Bootlegger 100 Floville GA #91 4-5, 2025

About a month ago I finished running Bootlegger 100. The course consists of 5 loops on fairly smooth trails with moderate climbs. I ran this last year and finished in pretty good time. This year the course was completely different, and the weather was unseasonably warm. In fact, it was a record high day near 90° in early April. I drove down alone and slept in my car. I saw my friend Angie before the race start.

I was pretty concerned about the heat, I bought a neck fan a couple days before that I figured would be a saving grace, and it was. The night before the race the air was stifling, I was laying still in my car not moving a muscle and still sweating like crazy. At some point during the night, I remembered I had a tiny portable fan I plugged into my jackery and that saved me. This was my 91st 100 miler for military and Veteran suicide awareness. I ran into a few friends before the race which was awesome.

I planned to do quick miles in the morning to get as many down as I could before the heat kicked in. The trails are beautiful running mostly smooth with only a few power hikes, and I finished my first Loop in about five and a half hours. The race normally had a cut off of 32 hours, but offered and early start with 35 hours to complete if you chose that option. Because of the heat there were at least 50 Runners who took the early start. I'm so glad I did because the early start in the dark was my best and probably only chance of finishing in that heat. Starting Loop two the sun was up and it wasn't long before the day felt oppressively hot and stifling. I was so excited to run into several friends, most of which are strong athletes but by 30 miles they were already suffering in the temperatures with nausea.

It took me over 8 hours to finish the second Loop. I got ice and bottles of water both from the aid station and a few creeks along the course. I felt like I was managing my hydration and I wasn't thirsty all day in the heat, but I wasn't taking in the amount on salt I should have been and I'd pay for that later. Cooled off with my fan and dumping water from creeks, ice from aid stations and water from a spare bottle I carried. I was soaking wet to stay cool.

I was moving fairly well until towards the end of my third Loop approaching 60 miles. I started drinking liquid calories pretty early because of the heat. at one point I wrist eating a taco which I regretted at about 60 miles haha. Hey folks were aware of my and we're so supportive like rolled through the eight stations start and finish line. Pay stations were fantastic with plenty to drink pickles and Ice which were critical I hadn't been keeping track of cut offs because I figured I had plenty of time to finish with that 3-hour start. I came through the aid station around 11:00 p.m. at 60 miles I got, I threw up in the porta potty, I threw up dumpster near the dumpster, went to the aid station and really had a difficult time wanting to get back out on the course. I laid down the aid station and put my feet up in the wall to try and regroup. I wasn't feeling very well it was hard to take in calories that was mostly drinking a mix of coke and water. Through that loop I felt most violently ill. My stomach was cramping so hard that I was dry heaving, to the point that it was painful and the muscles in my stomach were sore I was afraid I was possibly vomiting up some blood, but it was dark so I didn't want to be overly dramatic, Regardless I had no intention of quitting. I hustled through the next aid station so I wouldn't get pulled from the course, that I probably definitely sick. It's probably the only race I've been in where I wondered if I would end up leaving the course in an ambulance for dehydration, or heat related illness. I was so grateful my business partner and best friend, Kevin, called and talked to me for several hours through the night. I was really suffering to the point of misery and tears but he has a way of talking to keep me distracted and making me feel powerful than I am. I was able to stay distracted and keep moving forward. There were lots of armadillos out at night and I heard coyotes howling. After I got off the phone with Kevin I was still struggling and laid down for a couple 2-3 minute naps. At some point on that loop I ran into our friend Julia. She was several hours ahead of me because she began at the normal start time, but we were at the same distance and moving the same pace. Both very nauseous and struggling. She let me know that we had to finish that loop by 8:00 a.m. Or get cut off, She went ahead of me as I was still feeling pretty bad but I eventually caught up to her and the two of us stuck together. Kevin got me doing deep breaths it helped me get my nausea under control, I couldn't keep anything down but knew I needed salt, so grossly I chewed up a salt tablet and a pepto table and washing them down with a tiny sip of water. It actually worked and that salt was enough to help me start to feel a little better. I caught up with Julia and stayed with her for the last 8 miles. We didn't talk much because we were both sick and exerting all the energy we had keep moving forward. I think the company helped us strengthen each other and we pushed hard and made the cut off by about 35 minutes.

The start/finish was mile 80 and I felt a little better and was able to try gradually putting a few calories in my stomach as I started that last Loop. I carried spaghetti in my pocket for awhile and threw it up, but I was able to keep fluids down at least. It was fortunately a cooler day on Sunday, or I think I would have slipped back into nausea, vomiting and heat exhaustion. I was able to pick up my pace and did my second fastest loop on Sunday morning. I sang a lot of music and tried to believe in and focus on my ultimate goals, tried to think of my families and Dexter and did some praying. I talked a little to Kevin, and to some of the other runners on the course. Julia caught up with me part way through and we ran separately but tclose ogether to the finish line. I was so impressed with the volunteers who were fantastic at helping to keep us cool and doing everything they could to be supportive and cheer us on. I feel like I made a lot of friends there including one guy Marty who invited me to be on his podcast. He caught a little video of my finish. Facebook I was very relieved to finish with about an hour to spare. I met Jeff Browning at the finish line. He's an elite athlete & introduced himself to me because we have a mutual friend, Chris Raup. I enjoyed talking to him for a little bit and getting to know him.

Finally the day cooled off when the sky opened up in a downpour. I was shivering as I ran back to my car, I stripped off all my soaking wet clothes from trying to stay cool and climbed into my sleeping bag and slept for a little while before changing my clothes and starting the long 6-hour drive home. It was great to run this race. The race directors & volunteers were awesome, Aid stations were fantastic. Course was beautiful. Awesome buckle. The heat made it one of the tougher races I've done, and definitely the most sick I've found myself on a course. I haven't had much time to blog or do much of anything between work and putting on our Froggy Mountain 50k, and I also finished my # 92 100 miler at Feral Mountain 100 in Georgia that I finished a little over a week ago. I'm going to try and catch up to writing about that race this week. I loved putting on our 50k. As a race director, it was really rewarding to watch our runners. On a course where you get to see the runners every single mile, it's inspirational to watch the slow deterioration of body, and the rise of the unconquerable spirit as they push through an incredible amount of suffering to finish of course. I also got through Easter which is a difficult holiday not being with any family or children. I didn't get to church because I had to work, but honestly, I didn't really want to go because it's hard to see all the families sitting in church together, knowing they are going to enjoy egg hunts and meals and family time. I did listen to a couple youtube Easter sermons and ponder on what it means to me. Some days mom and dad and Dexter are heavy on my heart. Easter reminds me that not only are they not far from me, but that one day I will see them in person again because of the resurrection of the Savior. I have to believe it because that is my hope in life.