Colby's Journey To 100

Ride the Wind 100 started with our friend Ryan asking if anyone else was running it. From there, evolved the most amazing running experience I have had to date.

Upon hearing of the race, we contacted RDs Jimmy Gabany and Carmela House to seek permission for Colby to run the 100. We told them our plans of Brady and Amelia running the 10k while I would run the 100k to be with Colby. Brady would pace him the final 38. They enthusiasitcally agreed to let us proceed.

We drove to Las Vegas the day before the race. I was harping on Colby to stay hydrated. I knew the desert climate was going to be a lot more dry than he was used to.

Race morning was a flurry of activity, as usual. Getting 4 people to the start line dressed and prepped to run can be quite a feat. Colby was excited and nervous. We exchanged hugs and high fives with other friends running the race.

Team Wentlandt at the Start

Jimmy gave us the run down of the course and said, "this race is harder than you think." Boy was that ever true, but more on that later.

We set out for the 100k/100m at 6:00. It was a beautiful morning. We spent early miles with Giovanni and he took these pics of us on the trail:

Early on I struggled a bit. My legs were tight and my lungs burned. I know Colby wanted to go faster, but I made him walk a lot. Admittingly, it was more so I could walk than to keep him from going out too fast. That 2 months of injury hasn't helped my endurance any. We chatted a lot and he must have thanked me 100x for taking him out there.

The 50k runners started 30 minutes after us, but it didn't seem like long before the field was passing us. I prepared Colby for that because I knew it may bother him. I talked to him about pace and how it is not comparable to run 50k to 100 miles and we needed to be smart. As always, he soaked in every word and asked a lot of questions.

The sun rose higher in the sky and it got warm quick. As we had been warned, we were completely exposed. The views were amazing, though. Las Vegas in the distance and amazing cliffs and mountains around us. I reminded Colby often to look up and enjoy the view God has made for us.

The reason we were looking down a lot was this trail was everying but easily runable. There were rocks everywhere. Where there weren't rocks, there was sand and loose gravel. We tripped and stubbed our toes often. Every time Colby tripped, my heart sank a bit. I spent a lot of time reminding him that a nasty fall would end his day and it was better to go slower and stay on his feet than to run harder and risk tripping.

We were at aid station two (12.5 miles) in 3 hours. I was happy with that time. There was a volunteer there that told us, "I avoid running whenever possible." It made us both laugh.

There was a mild, but rocky climb in the 3 miles between aid station 2 and aid station 3. We walked most of it. Colby asked me during this time, "Mom, what is the hardest part going to be at night?" I explained the reality to him. It was going to be hard. I told him that he would get very tired. I stressed to him many times though that he only had to keep moving to finish. No worries on time or how many miles left to go, if you move, you finish.

We passed the time singing songs and chatting about random things. I will always treasure this time. We were happy to be together, doing what we love.

After mile 15 and AS 3 there is a great section of runable single track. It was rocky, but not as bad as other sections. It was mostly down hill and beautiful. About a mile into the trail, Colby fell pretty hard. I gasped as I watched it happen in front of me. He jumped back up immediately and kept going. I noticed blood was dripping from his elbow, but he didn't want to stop and let me check on it. I was torn between being amazed and horrified in those fleeting seconds.

We came into to mile 20.25 to a nice surprise. Brady and Mimi had finished their 10k and were out there volunteering. Brady explained to me that a runner had came through his station twice. I was pretty sure that was a mistake and he was lost. We set out again and found the next section of the course really hard. There were several very short but steep declines followed by an incline. They were slippery. Not far down the trail the ribbons directed us to a section that didn't look like trail. I did my best to navigate through this section, but realized quickly we were lost. I tried to find the trail again, but it seemed to be nothing more than bushes and no noticeable trail. After about 20 minutes, I called Jimmy and he talked me through getting back on the course.

For the next 8 miles or so, we struggled quite a bit. There was a lot of sand and elevation gain.  Couple that with the heat of the day, and we were spent. It really felt like we were dragging. I could tell Colby was worrying. I encouraged him to 'stay out of your head.' I told him to avoid the mental doubt and keep focusing on the step in front of him.

One thing I want to point out here. We were hot, we were slow, we struggled with the course. BUT, never once did Colby complain. Never once did he say he wanted to quit. He did say, "sometimes I want to quit, but I won't" as a general statement about running in general. Colby was a trooper that was completely focused on his goal. There was never a need (or a thought) of pushing him to go faster or to do something he didn't want to do.

We finally came into the start/finish area (mile 31) just before 3:00. We sat for a minute and enjoyed the shade. Colby ate and we refilled our water. I had planned on reapplying Body Glide and doing a few other things, but Brady had our race gear with him at mile 20. It would turn out later to be a problem, but at this point, I was blissfully unaware of that issue.

We set off for the second loop about 20 minutes later. We tackled the canyon portion and the wicked down hill just after AS 2.

About 37 miles into the race we ran into Giovanni again. He was struggling with his feet. He stayed with us for a very short time and then had to sit again. I was worried about him. Colby said, "I feel sorry for Giovanni. No one should have to do this alone and hurting!" It does my heart good that Colby is such a caring kid, on top of his other amazing qualities.

We made our way ever so slowly the 7 miles between AS1 and AS2. At one point I was convinced we had somehow gotten lost. It just didn't feel right. Before long we saw a ribbon and knew we were on the right track. It is amazing how mentally draining it can be to get lost or think you are. It wears on you.

I started doing the math and realized we weren't going to make it back to Brady to get our headlamps before dark. Inside, I was panicking, but I tried not to share that with Colby. I encouraged him and pushed my own fears aside.

The time between aid stations and mile 45 was uneventful. The sun was setting and the views were amazing. Colby was doing well and we made steps every and always closer to our goal.

At some point I made contact with Brady and let him know we weren't going to make it to our lights before dark. He and Jimmy were trying to get them to us. As the sun went down I used my phone to light our path. It worked pretty well until I needed to see ribbons. It was impossible to see them and the course very well. I told Colby we had to walk slowly to be sure we didn't fall.

If you could read my mind at this time, you hear me praying that we wouldn't see a snake. I was convinced that there was a rattle snake just waiting to cross the path in front of us and I wouldn't see it. Funny how the dark plays with your head.

Colby had a mini-breakdown out there. He cried and said he was scared. I held his hand and promised him that we were ok. We prayed together. Minutes later, Brady texted me that Ed was on his way with our lights. Prayers answered, happy boy and relieved mom!

About 20 minutes later I heard the familiar and comforting sound of the bells on Ed's skirt. I have never been so happy to see the Jester! He gave us our lights and we headed on down the trail toward the 4th aid station. Martha was waiting for us there. It was very uplifting for Colby to know he was at mile 51+ and more than half way through this journey. We said our goodbyes to Martha and set out for the last 11 miles of this loop.

We quickly learned that Jimmy had re-marked the course where we had been lost earlier. Thankfully, we navigated it pretty quickly. Colby asked Ed to tell him a story, so Ed gave us all the details of his introduction and love of running and eventually ultras. It was a great distraction from the course and the fatigue that set in.

About 4 miles into this last 11 we realized we hadn't seen a ribbon in a long time. We went further, 'just in case' and realized we were probably lost. We backtracked and came to an intersection in trail and no ribbons. To make a very long and exhausting story a little shorter, we were lost beyond all hope. No matter how hard we tried, we couldn't get back on track. We were on every trail in that canyon, I think. After what seemed like hours (and may have been?!?) we found a main road. We decided it went in the general direction of where we needed to be, so decided to take it.

We did several miles extra that night. I am not sure exactly how many, but a lot. We were way off course and spent time on the asphalt before eventually finding our way out of the canyon.

Colby had a hard time with being lost. He was worried that we wouldn't make the cut off and were losing too much time. Texts from his Dad, confirming the RDs knew of the situation and would not pull him from the course, helped calm him down.

When we got back to the start/finish line we were so relieved! I was able to take my pacer hat off and pass it to Brady. Him and Ed would be with Colby the rest of the night. We had Colby eat some Mac and Cheese, fill his bottle, add another layer of clothes, and get back to the course. He was anxious to get started because he knew he only had the one 31 mile loop left to go (plus the 6 mile final short lap).

I did my best to go to sleep in my car. Looking back on it, I should have driven to the hotel, but I didn't. Mimi was asleep in the front seat. Unfortunately, 62 + miles on that course meant I was pretty beat up and not able to get comfortable. I was also thinking of Colby, Brady, and Ed out there on the course. Eventually, sleep came, but it was minimal and uncomfortable.

When the sun came up, I was relieved for Colby that the hardest part was over. If you have ever ran through the night, you can appreciate how amazing it was to see the sun rising over the desert.

Mimi woke up and went foraging for food at the aid station. She was pretty excited to start her day with cookies and Capri Sun. It's the little things for a 6 year old :)

I was anxious for updates on Colby and crew. Unfortunately, there weren't a lot of volunteers available for Jimmy and Carmella, so Jimmy was personally handling the aid stations as needed. He was able to meet up with the runners and check on them. He came back after seeing Colby at about mile 80 and said we need to call in reinforcements. He said that more runners with Colby may help lift his spirits. He was tired and "not responding" to his Dad and Ed very well. Jimmy had posted on FB for his running friends to come out and I did the same.

It was amazing that some of our local friends stopped what they were doing and came out to the course. Team Wentlandt is very honored that our friends think so highly of Colby and his journey to be a part of it. We all hung out together at the start/finish waiting on the little hero and his team to reach us.

Taking a short break at mile 94

Colby was anxious to get back on the course. He only sat for a short time (less than 10 minutes) and then got back up to finish. When he left, he had an army of supporters with him. I stayed back to look out for Giovanni to finish (he weren't sure where he was because he hadn't checked in at any of the aid stations for hours) and because my feet were so blistered I couldn't get my shoes back on.

Getting it done!

It was truly a team effort to support Colby to the finish.

Colby holding Brady's hand to let him know, "it's ok, Daddy, the finish line is just ahead."

We anxiously waited to see them come into sight. Eventually, it happened. The adults ran ahead and made an arch for him to run under. It was beautiful!

The epic finish!

Hugs from his mentor and constant supporter, The Jester

RD Jimmy and Colby sharing a moment of admiration

 I was so relieved, excited, and emotional. My son's finish of his first 100 will forever be a highlight of my life. Sharing that time with him and seeing his face as he achieved his dream was priceless.

I would like to take the time to publicly thank the following people:

 -  Jimmy Gabany and Carmella House and their crew at Elemental Racing for allowing Colby the opportunity and support to pursue this dream.
 - Katrina Mumaw for coming out to support Colby and being such a huge public support of his achievement and journey.
 - June Uhlig and David Campbell for jumping into action when Jimmy and I called out for support.
 - Deb, Rob, and Matt Distante for being amazing friends and shoulders to lean on. We appreciate you guys always being there for us. Deb, the food is always appreciated! You guys rock!
 - Jester and Mrs. Jester, I really don't have words to express how much you guys mean to us. Martha, when you made a comment about how neat it was for us to be out there together, it stuck with me. I do value the time I shared with Colby on the trail. It is special and unique. I appreciated the reminder. Thank you for being the world's best volunteer and cheerleader! Ed, the fact that you backtracked on the course to bring us our lights and then stayed with Colby for more than 50 miles is amazing beyond words. He looks up to you so much. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Colby asked for me to tell you: "you rick"!
 - The Ryan, thanks for the encouragement on the course and the donuts Sunday morning. Such a blessing they were. You are awesome and appreciated!
 - The the entire ultra community of family and friends, thank you for lifting Colby up and treating him like a running equal. He is so excited to be part of the club!