Marble Falls runner is tackling 100-mile run

MARBLE FALLS — If marathon runners talk about hitting “the wall” during their race, then Brad Quinn might be concerned about running “off a cliff” Saturday when he competes in his first 100-mile race at Hill Country State Natural Area outside Bandera.

Quinn, who has ran in several ultramarathons from 30-62.5 miles, wants to see if he has what it takes to finish a full 100 miles. The Marble Falls resident will find out starting at 5 a.m. Saturday when the gun goes off for the Cactus Rose 100 Mile Trail Run.

“It will definitely be a challenge,” he said. “One of the things that’s different about the races out west is they generally have well-groomed trails. Here in Texas, like this race, they are extremely rocky.”

Quinn is no stranger to long-distance running. He started trail running while living in Colorado almost 20 years ago. But about three years ago he decided to stretch out a bit and try his hand at ultramarathons. These events include runs that go beyond the 26.2-mile marathon distance. And since they’re trail runs, athletes traverse a wide variety of terrain — all of it off road.

But up until this race, Quinn’s longest distance has been 100 kilometers or 62.1 miles. 

He knows this race will be a little more challenging than his first 100-kilometer race.

“When I ran that first 100-kilometer race, I was actually trying for a good time. I ended up finishing fifth,” Quinn said. “This time it’s just about finishing.”

The Cactus Rose organizers are giving racers 36 hours to finish four loops around the 25-mile course. Last year’s winner, Mike Dobies of Lake Orion, Mich., finished it in 24 hours, 50 minutes and 52 seconds.

That’s basically running four marathons back to back. Quinn has been working out with other members of the Traverse Running team. The individuals all compete in ultramarathons. The race organizer Joe Prusaitis is also a member of the team and has been putting the ones in the Cactus Rose through a regular training program.

“Joe has us on a plan which includes some 10-mile days fast and then 15 miles of hills on another day followed by a rest day,” Quinn said.

And on the weekend, Prusaitis had the Traverse Running squad take a nice “leisurely” run of anywhere between 25-30 miles.

The distance and time are things Quinn is well aware of. Though he’s already tackled a couple 100-kilometer runs and several 50 milers, he knows this one is a little bit different.

“I’ve talked to the other (Traverse Running) team members who have ran 100-mile races before and they say you’re physically capable of going that distance but it’s the mental part that’s the biggest challenge,” Quinn said. “It’s more between the ears.”

While the Cactus Rose doesn’t feature any Rocky Mountain-style elevations, it still has plenty of climbing. The competitors will climb several hills including a 1,824-foot ascent to the top of Boyle’s Bump. By the time the race is done, runners will have climbed almost 10,000 feet from the constant up and down on all the hills. 

Racers can also expect to burn between 15,000-18,000 calories during the run.

Though the mental game is a major part of the race, Quinn said runners still have to manage their physical needs.

“When you come into an aid station you have to remember to take care of your stomach and feet,” he said. “If you think, ‘Oh well, I’m just a little dehydrated so I can keep going,’ you’ll soon have some serious problems. Or if you don’t think that little blister on your foot is that bad — down the trail it all of a sudden becomes a big blood blister.”

As for getting through the 100 miles mentally, Quinn said it’s like a metaphor for life.

“Just like in life there’s a lot of up and downs,” he said. “You have to remember when it’s bad, it will get better. Just when you think you can’t go on anymore, you catch up with a friend or you come up on a great view and you keep running along.”

daniel@thepicayune.com

Photo by Daniel Clifton