The Runner: David Horton's 2700 Mile Run of the Pacific Crest Trail (From Director of Unbreakable)

[Music] the pain is inevitable suffering is out I know there will be a certain amount of pain [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] the Pacific Crest Trail or PCT is the longest continuous footpath in the world the southern terminus of the PCT begins at the Mexican border near Campo California on the morning of June 4th 2005 David Horton and his crew arrived at Campo to begin an epic journey that few have ever completed walking and none has ever attempted to run I didn't know where it was and I was going up this road here border patrol just say hola thank y'all for being here what's your right god gives us different talents talent is running long long distances so this is what I should do this is what I enjoy doing I feel most at home and closest to God when I'm in shape cruising in the mountains I'd like to cover distances I like to cover miles actually it's like 43.5 to me to get the cabins in Tamar's a little shorter the day that we really look like we might need some help is day five because there's thirty eight miles no access and we don't know where the roads open to it and I have to stop there because we're going is 55 miles and it's over that region where there's snow and stuff so I've got to go to 38 so they may have to hike stuff in there Gary and Millie I've had friends they enjoy the pain enjoy the hot days enjoy the cold days and I think you know and it's difficult I think this too shall pass so I said I'm gonna do the PCT and sets a record Lord willing that's what will happen my preset go with 63 days but that was before all the snow now I think so me sixty three four five six days somewhere in there we'll see thanks for allowing me to be here and just watch over my family won't come his name I pray this is who I am [Music] I'm JB Benn a--from Los Angeles California I've been running and doing ultra marathons for the past two years [Music] and in the summer of 2000 I completed 2,700 miles Civic Crest Trail and documented it on camera for me it was a life-changing experience and I wondered if the trail would also change David [Music] with the PCTs vast distance mold him into a new shape or simply break him down I did not know David but I knew that the PCT had led me to ultrarunning and ultra rain had led David to the PCT I decided to help support David and meet him along the way in order to follow his journey [Music] [Music] [Music] well everybody wants to know what makes David tick or what makes you think that he could actually run from Mexico to Canada and why would somebody like us come to support him and we have faith that he in fact can do it what drives any of us to do the things we choose to do I think passion just he loves being out in the mountains on the trails this is by far I think the biggest accomplishment for a multi-day push on on trail and in the mountains that I've ever seen he was this mythical man that I read you know completed the Berkeley marathon and you know one of five people to do it started running in 1977 ran the first overnight seen 1879 I've run somewhere around I don't know 130 ultras plus or minus one of the hard drives first two years hard rock hundred mile are one of six finishers ever to Berkeley hundred mile er 1991 set the speed record on the Appalachian Trail average forty point four miles a day for six two days nine hours 41 minutes [Music] in 1995 competed in the race across America 2,900 miles and his third with the third fastest time ever in 1999 set the speed record on the long trail and I was hoping that would be the last one wrong so here we are again I kind of wish he would slow down a little bit he's getting up there in age but I don't want him to hurt himself and I sometimes I think think about that especially a lot this summer you know a lot of the dangerous territory he was you know running in and when you're on uneven ground you're falling all the time you just never know and being out there alone that was that scared me but you know if he didn't do it he would go crazy I know this is David's loves to do something out of the ordinary and I keep telling him it's because he just he wants to prove to people that he's not old yet and he is getting too old for this horton agrees that this may be one of the hardest runs of his life not only because of his age but also because the PCP is one of the longest and most remote trails in the continent of the United States the Pacific Crest Trail spans 2627 miles from Mexico to Canada through three western states in California Oregon and Washington [Music] the PCT has over 500,000 feet of vertical gain and an equal amount of loss therefore 55 year-old Horton must negotiate roughly 16,000 feet of elevation change each day for over two months [Music] to me this is as a great adventure it's a great challenge it's like running an ultra except you know 63 to 66 cultists will I suffer during this yes hopefully not too much but there will be some tough tough times I know that I expect that do I wish that no or you know the toughest part of this race is gonna be when you hit the High Sierra that's where the adventure starts because we've never had a snow pack like we have on high Sarah right now and all I gotta say it's good luck I don't I'm gonna get across evolution River I don't either I mean that's gonna be tough I mean that's gonna be like probably up to your chest or something in Bear Creek I mean bear Creek is uh people yeah I have no idea how it's going to be I don't have any idea how we're cross some streams say a lot of prayers yes and I will be suffering is there pain is there joy is there beautiful sunrises are there sunsets are there beautiful places it's a major challenge logistics and this there's so many people helping me and I'm sure there'll be many more than I even dream about that'll be all helping me food and gear same thing where do you can't pretty go heard he stopped what do you push through what if you hit a bad weather day is there going least known Astaire's yes the question is how much and how bad Brian Robinson who will later assist Horton in the Sierras set the PCT speed record in 2001 time of just over 85 days the present PCT record was set in 2003 by raygreen law at just over 83 days both these records were set in an unsupported fashion that carried backpacks and are not met at road crossings by a support team Orton will attempt to set a speed record in the supported fashion with a crew meeting at predetermined points along the trail they'll wait we see on the trail yep why not try to set the record with like has been a normal backpacking since like just with carrying your own gear and stuff like that I'm not a backpacker I'm a runner thank box work at first place no CeBIT and I'm the second place after that is her right right in that area is where I got bit okay you've got that blue ribbon for the water snake yeah okay I'll put on each incipits okay CJ thanks for the encouraging words about the Red Hills night that's all right you're in second [Music] for western states that was a problem see it took hours and it went all the way up by lay down here's the bottom well you got perfect order that I gotta say you've really hit the jackpot okay I'm TJ kee from San Diego been running alterus for over 30 years now what it did for me hiking the PCT was whatever is bothering you in your life when you leave Campo you've got it all figured out by the time you get to Canada you know what you're gonna do and you know what what your life is all about it it's a problem-solver it's it's a great experience and the people you meet on a trail you know in a simplifies everything you don't need all the junk that we have out there you don't need all this technology all you need is a beautiful background and what more could you ask for you know about horton Mouse no oh assuming that they're long and steep that was something that was never planned I didn't plan on getting Horton miles I'm not exactly sure how it came about it just seems like if I ever say something is ten miles it's probably at 11 miles or if I say something it's 20 miles it's 22 miles in my in my races I don't plan on making a course law I didn't plan on making the Mascis longer than 50 miles I did plan on making any one of the three races longer than the advertised distance but all three are longer than advertised so because of that it's developed a little reputation that my miles are longer than actual miles is that really true and the answer is yes I used to run roads a lot and so I'd find money in fact one year I kept all my coins and I totaled up to think a little over $12 and average about one penny every three miles and sometimes I teach my students how to find money at certain intersections basically you go to the busiest intersections the busier intersection the better and right where you turn at the intersections there's a little pile of gravel and in that pile of gravel there's a good chance there's a coin there I used to always be my goal was to find money for the cycle and I didn't do it for years and finally money for the cyclists riding the penny a nickel a dime and a quarter in one run and I've done that a number of times and then also I always kept track to the records for finding the most number of coins in a run then the most number of coins that I ever found in a run was I think it was 31 coins in one run and if you really really want to find money go through drive-through windows try two banks no I have never found a cent never found a coin advised to banks so I don't even check those anymore [Music] damn no it's my money there's money to be had just have to go find it [Music] so way way back into the canyons and you go oh my god is this ever gonna end then you go around a corner and it keeps on going again yeah they go on forever well but the grade there's always a certain grade with respect to climbing or running beyond which it really takes a lot out of so I'm TJ says you guys are walking Hills oh yeah you're not you know I don't run hills new pretty quick that's pretty brittle that's just like a car you know if you had a gallon of gas left what would you do you'd press it down or do where it's going so fast and you hit a hill you get slower you go down here you go a little faster and you keep it at the same place basically that's what I try to do keep the same evening energy expenditure and do what the course allows there'll be days for a bit of plaster days revealing slower when he broke his ankle one time it was awful he couldn't run and it was it was bad he used to drive a truck to supplement his income and he was the only person in the warehouse when a large pallet of several tons of material fell on his leg and broke it and pinned him there on a Sunday afternoon at about noon and the next person in the warehouse was expected on Monday so he needed to take care of himself he was able to pry a chunk of wood away from the pallet and beat on the thing and pick at it and elevate it and use the pry bar of the wood and finally after significant time over an hour so was able to get his leg out of there crawl to a telephone and you know they didn't even know if he was ever gonna be able to run again so that was scary for him but he's made his comeback and he's been back running for more than 10 years since then Horton will face several major obstacles on his PCT run the many rivers that he must cross have swollen to levels unseen for over 60 years going across das Glacier Peak I was caught in a river and I almost lost my life being taken downstream there and it's very dangerous with David going through the high sierra this year where the snowpack is unbelievably phenomenal this year i have got to hand it to him he's really a brave individual taken out on there are also many parts of the trail that run along the sheer cliffs [Music] other threats include hypothermia snakebites altitude sickness are simply getting lost in the vast wilderness but David isn't doing all that simply to break a record my purpose on earth is to be an example of what can be done what you can do everyone can do so much more than they think they can to have an influence to make a change to make a difference I'm a professor of exercise physiology at Liberty University I've been there for 25 years I teach exercise failures exercise prescription personal health class and teacher running class which is I guess appropriate I get paid to do this [Music] and they paid to do this to themselves oh we do the same thing at home pursue though don't I think running is fun it's world and I think they have fun I try to have fun but we also cover some business we also work so they also give classes and do 240 miles for the semester advanced class has to do 360 that help with race at the run race lots of things overall I let them come brothers [Music] yes the big fish oh and he's just been a real encouragement both running and spiritually and he's just been a great friend I don't know if I've ever thought of him as a professor as soon as I took him as a kid in his class he's like I became part of his family I see a lot of people that have taken his classes especially his running classes and it's just it's neat because they're always like he started meat running and and and I like running now and and you don't hear a lot of people say I like to run you know that's just not your norm and that's that's really amazing and just him being an educator that's one of the things that made me want to be a teacher [Music] nature starts to creep in and effect you whether you like it or not the trail starts to Humble you it starts to wear you down you start to think of dropping out of getting off the trail and returning to a world where at least you can have the illusion of control so how are you holding up mentally didn't better now yeah oh yeah I struggled mentally there for a while source myself what am I doing this for I don't have to do this I should be home with my wife and grandson and felt served them stuff like that and didn't get through that and now it's most time it's okay it's this middle of the afternoon today I didn't have it really mentally afternoon I used to get yeah because it's everyday yeah so do you have enough food both got some out stream I ran out of food I don't hate food the last two hours today but that's having a few times it's just so no I mean inaccessible I'm flying Brian I my claim to fame is doing the calendar Triple Crown which was the Appalachian Trail the Pacific Crest Trail on the Continental Divide Trail on the same year did it in three hundred days in 2001 and that's the standard by which I gauge all other difficult endeavors come touch across ridges up and down I read that and Rancheria Creek and Carrie Canyon which right on the North Face posthole snow 45-degree angles inside though anyway we'll do it in two days that we can i told i think it's Josh the guy that's playing yeah yeah that we will you know try and be there a two-day this is a complicated stuff you have a gear but if you don't have it like you're gonna see there's more snow did you hear about squeaky gang what last week and this year I keep hearing things about him trying to do three trails in one year or is that just a rumor that's from what I heard that's what he's planning really so wait he started on the PCT start on the PCT third fourth he left no he left the morning I left but I left in the afternoon had he done the eighty already this year or no he's played biggest plan people there yeah I sort of been that the 43 miles non-stop hiking before and it's it's brutal what are you on the trail first-aid kit [Laughter] to 2003 speed hike on the long trail not the best in shape but took me eight days 16 hours 45 minutes 272 miles and I took a zero day because about halfway through bad groin injury where literally I could not tell my leg to even move so took him about 24 hours a whole bunch of like yoga to just stretch out loosen it and I was back on the trail again and finished it but David here I think came around the same year and did it in like four and a half days and it's pretty impressed pretty much after the 33 mile mark is when a lot of stuff starts happening yeah these guys do 40s many days food is that for two people 6,500 for a million there's lots of food here cannot be messed with Josh takes it that follow me meta he'll know what to do with it just make sure that he knows that that's it somebody has told him this I mean he's been briefed in some way about this about this section not nervous I'm anxious I'm looking forward to it I'm anxious from Sandpoint I don't know what to expect I don't know what to do except move forward I guess and go north Scott Jurek said he said when in doubt go north I told him well that's true once we make the North's return and we're on the North return himself away well what about your fetchers but I went in hell you think you're in hell keep going yeah that's right that's right well we got married he wasn't a runner I had no idea what it was going to be once he got into it so much and we've had some really tough times yeah I don't think she'll ever understand completely when we were first married when the kids came along it was really tough because he spent a lot of time running I'm addictive person as you can well tell I I do things all out or I don't and then I found running and that's the biggest addiction I've ever had in my life and it is so addictive and have I done too much at times yes I have she once said this statement the hardest statement she's probably ever made to me if I'd known what a runner was like and he was going to be a runner I wouldn't have married you and she didn't laugh when she made this statement and even recently that color in many cases all I could do is cry I remember from of the other two great adventures that I did I said I said why do you not want me to do I'm she said it hurts so much I said why does it hurt so much she said when you hurt I hurt she said I can't do anything for you so basically is like yes I she was there and she listened and she didn't cry never we've got a good marriage and it's a solid marriage and I do support him and I'm very proud of him [Music] he's a wonderful grandpa he's impressed with how much she loves my son even been with me this for and we're starting at five 20 seconds we start in size 13 [Music] let's hit the trail area guys already got the wrong way I think I think it's this way guys [ __ ] trails over here that the key that was recognizing legs he understood saying [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] there's probably a hundred and fifty a year right now which is similar to the number of people that are coming averaged over here they're similar numbers but it gets harder they're completely different yeah I would argue the PCT Potter because you gotta work at it longer a little more logistics but then I've never time not ever very much the biggest concern with definitely the snow snow is really bad this year we're gonna have to face miles of snow on the every pass we're trying to move fast we posthole while we're moving fast we could easily play out to a leg wrenchini creeks are swollen because of the snow so it's just gonna slow us down and increase the danger factor both of which are are not conducive to speed hiking I'm here to watch his back and he's gonna watch mine [Music] it's a newfound appreciation for the simple things that society can provide like food a comfy bed and your loved ones the less that you have the better off you are horton is struggling with these very same thoughts so here you guys ran out of water for a long time yesterday yeah little hours may be enough do they get thirsty but not not too bad there's ten five year day 18 birthday is big pack orders are wrong I wasn't jumping straight into a four do you feel all right I felt it all right yeah I could tell that my body's used to do in twenty five mile runs through 25 it felt great forget the 30 I thought my body's telling me I'm tired haven't got 40 is like okay this is wait 48 going I don't know [Music] well I think that you'd be better off kind of just playing breaking your dad into segments like doing like 30 or miles or a quarter of your miles you know before breakfast eat some breakfast let's spread it out over the whole day with the packs foods not gonna have to go the same speeds designs well conserve as much energy as possible [Music] Brian and David will not cross another road for more than 200 miles they're completely on their own they need me to resupply them in two days and now I have to drive eight hours and hike for the miles to meet them every year people lose their lives crossing these rivers and climbing these high mountain passes all I can do is pray for their safety [Music] [Music] [Music] good to see you you guys hungry yes not much hearts and that's what I could be very happy today well even I lost funny I did a double step you went about four or five steps you guys go right across the main cross how's this morning or last night oh man the river crossings I know the first river we got to it was roaring and and I thought we can't cross this we found the best place and Brian crossed it and then he said I said we got a fight of her place and he was on the other side of stream he said no this is the best place I waited part of the way out in it and then turn around went back because I felt scared and then we hit that Malaysia Creek as we were going down the stream the stream was just Laurie and I thought we can't cross that we can't cross that Amber last thing I knew we had to cross we got there grind I said wait till in the morning or go do it tonight we're tired we thought when we go down and we said prayers to Lord you've grown us safe this for these two tickets the rest of the way as we started to cross it was so Swift and finally it's up under our armpits and I noticed him ahead of me right near the far bank the water actually moved him down several feet and then just a few seconds after that it moved me in and bought just for a second I thought I was gone initially the first time that I've been forwarding where I actually lost my my footing for a bit I've had you know one foot or one one of my four points come out not get in right away that happens all the time but I've never had both of my feet go chunk chunk and start going downstream and catch myself again that's never happened even happened to me before the water was was up to here the back of the pack was in the water the hands were in the water with the pulse straight down it was scary but when that water pick me up and move me you know ten or fifteen feet down the river I was looking for soil and then all of a sudden my feet hit soil I was getting ready out to swim where's my pack I wouldn't want my worst enemy to have crossed that stream that night in that condition he got a little hairy and Brian he crossed real quick then jumped out when he saw me slipping automatically saved my life that is what kind of man that he is that was the most dangerous thing I did the entire trip one of most dangerous things I've ever done in my life we should have gone to the meadow probably but I looked at it I said ah we could do this and we did but it was it it was very close and then as we started running downstream trying to get warm on the trail he said look over there and I looked over there and there's a huge waterfall I said you didn't tell me about that he said no I didn't and I'm glad he did one of the hardest things I've ever done yes we've been there [Music] long ways to Canada ever feel like I need a day off [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] but you never made it about this man I could not have made it to this stuff acknowledges snow route-finding and have skills bad Brian can have done it that a lot of help can't do anything like this [Music] we're dumping a lot of our gear and letting mr. JB Benn and take it out for us so it would be a lot more lightweight it's carrying this pack I'll pick it up if it doesn't feel that heavy but no being a runner I think I'm gonna stay a rubber I think I like lightweight gear this heavy weight gear is a little more than I need it's as you said it's heavy weight I can't wait to get to light gear again so that I can move a little faster cover a few more miles you just can't cover as much with all this weight are the easiness I mean even the first you know 700 miles is hard harder than I thought it'd be this never seems to be easy but I guess I shouldn't expect it to be easy should it has been unbelievably snowy hard arduous there isn't a word in English language that can describe how difficult it is either for him who hasn't done the backpacking and his run all the way from from camp out to here to get started or for me to come in good shape but not in thru-hikers shape to come and start doing this kind of miles right off the bat the ramp up is just incredible this has been extremely hard it also showed how tough David was as an ultra runner because you get some of the tougher runners in the country out there running with David saying I don't think this is something I'm gonna do that kind of speaks for how how tough David is and how what a challenge it is to do that type of event did you stay in Tehachapi I don't know some hotel downtown some cheap hotel but it didn't matter here's a hotel got a shower that was last Friday night then I sort of got an outside shower at Walker pass by Saturday and then Sunday night just wiped off their Kennedy Meadows and now it's Saturday the next week I bet I smell maybe Hugh's been holding up fine I'm using this almost new pair of Laila divides and I'm gonna take all the way through the snow area and look at this its heels scatter scabbed over skin you know that this one's not quite as bad but how many times did you fall too numerous to count sometimes I just want to say I give up I quit but you can't you gotta live you you wouldn't die you'd suffer more [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] the High Sierras is probably the most difficult time in my life or the most difficult thing in my life I knew there'd be snow I had no idea how much snow I haven't had a lot of experience going through snow like that I'd never I did not know what Sun cups were now to me Sun cups is one of the dirtiest words in the world I hate them I hate them of the passion it was hard for me to adjust from what I perceived as what we should do to a much smaller goal I know that first day with the high mountain passes over Forester pass 19 miles 13 hours for me to accept that was very very difficult and besides that I kept falling and falling and falling and without Brian Robinson I would have never made it through the Sierras he taught me so much he helped me so much he was such a steadying influence but also because of Ron Robinson it made it really difficult he was better than I was in the snow and Here I am doing this and he's better and I felt like that's not the way it should be [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] we were going from 20 meters to snore pass I plan on doing that in two days and after seeing how bad the snow was I knew it was impossible to in two days and Brian said we've got to do that 78 miles in three days so Brian and I took the packs and took a day and a half food supply and and we were gonna be met by Josh who was going to hike in food 18 miles to Hetch Hetchy crew access access for me to get into david on the trail fire roads horse roads were a lot worse than I ever imagined we ate the last of our food on the second day at two o'clock and then we got down place where he's supposed to drop the food off at three o'clock and there's snow all over the place it looks like a winter wonderland and there's no food there's no Josh and I said well I'll look around and bride said he's not going to make it he's not gonna have it here and I looked and looked and couldn't find it and got back to him and he said we can do one of two things he said we can hike out the Hetch Hetchy which is 18 miles downhill and then you're gonna have to hike back in 18 miles all over all the snow all we can go on without food and he said we can make it I said let's go on without food I had on three layers on bottom four or five layers on top every single thing I had doubted my sleeve back still freezing and we went to bed got up the next morning went all day long then that next afternoon four and a half miles from Sonora Pass Josh came back in and Medus waited went 26 and a half hours without food that was unbelievably difficult during that period of time I said I'm quitting not to Brian but to myself and the Lord you know you often hear people saying God spoke to me well this is the first time in my life I felt like God spoke to me What did he say to me David just do the best you can and water relief I thought that's all I can do my faith is important it's an important part of my life basically God gave me this talent and the talent the ability that I have is to run run long distances I'm worn again Christian which basically means ask Christ to save me recognize that was sinner needed a savior he came into my life as a sophomore in college and accepted Christ then also at the same time at my wife it's all part of me the running the teaching being a parent exercising does it get out of balance sometimes sure does every person struggles with getting things out of balance and what area they're like brother but hopefully as I get older and more mature as a Christian as run around I have a better balance sometimes I know where they don't just ask my wife if you don't believe that some people will say you know you're a saint for letting do all this stuff not really he wouldn't call me insane I'm sure because we do have a lot of heated conversations we have some arguments and we don't always agree on things and ultimately you know I know he's doing it because that's his love but to do this kind of crazy stuff that he does and knowing that physically and emotionally and mentally it's going to be hard on him that makes it hard on me I was so surprised this time David has always been so excited when he'd go on any of his trips and he'd get on the trail he'd call oh this is great I've seen this I'm seeing this I'm doing this whatever and towards the end now he got really emotionally every time you call when you know he'd miss us and all this stuff and couldn't wait till it was over and he was getting tired this time it started from the very day one he called and he was bawling I think my weakest link is my emotions I'm a very very emotional person I love chick-flicks that's my favorite things to watch a movie that makes you laugh in a movie makes you cry that's probably my weakness my emotions it's definitely not a strength in the way I guess I'm real but we climbed up that Alaska climbing up that last climbed to that Ridge where we go ahead in Sonora Pass and brighter that's left me because I couldn't keep up I said when I get out of here I'm quitting all day long if you'd said are you gonna quit yeah I'd said yes if that land a helicopter said you went out of here I'd said yes and right when I got the top of Ridge I thought no maybe I won't quit maybe I'll take a day off [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] once you make you commit that you have to fulfill it [Music] thank you done better since I last saw you JB lot better at that time did you still think I had a chance probably not though David had conquered this years he is now more than four days behind schedule to make things worse he also learned that squeaky who is attempting a calendar Triple Crown had also made it through the Sierras and had just set a new speed record with more than 1,700 miles to go in only 38 days David will have to remain strong if he still wants to have a chance of this feedback [Music] which started out just south of Crater Lake that morning and I made the big climb up to crater lake and I'd started very very early in the morning and just as I got to the edge of Crater Lake I looked out over the lake and in the eastern horizon there was all kinds of clouds and the Sun was coming up behind the clouds turning in all sorts of pink and dis all shades of people and it was just spectacular the sunrise there in the setting I'd never seen Crater Lake and it was so beautiful than Sun coming up and shining in the clouds and I just cried and called all my wife and the friends as I was going around the lake and just such a special special time and that has to be possibly the most special moment of the entire trip oh my support crew I had such great crews I had so much help and without that help it wouldn't have happened so a lot of times that after particle on the road and meet him on an intersecting trail set up camp for him and run a few miles in with food and water cook his food but then those days when it got really crazy with the long miles and stuff we wouldn't get done doing all of that stuff the shower the evening the I seen until midnight 1 2 o'clock every single day he would get up like 3:00 4:00 a.m. and and wanna and still need to start that time just so we could get you know 12 hours 16 hours later and finished before sunset so living on two three hours of sleep and he's doing all these miles all day and then the rest of us are driving cars around it just wears you out you know from all day long it's go go go go go and you don't have time to really rest you're always thinking about what you have to do next and you never know what could come up everything from talking about way through a roadblock because of forest fires 3:00 in the morning I mean flat pyres running through a complete overgrowth as fast as I could you're not really familiar with the area where you're going into getting up to the trail five minutes after their projected time there and looking for tracks to make sure they hadn't gone by and deciding which direction can't quit because and someone's out there David David's out there depending on me to to get him food and water great movies I thought he came to network he's motivational speakers he spoke boy you know I getting mister that ate some ice cream I know I scream ice cream is my favorite food even throughout the day having ice cream for him was the best way to get as many calories in him as possible he needed to consume about 6,000 calories a day I brought ice and it's not even cold how could I ever ice him well dawn Mukai did he brought it on dry ice we work with dry ice and just packed so many pints of ice cream and for him to eat I just need a second [Music] now see his eyes light up he just gets excited by those little things and and really appreciates it [Music] I'm sorry I just need I'll take this one now y'all need a drink too probably getting weak too [Music] the Bermuda Triangle I I almost don't want to even try to explain it it is the most unique experience I've ever had in my life if there's ever been a time warp a distance warp it happened scott mokuba is going to meet us there I got up that morning when they took off at 4:30 drove five hours and got food and started running down towards Stewie confirm Rainy Pass just the Lord's intervention he heard me holler and medicine gave us food well we started out of there and it climbs and climbs and finally you crossed this suspension bridge and and Jurek looked to the mount myself what were you gotta have to go if he said six point nine miles us okay let's go surely we can get out of here and you know three four hours and then we were going up the hill and we would a long way he's not ran a lot walks a lot we were having good time and I said okay half order we have to go they said two and a half miles so here we were just walking and walking and walking and not gaining any elevation but feeling like we're going uphill and we went a long long ways he said oh that's it what do you mean no he said I made a mistake I said oh okay we have two and half miles to go he said yeah and then we went a long long ways and he said oh I said what this time we got two and a half more miles he said no 3.4 miles walking and walking gaining no elevation and not gaining and we're losing mileage ok and then we went and went and went and went and ran and walking around and walk walking and walking and walking in and we seemed he'd never get closer and we thought we were going to get there about eight or nine o'clock now it's dark and we can't see Scott's flashlight so I turn around and run back and Scott standing in the trail and I'm with Scott Scott Scott he's not saying anything and then all of a sudden he's like oh oh my gosh cuz I'm falling asleep and then I get running back up to David and David is yelling at the PCG come on PCT is that the best you can do come on laughing and crazy and Scott's back there sleeping on his feet then we started running uphill and then we laughed and then we cried and we ran and ran and then we kept going on and on and on and it's 10 o'clock it's let my o'clock [Music] and it was just annihilating us mentally the other two races when he would come home he would have nightmares physically he was exhausted he was ill he was hard to be around I had expected the nightmares because after the other two I had nightmares for a couple of weeks bad nightmares always getting lost and running and moving I did have the same recurring dream night after night that I had for the last probably month on the PCT and the dream was the same just different variations I've got to go I've got a move I've got a hurry up I'm not making my ground no I'm sleeping no no I've got to make more ground ok to make more ground no you're sleeping and every night us having that dream know you're behind hurry up hurry up and as always make time make distance hurry hurry [Music] [Music] and I began the Pacific Crest Trail I saw it as a great adventure [Music] what I didn't know is that it was going to change my life forever the experience being on that trail surrounded by all that beauty for months on end slowly opened my heart expanded my mind and changed my value system forever I began to realize how little I really needed to be happy in the world [Music] all the way touched both monuments Mexico Canada [Music] it was worth it the whole spirits was humbling in fact yesterday I asked you what did you notice different between before I started in the Sierras and you said you were more humble well the whole spirits was humbling from the standpoint of what can I do what can any one person do we need people we need each other we need the Lord we can't do much by ourselves in a way I wish I could plug you and everyone else into my body and see what I've seen but also and this is probably the human part I wish I could plug you into my body and let you feel what I felt how I've hurt how I've hurt physically have heard mentally have hurt the most I have suffered a lot in the past I suffered a lot in this suffering is not always bad I hope that what happened here is continues to help people in some way it was just a group up of a team effort [Music] [Applause] [Music] don't get caught up in the fact that wishing away your life and thinking of the end enjoy the journey [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Laughter] [Music] [Laughter] [Music] monitor no specific question [Music] sign the register 8:8 this date tonight this is nice thanks Matt over 66 days 7 hours and 16 minutes I'm being glad in this tickle that it's over 66 days 7 hours that's a long time is 15 days I guess that's so good enough of course I'd like for my PCT director said for a long long time it would sort of be depressing as the first person at Rice it breaks it by you know two weeks and I used to think it wouldn't bother me when my 80 record be broken but I remember when it was happening it was depressing that it would be the same thing with respect to the PCT you know I hope someone challenges it but I hope they fail in terms of beating my time there will always be a certain amount of reward and satisfaction from the 80 as well as the PCT in terms of first person who really went after either one an alter owning style crude and said lowered the record to a very very difficult standard just hope it doesn't happen next summer say come on PCT is that the best you can do come on then we started running uphill and then we laughed and then we cried no he ran and ran and ran and then we kept going on and on and on and it's ten o'clock it's let my clock and then finally we came out on the road at three minutes to midnight and just laughed and said that's it PCT you can't grip us [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] what's the revelation we need people we need people we needed relationships without people we're in trouble we need help I called on the Lord much I called on people must you always you getting out you down you get up time after time and that's what happened to me it's very very wrong at times but not now now it's good that's good things as for me I learned two important lessons from this experience once you make a commitment you have to fulfill that commitment [Music] we need people you need francs [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] the [Music] [Music] Brian show us how he cries can you ride [Music] [Laughter] [Music] you

Channel: journeyfilm

Views: 77,851

Rating: 4.8323808 out of 5

Keywords: Journeyfilm, Ultra running, trail running, running

Id: wNkX0Pf2w5A

Length: 77min 31sec (4651 seconds)

Published: Wed Apr 08 2020

Reddit Comments

[u/buttmountainca]

Kinda an interesting throwback to how the trail was fifteen years ago. Thanks for sharing.

[u/hikehitcher]

I watched this the other day. When they got to evolution creek and crossed at the trail I kept thinking, "Why didn't they cross in the meadow?" Then after in the interview they say,"we probably should have crossed in the meadow." If something happens at the meadow you have 1/2 mile of calm slow water before the actual trail crossing which dumps into waterfalls and rapids. Always cross in the meadow.