Redemption Run: The Antelope 100 Miler

February was a tough month, one full of many personal and professional outcomes. A lot of good happened, but so did a lot of growth. As I turned the page to 30, I also entered taper mode for Antelope 100. This was my 9th time attempting a 100-mile run and I was looking for my 6th finish. A redemption run wasn’t the first thing that crossed my mind, but the concept definitely had its place in my head. Taper flew by a mixed bag, with a soreness on my right foot being an area of concern. Then came the event.

A Chilly Start 

At 5 in the morning on March 9th, it was a chilly start at the Page Sports Complex. 15 minutes before my own start, I got to see my girlfriend and her friends take off for the 50-miler. I couldn’t be prouder if I tried. Before my race, I got a little chat and pep talk from my coach, Peter Mortimer. He simply told me I would surprise myself. Often, I was asked how I felt about being back for a redemption race. Neutral described my feelings. Having done enough of these, I knew a long battle was ahead and I kept myself even keel. After what felt like forever, the 100-mile runners set off as the sun began to rise. 

Page Rim

I did surprise myself. Maintaining a solid but steady pace, I moved exactly according to plan. Back in 2022, the first 38 miles of the course absolutely shattered me. The Antelope 100 course is a scenic one, but 30 miles of it is run on deep fine sand. This means you are working your stabilizer muscles to the max. In between these sandy miles is a slickrock section around the Horseshoe Bend that requires mental finesse just as much as physical finesse. Staying on top of my nutrition, I set a goal to be at Page Rim 10 hours into the race, where six washing machine iterations of the same ten-mile loop awaited me. I made it in around 9 hours, 40 minutes. 

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Battle of the Mind 

At around Mile 12, I passed by my girlfriend and her friends. Seeing her on course was so exciting. I was happy to see everyone doing well, but I had to stick to my plan as long as I was feeling good. Saying my goodbyes, I shuffled on in the sand. The slickrock section came during the hottest part of the day, but I slowed my pace slightly and remained steady, making sure to continue to fuel. At the 50K mark, I cleaned my feet and changed my socks. My Kahtoola gaiters did their job, but I wanted to make sure I did mine. My MTL Long Sky 2 Matryx trail runners were light and sturdy enough to last me the entire event. When I got to the rim at Mile 38, the game changed. After taking a beating from the sand and coming to the rim already more beat up than usual, you now had to find a way to push on this 10-mile loop. I hit my first really rough patch mentally during this time but stayed strong. The loop itself was on compact terrain, so it was more a battle of the mind.

A Tough Course 

When the other distances dissipated and the sun went down, the rim got lonely. I took some caffeine and Vitamin D supplement and prepared for the long fight ahead of me. The 30-hour cutoff made for a fast-paced course and you could not afford to get in your own head. Injury and my own mind forced me into a mile 64 DNF in 2022. This time, I focused on the mile in front of me, maintaining my pace as long as I could. Sadly, I was bummed to find out my people had all tapped out of the 50-miler but was also very proud. This is a tough course, make no mistake.  

A Really Dark Place

At Mile 62, Coach Pete joined me. Heading into midnight, we shared wireless earbuds and jammed to heavy metal while crushing the next 16 miles. Now, I was really running with a redemption run mentally. Eventually, Peter had to stop at mile 78 to manage a niggle. The last loop before sunrise almost crushed me as I began to sleepwalk near sunrise. My mind traveled to a really dark place. Pairing up with another runner brought me back from the brink. The sun began to rise around the rim around mile 88, and I had only about 13 miles left. Struggling with nutrition, I tried to eat what I could and drink. I was playing a balancing act with redlining. Finally, I had made it to mile 99, and had 2 miles off the rim to get to the end.

As Hard as I Could 

Nobody told me the last two miles were uphill in deep sand. I pushed as hard as I could, dealing with right heel tightness. Getting under 28 hours seemed out of reach now, but I wouldn’t go down without a fight. My girlfriend’s texts gave me extra strength. As soon as I saw the finish line, I ran even faster, putting together my fastest mile in 30 miles. I sprinted to the finish carrying my Richstone Family Center banner, my girlfriend and my coach awaiting me. The redemption run was complete. 

The Highland Ultra 

As I write this, I’m 3 weeks away from the Highland Ultra 3-day stage race in Scotland. Recovering from Antelope 100 has been a challenge due to various reasons, but that’s a story for the next chapter. Stay tuned for part 3 on April 27th! 

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