Jemez Mountain Trail Runs - 2007

I had been looking forward to the event for a while. Started out with a great road trip to Santa Fe, stayed at El Rey Inn, a comfortable adobe style inn with nice gardens that we had been wanting to try for a while. Turns out it was walking distance to our favorite watering hole in Santa Fe, the Second Street Brewery.

Friday before the race, I started feeling a bit funky in the gut. We drove to Los Alamos, checked in, and I was finally able to throw up. Felt a tad better, went to the pre race packet pickup and dinner. Tried to eat but couldn't, then had to run for the parking lot fields to throw up again. Not a good sign of things to come. I was also bummed because I had really been looking forward to this, and I just felt too bad to try to visit with old friends and meet new people.

Went back to hotel and got some soup and crackers. Larry King stopped in to visit while we finalized our drop bags.

Woke up a bit after 3 and felt "ok".

The reace started at 5am and we were off for a short period in the dark. Started out through some horse stables and woke up the horses. Took a wrong turn right past the tunnel, but corrected it with only about 100 yards lost. But now we are at the back of the pack, and the guy who also took the wrong turn pulls ahead. We pass a woman, Dianna, who started the 50k at 5 am.

1st aid station at mile 5 at about 1:10. I figured we should have been there in an hour at the most. Steve Pero was there with words of encouragement. In the next section, someone come up from behind. He had stopped for a potty break, but catches us and leaves us on a climb.

guaje ridge-caballo base?

Hit Caballo base and start to climb and the gut pains kick in. Stop to dig a hole. Have to keep stepping off trail to let descending runners pass. Get to see Skaggs climb. Robert catches up. Finally get to top . Great views.

Robert passes me on the descent. My gut feels like it is ripping from its moorings. Cannot run. Think about dropping at bottom, but decided to continue to mile 17.

I don't reach mile 17 until well over 6 hours. Should have been there by 5. No way to make 33 by 10.5 hours. Starts to rain just as I pull into Pipeline. Robert and I had talked about finishing it off together, so I decide to wait while putting on rain gear. Did not really think I would need it but I had been getting cold since I had been moving so slowly, and I thought better safe than sorry. Also took fanny pack. Robert arrives and we officially drop to the 50 k. We head to the ski lodge. Of course, as soon as we get going, I start feeling better, but I am now in the 50 k. But feeling better does not last long. Soon, I am doubled over again. Robert pulls ahead and I catch up to hime at the ski lodge where he is enjoying a beer. I wonder if one would help, but I dare not risk it. Then I spot a building. Are there restrooms in there I can use?, I ask a volunteer. Yes, she says, and I head off. A nice clean restroom, and I go in and blow more gas than one can imagine. A tad of diarrhea, but mostly gas. But here I discovered I could fart without making a mess!!

I head back out and give my waist pack and rain gear to Larry. He had dropped at 28 and offered to take it for me so it would not press against my stomach. I head out feeling a bit better and try to catch up with Robert. He has been going slowly waiting for me, and we head back to Pipeline. We are both so ragged and figure we can't need much since we switched to the 50k, so we do not even want to get anything from our drop bags. Did not think about the Red Bull till later.

We head on. I am feeling ok at times with my new found freedom of farting, but the gut still hurts pretty bad. It just plain hurts too bad to run, even though there is some great runnable downhill in the section. So I will be walking this in. We are steadily passed by 50 mile runners. We begin to cat and mouse with Dianna, the lady who started the 50 k early. Just when we think we have to be getting close to the end, we are informed that we have 1.6 miles to the next aid station, then 2 MORE miles to the finish. We did not need to hear that. So we kept going, and were greeted at the last aid station by some very happy clowns. Dianna comes into the aid station with a bloody knee, so w have to do pictures. You gotta love ultra running.

A bit into the last 2 miles, I say to Robert if we push we might can still at least beat 12 hours. He looks at me funny and says we are already almost at 12 hours. I apparently turned off my chrono somewhere instead of hitting a split, so my perceived time was way off.

As we near town, we really hope we do not have to go through the horse area again. We finally climb up an area of rock worn down by horses and are glad it is not wet. Reach the top, turn away from the horses, at head to the finish line. 12:41 for 34 miles. It took us 11:50 to drive back to Austin from Los Alamos.