Antelope Island Buffalo Run: My First 100 Miler
I will try to recap this with as much detail as possible, but who knows how well I will do at it.
Wednesday, March 21
I had to get to work early to try and get some things handled before I could take off early for the day and make it to the airport in time. I had packed all of my gear two days prior, so I threw everything in the truck and worked hard until 2:15 when I absolutely had to leave. After some wrong turns, I made it to the car lot and parked, thinking I was going to miss the shuttle to the airport. Fortunately, the driver was right there when I locked the doors. When I checked in for my flight, there was a prompt saying that I would get my seat assignment at the gate. I immediately panicked, thinking that I was going to miss the flight and would be screwed. Long story short, at the gate I was given an alternate route home, First Class accommodations, meal vouchers and a $400 dollar travel voucher just for being willing to leave 2 hours later, get home 30 minutes earlier and have only one stop instead of two. Win. I got home and had the best night of sleep I had had in the last month.
Thursday, March 22
I woke up early and did some work from home. After that, we went and picked up food, S-Caps, and some other things and hit the road. Christy, Linda and I ate McDonalds on the way, and made it to Layton with no issues, and great time. We went to Striders for packet pickup and then out to the island to check things out. The island was beautiful. We saw some buffalo rolling in the dirt, fighting and crapping. We snagged a geocache for Christy, and then we headed back into town for some dinner. We ended up eating at the Olive Garden, which turned out to be pretty decent fuel wise. After that, we went back to the hotel and I nervously fidgeted with all of my race gear, either ignoring or entertaining Christy and Linda. I crashed out at about 10pm, but I woke up at least 3 times throughout the night to go to the bathroom, pace around the room or recover from nightmares.
Friday, March 23
Race day was upon me. We got up and ate some breakfast downstairs. I ate blueberry muffins, and bananas. Nothing else sounded appealing to me. We went back up stairs and I had to go to the bathroom probably 4 times. All I could think of was “Good, get it all out now so there are no problems on the trail”. Sis and Tyler showed up at 10:15 or so which was a relief and we were on our way out to the island. I got to take some pictures with Tate and Christie, and before I knew it, we were on our way. I had kind of thought that Tate, Christie and I might run together for a while, but I think we were all just in our zones and following our own grooves.
Base to Elephant Head Out and Back/Loop Section – 19 miles
I really tried hard to walk the uphills in this section, but it was really hard for me after not really being able to run trails for the last month. In my head I was thinking that I needed to do all I could on the uphills because I expected my IT band to act up on the downhills and everything later in the race. I took it as easy as possible. There were really only a couple of memorable things about this section in the race. The first was when I was returning from the out and back section (3 miles total, from 5.5 – 8.5 or so) and running into Karl Meltzer. I was shocked, because I realized that he had down the loop portion first which meant that he was already like 6 miles ahead of me. Ridiculous. The next was how shocked the aid station attendants were at how fast I moved in and out of the aid stations. I made it a goal to get in and out, only filling bottles and grabbing a handful of food on the way. I am certain that I spent less than a minute in the station for all three times that I passed through it. As I descended down I was feeling good, so I opened up my stride and cruised down to the base in 3:20 minutes. I didn’t have a plan for this section, but I was feeling great at the bottom.
Base to Mountain View/Out and Back/Mountain View – Mile 19-23
From base, you run less than a mile down the road to the next aid. They attendants actually just wave you on through the OAB and catch you on the return. I remember not liking the OAB section. Not sure why, but oh well. At Mountain View, they had peeled oranges which I was very grateful for. I filled my bottle and pushed on.
Mountain View to Lower Frary – Mile 23-27.4
I hated this section with a passion. The trail is in poor shape for a good portion which had me worrying that I would injure myself by rolling an ankle or something. My pissy attitude was a prelude to my worst attitude of the race which came exactly at the marathon mark, 26.2. I emerged from the trail to find Sis telling me about a charging buffalo and runners fearing for lives and she told me to cut across the field to dodge a surly hairy bastard. My stomach started bothering me really bad just then, and I felt like I was being stabbed in the lower abdomen and then rectum with a giant knife. The pain was actually pretty excruciating, which says a lot considering my pain tolerance. My legs then began to feel really weak and unsteady. As I hiked across the field and over the ridge, I was wondering how I would be able to finish the race if I were feeling like this after only running for 27 miles. At that point I met Christy on the trail who was taking my picture and I wasn’t really happy about it. I checked in at the aid station and immediately sat down in the portapotty for what felt like 20 minutes. Not sure how long it really was, but I know that my legs were shaking terribly, and my stomach was not behaving well. I kept hearing people outside the door needing to use the portapotty, so I got out and took a chair for what felt like another 20 minutes. I decided that I just needed to get up and quit bitching about having stomach problems to everyone around me and get down the trail.
Lower Frary to Ranch – Mile 27.4 to 33
During this section, was the only time that I ran and had a conversation with anyone. I met another 100 mile first timer named Shawn and we ran together for probably 4 miles. We crossed the 50k point at 6:20 and it was a PR for both of us. We made it to the aid station and ate some broth and other things. Shawn was running barefoot or with harachi type sandals for the previous section and was tending to his feet. I told him that I needed to get a head start and I was sure he would catch me. This was actually the last time I would see him for probably 15 hours.
Ranch to Lower Frary – Mile 33-38.7
I changed my music before leaving the aid station and it couldn’t have been a better move. I threw on some Skrillex and when “Bangarang” come on, I was like a brand new runner. I didn’t have to run/walk very much anymore, and I just felt like I was flying down the trail. Before I knew it, I was cruising in to Lower Frary, and I felt like I made up a ton of time. My family was surprised at how fast I made it in, so I was pleased. I used the bathroom again here, and then I was off to finish the first loop.
Lower Frary to Mountain View – Mile 38.7-44
I was really pissy again having to run this section in the dark. I made it though, and sat down for a bit at the aid station to enjoy two cups of broth and some oranges. I found myself just admiring the stars and realized that if I didn’t get moving, I might sit for too long and have troubles. I got up and on the road.
Mountain View to Lakeside TH to Base – Mile 44-50
I feel like to steepest climb is about a 50 yard section coming out of Mountain View. I wasn’t stoked, but I hiked the hell out of it. Just as I got to the top, there were several people cheering me on which was a nice treat. I pushed on. I made it to Lakeside rather quickly and filled my bottle up and grabbed some foodstuffs and pressed on. I tried a boiled potato, but it tasted like crap so I avoided it the rest of the way. Lakeside Trail is a pretty fun trail and I am sure I would like it even more in the daylight and on fresh legs. I jammed my right big toe on a rock really damn hard at around mile 47. I think I almost pissed my pants from the pain. I kept pushing and got startled by a little bunny rabbit maybe a mile later. I cruised into the halfway point at about 10:35. I couldn’t believe that I had shaved nearly an hour and a half off my PR for the 50 mile distance. I walked into the tent, and didn’t see my crew anywhere, which upset me a bit, but I shrugged it off and sat for a bit to drink chocolate milk and eat some broth. The entire aid station was remarking at how well I looked. I was feeling pretty awesome really, but I couldn’t help but wonder where my family was. I finally decided to go look for them, and I found them taking a rest in the cars. I grabbed my bag and headed back to the tent to change clothes and put on my ankle braces. I visited with the family for a short bit, and then took off into the night to begin my journey again.
Base to Elephant Head Out and Back/Loop Section – Miles 50-69
I found myself running a lot more hills in the second half of the course than in the first. I was feeling really good, and decided to keep pushing the pace as long as I was feeling solid. I was having a ton of fun and I ended up making it up to the first base relatively quickly. (At least it seemed that way) I was feeling really energetic all night until around 3:30 to 4:00, when I started to get really tired. Before I knew it, I was staggering all across the trail. After some time, I found myself sitting on a rock nearly falling asleep. I think I may have dozed off but I can’t be certain. I heard some footsteps and looked up to see some headlamps coming toward me. It was just what I needed to shake myself out of my daze, and get moving. I pushed really hard and cruised down the mountain for the last 4 miles. I made it in to the base where I was treated to some chocolate milk and pancakes. I would have never thought that I would be eating pancakes and syrup in the middle of a 100 mile run. Apparently, I was the only one who could handle pancakes and syrup. After some time, I decided I needed to get a move on. I think it was about this point where my sister said; “hey, you only have 30 miles to go!” I think I followed this up with a very sarcastic laugh, and headed out into the darkness.
Base to Mountain View/Out and Back/Mountain View – Mile 69-73
I didn’t like this section any more than I did the first time that I went through.
Mountain View to Lower Frary – Mile 73-77.4
I really took it slow as I navigated the trail in this section. As I was running this section, I was trying to decide if I wanted a pacer. It was definitely lonely. I hadn’t encountered a runner in a very long time, and I was dreading the last mile before Lower Frary. It was dark, and I was nervous about running into the heard of buffalo that had charged the runners the night before. While I would have liked the company, I decided that I wanted to get through this on my own without having someone having to push me down the trail. I made it in to Lower Frary and had some broth before I headed off down the trail.
Lower Frary to Ranch – Mile 77.4-83
It was during this portion of the run that the sun came up, and I felt invigorated. After several miles running at 12-13 minutes per mile, I decided to pick up the pace a bit. I hit a couple of 11 ish minute miles and then the last mile into Ranch was sub 10 minutes. It is funny to think that that felt like the equivalent of running a 6 minute mile. My legs were starting to get pretty tired and energy levels were dropping. Either way, it was a small victory in my book. I didn’t sit down at the aid station. Just grabbed a couple of orange slices and peanut butter and jelly sandwich and got right back out on the trail.
Ranch to Lower Frary – Mile 83-88.7
It felt like I passed quite a few runners in this section who were on their way out to the Ranch. I did see Tate, and it was really cool to see that he was still on the move and looked like he was hanging in there. I remember getting really hot with about a mile until Lower Frary so I took my shirt off mid run. I started laughing actually, because I was thinking about how impressed I was that I didn’t trip and fall while stripping and running. I also thought that it was a good idea that I come in to the aid station ready to get out and get moving. I knew that I was still able to finish in less than 24 hours, but I knew it was going to be close. I came in to the station and everyone was surprised that I had my shirt off and that they didn’t even realize it was me until I came up to them. I changed my shirt, filled my bottles and pushed on. I think I was in the station less than 2 minutes.
Lower Frary to Mountain View – Mile 88.7 – 94
Coming up and over the little hill out of Lower Frary, I saw that the buffalo were back in the same spot that they were when they charged the runners the previous day. In fact, one was standing right on the trail I was supposed to run on. I ended up cutting across the field, and ran on the road to avoid them. After I crossed the street and got on to the trail, I ran in to Christie, Connor and Jeremy. Christie was still moving and I was happy to see it. She gave me a hug, and I told her to keep on keepin’ on and that she could do it. At about this point, I started to encounter all of the 50 mile and 50k runners. It really sucked actually. I kept having to step off the trail to let them pass. They seemed kind of pissy that I was coming in the opposite direction. Oh well, occasionally one of the runners would step aside and tell me that I was looking good. At mile 91, my Garmin died, and I switched over to my backup. Unfortunately, the data wouldn’t be saved. Lame business. I made it in to the aid station and wasted no time getting out. Just filled my bottle and thanked the aid station volunteers and took off. 6 miles to go. 6….miles…. to…..go.
Mountain View to Lakeside TH to Base- Mile 94-100
At this point in the race, I started to realize that I was going to finish, and I was sure of it. Before this, I kept thinking that something bad was going to happen to prevent me from finishing. It had felt like to this point, it was easier than it was supposed to be. I kept moving and as I hit the short road section, I looked back and I saw that there were two ladies behind me and I felt like Gordy Ainsleigh when he got it in his head that no horses were going to pass him in the last section. I picked up the pace and pushed through the prairie and down to the Lakeside TH aid. I screamed out my number as I was approaching, and they asked what I needed. I yelled out “Nothing! I gotta keep moving!” They told me to go on and I blazed through. (Yeah right) Occasionally, I would like back and it seemed like no matter how hard I ran the ladies were right behind me. I was navigating the trail as best as I could trying not so stub my toes on the rocks. As I came out on to the road with 1 mile to go, and old man gave me crap, saying that I shouldn’t be walking in a race. I laughed and started running. I did not stop until I crossed the finish line. As I turned the last corner, two guys told me I was going to break 24 hours and I was so happy. As I neared the tent and the finish line, I saw my Dad and the rest of my family and I tried to hold it together emotionally as I crossed the finish line. 100 miles. The announcer said this to the crowd and tears welled up in my eyes. I was given my buckle and was swarmed with hugs from my family. I sat down and enjoyed some chocolate milk and buffalo stew. As I write this, it sounds like a terrible combination. After I took my shoes off, I took the obligatory post 100 foot pics and I was pleased and disappointed at the same time. I was happy for taking good care of myself, but upset that I didn’t end up with more battle scars. We hung out at the finish line for a while, but when I realized that I was getting sunburnt, I decided that I wanted to go back to the hotel. We packed up everything and took off. I fell asleep in the car, but woke up when we got back to the hotel. It was at this point that I really realized that my ankle was hurting. Bad. I took a shower and then tried to eat the Panda Express that Christy and Linda got for me. One thing I have noticed about me is that after ultra runs, everything seems to be too spicy for me to eat. It is ridiculous that I can’t eat orange chicken after a race. I ate 2 bites, and went to sleep. I remember sleeping off and on for the next few hours and visiting with Christy Linda and Sis in between naps.
The Aftermath
Well it is two weeks post-race, and tomorrow I will get back to training. Not sure what I am training for, but I am finished with my self imposed running exile. I had noticed that my ankle was more swollen than when I injured it years ago. Kind of ridiculous really. I also have my first black toenail from jamming my toe on the rock at around mile 47. Other than that, no troubles. I am really pleased that I was able to complete the race and I am still in awe that I was able to finish based on the amount of time I have been running. I started running on May 3, 2010, and in less than two years I earned my first buckle. I can’t wait to see what else I can achieve with my running. I was thinking that I might lose the desire when I finished, but I find myself just as motivated as ever. Unfortunately, it looks like I will have to stick to shorter road races for a while. I am already missing the trails in Idaho. I would like to run some more of the ITUS this summer, but I don’t know how I would be able to train properly for it while living here in Texas. I guess we will see. I am very grateful that I was able to have the support of my family through all of this. I really appreciate the sacrifices that they make to allow my follow my dreams and I know that it would be very hard if not impossible to do this without them. I love you all.
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