The Tour (part iii: The Journey)

A Journey Around Texas

Tour De Los Tejas 600 km | Ultra #072

In case you haven't read my 2 prior blogs (part i: Preparation, part ii: The Hay is in the Barn), I have been preparing for this run for a long time now. Basically since the summer months. I've been building up my mileage like never before. Secondly, I have been running so much roads and neighborhoods on purpose to get the body used to the pounding that only pavement can dish out. This was hard for me as I fancy myself a trail runner and only run on roads out of necessity or laziness to get to the dirt. Finally, I have just been mentally preparing for the fact this is going be a full week of running. I needed to engage my mind around that because I don't know how long this would take me and I need to be prepared to be out there to see the distance through no matter the time on course.

The Final Days

4 days to go...

I was printing off my map (for my crew), uploading the final .gpx version of the route into my watch, and also setting up my customized screens on my Garmin fēnix® 6X - Pro Solar Edition. I also created a simple crew checklist I would provide to my family that we would read though each time we met up. It's a list of simple things, but when I'm tired from sleep deprivation and not thinking clearly the checklist will serve clarity to the must dos each time I arrive and leave with my family (i.e. crew).

3 days to go...

Busy day trying to get my usual week of IT project work done before Thursday a.m. when I have booked my time off. I went on walk today during lunch and then a short run after work. The evening rolls around and as I hang out with my wife I am starting to sort my rabbit gear and get my other essentials ready in my Victory Sportdesign gear bags. Next was ensuring all my headlamps are charged and ready, and then my Anker power banks. Also, I wrote down exactly what I want to carry “on-hand” in my NATHAN Trailmix 12 L race pack to have on me at all times. This will serve as a good reminder that I have everything I want when I start.

2 days to go...

Ensuring the .gpx course is loaded

Today I made a quick trip to the store (a rarity these days) to get a bunch of my favorite sweet & salty snacks. Also a staple in my ultrarunning had to get some Coca-Cola. We also received the final-final .gpx version of map tonight so I re-uploaded that on my Garmin and on the Gaia app for my phone. Trying to attempt to get a good sleep in as I know sleep the night before is not the easiest.

 

1 day to go...

All about getting my crew “support” vehicle ready. Putting all my spare/extra gear in here for when we do meet up. Filled our YETI Tundra 45 cooler with all my yummy favorites: Coca-Cola, gummy worms, assorted nuts, chips, tailwind, Gatorade, flavored water, and even a couple IPAs. All left to do is get some sleep, drive a couple hours, and check in, and run. Let the journey begin!

Packing our van with my daughters.

The Race

Friday, February 05th, 2021

Essential coffee for our drive to Austin, TX
in our rabbit YETI mugs. 

Alarm goes off at 04:15!! My wife and I slowly get out of the warm cozy bed. First I savor these last moments as I know it maybe another full week before I get the comfort of an actual bed (especially my own). We make our coffee and gather up the small breakfast items we made for the kids. Pack all the little ones in the van and buckle everyone up. By 04:50 we are on the road and headed west making our way towards the Texas Capitol in Austin. The 3 hours drive from our home in Sugar Land seemed to go by fairly quickly as I was full of race day anticipation, nerves, and excitement. Our 4 young girls were all sleeping in the back, and I think my wife even nodded off for a bit so I was alone in my own thoughts for a good portion. We got to the Capitol building parking garage right around 08:00 which gave me about an hour of final gathering of my gear before the mandatory 09:00 pre-race meeting. It was a bit chilly out as the sun had not warmed the air quite yet. I anxiously gathered my gear and arranged my water bottles as I fumbled around awaiting the meeting. Katie, my wife, always jokes about how I am always waiting till the very last moments even when we arrive and have tons of time, I think this is just my way of dealing with the situation. But as always I grab my stuff and am ready in time, and we head over to the Capitol grounds across the street.

The crispness was still in the air hovering around the mid 50s temperature wise. My family and I walked through the pedestrian gates of the grounds and headed towards the front steps of the Capitol. I spotted the Race Director (Rob Goyen) standing there with a couple other runners already gathered around near the front of the building. I came over greeted everyone and got my bib and race t-shirt.  I placed my race vest down and nervously paced around awaiting the meeting. Being such a small group of runners there was not a lot of chit chat and I think everyone was dealing with the pre-race nerves in their own ways. I did get to say hi and greet my  Team TROT teammates that were also running the event (Dena Carr, Matt Zmolek, Vic Valenzuela).

Gathering just before the start of the journey. My amazing family was there to support me, drop me off, and cheer me on. I can't thank them enough. Photo: JJustis Photography | Trail Racing Over Texas

Pre-race meeting at the Texas Capitol (Austin, TX). Photo: Katie Meding

09:00 strikes and Rob yells out for everyone to listen up. The runners all gather around close and Rob starts to explain the in and the outs of the live tracking devices we are required to wear. The software used for the event was TrackLeaders.com and was able to allow people to follow along live showing all the runners on the map at once - a pretty cool option for all the bubble watchers out there. After the quick information session on the trackers, we all were able to grab our assigned devices and attach them to our packs. The signals were tested and confirmed they were all transmitting data. Then the attention was turned to the route and runner safety. Not much insight was given here as the pre-race emails and communication covered all of this in the weeks and days leading up to the race. Rob just wanted to reinforce the fact safety is the number one priority out there, as we are all basically on our own once the run starts. It was now about 09:20 and the weather started to turn a little on us and the rain came out of the clouds. Since everyone was ready and present Rob made the decision to start at 09:30 instead of waiting in the cold just standing there for another half hour.

Pre-race racer portrait. Photo: JJustis Photography | Trail Racing Over Texas

Starting off. Photo: JJustis Photography | Trail Racing Over Texas

With that the group of 9 runners for the 600km event lined up on the Capitol building all placed our hands directly on the building for a photo. No fancy countdown occurs, Rob just yells "go!".  And just like that the 9 of us press our start buttons on the our watches and you can hear all the beeps along with the pitter patter of the rain coming down. As I leave from the building I walk over to my family giving all my girls a kiss and thanking them. Just like that we are off on a long journey ahead. Down the street from the building through the roads of Austin, TX heading south out of the city.

Heading South out of the city of Austin with Team TROT teammate Dena Carr.
Photo: JJustis Photography | Trail Racing Over Texas

The majority of us are together running the first few blocks as we are stopped and started again by many street lights. The rain is light, but persistent still. Off in the distance blue sky is actually visible and gives hope that the rain will stop. My teammate Dena an I settle in our own pace slightly ahead of everyone else at the front as we continue out of the city. We chat and catch up on things as we run making the first few miles go by fairly quickly. Not too long the way, maybe 20-25 minutes the ran drops start to fade away. I take my light rabbit Elements jacket off and stuff it back in my pack. After a more than an hour cruising along the sidewalks of the city streets we finally get to the outer southern edges of Austin and make our way to the first checkpoint along the route. (Note: there were no actual checkpoints, however in my mind the way I framed the race there was 10 checkpoints: the 7 State Parks and the 3 Buc-ee's stops along the route. This was a nice mental checklist for me and gave me something to focus on at times). As Dena and I came out of the city limits we approached the McKinney Falls State Park entrance. I stopped here and got Dena to take my picture to start my documentation of the route. My goal was to get a picture at all of these 10 checkpoints and other major sightings. Just over 9 miles completed now, only about 375 or so to go!

State Park #1 - McKinney Falls State Park just outside Austin, TX. Photo: Dena Carr.

Dena and I continued together for the entire first 16 miles or so. We got to a fuel station at a road crossing where we were met by some of the TROT race support staff. They provided some donuts to us, and I popped into the store to grab a coke and some chips. Dena sat down on the steps of her van and her

TROT support staff Angelica providing some Voodo Donuts
fuel. Photo: JJustis Photography | Trail Racing Over Texas

husband Frank was there in support of her. We chatted briefly with the crew and Dena's husband, and then thanked everyone and forged on forward. The should of the road narrowed a lot here and so I was running in front and Dena was behind me. Not too far down the road from here I was in my own flow state and just a nice steady pace. I can't recall how long it had been, but I turned around to say something to Dena, but she had fallen back slightly and was no longer with me. I knew at this point I was on my own for now and just had to worry about running my own pace which I was already doing. It was great to have her company for the first portion of the race.

The freedom of the road. Photo: JJustis Photography | Trail Racing Over Texas

State Park #2 - Lockhart State Park.

Coming up on 6 hours into the run I recall passing over the 50 km point on my watch. A small milestone that really means nothing. Everything was still going smooth as the afternoon was pressing on. Next stop was at Lockhart State Park at mile 38 where I grabbed my selfie to document this 2nd item on my checklist as noted above. Also sometime in the afternoon Rob and the race photographer (Jeremiah Justis) stopped randomly to get a couple photos and just to say hi. They were driving up and down the course checking up on everyone that first day. A lot of this section was full of classic Texas ranchlands and farmland with cattle and longhorns. 

As the sun was going down it reminded me to call home and chat with my daughters before they went to bed. It was a brief and chaotic call as they were still excited from the day of travel to and from Austin. It was nice to be able to say goodnight to them before I trudged on into the sunset of day one. Katie and I discussed how tomorrow would look in terms of meeting up and how I was feeling thus far. I assured her I was fine until the morning and would touch base then to arrange a place or time to meet up.

Arriving at first Buc-ee's in Luling, TX

Next stop and goal point for me was just past the town of Luling, TX. Directly off the I-10 near Luling is the classic staple stop of Buc-ee's. If you have never been to Texas, let's just say Buc-ee's is a one of a kind fuel/rest stop that is large like the state of Texas. There are so many fuel pumps and the inside of these stores are jut chocked full of every snack, food, drink, and classic souvenirs you can think of. You must stop at a Buc-ee's every time you are on a road trip in Texas, it is just a given. After navigated the narrow shoulder section between the city of Luling and getting to I-10 I finally saw the glorious beaver of the Buc-ee's sign in the distance. I made to Buc-ee's Luling around 21:00 with an elapsed distance of 58 miles to this point. I spent a good amount of time stopped here, made a bathroom stop, got some food, refilled my hydration bladder & bottles heading into the full night ahead. As I was finishing up my stop and was getting ready to leave southbound again, my TROT teammate Matt Zmolek arrived just as I was leaving. We chatted briefly and checked in with each other. I was honestly too cold to just sit around and wait for him and his full stop which we was just about to start so I continued on as Matt did he self-aid at the Buc-ee's. 

A mere 4 miles down the road was the 3rd State Park on the route. Palmetto State Park was at mile 63 where we had to do a very short out & back to tag the park itself before returning to the road and continuing on. I got my selfie with the sign to continue my documentation and uploaded to my ongoing Instagram story. This was around 23:00 still on the first day.

State Park #3 - Palmetto State Park.

Saturday, February 06th, 2021

Usually my low times in ultramarathon occur in the 4-6am time periods. I am well aware of this by having had so many overnight race experiences. This day I was having a low slightly early, probably due to some poor sleep prior to the race. As I was staggering into Gonzales, TX in the middle of the morning around 02:00 I was basically death marching just trying to stay awake. I was now about 75 miles into the race and fighting off my first battle of the "sleepies" (as I refer to them as). I sat down at a bench out side a middle school in the town and grabbed some gels from my pack. In my effort to revive myself with some calories I was just sitting there and Matt rolled up on me. He came over to me at the bench and checked in. I told him nothing was wrong just fighting a minor low. The effort of comradery got me to my feet and I followed Matt through the remainder of the town of Gonzales. However he was clearly in good spirits and I good not keep his pace, so on the far edge of town here continued on in front of me moving slightly faster and I just settled into a more gradual run-walk pace. 

Fueling up in Shiner, TX.

From Gonzales we continued east towards Shiner, TX. It was super early morning hours and I was still battling my eyelids to stay up. I was getting so close to sunrise but decided I needed to lie down for a quick nap, so at 06:15 I did just that after 88 miles elapsed. A quick 15 minutes in the ditch lying my head on my hydration pack as a pillow and I felt a lot better. I got back up and continued on towards Shiner, TX where the Shiner brewery was located. The route took us right beside the brewery in fact. It was also around this time I texted my wife and we came up with a game plan for our crew meet up for the day.

The next major town stop along the way was Hallettsville, TX. By the time my family had made their way out to meet me I was only about 6 miles outside of this town. Rob, Angelica, and Jeremiah from TROT had just dropped by for a couple more pictures and just to say hello. They were only planning on doing this for these first 2 days to check on the runners. It was a nice surprise to see a familiar face and chat for a minute. After they left I was chatting with my wife telling her exactly where I was and we finally met up about 3 miles east of Hallettsville. I spent a good hour with my family here and it was great to see them. I got a change of clothing, reapplied my Trail Toes anti-friction cream as preventative measure, ate a bunch of snacks, and probably most importantly I got to put my feet up and elevate them for a little while. This was a key thing every time I'd take a break and see my family throughout the event.

Chatting with RD, Rob Goyen, just outside Hallettsville, TX.
Photo: JJustis Photography | Trail Racing Over Texas

My awesome crew. Photo: Katie Meding

I continued on after seeing my family in higher spirits then when I was for sure. It had been overcast all morning and even looked like it might have a chance of rain. But not too far down the road the clouds parted and the sun came out, bringing out that afternoon Texas heat. My phone said it was 75f but it felt a lot warmer in the direct sun on the side of the highway. At 15:30 in the peak heat I took the chance to lie down in the shade briefly for 15 minutes just to cool down and close my eyes. The noise of the rushing traffic was annoying and constant, so not sure if I actually had any true sleep here, but the break in the shade helped out. I got back up and trekked eastbound again.

The draw of the next major city along Highway 90a stretch was Eagle Lake, TX. It was going to be another late night push before I'd reach there. My paced slowed a bunch going into that second night. I knew this was a crucial point as it had been before in my prior 200 milers. As I kept pushing forward and got to Sheridan, TX and stopped and had a nice big meal at a fuel stop here: pizza and coke. The sun had just gone down so I getting out my headlamps and putting on my full reflective gear. At this point I realized my first actual problem of the run...both of my headlamps were out of charge. Even though we had swapped out my old light during the crew stop earlier in the day, I am not sure if we mixed them up or what but I could not get either one to turn on. I had a battery back and cable and as I ate my food I did finally manage to get one of them to charge. The other one seemed completely dead and would not even indicate charging. As I set off from that gas station I also purchased a $5.50 flashlight to take with me as a backup just to get through this night. Once I got to Altair, TX I made another fuel station stop and grabbed some food here. I saw the sign across the way that said 8 miles till Eagle Lake. That was my next goal, and so right around midnight I headed back out on the road in the dark and continued toward Eagle Lake which contained the 2nd Buc-ee's location on the route.

Sunday, February 07th, 2021

Those 8 miles seemed to take forever as the temperature slowly dropped in the wee hours of the night. It was also a bit more windy out that prior and so it was harder to maintain the body heat. It took about 2.5 hours to travel these 8 miles and I arrived in Eagle Lake, TX looking forward to a nice warm Buc-ee's store for refueling and possibly a nap. But as I made a turn in town following the route I spotted this small run down motel, with the Buc-ee's viewable down the street in the distance. I instantly made a quick decision. I went over to that little shady motel and rang the after service bell. It was about 02:45 and now the wind had picked up quite a bit, so I was now quite chilled. The man came to the service door and filled my request for a room. I turned off my live tracker and promptly got into bed. I did not shower, nor do much of anything I simply got out of my clothes, and hung them out to air out, while i propped up pillows below my feet to elevate them. Then I checked on the Live Tracker website and realized I had virtually passed Matt's "stake out" point during the night between Altair & Eagle Lake. Apparently he stopped there and had his wife grab him for a hotel stop as well, so he would be resuming there whenever he got back at it. So technically as I laid down to sleep I was back in the lead and wasn't even aware of it until just now. My alarm was set for 05:30 which meant I got about 2.5 hours of good solid sleep in the motel.

My first unplanned motel stop in Eagle Lake, TX. The cold and windy conditions brought me to this quick decision of a warm room for a break and proper sleep arrangement. I think it was worth it.

I sprung out of bed and got ready as fast as you might think I would at this point, 153 miles into a race. I had texted with Katie and she was going to meet me early in the a.m. on the road as I was relatively close to our house on this side of the course. At exactly 05:51 (only because I noted it) I was back on the road headed back down the street marching towards that Buc-ee's Eagle Lake. This made the perfect breakfast spot. I grabbed a breakfast sandwich and a warm coffee to go. The morning was still super chilly as the sun wasn't fully up yet. I just kept walking briskly forward as I was consuming my breakfast. Eventually I was able to run and get my core temperature up. The highway was quiet at this point and actually quite peaceful as the sun slowly rose off in distance directly eastward. 

Breakfast at second Buc-ee's location in Eagle Lake, TX.

Heading eastbound during sunrise.

It was around 07:30 and my family drove up on me in the other direction. They turned around and found a nice sideroad where we set up our aid station. It was a nice visit and catch up. Since I had just slept this was more about getting fresh clothing, changing out my battery pack, and reapplying my Trail Toes for the day. I got a bunch more calories in as I had my feet up on our van bumper. We tried to keep this stop minimal, I think it was around 40 minutes or so, as I was still fresh off sleep I got up and headed on my way. We had discussed another tentative crew meetup for later afternoon for a potential nap before the night hours.

Photo: Katie Meding

My youngest daughter, Hazel, helping me fuel up. Photo: Katie Meding

Continuing on Highway 90a for what seems like forever the next city was East Bernard, TX. As I approached the edge of town it was just a few minutes below 11:00. I spotted a Subway sign and thought this would make a great lunch. The subway store was closed, said it opened at 11:00. So I walked into the adjoining convenience store and grabbed a giant Red Bull and some chips. I sat down outside of Subway eating my snack in the meantime waiting for them to open. I waited and waited till about 11:07 and finally after knocking and not seeing anyone move inside I headed further into town for my next prospect of a lunch stop. Luckily I spotted a nice little BBQ spot less than a block off the main route. I went and got my fill there, which was probably a lot better than Subway after all.

A well deserved lunch break in East Bernard, TX.

Back on the road and not too long later we finally got to head south on the outer tip of the course that ran down to Brazos Bend and back. The afternoon was relatively warm again, but not like the day before. I was still making decent time I thought. Late afternoon came around and Katie and the girls were about to meet up with me again. This time they brought some nice pizza for me. Yummy! Ate a bunch of calories and got fully rehydrated as the kids ate their pizza with me as well. Then I checked on the tracker and noticed Matt was about 5 miles behind me (so like ~1 hr or slightly more). I opted to lay down for a nap and wake up around the time he would be passing through which would be right around sunset as well. I had completed 182 miles at this point. I arose some a good 45 minutes of rest which definitely revived me a little. As I was getting bundled and ready for the night miles Matt came rolling up beside our van which was parked just off the road slightly. I told him to hang tight for 2 minutes and I'd run with him, which he did. With that I said goodbye to my family and had my warmer gear with me for a cooler night ahead, but now I had a running buddy for now.

More fuel. Photo: Katie Meding.

Another perfect sleeping location, side of a county road. Photo: Katie Meding.

Off we went catching on on how our respective journey's have been going. Matt was having some Achilles issues on one side and so he was down to a mean power walk pace. But let me tell you Matt's ultra walking pace is near 4 mph anyway, most people can't keep pace walking, I know I barley can, sometime I find it easier to shuffle along beside him instead. We spent the next 6 hours just plotting along keeping forward momentum working towards the low end of the course. I was feeling decent but decided to stick with Matt until the turn around. A couple time he tried to get me to continue on without him, but I was not in a hurry just yet. 

Met up with my Team TROT teammate (Matt Zmolek) for a bunch of night miles. We kept each other company. Man we both looked tired in this picture.

Monday, February 08th, 2021

Huge thank you to Marco!

After lots of endless country roads and dodging the odd headlights we had finally made it to Brazos Bend State Park at mile 204 just after midnight. We arrived at the gate and to our surprise a road angel appeared. Our TROT friend Marco pulled up and mentioned he had been following along. He stopped by to check in on us since he lived close by to the park. Matt and I took up the offer to sit in his warm truck and in fact we both promptly fell asleep. I think I got a decent hour of rest here as well before getting back out. Sometime in the last couple hours Matt had called his wife and convinced her to come pick him out as his one foot was bothering so much. He was determined to drop at this point. So as we woke up and got ready to go Matt did come with me inside the park as we did a very short 0.3 mi out & back to the "40 Acre Lake" restroom area which was the far data point on this entire course and the true turn around point. Once back at the gate Matt informed me he has heading home. I thanked Marco who was waiting still to see us off, and also told Matt to get some rest and come back out and catch up. 

The very far end of the route...40 Acre Lake within the Brazos Bend State Park.

State Park #4 - Brazos Bend State Park. Photo: Matt Zmolek.

With that I headed back northbound by myself in the middle of the night heading towards Austin with half of the course now done. At this point I was now just passing personal longest mileage best as well.

Enjoying a McDonald's breakfast sandwich
just outside Beasley, TX. Photo: Katie Meding.

After the nice long walking pace I had with Matt, coupled with the refreshing nap (thanks to Marco's warm truck), I was in good spirits and ready to move again. So as I took off by myself I picked up the pace and tried to move a decent clip. It was kind of a long lonely trudge through the night and by the time the wee morning hours came by I found myself texting my wife asking when she would be able to meet up. With that they set out to meet me, as daylight approached and I was still slowly moving forward. I had all my warm gear from the night running and was slowly peeling it off and placing it in my pack as the sun slowly warmed the air. By the time Katie and the girls got to me I was nearly back to Beasley, TX at the Highway 59 intersection. It was about 09:30 when we finally settled in a parking spot to meet at a fuel station. I was walking dead at this point and extremely fatigued. In that moment I made a snap decision....let's go home! I told Katie this and she looked a little confused, but we were literally only 20 minutes or so from our doorstep. So I took this opportunity to make a decent rest break and in my own bed. So I "staked out" there at the parking lot. I turned off my tracker and we headed back home. (*Staking out - defined as stopping the race at a certain point in which the runner leaves the course for food, rest, etc. and upon returning the runner must begin right where the left off at their stake.)

It was 09:47 when I staked out with 222 miles completed. I slept in the passenger seat on the way back for about 25 minutes. Got out and wobbled upstairs into bed, and slept for 3 more hours. My wife awoke me as I instructed and then I got up and had a nice warm shower. We then loaded up the kids and headed back to Beasley fuel station along Highway 59, and yes I slept another 20 minutes on the way there. A few more snacks and couple more swigs of fluids and I was kissing my family goodbye again in the afternoon. At 14:42 I "staked back in" by turning my tracker back on in the same parking lot I left, and headed on my way back north.

Prepping to take off north from Beasley, TX. Photo: Katie Meding.

Couple hours later after a mere few hundred meters from completing the full out & back section of the course I cross over my TROT teammate Vic whom was venturing south from where I was coming from. We chatted briefly there on the side of Highway 90a and caught up. Wished him luck and continued on my way.

Met up with Team TROT teammate Vic Valenzuela as we crossed paths and the very far end of course where the only out & back section was, just outside Beasley, TX. I was headed north, and Vic was heading south towards Brazos Bend State Park.

It was a boring afternoon from what I recall just pushing forward making miles. My friend Chad Laester had messaged me and asked if I needed anything as he was going to swing by and say hi. I simply requested a coffee. It wasn't until well past dark that Chad finally arrived. It was right around 20:00 out on FM 1458 a very lonely road so I was happy to see my buddy pull up. He popped his truck and offered me a chair - perfect! I sat down and propped my feet up and we bullshitted for awhile. He was kind enough to have me a coffee, a coke, and even brought some chips and a random honey stinger waffle he had left over which I gladly took with me. A local state trooper did stop and ask if we were ok since Chad was simply parked in the middle of nowhere just hanging out at the back of the vehicle. I think we hung out for about 30 minutes before I mentioned I should get moving and stay warm. There was 244 miles completed at this point and I had a mere 8 more till then next town.

At this point in the run I had not had any issues or problems, beside fatigue. After closing in on San Felipe and was only a couple miles south of town I felt a very sharp pain in my left leg. It came very suddenly. I did not know what to make of this, but it basically slowed me to a walk right away. Trying not to focus on the pain I just kept starring at the lights in the distance drawing me into town. I got into San Felipe and there was not much there on the route, so I popped into a gas station grabbed a couple drinks and some nuts & chips (I think). I made the rash decision to continue to the State Park not far away, and then stop in the following adjacent town. It was a long slow grind out to the park.

Tuesday, February 09th, 2021

State Park #5 - Stephen F. Austin State Park just outside San Felipe, TX.

I arrived at Stephen F. Austin State Park, which marked mile 261, not long after midnight. After tagging the state park sign I headed back towards the next town Sealy. I had been slowly convincing myself the pain in my left leg was getting worse and I needed to lay down properly. It was too cold out just to ditch nap and so I was seriously considering a hotel room now. After getting into town itself I quickly realized the route was no where near where all the hotels were. A quick left turn and I went 1.2 mile off course to the nearest hotel. To me this was so worth it at this point as the pain was intensifying. I set my alarm for 05:00 and drifted off to sleep right away.

My second unplanned motel stop. This one was out of necessity. At the time I laid down I was unsure if I would even be able to continue running when I got up. My race was truly in question at this point. 

I awoke at 05:00 to my alarm and simultaneously with the sharp pain in my left leg as I started to creep out of bed. I thought to myself this is no good, my race is over. I had serious doubt. I had texted my wife and told her the situation late last night before I fell asleep, they were on the way to meet me first thing morning and were actually outside my hotel at this point (which I was oblivious too). I opted for another hour of sleep so I texted Katie and mentioned this and reset my alarm for 06:00, and promptly closed my eyes again. The hour goes by and I wake up and this time force myself up and about. The pain is still noticeable, sadly the magic of sleep did not cure me. I got in touch with Katie and she picked me up and we went to McDonald’s for some breakfast fuel. My family drove me back to exactly where I had ventured off course the night before to come down to the hotel. As we sat there getting ready for the day I was explaining my sore leg and how I had some doubts, but that I was pushing forward. It was a foggy misty morning out so I was bundled up fairly warm and wore my reflective vest even in the morning hours here.

I kissed my family goodbye and took my high calorie coffee cappuccino fuel drink with me. I started through the remaining portion of the town of Sealy, TX headed west back on the road towards Austin around 08:00 that morning. Total mileage completed at this point was 269 miles, and now I was down to a slow walking limp because of my sore left leg. Katie and I planned to tentatively meet up late that night depending on how the day went, because I told her it was going to be slow going as I did not want to push my leg and make it worse.

Rise and grind! My smile is deceiving as I was in pain with my left leg at this point and unsure if I could run at all as I took off hiking. My family gave me a much needed boost this morning, even though I probably did not show it outwardly to them at the time. Photo: Katie Meding.

Lunch break at Cross Roads Tavern.

The first 4 hours I trudged along and just hiked at a decent pace where the pain was tolerable. I did not run a step or even attempt to at all during this portion. I arrived at a familiar portion on the course (to me) slightly after noon. At the Cross Road Tavern, which signals the turn to the 7il Ranch outside of Cat Spring, TX, I sat down here for a rest. Fueled up with a cold coke and some chips and 2 candy bars. I messaged my wife with the update and headed back out. Something magical happened after in that I was able to start shuffling a little, which meant I was slowly picking my pace back up. For the next 2.5 hours I spent the majority of it just plotting along at this familiar slow ultrarunning gait. Man it felt good to actually move faster than a walk again!

The sun was had just went down again and I was approaching Fayetteville, TX. Katie was meeting me here for yet another pit stop, so I was exciting and looking forward to that. I pulled out my phone and saw she was just pulling into town nearly the exact time I arrived. I found her parked right on the side of the route in this small town. I got in the van got my feet up and said hi to the kids. This was a much needed stop. I spent about 1.5 hours total here fueling up and getting a light foot massage (the best), and even slept for another 30 minutes just to refresh me for the night miles. Reluctantly I said goodbye to my family yet again and continued onto into the lonely dark chilly night.

Another crew put stop and short nap break. Fayetteville, TX.

Wednesday, February 10th, 2021

My typical morning low was strong this day. I was basically death marching due to fatigue and the dull numbing pain in my left shin still. I attempted to revive myself with a few naps along the way. I laid down 3 sperate times for 15 minutes once just in the ditch, another time on a rock, and against a guard rail to get my feet up. None of these did the full reset I was looking for but they allowed me to continue in a forward direction albeit slowly. The end was nearing (relatively speaking) and II just wanted to maintain momentum to get through. I arranged to meet Katie again early afternoon, which turned out to be right outside Smithville, TX and the entrance to Buescher State Park at 342 miles completed. I was tired and beat up for the long night trudged through the cold damp darkness. The kids greeted me right at the park sign and we snapped a great picture before sitting down and getting to the clothes change and refueling. My leg was aching but no longer a sharp pain, just a dull annoying presence. Katie seemed a little concerned as my left leg was clearly swollen above and below where I had placed my calf compression sleeve. The rain just started to come down as we sat in the van in the Buescher parking lot. I got cozy and put my feet up for a solid 45 minute sleep. Overall my stop was about 2.5 hours here with my family. I was not looking forward to continuing on getting back on my leg. Katie was an awesome supportive crew chief as in she kept nudging me to get going, but not fully throwing me out. I eventually caved and got ready to go. One good thing I had in front of me was the miles from Buescher State Park through the connector up to Bastrop State Park. These were by far the most scenic miles on the route and I knew this, so the draw of that was something for me to grab onto at this time. I was leaving mid afternoon and had a good amount of daylight left for this section. Plus I was down to a mere 50 miler left to go until the Capitol – the end was near (sort of!). Katie and the girls had gotten an Air bnb in Austin so they could be there first thing in the morning when I was hoping to finish. So they took off to their accommodation and I started off through the State Park into the beauty of Buescher and onto Bastrop.

State Park #6 - Beuscher State Park outside of Smithville, TX.
So thankful for this crew and their smiles and support! Photo: Katie Meding.

Between Beuscher & Bastrop State Parks.
Photo: Rob Goyen.

The park connector road was a hilly rolling narrow country road. It was quiet with very few vehicles at all, even in the parks themselves. Around 17:50 I truck started approaching me from behind and I moved over as usual to allow them to pass, but they pulled up in front of my an placed the flashers on. I figured it was just another nice person checking in to see if I needed a ride, which was not unusual at this point. To my surprise it was Rob Goyen, the RD, whom was stopping by on his way back to Austin himself. He had found me via the live tracker and just stopped to say hi and check in on me. It was great to see a familiar face out in the backcountry. We chatted for a few minutes and I informed him I had every intention of running through the night to break the sub 6 day barrier (i.e. 144 hours). Rob took off and I was back to myself and my podcasts in my ear. By the time I connected up to Bastrop State Park and made it out the other side I was at 356 miles done. The trip from here to the final checklist stop only 2 miles. At this point the weather had gotten a lot colder and it was such a relief to arrive at Buc-ee’s Bastrop just after 21:00 where I’d refuel for the night push.

State Park #7 - Bastrop State Park.

I went straight into the bathroom and to get cleaned up and ready to order some food. Standing at the sink washing my hands & face I heard a large gushing of fluid below me. At first I was like….”WTF!?, am I peeing myself?” I was so confused and looked down to see water just pouring out of my hydration bladder hose as the bite valve on the end was not there. Once I realized what happened I started to search around for the valve but could not find it anywhere, so I am not entirely sure how it fell out, but I am still sure it ripped out somewhere in that bathroom as I was taking off, or putting on my pack, but it was not in there on the floor nor could I find it anywhere stuck in my clothing. After a good long search I resided to the fact I was not going to have a bladder for the remaining push. I simply emptied out the remaining fluid so it would not drip on my back. I then ordered myself 2 large burritos, some chips, and a few drinks to stuff in my pack (in leu of failed hydration bladder). I sat in the entrance of that Buc-ee’s in the very corner where the automatic doors open and close. They have no inside seating and well it was warm and somewhat relaxing considering. I was downing my makeshift dinner and checking the weather for the night. It was not good news. It was already 37f and the wind chill had it even worse. I was dreading the trek, but was determined to get done.

Third and final Buc-ee's location at Bastrop, TX.
It was chilly that last night, wind chill made it feel in the 20s.

I had a nice large warm coffee for the go and this got me going as I started off westbound through Bastrop. Crossing over the Colorado River and was nearing the far edge of town. However I was starting to get the sleepies. Nooooo! I just was sitting down, it was super windy and cold, there was no wear open to duck in for a few minutes of shut eye. So I found a neighborhood sign with a hedge of trees around it, and hunkered down in there blocking myself from the wind. I took out all my layers out and utilized as blanket. I attempted to rest and maybe got 10 minutes of sleep before just lying there shivering. I was now just wasting energy staying here and so I was forced to get up and move to stay warm.

Thursday, February 11th, 2021

This last night was cold, windy, and lonely. The draw of the city of Austin in the distance kept me going. The pain in my left leg was slowing getting better and was down to a minor dull pain, which allowed to run a lot more again. I spent a lot of time just counting down the miles to keep me occupied as a made my way to the Texas Capitol. I forged my way through my usual down hours of 4-6:00 and let my family know as well as Rob that my eta for the finish. I was in the city limits when the sunrise had occurred and I just wanted to touch that building again. The final drive down FM 969 seemed like a long road that went on forever. I had a cause of the dejiveu here where every street I crossed it seems I had been there before at some point in my life. I new this was another sign of sleep denervation but I was way too close now to stop and rest. Adrenaline was fueling me now. I also put in my earbuds for the last time and some upbeat music (this was the first time for music for me, was only podcasts prior).

A mere 2 miles to go and the route turned west one last time and a straight shot down the final streets. Here I could see the Capitol building, I think, way off in the distance. My pace quickened with excitement now. I texted my family & Rob…”1.8 mi to go”. Rob texted back of “hurry up my butt is getting cold”. Then I put my phone away as the cold was killing the battery fast. A couple brief stops at some traffic lights occurred but a steady pace for me into the Capitol grounds. I crossed through the pedestrian gates and followed the road winding around to where we had started nearly 6 days ago. I saw my kids screaming and yelling and then I spotted Rob as well. Rob was standing literally right beside the building where we started with our hands on and had his phone set out doing a Facebook Live feed for everyone following along. I was raising my hands and letting out some celebratory emotions as I ran into the final few meters. Two of my daughters chased me towards the building and we ran directly toward Rob as I placed my hands on the Capitol. Done. 142:46:02. I had done it, sub 6 days and first overall. Rob gave me a big hug and presented me with the sweet Elevation Culture buckle and a custom finishers jacket as well. I kissed all my girls and embraced my wife. We all chatted for a brief moment there but it was so cold, my girls were all shivering and honestly in worse shape than me at this point, which was ironic. So we grabbed a couple finisher pictures and then walked the couple blocks back to the van, and headed to the Air bnb which we had for another few hours. Once there I promptly fell asleep in the nice cozy surroundings of my family.

My 4 daughters awaiting my arrival on a cold morning at the Texas Capitol.

Finishers photo with RD, Rob Goyen and daughter #2,#3. I received a custom Elevation Culture handcrafted buckle & a unique Tour De Los Tejas finishers jacket from TROT. Photo: Katie Meding. 

30 minutes after finishing I promptly fell alseep. Photo: Katie Meding.

Race Statistics

A Journey Run indeed. Thank you Trail Racing Over Texas for putting this once in a lifetime event on.

Distance: 393.12 mi | 632.66 km

Average Distance per Day: 65.52 mi | 105.44 km

Average Daily Mileage. Note on day 4 is when my left leg gave me issues. I managed to achieve my sub-6 day race goal.

Elevation +: 10,860 ft | 3,310 m

Total Race Time: 142:46:02 | 5d 22h 46m

Total Sleep Time: 14h 10m | 15 stops

Average Sleep per Day: 2h 21m

Groceries (Pre-Race): $102.07

Snack & Food Expenses on route: $177.15

lots of fuel required.

Unplanned Hotel Expenses: $125.00 | 2 stops

STRAVA Activity: https://www.strava.com/activities/4771308364

UltraSignup Results: https://ultrasignup.com/results_event.aspx?did=77745

Race Live Tracking (History): http://trackleaders.com/tejas21i.php?name=Trevor_Meding

This was my 72nd ultramarathon I have run.

• 21st ultra at distance greater than 100 mi (and 3rd greater than 200 mi).

• 19th completion of 100 mi or greater distance.

Race Gear Used

Lots of gear used. I carried a decent amount with most of it packing in my Victory Sportdesign bags which I had placed in my crew van for clothing and weather changes as needed. My pile of laundry at the end was very large indeed.

Gear Bags: Victory Sportdesign bags packed in my van for our crew stops.

Jackets: all rabbit apparel

Shirts: all rabbit apparel 

Shorts: rabbit 5" FKT (3 various pairs)

Pants: rabbit

Shoes: Altra Paradigm 5 (brand new pair – out of box)

Altra Paradigm 5. Brand new pair purchased for this run.

Socks: Drymax Socks (lots of pairs)

Headwear: rabbit (BOCO) & NATHAN reflective beanie

Sunglasses: goodr

Watch: Garmin fēnix® 6X - Pro Solar Edition - 66 hours battery life using 1/sec plotting (GPS & GLONASS). Only charged a couple times when i was resting. Didn't really have to worry about it much. And of course it captured the entire run in one run activity.

Headlamp: NATHAN Halo Fire (carried 2 with me at all times)

Hydration: NATHAN Trailmix 12 L race pack, NATHAN VaporKrar WaistPak (just to carry my phone and extra some auxiliary stuff to have handy

Other Gear: rabbit (BOCO) gloves, North Face gloves, NATHAN strobe lights, reflective NATHAN bandolier safety vest, NATHAN ripcord siren

Anti Friction: Trail Toes - applied at every crew stop. I finished the 393 miles with NO blisters and NO chaffing. Thank you Vince!

Applying my trusty Trail Toes which kept me blister FREE and chaff FREE for all 393 miles!

Final Thoughts

Road running is not Highway running. I knew this was going to be hard on the body, but man did I not expect what the exact challenges would be. Every single highway and county road is sloped or crowned, which means you are never truly running on flat ground. The slight slope causes you to have to compensate a little as you go. I was aware of this not super far into the run and so I’d try and run inside the driving lanes when I could as it was slightly flatter and easier on the muscles. At nighttime it was super easy to run in the middle of the road because I could see cars coming for a long ways ahead and from behind as well with the headlights. This little detail of running on the roads for this race was an oversight at the beginning that definitely took a toll on the body over time.

Some county road in Texas. Photo: JJustis Photography | Trail Racing Over Texas

Fueling is hard for this long of an event. Running a couple 200 milers before I knew just eating as much as possible is beneficial to keep the body going but it is hard. At times I found it super easy to knock back a ton of calories, but a lot of time at crew stops it was hard to get in hundreds of calories. I did my best, but often I just ensured I had enough snacks on me at all times in my pack which got me through between stops. Consistency is key, just keep putting in the fuel whenever you can, even if you don’t feel like it.

My pour sore left leg.

The human body is amazing! During late on day 4 when my left shin started to have a stabbing pain I thought for sure my journey run across Texas was over. With taking it easy after that and some timely rest I managed to keep going. My body had somehow adapted and managed to deal with the pain that persisted throughout the remainder of the run but was not debilitating. You can see on my daily mileage I dipped way down but then brought it back up once I was able to run again. I’ve heard of this from other podcasts and adventures but experiencing this myself was simply extraordinary. In terms of my feet they seemed to get used to the pavement pounding after about 3 days. The numbness and pain on the bottom of the feet never got worse, it only got better at that point. I never changed shoes, only socks, so truly my body was adapting to the conditions I was in.

In reflection on this race I am struck at limits being constructs of the mind. This journey taught me that the idea of physical limits are just a mental roadblock that as long as I have enough sleep and fuel I can keep my body going.

Couple of things I have learned is that I do not ever want to run across the country or any other long road event. I am most definitely a trail runner and cannot wait to get back on the soft dirt, rugged rocks, and roots that only the trail provides. This is where my true passion lies, but I am glad to have taken on this adventure and challenge.

Custom handcrafted  Elevation Culture buckle. My name is inscribed on the back. Thank you Eric C.!

Thank you

1. I can not thank you family enough for firstly being supportive enough to even allow me to attempt this monstrous effort. My wife never questioned me and was just fully behind me and was encouraging the whole time. This was months in the making where I had to take a lot of time to train and put in big efforts and lots of miles to prepare my body. Thank you Katie and my daughters for everything. Secondly, during the run itself I was planning on minimal support like once per day meeting my family. But as we went my wife adjusted and adapted to be there for me twice per day most of the time and was truly instrumental of me being able to finish this run within my goal of sub six days.

My crew, my support, my love, my reasons. #ultrarunningdad.

2. Another big shoutout to Trail Racing Over Texas (Rob & Rachel Goyen) for putting on this crazy adventure. Being an adventure style run there was minimal involvement compared to normal races they put on, but they went all out in getting Live Tracking for the event, ensuring we could start at the Capitol and checked in on the runners constantly for safety and just to encourage us. Not only this but Rob was at the Capitol for all the finishers of the 600k and 300k by greeting them personally, no matter the time of day or night, and even livestreamed on Facebook to share the experience with friends and family. A great little personal touch by TROT.

3. Thank you to my other sponsor rabbit (Team #rabbitELITEtrail)  for the continued support and encouragement. Monica, Jill, and Dan: you guys rock and I am damn proud to be a part of representing your brands and simply being a part of the rabbit journey with you since 2017.

4. A big shoutout to Victor from Victory Sportsdesign (#TeamVictory) for the support and encouragement along the way. You make the best gear bags in the world and I truly appreciate all the messages and kudos along my journey. 

5. To every single person out there that sent me a message, comment, or kudos during the event. You all gave me a boost when I needed it most in the middle of the nights, or whenever I was having a low period. I'd pull out my phone and read my messages. It truly did help. This was another reason that I kept sharing my Instagram story as I went as well, just to document and share the journey with everyone following along. I saved a story highlight to my profile in case you missed anything. The ultra community is extremely supportive and I am happy to have been able to share a bit of this personal journey with all of you, so thank you!

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Thank you for following along.

Next up: Sasquatch Shuffle 100 km (Mar-06th)