Bandera 100k Results

They say that Bandera Texas is where all rocks go to die.  I can confirm that this is actually a fact.  If you could create the perfect environment for a reptile, then Bandera Texas would be the result.   They call this part of Texas "Hill Country", which i think is a misprint from its pioneer founders. The "i" used to be an "e" and for marketing purposes they simply created a typo.  It is a God forsaken place on earth, unless of course you are a snake, scorpion, lizard or an ultra runner looking to get your rocks off....which from the looks of it many have.

The course is a 50k, 2 loop track across a very rugged terrain that is designed to beat the average ultra runner down.   It is a Western States qualifying race if you can complete it in under 16 hours.  I'm guessing that there were about 200+ runners that lined up for the 7:30am start.  It was a chilly 45-50F but quickly warmed up as the sun climbed up over the hills and into the sky. 

Pre Race Pic Looking Fresh

Ken and Nancy Cales came in from CO and Francisco drove up from McAllen TX and was met by a friend, Deon Bez, that crewed for us...thankfully!  It was nice to see the fellow Leadville finishers for an early season race.   It was Ken's 50th birthday so I gave him the appropriate 50th smack on the ass as I ran by him. 

The course had 5 aid stations that were well manned and outfitted with great food.  As the sun was setting and the temperatures dropped, the aid stations fired up grilled cheese sandwiches, quesadillas along Ramon noodle soup.   The volunteers were outstanding and the race was really well run.  

How many Rocks Do You See?

Much of the course was a challenge to actually run due to the unstable footing.  After the first 10 or so miles I started to get use to terrain and was able to zig zag the trails avoiding the gazillion rocks on the course.  The competitors were very friendly and I found that most of them had run the course in prior years.   They all said that they swore off this race after they had finished but subsequently signed up again.  This is the sign of a really challenging course.  It keeps the crazies coming back for more.  

It was a blue sky day, not a cloud to be found.  The temps punctured the 70F ceiling which felt great.  It made for a very comfortable run.  After the sun had set the temps dropped like a rock into the high 30's and 40's.  Throughout the evening, there were warm and cold pockets of air to be found out on the trails.  Thankfully there were more warm than cold.  It was a 3/4 moon which lit up the desert landscape accompanied by a galaxy of stars.  My headlamp died with about 7 miles to go in the race which turned out to be pretty cool as the moon and stars provided more than ample light to see the trail and all of its traps. 

Tough Trails.......

I walked the last 5+ miles of the race by myself stopping occasionally to check out the landscape, moon and stars.  The owls were hooting and the coyotes were yipping and crying confusing their prey....which I was hoping that I was not. 

Cool Bad Ass Buckle!

At about 15 hours and 46 minutes I crossed the finish line to be greeted by the race organizer, Tom, along with some volunteers.  I was given a Bandera 100k belt buckle for finishing, which is pretty damn cool.  In addition, I qualified for the Western States for 2015 for finishing under 16 hours, despite the fact that I walked the last 5+ miles.  

Nancy and Ken crossed the finish line around 17 hours, while Francisco came in about 45 minutes later.  I was very proud that we all were able to finish this challenging course.




This race is officially in the record books and quite pleased with the overall results.  I'm working on the next early season race, which has yet to be determined.  I really enjoy the 50 mile distance and thinking that I'll try to focus on those in an attempt to build miles leading into the mid season 100 milers.

Cheers!

PT