javelina jundred — Running

Race Overview

The Javelina Jundred is a classic Arizona desert race that takes place in Fountain Hills every Halloween (err… Jalloween) weekend. The Javelina Jundred is run by Aravaipa Running race management and celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2022. Known for its relatively flat course, which yields some blisteringly fast 100 mile race times from elites (Dakota Jones broke the 13 hour course record just this year with an eye-watering 12:58 time!), and its complete lack of shade and potential for high temperatures, which yields a surprisingly low finish rate, the Javelina is perhaps most known for its amazing party atmosphere, disco-light aid stations, and costumed runners.

My goals were:

A goal: Finish without injury before cutoff. Met
B goal: Finish in 28 hours. Met

Course Details

The Javelina Jundred 100 mile course covers five loops on trails in McDowell Mountain Regional Park. With just over 6200’ of elevation gain over the entire 100 miles, it is quite flat, with the primary challenges of the course being heat management, near total lack of shade, and loose, sandy trails.

photo from Javelina Jundred race materials

Background

So why this race?

Going into planning my 2022 race year, I knew this was the year I wanted to run a 100. I had a few criteria I wanted to meet and was able to pretty quickly narrow down to a few great choices out of the hundreds of hundreds now available throughout the US.

My criteria were:
1. Western States qualifier. I am in my mid 30s, closer to late than early. It is my dream as an ultrarunner to run Western States at some point and knowing that it is not uncommon to have to continuously qualify for 5 or more years, I wanted to make sure I started my qualifiers as soon as possible. Javelina Jundred’s 100 mile race is a WSER qualifier, and a golden ticket race for those elites, which makes the race itself pretty exciting at both front and back of the pack!
2. Easy to crew. Since I knew my focus would be on putting one foot in front of the other and I have had little experience organizing my own crew and pacers, a loop course provided a really easy way to keep my crew plans simple. The only place on the Javelina course where a runner can meet their crew or pick up pacers is at the start/finish, “Jeadquarters”. Easy! No having to worry about calculating times, crew driving around looking for aid stations, or other shenanigans.
3. Fun! I love the range of experiences at different races and in particular love the somewhat self-deprecating, at times over the top nature of ultrarunning culture. Javelina is one of those races that really embraces the absurdity of it all. I’ve heard it described as Burning Man for ultra runners (though apparently Burning Man has its own ultra?), or more officially the biggest running party in the desert, and that wild, weird, and not-so-serious space was exactly what I was looking for.

Preparation

Registration for Javelina opened on January 1, 2023, and I was lucky enough to register directly, no waitlists to worry about. I was coming off of a left achilles issue and was feeling charged for the year and ready to work hard.

I planned a couple of races for spring and early summer, toyed with the idea of hiring a coach, and decided to keep doing my own thing, working through Krissy Moehl’s book Running You First Ultra and building a training plan for myself that felt solid.

Spring rolled along and in March, I ran Behind the Rocks 50 mile. Unlike 2021, the temps in 2022 were hot. Really hot. Neither I, nor the aid stations, were quite prepared for the 90 degree + temps and after the most remote aid station ran out of water and I had to walk out on 8 ounces of warm Sprite, I knew I’d need to include some significant heat training in my Javelina prep.

Still feeling strong, I entered a local 50k on a whim, the Hacienda Hills 50k in Almaden Quicksilver park, San Jose. I felt strong, noting that this 50k had more vertical gain over 30 miles than Javelina would have over 100, finished mid-pack, and was ready to charge into the summer when an old ankle injury, this time on my right, flared back up. I went from 50 mile weeks to exactly 0 and decided to bring in the pros, getting on an intensive PT schedule and hiring a coach.

By early July, I was finally able to take those tentative first running steps again, and with Geoff’s help, focused on walking that fine line between rapid increases to get enough volume in 3 months and overtraining and ending up back at square 1. Training went smoothly, I focused intently on heat training, since I knew if I could move through the heat, I would be able to finish even at a very slow pace, and my ankle stayed strong and healthy.

My total volume never got over 60 mile weeks in prep for this race. Every runner is different, and I don’t know that that would work for everyone, but in collaboration with my coach, this was where we could get given my time off through May and June to work on my ankle. Our work was also almost exclusively focused on slow volume and heat. We had occasional tempo or faster short runs, but the real focus here was just on getting my body as ready for a long, slow 100 as possible.

My coach Geoff absolutely nailed this prep with me and I nailed my training. I committed to 100% on this race preparation given the short timeframe we had. No matter what, outside of injury, I would do every single workout. I knew I had very little margin given my injury and our timeframe, and I wanted to give myself the best chance possible. It was slow, it was hot, it was tough, but I made it happen.

I found myself packing for Javelina in what felt like mere minutes after finishing crewing and pacing Jake on his Moab 240 adventure. My two crew/pacers and I arrived in Fountain Hills on Thursday before the race, set up and settled in on Friday, and set about making friends and enjoying the amazing atmosphere of the little Javelina town that popped up overnight among the saguaros.

11 hours to launch with Alexei and Jackson

Race Day

Pre-Race

I woke up around 4:30 after a surprisingly full night of sleep. I have a tendency to get the worst nerves before races but with this race I just wanted to get started. I was curious to see how my body would handle all that I was about to throw its way, and couldn’t wait to see the trail unfold in front of me.

I ate my pre-race usual: banana, oats, horchata shake, and coffee. After getting into my race kit and triple-checking my vest, my pacers and I headed to the start/finish to see the sub-24 hour pack start at 6 am. Fire dancers, music bumping, and the incomparable Jubilee gave the start its trademark high-energy buzz, and before I knew it, the elites were well on their way and I was finding my own place in the starting pen for the 6:30 wave.

Lap 1

The sun rose as the 6:30 wave gun went off and I was carried along in a sea of runners through camp and out onto the trail to begin lap 1 of 5. The wave was very tightly packed throughout the first few miles and I tried to focus on keeping a comfortable pace within the group and getting a feel for the trail and landscape. The gentle climb up to Coyote aid station (the first) went quickly. I topped off my water, and continued.

I spent the 6.5 miles from Coyote to Jackass aid station (aid station 2) with a veteran runner, David, working on his 10th Javelina finish! He was there for the first running and regaled me with stories from past years and bits of advice for later. He told me I was approaching the race pacing right, mentioning that most of the folks running past us were the ones who would be DNF-ing. The trail was a rocky climb followed by rollers and went by quickly with good company. At Jackass AS (halfway through the loop), I refilled water, picked up some watermelon and PB&J and moved on.

At this point I was feeling nicely warmed up and took advantage of the 5 miles of gentle downhill to move a bit more and let gravity do some work. It was starting to get warm and was glad for my ridiculous sun hat. I refilled on water and started down the last 6.5 miles of the first loop, which is the variation that only happens on loop 1.

The last 6.5 miles were truly hot and honestly kind of a pain. Rocky and with short, jerky climbs/descents that made it hard to find a good flow. I also was sort of stuck in a couple of different packs but had trouble passing because of the narrow trail. I was glad to get through this and roll into camp to finish loop 1!

My crew met me and I changed socks, changed my shoes to a half-size up, put on my sun sleeves, ate some mashed potatoes and a horchata shake, and made sure all my snacks were topped off before setting out for the hot loop.

Loop 2

The first part was comfortable and again went quickly. At Coyote, I topped off water and filled my sleeves, buff, and hat with ice to prep for the hot 6.5 miles ahead.

This is where all that heat training started to really pay off. Despite the climb and the relatively intense radiant heat and direct sun, I was feeling fantastic. I power-hiked and focused on keeping my heart rate low, but ended up passing at least 30 people before the next aid station. Some folks were really struggling but I was feeling great. At Jackass, I refilled my water, ate a bunch of watermelon and took some PB&J, had the most refreshing sponge of ice cold water squeezed over me, and refilled my sleeves and hat with ice before moving on.

I continued to feel great through the next segment, passing people and keeping my heart rate low despite moving to a slow run (between 12 and 13 minute miles). I was having a great time, enjoying the scenery, loving the huge saguaro cacti and lizards darting around, and feeling so happy to be out there.

I got to Rattlesnake, refilled water, refilled ice, squeezed water over my body, and took some snacks to finish out the lap. It was still really and truly hot, but not anywhere near as hot as some of the stuff I'd done earlier in the summer. I was eating well, hydrating well, and still feeling fresh.

When I arrived at the start/finish at the end of loop 2, they were pouring water over each person coming through. What a welcome feeling! I stopped at the crew stop to change socks, change shorts and shirt, put on my waist light, and eat and drink a coffee before going out again.

Loop 3

This loop started to cool down within about an hour of starting it, as expected. I topped off water at Coyote and made my way into the darkening desert. I hadn't put on any music up to this point and waited until the coyotes started to sing before deciding to put on something to keep myself company. Runners were much more spaced out at this point and I was frequently alone, leapfrogging with a couple of runners (Mark, David, Patrick... I met some great folks) and occasionally passing others. At Jackass I was thrilled to realize I was over 50 miles in and still moving well. They were cooking hot food at this point and I got a hamburger and a cup of hot broth before continuing.

Leaving Jackass with burger in hand, I started to have a little trouble swallowing food. I knew I wanted to eat the entire burger because I needed the calories, but it was tricky to get my body to want to swallow. I've experienced this before and I knew to expect it on this race but it was definitely annoying, especially to have to carry the damn burger in my hand for so long because I just couldn't get it down. I was also starting to have to pee a lot, which lit a little warning light for me - I wasn't sure if it was the cooling temps or if I was over-hydrated, but I knew I was starting to feel a little off. I just tried to focus on moving, swallowing food, and staying focused on getting to my crew.

I texted a couple friends along the way, and ended up talking on the phone with my ultra friend Jake at the end of the lap, which was a huge morale boost. I wasn't feeling super low but I was definitely noticing my mind getting tired. We celebrated the end of 100k as I ran through the start/finish and I got to my crew tent relieved to know that I wouldn't be alone beyond this point.

At the tent, I changed socks, tried to eat some food, and had a coffee with hot chocolate mix. I was definitely very sleepy by this point and I know from talking to my crew that I was pretty slow. I was also feeling some tightness in my piriformis and asked for some help with a massage gun to try to release it. In retrospect, I wish I hadn't stayed in the tent for as long as I did. My crew did their absolute best to move me along, and eventually I got myself out and started loop 4 with my first pacer, Alexei.

Loop 4

The dark loop.

Alexei and I chatted for the first section, and I was so grateful to have him there with me. It was nice to take my mind off of my tired legs and enjoy his company for a while. I told him about my race experiences so far and heard all about the camp shenanigans that had been going on throughout the day. We got to Coyote and I picked up some bean wraps to eat on the next segment.

As we made our way to Jackass, Alexei shared some stories and I did my best to respond, but was finding myself extremely tired at this point. It was after 1 in the morning and my mind really did not want to cooperate. I took a caffeine pill and Alexei was wonderful, reminding me to eat, handing me snacks, and keeping me moving. I ended up apologizing and putting in my headphones to see if music would get me moving again and between that and the caffeine, ended up finding a second wind on the rollers in the second half of the segment. I charged the uphills, ran the downs, Alexei whooping and hollering encouragement as we went, and ended up passing more than a few folks before arriving at Jackass. At some point along all of this, I felt a slipping sensation on my right heel and realized that I must have blistered under my heel tape. I decided to just leave well enough alone rather than risking pulling back tape to have a look.

At Jackass, as we refilled, I started to realize that my legs were really feeling sore. This was definitely the farthest I'd ever run and I was feeling it - nothing concerning, but wow were they talking! Additionally, despite running, I was definitely very sleepy and disoriented. Alexei was an amazing help, getting more food and helping me get through the aid station in good time. Unfortunately, on the next segment, I started to feel my stomach go downhill and had to slow my pace. Much like with the burger on the previous lap, I noticed that my stomach was just not happy about food and I was struggling to swallow things. Alexei encouraged me to try running a few times but every time I tried to pick up the pace, the nausea would immediately start to pick up as well. I turned up my music, continued to power-hike and try not to think about the nausea, and managed to continue passing people, though it was really not pretty at this point. I couldn't tell if I was nauseated because of too little salt? Too much salt? It was really hard to problem-solve, and by the end of the segment, I was really not feeling good.

We arrived at Rattlesnake together and I sat by the fire to try to calm my stomach while Alexei got food for me. They were offering pizza but even thinking about a bite of cheese made me gag. They were also in the middle of making more broth so Alexei offered me cup noodle instead, but one sip of the salty broth sent me over the edge. And that, dear reader, is how I ended up puking my guts out at Rattlesnake AS at 3:45 am.

Alexei was a total champ and rubbed my back while I heaved some more and then handed me a handheld of warm broth and an awesome sauce. We started walking and I realized I was feeling a lot better. It made me wish I had just thrown up about 5 miles earlier and gotten it over with. Though tired, I was able to move a good deal faster than before and was so, so happy to start to see the lights of headquarters ahead. We made it into camp around 4:30 in the morning and I was ecstatic to realize that the next time I came around that bend would be to finish.

At camp, I changed socks, drank some coffee with hot chocolate, ate some mashed potatoes, closed my eyes for 5 minutes, and then put on my day clothes.

Loop 5

I started out my last lap with my second pacer, Jackson, and we were able to ditch headlamps shortly after beginning. The sunrise behind the mountains was otherworldly, with brilliant colors, gradually covering the landscape in a warm glow. I also started to really wake up again and by the time we got through Coyote I was alert and feeling good.

Jackson and I chatted throughout the climb segment leading up to Jackass, laughing and cracking jokes and passing a few people here and there. My legs were definitely exhausted and I was slower than previous laps, but we still made decent time to Jackass.

At Jackass, I found a buff and got some ice to keep cool as the sun was up and things were again getting warm. I was still only able to really keep down mashed potatoes so I stuck with them and kept taking bites here and there. We left Jackass and began moving through the descent. At this point, somehow, my legs started to loosen up a bit. Perhaps it was the warmer temps again or maybe it was the realization that I only had 9 miles to go, but I started to jog the downs. They felt okay and bit by bit I picked up the pace, realizing that if I continued to really move, I could make my 28 hour goal. Pace got better and better and soon we were at Rattlesnake - the last aid station! At this point I was flying. I drank a coca cola, poured some water on myself, and began really moving.

Legs were so tired but somehow cooperating and I continued to pick up the pace. Jack had put on some ridiculous playlist and scream-singing along to Madonna and Fleetwood Mac and goodness knows what else, I was feeling so charged. Shouting with Jack as I charged up the little climbs and flying down the downhills. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Alexei came jogging up and said the race organizers had let him run out to meet us. I almost cried I was so happy to have both pacers with me and began to really fly. We were laughing, I was grunting through every exhale, and screaming with excitement on every downhill bit! I could hear the finish line music bass pounding and then, around the corner, could see the tent tops peeking out over the hills.

Those last few miles with Jackson. I can’t believe I was actually running at mile 97.

I knew I could make 28 and pushed so hard through those last miles. We rounded the hill, I charged up to headquarters, and the wave washed over me - the people there, cheering me on, screaming that I was there, I was home, pointing me through the loop around camp to the finish. I started sprinting, screaming, and crying all at once! There were cowbells and horns, other finishers along the sides cheering, and that finish line in sight. It was a blur but I was there, and at some point standing at the finish, I looked down and saw that beautiful "100" on my watch. They handed me my buckle, gave me a huge hug, and then more hugs from my pacers.

Back at the tent, the boys had pizza waiting for me and another horchata. I peeled off my socks and confirmed that yes, my right heel had some mild maceration and the top layer had slipped away back when I felt it shift on loop 4. Aside from that though, no chafing, hot spots, or other issues. It was time to just revel in all of it.

What Went Well

Fueling aside from the stomach upset on loop 4 felt great.
I was quick on most of my aid station visits.
I made my 28 hour B goal!! Finishing 313 out of 600 total starters.
I felt great in the heat and was able to move even faster on loop 2 than on loop 1 despite the temps and sun. My sleeves, sun hat, and icing strategy worked so well for me.
My shoe/sock/gaiter combo worked beautifully.
My crew and pacers were amazing!

Improve For Next Time

I can be even more efficient at aid stations, especially the water only stops.
I would avoid full stops at Jeadquarters every lap. I plan to wait for the first sock change until after lap 2 and hard limit all Jeadquarters times to 15 minutes max.
I would carry a smaller bladder for this race - I never needed anywhere near the 2.5 total liters I was carrying.
I need to practice night runs with food more regularly in prep for overnight efforts. I think this plus not enough salt during the day was what had me throwing up at 3:45.
I now know what this 100 feels like. There are many spots where I could have moved faster and in retrospect I didn't need to hold back quite so much.

Advice for Javelina First-Timers

Do your heat training. This is a very hot race, no matter how you slice it.
Wear gaiters. The trail is very dusty and there are sandy washes.
Lube. Every lap, refresh. Don’t skip it.
Know how to balance hydration and salt. Practice a lot before the race.
Start slow and stay slow. The trail will pull you forward and lull you into thinking that you can go faster but especially for first-timers unfamiliar with the heat, don’t let it happen. Once the heat starts to take its effect, it’s really hard to get yourself out of that hole and cool back down.
Don’t throw your orange rinds and other trash. You’re never more than a few miles from an aid station. I saw a lot of discarded food and trash on this race - more than I’ve ever seen at a race before - which was really disappointing. Don’t be lazy, just carry your trash or food waste to the next aid station. People have been DQ’d for throwing banana peels or other food waste on the ground in the past.
Have fun! Enjoy watching the elites come flying past you a couple times, enjoy making new friends, dance in the Jackass aid station at midnight, and thank the volunteers every chance you get!

Post-race

I finished the race on Sunday and drove to Grand Canyon National Park that afternoon to camp overnight.

Showing off that buckle bling at the Grand Canyon

On Monday, my crew and I wandered around Grand Canyon for a few miles to enjoy the gorgeous scenery. I was glad I had my poles with me, even though I couldn't use them for the actual race. We drove the rest of the way to Salt Lake City that evening and I crashed into bed and slept like the dead.

Tuesday was a complete fog. I essentially just cycled between the bathtub, the couch, and bed the entire day. I had started getting some cold symptoms later on Monday and they hit in full force overnight so it was definitely a rough day. I napped multiple times on Tuesday, took a short neighborhood walk to get some fresh air, and got 12 hours of continuous sleep Tuesday night.

Finally by Wednesday I was starting to feel more alert and recovered. My cough ended up lingering for several weeks, thanks in large part to all the dust I inhaled on the course, but my body recovered quickly, with no more lingering soreness after a week and feeling more energetic within a couple of weeks.

Final Thoughts

This race was a huge moment for me, both in terms of accomplishing a big goal and in trusting my body, my injury recovery, and my team. I can’t adequately describe the gratefulness I feel for my PT, coach, crew and pacers, and family and friends who supported me through the year.

I truly believe that the people around us as runners who help us work toward those dreams and stay focused on those goals deserve medals and buckles every bit as much as we runners do.

In terms of what’s next, I mumbled something about this to my pacers while we were still in the car driving home from Javelina - my big goal for 2023 is running a sub-24 hour Javelina. I fully believe my body is capable of it, considering how smoothly a 28 hour finish went on only about 3 months of preparation, next to none of which was speed work. I am going to focus and pare down my crew station systems and enjoy a good deal more speed work with my coach this year and see if we can’t cut those 4 hours away. I feel really good about this goal and with my coach and team on board, I’m excited to keep chasing the dream.