Member Spotlight: Brandon Ray
Brandon Ray is not afraid of a challenge. As a multi-sport endurance athlete and father of three girls, Brandon manages to run and ride 100 miler trail and mountain bike races on the regular. He recently completed the Leadman 100 which consists of completing the Leadville Trail Marathon, the Silver Rush 50 MTB and Run, the Stages Cycling Leadville Trail 100 MTB, the Leadville 10K and the Leadville Trail 100 Run, let that sink in a moment. Brandon joined Trail Roots in 2019 and has inspired the group to work hard towards getting to the finish line of big goals. We wanted to ask him a few questions about his journey with running.
What inspired you to start running? Have you always preferred the trails?
I played football freshman year of high school and was terrible. But my coach was a runner and noticed my endurance in practice. He encouraged me to try cross country. And let’s be honest, he probably wanted the dead weight off the team. I was hooked on running, and especially trail running, from that day on.
What made you want to join Trail Roots? How has your running changed since joining a group?
I had been in a bit of a solo running rut. Doing the same routes on the same trails and pretty much always on my own. So, I knew I wanted to find a community. I ran the Bandera 100K and was wowed by the support at Trail Roots’ Nachos aid station. These are my people! Since joining, I’ve found so many new trails and met some amazing runners and community members that inspire me constantly to set big goals.
When did you start running Ultras? What makes you want to go for big goals?
About 6 years ago, so recently actually! I had just left a really high burn job with a lot of travel and late nights so I wanted to use some of my new-found balance for a big goal and did a 100K. Jaclyn (my wife) refers to ultra running as “just a long day in the woods.” I guess I’m still just so grateful to be able to spend my time that way. That has always motivated me to go for bigger and bigger goals and not waste the gift of freedom.
How do you motivate yourself to get through long training workouts?
It’s all about having a race on the horizon for me. I know what it feels like to be undertrained and do not want to repeat that. That’s enough for get me through hard efforts. Oh, and having company and cold beer waiting at the end helps!
“I ran the Bandera 100K and was wowed by the support at Trail Roots’ Nachos aid station. These are my people! Since joining, I’ve found so many new trails and met some amazing runners and community members that inspire me constantly to set big goals.”
Your tribe, the HokaHey helped you get a sub 24 hr at Rocky 100, what was that experience like and how does having pacers help in a race?
I couldn’t have done it without them! No, really – I DNF’d RR100 in 2020 partly because I didn’t have a solid support plan. Having “Georgia” Joel and Fletcher out on the course this time was a HUGE lift, and Sam Labrie kept a fire going in camp for the after party. They were all there for my finish too. It didn’t even matter that it was 3AM. Besides keeping me going through the low points, pacers and crew keep my nutrition on track by force feeding me even when I swear I can’t eat one more gel!
Do you have a race mantra or race morning routine?
No matter what time the race starts, I get up early enough to have a couple unhurried cups of coffee. Leadville starts at 4AM, so I set the alarm for 2AM this go around!
You just completed the Leadman Challenge, can you tell us a bit about what inspired you to go after it?
I had always been obsessed with Leadville. I did the LT100 run in 2019 and saw Leadmen and Leadwomen on the course. It was humbling and inspiring for me to think that my hardest day ever was just the last leg for them, and my “big buckle” just seemed so much less impressive than their pickaxes. The thought of adding the biking scared the hell out of me too. I signed up the moment registration opened that Fall.
What was the most difficult moment in that challenge? Definitely during the 100 Run. Going up Hope Pass the first time felt so much harder than 2019. My quads were screaming from the descent too. Right when I was at my lowest running in to Winfield dreading what would clearly be a long, hard night, I saw an old friend running his 10th LT100. He reminded me that he DNF’d at Winfield last time and had to live with that regret 2 years through the pandemic before having a shot a redemption. It was just what I needed. Maybe I was hallucinating?
You moved up to Colorado for a month or two over the summer to train, correct? How much did that play a role for you?
Sure did. For Leadman, that had a lot to do with logistics. I actually added the MTB stage race in late July to recon the course so had 3 race weekends in a month. The back and forth would have been crazy. But for sure getting that much time at altitude was huge.
The Leadman has a 10k, marathon, 50 mile, 100 mile mountain bike race followed the next week by a 100 mile trail run. It seems like a nice progression to lead you up to the 100, but doing a 100 mile mountain bike followed by a 100 mile trail run sounds tough! How did you recover enough to jump back in the 100 trail run?
I'm not sure I did completely! I definitely felt the bike in my legs during the run. I trained for that week though. I usually did big bike Saturdays followed by long run Sundays to simulate that feeling. I did a lot of endurance strength. I did the Silver King weekend in July with a 50 mile run and mountain bike on consecutive days. And I tried to reframe the challenge. If I didn't get the big buckle this time, it's okay, all the pickaxes are the same size.
What is your advice for someone who wants to run Leadville?
The best advice I got was to take it easy the first 62 miles. That's where you pick up your first pacer at Twin Lakes inbound and have finished the double Hope Pass crossing. It starts to feel really achievable. You can race all you want the last 38. Oh, and don't underestimate the altitude, but you probably already knew that.
Do you have another goal you are going after or any running plans this year?
I got my pickaxe less than a month ago and am avoiding the temptation to scroll race calendars. My family was so supportive and patient on the Leadman journey. Jaclyn’s doing Rob Krar’s training camp in Arizona this Fall. I’ve infected her with the trail running bug. I’m looking forward to doing some fun running in the Flag’ and hoping for a chance encounter with some Coconino cowboys. But I know myself, I’ll put in for the 2022 Western States and UTMB lottos.
Do you have any advice for anyone who wants to learn how to trail run?
Join a good group like Trail Roots. Forget about pace. And go work an aid station. Trail running can be intimidating, especially ultras, but I think you’ll find it’s “just a long day in the woods.”