This past weekend, I ran the Rocky Raccoon 100 mile trail race in Huntsville, TX . It was my second 100. My first was Hallucination 100 in Michigan last September, where I actually ran 106 miles after getting lost on the first loop.
The Rocky Raccoon 100 course is known for lots of roots. The course this year was four 25-mile loops. Because of rain, the course turned to mud, and the race had a high drop out rate with 201 finishers and roughly 145 who did not finish. Runners had 30 hours to complete the course. My friends Linda and Holly came along as my crew and pacers.
Here is my brief, stream of thought summary of the race:
Loop 1: Light drizzle, seemed fun, hey look! Nice fast downhill road for some fast miles! Aid station has bacon! Hmmm, these roots are getting numerous. 8.5 mile out and back stretch of roots with no aid station food. Say what?? Rain sets in. Split time 5:57:17 (on target with planned 6 hour).
Loop 2: Rain. Downhill road no longer fast from mud. Not loving these roots. Even more rain. 8.5 mile out and back stretch of roots with no aid station food. Say what?? Split time 6:36:36 (on target with planned 6:30 hour).
Loop 3: Fun with Holly pacing in fog. Mud prevents running the downhill road. Slow going in roots in the dark, sometimes surrounded by mud. 8.5 mile #&$ing stretch of roots with no aid station food. F that! Holly hallucinates an armadillo. Tripping, stubbing toes, twisting ankles, singing silly stuff. Arrive to start and freak out about time. Split time 8:33:34 (off target of planned 7 to 7:30 target). Below is me after 75 miles. I look happy for all of my fatigue!
Loop 4: Fun with Linda pacing. Banked time early when could. Picked our way up and down previously fast hill that is now covered in mud. Complete 8.5 mile out and back by dropping constant f bombs at every root and mud bog. Various times of crazy singing. Linda lying to me about cutoffs. MAGIC BACON! Crawl to finish with sprained ankle. Split time 7:53:53. (Positive off target of planned 8:00 target).
Got my shiny buckle! Total time 29:01:20
This course made my 106 miles at hallucination seem like a cakewalk.
Misc key moments: All of that and I didn’t get to see a F’ing armadillo. What the heck kind of frog makes all that noise? Was that an owl or a human? Is that a glowing barrel or hallucination? (It was a glowing barrel). Why can’t we think of a single Cher song? F bomb video. No Holly, that wasn’t an armadillo! Magic Bacon!
Most important: Great times with great friends. I really owe it all to Holly and Linda!!