I wasn’t aware of Ultra-marathons until I was 38 years old; only 8 short years ago. My first thought? Insane and impossible. It was completely unfathomable at my age. This opinion was prior to the injuries in the 2018’s car accident. My thought while running 62 miles last Saturday? I can do this.
I participated in the Rails to Trails 100k in Ottawa, KS last weekend. This was my first attempt to run 62 miles. The course was a 31 mile out and back trail, passing through a few small towns.
How would I do it? One step at a time, 138,568 times. I would need to simply keep moving. Sure, it would hurt. It would hurt bad. But the day’s pain wouldn’t be from an injury, it would come from sore muscles and fatigue. No matter how tough things could get, I intended to keep moving.
Just before the 6am start, I convinced myself the hard part of the race was behind me. I was already 95% done. This journey began on April 18, which was one day after finishing my first 50-mile race. I’ve ran 1075 miles since then, while preparing for Saturday. The 100k was to complete the final 5% of a 188-day journey.

As the race started, I reflected upon running my first 10k race less than a decade ago. It was a proud and happy moment at that time in my life. I had never envisioned running 6.2 miles, let alone do it in a race. And to think I would run this distance 10 times in one day! I’m very blessed and thankful. I’m thankful to have found running to begin with, which helped motivate me to make other positive changes in my life. I’m thankful to have the opportunity to run after a permanent spinal stenosis prognosis. I gave all the glory to God for allowing me to participate as I began running with a heart full of thankfulness. I ran the first several miles without airpods. I enjoyed the silence and used the time to pray and take in the beautiful sounds of early morning nature. It was pitch black, the only light coming from my headlamp. There were frequent tree lines on both sides of the trail, and it was cloudy, making it feel darker. I would occasionally hear unidentifiable sounds in the trees.
As daylight began to break, I ran into my first potential problem: lightning. Before the race it was off in the distance, but it lingered around and appeared too close for comfort. I said a few prayers and trusted God was watching over the entire field of runners. The lightening stopped after 20 minutes, and there wasn’t enough rain to get me too wet. I ran the first 31 miles without a pacer but enjoyed having some alone time. I listened to lots of 80’s hair metal (as usual), some podcasts and a few chapters in an audiobook. I felt everything was going smooth over the first 31, aside one problem. My feet were beginning to hurt more than normal. My feet felt like I ran 40 miles when I was only 25 miles in. One foot felt like it had plantar fasciitis, an injury I’ve previously experienced. How did I handle it? Keep moving.

My buddy Jake joined me as a pacer for miles 31-49. We had a fun time with great conversation making the first 12 miles feel quicker. I began to feel some nausea around mile 43 and could not get any food/gels/gummies down. I wasn’t consuming enough water either and dehydration makes legs feel heavier. I was already running on sore feet with severely overused muscles, so what was a little nausea going to do? Keep moving.
Jake tagged Tony in as my pacer at mile 49. I joked that Jakes’ timing was good because I was headed into the tough part, “unknown territory”. I’ve never ran more than 50 miles so I didn’t how my body would respond or if I’d hit a wall. This is where I could potentially get cranky. I shook the nausea around mile 53, but I was so exhausted at this point. I began consuming water at a high rate, but I think I was too depleted to fully rehydrate during the run. I had only 9 miles left, or did I? I was beginning to realize that my Garmin smart-watch was pacing to be .7 miles ahead of where it should be based on landmarks. I wasn’t 100% sure, but it was confirmed as I continued to move closer to the finish which was now further away than expected. I didn’t let the extra distance bother me, but I was fading in every way possible. I was so sore, everything hurt, especially my feet. I’ve never been running on my feet more than 10 hours and 38 minutes, so the pain continued to hurt at levels I’ve never felt before. When looking back, the final 5 miles are complete blur. I do remember my mind beginning to feel loopy from pain and exhaustion. Quitting was not an option; I convinced myself I’d find a way to get it done. Keep moving.

I’m so thankful for my crew, Jake and Tony, who made things easier out there. I had to dig deep to pull through and keep my legs moving. Their company provided a necessary distraction to overlook the pain and they’re both amazing human beings to spend my time with. They also made sure I had everything I needed the day before, during the race and after the race.

And I did it, in 15 hours and 41 minutes. It was good for #9 out of a field of 25. I’ll take it. What’s next? I have one Ultra remaining this year on November 6, the Sander’s Saunter Charity Run. Their 2021 charity sponsor for the race is ICT SOS. Please consider donating to Tony Brown’s “5000 miles for $10,000” fundraising campaign by clicking here. ICT SOS does amazing work to fight human trafficking in the Wichita area.
Big shout out to my wife and daughter. Thanks for all your support and the sacrifices you make so daddy can chase his dreams. I love you girls! And Praise God for allowing me to finish and without injury.
Go get it.
And…
Keep moving.