This year, I had a goal to complete a 100 mile race. At the Jackalope Jam, I completed 109 1-mile loops in around 23:55 to take 2nd place for the most miles completed. One of the coolest and most amazing thing about this race was the people I met and the stories I was told.
My Race
A little background: To achieve my 100 miler goal, I signed up for the Jackalope Jam 24 and the Brazos Bend 100 as my 2 options to achieve this goal. Before the Jackalope Jam, the longest race I completed was a 60k (37.3mi) and the longest continuous run was around 60 miles. I had 2 goals for the race: 1. Earn a belt buckle (complete at least 100k) and 2. Go for the entire 24 hours without a significant break.
Memorable Moments
- I met Chris at the starting line about 4 minutes before the the race. For the first 5 miles, we ran together and talked. Chris shared with me his goals and why he runs. One of the big reasons, to get and stay healthy after both of his older brothers had cardiac episodes. He wanted to complete the 100k in 16 hours, which he did.
- By loop 10, the race director and volunteers nicknamed me “Boo” and/or “Boo Bear” (I found out later) because they heard AJ call me “babe” on one of the laps. I have to admit, it was pretty funny to consistently hear, “Way to go Boo Bear!”, “Woo! Go Boo!”, etc . just about every time I came through the start point.
- On trail races, I have the bad luck of something Texas attacking me. Most of the races this year, it was cactus. At Jackalope, around mile 35, I knelt down to adjust my shoes, right into an ant pile. When I stood up, the entire exposed part of my left leg between my shorts and calf sleeve was covered in ants and ant dirt. After a couple of quick smacks, I got rid of the ants but not before being bit more times than I cared to count. One of the women racing, said as she passed, “If it makes you feel any better, I once sat down in an ant pile in a skirt.” Thanks for sharing, but it did not help my present situation.
- At mile 50, I stopped to change my socks & shoes. While stopped, I hear, “Hey Boo, you are on lap 50. And you are in first place.” To which I replied with a thumbs up and “Cool.” After I changed, I got back out there. Turned out the shoes I changed into were a bad choice and I changed back into my Sacony’s on the next loop.
- The fantastic aid station and volunteers: They brought vegetarian soup and made me a small cup when I asked. It was awesome.
- At around mile 90, Matt (1st place winner) was less than a loop ahead of me. The volunteers told me this, expecting me to attack. I just kept doing my thing. Matt, on the other hand, heard this and turned on the afterburners. He pushed so hard over the following couple of hours that I had to tell him how impressive it was.
- Completing 109 loops and earning 2nd place overall in the 24 race.
Amazing stories I heard/witnessed:
- People of all shapes, sizes, and ages complete their first ultra.
- One women (I forget her name) finished her 100k, then went back to run all through the night and pace other women who were going for their 100k.
- Seeing a women hug AJ (my wife) and calling AJ her favorite person because of how she helped and motivated her through the race.
- Witnessing Victor, the guy who came in 4th, push to complete 100 miles after seriously considering quitting at mile 85.
- Seeing AJ (the racer) go for the whole 24 hours, even hours after it was clear that the highest medal he would receive was the 100k.
Overall, the race was a blast. I would recommend it to anyone – whether you are thinking about doing your first ultra and have completed several ultras. Trail Racing Over Texas (TROT) put on a great event.
