Needville, TX
Saturday, December 3
100 mile attempt #16
Weather - warm and 100% hell humidity
I registered sort of last minute for this race, right before going to Arizona to pace at Javelina. After running so well at Heartland, I figured I could capitalize on my "flat and fast" training and maybe go for a new 100 mile PR at Brazos. The weekend was planned when I saw how cheap flights were on Frontier! (A week later, I would realize that I booked flights for the wrong weekend?!? I had to re-book for the correct weekend, but it was still less than $150 for TWO round trip flights...)
Race Morning
I had really not slept well. My alarm went off at 4:00, and I immediately headed to the bathroom to get ready. Heather and Melanie were running the half, but their race started two hours after mine, so they were still asleep. I was out the door a few minutes before planned, hoping to run to Sbux to get coffee and breakfast. Although google said they opened at 4:30, it was a lie, the door said 5:30. SAD!!! The drive to the start was supposed to be about a half hour, and we were warned to get there early since parking was somewhat limited.
The first gas station I stopped at for breakfast was closed too, but then down the street the Buc-ees was open and I was able to get coffee and a breakfast sandwich. The sandwich was ok, but a croissant was a bad idea and I got flakes all over the rental. WHOOPS.
It was an incredibly foggy and humid drive to the start.
Arrived at the parking lot around 5:10 am, and followed a crowd of people to the start. Didn't realize it was going to be such a long walk to get there, glad I had arrived early! Caolan was messaging me and asking where I was, and we were able to meet up briefly at the main pavilion near the start line. I used the bathroom and then got all my stuff ready to start. I planned to run at least the first few loops with just my UltrAspire waist belt, since I didn't think I would want/need much to start.
We lined up and started right on time at 6 am. I had planned to start with 4:1 intervals like at Cowboy. These worked well for a while, and the trail was nice and wide and accommodating for that type of running. I was glad to have started with my headlamp since it was fairly dark for at least the first half hour. One of the "thrills" of this race is that there are alligators in the park! (Of course, we were told that at Rocky and I didn't see single one). Still, I was optimistic.
I was pleasantly surprised at how pretty the course was, especially at sunrise.
I completed the first loop running very well, and was a bit surprised at how "fast" I had finished it. Only 5 loops to go...
I was starting to wonder if this was going to be another race where I wasn't going to see any of the promised wildlife, when a guy in front of me pointed to the canal on the side of the trail, and low and behold - my first alligator sighting!! He was big!
Later in the loop, during the section I called "alligator alley," I saw a few right off the trail!
Nothing incredibly exciting was happening. It was hot and humid. It was so humid that I couldn't keep my phone in my pocket because it was messing with the touch screen. My Spotify would keep skipping or pausing or rewinding. Finally I had to hold it. The humidity also had me DRENCHED. I stopped to use the bathroom once a loop or so and by mid morning it was like trying to get back into a wetsuit I was so soaked. NOT FUN. I also could tell I was chafing on my inner thighs and along my bra line. I put some Squirrels Nut Butter on, but I think it was too humid to work properly. Fugggg.
The humidity was making me nauseous and I was trying to stay on top of my hydration and fueling. Nothing really sounded good at the aid stations, but I did grab little bites of pumpkin pie a few times early in the race. Later in the afternoon the sun came out and things got REALLY brutal. I actually had to use my ice bandanna! In DECEMBER. Loops 2 and 3 had a lot more people out, which was helpful. I had my headphones in the entire time since I wasn't running with anyone.
It got dark right as I was coming in for my 4th loop. I texted Ben to see if he could find out if the alligators were nocturnal. Turns out they are most active dawn to dusk. And yet:
I was running as well as I had hoped, but the humidity was really taking a toll. I had opted to stop using my waist belt so I would have more room to hold stuff and was now using my Salomon pack. On the long out and back section I ran into Caolan. We ended up running together (doing my intervals) for probably 4-5 miles. These miles went by pretty fast! Hit my fastest 100k yet:
On the last paved section before we crossed the road we saw "swamp thing" - an alligator was sliming his way out of the water and was covered in algae. It was pretty creepy!!! Stopped to use the bathroom that was about a mile from the start/finish because it wasn't as far off the trail. I wasn't at the start/finish for very long, and I didn't see Caolan on my way out. Second to last loop. Things are not as "fun."
I was getting really tired and all my recent caffeine hacks weren't working well. Crystal, my hero, had picked up a few Monsters for me and I dumped one in my front flask, plus I was using the GOAT. I was walking a lot more more but still trying to do intervals when I could.
Finally was coming in for my LAST loop. Grabbed another Java Monster and put in my flask. I considered changing shoes, but ended up just changing socks and putting more blister powder in my socks. Threw on my thin 1/4 zip, although it still didn't seem quite cool enough for it. I definitely spent the most time at this aid station. Grabbed more calories, but at this point I was incredibly nauseous. By the time I got to the first aid station I was basically sleep walking. The volunteers looked to be napping and I asked if there was a chair I could sit in to close my eyes for a minute and they directed me back to the bench by the bathrooms. I set a timer for a few minutes and closed my eyes. That didn't do it, so I did another few minutes. I'm watching time slip away, but I'm SO tired. Finally I decide I just have to get this done and suffer through the miles until the sun comes up. As I'm deciding what I might be able to eat a guy asks if I want a pacer. Normally I do NOT use one, but I was SO TIRED that I enthusiastically said, YES. Then the chaos of not being able to find the case for my headphones so I had to run back to check the bathroom and near the bench where I had been lying down. As I resigned to the fact that I'd have to check with the race later to see if someone found it, there it was in my pocket. Sigh.
Wayne and I headed out and I had just a bag of chips with me. I was SO SICK of the mashed potatoes and nothing else seemed good. I knew this was the longest stretch between aid. I was walking a lot more and I definitely felt like I had a blister on the ball of my left food, which was pretty painful. I was still taking a decent amount of ibuprofen, but it didn't seem to be helping as much. My stomach was NOT feeling good at all. I think this is probably the closest I've ever come to throwing up in a race. I kept telling Wayne that I have always said that I'll quit running if it ever makes me sick. He probably got super tired of hearing that.
Time went by pretty fast as I realized he knew a lot of my Texas runner friends! At the aid station at the start of the never-ending out/back I was able to get some Tums, which I really hoped would help. This section was still VERY long and I was sooo tired. I was really looking forward to the sun coming up and hoped that would wake me up. At the far aid station I grabbed a cup of the potatoes (barf) and walked a bit on the short out/back section. They were out of coke at the aid station, but I filled up my bottle and we weren't there long.
Made it about a half mile down the trail before I decided to sit down and make another GOAT drink. THANKFULLY, between that and sunrise, I got a second wind.
The intervals weren't fast, but I managed to do more running. I had Wayne run ahead to the last aid station to top off my bottle since I knew it was less than 2 miles to the finish and I didn't want to stop again. I managed to have a 12:xx pace for the last 2/3 of a mile coming in to the finish. I COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT I WAS ACTUALLY GOING TO FINISH WITH A SUB 26 TIME. More than a 90 minute PR in the distance!!!!!
Official Time - 25:52:18
Garmin Time - 25:51:35 ("fake" chip timing)
Run Time - 13:18:21
Walk Time - 11:00:44
Idle Time - 1:32:30 (actually not as bad as I expected, and most of this was the last loop)
Miles 1-10 - 12:52, 12:58, 12:43, 12:49, 1237, 12:42, 12:39, 12:40, 13:54, 12:34
Miles 11-20 - 12:49, 12:42, 13:24, 12:17, 12:47, 14:10, 17:05, 12:26, 12:37, 14:47
Miles 21-30 - 13:17, 12:53, 12:34, 13:25, 12:29, 15:28, 12:25, 12:40, 13:06, 14:38
Miles 31-40 - 13:11, 13:20, 14:09, 16:40, 12:55, 13:14, 16:47, 13:16, 13:11, 13:04
Miles 41-50 - 13:23, 13:29, 17:20, 14:00, 13:43, 15:56, 14:13, 13:47, 14:09, 15:41
Miles 51-60 - 22:28, 14:33, 14:02, 15:35, 14:08, 13:49, 14:21, 13:45, 13:32, 14:55
Miles 61-70 - 13:27, 13:29, 16:07, 13:41, 13:48, 14:15, 15:00, 19:25, 14:35, 14:33
Miles 71-80 - 17:09, 14:50, 15:02, 15:25, 15:57, 15:25, 19:16, 15:09, 16:04, 19:40
Miles 81-90 - 16:01, 15:34, 15:30, 17:42, 31:13, 15:24, 14:51, 33:42, 16:27, 16:54
Miles 91-100 - 20:14, 16:42, 18:23, 22:51, 18:35, 18:07, 18:06, 26:22, 16:24, 14:50
Miles 101-finish - 14:17, 12:39 pace
Within 2 minutes of crossing the line, we found a volunteer that was willing to drive us to our respective vehicles. It was probably only 3/4 of a mile to walk myself, but man, I was tired, so the ride was really appreciated.
Thoughts:
- I did exactly what I came here to do - get a new 100 mile PR. I know this is a flat and non-technical course, but there is nothing "easy" about this distance, and I think the training that I have been doing was very conducive to getting a fast time. The biggest struggle here wasn't so much the heat, but the humidity, and then of course the nausea.
- The aid stations were really not good here either. Happy there was ice during the day - I used a LOT of this. By the 5th and 6th loops they ran out of coke. And like most other races, it was the same food at every aid station. And towards the end (even though there were PLENTY of people behind me), food wasn't actually ready? And the nacho cheese for quesadillas was really not great - I like nacho cheese, but appreciate more "bland" flavors. Also, the herb/spiced mashed potatoes were really not great. I ate those a lot, but again, bland would have been better. I even ate PB&J since there were so little options. Sigh.
- Volunteers were really good, like always, thank you!
- The course was marked really well considering the number of distances that were out on course. Never felt confusing to me at all.
- The course was a lot prettier than I expected. I also saw WAY more alligators than I thought I would. At night with their glowing orange eyes in the water, and during the day just swimming along. Pretty cool, but wow, they get REALLY close to the course.
- Once again, ZERO pictures of me from the professional photographer, which is weird since I saw him on probably 3 of the loops. I hate that. Like in 26 hours no one captured even a crap picture? Anyway.
- Buckle is awesome! Swag (hoodie) is awesome!
- Would I run this again? The 100? Hell no. Maybe the half. That seems reasonable.
