2020 Here We Come

8 years ago, I mentioned the addictive nature of the BMDM but didn't know then that Chris Brown would also get hooked & we would return in 2018 and 2019 (the latter with heavy packs and his bride)!

2020...now I've got a team!  Rednecks Leathernecks and The Bodyguard are coming...

2019 - Snow in the Desert?!

 

Home sweet home -  a few more blankets would have been worth a mint that night.

 

The snow did make race morning conditions about as ideal as you can hope for.

Chris & Kathleen - the couple that rucks together...

If you have participated before, you know this guy.

RANDOM SHOTS FROM BMDM 2018

 

 

The dreaded SandPit

Winds so intense that the weights and posts on this circus tent were pulled out of the ground

Foreshadowing?  Who knew at the time that Chris would want to go back the next year, but heavy pack?!

 

These guys are what it is all about.

 

 Home sweet home.

I'm blessed with great friends!

One more "thanks" to Jeff for saying "I got your back" a year ago when I said I wanted to run this.  Neither of us knew what we were getting into - whether the challenges of the course or the patriotism felt from being part of this.  Jeff's had my back since I've known him...which is becoming an awful long time!

I am also glad that Jeff talked the "other" Jim Brown into joining us as well.  It was great getting to know you, Jim!  I'm amazed at what you've been able to do given the physical challenges from your accident.

I had a ball, guys!

I promise to never make fun of your extensive pill collections again, as it's now apparent that your superior science trumped my obviously superior physical condition!  :-)

I've already started my training for next year! 

The Race

Being in the civilian group, we were last to take off. It took 15 minutes for us just to get to the start line.  The first 6 miles or so were relatively flat to downhill.  We ran the first two in approx. 9:30 (right on plan!)..had our 1st bio break adding a minute+ to mile 3.  2 more miles in approx. 9:30 and a slightly faster 8:49 at mile 6...then another bio break adding 3 minutes to mile 7.  Apparently, Subway is not the ideal meal the night before a race. 

Back on the course, we ran a strong 9:44 for the beginning of the uphill climb.

While this stretch of the course was relatively easy regarding elevation, the footing was a lot looser (sand) than I expected.  This comes into play later.

The next mile got a bit steeper, but I felt good and just went heads down through it in good time.  There is a water stop at this point where the full marathon splits from the short course and goes onto pavement. 

The pictures above are Jeff and Jim coming through this water stop...obviously I was way ahead of them since I had time to water up and take pictures!  :-)  Collectively, we ran a 12:25 mile to this point.

I'm not sure if this is considered part of Hell Hill or not, but it certainly was a challenge.

Still feeling good, I plowed into the next part...which is definitely Hell Hill.  My whole goal was to aggressively run the Hill knowing the guys would catch me on the down hill.  Mile splits were 11-12 minute pace. 

...poor strategy, in retrospective, on my part...

This picture (above) is at mile 11, and there was still a few miles of climb to go!

At the top of Hell Hill (13? miles in), my calf knotted up but I was ultimately able to loosen it up enough to run again after Jeff caught up with me.  15 minute mile for that one  and a 13 minute slow jog as we came around the other side of the hill going down.

I think the sandy surface had an impact on my lower legs.

Unfortunately both calves knotted up and it actually was less painful to jog than walk for a while. the next 6 miles ranged from 10-13 minute miles on rolling, but mostly downhill terrain, that had even looser sand, rocks and then back to pavement.  I ran/walked with Dave from Castle Rock and "Miss Congeniality" Rachel from Iowa on and off during this section.

I did also run with a soldier (Tim Timmons - got his autograph on my shirt!) for a few miles, which kept my attention off of the growing pain.

Jeff slowed up during this stretch to try to reel Jim back in.  At about mile 20, when my calf cramps spread to nearly every muscle in my legs, Jeff comes running by looking fresh as a daisy - this will be the last time I see him until after he finishes.

I don't have any pictures during this stretch as all my focus was on putting one foot in front of the other.  Cramps got so bad that at times it hurt too much to take a step.  Thankfully, a nice gal named Mari gave me some sport beans that helped loosen the cramps a bit.  16:50 mile.

...then, the Sand Pit! 

Over a mile incline with foot-thick loose sand.  How did anyone actually run this section??  22 minute+ mile.  We took the picture above as we were driving off the base.  If the resolution was better, you could see marchers in the distance.  This, I believe was the Sand Pit.

Memory is a bit blurred at this point, but if I remember correctly, as we got out of the Sand Pit we could see what looked like a mile or two of nice flat, gentle down hill course...bringing hope

...until we got to that stretch, which also included a stiff headwind!

At the next water stop, I looked so rough that one of the medics asked if I needed treatment!  I just refilled my water bottles ate a bunch of bananas and continued my limp forward.  My pace for mile 23 was down to 18 minutes.    The water and banana's kicked in and I could at least walk consistently again.  Mile 24 in 17 minutes.

Most marathoners talk about "hitting the wall" somewhere between mile 20 and 24.  At Bataan, there is a physical wall at mile 24! 

The Wall has a big psychological effect.  You can see what you think is the end of the wall...providing hope.  Unfortunately, that's not the end, it's just a corner on the wall.  But, you soon see what looks like the end again...until you get to it and realize that it's just another corner.

2 more miles walked along the wall - at 16 minute pace.

Finally!  you see the fence line and the finish shoot.  After crossing the line, you walk under this tent where all of the actually Bataan Death March survivors are sitting shaking hands with all of the finishers.  These guys have lived through hell, are 90+ years old, but are enduring what is now 90 degree heat to support the racers...and they are thanking me?!!?

Having run the first half in 2 hours 22 minutes, I had visions of breaking 5 hours "with ease" - pretty funny!  I ended up at 5 hours 34 minutes, a broken man.  Jeff nearly broke 5 hours @ 5:02, and Jim was just a few minutes behind me.  What's amazing to me is that at 5 hours and 34 minutes, I finished 402 out of over 3800 marchers.

This course is insane!  It masterfully combines a variety of painful challenges while consistently providing false hope that the worst is behind you. 

I must be insane as well, because I'm already thinking about returning next year!

As rude as the course is, the people are amazing - the course workers are great (even the goofy guy with the cowbell dressed like Will Ferrell in the SNL skit!), the soldiers in their 35 pound packs are inspirational and the other Marchers become friends by the end of the race.

Pre-Race Ceremony

The pre-race ceremony was impressive!  Seeing the giant American flag waving in the otherwise darkness, the sea of camo, etc. that early was cool.  Then they had a demonstration by the Black Dagger paratroopers.  Trying to pick them out of the black sky with their all black gear was tough, but they landed right on the spot, followed by more paratroopers with flares.  The last 2 dropped like rocks (apparently going over 200 mph) before pulling their chutes.  The sunrise was spectacular as well.  cool way to get hyped for the race...

Bataan Survivors

Dionisio Perez - Phillipine Scout from Bataan Death March.  If you don't know the full story the Scouts were specially trained Filipino units that were amazingly tough and held the advance lines so the rest of the military could continue falling back toward Bataan.  Tough dudes!

Bataan Survivor - Harold Bergbower.  Knocked unconscious on 1st day of combat and woke up in the morgue!  KIA notice sent to his family who didn't know he was alive until he returned home - weighing 78 lbs - 4+ years later!  survived near-death multiple other times.  Shoveled coal in a Japanese steel plant and had funny stories about how the POW's got back at the Japanese...urinating on coal before it goes into a blast furnace apparently has quite a reaction!

I didn't get a good picture of it, but all of the Bataan Survivors sat in a row at the end of the race shoot and shook hands with all of the Marchers as they finished.  An amazing end to hours of physical challenge.