I Thought an Ultra Was a Beer

I’m not that naive, but a year ago if I was looking for an ultra it definitely would have come out of an ice chest. Then something happened in the summer of 2014 when an Ultra Marathon race was announced by a favorite race director of mine, Cesar Torres.  The Q50 Races Trails Extravaganza registration was opening on August 1, 2014 at a special one-day only rate. 5 trail events in two days consisting of 5 different distances.  Pay only $1 for each mile you decide to run. A 50-mile ultra marathon happened to be an option. So I thought, what they heck, $50 will get me signed up for it. I’ve paid more for half-marathons. Why not?

It should be noted that although I have been a ‘runner’ for 13 years, I am far from elite and consider myself an average runner. I love to run. Love it with all of my heart. I’ve completed 4 marathons, countless half-marathons, a ton of 10K’s and 5K’s and I’ve even competed in a Half Ironman triathlon. So even though I am experienced in endurance events to a certain degree I don’t feel as if I am distinct in any way or have a knack for doing these sort of things. I’m just a regular everyday average runner.

Training

I began following a 20-week ultra training plan. For the first couple of months the longest training run was nothing longer than a half-marathon distance.  Then the longer distances started kicking in including grueling weekends of Saturday and Sunday runs. January weekends consisted of back to back 16 mile days and then the next was back to back 18 mile days. But, the toughest was back to back 20 milers. I got through it and focused more so on completing the training and worried less and less about how long it took me. Time was not a factor for me anymore…simply finishing was my ultimate goal. My total training miles logged in January and February came to 263 miles. Quite a workload for me, but I do realize that the serious ultra runners easily tally these numbers in one month, not two months. But then again, I’m just a regular guy looking to experience something new.

Race Day – March 1, 2015

The route consisted of 4 half-marathon loops. Start time was 6 AM and the only contingency is that the 3rd loop (39.3 miles) must be completed within 9 hours (by 3 PM) in order to be allowed start the 4th and final loop. In short, complete 3 half-marathons back to back to back under a 3 hour average for each in order to attempt to finish the 4thhalf-marathon. No pressure. 9 men and 6 Women were about to start a long journey, that many would not complete.

Half-Marathon #1

The start was a bit shaky. I intended to run with my Go-Pro recording a time-lapse video. However, the locking mechanism on my water proof Go-Pro case snapped off and I fumbled with it for the first few minutes while the other racers ran off. Using only my headlamp for light I couldn’t get the cap snapped on and after a good 5 minutes or so I decided to put the locking cap in my pocket and rely on tightening the hinge screw as tight as possible keeping the case door in the closed position. During this process, I inadvertently turned the recording OFF, without knowing. Way to go, Fontenot. This was the first (of a few) mistakes I made that day.

Miles 1 & 2 & 3

After the Go-Pro debacle, I took off at my desired pace of 12 minute miles. The first two miles consisted of hard limestone gravel paths with many uphill climbs and downhill sprints. My plan, knowing that the uphill climbs would be a factor, was to walk all steep inclines. Even at the beginning of the race when I was fresh. And I stuck to the plan. However, my second mistake of the day was taking the downhill paths at full speed to make up for the time lost at the start. This was not a factor initially, but would later catch up with me. Otherwise, as suspected, the first two miles were a breeze. Even with the steep inclines and descents. Mile 3 softened up a bit and leveled out somewhat. The view was beautiful featuring deep gorges to the right and turns winding around trees and brush.

Mile 4 – The Grasslands

Mile 4 was my favorite mile of the 13.1 loop. I called this mile the grasslands. It consisted of a soft trail that meandered through a grassy field. This was also the spot where a few water holes had to be crossed. Fortunately, the race director laid out a strip of plywood allowing the racers to cross the water where otherwise they would have had to run through. That might have been the only nice thing the course had to offer.

Mile 5 & 6

After leaving the comfort of the grasslands, racers returned into the wooded trails and eventually ended up on hard limestone paths again. These paths brought the racers past the log cabins and into somewhat of a populated area (if you count seeing 3 parked cars populated). This is where the first ultra racer passed me. She came by me strong and I had to tell myself to run my race, not hers. 15 minutes later on a steep downhill that included a sharp turn, I passed her up. The next time I saw here was on the second loop at mile 21 where I recognized her running with my wife and her group doing the half-marathon. I later learned this ultra runner dropped out in the middle of the 3rd loop.

Miles 6 through 8 – Hell Hole

The aid station was at the start of mile 6. The volunteers and medics were awesome. They cheered me as I passed the tent. I didn’t stop for the fruit, granola, baked potatoes, potato chips, pretzels, Gu, water, Heed or Coca Cola that they had to offer. I had loaded up my race belt with plenty of protein bars that morning and my camelback still had plenty of water in it. My plan was to reload at the end of the first loop. The next 2 ¼ miles was nothing but horse trails with sand and extremely tall climbs and insane downhill runs. Looking back, this first loop stretch is what drained me and almost ruined me later in the race. I was walking a very steep uphill climb, eating a protein energy bar and I realized when seeing the mile 8 marker that I had to do this (dammed) stretch 3 more times and I was not looking forward to it. It wasn’t until my 3rd loop along this stretch that I decided I had fallen into a hell hole, and thus it was named.

Mile 8 - 10

As it turns out, after crossing the 8 mile mark the path turned and voila, there was the aid station again. This stretch of the course (hell hole) was a loop. Again, I kept running passed as I had just eaten an energy bar, but I made a mental note that the tent accessible twice in the middle of the course. The path turned to soft clay and remained mostly flat. There were a few hills, but nothing compared to the ridiculous horse trails (hell hole) I had just managed to get through. It was a very nice change of scenery

Final 5K of First Loop

The final 3.1 miles of the first loop was great. I was running strong, still maintaining an average pace of less than 12 minutes per mile, which, if maintained, would put me across the finish line around 11 hours.  The course was turning here and there and eventually ran along the river where there was a clearing in the woods with signs offer beach chairs and canoes  for rent. This path was more dirt and the surroundings were more wooded than earlier. The weather remained cool and the running continued strong.

At the 12 mile mark the dirt path turned to hard limestone gravel, yet again. What confused me was, shortly thereafter, I passed a Q50 sign facing the other direction and as I passed it I looked back to see what it said. It said 3 Miles. My mind attempted to comprehend this sign. I knew at some point at the end of the loop I would be back-tracking to the start line. But was I really 3 miles away from the start line? Didn’t I just pass the 12 mile mark? Or did I still have 3 miles to go? Did I somehow miss a turn? Was I off course? These questions plagued me for a few minutes, but I kept following the path I was on. Then I heard it. A loud hailer announcing runners as they hit the 13.1 mile turnaround. I climbed (walked) a steep short hill and at the top could see the banquet hall (start line/turnaround) to the right. Adrenaline kicked in and I began running harder with excitement.  And then I saw my wife Ashley and my youngest son Cooper holding up poster boards that said, “Go Dad Go”, “You’re Doing Ultra Awesome”, and “Run Like You’re Chasing Chickens” (we’re from Mamou).

My oldest son, Remy, was in the Jeep reading and staying warm, but came running when Cooper told him I was in. I gave them hugs and kisses, refueled, dropped off my headlamp, and headed back out to start my second loop. I was in by 8:35 AM – a 2 hour 35 minute half-marathon at just under a 12 minute per mile pace. So far everything was going just like I planned.

The Second Loop

The second loop started off just fine. I started to pay attention to just how hard the limestone path felt on my feet and how when stepping on the larger loose piece of limestone cause my feet to land improperly. But no big deal, so far. I made my way through the 14, 15 & 16 and eventually entered the grasslands…my happy place. As I weaved through the trails leading to the aid stations, I made mental notes of the course and thought back to the first loop trying to predict what was around the next bend and just how far away the aid station was. I was listening to an audio book through my ear buds. I chose Scott Jurek’s ‘Eat and Run’ deliberately, hoping it would offer inspiration and motivation when my body wanted to stop. The book was the story of Scott Jurek and elite ultra runner and it described his journey from a young boy to one of the world’s best ultra runners. The story line kept me focused on consistent forward movement. At least during the second loop the audio book kept me focused. Later, much more would be needed.

Aid Station/Hell Hole – Part Two

As I approached mile 19 the aid station came into sight. One of the volunteers  shouted out, “your third loop” and I sadly had to correct her. “Nope. I still have two more after this.” It was a reality check that I wasn’t even halfway done yet.  This time I stopped at the aid station and had half of a PB&J, a couple of orange halves and a sip of Coca-Cola. I told them I’d be back soon once I circled back around in a couple of miles…and I then entered into hell hole for a second time.  I came upon an ultra racer who was limping badly. We walked up a steep horse trail together and I learned his quads were cramping so badly that with 7 miles to go on the second loop, he planned to walk the remainder of the second half-marathon and call it a day. As we reached the top of the hill, I wished him well and set off again.

The second time around hell hole was starting to wear me down. All the down hills, where I was bouncing around trying to keep my footing while sprinting like a mad man, was wearing away at my muscles and joints. But I pushed ahead and at mile 21 still felt fine. I stopped once again when the course brought me around to the aid station again and grabbed a few pretzels and a couple of salt tablets before hitting the trails. Just as I was saying good bye to the aid station volunteers I recognized a group of runners approaching from the other side of the aid station. It was my wife and her running group where were doing the half-marathon distance as they approached mile 6. A quick kiss, a “How ya doing?” from both sides, a couple of “Good luck’s”, and I was off again. It’s always nice to see loved ones and friends along the course. It’s rejuvenating in a way that I cannot explain.

Wrapping up the Second Half-Marathon

Miles 21 through 26 were uneventful. Except for when the half-marathoners and full marathoners came racing by me at paces 3 – 5 minutes faster than my current pace. As a runner, regardless of your pace, it’s always tough to have handfuls of other racers go whizzing by you as if you are barely moving. Could I keep up with some of them? Absolutely. Could I finish the second loop on their heels or even ahead of them? I think so. Could I run another full marathon afterwards if I tried to keep up with them? Hell no! So I kept telling myself to relax and run your race, not theirs. And that’s how I finished the second half-marathon…at my pace and no one else’s. It was also nice seeing a running buddy of mine who did the half-marathon and we ran together for a bit around mile 24, but he eventually left me behind so he could finish his race. He did comment on how hard the course was.  I agreed whole heartedly. He also commented that he couldn’t believe I was crazy enough to attempt four total loops of this course. Again, I agreed with him.

Mile 26.2 Turnaround

With my wife out on the course I kept an eye out for my sons as I reached the turnaround. I saw both Remy and Cooper playing with the children of some friends of our who had run the Saturday races. I quickly took a chair at the aid station, pulled my shoes off to shake the pebbles (boulders) out and asked my friends to fill my camelback, which they kindly did. The entire time Cooper and Shaffer (his buddy – same age) are begging me to grab them a Jolly Rancher from the aid station table. They were persistent. It wasn’t until I was back out on the trail for my third half-marathon that I realized I never got them the Jolly Ranchers. I felt bad.

My Second Full Marathon of the Day

Recap: First half-marathon completed in 2 hours and 35 minutes. Second half-marathon completed in 2 hours and 40 minutes. Current average pace for my first full marathon: 11 ½ minutes per mile. Goal pace: 12 minutes per mile. It’s all coming together I thought…now onto my second full marathon of the day.  I had no way of knowing that the next 13 miles would take more than 3 ½ hours to complete.

Now, more than ever, I was feeling the pain of the hard limestone gravel path. My ankles were starting to swell and all joints were beyond achy. And I haven’t even reached mile 27. Every step is a PR I kept telling myself. Keep moving forward. Before reaching the mile 27 marker the course split. Racers going out turn to the left while racers coming in approach from the right. As I made the turn I looked to my right to see if there were any runners (I was secretly looking for Ashley), and wouldn’t you know, there she was. I waited for her at the turn (another kiss J) and I noticed that she and her group were soaking wet and dripping with sweat. She later told me that she was glad that she ran one loop to get a better appreciation of what I endured running 4 loops. I told her the finish line was not far and to keep going strong. I took off again.

Miles 27 Through Mile 30

Pain starting creeping in slowly. Then with a little more conviction. My heart rate started climbing steadily. My quadriceps burned and my hamstrings were started to catch a little fire. I reached the grasslands (mile 30) and walked through the grassy field thinking how nice it would be to sit down or maybe even lay in the grass. I knew I couldn’t, but it was fun dreaming. Halfway through the grasslands I started running again and eventually made my way into the wooded paths. The climbs were getting tougher to deal with, even while walking, but the downhill sprints were brutally painful. I would literally hold my breath as I ran down the hills. Even the gradual downhill slopes seemed to be drop-off grades. Or at least that’s what my legs would have described them as.  And my mind was also getting weak. I could feel it. But I could not give up…not yet at least.

Aid Station/Hell Hole – Part Three

As I approached the aid station for the third time from this direction the volunteers cheered me on. By now, after passing through the aid station four previous times, I had gotten to know the volunteers to some degree. The medic asked how I was doing. I told him my quads were doing really badly. He suggested we stretch the quads a bit and proceeded to lift my left ankle up towards my backside. When he did this my left hamstring became a fire pit of pain and tried to punch a hole out of the back my leg. The pain was incredibly sharp. The medic panicked for a moment, then sat me down in a chair. He slowly and gingerly began with some hamstring stretches, then IT band stretches and eventually went back to the quads. All stretches were in a seated position which seemed to help.

After the stretches, I stood up and tried to loosen out the legs a bit. After a full systems check, I seemed okay. I fueled up once again, took in some liquids and decided it was time I was on my way to tackle round three of the hell hole. I promised to see them soon on the loop around. “But probably not too soon”, I added. I didn’t know at the time how true that last statement actually was.

The hell hole certainly didn’t get any easier since the last time I was there. As a matter of fact, it seemed to have gotten much worse. The downhill sprints were treacherous and punishing. The pain that ran through my legs was unbearable. Even the slow uphill climbs seem to ignite explosions throughout all my lower joints and muscles. I began to contemplate dropping out of the race. I had hit the wall at mile 31 and with over 20 more miles to go, I didn’t think I could finish. As I jogged through the flat stretches I considered how blessed I would be if I were to slip down a drop-off and twist an ankle forcing me to DNF due to injury. I even thought about how nice it would be if a snake should pop out of the brush and bite me, forcing me out of the race. My mind was getting the best of me, working my thoughts into figuring ways out of this hell I put myself into without actually having to quit. I could simply walk the rest of this loop and drop out after 39.3 miles. 39.3 miles is still an ultra distance, isn’t it? My body and my spirit all seemed broken.

I’m Out!

Then at mile 33 it happened. I just couldn’t go anymore. I sent a text to my wife at exactly 1:30 PM that read, “I’m Out! The hills beat me!”  I had finally reached the breaking point. 6 more miles to finish this loop seemed unbearable. Completing a fourth and final half-marathon loop was equivalent to walking on water…impossible. Regardless, I was done. Then, my wife sent a string of replies.

“You can do it baby! Don’t quit now”

“You did the training and you are strong!!! So many people keep asking about you!”

“I can run the last loop with you.”

“Remy said he’d run with you!”

I was reading the text and spoke out loud as if she could hear me. I said things like, “You don’t know what I’m going through” and “I am in so much pain”, along with some expletives that were supposed to make me feel better, but didn’t. I wrote back that I didn’t think I could finish the remaining 6 miles in the 1 ½ hours needed to beat the cut time. Her next text read:

“You will! Now go!!!”

So, I went. I pushed through the pain. I pushed through the mental fatigue. I kept thinking about my family. I thought about both of my parents in Heaven. I thought about my youngest son Cooper and how he had open-heart surgery as an infant and how he couldn’t quit. I thought about Remy and how much he is not a fan of running, but was willing to run the final 13 miles with me. I thought about Ashley who had already run 13 miles and had been at the park since early morning and how she was willing to wait whatever time it took for me to finish. And while I thought about all of these things, I ran.

At 2:20 PM I reached mile 37. I had 40 minutes to travel 2.3 miles. I was feeling good and the pain was erased from my mind. I wrote (talk-texted) a very long text to my wife:

“Okay here's the deal. I've got about 2 miles to go, about 30 minutes out. I'm going to keep going. But I need some help from you:

Put a chair by my bag

Take out my trail shoes from the bag

In my front pocket of the bag there are compression socks and the blue calf sleeves please put those with the shoes

Take out my iron man running cap, white.

By chance do you have a spare towel, if so I'll gladly borrow it.

When I get there I'll take off my Camelback and if you can help me add ice and fill it up with water I appreciate it.

Maybe one of the boys can help me to pull off my Ragnar compression socks.

I’ll see you before 3pm and give you a heads up when I am a few minutes out.

Please don't let Cesar cut me!”

When I completed the 3rd loop at 2:50 PM, Team Fontenot was excited to see me and they were raring to go into action. They helped me in and out of the transition like an efficient pit crew. It was so incredibly awesome to be a part of. That moment right there was worth all the pain in the world.

The Final Loop

My 12-year old son, Remy, traveled the first two miles of the final loop with me. We went slow, but we kept moving. To help keep my mind off the pain, and the fact that I still had a half marathon to go, he offered to tell me a story. He asked me for a theme (I chose friendship), and a character name (I chose Scott). He then began a made-up, on the spot story which lasted to the two mile mark. I took a quick picture of Remy at the mile marker and sent him on his way back tracking to the start line to meet Ashley and Cooper.

I took the final loop nice and easy. Making my way to the grasslands and then breezing through that segment of the course. When I got to the aid station at mile 45, I was happy to see the volunteers. My biggest anxiety at this point was losing all of my battery power on my iPhone. I was at 6% of battery life left so I ran it on airplane mode. I wanted to have enough power at the end to notify Ashley once I was 1-mile out.

I went through hell hole (for the fourth and final time – thank God) at a snail’s pace, knowing that any attempt to make up time during this 2 mile stretch was going to result in absolutely nothing positive. The pain came back, but I still chugged along. I said my thank you and goodbye’s to the aid station volunteers as I passed them for the final time heading into the final 5 mile stretch of the race. The sun was setting and I knew I wouldn’t beat the approach of darkness. I got out my headlamp and put it on as the daytime slowly faded away.

At this stage, I was focused solely on each half mile in front of me. Thinking about the finish line began to make me extremely anxious, so I pushed it out of my mind. I told myself to just get through the next half mile…and the next…and the next. Don’t think about the finish line. By the time I reach my final mile, nighttime had fully engulfed the trails. Although my headlamp produced strong light, I managed to find some roots and ruts along the way and slighted twisted my ankle a couple of times. Fortunately, I was running ‘soft’ and I was able to catch myself. The rotation on my ankle was not serious.

As I approached the final stretch I could see the lights at the finish line. As I climbed the final hill (which seemed way steeper than the last 3 times I came up it) I could see shadows of figures ahead of me on the trail. Then I recognized Cooper and a buddy of mine named Jimbo. I was less than a quarter mile from the finish line. Cooper and Jimbo were jogging by my side and I couldn’t have been happier to have them. Then I came up on Remy who joined in on the group run and together we all sprinted (I use this term very loosely and relatively speaking) across the finish line where Cesar, Ashley and Melanie (Jimbo’s wife) were waiting. Ashley and Melanie were singing a made up song about how proud they were of me. It was awesome.

It’s (Finally) Over

I didn't collapse. I didn’t get overly emotional. I didn’t cry in pain. I did smile a lot (to everyone’s amazement) and as I bent over with my hands on my knees, my 10 year old and 12 year old sons did something that I will never forget…they jumped onto my back celebrating my accomplishment.  

Words cannot truly express how marvelous it felt to have completed this ultra marathon when all seemed doomed some five hours earlier. But completing it was not what elevated the feeling I was feeling. Having completed the ultra marathon with my family patiently waiting for me at the finish line made everything I had endured over the past several months of training and the past 12 ½ hours of running so very much worth it. I believe in my heart that I was able to complete this race because of them.

Conclusion

My goal was to finish under 11 hours. I finished in 12 hours and 36 minutes. My average pace was 14 1/2 minutes per mile. The hills were ridiculously brutal. 90% of my training runs were over flat lands and I was not prepared for these hills. I tossed finish time and pace expectations out the window a long time ago. All in all, I was simply happy with the fact that I finished. 

Will I do another Ultra Marathon? Well, that answer keeps changing. Only time will tell.

~ John Fontenot, Houma, LA

....super special thanks to mi amigo Cesar Torres, the best off road race director I know. Thanks to Q50 Races for organizing this ultra extravaganza. Thanks to all the volunteers on the course who kept me motivated. And thanks to all the volunteers behind the scenes, who I know played a huge role in the success of this race.