Well the last 3 weeks brought 2 races: The Sage Burner and the Indian Creeks 15 Miler.
Sage Burner 28K
This was the 11th year of the Sage Burner and my 10th time running the race. I have three 1st place finishes in the 50+k and now 7 finishes (Four 1st place finishes & three 2 place finishes) in the 25/28K.
The Sage Burner has gone through many iterations over the last 10 years. Some of the original trails are now long gone replace by new, hopefully sustainable, trails. Each year often brought small nuances as trail work was done and then applied in the race. Below I've detailed some of the changes. Note: This is a general overview, most every year brought small unique changes.
2008 through 2014 (7 years):
the long course was about 33 miles (Water Treatment Plant was the primary difference)
the short course about 16.1 miles called a (25k)
2015 to present (2018)
the long course was about 31 miles
the short course about 17.1 miles (called a 28k starting in 2017)
2008-2016
Race ran in May (2008 was early June)
Even years: Run counter clockwise
Odd years: Run clockwise
2017 to present
Run counter clockwise and the race is now in October.
The 2018 Sage Burner 28K race: Sandy. Hilly. Rolling Terrain: That is the Sage Burner. I decided to were the Hoka Bondi for its extra cushion. The road shoe's grip would suffice while the cushion and closed upper would make for the perfect strolling in the park. Hoka would not disappoint! The shoe was perfect. I wanted a Saturday Stroll but races don't always give you exactly what you expect. Eric LiPuma was ready to push the pace. We left the starting coral and broke the crisp air while my lungs tried to warm up. It was downright chilly... in the low 40s. I soon took the lead but only by a few yards as LiPuma stayed within a stride of me. We neared the top of the serpentine Jacks Trail and although I had the lead there was a large contingency of runners jockeying for position just 1 or 2 short turns back. Now was not the time to relax, or let doubt seep in. I was fit and going to show it. Today might not be a stroll in the park, instead it was to be a rolling with the wind, flowing with each corner, bump, and turn; using, challenging, and concurring each contour, rock, and hill. Mentally I had to get there. I ran the next mile slowly increasing the speed. Sooner or later I would warm up.
Finally near mile 3 at the bottom of Top O The World it was time. I kept the pace going with LiPuma still on my tail, and a large handful of other runners still trying to hang on. 3/4 of the way of Top O The World LiPuma backed off it was now time to flow with the trail. From here I kept rolling, pushing the pace yet not overdoing it. I still wanted that stroll even if it had eluded me, and now there was no sense in backing off, I had warmed up and felt good.
By Mile 10 going up Buddy Bear I knew I had a comfortable lead; I figured it was about 2 minutes. People might wonder how I know what my lead is... especially if I can't see someone. Sure one can estimate but how do you know? Racing involves pacing. Good racers can tell their pace and their competitor's pace and apply it with potential accuracy, but still it is just an estimate. I did find out later that my estimated 2 minute lead was actually about 2 1/2 minutes. I thing I've learned: you almost never have the lead you think you have.
At Mile 12 on top of Joshos I could see LiPuma in the distance and accurately estimate my lead to about 3 minutes. At last I had caught up to my desired stroll and just rolled comfortably with the run.
I finished and won the race in 2:00:20: my 7th time winning at Sage Burner.
2018 Indian Creeks 15 miler: 2nd place 1/8th of a second behind 1st
This was a United States Sky Running event. It was also my first race back after healing up my soar foot from racing 8 weeks in a row. I chatted with the Western Trail Running team all from my Alma Mater. Soon race director Sherpa John got us underway. He gave us our final instructions, recited prose, and then off we went. No "Ready, Set, Go", no gunshot, just prose. Sherpa John as a race director was unique and different yet honest and put on a good race. Thank you Sherpa John! You gave a great new perspective to the trail running seen and gave me some good philosophy to mull over for a long while!
After the whimsical start the Western Contingency consisting of Joshurun Small and Skylar Drakos and I took a soft lead and chatted at a comfortable pace. Our friendly non-competitive start evaporated near mile 2.5. It was time to race! Mile 2.5 to mile 7 was downhill and lost 1500 feet. Joshurun took the lead and set a blistering pace. His plan was to drop me on the downhill. We ran along on twisting single track trails through pine and aspen at 5:30 mile pace. Joshurun was unrelenting and in the process he dropped everyone else. We made it to mile 7 and I decided it was time to take the lead on the ensuing uphill.
I threw in a few short quick surges and took the lead on the steep terrain eking out a 12 second lead which I held onto until mile 11. Then Joshurun caught back up. He threw in a few surges which i reciprocated. Neither of us was going anywhere. We battled back and forth consistently switching leads only to gain 1 or 2 seconds before the other replied in kind. This continued for 2 miles until mile 13 when Joshurun's triple surge resulted in a 10 second lead and led to him missing a poorly marked turn. I stopped and called him back and made sure I was right about the proper turn. I figured I was and took off but Joshurun was not to be undone; he surged and caught right back up.
We had a mile left and went right back to surging as fast as we could. At this point we were on a skinny twisting single track running as fast as we both could. At last I saw an opportunity and jumped in front of him only to have the single track spit us out on a dirt road 100 yards from the finish.
We sprinted. I was ahead. Then he was. Then he was momentarily unsure where to finish, as was I. In a split second I figured out where to go and bee lined it to the finish as did he. We crossed together with Joshurun out striding me by 1/10ish to 1/4 of a second.
Official times were not being taken so I don't know. The timer decided to arbitrarily assign a 10 second difference. Go figure? Joshurun ran a great strong race. It was the closest race I've ever run. I brought both the Hoka Mafate Evo, the Challenger, and the Bondi's. Any pair would have been great. I decided on the Bondi's because of the smoother single track trail and lack of rocks and roots. They were perfect.
The results put me in striking distance of winning the United States Sky Running. Final race at Franklin Mts will be the decider.
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