Recapping the BPN 50 mile Ultra-Marathon

For the better part of my life, I’ve tried to avoid discomfort.

For the better part of my life, I’ve tried to avoid discomfort. I always seemed to prioritize the easy route, the path of least resistance. I was always into sports and very competitive, but when the first real test came after breaking my elbow pitching when I was 14, I quit. I went from being one of the best pitchers to feeling like I had a noodle for an arm. While I honestly don’t think about that moment often, part of me wonders what would’ve happened if I pushed through that season; if I took the hard route. The truth is, you don’t find out anything about yourself during the easy times in life. Going through hard things gives you the chance to choose from two routes; Persevere and build character, or give up and build doubt. 

This concept wasn’t foreign to me, but this one single event took my understanding to a whole new level. Enter the BPN 50 mile ultramarathon, a race set on a 5000 acre ranch in the hill country an hour outside of Austin, TX. Before you give me congrats, save it for the racers, because I was just a volunteer there to help fuel the fierce women / men who stepped to the starting line. Going into the race, I had no clue what to expect. I was just happy to be there as it was a race that was closed off to everyone but the racers + their one crew member –– huge shoutout to our friend Cierra for the invite and opportunity to be a part of this. After getting there and seeing the property and the setup, it was clear this was about to be one of the unique ways I have ever spent a Friday night in my life. 

To set the stage, we’re out on a ranch in what feels like the middle of nowhere central Texas. It’s June, and for those of you that haven’t been to Austin in the summer, that means it’s hot. Like, really fuckin’ hot. The track was a 5 mile loop, through rocky terrain, brush fields, in an area where there was no one else around for miles. The racers were set to hit the trail at 7PM, with one shared goal; Survive the Night.

After a pump up speech from Nick and some of the other BPN team, the horn sounded and the racers were off. The energy was electric, even the volunteers were fired up to be there. The first couple laps were picturesque, but as the sun set and the runners were starting to hit the 10 mile mark, it was clear this wasn’t going to be a normal race. Soon enough it was pitch black, and it was starting to set in that the race was just now about to get real. 

It’s now 1AM in the morning, and some runners are just now getting to the halfway point 6 hours in. Being that there were enough volunteers and my “shift” was almost up, I decided there was no time like the present to toss on a headlamp and let it rip. I knew I couldn’t come all the way out here and not experience a taste of this race. So I laced up and set out to pace my new friend Hunter for a lap (5 miles). About 200 meters into the run, I realized I had just stepped into some very unfamiliar territory. Not only was the terrain unfamiliar, but other than the 5 feet in front of you lit up by your headlamp, there was nothing else you could see. Just you, the trail, and the shockingly loud humming of the cicadas (Austin's favorite insect). The trail was anything but smooth, as rocks lined most of it making it that much harder on your ankles to keep your body stabilized. Some people passed us, others got passed. It was both the most eerie, yet freeing run of my entire life. As we approached the checkpoint station I crossed ready to run through a brick wall. Mind you, I had only done 5 miles and my buddy Hunter and the other racers were 30+ miles in already. As hard, and uncomfortable at times that lap was, the only thing on my mind was “let’s go again.”

So I did what anyone else would have done, waited until the legend Dan Churchill was on his last lap at 4 AM and hopped back in the saddle to pace him home. Any fatigue that I normally would have felt from staying up this late was gone, I was running on pure adrenaline watching these racers get after it. The last lap with Dan was one I will remember forever. He was 45 miles in, and running with me as if it was his first 5. I remember at mile 3 he handed me his phone to film him crossing the finish line and I knew I had to find another gear so I could beat him there. That last two miles I found something that I didn’t know I had. The only thing ahead of me was the next step, and stopping was not an option on the table. As I finished my 10th mile and watched Dan finish his 50th at close to 5 in the morning, I couldn’t help but feel immensely proud. 

Although I might not have logged 50 miles that night like all of those badass runners, I found something within me that had been dormant for a long time. I found the ability to push through doubt, to willingly choose to do hard shit with an attack oriented mindset instead of a fearful one. I found joy in the camaraderie of all the other racers and volunteers sharing this experience. I found a sense of pride for what I accomplished. Most importantly, I planted a seed of confidence in myself to persevere through hard things. 

That night to me, and I’m sure for all of the racers, was much more than a test of how far you can run. It was a test of mental fortitude, and how to respond when faced with adversity. To be honest, I was sad to leave at 6AM in the morning to go back home. That’s a testament to the entire BPN team and the atmosphere they curated. 

Until next time