Javelina Jundred

Javelina Jundred 100 Mile,

Sa-Su 27-28 October, 2012

Usery Mountain Wind Cave Trail

My family took a trip to Phoenix / Scottsdale in December 2011 the week before Christmas.  It was a last minute decision, and this was the only affordable place.  I would wake up early and go running in a city park nearby.  As it turned out, the trails were near and sometimes overlooked MacDowell Mountain Park, where Javelina Jundred is held.  This may have inspired me to sign up for the 2012 race.

 n.b., you don't climb this high on the race course

pre-race dinner

I got to the Radisson, got my goodie bag, then figured I should just go to the pre-race dinner there-- $15, easy.  No salad or vegetables, other than the spaghetti sauce.  It was pasta (one choice), meatballs, and two cakes.

I sat down and talked to local Maria, who took over the Copper Canyon 50 mile race formerly run by the late Micah True (aka Caballo Blanco), and Lynette, who'd run three of the100-mile races I had run so far this year, and with whom I talked some after Wasatch.  She would run the race the next day in a tutu costume and still do it under 24 hours.  (Maybe I can try that in the future.)

I met this pretty newbie (wearing pink) running her first 100 miler from Florida and her friend pacing her.  I think her name is Alicia.

Then I ran into Liz and Scott, whom I met at the Bighorn pre-race dinner.  Scott now had the record for most 100-mile finishes in a year, and Liz had not only the women's but the overall record, having finished her 30th last weekend.

Later Trey Barnes (first met Cascade Crest 2009) came by.  Since I last saw him at Woodside (also 2009), he started managing his own Fleet Feet store in Southern Calfornia.

Later, I saw Steve Ansell, Harald Walther and Coastal Trail Runs owner (and former Pacific Coast Trail Runs co-owner) Wendell Doman.

camping

It was already dark when I left the Radisson.  Arriving at the race headquarters, I was almost overwhelmed with the number and density of tents-- some that the race rented out, some brought by other runners.  I found a place kind of close to the bathrooms.  My stakes were inches away from the two adjoining tents.

I slept pretty well, but unfortunately one of my ear plugs came out of my ear, and some idiot who woke up at 3:30 thought he needed to talk to him buddies in a normal tone of voice.  Why anyone needs to get up at 3:30 before a 100-mile race when you ARE RIGHT THERE AT THE START is beyond me.  Honestly, though, can't you talk softly?

So after 4:15 or so, I figured going back to sleep wasn't going to happen, so I started getting up and getting ready.

Being a non-technical course, I chose my Crosslite 2.0's.

Early on the first loop, I saw Jenn Shelton running up ahead.  Followed by lots of guys.  I figured most of them were thinking they didn't want to be chicked by her, even though she is very fast-- still the current record holder for the fastest 100 mile trail race time, albeit on a much faster course than anything Ann Trason ever ran.  I think I passed her while she was at the side of the trail, peeing (no photo).  Elite women like her and Kami Semick tend to just pee without being all shy about this.  I tell the fast women I run with during races not to be so shy. Later, Jenn passed me maybe at an aid station, and then later I passed her back while she was at the side of the trail, stretching out her leg.  Looked like she was in pain.  She would drop early.

Jenn Shelton, running the first loop

The whole Jenn thing was obviously not a significant part of my race,
but from past experience, by putting her here, I will get extra blog hits.

I think I finished the first loop with Jonathan Gunderson.  Though he sometimes crumps, he is pretty fast, and I decided I probably went out too fast.

Because you keep changing direction each loop, the test of who I recognized starting the 2nd loop-- and I did terribly.  Crap, how does everyone remember me?  Don't I just blend right in?  I've gotta lay lower.  Maybe stop blogging for instance.  Don't have time for this anyway...

I ran much of loops 2 and 3 with Tracy Bowling, a newbie, very fast.  She dumped her referee costume as the temperatures climbed.

She mentioned she was bored after finishing loop 2 so I tried to entertain with stories, but I think my stories were lame, as she never fell over and rolled in the sand laughing.

We briefly ran with Eric Clifton at the end of the 2nd loop.  He likes to push the pace, and was making us go too fast.

I had Tracy behind earlier, but then Tracy passed me at beginning of loop 4 and I proceeded to further decelerate.  I had thought that I could sub-20 this fairly easy course, but I must be getting old.

At one point I realized I was overdosing on SMART EM, Radiolab and This American Life podcasts.

Tracy ended up stopping after 77 miles (5 loops) due to her blister problems.  However, in this race she got credit for finishing 4 loops, and in fact looking at it this way, was 2nd overall and 1st woman in the 100 km drop down category.

running competitively for her school

At the start/finish I asked about the SF Giants, who had won another game in the World Series, then I asked Wilma about her husband Jonathan Gunderson.  Wilma assumed I was only asking about the Giants-- a true fan!

Loop 5 I put on my new Petzl Nao headlamp with reactive lighting I got at Wasatch.  The moon, being full and the terrain pretty much open-- I often didn't need by headlamp.

Heading north on the last lap (the shorter 10 mile lap), I saw what I thought were fireworks in the sky.  Turned out to be a shooting star, probaby the brightest I'd ever seen in my life.  Would have been more amazing had I had my light turned off, but I least I caught it.

Near the finish, I met Fred, who suggests we finish together.  I figure that is the nice social thing to do, and we chatted some.  Thing is Fred probably crossed the starting mat with his chip several seconds after I did.  So when we cross the finish mat at the finish at exactly the same time, he ends up finishing a few seconds ahead of me in the results.  Kinda sneaky, Fred!

Maybe I should try that.

I barely made it to airport on time.  (Hard to run in the airport when you just ran 100 miles!)

Ugh, Southwest boarding group C.  I would sit in the middle seat, still smelly.

GPS recordings:
first four laps / 60 miles
I had a device (Garmin Forerunner) device failure for the next segment, but honestly this wasn't going to be that interesting)
final 4 miles

results

What I was doing this year, right before this year's race started:

with Jenn, running her first marathon this weekend in NYC
Jenn did not give me her permission to post this photo here

with Chris, who passed on the chance to run with Jenn and I on Thursday
in order to place some bets on some games
I didn't ask Chris if I could publish this photo either

I was dressed up during this year's race, with my wife, Frida, but was not running.
I am really too overweight to run 100 miles.

other race reports (2102)
Ultrarunning, Running Times, Kelly Agnew, Michael Arnstein, Tracy Bowling, Scott Brockmeier, Catra Corbett, Mary Croft, Trevor Davenport (2), Jeannie Horton, Janette Maas, Cory Reese, Vanessa Rodriguez