Bandera 100K

Held in January 2008

I'll start by saying that this course brutally beat me into submission, but that I've come to terms with it.

Having said that, I drove with my mom (enlisted to crew for me) to College Station from Dallas two days before the race. We had shrimp, pasta and corn before I packed my two drop bags for The Lodge and Cross Roads, then went to bed. We got up the next day and headed for Bandera and the Hill Country State Natural Area. It was beautiful and I had never been there before, but as soon as we arrived I realized that these were harsher looking hills than I expected to see in Texas. I talked with some people I knew, checked in, and sat through the course breifing before going to sleep in the bed of my truck.

I got up an hour before the start, used the bathroom, had some breakfast and moved towards the finish line. Before I knew it we were off and I was scared! I had not done any running for almost four weeks prior to the race to let a foot injury heal up completely, and I still wasn't sure it was %100. Fortunately it held up alright without any incident, but left my legs at the mercy of the hills. I got through most of my first 50K loop alright. Until the last 8 or 9 miles when I hit Luckys Peak and Boyle's Bump. I was cramping every inch of the way and it was all I could do to keep a brisk walk. I came into the Lodge feeling a pretty down, but not out. I rested and talked with my mom for a while before changnig clothes and heading back out for the second loop. I thought to myself, if you can start the second loop, then you can finish. This was not the case as I quickly deteriorated on the course. I made it to the first aid station (nachos) and had some soup, but my stomach was feeling worse and worse. I left for chapas, a mile into it I fell and had a horrible cramp in my calf that I thought would never loosen back up. I called it quits after that. I skipped chapas and walked into Cross Roads where my mom was waiting. I told her I couldn't go any further and she took me back to the lodge to check out.

I got in my sleeping bed in the bed of the truck while my mom drove us back towards college station. I got in the cab with her after we stopped to gas up, but still felt sick. Moments after we got to the apartment and I started making my way painfully to the front door, I dropped to my knees and started throwing up. Straining with each heave, which in turn caused my fatigued muscles to all start cramping up. It was aweful! I got up and dragged myself to bed. The next morning I felt much better, but I still couldn't use my legs.

I learned a lot from this race that will prepare me for my next 100K attempt. If I ever do Bandera again I will certainly need much more hill training, but either way I could use a pacer the next time around to keep me going mentally.