Rocky Raccoon Results and Race Report by Brad W Delcambre

Smitty Smith: 21 hours
Brad Delcambre: 28:49 hrs
Keith Manuel: 28:49hrs

AMAZING!!!

Congratulations to all, safe travels home! Who Dat???
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Rocky Raccoon 100 Miler; A Race Report by Brad W Delcambre

I’ve never been one for writing up race reports. It’s not that I don’t want to write one, truth is I’m just forgetful and I never get around to it. This is what happened to my Bandera 50K race report. Bandera was no joke. A beautiful course over some of the most blistering terrain you can imagine. If any of you are looking for a challenge I highly recommend this race for splitting your skull open. Unless you have done some traveling to that part of Texas you literally have no clue what you are getting yourself into. Within the first mile I had cursed everyone I could possibly think of and it did absolutely nothing to help the situation. Bandera is a dangerous course if you are not prepared, so if anyone is up for the challenge please do your homework and get wasted. That way when you are passed out you can mentally project what it is like to run over boulders and cacti, as you will get none of that type of training here.

Now, off to the main course, this report is about Rocky Raccoon. It’s hard to summarize such an experience, especially when one is not a literary genius, (That means I don’t right so good.). The journey is not unlike Ironman, and the indestructible feeling of personal accomplishment, gratitude, and happiness last for days once complete.

Prerace: My training consisted of a whole crap load of running and eating an unfathomable amount of unhealthy food all while drinking enough alcohol to kill a small village. I don’t know what it was about this race that got me on this type of training regiment but it worked and I was still able to lose weight in the process. (For legality purposes I do not specifically condone this type of behavior)
My taper sucked, as usual. It’s just never any fun and about a week before the race the nervous system began going into overdrive. I had no idea what to expect, only stories, myths, and fairytales of the elusive 100 that lied before me. I was beyond nervous, and nothing was comforting. I stopped by Smitty’s house a few days before and saw all of his bags properly labeled with everything he was going to need, Mongoose definitely had a game plan. I knew any plan that I had would be null and void the second I started running so I used the play it by ear method. Actually slept pretty good the night before the race, all things considered. Smitty actually told me either I wasn’t nervous race morning or I had one hell of a poker face.

Loop 1: The first loop wasn’t so bad. Legs were a little stiff but I felt good. Keith and I kept a good pace. The only negative I have about the first loop is a wrong turn we took. I was following a group of runners that were in front of me and as it turns out we weren’t supposed to go that way. It added about 15 minutes to our total time. My legs were fresh so I tried not to let it get to me. I felt my nutrition was right and everything seemed to be going ok.

Loop 2: This is the loop where everything started going downhill. I started getting very nauseous and any types of sugary substances were not settling well. This can happen if your heart rate is very high for extended periods of time but I knew my heart rate was low as we were not running very fast. We still managed to stay on a great pace despite the issues.
Loop 3: The nausea had finally felt like it was going away until Mother Nature began calling me into the woods. I had to make 4 trips before my body said there was nothing left. I was eating Pepto-Bismol tablets as if they were candy. I still couldn’t eat much but after 60 miles my stomach finally decided to settle down. This loop also began to teach my body why this distance is so difficult. Around this time your body begins to feel the effects from the constant pounding of the ground. My legs began to ache, not in a muscular sense; it was my knees and feet. We lost some time on this loop and realized it would be a battle for the remaining 40 miles

Loop 4: Running at night in the woods sucks, plain and simple. You are constantly staring at your feet. When I would look up to see the beautiful night sky my equilibrium would get out of wack… so I didn’t do that anymore. My stomach felt great but the pain in my knees and feet started to become unbearable. You can feel it in your bones, every step you take is painful. It didn’t matter whether I was running or walking the pain was the same. At this point Keith and I were about 30 miles from finishing. We knew we could walk the rest of the way and still make the cutoff. I felt I could continue to run at a snail pace but honestly was a little scared. If I kept running I felt like I could seriously injure myself and have to take a few months off to recover. Around that time we saw Smitty who so graciously said “relax and enjoy the race”. I didn’t know how much enjoyment I could get out of the pain I was experiencing, but I did know the enjoyment I would get out of crossing that finish line. Keith and I pretty much agreed to take it in as slow as possible. We were going to buckle whether we came in at 25 or 30 hours.

Loop 5: We picked up John Fell and my buddy Kristin Wilson at the last aid station on the previous loop. They decided to come meet us with 5 miles left. I had called Kristin and he could hear we were struggling. The Dynamic Duo came to our aid with some moral support and decided to help us walk it in. We walked virtually the entire 5th loop. I wish I could tell you that the pain went away, as you would think from walking, but it didn’t. It was still a struggle, every single step of the way. Mile 92 was Dam Road aid station for the last time. It was at this moment I noticed I was tripping and not in a metaphorical way, I mean literally. My vision was impaired to the point I felt like I had taken a few doses of LSD. Around mile 93 we witnessed a guy stop to smoke a cigarette, still in astonishment on that one. I told Keith that we had started together and we were going to finish together. 28 hours and we walked the line at the same time. I felt the happiness overwhelm me as I practically collapsed to the ground, teary eyed and with buckle in hand.

Wow, what an experience. The pain and suffering endured during a 100 miler is a true testament to one’s character and willpower. I know this type of challenge is not for everyone, but for those who do wish to toe the line, I only ask for you to be true to yourself and your passion in life. You can not be afraid to fail, and you can not allow negative comments from others dictate your course of events. I do this because I welcome the challenge, I want to know my limits, and I want to know I am alive. I welcome the unbearable punishment for that brief moment of elation, knowing I just accomplished something that so many deem impossible.
Many great thanks go out to all who have helped me along my journey, starting out from my very first steps when I decided to start running. The day was May 5, 2005 and I remember it as if it were yesterday. Mark Miller, you are the man. Without your expertise and the inspiration I have received from your many years of Ironman, I would not have continued in the sport. Smitty, what can I say, you are a beast. I will follow in your footsteps no matter the challenge. Any day, anywhere, you name it and you can count on me; you will not tread the path alone. Keith, I am proud to have you as a friend. You have been there with me every step of the way; sharing with me some of my greatest accomplishments in life. Ironman and ultras alike, I would undoubtedly follow you into battle any day. Kristin Wilson, a true friend and pacer. Thank you for being there for me. We’ve been through a lot, but this meant more to me than words can describe. I am glad I got to share that with you. John Fell thanks for being a pacer as well. This guy was full of jokes and songs but after 24 hours of running I didn’t know if I wanted to laugh or punch him. All jokes aside, it was very welcomed and appreciated, you helped make the best out of a flight or fight situation. Very special and most important thanks go out to my family. Without their help, support, and eagerness to deal with my insanity none of this would have been possible. I truly love you all.

Sitting on top of the world and waiting to race across the sky,

Brad W. Delcambre