Bigfoot 200 Facebook Recap

Bigfoot 200 report: code name Brainwashed Chicken and the No Margaritas Cascades Tour

The Bigfoot 200 (209 miles actually) is billed as the most difficult 200 mile race in America. Whether or not that is true and what qualifies a race as such is up for debate. But what I experienced was the most grueling test of resilience I have ever endured, and I didn’t hVe the good fortune to see the whole course.

The executive summary is as follows. The race began on Saturday at 9am. 76 hours later and after 144 miles I missed a time cut by 30 minutes at Chain of Lakes. As late as 66 hours into this race, I still thought I had it in the bag and just needed to trust my pacers, stay on course and manage the plan to get my first 200 done. But ultra distance trail racing is about problem solving, and sometimes we miss the mark, no matter how experienced or prepared you thought you were coming in.

Case in point - Quartz Ridge! Or as I may forever refer to it as the climb from hell! I templated this segment to take 8 hours(inappropriately might I add), but it turned into a 12 hour sufferfest that left me physically and mentally exhausted despite the best efforts of Emily who tried everything to encourage me. I barely made it into the aid station, and I had wasted away all of my “extra” time. Nonetheless, we tried to rally. I ate, changed, slept an hour and then Dani and I went back to work trying to make the next cutoff. I still had a fighting chance but pure exhaustion left me unable to stay awake while walking and I needed a few trail naps along the last section to stay vertical. Ultimately we missed the cutoff into Chain of Lakes by 30 minutes and my race was done.

This is one of the most awe-inspiring mountain ranges I have ever seen, and I am so blessed and grateful to have had the opportunity to challenge myself in its midst and to share the experience with Jen and my three fantastic friends, Dani, Sam and Emily. I couldn’t have done it without their attention to detail, commitment, live and support. They are each amazing in their own right and inspire me. But together they made a formidable team I didn’t want to let down!

To everyone else out there on the trails, at the aid stations, and all my friends and family that offered support over this past week, I extended huge gratitude!

Bigfoot 200 was a dream race for me and regardless of the DNF result, the experience and outcome was exactly what I wanted. I wanted a true test of endurance, a moment to ask myself who I really was and find or reaffirm my personal beliefs. That happened for me out there in the depths and ridges of the cascades. At each overlook, I paused to offer gratitude, and in the golden hour of each evening I could feel the presence of my late Father, pushing me forward. I believe in Infinite Potential, the of ability of the human spirit to fight through adversity, and the power of relationships that makes it all worthwhile. Doing big things and being vulnerable is how I live my life now. Not for bragging rights, or content for storytelling, but for the selfish (or unselfish, depending on how you see it) desire to inspire others to search out their own Infinite Potential and live life to the absolute fullest.

So that’s my story about the Bigfoot 200 experience. A resounding success with many lessons to be applied 7 weeks from now in the Moab 240! Leave your bags packed Dani!

In case you're wondering - on the last leg of the race I was extremely sleep deprived, hallucinating and muttering to myself ad apparently what Dani heard was mumble, mumble, brainwashed chicken! and so that is my new trail name. The night after the race we went for Mexican and drinks to find out they were out of Margaritas and so this crew of ladies will forever be known as "NO MARGARITAS."