SMILE OR YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG

Best of San Diego 100 miler race report 2021 TL:DR version. I ran the Best of San Diego 100 miler and tied for 1st place with Ray Sanchez in a time of 23 hours 9 minutes. I ran the Best of San Diego (BOSD100) 100 miler on 11/20/21. The race is considered a FAT ASS run. FAT ASS is the name given to runs that are frequented by experienced runners and characterized by the phrase "No Fees, No Awards, No Aid, No Wimps." The race director Ed Wang makes it clear that this is, in fact, FAT ASS when you sign up. Background. In 2016, I was running through the jungles of South-Eastern China during the Mt. Gaoligong 100 miler. I was around 85 miles into the race and was looking for the sun to rise. My headlamp was flashing low battery, and I had no spare battery. The sun was supposed to have risen 10 minutes earlier, but I found myself in a deep valley with thick foliage above me. No light was penetrating. And minutes later, I was in darkness. I got out my cellphone and started using the...

Badwater Salton Sea 2021 Third place at Badwater Salton Sea. 18-hour 40ish minutes. Team 'Chasing Who?' Ray Sanchez, Kenny Ringled, and myself.   Badwater Salton Sea is a team race, not a relay race, but a race in which you run with your teammates the entire time. The  route covers 81 miles (130km) from Salton City (elevation 234 feet / 71m below sea level) to Palomar Mountain, the almost tallest mountain in San Diego County (elevation 5500 feet / 1676m.) Nine of the 81 race miles pass through Anza-Borrego State Park on a single-track trail known as the California Riding and Hiking Trail from near Borrego Springs to near Ranchita, creating a race route that is a mix of road and trail. There is a total elevation gain of over 9000 feet (2740m). This proves challenging in the rollercoaster of ultrarunning because your highs might be your teammate's lows and vice versa. Typically, the race is run in May but was rescheduled this year because of, well, you know. Ray and I have ...