Javelina Jundred 100k - My First Ultra-Marathon

It took forever to get here and then all of a sudden it is gone and it has been a week later. Some how I got the idea in my head back in May of this year (2013) to do a 100k. Javelina Jundred 100k seemed like the perfect race for me to do. The race takes place out in the desert of Arizona and is a 15 (point something) loop that runners do 4 times to finish a 100k. The run is in late October which is perfect weather for ultra running.

Anyways, it wasn't until I was at the Denver airport Friday morning Oct 25th that I realized how crazy this whole thing was. But before I knew it, the morning of October 26th came and I was to start my first ultra marathon. I had everything prepared and ready so I knew the only thing left to do was to get started and get the race over with.

Frist Lap // Mile 0 - 15

- Wasn't too bad. Was staying on top of my hydration and gels per hour. Didn't need to stop for any extra water or anything. My plan was to do a fast walking pace, run the downhill's, and alternate running or walking through the flat sections.

- About 500 feet from the headquarters (end of the first 15 miles) I started feeling nauseous and eventually sat down under a bush to relax. Got back up a few minutes later and finished Lap #1

Second Lap // Mile 15 - 30

- This was the bad part. My nausea got worse and every 15 to 20 minutes I was feeling like I was going to pass out or throw up. So I would find shade under a bush, cactus, rock, anything really and to stop recover. This went on for about 6 miles until I got to an ad station.

- This wonderful aid station was ready for me with a cot, iced sponges, water, bag of ice and lots of food. I could really only eat pretzels and potato chips, but that was all I needed to feel better and get back on to the trail. I had no problems for the last 9.8 miles to the headquarters and then I had 30 miles under my belt (just no belt buckle yet).

- Oh the other problem I start having was some really sore and tight muscles in my legs. At one of the aid stations one of the volunteers showed me a stretch to help release the tightness and I repeated this stretch as often as I could.

- Lap #2 Finished

Third lap // Mile 30 - 45

- Started off well. Keeping up my pace, but once the sun went down that is where the whole race changed. Walking over 7 miles in the dark felt like I was wandering around going nowhere and it lasted FOREVER. It was miserable.

- Had a mental break down a mile away from an aid station. Being passed by an 8 year old and her two pacers at a fast jogging pace didn't help my mental state either, but I eventually made it to the aid station only to continue right on through for another 6 or so miles to the main headquarters.

- I was pushing to get my third lap done with the hopes that I would have a pacer for the last lap. To my disappointment there weren't any pacers available. This just crushed me. Physically I knew I could keep going, but to spend over 5 more hours out in the dark just moving forward was becoming a huge fear that wasn't going away.

- So I called up my friend Cindy and had another mental break down. Cindy has swum 11 miles with me, we've gone backpacking for a week together and she has done a half ironman. Her husband is also a badass and I knew that they were the perfect people to talk to at this time.

Fourth Lap // Mile 45 - 62

- On my fourth and final lap I headed out. Not happy, sore, nauseous was still bugging me, but I had Cindy on the phone. We talked during the rough parts of the next 6 some odd miles. Then I got to the aid station where I only had 9.8 miles left of the race. There I lay down on a cot with a sleeping back and just hung out. It was so nice to be around other people, light, people and soon Andy (the only person I knew in the whole race and the reason I was doing this race in the first place) came along on his 5th lap.

- Mentally this race was defeating me. Physically I was sore but fine to continue. The volunteers were supportive and gave me the advice of "Stop thinking and just keep going. You'll eventually get there." With that I rolled out of my warm cot and sleeping back and left a safe haven of music, light, people, food and ride back to the headquarters to go back out into the dark alone.

- Sorry for the drama, but seriously this was the hardest part of the race. I did keep going and once I got to the aid station that was only 2 miles away from the finish line I picked up the pace. I was able to run most of the 2 miles in to the finish line and then was so happy to have it all over with.