Spirit of Community: The Bigfoot 200 Continues

In the previous chapter, I was deep into the Bigfoot 200’s Dark Side of the Moon edition. With the support of Andrew’s crew, I kept moving at a steady pace. Challenges on the course included humidity, aggressive insects, and quad-crushing climbs. Still, with the help of Christie Boss, I made it back to White Pass High School. Christie came to me during the best of my moods and we crushed the downhill return from Twin Sisters back to Randle with jokes, laughter, and voice impersonations. Once again, the world of ultra had provided an incredible stranger through the spirit of community. 

The Pull of Home

I knew I had to get out of White Pass High School incredibly fast. Other runners were feeling the pull of home and dropping out. I slept, ate, and put my shoes back on after the adequate footcare. My feet were throbbing. Into the night, I set off with Heather Zamane, another person I had just met during the race. Struggling to stay awake, I attempted to lay down several times with terrible luck. In addition to that, I got us lost on the road, giving us 3 additional miles. Eventually, as the sun rose and I climbed Pompey for the third time, things were back on track. The third summit of Pompey brought the greatest views. I raced to Twin Sisters feeling strong.

Queen Regina

Here, I would pick up Regina, Andrew’s girlfriend and a powerful athlete in her own right. Despite my small tantrum as a result of a ground hornet bite, Regina kept me positive on the punchy Klickitat section. Climb after climb was taken down as I felt high again. Once I got to Klickitat aid, I knew it was just about going back. Even if it was about 48 miles back, I had not come this far to only come this far. Once again, I would be picking up Jason Hanley through the reverse Klickitat to Twin Sisters section.

The Sun Rose

Yet again, Jason and I went into the night, this time longer. As the sun rose, I felt good again. The two of us jammed music and charged towards Twin Sisters, where I would pick up Regina for the final marathon of the race. Once I got to Twin Sisters, my energy was locked in. I knew once I got to Pompey Peak for the final time, it was essentially a downhill jam to the finish. With many emotions and a Rice Crispy bar in hand, I summited Pompey for the last time.

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Climbing over the Giant Trees

Exhausted, I reeled as I shuffled down. Climbing over the giant trees with 150+ miles on your body was tiring. Each maneuver left me out of breath but I shuffled hard. I knew once I made it to the road at Owens Creek aid, I would find my shuffle. I was going to make it back before sunset. After one quick rest, I pushed hard to Owens Creek, motivated by catching a few runners in front of us. Funny enough, none of those runners were actually ahead of me and I was chasing ghosts, but it kept me distracted.

Felt the Pull

Regina and I left Owens very quickly. Both of us were ready to be finished. Mentally, I was prepared for the pounding of hard asphalt. This was going to hurt and I knew the faster I shuffled, the faster I’d finish. With cell phone service, I called my girlfriend, several friends, and my business partner Jason Bahamundi. To their surprise, I sounded lucid. As I tucked the right turn for the final 5K, my speed only increased. Once we crossed the bridge, I felt the pull. Then, I saw the high school and relief washed over me. More than Tahoe, I had overcome so much on this course. 

So Much More to Give

Sprinting, I put down a sub-7-minute mile and roared as I increased my speed. Crossing the finish line with a jump, adrenaline rushed through my veins. I had so much more to give. That feeling lasted only momentarily as I was exhausted. After having my crew choose a buckle, it was time to head back to our hotel. The next day, despite being in a haze, I had fun spending time with my friends. Leaving the day after just felt sad. The spirit of community both gave me faith in humanity and made me saddened to leave my friends. Despite that, I knew Moab was on the horizon, just 56 days away. Once again, it would not be long before I toed the line of a 200-mile foot race again, and this time it would be my white whale.

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