Driven

I went into the Buffalo Run 100 with specific goals and the confidence to achieve them. First, I was going to complete the course under 20 hours. The other goals all served to put the main goal within reach. I was going to make the logistics of fueling and getting re-supplied as "clean" as possible. I would rely less on aid stations and more on my wife. (She performed magnificently and our marriage is stronger for it. Imma go buy her a nice present at Costco.) Other goals: Put my training into practice. Wear the right shoes. Don't eat fruit during the race! Keep running as much as possible because every freaking mile of Buffalo is runnable. Drink and eat but not too much, and let the stuff in my tummy empty before I put more in. Get a cramp? Drink some straight water. Bam. Done. Don't let a loss of appetite bring on the bonk: Get some gel every 20 minutes, even if I hate it. Don't go out too fast. That's right, slow it down. I can't be bouncing around for a hundred miles as if I am in the woods jumping over deadfalls and bouncing off rocks in a quick, controlled fall.

So here's how it went down:

It was cold out there for the noon start time. Most runners started with tights or long pants. One dude, who by all indications was going to start, was wearing denim pants and a cotton sweatshirt. OK. I knew that at some point I was going to be wearing tights, and that I hate trying to get into tights, especially in a hurry, so I had them on from the start and kept them on through the duration.

Jim scraped a line across the sandy dirt road and then said go. I ran right up front with the guys who I knew would be first and second when it was all over. But this kind of race start is nothing like the sprinters' and marathon races starts. This is laid back. Everybody just takes it easy. We got a freaking hundred miles to go - no hurry. I noticed I was even going too fast and stopped for a moment. I wasn't about to run out in front of Meltzer. That would make me look silly. Around the fence I grouped up with Craig and Robert Mueller. We started up a chat that made the first several miles go quickly. Meltzer and Pedatella, and Jeremy Bradford were steadily moving up the hill and creating a gap. That was fine. Don't go out too fast, I repeated to myself. I was content to run with friends and have a good time. And we did. Aaron Spurlock caught up with us about 3 miles up so the four of us cruised and chatted. At the Elephant Head pass I went left and the other fellas went right. None of us stopped at the aid. I ran quickly down into Split Rock valley, about a half mile behind Meltzer and the other speedsters. There was a fourth guy behind Bradford who I caught and passed at the top of the switchbacks. Those suckers, by the way, are absolutely runnable on both laps.

Back to the E. Head aid junction, I then ran the 1.5 miles out to the rock, grabbed a sticker and busted it back. Some lady runner was there, digging through the box of stickers, being very selective. While her hand was in the box looking for the one that would match the color of her outfit, I reached mine in and just grabbed the first one I saw. The sticker is a token that the runner has gone out to the point and is getting the proper amount of mileage. (Nobody ever checks for stickers anyway so it is all honor system.) Ran back out to the junction and now I could see Meltzer leading down below as he headed out back to the race tent. I also saw my buds finishing their run of the Split Rock segment. Damn, they picked up the pace, or I dropped mine because they blew through the trail junction before me and I had to run hard to catch up.

Back together, the four of us ran the final 4 miles back to the tent to complete the first 19 miles. Mueller continued on without stopping, Craig headed straight for a porta John, and Aaron continued on without stopping. My wife handed me a few things and I continued on too, but in those few moments that I slowed, the other two guys went ahead and stayed ahead of me for about a quarter mile for the next several miles. I was amazed at how well they kept their pace. I only caught up to Mueller again waaay down at the Ranch because he stopped to get a drink. The last I saw Aaron was at Lower Frary aid. He stopped while Mueller and I continued without stopping. I did not stop at the Ranch. My wife was there with my boys. I flashed my number and turned around. Then my birthday boy - seven years old that day, that little kid -ran after me and I just had to turn around again to give him a big kiss.

I ran back with Bob (Mueller) all the way back to Frary where I slowed to a walk to get supplies from my wife, then I was off running again. Bob never slowed so again he got out in front. Well crap, I just lost a good pacer. Craig was somewhere behind me, and I was hoping for, expecting him to catch up. I saw several runners heading down to the Ranch, including Scott W. who was looking good, Crockett, Kristel L., Quintin, Suwinski and, well, everybody. Each having their own journey.

From Frary we battled the wind out of the North. I slowed to a survival pace. Just keep it going. Don't walk. I was daydreaming about someting when I felt a hand grab my behind. It was Craig. How the hell did he do that? He closed some distance heading into the wind and now we ran together to finish the first 50 miles. I was glad he showed up. He was running strong so I followed his pace. We caught up to Bob just above the hill six miles from the Start/Finish tent. The three of us ran back at a solid pace, Craig leading. Once we turned a corner and a bison stood on the trail. Had to carefully avoid that sucker. I believe the three of us came in to 50 miles at 7:50 PM, so that would be 7 hours 50 minutes for the first lap. Not bad.

I was feeling dizzy from the strenuous effort of the last 7 miles. I just wanted to sit down for a half hour and decide if I wanted to continue. Bob had been talking about at stopping at 50. When I got in to the tent my wife helped me get re-fueled. I spent about ten minutes in the tent. I don't know what I was doing for ten minutes there. I didn't change shoes or socks. I did change a shirt. Andrea Martinez set me up with a bag of TUMMS. Then my wife handed me a full bottle of UltraGen and hustled me out the door. (Bob decided to stop at 50, and Aaron had dropped earlier.) I began walking down the road again. The sun had gone down. It was getting colder and with more wind. I asked my wife to run back and fetch me an extra shirt. She did and caught up with me down the road. I expressed my concern of not feeling well. I remember she said, "Just do it." Well I can't argue with that. She knew what I could do. I kissed her and went out into the night.

I walked around the fence and then Craig, with Jennilyn came running past me. We exchanged greetings, then they were gone - running up the hill. How the hell is he doing that? Alright, get ahold of yourself. Get this drink down. It will slow you down at first, you know that. But when the calories kick in, you can run and feel great. I attemtped to run up the hill. I could, but for a short distance. I would walk/run/walk until I could just run. And I ran. At the top of the hill that descends to the base of Lone Tree, Meltzer was just cresting. I held out my hand. Slap. Go Speedgoat. The dude was what, 10 miles ahead? Up at the aid station Bart Greenwell asked if I wanted anything. Coke. Nice cold Coke. So good on a cold, windy mountain pass. Headed out to the Elephant Head rock for the second time that day. I enjoyed being by myself. I actually loved  the solitude. I had three Cheech & Chong albums loaded on my iPod and I laughed my ass off for the next 2.5 hours out there. And I ran. Last year I could not run much of those trails back there. This was not a repeat of last year. If only Matt W. could have seen me! He paced me last year through Elephant and Split Rock and I was a mess. Not this time. I felt great. Ran up those switchbacks again. Craig and J. were up at the top. Looks like they ran 'em too. They were so quick! I never could catch them back there, even feeling as good as I did. I was getting a little lonley and I just wanted to catch up so I could have someone to talk to. One more time through the aid stop, got some hot noodles, then ran very well the last 4.5 miles back to the tent. Dorsimus, you would have been so proud. No poo stops. No complaining. No walking.

Back at the tent my wife excitedly tells me the good news: I found someone to run with you! In steps Steve Newman, of Kaysville. Holy crap, yes. That sounds like a plan. I was fully prepared to go all the way by myself but company was welcome, too. And Steve is a funny guy. I like him. Grab a Coke and let's go. (Steve was there to pace Phil Lowry until Phil became ill.)

We went out well, running. We did the short out and back down by the lake shore. Craig and J caught up to us at the turn around, and the four of us ran the .85 to the aid tent together. Craig was un-characteristically quiet. I had no idea until later that he was suffering. Steve and I left the aid tent after getting a hot broth, and I expected Craig to be right behind us. About a mile mile later I looked back and didn't see their lights. Something must not be right. He should be a mile in front of me by now.

Then Meltzer breezed past me going the opposite direction, and was gone. He would be pulling into the 100 mile finish in nearly an hour from that time.

Steve and I just kept moving. It was cold but I stayed warm. The miles ticked away. We reached Lower Frary aid. My wife handed me some things and I continued. Where's Craig? Something's wrong. He shouldn't be behind me. I thought I saw their headlamps back there, closing in on Frary.

It is a long run out to the Ranch. When we arrived, I simply walked up to the tent, turned around and started back. I had everything I needed. I wanted to get done. Nearly a mile out from the Ranch we met Craig. He was running, but he indicated the problems he was having with stomach. He gave me a hug (he's a hugger) and said some nice things. I still believed he would catch up. I wanted him to catch up. I didn't want to see him that way, because I know how it feels.

Newman and I made one more pass through Frary and for once I actually walked down to the tent and stopped for a minute for some soup. Last year I was at my lowest when I came through Frary in the early moring. This year I turned down an offer for a quesadilla (which sounds very good as of this writing) and got back onto the trail. Time to finish this thing. I wanted to get done in under 18 hours. There was a possibility, but it was diminishing. My knees had begun to hurt badly, and one knee in particular. I had started the race knowing that one knee would be a problem. The last 6 miles were the most difficult. I was not able to run consistently anymore. It was walk 10 seconds, run one minute. Steve talked to me through those final miles, and at mile 99 I believe I received my vision quest: I saw a herd of bison crossing our path, just up the hill. There was a baby bison in the middle of the road. I stopped, pointed, told Steve not to proceed. That's a baby buffalo there and if you get near it you will get trampled by the herd. Steve ignored me. Kept walking uphill toward it. Dude, don't go near it! I am going to cut across field and get around this herd. Don't you see their big bodies moving around in the shadows? Closer to the top of the hill, the bison were not there, only large bushes blowing with the wind.

OK, time to get done.

One final stretch of dirt road, then one turn and a short jog up a slight hill to the finish line and the beep beep of the timing chip recorder. But I wasn't done with the hallucinations. On the road something ran toward me, a shining light on its head. It was an antelope wearing a headlamp. Long skinny legs and antlers on its head. It had a bright halo of light twinkling around it. Steve, that is a deer wearing a headlamp! What the crap. It ran past me on my right. I shook it off and realized it was some guy jogging into darkness. I realize now it was a guy named Zac going out, running the course backward to find Craig, who was running the last 11 miles by himself after Jennilyn had to quit for a bad knee.

My mom and my boys were camped in a motorhome on that last stretch of road. Newman announced my name like I was some regent making his kingly rounds. My mom and boys were out in front of the motorhome. I stopped, hugged and kissed them, then told them I was almost done. It was now 6:24 AM. I had missed my sub-18 hour goal. The 50 mile runners were all moving up the hill in the distance; their headlamps created a white glowing, uphill-flowing stream of lights. Five minutes later I rounded the corner, one last short walk, then ran to the blue mats that sensed my timing chip. BEEP BEEP BEEP! I was done. Two guys were there to see me come in: My dad and someone else. It was too dark to see faces. Steve was there too, of course. I pushed into the tent and got a big hug from my wife. Jim congratulated me and offered another belt buckle, which I accepted.

Run complete. Overall, it was a fantastic journey. Overall, I felt terrific. I had energy and to spare.That huge bonk that I expected to come sometime in the moring or night, never came. It was the knees. That was the only thing that held me back from going an hour or more faster. Still, I am happy with the result. It was fun to run with friends and share the journey. Craig came in about 30 minutes later. A deer wearing a headlamp had found him a few miles back and ran with him to the finish.