Bandera 100k - January 10th 2009

Pulling into the “Lodge” camping area at Hill Country State Natural Area (SNA) at 4:00 P.M. on Friday, I knew this race was going to be a little different than past Bandera races. There were significantly more campers lining the parking area than from the year prior and this was despite the fact that it was going to get significantly colder later that night. Everyone seemed to be oblivious to the future weather change as most were in shorts and short sleeve shorts. It was a beautiful January Texas evening and everyone was soaking it in.

My wife, Crystal, our two friends, Laurie and Matt, and I set-up our tents as quickly as we could while talking with many runners including my Team Traverse teammates, Brad Quinn, Josue Stephens, and Dalton Wilson, who were camping nearby. Texas’ legendary camaraderie is quite prevalent at Joe’s races and this one was no exception. With our campsite set-up we made our way over to the pre-race meal and trail brief.

The Race Director, Joe Prusaitis, and his assistant, Henry Hobbs, went through the course brief. Nothing unusual except we were told there was a slight deviation in the course that had to be rerouted due to last minute “park work”. We later found that a horse had broken its leg between two large rocks and had to be euthanized by a vet during the evening. Later it would be moved off the course and left for the coyotes and mountain lions. I’m sure Joe decided not to tell us all in case we took it as a sign of things to come. The meal was the standard spaghetti with meat sauce, salad and dessert but it satisfied and let everyone focus on race preparation.

Bandera is a 25K, 50K and 100K trail race that takes place in the Hill Country SNA. There is a 50K loop for the 50 and 100K’ers and a modified 25K loop that takes in most of the challenging parts of the 50K course. The terrain in Bandera is challenging. It is a very technical course with short, steep climbs, no switchbacks and in sections the trail consists of rocks piled on rocks. Runners come to this race for two reasons: the super nice people and the super nasty Texas hill country trail.

We were then off to the tents for bed. I slept like a rock until 2:00 A.M. when the wind started kicking up. Five good hours of sleep is still pretty good prior to a race, so I read and thought about my good fortune to be surrounded by great people and having the opportunity to participate in such a wonderful event.

5:30 A.M. did come quickly, and it was quite cold out. I think it was below freezing so I put on my race gear and layered up to try and stay warm. It took nearly an hour to get some coffee made so I was suddenly more in a hurry to get everything worked out of the system than I had planned. Thankfully I was able to get to the start in enough time to catch-up with some of my fellow runners and get some good pre-race shots. It was going to be a strong field this year. Some of the favorites were Josue Stephens, Steven Moore, Glenn Mackie, Jamie Cleveland, Peter Vrolijk and Scott Eppelman for the men and Melanie Fryar, Melissa Heggen and Bridget DeLarosa for the women. It would be an interesting day.

There are six sections on the course. Three of the sections are full of short steep climbs. There is a lot of loose limestone everywhere and many of the hills are punctuated with short drop offs. The other three sections consist of trails that meander through rolling savannah hills. Psychologically the easier sections are more difficult as there isn’t anything that can’t be run while the more physically challenging sections make it easy to determine when to back off and when not too.

Josue shot out of the starting line like a bullet with a number of us in tow. I knew to let Josue go as his style is to put as much time into everyone early. Despite this I still found myself going fairly fast. Within 5 or 10 miles I noticed I didn’t turn on my Garmin, so I really had no idea how fast I was going. It felt like it was getting colder as the wind picked up, and I was super stiff. I was having a lot of doubts about finishing this one as things were just not loosening up. So I decided I would back off and just have fun.

Stephen, Glenn, Scott, Peter and I played a lot of leapfrogging with each other as we each took turns at the lead. We never were too far from one another, and if you got passed you were certain to catch up at the next aid station. At one point when I was alone, I heard a group of wild boar in the wooded area adjacent to the trail. Thankfully they preferred to ignore me as they have a reputation of being aggressive when threatened, especially if there are young boars present.

After getting passed by Jamie and passing Josue who was having ankle trouble, I felt a lot better around mile 26 which was timely because I was about to hit Lucky Peak. Lucky, Cairns and Boyles are three nice climbs, evenly spaced that makeup the last 8 miles of the 31 mile loop. Lucky is probably the nastiest climb and descent on the course. It is nearly straight up and straight down with a lot of boulders and some washout on the descent that makes it particularly tricky. Cairns is a relatively mild climb and rewards you with a nice ridge to run on for a time. Boyles just seems to go on forever with continual hills that are steep enough you want to walk, but not so steep in most places that you can run.

It was great to get back to the Lodge to pick up my pacer, Pete Mehok, and get back out for round two. Pete is a fast, smart runner and I was counting on him to help me keep a constant pace. Turns out he wouldn’t disappoint. I grabbed peanut butter sandwiches and some Heed, and we headed out.

As we climbed the first big hill, Sky Island, Pete told me how he and 5 others were dispatched to help drag the dead horse out of the trail and dump it over the side of a cliff. Apparently pacing me 50 kilometers was easier than dragging that dead horse 15 meters.

Things were really starting to loosen up for me, and I finally realized I might have a good race after all. Pete was helping me keep an even pace. He provided just enough conversation to help keep my mind off the pain but not too much so as to lose focus.

On the other side of Sky Island you enter a much different world. It is a desert canyon land and the most prominent flora is sotol, a cactus like plant that has serrated edges, and in many parts of the trail is unavoidable. It was certainly much colder here and the wind was really picking up. Maybe that’s why the sotol felt even sharper than in the past. Maybe it was all in my head, but one look at my blood covered legs made me believe otherwise. The cuts are minute but they peppered my legs from my ankles to my shorts.

After climbing Ice Cream Hill the wind calmed down and it seemed to take a lot longer to get to the aid station than I had remembered. I had been feeling on the verge of cramping, so for the last 15 miles or so I had been taking a lot of salt. In fact, I was taking as much as I have when it was hot. Although Endurolytes are fairly light compared to others, I was taking 4 of them every hour or so. As a result I ran out of water this section and was really looking forward to the Nachos aid station. Nachos was a welcome sight, and you knew it was around the corner because they were blasting country music which seemed strangely appropriate after just running through a particularly beautiful if not Texas hill country canyon. Pete suggested I eat some banana, and I chugged some Heed and set off as quickly as possible.

The next relatively flat section seemed to go on forever. Pete helped me keep a steady, even pace, and we made relatively good time into Chapas. We had caught up to Peter Vrolijk and had passed Scott Epelman someplace during this section.

Coming out of Chapas, Pete advised me to hang on to Peter as best I could as he was known to have a very even, steady pace. I’m not sure if it was the wind or the rolling hills of this section, but I had a very hard time maintaining pace and I fell back coming into the Crossroads aid station.

Crossroads is aptly named as you hit this aid station twice on each 50K loop. This is the only aid station I had a drop bag at and more importantly, this is the aid station where my wife was volunteering. So it was a pleasure to see her and have her experience to help get me in and out efficiently. And in and out it was: down a Red Bull, get a Heed refill, grab a turkey sandwich and get out of there. As I walked out of the aid station eating my turkey sandwich Crystal informed me that Steven was just 3 minutes ahead. OK sounds great. Steven is a friend and I would love to catch him.

The next section, Three Sisters, is an out and back that takes you back into the canyon area of the park. You take a jeep road out for ½ mile and then drop down into a ravine. Then you work your way up a steep climb and out to a ridgeline full of sotol. On the climb I could see Peter Vrolijk working his way up and that gave me some strength to try and catch him. I was feeling a lack of strength in my quads on the descent into Crossroads. This would limit my ability to make time on the remaining down hill portions of the trail.

Back into Crossroads, another Red Bull, sandwich and Heed refill. Crystal handed me my flashlight, and I was out of there. As I was walking out, Crystal mentioned that Steve was just one minute ahead of me. I also noticed that Peter Vrolijk and Scott Eppelman were now just behind me. Pete was jazzed about the situation, and I agreed that we could reel Steven in.

I picked up the pace as best I could this next section to try and catch Steven. I knew I had about 3 miles of flat trail before I got to Lucky Peak. I was going as fast as I could while going just slow enough to prevent my quads and calves from locking up in a cramp. I could feel that I was in danger of cramping if I were to go any faster, so I held that pace. Even though it is relatively flat, I like this section as it meanders back and forth and is both shaded, which didn’t help that day, and protected from the wind, which did. Also, you know you are only one aid station from the end, so it is a psychological boost to your morale.

Up Lucky we went, and I was going slowly. I took this opportunity to eat several Endurolytes and the last bit of energy bar I would need until the end. My plan was to only consume a gel in the last section and spend zero time at the aid station. The descent off of Lucky sure was a lot more difficult to negotiate than the last time, but I managed to flow through it as efficiently as I could despite the lack of strength in my quads.

Heavy metal was blaring as we entered Last Chance aid station. Again, this seemed strangely appropriate at the time. I was pumped up now and ready to go. I heard my pacer, Pete, ask for a shot of Tequila, and I chugged down a glass of Heed and left without filling up my bottles or grabbing any food. My wife notified me that Steven was now 2 or 3 minutes ahead; despite my efforts to reel him in he had actually made time on me!

I was going strong now and wanted to run fast, but I kept reminding myself to run smart and not blow myself up 2 miles from the end. I guess the shot of Tequila did something to Pete because I was now having trouble keeping up with him, and he was running a good 30 yards ahead of me for the entire 5 mile section. This was good. I was running the flats hard and running most of the less steep up-hill sections. Cairns climb went by quickly and the flats on top of the ridge were enjoyable, but it seemed like it took forever to get up Boyles Bump. Fortunately I was able to run a good deal of the Boyles climb, and on the descent I started really picking up the pace.

I always seem to finish hard and this was no exception. It makes me wonder how much I may have left on the course. We cruised in to the valley where the Lodge and finish line were. I could see the race clock now and people were all cheering. Pete was yelling, “ride it in, feel the speed, oh yeah”! I crossed the finish in 10 hours and 36 minutes, third overall, just 2 minutes behind Steven. I never had to use my light, which really hit me as remarkable. This was probably my best race to date, and I am super happy with the finish.

Bandera is the quintessential Texas Hill Country race course. It is close to sea level and the climbs are not long, but they are steep and full of obstacles. The course has mixture of sun, shade, climbs and flats to keep it interesting the whole way. But the best feature is the people who make this race happen. The aid stations are comprised of seasoned ultra runners, the race management is top notch and atmosphere is warm and friendly.

If you have an opportunity to get down to Texas and are looking for a great race in January, I recommend giving Bandera 100k a try. You will get a good appreciation of the hill country and the Texas people that will keep you coming back for more.

2 posts in 3 months

2 posts in 3 months.....

Like my training runs I like to start slow; in this case it's been a crawl. So I guess I better get my Headlands race report up. It was a wonderful experience but I had to take some time off after the race to regroup mentally more than anything else.

Don't get me wrong, I've been running. But without a formal goal in mind it's been freeing; a vacation of sorts. I have been focusing on running fast and easy - getting back to that feeling that got me hooked on trail running to begin with.

My "vacation" couldn't have come at a better time. I've been asked to join Team Traverse Trail Running. I know that some will question my decision and the team in general. But I do believe the motives of the team are good and direction Brad and Josue are taking it will benefit the trail scene in central Texas in many ways. I have promised myself not to let it get to my head. I support the team and our actions will prove themselves. Hopefully we will do well in races but more importantly I hope we are able to help give back to trail running and the communities who graciously allow us practice our sport.

That being said, I have to make some decisions soon regarding my plans for this winter/spring season. Fuego y Agua is weighing on my mind but I've got to make sure it fits in with the family and work plans. Plus if I do it, I don't have long to get ready for 100k with 2 3,000' climbs.

Well that's what's on my mind... next up... Headlands 100 race report.

Welcome to my blog. I know it's about time I put one up but better late than never. I am preparing for my first 100 Miler - Headlands 100 in Marin County California. I did my last long run this weekend with Ryan Beard. We did almost 30 miles Friday night from 10-4, starting at Powerline and hitting HOL on our way to Lady Bird Trail, stopped off at 6th street for a slice of Pizza at Roppolo's (we checked out all the partiers who were checking us out too... that was interesting to say the least). We went to check out the full moon drum line in the pedestrian tunnel over by Austin High and it is either not really going on anymore or we were off by one day. There were a few guys, a bongo, and a fire but they weren't really groovin' while were there. We then did a number of hills in Rollingwood on our way back to HOL. Ryan said we hit 9700 feet of elevation gain..... pretty good considering we only ran a little less than 30 miles. I felt pretty good on this run and hit it a little hard for the last few miles.

I then went out on Saturday at 1:30 for another 10-12 miles of heat training. It was hot, hot, hot! Katie, my Springer Spaniel, was certainly feeling it. We hit the secret watering holes about every four miles to make sure she was hydrated and wet but she didn't want to get out of the water. That's unusual for her because she is the most running centric being I have ever encountered.

Anyway it is taper city for me from here on out.

I am really looking forward to Headlands 100. I am wishing it was sooner, but I am well trained and will be well tapered by the time it comes around. I think I will do really well, Meredith Terranova kindly hooked me up with Steve Ansell from out there to pace me for the second 50. He seems like a great guy and had a great race last year despite getting some bonus miles in. Hopefully he will keep me going and keep us on course. I am so thankful for his support.

Will post more later.... we have a lot of catching up to do!
-John