Red Hot 55K Report

When Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer made an appearance, I knew things weren't going well.  Now, to be clear, I didn't actually see Rudolph....I wasn't quite that delusional.  But at some point in the final miles of the Red Hot 55K this past Saturday, I realized that the song, along with that other Christmas classic "Rockin Round the Christmas Tree" had been playing on a constant loop in my head for quite some time.  Why those songs? Who knows?  On the bright side, at least I wasn't singing them out loud (as far as I know).

So, yeah, as far as the race goes, it was basically an exercise in doing everything wrong that you can possibly do wrong.  Underestimate the course? Check.  Go out too fast? Check. Don't eat enough? Check. Don't drink enough? Check.  Excusable for a rookie, I guess, but not for someone who's done this before. All of that combined to turn a hoped-for 5:30 finish into a painfully slow 6:51.  But yet I had fun, in a sick and twisted kind of way, which just helps to prove that ultra runners really are batshit crazy....and that we're totally cool with that.

If nothing else, the trip to Moab made it all worthwhile.  Moab is just a cool place.  I love the mountains and I will always want to live in (or very near) them, but that doesn't mean the desert canyonlands aren't cool as hell.  And, really, February might be the time to go, before it's gets blazing hot.  We made the trip down in a couple of days, staying in Grand Junction, CO on the way, which put us in Moab fairly early on Friday morning and gave us a chance to scout out the course a little and just check out the sights in general.

The race day weather was about as perfect as it can get, with highs in the mid-40s.  Thanks to similar weather in the couple of weeks leading up to the race, the course itself was also in fine form and the RD, Chris Martinez, made the prophetic claim just before the race started that it would be a good day for course records to fall.  I lined up somewhere in the middle of the pack and before I knew it (literally, I didn't hear a countdown or "ready, set" or anything) we were off.

I actually felt really good at first, which may actually have worked against me in the end.  Rather than try to reign it in and plan ahead for the long haul, I decided to just go with it.  Up the first climb and onto the lollipop loop that encompasses the first half or so of the race, my legs felt strong and there never really seemed to be any reason to slow down or walk, other than on a few very short but also very steep pitches of slickrock.  The course basically has two high points; the first in the middle of the initial lollipop loop and the second afterwards along the Gold Bar Rim, after the 55K merges back into the 33K route.

During that first loop, I felt like I was drinking plenty and ate 4 or 5 gels, so I got off to a good start there.  But at some point just after we started climbing up to Gold Bar Rim, I started to fade.  My legs were suddenly more tired than they should be given the pace I was going and my stomach was starting to abandon me, which threw me into the negative loop of not wanting to eat or drink, even though doing so would've helped in the long run (no pun intended).  After passing multitudes of people on the lollipop, they started going right past me in a seemingly neverending Conga line as I trudged up the slickrock.  At this point, it seemed fairly apparent that 5:30 was out of the question, but I held onto the uber-optimistic thought that once the course turned back downhill I would be able to salvage a sub-6.  Wrong.

By the time I reached the aid station just below Gold Bar Rim, and the start of the infamous Golden Spike trail, I was toast.  It just felt like I had absolutely nothing left in the tank.  Still hopeful that I could catch a second (or third) wind heading down Golden Spike, I trudged on.  And then I found out just what makes the infamous Golden Spike so damn infamous.  I knew ahead of time that we'd spend a lot of time running on the slickrock, but what I didn't realize was just how technical the slickrock would be.  Cracks, holes, and 2 or 3 foot drop-offs keep you on your toes and prevented me from being able to fall into any kind of rhythm whatsoever.  Also, I didn't expect as many ups during the downhill as there were.  We did ultimately lose a lot of elevation along Golden Spike, but not before running down and then back up steep sections of slickrock along the way.  By the time I finally got off Golden Spike, I was in all-out death march mode, Christmas songs blaring in my head as I dreamed of the relatively plush single-track forest trails back home.
I did manage some running once we hit the Poison Spider road closer to the finish, which probably salvaged a sub-7 out of the mess.

So, chalk that one up to experience.  All in all, it's a great event....the fact that I sucked it up big time there doesn't change that.  It's definitely worth checking out sometime.  On the bright side, putting forth such a crappy performance is a good motivator to not do it again....one of the first things I did when I got back home was to sit down and start formulating my training plan for Quad Rock and Leadville.  Hopefully, I've learned from my mistakes.

Before

Me, Ryan and Paul

Almost Done

Done

 

*All photos are courtesy Katie Anderson, who should receive special recognition for putting up with three stinky runner dudes for the entire weekend (albeit one of them was her husband).

The 2013 Race Schedule

It occurs to me now that I never wrote a "2012 in review" kind of post, but now that we're into February of 2013, it seems a little late for that.  Here it is in a nutshell: ran a few thousand miles, finished the Bighorn 100, no injuries to speak of, generally had fun.

On to 2013.  I hinted at the race schedule in an earlier post, but here is the confirmed list of "big" races I'll be doing this year (i.e., I've shelled out the registration money, so I'm running them come hell or high water (or injury)).

Moab's Red Hot 55K, February 16th - The idea of running this race was first put in my head by Sundance Trail Run RD Paul Anderson.  A couple of years ago, Paul, Ryan, Nathan and myself took a road trip down to Buena Vista, CO for the Collegiate Peaks 50.  Sometime this past summer, Paul suggested we do it again with Moab as the destination.  I promptly forgot until a couple of days after registration had opened.  Lucky for me, they added entries this year and I was able to get in (I think it sold out pretty fast last year).  The idea was to enjoy a warmish (but not too warm) desert run early in the season, but from the way it's looking Moab is just as cold as South Dakota right now and might actually have more snow.  Oh well, a road trip is a road trip.

Quad Rock 50, May 11th - Last year, Ryan, Andy and myself took a road trip down to Ft. Collins for the inaugural QR50.  We had a blast hanging out with the FoCo trail runners and checking out their stomping grounds.  So, Ryan and I are going back for sure.  Not sure if anyone else is going with us, but we've got car space if anyone's interested.

Bighorn 30K, June 15th - After finishing the Bighorn 100 last year, running "just" the 30K might seem like I'm sandbagging it a bit.  But, out of the four race distances offered at Bighorn (30K, 50K, 50M and 100M), the 30K is the only one I haven't done, so I figured it's time to complete the Bighorn Slam.  Ryan is going too....he won back to back Bighorn 30Ks a few years a go and is going back for one more shot at the course record.  I have less lofty goals, but a top 5 finish isn't entirely outside the realm of possibility.

Leadville 100, August 17th - I've had the idea of Leadville bouncing around my skull for a couple of years now.  I'm intrigued by it's legendary status among 100s, but I also have concerns about the spectacle that it has become under the management of Lifetime.  But not concerned enough to not give it a shot.  Besides that, I've heard from several Black Hills 100 participants that our course is harder than Leadville.  On paper, just comparing the courses side by side, you could probably make that argument.  Black Hills does have about 4000 feet more elevation gain.  But then you have to factor in that little thing called "altitude".  Leadville's high point is over twice as high as Black Hills'.  Ouch.  As with anything, the only way to find out for sure is to experience it yourself, so that's what I'm going to do.  And I want a big buckle.

There she is.  Toss in the 5th Annual Black Hills Trail Running Series, co-directing the Black Hills 100, and maybe running a road race here and there, and it's looking to be a busy year.

A different kind of double

I've run a lot of doubles.  In fact, I typically run at least two, sometimes three, doubles per week when I'm in the thick of training for a race.  These typically consists of an easy 6-8 miles on roads in the morning before work and then 4-5 miles on hilly trails, usually Lookout Mtn, at lunchtime.  Nothing spectacular, just an easy way to get in double-digit miles for the day while sneaking in some trail runs.

This past Saturday, I ran a very different double.  With the Red Hot 55K only four weeks away, I wanted to for sure get in a long run.  Shannon and the kids were planning on running the Snowman Shuffle 5K/1K in Spearfish on Saturday morning, followed by a basketball game for Caiden (whose team I coach) in the afternoon.  I knew that if I was going to get a long run in on Saturday, it would be best to get it over with before all of that stuff started, so I woke up well before the crack of dawn on Saturday and set out for my run.  The plan was to run from Belle Fourche to Spearfish along the backroads, which would end up being about 18 miles and allow me to meet the family at the city park for their race.

Initially, my run didn't feel all that great.  My legs felt fine, but I was moving much slower than it felt like I should be moving.  For a long run, that's not really that big of a deal and it's a typical occurrence when I run really early in the morning, but it was still annoying me.  Besides that, it felt much colder than the temperature WeatherBug had led me to believe it would be...cold enough that the tube on my hydration pack kept freezing up, which was further annoying me. Finally, though, I moved into a pocket of warmer air (another typical occurrence on early morning winter runs) and fell into a solid groove (yet another typical long run occurrence) and started feeling pretty good as the sun came up.  I cruised into the park 18 miles later with about 15 minutes left before the race was to start.  My legs still felt pretty fresh so I decided that since I was there and there was a race, I might as well run the damn thing.

After watching the kids 1K, where Caiden and Chloe placed 1st and 3rd, respectively, we lined up for the 5K.  Full-on honesty, there were only 25 or so people there, so this wasn't a stacked field by any means.  But there was one guy I knew, Carlos, who I struggle to keep up with on fresh legs, much less on 18 mile legs.  The gun sounded and Carlos was nice enough to let me hang with him and chat a bit until we hit the water station at about halfway and then he was gone.  I kept cruising and my legs actually felt pretty good, I just didn't have a ton of speed.  Ended up with a 20:50 (my Garmin measured the course a bit short) and 2nd place.  And the best part?  Since the race was a fundraiser for the local Girl Scout troop, they had free samples of Girl Scout cookies at the finish.  Not a bad end to a 21 mile day!

Leadville

I am in.

I hate committing to a race so far in advance (Leadville is Aug. 17th), but registration opened on New Year's Day and I suspected it would fill up fairly fast, so I took the plunge and registered before I could talk myself out of it.

Should be a hoot.  Or something.

Looking ahead to 2013

Culminating with the (unofficial and unsanctioned) South Dakota Trail Championships a couple of weeks ago, the local trail/ultra running season is (un)officially over.  Overall, not much to complain about.  I missed a couple more of the Black Hills trail series races than I would've liked, but I also got to run one that I really wanted to run (the Sundance 50K) but didn't think I'd be able to, so I guess it all balances out.  Looks like I finished 4th in the men's open division of the trail series, just 2.5 points out of 3rd.  This is the first year in the series' four year existence that I haven't finished in the top 3, but that's what happens when you miss races.  Not a big deal, regardless.

As is typical of this time of year, the motivation to put in big miles is somewhat lacking.  Forty to fifty miles a week, with a couple of flirtations with 60, have been pretty typical the last couple of months.  Haven't run more than 15 miles in a single run since the Sundance 50K at the end of September.  I've never since I started running ten years or so ago taken a planned break with absolutely no running that has lasted more than three or four days.  I tried to take a week off, for no good reason, at about this time last year and I think my hiatus from running lasted all of three days before I caved and hit the trail again.  Well, no such plans this year.  In fact, quite the opposite since my first ultra of 2013 is actually looming fairly close.  I'm signed up for the Moab Red Hot 55K on February 16th. Team South Dakota consisting of myself and friends Ryan, Nathan and Paul (who is actually from Wyoming, but just barely) will be making the long drive over to experience some slickrock racing.  Hopefully the weather doesn't suck, because driving across Wyoming sucks ass under normal conditions, much less in the middle of a winter storm.  But I digress....the point is that the relatively low miles I've been putting in recently will have to be ramped up soon if I'm going to be in decent shape for a 50K+ in a few months.  One of my goals for 2013 will be to not just finish ultras....I've established that I can finish 50Ks, 50s and 100s in relatively decent, front of the middle of the pack times.  Now to answer the question of how fast can I do this thing if I really nail the training (and the race itself too, of course)?

Beyond Moab, the schedule is still a bit up in the air.  Ryan and I have discussed returning to the Quad Rock 50 in Fort Collins in May and maybe an excursion down to the Grand Canyon to run R2R2R.  I suspect strongly that I will run another 100 at some point next year but am having a hard time choosing which one.  All other factors equal, my choice would likely be Cascade Crest in Washington, but that's a fairly good haul from here (although having relatives in the Seattle area would at least make the trip more worthwhile).  Leadville is another likely choice.  I've heard a lot of opinions (many not too flattering) of how Lifetime has handled the event, but it still has that legendary mystique about it that intrigues me.  Plus, I've had several people tell me that the Black Hills 100 is harder than Leadville....wouldn't mind being able to judge that better myself (conceding that I've never actually run the entire BH100 course in one go).  The Bear is up there too, but  Ryan has expressed interest in running that one and I told him I'd pace him if he did.  So many choices...

Alright, enough of this.  Time for a run.

Tinton Trail Picture Tour

I have two "go-to" local trails for running on: Lookout Mtn and the Tinton Trail.  Lookout's main advantage is that it's convenient...I can see it from my office window and it's about a mile's worth of warmup running on city streets from my office to the trailhead.  Tinton is a out of town a bit, but features gentler, longer, more runnable and generally more scenic trails (while still offering some elevation gain).  Both are user-created trails, the primary "user" in both cases being local mountain bikers, but Tinton tends to be much better maintained (some of the Lookout trails get kind of overgrown in summer due to lack of maintenance/use).  This is primarily due to the fact that Tinton gets much more use and is partly the venue for the Dakote Five-O mountain bike race on Labor Day weekend.

This time of year is the best time to be on Tinton, with the cool weather and fall colors in full display (well, almost full display).  With a day off on Friday, I decided to head out for a medium distance run (ended up being 13 miles total) and took my iphone along with me.  As you will see, I just updated to the new iOS and discovered that my camera now has a panoramic option.  So, I've been taking panoramics of pretty much everything.  I was hoping to get some good shots of the aspens in full blazing yellow, but was unfortunately a good week or two too late for that as they had mostly dropped their leaves already.  

Lower on the trail you go through some open, recently harvested pine stands (I actually had to go cross country about a mile in to skirt around some loggers cutting right alongside the trail).  A little further up, the trail transitions into a mix of pine and burr oak, as seen in the first picture (and you can see that the oak has gone brown....again, a week or two too late). This first pic is also very near the site where I saw a coyote chasing a deer fawn early in the morning a couple of months ago.  Straight outta National Geographic.

The next pic is 4 miles up the trail, in a dense, dark stand of pine. This is where the name "Black" Hills comes from.  As you can see, I was starting to get into some snow at this point as I gained elevation.

My favorite part of the trail doesn't come until you're about 5 or 6 miles up.  After running up a drainage, where the trail meanders back and forth across an intermittent stream, you come out into an open area with large stands of old growth aspen mixed in with pine and meadows.

This last pic is just up the trail from the previous one, after the trail cuts directly into the aspen stand.  It would've been a much better pic if the aspen were still in full bloom, but alas...

Win some, lose some

Two weeks, two races.  Last weekend was the Sundance 50K across the border in Wyoming.  I was horribly under-prepared for running a good 50K and it showed.  I was cruising along fairly well at sub-6 pace (my goal) for the first 25 miles or so, but ran spectacularly head-first into The Wall on a steep section of uphill after the last aid station.  As I hiked along at an almost impossibly slow pace I watched the average pace on my Garmin climb higher and higher until it was obvious that sub-6 was a pipe dream.  I did make a bit of a recovery on the last couple of miles of downhill, but it was too little too late at that point.  Ended up with a 6:24 finish in 6th place (only 20 or so finishers).  Beautiful course, especially with the fall colors in full effect, and a bit tougher than I had expected.  Would definitely like to give it another go with a more solid training cycle under me.  And, for the life of me, I don't know why this race gets so little attention....there should be more than 20-some entrants for this one if the word gets out.  Paul does a great job with it and sounds like he'll be adding a 30K option next year (in addition to the existing 10K, which gets a much better turnout than the 50K).

A week later, this past Saturday, I ran a very different race.  My wife signed me up for the inaugural Firefly 5K in Belle Fourche, a fundraiser for a scholarship fund that was scheduled for a nighttime start (started at 8:00).  I'm not big into road 5Ks, but I thought the night running idea was a cool one, especially under the full moon, so I didn't complain too much about being thrust into the field.  As it turns out, good thing she did sign me up as I ended winning the damn thing.  Of course, it's more impressive if I just leave it at that and not mention my time or how many other runners there were.  Actually, I'm not even sure how many runners there were...I think the total field was over 60 people, but many were walkers.  My time was 20:40, not blazing fast, but actually faster than I really expected given the fact that I haven't done any fast running since.....uh...probably the Hayfever race in Belle back in June (where I finished 2nd to a high school cross country runner....damn punk kids). In any case, it was fast enough and earned me a cool $10 to spend at Subway.  Not a bad way to spend a Saturday night.