Stage Race Sunday! Who’s coming to play in the desert this year?
Texas isn’t big enough to contain the adventures of Thomas Mullins! Let’s bring him up to the high desert for an adventure!
Marital Status: Married 17 Years
Number of Children: None (That’s Why I Have Money)
Occupation:
Basic life support instructor. (Cprguydfw.com) Product development and testing for athletic apparel.
Years running:
My whole life. Grew up on a remote ranch did lots of running and walking went broke down on the middle of nowhere sometimes would run into town a miles one way.
Years running ultras:
Started running ultras four years ago. Raced mountain bikes and adventure racing for 20+ years got bored with it and discovered destination running back country and ultras. Great way to see the back country with a bit of a safety net.
Ultras I have done:
Bigfoot 206.5; Leadville 100 a couple of times; Transpecos Ultra 160 – seven day stage race in Big Bend, TX; Dinosaur Valley 100; Silver Rush 50; Cross Timbers 50; Rocky Hill Texas 100K; Rough Creek 40. Too many to list. Not an ultra but also the San Juan Hut-to-Hut 200 from Durango to Moab.
Favorite race and why:
Hands-down my favorite race and trail adventure was Bigfoot 200 last year (2017). The various ecosystems we ran through were crazy amazing. Started out running around Mount Saint Helens – crazy hot – then had freezing fog, torrential downpours, and snow over the course of four days. My wife drove from aid station to aid station over 600 miles of forest roads through the Gifford Pinchot National Forest with the rest of my crew. It was amazing running with so many other people through such a remote area and helping each other along the way. Life-changing for sure. Another favorite trail adventure is the Leadville 100 Training Camp held in June.
Best results in races:
The best results in my races are the ones I finish with no injury and meet many new people along the way. I love adventure and being outside in the great outdoors.
Tell us something about yourself, running related or other:
I love adventure and being outside in the great outdoors. Love traveling and dirt bagging my summers away in Colorado. I am a basic life support instructor, also certified and trained in wilderness medicine through the NOLS program, also a certified water rescuer and RRCA certified running coach. Gave up watching TV a few years ago, read lots of books. Love destination running – it gives you the opportunity to see backcountry. Have run across the Chihuahua desert and also R2R2R as well as the rooftop of the Grand Canyon. Have traveled and lived all over the United States and also went to school overseas. Grew up farming and ranching. And also am a full time RV’er down here in the heart of Texas. Mostly avoiding growing up and being responsible. Always looking for the next big adventure. Hello Desert RATS, my name is Thomas Mullins. Super pumped to be here!
What’s your favorite way to train for Desert RATS:
My favorite way to train for Desert RATS is one day at a time. This Texas heat with 90%+ humidity is excellent training for that desert jog from Grand Junction to Moab.
What are your goals for Desert RATS:
My goals for the Desert RATS Stage Race is to experience the wonderful desert between Grand Junction and Moab, have fun, laugh, learn, eat, finish injury free and hopefully make lots of great new friends. I will be using this as a training race for Moab 240.