The Big Ditch R2R2R

“Just go ahead, I know my way back.”

After 40 ounces of lemonade at the Phantom Ranch, I stopped having chills despite 90 degree temperature. With 2 liters of water in my pack, gels, dried mango, I figured that I was finally correcting my fluid and energy deficit and working on correcting my electrolyte imbalance. However, every step that I tried to run, I felt nauseous and my muscles started to cramp. Greg and Jay looked great, as they pulled away, I didn’t want to spoil or prolong their run back to the North Rim.

From the moment we started the day I was off by an hour and that was the way the day would finish. Arizona is an hour behind, Utah. I guess they don’t believe in daylight savings. The Jacob Lake Lodge opens at 6:30. The order of business was coffee then run. At 6:20 Greg, Jay, and Adrienne were leisurely sleeping. The day was going to be hot, we needed to move, I nudged Greg because we were approaching 6:20. I was getting nervous. It was 5:20 in Arizona.

By the time we had coffee, the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary contingent had arrived and made the drive with us to the North Rim for their run across the Grand Canyon.

Having never been to the Grand Canyon, I had expectations of pulling up to a spectacular vista. The North Rim takes a while to reveal itself, starting in a forest of ponderosa pines with not so much of a view. Slowly the ponderosas gave way to a few aspens, and before long it was definite red dirt and desert foliage with a long gorge leading to the Colorado River. Greg and Jay made a quick pace down the trail. I stopped to take a few photos and ran fast to catch up. My stomach wasn’t quite right from a viral gastroenteritis earlier in the week (perks of being a pediatrician), but my legs felt good. I thought that as long as I could keep hydrated things would be fine. The first 7 miles of descent flew by in a about an hour. The next 7 miles to Phantom Ranch the temperature started to rise. We kept a steady pace running even the little risers. Greg and I were entertained by Jay’s stories of travels to Munich, Washington D.C., and his interests in long distance biking. I wasn’t much of a travel companion, already feeling the effects of the heat, I was only able to ask an occasional feeble question.

At Phantom Ranch (mile 14) we stashed some gels, filled our hydration packs and set out for the other side of the big ditch. As we crossed the Colorado, it was clear that Jay had fresh legs and was ready for the long ascent. The South Kaibab trail is an exposed, spectacular and hot 5,000 foot climb. We all pulled out our BD ultra poles and started the climb. I watched in awe as Jay lithely ran the initial pitch. I suspect that Greg could have gone with him, but was trying to save himself for the way back. It wasn’t long before Jay had a 5 minute gap, but as we approached the first mesa, Jay was waiting with his shirt off, with good news that we were ahead of “Krissy’s pace”. We climbed the second section together, and picked up a day hiker who seemed intent on staying with us. The winds were intense enough to blow a few hikers hats off and make a few huddle behind rocks. There were a number of folks that had full burqa’esque face gear to beat the wind and dust. While the winds made it feel more comfortable, the water loss accelerated. We continued to pass people on our ascent, but the day hiker drank from a milk jug of water and pulled away even from Greg and Jay. Clearly he had not been out in the sun for so long. I arrived at the South Rim in 4 hours and 24 minutes a few minutes after Greg and Jay. I filled my pack with 2 liters of water, and we made our way back down the South Kaibab trail. Jay invited me to lead the way in my new Hoka Bondi B’s. Despite exceptional trails, encouragement of hikers telling us that we were “crazy”, new shoes and the knowledge that I had an opportunity to run downhill for 6+ miles, I could not get much going. The Nuun no longer tasted good. I was sore tired and worried that I bit off more than I could chew. I once again pulled out my poles which proved to help counter the downhill work on the quads, and helped hopping over all the bars on the trail. The corners were a little easier to turn with the aid of a pole. In the tunnel leading to the bridge across the Colorado river, I slowed down and enjoyed the short time out of the sun. My pack was empty, and I needed water. Greg and Jay headed to retrieve our stashed goodies. By the time we got to Phantom Ranch, I was cooked.

The cantina was a welcome stop, with tables of people drinking Tecate, lemonade, ice tea, playing poker, talking, resting. Greg, Jay and I sat outside and drank our iced “lemmy”. I started to feel better, and figured another “lemmy” might replenish the tank. The dollar refill seemed like a bargain, but I should have had two more.

As we left the Phantom Ranch, Greg and Jay effortlessly pulled away. Over the next 7 miles to the Cottonwood Campground, I tried to run. I had a good internal laugh over the “Central Governor Theory”. I was experiencing the peripheral governor theory... run and cramp, or puke. My brain was happy to tell my body what to do. The body was in full revolt and in full control. I walked. By the Cottonwood Campground I must have been a fine bit of entertainment for the people taking a break in the shade. I sat by the water spigot, 15 meters from a bench and picnic table, both with sensible people sitting out of the sun. I sat drinking water, eating dried mango, and gels for what seemed like an eternity or at least long enough that one of my observers came over and asked politely to wet her towel, but reassured me that I need not move. When the crows started to settle a tree above me, it was time to move. Not far down the trail, I had one of those moments only the seasoned runner can appreciate. My stomach stopped protesting, and went into full revolt. The water, mango and gels were now on the side of trail. Almost immediately I started to feel better. The water was now going in and I was again eating.

My gut and mind were now clear. There was shade, the temperature seemed to drop, I was able to start to fuel and hydrate again. Now all I could think about was Adrienne, Jay and Greg waiting at the car for my sorry soul to climb out of the big ditch. They were probably hungry and ready to go. The wind was now at my back and I started to look at my watch for the elevation change. While I appreciated the scenery as I climbed, I still didn’t have the energy to pull out the camera.

When I got to the car, despite the dropping temperatures I was warmly met by Jay, Adrienne, and Greg. We traveled 42 miles, 10,666 feet of ascent. Greg and Jay were almost an hour faster over the last 14 miles.

Thanks to Jay for planning yet another great adventure.

Thanks to Greg for sharing his photos.

Trail Conditions 2011

UPDATE: Thanks for all the input on trail conditions this last weekend! I've started putting the day an update has been made to a particular area on the trail conditions page. That should be a little easier to look at the most up to date information.

I've been holding off on writing this post as I was afraid I might jinx the warm weather spell we've had this week along the Wasatch Front. But with that in mind I wanted to remind everyone living here in northern Utah we have a little system in place for tracking trail conditions in the high country. Simply click on the area you are interested in on the trail conditions page and you will find current conditions, as reported by fellow trail runners.

Of course this only works if YOU log what you see on the trail conditions form. Just fill in the blanks and it will appear on the appropriate trail conditions page and you will have karma on your side, at least for your next run. It only takes a minute to let everyone know that snow is still packed in on the way to Mt Aire or that Black Mountain is good to go. I will update tomorrow with my findings from the higher elevations and I hope I find similar findings as we all search out somewhere new to run.

Thank you,
Desperately seeking the high country...

Fun Run Rescheduled

I regret to inform you all that the Grandeur fun Run has been cancelled this weekend, and will be held next Saturday, the 21st. Same time, same place.

I was just enlightened to the plans of Salt Lake County, the Open Space Trust Fund and Millcreek Township to hold a Purge the Spurge event to help eliminate the noxious weed Myrtle Spurge from the Grandeur Open Space. It's being held May 14th at the Grandeur Trail Head from 9 to noon. After talking to the director of the event, I felt that the best plan would be to postpone our little run, to give them the best possible outcome, and to avoid any possible negative run-ins with the county-it wouldn't look good if all their volunteers put off their weed pulling to indulge in some pancakes :)

Upwards of 100 volunteers, including Mayor Peter Corroon, will be there with media coverage to publicize the event. I would suggest that as many of you as can make it, show up to help clean up the Grandeur space that we all love.

I'm sorry for the last minute change of plans. I know that many of you are getting ready for Pocatello 50, running the Ogden Marathon, participating in the Sand Hollow Triathalon, and many other events. Hopefully we'll still get a good turnout, and ensure that the Grandeur Fun Run is around for many years to come.

Please pass the word along to anyone you know who was planning on it.

Thanks-

Erik

7 Days and Counting

The much anticipated Grandeur Fun Fun is just a week away, Sat May 14 at 7:00 am, and looks to be as fun as ever. For snow conditions, check out the picture at the top of the blog, and the two below. They were taken this morning. Just after the top photo was taken a shoe was lost and the trail was marked with shin blood thanks to some great post holing. Fun!!!

The run is pretty much the same as always. Check out the link to the right or click here for all the details. The only change this year is the opportunity to use the run for a little fundraising. Nothing too drastic or demanding. Just a great opportunity to help brighten a young child's Christmas.

Come on out for a great group run and a little breakfast to replenish those depleted glycogen stores.

Salt Flats 100 Race Report

“No!” was the emphatic response from Christian when I asked, “Should I run the inaugural Salt Flats 100?” Peter just shook his head in a way that said he agreed with Christian. Greg remained neutral with the statement, “It would be an interesting place to take pictures.”

Christian caught that I was taken aback by the certainty of his answer and followed-up with a “Why?” I explained that my rational brain agreed with him and knew running the Salt Flats 100 was a bad idea. It recognized that it is too early in the year for me to run a 100 miler since I don’t have the base miles in yet. It reminded me that I’m feeling healthy and asked why would I want to take a chance on getting hurt. And, with a number of races coming up at 2-week intervals, it asserted that I would not have time to recover and would be racing with heavy legs – something it advised me I did not want!

However, my emotional brain which “wears the pants” in my head so to speak, had me convinced me that, a) a long run would be good for me, b) a 100 mile PR could a possibility, and c) it would be just f’n cool to run out on the Salt Flats (my rational brain did argue that the Salt Flats would still be there next year and that there was no urgency to run this year, but what does that brain know??).

Given the title of this post you know that my emotional brain prevailed.

“I’m not worthy” was all I could think as I stood at the starting line with Davy Crockett, Ben Benjamin and Heidi Bennett, who between them have more one-hundred milers under their collective belts than I have years. This was a run of the veterans and I felt honored to be in their presence.

The first 11 miles of the course follows a dike through the salt flats. Completely flat. Completely straight. And, completely void of vegetation. Surreal would be an understatement! Perfect terrain to get started on my “day dream list,” topics that I knew would allow me to withdraw into my head for many hours (and hopefully many miles)

The course then circumnavigates Floating Island, which truly appears to be floating in the Salt Flats when viewed from a distance. From Floating Island the course traverses over to Silver Island. The first 30 miles of the course are mostly flat on graded gravel roads.

My goal for the day was to try and set a 100 PR and hopefully go sub 16. At aid station #2 (21 miles) I was ahead of my splits and feeling optimistic I could have a strong run. Then, as the road curved around the north side of Silver Island I hit a strong wind blowing over Donner/Reed pass. For the next 8 miles I pushed into a relentless 20 mph + wind. By the time I reached Aid #3 (30 miles) I was back on my splits. I was discouraged as it was too early in the day to be loosing time. I felt worked from pushing into the wind. Leaning into the wind with each stride taking just a bit more effort had caused my hamstrings to become super tight. And, with the wind and intermittent sideward blowing snow I was unable to stay warm. I had lost motor control in my arms and was having a hard time pulling my bottles in and out of my hip pack. Maybe Christian was right. This was a bad idea!

From Aid #3 the course turned north onto Crater Island for a 16 mile out and back. I was stoked in that there were two good climbs and descents that allowed me to stretch my hamstrings and work my legs differently. The mountains blocked the wind and I was feeling good again.

I came into Aid #5 (46 miles) 15 minutes ahead of my splits. Could I really have picked it up that much? Was I feeling that much better? Perhaps my splits were off. None-the-less, my head was back in the race. To add extra spirit to my soul, my parents were waiting for me at Aid #5 to wish me well. How thoughtful of them to drive out from Salt Lake for a brief 1 minute encounter. They have always been highly supportive of my running from that very first day when I was 17, after reading in Outside Magazine about the Western States 100 when I announced to them that there was this 100-mile trail run in California across the Sierras that I wanted to do. I can remember the incredulous looks on their faces when I explained that if I finished in less than 24 hours I would get a belt buckle. I’m sure at the time, that odd proclamation made no sense to them, but from that moment on they have always been there to support me in my running and cycling endeavors.



After Aid #5, RD Vince Romney drove by to let me know that the turn-around on the out and back had been misplaced by about a mile. Damn! No wonder my split had been so good. Vince said that he would come up with multiplier to add to the times that would account for the shortage.

From Aid #5 the course climbs several thousand feet through a canyon that cuts across Silver Island. The climb felt good, though I could feel the wind at my back and knew that once I connected to the main road and began the second loop around the north end of Silver Island that I would again be pushing into the wind. Such a shame to waste a tailwind on a climb I thought to myself as I stressed about not knowing what time I would need to break 16 hours. After doing some mental math, I convinced myself that I should be safe if I could finish in less than 15:40.

The second time around the north side of Silver Island I felt better. I suspect it was nothing more than I knew what to expect and I appropriately managed my expectations. After Aid #7 (69 miles) I knew that I would soon be seeing Erik and Christian. I had been running alone since the start and was looking forward to the company. Plus, I knew that through a combination of them encouraging me, and me not wanting to disappoint them – I would be able to finish the last 25 miles with strength and dignity.

At Aid #8 (80 miles) the course crosses over Silver Island from the west to the east and then back to the west. On the last climb over the island I could tell I was running out of gas. Erik could sense me fading and set the perfect pace to pull me up the hill and back down to Aid #9 (91 miles) where Christian was waiting. In typical Christian style, Christian had calculated EXACTLY what we needed to do the last 9 miles in to finish in less than 15:40. “Beam me to the finish, Christian” I thought as we clipped along.

I crossed the finish line in 15:36 hoping that it was good enough to claim a sub 16 100-mile time. Regardless, I felt good and knew I had run a good race for me. I was content.

Top finishers were (times are adjusted to factor in the 2 mile shortage)

Jay Aldous 15:57
Davy Crockett 22:01
Heidi Bennett 25:50

A big thanks to race director Vince Romney and family who went to tremendous lengths to pull of an amazing first year event that included some surprises including nasty weather, sabotaged flagging, and flat tires. Thank you Vince. My crystal ball says this is going to be a great annual race.

And Christian, Peter and Greg, something tells me I’ll be pacing you at some point as you shoot for a 100-mile PR out on the Salt Flats!

Bosho Marathon Report

For me the Bosho marathon represents the true end of winter. It’s also chance to catch up with friends and meet some new ones in a low-key setting. And finally, to me at least, it represents what trail running is all about, enjoying the trails with some of the friendliest people around, fellow trail runners. Thank you to those who cannot be named for everything you do to keep the Bosho alive.

Two years ago I had some pretty good race fitness heading into the Bosho and I came out of it with a PR of 4:12 and a distant 2nd place to Karl Meltzer (note that a number of strong runners went off course early that year). Ever since then I’ve really wanted to break the 4 hour mark at the Bosho and with even better fitness this time around I thought it might be possible.

After a few words of advice from our faithful RD’s we were sent on our way. The pace was really nice and easy to start, just rolling along the double track and talking with friends. Then we hit the first climb and Karl made a quick pass in front of me. I tucked in behind him as my breathing rate increased and we immediately had a gap to the rest of the field. Up and over the first significant climb I was feeling good and didn’t really feel stressed at all. Descending down into Georges Hollow I noticed how quickly Karl was moving and I had to push to keep up. About that same time my toe hooked a rock and I went flying into dirt. Mid-flight I was already angry with myself and by the time I touched down I was over it as I watched Karl run down the drainage (his headphones were on and he didn’t hear me fall). By the time we reached the road crossing I had caught back up and realized my sunglasses were missing from head. My heart rate monitor strap also came loose so I tore it off and dropped it at the start/finish area as we passed through in 37 minutes.

The next obstacle was Dry Creek and Dry Fork with the long climb up Unkle (or Black Mtn Ridge if you prefer) and the drainages were anything but dry this year. We made no effort to try and tiptoe around the stream crossings in the beginning as we knew that we would soon be trudging through an icy stream in Dry Fork. I certainly don’t mind running with wet feet, but frozen feet are a different story and I was happy when we hit dry land for the final ascent up to the ridge. Karl made a quick pit stop and I assumed the lead as I crested the ridge and started the long descent. Slowly the blood flow returned to my feet and I looked back down the climb to see a large pack of runners on the last pitch of the climb only a few minutes back. Karl easily caught back up before we hit the aid station at mile 9 and by the time we hit Morris Meadow at 9.5 we were at 1:29. My pre-race pacing plan had the meadow at 1:20, so I became a little concerned about breaking 4 hours at this point and picked up the pace as we crossed the meadow.

Back in 2009 I had done this northern loop in 1:40, but that’s when it was the beginning, not 10 miles in. This year the plan was to cover it in 1:50 since I figured fatigue would have an effect on pace by this point. I continued to press the pace all the way to the radio towers where I had opened a small gap to Karl. Up and over the crest I spotted Le Car with it’s fabulous new paint job and picked up a rock. My aim was perfect for once but the rock fell short by a few feet and I was actually happy about not hitting it this time around. By the time we hit the North Salt Lake bench Karl had easily closed the gap as we started the long descent up to Meridian Peak. I could tell the extra climbing I’ve been doing this year was paying off as I assumed the lead and felt strong. Karl would have none of it though and took the lead shortly before the long descent back into the canyon.

Toward the bottom we had a quick exchange and I let him know my intentions about breaking 4 hours. His reaction was awesome, because from that point on it seemed like Karl’s mission was to help me get my goal. The pace he set was steady and fast as we hit the climb back up to the meadow. At the top I glanced at my watch and was astonished to see we had covered the loop in 1:38. My confidence was restored as I had my bottle re-filled by Olaf at the aid station and started the climb up to 5 points with Karl right behind me.

By the time we hit 5 points I was ready to just roll a nice and steady pace along the BST back to the finish. I knew I had a bit of a buffer on the 4 hour goal at this point, with 35 mins left to cover the remainder of the course, but that wasn’t good enough as Karl encouraged me to run harder. I pressed harder than I had all day, hitting my absolute limit and feeling everything start to hurt. It was awesome. Back in Dry (wet) creek I could feel my hamstring on the verge of cramping but I wouldn’t give up as Karl was right behind me, pushing me to go faster. We started the last little climb to the upper BST and I was in survival mode as Karl assumed the lead. I gamely held on as the last descent started but I couldn’t go any faster as Karl opened up his stride and put about 10 seconds on me. I was slightly bummed at first, but as I looked up I noticed Karl had stopped short of the finish line and was looking back for me. He waited until I approached and we crossed the line together, stopping the clock just a few seconds before 3:56. Between the weather, the trail conditions and the company on the trail I couldn’t have asked for more.

Erik was next to cross the line a few minutes back, followed by a few other guys heading to Hardrock in July, including David Hayes and Ben Corrales. Jason Berry, Bryon Powell and Jeff Gerke were in the top 10 along with Peter and Greg but I don’t know the order off the top of my head. Roger snuck in ahead of Jill to even the score for this year, followed a short time later by Cheryl. That’s when I started to grow a little anxious as I knew Betsy wouldn’t be too much later, unless of course the wheels had completely come off. She was hoping to go under 7 hours but I thought 6:30 was more feasible. Next thing I knew I saw her flying down the hill and stopping the clock just under 6 hours. I’m so proud of her.

Thanks again to those that make this possible, it’s one of the true gems on the calendar.

Race Report - Red Mountain 50k - Sabotaged

After a subpar race a month earlier on Antelope Island I needed to race again and soon to get the bad taste out of my mouth. The Red Mountain 50k in Ivins Utah, near St. George, seemed to fit the bill. I checked out the race profile and realized it would be hard not to PR my 50k time. Basically the entire course is downhill. I wasn't too thrilled about the 19 miles on the road, but it would be a good opportunity to get some leg turnover in and run a fast time. So I signed up the night before registration closed.

The morning of the race came quickly, I woke up feeling refreshed, relaxed and ready to go. I slept unusually good for a pre-race sleep. My brother in law Ryan, lives in St. George and he agreed to drive me to the start line and save me a few minutes of sleep and not having to take the bus to the starting line. He also was going to meet me at mile 12 where the trail met the road and help me out with anything I needed.

The start line was the same as the St. George Marathon , a big dirt shoulder with a few port potties. It was pretty windy and cold up there (nothing surprising there). It was also quite dark still. I decided to wear my headlamp realizing I would be able to see in about 30 minutes after the race started but didn't want risk running without one. I would just drop it off to my brother in law at mile 12. Running on trails without a light can be rough and I didn't want that slowing me down

The time came to get to the start line. The race director then was going to have us sing the national anthem, but the sound system didn't work, so we all just pledged allegiance to the flag instead. That was a first for me for any race. Kind of cool actually.

Before I knew it, we were off. I settled into a 7:00 mile pace right off the bat. Not too fast, not too slow. I was just giving myself a chance to warm up a bit, feel out the competition and see where my body was at. I can usually tell how my race is going to go a half mile into it, unlike Antelope Island a month earlier, I felt great and got excited.

By mile 4 I was all by my lonesome out in front . My watched beeped at me and I looked down and saw 6:19. No wonder. I better check myself, so I backed off a bit and just concentrated on my nutrition and the course markers and enjoyed the run. Miles just started to click by one after another with little effort and went by without any incidents until mile 9.

After a quick pit stop at the aid station, I was off once again. I ran around the corner and saw the course markers pointing west and continued down the road. Shortly after that, there was a good sized creek I had to run through followed by a pretty big hill... I thought to myself, " I don't remember this being on the course profile." But I just saw markers pointing this way so I just shrugged and continued up the hill.

Once I got to the top of the hill, that awful feeling of "you are going the wrong way" started to creep in. For some reason I just kept going thinking I would see markers around the next corner, then the next. But there was nothing. Now I was starting to get worried after that last mile and not seeing anything and almost started to panic.

By the time I came to a major intersection with no markers about 2 miles down the road I had to make a decision. I was definitely going the wrong way. I had to either go back and run an extra 4 miles for the course or continue on and hope the road would drop back down on the course.

I started to picture the Google map I was looking at the night before in my mind and I remembered seeing a road on top of a ridge line on the west side of the river that dropped down to the course. I was 75% sure this was it. Any sane person would have just gone back, but for some reason my instincts were telling me it would be fine. So I turned up the road and continued running the wrong way.

My mind was racing now. I don't think I have ever ran a race the wrong way on purpose before. Was I committing race suicide? I basically just threw the race out by doing this. I was able to look down over the ridge line and see the Santa Clara River, that deep stream I crossed 2 miles back. If this road just kept on going, I would just jump off the side of the road and bush whack my way back down to where the course really should be.

The road continued on for another mile or so and then started to drop and head towards where the I was hoping it would. My adrenaline was pumping. I looked down at my watch as it beeped at me, 6:04. I didn't care at this point. It was mile 12 and I was supposed to be on the road by now. All I could think about was how many people would be ahead of me when I found my way back. I continued to run down the road pretty hard and all of sudden it turned north and then east.. there was the aid station and the road. What a sight for sore eyes. My watched beeped for mile 13. I only ran 1 extra mile. My instincts were right.

I met my brother in law as I got onto the main paved road and asked if anyone was else had come by yet and no one had. Something wasn't right. Did everyone take the same wrong turn? What was going on? We were supposed to come down a road north of the aid station, I came down a road west of the aid station. I clearly remember the arrows pointing to the river to cross, I couldn't think of anywhere else I could have gone wrong. More on this later.

My watch had a total time of 1:31 for 13 miles, my pace was still on where I wanted it to be. (even with the extra mile) I took a deep breath and took off down the road feeling anxious about what could be going on behind me. Talk about a roller coaster of emotions during a race.

About 10 minutes later, my brother in law came driving up behind me. He told me a couple runners came down the same road about 7 minutes after I did. That helped me relax a bit. I then turned my attention back to the race at hand.

Instead of adjusting my race plan for the extra mile, I just let go and was still going to race for the 31 and not care what happened after that. I started to fly down the canyon road. I knew I would pay for it later on, but at this point it didn't matter. I would deal with that when I got to it. Feeling pretty crisp, I covered the next 13.1 miles in 1:20 and I just ran a 2:51 marathon. I still had 6 miles to go. It was getting hard to ignore that extra mile.

I survived one more mile and the wheels started to fall off. Not terribly, but I had to slow down, my legs were just trashed from all the downhill running that I was not used too at the pace I was moving. The last 5k could have just been another 10 miles. It was a bear. As I got closer to 31 miles, I knew it was going to get my goal of a sub 3:30. I unofficially passed 31 miles in 3:27:58. I will take it. But I still had another mile or so to go. I finally crossed the finish line in an official time of 3:36:19 after 32.2 or so miles.

After talking with race director and another 50ker who was familiar with the course, they said someone had sabotaged the course the night before and re-marked it to go the wrong direction (to cross the river and up the hill). That is unbelievable. Everyone made it back ok as far as I know, most people ended up running an extra mile (if they ran the same route I did) or 2-4 extra miles if they turned back. This could have gotten real ugly and someone could have gotten into some serious trouble going the wrong way. Thank goodness no one got hurt.

All in all it was a good race experience and kind of crazy at times haha. If you want to PR your 50k, this is one to do for sure. Highly recommend it.

Trail Gear Testing – Zion Style

This past weekend I traveled to Zion National Park for some warmer weather AND some trail gear testing. You see, I’ve got a couple of big runs coming up including a 4X Grand Canyon crossing, the Millwood 100 and the 200 mile Tor des Geants – so I was feeling a compulsion to test some new gear.

On day one I ran from Lee Pass to Wildcat Canyon. Things to test on this run… First, with the sun shining and the temperatures in the low 70’s – could my paisley winter skin handle three hours of sun?? I’m most pleased to report that the mild sunburn feels GREAT! A passing grade on that test. Second, I’ve had trouble finding a good set of headphones. I’ve tried almost every kind of ear bud with no success. They seem to always be falling out; whether from pounding descents, the cords getting snagged by vegetation, or they simply seem to slide out of my ears when I’m sweating heavily. Last week I purchased a pair similar to what I’ve seen Jared Campbell and Karl Meltzer use – a behind the head pair of “neck phones.” If figured if they work for these guys, then they should work for me. I’m pleased to report that they performed smashingly! They stayed in place. They were comfortable. And, I didn’t have to mess with them while I was running to keep them in place. Thanks guys!

And lastly, I recently purchased a new iPod Nano 6th generation thinking the small size would be perfect for running. To say using it was frustrating would be kind. I do not find the controls intuitive. Without glasses I can’t see the icons. And, the battery life is less than my old iPod Nano 5th generation. I’ll give it another try or two before crying “uncle” and going back to the 5th generation.

Day two brought out the Hokas and the Black Diamond Ultra Distance poles. Because of all the snow in Salt Lake, I’ve mostly been running low and haven’t had much vertical. I was excited to run up to Observation Point, a 2100’ climb in less than 4 miles and test the poles on the ascent, and see if the Hokas were as great as people have been saying for the descent.

Poles have been strongly recommended for the Tor des Geants with its more than 76,000 vertical. I purchased a pair several months ago on the advice of Jared Campbell and have used them on several runs with flailing results. I’ve had a hard time getting into a rhythm with them. I find they caught in vegetation. And, I have a hard time daydreaming when I need to think about what to do with my arms. Ughh!! But on this climb I got into the groove and the poles felt a part of me. I felt I had a bit more power. I found the poles were rhythmic and helped with my turnover and pace. And most important, I reached Observation Point from the trailhead in less than 45 minutes. Probably the fastest I have ever reached the top. There may be something to these poles!! At just 4.5oz each, these super light collapsible poles are pretty cool. They can easily be extended or collapsed on the go (extending them is almost more fun than I should be allowed to have) and they are surprisingly rigid. Only problem, I don’t know what to do with them when I am not using them. It looks like I will need to purchase a hydration pack with tie-downs for poles.

As for the Hokas… I have to admit that I have disparaged them on multiple occasions. They look stupid! The hype is annoying! And it is JUST WRONG to pay $160 for a pair of shoes. For this test, Peter had loaned me his pair saying, “you just need to try them.” And frankly, I was curious as to what they are like. Well, they were pretty amazing on the downhill. I was able to open it up full throttle and not feel like I was beating the sh*t out of my feet. Now I’m conflicted. I won’t pay that much for shoes. I refuse to look like a clown. But, I can see a role for these shoes in the quiver.

For day three, no testing was allowed. Just my favorite La Sportiva Crosslites, a hand held water bottle, a soft cotton Armani shirt and me on a 14 mile run. No distractions. No hindrances. No thinking. Just good times trail running in Zion…

Desert R.A.T.S. Trail Running Festival 50 mile Race Report

Take it easy baby

take it as it comes

don't move to fast

and you want your love to last

oh you been moving much to fast

These lyrics gave me a laugh as the Doors song played over my headphones at mile 43 just as my legs were starting to cramp up. At the time it felt like Morrison was singing directly to me. Funny thing was, or not funny depending how you look at it, is I had been taking is easy and I had been taking as it came. I didn't feel like a had been moving much to fast ,but the love did last which I determined was my cramping legs for another half hour or so.

The first 25 miles of the Gemini Desert Rats 50 mile race were uneventful. The sun was out, there was absolutely no snow on the ground, I had been running a fairly easy pace and managed to run by myself for most of the race. I was behind on my splits from the start, in fact at the the first aid station at 5.9m I was already 4 min behind and would continue to loose another 3-4 minutes on each section. I didn't worry about it, I just continued to run a pace that I felt was proper for 50 miles. I had a time goal for the race (8:20) but since I had not raced since CCC100 in August I was trying to just focus on the basics, fluids, calories, electrolytes and pace. I figured my best advantage in the race was going to be experience and would catch some people on the second 25 mile loop.

At the 25 mile turn around I was in 8^th place in a time of 4:06 and was now 15 minutes behind my pace goal, but I was feeling good, I managed a quick turn around and headed quickly back out for the second loop which you run in the reverse direction. It was great to travel in the reverse direction because it makes it a little more interesting, but also means you get to run against everybody that was behind you for the next hour. This made for a rather annoying climb as it was hard to get in a rhythm while constantly saying good job to everybody and trying not to crash into people.

Just after the next aid station at mile 31 I started to see people in the distance, which finally pushed me into race mode. I started to pick up the pace to catch people. I went from 7th to 4^th by the next aid station at mile 37 but I had also managed to run out of water in this section and the heat (all 71 deg of it) had also started to wear me down. Hey no laughing, its been freaking cold in SLC all winter and most of the spring. I think I only ran one day above 60 degrees since October of last year. Needless to say I was not heat trained.

After getting word at mile 37 aid station that 3^rd place (Anita Ortiz) was 20 min ahead of me I slowed the pace back down and tried to get back on track with water and electrolytes and was determined not to get passed by anyone and hang onto 4^th place. I started to cramp just before going into the last aid station at mile 44, luckily I had read AJW 's race report on hia AR50 race and had read at one point he had taken 3 s-caps at one time and it had worked for him when he was on the edge of cramping up. For some reason I have never thought of taking more then one at a time. I only took two but it was enough to keep the cramps at bay and kept me going and I was able walk the last hill and run hard down the last technical decent to the finish. I was amazed that I needed so much salt as I had been taking around 200-300mg per hour for most of the race. After finishing in a time of 8:37 I sat down and realized why I needed so much salt. My face was absolutely covered in it.

I am happy with the race, the course was a good mixture of fast smooth sections and short sections of very technical rocky trails with moderate climbing. The race organizers claim more than 8,000 vertical climb but I would guess that is a bit of a stretch. The course was well marked and the views were fantastic, the aid stations were some of the best I have found. Duncan Callahan was 1st overall in a time of 7:38, Anita Ortiz was 3^rd overall and first female in a time of 8:16. To see full results click here.

Le MRC

Sometimes you need a target, a goal, something to aim at, something to work towards. It should be fun to try to hit, but difficult. Hitting the target should ring true in your ear. After, as you run down the trail with a small feeling of satisfaction, knowing there will be hills to climb, you will remember that the targets were set with friends. The type of friends that meet you at 4 AM on a cold dark morning in the middle of winter, dreaming of some far off run through the mountains of who knows where, ready for whatever adventure awaits.

Good luck to all you bandit racers. Let one fly on Saturday, you will be glad you did.