The morning started out well. Mark and the boys came with me, so they could explore the park while I ran. My plan was to complete three and 1/2 hour loops. Each loop was 16.67 miles long. The boys would go out exploring and meet me back at the start at 11:30, then again at 4:00. Mark would then take the boys out for dinner and a swim at the hotel while I completed the third loop. They would meet me about 8:30 pm and I would decide if I was going to complete the race. It sounded like a good plan, as I really only felt ready for about 50 miles.
I made my first mistake before I even started. I usually drink a glass of water before I run (especially before a long run) Honestly, I just forgot and I only had a cup of coffee. My nutrition plan was primarily tailwind and Dr. pepper, which worked great at the Habanero Hundred 50K in August. I knew I would need to eat something, so I planned to do pb & j for lunch and ramen for dinner. I have a particularly finicky stomach so my primary nutrition was tailwind. I ate a good breakfast of eggs, sausage and a biscuit.
MISTAKE ONE: not drinking water before the race
MISTAKE TWO: wrong clothes and no alternative
I started out and felt great. It was cool and beautiful. I had a full hand bottle of tailwind and my legs were feeling great. I was running the downhills and flat stretches and walking the climbs. My pace was right around a 12 minute mile, which I was happy with. I got to the first aid station and realized I hadn't been drinking. My hand bottle was mostly full. I topped it off with more tailwind and went out for the four mile loop back to the aid station. At this point I started drinking more. About 11/2 miles into the loop me and several other runners realized we were off course. Someone had pulled off the trail markings and we had to back track. The race volunteers had realized the marking were down and were quickly replacing them. Back on track, it was starting to get warmer and I was drinking often. I ran out of water about ten minutes from the aid station. I should have stopped and drank at the aid station and then refilled before leaving, but instead I grabbed a couple potato chips refilled and headed out immediately. The next aid station was six miles away. I ran out of water at mile three.
MISTAKE THREE: I should have carried more bottles. Don't underestimate the heat.
A very nice man shared some tailwind he didn't want with me and that helped me make it to the aid station. Again, I should have stopped and drank but didn't. I refilled my bottle and went out for the next three mile loop. Made it back refilled my tailwind and headed back to the start. I finished
in four hour and five minutes. A little slower than I wanted to be but those hills were no joke.
MISTAKE FOUR: not enough hill training
At this point I needed to change into shorts, but I had not brought any. I changed from a t-shirt to a tank top. Drank a Dr. Pepper and changed my socks and shoes. I told Mark I wasn't having any fun. This was probably a clear sign of my impending doom. I thought about putting a bike bottle in vest, but didn't. I thought I would just be more conservative. Honestly, I felt like I was drinking a lot. I was moving slower on the second loop and once again ran out of water soon after the aid station. A lovely fellow runner helped me procure an extra water bottle and at the aid station one of the volunteers gave me another plastic bottle. They both fit in my vest, so I felt more prepared for the six mile stretch. At this point my hand were really swollen and I had to loosen my watch. I staid a bit in the aid station drinking and eating some pretzels and left with lots of water. Around mile 24 I began to vomit. I simply couldn't keep anything down. I would drink and not a minute later it would come back up. From then until the next aid station I was miserable, dizzy, hot, and trying really hard to make sure I followed the trail markings. During this time I made the decision to quit. When I got to the aid station I told them I was done. I sat down and the great volunteers began helping to get me cooled off. We put ice cold towel on my neck, I took off my shoes, rolled up my tights, and drank ice cold water. The shade and the cool compresses did the trick and fluids were finally staying down. The volunteers encouraged me to rest and think before calling the race and after eating some soup I decided to at least complete the 50k distance. However, it was getting late and my light was at the start. I probably ran my best three miles, racing the sun back to the start line. The second loop took me six and a half hours. Mark and the boys were worried because I was so late and I didn't want to ruin our Sunday plans, so I happily called it done. We went to Burger King and then to the hotel pool. All in all it was a great day and I was able to get up the next day and have fun with my boys.
I know I need to work in more hills and trails. I need to stay on top of hydration and I need to come prepared for any kind of weather. My next 100k attempt is in Bandera in January. I will certainly be more prepared.
On a side note: The boys had a blast and were a great help!
