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.

Zion 100- April 8, 2016.

Zion was not a planned race for me this year. In fact I had planned to take the year off. We came back from Africa with a +1 on board. 10 weeks later with a misadventure that landed me in the ED and in emergency surgery I was depressed and my body was rebelling.  The hormonal changes had me putting on 15 pounds in 2 weeks and growing chin hair. Mentally I was in a dark place. Because you're not supposed to tell anyone that you are pregnant until after the first trimester very few people knew. This left me very isolated and grieving in private. 

The end of January rolled around and I decided that I needed to make a change. I turned to the trails because they have always helped heal me. I started to look for a race to sign up for, but I had missed most of the lotteries and everything was already full. Then I came across Zion. It was a race that hadn't grabbed my attention before because I tend to like big mountains with lots of elevation change. While Zion didn't meet this criteria it was a place I hadn't been before and looked beautiful so I signed up. From 5 to 100 miles in 10 weeks..... totally doable. 

I started up a boot camp class and did a couple local 10Ks in the 2 months leading up to Zion. The boot camp added a lot of functional strength and my running form slowly started to come around. By race day I was feeling about 75% of normal and felt like I could pull this off. They say it's better to be under than overtrained. I definitely met this criteria. 

The week leading up to the race I got an email from the race director with a weather forecast of lots of rain. We were offered transfer to another event if we chose because the entire 100 miles might not be runnable if it rained hard on the fragile desert soils. I thought is really amazing of them to offer this option. I chose to go ahead and race and see what happened with the weather. I tend to like crazy weather when racing anyway. We camped at Zion River Resort on gravel (hurray for good drainage). It didn't rain at all leading up to the race, but during and afterwards it was nice to have a dry place to sleep. 

After the long drive I went out for a shake out run on part of the course that I would hopefully be on during the night.

Photo doesn't quite capture how beautiful this section is. This is from Virgin Desert aid station back to finish.

This is the same section as above. Running on a cliffside in the dark during an epic rainstorm on tired legs kept me on my toes during the race. 

Race day started with clear skies. The race starts with a big climb up Flying Monkey Mesa. The history behind this name is interesting and kept my mind busy during the first climb. http://www.flyingmonkeymesa.com/#!about_us/c1ztv 

I felt like I pushed hard enough to get in front of most of the congo line but not too hard to burn myself out. It already felt hot to me (anything is hot coming from Tahoe in early April). The loop on the mesa was uneventful and then we plunged back down Flying Monkey. About this time I noticed that my pinky toes were hurting. I went with the Hoka Clifton 2. I had been running in the original version for over a year and loved them, but had failed to notice the significantly smaller toe box on the new version. I had old version of them in my drop bag at the Goosebump AS (miles 35,47,68) so I planned to change my shoes there. This left me with 20 or so miles to deal with the pain. I changed my gait a bit which ended up biting me in the butt as the day went on.  The changed gait started causing leg cramps that would bring me to a walk and eventually a stop. I sat down at the Guacamole AS (mile 15) and used a stick to try and roll out my legs. I hobbled around the Guacamole mesa hoping that things would get better. This was definitely the lowest point in the race for me. This mesa is largely slickrock with lots of little ups and downs that beat me up. The route finding between flagging and finding the white paint on the rocks was slightly difficult and mentally draining. Between the heat and cramping legs I was starting to dread the next 75 miles. I took my time on the descent back down from Guacamole Mesa to Dalton and then began the climb to Goosebump.

The climb up to Goosebump was murder. The sun was beating down and my legs weren't cooperating. I think we climb 1500ft in about a mile. There were ropes set up in sections to help with the descent back down that we would be doing in about 33 miles in the dark and rain. I finally made it to the top and sat down and changed my shoes. It also started raining at this time. The shoe change didn't fix things immediately, but about 10 miles after changing them (plus the cooler temps) my legs and body started coming around. I was picking up Ryan as my pace at Grafton Mesa (mile 53) where we would have a steep descent and the last major climb back up the Mesa. It was getting dark, the rain really started coming down, and I was loving it. The worse the weather the better I seemed to feel. After picking up Ryan I never got passed and kept moving forward in the field. The descent back down Goosebump was sketchy but we hit it before it got too wet. I can only imagine how it was for runners further back. 

I love night running! With my running buddy behind me we cranked out the miles and soon we were through Virgin Desert Aid station for the last time (you go through a total of 4 times with various loops). I was one of the lucky few that made it through the whole course. As the rain continued they ended up shortening the course and sending people back to the start/finish from Virgin Desert no matter where they were on their 3 loops. It was the right call to make as running on fragile desert trails when wet can destroy them. 

I was flying (or so it felt like) at this point and trying to break 23 hours. The course had other intentions for me though and the last 5 miles were a slip and slide in the mud and the finish never seemed to get any closer. It was a full on downpour at this point and sliding down small hills on my butt seemed a smarted option than trying to stay upright. Soaked from head to toe we finally crossed the finish line in 23:10. 

Hurray for the campground having hot showers. We went back to camp and crashed for a few hours before heading out for an afternoon "hike" in Zion NP.

Note the tarp over the tent. 

The Narrows. We will have to go back someday and check it out. 

The next day we packed up and headed out to Bryce NP. On our way out we stopped at the Canyon Overlook. 

The race organizers offer discounted entries if you go to certain placed the day after the race. I totally forgot to send this in to them though. 

Bryce Canyon was beautiful and I hobbled though some more hiking. Not to shabby for the day after a 100 miler. 

Zion 100 ended up being much more difficult that it looked on paper. I was very happy with my choice (or lack of choice) of this race. I would highly recommend it for anyone looking for an early season 100. My time on the dirt ended up helping me heal and get back to feeling more normal.