BIGFOOT 200 ENDURANCE RUN

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,   

But I have promises to keep,   

And miles to go before I sleep,   

And miles to go before I sleep.

My quad tattoo

Where to begin.........









In a daze still, typing this I  feel like I am still in a dream that was the Bigfoot 200 Endurance Run.

Why Luke? why? A question that has become all too familiar. I do these races because they call to me. There is something inside of me that is programmed to test myself in these extreme races. I am drawn to these things like a moth to a flame. The battle that goes on with my body and between my ears keeps me coming back for more. We as humans were made to struggle, fight and overcome. When you are put into one of these races the very fabric of our DNA is awakened and a piece of us that has been lost in modern society comes to life. I have heard other ultra runners say "I feel most alive during these races." Reason being is that our bodies and minds were designed to be tested to the max. We are walking around in an ancient design that we forgot how to use properly. When you are stripped down to the basics of life like water, food and exhaustion there is an aha moment. You see, we aren't made for 9-5's, iPhones, TV and cars.  We were made to move, eat, drink and overcome some type of adversity. An ultra marathon strips you down to the creature you were made to be. When people ask why... I often wish I could let them know how it feels through words, but I can't really. You gotta get out there on the trails via the miles and the mountains to unlock it for yourself. I am grateful that I found this ancient outlet. It has lead me to the highest mountains and to the realest people in the world. It has taught me so much about myself, and the perspective and patience to grin at "first world problems." We have it so easy and so instant. It's refreshing and invigorating after finishing an ultra marathon.  I feel more and more grateful for life as the miles stack up and the adventure unfolds.  I do it for my family. I want to show them that we can do anything if we have our hearts and minds behind it. My boys Drake and Tyce light up about these races. They often use words like 100 mile run and mountain climbs and I love that their perspective of adventure is already blooming. They have seen first hand that very difficult feats can be accomplished through hard work and a never give up mindset. I know when it is dark and I have miles and miles to go before I sleep I think of them and there is no possible way to quit. 
My beautiful wife Brittany, the most unselfish, loving person I somehow managed to trick into marrying me. She is the light that never fades. Real and true, she is the spark to my fire that keeps raging. I know it's starting to get a bit sappy, but you'll keep reading.  143 to you for putting up with these unfathomable races and training. 
Huge thanks to my mom and dad Jan and Henry for being so supportive all my life. You guys are part to blame for my adventurous and stubborn ways :) Love ya. 


TWOHUNDO

200, boy oh boy where do I begin? Between the puking, chaffing, ITBand and sleep deprivation I am fortunate to not have a DNF (did not finish.) by my name. 
 "Son of a bitch!" Mile 68 ish I feel some wild friction between my thighs.....Take a side step on the trail to check out my groin area......Holes....Yeah frickin' holes I created in my spandex because of my quads/thighs rubbing together. I had rubbed a hole clean through my spandex and a thread was seriously cutting me open.
This is going to be interesting!!! I had Desitin on me and packed in my drop bags so I kept applying and it brought some relief early on. Problem was I packed an extra set of spandex, but I had no idea which mile they would be waiting for me at.  Enter Harvey Doty, the raddest pacer on the trail!!!
He was such a great pacer that I nearly forgot about how chaffed I was getting..well almost forgot.
My chaffing would turn into a trail legend and punch line.
Enough about that for now let's go back to the start. 

0.0 Marble Mountain Sno- Park---Heart rates spiked as we gathered, chatted and waited for the race to begin. Everyone so fresh and ready for the journey ahead. 

Mile 6 ish with my boy Thomas Mullins

12.2 Blue Lake Aid----Did I sign up for a 50k!? I kept looking ahead to many racers starting out very quickly. I noticed that I was keeping up with these quick starters and I had to slow myself down and quit worrying about place etc. I knew we had 4 days to go and I needed to simmer my speed down. 

First 12.2 went amazing!!! Fresh, fun and ready to rock. I felt one tiny hot spot which I would typically overlook and keep going, but I removed my shoe and found a tic tac sized hot spot that Todd Nardi (Medical lead)  made quick work of. I filled my bottles and a 40 ounce bladder, grabbed a handful of chips and a nutella wrap and headed on. I was feeling awesome until I wasn't and like that around mile 19 when I went into Puke mode. Holy crap, I thought "How am I sick this early on??" After a quick puke and a number 2 pit stop I felt quite a bit better, but that feeling went to hell as soon as I discovered my pee was brown. Not only brown, but it got to the point that I just wasn't peeing anymore. I retraced my nutrition steps and decided I was taking in too much water and not enough electrolytes. I chilled on the water for a bit and sipped on Tailwind only for about an hour with maybe a tiny sip of water to wash it down. My fingers were swollen which was another sign I messed up my fluid intake. 

Let's call it mile 27...I started to feel better. I peed again, it didn't look like coke and my fingers weren't as swollen. I ran out of fluid around this point and luckily came to a natural spring running out of the mountain below Mount St. Helens.  The water was brisk and it gave me new life!!! Not long after this I saw 6 mountain goats which put a good smile on my face. Just a few more miles.

30.3 Windy Ridge------ After my little puke session and fluid malfunction I knew this race was going to be tough. I would be completely full of crap if I didn't tell you that I wanted to quit several times from 19-30.3. I felt weak and fatigued...and that makes cowards of us all. Not today though...not today I still had too much fight left in me to throw in the towel. Random, but unique I carpooled with A.J. Juarez. I now found myself with him stride for stride like we were made to endure this race together. Spoiler alert we finished together with an Epic sprint at the finish.  Who would have guessed that at mile 30!?  

Me left...A.J. Right and Dan smiling too.

39.9 Johnson Ridge ------First night. I was very hot during the day and it got chilly quick. Fog was made by my breath and my headlamp. This was a quick 9 ish miles and we made it to an awesome little aid station that had the best mashed potatoes I've ever had. The aid station boss lady made me a hybrid mashed potato bowl mixed with chicken noodle soup. AMAZING!!! This was the first time I ever sat down and ate a hot meal during an ultra. I would reach these aid stations starving even though I had sufficient calories on the trail. This would be the pattern for the entire course. 

46.5 Coldwater Lake Sleep Station----- I really started feeling better around here. In my mind I rounded this aid station up to 50....lol not sure why, but I didn't like how 46.5 sounded. What was an amped up 

not actual race, but possible hallucination :)

re-energized me turned into zombie me. This was the longest section for me. We climbed and climbed and climbed over 5k vertical in this section and we traversed exposed ridge after exposed ridge. I started getting sleepy towards the end of this climb in the night. We went through what seemed like miles of thick green vegetation that was so thick you had to keep a hand out or risk getting smacked in the face. You know the Lord of the Rings mountain scenes? I felt like we were on this never ending journey.......and  I was right. I teamed up with Willie Roberson here. We both had a rough go through with the hot section and settled into a similar pace. We would be synced up all the way into Norway pass and into Elk Pass.

Norway pass kicked some ass

65.2 Norway Pass ------What day is it? oh yeah...Day 2 Still no sleep. I felt pretty darn sharp mentally and was holding up strong physically. This section went by pretty quick and I was pumped because my pacer Harvey Doty was there waiting for me at 76.3.  As soon as I arrived I knew I needed sleep. Problem was...it was hot! It was middle of the day and the sleep tents they had setup were smoking hot. I ate a burger and gobbled down some other random snacks and laid down in the sauna of a tent. 

I told Harvey to get me up in two hours, but I barely slept 1 and woke up hot and dripping with sweat. 

I geared up and Harvey and I hit the trail!!! 

76.3 Elk Pas------ Harvey gave me some new life and I bugged him to tell me stories about his kids and family and really whatever he would tell me a story about. I started to complain about my chaffing issue. We made jokes about how bad it was and I kept applying Desitin in hopes that it would just magically disappear....no such magic ever came.  It was here were the scrotum jokes started to play out lol. Hey it's not like it was going away anytime soon, we might as well laugh about it right!?

We met up with Brian Martin here. Brian my man!!! You are one amazing person!!! Stick with this and bring home a finish next year.
As I write this it sounds like he signed up for the Moab 200 this October. He will get redemption! We loved running with you and your crew. Night was coming again...Night 2. 

91.3 Rd 9327---- The Wheels started falling off shortly after this aid station. I ate well and started on this section knowing I needed a nap, but I didn't want to sleep at the loud aid station. I told Harvey I needed to find a spot just off the trail to crash. He found us a nice spot and like a switch I was out. Bundled up with my Marmot rain jacket I woke up to the sound of rain drops. I woke up like I was late for work and it was cold too....Instant shivers ran through me and my teeth were chattering. We gotta go!!! Off we went and the rain started blasting down. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. I was cursing the heat and praying for the cold and now that I had it I wanted to trade it back. Finally we reached 100 miles....We saw dozen of toads on the trail and massive slugs, I felt like a slug. We were at the top of the climb of this section and it was 2.5 miles down to Spencer Butte. I was sleepy again going into Sunday and I was also soaking wet and my chaffing issue was getting really bad.

102.5  Spencer Butte-----I had lost A.J. on Norway pass miles and miles ago, but I caught him here and oh man was I lucky to catch him!!! I was so chaffed at this point I was asking anyone and everyone I saw if I could borrow some shorts or spandex with no luck. Just as I rolled in and A.J. was rolling out of this aid station I asked him if he had any shorts or spandex.... By some amazing stroke of luck in his drop bag he had a pair of running tights-----This was like hitting the lottery. I have never been more thankful for a new set of trousers. Thanks A.J. I owe you big time!!!!! 

 Harvey was a champ!!! Full of jokes and smiles he took care of me and other racers as we rested here at Spencer's Butte. Rain was still wild and daylight was approaching and I NEEDED SLEEP. Harvey wrapped me up with blankets and I was out. Another hour of rest and I was wide awake and ready to fly!!! This section started out with 2 flat miles on asphalt and it felt amazingly good just to mix up the terrain/feeling because this course is STEEP. I ran this at 9 minute mile pace and took a right turn to catch the trail. I ran down this section fast and free. It was still raining, but I was keeping a nice pace so I was warm. This took us into a section of waterfalls and thick rain forest covered in moss. I stopped and admired the waterfalls and rock formations. Seriously amazing views and it felt like I was in Jurassic Park or something waiting for a raptor to pop out of the bushes. This was one of the quickest sections on the course and before I knew it mile 112.1 was here.

112.1 Lewis River------ I caught A.J. again. He was wrapped up in blankets and relaxing after a long night in the rain. He took a quick nap and so did Angela who he was running with since mile 50 ish. 

They both slept as I took care of my feet and ate 3 grilled cheese sandwiches, hash browns and soup. I also grazed on some of those Lime flavored tortilla chips and some sorta dip :) A man named Dan came in and his knee was badly hurt. He had twisted it somehow and he decided it was too much of an injury to keep going as he couldn't apply weight to it. He was enjoying a beer and I gave him my best. He offered me a sip of beer and I took him up on it. Quite possibly the best beer ever. I kicked back and tried to sleep, but between cheers and cowbell as runners came in I couldn't sleep.  I geared up and waited for A.J. and Angela so we could all head out together. It was from here that all 3 of us would stick together until the finish.
This next section was nnnnnnnnnasty in terms of vertical climb this would take us up 5,472ft of gain and it was relentless. We made jokes like Candice puts vertical gain even when you're supposed to be descending. I linked up with A.J again and Angela. These two were amazing, but this section was never ending. By the end of this section we had a group of about 7 people if I remember correctly. Dan Saul, A.J. Angela, Beth, David Potter, Joe and myself. Doug caught us on this section in his Luna sandals!Speaking about Luna sandals.....Shout out to Michelle Evans for wearing them the entire race. WOW, JUST WOW!!! Back to this sinister section.. 
We climbed and climbed and climbed and this was a savage section! 

131 Council Bluff---- 
FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!

We finally made it after night fall. We were greeted with a massive fire and we were also greeted by zombies aka Runners that looked like zombies. Brian was having hydration issues we think too much water and not enough electrolytes, but hard to say. He was in a rough spot and he and his crew decided it was time to call it. We exchanged hugs and promised to meet up on another 200. He already signed up for the Moab 200 and I know he will finish there. I will most likely be out to volunteer for the race or pace and help crew folks.  Anyway...back to mile 131! Its cold now and we all need calories...all the calories. I gobbled down salami fresh off the frying pan and the guy mixed it into mashed potatoes which was amazing. I dozed off for maybe 10 minutes, but didn't want to sleep until the next aid station. I woke myself up, checked my feet and I needed some blister management. This last section with such steep inclines in damp shoes gave me some heal blisters which I have never gotten... BIG one on both sides  of the outer heal. Leukotape saved the day again! MASSIVE thanks to the volunteers and medical staff. My feet would have been ruined without you guys. I stocked back up and hit the trail, but A.J. had taken off without telling anyone lol. We all took off in search of A.J. to give him shit and we found him a few miles on the trail. We were told this was a simple section lol, but we were mislead a bit. We think the girl at the aid station had just seen the dirt road sections of this stretch, but there were some wicked steep single track spots that took time and they weren't simple by any means. We finally made it to a turn off and we thought the aid station would be right there....Several miles later we made it. As soon as I got to the aid station I latched onto the biggest breakfast burrito I've seen in a while. I ate that and then had a waffle with peanut butter and syrup. I washed it down with some broth. We all headed to the sleep station to catch a few hours of sleep and this would be my last sleep. I was lucky enough to score a sleeping bag which I guess was rare and I was the last one to the tents so SCORE!!!!!!!!!! I crashed in seconds I think I slept from 4:30am- 5:45am. Wake up call was at 6am... This gave me a chance to wake up and shake off the fog. Time to put on soggy shoes again, but hey at least I had dry socks here :) Sun was just breaking through and we had a breakfast on Sunday. I put down another breakfast burrito and some kind of egg and bacon wrap. I washed this down with a hot cup of coffee and this got me revved up.  We took off from Chain of lakes towards Klickitat. 

140.8 Chain of Lakes Sleep Station ----
This was a 3,900ft gain and 3,900ft loss section which loss all that elevation for the first 3/4 of the section. There were multiple river crossings here and currents were strong. Ropes were anchored across so you had a great grip to cross. This was the section that my IT Band locked out. I am a downhill bomber and I did just that for the entire 3,900ft of elevation loss. My leg didn't bug me at all until I started the climb up to Klickitat which was weird, but it was a timing thing. I struggled to hike the rest of the 3,900ft of climb and I really struggled on the last descent into the aid station :(   

PAIN @ mile 158.1

158.1 Klickitat ----- I hobble in not feeling very confident here. I have never struggled with IT Band issues and this was new territory for me. I know I have a high pain tolerance, but the unknown of this bugged me. Enter WOODEN roller. I was on a cot and they got to work on my leg. Tender is a good word to use lol. I entered the pain cave and held on tight. This wicked wooden roller gave me some relief and that leg wasn't quite so locked up. This aid station was a burger and ginger ale. I took some kind of quesadilla thing too. Dan McIntyre took my socks and had them by the fire. Thanks DAN!!!!! I was about 30 minutes ahead of the crew of 7 and I wish I would have taken that downhill section slower, but lesson learned. I took off just in front of David Infante, but he caught me quick and so did Dan Saul, A.J. Angela,Beth, David Potter, and Joe.
This was the craziest section of the course IMO. The trail felt ancient and rough and overgrown. Downed trees plagued this section and it gave you the feeling that you were bushwhacking. We ran into Doug here and we all needed a quick nap on the trail. I think this was a 20 minute break..I may have slept 10 minutes and woke up in a panic. 
This section was wild and we climbed and climbed and went both under and over trees. 
Doug was hallucinating bad at this point now that the sun had gone down again and we were nearly 4 days into this adventure.  I was barely moving with my leg. My chaffing was so bad I was waddling at this point. It was Doug, me and boy... We were a mess. We were both tripping and seriously falling down on the trail. I was nodding off asleep, but was kept awake by the fact that cliffs were the price to pay if I didn't get my shit together. Doug was seeing the aid station, but it wasn't there. He was seeing people that weren't there. He waited back with me as A.J and the crew marched on out of sight and into the darkness. Doug and I talked each other through this last section and finally poppped out into Twin Sisters. 

177.5 Twin Sisters Sleep Station----- 
As I waddled in I kept wondering how I was going to string together another 29 miles. 
I don't quit, but I felt weak and questioned my grit here. Dan McIntyre DUDE!!!!!! He was amazing!!! He had to drop out at mile 112, but he stuck around for his friend David and he also helped everyone and anyone he could to make sure they finished. My under carriage was destroyed. My thighs were so raw the sting brought a tear to my eye often. No cream or lube was bringing this thing back to life. Dan------I need help man! I am chaffed to death. He had just finished helping someone patch and tape their chaffed area so he promised me he could fix me up. Gauze and  more Leukotape later I was a new man. My thighs could move without the feeling I had burned them off. Wow, Let's do this!!! My only fear was that the tape would fall off and I would be back to waddling around like a penguin. Solid work on the patch work and it stayed strong for the rest of the 29 miles to the finish.   

193.5 Owen’s Creek Aid -----
From 177.5 to 193.5 I feel like it was a dream or nightmare however you want to look at it. I was in a daze of being half asleep, but still awake...some sort of different dimension. I didn't hallucinate until this section. I was seeing faces in the trees. I was seeing Objects on the trail looking down that shouldn't be there like chess board type patterns and unique shapes that you would never see on a remote trail like the one we were on.  I was seeing skulls, but then realized my gaiters had skulls on them so maybe that was the root of some of the confusion. I saw these contorted creepy creatures in the trees too and it was broad daylight. I knew that my brain was making this stuff up, but I was actually seeing it and half of me wanted to believe it. Good thing it was daytime which helped to lesson the affects of these hallucinations. We tapped into a trail that hasn't seen much use and it was very overgrown and dense. I remember saying this is dense over and over. Time doesn't feel the same after being up 4 days with only 4 hours of sleep. Sometimes it feels slow and sometimes it's like fast forward. This was one of those fast forward parts until we made our way around this circular trail that just kept going round and round and round. It never ended and when it did there was a mini bar setup with tequila shots. I felt terrible at this point and passed on the shots..I regret not taking one now, but I wanted to finish this and I wasn't even sure I saw what I saw. I started seeing pacers hiking up towards me in search of their runners and before I knew it I made it to mile 193.5

206.5 White Pass High School 
The final push!!!! I caught A.J. and Angela and Dan at mile 193.5  We were ready to be done, but we still had a ways to go. 5 miles left on the dirt and about 8 miles left to go on asphalt. The trail of 5 miles went pretty quick, but the asphalt was a suffer fest especially since I was falling asleep and hallucinating. We were on a highway and cars kept passing and honking like they knew we were finishing a 200 mile race. They cheered and one man even stopped and gave A.J. and I an ice cold can of Coca cola and hot damn that was a miracle. Still not sure if that was a hallucination or not...  A.J. and I were spent. We were talking about running it in and finishing strong. What felt like 2 days during this long asphalt stretch we finally made it to the high school where the race finish  line was. We agreed to run strong around the track and it was a 3/4 lap on a 400m track to the finish. WE GOT THIS!!!! We made it to the last 100m and I said let's  hit it!!! WE WERE FLYING 

Final stretch, all the pain went away and we were floating

I am Grateful as can be for this race. Thank you Candice and thanks to your crew and staff.. They are amazing!!!! Best race atmosphere in the world. Cheers to the class of 2017 Bigfoot 200 graduates and here's to many more adventures Ultras and 200's. #200isthenew100


Feet after Bigfoot 200 be like : 

Sense of Urgency

Have a sense of urgency : means a lot to me. I was fortunate to have a great coach in high school that shared an amazing outlook with me and has changed my perspective forever.

What does this phrase mean to you? Take a second and think about it.  This phrase has kept me hungry and fighting for More in life well over a decade. We cannot be idle. Each week...hell...each day I am reminded that our time here on earth is short. We all live busy lives and we all get very tired and worn down. Have a sense of urgency doesn't mean panic or hurry around.

"A higher rate of urgency does not imply ever-present panic, anxiety, or fear. It means a state in which complacency is virtually absent."

John P. Kotter

Having a sense of urgency means constantly checking on yourself and your Goals! We all have them, but how often do you go over them? How often do you ask yourself questions like Can I do better? Can I work harder? How can I grow as a father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter etc. etc.
We get so caught up in the daily grind we often forget to stay urgent and honest to our goals. We get complacent and can easily fall victim to what I call checkout mode. Checkout mode is when we get so caught up in the whirlwind of life that we feel the need to veg out/checkout. This all comes down to mindset, perspective and mental toughness. I'm not saying you can't take it easy from time to time, but we need to cherish the time we have each day Instead of wishing the week to be over quickly and with the least amount of resistance we need to embrace those challenges and hit them head on.

Instead of trying to survive the work week we need to look forward to crushing everyday. Sure, you won't feel great everyday and you will be tired no matter what. Stop saying things like "its almost Friday," but instead look to see how you can better yourself and others. I feel like time moves too quickly during the week, but you will never hear me say "I just don't have time." Instead of sneaking through the days trying to make it out alive; grab your goal list and see what you can do to reach or get closer to those goals.

Lift others up! We live in a pretty negative world right now and there is a ton of doom and gloom. Most of which we have no damn control over. You know what you do have control over though? Your outlook. Your outlook and perspective is the game/life changer! One of the main reasons I put myself through these wicked endurance races and events is to gain new perspective and forge a better me. I always leave the race with a fresh new outlook on life and it always leads me to a better place physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally. We often portray our lives has hard..and tough, but do we really have it that bad? Do we worry ourselves to death over things that shouldn't get as much attention as we give them? We create a lot of fear and stress, but with a new perspective you can extinguish those before they get the best of you. We all have our stresses in life whether you are rich or poor, but the outlook and perspective lenses that we see life with are one of the most valuable tools you can use.  Help people reach their goals. Be a level up person which means you are constantly building others and yourself up.

HAVE A SENSE OF URGENCY to be the best version of yourself. Take a step back from  time to time and question how you react to conflict and stress. That simple You to You session can make so much difference. We have one go on this planet and to live in fear and stress is not what we were designed to do. Do not read into social media conflict so much as it will always be there to drag you down, but instead go out of your way to build yourself and others up. Level up. Everyday I ask myself what boat can I burn? What weakness of mine can I go after? What crutch do I have holding me back from being the best me?

Check your lenses. Not your glasses or contact lenses, but the PERSPECTIVE  that you see life through! If you are constantly stressed and you find yourself complaining too much you may need a lens adjustment. Step 1 for that is to go out of your way to find a positive in every situation. Look for the bright side of things and look for the best in people.
My mom always reminded me that my name Lucas means the bringer of Light. That stuck with me and I know what it's like to see the dark too, but fear not because the light always overtakes the dark. Surround yourself with people that raise you up! Surround yourself with people that constantly challenge you to be better. We are creatures of habit and you turn into your habits! What are yours?

Have a sense of urgency to be better everyday.
Burn the Boats and if you don't know what that means ---------> check it out and burn the boats.

I have been coaching fitness for the past 9 years. I am expanding to online coaching. If you are interested please travel to the coaching link below and let's talk about your goals and a plan that will take you to the next level.

Coach Lucas Parker Rivera 

Burning the Boats

BURN THE BOATS

***In 1519, Captain Hernán Cortés landed in Veracruz to begin his great conquest. Upon arriving, he gave the order to his men to burn the boats. It was a decision that should have backfired.  For if Cortés and his men were on the brink of defeat, there wasn’t an exit strategy in place to save their lives. “If we are going to make it back it will be on their ships!” The command to burn the boats had a wild effect on his men because now, they were left with only 2 choices — die, or ensure victory.  And fight they did.

***Here’s the lesson: Retreat is easy when you have the option. Let that stir in your brain for a moment. I had to.

***I like to remind myself of this before I begin an endurance race and even on training days. It makes quitting not an option. Once I have burned my mental boats I take off and don’t look back at all. I turn into a horse headed for the barn. It is my way to ensure I make it to the finish line. Burning the Boats to me is ensuring that I will finish these races no matter what and knowing deep down that I do these races to inspire my kids, family, and friends. I have been inspired by many endurance athletes and knowing that feeling…..I want to replicate that for others if I can.

***We all cling to something that acts as our escape hatch or our exit strategy (in the negative connotation). It’s our safety net “just in case…” What we fail to do is honestly complete that sentence. We lie to ourselves. If we were honest, we would say, “This is my safety net just in case I get scared.”

***We postpone action until we no longer feel fear. Either that, or our actions are shallow attempts never designed to succeed. In reality, we must learn to act decisively in spite of our fear.

***Burning Things that “Make Sense”

“That doesn’t make sense.” We love that phrase. We love to hide behind it. We tell ourselves that certain things don’t make sense. It would have “made sense” for Cortés to keep a ship or two if not his entire fleet. But Cortés was on a mission and he knew that the only way to keep himself or his men from quitting on the mission was to take that option off the table.What Cortés did was force himself and his men to either succeed or die. Retreat was not an option. I believe that to truly achieve the level of success we each desire, there are times when we need to “BURN THE BOATS!”

***The question we have to ask ourselves is this: What are my Boats? What am I afraid to let go of?

***I can’t answer that question for you, but I can give you some areas to consider as you ponder the question, “What Boats do I need to burn in my life?”  Example of a Boat that I burn is falling into comfort being at the workplace, training or at home with family. This means I always need to challenge myself to get better in all these aspects of life. It is easy to get comfortable and not strive for more. Take on or make more responsibility that will lead to growth. 

Another Boat that I fall back on is alcohol. I enjoy some drinks (sometimes too many too often.) and I feel like this has turned into a Boat in my life that I keep looking back at knowing it shouldn't be there and it is holding me back. I just Burned this  Boat and quit drinking. Chasing the Big Foot 200 Run, this is a Boat that I need not return to and it will lead to a better me. 

Don't look back to your Boats anymore!!! Burn them and move forward. 

#BURNTHEBOATS

World's Toughest Tears

A more mellow year for me and no World's Toughest Mudder this year for me..tear(s)

Thus far 2016 was a laid back year for me as far as endurance races! 
Set out to complete GORUCK HTL and did..
Set out to go sub 25 hour finish in Leadville for the 100 Run and came up short....Finished for a 2nd time though which is cool.
Added another Leadville 100 Trail Run Buckle to the drawer and a bunch of patches from GORUCK HTL, but I will be missing World's Toughest Mudder this year which would have been my 5th WTM.
Gained 210 miles through that race in 4 years and have never once quit or walked away early--- one of about thirty people that have accumulated over 200 miles...I've never quit it or any race which I am proud of. Want to give a shout out to all my WTM Community family. Too many to list here, but as I write this you are gearing up for battle. Right now you have jitters and are wondering if your training was good enough to get you through another year of WTM. It's about 10 minute until the clock starts on your 24 hour journey. Sean is hyping you up right now and once its begins everything is calm and your nerves will be gone. I'll be following along closely. You all got this!!!!!!!!! Don't Stop!!!!

As I sit today and do some reflecting on all the races and events I have done I have accumulated a tub full of medals, headbands, bibs, buckles, patches shirts etc. They are dusty and rarely looked at and they really don't mean a whole to me. I see some people create a wall of medals and finishers awards, but to me that's not why I do these things. Yeah its cool to get a shiny new belt buckle after the Leadville 100, but its not why I toe the line. I am 30 years old now and I have figured out that in this life you can choose many paths. Two that glare at me are one of "things." fancy cars, gadgets, clothing etc. The other is a life full of experiences and adventure. I choose the latter and would rather spend my time and money on experiencing. I drive a beat up car, but I have a wealth of experiences and I have some big things coming up that I am very excited about. 

WTM15 

I read a quote today from Mellisa Dugan another WTM finisher that really ties in with why I love endurance racing so much.  

"It starts as a voice. It tells you to quit. It says you're weak. You begin to doubt and relent. Your muscles ache. No one will know if you stop. You are now battling your mind and the devil on your shoulder. Ignore it. Defy. Fight. Bleed. Enjoy the pain. Remember, you're the best. Because, when you block out the voice, you become fearless. You discover the one thing that separates you from mediocrity. When most people quit, You Don't F#%king Stop!"

There is something that feeds my soul when I do these races where I am so terribly exhausted that my body and mind betray me. They are signalling me to stop in every way and most people in life never reach that point. Its learning about who you really are when you are worn down to the most primitive of a state of survival. We are tricked in this world of comfort and safety(It is a fabricated life that we weren't meant to live.) I think why these races are becoming so popular is the fact that people aren't challenged physically anymore like we used to be. Cubicle jobs and Netflix just doesn't give us what we need. We were made to move miles and carry things and go go go. In my opinion whether it's through a simple fitness routine or through doing endurance races our mind and body need to be pushed and pushed far past comfort zones. We were not made to work a 9-5 job and watch tv at night. You must make time for yourself. 

MY CHALLENGE TO YOU IS TO SIGN UP OR DO SOMETHING THAT SCARES YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What I mean is sign up for or do something that you think you might not be able to achieve or complete. Sky dive, bungee jump, climb a 14er or Everest, sign up for a 5k, half marathon, marathon, 50k, 50 miler, 100 miler or 200 miler. Sign up for an obstacle course race or an adventure race. Challenge yourself daily to be better whether that is eating healthier or maybe quitting smoking or drinking. 
Fitness is vital to our lives because it makes us better! Better moms or dad and husbands and wives. When you keep your body challenged you keep growing and when you challenge your fitness that builds into mental toughness which with those two in combination makes you a happier and more successful version of yourself and that makes you better at LIFE!!! 

The Big Foot 200 scares me. What scares you!? GO Conquer it!!!!
Be your BEST!!! 

Race Across The Sky Leadville Trail 100 Run 2016

What Pain!?!?!?

I don't know where to begin...I threw my name in the lottery for the Leadville Trail 100 Run and was chosen. The 2016 Leadville Trail 100 Run would be my 3rd time with my sights set on a 2nd finish and a quicker time than I managed in 2014 the first time I finished @ 29 hours 12 minutes. All finishes are amazing in Leadville, but everyone wants that "BIG BUCKLE." (pictured below) is the Under 25 hour finishers Buckle. Its about twice the size of the Under 30 hour Buckle. If you come in over 30 hours you can be still considered an unofficial finisher, but 30 hours is the magic number they give you to complete the 100 mile foot race which takes you from 10,200ft up to 12,600ft with 18,168 feet of elevation gain and loss that is a 36,336ft of elevation change which in not the the biggest by any means in terms of 100 mile races, but by actual elevation standards it averages some of the highest elevations of any race in the world which makes a huge difference because everything is much harder above 10,000ft.

I had a bit more experience going in this year with a handful of 24 hour race finishes and and made some training changes that showed promise. Sights were locked onto a sub 25 hour finish. Training was great. I stayed healthy and injury free. I was faster and ready to chase down that faster finish. My mental game has always been my biggest strength and I was excited. Fast forward to the start of the race and mile 15 in.....Going downhill on what is the infamous "power-line" section of the course. It's a very steep section that is a washed out rocky jeep trail. I was flying down knowing the downhill sections are my go to where I make up tons of time. It was routine quick choppy steps descending downward when my left ankle rolled slightly. Like a quick foot drill a caught myself with my right leg down to offset the rolled ankle and the leg locked and hyper extended. I dropped a F Bomb....well a few F bombs...sorry Mom! 1. The race is hard enough, but with a nagging injury my mind began to panic. For those of you that know me I am a pretty mellow dude. My resting heart rate is 36 ( which they say people with lower resting heart rates are more mellow and not hyper active.) and I adapt to most any situation really well......BUT Mile 15 ish into the Leadville 100 and I'm in pain!!! Let's say a 6/10 on the pain scale. I knew I had stretched or sprained my knee and my first thought was can I make it another 85 miles!? I'm hitting my aid station paces almost to the minute to take down that sub 25 hour finish, but now the game changed. I made it down that steep section and onto a flatter piece where I could really assess and make a game plan. Next aid station is mile 24.5 so I had some time and my instinct said Finish this thing!!! My rational part of my brain said this is going to be a long day on a weakened leg. I made it to "Outward Bound" mile 24.5 and was only 9 minutes off of my projected time. Let my family and crew know what I had done to my knee, but said I was going to go on no matter what and see what I could do. Quick hugs and bottle refills and I was off headed to the next station which was mile 31. My knee slowly started to change the mechanics of my running. I was in pain and knew that this finish would be very difficult. So here I am a 1/4 of the way in and I'm already talking about a difficult finish. I said in my head just about 3 more marathons and I am there. Oh boy!!!! I am used to pain (minor quad pain) at around mile 40 in these races so I was in new territory. With all the work and coordination to get me and my friends and family here I wasn't about to throw in the towel. I wanted to see if it could possibly work itself out. Sometimes you get lucky and run through a little pain and it magically goes away. Mile 31-39.5 wasn't too bad I made okay time and made it to the 39.5 mile "Twin Lakes" aid station around 10 minutes slower than I had projected on my pace chart. Twin Lakes is in my opinion the game changer of the course. It is the lowest part of the course at 9,200ft and is filled with people and energy. It sits low looking up at the highest part of the course "Hope Pass" some like to call it Hopeless Pass. it is above tree line meaning it is12,600ft above sea level and plants/vegetation don't grow up there. The reason I say it is the game changer is that it sits at mile 40 to 50 and then you have to turn around and climb it again to make it back to mile 60 which is twin lakes again. They say the race doesn't actually begin until you hit mile 60. In a matter of 20 miles over the below monster you gain around 6,600 Vertical Feet. The amount of carnage you see during this section makes you cringe. I will explain later. 




I was still strong at this point. My leg was a bummer, but doing these races you get used to being in a bit of pain so it was not too far from the norm... so I thought. Annoying, but not enough to throw in the towel. I saw my family and my two boys Drake and Tyce. They were so excited to see me race and wanted to run with me. They were worried and said "daddy you hurt your knee!?" I said Yeah, but I wont quit!!! At that point it SOLIDIFIED my journey ahead.






Giving Drake some Love before I head onto the hardest part of the course...Hope Pass.







Tyce chasing me to Hope Pass. Look up high..You can see where I am headed.





Off....or Up to Hope I go. hi ho hi ho lol


River Crossing.....oh so cold!!!!! Knee deep water was raging around my legs and it was awesome and refreshing. I crossed through holding onto the rope that was strung across the river. Got towards the end of the crossing and dipped down so the water was now waist deep. Wheeeeewwwwww. I needed that!

This climb is nasty...I mean nasty. Hope gains 3,181ft and its steep!!! For anyone that has climbed a 14er its similar, but it hits you at mile 40---60 and oh does it hit you!!! It was here where I noticed how much I was over using my left leg to compensate for the pain in my right knee. My climb was slow. too slow for that sub 25 hour finish. It was during this climb I really didn't know if I was going to be able to make it to that finish line at all. I said to myself one aid station at a time. I passed several pukers on the way to the "Hopless Aid station" yeah it's called hopeless lol. Only cool thing is the volunteers are amazing and there are llamas.




Grabbed some water here and headed up to the summit. I am normally excited for the summit, but not this time. I knew that meant I had to go down 3,181ft vertical feet into the 50 mile mark. That would mean knee pain from the tweak way earlier in the day. I tried to let gravity take me, but the pain was bad. The hard part about this section is that you are trying to get down a very very steep single tack trail while others are trying to get back up it...It is an out and back course so there is traffic both ways at this point. The people going up have the right of way and they were ahead of me so they earned it. I would go down as quickly as possible then dodge out of the way to get off trail so other racers could make their way up I thought some of these guys and gals still have a chance to hit that sub 25 hour finish...or even better. I then thought about myself and said I just need to finish this damn thing!






Mile 50


I finally made it about 1.5 hours late from what I had projected. It was 5pm now and I was only an hour ahead of the cutoff. About a 13 hour 50 miler :( Ok now it is time for me to pick up Pacer Joe and take off ...or back Up Hope Pass again and back to twin lakes to mile 60.

Pacer Joe finishing in 2014 "Sub 25!!!"

 I am in Good hands. Joe has done a few 100 milers including Leadville and he is ready to push me....even though there wasn't a whole lot to be pushed. Finish Finish Finish is all that played in my head. As we made our way back Hope Pass I felt amazing the first 15 minutes hahaha. I could run the flats and had a burst of energy. The mountain gets steep in a hurry and I go slow in a hurry. My left leg had an unreal pump going on I think because I was over using it all day. Joe is an incredible climber and even on my best day he would out climb me. Today was a bad day for me. We passed other runners coming down the mountain still and I knew they would barely make or most likely miss the 50 mile cutoff.  This gave me an added motivation to go faster and get to the summit...Again!!! High elevation can do bad things to your stomach and it hit me near timber line..Quick pit stop and I felt better and the summit was close. 

2nd Summit of Hope

Alright!!!!!!! We made it to the top and I could see Twin Lakes which looked like a far off town in the distance. 

We made it back to the llamas and made a quick stop to fuel up and then we rolled down the mountain!!! I am always better at downhill running than any other aspect of running. I go fast, but not today. The pain of that right knee has set in along with tired quads made for an interesting climb down the mountain. The funny thing was we were passing people still. Racing the sun at this point and it's going down fast! Hope has lots of trees and it was getting dark. I did not plan to be in this section at dark. Headlamp is on now and we were passing lots of runners at this point...most of which didn't have their headlamps on so I am assuming they forgot to bring them which most were hoping not to be here so late in the race. Joe and I made it back to the flat marshlands and it was now completely dark now. I heard water and knew the river was just ahead. stomped through some puddles and made our way through the river crossing once again. All I can think of at this point is new socks and shoes. Mile 60 and I am still in the same socks and shoes and I have a few hot spots that I was hoping weren't too bad.

We made this cut off by about 25 minutes. I saw my mom in the dark she had on a bright yellow jacket and was super excited to see us. She ran up to where my dad Henry and wife Brittany were. They had everything I needed ready to go.

New shoes, new socks and a warmer jacket and I took off like a heard of turtles. Pacer Joe was going to be with me for another 16 steep miles. We climbed out of Twin Lakes well, but were headed nowhere fast. 

WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME!?!?!?!?!

We were around 65 miles in now and the temp has dropped into the 30's and my pace dropped with it. There are some nice sections here where you can run, but my legs were done for now. My left leg felt like I had been doing single leg squats all day long from over compensating and my right knee was even more sore now. It was here where I started sleep walking for real. Like when you are on a road trip driving and cannot keep your eyes open. My eyes weighed 50lbs a piece. I would wake up quickly and swerve all over the trail like I was drunk or something. Joe knew I was slow here so he was trying to get me to push the pace and walked up about 30ft ahead of me. My eyes could not focus on him and they would close and close and close and I would wake up swerving all over the trail again and again. I yelled up to him Stop!!! Joe!!! I need help I am falling asleep on my feet!!! I had caffeine via Tailwind nutrition and I was chugging it down even though my stomach didn't feel too great. I finally snapped out of the sleepy stage and woke up and finally picked the pace up. We made it to Halfpipe aid station around 12:30am and knew I would meet my parents and Brittany at the next aid station and checkpoint Outwardbound mile 76.5 I am in pain and I can remember feeling so much better back in 2014 when I did the race last. It is amazing the thoughts that go through your head. My mind began the games and tricks. 

Deep down I am strong and I pride myself on being able to "stick it out." Right now I was in a bad place. I started saying to myself.."Just miss the next cut off time...go slower so you just miss it!!!" These thoughts sickened me. At this point I picked up my Beautiful wife Brittany Rivera

The above picture is what I envisioned when I would close my eyes. I said my goodbyes to Pacer Joe and took off with Britt. She was pumped up and oh my goodness so Positive. Talked about how the boys look up to me and want to be just like me. Told me about all the facebook posts and support from friends and family. She was like a buzzing bee of energy. My mind was still very week and I can remember closing my eyes with tears filling inside. Miss the next cut off checkpoint! and this will be done. The legs will no longer be in pain. My mind rambled this crap on and on. I would look over at Britt with tears in my eyes....she wouldn't see them because my headlamp was off trying to save battery. We were on an actual asphalt road for a few miles and the moon was very bright. I was ashamed at the thoughts that had creeped into my mind. My brain wanted me to be done. Body wanted me done hours and hours ago. Britt was on her game and kept saying you are finishing this!!! We will meet your dad and he will take you home to the Finish. 

I can do this. We can do this. 

Powerline aka the last big climb

We started climbing and my legs let me know how terribly weak they are. Its a fatigue you can only experience doing one of these races. Legs don't really burn anymore they just tingle and throb with pain. Every now and again I would trip on a rock or lose my balance because my legs were so shot. Before I knew it I heard cheers and the thumping of a sub-woofer. I heard screams and I knew we were close to the makeshift "unofficial" aid station. I call it the GLOW station. They party hard here and camp out the whole night.

Glow Sticks/ black lights and Aliens is what you see at this point in the race and at this aid station you are welcomed with a massive sign that read "GREAT FUCKING WORK!!!!" 

So close I am thinking!!!! We are now headed down around 4-5 miles of steep downhill and as much pain as I was win it was comical because I went at a reasonable pace now....Brittany being awesome we made our way down and down and down passing a few people as we went. At this point on the course its obvious who is going to make that next cut off time. I passed a man that was walking so crooked leaning so far to the left it looked like he may fall down. I was walking very slowly and right when I saw him I knew he wouldn't make it to May-queen...the next aid-station and cutoff. I was surprised at this point to see anyone on the course worse off than me. My mind had it made up that I was dead so to actually pass a few people the reality became clear. I was still in this. We are now around 15 miles away from the finish line. The next 2 ish miles felt like they took forever. You can hear the traffic now and see lights letting you know how close you are to the next aid station. 

We made it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mayqueen mile 86.5 and My dad was there in his trademark cowboy hat. I could see the excitement light up his face and my mom was basically floating she was so happy to see us. Brittany traded off gear to my dad and I ran ahead knowing we were only 20 or so minutes ahead of the cutoff I had a sense of urgency now thinking to myself if I made it this far and didn't finish I would be so devastated. This part of the course is a nice rolling hill section right next to beautiful Turquoise lake. My dad caught up and took charge. We needed to move at a good clip to make the finish in under 30 hours. My dad is and always has been a great leader. I felt comfortable with him charging the pace. I followed as close as I could I tried to match his stride and exact pace. I could do so for a few minutes....then it was back to my best Olympic speed walk impression lol. Mist and fog is hovering right off the lake. It was beautiful, but it also gave me a horror movie type feel. Like where is the monster/ hockey mask!?!? to put me out of my misery. It burned off and you could see the lake and its beauty. My dad carried my water and Tailwind. He made me catch him to earn a drink...that was mean haha, but I needed the push because we were so close and that time cutoff at 30 hours wont wait on me. Time slows up and speeds down if that makes sense. It feels like you are trapped in a movie and the speed feels off...slow...fast....slow...fast. And then we see them. Our gold Explorer and I can see Brittany and Joey smiling which was contagious because I smiled huge. Joe yelled off this is exactly 3.1 from the finish we had made it to the 10k turn around which is also part of the Leadville Race Series. a 5k and we will be there!!! run....walk...walk....run over and over again.

It was around 9:42am and my heart beat jumped knowing I was running out of time. The thought of not finishing made my face turn red so I ran and ran and ran and ran for at least 100 yards lol. I tried to keep repeating this and we made it to the 1 mile mark. There were about 30 volunteers cheering us on. Such a great feeling!!!!! My dad looked fresh; 61 years young and just crushed 12.5 miles. He smiled and I smiled back. We were closing in on the finish as we climbed the last hill that overlooks the finish. I could see a massive crowd and that red carpet finish-line. We made are way down the road and to the last 1/4 mile. I started running again and fast we past a few people. My dad taught me when I was little to always finish fast and strong...so we did. We were cruising and there were bleachers where spectators could sit and cheer on the finishers. I felt like I was running effortlessly. Tears flowing strong now down my salty cheeks.....I had so many doubts with my knee and the finish felt like I cheated death. Grateful with a smile and tears and my family there to catch me at the Finish Line. Ken Chlouber the race founder was there too and he gave me a great big hug. "You're the best! You dug Deep!!!!"

FINISH.......Click here for Video

Thank You so much Brittany, Joey, Jan, and Henry you guys were amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That sub 25 hour finish will be mine. I wont Stop.