Before I start off talking about this run, I want to thank my parents for all their love and support, especially over the last 2 years. When life has gotten crazy and has started spinning out of control, they have always been there for me. Since I started running these 100 mile events back in 2010, they have seen me run 18 out of the 19 events that I have finished... and countless 50 mile and 50k races.
I need to thank Chris Cupp for coming out to the race for the last 5 years and helping crew and pace me. He has gotten my through some pretty difficult mental and physical times during this event.My girlfriend Samantha... You came into my life when I was least expecting to find someone. You've shown me that you love me when I'm at my lowest, and that you will help me reach my highest.
I also need to thank Saucony for giving me the opportunity to be a part of their ambassador program and for supplying me with shoes and apparel for these events... and a special thanks to Sunny Arada for doing speed workouts on the track with me in the middle of summer here in Fresno.
...And now, I'll start the story of my 7th running or the Headlands 100.
On September 10th I set out on my 7th consecutive running of the Headlands 100 mile ultra marathon. Back in 2010 this was the very first 100 mile event that I ever ran, and I've been lucky enough to run it every year since that. It is the one event that I make sure I'm able to run every year. It is the course and place that I feel most at home when running. I love every step of this race.
Mile 0-25
At the start of the race I had a goal time in my head. I've wanted to finish the race in 26 hours for the last few years, and I really wanted to hit that goal this year. The race started out on a good note. I saw a few friends at the start line, the weather was nice and cool, and I was feeling mentally and physically good. I felt like everything was going well and in my head I wanted to finish the first 25 miles loop in 5 hours and 30 mins. To my surprise I was able to finish the first loop a little ahead of the time I was expecting. 5 hours and 15 mins into the event I was leaving the aid station at mile 25 and starting on my 2nd of 4 loops.
Mile 25-50
It was good starting the 2nd loop off on a positive note. I was 15 mins ahead of my planned time and I was feeling pretty strong. I wasn't just feeling physically strong, but I was feeling mentally strong. I was really focused of the run, the course, and I was feeling very happy out to be out there running.
During this part of the run I still had the 26 hour finishing goal in my head, but I wasn't trying to let it stay in my head too much. I wanted to hit this goal, but I wasn't 100% positive if it was attainable at this time. While I was very well under the average pace I needed to be at to finish under 26 hours, it was still early in the race and I knew that as the mileage increased that my pace would slow down. I knew that when I finished the 2nd loop it would still need to be daylight, and it would still have to be daylight when I hit the mile 54 aid station if I was going to realistically hit a sub 26 hour finish.
Mile 50-75
I left mile 50 with my headlamp, but knew that if I wanted to hit sub 26 hours I needed to be pretty far before I really needed to even use my headlamp. Every year that I've ran this event I've never made it to mile 54 in the daylight, it's always been dark. My goal from mile 50-54 was to run as fast as I could and try to hit the Tennessee Valley aid station at mile 54 while it was still daylight. I have to honestly say that I was surprised when I sowed up at mile 54, and my headlamp was still off. I had made it to Tennessee Valley... and there was still some daylight out. This really boosted my confidence, and I left mile 54 in a hurry so I could see how much further I could run in the daylight.
At mile 62 I was able to pick up my first pacer. While I was running mile 54-62 it felt nice to know that I would soon be running with someone after a long day of running by myself. I was also having a really good run so far, and I knew that having someone to run with would help me maintain the pace I was running. It would also give me a nice mental break. Sometimes it's nice to let someone else set the pace while you just run behind them.
Samantha picked up with me at mile 62 and she paced me up until mile 75. It was nice having her out there with me. Samantha did an awesome job pacing me. She led the way for 13 miles and kept me at the pace I need to be at for a 26 hour finish. We had a blast running under the Golden Gate Bridge in the middle of the night, and it was nice having her push me to meet my goal.
I figured that if I wanted to finish in under 26 hours I would have to reach mile 75 within 19 hours because I felt like I could run the last 25 miles in 7 hours and that would give me a 26 hour finish.
Mile 75-100
Samantha helped get me through the end of the second loop, and now it was time for Chris to take over for the last loop. We left mile 75 well under my goal time. I wanted to arrive at mile 75 within 19 hours of the event, and I was happy to have arrived early with Samantha's help. Chris and I left mile 75 at 18 hours and 38 mins into the event. This was awesome... but I was starting to doubt if I would maintain my pace. I was still worried about falling off of pace and not hitting my goal.
Chris and I were somewhere around mile 80 when I started really thinking that a 26 hour wouldn't happen. I started talking to him about secondary goals. I told Chris, "I really don't think a sub 26 hour is going to happen, but as long as it's under 27 hours I'll be happy. 26 hours and 30 mins would be nice... but 26 hours and 45 mins would be fine..." I had it in my head at this point that I wasn't going to make my goal of finishing in under 26 hours.
In order for me to finish under 26 hours I would have to hit the Muir Beach aid station (mile 92) before sunrise. Typically I arrive back at Tennessee Valley (mile 88) just after sunrise. Reaching mile 92 in the dark sounded totally unattainable.
After discussing options with Chris, I told him that I still wanted to run as hard as I could, and that I still felt like I should give a sub 26 hour finish a shot.
Chris and I pushed the pace from the Golden Gate aid station to the Tennessee Valley aid station. When we showed up to Tennessee Valley I was feeling pretty pumped up. We come into the aid station and it was still dark... I had beat the sunrise!!! We left that aid station just as fast as we arrived.
I told Chris, "Let's see how for we can get before the sun comes up." I was feeling strong and the uphill sections weren't slowing me down very much. We were making good time and it was still dark, but the sun was slowly starting to come up. As the sun was rising we could see the mile 92 aid station.
We made a quick stop at the Muir Beach aid station and took off as fast as we could. I looked at my watch and was surprised to see that I was just a few mins off from where I needed to be for a sub 26 hour finish. I knew that I had one really hard section from Muir Beach to Tennessee Valley that I usually self-destruct on, but I was making good time, and I was feeling pretty strong.
We came up to Pirates Cove and I looked at the uphill stairs I had ahead of me. This is the part where I tend to fall apart... but not today. I attacked the stairs and didn't let up on my pace. Somewhere on this uphill I has lost Chris. I got to the top of the uphill and took off. At mile 94 I looked at my watch and realized that this was going to be the day that I finally broke 26 hours at this race.
I was now running as fast as I could. I came up to the Tennessee Valley aid station (mile 96) and saw my parents and Samantha waiting for me. I gave them my hydration pack and took off running with just one of my water bottles. I didn't need the pack weighing me down for the last 4 miles. I told them that Chris was right behind me and that I would see them at the finish line.
24 hour and 52 mins into the run I was leaving Tennessee Valley... and I was heading to the finish line. This was very emotionally overwhelming for me. I was finally going to meet a goal that I've been wanting for so long. There were moments during the run where I didn't think it was going to happen, but I kept pushing through anyway.When I arrived at the finish line I couldn't believe it... 25 hours 44 mins and 32 sec. I had not only made it well under my goal time, but I had crushed my previous best time on this course (27 hours 28 mins 58 sec) by about by 1 hour and 45 mins.
Until next time...
KEEP RUNNING!!!!
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