2019 BuffaloRun100-miler Journey: “If you’re going through hell, keep going”

Photo by Pacer Marc Davis - "Hitchhiking a ride home" Ha-ha

It was 2:00 am on Friday, race day, when I woke up a little confused as far as time goes with the sound of the rain drops in my roof. I looked through my window, and while dark outside, I noticed overcast weather, and I thought to myself, CRAP, this is going to be an interesting run, but I am heading to this race because I want to see my friends, take lots of pictures, enjoy the Island trails, and have FUN, and… by the way, finish the race too. Ha-ha

Then, I went back to bed and didn’t woke up until a  couple hours prior to the event still confused with the sound of the rain drops in my roof…

I added Gatorade, Chicken noodle soup and broth, and coke, my main nutrition for the 100-miler, to the extra clothes and shoes in the drop bags that I packed the night before. Since I have learned the hard way that solid foods contribute to my stomach going south while running, and to ensure I wouldn’t puke my guts out, I have recently been training on a more liquid diet type of nutrition and so far it has been working. I will usually eat a few pieces of bacon and sausage or perhaps a small breakfast burrito with eggs and ham only when I am about 10-15 miles to the finish. That way my body will not be so depleted when I finish an event. During my training, I have learned that my best chance of thwarting GI problems during a race is to train my gut by practicing my fueling plan, and I have seen some good results recently.

I finished getting ready, eating only half of a wheat pita with water. I kissed my wife goodbye as she was still asleep when I left. She had already wished me good luck the night before, and the thought of what she said to me years ago once again haunted me. She said: “Have fun! Do the things you enjoy, and please do not complain about pain. You have not had a child, so you have no idea the meaning of pain.” So, I carry her words as my motto in the moments when I complain about pain during these events… Ha-ha

I put on my rain jacket and drove to the start of the race on Antelope Island. When I was a few blocks away from home, I had to turn around because I forgot my can of vegetables I was supposed to take to the race for the buffalo soup post-race. That’s a tradition for the BuffaloRun, and how could I forget the can of vegetables?

After I checked in with the amazing volunteers Lizz and Jill, the Race Director Jim Skaggs was already gathering the runners and making a few announcements. I said hello to my friends, and I mean, to a bunch of good friends including Joshua Landvatter, who I called Danny Widerburg three times and he never said a word about the name change. I was probably confused about his cool new long beard ha-ha. Michael McKnight, who won first place overall in this event, also stopped by during the pre-meeting to say hello and chat for a bit. In addition, I was able to see Tim Shupe, and meet Walter Handloser, the runner attempting 50 100-miler races this year. That’s something I really admire about the ultrarunning community. It doesn’t matter if you drive a Maserati or a Fiat, meaning, whether you are a pro-athlete or someone in the back of the pack, at the end of the day, we will all ended up eating the same dirt on the trails and enjoy the association of each other.

Pre-race Meeting with Race Director Jim Skaggs

A cold drizzle continued falling throughout the entire day with some breaks here and there. It was wet, it was cold, it was muddy at some sections, and I had all the environmental components to be complaining… For the first few miles, I really enjoyed the company of Andrew Jensen. Andrew and I ran also SaltFlats100 last year, and it is always nice to catch up on life happenings with him.

The drizzle stopped at night, and I guess the cold and wet weather during the day simply made me run a little faster on my first 50 miles and I remember once again I had not been through child labor, yet ha-ha. I also made sure I didn’t spend much time at the aid stations despite the warmth and friendly volunteers. My body temperature dropped almost every time I would leave an aid station due to the heaters and fire pits and my body already being depleted. However, as long as I kept moving, my body temperature would get back to normal again.

John Mcknight: 17:46:38 1st Place overall. BTW, he got chased by Earl a few weeks ago. Ha-ha

I knew if I had worked hard during my first 50-miler by myself, things would be ok afterwards when I would meet my pacer at the Start/Finish between 9-10pm on Friday. For the first few miles, I was able to join I paced myself well this race, and I was able to arrive at that aid station just around the projected time. My pacer Chris Gladden was already there and I also saw Marc Davis who was supposed to pace my good friend Melissa Soper. The last time I saw Melissa, she was heading back from the Garr Ranch, and she expressed pain in her side. I got the feeling she had kidney stones or something like that for the type of pain she expressed. We took a selfie together, I gave her a hug, and I wished her well. Then we went our separate ways.

Last selfie with Melissa Soper before they bombarded her stones : )

Marc then informed me he was supposed to pace Melissa but she had to drop out of the race when she called her husband to pick her up on the course to take her to the emergency room. Marc then offered to pace me the remaining miles of the event, after Chris. The interesting fact is that, for some reason, Marc decided to join Chris and I at the 25k loop, not knowing Chris would eventually have to cut his pacing duties short when he started feeling Achilles pain. Marc then committed to pace me the entire 50-miles remaining for the race.

Photo by Nanette Palmer: Marc and I eating breakfast burrito before the last stretch back to the Ranch

We both had a great time while running the 25k loop. Marc, as a trail runner, is simply Marc. What else can I say? He brought his own version of a boombox and we had all sort of music throughout the course while we chatted and laughed about things about life in general. He encouraged me and he understood when I wasn’t as talkative as I normally am. While running through the evening, due to general fatigue, my mind was playing tricks with me, and I had some hallucinations or at least, at times, I would see things moving and shapes of things like bison or other wildlife. I mentioned it to Marc a few of these instances, and he would check it carefully and then we would laugh very hard.

For the first time in my hundos experiences, I did not develop a single blister under my feet, but only a tiny one between the right side toe. I attributed it to the recommendation I received from my former pacer at Wasatch100, Mike Taylor, for making sure I would wear the right socks. I finally feel I am getting things figure out as far as nutrition and blisters prevention goes, and I am content with this.

Overall, I did not get a PR at this race compared to my last BuffalorRun100. My feet and legs were tired, and my goal was to continue moving and enjoying the experience. Marc had to leave me at about 7-8 miles to the finish. He developed a 6^th toe on his foot (a huge blister), and he wanted to make sure he would not slow me down. He was phenomenal and his company was very enjoyable.

Marc's 6th toe : )

At that point, I decided to check my messages, and I saw a text from my wife. She asked how things were going, and I asked her to pray for me so I could be strong the last miles while on my own. I did not hear back from  her, but I knew she was minded and thinking about me and that gave me more strength to finish the event. The sun was out for most of the morning and afternoon on Saturday, and that also definitely brighten my day.

Photo by Quintin Barney

A quote from Winston Churchill comes to my mind when I face some challenges in these types of events: "If you’re going through hell, keep going," and that’s also how I think about life.

We all face challenges, and go through hard things in life, but how people approach a problem sets them apart from the majority.

The confidence in the face of hardship is driven by the ability to let go of the negativity that holds so many otherwise sensible people back. 

This was more than another 100-miler race in the books for me. This was about proving to myself once again that I am capable of doing hard things and being able to look at the bright side in the midst of misery and uncomfortable things. Additionally, what I want my kids to know is that they can do anything in this life. They simply need to believe in themselves that they can!

Thank you all family and friends for all your support and kind words. You inspire me in doing better every day!