Broken Arrow 52K Sky Race: June 22, 2019

Pre-Race, the calm before the pain!

Sky race trail running events are popular in Europe and have gained  a lot of attention in the United States within the last five or six years.  They are unique and challenging due to taking place in mountains at high altitude and also involve a lot of elevation gain / loss throughout the races.  I have followed the sky races in the US but I never thought I would sign up for one.  That is until Shaun peer pressured me into signing up for Broken Arrow 52K.  The timing of the event actually lined up nicely with my training plan for Kodiak 100 so I agreed to do it.  Broken Arrow starts around 6,000 feet above sea level and tops out at almost 10,000 feet.  There is over 10,000 feet of total elevation gain throughout the two loop race which starts and ends in Squaw Valley ski resort.  From certain vantage points on the course you can even see lake Tahoe in the distance.  Leading up to this race I was in pretty good shape from all my training over the last few months so I was excited to see how I would handle the difficulty of the course.  I was also interested in seeing how my body would handle the higher altitude since my goal race in August, Kodiak 100, was also going to be in the mountains at a higher altitude.

The First Climb

High enough for leftover snow in late June

The super steep rope climb!

We arrived to Olympic Village in Squaw Valley and got our bibs and all the great race schwag.  The race started in the cool mountain air and after parading down the main brick street of the ski resort we hit the first climb.  Then the next few miles of the course are rolling hills through a wooded section and you come out into a big opening.  That's when you face the first really tough climb, basically a very steep grade up to the top.  Then there is a big decent down to the first aid station.  This is followed by a few more long steep climbs.  Then you get to the steepest climb of the day, in fact, it's so steep they installed a rope to assist the ascent.  There was snow here making it even more difficult.  On the rope section on my first loop I used all upper body strength to get myself to the top.  In hindsight that was not a great idea because my shoulder and arms felt like they were going to fall off.  There were a lot of other people on the rope at the same time since it was the first loop so we had to keep moving in order to not break everyone's flow.  It was super hard and I had never experienced anything like it in a race.  I can't explain how happy I was to make it to the top of the rope climb.  This was my least favorite part of the race however it's all part of the challenge so I have learned to embrace it.  The next hard part was a steep climb up to the highest point on the course where we had to scale some rocks and climb up a shady ladder.  I'm not gonna lie it was kind of terrifying but the views from the top were incredible.  We could even see Lake Tahoe in the distance and that mental reward makes all the difficult aspects worth while.

Shaun on top of the world

Lake Tahoe in the background

Climbing up to the shady ladder

Then we started descending and came to a huge steep downhill.  The hill was covered in snow and going down was treacherous.  Some runners were sitting and sliding down the snow hill on their ass, including Shaun!  There were some complaints of burning skin after that because the snow was flying all up in there!  Climbing back up this hill was very difficult as well because the snow provided slippery footing and it was so steep that we could only do slow steps.  Luckily Shaun and I both had shoe traction for the snow which really helped with this section.  After this climb it was mostly all downhill back to the start finish area to end the first loop.  I had to reapply some sun screen after that loop because the sun was blazing down and it's easy to get burnt on an exposed snow covered mountain.  The second loop was the same route as the first loop.  Towards the end of the race I made it a priority to beat another runner who was playing music out loud on the course.  I don't mind if people listen to headphones during a race but it's disrespectful to play the music out loud.  Anyway this person was really gaining on us and I took off down the service road running as fast as I could ffor the last mile and a half or so.  I ended up accomplishing my goal but some older guy passed me right at the finish line.  I was a little deflated by that however it did not ruin the fact that I had a great time and I truly enjoyed the sky race!  It was super rewarding and this particular race is put on by Salomon so it was a very well run event.  After the race we smashed some pizza at the ski village and then headed back to the AirBnb in North Lake Tahoe for some beer and TV wind down. 

Strava Data: https://www.strava.com/activities/2472475149

A hard fought finish but got it done

The Ridge 60K: June 1st, 2019

45 minute bus ride back to my neighborhood

Shaun mentioned his friend Pancho was coming into town from Charlotte, SC to run this trail race, another one put on by Pacific Coast Trail Runs.  It lined up perfectly with my training plan for Kodiak 100 which was only a little over two months away!  It was going to be Pancho's longest run to date.  He is much faster then Shaun and I and he was planning on giving it his best shot.  The logistics of this race were not ideal.  It starts at Baker Beach and ends in Stinson Beach.  Baker Beach is only a mile from my apartment but Stinson Beach is a 45 minute drive.  We had to take a shuttle from Stinson to Baker early in the morning before race start.  Shaun already had rented an AirBnB in Stinson for the weekend so Jess and I decided on chipping in for the place and staying there instead of gettting up super early to drive all the way to Stinson just to catch a shuttle all the way back home for the race start.  Plus that way we could hang out and have a few beers after the race instead of driving all the way back home.  Jess signed up for the 23K which started later and from Stinson Beach so she got to sleep in while Shaun, Pancho, and myself had to get up super early to catch a 45 minute shuttle ride to Baker Beach.  There were two buses with hardly any room on them (had to sit 2 people in each single seat) transporting runners and the bus in front of our even pulled over on the windy Panoramic highway so one of the runners could get out and throw up!

Baker Beach Pre-Race

We finally arrived to Baker Beach and it was nice to get out and stretch our legs.  We took some pre race photos and wished Pancho good luck since we would not being seeing him very much during the race.  We thought maybe we might catch him later if he goes out to fast and blows up but it never really happened.  The weather today was going to be cool and very foggy but at least there was no rain in the forecast, finally!  We got started and as suspected Pancho was off to the races.  Shaun was mentally struggling a bit at the beginning since he does not like running on roads and we had to go over the Golden Gate Bridge before getting to the trails.  Once we climbed up into the Marin Headlands and got out of sight from the highway he felt better.  We followed the single track ridge across the headlands but it was so foggy that we had zero views of the valley below.  Then we took the Marincello trail which is a smooth downhill to our first aid station at Tennessee Valley.  From there we climbed up the Miwok trail and then descended the other side.  At the bottom of the descent we ran into Shaun's friend Ram (who is now a freind of mine as well) who was out on a training run.  I heard a lot about Ram from Shaun and it was nice to finally meet him and also good to make another running friend in the Bay Area.  After chatting with Ram for a minute we then jumped on the Dias Ridge Trail which is a nice long downhill to Muir Beach.

Really foggy and cool, my favorite conditions

Once we finished the downhill then we had to briefly run along a road and get on another trail which led us to a river crossing.  I don't mind getting my feet wet once in awhile so I jumped right in!  We went to the aid station which was in a big open field right after the river crossing.  Then we had another long climb ahead of us.  The first trail on this climb is Heather Cutoff which is a very windy section of trail that has been dubbed "Donkey Kong" because of all the switch backs.  From the ground level looking up at the trail and all the runners zig zagging it looks just like the video game Donkey Kong and I thought that was pretty funny.  Then we got on the coastal trail which is a really long gradual climb up to Cardiac Hill where the next aid station is.  Then we started a long out and back section and went along Bolinas Ridge which has some of the best views off Mt. Tamalpais.  As we were about a mile or two from the next aid station we saw Pancho coming back towards us on his out and back return.  He actually looked like he was in pretty good shape.  He said he started out strong but had since eased up however he was doing well.  Shaun and I were both feeling the burn at that aid station but we only had 5 miles back to Cardiac Hill and then 3 downhill miles to the finish and that thought was enough to keep us going.

Shaun and I navigating some single track

On the return to Cardiac Hill Shaun had a steady pace going for a few miles on the really light uphill grade.  I was doing my best to keep up with him and this destroyed my calves!  About a half mile from Cardiac Hill Aid Station we realized that we were going to have about 30 minutes to beat 8 hours for the 60K (37 mile).  Shaun's strategy was to check in at the aid station but not get any food or water.  I was completely out of water and figured I better at least get some in one of my water bottles to hold me over for the next three miles.  We made quick work at the aid station and started our sprint to the finish.  We were cruising at a pretty high speed on a slight downhill when I tripped and completely launched myself into the rocks and rough vegetation on the side of the trail.  It was pretty rough getting up from that and with my leg bleeding I had to wash it out with some of my water, good thing I filled up the water bottle!  The fall ate up a few valuable minutes in our quest to beat 8 hours.  We ended up finishing a few minutes after our goal but that's ok, we had a great time and we were finished which is all that really matters.  Jess was at the finish line hanging out with Pancho.  It was great to see her and hear about how well she did in her race and that she met a new friend.  We also got the breakdown from Pancho on how his race went which sounds like he did really well especially for his first ultra!  We ate some post race tacos and had a few post race beers provided by Pacific Coast Trail Runs and that was a nice post race celebration.  The climb back up to the AirBnB was pretty rough but it was nice to get showered, ordered some pizza, drink beers and hang out with everyone.

Strava Data: https://www.strava.com/activities/2415891036

Finished and ready for beer!

My knee a few days later, healing 

Mt. Diablo 50K: May 18th, 2019

I have been doing a few training runs with my new running friend Shaun.  He convinced me that I should sign up for this race that he was doing called Mt. Diablo 50K put on by Pacific Coast Trail Runs, another great trail race company in the Bay Area.  This was my first time doing a race that had a sky race type difficulty, which means over 10,000 feet of climbing for a 50K.  The only difference is that this race was not at high altitude but it was still extremely tough.  This was my fourth race of 2019 and since we had a really wet winter it had rained at the previous three.  The forecast for this race also called for rain and not just any storm, there was an "atmospheric river" on the way!  I can't give a scientific explanation of what an atmospheric river is however I can say that it involves hard driving rain and very high winds along with cooler temperatures.  Due to the forecast and a few other reasons they had to re-route the course from how they usually do it.  The re-route added in a few bonus miles and some extra climbing so we were going to get a little more bang for our buck so to speak.

Shaun Climbing Up Diablo

I arrived to the race and it was very overcast but had not started raining yet.  I was bringing my Houdini rain/wind jacket because I knew it was not a matter of if but when the shit will hit the fan.  We got started with trekking poles in hand and began our first climb up Mt. Diablo.  We made it all the way to the peak where it was super windy but had not started raining yet.  Then we descended down the mountain, also summited eagle peak on the way, and escaped the first loop without getting rained on.  Then we started the second climb of the mountain and I got a nice boost of energy starting out on this loop.  As we got closer to the peak the rain drops were beginning to fall and the wind was picking up.  Shaun and I decided it was a good time to put our jackets on which proved to be a great decision.  The rain really picked up as we descended into the Juniper Campground aid station.  Upon leaving there we had to put gloves on as the temperature dropped.  The gloves didn't stay dry very long however they kept my hands warm.  When we got up on the ridge of Eagle Peak it was so windy that we could hardly stay upright.  It was raining sideways and we picked up the pace in order to get off that ridge line as quickly as possible.

Exposed ridge line to later become a tight rope of death

By the time we finished that loop the trail leading down to the start finish area was getting really muddy from all the rain.  It was a crazy little downhill mudslide to be more precise.  We refueled at the start finish aid station.  It was mentally tough knowing we had to go back out for a partial loop since we were soaked and cold along with watching runners from other distances getting in their warm cars to leave.  Luckily the rain was letting up as we started our climb up to Eagle Peak.  This turned out to be a very steep and tough climb which got me warm again.  After summiting and crossing the Eagle Peak ridge line it was a nice feeling to be on the way back down with only a few miles of downhill running left.  As we got close to the end I realized that we could break 9 hours if we really pushed and we had to pretty much slide down the huge mud slide before the finish line.  Ended up crossing with less than a minute to spare!  Due to the weather not many people showed up to the race.  There was a ton of post race food leftover and it was delicious! Shaun and I ate our food, drank some pop, and reminisced about how crazy the weather was on that tough course.  It was the most climbing I had ever done in a 50K and for some reason I really loved it!  Driving home was not easy though as there was a lot of traffic and my foot hurt pretty bad so repeatedly having to press the brake was not fun.  I made it home and went out to grab one of my favorite dishes, Kimchi Stew, from a Korean fusion place and it definitely hit the spot.  Even though the weather was insane I think I preferred it over having a blazing sun on the exposed course.  I will absolutely look forward to doing this race again.

Strava Data: https://www.strava.com/activities/2378595080

Glad to be finished!

The route: two full loops and one partial

 

Forget the PR Race Director 50K: April 5th, 2019

There is one thing that has been consistent over the last 8 years and that is Forget The PR 50K.  Upon volunteering at this 50K race in 2011 I got pumped up to try to run an ultra which I ended up doing at the same race in 2012.  After that I volunteered at the race every year.  Cool thing about volunteering at this race is the Race Director who use to run it (Rob Powell) would let the volunteers come and run the course while treating us to pizza and beer afterwards along with getting race shirts and finisher buckles.  When Mark Carroll and Chad Heald took over the race in 2017 they decided to carry on the tradition of the volunteers Race Director Race.  Fast forward to 2019 and even though I moved to other side of the country I still felt compelled to come back and volunteer for the race weekend.  The main reason I did this was to see all of my Ohio trail running friends which have become like family over the years.  When I decided this I let Chas and Ron know that I was going to run the course on my own the Friday before the race since I could not make it to the Race Director Race.  They instantly said they would take the day off work and run the course with me.  Then Johnny Rutherford also decided to run the course with us.  Later Sheldon Campbell said he wold meet us out there and run some miles with us a well!  Now we had a posse of 5 on a Friday nonetheless!

I flew into Columbus on Thursday afternoon.  I got my rental car and drove to Mohican where I met Chas and Ron for pizza and beer at Trails End.  We went back to the campground to get ready for our run the next day and try to get some sleep.  I was on west coast time so at 12:30 am I was still laying in bed twiddling my thumbs because it was only 9:30 pm for my internal clock.  Not sure what time I actually dozed off but I do know I only had a few hours of sleep at best.  We got up and it appeared like it was going to be a cold and rainy day.  However the rain only lasted for a little while which turned out to be a bonus since morning temperatures were in the 30s.  Loop one we were moving quite well and as usual Big Ass Hill didn't disappoint!  It seemed like we made it to covered bridge in no time where we ran into some people and ended up chatting for awhile.  Chas had stashed a bag of goodies for us at covered bridge so we were able to fuel up and make sure we had enough water.  Then we met up with Sheldon and he did the dam loop with us.  This is definitely one of the toughest and most fun sections of the course.  Unfortunately we were not able to do the famous root climb part any longer but there is more climbing then before so that was good.  We had a great time shooting the shit and trying to figure out where the hell we were supposed to go since the course was not marked yet.  Ended up navigating it the correct way as far as we know!  We arrived back to the start line at the campground and done with the tough loop and in pretty good time.

Happy Faces before the climb up Big Ass Hill

Oh how glorious the pain is climbing Big Ass Hill!

Our make shift aid station at covered Bridge

After refueling we were ready to run the last 13 miles and it's always nicer to have a shorter loop for the second half of the race.  Although we were all feeling the burn on the second loop we still managed to keep moving.  It was relieving to get to the covered bridge because all we had left was the flat section along the river and the climb up North Rim Trail.  I always love the added challenge of doing that big climb up North Rim Trail toward the end of the race when our legs are completely destroyed.  I think that is part of what sets ultra runners apart is that we, for some stupid reason, love the pain but revel in the accomplishment.  We got back to the campground and crossed the imaginary finish line.  Relieved to be finished and we all stumbled our way to the showers.  At this time all of the runners had started showing up at the campground for the actual race which was the following day.  We ate some food and sat around the fire with some good people drinking many beers and telling stories.  Johnny brought us some really strong Founders Imperial Stout and it was delicious!  These guys have become some of my closest friends in recent years and it was so great seeing everyone.  The race went well the next day as we were busy volunteering from 5:30 AM until about 5:00 PM.  I am really glad I was able to make it back to Ohio for this event.  For many years now it has been my favorite weekend of the year and it never disappoints.

Strava Data: https://www.strava.com/activities/2267327715

Done and ready for beer!

Forget the PR Course

Fort Ord 50K: Feb. 2nd, 2019

I signed up for the 50K and Jess signed up for the 10K.  Fort Ord is South of the Bay area down between Salinas and Monterey, Calfornia.  It's an old military property where they conducted a lot of army training back in the day.  There is currently a race track there which is where the start / finish line is for the race.  It's a really neat area with plenty of single track trails, some wide trails, rolling hills, and great views of the entire area.  The race is put on by Inside Trails which is, in my opinion, one of the best trail race companies in the Bay area.  This was a great race for multiple reasons which I will explain in more detail but I felt really great and ended up with my second best 50K time along with meeting a new friend Shaun.

Jess and I drove to Monterey for dinner and then went to our hotel for the night.  It rained pretty hard as we were chilling in the hotel and I was wondering if it would continue through the next day.  Forecast was calling for spotty showers throughout the day.  We got to the start line in the morning and it seemed like the rain was going to let loose.  We started the race and the first few miles were on a dirt road which was pretty muddy in areas.  Then the rain let loose and we got a good soaking.  We were then on some winding rolling single track trails for awhile.  Most of the race alternated between these two types of trails and there was only one small section that had to be repeated.  The rain continued on and off for the first half of the race.  I met one kid that was doing his first 50K and met a few other people along the way.  I ran a few miles with a guy named Greg who is from Paradise, California where a deadly wildfire in 2018 had wiped out most of his city.  I saved the day for a random runner who went right by a course marker at a turn, I saw him at the top of a hill going in the wrong direction and yelled out to him.  He was thankful for the shout.

For my own standards I had a pretty good overall pace coming into the mile 25 aid station.  I thought maybe there was a possibility I could break the six hour mark.  This is before I found out the biggest climbing section of the whole race was in the last six miles.  At this aid station I was filling up my water bottles and making sure I had enough fuel to make it through to the end.  A guy named Shaun came into the aid station and had a very bloody knee from an earlier fall.  He and I left the aid station at the same time and since we had a huge climb at this juncture it gave us some time to talk about running and races etc...Turns out he lives in the Oakland Hills and he has done some really extreme ultra races such as The Bear, Fat Dog 120, UTMB, Western States, and Hardrock!  Holy crap, those are major freaking accomplishments.  On the way up this big climb it started raining again and this is a very exposed area with no trees at all.  The winds picked up and rain started coming down really hard and I picked up the pace as I just wanted to be done.  Shaun had fallen behind on his nutrition and he temporarily slowed it up.  I pushed on through the last few miles and the rain stopped with about a mile to go and the sun even made a brief appearance.  I was glad to see Jess at the finish line and she was cheering me on.  I ended up with a great finish time for myself and was proud of my accomplishment.  I think my new training grounds in the Bay Area have proven to be quite helpful to my running in general.

Jess had a really great run in her 10K and got to go back to the hotel and relax while I was out on the course.  Jess and I met a couple from Ohio at the finish line.  They recognized my Forget the PR 50K T-Shirt I was wearing.  They had moved out to California and live in Monterey.  It's always cool to run into Midwest transplants out here.  Then a few minutes later Shaun came across the finish line with his bloody knee.  The medic dumped a bunch of hydrogen peroxide on it and bandaged it up for him.  We chatted a bit as we ate some food and got ready for the long drive home.  Overall, this was a fun race and I enjoyed the whole experience.  It was cool to meet Shaun as well, always nice to get a new running friend and have someone to log some training miles with.

Here is the Strava Data: https://www.strava.com/activities/2120096695

Crystal Springs 35K: Jan. 19th, 2019

This was my first race since moving to San Francisco.  I have had a few injury set backs since picking up mileage over the fall and winter.  I was not use to running hills all the time and severely strained my calves on a high mileage week.  We were signed up for a race in November that got cancelled due to wildfire smoke but it was probably a good thing because my left calf was destroyed. I also had some quad issues after my calves started to come around.  I have been itching to do a race since we moved here because there are so many cool trails around and there are races about every weekend.  I knew I needed to get use to running hills before getting into any of the ultra distance races.  I slowly have been building mileage and careful not to overdo it on any given week. This race was brought to my attention by my friend Chris. 

I met Chris at Mountain Lakes 100 in 2017, he lives in the Bay area and comes from a marathon background and he is fast.  I mean really fast, for example, he recently ran a half marathon in 1:10.  He started getting into ultra running and wants to compete for podium finishes.  About a week before this race he shot me a message saying he just signed up for the Crystal Springs 50K.  I took a look and they offered different distances including a 35K (22 miles) which would be the perfect training run for Fort Ord 50K that I am running in two weeks.  I signed up for that and they also offered a half marathon which Jess signed up for.  This race takes place in Woodside California which is about 45 minutes away from our place in San Francisco.  Woodside is home to multiple parks and redwood preserves.  The trails are some of the most beautiful in the bay area and almost completely in the forest.  The first 6 miles of the 35K was a steady climb, then 4 miles of rolling trails, and then turn around and go back.  Having a downhill for the last 6 miles was a welcome thing.

Winter in the Bay area is the rainy season.  The whole week leading up to the race it was sunny and beautiful out.  The night before brought major storms etc..  It was raining pretty hard on our way to the race.  The radar showed it was going to clear up for a little while during the race start and probably hold off for 4 or 5 hours until more rain came.  It started to sprinkle during the send off speech and within minutes after the race started it began to pour.  There were a few breaks in the rain throughout the race but it pretty much rained the whole time.  At the start I saw Chris take off like a bat out of hell, he hit those trails in the lead and quickly disappeared.  I felt pretty good on the 5.5 mile climb to the first aid station.  I was also trucking along pretty well on the next rolling sections of trail.  When I got to the halfway point turnaround I was starting to feel a little fatigued.  I was wondering how Jess was doing in the rain and also wondering if Chris was still in first place.  The rain had turned the trails into a muddy mess.  I was reduced to walking up all the hills even the small ones.  A guy that was still on his way out to the turnaround seen my playing possum shirt and told me that I was pretty fast for a possum...I told him that was simply not true but thanks for saying that!

On the way back I had about 7 miles left to go when I heard my name yelled out on the trail behind me.  I turned around to see Chris still in first place for the 50K and he was hauling ass while cruising by me!  This actually put some wind back in my sails and I picked up the pace for the last segment of the race.  The fact that it was all downhill really helped out my pace as well.  I was really looking forward to finishing this thing up so I could get a warm cup of coffee.  I ended up finishing in 4 hours and 20 minutes (4:20..hehe) which I am very pleased with.  After crossing the finish line I congratulated Chris on his 50K victory and got the low down on Jess and her half marathon.  Turns out she had a really great race.  She did good on the climb up to the turn around point and then flew down hill like a bat out of hell.  Instead of changing clothes I opted to get some hot soup and skip the coffee for a tall can of pilsner.  Everyone we met after the race was really cool.  It had a nice family atmosphere feel to it which is what I like.  It reminded me of most races back home that I volunteer at or run every year.  I am excited to see what Chris will do as he enters some big name races this year.  I think he has the speed and determination to compete with the best.  All in all it was a really fun time at this race, the rain and mud made it a true California winter trail race.  I was please with my finish time and I am ready for the Fort Ord 50K which is in two weeks!     

Here is the Strava Data from the race: https://www.strava.com/activities/2092749305

Dark Sky 50: May 12th, 2018

For Jessica's 40th birthday I took her to Chicago for the weekend where we stayed in a nice hotel, ate some good food, and seen the acclaimed musical Hamilton.  She asked what I wanted to do for my 40th birthday and I chose to run a 50 mile race in hot and humid Tennessee while staying in a cheaper-ish cabin.  Sounds great, right?  We left work early on Thursday and road tripped down through Ohio and Kentucky on interstate 75 south.  About 60 miles from the Tennessee border google maps had us get off the freeway and we would be on Kentucky back roads for the next two hours until we reached our destination just over the border.  Our cabin was about 4 miles past Pickett State Park campground and we decided to stop at the state park because my friends Ron and Chas were there and we had a few beers with them.  Chas hauled his very large camper down there and was telling stories of white knuckling it for about 20 miles of winding roads, tiny lanes, and no shoulder.  I am not sure how he managed to do that because there were a few spots that were even tight for my car.

It was still kind of early since we switched to Central time. The state park was right on the line between eastern and central time zones so our cell phones kept switching back and forth when we could get a signal and this was confusing but amusing at the same time.  Chas was also running this race and using it as a training run for Mohican 100 which is in June.  He was very fit from all the training he did and I was somewhat trained but nowhere near his level.  The forecast was set to be in the mid 80s and very humid and we were definitely not use to that after the long Michigan / Ohio winter but we had all the necessary gear to combat the heat.  Also, Ron and Jessica were going to crew us and they are both straight up rock stars when it comes to crewing so I was not too concerned about the pending heat.

After hanging out for a little while we ventured down the country road to the campground where our "full service cabin" was located.  The area was extremely dark because there is hardly any light pollution in this area as no major cities are close.  In fact, this area is one of the top 20 darkest places in the U.S. and known for its excellent star gazing.  Thus the name of the race: The Dark Sky 50.  We pulled into the campground and entered our cabin for the weekend.  It had quite the old cabin type smell and was pretty outdated but those things were not a big deal.  Then Jess flushed the toilet and we heard water bubbling in the shower and the kitchen sink, uh oh!  It was going to be very hot and humid this weekend and there was a large window unit air conditioner in the cabin but unfortunately it was sitting on the bedroom floor and not in the window!  We had a long drive and were tired so we decided to just go to bed and deal with all the cabin issues in the morning.  Upon waking up the next day we made some coffee and were relaxing in the small kitchen when we noticed a few bees had made their way into the cabin.  I walked up to the nice campground bathrooms and ran into Traci, the owner, and I told her about the issues.  She agreed to knock some money off our amount due plus give us some free ice and said she would get her husband over to fix the plumbing later that evening.

We relaxed outside at the campground all morning hoping to not get stung by all the bees flying around us.  Then we gathered some things up and drove around to find a store where we stocked up with some gallons of water etc.. Then we drove over to the state park and chilled out with Chas and Ron for a few hours before going down to pick up our race packets.  I had parked in a empty campsite next to Chas's spot and the people who reserved that empty site pulled up to it.  I apologized for parking there and moved my car.  We ended up walking with them down to packet pickup etc..  Turns out those people were none other then elite ultra runners Liz Canty and her husband Luke Hough!  Very cool they showed up to run a small non publicized second year race in the middle of nowhere.  Jess and I went back to the cabin and cooked some potatoes along with preparing everything else for the race the following morning.  We were able to get into bed pretty early but I didn't fall asleep until probably 11:00 or so.  Then I was up off and on throughout the night, basically just antsy and ready to get the race started.  The alarm went off at 4:15 central time and I quickly got ready for my 50 mile adventure.  We grabbed some of our free ice and met Chas and Ron at the state park.  We got down to the start line and off we went but little did I know my whole race plan was going to hell.

Early miles, feeling good and morale is high!

The beginning was a 2.7 mile loop and an aid station back at the start line (according to the runner's manual).  The next aid station was not until mile 9.3.  My plan was to drink as much of my water bottle and tailwind bottle as I could on the first loop and then fill up for the 6.5 mile stretch to the next aid station.  Somehow there must of been some flags moved or pulled in the first loop because we were back at the start line after 2 miles and I didn't see the natural bridge or the arch that we were supposed to run by.  We followed the flags the entire way and the whole field of runners ran the same route as us so something definitely got screwed up and it was not our fault!  There were some really cool rock formations and nice scenery in this Pickett State Park loop.  I stuck to my plan and downed a lot of my water and tailwind mix but when we got back to the start line there was no water or anything put out for us.  Not sure why they advertised that as an aid station if they were not putting water out there.  I knew it was going to be a hot day so I wanted to stay ahead of my hydration plan.  Essentially we had to go the first 9.3 miles of this race without any aid or water but I guess that's not the end of the world since it was the beginning of the race.  I knew I would not be ahead of hydration because of this but I should be able to maintain without issue, right?

Awesome views from high up on the ridge line

We were winding around this huge gorge on single track trails with some really great views.  To say this area is awesome would be an understatement.  At some points you have sweeping panoramic views of large foothills and huge rock formations.  What an awesome place to have a race!  The scenery took my mind off the fact that I was not following my hydration plan.  After all of the awesome views we dropped down into a dense forest where we did a major river crossing, they even put up a rope and I am glad they did because I slipped on a rock under water and almost bit it but the rope saved my fall!  Then we followed the river for awhile on single track trail, this was all pretty technical because there were tons of rocks and roots.  It was hard to get a good running rhythm when a lot of the trails were not too run-able.  I was happy to reach the mile 9.3 aid station which was every bit of 10.5 miles into the race.  This was an unmanned aid station that only had one large water jug and one large jug with tailwind / water mix and this was in the middle of the woods, I am not even sure how they got them back there.  I filled up one bottle with just water along with dumping my own Tailwind powder in the other bottle and topping it off with water.  Off we went and did a bunch of gradual climbs up to the next aid station where Ron and Jessica were waiting for us at mile 13.1.  It was starting to get hot out and they hooked us up with with our ice bandannas and also we each took an extra water bottle because it was a 7.7 mile stretch to the next aid station.

Dense forest, getting super hot and humid!

I wanted to get some extra water in my system right away when we left that aid station so I drank my extra water bottle within the first mile of leaving.  We had a very reasonable pace going up until this point.  I was letting Chas lead because I didn't want to mess with what he needed to do for his training.  He and Ron were simulating the first two loops of Mohican 100 by doing all of the aid, nutrition, and shoe / sock changes etc.. which I thought was genius.  Also, the fact that it was hot and humid out made it the perfect Mohican 100 training run.  I was just along for the ride and hoping that I could hang on since I was not in peak ultra shape.  I had a really good 50K at Trail Marathon Weekend two weeks prior and was hoping to replicate that performance but some things you are about to read changed the course of that plan for me.  Chas and I both drank all of our water within the next 7.7 mile stretch because it was getting very hot and humid out.  We got to the next aid station at mile 21 which was also just large jugs sitting in the woods.  So glad to finally get some more water!  Chas pushed the button on the spout of the cooler and guess what, no water!!  So thirsty and Tailwind was not sounding good but they did have some of that in the other jug.  We both filled up our bottles with the warm ass tailwind.  The sodium in the tailwind was just making us more thirsty for regular water.

Crazy Ass ladder we had to navigate down

The heat was really starting to get to me at this point because my energy level went from hero to zero around mile 23.  The trail led down by a river with cold water and I jumped in to douse my head with water to cool off.  Chas did the same and he was ready to push on but I needed some more time in the cool water so I told him to soldier on!  I was glad he did because he was doing well and I didn't want to hold him up plus I knew I would be slowing up for the rest of the race.  All I could think about was getting to the aid station at mile 27 so I could get some damn water!  The next 4 miles were slow and brutal as I was dying of thirst but I eventually stumbled up to the aid station which was another one out in the middle of the woods!  They asked me if I wanted some Tailwind and I quickly replied NO, just plain water PLEASE!  The guy felt bad but informed me they only had a half a pitcher of water left and he put about a third of a bottle in and said e had to save some for the other runners.  Wait, no water at mile 21, no water at mile 27, and we have four more miles to the next aid station?!  I kept my cool as I knew there was nothing I could do about it.  It was not the volunteers fault so I didn't say anything to them, just walked out of the aid station.  I was surprised that race management was so irresponsible about having water on the course especially when the weather was so hot and humid.  It's a huge issue of safety, I can see running out of food etc.. but with no water someone could of gotten hurt.

Random cool rock shit you see on the course

The next four miles were very tough with no water, I knew that my crew Jessica and Ron would be at mile 31 and would take good care of me so that kept me going.  Also, most of this section of trail went along a big river with cold water so myself along with a slew of other runners were randomly jumping in the water and soaking ourselves to stay cool.  I have to admit, I was seriously considering the risk of giardia and guzzling a bunch of that river water, it looked clean and refreshing but I know someone that suffered severely from this bacterial born illness and it just was not worth the risk.  As I was coming down a big hill I finally seen the aid station and Ron and Jessica were right there to meet me.  They were yelling they had PLENTY OF WATER as Chas informed them I would be thirsty!!  It was nice to sit down and reset a bit.  Jess and Ron told me about this crazy hike they had to do in order to get down to the aid station and found some craft beer at some lodge that was down there in the woods.  I was glad they were able to have some fun as they were out there waiting on us all day and it was nice to get my mind off the suffering that I was experiencing.  I thanked them and the volunteers at that aid station and with two bottles of ice water I set out on the next 5 mile loop getting a bit of a second wind.  I got back to that aid station and they had almost ran out of water there but were carrying another jug up as I was there.  Phew!!  I don't think I could of handled it if they didn't have any water.  The next aid station was mile 38ish and Jessica helped me change shoes ans socks.  I put on a brand new pair of Altra Lone Peaks and Ron was laughing that I was going to roll the last 12 miles with new shoes on.  In fact, I scuffed them up a bit just so I didn't look ridiculous!

Chas popped the cork a little early!

I got to the next aid station around mile 43ish and finally starting to get hydrated I decided I should probably eat something.  They were making grilled quesadillas and that just sounds really good for some reason.  It tasted great, although it probably was not the best choice, but since I only had 7 miles left I didn't care!  The trail went into a really steep downhill back down to the river.  I crossed the river again and once again my feet were wet.  Since I was in the rivers all day my feet never really dried out until my shoe and sock change at mile 38.  Oh well, only another 5 miles or so and this trainwreck would be over!  The thought of food, a shower, and multiple beers helped me kick in the after burners.  I ran with a group of people who were also finishing this race up.  Jess pulled up next to me in the car on this mile or two section of road we had to do before finishing.  I came down the final stretch and was super happy to see Jess, Ron, and Chas there cheering me on.  Chas completely dominated that race ad he still had energy left in the tank which was a tribute to all the hard training miles he had put in this year.  After getting a bite and cleaning up we sat by the fire at Chas's campsite with his family, drank many beers, and had a lot of laughs.  It's always such a great time hanging out with those guys and I hope we have some more adventures in the near future!

Post race, let the party begin!