With 50 miles in Atlanta 2 years ago, and 2020 being the year of nothingness due to Covid; going into 2021 WTM I felt a bit of pressure to perform as well as I did 2 year prior. This pressure is a self imposed; but at times its difficult to remind oneself of that. Although physically i had felt pretty good; my confidence was crushed earlier in the year with my poor performance running the Superior 100 and dropping out a 1/4 of the way in. Having battled a knee injury, and then an ankle injury off and on earlier in the year; my training didn't feel like it was where i wanted to be; nor did my weight (i came into this WTM heavier than previous years at 246lbs).
With that said, I'm very happy i made the trip to Laughlin, NV as if there is one magical thing about WTM that make is special, it is the people.
Much like every Worlds Toughest, the race started with a sprint lap (no obstacles). Growing accustom to trying to get 1 lap in within 1 hour to avoid obstacles; i settled into my comfortable pace. Previous years in Vegas we typically had at least 1 swim on the sprint lap; and this one was no exception having to swim across the bay near the end of the course right after Kong Infinity. Lake Las Vegas is Cold; and quickly takes your breath away as you start to paddle. Not a strong swimmer myself; i would blow air into my camel bak to create a makeshift flotation device to make my life a bit easier.
Going into lap two, heat of the afternoon everything seemed to be working well. My nutrition was on, i was hydrated; and for the most part i was completing what obstacles were open. Some new ones we had not seen before included; 'Pandoras Box' which was a shock obstacle where you crawled through a blacked-out box attempting to avoid chains/wires and tires. Another was Turdunkin which was a combination of sewage outlet (tube crawl to ejecting yourself into a water pit); continuing on was a slide into water where you had to then dunk under a log before climbing a cargo net out. A few things about Turkdunkin. One....the water was disgusting as it had sat in the sun for an entire 2 weeks growing whatever so it smelt awful; and secondly; if you slid down the wrong spot on the slide portion; there was a rock that would destroy your booty in the most awful of ways.
The first 25 miles went quick; I was having a good race.
With all obstacles now open; my pace slowed exponentially. I had made Kong infinity the first time it opened; to than realize the swim after Kong could be avoided by just taking the obstacle penalty (which was actually easier).
One thing about this course, the obstacles were not very 'fun' and the penalties for failed obstacles were LONG. The longest being the penalty for Funky Monkey, which upon a failure of the obstacle; the penalty consisted of a 3/4 mile run plus having to do Arctic Enema. This penalty was every lap after lap 3; my grip just wasn't there to complete the obstacle.
After 9PM this OCR course felt more like a grind than any race I've done before; with each lap being almost 7 miles in length with penalties. At least i felt good, mentally i was good, physically tired; but staying warm. The night hours seemed to just disintegrate away with each lap.
One other notable item: I remember that although it wasn't 'too cold' ; the water in Augustus Gloop spraying down on us as we climbed the tube was by far the coldest water on course. It must have been because the pumps cycling/spaying the water through the dry desert air was causing it to get super-cooled by comparison to other obstacles that had pits of water. At least after this obstacle there was another immediate water obstacle followed by a long hill climb to warm a person back up.
I also remember kiss-of mud 2.0 was nick-named kiss-of-rocks. Small, sharp, hard, pointing gravel that just chewed up elbows and knees at each passing. It was a test of how much 'uncomfortable' you could tolerate as each lap progressed.
Night time is a lonely time at any WTM. The course thins out; you're physically exhausted; and worst of all, your mind starts to question what you're doing and why you are there.
As the night gave up its cold grasp on the world; dawn arrived. This is the most welcoming side of any 24 hour race. Especially in the Desert where the Hot/Cold differential messes with your body. Just before dawn i was walking the Funky Monkey Penalty which was a long/ out and back along Lake Las Vegas. The wind coming across the lake cut right through everything i was wearing to where even arctic enema now felt warm; this would be the coldest i would get during this event.
As the sun broke the horizon i thought back to my first WTM; where i was laying, shivering on my tent floor as the sun came up. The event crew played the Beatles, "Here Comes the Sun". I remember hearing that song as a sign of hope i wasn't going to die of hypothermia that night. In this event, i was no where near that cold; but yet a spot of orange on the horizon always makes me think back to that moment, and that song. With the rise of the sun; energy comes back into my bones; as i continue to move; ever so slowly.
Around mile 40, the 'easy' Kong obstacle got re-routed through some gnarly desert terrain, to make it more difficult. People figured out it was easy and were taking it. I was taking it because i had no choice; as all my remaining upper body was being conserved for walls.
As i pitted after my 8th or 9th lap, Jake (who's race didn't go so well) brought Mc Donald's in. It was the best McGriddle of my life.
Out on my last lap for a total of 50 miles; i knew i was going to get that coveted Brown Bib i was chasing for 3 years. I completed my last lap around 930AM. I had enough time to squeeze in 1 more lap; but I was done. My goal was achieved; i had no more to prove; my body was wrecked from head to toe. I was so happy to get out of a wet suit and into dry comfy clothes. I was so proud to have gotten that 50 mile bib and i couldn't have done it without the help of my Pit Crew, specifically my Wife.
Many people run more miles; many people run faster; but for me; this was my 'Holy Grail' of a finish. Setting and achieving lofty personal goals takes persistence, and a little luck. Persistence, and consistency you can control. Its a race that messes with your mind as much as it messes with your muscles. WTM is as much a lesson in overcoming the unknown and patience as it is about running for 24 hours straight. 24 hours is a long time for things to go wrong; so trying to keep them going mostly right; is the real challenge.
This was one of my most proud races finishes, Ever. To this day i consider it my 65 mile Brown (50 Mile) Bib due to all the penalty miles i ended up running.