 miles of finishing the hardest race of my life and I had a new goal: STAY WITH THESE TWO! 

Section Pace: 12:40

Crossroads-4 to Last Chance to Finish (52.85-62.00): Lorenzo and Chad were headed out as I was headed into Crossroads-4. I could hear Chad yell out to run with them and I replied back that I'd catch up. I restocked on supplies and headed back out. Lorenzo and Chad were about a 1/4 mile in front of me. I could see them running and walking a little. I kept a good pace and told myself that break time was going to be when I caught them. We grouped together just as the trail entered the woods. Of course, once I caught them, the two decided to pick up running again. I didn't care. I took a few rest steps and then started running again. I would catch them and they would pick the pace back up again. At one point, I caught them and they started running again and I yelled out "I hate you guys!" It was out of love, and they laughed out loud. This cycle lasted for a few miles as we made our way through the gentle Texas country. The last time we separated and joined back up, I made another joke and said that I felt like the chubby guy on a formation run...always trying to catch up. We all laughed and started up a climb. I started urinating almost every hour like clock work which made me happy. It was a tinkle of urine but still progress. Each time I would urinate, I felt that much better. I was still very sore and I hadn't puked in some time. We worked our way off the big descent and cruised into Last Chance AS. I was on Lorenzo's heels and completely focused on keeping him close to me. Lorenzo was awesome and kept me included in the discussion. I think at this point, Ken Letterle and a couple other runners passed us. As we cruised into Last Chance AS, we filled water bottles and grabbed some food to eat. Lorenzo grabbed Chad's Old Glory for him. I had the urge to urinate again...it was still dark colored but I was happy I peed. The sun had set and we now had about 30 minutes of daylight left. We picked up the pace and tried to get on top of the first climb. I lost Sanchez for a few minutes but caught them on the uphill. Before we knew it, we were at the top and running the plateau. Somewhere in this area, we picked up another runner named Dustin. We were now running with headlamps on and worked our way down and back up onto the second climb. I was watching Sanchez's shoes and made it a goal to keep his shoes within my headlamp light ring. On the descent of the second climb, I fell back a little and caught back up to the group as they came off the hill and onto a trail intersection. I was in the back of the group as Chad and Lorenzo were working with the flag. I looked out and saw lights and asked them what those lights were. Lorenzo told me it was the finish line. What a sigh of relief! 

Chad and Lorenzo took the lead and Dustin and I followed. We ran out of the woods and onto the grassy field and onto the final stretch. We all crossed the finish line together and it couldn't have ended any other way. Everything was a blur for me at this point. I remembered hugging and taking photos with Chad, Lorenzo, and Dustin. I remembered getting my belt buckle from Chris. A couple other folks from the trail camp congratulated me.

At the finish of the Bandera 100K. Chad, Lorenzo, Me, and Dustin
Photo Credit: Chad Prichard

In all of the celebrations, I looked at my arm and read "Herman" one last time. I looked out into the low-lit area of the woods and visualized MSgt. Herman. I could see him kneeling in the darkest section of that part of the woods. I could make out the weathered rim of his weathered boonie-hat and faded camouflaged uniform. In my mind, he stood up and his eyes reflected off the light. There was no smile, just a nod as he turned walked into the woods as if it was just another day in the field. I thought to myself, "I knew you were going to make me work for it...but I didn't quit!"   

Section Pace: 12:52    

Aftermath

After a couple of minutes, I headed to the warmth of the wood shed and found my drop bag where my warm clothes were stashed. I filled my bottle with a recovery protein drink, took a couple more salt stick capsules and slowly worked my warm clothes back on. I was completely focused on getting warm and getting more nutrition to help my body recover. Since the running had stopped, I was starting to feel even more sore than before. A very achey soreness quickly consumed my body within about a half hour. I headed over to the food section and grabbed a bunch of food. I met up with Liza and a bunch of other trail camp alumni. We were all telling stories about our run. After a few hours, we left the finish and headed for home. On the way back, we stopped off at Sonic drive-thru and grabbed a nice greasy burger and drinks. We did a strawberry-vanilla sprite/root beer toast in celebration. I got to the hotel room and crashed hard. That night, I had a couple more flare ups with whatever I was experiencing out on the trail. I continued to push fluids and I was able to get my urine to look more like dark lemonade by Sunday evening. By Monday, I was still extremely sore and my muscles ached when I walked. I felt fine aside from being overly sore. After a bit of urging from my wife Aja, and others, I decided to get checked out at the local ER in Dallas, TX. 

This blog could go on forever (as if it hasn't already) if I explained the frustrating aspects of trying to explain to the ER staff my signs and symptoms that I am experiencing coupled with the fact that I just ran a 100K. At first, the staff basically said it's par for the course and, of course, you should be sore. I would politely respond by saying no it's not dehydration and/or electrolyte deficiency but probably rhabdomyolysis...can you please pull blood and check for that. I got the luxury of spending the night in the ER with a constant IV drip from one arm and a nurse pulling blood every four hours from the other arm. Trying to turn a negative into a positive, I told myself that my next 100 mile race time goal was going to be however long I was in the hospital which turned out to be 21hrs, 34minutes (very do-able). 

Drip...Drip...Not Happy!

ER Breakfast...missing out on breakfast buffet at the Hilton!

Feeling fat. I gained close to 25 pounds after all of the IVs.
My clothes barely fit after I left the hospital.

After-thoughts

I couldn't have run a more perfect race despite all of the challenges. I absolutely have no complaints about my performance. The challenges presented themselves and I adapted accordingly. Running ultra's isn't about just the running, it's about how well a person can manage all the things around them that support the running aspect of the race. I was very fortunate to have run the best two months of training in my life right before this race. I came into Bandera very well trained and rested. I felt like I could almost put my running on auto-pilot during the race and focus on the other challenges that I faced. Some people who read this blog will probably think I was stupid for continuing to run the race with the health issues I experienced. At the time, I didn't assess I was in any real life-threatening danger. I was keeping track of my vitals and my signs and symptoms and never felt the need to stop due to the medical challenges presented. I was also confident that I could receive almost immediate assistance at any point along the course. I wasn't far from a road or aid station or other people along the course. I took comfort in the race director's safety infrastructure and ran with the confidence that I wasn't in a position to be out for hours by myself. If this was a race that had a remote factor to it, I definitely would have DNF'd from the race. 

Three things I did well:

1. I had a slower pace than expected but ran very efficient.

2. I prioritized my needs well as I came into aid stations.

3. I spent minimal time at aid stations. For three aid stations, I spent more than the allotted time but only by two minutes. 

Three things I didn't do well:

1. I let my emotions get the best of me at times on the course. 

2. I need to work on putting more thought into my drop bags and organization. 

3. Got Rhabdo, although I'm unsure of the root cause. 

Three things I need to work on: 

1. More core and upper body strength.

2. The racing mentality aspect of ultra's. 

3. Maintaining running efficiency. 

Bandera 100K / USATF 100K National Championship Racing Stats

Elevation Profile of the Course

Calories Burned: 4,847 (estimate)

Average HR: 153
Average Pace: 11:11
Elevation Gain: 7,513'
Course Time: 11:46:03
Bandera Overall Place: 33rd
USATF Overall: 17th
USATF Age Group (1-39): 4th

Gear:
Vest: Ultimate Direction AK Race Vest
Socks: Injinji 2.0 Trail
Shoes: Merrell All Out Peak
Calf Sleeves: Zensah Compression Leg Sleeves
Shorts: Saucony Inferno Split Short
T-Shirt: Merrell Ascendancy

All about that buckle baby!!!

The night after leaving the hospital.