LBJ Gasslands 50 Miler

Held in March 2007

LBJ Grasslands Run 50 Miler
Finish Time: 11:20:00

I finally did it. I stepped into the unkown abyss that is ultrarunning. I mean ok I did a 50K, which is technically an ultra, but only 5miles longer than a marathon (a distance I know I can do). But 20 miles beyond that was my real test. I was admittedly very nervous in the days leading up to this race. Was I prepared physically? Mentally? I sure hoped so.

I drove out out Friday evening, picked up my race packet and headed to the campgrounds for the night. I had a DQ chicken sandwich for dinner and it was a nice warm night with a little breeze. I busted out my sleeping bag in the bed of the truck and packed my "drop bag" for the race. I put in an extra pair of shoes, socks, headlamp, 8 GU packets, my foot repair stuff, some tylenol and light rain jacket. I curled up in my bag and called Erin for a few minutes before getting some pretty good sleep.

My alarm went off at 0545, but i snoozed until 0605. I hate getting up when it's still dark out, but I put my bag away and busted out the french toast waffles I made at home Friday afternoon. I washed them down with water while I was almost shaking with anticipation. I went to the bathroom before a line started, although I couldn't see anyone in the darkness. I grabbed my drop bag and brought it to the 50 mile start/finish area, then busted out my Ipod and water bottle. We got some last minute instructions about the course layout before we took off at 0700. I was scared as hell at that point, and just tried stay calm and take it easy. I got caught in Phoenix and Houston taking off too fast and paid dearly for it each time. After a few miles, hitting the first aid station and the sun coming up, I fellt much much better. I finished the first (blue) loop in about 3hrs and got a warm welcome coming into the main 50 miler aid station. Everyone just started calling me aggie because I wore my corps marathon team outfit the whole course. I took off on the 2nd (yellow) loop feeling pretty good still. There wasn't too much exciting going on for this shorter 10.5mi loop, and I finished it pretty quickly. Maybe too quick.

I changed my shoes and socks because my feet were killing me and I had a lot of sand in my shoes after the first 25 miles. I also called Erin for just a minute to tell her I was still alive before heading back out on the third (white) and worst loop of the whole course. Halfway into it I there was an aid station that had jagermeister! I thought, "Why not?". I downed a cup and kept moving. A few miles later in the 15 mile loop I got a twinge in my inner thigh...then another...then a cramp in my calf. I had to walk for a bit. I thought "maybe it was just a one time thing." I started up running again and had cramps in about 1/4 mile. I couldn't believe it! How fast had I been going? How high was my heart rate? How many calories and electrolytes had I been taking in? It quickly became clear that my blood had been pumping hard enough to dump a considerable amount of lactic acid into my legs during the previous loop and I was paying for it now. I had also not been able to get enough electrolytes into my system. I remedied both of these problems by slowing down for the last 10 miles of the loop while taking in E-capsules at every aid station. This helped immensly, and I was feeling better by the end of the third loop. I came into the start/finish area looking beat. You know you look bad when people are all telling you how great you look in a race. I learned that when I was going through cancer treatments!

I ate some fruit and a cookie, then popped some tylenol before going out on the final red (1o.5 mile) loop. I felt much better from the start of this loop and ran it at a much faster pace than the previous loop. It went by pretty quickly, and next thing I knew I was 2 miles away from finishing with an awesome view of the sun going down over the hills in front of me. I was finishing my first 50 miler and I was going to do it in under 12hrs!!! This all got me a little choked up and teary-eyed right before the finish. I rounded the last corned to see everyone clapping for me as I came into the finish. The race director, Suzi Cope, gave me my medal and buckle and a big hug (which I needed). I immediately sat down, took off my shoes and called Erin to tell her I finished. After a few minutes of sitting, I got up and took a few pictures, grabbed a BBQ sandwich and got in my truck. My brother just graduated from basic training and I had to go see him before he left for AIT.

In Conclusion...
I accomplished something that has been a huge goal of mine ever since I was diagnosed and started running. I couldn't have been more happy with the trail, the other runners, or the race organizers. Now that I'm healing back up, I can honestly say that I look forward to attempting my first 100K run next year!

Armadillo Dash Half Marathon

Held March 2007

I did the Armadillo Dash 1/2 Marathon yesterday morning. It was sunny most of the time, but freezing cold as well. I ran it with Steven, Sonia, Valerie and Chris Felleisen. I dressed up in a devil costume to make the run a little more fun for everyone and it seemed to work. I had on a backpack with a speaker attached to my Ipod which played music the whole time. People kept sayng "Oh, the devil made me do it." since it was Sunday morning I guess.

I had pretty bad shin pains during the first 3 or 4 miles before it finally let up. I think it was from the backpack making me run differently to compensate for the jostling. I don't have my chip time yet, but I finished sometime just under 2hrs. The medals were sharp looking and we got technical t-shirts to go with them. After the race we went to Freebirds and stuffed our faces with some burritos. I definitely want to do this again next year!

The GLOW 5K

Held March 2007

The 3rd Annual Glow 5K was last night at 2100! I ran with quite a few guys in A-1, and we had a pretty good time. The shirts turned out nice, and they had free Jamba Juice and energy drinks. As usual there was confusion as to where the start was, but they finally got everyone where they needed to be and we were off. I tried to take as many pictures as I could, but a lot of them turned out fuzzy since it was dark. Afterwards I went to O'bannons with Sonia, Israel and Bernard to get some Dogfish Head and pizza. I'm psyched about the Armadillo Dash tomorrow morning though. I've been waiting a month to get dressed like the devil. I promise there will be pictures afterwards!

Houston Marathon & Half

Held January 2007

Race Info

26.2 miles
4:12 finish

Weather held up alright for most of the race with cool temperatures and no real rain. There was so much moisture in the air though, that you just got ewt anyway. I felt good about my time, but it ended up not being worth it to push my body the way I did. On top of that I made the same mistake I did at Phoenix by going out too fast, causing me to burn out around mile 19 or 20. I also didn't hydrate enough at each aid station, and just skipped about 3 in the first 10 or 12 miles because I was in a hurry. I ran with Steven from about 21-24 which was pretty nice. We got cool medals, finisher shirts and mugs afterwards. I took advantage of the free massage, and got some decent hot food. When we got home from the race Alec's dad had some awesome BBQ waiting for us after we showered. We had cold guiness and bottingtons beer with it, which ws icing on the cake. All in all it was a good race and exciting to have so many friends doing it with me, but It'll probably be a long time before I do this race again.

Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot

Held November 2006

8 miles
9:30 pace

Well my second year to do this race. I did it in 2004, and registered for 2005 but was very sick the morning of the race. I made it out with Kristen, who I did it with me the first time. It was cold until the sun popped out at about 7am. I decided to get dressed up for this run...like a superhero. "Super Chris"- the cancer kid, with the ability to help you keep going! It was pretty rediculous but people got a kick out of it. Personally, Ill never wear that headgear again because a balaclava and ski goggles in 75 degree sun is rediculously hot. I could handle the welding gloves and carrying my staff, but my head was burning up. I even made things worse by waking up late and skipping breakfast. I also didn't drink anything all morning, and the last thing I had was some coffee the night before. Well it was still a good time and I look forward to doing it again next year.

39th Annual Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot

Texas Asics 20 Miler

Held November 2006

Run Info
20 miles
8:50 pace
3:04:00 finish

This was a pretty fun time. It was one of Val and Brad's first races. Val and I did the 20 mile, and Brad did the 10 mile. I made my debut as a "stunt runner" on a COLD Saturday morning in downtown Dallas. I wore a hockey mask, weilded a bloody knife, and had no shirt on. The idea is that it would be like I was chasing the other runners around motivating them to keep it up. The fans all got a laugh out of it, including the traffic cops at the intersections. The biggest downside to the mask was that it muffled my voice a little so I couldn't be as verbal as I would've liked. It was still a good time. I've never had a better time freezing my butt off. Leah, Kristen and Jay (a newer teacher at Horn) were there with my for most of it. Leah was the only one to keep a consistent pace the whole time. Kristen dropped off around mile 11, I took off faster around 12, and jay dropped off from Leah around 15 I think. Brad and I both came in 2nd and 3rd in our age divisions but didn't get awards...kind of a bummer. We went home afterwards to watch the Aggies run out of time against Nebraska, but it was a good game anyway. It's Sunday evening and my legs don't really feel sore at all. This time last weekend, my legs felt shot after the half marathon. I guess this is a good sign!

Dallas - The Half

Held November 2006

Race Info
13.1 miles
1:53:00 finish
8:30 pace

I had a pretty good time this Sunday. I planned on only running a relaxed 9:10-9:30 pace, but ended up getting sucked into a much faster 8:30 pace. I had some tightness in my shins for the first couple miles that kept me from feeling really relaxed, but after that I just stepped it out and took off. It was actually kind of hard trying to make myself slow down the pace. I just got caught up in the excitement of it and I think the fact that I was passing a lot of people during the second half (with a negative split) just kept my momentum going. The shirts and medals for this race were pretty nice and I have another bib to tac up on my wall at home. I'm bumping it up to a 20 miler next weekend at the Texas Stampede's Asics Texas Twenty. Leah and Kristen are doing this one and some of my buddies are also running the 10 miler in conjuction so it should be a good day (pending the weather).

Here's the course for The Half:(click to enlarge)

Rocky Raccoon 50mi &100mi

Held February 2005

"Ohh-oh, we're halfway there,
whoah, we're livin' on a prayer.
Take my haaand, we'll make it I swear.
Woah, livin' on a prayer!"

This song was stuck in my head at the "Far Side" aid staion, which is in the middle of a 20 mile loop that runners traversed five times over a 24hr period.

I volunteered to help out at the Rocky Raccoon 100 this weekend, and it was the most educational running experience of my life. It was also one of the most fun times I've ever had at an event. All the volunteers were great people; all eager to help me get my feet wet at this event. I showed up to the park at 0600, and waited for the race to begin, after which time I met with a volunteer who went with me to my assigned station. They had french toast and hot bacon ready for me when I got there (one of the many perks of volunteering). It was a huge rush while Larry(another volunteer) and I frantically wrote down bib numbers and times. After the first wave of runners came through it got much quieter.

I worked all morning and afternoon refilling bottles, and setting out food and drinks. One runner named Jorge was on time to beat the world record for a 100 mile ultra, but unfortunately finished 58 seconds over. The guy would just fly into our aid station at a 7:45 pace, and not even stop for refreshments. It blew our minds! During long periods with nobody coming through, I got to listen to stories from volunteers Jim and Mike who have run several Ultras, including Western States 100. I had a great time at the aid station until my runner (the woman I would pace for) came by on her third lap. She had 10miles from there to finish her loop at the lodge station where I would start the 4th loop with her. I packed up and took a shortcut back to the lodge where I changed, stretched, and waited for her to show up.

She came in looking pretty strong, and I helped her get some ears, and gloves out of her pack while she tried to get down some hot soup. I think we took off around 2100, well after dark. I was pretty chilly, but I quickly warmed up. It felt like we moved consistently at a 12:00 pace on the flats, walked the uphills, and 10:00 or faster on the downhills. It was a pleasant surprise because I anticipated a lot slower pace during the loop. She was funny though, because she kept apologizing for us going so slowly, saying it had to be killing my legs to shuffle along. The weather was great, and I came to find out that I had prepared perfectly for it, which was something I had been very nervous about. My headlamp worked great, my clothing was kept me at a good temp, and I brought just enough fuel (gatorade and gel).

I took advantage of all the great food offered at the stations and the fact that I have no problems eating on the run. During my 20mile loop I ate 2 meatball sandwiches, 1 peanut butter sandwich, a cup of chicken noodle soup, 2 cups of hot chocolate, a handfull of jelly beans, and a handful of M&Ms and 5 GU packets. Cheryl(my runner) unfortunately didn't get to eat too much of anything solid becuase she was having bad issues with her stomach. I finished my loop with her, and headed immediately back to the Far Side aid station where they were all shocked to see me. They just figured I would've headed home after my loop. It was fortunate that I came back though because they were a little short-handed.

We had the last runner come through around 0830 and the station broken down by 0900. I headed to my car, drove, home, had a late lunch and was asleep at 1600 on Sunday. I didn't wake back up until 0600 on Monday. I learned a lot and met some great people.

I was exhuasted, but it was a blast!!!

Rock 'N' Roll Arizona Marathon & Half

Held January 2006

0740
Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
26.2 miles at 9:45 pace
169 avg bpm
Run Info

The run went great until about mile 16, when I started cramping in my legs a little. I began to take walking breaks and pumped lots of fluid, but I think the fact of the matter was that I had just been moving at too fast a pace (roughly 8:45) and I started to fatigue. I slowed down a great deal after that point. Coach Goetz ran with me from mile 10 to 20, so he got to see metransition from smooth and quick, to slow and staggering. I didn't feel bad about my time, although I thought I might have. It's almost two days later and I feel pretty good physically. I can get up and down stairs pretty quick, and I don't see any signs of injury. Altogether, the race itself was a blast, with tons of people out supporting the runners (especially TNT). Also, everyone in the Virtual Chapter of TNT finished their respective courses in good time which made for plenty of post race smiles!

So I finally did it, and I don't just mean a marathon! I raised a ton of money for LLS, met a bunch of great people, trained really hard, and finished my first marathon in a fairly respectable time. The whole weekend was soo much fun, and I look forward to doing TNT again in the near future. It was really an emotional experience; and it came out during the race too. I know I wasn't the only person on the Virtual Team who admitted to crying while they were on the course (haha, Christa!). I think it was just a combination of seeing and feeling what we were out there supporting, getting great support from the cheerleaders and spectators, and completing such a long race that you've trained so hard for. It was special for me being a survivor, to see all the other TNT guys out there running specifically to help people like me. I felt like my running out there was the product of everything they were working towards. Anyway, it was a great time, and I will post a link to all the pictures I took soon.

White Rock Lake Marathon & Half

Held December 2005
Video Slideshow

0345 - Woke up
0430 - Ate breakfast
0510 - Left for race
0620 - Boarded the DART rail
0700 - Arrived at AA Center
0750 - Went to start area
1000 - Finished 2:02:41
Run Info

Okay so I registerd to do this at the last minute, when I found out a bunch of people I knew were doing it. I know I was pushing it a little, but I felt great, and thought I could've even set a PR if I had wanted to. The event was great, and there were sooo many people out supporting it! I ran with COL Methered (my high school JROTC instructor), Leah and Kristen (the teachers from school who ran with me during treatments). I carried my camera along the way and took some great pictures of everything. My quads are a little sore, but everything else is fine. I treated myself to a few beers afterwards (needed to replenish the carbs anyway).

I'm thinking I may go for an easy bike ride around town tomorrow to keep the legs loose. I might do some work on the climbing board tonight before bed too. I really want to stay on top of my strength training for the bouldeirng trip.