Javelina 100 Results

There is no such thing as an easy 100 mile trail run. Attempting this distance is considered by most to be off the hook.  Even if the entire distance was run downhill it would still probably only have a 50% finishing rate.  To date I have attempted Leadville 3 times and finished twice.  I was blanked at Rocky Raccoon as well as the Plain 100.  So going into the Javelina Jundred I was 2 for 5 which is a 40% finishing rate, about the average. The thought of being average is why I run the 100 mile distance, who wants to be average.  Hell, I'm 3 for 3 in the Spartan Death Races which is a spot reserved for those that are multiple standard deviations from the mean, which I don't consider myself either.  So my goal at the JJ 100 was to be anything but average.  Mission accomplished!

And that's all I have to say!!!

I arrived in Phoenix via Nashville on Friday morning to be greeted by Greg Unger, my crew for the race.   Greg suppose to have run but had to opt out due to a foot injury.  We rented an RV for the race and stayed at the race site, 50 yards from the race start/finish line....a smart move.  We got to bed at about 8PM and got up at 5:15AM.  This was probably the best/most rest that I've ever gotten before a race of this nature.  

The gun went off at 6AM and we had 30 hours to complete the 101.9 mile distance.  It was a 7 loop course through the desert, just north of Phoenix.  The weather was beautiful.  At the race start the temps were mild in the high 50's, low 60's.  The first loop was crowded and my goal was to just try to run a 9:30/mile which I did with relative ease.  The next couple of loops I managed to do the same, which set me up to be several hours in front of any of the generous cut off times.

The temperatures reached a heat index north of 100F during the afternoon, which caused me to load up with the camel bak 100 oz of water, which I was able to suck down and stayed hydrated throughout the afternoon during my run walk routine.  This was a pretty smart strategy as the body loses more than 30 oz of fluid during the periods of intense heat and you cannot replenish it any faster than that as the kidneys have a processing capacity constraint.  With that being said, I slowed down, took in a ton of water and was positioning myself for the nighttime.

At the junction point of the loop I would be greeted at the turnaround by Greg and his girlfriend, who kicked ass for me.  Without their support at the turnaround I would not have finished the race.  They loaded me up with gatorade at each turn as well as cheese sandwiches...yep cheese sandwiches...it did the trick...lots of fat and protein as well as carbs that offered a slow burn.  Surprisingly I did not have one hammer gel and only one shot block.  I tried to avoid surviving on the simple sugars, which create epic peaks as well as epic valleys.  At each aid station I would generally load up on water, potato chips (again high in fat and sodium) and chocolate chips cookies.  The key learning for this race was that a protein and fat rich nutrition carried the day

Another of Life's First.....

At Mile 60 I picked up Timmy as a pacer to take on the toughest miles of the course and during the toughest hours of the evening.  I think it must've been around 8PM ish before picking up Timmy at the beginning of loop 5. The temps had cooled down into the 70's and then 60's for most of the evening.  Not getting chilled was very beneficial.  The only real run in with any wild life during the race was a tarantula in the middle of the trail...yuk...do not like spiders.

Greg...You are the Man!

The course was sandy for the most part with some stretches that were a little more technical.  Timmy jacked up his ankle somewhere on the first loop which exacerbated  itself of the following loop.  On Sunday morning at about mile 88 I had to leave Timmy at the aid station while I pushed on to get to the turnaround and fuel up for the final 10 mile loop.  Timmy made into the turnaround while Greg and his girlfriend refueled.  She ended up pacing me for the final 10 miles.  Timmy got me through the most difficult stretch of the race, for which I am very thankful.  It is during that stretch of the race, mile 70-88, that is unbelievably difficult.  You are tired, sleep deprived, stumbling through the night just simply trying to make it to day break.  When the sun comes up and hits your face it breathes life back into your legs as well as your determined spirit.


The last loop I was forced to a walk only mode.  The miles had taken its toll on my left foot.  More specifically my left big toe, where it connects to your foot was beat up.  It felt like it was broken and I limped my way through the final miles to be greeted by Greg at mile 101 to be escorted in for the last .9 miles. 

BAM!!!  Got the Buckle....

It's always so hard to explain to people the rush and sense of accomplishment that you get when you complete a race of this distance so I wont even try.  I can only say that I am now 3 for 6 or batting 500 for the 100 mile distance.  It makes sense.  Each time I enter one of these races, it's always a toss of the coin as to whether you finish or not.  It's never guaranteed.  It's always about one simple word Perseverance.   I am a firm believer that if you just stick with it and NEVER GIVE UP that you will succeed.  This concept transcends all parts of life, which I try hard to practice.  But like a 100 mile race, there are no guarantees.

I am taking the rest of the year off to get ready for the 2014 racing season as well as begin getting organized for the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge in Dec 2015.

Cheers!