The Tuna 200 is a team relay race covering 200 miles from Garner, NC to Atlantic Beach. Our team of 12 will split into two vans of 6 runners each and will commence into alternating runners and leapfrogging vans for 30+hrs straight! I wasn’t sure what to expect last year, but it was the running highlight of my year!
We experienced highs and lows, hardships and moments of elation. It was cold, rainy and dark at times, literally! As a team we stuck together, pushed through all of the runs and came out the other side a cohesive team of runners.
This is a Running-Vacation for me. It’s 2-days of running and a night of celebrating in Atlantic Beach with friends! Last year we entered one team with little expectations. It was such a great experience, more people wanted in on the team and so we entered TWO teams this year. A total of 24 runners, split out into 4 vehicles racing in two different categories (Open and Mixed).
I have 3 legs to complete total in 2023. Two of those are on Friday, totaling 15+ miles and then my last leg is Saturday morning at just under 3 miles! I’ve worked with my Coach to incorporate this race into my training plan. All is set and we are ready to go!
Sunday: 10.15.2023 (Day 85 of 112): Feelings……..May vary by temperature!
I know what’s programmed for the day and I know what I want to do. The difference between these two things is 2-miles, but what’s 2-miles when you’re already doing 20!? So while Coach Brown programmed a 20-mile run for my easy run, I decided I was going to do 22-miles. More precisely 21 miles.
To accomplish this feat solo, I decided to run a route that was on the military installation. It is a 5.27mi loop around the garrison area where there are bathrooms, porta-johns, gas stations and a Burger King. I’ve done a reconnaissance of the route and it’s all set!
I was up early, started with 1c of coffee and a bowl of oatmeal approx 90 minutes before the start of my run. After getting all my stuff together, I took off for the starting location.
Upon arrival I realize I left my banana’s and my sunglasses! It’s alright I thought, I’m running past a gas station, if I need to I’ll just take some money with me on lap 3 and buy some banana’s and I’ll survive without my sunglasses. I’m not going back to the hotel for these items. I have my water, gu’s and everything else.
WINTER IS COMING!
Well, this really sucks. I get out of the car and the wind is approximately 20mph at 43F. The windchill factor reduces that to a real feel of 34F. I’m not prepared for this shit. I didn’t bring a wind-breaker for running. (My own piss poor planning) and all I have is my Tuna200 sweatshirt, gloves and a beanie. Ok, I figure that’s good enough, even with just shorts on and I start my first of four 5.27mi laps.
It’s fucking miserable. The wind is relentless and unforgiving! My eyes are watering, my nose is running and my lips are getting chapped. I can already feel it on my cheeks and my legs are not warming up! I tell myself that cold legs is fine, all those cold-plunge therapies look like they work on Instagram, I just happen to be running through a cold treatment therapy.
The first 2 miles are uphill and into a head-wind of 20mph with some higher gusts. I’m cold to my core and its’ not until mile 2.5 that I realize I haven’t taken in any water from my handheld water bottle. This is not good for a 22-mile run, even in cooler weather!!
I start to force myself to drink some water at mile 3 and continue some smaller sips until I get back to the vehicle for my first lap. I’m still not warmed up!! 5.27 miles in and I’ve barely broken a sweat. My thighs are numb, eyes still watering and I’ve only taken in about 4oz of water.
To remedy this I eat a Gu and drink 8oz of water with BPN electrolytes, use the pora-john and decide to take off on lap 2. I keep the sweatshirt, gloves and hat and take off. My pace doesn’t improve. My legs are numb, my face hurts and I’m still not warming up. I slowly make my way through lap two and manage to actually run the entire distance without walking.
The sun rises on my second lap and my mood improves slightly, but I’m still cold to my core and the wind seems to have picked up a little at sunrise and is simply unrelenting. It cares not that I have miles to get done. Mother nature is going to run her course and my intentions play no impact on the harsh realities of the world.
I’m fucking miserable.
I’m 10.6 miles into this run (Halfway) and now I’ve only drank about 10oz of water and eaten 1gu. This run is not going as expected and I’m not eating or hydrating enough to support a 22 mile run.
I decided to break this 22-miles up into two separate efforts. I’ll give this a shot again in the evening. At this particular moment I feel completely defeated. I’m cold to the bones, hungry, upset, uncomfortable and overall not doing well mentally.
10.65 Miles | Avg Pace: 10’44” Avg HR: 132 | Best Mile: 10’10” | Feeling: Uncomfortable
After a healthy meal, 12 hours, a hot shower and a nap, the temperature rose by 20deg and I decided to hit a different trail around sunset. The wind was still blowing but was much easier to handle as it decreased in velocity by half, at least. It was warmer and this was something I could get done. Hell, it’s only 10-miles. I can do that.
After doing some research on Google Maps, I found a road that appeared to be just right for a 5-miles out and back run! I took off and was immediately feeling better and knew that these last 10 miles of the day would be good.
So I thought! Of course my plans would be thwarted!
The U.S. Army locked me in and the gate was locked with a fence that wasn’t worth climbing over, not to mention it is probably a felony.
So at mile 2.24 I turned around and went right back down the road I just came from. I can’t deviate off of this route because it might put me in an impact area or training area. The former is strictly prohibited and the latter requires permissions, of which I don’t have and forgiveness is not given.
I make it almost back to my starting location and notice a marked “jogging path” as they call it. This ought to be good, I’m only at 4.25 miles and I was wanting to get in 10!
I took the “jogging” path until it ended at some more locked fences! Damnit, I literally ran everything I could at this given location. I eventually found my way back to the car and the sun was already down. A quick glance at my watch and I was at 5.4 miles, giving me a total of 16 miles on the day. Not the 22 I had planned, but I was only 4-miles short of what my coach prescribed and I was in a much better mood.
I chalked that up to “good enough” and called it a day.
5.43 Miles | Avg Pace: 10’26” Avg HR: 124 | Best Mile: 10’08” | Feeling: Pretty Good.
Monday: 10.16.2023 (Day 86 of 112): GERONIMO!
It was a motto used by Paratroopers during World War 2 when exiting the aircraft to proclaim they had no fear. Geronimo, an Apache leader and medicine man who gained notoriety for being a fierce warrior died and was buried here at Fort Sill. He killed many with whom he was warring; Mexicans, Americans, Navajo and Comanche alike.
After surrendering to the U.S. Army, he was sent on State sponsored trips around the county to World’s Fairs and Western Shows. He eventually passed away from pneumonia at Fort Sill, OK.
While I was never stationed at Fort Sill, I had many friends that were and I had always heard about this “Geronimo’s Grave” run and how difficult and long it was. This run was seen as a badge of honor, a mark, a feather in the cap for accomplishing something difficult.
This was the first time I’ve ever taken on this course.
I found a parking area and plotted the course. From my parking area it would be a 4 mile run total, 2 miles out and back. This worked out just right because Coach Brown had programmed a 4-mile easy run today. However I was feeling like I needed to redeem myself from Sunday’s piss poor performance and falling a few miles short of goal.
I stepped it out and felt good on the way out. The sun was low on the horizon and it was looking like I’d make it to the cemetery before the sun was completely down. There wasn’t a trace of wind and I was thankful for the stillness of the evening. The air was light and cool, if there was any humidity I couldn’t detect it and the temperature was hovering around 62F. It was an incredible evening.
On the way out I ran across multiple herds of white-tail deer. It was obvious that not a lot of people run down this road as the deer were extremely jumpy. I’ve ran past deer in North Carolina where they couldn’t care less if a runner went by.
Outbound miles:
Mile 1: 8’43” | Mile 2: 9’05”.
Inbound miles:
Mile 3: 9’46” | Mile 4: 8’49”
Overall I was feeling much better on this run and was incredibly appreciative that there was no wind and the temperature was above 50F!
4.02 Miles | Avg Pace: 9’07” Avg HR: 136 | Best Mile: 8’38” | Feeling: Thankful!
Tuesday: 10.17.2023 (Day 87 of 112): BACK ON THE TRACK!!
My coach programmed some 1KM Efforts! She warned me that these would be pretty difficult and may hurt. I’ve tried these in the past and was unsuccessful, it was difficult to get done on the open road. Luckily for me, I found a track!
On Monday night after my run, driving back to the hotel I drove past a running track with lights!! The place was empty but I made a mental note of where it was and planned on going back for my Tuesday run.
I arrived at the track and got started around 6:30pm, giving me just 28 minutes before the sun goes down. After some dynamic stretches and warmup drills, I was ready to get started on this workout and my nerves were on fire. It’s been a long time since I’ve been on the track and even longer since I pushed myself at this pace for this distance.
The Workout:
2-mile warmup: Easy Pace
5x 1KM Efforts at 7’40”-7’50” pace + 3min walk/jog.
2-mile cooldown: Easy Pace
Mother nature is watching out for me! The wind calmed down to almost nothing and the temperature was hovering around 68F when I got started. Warm enough for shorts and shirt with no need to protect against the wind.
The sun fell slowly below the horizon and the sky was transitioning from a dark blue to black and the lights were still NOT on. As I was getting my reps in I figured I’d just go until I could literally not see the track and just when I was figuring out my game plan, the LED lights came on and life was good!
The 2-mile warmup was easy and during that time I was trying to wrap my mind around the fact that I was about to do 30+ laps around a track. This will take mental fortitude to defeat the monotony.
The first lap is always difficult to dial in the pace I want! After the first lap I was running a 6’50” and immediately understood this too be too fast for my 1KM efforts. I backed off a little to a 7’50” pace, within margin of expectations and finished the first 1KM.
Instead of jogging for recovery, I walked. These weren’t sprints, but I was certainly running hard. I made a mental note. I could run this pace for the last 0.2 of the marathon. I think I’ll do my best to step it out at the finish!
The next 4 iterations were all difficult but I made it faster than the requisite pace. I wasn’t near puking and had some gas left in the tank. I’m certain I could hit a 1-mile at 7’30” or faster at this point in my training.
Overall it felt good to be out there on the track, under the lights. I was surprised that I was by myself. I’d have expected at least 1 or 2 Soldiers to show up and put in some work on an evening like this but I guess Tuesday nights are for relaxing.
7.95 Miles | Avg Pace: 9’59” Avg HR: 135 | Best Lap (1K): 7’32” | Feeling: Faster
Wednesday: 10.18.2023 (Day 88 of 112): An easy day.
ALRIGHT!! It’s my last day in Oklahoma and tomorrow morning I’m heading back home to North Carolina with just enough time to do some laundry and pack for the Tuna 200!
It’s my last run in Oklahoma and the weather has made a turn for the best. The high today was in the low 80’s and when I started my run was 75F with little to no wind.
With no wind, the run became an interesting experience running through troughs of cold air and then through pockets of hot air. It was similar to swimming in a lake and hitting cold spots and then you move a few feet over and the lake is warm again. The still air in Oklahoma was shifting slowly based on temperature and density. The low points by the creeks were cool and the hill tops were warm.
Coach Brown programs my easy runs for a pace between 10’15”-11’15” per mile. I really wanted to keep this run low and slow and hit those expected pace parameters.
The first half mile was weird because it was uphill and I went from a standing start to running. This always throws my heart rate off and it takes me half a mile to dial in my pace properly. After the first mile I had the pace dialed in and my heart rate lowered back down to a manageable 130 or below.
The first lap on the 3-mile track was easy and with the warm weather and no wind, the track was full of families. The track circles an entire housing neighborhood but with that came the savory smells of families grilling meat and having outdoor dinners. My stomach was rumbling the entire run!
The second lap was easy and I really wanted to step it out. These low and slow runs leave me with wanting to step it out and go much faster. I didn’t want my heart rate to get above 140, so I picked it up slightly and finished my last mile as the faster than the previous 5.
Mile 1:10’36” | Mile 2:10’39” | Mile 3:10’36” | Mile 4:11’00” | Mile 5:10’21” | Mile 6:9’47”
6.06 Miles | Avg Pace: 10’29” Avg HR: 128 | Best Mile: 9’47” | Feeling: Antsy
Thursday: 10.19.2023 (Day 89 of 112): Rest, Recuperation and Travel.
Today was a planned rest day while I was traveling back home to North Carolina. I was ready to have a zero day but was also anxious for the Tuna 200 race starting early Friday morning! I’m always hesitant to properly hydrate while flying as I don’t want to have to use the bathroom every 20 minutes on a plane or having to hold it with a bladder ready to explode.
Traveling from Oklahoma City to Raleigh takes about 8 hours from start to finish. From leaving my hotel room to walking in my front door, roughly 8 hours. It takes a little more if you leave your LED lights on in your Jeep and your battery is dead when you get back. Ask me how I know.
After a days worth of traveling and quick jumpstart from the Parking Authority at the airport, I arrived home around 8:30pm. I still had to do laundry, pack a bag, grab all the gear and double check the list before Dave was picking me up at 5am.
Before falling asleep I see my wife setting her alarm for 7am and I chuckled. I said “You’re not waking up at 7am”.
Her response: “Yeah, I know. I’ll be up at 5am with you”
I laughed again before letting her know. “No, Dave picks me up at 5am, I’m up at 4:15am”
A quick glance at my phone it was 11:05pm. I was waking up in just 5hrs and 10 minutes for what is to be my 2nd Tuna 200 Relay Race.
Friday: 10.20.2023 (Day 90 of 112): TUNA 200!
Saturday: 10.21.2023 (Day 91 of 112): TUNA 200!
After an amazing race and experience again this year, I’ve decided that the Tuna 200 is deserving of it’s own blog post. I will publish my Tuna 200 experience on Monday, October 23rd.