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| Rocky Canyon National Park August 19th, 2013. The day after Leadville sporting my finisher's jacket. A herd of big horn sheep roams in the background. Picture courtesy of my father. |
CONTENTS:
Preface
Planting the Seed
Training Regimen
Assembling my Crew
Logistics
Race Day
Conclusion
Data
Credits
The Leadville Controversy
PREFACE
Its just after 2 AM and I am awakened by squeeky floorboards and running water. Twenty minutes later there is a knock on my door and my father enters the room. "Hey, you ready for today?", he whispers. "Yep, but I still have twenty more minutes to sleep!", I answer as politely as I can muster at 2:20 in the morning.
My dad was so excited about this race you'd think he was running it! Why did I not just jump out of bed? Why was I gripping my pillow and forcing my eyes shut for that trivial 20 minutes more of sleep? Maybe its because I knew what was coming. Having paced/crewed at three 100s now I had some idea of what to expect. Achy legs, cramping, wrecked feet, blisters, blackened toe nails, chafing, bloody nipples, nausea, fatigue, stomach rot, hypothermia - just to name a few wonderful things associated with this type of effort. But then I reminded myself I actually volunteered for this. But how did I get here?
PLANTING THE SEEDS
Running a 100 miler does not just happen overnight. Perhaps I should qualify that last statement. Running a 100 miler does not just happen overnight for the normal, everyday runner. It requires months of training and preparation both mentally and physically."That day at Western States was an amazing experience for Kev and I knew right then I wanted to taste that kool-aid for myself one day. "
When I began running in 2009 I didn't even know races of such insane distances existed. Like a lot of new runners I started on the road, eventually completing my first marathon in April 2010. My foray into trail running began in the later half of 2010 through a local running group - the Folsom Trail Runners. From that point I ventured more into "ultra" distances, moving progressively from 31 miles (a 50k) to 50 miles and eventually 62 miles (a 100k). But there was a certain mystique that surrounded the 100 mile distance. I couldn't quite wrap my head around the concept of tacking on another 38 miles in a single race. The 62 mile race (Miwok 100k) took me about 13 hours to complete and left me completely wasted and devoid of energy. I spent the next hour lying on the grass with my feet up in a vain attempt to drain the lactic acid buildup from my legs. The average 100 miler finish times ranged from 24 to 30 hours - basically 11-17 on top of what it took me to complete just 62 miles. From a distance perspective its only a 38 miles more, but from a time-on-your-feet perspective it could be twice that or more! So in summary, when friends asked if I planned to run a 100 miler, my was responses was a resounding "Hell No"!.
But just like anything in life its easy to fear what we don't understand. When I look back in 2009, a marathon - a paltry 26.2 miles, held a similar mystique. As I got more into running, talked to others, studied training plans, I realized it a marathon was completely do-able with the right training and determination and the fear gradually dissolved upon the completion of my first marathon.
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| Kevin finishing Western States '12 in 23:28! |
As 2012 came to a close I began to research races. Western States was obviously my first choice but as one of the most popular 100s in the country my chances of getting in were slim. So I looked at other races and two in particular roused my interest: Wasatch and Leadville. Both were mountain races and that was the appeal to me - I loved the mountains. Although I knew they would pose additional challenges in terms of elevation gain and altitude I figured if was going to run a hundo I might as well go all the way. Make it interesting. Make it an adventure. Make it unforgettable. Ultimately I decided on Leadville for its historic roots, culture, and unique challenges. Also, since there was no lottery I could start thinking about training and adjust my work schedule well in advance. So Leadville it was!
TRAINING
"...to truly prepare myself for a mountain race like Leadville I felt I needed to experience higher altitude."
What differentiates Leadville from other 100 mile races is the altitude. Coming from sea-level, acclimation needed to be a core component of my training plan in order to be successful - no doubt about it. Initially I thought about moving to Colorado a month or more prior to the race. While it was a great idea, the expense and logistics of such a move proved to be a little much. So I started exploring local options - specifically the Lake Tahoe area. The Tahoe Donner/Truckee area and Incline Village looked like my best options. Both were less than a 2 hour drive from Roseville, with Tahoe Donner only being about 1.5 hours. So I posted an ad on craigslist looking for a short-term room for rent. The ad stated I was working professional who was able to work remotely and needed a place to stay to train at altitude for a Colorado trail race.
Not more than a day after I posted the ad a lovely woman contacted me and told me she had a condo available in the Tahoe Donner community and she could rent it to me for $750 over a 2 month period (including all utils, internet, and direcTV). The only catch being I needed to be out 10 days in the middle of the lease as she had it reserved for another tenant. Sounded perfect to me! The price couldn't have been more perfect, only an hour and half away, and Tahoe Donner was actually at 6800' with nearby peaks approaching 11,000'!
I made this condo my temporary home from June 23rd to August 14th. It was relatively small but had the everything I needed. I moved in with just a few boxes. My laptop and headset for work, my running gear, and a few additional things. The Tahoe Donner area was awesome. There were local trails right outside your door. The condominium building itself sat the bottom of a ski slope. For a quick early morning hill workout I would run up and down the ski slopes. Truckee was a charming little small town with the nicest folks and a small town atmosphere. It had character. There were a few chains - a Safeway, a Dairy Queen for example, but by and large it was dominated by local businesses which was great diversion from the deep suburban, chain-driven lifestyle I was used to. Truckee Thursdays were particularly fun! There was live music and a bunch of food trucks. My mouth still waters when I think about the "Pork Pops" offered by a local sandwhich shop called "Full Belly Delli"! Living in the mountains was an experience! Everybody drove a Subaru. The local hardware store carried every type of board possible from 2x4s, to snowboards to keyboards. One afternoon I was going out to my truck to get some lunch and there was friggin' bear in the parking lot! The most wildlife I'd seen in Roseville was a wild Turkey, maybe a raccoon if I was lucky.
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| Getting to meet my new neighbors at Tahoe Donner. Apparently I wasn't the only one looking for a meal on that particular afternoon. |
During my stay in Tahoe Donner I significantly upped my mileage. There were so many trails to explore. Every day presented a new adventure as I explored different trail systems. Meadows, lakes, peaks. It really reinvigorated my running and I loved it. That being said, running at altitude was a challenge! My pace on average was 1-2 minutes slower per mile that it was running in Auburn. I was hiking hills that I would normally have run. But over time I began to run more and hike less - a sign that acclimation was going well. After about 2 weeks of exploring trails I had my training routes nailed. For short mileage days there was 6 mile loop I could run right out the door climbing to nearby Hawk's peak. For longer runs it was just a 15 minute drive to the PCT trailhead at Boreal where I could run to neighboring Castle Peak, Basin Peak, and Andesite peak. Then, for higher elevation it was just a 40 minute drive to Mount Rose where I could get in a 10 miler up to the top of Mt Rose at nearly 11,000'. I made these trails my home and got to know them well.
As much as I loved it in Truckee, running solo all the time did take its toll and I would occasionally find myself in a rut - unable to find the motivation to get out and run despite the fact the whole reason I relocated there was TO RUN. Thankfully I am surrounded by supportive friends who donated their time and gas to come out and run with me. Kevin, Mitch, Maggie, Annie, and Ray - thank you!!!
Although the Truckee/Tahoe area was fantastic, to truly prepare myself for a mountain race like Leadville I felt I needed to experience even higher altitude. The Leadville course takes you along the base of 2 of Colorado's highest mountains, Mt. Elbert and Mt. Massive, both over 14,000' high. Then it climbs Hope Pass, which is a true mountain pass at 12,600', twice! That pass alone is higher than any peak in the Tahoe basin. The only place I could find altitude like that (outside Colorado) was in the High Sierra. The High Sierra refers to the portion of the Sierra Nevada mountain range south of Yosemite where peaks reach over 14,000'. In fact the High Sierra is home to 13 of 15 of California's highest peaks over 14,000'. Its a little bit of a drive - about 5-6 hours one way from where I was staying - but during my training cycle I managed to squeeze in three trips.
For the longest, toughest run in my training cycle I ran the Evolution Lakes Loop July 6th - about 6 weeks before Leadville. I intentionally planned it this way to provide enough time to recover from this run going into the race. The Evolution Lakes Loop is a popular route among backpackers and ultra runners alike. In fact I had wanted to do this loop in 2012 but missed my opportunity due to snow. I ran the loop CCW - starting at the North Lake trail head and finishing at South Lake. This loop was ideal training and simulated many of the challenges Leadville would throw at me. The altitude never dipped below 8,000' and got as high as 12,000' over 3 passes - Piute pass, Muir Pass, and Bishop Pass. It was about 55 miles long with over 10,000' of cumulative elevation gain. As a bonus, this loop traverses some of the most scenic terrain in California. The first two passes went OK but the third climb over Bishop pass was a slog and really tested my endurance.
My second trip the High Sierra came about unexpectedly. A friend of mine was able to score a pair of Mt. Whitney wilderness permits and had this crazy idea of hitting Mount Whitney and Split Mountain on back to back days. So the very next weekend after Evo Loop I was back. On Saturday I started at Whitney Portal just outside of Lone Pine and ran as much of the Whitney trail as I could. It took just over 5 hours from Portal to Portal. The run had over 7000' elevation gain and reached 14,500' at the summit - the highest point in the contiguous 48 states. I had done Whitney before and recalled really struggling once I hit the 99 switchbacks above 12,000'. This trip I was able to actually run most of the switchbacks which I attributed to being better acclimated. While I thought 5 hours was a great time I found out at the Whitney Portal store the FKT (fastest known time) was closer to 3 hours - less than the time it took me to go one way to the summit! Some people are just animals! The next day was a 40 mile out and back hike to Split Mountain via Taboose pass. Taboose pass was brutal, beginning at 5500' and topping out at 11500' over 7 miles or so. Then you hit the JMT (John Muir Trail) for a few miles before going cross country and climbing to Split Mountain at just over 14000'. Because it was hiking it took almost 24 hours to complete. The last few hours were especially tiring. I was just in a daze just concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other. Sat down on nearby rock several times and nearly fell asleep. Although there was no running involved, and it was only 40 miles, it was great training because it trained my mind to keep moving my legs forward despite being completely exhausted and sleep deprived.
Finally, the weekend before Leadville I made a final trip to the High Sierra to visit White Mountain. White Mountain is the easiest of the California 14ers as its basically wide, non-technical, gradual fire road all the way to the top. Not only that but the trail head is at 11,500' so you only need to climb less than 3,000' over 7.5 miles to reach the summit. My goal here was just to obtain some more time at high altitude and not to push myself too hard which I succeeded in doing.
Some final thoughts on training. My training regimen was a little bit different than how I had trained in the past for ultras. Normally my training consisted of 4-5 runs a week and was centered around the weekend long run. My weekends would usually consist of a 30 miler on Saturday following up with a 20 miler Sunday. In addition I would incorporate several 50ks leading up to a 50 mile race. My training for Leadville didn't consist of many long runs (in terms of distance). In fact I only had only a handful over 25 miles - the Marin Ultra Challenge (50mi), the Evolution Lakes Loop (55mi), and the Tahoe Rim Trail 50k (34mi). Instead my training focused on four things: altitude, elevation gain, time on my feet, and cumulative weekly mileage. I ran six days a week, sometimes twice a day, and no less than ten miles a day. In doing so I noticed a significant improvement in my endurance and recovery time. A 10-12 mile run felt great and muscle soreness between back to back days of running was reduced. In the past after a 12 mile run I would feel it the next day and generally ran every other day as a result. My ability to run at altitude also improved. The first time I ran the "Hawk's Peak Loop" it took 51 minutes to run 4 miles. Five weeks later I was able to run the same loop in 33 minutes!
As I began the taper here are my training stats:
May 2013: 181 Miles, 17,597' elevation gain, 27:28 hours
June 2013: 302 Miles, 50,352' elevation gain, 68:54 hours
July 2013: 339 Miles, 72,843' elevation gain, 86:47 hours
Aug 2013 73 Miles, 13,731' elevation gain, 12:14 hours
I wish I had stats to show how much of this was run at altitude but suffice to say the majority of miles in July and August were above 7000'.
ASSEMBLING MY CREW
"...why is it so hard to find someone to travel 1100 miles to Colorado with you to stay up for 24 hours catering to your every need?"
Part of the planning process for any hundo is putting together a crew for support. Sure many people can run a hundred without a crew or pacers and props to them for doing that. Perhaps that will be me someday if I opt to do another race of this distance. But for this race I wanted to be surrounded by the people closest to me that I love and care about. Maybe it was a tad selfish - but I wanted to share this adventure. So I started putting together my team. My buddy Kev was first on the list. He, by the way, was the afore mentioned running buddy who finished Western States sub 24 and was pretty much soley responsible for inspiring me to do my own hundo! Kevin and his girlfriend Courtney were onboard immediately.
I was stoked because they had just recently moved from Sac to Kansas City, MO and was unsure if they'd be able to make the trip out. But everything came together - both were able to get the time off work, love a good road trip, and wouldn't you know it, Kansas City is 400 miles closer to Leadville than Roseville!
The next piece that fell into place was my pops. My dad had always been supportive of my running and loved tracking me via my SPOT locator beacon on my adventures to the Grand Canyon (Rim2Rim2Rim) and to the eastern Sierra. But he'd actually never had the opportunity to see me run. Scheduling was a challenge - as a pastor, he normally works weekends which coincidentally are when 99% of races occur. But for this one he agreed to take the week off work and come out with me. So I was super stoked he was coming!
My other good buddy, Mitch, had been initially on board as well. Mitch, Kev and I were kind of like the three amigos - sans the mariachi outfits. We'd run Rodeo, Calico, and Miwok together in 2012 and had shared many other running adventures. However, some exciting changes in Mitch's life unfortunately conflicted with the race schedule. He got hitched and was in the process of relocating with his new bride, who enlisted in the navy, across the country to Norfolk Virginia. I was super excited for him but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't bummed when he broke the news he wouldn't be able to make it to Colorado after all.
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| The three amigos after Miwok 100k! |
So the search was on! My next potential candidate was a fellow running buddy Bruce Seigel, who'd I recently took a trip to the Grand Canyon with. We caravaned with a large group of runners to do Rim2Rim2Rim back in May (a run from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon to the North Rim and back in a day). In my excitement during that run I'd made the mistake of allowing myself to get a little overheated. I won't go into details now (this post is long enough) but suffice to say Bruce swooped into action and helped get me back on my feet and healthy enough to hike back up the top of South Rim. After an dunking me in Bright Angel creek he stuck with me on the climb back up until I was coherent again. His actions resonated with me and I thought he would have made a terrific addition to my crew. When I mentioned it to him he was super excited and enthusiastic about joining the team. However, life got in the way in his case too and unfortunately he couldn't make it out.
As I was contemplating my options, a true trail angel, Maggie Akyuz, came to my rescue. Maggie. I didn't know Maggie too well, but we'd run together a few times and she was a very strong runner. We'd talked about our ambitions to run a 100 and she even beat me to the punch, knocking out the Zion 100 in April! Just a month out from Zion she had another 50 miler on her calendar - Silver State 50. We got to chatting about Silver State and she asked me to pace her the last 18 or so miles and so I agreed. Its amazing how well you get to know someone when you pace them. Prior to Silver State I'd categorize us as more or less aquaintencaes. After Silver State I'd categorize us as friends. From that point forward we ran together more often at speed workouts and such. One afternoon the subject of Leadville came up. I was giving her the lowdown on the current quandary I was in and before I could even ask her she volunteered! It wasn't long after that that we were able to work out the logistics and she was officially part of the team!
So going into the race my all-star crew was as follows:
- Kevin O'toole
- Courtney Edwards
- My pops
- Maggie Akyuz
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| From left to right: Kevin, Courtney, Me, My Dad, Maggie |
LOGISTICS
As much preparation as I had done in other areas - training, assembling the crew, etc. One area I had slacked on was booking lodging! Leadville is a pretty small town and there weren't many options. I was looking at booking a hotel or condo in neighboring towns of Frisco or Vail - both 45-60 min outside of Leadville. Then a couple of weeks ago I happened to catch a post on an itnernet forum that a house was available for rent. So I jumped on it! Talked to the owner and worked out an arrangement for 4 nights Thursday - Monday Aug 15th-19th. The house was perfect, just a few blocks from the start/finish area. It had three separate bedrooms and two baths. The house had character, it was older and rustic. But most of all it allowed me and my crew to chill, bond, and take in the whole experience together instead of tucked away in separate motel rooms.
RACE WEEK
THURSDAY
Kev and Courtney drove from KC while Maggie, my pops and I flew in from Sact to Den then rented a car and drove to Leadville. First stop was the local REI so I could stock up on nutrition and get a second headlamp. Then we headed to the old mining town of Leadville. As it worked out we all arrived in Leadville at the same time. In fact caught up with Kev on hwy 91 unbeknownst to him and followed him all the way into Leadville!
When we arrived we hit the local Safeway and checked into the house. It was great having everyone together in one area as opposed to separate hotel rooms or something like that. Dinner was at Tennessee Pass Cafe where I had the appropriately named Billy Goat bison burger!
FRIDAY
Got up at 8 and went to the Med Check-in off Harrison street. Weighed in @ 159, got my bib and timing chip. Then later that morning we all went to the school to check out the expo and attend the runner/crew briefing. The expo was small but Strava was there and had some good swag. Free Leadville trucker caps, water bottles, and stickers! Score! A local running store, Runners Roost was there also and I was able to stock up on Glide which had somehow escaped my brain to bring.
Then I got sucked into buying a new pair of New Balance Leadvilles they had on display in the limited edition "Colorado" colors. I'd gone through two pairs of the 1210s in training and really dug the new colors so I shelled out the dough. Hell I was in friggin' Leadville, mind has well! I was reminded of my first marathon at Big Sur and experiencing my first marathon expo. I was so excited I just wanted to buy anything stamped "Big Sur". Then over time that excitement faded and I was happy to skip the expo altogether. Well, this was my first hundo and the excitement was back.
The runner briefing was entertaining. One of the doctors (Joe Virgil?) gave some tips on do's and dont's. Do stay hydrated. Do drink when your thirsty. Dont take ibuprofin until you've peed twice after the race. Don't overdose on S!Caps if you start cramping. Do let the med staff know if you experience symptoms of altitude sickness. Then we were introduced to the original race directors, Ken and Marie Coleburt, and their son Cole. Historically Ken had given the inspirational "Commit do not quit" speech, but his son Cole took over this year and I thought he did a great job.
In between the runners briefing and crew briefing I had the opportunity to socialize and ran into Iris Priebe - a canadian woman whom I'd paced at Western States. I was surprised to see her here and found out she was going for the Grand Slam and this was her 3rd 100 of the series. I was super impressed! She was so humble, never even mentioned her "little" quest during States. It was fun to see her and catch up with her. (Note she did finish Leadville and go on to complete the Slam!)
After the crew brifing we headed back to the house. I opted to take a nap while everybody else went for a recon hike around Turquoise Lake. I would find myself running around this lake twice the next day.
That evening we sat around the dining room table and discussed logistics for the next day. Kevin had a smart plan to crew at the alternate crew spots and avoid the congestion at the main aid stations. Finally, it was time to prepare for race day. I packed up my bags and supplies for the crew. Had a bag for the crew, some instructions for them, and a drop bag for winfield (the turnaround point).
Crew stops:
* Bottom of Powerline, just before Fish Hatchery/Outward Bound (outbound)
* Pipeline, before Half Pipe (outbound)
* Twin Lakes (inbound)
* No crew at Winfield, too congested
* Twin Lakes (inbound)
* Pipeline (inbound)
* Halfpipe (inbound)
* Mayqueen (optional)
* The boulevard - (Where they would run me in the last half mile to the finish.)
As I was packing one crucial detail dawned on me - I was suppose to have delivered my drop bag that afternoon! There was no race morning collection of drop bags! Oops!!
As it turns out it was not big deal, the majority my supplies were with the crew and I would see them often enough it shouldn't be a problem. The only thing I was mildly concerned about was the weather over Hope Pass. I'd heard it can turn on a dime and can get super cold - like in the 20s. I'd hoped to store a pair of running tights at Winfield just in case. Now I would have to make a game time decision at Twin Lakes as to whether or not to change into tights.
Finally finished packing, and loaded the Crew vehicle. The only thing left to do now was sleep!
RACE DAY
"After ten minutes of rolling around I remembered why I was here. I'd worked so hard just to get to the start line and now that I was here and healthy nothing would deter me!"
Its two am and I am awakened by squeeky floorboards and running water. Twenty minutes later there is a knock on my door and my pops enters and whispers hey your ready for today? As politely as I can muster at 2:20 in the morning I reply yep but I still have twenty more minutes of sleep.
My pops was so excited about this race you'd think he was running it! Why did I not just jump out of bed? Why was I gripping my pillow and forcing my eyes shut for that additonal precious 20 minutes of sleep? Maybe its because I knew what was coming. 24 hours of achy legs, cramping, GI issues, wrecked feet, blisters, blackened toe nails, chafing, bloody nipples, nausea, extreme fatigue, hypoterhmia, faceplants, etc.
After ten minutes of rolling around I remembered why I was here. I'd worked so hard just to get to the start line and now that I was here and healthy nothing would deter me! Outside of injury, nothing was going to stop me from finishing this thing and anxiety quickly turned into excitement. The fire was lit and I was ready to rock this race! Moments later the house came alive as my zombie crew awoke from their slumber and got ready to escort me to the start line.
START TO MAYQUEEN: MILE 13.5
TIME IN: 2:24:26
SPLIT TIME: 2:24:26
SPLIT RANK: 443
OVERALL RANK: 443
The race start resembeled that of a road marathon. Hundreds of runners in the start line coral with heads bopping up and down as far as the eye could see and bleachers to the left and right so our family and friends could watch us off. A wide dark road greeted us ahead. So much for Colorado weather - It wasn't very cold at all and I soon stripped off my jacket at the start and gave it to Maggie. Maggie was with me in the coral documenting the experience. At precisely 4am the shotgun went off and we were moving. There were so many people and it was incredible. You could feel the excitement in the air. I studied the course a little bit and knew we had a few miles of road before hitting singletrack around Turquoise lake so I just cruised and tried to conserve energy while positioning myself towards the front half of the pack. Then my right shoe came untied. Pulled over to the side and adjusted my shoelace making sure to double-knot tight. Merged back into the crowd and ten minutes later the left shoe came untied!
This was not the way I envisioned starting the race. So for the second time I successfully merged back with the crowd. I was deep in the middle of the pack now with not much room to navigate and just concentrated on not getting tripped up.
Next thing I know we hit the singletrack. That first 5 miles went by quick. The singletrack was brutal - brutally frustrating being behind over 400 runners. It was flat and fast but I was deep in the pack, with about hundreds of runners in front of me. The pace slowed considerably to 14-15 minute miles much to my dismay. Well I thought, at least its forcing me to conserve energy. I read many race reports about making the mistake of goign out to fast and paying for it in the end. So as we made our way around the lake I tried to strike up converstations with a few folks to make the time go faster. Met a gal named Andrea wearing white compressions socks with STRAVA in big orange bold letters downt he calves. She had won her Leadville ticket through an online contest and sponsored by Strava. I was so envious at all the free gear Strava hooked her up with! What a cool company. unfortunately the conversation was short-lived as she pulled over to fuel up and I never saw her again until the return trip back over Hope Pass.
As much as I would have liked to be moving faster I knew my position and knew it was a waste to try to pass people on this section. It would be a waste of energy and worse could end up with me tripping on a root and ending my race right there. That being said, it annoyed the hell out of me whenever another runner would do just that, narrowly passing by. Silently I'm thinking "dude, you know you have like 400 runners in front of you and you're shaving off just a few minutes." I wish I could have written down the bib number of every runner that passed so I could check there final position in the race results. The song "Everybody have fun tonight" kept reverberating through my head. The lyrics were appropriate though and reminded me to chill out and try to have fun out here.
About a half mile before the road to the Mayqueen aid station I hear someone on my heels and I turn around for a quick glance to see if they were going to pass or not and it happened to be my buddy Shane! Shane and I met doing Rim2Rim2Rim earlier that year in April. I was super stoked to meet him as he was the only guy I knew who was also going to Leadville. He's an awesome guy and shares the same ambitions for running as I do. We chatted for a bit and exchanged strategies for obtaining the sub-25 buckel - another shared running ambition. He was just coming off the TRT 100 a month earlier so I knew he was in great shape to do it. As we rolled into the MayQueen aid station we lost each other in the crowd and I continued on towards Sugarloaf Pass.
MAYQUEEN TO OUTWARD BOUND: MILE 24
TIME IN: 4:25:55
SPLIT TIME: 2:01:29
SPLIT RANK: 193
OVERALL RANK:318
There is a 3 mile singletrack section between the road at Mayqueen aid station and the fireroad that goes up to SugarLoaf pass. I would come to HATE this 3 mile section on the return. But for now I was enjoying it. Somehow ended up behind a familiar tutu- a guy in a pink tutu whom I'd seen at many races in the past. Never really had the chance to talk to him so it was great chatting. Found out he actually has a name, Keith Straw, but I think I'll still refer to him as the guy in the pink tutu. He was hilarious and was having a lot of fun out there.
Once we hit the fire road a spectactular view of turquoise lake opened up just as the sun was rising. It was great. The next few miles would be a gradual climb up to 11,100 feet and then a steep descent down "powerline" where my crew was awaiting me. I was feeling good and so opted to run most of the fire road which went against my basic race strategy (walk the ups, run the flats and downs). But the climb was so gradual I didn't feel it much and I wanted to be in a better position before the next section of singletrack.
Coming down was fun but treacherous as much of the fire road was rutted out. Got behind one runner and I was right on her heels so I took a less optimal line in an attempt to pass and nearly went down! Luckily I recovered and just skid on my heels, kicking up a little dust. "Wow!", I thought, "that could have been bad, better reel it in a little." So I took the rest of the downhill a little more conservatively.
As I ran across a little bridge at the bottom of PowerLine I heard Maggie shouting my name. She was out there with her phone snapping pics as she directed me to the rest of my crew. First crew stop - mile 22! Wow I'm almost a quarter of a way done with this race. So far so good! First crew stop went flawlessly. Stripped off my layers and they had my hat and sunglasses ready to go just as I had asked. Somehow they got sunscreen on me as I swapped my red bottles for the green ones. "Green" for "Power" is what I told my crew. Then I was out! A few miles later I hit the official Outward Bound/Fish Hatchery Aid station. This area is where the majority of crews went to meet there runners and it was a bit crowded with the cars lining up the road. I stayed to the right of the road and got in a line of runners. My crew was smart for meeting me at the bottom of powerline and avoiding this mess!
OUTWARD BOUND TO HALF PIPE: MILE 31
TIME IN: 5:37:15
SPLIT TIME: 1:11:20
SPLIT RANK:119
OVERALL RANK: 233
For some reason my legs were not feeling that great. From the start of the race they never really felt 100% and lacked the "pep" in them I expected to have after such a good taper. Maybe I tapered too much. They felt achy, not cramping or anything but just achy. I had ignored it up to that point but once we hit the road I really felt it. My road pace was pathetic - 10-11 minute miles. What the heck is going on I thought? This is going to be a long day. Looking back on the race I had three bonks and this was the first one. A mini-bonk. We hit a little bit of fire road and I resorted to walking. Chatted with another runner - Jason Dumars - who happened to be from Sacramento also (Imagine that!). Then he commented: "well, this is pretty flat we should probably run." I responded "yeah, go ahead man, I'm going to just stretch my legs here for a little bit more." I limped along a few more minutes and then spotted Maggie in the distance. How the heck did she get here so fast, it seems like I just saw her a few minutes ago back at Powerline! Well, I thought, I better start running - got to at least look good for the crew! So I summoned what strength I could and got the wheels turning again. Maggie caught up, snapped some pics, and ran me into the pipeline area where my crew was setup at. Again, I got doused with sunscreen like I was going through a car wash. Courtney, my crew captain, had a Pb&J "uncrustable" for me, but I just didn't feel like it at the moment. My crew was like a well-oiled machine and had me out of there in like two minutes.
HALF PIPE TO TWINLAKES - MILE 39.5
TIME IN: 7:20:28
SPLIT TIME: 1:43:13
SPLIT RANK:87
OVERALL RANK: 172
Next I was off towards my second climb of the day up towards the Mt. Elbert TH. Seeing the crew must have reenergized me because now I was running full stride and the legs felt much better. At this point the headphones went on for the first time. Went right past the Halfpipe/Halfmoon aid station, just grabbing a few gels. The GU Roctanes the aid stations had stocked were working really well for me. Passed quite a few runners on the fireroad section and caught up to Jason! I touched his shoulder and yelled "Tag, your it!" He laughed and we ran together again for a bit. Then we separated and I didn't see him again until Hope Pass.
Heading up this next section of trail between Halfpipe and Twin Lakes was great, beautiful, runnable trail. For the first time of the day I finally got into a good groove during this segment. Powerhiked some of the ups but ran pretty much everything else and passed several more runners. Then I caught up with this one guy, I'll call him IronMan guy because of the decals on his hat/shirt, (incidentally, found his race report here: http://sritchie.github.io/2013/08/20/leadville-trail-100/) and we chatted a bit. I sensed I could have gone faster but didn't want the pressure of him on my heels so I held my position. Once we crested the hill and started going down it was a tiny bit frusterating because we ended up behind another train of runners. It was nowhere near as slow as around Turquoise Lake but I felt like I was unnecessarily putting the brakes on instead of coasting down. Ah, the joys of singletrack. As soon as it widened out I let loose and and let gravity do it's thing. I inadvertantly let out "finally" which I immediately regretted when I realized it was vocalized instead of muttered. The front runner apologized and said something about how she was trying to maintain her balance. I felt a little bad but was happy to be in front of the train and maintained a good pace all the way into Twin Lakes. I knew my crew was going to be there waiting for me and wanted to look strong.
When I rolled into Twin Lakes Maggie was right there again as usual to bring me in and snap pics. No weigh-in at Twin Lakes to my surprise. The plan was to drop my bottles here and switch to my Ultimate Direction vest so I could power hike with my hands on my knees and also carry rain gear over Hope Pass. However it was so warm out and there wasn't hardly a cloud in the sky I opted to leave the vest there. Knew this was a little bit of a risk and I sensed Kevin's hesitation about my decision. Just as a precaution, I did bring my rain jacket and just tied it around my waist. Some guys were going out shirtless with just 1 or 2 bottles. At least I had the jacket if some weather moved in. Made a pitstop and I was off! (good call, left feeling much "lighter")
TWINLAKES TO HOPE PASS - MILE 45
TIME IN: 9:22:54
SPLIT TIME: 2:02:26
SPLIT RANK:79
OVERALL RANK:170
Coming out of Twin Lakes there is a water crossing complete with safety rope and everything. The water wasn't that high at all - came up only to my knees. Nothing like the Rucky Chucky crossing at Western States. But it did leave your feet wet on the way up to Hope Pass. As I exited the meadow I came across IronMan guy puking in the bushes. A few moments later he came by me and was looking "refreshed". I was excited to tackle the infamous Hope Pass. During my training I had hit the eastern sierras on several weekends climbing easy 14ers, and several mountain passes. As I headed up gradual ascent I had a good pace going. I knew I was behind my pace plan, losing time the first 13 miles, and again on the road section to outward bound. This is where I could make up time. I thought if I could just average 20 minute miles to hope pass and then enjoy the descent into Winfield and I would be in good shape. So I charged ahead.
The ascent up the front side of hope pass is pretty gradual. Again, I had the opportunity to pass quite a few runners here. Passed a "Jesus" runner (AKA Zac Marion, whom I would see again) Ironman guy was really pushing hard which surprised me. Thought he would have struggled here but he must have got a second wind and I wasn't gaining on him much. But I knew as we got higher people would slow down. As we approached 11,000 feet I finally caught up with him, chatted again, and politely asked if I could "scoot by". Then I reached a young woman, a petite latina, who was doing really well. When I caught up to here I didn't even have to ask and she she just stepped aside for me. Continued charging ahead and reached the tree line. I always love getting above tree line as thats when the scenery really changes and opens up. Chills ran through my body as I got a view of the mountain pass in front of me. It was gorgeous and reminded me of being back on the John Muir Trail. Shortly thereafter I reached the Hopeless aid station at 11,800 feet. The supplies for this aid station are hauled in on the back of llamas beginning several days before the race.
I was impressed by the llamas and went over to get a picture. As I was taking a picture one of the llama farmers offered to get a pic of me together and I thought that was great. So I chased "Ziggy" down and put my arm around him and gave him a big ol' hug and thanked him for helping to supply the aid station. Then I filled one of my bottles and headed up the remaining 800 feet up to the top of the pass. I started to feel it the last few hundred feet to the top as we got above 12,000. But seeing the leaders come down was a good distraction. These guys were flying. By my calculations they were 8 to 10 miles ahead of me in the race. That was just phenomenal. As each runner came toward me I stepped aside to let them pass. I thought I would see Scott Jurek leading the pack but it was not be.
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| "Ziggy" and I at Hopeless AS (outbound) |
HOPE PASS TO WINFIELD - MILE 50
TIME IN: 10:44:28
SPLIT TIME: 1:21:34
SPLIT RANK:201
OVERALL RANK:142
Ah the descent. The ugly steep rocky techinal descent. I had envisioned some fun flowy singletrack to run down and was dismayed to be presented with an ankle turning rocky descent before me. I just couldn't get a groove going. If this were a 20 mile training run, sure I probably could have hammered a bit here. But I didn't want to risk face-planting or turning an ankle so took it easy here. So I proceeded cautiously, so cautiously I started to get passed by other runners coming down - including that petite latina (AKA, Keila Merino). I glanced behind me and could see her gaining on me so I politely stepped aside just as she had done for me on the up. I caught up with two runners, a guy and gal who were also taking it slow and stayed with them the majority of the way down.
Just as the trail bottomed out about 2.5-3 miles down from Hope Pass it started going up again! For some reason this sucked the life right out of me. I felt fatigued and started hiking again. I started to warm up a bit and sucked my bottles pretty much dry. Yep this was officially bonk #2. As I inched closer to Winfield I saw more and more runners on the return, including Keila. I couldn't believe she was already on the return and it was a wake up call for how slow I was moving. When I finally rolled into Winfield it was everything I'd expected it to be. The trail dropped onto a dirt road you had to run for about a half mile to the actual aid station. Te trail was dusty as heck from the cars - and there were a lot of cars. Really super glad I didn't make my crew come out to this place. At the aid station they took my weight for the first time - 157! Only two pounds down. Not bad. Official time in was about 10:45. I recall IM guy saying if you reached Winfield under 11 hours you had a super good chance of breaking 25. So there was at least THAT. But I was in crappy shape. I meandered at the aid station a while drinking lots of coke, eating lots of oranges, and tried to down a PB&J. I sat down for a few minutes and observed others coming into the aid station. Some runners looked better, some runners looked much worse. On my way out I hit the porta potty for the 2nd pit stop of the day. Then proceeded to put one foot in front of the other. As bad as I felt dropping never crossed my mind but I did begin to question if I would be able to finish under 25 hours for that sought-after gold buckle.
WINDFIELD TO HOPE PASS - MILE 55
TIME IN: 12:39:24
SPLIT TIME: 1:54:56
SPLIT RANK:60
OVERALL RANK:110
"A little coke, a little downhill and some good tunes is a sure recipe for success. "
I forced a slow trot out of the aid station and back on the dirt road. Once I hit the single track I fell into a nice groove again. Turns out coke is like my magic juice! A little coke, a little downhill and some good tunes is a sure recipe for success. Started feeling good again and I took advantage of it. Picked up the pace and started passing runners again and it felt great. Now that I was on the back half I didn't feel the need to "hold back" and conserve. My strategy going forward was "I feel good, go with it". I'd already bonked twice. Just wanted to get up and over Hope Pass the second time and pick up my pacers. I knew once I was with Kevin and Maggie I would be in better shape.
As I hit the climb back up Hope Pass it was a lot steeper than the front side which meant slower going. I averaged 20-22 minutes/mile on the front side. Going up the back side it was more like 25-27 minutes/mile. I caught up with dozens of runners so my pace while slow was still evidently faster than others. The climbing wasn't easy but it wasn't killing me. Saw a LOT of runners coming the other way. Now, when I was making my way outbound I yielded for just about every runner - I figured that was the etiquitte, yield for the inbound runner since they were moving at faster pace. But I found now that I was going inbound, the outbound runners didn't always yield for me. Some runners would step aside, some would just squeeze by. Honestly it didn't matter who yielded to who as long as everyone was courteous about it. Although, I will say this - some runners coming downhill seemed a little out of control and as I stepped aside I also braced myself in case they accidentally ran into me! It was awesome seeing familiar faces - Jason, Shane. Again, as I got closer to the top of Hope Pass the last few hundred feet above 12k hurt a bit more. I recalled that the cutoff for Hopeless was 4:15pm and it was getting to about 4:30pm now and was looking forward to the end of the two way traffic.
HOPE PASS TO TWIN LAKES - MILE 60.5
TIME IN: 14:03:02
SPLIT TIME: 1:23:38
SPLIT RANK:67
OVERALL RANK:98
Once I crested the pass I dropped quickly down to the Hopeless Aid Station again where I refilled my bottles. Then it was all downhill to Twin Lakes. This time it was awesome flowy singletrack. Nothing crazy like the crazy ankle twisting technical downhill going down the other side of hope pass. I turned the music up and kicked it into high gear and started having fun! Felt like I was flying. Feeling pretty good considering I had 55 miles on my legs. The only discouraging thing was that I wasn't catching many runners. Thought I would really start to reel people in now. I guess I'm not the only one who was hammering this part of the trail. Keila was still in the back of my mind and I'd really hoped I'd catch her.
As I was flying downhill I caught my left big toe on a rock and it hurt like hell! Luckily I didn't fall but damn did I feel that! I knew right there that toe nail was gonna be history (and it was: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5R1I5GD5aA). Hate how those little things cause so much pain. I cursed like a sailor when I hit it and just my luck there was a solo runner not far in front of me who got to hear my entire tirade. As I went passed her I asked if she got wind of any of it. She laughed and said she heard a bit of it but completely understood my frusteration and said no need to apologize. Slightly embarrased but comforted that she empathized I continued on my way trying to protect the other nine little piggies from the same fate.
When I hit the meadow going into Twin Lakes I walked a little bit, switching to a walk/run combination. Not really sure why - I felt good - maybe I just got lazy. During my "lazy" break a runner came by me with an external speaker playing country music. I thought that was cool but asked if she has anything else but country - perhaps some Macklemore? Nope just country she responded! Hit the water crossing the second time and then I picked up the pace into Twin Lakes. Again, wanted to look strong for my crew :)
TWIN LAKES TO HALF PIPE - MILE 69.5
TIME IN: 15:54:33
SPLIT TIME: 1:51:31
SPLIT RANK: 20
OVERALL RANK: 82
[Kevin Pacing]
"Here I was 60+ miles in and I was feeling the best I'd felt ALL DAY."
Maggie met me at the meadow and asked what I needed. I recited to her everything - Change of socks, Tylenol, and a Coke. She smiled and said yup we got all that for you already. Sure enough when I reached my crew they had everything right there. I took a seat and proceeded to untie my shoes. Somebody came over with some water and a towel and I was able to clean some of the dirt off my feet before changing into a fresh pair of dry socks. I was just amazed I still possessed the dexterity to tie my shoes. I downed the coke and Tylenol. Captain Courtney had another "uncrustable" out for me of which I managed to get two bites in this time. Felt guilty for all the other uncrustables that went to waste up to this point. My buddy Kevin was antsy and ready to run. He was all geared up with his pack and an external speaker. As we made our way out of the aid station I made the comment "just feel like walkin' for right now". Again, not sure why - maybe it's because I knew we had a climb ahead of us. I let Kevin know right away about "Country Music girl" and he queued up some rock 'n roll for me. Then as we caught up and passed her "Sweet Child O' Mine" played. Perfect timing!
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| Feeling good coming out of Twin Lakes! |
Kev commented that it was just like old times, "two boys running in the woods". And that's exactly what it felt like. For a moment I forgot that I was in the middle of a hundred miler or how many miles we still had to go. Nothing hurt and we just went with the flow. As a result I did start to pick up the pace a little bit and Kev reeled me in, keeping me at about 9-10 min/miles. Smart thinking. He'd run Western States before and knew what was coming for me later in the race. Kev has been a friend of mine for about three years. I watched him progress from a somewhat recreational runner who ran 20 miles a week to finishing WS in sub 24. I admired his dedication and his training regimen leading up to States.
 |
| Just two boys in the woods! |
As we hit the fire road out of Half Pipe we chatted with a runner and his pacer whom we had been leap frogging the past few miles. Turns out the pacer was actually the Leadville Winner from 2 years ago! (see here: http://www.runnersworld.com/trail-runner-profiles/timmy-parr-atop-ultra-world-2009?page=single)
The fire road flattened out and we came into pipe line where our crew was waiting for us. We were feeling so good I told Kev I didn't want to stop too long so that we didn't lose any momentum. Captain Courtney was shocked to see us so soon! We were 45 minutes ahead of pace - that's how good we were moving! My split for this segment was the 20th fastest of all the runners on the course at this point. She had the grill out and had just started making quesadillas. I asked for one and a coke and she happily obliged. Lets eat and run I told Kev. So as we took off I had a quesadilla in one hand and the coke in the other. I chugged the coke and chowed down. Thought the quesadilla tasted a little spicy for cheddar cheese but didn't think much of it. As I found out later captain Courtney had actually intended that qusadailla to be for her and hadn't made mine yet, so it was vegan cheese not cheddar! Haha well I can't complain it tasted awesome!
HALF PIPE TO OUTWARD BOUND: MILE 76.5
Note: Met Crew at Pipe Line, a few miles passed the Half Pipe A/S
TIME IN: 17:06:57
SPLIT TIME: 1:12:24
SPLIT RANK:26
OVERALL RANK:73
[Kevin Pacing]
The next section was all road. Runners were really spread out now - a stark diference from what it was like on this section earlier in the day on the outbound. On the outbound this was when I hit a mini bonk and walked a bit. Although my legs were tired now I kep moving. Kev led and I focused on his skinny calves. Not much talking at this point as we chugged along towards Outward bound. Incidentally, I hate the names of these aid stations they confuse the hell out of me. When I think outward bound I combine them as "outbound". So when looking at the course I didn't understand why we had to go to "outbound" twice on the out and back. Then there is half pipe, pipeline and powerline. These all sound the same to me and I mixed them up frequently when communicating with my crew. I don't think they noticed though.
So when we rolled into "Outward Bound", aka the Fish Hatchery, the smell of charbroiled burgers filled the air. Though I was tempted by the thought of real food I knew that was the last thing I needed. It may taste good going down but I'd pay for it later. So I stuck to the plan - chowed down some fruit watermelon and oranges, and Kev stocked up on Rocktanes for me. Then we were out! Kudos to Kev for getting me out of there - so many runners were just loitering around burning time. Its easy to do! Then when you do leave you're completely out of sync and have to talk your brain into getting your legs moving again. The last stretch was a little bit of uphill to the bottom of Powerline where our crew was waiting for us and Maggie was queued up to take the reins from Kev.
OUTWARD BOUND TO MAYQUEEN MILE 86.5
Note: Met crew and picked up Maggie at PowerLine about a mile passed the Outward Bound A/S
TIME IN: 20:00:44
SPLIT TIME: 2:53:47
SPLIT RANK: 63
OVERALL RANK:60
[Maggie Pacing]
At the bottom of powerline I sat in the chair and took my shoes and socks off to tape my feet. I felt a hotspot coming on. Even though I only only 22-23 miles to go I opted to take care of it now to prevent a painful next couple of hours. I was going to be in enough discomfort I didn't need one more thing nagging at me. Got my laces tied grabbed another coke and Maggie and I were out!
This section starts with a big climb up fire road. It climbs from 9600 feet to 11,110 feet to Sugarloaf pass. I was stoked to get this over with because I knew it was the last of the 6 climbs. Maggie was full of energy and pulled me up the hill. I power hiked the first 1,000 feet great. But the last 5-600 feet seemed to talke FOREVER. I just wanted to get the climb over with but there were a few rollers we had to get through before the hill would let us have her. As we climbed the last 100 feet I started to struggle a little bit.
The first bit of downhill was a bit steep and not the most comfortable to run. Then when the gradient lessened I still couldn't get into a good rythym. My legs were tired... understandable at 80+ miles! But still, this was about as easy as it gets and I wish I could have been running faster. I could tell I was moving glacially slow because Maggie was practically running circles around me! I picked up the pace, and then would have a walk break. I'd yell "ok, walk" to Maggie so she knew - otherwise she'd probably end up at Mayqueen wondering what happened to her runner. The trail wasn't the only thing going downhill - so was I - literally. Fatigue really started set in at this point. I knew as the fire road bottomed out we were really close to Mayqueen and I just wanted to get in there and get some fuel. We hit a mile of completely flat fire road that I was run/hiking. This was the best thing for me. I thought, you're doing great, just put one foot in front of the other until we get to Mayqueen. Then to my dismay the course veered off the fireroad to some technical singletrack. Maggie reminded me that I had noted in my fancy pacing chart "2-3 miles of technical singletrack". This was a blow to me mentally as I just didn't have the energy or focus to be jumping over rocks and tree roots. So MORE run/hiking through this section. Then we heard the aid station noise in the distance - but there was still 1.5 miles to go. I was miserable... and was hitting my 3rd bonk of the day. I was just so fatigued. We came to a bridge, and then another one, and then yet another one. I only remembered one bridge on the outbound. Finally on the 3rd bridge I actually sat down and put my head in my hands for a few moments. Then I got up and kept moving.
Finally we escaped the trail and hit the pavement rolling into Mayqueen. To my surprise Dad, Captain Courtney and Kev were there to cheer me on. It was good to see them and I tried to put on my poker face and look like I was going strong. Kev pulled me aside and told me I was on track to hit sub 23 if I just maintained a 13 minute pace. He was so excited for me but mentally that seemed like so hard to do. As I tried to process the math in my fatigued state I started to wonder if I would even break 25 hours. I thought this is it, I've hit bottom, it'll be a death march to the finish. Kev asked if I wanted my jacket, and I said sure I better grab it just in case. Thank God I did!
At the aid station I sat down and had some soup. I could barely muster eating the noodles and so just drank the broth, and sipped a coke. Then things went from bad to worse. I got super cold and nausea started to set in. I hadn't been nautious all day despite the altitude and my diet of mostly roctane GUs. I could tell Maggie was genuinely worried about me and felt kind of helpless. I empathized with here. I mean, as a pacer, what can you do when your runner hits bottom? The truth is there is nothing you can do. Your runner has to pull themselves out of it themselves. I told her I knew my rule was no longer than 5 minutes but I was going to take 10 at this juncture to try to get my wits together. When 12:10 hit I got moving again despite my depleted state.
MAYQUEEN TO FINISH: MILE 100
TIME IN: 22:57:12
SPLIT TIME: 2:56:28
SPLIT RANK:34
OVERALL RANK:51
[Maggie Pacing]
"...it doesn't get much better than bad karaoke on mile 90 of a Colorado 100 mile trail at 1am in the morning."
I was visibily cold. My teeth were chattering. I threw my jacket on, and Maggie draped her jacket over me as well. As some runners went past us they made some superman or cape joke. Whatever. Maggie in her nicest way, suggested I get moving and try to run as it was the only way to get me to warm up. She was right and I knew it so I tried to run. It was pathetic. My little shuffle. God it was so pathetic. Maggie was walking right next to me at the same pace I was shuffling. I muttered something to the effect of "Lets just finish this thing". I couldn't help but silently chuckle at my depleted state. When Maggie and I were talking about her pacing me she kept expressing worry that I would drop her. I remember telling her that was ridiculous to even think that at that time. It was ten times as ridiculous now as I continued my humiliating grandpa shuffle. I was still cold but did start to warm up a bit. Then the course veered off the road and on to the 7-mile single track section that wraps around Turquoise lake. Once we hit the dirt I warmed up pretty quick and handed the jackets back to Maggie.
Then something magical and unexpected happened. I started to feel better. I got into a ryhthm of running/hiking. Only I was actually running respectably during the "run" part unlike before. Something about soft runnable singletrack appealed to my senses and I actually started to enjoy it. I turned on my tunes to Tina Turner "What's Love got to do with it". This was followed by "We built this city" and "Jenny 857-5309.". I just let the music take over and started singing the lyrics aloud much to Maggie's amusement. I'm a terrible, terrible singer. But it doesn't get much better than bad karaoke on mile 90 of a Colorado 100 mile trail at 1am in the morning. Headlamps appeared in the distance. I shouted to Maggie - "Runner's up! Let's get 'em!". Then like a crazy madman I sprinted towards the runner. As I came closer I didn't want to look like a jackass so I shouted "My runner is coming through would you mind letting us by?". Somehow I thought that seemed less rude. They obliged and me and Maggie flew by. As soon as the runners were no longer visible behind me I switched back to walking. I was breathing hard but exhilerated not exhausted. At this point I was feeling great. I continued this trend for the next 7 miles around the lake. We passed a bunch of runners and it felt great each time. Who does fartleks after 90 miles on their legs?? That's exactly what it was like. As soon as I saw a headlamp in the distance I would yell "Runner's up let's go get 'em!" and break into a tempo until I passed. Then hike a bit. Then repeat. The combination of running/hiking culiminated in 11-12 minute miles average pace. Not exactly fast on paper but they felt great.
Then we broke out of the single track and hit the 5 mile fire road section back to Leadville. At Mayqueen when Kev whispered "sub 23" I thought that was pretty far-fetched. I glanced at my watch and thought holy crap, I might have a chance. According to my Garmin we had about 55 minutes to go 5 miles. I just needed to run 10-11 minute miles. That would mean I would need to run consistently and quit the walk breaks. I told Maggie my plan and she thought I could totally do it. So I put my head down turned the tunes up again and concentrated on putting one foot in front of another. No matter what I was feeling I was going to break that 23. I'd come 22 hours, what's one more hour of a little discomfort. The first two miles were flat and we succeeded in running a 9:59 and 11:05. 2 down 3 to go! Then we hit a hill. Damn! It had completely escaped me that the the course ended with a gradual 500 foot climb back to the town of Leadville. It was going to be pushing it to manage 11 minute miles up this hill. I had to resort to run/hiking again.
Finally, after a 14 minute mile I told Maggie my chances of breaking 23 were over. Quite the optimist she said just keep going you never know what can happen! But I knew the math. According to my Garmin I'd have to run 8 minute miles uphill the last 2 to break 23. Not gonna happen. So why push it, what's the point? There's a big difference between 22:59 and 23:00, but no significance between 23:01 and 23:09. Funny how your mind works. I figured if we manged 15 minute miles the last 2 I'd come in somwhere between 23:10 and 23:15. The next mile was 15:01. We approached the high school where the expo had been the previous day. Then like something from a movie this shirtless Jesus lookin dude (Zac Marion, whom I'd passed earlier going up Hope Pass) comes running past me grunting and running as hard as he possibly could. I cheered him on and was thoroughly impressed by his will to finish strong. He must be going for sub 23 I thought and maybe he has a chance. I asked Maggie should I chase him down? She said go for it! So I broke into a run and tried to run him down and lasted about 250 feet and then relented, I don't have it in me!, I said. A bunch of lights appeared down at the far end of this stretch of road we were on - must be traffic from crews I thought. Then Kevin and captain Courtney came out of nowhere and started running with me. Kev shouts the finish is right there, you got sub 23 dude! I said what? That's the finish line in front of me? YES! Kevin shouted! Lets go! So Kev and I broke out into a sprint leaving Courtney and Maggie behind cheering us on. As we got closer I could makeout "LEADVILLE 100" over the top of the finish Chute. This was it! I could read the clock - it read 22:55:xx. I couldn't believe it! I could break 23! I ran with everything I had left and Kev and I crossed the finish line together in 22:56:57!! I had done it, I had broke 23! Maggie was right, anything could happen! My math had thankfully been wrong! What a wonderful way to finish sprinting through the chute with my head high and those I love by my side! After going through the chute I was weighed and found out I was only down one pound - a good indicator I'd managed my nutrition and hydration well. I was handed a finished medal and we proceeded to the finisher's tent and had some hot cocoa and chatted with other finishers. Formally met Zac and congratulated him on his finish. Come to find out I was his "carrot" and he'd been chasing me down since Hope Pass. Good for him :) I didnt see my "carrot", Keila, at the finish but found out later she'd finished just a few minutes ahead of me. Afterwards it was back to the house where we continued to reflect on the day's events.
CONCLUSION
I wasn't sure what emotions I would feel at the end of a 100. I thought maybe I would let out a raucous roar., cry tears of joy, then collapse from pure exhaustion. Well, it wasn't quite that dramatic. Instead I experienced what I can only describe as an incredible high. It was the culmination of a journey that started over fifteen months ago. The way the day progresses surpassed my every expectation. In my planning I had set "good/better/best" goals of "27 hours/25 hours/24hours" finishing times. While I never questioned whether I would finish, there were certainly points during the race I had serious doubts of even reaching the "good" goal (see bonk #1, #2, and #3). It was just a glorious, genuine, happy moment. I hugged my crew. I hugged my dad. I was so thankful to have their support and that they were there to share this experience with me. The look in my dad's eyes after I crossed the finish line was priceless and I was so happy he could be there.
DATA
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| A view of how I ranked throughout the duration of the race. My slowest split relative to other runners was at Winfield, primarily because I bonked hard the last 3 miles into that aid station. However, my overall rank surprising continued to improve. My fastest splits were outbound from Twin Lakes to Outward Bound while Kev and I were running. |
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| An analysis of the number of drops by aid station. The highest number of drops came at the half way point at Winfield. By the end of the race only about 50% of the total starters finished within the cutoff. |
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| The elevation profile which shows the 6 major climbs of Leadville. Once you crest Sugarloaf pass on the outbound its almost all downhill/flat back to the finish. With the exception of a little "bump" at the last 3 miles. Of course this "bump" feels much more painful 97 miles into the race. |
CREDITS
Of course I owe my success to some very special friends that contributed their time, support, and expertise along the way. Special thanks to the following people:
Bill Clements Jr - My "Pops"
Kevin O'Toole - Crew/Pacer
Courtney Edwards - Crew
Maggie Akyuz - Crew/Pacer
Mitch Kochishan - Friend/Training Partner
Ray Rios - Friend/Training Partner
Tony Giglini - Friend/Training Partner
Annie Rutledge - Friend/Training Partner
Folsom Trail Runners
Truckee Running Club
THE LEADVILLE CONTROVERSY
After the race and extending into the weeks and months ahead many runners complained about the organization of the race. While I can understand some of the issues runners encountered my overall opinion is that is that the ultra running community is making an example out of Leadville. There seems to be a mentality of how ultra running should be and as races get larger how they should be run. Of course I am a bit biased as Leadville was my first hundred and I happened to have a great experience. Even still, my opinion holds that the issues are overblown and that Leadville is getting an unfair rap. Every once in awhile I see a thread pop up where someone is ranting about how terrible LifeTime Fitness is and Leadville has "lost its soul" or something to that effect. I responded to one such thread on the "Trail and UltraRunning" Facebook group recently:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/TrailAndUltraRunning/permalink/447574832025694/
