Bandera 100K - A Quick Run Down...

My plan for Bandera 100k was to finish between 14 & 16 hours. I felt it was doable for me since my runs lately had been really well.

Of course, the weather was a concern since it was supposed to be rainy & cold, but, I kept telling myself..."it'll make it that much more memorable".

Loop 1: 

Upon beginning the 1^st loop, I felt slightly “off”. It ended up taking me a couple miles to get warmed up…literally, but once I was comfortable, I felt pretty well.

It was pretty cool seeing icicles on leaves, logs and (tejas trails) signs. Fortunately, I did not find the rocks too slippery.  I can’t say the same about the mud.

I found myself either slipping through mud or carrying it on my shoes. It was quite a workout running/walking/hiking with your shoes caked in mud. Mid 1^st loop, my quads were already feeling tired (running with simulated weights on my shoes - in the form of mud - was taking its toll).

I also ran with a nagging pain in the back of my knee which always seems to happen when I run in wet/muddy conditions.

I ended up finishing loop 1 in about 8:20, but feeling pretty good.

Up to this point, I'd been eating every hour on the hour about 200-300 calories which had been my goal. I'm sure this was a good reason why I was feeling well at the 1/2 way mark.

I took about 15 minutes at the 1/2 point before heading out. I made sure and changed my sweaty clothes and ate 1/2 a burger.

Loop 2:

I started the 2nd loop with my good friends, Nancy and Orlando. The 1st 10 miles or so consisted of running and speed walking/hiking. I'd like to think I was still in pretty good shape. I was still eating every hour.

The mud didn't appear to be as sticky as the previous loop, but there was more water on the floor. I think this was so because a lot of the ice had melted and the periodic steady drizzle.

At about the 10ish mile mark, we started power walking/hiking more. I think we were all feeling it at this point. The pain on the back of my knee was getting a little more noticeable, but I was still good to go.

This loop was loooooong. I guess I'm not as fast of a power walker/hiker as I thought I was.

Once we arrived at Crossroads, my crewpeople, which consisted of my son, Joshua, and my GF, Sami, told us "Only a 1/2 marathon to go!" I remember thinking that was still a long way to go, but we had no choice but to get it done.

This...1/2 marathon was a suffer fest. The mud. The water. The climbs. I'd had enough of it by this point and just wanted to finish.

The last 3 climbs, Lucky Peak, Cairn's Climb and Boyle's Bump were brutal. It hurt as much going up as it did going down.

With 1/2 a mile to go, Nancy and I decided to "run it in". I'm sure it was more like a shuffle by this point, but off we went. As usual, I couldn't keep up with her, but we finished several minutes apart.

I finished in 20:12.

I was greeted by my son and Sami. I enjoyed my finisher's buckle near the heat lamp for about 10 minutes before deciding it was time to go. I'm really glad my son was out there to see me. It was a bit of an ultra for him too - spending 20 hours awake, napping and taking it all in. He loved the whole Tejas Trails scene, btw.

It was quite the epic experience, and I'm glad to say that several runners that I coach in our running group made their trail running debut...4 of them to be exact. 2 of them even upgraded to the 50k the morning of. Good job, Eder, Mario, Chris & Jeff, and see you guys at the next race!!!

Specifics:

1st Loop: 8:20

2nd Loop: 11:52

Calories: approximately 200-300 an hour (mashed potatoes, ramen soup, quesadillas, grilled cheese, pretzels, etc.).

Hydration: Water, Rocktane and 3 Boosts/Equates during the last loop.

Footwear: Bondi 4s - Brand new (I washed them twice on Sunday night and have been wearing them to work ever since. Recovery for my feet).

Coldwear: Pearl Izumi gloves, buff, wool socks and hand warmers inside my gloves;