Big Horn 100 Mile

Had a lot to worry about prior to the start:
1. Seven feet of snow made upper aid stations inaccessible so they changed the course. They did a great job at the last minute and didn't sacrifice elevation. Some said the course was tougher but the finish times said otherwise.
2. Incredible lightning storms and hail in the mountains the three nights prior to the race.
3. Rattle snake sightings / warnings.
Bla, bla, bla. Planned for the worse and ended up with great weather, great conditions, great race.

Tony Clark 27:35:24 Wichita KS M 30

Me 28:04:57 Kansas City MO M 43

Kyle Amos 23:27:53 Olathe KS M 32 (Sub 24!!!!!)

I took 38th place of 146 starters and 100 finishers. 12th of 40 in the 40 to 49 age division. My time was 28 hours and 4 minutes. I was thinking I would be in the 33 hour range based on past results of people I know so I’m very happy with my finish. I finished only 29 minutes behind Tony Clark. Tony was the Berryman winner for the 50-mile!

Words, as usual, can’t describe the experience. We started at 11am. Overcast and a little rain - perfect. Night running was cool, clear, short, full moon, amazing. We kept dropping into canyons right along this raging river, then climb back up into the full moonlight where I could almost turn off my light. The climbs were very steep, snow wasn’t bad, some mud - wet feet (blistering), hot in the canyons the next day.

The only downer was the last five miles of flat road into town which seemed like 30 miles. Walked too much at that point. I had a little stomach distress but not bad at all compared to others. I forced myself to take one E-cap on the hour, some sort of food every half hour and toward the end 1 Advil on every even hour (every two hours). Can’t think of anything I would have done differently other than train more for the hills of course. When you live in Missouri, you are never really ready for mountains. Most of the people I was running against were from mountain states which again makes me very happy when I look at my finish time.

I met Scott Jurek, we stayed in the same hotel. He paced the second place guy. According to Kyle Amos, KC friend who took 10th place, you could hear Jurek from the next mountain with all of his hooting, hollering and carrying on. The guy is one tall, wiry ball of energy. Talked to him about nutrition a while. We read most of the same books including “The China Study”. We are on the same path. I told him I added a little wild game back in the diet, quoting findings in “The Omnivores Dilemma”, “In Defense of Food” and “The Omega Three Diet”. He said “I was raised hunting and fishing and do believe there is value” Basically agreed that plants, raw and variety most of the time is best. Wish I could have had more time with him.
Start
Snow
Sunset Sunrise

Kyle coming in and leaving

Aid Station Medical checkOn my way out

These bluffs glow in the full moon later

Runners (click to open) This race starts with a 17-mile climb.

Luckily, also ends with a 17-mile descent!

Ran with this lady Marti, 44, for much of the race.

Tony Clark

Canyons at roughly 10 and 90 miles

Top of the big climb we did twice. See the runners at the top.
Tornado damaged pines

Kyles finish line kick

Tony's finishMy finishProud Trail nerds
Winners

Jeff Browning 18:56:28 Bend OR 36

Ronda Sundermeier 25:10:59 Tigard OR 41

Sub 24 hour studs

Me, Kyle and Tony with our running bling.
This is one of many reasons I absolutely love this sport. I'm considered young at 43. The winners (best of the best) are 36 and 41 years old. I'm still learning and getting better. If this were basketball, soccer, etc. the young guys would wipe the floor with me. This guy ran the 50k, this is a tough mountain 50k. He is 81 years old. This is my hero, So cool.

Life is good.