I was  (I HATE the term stoked) excited to run the inaugural Hope for Horses Endurance Ride / Ultra Marathon on September 21st, 2013. This event took place on The Biltmore Estate and had 99 horses/riders and 8 ultra runners. 5 of us runners were running the 50 miles and 3 were running the 30 miles.
     I have done hundreds if not thousands of miles at Biltmore Estate in the past. The difference here was that we would be running the horse trails which were usually not for runners. We were to do three loops and there was only a few thousand feet of elevation gain during the race. That meant the race would be quick!
     5 hardy runners toed the line at 6:30 AM and we were off. The pace seemed a bit quick to start but I wanted to stay up front for the entirety of the race. It was dark when we started and three of us guys would've been off course, twice, had it not been for a (bad ass) lady that was just a touch behind us. She stopped us from going down the wrong trail by yelling "hey boys, wrong way". That was very cool, especially since she could've easily let us travel the wrong path. She joked that "she knew we would be pissed if she did that". She also said that she "might need us later".
     Once we got going it looked like me and a young runner from Florida would be in the lead group. That didn't last long as this guy had his scooters on. The first loop (22-ish miles) went very well and I was in second place about 10 minutes back from 1st. This was a good place for me and I was looking forward to getting stronger as the day went on. The weather turned nasty and before I knew it I was bogged down in mud and was drenched from a heavy rain.
     The second loop (15-ish miles) started very well. I was warming up and feeling good despite the weather. Then, about mile 31, I turned a corner and saw a lady laying on the side of the trail. She had been bucked off her horse and she did not look like she was in good shape. She had two women next to her and her horse was gone. I quickly asked what I could do and they asked me to run and find help. I took off and because I was flustered, I missed an obvious trail marker and started flying down a hill that was 100% off course. It was my fastest mile of the day and led me to a junction which was not marked at all. There was nobody around and I was so pissed off. I thought "they" had messed up the trail markers and I was livid. I went down another road which led to a locked gate and realized I was in trouble. I then hiked the mile back to where the accident was and as I was getting there, I saw, plane as day, a black trail marker pointing 90 degrees right. In my haste to help, I had missed the marker and got off course for 20+ minutes or 2.1 miles. I was absolutely demoralized and it was all I could do to start walking down the trail that I was to be on originally.
     It might not seem like 2.1 miles is that big of deal, but in a 50 miler, you certainly don't want to add any distance. As I got back to race headquarters, I was about ready to call it a day before starting my 3rd loop (13-ish miles). I really thought it would be better if I just quit. It was pouring rain, I was pissed off and I was now in 4th place instead of 2nd place. Poor me! As I neared the timing table to call it a day, I saw Josh Marcus who was to be my pacer on my final loop. In my head, I was about ready to tell him I was done, but he looked ready to rock. I just couldn't say no. Therefore, I geared up and put one foot in front of the other.
     Josh is an incredible runner and he runs as if he's putting no effort into it. I fed off Josh and started feeling ok. I had already given up trying to place after my "off the trail mishap". About 42 miles into the race, Josh said he had a feeling that we would be coming up on 3rd place very soon. He was right! I felt such a charge to see 3rd place in front. It was all I could do to stay calm and carry on. About mile 44, I passed 3rd place and if I knew anything at that time, it was that I was not going to give it up again. I ran strong in the nasty, mucky, muddy weather and finished the race in 8 hours and 57 minutes. More than 3rd place or any finish time, I was just happy that I persevered in these conditions with some adversity thrown in for good measure. Josh was a PERFECT pacer and did a great job helping me finish strong. It was also AWESOME to see my wife and two daughters near the finish. Congratulations to all the runners who braved the weather, dodged the horses and finished The Hope for Horses Endurance Event / Ultra Marathon. Come join us next year, it's a hoot.
     BTW....the lady who fell off her horse broke her ankle and was ok. I thought it was her neck, so I was pleased to hear the news! Till next time.