This was my fourth go at the Javelina Jundred with finish times now ranging from 21-something to last year’s 17:38 for 8^th overall.  After the race last year, it was hard for me to imagine how I could top that although my mind wandered and then pondered a 16-something. 

After getting sidelined with an injury, returning to full training, and getting closer to the event, it was obvious to me that I wasn’t in the same kind of shape as last year.  That said, I’m thankful to be running and extra thankful to be able to run a hundred in order to fulfill my Western States lottery obligation.  This will be my fifth year in the lottery and with 16 tickets, I’m hopeful -- I’m hopeful every year but 16 tickets seems like more than a few.  Perhaps not, we’ll see next month.  One paragraph and I’m already off topic…

A few years ago, I ran across the Grand Canyon and back (Rim to Rim to Rim), with a group of friends.  In the highlights reel of my life, this is somewhere near the top and it’s always an adventure that I’ve wanted to do again. 

Back in January, I booked a room at the Bright Angel Lodge with the idea that I might do it again.  I didn’t know for certain but I figured I could cancel the room if things didn’t work out.  Well, things did work out and this past weekend, I set out for a solo double crossing. 

Life has been chaotic lately and a run as big as this really helps put things into perspective.  But little did I know!

On Saturday, I got up at 4am, drank some cold brew, got my gear together and sometime just shy of 5am, I was off into the Canyon.

It’s been a while since I’ve written – mostly because I was dealing with an injury earlier in the year.  Nothing huge but I had to take some time off which caused some loss of fitness.  The injury healed and since then I’ve been focused on getting back to my former shape.  I’m not at 100% but I’m making progress and I’m happy to be running.

2018 goals were pushed aside when the injury appeared and the primary goal became getting back to the ability to run a hundred mile qualifier for the Western States 100.  Assuming I will check that box off by the end of the year, I’ll have 16 tickets in the lottery.  Every year I say that should be enough to get me into the race and every year another 1000 people enter the lottery.  So that being a factor, I’ll just say I like my odds better with 16 tickets and I don’t want to lose them. 

What a fun race!  She-Ra has talked about it for the last few years and the timing just never really worked for me.  Signing up for CIM after Javelina seemed like a bad idea so I went looking for a marathon.  She mentioned she was doing Redding again, I signed up, and we recruited others.  As things go, a few people fell off for various reasons along the way – and then there were four. 

My training since Javelina was stellar.  I’ve been in the best shape, runs seemed effortless, and nothing ruins a great streak like getting the flu.  But this wasn’t your garden variety flu, this was full-blown, high fever, double whammy flu.  I started getting sick on 12/29.  With Redding still far enough out, I thought – no big deal.  Wrong.  It took at least four days for the fever to subside and then the stuffy nose, congestion, coughing part kicked in.