April 6, 2025

Beyond Marathons: Glenn McRill’s Leap of Faith to 100 Miles at Grasslands

Beyond Marathons: Glenn McRill’s Leap of Faith to 100 Miles at Grasslands
Apple Podcasts podcast player icon Spotify podcast player icon YouTube Channel podcast player icon Amazon Music podcast player icon RSS Feed podcast player icon
Season 3

When Glenn McRill toed the starting line at Grasslands 100, he carried years of experience as a marathon runner and Director of Coaching for the San Antonio RoadRunners—but faced the daunting reality of attempting his first 100-mile race with less-than-ideal training. The journey that followed became a masterclass in perseverance, problem-solving, and finding strength beyond physical preparation.

Glenn's running journey began reluctantly. As a soccer player, he specifically chose to be a goalkeeper to minimize running. During his time at West Point and in the Army, running became mandatory rather than recreational. Gradually, this obligation transformed into a mental outlet and eventually a passion—though one firmly rooted in road running until meeting his wife Agatha, an accomplished ultrarunner.

After years of crewing and pacing Agatha through numerous ultramarathons, Glenn decided it was time to attempt his own 100-miler. The Grasslands 100, set in a Texas state park northwest of Fort Worth, presented varied terrain across four distinct loops. Despite expecting flat landscapes, he encountered surprising hills, sandy sections, and even wandering cattle on nighttime trails.

What makes Glenn's accomplishment remarkable was completing this challenge despite limited training. Work commitments had restricted his long runs, with his longest being a disastrous marathon just weeks before race day. Yet this shortage of physical preparation was counterbalanced by mental fortitude and practical wisdom gained from supporting Agatha's ultra career—knowing when to change clothes before nightfall, how to manage nutrition consistently, which foods worked for his stomach, and how to minimize time at aid stations.

Perhaps the most tense moment came around mile 91, when his running companions warned they might miss a cutoff. Despite fatigue, they accelerated to an 11-minute mile pace, with Glenn taking a hard fall but continuing undeterred. They made the cutoff with just five minutes to spare, ultimately completing the full 100 miles.

Glenn's story reminds us that ultra running isn't just about physical capability—it's about problem-solving, adaptability, and refusing to surrender when your mind insists you should. Whether you're contemplating your first ultra or any significant challenge, remember his words: "Your biggest competition isn't other runners or even your body, it's your mind."

Have you faced a challenge that tested your mental limits more than your physical ones? We'd love to hear your story!

San Antonio RoadRunners:

https://runsignup.com/saroadrunners

https://www.facebook.com/saroadrunners/

https://www.instagram.com/san_antonio_roadrunners?igsh=MW14ZWpxcDFnbndvYg==

Choose to Endure:
Email:
info@choosetoendure.com

Website:
https://www.choosetoendure.com/

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@ChoosetoEndure

Instagram:
https://instagram.com/choose_to_endure?utm_source=qr

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552757049526

Chapters

00:53 - Meet Glenn McCrill, Roadrunner Coach

03:15 - From Avoiding Running to Embracing It

08:53 - Transitioning from Road to Trail Running

15:04 - The Grasslands 100 Race Experience

22:50 - Navigating the Night Section Solo

31:10 - Racing Against the Cutoffs

36:36 - Lessons Learned and Future Ultra Plans

46:37 - Back of the Pack Camaraderie

52:22 - Closing Thoughts and Next Steps

Transcript
WEBVTT

00:00:00.480 --> 00:00:02.285
Well, hello and welcome.

00:00:02.285 --> 00:00:05.652
If this is your first time with us, thank you for stopping by.

00:00:05.652 --> 00:00:21.234
You are listening to Choose to Endure the show dedicated to the non-elite runners out there, where we share stories, interviews, gear and training tips specific to the tail-end heroes of the Ultra universe.

00:00:21.234 --> 00:00:23.123
My name's Richard Gleave.

00:00:23.123 --> 00:00:27.071
I've been running ultras now since 2017.

00:00:27.071 --> 00:00:42.429
I have taken on and finished numerous ultra distances, all the way up through 220 miles, and I am unashamedly a member of the back of the pack, just like many of you out there.

00:00:43.290 --> 00:00:55.115
Well, today I am super excited to introduce a guest who brings just a vast wealth of experience and insight to the show Mr Glenn McCrill.

00:00:55.115 --> 00:01:05.715
He is a dedicated runner and director of coaching for the San Antonio Roadrunners, with a strong background in marathons and road racing.

00:01:05.715 --> 00:01:20.867
But he's also spent countless hours as part of the marvelous McCrill team supporting, pacing and crewing his wife, agatha, through her many ultra-running adventures.

00:01:20.867 --> 00:01:23.733
But this time the roles were reversed.

00:01:23.733 --> 00:01:37.469
Glenn recently tackled his very first 100 miler at the Grasslands 100, and today we're going to hear all about his journey from training to preparation to overcoming challenges on race day.

00:01:37.469 --> 00:01:43.671
So, whether you're a roadrunner thinking about venturing into ultras or you just love a good endurance story.

00:01:43.671 --> 00:01:45.700
You won't want to miss this conversation.

00:01:45.700 --> 00:01:46.862
Let's jump in.

00:01:46.862 --> 00:01:53.920
Discover raw, inspiring stories from runners who've been right where you are.

00:01:53.920 --> 00:01:58.524
This is the choose to endure ultra running podcast with your host.

00:01:58.543 --> 00:02:00.584
He's english, not australian.

00:02:00.584 --> 00:02:03.906
He's English, not Australian Richard Gleave.

00:02:03.906 --> 00:02:09.151
Well, glenn, welcome to the podcast.

00:02:09.151 --> 00:02:11.173
Really excited to have you here.

00:02:11.173 --> 00:02:17.276
Can you start by telling us a little bit about your background in running and maybe how you got started?

00:02:22.675 --> 00:02:33.848
Yes, certainly, I think, like most individuals, if you look far into my past and and when I, when I started running, I started as a soccer player here in here in the United States, and I chose to be goalie, so I didn't have to run.

00:02:35.020 --> 00:02:46.127
Um, that that was that was my whole goal was if you're a goalkeeper, you had to run like probably about a mile during the, during the warmups and cooldowns, and that was it, and I tried to avoid it.

00:02:46.127 --> 00:02:53.848
I joined the Army, went to West Point and still did enjoy running, but I found out that I was pretty good at it.

00:02:53.848 --> 00:03:11.681
So in my first class at West Point, my first run that I had to do, my first graded event, they broke the entire class of 1991 at West Point into three groups the black, the gray and the gold group.

00:03:11.681 --> 00:03:16.348
The black group was the fastest, the gray group was the middle and the gold group was slower runners for that class during your first summer.

00:03:16.348 --> 00:03:28.421
Well, my name was the bottom name in the black group, so that meant I was the slowest of the fast and I struggled the entire summer.

00:03:28.421 --> 00:03:33.993
The portions of the day that we had to run were the parts that I dreaded most.

00:03:33.993 --> 00:03:51.551
But it gave me a background, though, in running and if I found out that it was a place that I could detach and clear my mind and I began to enjoy it enough that I'm like, okay, I'm gonna go out on my own and and run while I was a kid at west point.

00:03:52.454 --> 00:03:53.417
Fast forward a little bit.

00:03:53.417 --> 00:04:03.262
In the army there's a requirement to run, so you have to run two miles, which isn't very far, but it's two miles and it's a graded event as part of the of the Army Physical Fitness Test.

00:04:03.262 --> 00:04:08.986
So I made sure I was good for that and I started to increase my distances a little bit.

00:04:08.986 --> 00:04:31.408
My first half marathon was not trained, not allowed on their strollers, were not allowed on the run, and I got many, many pats on the back as I pushed my baby and we finished the half marathon.

00:04:31.408 --> 00:04:35.170
Following that, I attempted my first marathon in Kansas City.

00:04:35.641 --> 00:04:38.350
When the Army moved me there, my family had stayed here in San Antonio.

00:04:38.350 --> 00:04:44.108
I needed something to fill my time with, and so I decided to train for a marathon on my own.

00:04:44.108 --> 00:04:45.704
I did complete it.

00:04:45.704 --> 00:04:51.031
It in my mind it was a complete and utter train wreck, but, but it was one of those.

00:04:51.031 --> 00:05:04.966
It was the first, first time I think I really experienced in running the, the joy of, of completing something not as planned, but completing it under in my mind, under God's strength, not underneath my own strength anymore.

00:05:04.966 --> 00:05:09.048
There's a bigger power inside me.

00:05:09.048 --> 00:05:14.353
There's a greater power than I know that I have and my brain will tell me that I can't do it.

00:05:14.932 --> 00:05:16.834
And Glenn, what is a train wreck for you?

00:05:16.834 --> 00:05:19.836
Just to give us some perspective here for our audience.

00:05:26.940 --> 00:05:29.646
So a train wreck for me and I will bring up the last marathon I ran.

00:05:29.646 --> 00:05:35.740
We can use the words a train wreck or the wheels came off the bus is another way to say it yes, love those.

00:05:35.740 --> 00:05:51.572
So about a month ago, the Alamo marathon here in San Antonio, I was going to use it as a training run for my 100 miler and, as I did, I thought Agatha and I agreed that we would just, we would run it and enjoy it, we'd take pictures.

00:05:51.572 --> 00:05:56.064
This is a run to go out and enjoy my style of running, right?

00:05:56.084 --> 00:05:56.305
there.

00:05:56.927 --> 00:06:01.504
It is, and we were both pretty excited that we were not going to rush this race, we were just going to enjoy it.

00:06:01.504 --> 00:06:06.591
And about mile 18, I started not to feel so well.

00:06:06.591 --> 00:06:17.968
Oh, and I share this with agatha and she's shared share some of her wisdom if she said other friends who've gotten sick or who have purposely blown up and that made them feel better.

00:06:18.028 --> 00:06:29.627
so I decided to try that yeah and I tried it and it didn't make me feel better, and a little bit later I got sick again, and then I got sick a lot, then I got sick a whole lot.

00:06:30.714 --> 00:06:31.519
Oh, my goodness.

00:06:31.720 --> 00:06:40.995
And then Agatha talked me into getting out of the uncovered part of the riverwalk, out of the sun, and get to an aid station where my blood pressure was very low.

00:06:40.995 --> 00:06:44.028
But the medics checked on me and said you're just dehydrated.

00:06:44.028 --> 00:06:45.701
Okay, and why?

00:06:45.701 --> 00:06:46.442
I bring that up?

00:06:46.442 --> 00:06:49.927
And I want to bring that up to runners.

00:06:49.927 --> 00:06:59.230
I learned in that marathon that I planned just to complete it was my slowest marathon ever by far.

00:06:59.230 --> 00:07:10.968
I completed it and I felt horrendous and I knew that two weeks later I had 100 miler to complete and in my mind I was terrified oh, I bet.

00:07:10.968 --> 00:07:21.348
So when the wheels come off the bus for me, I lean back into for me, into my faith, and I say, okay, this isn't under my strength anymore.

00:07:21.348 --> 00:07:26.781
God give me the strength and I rely on that and that's just that's where I come from.

00:07:27.603 --> 00:07:28.144
Fantastic.

00:07:28.144 --> 00:07:31.413
Well, first of all, well done for finishing the actual race.

00:07:31.413 --> 00:07:37.466
I mean, just from what you're describing, I'm like there's no way you're finishing that Well done and obviously you're running around.

00:07:37.466 --> 00:07:47.185
You mentioned San Antonio there and as part of the intro we talked about you being the director of coaching, if I'm not mistaken, at the San Antonio Roadrunners.

00:07:47.185 --> 00:07:47.786
So tell us about.

00:07:47.786 --> 00:07:49.009
I think that's a really big club.

00:07:49.009 --> 00:07:52.007
There are a lot of running clubs around, but I think that's quite a big one.

00:07:52.007 --> 00:08:02.134
So what is the San Antonio Roadrunners all about and kind of what is your role and I think, they have an off-road or a trail group as well, if I'm not mistaken.

00:08:03.096 --> 00:08:04.218
You're exactly right, richard.

00:08:04.218 --> 00:08:06.062
So the San Antonio Roadrunners is.

00:08:06.062 --> 00:08:15.697
We have several running groups here within San Antonio, both on road and off road, and the San Antonio Roadrunners we do have the largest group of runners.

00:08:15.697 --> 00:08:24.204
There's approximately 1,600 runners that are signed up as part of the San Antonio Roadrunners and it's all different ages.

00:08:24.204 --> 00:08:25.125
For coaching.

00:08:25.185 --> 00:08:28.514
I'm there to make sure the coaches are properly prepared.

00:08:28.514 --> 00:08:31.490
All of our coaches are CPR trained, first aid trained.

00:08:31.490 --> 00:08:40.951
So if something does happen during any of our training events or our races, our coaches can step in immediately to render first aid to those runners needing it.

00:08:40.951 --> 00:09:10.653
It doesn't happen often, but I've been out there before where we one of our runners actually he had a heart attack and we were prepared as our coaches were moving towards him because another runner called fortunately some other runners out there on the path that day were nurses and started giving him CPR and by the time we got there as coaches to relieve them, the EMS had showed up and the runner's fine and he's actually rejoined us again.

00:09:10.955 --> 00:09:18.662
But the point being is, director of coaching, we're there to make sure the coaches try to continue their education within running.

00:09:18.662 --> 00:09:24.673
We're all Roadrunner Clubs of America certified, but that's a one-time class.

00:09:24.673 --> 00:09:27.682
How do we continue to grow in our education?

00:09:27.682 --> 00:09:30.730
Some coaches do it on their own and other coaches need some assistance.

00:09:30.730 --> 00:09:35.894
So that's my job as director of coaches is to help those coaches see those opportunities.

00:09:36.937 --> 00:09:40.684
As an example, I also coach the kids group, which I love to death.

00:09:40.684 --> 00:09:48.135
The seven to 12 year olds are phenomenal and their spirit is not to give up.

00:09:48.135 --> 00:09:52.998
Of course they're kids, so they have grumpy days, but the kids are wonderful as well.

00:09:52.998 --> 00:09:59.683
So we have all age groups in San Antonio, roadrunners and, like you said, the off-road runners, another phenomenal group of people.

00:09:59.683 --> 00:10:28.389
At one point I was only a roadrunner when I moved to San Antonio and I focused on just on the road, because who would want to walk, go somewhere where there's roots and rocks and trip, and one season I decided to try it and sure, as we've all experienced on off-road running, it's in that nice smooth area with a pebble that's probably about the size of my thumb and you catch your toe on that and go down.

00:10:28.389 --> 00:10:30.225
That's the one that's going to get you.

00:10:30.264 --> 00:10:34.590
Yeah, always you can, definitely you can avoid all the big rocks, all the roots.

00:10:34.590 --> 00:10:40.167
You feel like you've done an awesome job and then you get that one tiny little one, and that's the one that sends you down.

00:10:42.783 --> 00:10:44.229
But I liked trail running.

00:10:44.229 --> 00:10:46.441
I still went back to road running.

00:10:46.662 --> 00:10:46.942
Yeah.

00:10:47.422 --> 00:10:49.464
And then and then I met Agatha and you.

00:10:49.464 --> 00:10:50.784
You've met Agatha as well.

00:10:50.784 --> 00:11:11.870
She's a force unto herself and she convinced me, along with the phenomenal food that you get when you're, when you're ultra running and running off road instead of a goo packet and you know this instead of a goo packet and maybe a green banana, you get meals as a roadrunner.

00:11:11.870 --> 00:11:13.313
You can't fathom what you mean.

00:11:13.313 --> 00:11:14.283
You get to eat real food.

00:11:14.283 --> 00:11:15.888
Well, will you run?

00:11:15.888 --> 00:11:17.633
No, will you stop and have some real food?

00:11:17.633 --> 00:11:20.826
Or, like yourself, you have a beer during a race.

00:11:20.826 --> 00:11:23.172
That's phenomenal.

00:11:23.272 --> 00:11:23.873
That's beautiful.

00:11:23.873 --> 00:11:29.068
Have you been back to the roadrunner side, like do you cross over the roadrunner trailrunner side?

00:11:29.068 --> 00:11:33.948
Have you been back there and talked to them about this kind of stuff, and what is the reaction if so?

00:11:35.702 --> 00:11:37.328
Yeah, originally I didn't think I would.

00:11:37.328 --> 00:11:39.246
I thought I'll come over here for a little.

00:11:39.246 --> 00:11:46.953
I'll come over here for a season to the trailrunning side and crewing crewing some races and pacing some races.

00:11:46.953 --> 00:12:17.427
And the fact that at Moab, pacing Agatha that that point where where she was taking a rest and you and Vicki and some other, some of our friends, were crewing her and I got pirogies as as a pacer, that I'm Polish, so when you get your soul food as a pacer, it locked me in and saying this is your people, these people, you liked them already, so that really helped me swing.

00:12:17.427 --> 00:12:20.488
When I go back to road, yeah, I'll run road.

00:12:20.488 --> 00:12:22.587
There's a couple of marathons I want to run, but nothing.

00:12:23.581 --> 00:12:42.167
I don't like 5Ks because they're hard, hard, they're hard you gotta go fast all the time yeah, and I and you have to feel bad the entire race yes it's terrible and I want to win it, so that's just how it is I love that you have that competitive spirit, certainly for ag.

00:12:42.246 --> 00:12:50.214
she definitely got that competitive spirit and you've had plenty of experience supporting her at her ultras.

00:12:50.214 --> 00:12:56.668
You've seen her go through those highs and those lows during really a variety of events.

00:12:56.668 --> 00:13:00.073
Having seen that, glenn, what then made you decide?

00:13:00.073 --> 00:13:03.465
You know what I'm going to take on my own 100 miler.

00:13:04.186 --> 00:13:09.894
Well, the 100 miler was an opportunity for me to test myself.

00:13:09.894 --> 00:13:11.024
I knew I could run.

00:13:11.024 --> 00:13:14.610
I mean, I've only done a couple 50Ks.

00:13:14.610 --> 00:13:19.552
I've only done two 50Ks, one 50 miler, one 100K.

00:13:19.552 --> 00:13:23.811
It was a jackalope jam that I had 24 hours to do.

00:13:23.811 --> 00:13:28.006
So I pushed myself, but not not not over the top push myself, but it was.

00:13:28.006 --> 00:13:28.609
Was it hard?

00:13:28.609 --> 00:13:29.652
It was certainly, it was difficult.

00:13:29.652 --> 00:13:31.884
It's a hundred K, yeah.

00:13:31.884 --> 00:13:40.203
And I decided I needed to push myself a little bit further and take a step out in faith and say let's, let's do this.

00:13:40.203 --> 00:13:42.687
Agatha had already signed up for it and I asked her.

00:13:42.687 --> 00:13:46.413
I said do you, do you need me to crew you or can I join you?

00:13:46.413 --> 00:13:47.354
And she got pretty excited.

00:13:47.354 --> 00:13:53.501
She was like well, definitely, let's, let's, let's give this a shot and let's, let's, let's see if we both can finish the hundred hundred miler.

00:13:53.501 --> 00:13:59.854
And and we went out there together and it was it, was it definitely.

00:13:59.854 --> 00:14:01.222
I was terrified when I started that.

00:14:01.222 --> 00:14:05.942
That that that's an understatement because it was scary utter muscles a long way.

00:14:06.683 --> 00:14:11.957
I bet now you guys went up to the grasslands 100 for your attempt.

00:14:11.957 --> 00:14:21.308
Well, for your first attempt, can you kind of give folks out there listening who might not have heard of that race a little bit of the background of the race, like where is it?

00:14:21.308 --> 00:14:23.822
What's the kind of terrain that you're running in up there?

00:14:23.822 --> 00:14:25.647
Is it a big race, small race?

00:14:25.647 --> 00:14:27.712
What is the Grasslands 100?

00:14:28.860 --> 00:14:39.013
So the Grasslands 100, it's a group of racing, there's a 100, there's a 50 miler, and the 100 and the 50 miler are both released at the same time.

00:14:39.013 --> 00:14:45.330
There's a marathon, there's a 15K I believe I got them all.

00:14:45.330 --> 00:14:49.462
However, it's on different, different loops and it's a.

00:14:49.462 --> 00:14:56.778
It's a texas state park that is northwest of fort worth and we.

00:14:56.918 --> 00:14:59.063
We believe that it was going to be primarily flat.

00:14:59.063 --> 00:15:00.447
I mean it's.

00:15:00.447 --> 00:15:01.711
It doesn't seem like it's.

00:15:01.711 --> 00:15:05.370
There's a lot of hills up there, but we were pretty wrong about that.

00:15:05.370 --> 00:15:12.153
It had some good elevation gain and drop and there were some of the routes out there.

00:15:12.153 --> 00:15:18.052
We were surprised when we ran them, just saying, well, there are flat portions of this and there's a portion.

00:15:18.052 --> 00:15:24.273
One of the routes had a herd of cows that the race director warned us about.

00:15:24.273 --> 00:15:27.125
So anyway, grasslands 100, you have to run.

00:15:27.125 --> 00:15:37.566
There's four different loops, from a nine mile to a 15 mile are the different lengths, and there's aid stations every six miles.

00:15:37.566 --> 00:15:39.333
I think is the largest gap.

00:15:39.333 --> 00:15:48.075
You're running without an aid station for water or fuel, which is nice, and some one of the aid stations was just water, but it, it, they, they.

00:15:48.577 --> 00:15:50.306
The trails were phenomenally marked.

00:15:50.306 --> 00:15:53.971
I have nothing but kudos to give the race director on the trails being marked.

00:15:53.971 --> 00:15:57.485
During the day I had no doubt which way I was going.

00:15:57.485 --> 00:16:03.134
At night, as I ate, as I fueled during the route and stuff like that.

00:16:03.134 --> 00:16:06.883
A couple, one or two times times, as I'm sure you've done, I looked around.

00:16:06.883 --> 00:16:08.066
I saw no more markers.

00:16:08.066 --> 00:16:15.792
I backtracked yeah, a quarter mile, and I said look, there's some reflectors there, and the sign I should have kicked that said not this way.

00:16:16.620 --> 00:16:23.100
Ah that's a dead giveaway yeah, um, I saw that as well brilliant, so it sounds like a really cool race.

00:16:23.140 --> 00:16:29.668
Was it kind of rooty up there, would you say, or were the trails pretty, pretty smooth or even technical rocky?

00:16:29.668 --> 00:16:33.846
What was the trail situation like, or did it vary based on the the loop you were doing?

00:16:34.648 --> 00:16:37.162
it did vary on the loop, um, it wasn't very technical.

00:16:37.162 --> 00:16:39.447
Um, there's, there were some parts that were single track.

00:16:39.447 --> 00:16:46.393
There were some parts that were were were loose sand, like okay sand, which which we were both quite surprised.

00:16:46.393 --> 00:16:56.850
It was maybe only like a quarter half mile of one of the loops, but a quarter half mile that I didn't want to deal with and I was looking for any edge of the path that might offer me some more traction.

00:16:56.850 --> 00:17:15.653
Fortunately, we both wore gaiters, which I almost didn't wear, and after the fact I said boy, I'm sure I'm glad that I listened to your recommendation, agatha, from a while ago and wear gaiters to all the races, just in case, just in case they're minimal weight and just so useful for a bunch of things.

00:17:16.859 --> 00:17:26.580
Exactly, and it was all different, like I said, from cow pastures that you ran through and you could see the cows had been there before and during the night.

00:17:26.580 --> 00:17:35.894
For sure, cows do blend into the when they're eating quietly and you're running through the middle of the herd they can startle you quite a bit when they're right on the trail.

00:17:35.894 --> 00:17:44.392
Yeah, I got kind of floored as the cow was probably about 10 feet in front of me when it finally moved Brilliant 10 feet in front of me when it finally moved Brilliant.

00:17:44.892 --> 00:17:50.455
So I mean, we talked about your experience, shall we say, at the Alamo Marathon there.

00:17:50.455 --> 00:17:53.137
But outside of that, how was your training?

00:17:53.137 --> 00:17:57.224
How did you go about preparing for this 100-miler?

00:17:57.224 --> 00:18:01.632
That, I have to think is pretty daunting when you're looking at it based on your history.

00:18:04.259 --> 00:18:04.780
You're right about that.

00:18:04.780 --> 00:18:10.844
It was daunting and, in the grand scheme of things, would I have trained differently?

00:18:10.844 --> 00:18:17.726
I would have trained a lot better than I could train, and where I'm going with that is work got in the way.

00:18:17.726 --> 00:18:20.752
Things happened with the presidential election.

00:18:20.752 --> 00:18:26.942
Following that, I worked a lot of hours at at work, so a lot of those times I wanted to do training runs.

00:18:26.942 --> 00:18:30.031
I wasn't able to, so I I really was.

00:18:30.031 --> 00:18:35.184
My longest run had been that marathon yeah trained for the 100 miler, um short of.

00:18:36.086 --> 00:18:48.941
I did a 50 miler, probably about eight months ago, but that's a long way back and my marathon training had always taught me you, you need to continue to build up to this distance.

00:18:48.941 --> 00:18:50.785
And that that's what in my mind was playing.

00:18:50.785 --> 00:19:08.463
But at the same time I I played in my mind what I, what I teach my kids and the kids running group, is your biggest competition out there isn't the other runner and it's not your legs and it's not your arms, as long as you don't get injured.

00:19:08.463 --> 00:19:10.631
Your biggest competition is your mind.

00:19:10.631 --> 00:19:12.346
Your mind's going to want to tell you to quit.

00:19:12.346 --> 00:19:16.090
It's going to want to have you stay at that aid station just a little bit longer.

00:19:16.090 --> 00:19:20.390
It's going to it's going to want to stop you.

00:19:20.390 --> 00:19:23.028
And I share that with the kids and they get it.

00:19:23.028 --> 00:19:31.550
And I, really, I I dwelt on that as I was out there doing the hundred miler of I, I, I don't think I'm prepared for this.

00:19:31.550 --> 00:19:33.270
I just I can't.

00:19:33.270 --> 00:19:34.852
I can't allow myself to quit.

00:19:35.991 --> 00:19:39.232
And fortunately I had a phenomenal pacer for for 55 miles of it.

00:19:39.232 --> 00:19:48.056
Agatha ran the first 55 miles of it and and until her stomach didn't feel well with me and we were we.

00:19:48.056 --> 00:20:08.207
We went back and forth and we used a lot of the experiences of crewing other runners, of getting out of the aid stations quickly Not not not sitting down if we could help it and our longest break we took an hour to change clothes as it got dark and to grab dinner real quick and that was our longest break.

00:20:08.207 --> 00:20:14.707
And every time we quickly pushed through the aid stations and I think that helped us out a whole lot.

00:20:14.707 --> 00:20:17.359
We really created a nice cushion on the front side.

00:20:17.359 --> 00:20:24.512
So the training wasn't what I would recommend to any runner if I was coaching them.

00:20:24.613 --> 00:20:37.340
Well, I think it's a good lesson, though I mean it doesn't always go training that is the way you want it to go, or think you need it to go, and yet, depending on what your goal is for the race, you can still finish these races.

00:20:37.340 --> 00:20:41.728
It is, as they say, 90% mental and 10% is in your mind.

00:20:41.728 --> 00:20:46.275
It really is very, very mental, this running.

00:20:46.275 --> 00:20:52.028
So, yeah, depending on your goals, you can still make these big races on fairly minimal training.

00:20:52.028 --> 00:20:57.227
I mean, granted, more training usually is a better experience, but you can still do these things.

00:20:57.227 --> 00:21:04.107
And talking of experience yourself and Agatha, you guys have done and been through so many ultras together.

00:21:04.107 --> 00:21:12.212
Did your experience having crewed and paced Agatha on ultras did that help?

00:21:12.212 --> 00:21:13.275
You, do you think?

00:21:20.478 --> 00:21:26.348
trail runners and San Antonio road runners as well as other ultra runners as they're out there.

00:21:26.348 --> 00:21:35.519
Take that opportunity, when you get that, to cruise somebody else and to see them when they're in that place where they're struggling.

00:21:35.519 --> 00:21:42.221
When you're there, you understand it, helps you pull through that struggle.

00:21:42.221 --> 00:21:43.454
You see that they could do it.

00:21:43.454 --> 00:21:45.276
You could reflect back on it.

00:21:45.276 --> 00:21:52.920
You watch those runners that you saw get back out there again quickly so their muscles didn't get cold and they didn't start to get that chill.

00:21:53.789 --> 00:21:59.681
There's so much you can learn from the other runners around you, as well as the runners that are doing the race with you.

00:21:59.681 --> 00:22:06.382
You talk with them, you draw off their strength and it's wonderful.

00:22:06.382 --> 00:22:20.678
I mean it's wonderful to see how the whole group of people at Grasslands 100, all the 100-mile runners, were out there encouraging each other to finish.

00:22:20.678 --> 00:22:27.960
So it's the support structures out there and it's not just the support structure you bring from home.

00:22:27.960 --> 00:22:32.992
And that's another thing I love about the ultra community, the elites.

00:22:32.992 --> 00:22:37.323
I watch them reach back down to the back of the Packers.

00:22:37.323 --> 00:22:49.984
Something else I will say and this isn't just a plug for you, and I talked about this your podcast has a wealth of information, 100% that I bowed from.

00:22:49.984 --> 00:22:53.002
I ran with Path Projects gear.

00:22:53.506 --> 00:22:54.109
Oh, brilliant.

00:22:55.873 --> 00:23:03.916
I tried it after you interviewed that group and I tried some of their stuff and it worked great for me and it's my go-to gear.

00:23:03.916 --> 00:23:08.461
I just I, I've, I'd heard of them but I wouldn't have tried them until I heard about that.

00:23:08.461 --> 00:23:17.193
So your, your podcast and other podcasts draw me to the wisdom of others of hey, try this, and I'm willing to take anything from any runner.

00:23:17.836 --> 00:23:24.911
Yeah, I love the way that everybody's out to help everybody else get to the finish or at least in our space I get that.

00:23:24.911 --> 00:23:30.309
There are a few elites that are out there winning races and that's really awesome too, don't get me wrong.

00:23:30.309 --> 00:23:39.605
But for the majority of us I would say we're out here trying to overcome and just trying to get to our own finish, whatever that looks like.

00:23:39.605 --> 00:23:40.895
So I love that.

00:23:41.029 --> 00:23:49.558
I did a race last year and midway through the race I was with another chap and we were on our way out.

00:23:49.558 --> 00:23:50.821
It was an out and back race.

00:23:50.821 --> 00:24:03.883
We were on our way out and the leader was coming back and the leader, seeing us on the other side of the road, literally stopped, crossed the road and came and stood and talked to us, asking how we were doing.

00:24:03.883 --> 00:24:09.001
And you know how was our day going on this race mid-race, and I was like dude, what are you doing?

00:24:09.001 --> 00:24:11.415
Like get back over there and like go to the finish.

00:24:11.415 --> 00:24:12.178
But he took it.

00:24:12.178 --> 00:24:12.779
He didn't have to.

00:24:12.779 --> 00:24:16.659
We didn't flag him over, he just decided by himself that he was going to come over.

00:24:16.659 --> 00:24:21.836
Aaron Iles, if you're listening, by any chance, aaron, just fantastic guy.

00:24:22.276 --> 00:24:23.438
Yeah he just came over and talked to us.

00:24:23.438 --> 00:24:24.640
Now, what other sport?

00:24:24.640 --> 00:24:30.997
First of all, are you running the same course at the same time, or participating at the same time as the elite folks?

00:24:30.997 --> 00:24:33.242
Everybody's on that course altogether.

00:24:33.242 --> 00:24:41.296
And then where else would those folks kind of come and cheer you on and ask how you're doing as part of the run?

00:24:41.296 --> 00:24:43.521
So I just I think you're right.

00:24:43.521 --> 00:24:53.355
The community aspect of it for me is just amazing, and whether you're fast or slow or in between, it doesn't matter, everybody's out to help each other and I think that's terrific.

00:24:54.393 --> 00:24:55.888
I couldn't agree more yeah.

00:24:56.250 --> 00:24:57.232
Now for the race itself.

00:24:57.232 --> 00:25:04.648
Glenn, were there any really challenging moments for you, aside from dodging cows on the trail itself?

00:25:04.648 --> 00:25:15.661
And was there ever a point where, having gotten into this, maybe after agatha had had sort of stopped around 55 miles or so, did you ever seriously doubt finishing um?

00:25:16.321 --> 00:25:16.983
I, I didn't.

00:25:16.983 --> 00:25:19.029
I don't know if I doubted finishing.

00:25:19.029 --> 00:25:20.916
No, was it a challenge once?

00:25:20.916 --> 00:25:29.863
Once it was right as it's getting dark, and Agatha and I went out and she, at that point she turned around, two and a half miles out from the main aid station.

00:25:29.863 --> 00:25:34.738
She said we aren't going to make cutoff if I stay with you.

00:25:34.738 --> 00:25:38.369
And I looked at her and I shared with her.

00:25:38.369 --> 00:25:43.101
I said, as your husband, if you need me to go back, you're far more important than a belt buckle.

00:25:43.101 --> 00:25:44.363
Let's, let's go back.

00:25:44.363 --> 00:25:46.898
And she says, no, I need you to, I need you to go on.

00:25:46.898 --> 00:25:49.450
She said I'll be fine, I'll get back there.

00:25:49.450 --> 00:26:17.152
So she turned around and went back and I, I did the next 45 miles myself and it wasn't time to check in on a lot of stuff, Wasn't time to check in on a lot of stuff.

00:26:17.172 --> 00:26:19.395
And I didn't find anybody in the dark until probably I don't know maybe 4 am or so.

00:26:19.395 --> 00:26:26.971
I finally linked up with some other runners that I knew and they left out in front of me and one of the gentlemen was speedwalking and the other other two runners I I recognized both of them.

00:26:26.971 --> 00:26:30.760
I'd seen them and the gentleman that was speedwalking, uh, we'd seen at a different race.

00:26:30.760 --> 00:26:36.682
So I knew him amed and and and I thought okay, they know what's going on.

00:26:37.001 --> 00:26:49.117
This speedwalking is going to get us to the cutoff, to the next cutoff and about 3.4 miles out from the, from the, the turnaround or the, the, the finish line, where you check your, your time check.

00:26:49.117 --> 00:26:50.402
He looked at his watch.

00:26:50.402 --> 00:26:51.914
He says we're not going to make cutoff.

00:26:51.914 --> 00:26:52.897
What are we doing?

00:26:52.897 --> 00:27:02.156
Oh no, and the woman and the other man took off at like like a, probably a 10, 30 or 11 minute pace, and I didn't have that left in me.

00:27:02.391 --> 00:27:04.324
Oh no, I ran 10, 30 or 11 minute pace and I didn't have that left in me.

00:27:04.324 --> 00:27:08.623
Oh no, I got as fast as I could, as a med did with trail runners, because so I gotta take a break here real quick.

00:27:08.623 --> 00:27:13.920
He didn't wait to step out into the tree line real quick yeah and I said, well, I gotta run.

00:27:14.300 --> 00:27:15.750
Well, we all made that cut off.

00:27:15.750 --> 00:27:16.792
How I don't.

00:27:16.792 --> 00:27:32.335
Oh, I, I do know we ran like 11 minute miles and that was the only time in the 100 miles that I that I caught my toe on that little rock and I went out hard on my face and I still, I still have a blood blister on my thumb from it that hasn't gone away yet.

00:27:32.335 --> 00:27:34.338
I I wiped out completely.

00:27:34.338 --> 00:27:36.892
One of the other runners came back to check on me.

00:27:36.932 --> 00:27:40.642
I got back up, like I said, we, we finished it and then then we made the cut off.

00:27:40.642 --> 00:27:47.298
And once we made the cut off for the last loop, it was nine miles and we had, like, uh, two hours and 45 minutes to do it.

00:27:47.298 --> 00:27:52.018
I'm like, well, we can walk it now, like we're, we're, we are within striking distance.

00:27:52.018 --> 00:28:16.911
I said I'm not gonna walk it because I don't want to put myself in a bad position, but it, it, it was, it was quite nice, and so I, I guess, I, I guess I'd answer that I was concerned when he looked at his watch because I was thinking the whole time maybe my math is just off yeah and then we we took off at a much faster pace than the, probably the 17 minute mile that we were walking in his speed walk.

00:28:17.673 --> 00:28:20.298
We talked off, like I said, 11 minute, 11 minute mile for.

00:28:20.298 --> 00:28:26.276
So we cut 18 minutes off to make sure we made that cut off and we had about five minutes in our pocket to spare.

00:28:26.276 --> 00:28:29.063
Yeah, it was a little to go that far.

00:28:29.063 --> 00:28:32.881
I was not to go 91 miles and miss cut off would not have been a happy day.

00:28:33.349 --> 00:28:37.721
Ah, that would have really stuck with me for a long time, I think, if that had happened.

00:28:37.721 --> 00:28:42.497
So I totally feel you you going for that one, absolutely yeah.

00:28:42.497 --> 00:28:43.519
Now.

00:28:43.519 --> 00:28:50.579
So, having worked your way through, well, let me ask this first, which parts of the race did you struggle most with?

00:28:50.579 --> 00:29:01.722
Because usually it's like mile 30 and then maybe mile 70 or so, and then you went through the night, I think for the well, maybe not for the first time, but certainly for the first time, by yourself, potentially.

00:29:02.423 --> 00:29:05.558
Yeah, so we'd done the whole route during the day.

00:29:05.558 --> 00:29:20.500
But, like you said, so it's the first time by myself and the route that I'd like during the day, I really didn't like at night because I guess there were hills during the day and I was fresh, so at night I did not like those hills.

00:29:20.500 --> 00:29:33.317
At night there's lots of uphills followed by pretty good downhills following the uphills and probably like quarter-mile downhill runs, and at night those aren't fun either.

00:29:33.317 --> 00:29:36.554
They're scary.

00:29:36.554 --> 00:29:39.277
At night, I mean, all I could keep thinking is I'm going to fall.

00:29:39.277 --> 00:29:46.257
I'm out here by myself and, yeah, I'll get back up and run again, but I really don't want to fall and go down hard.

00:29:47.539 --> 00:29:48.201
It didn't happen.

00:29:48.201 --> 00:30:04.380
I got lost, I mean a little bit, and one time I found myself there were little little breaks off the off the main trail and they were probably only like 10 or 12 feet in and it looked like and I called them donkey brakes like like the air brakes, things that the trucks go up.

00:30:04.380 --> 00:30:06.123
I called them donkey brakes because they were so small.

00:30:06.123 --> 00:30:07.344
You could felt like two donkeys in it.

00:30:07.344 --> 00:30:17.952
And uh, agatha, and I joked about that and I found myself like I kind of shook my my head for a second.

00:30:17.952 --> 00:30:18.653
I'm like where am I at?

00:30:18.653 --> 00:30:21.114
And I I mean I wasn't 10 feet off the trail.

00:30:21.114 --> 00:30:24.695
I have no earthly memory how I got in there at that time.

00:30:24.736 --> 00:30:40.501
It was probably three or four in the morning by myself and yeah it was a challenge, but, yeah, there were times at night when I questioned my sanity and what I was doing.

00:30:40.501 --> 00:30:43.343
And at no time did I see any gorillas off the path.

00:30:43.343 --> 00:30:44.483
But we joked about that.

00:30:44.483 --> 00:30:46.204
No shipwrecked either.

00:30:46.464 --> 00:30:50.445
Yeah, absolutely those hallucinations, man, they're, they're all.

00:30:50.445 --> 00:30:52.787
All the rage these days, I guess.

00:30:53.728 --> 00:31:06.838
So I hear um, but I, I did, yeah, it got.

00:31:06.838 --> 00:31:15.711
It got a little bit questionable right before sunrise but but uh, fortunately, agatha, when, when she did stop, it was pretty chilly out and she wrapped up we didn't bring sleeping bags because we didn't plan on stopping Right, she's wrapped up in a blanket out of the truck and just taco'd herself up and when I'd come in she goes.

00:31:15.711 --> 00:31:19.361
You got to hear out of the inside of the big burrito, is that you and she'd sit up?

00:31:29.490 --> 00:31:29.810
what do you need?

00:31:29.810 --> 00:31:30.913
And she'd say, okay, you're not going to stay here long.

00:31:30.913 --> 00:31:33.157
And she'd set up what he need and she, okay, you're not going to stay here long.

00:31:33.178 --> 00:31:34.300
She'd push me back out again, which is beautiful.

00:31:34.300 --> 00:31:35.522
So, having done your first hundred miler, like what?

00:31:35.522 --> 00:31:36.224
What surprised you most about it?

00:31:36.224 --> 00:31:37.146
Would you say um, what surprised me most?

00:31:37.146 --> 00:31:42.452
The ability, when you have to in nature, to to use nature to go relieve yourself.

00:31:42.452 --> 00:31:45.215
I did.

00:31:45.215 --> 00:31:54.383
I, fortunately, from crewing Agatha a while back, I had some emergency stuff for a trash bag and some wet wipes.

00:31:54.383 --> 00:31:58.426
I just happened to have them in my pack and that worked wonderfully.

00:31:58.426 --> 00:32:07.324
I wasn't anywhere near a portalette and I wasn't going to go another 10 feet, but that's just.

00:32:07.324 --> 00:32:07.505
I didn't.

00:32:07.505 --> 00:32:12.602
I didn't know I had that in me, but I, yeah, at that point the race was going to, the race was going to happen.

00:32:13.570 --> 00:32:22.605
I needed, I needed to take another step and take one more step in my, my, my new learning and challenges.

00:32:22.605 --> 00:32:24.539
And it worked.

00:32:24.539 --> 00:32:26.090
And agatha chuckles she goes.

00:32:26.090 --> 00:32:27.534
Well, everybody else probably did that too.

00:32:27.574 --> 00:32:31.833
You still know that yes, it's, uh, I think it's a rite of passage.

00:32:31.833 --> 00:32:41.570
It's easier at night when the you know, when you can turn your headlight off and nobody can see you back there in the, in the bush or in in the trees yes, but exactly, but yes, it's definitely.

00:32:41.570 --> 00:32:44.519
I would say probably everybody's done some variety of that.

00:32:44.519 --> 00:32:47.398
You talked about Agatha a little bit and her helping you out.

00:32:47.398 --> 00:32:51.682
How did it feel then to have the roles reversed this time?

00:32:51.682 --> 00:32:53.997
How was Agatha crewing you?

00:32:53.997 --> 00:32:55.955
What was that experience like?

00:32:58.910 --> 00:33:09.536
Truthfully, I've had full confidence in her because she had gone through the races, even if she hadn't known what she was doing.

00:33:09.536 --> 00:33:23.026
I finally understood the concept of she offered me some, some items of food when I came in and I finally understood where she was at in the past, where I didn't want to make the choices.

00:33:23.026 --> 00:33:32.818
I wanted her to push something, and she picked up on that pretty quick and said just just take this, and you're going to take it with you because you've been eating this and it's been staying down and you are having trouble eating this.

00:33:33.019 --> 00:33:33.760
Nice Okay.

00:33:34.653 --> 00:33:42.477
And so she, she queued off on that pretty quick, which was nice to have a crew that understood where I was at at that moment.

00:33:43.178 --> 00:33:48.134
yeah, minimize the the decisions that you have to make exactly.

00:33:48.154 --> 00:33:52.694
And I, I think, I think you, you were with me when we solved that out at moab, when the one gentleman didn't want to.

00:33:52.694 --> 00:33:59.201
They had choices for medals and he didn't want to pick his medal because that was another choice at that point that he was passed.

00:33:59.201 --> 00:34:12.422
Yeah, that just give me something and make me not think it was nice to finally join the rest of you, getting a little bit closer to folks like you that I aspire to be one day.

00:34:13.304 --> 00:34:14.706
Old and slow Glenn.

00:34:16.811 --> 00:34:18.653
Is that what we're saying?

00:34:18.653 --> 00:34:21.097
As a young man, I thought I needed to come in first.

00:34:21.097 --> 00:34:41.800
As I age and get wisdom, I realize that I need to finish and there's nothing with the real race that I see out there for myself is finding another runner that needs that pusher to talk or to vent or just to complain, and that's okay.

00:34:41.800 --> 00:34:47.077
Hey, I hurt, or this is going on in my life, as we all experience on the longer runs.

00:34:47.077 --> 00:34:50.579
Okay, let's get through this together.

00:34:50.579 --> 00:34:59.438
We're going to make it back to the next aid station and we're going to push on, and that's a really beautiful thing that the longer the ultra runs allow us to do.

00:35:00.159 --> 00:35:15.592
Absolutely, and did you have, aside from the leftover TP situation, were there any particular gear choices or nutritional choices other nutritional choices that you made that worked well for you on this race?

00:35:16.795 --> 00:35:17.836
Yeah, definitely.

00:35:17.836 --> 00:35:20.121
I will say the gear choices.

00:35:20.121 --> 00:35:22.391
I mean, I just have an eighth invest and I would probably.

00:35:22.391 --> 00:35:29.179
It worked for me because I knew where everything was at which was nice For the Path Project stuff.

00:35:29.179 --> 00:35:34.445
I had a jacket with pockets and I love the Path Project shorts that have pockets.

00:35:34.445 --> 00:35:35.786
Oh yeah, those are great.

00:35:35.786 --> 00:35:41.722
Yeah, I can put stuff in my pockets and I don't have to think about where I'm going to grab that snack.

00:35:41.722 --> 00:35:46.440
Yeah, bobo bars, peanut butter and jelly phenomenal.

00:35:47.090 --> 00:35:50.822
Do you know I have recently come across these Bobo bars.

00:35:50.822 --> 00:35:53.298
It happened at Swami Shuffle.

00:35:53.298 --> 00:36:01.242
One of the ladies I was running with, elizabeth hey, elizabeth, she had, well, her crew, her husband, crewing had these Bobo bars.

00:36:01.242 --> 00:36:05.802
They had the strawberry ones and then the peanut butter and grape, I think it was.

00:36:05.802 --> 00:36:09.036
But I had never seen these before, and so they were like, yeah, try one.

00:36:09.036 --> 00:36:11.016
So I'm hooked on those things.

00:36:11.016 --> 00:36:15.119
I'm right there with you on the Bobo bandwagon.

00:36:15.119 --> 00:36:18.617
If that's a thing I don't know, I'm going to buy a whole box of them and take them on the next one.

00:36:18.617 --> 00:36:19.300
They were great.

00:36:26.851 --> 00:36:28.054
The Bacryls have a box currently in our pantry.

00:36:28.054 --> 00:36:30.380
I also learned the, the value that that I've been told so many times by other runners.

00:36:30.380 --> 00:36:36.052
Uh, the, the, the picking the salt, salt tablets in in a pattern or routine so you don't get behind.

00:36:36.052 --> 00:36:37.253
I don't think I don't.

00:36:37.253 --> 00:36:48.052
I can't recall any, any leg aches or any pains that I that I've had on shorter runs, a much shorter runs, for lack of salt.

00:36:48.052 --> 00:36:51.983
Worst things were were I let my nutrition get a little bit low and I got.

00:36:51.983 --> 00:36:52.893
I got heavy legs.

00:36:53.273 --> 00:37:06.003
And as soon as I clicked that Bobo bar or a or a cup of ramen that was packed with carbs and it clicked me over the top I did learn that cold pizza is not my answer ever on a race.

00:37:06.003 --> 00:37:10.835
My mouth will, or my mouth and throat will not swallow cold pizza, no matter how bad I want the pizza.

00:37:11.251 --> 00:37:14.818
Oh, and you're totally missing out, totally missing out on some cold pizza.

00:37:14.818 --> 00:37:17.733
It's like the best thing, but I get it.

00:37:17.733 --> 00:37:18.193
I get it.

00:37:18.193 --> 00:37:19.036
It's hard to swallow.

00:37:19.036 --> 00:37:19.418
I don't know.

00:37:19.418 --> 00:37:25.873
Nobody ever told me that before doing ultras, but it's really difficult to swallow food.

00:37:25.873 --> 00:37:30.782
At some point your throat doesn't want to do it, which I was not at all ready for when it happened to me.

00:37:30.782 --> 00:37:36.594
Now I know that was a weird one finding that out for sure.

00:37:36.594 --> 00:37:47.003
Do you think there was anything that you would have done differently in your prep or race strategy if you were going to do this again, or for another race, or for this race specifically again?

00:37:47.003 --> 00:37:51.827
For anybody else considering doing this race, what kind of advice might you give them?

00:38:06.769 --> 00:38:10.380
My advice that I'd give them, if somebody were attempting their first 100 miler, the fact that I had somebody, agatha, who I could look to as an experienced runner.

00:38:10.380 --> 00:38:18.621
If you can have somebody that's out there with you crewing or pacing you, that knows you, that knows your strengths and weaknesses and, fortunately for Agatha and I, we compliment each other.

00:38:18.621 --> 00:38:21.936
So when I have strength it's usually about the time she's fading.

00:38:22.639 --> 00:38:38.242
so for us running, as as for the first 55 miles as a couple, it worked perfectly yeah you know it's scary when, all of a sudden, the the trapeze artist's net goes away and you're only going to see the net every every six or 50.

00:38:38.242 --> 00:38:42.135
Well, I guess 9 or 15 miles or or somewhere in between, or 12.

00:38:42.135 --> 00:38:44.059
It I guess real scary.

00:38:44.059 --> 00:38:47.905
But uh, it's, there's.

00:38:47.905 --> 00:38:50.239
There's a lot that can be learned from the other runners, though.

00:38:50.239 --> 00:38:53.440
I mean I always I looked at some of the other setups they had.

00:38:53.440 --> 00:39:00.148
We had a mat with our chairs on it and we each had a box for food and that was perfect.

00:39:00.148 --> 00:39:01.708
Yeah, I mean, fortunately it didn't rain.

00:39:01.708 --> 00:39:04.880
If it rained we would have been a lot more uncomfortable.

00:39:04.880 --> 00:39:07.878
Changing clothes before dark is huge.

00:39:07.878 --> 00:39:12.760
Having just a dry pair of clothes made me feel like I just started the race again.

00:39:13.202 --> 00:39:22.657
Yes, great tip that one Definitely change before dark, actually before it gets dark Like while you can see what you're doing change clothes.

00:39:22.657 --> 00:39:23.681
Thank you, yes.

00:39:23.710 --> 00:39:25.543
You're 100% and like, while you can see what you're doing, change clothes.

00:39:25.543 --> 00:39:27.476
Thank you, yes, 100, and and that that's what we did and that that was.

00:39:27.476 --> 00:39:38.856
We were going to wait another loop to do that, a shorter loop, and whether it was it was god, god's purpose or whatever, I had a blister and I said no, I need to change my socks right now because there's some sand in my socks.

00:39:38.856 --> 00:39:43.954
I said I need to make, I need to look to check at the blister out and we taped the blister and it was fine.

00:39:43.954 --> 00:39:51.543
And I got other blisters when I was out there by myself, but they were all recoverable.

00:39:52.704 --> 00:39:59.422
There was so much I learned and truthfully, I talked to Agatha about it.

00:39:59.422 --> 00:40:00.769
I need to write it down so I don't repeat it.

00:40:00.769 --> 00:40:03.199
There's a lot she'll help me remember and there's a lot that we share, so I don't.

00:40:03.199 --> 00:40:04.000
So I'm repeating this.

00:40:04.000 --> 00:40:16.559
The lot shall help me remember and there's a lot that we share, like like a hanging, a hanging pack that we hang in a tree or we hang on something that you can see all your medicine on one side and the other side has first aid and you can see it on little plastic, clear packets.

00:40:16.559 --> 00:40:20.753
It's, it's for women's necklaces or something like that.

00:40:20.753 --> 00:40:22.875
But it's, it's three feet long and it's wonderful.

00:40:22.875 --> 00:40:24.657
You can see everything at once and you just hang it in a tree.

00:40:24.956 --> 00:40:25.317
Oh wow.

00:40:25.577 --> 00:40:29.119
It's phenomenal that you can if you can get in and out of an aid station.

00:40:29.119 --> 00:40:36.246
I saw the truth of that, just being able not to spend my time there, so did I want to sit?

00:40:36.246 --> 00:40:37.766
I certainly wanted to sit in that chair.

00:40:37.766 --> 00:40:43.811
It was wonderful, and starting a course is always hard.

00:40:43.811 --> 00:40:52.438
So that was the biggest lesson learned is minimize your time on aid stations, I guess, and don't skip any food and pay attention, make sure you're right.

00:40:52.458 --> 00:41:07.393
There is so much time you can lose at an aid station just faffing around, sitting around.

00:41:07.393 --> 00:41:09.077
You get to chatting with people.

00:41:09.077 --> 00:41:14.117
Maybe there's a fire there that you're sat by, especially overnight, and you're like, oh, this feels pretty good right here.

00:41:14.117 --> 00:41:20.690
You know, suddenly an hour and a half's gone by and you're like, oh no, I gotta get out and I gotta actually keep going here at some point.

00:41:20.690 --> 00:41:31.630
So, yeah, so much time you can lose, but I think maybe not so much in 100 miler, because I think most people can go through one night and sort of come out on the other side.

00:41:31.710 --> 00:41:40.291
But yeah, food, hydration, sleep in longer races and then minimize as much as you can that aid station time.

00:41:40.291 --> 00:41:42.800
Kind of know what you're doing going in, have a plan, as you can, that that aid station time.

00:41:42.800 --> 00:41:44.125
Kind of know what you're doing going in.

00:41:44.125 --> 00:41:51.690
Like have a plan as you're approaching that aid station and know what you need, get in and get out as quick as you can.

00:41:51.690 --> 00:41:53.896
But yeah, I think that's that's really cool.

00:41:53.896 --> 00:41:56.824
Are there more ultras glenn in your future?

00:41:56.824 --> 00:42:04.724
You know, are you going for a hundred or longer or are you feeling the pull now back to back to road racing, do you think?

00:42:06.106 --> 00:42:09.755
well and I'm not feeling the pull back to road racing so much.

00:42:09.755 --> 00:42:11.780
I will do more road marathons.

00:42:11.780 --> 00:42:12.481
I definitely will.

00:42:12.481 --> 00:42:22.257
I'm one of my birthday presents this year is I asked I want to run the brain core marathon just because I've never run it, yeah, yeah and I've heard it's a terrifically run race.

00:42:23.018 --> 00:42:25.344
And and will I go back to Houston to run the marathon?

00:42:25.344 --> 00:42:28.099
Yeah, because Houston does their marathons well.

00:42:28.099 --> 00:42:32.275
Austin does most of their races very well, so I'll run more road races.

00:42:32.275 --> 00:42:35.739
But is there 125 miler in my future?

00:42:35.739 --> 00:42:44.623
Yep, and I plan at some point I'll be picking your brain some more and asking you for some recommendations, as well as other runners.

00:42:44.623 --> 00:42:46.851
And just, will I get to the 200?

00:42:46.851 --> 00:42:54.655
I think I will, just because we're all created to push ourselves and if we just sit where we sit, we're not going to get any farther.

00:42:54.655 --> 00:43:00.693
So God created us all to push ourselves and that's what I plan to do.

00:43:01.675 --> 00:43:04.543
Well, goodness me, I applaud your bravery.

00:43:04.543 --> 00:43:19.402
Having seen a few of us go through 200 miles, to put yourself in that situation is pretty daunting standing on the start line of one of those races so definitely applaud the effort to get there at some point.

00:43:19.402 --> 00:43:21.396
I think you'll like it.

00:43:21.396 --> 00:43:23.998
It's a life-changing thing when you go through it.

00:43:36.880 --> 00:43:40.163
But yeah, fantastic, I love it On a trail race.

00:43:40.163 --> 00:43:43.766
I most definitely am and I'm okay with that's where I'm at.

00:43:43.766 --> 00:43:50.039
On a trail race Might I get faster, I might, but if it doesn't happen, I'm okay with that.

00:43:50.039 --> 00:43:52.135
I like the back-of-the-pack group.

00:43:52.135 --> 00:43:53.398
I really do.

00:43:53.398 --> 00:43:54.882
They're very personable.

00:43:55.530 --> 00:44:00.579
Yeah, and I think one of the things I love about the back-of-the-pack group is everybody's cheering for each other, as we've talked about.

00:44:00.579 --> 00:44:05.492
But if you find you can go faster or you want to go faster, everybody's all in for that.

00:44:05.492 --> 00:44:07.838
For you Like, hey, how do we help you go faster?

00:44:07.838 --> 00:44:16.112
Nobody feels like it's a competition or I'm not going to give you some advice because I don't want you to go faster than me.

00:44:16.112 --> 00:44:17.956
I just love that.

00:44:18.096 --> 00:44:30.405
We talked about that a little bit, but I think it's a terrific place to be and, realistically, back of the pack folks we're out there in some cases twice as long as the elites that are finishing.

00:44:30.405 --> 00:44:32.157
So who are the real endurance athletes?

00:44:32.157 --> 00:44:33.976
That's what I will tell you.

00:44:33.976 --> 00:44:39.663
We have to think about food and nutrition and sleep, and all that for twice as long as the people at the front.

00:44:39.663 --> 00:44:46.704
So it's double the stress and double the anxiety and no short amount of physical effort.

00:44:46.704 --> 00:44:53.170
So that's why I love doing this stuff for Back of the Packers, because all those people chose to do that.

00:44:53.170 --> 00:45:06.896
They made a choice to go out there, knowing that they were going to have to put themselves in that position and deal with all of those challenges for an extended period, whether that's a 50-mile, 100-mile, 200-mile, whatever.

00:45:06.896 --> 00:45:24.193
Every single person made that choice, knowing who and where they were from a physical standpoint, and I absolutely tip my hat to every person that goes out there and stands on the start line of these things, choosing to endure the name of the podcast.

00:45:24.213 --> 00:45:39.751
This is why right, Because I just think that choice, in the society we live in, where everything is about ease and convenience, where you can order your lunch on an app and it gets delivered to your door, do something difficult.

00:45:39.751 --> 00:45:41.635
Learn something about yourself.

00:45:41.635 --> 00:45:44.260
Challenge yourself a bit difficult.

00:45:44.260 --> 00:45:47.126
Learn something about yourself, Challenge yourself a bit.

00:45:47.126 --> 00:45:48.248
I love that aspect of it.

00:45:48.248 --> 00:46:00.876
Now, Glenn, one of the things we like to do on the show as you may know if you've been listening to an episode or two is to invite guests to choose a song to add to the free Choose to Endure Spotify playlist.

00:46:00.876 --> 00:46:09.338
Typically, it's something family-friendly, something that might lift you up, motivate or just keep you moving while you're out on the trail.

00:46:09.338 --> 00:46:22.460
Did you have a song that you would like to add to the playlist, either from the Grasslands 100 that got you moving, or just, in general, a song that resonates with you a little bit?

00:46:23.931 --> 00:46:35.396
Well, the song that I'm picking is actually both Awesome, so I actually I didn't wear music the entire Grasslands 100, either talk to people or whatever.

00:46:35.396 --> 00:46:41.842
I watched one individual singing to himself because his phone had died.

00:46:41.842 --> 00:46:46.259
However, I went through an aid station and they had my favorite song by Elton John.

00:46:46.259 --> 00:46:47.460
I'm Still Standing.

00:46:47.961 --> 00:46:48.563
Oh, brilliant.

00:46:49.911 --> 00:46:53.413
It, just it inspires me when I hear it Every time.

00:46:53.413 --> 00:47:07.514
My daughter, aurora, her and Agatha and I were marshalling a race a couple of weeks ago, the Prickly Pear 50K, and they were out there singing it and it seems to inspire a lot of runners.

00:47:07.514 --> 00:47:11.248
I just it's, it's a quick beat and it's elton john.

00:47:11.248 --> 00:47:11.929
I don't know that.

00:47:11.929 --> 00:47:14.777
He knows how to do a bad song well, no, for sure.

00:47:14.978 --> 00:47:16.681
I mean, everyone loves some elton john, don't they?

00:47:16.681 --> 00:47:20.277
And what a great message as part of an ultra run as well.

00:47:20.277 --> 00:47:23.956
Like I'm still standing, I'm still here, right, the race hasn't beat me yet.

00:47:23.956 --> 00:47:27.717
I love that messaging, despite the fact that it's a very what do they call it?

00:47:27.998 --> 00:47:33.581
Toe tapper you know, you can definitely tap your feet to that song, but I love the messaging behind that too.

00:47:33.581 --> 00:47:34.831
Great choice.

00:47:34.831 --> 00:47:42.413
We'll definitely get that added so that others can enjoy the song just as much as you, and I definitely do.

00:47:42.413 --> 00:48:16.298
Fantastic Well, as we look to wrap up this episode if I don't trip over my own little pebble there, glenn, I think your story is a terrific reminder that stepping up from marathons to 100 miler road racing to trail, it's as much about mindset as it is about mileage your ability to adopt and adapt your training, embrace those new challenges and then rely on your fantastic wife as your support crew and go through the night unsupported for the first time.

00:48:16.298 --> 00:48:21.653
I think that just shows how achievable that leap can be.

00:48:21.653 --> 00:48:33.643
So if you're listening and you are a roadrunner considering running your first ultra, I think Glenn has some experiences and some key lessons that you can take with you.

00:48:33.643 --> 00:48:44.300
Glenn, if there are folks out there wanting to learn more about the San Antonio Roadrunners or the off-road trail team, where would they go to do that?

00:48:45.771 --> 00:48:50.161
So if they just go ahead and Google San Antonio Roadrunners, the page will pop up.

00:48:50.481 --> 00:48:51.123
Okay, cool.

00:48:52.672 --> 00:48:58.344
Not to be confused with the University of San Antonio Roadrunners, which chose the same mascot.

00:48:58.344 --> 00:49:00.054
Oh who came?

00:49:00.175 --> 00:49:01.458
first San Antonio Roadrunners.

00:49:01.829 --> 00:49:08.742
Yeah, it'll pop up, and what it does if you shootners, yeah, it'll pop up, and when it does, if you shoot a coaching question, it'll go to my mailbox.

00:49:08.742 --> 00:49:15.833
However, it's a great group of folks, very encouraging On those days you don't feel like running.

00:49:15.833 --> 00:49:18.797
They'll be out there for you On the days you do.

00:49:18.797 --> 00:49:38.797
Some days you'll be the encourager and some days you'll be the encouragee, which is the beautiful thing that I see about running, and the bottom line is we all get better and more healthy when we're out there and we're taking this opportunity to get out on the roads or the trails and run.

00:49:38.817 --> 00:49:39.277
Yeah, absolutely, Glenn.

00:49:39.277 --> 00:49:39.958
Where do the roadrunners run?

00:49:39.958 --> 00:49:42.202
Is there a location that the trail runners go and the actual roadrunning group?

00:49:42.202 --> 00:49:44.766
Do they kind of base themselves in certain areas?

00:49:46.271 --> 00:49:47.697
So they base themselves.

00:49:47.697 --> 00:49:52.135
The road runners meet in different areas all around San Antonio and then there's meetups.

00:49:52.135 --> 00:49:55.260
If you go to the San Antonio Road Runner page, there's meetups that are free.

00:49:55.260 --> 00:49:59.860
You don't have to sign up for the group, you can just meet other runners out there and they get you some safety.

00:49:59.860 --> 00:50:02.114
All right, cool, yeah, the off-road runners.

00:50:02.114 --> 00:50:09.733
A lot of times we do run within San Antonio, but a lot of times we like to get outside of San Antonio and hit some of those Texas State parks which are beautiful.

00:50:10.215 --> 00:50:18.478
Oh, out there in Bandera, exactly, that is a really beautiful but very challenging place to try to run slash hike.

00:50:18.478 --> 00:50:24.777
If you've ever tried to go and run that race, the Bandera 100K is held out there and boy, that is some challenging terrain.

00:50:24.777 --> 00:50:29.204
Make sure you put something over your legs, for those cacti out there.

00:50:29.204 --> 00:50:31.050
Love it Brilliant.

00:50:31.050 --> 00:50:39.777
So, folks, if you're browsing the internet, don't forget to subscribe to the show here too, while you're looking for the San Antonio Roadrunner link.

00:50:39.777 --> 00:50:51.360
That way, you'll get notified each time a new episode drops, and if you're enjoying what you hear, definitely consider following, sharing and leave a review.

00:50:51.360 --> 00:50:53.250
That would mean the world to me.

00:50:53.250 --> 00:50:55.355
Your support helps grow.

00:50:55.375 --> 00:51:10.298
The podcast connects more runners to this amazing ultra community that we've been talking about here with Glenn and spreads the word to those who could benefit from the information that we share with fantastic guests right here on the show.

00:51:10.298 --> 00:51:19.581
You can find us on Instagram and Facebook at Choose to Endure, or you can visit us anytime at choosetoendurecom.

00:51:19.581 --> 00:51:27.014
I would love to hear from you, whether that is to say hello, suggest a topic or share your story.

00:51:27.014 --> 00:51:32.498
You can email me directly, if you'd like, at info at choosetoeensurecom.

00:51:32.498 --> 00:51:36.583
I absolutely adore interacting with listeners.

00:51:36.583 --> 00:51:46.833
Just like you, it's one of my favorite parts of doing the show, so definitely don't be shy about reaching out and saying hello.

00:51:46.833 --> 00:51:59.590
And so with that I will say until next time, run long, run strong, go check out Glenn and the San Antonio Roadrunners and keep choosing to endure.