Wednesday, December 14, 2016

JMT gear and food

Well this post is a lot late. Life got in the way for a while. Following JMT I got pregnant had a miscarriage, surgery, 3 weeks of binge eating and being lazy, and then on a whim to heal signed up and ran a 100 miler in Australia. The trails always seem to heal. 

Here goes as best I can remember. Fortunately I had photos and lists.

I wanted to get lighter on my pack weight for this trip, but I had found that I had used every piece of gear the prior year so I used mostly the same gear again this time around. I went with bringing a bear canister again as I have a hard time breaking rules and it is just the right thing to do.

For food I went with what worked from the previous year which was Perpetuem. The nut butter coconut oil mix I used in 2015 I didn't think I'd be able to palate again so I went for straight nut butter. I brought macadamia nuts this time for the higher fat and thus higher calorie per gram content.


Ultimate Direction Fastpack 20L (removed back liner)    472g
Therm-a-rest z lite pad cut to fit shoulders to hips             150g
Sea to Summit Spark II                                                    526g
Rain poncho/ground sheet/bivy- frogg toggs                   196g
Delorme  InReach                                                            196g
Black Diamond Storm with lithium batteries                    196g
JMT pocket atlas minus some pages/ Erik the Black          60g
Bare Boxer Contender 101                                               750g
Food                                                                                3773g
Water treatment tabs                                                            32g
NUUN with duct tape around bottle                                 160g
Foot tape                                                                             26g
Sunscreen/bug spray                                                           60g

2 extra pair socks                                                                76g
REI puffy                                                                          284g
Fleece                                                                                 176g
Arm warmers/coolers                                                           52g
Balaclava                                                                              32g
Gloves                                                                                 66g
Shorts                                                                                  110g
Tights                                                                                 146g
meds-caffeine/benadryl/tylenol                                             62g

Food:
Chocolate nut butter 6.3 calories per gram   873 grams=5500 calories
Macadamia nuts 7.2 calories per gram         847 grams=6100 calories
Perpetuem 3.9 calories per gram                 2052 grams=8000 calories

Total calories were about 19600 with a goal of eating 4900 calories per day.

Rough planned gear came in at 17 pounds without bottles or water. I carried a 750ml smartwater bottle and a 600ml bottle that I used for the Perpetuem. These when filled added 2.7 pounds to the weight. I was also wearing some of the gear. In the end I started with an 18 pound pack fully loaded with 1350ml of fluid. 




Size of bear can in comparison to pint glass. 750 grams


Ultimate Direction Fastpack 20L with liner removed. I figured I didn't need the back liner as I would be putting my sleep pad against the back.


I had cut the z-lite pad to fit hips to shoulders only so it was only 6 segments long and folded it fit perfectly against my back.


I placed the poncho/ground cover/bivy loose in the bottom to prevent the bear can from sliding down to far and hitting my back. 


Bear can went in next.  The rest of my gear was placed around it. 


My sleep system. Poncho was folded in half. I used safety pins to keep the sides and end closed. I kept my sleeping bag much warmer that it was rated for plus it kept me off the ground. I could have also used to to rig up a shelter if I got caught in a storm. 


All my gear.


I used the original version of the Hoka Challenger ATRs. They held up well on the granite and I only wish I had more of these shoes or that they hadn't changed them. 


My bag at the start


Not too bad at 18 pounds. 

Friday, October 7, 2016

The Bear 100.

The Bear 100, loss and winning.

Let me just start by saying this is part race report and part confessional on some crummy things that have happened to Amber and I recently. It is going to be very personal. So if you are looking for a normal race report, don't want to hear about loss, or don't want to hear about miscarriage then I suggest you skip this post. It will be very descriptive of the race course and my state of mind while running.

The Bear 100 was to be my A race, my redemption for a bad San Diego 100 and I was looking forward to it. I had trained harder and smarter than I have ever done. I followed a training plan from McMillan Run Club, ate a diet based heavily on The Whole 30 program, and did the best I could to make sure I was well rested. I had two great race performances at the TRT 55K and Castle Peak 100K, winning both. I felt confident that I was going into The Bear strong and ready to push my body as far as it would take me.

Amber had recently come off of an amazing season of training for and completing a new FKT of the John Muir Trail, and we had started to try our hand at getting a family started. We had lost a pregnancy last year that took a much larger emotional toll on both of us than we had expected. We felt we were both healthy and ready to try again. 2 weeks before The Bear, on our anniversary, Amber presented me with a positive pregnancy test. We were excited, we cried, we laughed and then we got nervous. We remembered last year, we hoped this was going to be different, after all most couples are able to carry a pregnancy to term after a miscarriage. Having 1 miscarriage is normal, but recurrent miscarriage happens less than 2% of the time. Amber scheduled a appoint with our OB as soon as we could get in, which was the same day we were to leave for Utah. It was going to be a long two weeks.

The day finally arrived, we got up and headed directly over to the docs. The doc asked us questions about Ambers symptoms.
"Are you nauseous?"
"Yes"
"Fatigued?"
"yes"
"Smell/food aversions?"
"Yes"
Etc etc
It seems that Amber had all the right symptoms of a normal pregnancy. We headed over for the ultra sound. Holding hands, holding breath we anxiously starred at the monitor. We saw a very small bean, too small it appeared(from what we learned last year). It turns out our bean looked to be about 5.5 weeks, not the 7.5 weeks it should have been. Not a good sign. The OB said she wanted to check us again in a week, because she has seen first ultrasounds measure small. Amber and I were deflated, mildly crushed. We knew the reality. 2 weeks is HUGE.... We came home, I said we don't have to go to Utah, maybe we should just stay home. Amber looked at me and said, "You have sacrificed too much not to race. We are going to have to spend the time doing something, it might as well be fun." I have a very smart wife. I am a very lucky man. We quickly packed the car and were off.

The race seemed to be plagued with problems, which the race directors and their dedicated crew worked diligently to surpass. First a forest fire forced the reroute of the last part of the course, this required them to plan new aid stations, right new directions,  and come up with new cutoff times. Then as the race drew near the weather started to look bad. First it looked like it might rain, then it was absolutely going to rain, but not be too cold. Then it looked like cold, rain and snow. Finally with the forecasts calling for the first significant snowfall of the year, the race directors made the tough call to reroute the course once again.  Final directions would be provided at the prerace meeting, but rumor had it that it would now be an out and back. I do not envy the race directors the tough decisions they had to make in the name of safety. Not just racer safety, but also volunteers and crew. There is a lot of responsibility on there shoulders. I applaud them on making the right choices and fluidly rolling with the punches.

Amber and I enjoying a rainbow after pre race meeting

Thursday arrived along with Barry, my additional crew and pacer. I re-organized my drop bags to make sure they arrived at the right drop points and hemmed and hawed over what I was going to run with. I knew I was going to be in my Altra Loan Peaks, as they are great wet weather shoes. I would also start with my Ultimate Direction AK vest. Other than that I decided to make a last minute decision in the morning on gear. The three of us headed to the new prerace meeting spot(changed at the last minute due to weather). We learned the new plan for race day, chatted with other racers. There was a lot of anxiety over the weather. I was getting excited, I like technical terrain and love running in bad weather, especially snow. With meeting over we went to dinner then back to the motel for bed. I think I managed to be asleep by 9:30.

4am came quickly. I made the final choice on clothing, knicker tights, shirt, arm skins and a light jacket. In my pack I took along a last minute purchase of a 99 cent poncho. I was ready to get this party started. a quick breakfast of oatmeal and some eggs and we were off. The race start is inauspicious, every body here, you ready? 3...2...1... I heard all of this from the port-a-poty, I managed to close the door just as go was shouted. I quickly started to make my way up the field of runners. We soon turned right and started to head up hill. I had to remind my self that this was going to be a long day and I would have plenty of time to work my way up the field. My pre race plan was to try and position my self some where in the top 20-30 and work my way up slowly, aiming to run comfortable until around 100K then see what I had in me. I figured I could pull out top 10 or maybe 5 if I was lucky.

We were soon in a double file conga line, running on the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, calling out mud puddles and chatting. I found myself in a group that was going at what I felt was a good pace to keep from blowing up but keeping me toward the front. This out and back section was uneventful and a great warm up. We soon headed into the Millvill Canyon Aid station. I grabbed some fluid and gels and was back out. The trail quickly turned up and I started power hiking, swinging my arms to help keep my momentum. The road was steep and rocky. I thought this was going to be fun on the return trip. I passed some small groups of runners chatting. The rain began to come down a little harder and the temps dropped as I climbed. Out came the 99 cent poncho. Lets put this puppy to the test. I struggled to pull it over my vest, then realized I would have trouble getting to my water bottles and poles that were in my pack, so I settled on putting it under instead. Lessons learned. The rain turned to snow as I approached the top of the climb. The surrounding peaks, with the fresh snow and gold, yellow and red leaves were stunning. This is what I run for, the beauty, the adventure, and the healing of nature.

At the top the trail turned down hill and into single track. Down I went, falling into pace with three other runners. One that would I get to know pretty well over the next 80 odd miles. The trail afforded amazing views of the surrounding mountains and canyons, with the beautiful fall colors shrouded in mist, snow and rain. About 2/3 of the way down, distracted by the scenery, my right foot caught a rock and I was instantly airborne. I came down on my right arm and face. I skidded to a stop on the soft and muddy trail, the only injury to my ego. I quickly got up and kept running, brushing the mud off my face. A minute or so later I felt a branch grab my right leg and pull, almost causing another fall, a couple paces later I realized that my number had been ripped off my shorts. I pulled to the side letting two runners by and grabbed the number. I held it in my hand, intending on putting it back on at the next aid. I tried to catch the group I had been running with, but my mojo had been shaken. I struggled to find flow. I was getting frustrated, and I had to pee. Suddenly I was not having fun. I pulled to the side, peed, and replaced my number. Taking a moment to settle, I reminded my self to take it easy, this was just running. I returned to the trail. I quickly found my footing and my flow and by Latham Hollow Aid I was catching back up to the runners I had been with.

Lethal Hollow was to be my first crew point, but I was running about 15 minutes ahead of schedule and didn't see them. I grabbed some new fluids, more gels, a couple potatoes, and a fresh pair of gloves from my drop bag. I took another look around for Amber and Barry, and didn't see them. I headed off knowing I'd see them in bit. Let's get to running.

The road from Letham is smooth, rolling and easy to keep a descent pace on. I made a mental note to make sure and push on this section on the return, and to tell Barry not to let me slack here. I passed the runners I had been with on the descent here. Shortly I came through the next aid and just checked in and out as it had only been 3 miles from the last.

The trail then turned off the road and began to climb. I wound my way through amazing trees and soon found my self on a steep climb along a creek. The leaves were changing everywhere. My thoughts went to Amber, wishing she was here with me, wondering how she was doing. I had running to occupy my mind, exercise my emotions, but she just had time waiting. I started to get upset. I was sad at knowing we were again failing at becoming parents. Mad at the universe for allowing POS alcoholics, drug addicts and people who have no desire to bring up a functional member of society to keep procreating, while we, productive loving, clean, could not manage to produce. I wanted to yell at the universe that deemed this ok. I turned my anger to the trail, pushing harder than I probably should have. I didn't care. Tears streamed down my face. I was glad to be alone, in the woods. Some feeling are better not shared. My emotions propelled me to the top of the climb and into a meadow. The scenery continued to be amazing and helped to sooth my emotions. By the time I reached the next turn, onto a fire road I had settled.

The road eventually took me to a left turn for a short out and back to the Cowley Canyon Aid. I saw a runner heading out as I turned down toward the aid. I quickly refilled water and gels, grabbed some Perpetuem from my drop bag and was back out. Another runner was on his way to the aid as I left.

The road undulated for a bit then split off into some great single track. The grade turned down and was a runnable and fun section. I felt I was moving well, but had to remind myself that there was still a lot of running left and had to reign in my speed a touch, but not too much. I was again having fun. As I descended, I would occasionally catch glimpses of the runner in front of me. I pushed a little harder, trying to real him in. Soon I was turning left onto another out and back section. This time heading to Right Hand Fork Aid and my first crew point. I pulled into the aid station. The runner in front of me headed back out just as I arrived. Amber and Barry quickly saw to my needs. Amber quickly gave me a kiss and had me back on the trail. The great thing about a good crew is the way they can have you refueled, changed and back out, like a NASCAR pit crew. I hustled up the trail, soon seeing the same runner behind me and then seeing Kaci Lickteig. She is always smiling and saying good job. She looks fresh and fast, and I expected her to be passing me in the future.

I soon caught up to the runner in front of me. We began to chat. His name was Sam from Hawaii. It turned out we had met when I had crewed for Amber at Zion 100 in the spring. I knew he was fast, and wondered how well I would be able to keep up. Sam and I chatted for a bit. I asked how many people were likely in front of us. Sam said "none, we're 1 and 2." I was taken back. I was at the very front! Oh crap, I went out too fast. I stated my concerns.  Sam mentioned that he had never been "chicked" before, but we both agreed that today M1 would likely not be #1. We figured that Kaci would take the over all. We agreed that to be chicked by her would be quite alright. Sam offered to let me pass, and after a few minutes of contemplation(do I belong up front? Did I go out too fast?) I decided to take a chance and go with my gut. I felt great. What do I have to loose? I chose to go for it.  I decided to suffer as best as I could and see how the chips fell. I passed and soon had a gap.

Leaving Temple Fork
The next aid came at the bottom of a long descent and by this time I was caught by the guy who had been behind me sense Letham Hollow. His name turned out to be Mick. Turns out Mick won this party last year in a very impressive time of 19:01. Huh, well lets see what I can do. We came into Temple Fork together, I met Amber and Barry, and Amber had me refilled and back on the trail in short order. I crossed the highway, hit the single track, figuring it was now or never, so I went for it. I tossed my original plan to start going hard at 100k.  I wanted to have a good gap by the turn around hoping that it would deter a chase.  So I pushed, determined to crush the hill. It turns out the hill had other plans. The dirt was muddy, slippery, sticky and steep. I remembered this climb from pacing Amber here in 2014, but it had turned into a beast with all the mud. By the midway point I was struggling, my mental fortitude flagging. What was I thinking? This is way too early. I struggled mentally the entire climb, resigned to being passed at the next turn. But I was determined to push as much as I could. This climb must suck for every one, right? I reached the top, turned left and looked back, seeing Mick just below, emerging from the trees. Damn. I pushed harder, finally hit the downhill and let it open up. By the time I hit the single track intoTony Grove I was moving well, enjoying the trail and the snow.

 It was snowing pretty hard by the time I hit the aid station. Amber hooked me up with a real rain jacket, retiring my plastic poncho and some new gloves. I quickly headed back out, just as Mick was coming in. It was go time. I pushed as hard as I dared up the hill. I noted Kaci in 3rd about 6 minutes after I left the aid. She was wearing a big smile and cheering me on. Sam was only a couple minutes behind her. That only gave me about 10-15 minutes on them. I could work with that, but I was still worried about Kaci catching me. She crushed me after the river at States in 2015.

I hit the muddy section of the trail and instantly was transported to childhood, playing in mud puddles. This was awesome! I even laughed when I lost footing and ended up on my butt. I gained energy from the runners going up hill, giving me cheers, and cheering them on. This is what I love about this sport. Every one is so dang nice and supportive.
Rolling into Spawn Creek

I came into Spawn Creek and picked up Barry as my pacer for the next 39 miles. That is a good friend and solid runner if they are up to the challenge of pacing for that far especially in these conditions. I was glad to have Barry and his great attitude. We chatted as we hit the single track climb out of the valley.

The trail had become a muddy, sticky un-runnable mess. We settled on hiking as fast as we could with the extra 5 Lbs of mud attached to our feet. It would have been miserable except for all the amazing people going the other way feeding us with there energy.  We eventually hit the top of the single track and the climb continued on road. I managed to alternate between running and walking for the entire climb and soon we were going down again. Barry was allowing me to see the trail again threw his eyes, seeing all the beauty out there. We happy ate up the miles with conversation and awe at the landscape. We hit Right Hand Fork for the second time, grabbed lighting and some more food. I switched out my hat for a beanie(which I put in a pocket) and hit the trail. Mick passed shortly after we left and Kaci was maybe 5 minutes behind him. Looks like it going to be a race. It had stopped raining at this point and had warmed up a bit. I took off my gloves and tried to put them in my pocket, only to drop them. Barry picked them up and returned them to me. At this time I realized I had dropped my beanie. Oh well I had a hood if it got too cold. We continued on up toward Cowley Canyon, winding threw the aspens as the light faded. Our conversation turned to the subject of our attempts at parenthood. I felt the feelings of anger and sadness return. I allowed my self to share them with Barry. It turns out it is also good to share these dark thoughts. Barry was an excellent sounding board and proved himself to be a good friend. He will never know how much this time on the trail meant to me.

We pushed on, with Barry occasionally reporting no sign of pursuit. We reached the top of the climb, and I stopped to remove a rock from my shoe.  I looked back at the trail and saw Mick cresting the climb. I shouted that I was wondering when he was going to catch up. I waited for a moment for him to reach me and we all started running together. I figured I'd see how long I could hang with him, and see if I could maybe save enough to reel him back in at the end. We started chatting, picking up the pace, and soon we were moving along at a good clip. Enjoying the company we all came into Cowley together and agreed to leave together. We decided to work together for a bit to put some distance on third. We worked well together. We alternated taking the lead, with Mick putting the hurt on on the uphills. We agreed that if one of us flagged then the other would go ahead.

We reached the top of the second to last climb and started the descent. I had forgotten how long and technical this section of trail was, likely due to my preoccupied state on the way out. The rain had returned, this time with serious intent. By the time we reached the bottom of the trail and the fire road I was happy I had not face planted and for once was happy to have smooth fire road.

That happiness was short lived however as we figured that those behind us would take advantage of the road and put down some fast miles. We did the same, and we were soon eating up the miles. We skipped the Richards Hollow Aid and only checked in and back out. It was a short trip to Letham Hollow and the bottom of the "last climb."

We were quick in the aid. I took only a new light and and balaclava, skipping the new warmer gloves offered by my wise wife. We scurried out of the aid and started climbing and climbing. I had not realized on the way down how long this climb was. We kept the conversation going, keeping our minds off of the dropping temps. Before long rain turned to snow, then the trees and bushes began to bend with the weight of the new snow depositing the wet cold slush on us. I began to get very cold. I lost dexterity in my hands. I mentioned how cold my hands were, and Mick offered up his gloves. Turns out he has some amazing circulation. I took him up on his offer and was soon rewarded with dry hands. Unfortunately the snow quickly turned them wet again. I began shivering, and started to push harder to keep warm. Several times I contemplated turning around, but figured that would be folly. For one I was running tied for first, secondly it would mean returning through all those snow laden trees. We pushed on, finally reaching the top. The snow here was coming down hard and there was an added bonus of a head wind(well breeze but at that point...). I attempted to open an emergency blanket, but my numb hands only managed to open the packaging and reveal about a scarf worth of the thing. So I threw it around my neck and moved on. By this point Mick had pulled ahead, moving fast to get to a lower altitude. Barry and I followed, just out of visual range. The down was worse than I had anticipated on the way out. A solid creek had formed downtime middle of the trail, and the rocks were slick and sketchy. We navigated the tricky section as quickly as we could, eventually catching up to Mick (I'm sure he was waiting a bit). After an eternity of hopscotch on a steep rocky hill, we all reached Millville Aid. We were so close, and so cold.

We stopped long enough for Barry and I to down some broth in an attempt to warm up, only to realize we just needed to keep moving.  The rolling Bonneville Shoreline trail seemed to last for an eternity. We pushed as hard as we could, determined not to let anyone catch us at this point. Finally we were at the top of the neighborhood and dropped down to the finish. As we closed the last 100 meters I asked Mick if this meant we were bringing it in for a tie, and he replied "yep, congratulations on your win." We finished together in 19:33.
Finishing together. what a great experience. 

I was elated to finish up front, happy for the new friends I had made, and thankful for the time spent on the trail. I am thankful to Mick for working together to get it done. I don't know if I would have broken 20 hours if it weren't for running together. I am blessed to have Barry to pace, me/us. His positivity is infectious, and I am glad to call him a friend.  I'm oh so lucky to call Amber my wife, crew chief, training partner and so much more. I love you more than you I ever thought possible.

I managed to run in one pare of shoes, figuring changing them would be a waist of time as the new ones would be muddy and wet in minutes. They did me right. I only had one small blister and no other issues. Altras have been a game changer for my running, and I'm glad I got turned on to them after repeated injuries.

For my feet I also have to credit slathering my feet in Desitin and wearing injinji toe socks. They may look weird, but they sure do work.

Knickers were the right call for bottoms, they kept me comfortable right up until the last summit, that we fricken cold.

At the end of the day I know Amber and I will be OK, no matter what nature has in store. We have a wonderful life and live in an amazing place. This is just a low point we have to overcome to get on to the next great thing. I am so lucky to share this life with such an amazing and loving woman.

I'm still surprised at having done so well at The Bear. Guess I do well in bad conditions.
The race directors, staff and volunteers put on an amazing race, under extraordinary conditions. I look forward to returning and running the original corse, or a reroute for that matter. This race is awesome and embodies everything I love about trail running and ultra running. Low key, great people and amazing places.

Monday, August 22, 2016

San Diego 100(really really late race report)

San Siego 100(really late entry)

So this is only the second post I have done, and I'm really, really late in getting it out. But here is my experience with the toughest race I'v run so far.

San Diego 100 was to be my second 100 mile race, and I was eager to see how well I could do. I had run the Western States 100 last year and had had a great experience, no big lows, no real issues and finished very near my goal. I had put in some solid training after recovering from a pretty bad groin pull at the end of November. This was the first time I had followed a true training plan, and I felt like I was stronger than ever. I ran the Canyons 100K in May, as a training race, and managed a PR for the distance and took 1:20 off of my time from last year. So I felt ready to take on this new challenge. The SD course, on paper, looks easier than the WS course, so I was very hopeful to break the 20 hour mark. I could not have been more wrong.

Amber and I drove down to Huntington Wednesday before the race and stayed at our friend Keevins house. Keevin and Amber were to be my crew and pacers. On Thursday we drove up to Lake Cuyamaca to set up camp with our friend and fellow racer Berry. We set up camp and headed over to race check in and to listen to the pre race briefing. It was hot, in the briefing Scotty Mills told us the predicted heat index for race day was to be 108. Holy cow, I thought. I had spent some time in a sauna to help heat acclimate, but the mild spring in our neck of the woods had not allowed me to get in much in the way of true heat training. After the meeting we had dinner, got our things ready for the next day and were off to bed.

A beautiful way to start the day.



Race morning was cool and pleasant, perfect running temps(at 5:00AM). While eating, I nervously went about making sure everything was ready to go. I always seem to have trouble eating on race morning, I'm just too excited. Before I knew it we were in the starting coral, listening to last minute instructions and then we were off. Nerves quickly faded away as I set into what felt like an easyish pace. We made our way around the lake and meadow and soon began the first hill. I felt I was running easy, but after passing a couple of other runners walking that warned me not to forget to take walk breaks, decided I should head the warning and back off a little. I walk ran the first hill and enjoyed the scenery. On the first descent I noted how rocky and over grown the trail was, I'd need to take care not to trip or role and ankle. Soon we were going threw the first aid Paso Picacho, where some lovely ladies were handing out iced buffs. I took one, put it around my neck and was instantly glad for its coolness. It was already getting quite warm, and it was only 7:00.



Quickly out of the aid and up the next climb I settled into a good rhythm, enjoyed to scenery and was soon running with a Guy named Michael, who told me he had just run a 100 miler in the desert, I was amazed at how well he was running so close to running another 100. We chatted as the miles passed, the trail continued to be rocky and challenging in places, perhaps I had underestimated this corse. We continued to chat as we descended back to the lake and the Chambers aid station. I filled both waters, grabbed a handful of food and put some ice in my bandanna and was on my way. Michael had pulled away during my aid stop and I found my self alone on a long rolling gradual climb. The course becomes very exposed at this point and I was really starting to feel the heat start come on. I backed off on my pace, realizing it was only going to get warmer, and I had a long day ahead.

The next section of trail passed easily enough, I felt like I was moving well, and the scenery was nice. This section was not too technical  and soon I was into Sunrise 1 aid and the first time I would see my aid.
OH sweet ICE
Quickly Amber, Brian, (a friend that came out to enjoy the weekend) and Keevin had my pack traded for one with fresh fluids, and a back full of ICE(man that felt good) and they had me back on the trail in short order. The next section climbs up to a ridge on the PCT with great views of the desert to the east, and more sun. My memories of this section are vague, but I do remember thinking perhaps I had been a bit overzealous in my initial pace, as I was starting to suffer a bit in the heat.
Before long the woman that would end up second overall passed me and commented that it was way too early for us to be worrying about overheating. I had been running with one bottle normal mix of tailwind and the other with concentrated Perpetum, this turned out to be a bad decision as the day heated up. The Tailwind was quickly gone and as I forced down the strong thick Perpetum my stomach started to show the first signs of rebellion. I ran out of water on the last descent to Pioneer Mail aid and was so thankful when I got there and was able to down some ice cold water and get a new ice pack and ice bandanna from my amazing crew. I asked for no Perpetum and was soon off, running down, down and down. The trail soon became very rocky and technical and I was enjoying the trail. The trail wound its way toward Nobal Canyon and soon rocky downhill gave away to rolling Jeep road then to paved downhill. The paved section was downright hot and I ran out of water again about a mile from the aid station. My shins and calves were showing the first signs of cramping and every gel I took in threatened to come back up. At this point the calorie intake slowed to basically what ever was in my drink. Finally I was at Pine Creek aid, and took some salt tabs and pickle juice. I drank as much fluid as I could handle, made sure I had lots of ice in my pack and bandanna and headed out for the long climb out of the canyon. The air was still and oppressive and the flies relentless. the climb went on and on. I felt like I was going to puke every time I pushed the pace so I walked, trying to at least swing my arms and hike as fast as I could. As the climb got higher the trees thinned and the heat pressed. Still climbing I ran out of water, this was not good. I pushed on, seriously contemplating dropping out. I was not having any fun. I could not fathom how not one person had passed me in the eternity that had passed sense the last aid station. 45 minutes to an hour later I finally reached the Penny Pines aid, staggering and feeling like it was time to throw in the towel.
Then I was seated, cold drink in hand, bottles filled and kids were dousing my head and shoulder in ice cold water. 3 or 4 people came in as I sat there recovering, one being my friend Jenny, who commented that that section was brutal. The aid station crew did a great job of ushering me out of the station when they felt I had cooled down sufficiently. As soon as I was out of the aid station my shins and claves began to cramp, running ceased and shuffling ensued. Jenny passed me, offering me words of encouragement, and reminded me that the night was a new race, and she was soon out of sight. I settled into a rhythm of walking the slightest climb and shuffling the flats and downs. I drank water as best as I could, my stomach was queasy and unhappy, but I was moving. I determined to make it to the cooler evening. Finally, with about two miles to the next aid my legs finally stopped cramping at every upward pitch and my shuffling gait began to resemble a half ass jog. Things were looking up, or so I thought.
I don't want to get out of this chair
On arrival to the next aid, my crew ushered me to a chair, cooled me with water, and put coconut water into my hand. Amber told me every one was looking haggard as well. (I thought I was doing better. I guess I didn't look too good). But as a good crew chief Amber kicked me out of the chair as soon as the last of the coconut water was down. I continued to have intermittent leg cramps, which I was able to keep mostly at bay by walking for a minute. This section was short but another low was setting in and I began to struggle with motivation. I knew that Amber and Keevin had sacrificed their time and energy to help me so I used that to get me through to the next aid, Red Tailed Roost, where to my surprise Amber was waiting with running gear on and ready to pace, early, I hadn't planned on picking up a pacer until mile 64. Amber said I looked like I needed some motivation so she jumped in. I grabbed a coconut water and we headed out of the aid, at a walk. Soon Amber was pushing me to pick up the pace and jog. I finished the water and started to move better, by the time we reached Dales Kitchen 1 I was feeling better and by the single track descent started to feel good, the trail had good flow and I picked up the pace. I began to have fun, for the first time in many hours. I thanked Amber for getting me out of my funk, and being such an amazing wife, and continued to pick up the pace and was soon flying. About 3 miles into the 7ish mile descent I kicked a large rock, OK boulder, with my right foot. My body lurched forward, I ran off the side of the trail, barely managing to keep my feet under me. But my big toe and inner side of my foot was screaming at me. I tried to run it off, but the pain wouldn't allow it. So I walked for a bit. Then I tried running again and found that if I kept my weight to the outside of my foot I was able to run fairly descent pace. Nearing the bottom of the descent my stomach started to grumble and I began gaging. With much effort and occasional walk breaks I was able to keep its contents in check.
Near sunset Amber and I pulled into Cibbets Flat aid, where Keevin was waiting to pace me for the next 20 miles. I took in an assortment of fluids and calories, including chicken soup, water, coke, a quesadilla and maybe some ginger ale. Keevin and Amber pushed me to hit the trail and return up the long climb back up.
we got this.
About 200 yards out of the aid station my stomach ordered everything out. I puked and puked on the side of the trail for what seemed an eternity.
Everything OUT!!!
When I was finally able to stop retching Keevin and I started to move. This time my hamstrings chimed in and seized up. I tried walking backward, no dice. So I just suffered and tried to replace some of the fluids and calories I'd just left on the trailside. Before long my body started to cooperate and we began to power hike and run a little. we were soon joined by a woman running her first 100 and her pacer. They encouraged us to stay with them and toed us up the hill. By the top at Dales Kitchen 2 I was feeling much better, and much to Keevins delight, I began eating. I was actually hungry. We moved quickly through the aid and were back on the trail, chatting and catching up on life. I was feeling pretty good, only my right foot still hurt and now my ankle felt tight, I stopped and loosened my shoe several times, but it just seemed to keep getting tight again. We reached Tobys Cabin aid, which was like a party in the woods. I didn't want to leave, the fire, chairs and beer looked mighty good, but the race finish called.
The next section seemed to go forever. We could see the next aid, then the trail would turn and head the wrong direction. It was a big mental challenge. We made it through Penny Pines 2 and were on to Pioneer Mail 2. ON the descents on this section I began to have trouble running. My ankle and foot were starting to hurt, but I pushed on,  determined to finish. As we approached Pioneer Mail my ankle was getting increasingly tight and painful.
I reached the aid station, sat in a chair and commented on the issue of my ankle. I figured I would be able to push to the end.  Amber joined me and we headed out. The first part out of the aid is a slight uphill and I was able to jog ok, then the down came and I was only able to manage a shuffle. I figured I would loosen up as we moved on. Before long I found I was unable to run. I would try and stop after maybe 10 strides. This was not good. OK I can walk the last 15 miles right? NO. Every step was painful, I was having trouble getting over rocks. At one point I hobbled over to the bushes, grabbed a large dead manzanita branch and broke it off, making it into a walking stick.  The walking stick soon became more of a cain/crutch. Through all of this Amber encouraged me, never telling me it was time to throw in the towel. With perhaps 3 miles to go the the next aid I sat down on a rock and holding back tears asked Amber to call Keevin and tell him to meet us at the nearest escape point. She checked her Gaia App on her phone, called Keevin and had my escape planned. Now was just to make the 2ish mile hike out. Time dragged on, but finally, after nearly 2 hours, as we started to crest a road and saw the lights of the car. I flopped into the front seat and we drove to the Sunrise 2 aid where I handed in my bib, thus ending my race, 9 miles from the finish.
Me, Berry, Brian, Keevin and My extraordinary wife.
The next morning my ankle and foot had mostly morphed into a big puffy painful thing. The next couple weeks would find me going from using a cain to walk to wearing a walking boot(bootsy returns). I didn't run at all until 5 days before Western States(where I was happily able to pace my friend Ryan Peel to a outstanding finish of 2230ish hours).
So how does it feel to drop so close to the finish? Crummy. I gave this race my all, from training, to changing my diet to leaving everything I had on the trail. I know Ill be back to conquer this race, maybe next summer.
Lessons learned.
1) Heat train more
2) Don't bomb the down hill 60 miles into a race
3) It's going to hurt.
4) Save it for the night time.

Sunday, July 31, 2016

John Muir Trail take 2

"I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in." John Muir


I'm not sure exactly when my mind changed about attempting another FKT attempt on the JMT, but I do know that around mid February the seed had been planted. I had made mistakes the prior year and thought it would be possible to go faster if things went mostly according to plan. I was racing a 100 miler in Zion April 8 so I would have some good base miles in the tank. I put in for permits and anxiously awaited April 1 permit drawing and got a whole lot of nothing. Then my summer vacation request got denied. May 1 I was back on the computer waiting to snap up permits that hadn't been claimed by the lottery winners. I sat there refreshing every 15 minutes for half the morning hoping for something.... anything. I lucked out and snagged one for the end of July and also one for the end of August. Then a coworker gave up their vacation on the dated of my July permit. 

Zion 100 was a solid effort and I felt great afterwards for about 2 weeks until I ended up with severe knee pain. It was bad enough that I would make it a mile from home and then turn around and walk home defeated. Running and being in the mountains is my therapy so I really needed to get back out there. Several painful massages later, some rolphing, and a lot of ART (tears were involved)  in Truckee and by the beginning of June I was running again pain free. 

I'll write another blog post about some of my trips leading up to my JMT attempt because they were a blast and fully the reason why I do these things. In short I did 3 backpacking trips and a lot of big mile days carrying a weighted pack. One trip was a solo 5 day trip mid June in over Piute Pass up through Evolution and Muir and out over Bishop Pass. Snow was plentiful (7 miles over Muir), and I had a blast. My second trip was a 2 nighter with my husband Ryan and fur kid Bliksem leaving on the 4th of July escaping the Tahoe basin for solitude in Desolation Wilderness.  My last trip was a 60 mile 3 day trip (full backpack) in over McGee Pass to 1000 Island Lake and out Agnew Meadows.



In preparation I also made some big diet changes eating much cleaner than I have in years. We basically ate fruit, veggies, nuts, and meats (kind of a loose version of the Whole 30). Eliminating dairy had me eliminating coffee because I couldn't handle the taste without sweet cream creamer. During my attempt I would take caffeine pills at night to help me stay alert. I took my first one on day 2 and it felt like rocket fuel! All these changes I think helped me start this attempt as prepared as I could be.  I was as lean as I had been when I had finished the year before.

Ryan was able to drop me off in Lone Pine on Thursday after picking up my permit, but had to work Friday.  I arranged a ride to the Portal with Kathleen from the Chamber of Commerce. Thanks Kathleen for the early ride! She picked me up at 5:15am and after getting dropped off I spent a few minutes eating a banana (the last fresh food I would have in days) and finishing off my water. I was worried about the high temps forecasted this week because I suffer in the heat. I was not looking forward to this first climb with the heat coming up from the valley.

Shortly before 6am I started up Mt Whitney. I had forgotten a watch (have to forget something) so I paced myself by effort. I was surprised to find myself at the top  in just under 4 hours without running a step. During the climb I felt like I had been moving slower compared to the prior year (where I did run a little). I guess all those boot camp box jumps and lung jumps really paid off. Thanks Erika at Moxy Fitness! There was only a small snow field left on Whitney and it was almost easier to walk on than the surrounding granite. Before I knew it I was signing the registrar and on top. 


Starting about 2 hours later in the day compared to the prior year meant no head lamp needed but it was already HOT!



All my belongings in the Ultimate Direction Fastpack 20- I'll get a blog up about gear soon.



18 pounds fully loaded with 750ml of water and 600ml of Perpetuem (about 2.7 pounds of the 18 pound weight). Yes, there is a bear canister which accounted for 1.6 pounds of the weight.




Quick pic at the top and a snack and then I was off again.


Descending Mt Whitney




I noticed a lot of helicopters circling around Whitney this day and later found out that they were looking for John Lee who was later found deceased.  Another reminder to stay safe out there. 

Day 1 felt uneventful, but I felt like I was moving much slower and did almost no running. The heat was oppressive and I dipped my arm sleeves and bandana in the water at every crossing. From prior races in the heat I know this is my weak point and I needed to take in easy during the daytime. Night time and cooler temps are my friend. My backpack felt heavy, but not nearly as it had the previous year. Score one for hiking with a weighted pack this summer. As sunset closed in I could tell I was further miles wise than I had been at sunset the year before. Crossing Glen Pass in the dark for the second time was crazy. I just had this feeling of walking on a knife edge with inky darkness all around.  My goal this night was to make it to Woods Creek before stopping to sleep. I got lost at some point around Baxter Creek and turned on my phone to use the Gaia app. This app has saved me on more than one occasion navigating in the dark. Crossing the Woods Creek Bridge in the dark was interesting, and soon I stopped to sleep for a couple hours. It took me about 10 minutes to stop, brush teeth, set up "camp" and fall asleep. I set an alarm on my phone and I was out immediately. 

I woke up before my planned 4 hour sleep was up so I got up and started moving. No use in restless half sleep. It was nice and cool while climbing Pinchot and I had a rare sighting of John Ladd. Yes I did the survey, but I think I'm what they call an outlier. The heat kicked on during the climb up Mather and I continued my process of dipping my arm sleeves and bandana in the water ever change I got. The Palisades Lakes looked like a pool party with lots of people taking breaks and dip while I looked on enviously. The oven was fully on as I descended the Golden Staircase and as miserable as I was I could not imagine what the backpackers going up were feeling. I stopped in Deer Meadow for a 30 minute break to take shoes and socks off and let me feet air. They were still in good shape at this point and I was trying to keep them happy. The climb up Muir was enjoyable as it was the first time I had seen it in daylight. Last year I did it in the dark on the morning of day 3, and when I was here in June it was completely under snow. I reached Muir Hut just as the sun was setting. 



Only small snow fields were left on the climb up to Muir and none on the descent. It was a very wet descent though. After the descent from Evolution Lake I stopped to sleep again. 

Again I woke up before my alarm so I got moving. I felt good and hadn't been having any hallucinations. I also planned on a mid day stop again to eat and air my feet. Evolution Creek which had been hip deep in June was now calf deep. I took my shoes off to cross to keep my shoes and socks dry. My goal was to make it to the top of Seldon before the heat of the day. At this point I was seeing all new things again because last year this was a night time section. I love seeing new trail!



This is a view of Marie Lake. 

I took a 30 minute break at the top of Seldon and aired my feet and noticed the first hot spot on my left heel. I started taping my feet here. I had 3 pairs of socks this year compared to having 2 last year and I think that having clean dry feet kept everything happy longer. Looking back I wish I would have brought 1 more pair. At this point none of my food was tasting good. Mac nuts were getting hard to chew, Perpetuem tasted and smelt like vomit, and the chocolate almond butter I would gag on to get it down. I remembered Ryan and San Diego 100 in June handing me back the Perpetuem telling me he couldn't drink it anymore in the heat. This was not an option here. I kept powering it down. Good times!

Bear Creek involved taking my shoes off and another short break to swim in the creek and then dry my feet again. The icy water felt sooo good, but it was time to get moving. I suffered from here all the way to the top of Bear Ridge Trail. I stopped at the top again for about a 15 minute nap. I felt better on the descent towards Edison and was looking forward to climbing Silver Pass. This was the hardest climb for me as it seemed never ending and I wasn't feeling great. I kept having to remind myself that this isn't supposed to be easy and to embrace the pain. It was going to hurt and I should just get used to it. I stopped near Fish Creek Trail for another planned 4 hour sleep.

Again I woke up way before my alarm. My feet hurt too bad to sleep. I was a little worried about my lack of rest, but I figured I could just take a nap during the day if I needed. I was well ahead of my planned time at this point. My foot pain seemed better when walking than lying down so I might as well be making progress if I was going to hurt.

The descent to Reds went well and I was managing my foot pain. The oven turned on once I crossed the river and the climb up to Shadow Lake was a battle. I was feeling a bit dehydrated and dizzy after the climb so I stopped at the creek just after the lake with the intention of sleeping 2 hours and getting some fluids onboard. I managed to rehydrate and slept for about an hour or so and woke up feeling somewhat refreshed. 

Garnet and 1000 Island Lake are another favorite section of this trail for me and I enjoyed myself as much as I could. I consider Donahue the last major climb and I was up and over just as the sunset. Sorry no photos..... I was just too tired to even turn my phone on at this point. The first half of the descent was fun. Then it was completely dark and the descent turned sketchy and I was TIRED!. I started slipping and having some near falls. I was losing my coordination quickly. I made a deal with myself that I would rest at the bottom. Since my one goal was to beat my time from last year I was more worried about injuring myself then losing a couple hours for sleep. 

I think I slept about 2 hours and again woke before my alarm. Lyell Canyon seemed to last forever and coyotes were howling everywhere. Eventually I made it Tuolumne Meadows and started the climb to Cathedral Pass. I think I sat down here for a minute and promptly blacked out for about 10 minutes. Sunrise could not come soon enough. Every foot step was like stepping on a fire and one of the blisters on my right foot broke, bringing me to tears. At this point I had run out of KT tape and used duct tape to  finish the last 10 miles. Good times!

The last 3 miles on the pavement were pure torture and seemed to last forever. It was strange seeing herds of people everywhere. I sorted my way through the crowds and finally saw Ryan waiting for me at the trailhead. A tear or two or joy or pain might have been shed. 

Whitney Portal to Happy Isles time 4 days 5 hours 6 minutes
JMT time 4 days 1 hour 13 minutes

Totally happy with this new women's unsupported time! Last years attempt I had made mistakes and was hoping that with my knowledge of the course and another year of running in my legs I'd be able to go faster. Each year I seem to learn more about how to push myself into these dark places. Prior to last years attempt I had never been on the trail. I had studied maps, watched some moves, and read many blogs. Nothing beats actual experience. This year upon finishing I knew I had put my best out there. No need to do an attempt #3 unless it is for the SKT (slowest known time). My training this year was a blast and more focused play than real training. Strangely with much less rest this year I had zero hallucinations. I did lay down and take more cat naps, but my overall rest time was far less than the prior attempt. For now I'm happy. There are other trails and places to explore. I have learned so much about my body and myself during this process and most of this carries over to my other life as a nurse and a wife. Happy trails to all. 



And done!! Can't wait to get these shoes off.


I remember this sign from my first trip to Yosemite back when I was in my early 20s and never imagined that anyone actually hiked all the way to Mt Whitney from here. 


 Blister carnage






The day after finishing I was floating on Lake Tahoe for recovery. I love my home!

Super big thanks to my husband Ryan for supporting and believing in my crazy dreams.