San Juan Solstice

The San Juan Solstice 50 was meant to be my last race of the year.  I say "meant" because I felt I needed a break but this race totally reenergized me.  The course is a loop course around Lake San Cristobal that starts and ends in Lake City with 3 distinct climbs.  2 of the climbs are sustained climbs of over 4,300 feet of gain.  After the second climb the course tracks above 11,500 feet for 11 miles before dipping down for the final climb.  After the final climb the course dumps back into town.

The race is very well run.  From the pre-race dinner, to the course markings and aid stations, to the post race breakfast and award ceremony it is one of the best run races I've run in.  I hope to be back.

I managed through the first climb without any issue.  I had a little trouble pushing pace down from that climb but felt pretty good.  The second climb was pretty brutal.  I kept good pace but it took a lot out of me.  This climb tops out above 13,300 feet and it was a long time coming.  Once on top I had looked forward to making some good time for the 11 high altitude miles.  The affects of 2 major climbs and altitude slowed me down considerably.  I didn't have a chance to get much high altitude training prior to the race and I think it hurt me in this section.

By mile 30 I was feeling spent.  I stopped at the aid station fueled up.  They had some instant potatoes that I took down.  It reenergized much like they did at Leadville.  It is my power food.  I need to put this stuff in a flask!  I rolled the next 10 miles at a really good clip.  I felt great as I descended down to the final climb.

As I dropped down from 13,300 feet to 9,550 the temperature increased significantly.  I would guess it increased by over 25 degrees.  My stomach turned a bit and I lost all energy.  The final climb up Vickers Ranch was disastrous.  It took me 1 hour and 22 minutes to climb the final climb of over 1,700 feet over 3 miles.  At that point I reconnected with David for a few tough miles.  It was nice to have company.  I took it easy dropping into town and finished in 13:39:44.  The last 10 miles took me 3 hours.  I'd like to have those back but overall I was very happy with completing a very difficult race.  About 200 runners started the race.  169 runners finished.  My time was good enough for 107th.

Dakota Jones crushed the course record set by Matt Carpenter by over 24 minutes with a time of 7:35:09.  He ran an unbelievable race.

Here is a short clip of photos from the race.

Homestretch

I am coming into the homestretch for the year.  San Juan Solstice is right around the corner and then I’m taking some time off.  My body is screaming for a break.  I feel strong but joints, aches and pains have been accumulating and I’m afraid the results could be really bad if I don’t lay off.  This comes with mixed feelings.  I think it is going to be really hard to sit.  In my mind I've gone from giving myself at least one solid month of no running to more recently just one week.  Summer is a great time to get out and run the high country and that is my favorite place to run.  Deep down I know that I need to shut it down and let my body heal.  I know that I have years of running ahead so a month isn't anything in the grand scheme of things but I have a feeling it is going to seem like an eternity.  At least I’ll know when I come back it will be because I want to and hopefully I’ll be re-energized.

I ran the Dirty 30 last weekend and finished about 9 minutes later than last year.  That’s not a bad result but the way I felt during the race was far different than last year.  Last year I felt stronger as the race went on and felt fresh afterwards.  This year I got weaker as the race went on and didn’t feel great afterwards.  There is a picture of me during the race and my form is garbage.  My left knee has been giving me the most recent problems.  In the picture you  can see it totally caving in.  On Sunday I ran 20 miles in the hills and felt good until the last 4 downhill miles.  I had not flexibility and there was some concerning pain.  I’m sure it is a result of compensating for my ankles and probably some poor core strength training.  Bottom line is, my body needs a break.

Before the break I will take on the San Juan Solstice 50 miler out of Lake City, Colorado.  I can’t wait for this race.  The San Juan Mountains have a pull on me like no other mountain range.  It is truly one of the most beautiful places on earth.  The race climbs over 12,000 feet and ranges from 8,500 to over 13,000 feet in elevation.  It is a beast.  My only goal is to finish and have fun.  I’ll probably cruise in in around 15 hours.  That is the same time it took me to run the Rim to Rim to Rim and the vertical gain is pretty much the same. 

I found a place on Lake San Cristobal.  The race pretty much circles high above the lake.  The family is coming with me.  It should be a great time.

Rim to Rim to Rim

Grand Canyon from S. Rim looking straight up towards the N. Rim

The group at camp before the big run

I put the Rim to Rim to Rim on my bucket list soon after I start running ultras.  The canyon is in an unforgiving place and this run demands a lot of respect.  There is no dropping out; you make it or you spend a night in the canyon and spending a night in the canyon after a day of extreme exertion wasn't an option I wanted to experience.  So it wasn't until after a couple of years of committed running that I felt ready.

After Zane Grey I was feeling a bit lost as a runner; I had just DNF'd my first race and physically and mentally I wasn't in a great place.  Completing the Rim to Rim to Rim was good medicine.

Ryan, Jerry, John, David and myself a couple miles in.

The first serious descent.

Our group of 15 met in Morrison to head to the Grand Canyon.  The drive to the Grand Canyon goes through some insane country, and 13 hours later we got to the campsite on the North Rim.  We set up camp and took a walk out to the rim.  It was a pretty awesome view, and all of us were fired up for the next day.

Sherpa John had planned the whole trip.  He provided us with some great information about the run and cooked up a pasta dinner.  We prepared for the next day and and called it a night.

Some people in the group headed out for an early start.  John, Ryan, Jeremy, David, Jeff, Maverick and I all started at 5:10.  The sun had come up enough that we did not need headlamps, and I was hoping to be back before I needed one again.                                                                            

The look down off the side of the trail.

We ran 1 mile from our campground to the North Rim which sits at an elevation of over 8,300 feet.  The North Kaibab trail drops down to the Colorado River in just over 15 miles to 2,400 feet.  The first 4 miles winds through a spectacular network of switchbacks and cliff hugging trails through the steepest section on the North Rim.  The last 7 miles down to the Colorado River has a mild pitch through amazing canyon country.

The water had been turned on the first time this year so we had plenty of water opportunities on the way down the trail.  These watering spots usually had a bathroom and some camping opportunities.  On the way down from the N. Rim we passed Roaring Springs, Cottonwood and Phantom Ranch.  The morning was cool and we stayed in the shade all the way down to Phantom Ranch.

Phantom Ranch is at the bottom of the canyon.  There are some cabins, camping spots, bathrooms and a rough restaurant.  We stopped for water and the bathroom before heading up to the South Rim.

Cliff hugging trail early in descent.

Some great trail.

I was running with my Nathan Vest.  I had a 2 liter bladder, one handheld, food, gel, E-Caps, and salt.  At this point forward, I made sure all were full before leaving a water stop.  I must have drank over 500 oz, yet I was still severely dehydrated after the run.

The Canyon heated up considerably as we started up the S. Rim, and the group began spreading out with this climb.

Nearing Phantom.

We chose to climb up the Bright Angel Trail instead of the S. Kaibab trail.  The S. Kaibab trail is shorter and is also the trail that is used for FKT's but there is no water and little shade.  The Bright Angel Trail is spectacular as it winds along the Colorado River for a mile before ascending up the south side.

The walls start closing in as we near Phantom Ranch.

Bright Angel climbs up over 4,000 feet for the next 10 miles and winds through steep canyons and shaded oases.  Indian Gardens and Bright Angel  are the two water stops along the way.

The South Rim is where most tourists go when they visit the Grand Canyon, so the Bright Angel trail has a lot more traffic.  In many ways it helped by providing a little extra energy.

The heat of the day began to take its first toll.  I had a bandanna and hat that I soaked in every stream or water opportunity to help keep me cool.

The climb was relentless and the miles went by slowly.  I tried to handle the run like a 100 mile race.  I knew I would have to track back the other side of the canyon but it was better to focus on the next water spot instead of focussing on the whole.    This seemed to help, but the climb was still a challenge.

I ran with Jeff for the majority of the climb.  We passed Maverick a few miles up after he had blazed ahead around mile 5.  We caught up with Carley and Val a couple of miles from the top.  Jeff pushed ahead of me and John pushed ahead soon after.  They remained a couple of switchbacks ahead as the climb continued to grind.  That was when I began thinking about an ice cold coke and some food. It was enough motivation to push on.

Jeremy was on his way down after running up S. Kaibab and across to Bright Angel.  Jeremy was running strong and looking good.  David, Jerry and Ryan started heading down as I got to the top, also looking good as they started back.

John, Jeff and I hit up the cantina; I got that ice cold coke, a gatorade, a banana, an orange, and a turkey sandwich.

It's kind of funny coming up to the South Rim.  Although you pass by a lot of people on the trail you always feel like your are in a serious canyon. But the S. Rim is Disney World compared to the 25 miles of trail that lead there.

                   

South Rim

Many people come to the Grand Canyon and enjoy the views from the top.  Some will venture down the trail for a mile or two.  I know we looked like some sort of freak show to most of the people up there.

It was nice to fuel and clean up, but it was time to go.  I felt like a new person after lunch.  Jeff headed out a bit early and John made real good time down the canyon.

I had a little pressure behind my left knee for about a mile.  I ran with Carley and Val for a few minutes before taking off on my own.  The knee shook out and I felt great.

The run down was a blast.  It was the first time in the day I was running by myself.  It was a good time to reflect on where I was and how lucky I was to be there.

I thought back to when I moved out to Colorado.  I was 40 pounds heavier and only ran 3-4 miles a run for occasional exercise.  Who would have thought that running would become central to my life?  It made all this winter's runs in the snow, cold and dark worth it.  I was running the Grand Canyon!  I felt totally blessed.

I let out a couple howls to hear them echo off the walls and coasted down Bright Angel while taking it all in.  I was drinking a lot of water trying to counter temps in the low 90's.

Fortunately, some clouds and light rain moved in as I reached the last couple of miles before the Colorado River.  The temps dropped a bit and the rain was

refreshing.

There were a lot of people doing the Rim to Rim that day.  It was impressive to see people young and old, large and small getting out there and accomplishing something bigger than themselves.  There is something special about being in nature and pushing ourselves to places we've never imagined; I was happy to be part of a day when so many people were fulfilling their dreams.

As I approached the river I started getting excited at the idea of food and a cold drink at Phantom Ranch.  I got into Phantom Ranch and was pretty happy to only have 15 miles left.  I bought some Peanut M&M's, an ice cold lemonade and a couple of postcards to mail to Bre and Brady.  I sat down and wrote to both of the kids.  I think about them a lot on my long runs; I feel so lucky to have them, and I am so proud of them.  It was so cool to be able to write to them and tell them how I feel.

Some clouds and rain were a welcome relief.

The post cards will be brought up from the bottom by mule and

hopefully be delivered sometime in the next week.

It was nice to escape for a little while but I had 15 miles and about 6,000 feet of climb ahead of me.  I gathered my things, grabbed a salt shaker, and took about a half a teaspoon down.

Off I went.  The next 6 miles were fairly flat, so I ran all the flat and downhill and walked the uphills.  The sun was back and beating down like it has for millions of years.  I was hot!  There were far fewer people on this side of the canyon.  You had your day trippers who were staying at Phantom Ranch wandering around along with some runners doing the Rim to Rim to Rim back to the south.

It became tough to keep running after a while, and I was not looking forward to the climb out, but at that point I had no choice but to keep pushing on.  It was amazing how the canyon

looked so different in the afternoon light.  There was an occasional deer and many lizards.  The Aloe plant shot out its amazing flower as if it were laughing at the Canyon.  It was quiet.  It was about this time when it hit me just how big and unforgiving this place really is.

I caught up with John and Jeremy who had just finished a side hike off to a waterfall.  Apparently 50 miles wasn't enough!  I trucked along with them for a bit until we rolled into Roaring Springs.  Jeff and Gary were both there.  I was feeling rough and I wasn't alone; we were all at different stages of fatigue.

I kept up with John and Jeff for about a mile and then had to slow it down; I was feeling weak and a little light headed.  One foot in front of the other.  On I went.  It was quite possibly the hardest 4-5 miles I've ever done.  The climb was relentless.  My legs began cramping badly and the sun was going down.  I kept on, and after what seemed like an eternity, I topped out on the North Rim!

Big Canyon.  Running alone.  Pretty unreal!

I still had another mile to go to the campground, so tossed on my jacket and marched on through the dark.  I finished in just under 15 hours.  50 miles; 12k of climb.

There was a fire going at camp, and Jeremy was cooking up a never ending supply of kabobs.

What an incredible day!

Looking up  the last big climb.

I went to my tent to change into something warm.  My legs seized up and both cramped into  the kind of cramps that wake you up at night. I couldn't do anything about it.  Jerry bailed me out with some pickle juice and coconut water.  It took a few hours to get hydrated and get my body temperature up.  I drank more than I ever had but I was still very dehydrated.

I ended up peeing blood that night.  Fortunately, it was only one time.  I got back from the doctor today and all systems are in good shape.  I'll never stop learning about nutrition and hydration on these runs.

I want to give a special thanks to Sherpa John for putting on a great Winter Fat Ass Run Series.  I enjoyed several of the runs and they were always well planned.  He put a lot of his own time and money into this Grand Canyon trip.  I am grateful for all the work he did.  Thanks John!  I encourage you to join him on his runs in the future.  He promotes community and has some very fun runs.  Check him out at http://sherpajohn.blogspot.com.

Special thanks to Jeremy for supplying and cooking all the kabobs.  Thanks to David Hill for driving out there.  It was a great run and great to meet so many good people.

Check out Sherpa John's video of the run: http://networkedblogs.com/LqP38

"If my path is to worry then I'll walk in shame because I'd rather find beauty and pain."

 Greensky Bluegrass