Mogollon Monster 100 Mile "warm-up" Race

As part of my mental preparedness for Cocodona, I decided I should run a much "harder" 100 mile race than my previous two efforts and the Monster fit that bill just right. Being in Arizona and put on by the same race company was added bonus.

First off, it's a Hardrock qualifier, if that tells you anything.

Secondly, I decided I should run it six weeks after completing the Burning River 100 mile race in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio and that I should continue on after the race for a big week of hiking/running in Northern Arizona including some of the final miles of Cocodona (up and over Mt. Elden into Flagstaff).

I was coming into the race tired and undertrained. The six weeks of recovery weren't really enough. The race proved harder than I had imagined, but in the end, I got it done. It really was a mental toughness training effort and in that regard it was perfect in every way.

For hours in the later part of the race I was struggling and became convinced that I should just withdraw. I sat down at an aid station for 20 minutes or more which was a first for me. I know the ultra rule: "beware the chair". My feet were aching and I walked far more than ever before. Going from a 21-23 hour finish time to an almost 37 hour finish for the same distance is going to get in your head and it certainly did for me. But in hindsight, I think it was better this way.

I learned a lot about "deciding" to continue moving forward when everything hurts and you're more tired than you've ever been in your life. I learned that wanting to take a trail nap and finding a spot for one can be more difficult than you might imagine, especially when you are concerned about snakes, spiders and scorpions of the Arizona desert. I learned that 15 minutes of real sleep when your friend and crew can watch over you is like magic and you will start running much faster afterwards.

But most of all I learned that having a larger reason for finishing can make all the difference in the world. I kept coming back to one thought over and over: how can I tackle the Cocodona 250 if I can't finish the Mogollon 100? That's what got me to the finish line!