Flagstaff: US Sky Running Championships: Sky Series

8:00 a.m. The gun went off and the race was underway. Although the field was relatively small the competition was high. Joe Gray, like myself, was there trying to get the Skyrunning Runner Of the Year, US mountain runner JP Donovan looking for a podium upset on his rivals, and Swiss Mountain Runner Marin Anthamatten was there to crash the American Championship.

Instantly JP sprinted out like the race was a 5k and not the 24 mile mountain race we all knew it to be. Joe and I sat back and watched almost in disbelief. Within 70 yards of the start JP and a handful of others had already gone off the trail, catapulting me into the lead. With Joe and Martin in close pursuit. Within a mile JP retook the lead and held it to the top of the first climb: Mt. Elden. On top I rounded a bend with Joe and Martin in a small pack when we heard JP let out a yelp from behind us. He had once again gone off trail.

From the top of Elden our mini-pack of 4 ran on at an ever quickening pace. With the first climb and introduction out of the way it was now time to race. Martin took the lead onto a single track that disappeared into the forest. Soon we were at the first aid station which was a blur as we raced through.

Single track can be extremely fun to run and exciting to race fast on. This was the goal. Martin and JP took turns leading our procession as we hammered along. We started a descent on the single track and they took off. Joe and I followed through the dust kicked up into the air, trying not to breath too much of it in, while simultaneously needing all the air we could get. It was a fantastic single track zigging down a mountain side with Aspen and Pine surrounding us. In places there were rocks to jump over with leaves and needles softly nestled on the ground. Our feet pounded down the hill on the volcanic soil, disturbing the tranquility. Both Martin and JP were trying to drop Joe and myself. This was early to be racing, but it was a national championship race. On our decent we yo-yoed back and forth but no one was dropped.

I sat in 4^th place not wanting to race yet and feeling everyone else out. Joe looked calm and comfortable, sitting and waiting as well. JP looked solid but was wavering slightly… he would slow down. And Martin, well Martin looked to be on a mission: drop everyone and run like the wind. We soon came into another aid station. This time Joe and I stopped for a brief respite, once fueled we left. We looked up and saw Martin and JP run straight down a road, while the trail turned off to the left. We both yelled and they turned and ran back. Consequently, Joe and I were now in the lead. The new trail, a wide and rocky single track with a slight unrelenting uphill, meandered through forest and mountain meadow.

Joe was content to let me lead, later informing me that I was doing a good job route finding. Marin quickly caught up and stayed in third. JP attempted to catch up but was soon dropped. The race was down to us three. While we ran we passed a few dozen runners from the 55k race. Now and then 1 or 2 would tag on to our group for as long as they could.

I set my own pace and the other 2 seemed content to just sit and wait. We covered another 4 miles and passed through yet another aid station. Martin decided it was time and put in a surge. Joe went with him, while I stayed back sitting knowing I could not match the surge. I was dropped and now officially in a solid third. Within a mile the trail disappeared and the route headed straight up a steep hill. I power hiked but my pace was slowing. I could tell I was now sodium & potassium deficient and started cramping. The cramps got exponentially worse. I finally topped the hill with a runner coming up only 100 yards behind. I followed the trail and soon hit yet another hill, this time running straight up a ski slope. I hiked up in excruciating pain while my muscles fired and flexed in random tetanus. I topped the hill and puked 2 or 3 times, the runner caught up and gave me some salt pills and passed me. I could barely continue. I ran, or rather staggered forward and down the hill to the next aid station which was at the finish line.

Although it was at the finish I still had another 4 miles or so straight up a ski slope and back down. I refueled and sat for a minute trying to get the cramping under control I figured I was now in fourth and had to finish strong. I soon left the aid and started up the last climb. I followed the flags and ended following them in the wrong direct only adding on at least a ½ mile. I topped out on the ski slope and started running down towards the finish. What place was I now? I had no idea. I thought I was 4^th… maybe 5^th now. I could not tell with the added 55k racers around.

I finished, glad to be done. I congratulated Joe and Martin. They reciprocated and told me I was 3^rd. Really? I was in shock disbelief. Could this be true? After a minute I confirmed it was true. I was shocked. I was 3^rd overall and therefore and had won the United States Skyrunning Series Championships. Crazy! But Awesome!

Run Rabbit Run 50 Miles

I drove over after work and made it to Steamboat Springs just after 6:00 pm. I got my bib, ate dinner, and found a great place to camp out. It was dark and quite; I slept like a baby. Race morning: I woke up at 4:50… just over an hour later I was on the starting line.

The air was brisk and people talked in hushed tones not willing to break the tranquil morning. The race started up the ski slope running on trails or roads. I maintained a quick pace and as expected no one was willing to stay with me. It was dark and beautiful, I even saw 2 sets of eerie ghastly green eyes staring at me. They turned out to be of a mama moose and her baby. As I gained ground it was as if I was coming out of the depths of the earth. 2,000 feet below I could see motionless fog stuck to the ground like patches of milk splattered by the farmer when milking. The air got colder as I ascended from 6,700 feet up to over 10,000 feet. I finally crested Mt. Warner and the ski slopes and ran into the first aid station at 1:07 into the race. I figured I had a respectable 3-4 minute lead on 2^nd place.

At last the course changed from the continuously uphill steep dirt road to lightly angulating smooth single track. I ran along hoping to hit the half way in about 3:30. If felt comfortable and ran consistently with no sign of any other runners. I hoped I was increasing my lead. I ran into the last aid station. I was excited and ready to turn and retrace my steps, however I was informed I had to run 3 more miles uphill to Rabbit Ears before I could turn around. This was deflating. I was feeling ok but ready to turn. This was a disadvantage to not knowing the course. I ran up to the turnaround arriving at 3:58, and timed myself back to my competitors. I had a 4, 6, and 10 minute lead back to 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th places. Not very much, especially when I was 4 hours into the race and only halfway. I was feeling energy deprived and unsure what to do. I had been eating and drinking consistently… what was I lacking. At the next aid station I got some coke and this did the trick. I just needed some extra sugar.

With the elixir of life running through my veins, I was ready to race again. I kept my pace up and made it back to the top of Mt. Warner and raced down in 42 minutes winning in a total time of 7:43.

Notes: This marked my 1^st 50 mile win (I’ve been 2^nd 4 times).

8^th win for the year. A new record for me. A week off and then the Flagstaff Sky running Championships. It will be fun!!! 

Imogene Pass Run

I was feeling good for this race and knew I wanted to run well. My goal was simple: nothing short of a winning the race. I drove over the night before and slept about 2 blocks from the start. Morning soon arrived. I felt refreshed and ready to race. Toeing the line I was ready to run hard. The gun went off and I quickly took the lead… not from speed but from a relaxed start by most other individuals. This was a surprise but it would not change my racing strategy which was simple: run hard and fast. I took advantage of the legal shortcut ¼ mile into the race and was soon running by myself… “Where is the competition?” I asked myself. In reply Jordan Jones came up and matched my cadence.

We ran together for the next 3 miles each trying to gain the advantage over the other but neither able to pull ahead. Then without warning Jones took off and gained 20 yards on me. I was surprised by the surge which came on a steep hill. I felt the surge was too fast and stayed back. He continued to push the pace but I knew I was going the right pace and patiently waited. My pace paid off and with 3 miles to the summit I caught back up to Jones and soon passed him. We yo-yoed for a ¼ mile but soon I was growing my lead.

I kept up a solid pace and by the pass I was over a minute ahead of him. I could see Andrew Benford closing fast behind and knew he was moving up. I raced down the backside but was no longer being pushed by runners. I had a lead and was no longer concerned about anyone coming up behind. I ran consistent and finished in 2:16:04 almost 6 minutes up and only 1 minute off my Imogene PR.

Thoughts: Wow! I ran a solid 2:16 and won my 3^rd Imogene Pass Run

I might have almost 20 races for the year but I’m still fit.

Next week is Run Rabbit Run 50 Miler… I plan on winning. 

Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon

Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon

This was to be a tough double and my 3^rd for the year. As always I wanted to run well, my goals: run the Ascent as fast as I could and hopefully run a fast marathon time.

After a great night sleep I showed up in downtown Manitou ready to race. I went out hard with the leaders but soon realized it was probably too fast. I backed off of the pace and slowly lost ground. By 2 miles in I was in 8^th place with a sizeable lead over anyone else. The 7 runners in front of me were hammering. There was the lead pack of 3 runners: Andy Wacker, Touru Miyahara, and Petro Mamo, followed by the chase pack of Simon Gutierrez, Peter Masksimow, Kyle O’Brien, and Brandon Birdsong. At first I hung with the chase pack, but knew I was working too hard. I slowed up and waited. Soon I was running alone. By mile 4, to my surprise, I caught and passed Petro Mamo who is a much better flat land marathoner. I was in 7^th place and feeling better. At mile 6 I caught up with Brandon, and at mile 7.5 I passed Kyle. Now I was in 5^th place with just over 5 miles to go. I could hear cheering spectators and knew I was only a 60-80 seconds back from Simon and Peter.

I rolled through Barr Camp. The day was hot and I was thankful for I had opted to carry a water bottle. As I ran gaining altitude and miles I felt better and continually increased the pace. I rounded a bend and there only 35 yards in front of me were Peter and Simon. Prior to A-Frame I passed them both and was in 3^rd place. I ran through the aid station making sure to refuel my bottle… it was hot! Now above treeline, I looked for the two leaders but they were nowhere to be seen. I could see simon only 15 seconds behind me and rocking it! I kept pushing the pace to ensure I kept my lead. Gradually I built up my lead with a few more precious seconds but still felt like I was running so slow… perhaps the 13,000 + feet had something to do with that.

The last 3 minutes of running were tough. I was dehydrated and my electrolyte balance was also off from the heat. I kept feeling surges of cramps and weird twinges flow through my body. With only 200 yards to the finish I backed off the pace slightly. Normally I would not do this but with the cramping I had to. I finished in 3^rd place in 2:23:52. For the race I wore the Huaka http://www.hokaoneone.com/men/huaka/30609030.html?dwvar_30609030_color=BKCT#start=8&cgid=men 

A perfect comfortable light weight shoe with stability.

One race down, one to go. I got home and ate, then had a hot shower, then ate again, then ate some more, then napped, and ate, drove to the awards, and back home, and of course ate some more.

In the morning I felt great. Maybe a tad sluggish but ready for round 2. The race started and I fell into decent controlled pace that I knew I could handle. I maintained the pace (mostly) to the summit arriving in about 2:43. In 7^th place with several runners both right in front and right behind me. I ran down, rejuvenated by the summit. By mile 17 though I was feeling the grueling 2 days. I was passed by a few runners but maintained my composure. I had to finish. Pace was not the issue, I just had to be consistent and finish. I finally did just breaking 4:30. I was 10^th overall in the Ascent and 1^st for the Pikes Peak Double.

No more doubles this year. Next up is the Rut 25K… the 50k is out. I’m looking forward to some fast times at Big Sky!

Tushar Mountain Marathon

“An easy marathon.” That was at least what I was telling myself. After racing who knows how many weeks in a row and travelling too many miles to count (rough estimate is 25,000 miles) I was looking forward to a nice race. 1 marathon, 1 day… and did I mention it was in the mountains with 7,400 feet of elevation gained and lost.

The race was the SkyRunning Tushar Mountain Marathon in south west Utah near Beaver in the super-secret Tushar Mountains. The Tushars are an Island in the desert with several peaks over 12,000 feet, including the high point of the range: Delano Peak at 12,169. Oops, did I just tell everyone about them. 

I flew back to Salt Lake City where I had left my car after Speedgoat and drove down to Eagle Point Ski Resort which sits at 10,000 feet. What an awesome spot. While the valley floor and Beaver was 90 degrees Eagle Point was a comfortable 65 degrees. Check out the race website with pictures half way down: http://www.grandcircletrails.com/tushars-general-info/

I camped out and slept soundly waking up on my own at 6am an hour prior to race start. The other runners and myself gathered around a smoldering campfire and waited for the start. We were called over to the start and off we went. I planned to settle into a comfortable pace. Running the first half of the race as a training run. The second half I could race hard. Within ½ mile into the race the lead group of runners consisted of Lars Kjerengtroen, Arthur Degraw, and myself. Arthur led our pack as we followed flagging. The majority of the course is on single track trail with only about 2 miles on dirt road. Many places the single track was overgrown and following the flagging, although not hard, was slow going. About 4 miles in I took over route finding duties and led our mini pack. Lars later informed me it was pointless to pass. I was finding the route and running consistently.

We hit the first of three aid stations at 1:12. This was mile 8ish… slow going but lots of angulating terrain. The three of us were at least 5 minutes ahead of any other competitors at this point. I had decided to run consistent and try and take the lead on our 3^rd climb of the day going up Delano. At 2 hours in we started up Delano. The ascent was steep on an overgrown trail. It was tough hiking up this. I started a fast upbeat ascent, a crazy power hike, and by the summit I had gained a 40 second lead. The views were tremendous. I wanted to breath them in and sparred a glance around me. Not enough. I sprinted off down the grassy steep knoll, dropping 2,000 feet. From the bottom I hit a smooth dirt road and ran up it to the mile 16 aid station.

It is important to mention that we had been following the same course as the 58 mile racers that had started 2 hours before our race. For the past hour we had been passing a few of the runners. I ran into the 2^nd aid station with an 80 second lead on Lars who by this time had a slight lead over Arthur. Upon seeing me the captain of the aid station informed me that I should not be there. Apparently she had only been told that the 58 mile racers would be coming through that aid station. I assured her I was supposed to be racing through the aid station and left. As leaving I read and followed the sign which clearly said “Marathon & 93k”. Unfortunately, the aid station debacle lost me over 60 seconds. Lars was back hot on my tale and caught me a little over a mile later.

We ran together down a beautiful single track, before finally tackling the 4^th and final climb of the day. Once again I built up a 25 second lead and came to an open field. Where to proceed I knew not. Lars had the course GPSd into his watch. So I went back 15 yards and waited for him. He stopped looked at his watch for a few second and finally told me which direction to run. After 80 yards I found the course flaggings once again. Apparently either people or animals or weather had removed some of the flaggings. Once again I took off and tried to build a lead. This time it worked. I had 4 miles to the finish and I was ready to finish. I ran through the last aid station and tried to build my lead. It worked.

I finished the race and won in 4:11 about 5 minutes in front of Lars. Arthur finished 3^rd about 20 minutes back. Results can be seen here: http://ultrasignup.com/results_event.aspx?did=29530#id15032   

Next: Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon. What Fun!

Speedgoat Triple Crown

Speedgoat Triple Crown Race Report:

Thursday, July 23:

I drove over to the Salt Lake Valley from Colorado. I had 3 days of racing in a row planned. It was extensive but should be fun.

The plan was simple: Friday would be the uphill Vertical Mile, with over 5,500 feet gained in just 6.5 miles. Saturday would be the Speedgoat 50K with about 11,000 vertical feet and Sunday would be the Quadbanger. It would lose 10,500 feet over the course of about 11-12 miles.  Goals were simple: Win the Vertical mile, top 10 in the 50k, and top 3 in the Quadbanger.

I found a great place to camp out and tried sleeping in.

Friday, July 24: In the morning I drove over to Snowbird. Nestled at about 8,000 feet Snowbird sits almost 4,000 feet above the valley. It was time for a great race. I got there a little early and with little else to do I napped, rested, and read prior to the race. Finally it was time, we started at 3:00 pm. 

Speedgoat Vertical Mile: The race runs uphill on a ski road for 2,600 feet, then you ride a chair lift down (yes, you read that right: halfway into the race you ride a chairlift back down to the base area) where you then proceed to run up 2,900 feet on mostly single track trail. I started with an up-tempo pace, one I could handle but I would have to stay focused. I thought the pace would be sufficient to gain the lead but to my surprise it was not. Local Salt Lake native Nathan Peters was beside me stride for stride exchanging the lead. Sometimes he would gain it by a few yards only to succumb to the uphill battle and then I would take the lead only to relinquish it again. 15 minutes in I marginally backed off on the pace… just ever so slightly but enough. Nathan took the lead and continued his pace. I decided that the second lap would be the lap to push harder… for now I needed to run consistent. Our lead over 3^rd place was at least 1 minute and ever growing.  

Finally we topped off and Nathan jumped on the chairlift about 8-10 seconds in front of me. I followed and jumped on the next lift. We rode down stretching our legs and doing bicycles, with me (on the lift) ever chasing Nathan and of course never gaining or losing ground. At the bottom I jumped off the chair lift and started round 2.

I quickly caught up to Nathan on the single track and took the lead. I kept my up-tempo pace going and quickly built up a lead. The higher we went the better I felt. I fed off of the single track and quickly extended my lead. The last 400 vertical feet of the race is on a ridge that finally tops off at 11,000 feet. The ridge was steep… crazy steep... but I kept my legs moving knowing that this race would be over in a manner of minutes. And it was.

I crossed the finish line winning by about 4 minutes. Results are here:  http://ultrasignup.com/results_event.aspx?did=30858#id15032

Socializing, a tram ride to the base, and an hour later I found myself back at the start talking with Salt Lake resident Marge, one of the many volunteer workers for the race. As it turned out, she had an extra couch for me to sleep on that night… perfect…. Thank you Marge!

Saturday, July 25: Speedgoat 50K: After a good night's rest, I was ready for round 2. I knew I had to take it easy, at least for the first few hours of the race. The race started and I was surround and soon swallowed up by the mass of humanity. Slowly, consistently I ran forward and emerged about 15^th place. Today, I needed to eat and hydrate and run consistently. I focused on these basic life needs and soon topped out at 11,000 feet on Hidden Peak. From here I ran down into Mineral Basin and up a short but steep climb where I passed several people. They had been near me for most of the race so I did not think too much of it, although I had started moving up. Then the long downhill began. I was at mile 12 or so and I was feeling… blah, with little speed. I kept drinking and was sure to take lots of salt tabs as it was getting hotter.  

All I could do was run consistently. I then started the second major climb of the day at mile 16. I felt sluggish as I alternated between running and walking. The pace was sluggish but, unbeknownst to me, I was gaining on my competition. By mile 23 I had caught 3 more people and had moved into 8^th place. At least I thought it was 8^th place. At one section the course runs through a 500 foot tunnel from one basin to another… very cool! Then came the last major ascent of the day back up Hidden Peak. At the base I caught one more runner and kept rolling. The last 4+ miles downhill I felt sluggish but pushed on feeling that I was losing more ground.

At last I finished in 6:20. I soon found out I did better than I had thought and finished in 5^th place. http://ultrasignup.com/results_event.aspx?did=30857#id15032 The course was amazing, simply beautiful. If you ever run Speedgoat be prepared to power hike.

Sunday, July 26^th:  Quadbanger: I felt at ease and relaxed the morning of the race. Sure it would be my 3^rd race in as many days but it was going to be fun! The Quadbanger had 10,500 feet of descent over 11 miles. The course starts on top of Hidden Peak at 11,000 feet and descends about 2600 feet. Then the runners jump on a chair lift, ride it up, and run down again. This is repeated so the runner must descend a total of 4 times down the peak to the base area.

The race was small with 3 dozen participants, all ready for some fun. We started casual with one exception. A runner quickly took the lead and started hammering. Within 500 feet of starting he decided to mimic Superman. His toe caught a rock and he went flying. He jumped up looking chipper, said he was fine, and started sprinting again in the lead. 400 yards later his toe found another rock. He scampered up, this time not looking as spry. I, along with two other runners, passed him and took over the lead. I later found out he had dropped out. I tried to run controlled, upbeat, without letting the downhill control my pace. I made it down to the base with a  minor lead over 2^nd and 3^rd. Round 2 would have to be the same… maybe with just one or two surges thrown in for good measure. The 3 of us rode the lift up together chitchatting. Then once at the top the games began again. We slowly took off, getting used to running again after sitting on the chairlift for 16 minutes. I pushed the pace with a few short surges and slowly built up a 15 second lead by the base.

I rode the lift up again for round 3. Once again I tried to run consistently and throw in the few downhill surges. They effectively worked as I had an estimated 60 second lead at the base. I rode the lift up for the last time. I just had to run consistently and I would win. I got to the top and did just that: consistent running. I finished in 1^st in 1:10 about 3 minutes ahead of 2^nd place. Results are here: http://ultrasignup.com/results_event.aspx?did=30859#id15032

The weekend went as good as I could have hoped for. I won 2 races and was 5^th in the other. Special thanks to Karl Meltzer for an awesome race series weekend. Thank you to all the volunteers: your presence, cheering, and aid where amazing. Thank you Marge for a place to crash on your couch and regroup. Thank you to Hoka One One for your amazing shoes! I raced in the Huakas for both the Vertical Mile and the Speedgoat 50k, and the Mafate for the Quadbanger. Thanks to amazing shoes, hot showers, and a couch to sleep on I was able to race, feeling great every day!

Thanks for reading!

Kendall Mountain Run & Aspen Power of Four 50K

2 races, 2 days, over 15,000 feet gained and lost in about 44 miles. It was time for some serious racing: Kendall Mountain Run & Aspen Power of Four 50K

Kendall Mountain Run.

I’ve wanted to run this race for a long time. After running it, I’m not sure why I’ve never run it. An amazing course running from the town of Silverton at 9300 feet up 6 miles to Kendall Mountain at 13,000 feet. The run starts in town and quickly gets on a jeep road that takes you up to 12,700 feet. Then the last 300 feet of Kendall must be scrambled up.

My main competition was fellow Hoka teammate Sage Canaday and Flagstaff’s Andrew Benford.

Right away Sage used his road speed and led from the gun. I redlined it trying to balance the fast speed and not overdo it. Four minutes in we hit the unrelenting uphill. At last my type of terrain. Sage had the lead by about 40 yards, while a handful of us followed. Andrew and I sat in 3^rd and 4^th. We kept the tempo high but controlled. The jeep road got steeper and all slowed.  This was my chance to keep pushing it. I was in my element: steep uphill’s at altitude. By mile 2 I had moved into 2^nd and could see Sage was no longer gaining; instead, I knew I could catch him.

Incrementally I slowly moved up trying to catch him. We gained altitude and by the time we were at 12,000 feet, Sage was just 25 yards in front of me. But Andrew had not given up; he was only 15 yards behind me. Finally we hit the last 300 foot capstone of Kendall Mountain. We left the jeep road and started our scramble. Now I felt at home. We scampered up and Sage tagged the summit. I was now only a few yards behind. I tagged the summit and started the retreat back to Silverton.

As we bombed down Sage showed his off his marathon speed and I could not catch him. We ran back into town setting a blistering pace. Sage finished in 1:38:53, while I finished in second in 1:41:23. A fantastic race, well worth running.

Aspen Power of Four 50K

By early afternoon I found myself on the road… again. I was driving over to Aspen for the Power of Four 50k. The race gains over 12,000 feet as it ascends all four Aspen Ski Mountains.

I camped near the start in the National Forest and was ready for round 2. The race starts straight up Aspen Mountain gaining over 3,500 feet in the first 3 miles. Oh boy! The race was underway. Although there was not a huge field the race was highly competitive. We ran and power hiked straight up the steep ski runs. About a ¼ mile from the top the rest of the field slowed down (due to the altitude?) I kept the pace consistent and soon found myself leading at the summit.

I descended down the backside and soon had moved to 5^th place as the others bombed down. Then the 2^nd climb began. Once again I ran up and had moved into 2^nd place by the summit. And once again was passed going downhill. The race was 60% over, we had 2 more climbs neither quite as hard as the first 2. I had been eating well but could tell the race the day before was slowing me up. I was now in 3^rd and Josh Arthur was closing in behind me. I power hiked up the 3^rd climb and once again started my decent. Josh soon passed me. He had a great race going on to finish in 2^nd. I still felt strong, just depleted from the long 2 days of racing.

I then ended up following an arrow and accidentally took a wrong turn. I quickly realized my mistake and backtracked losing about 4-5 minutes in the process. I started the 4^th and last climb of the day. I was now in 7^th place and was cramping from the steep terrain. It was only 6 miles to the finish; I had to stay consistent. I kept going what seemed to be a terribly slow jaunt, getting passed by 2 more individuals. I finished in 9^th place in 5:49:30.

A solid 2 day effort.

Leadville Silver Rush 50 Mile Run

Well a crazy last month has kept me away so I’ve posted several expositions on my travels. I’ve been all over. I raced in the Canary Islands in early May. A week later running the Sageburner and winning. Then a week later Lynnette, Katrina, and I went to the Black Hills and South Dakota for a vacation. Following was a week at home then 2 weeks in France, Turkey, and Alaska. I’m back and enjoying the Colorado days. Read below for any one of the adventures:

Back home at last. It felt easy and wonderful to be training at 10,000 feet again. I prefer this than stifling sea level any day. Today was the Silver Rush 50 mile run. My main competition was Mike Aish. http://michaelaish.blogspot.com/ I decided to stay conservative for the first half and see how well I could run the second half. I went through the half in 3:20, 2^nd place about 12 minutes back from Mike. I had a decent lead of 3^rd and knew I was feeling good. My goal was to run almost everything back. The trail gets steep at times but I kept a solid pace up. I kept hearing that I was gaining on Mike. Indeed I was but only by a few minutes. I kept a consistent pace going on pace for a sub 7 hour run. I headed up Iowa Gultch at mile 38. The incline is not horrible but at that point in the race I did not want to run. I told myself to be consistent and ran the whole way up to 12,000 feet. I then turned and stated my decent towards the finish.

All day I had run and felt fantastic until this downhill. I started cramping and new I needed additional salt. I slowed the pace and held it together to the last aid station with 7 miles to the finish. I gulped down 12 ounces of salted Coke along with 8 electrolyte pills and left. I soon felt much better but still knew I was hanging on. My appetite had officially diminished. I had to push the pace but without falling off. I slowly felt better and increase the pace. I finished in second in the 3^rd fastest time ever in 6:56:41. Mike meanwhile went on to break his own course record. (Note: the course was altered and lengthen in 2010 therefore pre 2010 times need an extra 15 to 25 minutes added for equivalent time).

Crazy awesome day and I even surprised myself. I ran in the Stinson ATR. A fantastic shoe… check them out: http://www.hokaoneone.com/

Aisa, Europe, Mont Blanc, and Mount Marathon

My Europe trip was interesting and I will sum it up quickly:

I was in Turkey for a day and ran across the Bosphorus Bridge into Aisa. The bridge is huge with 8 lanes of traffic and huge sidewalks on either side. I arrived at early evening and ran into Aisa. Upon arrival into Aisa I was informed by some cops that pedestrians are not allowed on the bridge anymore. The cops gave me a ride back into Europe to a subway station. I then went to the Hagia Sophia. Amazing building.

 

 

Upon Arrival in Chamoix I rested for a day and was ready to race the Mont Blan 80K. However, I ate a panini which gave me food poisoning. I started the race hoping I’d feel better, instead I felt worse. Soon I was puking and barely able to walk downhill. I had to drop.

Over the next 5 days I got better, did some mountain climbing up Mont Blanc, and ran many trails.

 

Then I flew out: Geneva to Istanbul, Istanbul to Chicago, Chicago to Anchorage.

From Anchorage I hitched down to Seward for the Mount Marathon Run. I stayed at a host cabin and was well rested and ready to race. For this race the run goes straight up Mount Marathon gaining 3,000 feet in 1.75 miles. Then in tortures response the runners must descend the peak and lose their vantage and high point. The race started brutally fast at an all-out sprint. I maintained my position in 15^th place but was unable to sprint uphill. By the summit I was in 50^th place and not ready to die or break a leg so I controlled my decent and finished in 58:12 and 65^th place. Others ran with reckless abandon. Indeed, the race is known for having people break their legs every year.

 

Leadville Trail Marathon

Leadville Trail Marathon

I was ready… as ready as I could be. I had been nursing a cough and cold for the previous week and was almost over it. I did not know what to expect health wise going into the race. I figured I’d just try and run my best… and be sure to podium. The race was finally underway. I started controlled but still felt feeble, unable to push any harder. Mike Aish soon had the lead with me in hot pursuit. I’d run as well as I could.

For the first 90 minutes I ran controlled and in a comfortable 2^nd place. At the base of Mosquito Pass I maintained my speed, trying to gain a little on Mike. At the top of the pass I glanced at my watch. It read 2:01:??. Solid. I raced down with a good lead on 3^rd place. At this point the race was over. Mike did not slow down and I was unable to make up any more time. He finished breaking the course record, meanwhile I finished with a  PR of 3:39:36, 6 minutes faster than last year… a pleasant surprise.  

Sage Burner 25K

Back home and another race! A week after Transvulcania was the Sage Burner 25k. Low key and fun I was ready to race. I went out with Brian Smith who quickly took the lead and pushed the pace. I was not going to stay with him with his blistering pace, it was too fast. I let him go and hoped he was indeed going too fast. I followed but slowly lost time to him. By 50 minutes into the race I was about 1 minute back. But I was no longer losing ground. It was my turn to run the second half of the race faster than Brian. I felt great and started pushing the pace. By 1 hour in I could see I was making up ground as we started up a steep hill. I drove up the hill unrelenting. Sure enough I caught Brian at the top of the hill and 1:10 into the race. At this point I knew I would win the race. Mentally I knew I would. But there is the saying, "don't count your chickens until they are hatched".

It was now my turn to push the pace. I picked it up doing several long surges until I had a 2 minute lead on Brian. As the course was slightly different and longer I wanted to run as fast as I could to get the new course record. I knew I would be close to breaking 2 hours on this nearly mile longer course. I pushed and sprinted and finished winning in 2:00:22. Results can be found here: http://sageburnertrailrun.com/2015-sage-burner-trail-run-results/

Great fun run that I have to run every year. Check it out, well worth it with the miles of awesome winding single track, great people, and awesome after party.

Transvulcania

Canary Birds a chirping. I was flying into La Palma in the Canary Islands... not to be confused with Las Palmas in the Canary Islands. To complicated matters I was flying into Santa Cruz de La Palma, and not Las Palmas de la Santa Cruz. The steep volcanic island poked its head out of the water shrouded in mist and mystery. I was here to run the Transvulcania  a 47ish mile run. I landed and was unsure what I would do next. I had to somehow find my hotel, get my race bib on the other side of the island and get back to my hotel, eat dinner and go to bed. Luckily i found a race official who gave me a ride to the hotel and explained the bus system. I got on the right bus and headed to the other side of the island. The bus raced up the volcanic cliffs and through the misty humid air. Visibility was poor as we went from one dense cloud to another. Finally once we were over 3000 feet up the bus dove into a tunnel and went straight through the mountain to the western side of the island.  A mile away the west was entirely different. We emerged in a bright forest with the sun beating down, no mist or clouds were here to block the intense heat. It turns out this weather phenomenon allows much to grow on La Palma, the mist is collected from the east side of the island, piped throughout the island to different communities and then doled out in turn to the farmers and residents. I quickly collected my packet and hopped on the bus for the return trip to the east side of the island again. Once there I ate dinner and went to bed. The race would be early the next day.

This photo shows the clouds on the eastern side of the island.

A note on the race: it is incredible. Incredibly steep, incredibly long, incredible views, incredible course, incredible ecosystem. The runners start at sea level run up a 5,000 foot volcanic peak on the island, drop a thousand feet then run up to the high point of the island: Rocque de los Muchachos at 7,943 feet. The total elevation gained is at least 13,000+ feet. Upon reaching the high point the runners circumnavigate the volcano, which happens to be one of the largest calderas in the world. Then the runners drop to sea level and gain 1,000 feet over the last 3 miles to the finish.

I sat shivering waiting for the start. It was still over an hour until the start of the race and I had nothing better to do than wait and shiver in the cold black breezy morning air. At last the race started and it started fast. With a thousand people all pushing and pulling to get the best place. 400 feet into the run the route narrows down to a 3 foot wide trail. I to sprinted, mostly controlled to get a decent spot. I was about 50th place, perfect. Now it was time to run.

Josh Arthur was there and we ran together content to see who would fall apart in front of us. Then we could move up. This was the plan. The miles ticked by and at last we found ourselves summiting the first of the 2 volcanic peaks. From our vantage we could see the whole island. I took in the view for a smattering 1.2 seconds and then off I went. By mile 20 I could tell I was sluggish. The time change and lack of sleep were taking a toll; still I intended to run solid and make up ground. I went through the approximate mile 25 aid station and grabbed a little food and water and left in less than 30 seconds. Great transition.

The next aid would be in 3-4 miles I would need to spend a little more time there. I grabbed a fruit to go, some sort of interesting melon, it tasted good but also somehow off. I ate it and within 5 minutes my stomach fought back. I had to stop and puked up the mess along with much needed water. I drank my last few sips of water and sat then walked for a few minutes to regroup. I was out of water. I asked a few bystanders how close the next aid station would be. It was 2 miles at first, then a mile late it was 3, then 4. The more I asked the further the distance grew. The aid station was expected by all but was cancelled for some reason. As the sun's intensity grew more and more people dropped from dehydration. They even ended up bringing water up in a helicopter to aid the dehydrated runners. A bystander gave me an apple piece and another gave me 2 ounces of coke. I ran on dehydrated but determined. Finally after 2 hours with limited liquid and over 10 miles and 3,000 vertical feet, I finally made the aid station. I stopped determined to rehydrate and drink as much as possible. I left after downing over 75 ounces in 6 minutes. I felt a little heavy in the stomach and off balance only able to lightly jog, but so much better. After 10 minutes I had digested the liquid and was back to running. I soon topped out at the high point on La Palma at 7943 feet, and of course drank another 30 ounces,
It was time to race downhill. I was feeling hydrated and ready to race as I started my decent. It was one of the longest downhills I’ve ever run: 8,000 feet straight down. I finally hit sea level and stated the 1000 foot ascent and over 3 miles to the finish, I felt good but still no way to make up for the time lost earlier in the race. I finally finished in 96^th place in 10:23:36. You can look up results here: http://transvulcania.azurewebsites.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/clasificacion-ultramaraton-2015.pdf and the main website is here: http://transvulcania.com/events-item/ultramarathon/ .

The race was over, but I still had to find a way to the other side of the island: to my hotel and eventually the airport. I could wait 5 hours for the free bus or hitchhike. The choice was obvious. I walked about 5 minutes to a better hitching point and waited. 10 minutes later I was picked up. My driver was probably a secret agent as he flew along the road taking short cuts and nearly going airborne with great precipices next to us. I thank the secret agent and all of La Palma, what a great race!

Cimarron 50K

I wanted to give everyone a quick update about the Cimarron 50K I ran on Sunday. The race starts at the top of Cerro Summit about 15 miles to the east of the town of Montrose. The race is part of the new Ever Run Racing Series. Check out the website at http://www.everrunracing.com/#!cimarron-50k/c44d .

My goals for the race were simple: go out, race hard, don’t race too hard, place in the top 3, and run about a 3:45. I drove over the night before and camped out at the start. The earth rotated and sure enough the sun came up. It was time for a nice 31 mile run. There were about 80 racers and some good competition. The race starts out up a slight hill and rolls along. We went out controlled and Justin Ricks and I took the lead. We gradually warmed up and increased the pace until by 3 miles we were rolling along at an up-tempo solid pace. Justin was able to drop me as I tried to maintain pace hoping to run consistently and potentially catch him later. It was not to be.

The views were tremendous. We ran towards the snow covered San Juan’s. Uncompahgre dominated the view. Its stark north sheer face cut straight down into the earth beckoning adventure while mocking any who dared try. Perhaps another day I thought. Today was a day for racing. I ran on consistently hitting near 7 minute miles on the rolling terrain. I reached the half way mark in 1:50:10 only 4 minutes behind Justin. Now was the time to catch him. But it was not to be. I cruised back towards the start/finish line finishing in 2^nd in 3:43.

Overall: a solid race. I felt great during the race and did not beat up my body. I raced in the Hoka’s Huaka  http://www.hokaoneone.com/ . I’m rather addicted to this shoe for racing. It provides just the right balance of cushion, grip, and stability. A good thing to because I’ve got such a quick turnaround. I fly out tomorrow for the Canary Islands to go race the Transvulcania. Check it out: http://www.transvulcania.com/index.php/en/modalities/regulations-2015

Updated Race Schedule:

I've spent the last few months doing many things: a few of which are eating, sleeping, working, teaching, training, miscellaneous actions and contemplating. The question remains... "contemplating what?" Well, a great many things but I’d like to draw our attention to races. I decided in January to race a lot this year. By a lot I mean double the races from any other year. Here is the list of 20 remaining races:

May 3^rd Cimarron 50K, Gunnison, CO

May 9^th Transvulcania Canary Islands 73k (45 miles) Spain

May 16 SageBurner 25K, Gunnsion, CO

June 20^th Leadville Marathon, Leadville, CO

June 28^th Mont Blanc 80K France

July 4^th Mount Marathon Race: Seward, AK

July 12^th Leadville 50, Leadville, CO

July 18 Kendall Mt Run: Silverton, CO

July 19^th Power of 4 50K Aspen, CO   

July 24^th Speedgoat Vertical Mile, Sandy, Utah

July 25^th Speedgoat 50k, Sandy, Utah

July 26^th Speedgoat Quadbanger, Sandy, Utah

August 1^st Tushar Sky Marathon 26: Tushar Mountains: Utah

August 15^th Pikes Peak Ascent: Colorado Springs, CO 

August 16^th Pikes Peak Marathon: Colorado Springs, CO 

September 5^th The Rut 25K                 Montana

September 6^th The Rut 50k                 Montana                    

September 12^th Imogene Pass Run: Telluride, CO                

September 19^th Run Rabbit Run 50m            

October 3^rd Flagstaff 55k: Flagstaff, AZ                     

It should be interesting. I’m officially entered for all but Imogene (the race does not open until later in the year). If anything I’ll hopefully race myself into shape. 

Weird Race: Desert RATS Trail Running Festival: Fruita Marathon

Quick update for everyone: I ran the Desert Rats Trail Running Festival Fruita Marathon yesterday. This is a great spring race which offers the marathon as well as the 50k and the 50miler too. It is run on mostly single track with great desert views of the Colorado River and nearby McInnis Canyons. Unfortunately because of all the rain the organizers had to do a last minute course change to avoid the majority of the single track. We were to run two “A” loops and one short out and back. With the severe weather and the high mountain snow and with highway 70 closed for most of Friday due to the snow the race had a smaller turn out than normal.

I was ready for a good solid effort. I wanted to run fast! The race started and I put in a high tempo out of the gate. Mike Ambrose from Breckinridge hung on for a mile and then backed off. By mile 3.5 at the aid station I was a ¼ of a mile ahead of him and he was another ¼ mile ahead of 3^rd place. Now was the time to keep pushing I was racing myself.  

I left and followed the race flagging out onto a 3.6 mile loop (Rustlers). Unbeknownst to me and everyone in the race this was the wrong way. The flagging had not yet been adjusted. I ran the loop and came back to the initial aid station. They said we were all going the wrong way and directed me back to another trail. Was I now in last place? I did not know. As it turns out the majority of the racers followed the flagging and therefore added on the loop.

I got on to the trail. Mike had by this time caught up we ran together for a minute. From high on this trail we could look down and see most other racers on the wrong loop. Well, I guess we ALL had to do the wrong loop. I left Mike and followed the flagging, the wrong flagging once again and after 20 minutes ended up back at the first aid station… AGAIN. They told me once again to follow the loop. I knew that was pointless and I knew we were supposed to end up back at the start so I ran back to the start.

When I got there I showed the race directors where I had run and it was decided that it was more than the “correct course”, therefore I was ok. They sent me back out on course to start my 2^nd lap. As I left I saw Mike finishing his 1^st lap. Once again I was ¼ mile to ½ mile in front of him. I ran the 2^nd loop with little problems. The race crew had put up new signage and taken down the old flagging. I finished and added on the short out and back to finish and win the race. Weird day, but everything worked out in the end! 

Salida Run Through Time Marathon

This Saturday I raced the annual Salida Run Through Time Marathon (SRTTM). This is a fantastic early season race that I run every year. As always it was cold at the start, the numb lung burning cold that you know will disappear once it warms up. A lot of familiar faces were there: Nick Clark, Jason Koop, Justin Ricks, Josh Arthur, Ryan Burch; a practical homecoming. We started off at a controlled casual pace, no one wanted to race this early when the temperature was still hovering below freezing. No one wanted to take off except for a rabbit. The rabbits name Dan Barteletti . The chase pack consisted of Josh, Nick, Justin, myself, and a few others. We weren’t too concerned about Mr. Rabbit. Nick and I talked about how this was his 7^th time racing at SRTTM and my 8^th time. We decided to compare finishes for the last 7 years and add them up. Note: we did not include my 1st year as a dozen or more racers ended up going the wrong way because someone had moved the flagging on the course. 

Whoever had the lowest score would win. I did this today and put a graph together. Nick won: 16-19     

                            Year:          09,    10,    11,    12,    13,    14,     15                Total:

Timmy Parr         Place:         1,        1,      1,      7,      4,      3,       2              = 19

Nick Clark           Place:         3,        3,      2,      1,      2,      2,       3              = 16                       

Our pack started up S Mountain with Dan’s lead at about 30 seconds. Josh led the chase up S, but overall we just relaxed and cruised up. The next section, a circuitous single track took us rolling north. I took the lead just to help make visibility and footing easier. The pack group chased on until the road. We hit the road at 60 minutes. The pace was good. Once on the road our pack disintegrated as we tried to chase down the rabbit. The road continues up a steep incline for over 4 miles. After fueling up I was ready to participate in the chase. I set an up tempo pace and soon caught up to Dan, he was paying for his early lead, but would manage to recover and still get 4^th.  Surprisingly I had dropped everyone but Justin. He and I kept the pace up and reached the turnaround (12.8) in 1:35.

Justin took the lead as I followed trying not to lose any ground. From mile 14 to 17 we hung together as we plodded through either muddy or unsure footing in foot deep rutted out crusty and icy snow. Once through the snow Justin took off and I did not see him again. The snow and icy conditions had slowed us up and although I wanted to run faster it was too much effort in the snow. I ran consistently trying to maintain. I ran in the Hoka Huaka. http://www.hokaoneone.com/  They are light weight, yet they offer a traction, durability, and a stable shoe. This became my mantra for the rest of the race. I felt ok but as I raced I could feel my energy slowing waning. I had to maintain. I ran back the last 4 miles trying to stay consistent. I couldn’t see Justin and figured he was long gone. I came through the last mile trying to push it till the end. I ran 3:18:41, good enough for 2^nd place. http://www.salidarec.com/ccrc/index.htm

Next up: 2015 Moab Spring Running Camp, followed by the Fruita Marathon.

Leadville Snowshoe Marathon

Last Wednesday I got a text asking me if I was going to race in the Lewadville Snowshoe Marathon. "Well, gee, I don't know." I thought about and decided it would make a great training run. On Saturday I showed up with few expectations and ready for a solid workout. I was wearing my Huakas by Hoka for their light weight and smaller frame which would be perfect inside my borrowed snowshoes.

The race started with me in the lead followed by a throng. I felt dreadfully slow but no one else wanted to lead. I determined to be consistent for the next hour and see what would come. By mile 5 I ran along in tandem with the eventual 1/2 marathon winner. We talked and enjoyed the brisk morning, however, it was warming up.

Soon I was by myself. I gave myself the goal of breaking 2 hours to the halfway mark. I ended up coming in at 1:55. I knew i wanted to push the pace on the way back. Hopefully negative split. I pushed myself. The snow was getting softer with the rising temperatures. I tripped a few times nearly face planting but kept up the grind. I finished winning in 3:49:40. barely negatively splitting. Solid training run. Solid race. Solid day. Not a bad start to the year.