2013 Collegiate Peaks 50 Report

Thanks to Rob Timko for all the pictures in this report!

I ran Collegiate Peaks back in 2011 as a buildup to the LT100 in August.  I had a good day as it was my first ultra where I started to figure things out.  Needless to say, I was very happy with the result.

Last year, I took a pass and hit up Quad Rock instead, but there was always a small desire to head back to Buena Vista to give the CP50 another shot.  With enough time to ponder, I felt like I left a little on the table and figured a faster time could be in the cards.

With my soccer coaching schedule requiring me to be in town on Quad Rock weekend this year, it was an easy decision to jump back into Collegiate Peaks.  Unfortunately, I got in a running funk in February and March and just couldn't seem to put together the training I thought would come easy.

With this overly dramatic story buildup, I can say that the result was very surprising.  One thing I've learned about me is that I usually run about as good (or worse) than my training has me prepared.  I had been hoping to get as close to my 8:33 from 2011.  So when I crossed the line in 8:03, I was left scratching my head, in a good way!

I wish I was able to head up to BV earlier on Friday, but an all important dance recital kept me in town until 8pm.  Two hours later I was pulling into the Thunder Lodge!  Jaime had reserved a cabin for some runners and offered me a comfy spot on the floor.  Joe Z was already crashed on the couch when I arrived, so within 5 minutes, I was jostling around in my sleeping bag trying to settle in.  Then I was out.

Just the typical race morning routine followed by a little hanging at the start with Andy, and a few of my Runner's Roost teammates.  Then at 6:30am, we were off.

All the 25 & 50 milers getting started together.  28°  Brrrrrr.

Love this shot!  Thanks Rob.  I was also loving the sunrise.  Warmth!

During the first loop, I found myself running around Joe, Leila, Jaime, and a few others.  We were all keeping the same pace, laughing & chatting it up on occasion, and just enjoying the beautiful morning.  It was the most fun I've had with a bunch of other runners during a race!

It was during this time that I took my ultrarunning to a new level of GROSS.  I ducked behind a bush for a quick #1 pitstop and shifted my two handhelds into one hand.  I dropped my shorts a bit and then proceeded to pee all over the nipple of my water bottle.  Awesome!

Eventually our little group broke up as Jaime rocketed ahead to cap off a solid training week and great 25 mile finish.  I just seemed to be getting lost in my thoughts until I arrived at the final technical trail down to the river.  Ah, the turnaround.  3:43.

Nearing the turnaround with such intense focus...or dread thinking about another 25!

I still have a strong aversion to coming into a finish line/turnaround when I know I have to go back out for another loop.  I turn very antsy to just get in and get out.  And when I get out, it's usually way too hard as I try to "run away" from the tempting party that is the finish for all the 25 milers.  Once I get a few miles away, I usually mellow out and get back in a groove, but it's really an odd thing I do.

The second loop found me alone most of the 4+ hours.  No music.  No one to talk to.  Just me and the incredible mountains I've been longing for all winter.  When people tell me I'm crazy for running trail ultras, my first response is almost always, "Hey, it gives me the chance to spend a full day wandering around the mountains while every few miles people feed me and give me something to drink."  Yes, there are definitely unpleasant and uncomfortable parts to that day, but overall this is the place where I'm most at peace.

Eventually Leila came up from behind somewhere after mile 40.  She was looking strong and focused.  Neither of us felt like talking, so we ran for a few miles never more than one or two hundred feet apart.  I pulled ahead at one point with my eyes glued to the trail right in front of my feet - and proceeded to blow right past a key turn.  Leila saved my butt by yelling my name and calling me back.  Phew and Thanks!!  I know that I would have continued for at least a mile or so before I realized my stupid mistake.  Instead I was back on course in a minute.

Leila, who was currently the #1 female racer, remained slightly ahead of me as we hit the final three mile road section.  A few minutes later, I heard some footsteps behind me as Rhonda Claridge (#2) motored right on past me.  Whoa, at that pace, she was going to catch Leila in no time.  And she did.  But what transpired for the next 5-10 minutes was worth the price of the admission!  The two of them ratcheted up the pace - I mean like dropping 7 minute miles while they leapfrogged each other about 10 times.  Even though they were pulling away from me quickly, the road is so long and straight, that I could watch it all unfold.  It made me forget all about the pain I was feeling coming to the end.

Finally, the turn off the road onto singletrack came, and the ladies disappeared out of sight.  Bummer!  I wanted to see how the horse race finished!  Within minutes, I too was crossing the finish and saw Leila and Rhonda crashed on chairs with medals around their necks.  Who won???  Leila pulled away at the end and snagged the win.  What an exhibition from two ladies that know how to dig deep!

Don't get distracted by all the finish line spectators.  I'm the runner in red.

So the question I pondered on the whole drive home was, "how the heck did I pull off a 30 min PR?"

Here's what I came up with:

Rest - I thought for sure I was far from peak shape to run well.  I think the truth of the matter was that I finally gave my body the rest it needed after a hard Nov/Dec/Jan.

Nutrition - I fueled with the same system that I did in Moab.  I ran with two handhelds, one with water and the other with an 800 calorie mixture of EFS/water.  That one bottle lasted about 3 hours and I was sipping on it every few minutes.  Constant calories.  No going 20, 30, 40 minutes without eating.  That's where I've gotten in trouble in the past.  I picked up another EFS/water bottle from my drop bag at the turnaround.  My energy was even all day.  This strategy is nothing new.  Matt Carpenter talks about this method of fueling extensively (here and here).

Experience - Running a course a second time has big advantages.  And the more I run these things, the more I'm in tune with how I should be running them.  I do take risks, but they're calculated and I feel less fear that I'm going to completely botch up my race.

This race is a good one and I can see why many go back year after year.  It's very low-key and low frills.  The aid station volunteers are all from the town and crazy nice.  I found they wanted to strike up conversations while I was trying to get out of an aid station.  I think they got tired as the day wore on because during the second loop, it was a self-service setup while they rested in chairs.  Still super friendly though and the tables were loaded and ready.  I won't hesitate to go back in the future.

Time To Race Again

I feel like I've been away from the racing scene for an eternity, while in reality it has only been about 2.5 months.  I've appreciated the downtime while coaching my daughters soccer team this spring.  My training has included just enough consistency to get by and gear up for the Collegiate Peaks 50 this weekend.  I have low expectations, but think if I can at least replicate the steady pacing and fueling similar to Moab, I should be in for an okay run.

I've been hitting up Mt. Falcon again this spring and feel like my climbing legs and ability to run technical trails is slowly coming around.  I'm probably about a month behind where I was at last year.  Hopefully CP is the spark I need to build my endurance and get ready for the Golden Gate Dirty Thirty.

Any day I'm not in the foothills, I can be found out wandering the Highlands Ranch trails.  One Saturday morning, I was 3 miles into a 10 miler and needed to make a pit stop.  As I was standing up near a tree, I could see a glowing white stick shining through some brush.  Upon further staring, it wasn't a stick at all.  I finally found the treasure I've been hunting for years.  An antler!!  There are deer all over the place in the backcountry, but I've never been able to find one...until now!  What a sight I was running for the next 7 miles with what looked like a claw coming out of my hand.

I've since found a few more treasures this week.  Only 5000 more bones and I'll have the full skeleton!

2013 Moab Red Hot 55k

Whoa!  Where did the last three weeks go?  I think this is officially the latest posting of a race report yet.  Hope it's not a pattern.  Life is busy (as it is for everyone).

This was my third time heading out to Moab and this trip I grade myself with an "F" for taking in the Moab experience.   Moab is a place of incredible beauty that is truly captivating and for some insane reason, I was only there for 16 hours.  That's just wrong and if I go back, I'll make up for it for sure.

Here's how Friday & Saturday played out:
6+ hour drive from Denver (arriving after 10pm)
16 hours in Moab (including sleeping for 7 of it)
5+ hours back to the Rockies to meet up with my family

I met up with Jaime at a motel and we caught up for a bit before heading to bed.  The 6am wake up gave us plenty of time to eat and prep for the race at eight.

As we parked the car and began our 3/4 mile trek to the start, we were greeted by the rising sun over the La Sal range.  The sensory overload was just beginning.

Good morning La Sals!

 As in the past, waiting around at the start was chilly, but that gave me time to move around and snap some pics since I wouldn't be running with a camera.

Good morning Arches NP!

Lots of snow on the course, but nothing that impacted speed much.

After having a crummy training period post Bandera, I set the bar quite low for what I thought I could accomplish out there.  I've learned that surprises rarely happen in a race and typically a good one happens only when I go into it prepared/focused/rested/ready.  I felt rested for this, but that's about it.

The pace at the start was once again hot.  It took me two miles to realize my watch never started, so once I got that going, I caught the third mile - a 6:51.  Ouch.  I was not at all prepared for that, so I backed off.  I was running with Jaime for a bit, but he was running strong and I had to let him go.

While I slowed down, I locked into what I thought was a sustainable pace.  I had no real splits to follow, so I just plugged along.  The best way to describe how I ran this race was that I was in the right gear at the right time.  No big risks and no big failures.  I just cruised as best I could.  The last two years featured pretty spectacular blowups in the last 6 miles.  I was determined to run a smart race AND every bit of those last miles.

When I hit the slickrock section, I found myself in this weird pocket where many people were behind me, but no one was in front.  For this race, it's nice to have people in front to help spot the "pink ribbons" that mark the trail.  Route finding is a major challenge on this course and more times than I care to admit, I found myself coming to a stop as I couldn't figure out which direction to run.

Prior to reaching the final aid station (mile 28), I came upon a struggling Jaime.  He had pushed it very hard and the slickrock beat him up pretty good.  When we started talking, I could tell exactly what was happening to him as I've been there myself.  I knew he'd come around and finish well...but I didn't realize just how much  of a 180 he'd pull.

I passed through the AS and started the final 6 miles to the finish, my mission was to run every step of it.  I had fueled well all day, so the task at hand was quite easier than previous attempts.  I was trucking while trying to keep a steady stream of calories going down the hatch.

I was passing a bunch of people, but mostly they were back of the pack 33k folks.  No one passed me until....I heard these footsteps coming up from behind.  It was a weird sound since no one had passed me for the last hour or more.  It wasn't until the person was level with me that I heard, "Let's go Woody."  And who should appear, but JAIME!  What?!?  I had turned around on a prior flat stretch and saw no one for at least a mile or two behind me.  Where the heck did he come from?

I've run a bunch of ultras and his transformation from crash to crankin' was probably the most inspirational thing I've seen.  Seriously, he was flying!  All I could say was, "Now that's what I'm talkin' about!"  In about 60 seconds, he was already a quarter mile past me.  There was no stopping him and I couldn't have been happier watching this show.

I made my way across the finish line in 4:55:26.  Good for 28th place.  Last year, I finished 4 1/2 mins faster and that notched me 13th.  It was a crazy fast field this year!

Everyone needs to experience this finish line!

The man who executed a textbook run in Moab!

I'm quite happy with this race on many levels.  There weren't really any highs or lows and I'm okay with that. Instead of carrying a bunch of EFS/water flasks, I decided to dump 800 calories of EFS into one bottle and filled the rest with water.  I sipped on that concoction for 3 hours.  When that was empty  I pulled out another bottle of defizzed Coke.  I'm guessing that was another 300 calories.  That steady stream of calories all race helped keep my energy steady.  Usually, I get on a cycle of taking calories every 20-30 minutes.  For this  race, I was sipping my fuel every 7-11 minutes.  Big difference.  I'm going to experiment more with this method in future races and runs.

Here are a few final shots from the finish.  The Colorado River was almost frozen over, but I'm thankful the temps were warm.  Another glorious day at the Red Hot 55k!

Changing Plans

"You can always amend a big plan, but you can never expand a little one. I don't believe in little plans. I believe in plans big enough to meet a situation which we can't possibly foresee now."  - Harry S. Truman

My 2013 racing plans took another turn recently when I decided to back off the idea of an early summer 100 miler.  The New Year's excitement wore off and was replaced with a heavy stress of how I was going to swing training for the DRTE 100 with it's 29K feet of elevation gain while carrying on with normal life activities.  The only answer was sacrifice.  At the end of the day, I just couldn't make those sacrifices and feel good about the race.  When I decided to "amend the big plan," I felt the weight release and the enthusiasm flood in as I thought about running other summer races here in CO.

Leadville is definitely the grandaddy, but I'm also bumping my 5 day Colorado Trail adventure to early July.  I'm so fired up for a solo thru-hike to see how far I can get.  In the meantime, I've got several other fine trail races to look forward to.  

Moab's Red Hot 55K is this weekend.  I wish I could snag another two weeks before toeing the start line for this one.  My training post-Bandera has been about the worst I can remember.  I've felt pretty blah and I just came off a week of no running in order to let a calf strain heal.

I did get over to Falcon a week ago for my first real vertical in 2 months.  The run stunk and the calf strain was the gift I came home with.  Thankfully, I was provided with a memory to last a lifetime.  On the Parmalee trail, I heard this high pitched noise coming right at me.  The adrenaline gushed and my hands went up.  What I came upon was a grown man driving his remote control monster truck as he followed behind.  Awesome!  No self-defense needed.

2013 Bandera 100K Report

I was starting my ascent of the Three Sisters and I could feel a slight change in the air.  The humidity that had kept me drenched all day was starting to break and a gentle breeze was blowing.  I was hiking the Sisters, but something else was also changing.  The fire inside was returning.  I began plowing through the bouncing patches of leg slicing Sotul and my renewed focus was set on the Cross Roads aid station two miles away.

As I approached the race's ten hour mark, I'd had enough and was ready to declare an end to the previous six hours of mediocrity.  I can't explain what got the kick going, but whatever the spark, I'm glad it was lit.  I stopped briefly at the aid station, swapped my wet shirt for a dry one, and began the final 9 mile leg over Lucky Peak, Cairns Climb, and Boyles Bump en route to the finish.  I ran the best of the day during this stretch and I couldn't have been happier to end on a positive note.

The Bandera 100K once again proved to be an elusive goal.  I thought for sure I'd dialed this one in and would nail it.  I should have known better.  You can't tame an ultra no matter how many times you run it.  There are too many wild, unpredictable, and moving parts.  A runner simply has little control.  What a runner can control is between their ears and how that gray matter will respond as the external circumstances unfold.

When I walked out the door of my motel room at 5:50am, I walked right into a rainforest.  Everything was dripping wet as fog and drizzle enveloped all surroundings.  It was already 65 degrees with 100% humidity.  My thoughts were on the positive side thinking about the cloud cover this would provide as the temps rose to the forecasted 75 degrees.  I didn't think at all about the trail conditions.

Not me, but you get the idea.  (Photo by Don Hauk)

When the stampede race began, it only took a few moments before the realization set in that this race was going to leave me looking like I ran a mud run.  I could feel the clods leeching on to my shoes and then releasing into the air before the crash landing on my calves.  The front runners were depositing much of the mud from their shoes on the rocks that the rest of us would enjoy sliding on as we descended Bandera's steep hills.

Coming into Nachos aid station.  Amazing volunteers!  Knees already bloodied from the Sotul.  (Photo by Don Hauk)

I coped well for the first few hours.  My goal was to remain relaxed during the first loop and I certainly accomplished a slower pace. Unfortunately the slower pace was taxing with the extra poundage clinging to the bottom of my shoes.  After wearing my Hokas last year, I couldn't think of a better shoe for the Bandera rocks.  I can now also say they're about the worst shoe one could wear for the Bandera mud.  All the extra surface area sucked up whatever brown stuff it encountered and at times it looked like someone strapped leather footballs to my feet.

Clod City! This stretch was the worst of the worst. At least no rocks. (Photo by Marlon Onco)

This wasn't a day for expansive views of the beautiful Hill Country. (Photo by Jackie Dove)

I came into the turnaround right at the 5 hour mark.  My mental state had already been swirling down the toilet bowl for an hour or two and I sat down to regroup for lap #2.  That lasted about a minute as I couldn't think of any mental gymnastics to make the situation better, so I got up and started running.

Mile after mile, I continued in an unexceptional manner.  People were passing me regularly and I wished them well and admired the determined look on their faces and strong form as they ran.  I attempted to chase them, but couldn't get out of second gear.  I thought about all of the people pulling for me, that I was competing in a national championship race, all the training I did to prepare, and none of it mattered.  There was nothing physically wrong with me.  I had simply settled for a mediocre race as the hours went by.

Finally, things changed as I described above.  They always do if you can persevere long enough.  This rough patch just happened to be an incredibly long one.  I was flying along as my anger drove me to run up and over the hills.  I had wanted to finish before sunset and now I was in the dark navigating technical trails by headlamp.  That got me more mad and so I ran harder.  It's funny how anger can morph into joy when it produces positive results.  I felt free as the scales of my defeated attitude were peeling off.

Crossing the finish line in 11:45 came with a variety of emotions.  I had finished well and no longer had a DNF hanging over my head.  But I couldn't shake the thought of the missed opportunity.  I've had many races where I've crossed that line and know I left everything in me out on the course.  This wasn't one of those races and an honest gut check has revealed that the problem was allowing myself to run too long with a mental flat tire.  No other excuse fits since I fueled well and my body was experiencing nothing more than normal fatigue.

So I've marked January 11, 2014 on my calendar, and I know that something has to change in my approach and execution of this race.  I'm excited to figure out what that will be and try again.

Now to bring it back to a lighter side, I thought this report wouldn't be complete without an amazing picture taken of the night sky.

Wow, what a gorgeous view of the stars and Milky Way! (Photo by Me)

I did mention that I was staying at a motel, right?

And I have a history of staying in shady places in Bandera, right?

Well check out what was above my bed!  Oh yeah!  Mix that black light with some glow in the dark paint splattered on the ceiling and well....

No matter what happens during a race, I do recognize that I'm one of the luckiest people alive to have the opportunity to run trails for almost 12 hours.  It is a gift I try to never take for granted.  Enjoy this picture of one of our fine soldiers, Eduard Lychik.  I didn't meet him or even see him out on the course, but I wish I did.  He rocked the 25K and brought an immense dose of inspiration to all that witnessed his race.

Photo by Rick Kent.

Once again, I thank Joe & Joyce and all the Tejas Trails volunteers for putting on such a fine race.  My wife asks me why I go back year after year.  Bandera extracts the same feelings out of me as Leadville.  The town, the community of runners, the Texas hospitality, the tough as nails course, and Joe & Joyce.  For almost 24 straight hours, Joe waits on the other side of the finish line for each runner to cross it.  And when you do, you're met with a big handshake and a buckle.  Awesome.

If you're curious how the race played out up front, Trail Runner Mag featured this article, Muddy Times At Bandera.  Sage Canaday?  Wow, is all I can say.

Bandera Update

Bandera 100K was yesterday and I finished in 11:45.  Drizzly & humid = Mudfest.  Hoped to run faster, but did the best I could with the day handed to me.

Looking Ahead & Looking Behind

2013 is charging ahead and I'm enjoying reading about everyones ideas and plans for races or fun runs in the coming year.  While my thoughts are definitely drifting to the summer and getting back into the high country, I have a gnarly 100k next weekend that I need to face for the third year in a row.

The infamous Bandera DNF bib!

Bandera is back on tap and this year I'm determined to run a smart race finally realizing what I'm capable of doing down there.  I'm healthy and have no nagging aches or pains that have plagued me at this race the last two years.  It should be a good day.  It's also the Trail 100k National Championship, so that may provide a little extra push.

And now for a few other 2013 thoughts & daydreams...

• I'm pleased to be able to join the Runner's Roost Race Team this year.  I thought I'd toss my name in the hat and somehow they decided that I wouldn't handicap the team too much.  It will be fun to add a bit more camaraderie to the mix this year and represent an organization that has such a strong presence supporting the local trail running scene.

• When planning my 2013 races, everything was beginning to look almost identical to my 2012 lineup.  That didn't bum me out because between Bandera, Moab's Red Hot, Lake City, Golden Gate, and Leadville - those are some sweet courses!  But over the New Year's weekend, a seed was planted that quickly sprouted into a full plant.  We had some good friends visiting from our old hometown, Santa Barbara, and we began talking about various trail races in the Los Padre National Forest.  Those are some rugged and beautiful mountains.  One thing lead to another, and I was pouring over the DRTE 100 website feverishly running the logistics through my head.  The RD moved the race from April to June and the timing is excellent for a nice summer southern California vacation.  It's a beast with 29K feet of vertical.  Mt. Everest?  Ouch.  I'm loving the 6pm start though.  I'm getting very close to committing. 

• After the DRTE 100, my focus will be on recovery and enjoying fun runs in the high country whenever possible.  Next up will be the LT100 in August.  I'm a little nervous about running two 100's in a summer, but I love Leadville and I think spacing them out two months should be fine.

• The other "new to me" race I'm planning on is Salida in March.  And I might head back to Collegiate Peaks in May.  I prefer Quad Rock, but that weekend doesn't jive too well with my soccer coaching schedule.

• This July I'll either attempt a second round duel with the Pemi Loop or take a crack at the Presi Traverse.  I'd also like to hike a 14er with my girls.

• After reading Jennifer Pharr Davis' book "Becoming Odyssa" last summer, I've had a serious itch to try thru-hiking.  Not on the scale of the Appalachian Trail or CT as that is completely irrational at this stage of life.  I'm thinking more like a 4-5 day adventure.  The way Jennifer described hiking solo day after day really appealed to me.  If the stars align correctly, there's a chance I may get an opportunity to hike the CT from Littleton to Leadville over Labor Day weekend and a few days beyond.  I've been accumulating much needed backpacking gear for the last year, so I think I'm ready for such an attempt.

Looking back on 2012, it was nothing short of awesome.  My family continues to be a huge support and I love that we are each others #1 fans.  We all have different interests and hobbies, but we always rally for one another.  Whether it be soccer or softball games, piano or band concerts, spelling bees or other performances, or just hanging out and goofing off - we're always there in support.  Our days together are full and rich, and running is just a small piece of the pie.

This blog recaps just about everything that was somewhat notable in 2012.  Last January, I tossed out a few loosely defined goals.   I feel like I accomplished what I set out to do while continuing to achieve consistency over the last three years of ultra/trail running.  I know this sport can take time for your body to adapt, but when you keep plugging away over the years, it gets much easier - and fun!

2012 Numbers...

Total:  3162 miles
Time:  516hr 32min
Number of Runs:  300
Rest Days:  75

Average week:  60.8 miles
Average month:  263.5 miles
Average per day:  8.64 miles
Average per run:  10.5 miles
Biggest Month:  351 miles (December)
Biggest Week:  112.2 miles (Week of 8/13)
Smallest Month:  164.4 miles (September)
Smallest Week:  7.4 miles (Week of 8/20)
Longest Streak:  63 days

By The Years
2006:  406
2007:  1469
2008:  1267
2009:  1720
2010:  2743
2011:  3135
2012:  3162

Streaking

As my preparation for Bandera kicked off in October, I thought I'd give streaking (not the naked running kind) a shot in order to mix it up and add a new dynamic to my training.  I've always had great respect for those that run every day.  My experience has been that there are just some days where running is not appealing or even possible due to a whole host of excuses reasons.

So starting on 10/30, I committed to running every day through the end of November with the streaking parameters being a minimum of 5 miles/day outside and on trails. The weather during the entire month was near perfect and made the challenge easy.  I had many long runs that I would have preferred taking a rest day after, but overall 11/30 came quickly.

When December rolled around, my daughter encouraged me to keep it going.  She said, "wouldn't it be cool if you ran for 62 straight days since you'll be running 62 miles at Bandera?"  Yes, that would be cool, but that would mean streaking until 12/30!  The new challenge was on.

Now that I'm just a few days away from completing it, here are my thoughts on streaking:

• It's quite a silly endeavor that most people (even many runners) just don't understand the point.  I too was there prior to this experiment.
• Streaking for 62 days is peanuts.  There are people that have been running every single day for 40+ years!
• I love it!  For me, the motivation it produced was huge and lead me to one of my best training blocks ever. Every day the streak continued, the desire to keep it going swelled.
• The last three weeks of snow and very cold morning temps accompanied by blustery wind, have been where the rubber meets the road.  There were days where I had no clue how to fit in the run.  But when I did, the satisfaction experienced after a simple 5-7 mile run was amazing.  And then it was on to the next day.
• The runs that I typically would have bailed on were probably my favorites.  One dark and early morning, I ventured out into the thick fog.  When do we ever get fog in Colorado?  It was so thick that my headlamp barely lit up the trail in front of me.  I couldn't stop laughing as I was completely disoriented the entire run.  I could see no lights anywhere to help me set my bearings.  Another day I began running at 5am just as the snow started to fly.  The dry trails quickly turned white.  The flakes produced long streaks of light as they whipped past my headlamp. By the end I was tromping through two inches of snow in near white-out conditions.  Awesome!
• More than any other benefit, the discipline and mental strength gained from persevering and "finding a way" through each day can only pay off in races (and life!) going forward.  During every ultra, there's a point when some obstacle seems insurmountable.  The battle then rages and one side of my brain screams that the best option is to pack it up and try again the next time.  Streaking didn't give me that option as I had to find a way to run.  I hope that mentality is ever present during the obstacle-ridden Bandera experience.

The streak will be broken on 1/1 as I rest, hang with the family, and probably watch some football.  But I'm guessing a new streak will be started at some point in 2013.

Indian Creek - Back Again...

While the snow stays away, it's off to Indian Creek to play...

That had been my motto during the last six weeks of fantastic trail running weather.  I ventured back over the first weekend in December to take advantage of a 68 degree day!  My partner in crime was Jim P, and we thoroughly enjoyed cruising the Roxborough and IC trails until we parted ways so I could suffer for a few more miles than he was planning.

I did almost the same loop as the previous week, but counter-clockwise.  That is definitely the way to go!  After knocking out the Roxborough SP road (sans traffic), you're immediately on fun singletrack.  By the time you start to fade late in the run, you're treated to long descents down the Ringtail & Sharptail trails.

Run Stats

Make no mistake, our early AM start was COLD!  We could have done without the blowing wind and clouds filtering the sun.

JP chomping some calories on Carpenter Peak

As we descended from Carpenter Peak towards Waterton Canyon, we kept looking up to spot some low-flying plane.  The roar was unmistakable   Well, we were mistaken, because the noise was simply the wind whipping through the powerlines overhead.

Thankfully, the wind died down as we cruised the Round Up trail.

At the top of Round Up, we said farewell as Jim made his way over to Ringtail and I started down Steven's Gulch.  At the bottom, I encountered more creepy cabins.

The most remote port-a-potty in CO.

Instead of heading south up the Indian Creek #800 trail, I took a new one over to the Colorado Trail.  Good move!

This new to me trail climbed up to a ridge with very nice views to the east and west.

This is how you know you've hit the CT.  While I would have liked to take Lenny's bench up on the offer, I didn't rest all that long.

The temps were climbing fast now.  I had to pinch myself a few times for a reality check that this was a December day!

I finally connected back to the Ringtail trail and welcomed the long, slow drop.

A comforting sight when you're tired and ready to wind things down.  I skipped the Swallowtail loops this time since I was already over my planned mileage.

Last shot of the rocks before the 4 mile stretch on Sharptail.

My take-aways this time around:

• I ate regularly the entire run and felt just fine.  A good reminder that 100-150 calories every 30 minutes or so makes all the difference.
• I brought plenty of water and only ran out when I arrived back at the parking lot.
• Run this loop counter-clockwise.
• My endurance is definitely coming around.  Funny how that coincides with eating.
• Jim P is a great running partner!

More Indian Creek

Every fall, I wage an internal debate about taking some time away from running to lay low or keep plugging along with training.  And every fall I come to the conclusion that I'm wired for consistency and find great joy in watching small improvements in my running over the years.

I arrived at the same answer this year, but the cold, dark mornings are quite an obstacle to overcome when the alarm goes off.  In particular, the months of November and December are tough for me to train through.  For the last two years, I've had the Bandera 100K to keep me motivated through the end of the year and it works well because that race scares the pants off me.

After last year's DNF at Bandera, I've decided to return yet again and see if I can put together the kind of race I know I can run.  Whether that happens or not, I'm pleased that it has translated into the necessary desire to train.  At the end of October, I set a goal to run a minimum of 5 miles every day in November and top 300 by the end of the month.  I know that's nothing special, but so far so good on keeping the streak alive.

After dropping my folks off at the airport early Friday morning, I hoped to get in the first of two 50K training runs while the ladies of the house hit up Black Friday shopping.  The plan at first was to head to Buffalo Creek, but with the mild weather, I couldn't resist the urge to see if I could get the long miles on the Indian Creek trails.  Without touching the same trail twice, I racked up a 32 mile loop and left some options on the table for next time.

To avoid paying a parking fee, you can park here and run the 4 miles into Indian Creek.

This run was all about time on my feet and building endurance.  I was in no rush and wasn't sure of the exact mileage anyway, so I knew it would be about going with the flow.  

First up was running all the "tail" trails (Sharptail, Swallowtail, and Ringtail).

Sharptail Ridge is smooth running with a few ups & downs.

I was once again ready for my first bear encounter, but sadly, this was the only wildlife seen all day.

Ah, it's going to be a good day!

Came up this cabin/barn on the Swallowtail trail.  A truly sweet spot with nothing around it.  I'm ready to move in.

Starting the long climb up the Ringtail trail.  It provides a cool view of Roxborough from the south.

The Ringtail trail looks like this until you get close to the Indian Creek trailhead on Hwy 67. 

Creepy cabin on the Ringtail trail.

This was as far as I went in.

Nice views of Pikes and Devils Head.

Human encounters for the day = 3 mtn bikers.

One month ago, these trails had 3-4" of snow on them.

There was a lot of elevation gain on this run (6500') and I just wasn't feeling it on the climbs.  I'm guessing a big part of that was my eating issues.  Or I should say lack of eating.

Had to take the requisite shot of Roxborough descending the Carpenter Peak trail.

The only downside of this loop was the two miles of running the dirt road heading out of Roxborough SP.  There was consistent traffic and the dust kicked up was bad.  Instead of coming down the Carpenter Peak trail, you could take the Powerline trail as an alternative and re-connect with Sharptail Ridge, but that would add another 1-2 miles.

What were my takeaways from this run?

• Bring more water than I think I'll need.  I ran out of water with almost an hour to go.  Not fun.
• Eat!!  Duh.  I was out there for almost six hours and only ate around 600 calories.  When will I learn that eating more will make these long runs much more enjoyable?  I had another 500 in my pack, but just didn't feel like eating.
• I'm not ready to go 100K right now.  Especially at Bandera.  I've got some work to do over the next month.
• I'll be back soon!

Run Stats