2013 Ultramaraton Caballo Blanco

View down to Canyon from 6,200 feet above

 What an incredible journey this was!  In the few days since I have been back, I am still processing all the sights, smells, and sounds of this incredible place that is the Copper Canyon.  It was a little over a year ago that I first read the book, "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall,  and I was drawn to the idea of visiting and participating in this event.  If you have not read the book, it describes the search for the mythical "Caballo Blanco" who lives and runs with the Tarahumara or Raramuri.  Micah True, which was his real name, organizes a foot race in the canyons to bring toguether the best Raramuri against the best ultra marathoners outside the canyons.  The race as is currently organized, is 80Km (50 miles) in and around Urique, Chihuahua. Originally, it was a point to point race from Urique to Batopilas but the race has evolved to its current format.  Micah called the people who participated and completed the event as  "Mas Locos". Below is a description of the club. (taken from Facebook group page).

What is Club Mas Loco?

Club Mas Loco was founded by Micah True (Caballo Blanco) for those who participate in the Caballo Blanco (Copper Canyon) Ultramarathon. 

Runners of the Copper Canyon Ultra Marathons are called Very Crazy, or Mas Locos. In the eyes of Caballo Blanco, all Mas Locos have in common the values of sharing, respect, compassion and peace. They share a culture of running with the Tarahumara / Raramuri and offer Korima to the People of the Canyons.

There are three kinds of Mas Loco's:

  1. Mas Loco - Those who have completed the Caballo Blanco Ultramarathon.  2. Aspiring Mas Loco - Those who are signed up for the race or have provided a donation to the cause.   3. Honorary Mas Loco - Some of those who contribute to the Caballo Blanco Ultramarathon as sponsors or supporters are recognize as Honorary Mas Loco.

The Mas Loco Tradition:

The tradition is, once you become a Mas Loco, an animal name, or a name derived from nature, is picked for you by Maria Walton (La Mariposa). Micah (Caballo Blanco) usually picked the names for his Mas Locos, and Maria Walton continues the tradition.

What it means to be Mas Loco:

A Mas Loco embraces the Raramuri concept of Korima, or unconditional giving. The bonds runners create when participating in the race make a connection most people never forget. Once a Mas Loco, always a Mas Loco. 

Run Free! - Micah True (Caballo Blanco)

  

As with all my blog posts, I will provide a "race report" at the end, but first I will lay out the journey from El Paso.   I feel it is practically in our back yard and I hope someone will be inspired to join me next year.  I promise you will not regret it.    

Urique, Chihuahua

Decision to register for race
Since I was fairly new to Ultras last year, I did not conceive of doing this race initially.  I wanted to get more experience running trails and climbing.  On March 27, however I heard about Caballo Blanco's disappearance in the Gila Wilderness after going out for a 11 mile run.  His body was located by fellow Mas Locos several days later and I wondered if the race would continue.  Thankfully, Maria Walton, Micah's girlfriend and Josue Stephens agreed to continue Caballo Blanco's legacy and continued to organize race.  I found out in the Fall of last year that the event would take place in March 2013.  Only problem was that I  had signed up for my first 100 mile race at Rocky Raccoon in February 2013.  That would only leave me a month to rest for the next ultra after my first 100.  I decided it was worth taking a chance and registered via Ultrasignup in early Dec. 2012. 

Month after Rocky Raccoon 100
During Rocky Raccoon, I did something to my left quadricept muscle which left me unable to walk, much less run for 2 weeks.  That left me with 2 weeks to train/recover/taper for the next event on March 3.  I put in some 6 mile runs on road during this time with Run El Paso members.  My longest run was the El Paso Half Marathon 1 week before the race.  I practiced using my hydration pack and slowly so as not to aggravate my quadriceps injury.   I was not completely recoved from Rocky Raccoon as I had some worrisome residual tenderness of the muscle. Clearly, not a recommended training strategy for a tough Ultra.

Getting there

Since I had been there before, I had a pretty good idea of  the options for getting to the Copper Canyon.  The website for the race Ultra maraton Caballo Blanco  has a section on getting there, which I found helpful.  There is a shuttle which leaves from El Paso by van on Sunday, 1 week before the race.  Since I could not take that many days off work, I decided to make my own travel plans and leave later in the week.  Through a patient, I learned about John Hatch who runs Gavilan Tours out of Nuevo Casas Grandes, Chihuhua.  He organizes tours to the canyon and was willing to pick me up and who ever I could get to go with me from El Paso.  He has a 10 passenger van and is very familiar and knowledgeable about the area.  I decided to leave on Thursday with a stop in Creel before heading into Urique by train.  I asked anyone in El Paso that was interested in joining me but could not get any takers.  I put a notice on Facebook at the Mas Locos Group page  and got interest from 2 Australians that wanted to join me.  Like me, Josh and Adam were "Aspiring Mas Locos" who had never been there to run this race.  I was grateful for the company they would provide on the trip and we have made a lasting friendship on this trip. 

DAY 1 (Thursday Feb 28)
The three of us departed on our adventure on Thursday, Feb 28 at 0800 AM after John Hatch drove from Nuevo Casas Grandes to pick us up at my house.   We set off via Artcraft to the Santa Teresa port of entry and crossed into Mexico.  Once across, we stopped at the immigrations station and got our tourist visas.  The process was quick and free.  If I had driven my car, which I have done on 2 occasions, this is where you get the permission sticker on the vehicle.  We then set off the toll road which goes around Juarez towards Chihuahua.  The road was fast and we soon arrived to Villa Ahumada.  John was giving us all kinds of excellent insight about the areas we were passing which made the trip pass quickly.  We made an  obligatory stop for "Queso Asadero" tortillas in VIlla Ahumada and then got off the freeway to head towards Buenaventura.  Since there was room in the van, we met up with two of John's son's, Adam and Stewart, as well as his wife Sandra.  They would be taking the train to El Fuerte to meet John's brother and meet us on the way back.  In the late afternoon, we made it to Creel which is the gateway to the Copper Canyon.  I had heard about an inexpensive hotel where Micah True used to stay and went to see if they had room.  

Hotel Real de Chapultepec in Creel, Chihuahua

The owner of the Hotel Real de Chapultepec, Mario, was very accommodating.  He had rooms with a double bed and another room with 3 beds which we used for us.  John and his family stayed in 2 other rooms. The cost for all 3 of us was 250 pesos, less than $20.  (For those who want luxury, the Best Western in Creel is available for $110 a night.).  He showed me the room that Micah and Maria would stay in and which he called the "stable of Caballo Blanco"

El establo de Caballo Blanco en Creel
(The stable of Caballo Blanco)

My room, pictured below was colder at night because it did not have an electric heater but had a wood burning fireplace.  Unfortunately, the temperature that night went down to the low 30's and the fire died out while I was asleep.

My room the first night

That night we went walking around the town in which many people, locals and toursists (mostly European) milled about.  We had dinner/beer at a local restaurant and got to bed with anticipation of getting to see the canyon in the morning.

Day 2 (Friday)

After a delicious huevos rancheros breakfast for me, we headed for the 44Km drive to Divisadero.  This is where we we had decided to take the train that would get us nearer to Urique.  The place has changed a lot since I last visited.  For one, they have a "telesferico" or cable car and a Zip line or "Telesfora".  I was too much of a coward to do the Zip line, but the other guys did it and all said it was a blast.  It was pretty long with about 5 stations and took them 1 and half hours to cover.

The elevation was said to be 1,200 feet in some places and it was just too much for me so I took the cable car to meet the guys with John and Sandra.  They would ride back with us after they Zip lined over to where the cable car took us.  The cost for the Zip line was 600 pesos (about $50)

The more sedate cable car gave us excellent views of the canyon and lasted about 10 minutes each way. From our vantage point we saw a few Tarahumara settlements and farms far below. 

Copper Canyon Cable car

View of Copper Canyon from Divisadero

From there we went to the train station where we had lunch as we waited for the arrival of the train 

going west at around 1 pm.  Since the train stops for tourists to get off and see the canyon for 15 minutes, there are several shops and food stands at this stop.  I had several "gorditas" and a "coca cola" which were great and clearly not part of my regular "Paleo diet" but I was going to enjoy the local cuisine. 

As we waited for the train, at the van, a young local with a Suburban said he was looking to take passengers to Urique.  Since this was our ultimate destination and we did not know what time the train would arrive, we decided to pay the man for a ride there.  I checked the tires and they looked good, he also assured me he had good brakes.  We stopped at his house and picked up his son for the ride and took off.  In San Rafael, we had to stop at a "gas station" which was the only one in town where the gas was dispensed by 20 Liter plastic drums with a hose.  He bought 5 for the trip there and back. (he was spending night there).

Rodolfo (red), our driver at "gas station" in San Rafael

The road past San Rafael was pretty good for another 17 Km as they are improving them because new mines are being developed by Goldcorp and Rio Tinto.  Then the roads became pretty bad during a portion being rebuilt followed by regular unpaved but passable road.  We arrived to Bahuichivo having beaten the train and saw the public bus that takes people to Urique and several vans for hire.  We had intended to take one of these but gained some time with Rodolfo. As we left Bahuichivo, the next stop was the Paraiso del Oso Hotel where the El Paso Shuttle spent 2 nights that week (Mon and Tues night).  The hotel belongs to Diego Rhodes who organizes the shuttle and is at about 7,000 feet elevation. It is so named because of the appearance on the side of the rock cliff of a profile of a bear.

Bear Image at the Hotel Paraiso de Oso

After passing the small town of Cirocahui, we again climbed up for a good while before starting our final descent to Urique.  This is the most beautiful but also the scariest part of the ride.  There are no guardrails and the canyon drops off several thousand feet on the side of the road. The grade is steep downhill with tight switchbacks and the road surface is rough and uneven.  Not recommended unless you have a high clearance vehicle.  We were glad to be in a suburban with a cautious driver who also had his son in tow. 

Last section of road approaching Urique

More views of drive down to Urique

Approximately 3 hours after leaving Divisadero, we drove into Urique and headed straight to the town square and Mama Tita's Restaurant.  For anyone who has read the book, Born to Run, you will know this is a place all the Mas Locos hang out.  It was there that we asked Mama Tita about a house Josh had reserved  via Facebook.  She went to look at a folded napkin with the reservation information and she asked if we wanted to look at the house.

Josh and Mama Tita

Our "Reservation" for lodging in Urique

She sent someone to look for her daughter, Aurora, who is a nurse at the town clinic.  The house was incredibly nice and much a relief to me because I had come prepared to camp (carried a tent, air mattress, and sleeping bag which I never used) for the entire stay.  For those who want to truly "rough it", a place called "Entre Amigos" outside of Urique provides campsites, bathrooms,  a community kitchen, and also dormitory like sleeping quarters.

Dormitory at "Entre Amigos" in Urique

Camping area at Entre Amigos en Urique

The house had 3 beds/ 1 bathroom and a full kitchen.  I took the downstairs bedroom which was incredible comfortable.  Aurora and her husband have 1 other house available and a 3rd under construction.  I told her if a get a group next year, I would love to rent all three for the trip.  The cost was 1,200 pesos a day ($94 split 3 ways) and was well worth it.

Our home away from home in Urique, Adam at the door

That night there was a dinner with all the athletes at the Tarahumara campground.  They served pork and beans which were good, but not enough for us, so we headed over to Mama Tita's restaurant for more food and beer. It should be mentioned that at this event there was a lot of beer drinking for me, much more than I usually do, specially hanging out with Aussies.  With this in mind, I had started training my liver prior to the trip with a beer drinking with the Aussies who arrived Monday before we left El Paso.  Come Friday, I was much better able to handle it and have it not affect my race performance.  At Mama Tita, I met several Mas Locos and Aspiring Mas Locos from all over the world.  There were 3 guys from Turkey, 10 from Japan, many Europeans, and North Americans. It was a great atmosphere all around.

Mas locos at Mama Titas in Urique

Josue Stephen (plad shir) and Maria Walton (orange shirt)

Day 3 Saturday (day before Race)

We woke up early because we wanted to participate in the Kid's Run which started at 0800AM.  This is the first year to have this event and it was a great success.  There were about 400 Tarahumara and children of non-Tarahumara runners participate.  They all received finishers medal, race shirt, and school supplies.  The school supplies were provided by all the Mas Locos and the race organizers. I brought school supplies as well and some children's cough syrup which I donated to Aurora at the Clinic. 

This kids race was about a 4K out and back and it was fun to run with the children and watch the front runners after the turnaround.  The course was  uphill on the way our and the way back they ran very fast downhill with their sandals and big smiles all around.  I got a good run and got to see the course for the first time that morning.  After the race, we had breakfast at Mama Tita's which was huevos con chorizo burritos.  After breakfast we set out to explore Urique and see the rest of the athletes.  We passed by the runway on the edge of town and the mural of the previous winners of the race. 

Runway at Urique Airport (me and Josh)

Mural commemorating Race

Previous winners

We also stopped to pick up our bib numbers.  We each received a nice technical running shirt donated by Saucony, a sponsor, and a Club Mas Locos cotton shirt.  They had several colors to choose from and I chose the green one.

My Mas Loco Tshirt and Bib

After a quick shower, it was time for lunch and we went to a makeshift restaurant placed for this race by Diego Rhodes and had a delicious hamburger.  Since all the Mas Locos there were drinking Tecates, even though it was day before the race, I had 2 beers with lunch.  In the afternoon, there was a ceremony where all the local dignitaries spoke and they made signs with all the countries and regions represented at the race.

Day before race, Adam is the Aussie

Saturday night we went back to Mama Tita and she made spaghetti for us and of course we had more beer. Good thing I had been training my liver for this.  At eight o'clock we were back in the house getting ready for the race the next morning.

Race Morning
I woke up at 0500 am to get ready for the 0600 AM start of the race.  My breakfast was my usual Chocolate Cliff bar, banana, and water. Josh, Adam, and I walked down to the starting area and were met with a huge crowd of spectators and runners milling about.  The atmosphere was electric.  I had brought a drop bag which I placed outside Mama Tita's restaurant. (Urique would be mile  20 and mile 40 of the race).   My kit consisted of a Salomon hydration pack which I got from Lety for Christmas, Salomon trail shoes (FellCross 1), gu's, Cliff bars, and Kind fruit and Nut bars.  I also had my headlamp, Spot tracking device, Go pro, Digital camera, and I phone which had Telcel signal in case I needed to call anyone. At the town square, we all received a black bracelet to indicate we here at the the race in Urique.  There is no chip timing in this race.

The three amigos, Josh (L), me, and Adam Race AM

THE RACE (50 MILES)

As I have tried to illustrate, this is not like any other race I have done before or likely to do anywhere else in the world.  I approach it like a celebration of the human spirit that allows us to run and participate in endurance events. It was something that brought  us back to our most basic human nature. I am going to describe the course and the race, mostly to help those who may want to come to have some familiarity with what the course is like, but it is so much more than just a race. 

The Start (Urique to Guadalupe and back to Bridge 8 miles)

2012 Start, make be slow to load.

Since I knew the Raramuri started this race traditionally very fast, I lined up towards the back of field. There were about 500 registered Ramamuri and Mexican Nationals and I believe approximately 150 from around the world who registered via UltraSignup. You run up town from Urique on pavement and all along people are cheering and encouraging you.  Once you leave the town and pass "Entre amigos" campsite you run along the Urique river and reach a small bridge over the river. After the bridge we start our first climb of the day.  I walked this section and encountered the lead group which was coming down the mountain.  The Tarahumara run in sandals and you could here the distinctive clatter as they barrelled down the mountain.

Tarahumara runner racing down mountain from Guadalupe

After a couple of uphills and downhills, you reach Guadalupe Church turnaround and head back down towards the bridge.  There was a water station with bananas and orange slices.  Here, I received a green bracelet to show I had completed the loop.

Guadalupe church turnaround

After 3 miles, we reach the bridge again and headed up the road to El Naranjo. Here there was another water station and people cheering who had walked 2 miles from Urique to this point.

Puente/Bridge to El Naranjo and Back to Urique   (12 miles)

The sun was starting to come out and the temperature was climbing. At 0600 it was about 40 F and the canyons block the sun for a good while in the morning.  By this section, the temperature started to climb rapidly.  I had started to stay on top of hydration early and taking salt tablets every 30-45 minutes along with Gu. At approximately 3 miles into this section (11 miles in), we got off the road and went on the longest, steepest portion of the race via a gnarly single tract trail.  There were several big rocks and my pace dropped to 30 min/mile.

After climbing about 1,800 feet in about 3 miles, we reached the top of El Naranjo.  There some entrepreneurial Tarahumara ladies were selling tacos and cold coca cola. Unfortunately, I did not have any pesos with me.  Next time, I'll bring some change for a cold cola. Once we reached the top, another aid station was there and we all got an orange bracelet.  The rest of the way was pretty much downhill to Urique after crossing the bridge again.  On the way down, I captured this Go pro video of a mother and daughter running along the way.  (Kuira and Kuira ba in the Tarahumara language is like Aloha/Ciao meaning hello or Goodbye)

I reached Urique having completed 20 miles in 5 and half hours. For many of the Raramuri, this was the one and only loop they would complete to earn several hundred pounds of corn vouchers with their
 three bracelets.  The main town road was full of cheering crowds as we crossed from one end to the other side of town, going downriver towards Los Alizos.

Urique to Los Alizos 10 miles 

As I left Urique, the worst heat of the day was upon us.  I continued with the Gu, salt tablets, and occasional Cliff bar. The road has medium climbs and descents as we pass the small town of Guapalayna.  Further along was La Laja  which had a large suspension bridge which we crossed over.  After that we were back on single tract. Initially, the trail is flat to a slight incline, then again we start going up to 20% grade on several switchback trails going up to Los Alizos.  My pace slowed significantly again and I struggled not to stop to rest too long. At this point, I was heartened to see my Aussi friends Adam and Josh coming down the mountain heading back to Urique. They encouraged me and told me what a great aid station that was up there.

Climbing towards Los Alizos

Coming down from Los Alizos (wish I could have hitched a ride)

As I approached the aid station people were telling us we were close and that it was Shangri La waiting for us there.  I decided that when I got there, I was going to take my time to recover a bit.  The place did not disappoint at all.  I knew that I was approaching Los Alizos a large grapefruit tree. There was ample shade and grapefruit/banana/quesadillas.   I took off my hydration pack and sat for a good 10 minutes as I ate and hydrated. I also got a bracelet to show that I had been here. 

Los Alizos aid station

Grapefruit trees at Los Alizos aid station

 It is here, that the memorial for Micah True is located.  A fitting place to celebrate his life, I totally agree.  Having arrived on Friday, I missed the hike to Los Alizos from the swing bridge on Thursday when all the Mas Locos got to visit the memorial.  Regrettably,  I did not have the presence of mind to look  for the memorial while I was up to there that day.  

Los Alizos to Urique  10 miles

Itinially, I felt energized on the return trip after about a 15 minutes of rest. I left Los Alizos at 2 pm and I started to do the math with regards to the cutoff.  I had read on the Web site that a cut-off of 4 pm in Urique was in place to continue for the last 10 mile loop to Guadalupe and back.  The time cut-off for the entire 50 miles was 14 hours.  This meant, I had 6 hours to cover 30 miles and by this time I was getting pretty wiped out.  Despite the downhill sections, I could not run downhill  any more, as my quads started to tighten up.   My walking was even slow and I was being passed by people walking faster than me on the descents. This was demoralizing until I found myself catching some of these folks on the flatter sections where I could run a little still.  (15 min/miles).  I saw a few people who were still trying to make their way up mountain to Los Alizos.  I tried to encourage them as we passed bye.  Toshio, a 72 year old Japanese man was one of those, he has completed 100's of Ultras and I was concerned for him.  He had stopped in the shade and assured me he was OK.  As I got to the creek bed, I was met by a white dog that seemed to be following everyone that passed bye and apparently was seen on the other side of Urique a good 20 miles away.  The dog was adopted by a runner and taken to New Mexico where he now resides. Once again, I was a the suspension bridge and then to La Laja from where I still had 5 miles to go. 

As the 4 O'Clock hour approached, I realize I would not make the cutoff.  I also quickly realized at this pace ,  I would not make the 14 hour cut-off.   I was very sad and continued to press on as vans carrying runners who had bailed passed by and asked if I wanted to jump on.  I had never DNF a race before and I kept thinking about all the weight I had carried with me, the lack of training for the last month, and all the other excuses to help me feel better.   I decided that I wanted to be back to Urique for the awards ceremony at 5 pm. I arrived at 5:30 and went to speak to Josue about having to quit.  His response surprised me and I was elated.   He said: "There are still a lot of people out there" and "Go out and finish this thing".  I asked about the 14 hour cut off and he told me that it was a "soft cut-off" and he would be here waiting for me and I could get my finisher's medal if I completed the last 10 mile loop.  With that, I went to my drop bag and got some more gels and drank some water.   I put on my headlamp and headed out towards the Guadalupe church where I had started off that morning.  

Urique to Guadalupe and back  for last 10 miles

I was so pumped to get a second chance, I ran out of town as fast as I possible could.  As I reached the first of many inclines, I was once again walking slowly.  The 5 miles out to the church were punctuated by the occasional runner coming back for the finish who encouraged me to press on.  I once again ran into my Aussie friends and we exchanged high 5's.  When, I arrived to the church, I was happy the aid station was still open and I was able to get my last bracelet.  I sat for 5 minutes in the dark talking to the aid station folks.   It was about 8 O'clock, and I still had 5 miles to go.  As I was getting ready to get back to Urique, I saw that Claire was coming in to the aid station. She is from Florida and I had met her in El Paso when we met the  El Paso Shuttle people for dinned the night before they left.   Her and I had been passing each other for the last 30 miles and I thought she had quit at mile 40, but there she was catching up to me again.  We decided to keep each other company for the walk back.  I was doing most of the talking as she preferred to save energy by not speaking.  In total, about 4 people were behind us coming up the turn around as we headed to Urique.  As we were discussing now being official Mas Locos, I told her, I did not have a spirit animal. She suggested an animal that talks.  We concluded a Loro or parrot was a fitting  name for me.  And so, that is how I came to have my spirit animal name that night. 

Finish

We arrived into town and we ran the last Km into Urique.  Claire's roommate, Kelly, who had already finished earlier was waiting for her and ran barefoot with us.  The town was still in full party mode. I received my finishers medal and was congratulated by Josue for finishing the race.  My Garmin gave the  time as 14:39 but I had stopped de timer at mile 40 when I thought that I had DNF'd and I am not sure how long before I restarted it.  I finished 240th place out of 247 official finishers with a time of 14:49:04. There were a total of 529 people who started the race, so less than 50% finished.  Here is my Garmin connect info that shows the profile for the race.  http://connect.garmin.com/activity/281620371

Finisher's medal

Post Race

After I finished, I walked to the house and met with the Aussies Josh and Adam who were drinking a few beers.  They finished in less than 12 hours.  This the first Ultra for both and they were pretty happy.  I was hungry but did not have the energy or time to shower and go back down to the town square to get food.  The guys offered to get me a hamburger from Diego Rhodes' restaurant. It was delicious. I could not stomach a beer, however and stuck to water.  I was more concerned about my kidneys as I had only urinated twice the hole day. 

Last Day Return trip

Next AM, I went to Mama Tita's to make final plans for getting a ride out of Urique in time to catch the train on the way to Chihuahua.  Her family had a car and driver provided for 1,500 pesos to drive from Urique to Bahuichivo.  After our last meal in Urique at Mama Tita's (huevos con Jamon), we went back to finish packing. The driver, Pepe, picked us up at 0900 and we stopped at Entre Amigos to pick up my friend Marco Z. who was getting a ride back to El Paso.  Pepe was very cautious on the way up and we got to Bahuichivo with only 5 minutes to spare for the train arrived right on time at 12:30 pm.  John and his family were on the train, back from El Fuerte, so we got to chat as we rode to Divisadero.  In Divisadero, we got off and ate the obligatory gorditas before getting back on the van back to El Paso,  The return was uneventful and we arrived at the Santa Teresa point of entry at 1100 pm.  There was no line and we crossed right away back into my house around 12 MN.

Final thoughts

I can't say enough good things about this event.  It is experienced in so many different levels all so very different but complimentary.   The beauty of the setting is indescribable and the pictures and video just don't capture it.  You have to see it with your own eyes.  The residents of Urique, Tarahumara and non-Tarahumara are so welcoming and warm that you feel instantly at home.  The fellow Mas Locos, the friends I made with such a brief stay, are guides on how to live life to the fullest.  The ultra marathon, as many said while we were running, is the icing on the cake, or the dessert after a very good meal.  The race is challenging but there are so many men, women, and children to inspire you to keep running with them.  That they are running for food (corn vouchers) makes it more meaningful to them and puts things in perspective.  I will most certainly want to go back next year, and John has agreed to take us all the way to Urique in his van.  I hope to get a group of runners and non-runners from the El Paso area to travel down there.

2013 Rocky Raccoon 100 mile trail run

Until I read the book "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall last year, I had never even heard or conceived the idea of running 100 miles.  The challenge seemed daunting but I decided to look into it further.  Having completed two Ironman triathlons, I was familiar with endurance events and felt ready for a new challenge.  I heard about Rocky Raccoon on a podcast, where in 2011 Ian Sharman set the record for the fastest 100 mile trail run at 12:44.  It is considered a "fast" course with no mountains to climb like Leadville or extreme heat like Western States. It is thus considered by many to be an "easy" 100 mile race. The course is 20 mile loops that are run 5 times with a total of 5 aid stations.   With this in mind, I signed up in May of 2012 for this race which quickly filled up shortly thereafter.  I would like to share with you my training for this race and give you a race report.

Training

As I had done for the 50 miler I did in July 2012,   The Silver Rush 50 mile run in Leadville, CO , I once again used the Ultraladies training plan.  It can be seen here: http://www.trailrunevents.com/ul/schedule-100m.asp   I don't have a coach, but I felt this is a low mileage plan with Mon and Friday off running.  I did not achieve all the mileage goals, not even close, for lack of time.  My longest run on Saturday was a 30 miler where I ran towards Las Cruces on the levy road around New Years weekend.  On Sunday, I managed 15 miles at most, not the 20 they recommend.  The Wednesday runs were never as long as they recommend in their training plan. My total mileage thus ran 45-60 miles a week at the peak of my training before I started tapering.  My biggest limitation was time available to train and darkness/cold in the winter.   I mostly ran on roads and the irrigation canals with very little hill training except a couple of times went up Cristo Rey. In December, I ran a 50K outside of  Phoenix, The McDowell Mountain Frenzy 50 K  and considered it a B race with not much tapering before the event.  My nutrition was the Paleo diet that I have been on since last March.  I did not "carb load" before the event as I had done when I started doing Marathons and Ironman. The last week while I was tapering, I got a pretty bad cold and was not able to run at all.  I was very concerned whether I was going to make the race in shape enough but fortunately, with a Z-pack and lots of vitamin C from fruits, I was nearly recovered by race day.

Pre-Race
Lety and I flew to Houston early Friday AM and we rented a car for our drive up to Huntsville, Texas and the Huntsville State Park. We  had reservations for a campsite which we set up Friday afternoon and picked up my bib and shirt at registration.  I also had to drop off my bag for the DamnNation aide station through which I would pass twice during each loop.  The race briefing was full of nervous first timers like me and after that we headed up to town.  I had a hotel reserved to spend the night before the race and get a good night sleep. The tent would be available Saturday night for Lety and for me to crash after the race. Had dinner and early to bed to try to sleep, but as usual, I could not sleep much.  I kept thinking about "What the hell was I thinking signing up and trying to do this thing?"

Race Morning
Woke up at 0400CST (0300MST) and had a bit of breakfast consisting of a Cliff Bar, Almond Chocolate milk, banana, and some Smoked Wild caught Salmon.  Drove down to the Park at 4:30 and arrived early to set up my other drop bag at the Start Finish point. (Dogwood Aide Station).  At 0500, I watched as about 20-25 people left early as the race director allows for people who expect to take the 30 hours, but want to watch the awards ceremony on Sunday AM.  After that, I met Alex who was traveling for work from Brazil and doing his first 100.  He had just participated on a Relay at the Brazil 135 mile race which is a sister race to Badwater 135 in Death Valley.  He told me all about the event which is hot (January, Summer in Brazil), with lots of climbing, and its 135 miles long.  Isn't 100 enough? Why did they have to make it 135? It is a point to point course on the Caminho Da Fe or Faith trail and there are many churches and points of religious significance along the way.  Went to porto potty and started lining up at the 0600 start.  Turned on my Garmin and Spot device few minutes before to conserve battery and chit chatted with fellow nervous runners.

The RACE- First Loop 20 mile (4:15    12:45 Avg Pace)
There were 340 people starting the 100 miler on a narrow single tract trail so it was crowded in the beginning. I was towards the front group and found myself going too fast and tried to slow down as much as I could.  After the first mile, I did a small walk break, as was my plan. It was dark, but I had a good headlamp, a Black Diamond with 100 lumen.  The roots which I had read about were certainly challeging, never having run on a course with roots having trained in the desert Southwest. Also, I quickly realized that this was not a "flat" course.  There were some inclines for a few hundred feet and then a decline.  The declines had roots and gaps in the ground where I stumbled several times, but never fell, thankfully.  The first aid station was Nature Center and I did not spend much time there, just  refilled my hand held water bottle.  I knew the day was going to get hot and so I was eating and drinking ealy on.  Took a Gu every 30-45 min. alternating with a Cliff bar, and a Salt tablet.  I arrived at DamnNation which is 6 miles out and put away my headlamp and a jacket/gloves in the drop bag.  Following this aid station, comes the 6 mile loop, the longest distance without an aide station. After the loop, I was back to DamnNation, got more water and the next stop was 3.1 miles, Park Road.  After Park Road, I passed by the guys from Northern Michigan University who were conducting a study of 100 mile racers at Rocky Raccoon.  They videotaped as I ran past them and asked me what my perceived exertion was at that point on a scale from 6-20.   They would be there for the entire race collecting data on us runners who agreed to participate.  As I approached the turn around several people were ahead of me going out on their second loop.  A few miles later I was back at the Start/Finish (Dogwood) Aid Station.  I took off my shirt and sprayed sunblock on my back and chest as it was getting pretty hot at 10 AM.  Got some more Gus and Cliff bars, refilled my water bottle, and I was off for loop 2.

Second Loop 20 mile in 4:54 (14:42 avg pace)  total time 9:06 for 40 miles
I had planned to run in less than 24 hours for the entire race which meant my pace had to be less than 14:23 average.  I had my Garmin set up to show me pace and avg. pace the whole time so I could try to stay in range of my target. The day started to heat up during this loop but I stayed ahead of my hydration and nutrition.   I pretty much had Gu, Cliff bars, and Salt tablets with water.  I stopped to pee at this point which gave me an indication that I was well hydrated.  At the aid stations, I grabbed bananas and orange slices plus endurolytes which they had as well. At DamNation, I put some ice under my cap and headed to next stop, Park Road.  Those 3 miles, I was looking forward to seeing Lety, who had dropped me off at 0500 and we had planned to meet there at 2 pm, by my calculation.  It was great to see her as I approached and she asked me how I felt. I remember telling her, "I think I bit more than I could chew! I told her how hard I felt this course was and that I had passed several low points along the way where I was ready to quit.   I had always heard on Podcasts of Trail and Ultrarunners that these low points are going to come and you just need to keep going, because they will pass.  I arrived at the Start/Finish around 3:00 pm, I filled my water bottle, got some more Gus and Cliff bars in my pocket, put on my Run El Paso shirt as the sun was starting to go down.  I also ditched the Spot device that worked so well in Leadville and which allowed my crew to tract me.  It didn't work here because there were too many trees and it could not get a good GPS signal.

Third Loop 20 miles in 5:57  (17:51 min/mile) total time 15:02 for 60 miles
 It was probably during this loop that I somehow injured my left quadriceps muscle, more precisely, the vastus medialis (tear drop muscle) above the knee.  I was a sharper pain as I took steps down the declines and made me have to slow down quite a bit.  As my pace slowed, I realized that I was not going to make less than 24 hours.  At this point, I got to see Mike Morton who would eventually win the race lap me and I was elated to see him.  Even more when he whispered "good job" as he passed by me. Mike is a super special  person that I had listened too on Podcasts and followed his great achievements.  He holds the US record for the 24 hours runs which he represented the USA in Poland last September. I saw him a total of  3 times and he was gracious every time.   I arrived at DamnNation and got my headlamp again as it was getting dark by then.  The 6 mile loop was hard and lonely.  The 50 milers were on the same course except for their loop was a lot shorter in this section, so there were fewer runners here.  I reached the 50 mile point in a little under 12 hours, but those miles had taken their toll and I knew I was not going to negative split this race.  I was no longer running, mostly walking and shuffling along for a few feet.  I would look at my watch and the fastest I could go was 15 min/miles.  As night approached, I started to take the Gu with caffeine (Chocolate outrage), I found during the day, the caffeine makes me pee too much so I had avoided caffeine until this point in time.   As I headed back to the Start/Finish, I saw people going out for their 4th loop.  Many had picked up a pacer, and they were talking and laughing excitedly.  I was bummed that I was not going to have a pacer, oh well.

Fourth Loop 20 miles in 7:05 (21:05 min/mile)  total time 22:07 for 80 miles
As I arrived at the Start/Finish, Lety was waiting for me at my drop bag.  It was 8 pm by now and area was getting crowded with fishers.  Lety  was awesome as usual with Leadville under her belt.  I sat down for the first time all day on a chair and Lety did everything for me.  Got me my food, drink, and salt tablets.  At this point, I put on a long sleeve shirt and underarmour because the temp was starting to drop.   I also put on my "fanny pack" which carried my new New Trent Mobile Power Pack which allowed me to charge my Garmin while I ran.  The battery of my Garmin on a single charge lasts for about 20 hours, but I wanted to be able to use it for the entire race.  While charging you can't tell pace or distance, so I had a regular watch with me.  I seriously considered quitting at this point.  I had done 60 miles and couldn't imagine how I could do  another 40.   Lety encouraged me to continue which was good to hear.  I knew she had been sick that week like me and the cold weather was not good for her either. I told her to meet me here at 0300 which would give me 6 hours for the loop.   I decided to press on and just take it 1 aid station at a time.  I think as when you drive or run long distances it is better to set small goals and not think about the whole.  Since I didn't have a pacer I got my Iphone and started listening to music which helped me a lot.  I'm glad I saved it for the end.  After 6 miles, I arrived at DamNation and put on a warmer wool cap and gloves plus a thicker jacket.  I also but my Garmin back on, fully charged, cool and put the battery in my drop bag.  I took some delicious chicken noodle soup at that aid station and sat for a few minutes.  The volunteers were very supportive and I specially liked this aid station.  They would talk to me and ask me questions in a way that I could tell they were checking if I was doing OK. In the tent were a few people that didn't look good, shivering and looking like zombies.   It was during the the 6 mile loop that I got to walk/run with Dat who I recognized from Facebook Tejas Trails Group.  He was having problems with a left knee IT band and was going pretty slow. He was determined to finish which helped me because all I could think of was quitting. He had spent some time in the tent with the people I had seen earlier and he said it was not a pretty sight. After a few miles, I told Dat that I could not keep his pace and he went on.  Back at DamnNation, I had some more chicken noodle soup (home made) and bananas.  I picked up some Hammer Gels and water.   As I was leaving, Bobby K was taking off and I asked if I could go with him. He is from New Mexico, is 63 years old.  He was great to walk with and he had a lot of good advice..   He had done Leadville 100 several times and this race like 10 times. He told me to take 100 steps running then 100 steps walking.  If I couldn't then do 50, if not possible, then do 10.  We did that for a while and talked for quite a while but I couldn't keep up, so he took off.   I arrived at the start/finish aid station at 0400 and Lety was waiting for me there.  I was a whole 1 hour late and since the Spot device was not working she had no way to know.


Fifth Loop 20 miles in 7:12 (21:36 min/mile) total time 29:19 for 100 miles
At the aide station, I decided not to sit because I was afraid I may not be able to get up.  Lety got my water bottle filled and I had a quesadilla. She also got me some fresh batteries for my headlamp which was getting dimmer on me.  I stayed in the warm tent and there were more Zombies walking around.   I couldn't tell if they DNF or had finished.  The place was surreal.  As I walked out to start again, Joe Prusaitis the race director asked me if I was going back out again.  It was 4:15 AM, after 0600 there was a cut off and he would not let any more runners go on Loop 5.  It bothered me after I took off that he had asked me.  I thought I probably looked so bad that he could tell with all his experience that I would not finish.  There were times when I wanted to quit and others where I thought, I don't quit.  Somehow, I started remembering or dreaming about Richard Gere (don't get wrong idea)  in "An Officer and a Gentleman" where he is going through flight raining with Louis Gossett, Jr. as his instructor and he is being tested and told to quit.  He yells, "I don't quit" see here : "Officer and a Gentleman" The sun came out as I was doing my last 6 mile loop after DamnNation. I tried to walk with a group that had a good pace but they eventually dropped me. I kept taking Gels every 30 minutes as I "death marched" to the finish. Once in a while trying to "run" but the pain in my left quad would get the best of me. I was worried about the cutoff at the last aid station at 1100 AM but I made it with plenty of time.  I also passed by the research station where they asked my what my RPE  was, and I told them from 6-20 it was a 20.  The last 3 miles there were  a lot of folks walking my pace which was nice to have the company. I arrived at the finish at 11:19 am and got a big hug from Lety.  They took my timing chip for me and I got my buckle. I had finished in 29:19:49.The Garmin connect profile can be seen here: 2013 Rocky Raccoon

Post Script
There were 340 people that started the 100 miles with me.  229 finished (67%) and I was the 214th finisher.  My friend Alex from Brazil did not finish,  unfortunately.  Dat finished in 28:31 and Bobby K finished in 28:19.  This was easily the hardest thing I have ever done in my life and amazes me to what is physically possible.  Looking back and dissecting my execution of the race, I was spot on with nutrition/hydration.  I never vomited or felt sick to my stomach. My left quad gave me a lot of trouble which is because I went too fast on the first and second loop.  I should never have had a time goal of less than 24 hours.  I should have gone into it just to finish and gone slower at the start. I should have trained more on hills the last 6 months instead of road, my quads were not used to the pounding descents any more.  Lastly, I would go with different shoes.  I ran with road shoes but instead I should have used trail shoes.  Everywhere, I read road shoes is what Ian Sharman ran his record, but I'm not Ian Sharman.  Mike Morton, incidentally won the race in 14:28 (a full 1 and half hour ahead of 2nd place finisher).  Oh yes, he did another 100 mile 1 week later in Florida.  Would I do another 100?  While running Rocky, I swore I would not run another Ultra again, maybe just stick to Marathons.  Now, I would like to do another 100 but would like to do a point to point race like Western States, which of course, I would have to get lucky in the lottery.  Another option would be Leadville 100 which would be a nice course as well.

Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Joe Prusaitis, the RD and all the great volunteer staff of Rocky Raccoon for you dedication to making this an excellent event.  A special thanks to the DamNation crew and specially to whoever made that chicken soup.  To the lady who helped me get my jacket and cap out of my drop bag when I could not bend down. Thank you.  Lety, coming out with me despite being sick in that cold weather, I appreciate all you did.

What am I smiling about? I'm on Loop 4

PS
1 week later, I am pretty sore on my left quadriceps.  I have not been able to run at all and getting worried about my next race, the Ultramaraton Caballo Blanco in Urique, Chihuhua.  Its a 50 miler in the heat with 9,000 feet elevation gain.  My plan is to rest a full 2 weeks and then "run" the El Paso Half Marathon for which I signed up.