I rolled out of bed on a chilly Saturday morning, ate a hearty breakfast and then hit the road to Warda. I gave myself a nice two hour cushion for a trip that should take me a little over an hour, so I could get settled before the start of the run. This ended up being a good decision on my part. Instead of going North on 77 I went South all the way to I-10 before realizing I had to turn around. I tacked on 45 minutes to my trip. As a result, I pulled into the Ranch with only 15 minutes to spare before the start. I jogged into the lodge, registered, pinned on my bib, filled up my bottles and got things organized. It was pretty nerve-racking, but I soon realized I would be able to get things in order and start on time.

I went through my mental checklist and I decided to carry one water bottle, take 2 salt tabs every hour and eat shot bloks and graham crackers throughout the run. I kept it pretty simple. My run strategy entailed going out relaxed on the first loop and then try to build a little bit thereafter. I figured this would be a solid training run before the Rocky Raccoon 50 miler which was 2 weeks away. Minutes from the start, I realized that Francisco "Paco" Garza would be running. I never formally met him, but I knew that he is very fast. How often do you set out a plan and do not end up following it?

Damon gathered all the runners before the start to briefly explain the course. A 7.75 mile loop would be completed 4 times that hit the majority of the trails throughout the ranch. There would be aid about halfway through the loop and then aid back at the start/finish area. Damon warned that there would be a few inclines on the back half of the loop, which I distinctly remember from when I ran at the ranch over a year ago. He then spoke about the inspiration to put on this event. 100% of all funds received from the race would go towards the completion of building an orphanage in Matamoros, Mexico, specifically, a water line from the city to the orphanage. What a great cause!

Precisely at 9:00 a.m. we were sent off. I settled in right behind "Paco" and Derek Purvis, another solid runner, was in tow. The pace was as perfect as the cool temperature. I kept reminding myself to relax and run my own race. "Paco" and I hit the halfway point in the loop and stopped at the aid station to refuel. I quickly refilled my water bottle and took off. At this point my competitive side greatly overshadowed my initial laid-back plan of a training stroll through the ranch. I came in the first loop in a little over 50 minutes. When I saw my time I could not help contain my enthusiasm to go after a PR. As a result, my plans of running a 4-4:15 flew out the window.

On my second loop I was determined to stay steady and not stray from my pace. Mentally I wanted to build each loop. I wasted very little time at aid stations. I just grabbed what I needed, refilled my water bottle and tried to keep the momentum going. I knew if I backed off even a little bit, "Paco" would reel me in. At the halfway point I was very pleased about how I felt and knew I had a good shot at a PR.

I believe swimming and running share many common strategies when it comes to pacing and racing. I looked at my third loop as the 3rd 50 of swimming a 200. I wanted to push and try to increase the gap. I feel like around this point in any race is pivotal. There were times during each loop that I was running out in the open field. Depending on which way I was going the wind was either pushing me back or carrying me forward. During the third loop, the short ups were starting to take a toll on my leg strength. I could not help, but laugh at myself as I really had to focus on keeping my turnover going. There was no way I was going to walk a lick of the course.

I consistently get asked the question from friends and family, "What do you think about while you run?" The one thought that stood out among the hundreds of streaming thoughts during my run was how much I appreciate my Mom and Dad and how fortunate I am to be their son! My heart genuinely goes out to those that never had parents or have parents they despise.

The fourth and final loop did not go as well as I would have liked. However, I crossed the line and got a PR by more than 3 minutes! I was extremely psyched! Damon was there to congratulate me. As always, Damon and his son are extremely hospitable and first-class individuals. I always look forward to running at Bluff Creek. Damon made me some soup and I ate a turkey sandwich-both hit the spot. "Paco" came in shortly after I finished. I introduced myself and congratulated him on a great run. We sat down inside, ate and drank and were joined by other finishers. I met a few other runners: Corey, Mark C., Mark F., 2 Joe's and Abigail. I hung out for a while, had some beers, received a really unique award from Damon that I will certainly treasure and got a picture with him and Abigail, the first place finisher for the women.

Thank you to Damon, his son, Damon, those who ran and all of the volunteers for an incredible day!

-h2