Running the Grand Teton

The Tetons in the morning. Photo Tanae Nelson

Running mountains. There are lot of runners who enjoy getting out on the trails and running up to a high point before, turning back and returning to their busy lives. For many running a peak is more than just exercise, me included. I deeply enjoy running up mountains, it adds more to a run than simply traveling from point a to b, it adds a destination, a purpose.

I grew up climbing mountains, traveling at a much different pace than I do now. One of the first major peaks I climbed was the Grand Teton, which I summited when I was 13 years old. All through my youth I dreamt of becoming a professional alpinist, I figured there would be no better life than traveling the world climbing peaks. Unfortunately just before my 17th birthday I had a bad fall while sport climbing that resulted in a fractured skull and several weeks in the hospital with post concussive syndrome. After the fall I never really got back on the horse. The few times I tried to climb the events leading up to the fall would overwhelm me, halting any progress. Climbing wasn’t fun anymore, it was scary.

The desire to climb peaks, however didn’t go away, it grew. I found different ways to get to high points; skiing, hiking and in the last 5 years, running. Over time, as the line between climbing and running blurred, I got more comfortable with exposure, particularly when moving quickly. In October last year, on a weekend when I could have been racing, I chose to race the clock instead of people and try to set a new fastest known time car-to summit-to car record on Idaho’s highest peak, Mount Borah. At the time it looked as though I had clearly broken the record, only to find out that Michael Tobin, a professional adventure racer, had set a faster time, but no one really recorded it. Regardless I was hooked on technical mountain running.

Heading Out.  Photo Tanae Nelson

This last weekend I confronted 12 years of fear and attempted to break a 28 year old car-to summit-to car record on the Grand Teton. On Saturday, armed with lots a beta, a single bottle waist pack, and a pair of La Sportiva Raptors, I set out from the Lupine Meadows trailhead as fast as I felt I could maintain, headed for the summit of the Grand. I had some help on the upper mountain from Brian Harder. He knows the mountain very well, and since I hadn’t been up the Owen Spaulding Route, it was invaluable to have Brian showing me the route. More importantly I felt I needed Brian’s support on the technical and very exposed sections of the Grand in case I froze. We summited in 2:10:50, took a few pictures, and began the descent 50 seconds later.

Near the Upper Saddle.  Photo Brian Harder

On the Summit.  Photo Brian Harder

I wrote a detailed report of the the route including splits here. Brian showed me back to where I met him above the lower saddle, and then I again took off solo, moving as fast as I could. I met my wonderful wife in the parking lot 3:33:02 after I left. We took some pictures to verify the effort and waited for Brian to finish his descent. I was thrilled with the time I was able to post on my “first try” at the record on the Grand. The 28 year old 3:07:00 set by Bryce Thatcher still stands, but it will be something I continue to work on. For me things have come full circle, I was able to face and manage fears of falling while climbing on the mountain that was my first. It was a type of rebirth into the alpine. Even though I walked funny with sore legs for a few days, I can’t wait for the chance to get back up there. At a group run a few nights ago I was asked, ” is the Grand actuallyrunnable?” My response, ” depends on your definition of runnable”! I have found that at times running mountains involves walking, sometimes scrambling, at times even sliding on snow. Mountain running boils down to be moving quickly and efficiently in the mountains, which has it’s own challenges and rewards. For me the Grand Teton is the epitome of mountain running, a place I will go back to often.

Finished…and very happy.  Photo Tanae Nelson

Where Did The Summer Go?

Blogging is not one of my strong points. While I enjoy blog stalking, the time it takes to put something together that makes sense not only to me but the few that may read it is probably better served studying. That said, I started a post about three weeks ago knowing I would not finish it in a timely manner. That certainly held true because here I am attempting to finish it and basically having to rewrite because of the time gone by. This is a bit lengthy and there are no photos, so if your interested,  please read on.

With the onset of aging taking hold and failure of joints unavoidable, I’m not quite sure what each season is going to bring. It is a fine line between training smart in order to race well or getting carried away with the training miles and intensity only to get sidelined with joint issues. It has taken some time but I have learned some valuable lessons in regard to my training and racing. I have accepted the fact that marathoning may be my longest race distance and  that effort is saved for once a season, probably the fall because I know the recovery is going to be slow. I’m good with that plan. As fun as Ultras are, when one shifts from ultra distance training to shorter (submarathon distance) miles, you look back at the time commitment involved with ultras and wonder where you ever found the time. Not to mention the stress level is drastically reduced.

Going into this summer, my plan was to build up the race distance with Pikes Peak Ascent as a mid summer focus race then Xterra Half Marathon Trail Championships and maybe if the everything is still holding together, race the new Boise Foothills Frenzy 50K. Yes, I said ultras are probably a thing of the past, the great thing about 50K’s is that one can basically marathon train with some minor adjustments. The 50K would be my season ender for sure, so I’m not sure if that is the route I want to go or go back to Lithia Loop to defend my USATF Masters Trail Marathon Championship win from 2010.

The season has been going as planned, I raced the Dry Creek Half (a stop on the La Sportiva Mountain Cup) and finished third. A good early season effort on a not so dry trail – major mud! Even in the conditions, the top three men went under the previous CR. After Dry Creek, Pocatello 50 was next – no not the 50 for me, I was racing the 20 miler. Anyone that follows trail racing has heard of the near disaster of the 2010 Pocatello run, I was there running the first leg of a relay team and witnessed it first hand. Being so close to home, there was no way I was going to miss this year. Jared and Ryan delivered another amazing race with some course tweaks that proved rather difficult. Basically the 20 mile course (the third portion of the 50 mile course) went up, then descend, then went up again and then descended again to the finish. The route was measured by many to be closer to 22 miles. I ran for a second place finish, behind Pat Braggasa. Two “older” guys throwin’ down. For July, one cannot miss the 30-year-old Elephants Perch Backcountry Run. Taking place in my backyard and returning to try to defend my 2010 win this was going to be one tough race. The Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation always puts nordic kids on the line – and they are tough runners. Last year I beat 25-year-old Mike Sinnott - Nordic phenom, this year he was ready to put it down. And that he did, the race unfolded exactly as 2010. I caught him at mile 10, he then dropped me on the final climb and I had no response. Mike would set a new course record for the 16.5 mile run, I would finish third. Top three seems to be my place for this race.

Pikes Peak would fall in line next. Pikes had been the focus for most of the summer, the other races serving as tests. I tweaked my training from last year in prep for the grueling half marathon race that requires a marathon effort. More volume, more concentrated hill work and less time peak bagging. The Sun Valley area doesn’t have great high elevation running, you are either on the valley floor (6000′ feet) or going up only to reach the high points and have nowhere to go. Last year I did a large amount of run-ins and then peak bagging, this year I’m focusing more on finding difficult hilly terrain with consistent higher elevation (8,000′-10,000′ ) running. It has been tough to put together but I feel has been working well. My taper plan called for ten to 14 days. The taper went well, although doing 18 in the backcountry the weekend before with AJW, Hank, and Travis may not have been the best idea, it was still fun and an outing I wasn’t going to miss. I traveled to Pikes on the Thursday before unlike last year which I spent the week prior in RMNP. I was anxious for the race and felt confident in my training. I arrived at the start in plenty of time to get my head straight and get warmed up. I moved into my position in wave one, keeping back from the line about ten feet. I do this so I don’t get caught up in the crazy pace.

My goal was a 2:35:00 finish. I had my splits for the popular landmarks on my arm. As the race progressed, I nailed every spilt within a few seconds. Feeling good! The feelings quickly changed. Just like last year and just like all the warnings, the mountain had its way starting above the A-Frame shelter. My 2:35 quickly disappeared as mile 11 to 12 took me 15:22 and the last mile took me 20:39!  I finished 2:47:44 – completely wasted and somewhat bummed with the final miles. I was pleased with the effort, just not happy with the results. I now have two runnings of the Ascent and two different training plans. I will return to the Ascent next year with the combination of both training plans under my belt.

The rest of the summer? Well, this week has turned into a recovery week, which I didn’t plan on. I was hoping to take a day or two post Pikes then jump right into a final cycle for Xterra and Boise Fiithills Frenzy. That plan has had to change. The stresses of Pikes has somewhat taken a toll and I need a few more days to come around. Hoping to nail a good LSD backcountry run this weekend to kickstart the next cycle. This cycle will most likely be the last of the season. I’m already excited for Xterra Trail Run Nationals and really hoping to keep the body together for Boise but I know if I can pull Boise off, it will end my season. But what a great way to wrap it up. The Boise foothills in October, perfect season ender.

It has been a great season so far. Good backcountry training with friends, fun racing with top results and not too much joint pain. Once again, the sponsors have been great – The La Sportiva Mountain Running Team, First Endurance nutrition, GreenLayer apparel, Ultimate Direction hydration products,  Headsweats for the best hats to keep the sun off my bean and the sweat out of my eyes and Petzl headlamps for the o’dark – thirty morning runs! Now be sure to get out and do something!

Hats and Handhelds

Here is something we don’t talk much about but as runners the two items are an essential part of our daily grind. Maybe hats aren’t for everyone and maybe a waistpack better suits you than a handheld but for me I typically don’t go on a run without both. What can be said about two very simple items? Probably not much, but here is my take.

With the lack of hair protecting my dome from the damaging rays of the sun as well as acting as a sponge for my pouring sweat and having the ability to dip it into a cold stream to cool my bean, a running hat is a must! I have worn a hat while running for as long as I can remember, it’s a part of my outfit. But not all hats are created equal and through the years I have tried plenty only to determine that hands down, HEADSWEATS take the top honor. I have always worn the race hat  model (below left), but this year the La Sportiva team was issued a newer model. I was a little skeptical because of the material but was pleasantly proven wrong in the first outing. The hat breathes well, keeps my dome from burning, and absorbs the sweat like a sponge. I’m not crazy about the fit, it’s just not as form-fitting as the race hat, but it works.

 

 

 

 

 

Handhelds – yes there are a few different models on the market, but they are all essentially the same item; a cinchable harness to carry a bottle and an outer pocket for a key and two gels. These carriers are the no-excuse-not-to- hydrate item. No bouncing on the hips or causing stomach discomfort as is the case for some when wearing a waist pack. Shorter distance runs not requiring a hydration pack are easily handled with a handheld or two.  I have been using ULTIMATE DIRECTION handhelds for a few years now. Before that, I was using another brand. The Ultimate Direction handhelds have been bombproof. I have taken many diggers on the trail, falling on the carrier and bottles, and they are still going strong.  A notable characteristic of the UD models is there ability to cinch snuggly on the hand without causing any discomfort. Nor does the top opening (where the top of the bottle is held and where the top of the cinch strap typically connects) deform and stretch when being cinched. I would like to see the outer pocket with an expanded bellow or a stretch material in order to fit three gels. I seem to be able to get two in the pocket, three is a no-go. For cool weather or winter use, UD also makes a neoprene version which wraps the entire bottle in a bottie keeps your fluids and hands insulated.

Another great handheld I like to use for those distances when a full 20oz bottle is too much yet going dry may have some adverse effects is the 10oz hanheld flask. I use this item for the 2 hour race and it has served me well. The pouch is large enough for two gels and the cinch strap holds the flask comfortably in the hand. What I don’t really care for is the hard plastic cap. It can be difficult to open when hammering down the trail. A minor issue, but not one that keeps me from using the item.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more information on the the above mentioned items go to Headsweats or Ultimate Direction.

1 month after San Diego 100

It’s amazing to me to think a month has already passed since San Diego 100. I have an under 24 hour belt buckle laying on my dresser as a reminder of the 20:20 spent traversing the spectacular trails of the PCT, Anza-Borrega desert, Cuyamacas, and mt. Laguna.

San Diego holds a special place in my heart, having gone to college at USD. I knew I would eventually run this race and what better time than the present. Driving out of what most people know as San Diego–the palms and ocean–we (my hubby steve, and friends Colin and Miriam) began our trek towards the high desert and Mt. Laguna. The temperature was warming. Manzanita, sage, and pines were becoming a focal point. I never knew this terrain existed so close to the city 17 years ago, but then again that’s when I thought lying on the beach with a drink in hand was a sport! We pulled into the Al Bahr Shrine, which would be the start/finish of the journey. Looking around, I felt right at home: this terrain reminded me of Reno/Tahoe! Scott Mills provided us with our pre-race briefing, emphasizing that this race is more difficult than what appears on paper. I had also heard the same from Julie Fingar, who ran the race last year. The main advice I took away was to go out conservatively because it only became more difficult. Luckily I listened.

One nice thing about this race is the 7am start. Not many races allow you to awaken with the sun already rising. I felt unusually calm. Maybe it was the comfort of the surroundings, the later start, the low-key feel of the race….whatever it was it was what I needed. I hadn’t completed a 100 in 2 years, with my last attempt at WS100 2010 ending in a DNF. I just wanted to finish without any mishaps (OK…more like ones that I could handle!). Steve and I arrived at the start about 45 minutes early. People were milling around with the nervousness penetrable. A friend from college, who I hadn’t seen in 15 years, surprised me at the start. He was a great distraction from my constant clock watching. At the start line, I recognized a few other yellow jerseys standing around. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, “Go”….the journey began. The first 30 miles were known to be fast and I heeded the advice to be conservative in this section. I let people go as I set into a pace that was comfortable, almost too comfortable. I found myself running solo between 2 groups, the lead pack and mid-pack. I enjoyed this position as I felt like I was on a training run, enjoying the scenery of meadows, wildflowers, forest animals. Next thing I knew my foot caught a rock and I ate a little dirt. I just laughed, looked down at my bloody knee and thought “what a great day”.

By the time I hit mile 23, the temp was climbing. It was supposed to get to the low to mid 70s. It doesn’t sound warm, but there had been cold weather up until then in Reno. So, yes, it felt warm! I absolutely loved the section from here, paralleling a creek. It was lush and a little shaded with LOTS of bugs thanks to the humidity. I remember thinking to myself “this must be what horses feel like in pasture”. I caught up to a fellow runner as he was dousing himself in a creek, and holding a broken branch in his hand. I thought this was strange until I asked him what he was using it for…to shoo the bugs away! Good idea, but I decided just to get some bug spray at the next AS.

At 31 miles (Pine Creek), you do a 4.7 mile loop. I had hit the desert section of the race so it was very exposed with sandy like footing. Since it was getting warmer and the ice had started being placed in the jog bra, I decided it best to take both my bottles rather than leaving 1 behind as some others were doing. Good choice! By the time I returned, both bottles had been gone for 5 minutes. Chugged some more fluids, more ice in the jog bra, and a promise from Angela Shartel that there were popsicles “up the 2 mile asphalt hill”. At least there was a “little” shade. I saw a female up ahead and realized it was Denise Bourassa. it was her 1st 100 and she was having problems with cramps. She was still moving though. I told her anything can happen in a 100, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I saw her later. Next thing I knew, we were getting our popsicles…it was like heaven. Wow, only a few more miles and I get to see my crew. Truth be told, I kind of liked this section. It was one of the tougher climbs in the race but it was easily walk/run. I was able to pass a few people on this section which of course is a motivator in and of itself, then getting to see my crew…even better.


The next few sections were uneventful. It was the time of day where things start to run together and time seems to fly by, but you just can’t get to the next AS fast enough. I will tell you that the 51 mile AS, Sunrise, had been dubbed by myself and crew “the Burning Man of ultras”. This place was a conglomerate of trailers we had seen the day before just driving around. There were flags raised, tons of music and food, and people having a good time (not sure what kind, but they were happy!). The best part was I got to see this place twice. The second time would be around mile 80 and in the dark. Hmmm…when would they burn the man?!

I finally picked my pacer up at mile 59. During the day, I never wanted to know where I was in relation to Krissy Moehl. Too early to push and I just wanted to focus on staying relaxed. Well, as we were leaving I was told I was about 6 minutes behind. Wow, who would have thunk! OK, OK…focus. Just kept running the same, chatting with Miriam about my day, and focusing on hydration and nutrition. In the back of my head, the memories of WS100 were sneaking in….when would the nausea/puking come? I tried to push this out but it always lingered. I was trying to really focus on caring for myself so it wouldn’t happen again, but those thoughts were still there.

We reached an 8 mile stretch that was to be technical. I figured I had about 2 hours before it got dark so I wouldn’t need a light. I now kick myself! I started slowing down, having some difficulty running down the rocks and having fatigue begin setting in. I watched as the sun was setting thinking to myself “please let us almost be there”. I was worried. I now knew I had made a huge mistake. Always plan for the worst case scenario. I should have taken a light! Thankfully Miriam had packed a small headlamp “just in case”. It wasn’t great and I still had some trouble negotiating the terrain, but it was way better than being in pitch black. Then we saw it…a bright light coming up from behind. It was Shawna Tompkins. Ugh, but then again, yeah because the light allowed me to see better! Finally, the we came upon the AS. Steve and Colin had us in and out of there in a flash and I remember telling Miriam I need to run. We made some good time in that next section because the adrenaline had woken me up and it was a fairly runnable section. Plus, I knew we were headed back to the “ultra-style Black Rock City”. The AS was definitely quieter and again my crew was rushing us out. Steve told me they gave Shawna a ride back to the finish. I was somewhat relieved but also felt for her. I know what that DNF feels like.

I began the countdown to the finish. We reached 87 miles and now my crew was telling me start the push. Krissy was only 15 minutes ahead. I ran for the 1st 1/2 mile, then Mr. Sandman decided it was time for me to take a snooze. It was like someone had given me a sleeping pill. I couldn’t keep my eyes open. There was one point that I stopped to go pee. I was in the squat position when I heard Miriam’s voice from what seemed far away. “Are you going pee?” I had fallen asleep. Those 4 miles were the longest of the day. Espresso Gus weren’t helping. What I needed was a good cup of coffee. Steve and Colin were standing there as I trudged into the AS. Steve said” You were falling asleep, weren’t you?” That easy 4 mile stretch took me over an hour to complete! Now I was way behind Krissy, but I was in single digits. I got my cup of coffee and Steve handed me a Jolly Rancher, which I later found out a volunteer had to get from his car since there was no hard candy at the AS. Thanks!!

The last 9 miles were memorable for me because I began to reflect on the day. I ran a smart race…took it out conservatively. I ate early on…turkey and avocado is the best! I kept hydrated…a cup of water at the AS does make a difference. Kept myself as cool as possible…ice down jog bra, wet bandana. Electrolytes in balance…S!caps every 1/2 hour and EFS in the bottles. Never felt nauseated or bonky…all the above plus the addition of Vespa to my repertoire. I ran the race with the goal in mind to finish strong with no remarkable downs. I crossed the finish line with a huge smile on my face. I had accomplished my goal! I couldn’t have done it without my crew and pacer. They kept me on track. Hopefully they will be willing to do it again next year!!

Shoes: Wildcats
Socks: Defeet trail 19
Drink: fruit punch EFS
Gels: GU and Vespa
Electolytes: S!Caps

Sheep Don’t Care

This is a long post, but it’s worth it… maybe.  Our moms will read it… maybe.  Anyway my race recap, then Alison’s.  It has sheep in it, but they don’t care.

Alison and I started this saying in Ireland while we were running “Irish trails”daysbefore the IAU World Trail Championships. “Sheep don’t care.” Out running the “trails” along Slieve League, the highest sea cliffs in Europe, we observed the sheep out on the mountains. I should probably explain “Irish trails,” then I’ll stop putting it in quotes. Many of the Irish trails were not like trails in the US, there wasn’t any distinguishable trail. Just walk from where you are currently to the top of the mountain, or other destination, however you feel is the best route. If a run is getting long, then just turn and cut cross country, it’s not like you were on a real trail most of the time anyway. If you pass though any gates, close them behind you. In some places there are posts with a hiking guy on it to direct you in a generally direction toward a landmark or to help you avoid large holes or bogs. Sometimes there are four inch wide sheep trails to follow, but those generally go wherever the sheep have need to travel. I quite enjoyed the Irish trails, they suited my personality. So back to my “Sheep don’t care” story, Alison and I were discussing the thinking of sheep. Do they really think about being on the side of a mountain? Do they think it is hard going up and down the mountain? Does the mud, wind, rain bother them? They certainly don’t seem to be concerned about any of these, sheep don’t care. They just walk around looking for food, even if it is along a cliff, high on a mountain. Both Alison and I used the “sheep don’t care” thought during our race.

Proper Irish Trail

So about the race, it was run in the Connemara region of Ireland, a beautiful area of large mountains with plenty of Irish trails. The Europeans were taking this Trail Championship seriously. There were 20 countries represented and 13 full men’s teams. A helicopter covered the race and guys with cameras were all over the course. A Championship race show will be broadcast all over Europe. That was definitely different from my average trail race. The start was at the doors of Kylemore Abbey, an old castle. We traversed the road for about 5K to Letterfrack, where we turned up to summit Diamond Hill. We were to run the loop up and down Diamond Hill twice, then head out for a long out and back section. Being a guy without much leg speed, a fast easy start on the road, and a lot of talented runners, I would guess that I was in about 80^th place early on. Diamond Hill would be considered a significant, difficult climb and descent in the US. I knew we were running the easy stuff. I did pass about 30 runners on the first ascent and continued to move up on the technical descent. Then more easy running back to Letterfrack and losing places again, ending up in 47^th at the bottom. Again back up and down Diamond Hill where I again gained positioning. Now it was time to start having some fun, we hit the first section of proper Irish trails, 2k of open ground. I was telling Josh Brimhall and some other runner that we were not in the bog yet. Yea, it’s wet and you’re sinking up over the top of your shoes, this is just open ground. By the way open ground in Ireland, and the UK, is not a golf course or park grass fields. It is clumpy grass, heather, holes, drop offs, mud, rocks. As the RD, Richard Donovan said at the technical meeting, “The course will have any range of technical and difficulty you can imagine.” Richard Donovan is the RD for the North Pole and South Pole Marathons, that should tell you something about the course.

One Man's Pass - Slieve League (Not Race)

After gaining several more places on the open ground, I lost several places on the road section to the bog. Now it was 2k of bog, a playground of fun, if you had the right mindset. Boggy areas are wet and muddy, but when you step in an actual bog it’s not like being in mud really. Nor is a bog like falling in a hole or a pool of water. It’s more like stepping into a tub of oatmeal. On the surface it looks like it might be solid, but once you step in the bog you sink to some random depth, completely surrounded by some type of earth. You’ll have to use your bog muscle someday to understand. I laughed out loud some at this point. I had run Three Peaks a few years ago and knew what to expect from the bog and the whole experience. Other runners were in a little shock I believe. Most everyone was buried to their waist at some point. Dave James said he followed the runner in front of him in and they were both up to the chest or neck. Dave pushed him out, then he pulled Dave out. If you were thinking like a kid, you had some fun. If you were too serious, you most definitely were not having fun. We left the bog and returned to a road section going over to Benbaun Mountain. On the way we passed through the second aid station at 28k. I was in 30 something place. I knew it was about 2k more to the base on Benbaun Mountain and then the race would actually start.

This was called the mountain section of the course. Diamond Hill was just that, a hill. Just traversing the open ground of Irish trails is difficult. It is wet, mud, uneven, just plain bad footing. Now put that footing on 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% grades, plus add a few rocks or all rocks at the top. That was Benbaun Mountain. Think broken arms, grown men wincing and complaining, bloody foreheads, elite women crying. Quite a few DNFs. Asking if you fell is not the right question, it is more how good are you at falling and maintaining speed. I made friends with a Dutch runner who went down on his butt, pushing himself with his hands the second time down Benbaun. He said that he passed two runners that way, asking them how do you like my technique as he went by. The Dutch runner said the other two did not seem amused. As I said earlier, some of us were on a huge playground, some of us were in some Irish hell. Personally, I did quite well here and had moved up to 21^st by the bottom of Benbaun on the way out. Then another dreaded easy section of disused road, but road like none the less. I lost ground here. I saw Ben Nephew here, he was running great in 7^th. I met Dave, Josh, and then Alison on my way back. It was great to see teammates and trade encouragement. Dave James was so positive and encouraging as I went by, that was inspiring. My second climb up Benbaun was not as good as I’d like, I’m still not 100% with my climbing from last years back difficulties. The final grass section going up was cruel. It had to be 40% or more, it was steeper and longer than Whernside at Three Peaks Race. It was a literal ¼ to ½ mile crawl, grabbing grass and pulling yourself up. Think huge green wall, think bigger unless you were there. Then a final rocky section to the summit. I had lost a few spots and hit the top around 25^th place. I was a little concerned about how I’d descend now, but once at the top my back released and I was tumbling down once more. I am really encouraged about about my work on improving my descending. I got all the way back to 21^st by the bottom and hoped that I could hold that or move up more. That was foolish thinking.

The guys around me were equally tough, they wouldn’t give up and they were faster. So I slipped back to 24^th on the road and could see several guys coming into the last aid station as I left. Finally off the road and back into the bog, but going uphill now. Yes an uphill bog??? I seemed to be about the only one running most of it and did some serious damage catching a couple guys and pulling away from the rest. One more long road section to the open ground. Two Italian runners passed me again here. I had gone back and forth with one of them since the 20k mark. Finally, we hit the 2k of open ground with less than 3k to the finish. I caught one Italian quickly, then the next. In trying to gain any time for our team that I could squeeze out, I caught one more guy to end up back at 21^st.

Back:Roy, Gabe, jb, Dave, Ben, Josh Front:Liza, Alison, Perla

The Connemara race was definitely an experience of pushing back limits. There is nothing like it that I know of in the US. Josh Brimhall, two time winner of Zane Grey 50 Mile, commented, “This made Zane Grey look like a freeway.” Interestingly, Richard Donovan was convinced to change his original course because it was too hard. I spoke to a couple of fellows who said the original course was much harder. Richard was concerned the revised course that we ran would be a track meet! It was great competing as a team with Ben Nephew, Dave James, Josh Brimhall, Gabriel Rodriguez, Roy Pirrung, Perla Rodriquez, and Alison. Thanks guys. Our mens team finished 6^th out of 13 teams and Ben was a sweet 6^th overall. Thanks to Gabriel for getting us great singlets from Under Armour. We all hated that Liza Howard couldn’t run, but appreciated her and Eliot working the aid station for us. My La Sportiva Crosslite 2.0 were awesome. Shoes with grip were a precious commodity on this course. The Crosslite 2.0 has quickly become a favorite shoe for any off road running and I’ve put them on about everything this summer. A final interesting note, I still averaged a faster pace on this “insane” 43 mile ultra than I did at my 23 mile Slovenian mountain race by 7 seconds/mile. Difficult courses has certainly been redefined by my last two races. But hey, sheep don’t care.

Alison’s calumniations,

For those who don’t know us well, for all that Jason and I have in common, we are also very different personalities. Jason is fearless, adventurous, and thrill-seeking, and I, well, am not. Luckily he has been working on transferring a little of his personality to me.

Alison on some Irish trails

We spent our first 3 days in Ireland running on Slieve League, up and down mountains, and through bogs. So at least I had a little of an idea what to expect from the race and I had my head set on being positive.

The race started out very easy on a road. I thought that I had gone through 5k a little too fast, however once I got to Diamond Hill I realized that there was going to be enough slow “running” in this race that the fast start would not hurt me. The loop around Diamond Hill had the options of running down slippery wet rocks or slick mud. I tried a little of each, falling in the same spot on each loop in the mud. Once we got off Diamond Hill, I started passing people. The race organizers had soldiers out on the course to “reassure” us that we were still on the “Irish trail.” As I crossed over a fence into the bog, one of the soldiers said, “Don’t fall.” I responded “It’s okay, I already fell three times.” I then promptly fell in a big hole in the bog. The woman from Great Britain decided that she would let me lead the way after that. Back on the road, I continued to steadily pass people. Then came the big mountain, Ben Baun. This mountain was steep and slick. Going up I was still passing people, one woman even commented that I was “going fast,” although that was definitely relative. I should probably mention at this point that I am afraid of large steep drop offs. And this mountain was definitely high and steep. I just told myself to get up the mountain and not to worry about getting down at that point. I never let myself look down the mountain too far, since that would only cause anxiety. I got up to the top and started down. I promptly fell, then fell again. Each time I would slide 3 to 5 feet down the mountain. My feet slipped out from under me so much that I thought multiple times I would be better off just sliding down the whole mountain on my butt. Finally I reached the bottom, and already saw the top men coming back up the mountain. The out and back was fun to see the American men. It was energizing to see Ben and Jason running so well. Then it was back up the mountain and down again. I realized at the top of the mountain that I was hyperventilating when my hands and lips started tingling, so I had to consciously calm myself down. I was passed at the top of the

"None Shall Pass"

mountain by another woman. On the way down I saw her get down in a crab crawl and figured that that was probably the best way for me to get down the mountain as well. Finally I reached the bottom. Once I was down the mountain, it was back to passing people again. I finished the race still feeling strong and running, while many others had been reduced to walking. I also finished the race very muddy and covered in bog, which took multiple showers to fully remove. Overall, I really enjoyed the race and the opportunity to participate in a big event like this.

TRT 100 – The final countdown, 5 days to go…..

TRT 100 – The final countdown, 5 days to go…..this is it.

The big day is almost here. It is Monday evening. I got up here to Incline Village in Lake Tahoe on Saturday afternoon. Did my last longish run yesterday with my friend Heeva from the SLO Trail Runner’s. Checked out the course and ran the first 5 and last 7 miles of the course. A lot of snow melted since my last visit 2 weeks ago. The consistent heat made it happen. Also a lot of the downed trees have been cut and removed. At least on the parts of the course that we went on. All great news.

A Glimpse of Heaven

All the work is done. No I just have to sit and wait and go run 100 miles on Saturday. The weather should be great, a tad on the hot side but that’s better then rain and cold. Still plenty of snow on the course but not as bad as I was afraid of. I am healthy and feel good. Now let’s see if the 1224 miles in the 12 week prep cycle are helpful or not. Many things can happen in a 100 miles, let’s hope most of them will be good and the bad ones are not to bad.

As I mentioned in a post earlier, this is my highlight race of 2011, I put all my eggs in one basket – TRT100. I have been training harder then ever before with my lifetime highest mileage week of 139 miles and my goals are set pretty high:

Breaking 24 is a must, but my goal is really to win the Masters division and take the course record (currently at 20:46:50). If things go well I would like to break 20 hours. I think physically I am in shape to go sub 20 but we will see how the day unfolds. I feel at home on the course having won the 50 miler twice and holding the course record (7:52:09), that sure gives me a lot of confidence. My crew (Larisa, fresh of a great finish at SD100) and pacers (Brett and Victor) are all set. My wife and kids are excited and everyone is looking forward to race day. A bunch of our San Luis Obispo Trail Runners Club Members are racing as well. It should be a great weekend.

If you want to follow the race you can do so at:

http://www.trtlive.com/

My Sportiva Crosslites are ready to go, I will also be using 2 Ultimate Direction handhelds, and wearing our Sportiva Green Layer uniform. At night I will light the trails up using my awesome Petzl headlamp. I will try and consume about 250 calories an hour between GUs, Boost+ some aid station junk and maybe a Twix candy bar if my pacer does not eat it in front of me like he did at Leadville! I am hoping to put about 20-25 ounces of mostly water per hour into my system. In addition to that one S-Cap per hour (in the heat of the day maybe 2) plus some Amino HP for the 1st two bottles of the race and later in the race (mile 80). I will also start drinking flat Coke at mile 80 or so.
At this point I would already like to thank some special people in my life for getting me here. First of all my wonderful wife that always motivates and supports me. My two great kids Dylan and Luke, they are ready to go with me for the last mile. My coach Karl King, thanks for all the great advice and keeping me on track. All my friends from SLO Trail Runner’s, especially Heeva for all the hours shared on the trails. And of course my 2 superstar pacers, Brett Rivers and Victor Ballesteros as well as my crew chief Larisa Polischuk. Thank you very much.

Now let’s go and run some.

Tahoe Rim Trail 100 Mile Endurance Run 2011 – 3 weeks to go…

It is Monday evening and TRT 100 is coming up in 19 days. I just got back from a week in Lake Tahoe, to run some on the TRT course, hang out and get inspired at Western States 100. Another week of good training with a 104 miles. This was the last week of a 12 week training cycle to get ready for TRT 100. I ran 1224 miles in the last 12 weeks, my goal was 1200. That is 102 miles average over 12 weeks, my lowest week was 73 and the highest was 139. I feel strong, healthy and ready to go. I am confident to race. I know the course, I love the course and I have put in all the work needed to put together a great 100 miler. I just need to go out and do it.

The view from Snow Valley Peak over Lake Tahoe

The snow situation on the TRT course should be alright by race day. I don’t think it will be as good of course conditions as when I ran 7:52 for the course record on the 50 miler but it should be ok. A lot of downed trees and the leftover snow should just make it even more epic. I am really looking forward to racing. It should be great fun with 7 of my friends from the SLO Trail Runners racing as well. Plus getting to spend time with my two pacers that are friends and great runners (Victor B. and Brett R.). My family will be there and of course my crew chief Larissa P and lots of other friends.

Beautiful trails on the TRT course

The weekend was great with watching WS 100. It was very inspirational to see my good friend Brett Rivers have such an amazing day and finishing in 16th place in 17:38. He will be by my side in 3 weeks to get me from mile 80 to the finish. He will know how to do it, just in case if I forget.

On top of Diamond Peak (mile 32 and 82 in the race)

OK for all of you interested as mentioned in my last blog post a week ago, the report from the race when I broke the course record in the 50 mile race at TRT in 2008.

2008 – Tahoe Rimtrail 50 mile

The conditions where very hot, low – mid 90′s (for my german readers 30-35 grad celsius). It was a bit breezy which helped keep it at least feeling a little bit cooler. I felt fairly good throughout the whole race (tired towards the end of the race of course in my legs). I never had any stomach problems or throwing up episodes like last year.

The race started out with me and 2 other guys in the lead group going up to Marlette Lake (one of the guys was Jeff Kozak 2nd place finisher from last year and winner of the 2 previous years). We went over the 4 mile 1500 feet climb (at this point it was just Jeff and me) and descended down to Lake Marlette (7823 feet), from here we pushed on to the Hobart aid station. Jeff Kozak was keeping the pace very honest and we got to talk a bit on the way. It was nice not being alone all the way. After a quick (16 sec.) stop at the Hobart aid station and being 1:35 ahead of last years time we went on to Tunnel Creek. This a fast segment with a good part of downhill (uphill on the way back!). We averaged 8:24 per mile pace (around 30 seconds per mile faster then last year on this part) for this slightly over 5 mile segment. I had to stop to go pee on the way down to the aid station and Jeff took a slight lead but told me he had to stop at the porta party in the aid station. As I came into the aid station I saw him get out of the aid station, at least I seemed to think so but he must have gone into the bathroom right behind the aid station. Since I thought he was in front of me I started to hammer downhill into the “Red House Loop” trying to catch up with him. Well, I never did since he was not in front of me at all.

After returning out of the “Red House Loop” in 55:09 (that was 3:14 faster then last year for red house) I found out in the aid station that I was in the lead. After refilling my bottle I was off to the 9 mile segment out to Mount Rose. On this part I ran out of water since they did not have the water station set up halfway at Diamond Peak. I covered this part in 1:26:30, almost 4 minutes faster then last year. Coming out of the forest into the Meadow I was in for a special treat to see my crew/family. With about a mile to go to the Mount Rose aid station I had Dylan wait for me. It was very nice to have Dylan cheer me on and hand me a bottle of water. He was so excited. Then at the aid station I met up with Valerie and Opa (Valerie’s dad). I picked up a new bottle, a bunch of gels and changed my shoes since I felt like I am getting a blister in the shoes I had on. All together I spent 1:50 in the aid station and left at 4:06:12 into the race (almost 12 minutes ahead of last years time at this point).

After seeing Dylan one more time I went back into the woods again making my way uphill to return to the Tunnel Creek aid station again. I was thinking if I ran back as fast as last year I will end up just below 8 hours (the course record is 8:06:50 from the race in 2001). I made it back into the Tunnel Creek aid station after 1:20:16, again I ran 3 and a half minutes faster on this part then last year, my chances to break the course record and maybe be the first sub 8 hour finisher became pretty good. I knew that I will have two hard climbs coming, up out of the Tunnel Creek aid station and then at mile 40 another 3 mile/1000 feet climb up to Snow Valley Peak, with 9214 feet the highest point of the race. I started to feel the high tempo I have bee running for the last 6 hours so I played it save and on the steep parts up hill actually took the luxury of fast walking a few parts. Even with a few short walking breaks I made it into the Hobart aid station almost 3 minutes faster then last years split. I knew all I have to do is make it up to Snow Valley Peak and then it will be mostly downhill to the finish. It was very hot and I was dumping a bunch of cold water over my head and after a 41 second stop I was out the aid station on my way to climb Snow Valley Peak. After a couple more walking breaks I made it up to the Peak in 33:31 right around the same time it took me last year from Hobart to Snow Valley. My overall time was 6:54:24 compared to last years 7:12:36. I knew from here, if I don’t fall and hurt myself it should take me the most about an hour. So I should be sub 8 hours. After almost tripping twice in the first mile, this section is very rocky, I decided to play it a bit safe and controlled. I made it down to the lake and I felt very special running the last mile around Spooner Lake knowing that not did I just defend my title I will also be the first sub 8 hour finisher with a new course record and all that despite the hot weather. I came onto the fire road that leads down to the finish and Opa cheered me on followed by Dylan and Valerie at the finish line. After 50 miles of running on rugged mostly single track rocky and sandy trail with about 10000 feet of climbing up and descending back down, 12 GU’s, 185 ounces (5.5 liter) of water and a cup of coke at mile 43 the pay off was here: 1st Place overall, Nevada State Champion 50 mile Trail Running and new Course Record – 7:52:09.

Needless to say I am very happy with this result and a pretty sore and tired right now. I knew getting in if everything is going perfect I can run 7:55 but with the heat I had my doubts but it just all came together. I averaged 9:23 pace per mile and ran almost 18 minutes faster then last year. I guess all the good training has paid off.

I want to thank my family specifically my wife Valerie for putting up with all my running and always encouraging me when I am down. Also a big thanks to my crew, Opa, Dylan, Alena. Also a big thank you to my coach Karl King, always the best advice.

Course Photos from 99% snow free course in 2008

Tahoe Rim Trail 100 Mile Endurance Run 2011 – 4 weeks to go…

“A Glimpse of Heaven a Taste of Hell”

Less than 4 weeks left to the start of the 2011 Tahoe Rim Trail 100 Mile Endurance Run. I put in all the needed training (averaging 100+ mile weeks) for the last 11 weeks with one more week left of training and then a 3 week taper.

I will go up to Tahoe this week with hopefully the chance of running the full course over 2 days (snow conditions permitting) for the last week of a 12 week training cycle.

This is my highlight race of 2011, I put all my eggs in one basket – TRT100. I have been training harder then ever before with my lifetime highest mileage week of 139 miles and my goals are set pretty high:

Breaking 24 is a must, but my goal is really to win the Masters division and take the course record (currently at 20:46:50). If things go well I would like to break 20 hours. I think physically I am in shape to go sub 20 but we will see how the snow conditions are, plus as always a lot can happen in 100 miles. I feel at home on the course having won the 50 miler twice and holding the course record (7:52:09), that sure gives me a lot of confidence. My crew (Larisa, fresh of a great finish at SD100) and pacers (Brett and Victor) are all set. My wife and kids are excited and everyone is looking forward to race day. A bunch of our San Luis Obispo Trail Runners Club Members are racing as well. It should be a great weekend.

As I count down the weeks I will be posting my old race reports from my 2 previous 50 mile wins below. I hope you enjoy reading those.

—

Tahoe Rimtrail 50mile 2007

This event is run in some of the high elevation alpine and sub-alpine regions of the magnificent Sierra Nevada Mountains. The race starts at 6AM just at the break of dawn. It begins and ends at the Spooner Lake State Park, which is at 7,000 feet (2100m). The highest point of the course is just below the 9,214 foot (2800m) Snow Valley Peak (which also provides one of the best views on the course). The low point on both courses is at the bottom of the “infamous” Red House Loop (A Taste of Hell) at approximately 6800 feet (2070m).

My goal was to start out conservative and that’s just what I did. I was in about 4th place climbing up the first 4 miles of single trail with an elevation gain of approximately 1,500 feet (500m). This was followed by a half mile downhill section to Marlette Lake. At this point I was in 2nd place in the race. From Marlette Lake (7823 feet,2400m) I had to climb on dirt roads to the Hobart Road aid station at 8120 feet (2500m). I was about an hour into the race and hoping to start to feel better. I never felt really good from the start. It was kind a strange, the whole race I never felt good or really bad. Just somewhere in the middle. Anyway after leaving the Hobart Road aid station I climbed up and past Marlette Peak and Harlan Peak before descending to the aid station at Tunnel Creek Road near the junction of the Tahoe Rim Trail at Twin Lakes. Time to fill up my handheld bottle again. (I ran with a hydration backpack and one handheld bottle). This took a little longer than planned since the guy in the aid station had a hard time opening my plastic bag with my Succeed Ultra powder to mix with water. Through this I got passed by Devon Crosby-Helms, one of the up and coming female ultra runners and one of the best in the country right now.

Now it was time to descend into the “infamous” Red House Loop, a approximate 6.3-mile loop to Red House and back with a huge unrunable sandy (like the beach) climb near the end of the loop. I ran downhill like a mad man and caught up to Devon at the bottom of the loop. After running together and chatting for a few minutes the climb out of Red House started and Devon was falling behind me. So I was back in 2nd place.

Upon returning to the Tunnel Creek aid station and refilling my bottle I was off to the approximately 9-miles north along single track on an out-and-back section of the Tahoe Rim Trail to the Mount Rose Trail Head near Ophir Creek. At about a couple miles into this section I came up to the leader and he was turning around hiking back to the aid station to drop out. After a short “Hello and are you ok” I went on, being now the leader of the race. This out-and-back was mostly rolling with breath-taking views of both Lake Tahoe and the Washoe Valley. The average elevation was between 8000 (2400m) and 8500 feet (2600m). It had some hard climbs and descends and after about 8 miles I came out of the woods onto the Tahoe Meadows at Mount Rose, this felt good since I knew my crew (Valerie, Opa, Dylan and Therese) would be at the next aid station. I ran passed Dylan giving him a high five and continued through the meadow up to the aid station to meet Valerie and Opa and get my Hydration pack refilled, a new shirt, some extra GU’s a quick chat and back onto the course. A 3 minute stop, I came into the aid at mile 26 (42km/marathon) in 4 hours and 14 minutes. That was a little bit faster then I had planned. I still never started feeling comfortable and felt since mile 20 like I had to throw up. I consumed about 25ounces of Succeed Ultra and Amino per hour plus one GU and one S-Cap an hour so I did not think that I was dehydrated, but I just could not get rid off the feeling that I had to throw up.

So off I was again hitting the trails going back – 24 miles to go. The next stop was the Tunnel Creek aid station again at mile 35. From here the course followed the Tahoe Rim Trail south towards the Spooner Summit trailhead passing both Marlette Peak and Snow Valley Peak (and visiting both the Hobart Road and Snow Valley Peak aid stations). At about mile 38 on my way to the Hobart aid station just as I climbed up Marlette Peak it happened and I throw up twice, after that I felt actually a lot better. I had no idea how far or close 2nd place was behind me but I kept telling myself as long as I keep running uphill instead of walking and keep the pace high on the downhill I should be able to keep the lead to the finish.

It was a brutal climb up to Snow Valley, the highest point of the course. Climbing about 1300feet (400m) over 2.8 mile distance after mile 40 (64km) in the course and all that in altitude. I was really beat up and just kept reminding myself of my last training run where I ran up Prefumo Canyon at the end of a 42 mile run at home about 5 weeks ago. I knew from the top of Snow Valley Peak it is a 5 mile descend and 2 more flat miles to the finish.

I hit the Snow Valley aid station in 7 hours and 14 minutes, I had hoped before the race to be there in 7.15 (to have a finish time of 8.18), so I knew I was on course for a pretty good time. I started to fly downhill through some fast sections and some tricky rocky very technical sections. It seemed to take for ever to get down that mountain, but then finally here it was – the Spooner Summit trailhead aid station – 1.7 miles to go and no one anywhere near me. This was the first time I really relaxed. I started to feel very happy because I knew I win the race, the time will be fast and I was within 13 minutes of being done. I jogged this part the day before the race and knew that’s what it would take me. A few turns around Spooner Lake, over a little bridge, one more little 30 feet uphill and here I was on the fire road with 200 meters to go to the finish. I kicked it up a notch and finished strong in 8 hours 10 minutes and 8 seconds, only 3 minutes and 18 seconds of the course record and the second fastest time ever in this race.

I was very happy to be done and got to sit down. Wow, I am now officially the “Road Runners Club of America – Nevada 50 Mile Trail Running Champion” – pretty cool. 2nd place was the winner of the last 2 years Jeff Kozak in 8.38 and 3rd place was Devon in 8.41 as the first women.

I am glad I made it through and proud of the fact I never gave up even with not feeling all that good most of the race.

Thanks for every ones support e-mails before and congrats e-mails after the race, I could not do this without all the support of my family and friends.

Poco 50 Race Report by Jared Campbell

“You know we’re flirting with death given the time of year we hold the race, right?” stated my good buddy Ryan McDermott, on the Thursday before the 2010 Pocatello 50. This race is quickly becoming known as one of the toughest 50 mile mountain running event in the country. Held over Memorial Day weekend in the mountains just outside of Pocatello (Idaho) this translates to “come prepared for anything” type running. The weather in Idaho this time of year is volatile to say the least.

Running high on the P50 course - photo by Bill Geist

In 2008 Ryan lived in Pocatello primarily for employment reasons after engineering school. I was home in Salt Lake City and over the phone Ryan and I kicked around the idea of putting together a small group run around Pocatello, something we might even call a “race”. After many iterations we arrived at what we thought was the perfect course, 100km of beautiful terrain, mostly single-track, but we threw in some gnarly off-trail sections to keep it interesting. We settled on a weekend in May to fore-run it. I drove up from Salt Lake City and the next morning Ryan took off with a role of bio-degradable yarn and some scissors that he would use to “mark” critical intersections. I was to start several hours later and try to follow/catch him. The course was a beautiful loop, starting and finishing in Pocatello. I knew the trails only from mapping software and Google Earth so every step was new to me. Wow, it was spectacular! And wow, this course would be surprisingly difficult! I was hooked. About half way into our route I finally caught Ryan and we got to run/explore the final half together. We’d debate certain sections as we ran regarding how feasible it would be to put this in a “real” race. Large sections of the final 15 miles were off-trail, involved some scrambling on rocks, bushwhacking, etc., pretty non-standard in the trail running community. We knew that with some alteration what we had something pretty damn good. A few months later we arrived at a 50 mile course that would start and finish in the mountains, a perfect spot called the Mink Creek Pavilion.

2009 would be the first year of the “race”. It was a race in the sense that it had a start, a finish, a t-shirt, a registration fee, and an awards ceremony. Everything else we ad-libbed and pieced together based on our collective experience from running races. It turned out to be a hit and far more challenging that anyone expected. Ryan and I are strangely obsessed with really good glissading. While most runners don’t even know what the word means, we consider ourselves connoisseurs and are constantly in search of perfect buttery “turns”. Our 2009 course had excellent glissading off the summit of Scout Mountain and it worked out exactly as planned. Most runners were pleasantly shocked by this section some 42 miles into the course. Fortunately there were no injuries. We had strung up over 700′ of rope in the event that folks wanted it as a hand-line on the descent.

The positive reaction was motivating for us and despite how much work it had been we were fired up for another good year. We learned a huge amount from 2009 and went into 2010 far better prepared, which proved to be a very good thing. We were lucky in 2009; such was not the case in 2010. Early in the race the weather turned for the worse and above a certain elevation turned to a complete blizzard with high winds, significant snow accumulation, and extremely cold temps. Even our most bold runners armed in their latest five-fingers and race singlets were no match for what hit them. Hypothermia was the reality for most runners. Others were hypothermic AND lost. At one point mid-race and in a state of panic I drove up a jeep road as far as I could get, grabbed all the clothes I had in my truck and ran backwards on the course find lost runners. What I saw was one step away from a morgue, runners travelled together in groups wondering the ridge-tops and when they saw me some broke down in tears. I explained the route to safety and told them to go! I pressed on and eventually found a handful of other runners, some in worse shape. Motor skills had become molasses and mental cognition almost flat-lined. Carrying one woman on my back (her legs had seized up) and guiding one gentleman who could barely walk we made it back to my truck. I called Ryan on the phone. He informed me that there were still 27 runners unaccounted for. After what I had just seen I said very confidently, “IT’S OVER, PULL THE PLUG”. So was the end of the 2010 Pocatello 50. We were mentally and physically fried. It would take months before we would even discuss trying to do it again.

Next, two things happened that have confirmed my thoughts that long distance runners are truly demented. First, Ryan and I for some strange reason decided to try it again. And second, for most folks what happened in 2010 only INCREASED their interest in our race. The 2011 race filled in a matter of days. But, the rules would be different. This was a mountain race damnit, which mean mountain conditions. If runners weren’t prepared they wouldn’t be allowed to proceed, no exceptions. Our pre-race meeting was more “scare tactic” that it was “motivational speech”. But, people got the message.

Sadly the weather did not look for race day 2011, which put an unbelievably high level of stress and tension in Ryan and I leading up to the race. It dumped rain and snow the night before the race and we looked at each other shaking our heads, no words were required.

BUT, the stars aligned the weather gods decided to be kind and 2011 turned out to be one hell of a good race.

2011 Trail Conditions

The Pocatello 50 is actually an event comprised of three different races. Due to last minute alterations given high snow-pack conditions, the events turned out to be 54 miles, 36 miles, and 21 miles. The fields were deep in all categories. Calling it the Pocatello “50” means that the most interest is the 50 mile race. Rare for such a trail race was prize money! Luckily La Sportiva stepped up early on and offered a $1000 prize purse for the male and female winners in the 50 mile race.

La Sportiva Supported the Poco 50 with $1k in cash for 1st Male/1st Female

I knew it would be a battle in the men’s field with names like Dakota Jones, Zach Miller, Mike Foote, Ryan Burch, Evan Honeyfield, Luke Nelson (Sportiva), and Matt Hart toeing the start line. On the women’s side we had Joelle Vaught and Diana Finkel as standouts. Joelle has an extremely impressive resume at everything from 50km to 100miles and is usually found on the top of the podium. Diana is likely the toughest woman alive and excels in steep, tough courses.

The 50km race was harder to pick on the men’s side with many strong runner. Bethany Lewis stood out in the women’s field with some extremely impressive performances this year. I knew the top guys would have to be on the lookout for her!

Luke Nelson and Glen Merrill

The 20 mile event had two guys who never cease to amaze. Pat Bragassa and Brad Mitchell (Sportiva), both from Idaho.

At 19 years young Dakota immediately turned heads. Most notable (in my opinion) is his performance at San Juan Solstice last year. He was only shy of Matt Carpenter’s record time by 13 minutes! At the ripe old age of 20 on P50 race day, Dakota quickly jumped into the lead from the beginning of the race and never let go. The thing I was most impressed by was how fast Dakota could still move when he appeared to be in an “epic sufferfest” (his words). Dakota gave it everything he had and earned his win (and $500). His time of 8:17 on this 54 mile course with mud, snow, travel, river, etc. is truly amazing. To put it into perspective, the amazing Dave James won our 2009 race, which was shorter by 2 miles and much better trail conditions, in 9:16! Dakota proved to me just how tough and talented he is.

The 50km event was won by Damian Stoy and Bethany Lewis. The 20 mile event title was taken home by Pat Bragassa with Brad Mitchell in second place. Sarah Evans from Alta Utah won the 20 mile women’s category. For a full listing of results, see the links below.

Why direct a race? I was asked this on the Thursday before the race this year. The answer was made clear to me 213 times when I got to see the look into the eyes of every runner crossing the finish line. Placing a medallion on every finisher was special, and knowing that Ryan and I had played part in created something memorable for so many people…. that is why we do it.

A huge thanks to the unbelievable volunteers and sponsors that help make events like this happen.

A huge thanks to the unbelievable volunteers and sponsors that help make events like this happen.

Related links

• Race website
• Results : 20 mile; 50km; 50 mile
• Dakota Jones race report - 1st place 50 mile
• Paul Losee’s race report - last place 50 mile
• irunfar.com
• The SLC MRC
• Photos – Bill Geist 
• Photos - by Tetsuro Ogata (Japan)

Running in VA, 2nd oldest 100 miler.

Old Dominion 100M run in VA. To say the important thing, it is the second oldest 100 miler in the country, in it’s 33rd year of running. It came about as a follow-up of Western States 100 and has the same beginning as a horse race. The challenge the RD’s put out was to not only finish a 100 mile trek, but to do it in one day, under 24 hrs. The organizers are not runners – it is a family in it’s 3rd generation right now (well, 2nd, but the youngsters are already in it), and the aid stations, as well as most volunteers are not runners either – just local family who have houses on properties through which the run goes, and they set tables out (very often and very much appreciated, I must add) with water, coke and a few small items. I liked how simple it all was. I only ask for water and ice at the race anyway, because I go on gels, and only on Power Gels, so I never rely on AS for anything else. The price was absolutely right too – $135, I believe it is the cheapest 100 besides Cactus Rose and Rocky. Can’t beat that. To stress one more point, as I said above, the run has to be completed sub-24 hrs, and while they extended the finish time to 28 hrs at some point (not sure when), the buckle goes only to those who make it in 1 day. And now I know even more – what a sweet buckle that is! It is a real silver buckle, just like WS provides to sub-24 finishers, and to my knowledge it’s the only second 100 to do that. I might be wrong, please correct me (Tahoe?). All this said, there are a handful of things I also knew. The race fell off the Earth (a.k.a. competitive running) somewhere around 2001 due to 9/11, and the OD Memorial came to replace (and Vermont started a few years earlier too), and due to various reasons I have no clue about the participation was down to a dozen of finishers some years. Now that we have 100M races popping like blisters on our feet during a long haul, some do have shortage of runners. I kind of felt responsible to bring attention back to “old and true” (nothing wrong with new stuff). And, it fell well into my wounding-down the season. It listed about 14,000 feet of elevation gain (plus same for loss) and I think it is about 80% done on either rural country asphalt roads or gravel roads. The hills are nice, rolling, through beautiful area East Coast style, reminded me of my days living in NYC and hiking/backpacking Upstate NY (my true background to taking this trail ultrarunning thing), and it was lovely. The smells of blooming tress and flowers were overwhelmingly awesome. The hospitality of volunteers was unmatched – they learned your name and as they moved their help around (or simply you moved in circles around their AS’s), you’ve been called up on very personally.

Now, because the event is put on by regular folks, names of runners are unknown to volunteers (besides “repeat offenders”). It was cute to be asked at the sing in if I ever run a trail, ever donw a night run, and have an idea what to eat when I do this thing. I just smiled. You also don’t know who else is in the race until you show up – and get a print out of participants. Only 7 female were listed this year, but the total was the biggest in a decade, 70 runners. I came with a goal of 22 hrs and, obvioulsy, a belt buckle. I collect belt buckles you know:) I knew only a handful of folks – and I mean a handful: Keith Knippling, Greg Loomis, Dan Brendan, Bedford Boyce and Levy Rizk. Levy and I scouted the first/last 7 miles the day before the race and were glad we did.

Usually the weather plays a huge negative role at OD100, but we lucked out so much, I have no words. Some did complain on the heat, but for this newly-Texan, 80′s and humidity way below 50% felt a paradise. The race starts at 4 am, but it goes through the town of Woodstock for 3 miles and then ventures on a road up, so lights are not necessary at all. Then the grey starts coming up. The field spread out some, but still kept close. After 7 mile AS you hit long steep-ish downhill and make a loop on half-trail and half-road for Boyer. Besides this little thing (about 2M on trails) first 32M are all road-run. I wore my old road shoes, to get rid of them was about time (2 years old?). Actually, come to think about it, the whole thing can be easily done in road shoes, in fact, trail shoes are contra-indicated. I was smack on time on my predicted splits, and despite running roads, was extremely happy. I felt awesome, I didn’t breathe any hard at any point, I was hydrating and eating gels on cue, I ditched my old shirt (ran first marathon in it, 9 years ago) at AS and was running in a sportsbra for cooling effect (Texas teaching), and I was listening to my music. Talked to an “Alabama” guy (who happened to be Dink Taylor) just past mile 25, I think, told him how I always happen to have some serious thing happen to me in the last 20 miles or so (like, rolled both ankles at RR, broke tail bone at Cactus, explosive pooping at WS..). What an idiot, jinxed myself! Was passed a few minutes before 20M AS by a woman, and learned from volunteers we are 1-2. She pulled away. I could care less, besides, it was mile 20, for God’s sake, who races that early! Had some stomach loose, visited woods couple of times, hit Immodium, was ok after.

Came to mile 32 spot on, changed into my Fireblades (trail shoes), re-supplied and took off, happy camper. Passed a few guys, was told Linda (that turned out to be woman’s name) was 5 minutes on me, could care less. There was a long ATV climb, and when we got to a motor-biked in AS, water was sparse to offer. But I was peeing fine and did ok to manage one bottle per person request. Kind of got a bit tired of those ATV rocks, and also started feeling weird pain in my right lower shin, right above my ankle. Thought may be it’s my shoes too tight. I never had my shoes tight before, but who knows, I had no other ideas. Kept plugging away and passing a guy here and there, was a nice ridge stretch, hot and open and with a bunch of flies, but nice smelling blooms. Finally came down some road, passed Levy and entered mile 48 AS (same as 32, it was a loop) while Linda was getting tended to by her spouse (or friend). Could care less. Got ice, re-supplied, took off on a 4.5M climb on a road.


Linda caught up with me in a mile, I was rocking my best music selection, hopefully she didn’t think I am a nut case. Dancing, you know. Depending on music, either swaying hips (pop) or throwing fists in the air (rock, hip-hop). She didn’t say much (I pointed to a sign to a house with wedding and proposed we should stop by there). I think she mentioned she doesn’t do well in heat. I was just running my own race, and yes, I did think that I might come back to her if I still feel good, and if I don’t catch her – it means she is a better runner, that’s all. Besides the ridge before, that was the only open section. Everything else was in a shade, so I felt great in this regard. There was a line on the road saying “50M”, and I was there at exactly 10 hrs – not even funny. And it was exactly when I thought I should be there. Got to the top of the hill at mile 51 – and suddenly that pain in the shin got unbearable. Had to step aside, loosen up laces (still thought it was the cause). Felt some relief (now I understand the swelling started, so yes, there was a relief). But shortly after, as the downhill started, I couldn’t run from pain. My mood dampened. Took Ibuprofen. Not much help. Took Aleve. When course goes up, I am fine, strong and almost don’t feel anything. As soon as we go down (and road at that) – I am in tears. Still think it’s from shoe laces and simply an aggravation, like an anterior tibialis tendonitis. You don’t stop for tendonitis. So I went on. By Elizabeth Furnace, mile 75, the pain is really, really bad, and I am loosing the ground on Linda (I was given updates). I weighed in (same exact number as at the start, good thing) and yelled out for a duct tape. The woman came in and asked “What’s wrong, I am a doctor”. I said “I am a doctor too, I need duct tape”. The RD Ray was there and later at the finish said it sounded very funny. I don’t know, I wasn’t much smiling. I taped my leg and walked out. We entered a bitch of a climb, but it was only bad last mile (straight up). The whole 6M section was on an extremely rocky trail (worst Massanutten memories imaginable), but when going up, I was so full of energy and almost no pain. The other side was a completely different story. I left Elizabeth Furnace still on predicted split, but all hell got loose here, past the top of the climb. It was very steep and very rocky way down, and it just got dark a few minutes ago (just about 9pm, I put headlamp on), and I couldn’t put any weight on my right leg without crying, screaming and remembering every mother of God (and many, many more choice of words I could come up with in English). I actually made a cane out of a stick and basically hopped down on one leg. At the bottom the un-manned AS ran out of water. Sucks for us. Another 2 miles up the road was a regular AS, but I was in pain and on a “get the F* done” mode. Just got water. Another trail section, up and over Veach Gap. Again, my climb was awesome, gave me hope, I was just so pleased of how strong I felt and how well I took care of myself. On the way down I repeated the crying and swearing – but no stick. It was a somewhat “milder” trail downhill with “fewer” rocks. We wandered more on roads after that, and I even tried to shuffle some mild mellow decline parts (besides flats), calculating and re-calculating what is possible to still come under 24 hrs. That was all I could focus on. Ran many parts with a guy Juan on his first 100 – when he finally left me at 93, he was done in 22:40. At mile 93 a nice volunteer enthusiastically told me the next 4M are almost all downhill. I knew that (repeat beginning course back) and I still almost killed him:) I tried to run, then gave up and hobbled. It was way too steep for my leg. Left ball of the foot developed a mother blister due to putting all that weight and pressure on only one leg, and walking downs. At this point I had no leg that could take any pressure (right or left). Took me 1:05 to make 4 miles downhill. At last AS (which didn’t have water, and I kind of wanted it) I almost quit. I was positively sure I will not be able to make last 3 miles at all, in any time. And I couldn’t scream (it does provide mental release when the anger gets out) – we were in town, and people are sleeping in their homes! So, I just walked and cried quietly. 50 minutes total. The last 3/4 mile is on a gravel horse track, a really cruel joke – you can see the finish line, but can’t go straight to it. I was in so much pain, I knew even if another woman comes from behind with 2 feet to go, I will let her go. It didn’t matter anymore. But – it was a guy who came up on me mid-way, and asked if I’d like to run in together. I looked up and said “Do I look like I am eager to run?”. Sorry, I can be very moody like that. I walked through the finish line in 23:11:23, good for 29th overall and 2nd gal, a bit over an hour later than Linda (who ran a great, consistent and strong race). Would I have caught her? Nothing is a garantee in life, but everything is possible. All things considering, I am thrilled with physical aspect of this race.

Below is a synopsis from the VA Happy Trail runners:

The 33rd Old Dominion 100 was an epic year with great weather, a packed field, and fantastic volunteer support. Neal Gorman won in 16:16.47, Linda Gaudette was first woman in 22:03.22. Of 68 runners from 15 states, 54% were awarded the silver, sub-24 hour buckle. 72% finished under 28 hours. Neal, Eric Grossman, and Jeremy Pade lost 25 mins due to missing course markings heading into Elizabeth Furnace. Karsten Brown was second in 17:20, Eric third in 17:40, Jeremy fourth in 18:10, followed by David Ploskonka in 19:14 and Keith Knipling in 19:25. Sean Andrish finished near 22 hrs. Many other VHTRCers finished the challenging course. Bobby Gill photo credit.

The travel was really bad. The pain was getting worse, the swelling, hotness and redness on my leg, I couldn’t walk a step…the airport people are the best, wheeled me around, put me up with no folks so I can elevate my leg, people giving me Ibuprofen, flight attendants giving me bags of ice, the first pilot announcing I am a “bad ass”. I had to keep apologizing that not all 100′s end up like that, it is really not a bad thing to do. I don’t think they believed me much, I did a poor job explaining we are normal…well, kind of…

I hobbled to a doc for x-ray Monday morning – no serious fracture. Got to MRI – and yes, indeed, a hairline stress fracture about 2 cm on the anterial/medial side of lower part of tibia (about 1 cm above distal end). There is also some soft tissue trauma, hematoma and tendinitis. Seems that the soft tissue was giving more pain than bone crack itself.

Bottom line? As an event, it is awesomely organized, very pretty and really historically important – both for American history and for ultrarunning history. For me, personally, roads just don’t do it. Nor super-rocky trails where running is imapred (at least somewhat). I like to glide mindlessly. I am still glad I checked this run off my list, and I still recommend it. You can run a great PR on the course, if you will take good care of yourself. I am thrilled to have done just that – take awesome care of myself, the whole day long, even as the pain become excruciating, I never lost sight of my hydration and fueling. Body-wise, I felt great. Like, better than many other 100′s by a long shot. And that’s with 45 mpw. Speaks volume of wisdom: patience, pacing, taking care of yourself, and experience, along with weight workouts (yes, those helped). My muscles are not sore. And while I was fitted for a boot to not have me walk around much, if you know me, I ain’t wearing it. I will, though, keep my leg wrapped, elevated, iced and not run on. It’s an off-season time. Lets the other challenges begin.