Driven

Pony Express Trail 100. Finish time: 16:52. I started with the intention of going for a 15 hour finish, but I slowed down significantly in the latter half due to sore legs and upset tummy. Very happy to have finally won something! Also very happy with my 50 mile time of 7 hours. It was a perfect first half.

I like sequels. Bigger and better. My first ultra race was the 2011 Pony Express Trail 50 Mile. My finish time was a repectable 8 hours and 30 minutes. I was signed up fo the 2012 PET 100 but had to ask a refund on my entry because of a stress fracture in my foot. After another respectable finish at Buffalo Run 100 in March I knew I was going to have a good year of running and lowering my personal records for various distances. My best shot at getting my fastest time for a hundred miles would be the Pony Express. It is a flat, fast course over graded dirt road straight through the West Desert of Utah. After finishing Wasatch in September I turned my training from running hills and trails to running flat, fast miles on pavement. I think this strategy payed dividends when it came to the PET100.

I arrived with my father at the race staging area just after 7AM Friday morning. Three waves of runners had already left the starting line for the 50 mile and hundred mile distances. I was in the last wave to go out at 8AM. We were a small group, and happy to see each other. I was happy to see friends Kendall Wimmer and Jen Richards, who would be racing the 50 mile. My competition for the day was Kelly Agnew and Phil Lowrey, both very experienced and accomplished long-distance runners. Another starter, Mark Hammond had recently made a good showing at Run Rabbit Run, and ran a very fast Speedgoat 50K. I was feeling confident but honestly did not know how we would all stack up as the race got underway. At the check-in table I saw the trophies for the winners then quickly turned away. I didn't want to get attached.

At 8 AM Davy began the countdown and I was over at my dad's van applying anti-chafe glide. I'm pretty sure I exposed myself to some campers. From across the campground I heard my dad shouting at me: "Matt they're starting - Three! Two! One!..." I missed the countdown. Pshhh. Glide is more important than being on time, trust me. When I finally got onto the road most of the runners had begun descending the hill. I caught up to Jen and had a chat for a few minutes. Further down I caught up to Kendall and we had a good visit for a few minutes. I knew both he and Jen would have a good day. I caught up to Mark and we must have run together for a few miles at a conversational pace. Kelly was up front and when I passed I gave a nod and thumbs up. I told my dad at the start to dive down road five miles and have my hydration pack ready for me. I had gone out with nothing in my hands and nothing on my back. Five miles seemed to come quickly, and when I saw my dad I told him to drive 20 more miles and wait for me. Then I had the best 20 mile run of my life. It was, simply, a pleasant morning run. I checked into Simpsons Springs, mile 16.4, at 2:02 hours. I was only a few minutes off my target of 2 hours to Simpson, but it did not bother me. I was going to take it easy and enjoy the run to Black Rock. My goal for the first 50 miles was 7 hours - that would be 50 minutes faster than I had ever run 50 miles. But I had no doubts that I could do it, and indeed I ran to the 50 mile mark in 7 hours and one minute. It was the best run I had ever had. Along the way I ran a very casual 3:21 marathon distance and a 4:01 50K distance. Along the way I saw old friends and met new friends. Friend and neighbor Aaron Williams was running his first 50 miler and was being crewed by his awesome family. I caught up to him at about 28.5 miles, and was impressed with his preogress. My dad was an excellent crew. I would run by and tell him to have a drink ready in one mile, then I would just run past, grab it, and continue. The climb to Dugway Pass was pleasant. I ran most of it with short hikes mixed in. It felt good to run uphill using a different group of muscles. At the top Davy Crockett was there offering encouragement. At least I thought he did. His voive was gone but he managed to communicate to me that the run down from the pass would be a good recovery and I would be able to pick up some time. Oh, and I was about to overtake every other runner on the course, even the ones that started at 5 AM. Cool. My last eight miles to Black Rock (mile 48.5) were not terribly fast, but I came through at 6h48m and continued to try to get my first fifty at 7 hours. Done. And then I walked for at least a half mile. I was tired. I needed a break. I asked my dad to drive up a mile and we would go from there. The next five miles toward Fish Springs were slow. My stomach needed to settle. It was feeling like the hottest part of the day, in what seemed like the lowest elevation of the entire course. When I finally arrived at the mile 58 turn-around, I simply told the girl my name and number and turned around. I started to feel better and my running became more consistent. About three miles out from the turn-around I began to see the other runners behind me. They all looked reasonably good. Phil L. looked terrific, moving along well. I began to worry about him slowly catching me over the next 30 miles. I did not see Kelly or Mark anywhere on the run back to Black Rock so I had assumed they both dropped. (Kelly was in his truck when I ran past so I did not see him. Mark, I learned later, had dropped at Black Rock.) Cherrie, leading the women's race, was dancing to some uplifting music when I saw her on the way out to Fish Springs. She was moving quickly and looked to have lots of energy.

When I arrived back at Black Rock I saw friends Francesco and Travis enjoying their first fifty mile finish party. They looked terrific. I wished I could have enjoyed that cookout food but my stomach would not allow it. I kind of stumbled around for a few minutes then decided I should keep moving. My wife had now taken over as crew chief, and she set me up with hot noodle soup for my run out of Black Rock. The sun was setting and the moon was rising. The long sleeves came out and for the last 30 miles I ate almost nothing: A half banana, some soup, some almond butter, 8 jelly beans. I was done with water. from there on in it was Coke, Sprite, Cactus Cooler, chocolate milk, and orange juice. I ran to the pass with my headlamp on, mainly to alert passing vehicles that I was on the road. Otherwise, the moon was bright and provided enough light to run the entire night through the desert without my light. From the top of Dugway Pass I got into the most pleasant downhill charge I have ever had 80 miles into a hundred mile race. I got down to 6 minute mile pace and put 3 miles behind me like they were nothing. The remainder of the night was a pattern of running slow, then fast, then some walking, then running slowly, then stretches of fast. With about 15 miles to go I was on a long, straight stretch of Pony Express trail. When vehicles passed going out ahead of me, I could see their tail lights for 30 minutes. I was wondering why they were all driving so slowly. They looked only a mile away but really they were 13 miles away and still right in front of me. Behind me I saw the same illusion, but with headlights. And those headlights looked like a runner's headlamp. And that headlamp was drawing near, quickly. "That must be Phil! Kelly dropped (I had assumed) and Phil is surging. Dammit! He's getting closer. I really wanted that pony trophy. Ah well. Next year, maybe. There's no way I can stay ahead of that. Got to keep running." Then a vehicle finally rolled up to me and past. I looked back and could see several vehicles descending from the pass, but they were all so far away. One of the vehicles to pass me on the way to the finish was driven by Davy Crockett, the race director. He told me Kelly was behind me about 5 miles, to which I was surprised because I believed he was out. I was struggling to get this thing done, and my aggressive goals had been slipping away all afternoon and evening. Finally I began the last eight mile uphill stretch that seemed to go by faster, then my expected 5 mile surge kicked in and I was feeling the end getting closer. The truck at Simpson Springs corral was the finish, and was a lone, bright beacon of light in the desert. An enormous sense of relief and happiness washed me when I saw the turn off for the last half mile, lit up  with glowsticks. My wife preceeded me in the van and was there to see me finish first in 16 hours 53 minutes. Davy and Russ were there, and Russ's heeler pooch. Davy presented me with the 2013 PET100 pony trophy and this time I let my eyes savor it. Kelly came in a little over an houd later, after I had gone home. I congratulate him on a fine finish. Also, Cherrie came in at 20 hours, winning for the women. Jen Richards went on to lower her 50 mile time, going well under 8 hours; and Kendall won the 50 mile race. I hope to see both of them at other races and next year at PET 100.

While I didn't meet all of my goals for the Pony Express Trail 100, I am very pleased with my 50 mile time, and my 50K time. The first half of the day was the best run I had ever done. I am thrilled with how good I felt for 50 miles. Now I need to build on that, and extend it further.