AdventureCORPS in the News

Ruben Cantu's Firehouse 135 in Munford, Tennessee
August 25-26, 2006

Photos by Anna Boldon, Carol Cantu, and Albert Fountain

When five-time Badwater Ultramarathon finisher Ruben Cantu couldn't compete in the 2006 Badwater Ultramarathon, the 63-year-old reserve firefighter and "papaw of the department" for Munford and Atoka, Tennessee decided to make his own heat. By running around the 1/5-mile paved track at Munford City Park in Tennessee's typical high heat and humidity, Ruben's primary goal was to do 100 miles within 24 hours. Depending on how he felt at the 100 mile mark, he would make the decision to continue for another 35 miles or stop. With the support of his family, friends, and fellow firefighters, Ruben completed 100 miles in 28 hours and 40 minutes.

Click here to read the feature article on Ruben published in the Memphis Commercial Appeal days before his "Firehouse 135" run.

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FIREHOUSE 135 100 REPORT

By Ruben Cantu
Munford/Atoka, TN, August 25 & 26, 2006

I am a native Texan who had lived in San Diego since 1972 when the US Navy stationed me at the Miramar Naval Air Station. I retired from the Navy in 1986 and stayed in San Diego working as an engineer for a local aerospace company. In 2005 I lost my job for the third time so I decided to retire. My wife and I sold our house, packed up our belongings and headed east. We moved to Atoka, Tennessee, just north of Memphis, where some of our kids and grandkids live. Because I am retired I have personal time to invest. I wanted to invest some of that time getting involved with the community. So I joined the Munford/Atoka Fire Department and I am loving it. 

But leaving San Diego and the great year-round running weather did not bode well for me. I like running ultramarathons as a means of maintaining my fitness year round.   During my working years, my work schedule, my budget and my wife allowed me the opportunity to do only one long run each year, I used to run a different 100 miler each year. Races like the Western States 100, Leadville 100 and the Angeles Crest 100. I used to throw in some local 50 milers and in November sneak in the San Diego One Day. I say sneak because since it was held in my hometown, nobody really noticed that I was out running all night. I told my wife to not count it as a 100 mile running event since I could stop any time I wanted.

Then, in 2000, after a friend persuaded me, I applied and was invited to run the Badwater Ultramarathon in Death Valley, California. I so enjoyed the challenge and experience of running through Death Valley that I gave up running any other 100 mile races. I made Badwater my yearly challenge. I was successful for the first five years, completing the race and buckling with an average finish time of 43:53:28. In 2005, on my sixth attempt, however, I DNFed after about 82 miles. By then I had barfed my way from around mile 45 up to Townes Pass (mile 58.3), and whined my way through Panamint Valley (mile 72.3)  on my way up to the Father Crowley Lookout (mile 80.2).

This year, 2006, I again applied for Badwater and was invited back. I had hoped to redeem myself for last year’s poor performance, but due to scheduling conflicts with some personal events, I was unable to run the race. I did attend the race as a race official and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I also realized how badly I missed the challenge. I felt empty and needed a good run this year.

As I said earlier, I am a reserve firefighter. Across the street from the Fire Department is a 1/5 mile walking/jogging track. Many people go there for their daily dose of sweat. Tennessee is well known for hot and humid weather. I asked my fellow fire fighters if I could count on their support if I hosted a one-man ultra running event on the track. The response at first was somewhat non-committal as ultra runners are not well known in the local area. Nor do they understand the ultra running mentality. Thankfully that attitude changed later; very much for the better.

I chose Friday August 25th, a month after the official start of the 2006 race, as the start of my one-man ultra track run. My ultimate goal was to run 135 miles to mimic Badwater’s distance. My support crew was led by Fire Chief Jay Bonson and Commander Allan Berkelew. Then most of the remaining Fire Department personnel showed up at one time or another. The Fire fighters performed as my lap counters and supported me the entire time I was on the track. My wife, Carol, my oldest daughter, Kris Bell, who was 8 1/2 months pregnant, her husband Shea and my grandson Ethan, were constant companions. 

Badwater also came through. A friend of mine, Anna Boldon, a member of the Badwater webcast staff, came down to support me. Chris Kostman charged her with doing a photo story of my event and producing a slide for “adventureCORPS.”  She brought a friend of hers, Albert Fountain, to help her drive and keep her company on the drive down from and return to Madison, Wisconsin. 

My run started like most track runs do, with an easy pace and the plan to run five laps and walk one. A local runner, Dr. Wayne Conley, read about my event in the local paper and joined me for 40 miles. The five and one pace worked well until the expected hot and humid weather started taking its toll on me. By noon the temperature rose to approximately 95 degrees and the humidity soared into the 80% range. I shifted my running plan to run four laps and walk one. That lasted into the late afternoon when I switched to my Badwater race pace; run/walk/crawl as best I can.

The Badwater race pace worked well until around mile 72 when I developed huge blisters on the bottom of both feet. One of the EMT firefighters, Mindi Henderson, patched my feet with Spenco’s Second Skin and I was able to continue. The element not present in Death Valley, high humidity, also took its toll. By mile 87 my blister problem resurfaced. And the pain and suffering were compounded by extreme chafing between by legs induced by the high humidity.

The pain from the blisters and the chaffing was so severe that I realized I could not hope to run 135 miles. So at that time I lowered my sights and settled for my secondary goal of covering 100 miles. On a five-laps-per-mile track, quick math makes my 100 mile trek a 500-lap event. Running is never boring to me, but running on a track that short does make it somewhat monotonous and challenging.

The next morning found me mostly walking. I felt strong and determined since my legs were still feeling fresh and my crew support was outstanding. Sometime in the morning another local runner, name unknown, came out to cheer me on and provide moral support. However, the chafing and blisters kept getting worse. I was able to cover 100 miles in 28:40. Not my best 100 miler but certainly my first Tennessee 100 miler. I gained a lot of respect for all Tennessee and east coast runners who must compete in such humid conditions as those I experienced during my 28 plus hours in the warm Tennessee sun. 

My most sincere thanks and gratitude to my family and my new fire fighter family for their outstanding support. I can truly say that I could not have attempted such an event without their support.