What A Dumb Idea

I got Lit 🔥

Habanero Hundred - third time was NOT a charm

Ultramarathon #106 | D.N.F. #004

I awoke painfully from my very light nap and started screaming immediately. My left calf was seized and contracted fully causing immense pain. I yelled out to my wife to come help me out of bed and help me force my body weight to counter the muscle action in order to relax the calf. What seemed like a full minute (which was in reality was only probably 15 seconds or so) what excruciating. As Katie came over to assist me [...eventually...], I had already got most of my weight onto my leg to start to relieve the contraction of my calf. How did this happen? Why was my leg seizing when I was just lying here? Why on Earth did I attempt to run Habanero Hundred again and put myself into this situation? As I muttered to myself and my self-proclaimed worst pain in the world. Katie was super humbling and reminded she had given birth to our five children [without any pain medication].

Okay back up - why was Iaying in my bed resting on Sunday morning when I was still supposed to be out on course completing my 100 Miles. This was not ideal. Obviously, my race plan had not been executed. Here I was cramping hours after my run had come to an end, but my recovery and rehydration was still just beginning. These are the no so glamourous insights into attempting Texas' Hottest Race and the reality of my stupidity of taking on Habanero for a third year in a row. 

11:00 a,m. on Saturday August 12, 2023 (*my birthday) I was standing there in line to get my bib number at the pickup. The line was congested and wrapped around the red barn at 7IL ranch due to hundreds of other runners, whether it be the shorter distances or the many numbers of relay runners there to participate and attempt this event. The ambient temperature outside was already in the low 90s and creeping up. Feel-like temperatures were 100f+ for sure inside where the crowd was gathered and outside who knows how stupid hot it actually was. I finally got my bib with about 25 minutes before the start and got my final gear on and put my chair in place neat the loop start finish arch. I was lucky enough to meet up with some new friends. I met Kelly Swanson and her friend/crew/pacer Victoria whom were kind enough to tell me to pull my chair under their popup tent. Also my former TROT teammate Casey Timmie and her husband placed their chairs in the tent by invitation as well. A few exchanges of words and stories and soon we were lined up in the chute under the beating Texas sun and the feel-like temperatures of ~110f to start off.

lined up at the start line at high noon on 7IL Ranch in Cat Spring, TX. Feel-like temperatures were around 110f at this point of the day. They eventually creeped up to around 115-116f at the high point in the afternoon. My gear in picture: rabbit bucket hat, Oakley sunglasses, rabbit ICE RAD-ana, rabbit UPF deflector 2.0 trail, Garmin fēnix® 6X - Pro Solar Edition

The record setting stretches of 100f+ days in a row for the Houston area gave me the clue it was going to be particularly challenging going into Habanero Hundred this year. I did not pretend to hide this fact, nor was I taking this race for granted even having prior finished 33 other 100 Mi(+) events. There is a real reason Habanero has a finish rate of less than 30% over 7 years up until this point. 

Starting off as slow as possible, but still jogging I made my way around the first loop finding myself running beside my new tent friend Kelly Swanson. She made some good conversation as we chatted and I filled her in on my thoughts of this race and strategy since I had run and finished it the prior 2 years. I also recall telling her we were going to fast for this first loop even though it did not feel like it. I was aiming for a 80-minute first loop which would be hopefully mostly slow jogging.

A sign that Habanero is no joke was flashed in front of my eyes at mile 5, less than an hour into the run. Recall this course is a 6.1 Mi (10 km) loop. Anyway, we were most of the way back and nearing the main ranch road crossing and we came around one corner to the EMS medic ATV light flashing. A [relay] runner passed out on the side of the trail, apparently from heat exhaustion. Jerrimiah the TROT assistant race director/race photographer was there first on the scene with the medic crew. As Kelly and I came up on them I asked if they needed help loaded the downed runner onto the ATV as it appeared they could use the extra hands. They took us up on the request and we got the runner, who was lightly going in and out of conscious, onto the back of the ATV using a portable outdoor backboard carrier. Once he was loaded up I took off my rabbit ICE RAD-ana which had a little ice left over in it and provided it to the medics to help cool off the downed runner. I sacrificed my new piece of rabbit gear in order to help out someone else in more need of it than me at that instant (I have a second one back in my bag so I could grab it between loops).

Kelly and I continued on as the realization of the heat of the day now smacking us directly in the face with this situation that had presented itself. I recall commenting to her that this would not be the only one today, but it was early to see that type of situation. The first loop finished up in just under my target of 80 minutes. I took my time getting my new ICE RAD-dana filling it with ice, getting ice water into my 2 handhelds, and downing a little bit of coke the aid station had set out for us. I don't recall if I had a shot of Pickle Juice this first time, but that is also a staple for me in these hot races as it is known to help alleviate the perception of muscle cramping. 

Loop 2 and 3 the was the crux of the heat on day 1 and thus as noted before reaching feel like temperatures around 115f or so. I did a lot more walking/hiking keeping my pace slower than I probably would have preferred. I thought it was enough. Flash forward spoiler - it was not, I could have gone slower and it probably may have helped! The third loop all of a sudden I could feel my back and my legs getting tight - but why? I was drinking 20oz of water & 20oz of Gatorade mix between every aid station, so every 3 Mi. I did not fully understand this as I did not "feel" like I was dehydrated, nor did I have any other signs of dehydration yet. I knew this meant my pace and my overall race was in jeopardy. I drank all i could at the "Hot Talamas" aid station before topping everything off on my way out. I slowed to a normal paced walk in order to give my legs (calf muscles) a needed break. I was hoping for a reset by the time I finished up my third loop by simply slowing down. Things got worse. I slowed down, I got thirsty and drank all my fluids before even reaching the water only drop at the road crossing, which signaled 0.75MI back to finish up. I filled up again and trudged slowly through the remaining scorching sand and uneven ranch grassland back to the arch. 

3 loops done and I was spent. My body was already giving out. I got some new ice and then just slumped down in my chair. I was wrecked and simply was sitting there trying to formulate a game plan to make it through until sunset, but this was even proving a small feat. I sipped my fluids and then closed my eyes opting for a short nap as I gave my body time. Never in all my prior 100s have I purposefully taken a nap before in a 100 Mi event, so this was a new tactic on-the-fly. I was now starting to reach and grasp at anything that would help me and here we are only like 6 hours into a 30-hr 100 Mi event. Habanero is truly a soul-sucking event due to this nature of the Texas heat combined with the feet shredding sand. There are no easy miles out there on the ranch and I was feeling the full effect of that this day.

I continued onto loop 4 after my short nap and braved the heat with the "hope" of renewed confidence in my ability to get through 100 Mi races. I just needed to get to sunset when the night would ideally provide a big relief to my body and its core temperature being able to function properly. I took 2 gels with me for the loop now, consuming more than just liquid calories. My goal was to eat and drink my way back into this. Onward I trudged but my muscles still would not allow me to run, I was still forced to a walk. Almost instantly back on my feet I could feel my body temperature rise and remain back where it was before I surcome to the chair in the first place - this is not good - I thought to myself. I walked the entire loop 4. just begging for that sunset Time was not on my side this loop. It was slow. My body was even more tired, but the sun was down now. The chair called my name again. I got more ice placing my RAD-ana around my neck and slumped back into my chair for a 30-minute nap, a last-ditch effort to reset my body and get my core temperature down while I could. 

"Shit".......... nothing was working. I got some food and tried consuming more calories before heading out for my 5th loop. Potatoes were magic and felt great on my stomach. I also add some ramen noodles as well (those were good too, but proved not to be later on down the trail). My legs did not feel great, my mind (usually resilient) was not starting to put doubt into my own thoughts. This was spiraling out of control fairly  quickly. I knew things needed to change. I willed myself out onto the trail and starting my 6th loop. Surely the "cooler" night temperatures (only feel-like of 90s or so) should help....right?.... right? I death marched the entire loop again attempting but failing to run over and over. Time was now not only not on my side it was literally punching me in the face. My mind was now full on turned against me. I was fighting. At the midpoint aid station I stopped and sat down there getting in some more potatoes and drank a bunch of coke. Still nothing was working. I finally got up and made it my mission to get back the loop done. Of course it was my slowest loop yet and the spiral continued down. I had been fighting thoughts in my head then entire way back into the start/finish and ultimately I walked across the line and pressed my lap button on my Garmin, and told the volunteers I needed time.

I opted for a cot this time in the medical area of the TROT setup. It was past midnight now, and very few people were around except the awesome volunteers and the few hardy crew supporters and the relay runners still awaiting their respective turns. I laid down with the quiet white noise of the generators contrasted with the music from the stereo at the arch. I managed to find a somewhat comfortable position where my legs did not cramp and seize on me. I closed my eyes and just lay there. It was restless and very light sleep but I did not set an alaram, I was just seeing what my body needed and how I would feel when I awoke. Sadly, not much changed and I felt horrible. My legs felt heavy and still twinging with pain upon any slight movement. How the hell was I going to continue? I had only finished 6 loops (60 km) and still had 10 (100 km) to go. I was just over 14 hours into the 30 hour cutoff. Technically there is no cutoff until the final loop, but I was behind.

I sat there on that cot and saw the infamous Victor Valenzuela (another former TROT teammate) come in from one of his loops. He came over and chatted with me for a bit. This man is awesome running this event every year since the inception and now has completed it 6 times in the 8 editions (hats off to Vic - LEGEND!). After sitting there awkwardly for a few minutes I had decided to call it quits and my D.N.F. (Did Not Finish). I stumbled over to the start/finish and let them know I was not continuing on.

I slowly gathered all my crap and got into my car and managed not to cramp as I got in my car and made the hour-ish drive home. I walked in the door like at 04:00 on Sunday morning now and got into the bath with some salts and oils to try and help my muscles. The entire time I have been downing fluids trying to get my body to process water still and be able to pee. I had just come to think of it I don't think I had peed the entire event or at least near the start. After getting clean and scrubbing the remaining sand out between my toes I finally got into bed with my legs propped up and attempted to sleep. Here is where we found ourselves at the beginning of the story. I slept for 30 minutes or so at a time and then as I was dosing off my muscles would twitch and I would cramp in agony. IT was a vicious cycle that repeated a few time before I actually got an hour or two of sound sleep.

So what did I learn? Not much apparently because I came back this year for a third year of torture in the heat, humidity, and sand knowing full well what I was getting into to. Add on top of that it was sandwiched between two 200 milers I was just asking for trouble. Pure grit can only get you so far, and with Habanero you need everything to fall in line in order to get a finish. Any bad fortune out there and it compounds very quickly. I was a little disappointed to have to give in, especially since this was in my #12-in-12 project, but ultimately, I needed to take care of myself and just face the fact that yes I do D.N.F. once in a while too. My 106th ultramarathon left me with only my 4th D.N.F. but that does not mean it does not sting. I still take pride in the fact my completion rate is up there at 96.23%. Onwards I go.

Congrats to all the 22 brave soul whom were able to finish Habanero Hundred this year in the immense heat conditions. It truly was a tough year and once again we are all reminded why a simple 100 miler on flat ranch in Texas is by no means an easy race to complete.

Never again....Habanero....never again!

Habanero theme I picture in my head coupled with "Let The Bodies Hit the Floor" by Drowning Pool playing loudly.

2023 Habanero stats:

• UltraSignUp Results
• 78 starters | 22 finishers = 28.21% finish rate (*6 runners were sub-24) | 56 D.N.F. = 71.79% DNF rate
• My STRAVA activity

My Gear Used:

• rabbit bucket hat
• rabbit ICE RAD-ana
• sunglasses: Oakly
• rabbit UPF deflector 2.0 LS (x2)
• shorts: rabbit 3" FKT 2.0
• shoes: lululemon trail runners
• socks: injinji socks (x2)
• lighting: kogalla RA Adventure Light (waistlamp) & Nathan Sports Halo Fire (headlamp)
• hydration: NATHAN insolated 18oz handhelds (x2)
• Anti-Friction lube: Trail Toes
• gear bags: Victory Sportdesign
• watch: Garmin fēnix® 6X - Pro Solar Edition

My prior HH100 race reports (in case you need more alpha):

• 2022: Twice As Spicy
• 2021: Habanero Sucks!

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Thanks for following along.

Next Up: The Divide 200 (2023-Sep-11)