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| Lake San Cristobol. Lake City, CO |
Over the past few years, I have transitioned from road racing to almost exclusively racing on the trails. There are multiple reasons for this, but one of the primary factors was my achilles/heels have gotten to the point where I can not train adequately for road races and stay healthy. And the races themselves would beat my achilles up so much, I wouldn't be able to walk afterwards. But the slower pace of trail races without the harsh flat concrete/asphalt surfaces, allowed me to continue to race hard but be able to run the next day.
Last year, I completed 2 50K's plus paced a friend 30+ miles in a 100 miler and stayed relatively injury free. I was ready to make my next step down the ultra running path, complete a 50 miler. This past January, I entered the lottery for a spot in the San Juan Solstice 50M. I was excited. Then I got in and I began to think this wasn't such a good idea. My first go at 50 miles would be on one of the toughest 50M courses, with over 12 000 vertical feet of climbing and at an average altitude of 11 100 feet, topping out at over 13 000 feet. It was the equivalent of running Imogene Pass Run two times in a row, then running another 16 miles. Yikes
As prep for this race, I ran the Desert Rats Trail Marathon in Fruita in April, then the Jemez Mountain 50K in Los Alamos in May. I felt going into both of those races I was slightly under trained for the distances. For the marathon, I felt ready for 20-22 miles, not 26, and for the 50K, I felt ready for 28-30 miles, not the 34 I would end up running. As SJS approached that same slightly under trained feeling arose. I felt my training was adequate to get me through 40 miles, not 50. I just hadn't gotten in any 5 to 6 hour runs in, besides the 50K. And with a very wet spring, that brought a lot of snow to the mountains, I also hadn't gotten in any time at altitude.
So my apprehension grew as race day approached. My one security blanket was that my friend Greg (who I pace in his 100 mile last year) was entered in SJS as well. He had run extraordinarily well at SJS last year. Since he knew the course, I could pace off of him and hopefully run with him at least the first half and then see how things would go. He wasn't at the same fitness as last year, so I thought this would work. Then, with just a few days to go, he bailed on the race to do a run in La Sal Mountains, in Utah, instead. Now I was on my own.
My co-workers would ask, what was my goal. Primary goal was to finish. But now I really had to think about what I was shooting for. I would say "Anything under 11 hours and I would be ecstatic. If it is over 12 hours, I am worried it has turned into a death march." I kinda figured sub 12 hours would be a good goal, and since the race gave finishing awards based on the following categories: sub 16, sub 12, sub 10 and sub 8, this would be a motivating factor.
I would have a small crew. Andrew planned on pacing me the last 10 miles and John would make the trip as well. On Friday, Andrew and I drove down to Lake City (John was going to drive down separately and meet up with us. He ended up driving Saturday morning, meeting up with Andrew after I had started). Lake City is great little town. Very underrated among Colorado mountain towns. We found a fantastic campsite right on Lake San Cristobol.
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| Campsite on Lake San Cristobol |
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| Hammock is all set for post race beers and recovery |
We headed into town to check in and have some dinner while watching the US WMNT beat China in their World Cup quarterfinal.
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| Finish Line, the night before the race. |
At 3:40 am, I woke up to a starred filled sky. It was a chilly but not cold. After making some breakfast, I got ready to go and discovered neither one of us had the car key. I remained calm. No need to panic. After a 10-15 minute search, I found it had fallen on the ground and slid underneath the edge of the tent. Just enough to be out of sight at first glance. All was well. Made the 10 minute drive to the start line, going just a bit over the speed limit.
I had enough time to get make a stop at the port o potty and get my stuff on, but was rushed just enough that I forgot a few things. I had meant to put a few ibuprofen tablets in my running vest, along with my phone to take a few pics. And I forgot sunscreen. It also meant I didn't really get a chance to look around a see who I might know that was running. I basically walked up to the start line and the race went off.
Since my "goal" was 11-12 hours, I figured I would try to pace off the lead females. The typical winning women's time is just under 11 hours. As we ran up the road that leads to Engineer Pass, I settled in with what appeared to be the lead pack of ladies. After 3 miles, we made the turn off the road and onto the Alpine Gulch trail. The 2015 San Juan Solstice 50M was now truly about to begin.
Over the next 2.5 miles, we would only climb about 700 vertical feet, but would have to cross a raging creek, swollen from snowmelt, around 10 times. This would be knee deep to thigh deep in spots. It was cold. At some of the crossings there were ropes to hold onto, so you wouldn't be swept away. It never felt cold when I actually was in it, but it was right after getting out that the frigid feeling would hit. The feet would be numb and for the next few minutes it would feel like running on stumps. About the time feeling would come back in the feet, it was time for another crossing and immediately the feet would go numb again. It was a ton of fun.
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| One of the creek crossings. As I forgot my phone for pics, these random race pics are courtesy of Wouter van Tiel, posted on SJS Facebook page. |
I kept contact with that lead pack of ladies all through the first climb, which topped out at 12 800 feet. The sun was now up and the first spectacular views of the day were had. I also was surprised how easy the climb had felt and how little the high altitude was effecting me. I felt very comfortable.
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| Near top of first climb. Photo courtesy of van Tiel |
On the descent I lost contact with the group I had climbed with. It took me a little while to find a rhythm on the steep downhills. As I was about to hit the first major aid station, we had one last creek crossing. Just to get the shoes all wet again.
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| Coming into the Williams Aid station at mile 16.5. Photo courtesy San Juan Solstice |
I met Andrew at the Williams Aid station at mile 16.5. Split was 3:26 (12:32 pace). Pretty much exactly what I wanted. I felt good. Changed shoes and socks. Put on calf sleeves (for snowfields to come). Got my sunglasses and visor. Forgot sunscreen and ibuprofen. Thanked Andrew and the volunteers and headed on my way. Pit time : 5 minutes 12 seconds.
The first few miles after Williams were on a flat dirt road. I ran both in about 9:00 pace. I felt good. Then the second climb began. This one would be a doozy. 4 000 vertical feet over 8 miles. The tagline for SJS is Divide and Conquer. It's a play on the fact much of the race is run along the Continental Divide Trail. It also is how you have to attack this race. Just think about conquering each section between aid stations. My thoughts were just getting to Carson, the next aid station. It would be halfway through the climb. My goal here was to keep my hiking to under 20 minutes per mile. I had passed a couple of people right before the climb began and put a good distance on them during the initial ascent. Then I caught a few more folks a mile or so into the climb. When I came into Carson at 22.4 miles, I was feeling strong mentally and decent physically. Split to Carson was 1:29 (15:05 pace). This also was around what I thought I could do.
I had a drop bag at Carson. The weather would be good, so didn't need the rain jacket I left in it. Feet were good, so didn't need fresh socks. Grabbed some more nutrition. Again forgot sunscreen. Thanked the volunteers and continued on. The next section would be long and tough. Pit time : 1 minute 58 seconds.
The climb continued for another 3 miles. The climb up from Williams to Carson was all on a 4x4 jeep road. A really rough road in spots, but a road. This continued another 1.5 miles after Carson, before it turned off onto a singletrack trail for the final 1.5 miles to the top. From here, we would spend the next 2 hours running along rolling terrain above 12 000 feet, across high alpine terrain. There were talus fields, snowfields, and many spots where there was no trail at all. The snowfields weren't too bad as by now 40 to 50 people had gone through, post holing a route that I could follow. But in some cases, I glissaded down them on my butt. The calf sleeves came in handy, keeping my legs from getting scrapped up by the snow. There were spots where someone must have gone waist deep when they broke trail.
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| Runners on the Divide. van Tiel |
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| Trail along divide. van Tiel |
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| Follow the flags. van Tiel |
I wouldn't say altitude was really effecting me, but I knew this was going slowly. I wasn't running as much. While the snowfields weren't awful, at times I was gingerly crossing them. I had taken in most of my fluids. It just was slow go. My achilles were beginning to hurt on the uphills. Eventually we began descending into trees, indicating lower altitude and that the next aid station was nearby. But not before having to run through a hundred yard stretch of mud. Then to just make things more difficult, had to climb a 80 feet or so up to the Divide Aid station at the Colorado Trail Yurt. Ugh.
I ran from Carson at 22.4 miles to Divide at 32.3 miles in 3:01 (18:16 pace). That was at least a half hour longer than I had thought it would take. I had lost a bunch of time. I was feeling a bit low mentally and physically. The idea of a 11 hour or 11:30 race finish was now out of the question. Sub 12 still wasn't. I took in a lot of food here. Eating some ham and cheese tortilla wraps. Mmmm...good. Bunch of coke. Refilled all my bottles. Chatted a bit with other runners and volunteers. Felt better. Thanked everyone and was on my way again. Pit time : 5 minutes 3 seconds.
The next section to the Slumgullion Aid station at 40 miles was mostly flat to downhill. Initially, there was the small descent out of the Divide Aid station which helped get me running again. A small climb of 400 vertical feet was followed by one of the more lonely sections of the race. The trail looks out over high alpine meadows and you feel very isolated. But it was flat to easy downhill, on defined trail, so I found a good rhythm again.
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| Running along the Continental Divide Trail. Photo courtesy of Gunnison Times |
Then it began a steep descent on another 4x4 road. I was able to run down this fairly well, passing a few folks for the first time since getting on the divide. The previous 4 hours, many people had passed my by. When I came into the Slumgullion Aid station and saw Andrew again, I felt rejuvenated and not only believed I would finish without any problems, but still had a shot at sub 12 hours. It took me 1:51 to go from Divide at 32.3 miles to Slumgullion at 40.1 (14:05 pace). This was around what I had thought I could do and left me about 2 hours to run the last 10 miles. I thought there was 2 miles more of climbing, followed by a long downhill to the finish. If I could kick out that climb in 40 minutes (20 min pace) then I would have to run the 8 miles in 80 minutes. Maybe I could do it. Changed shoes and socks. Since I was feeling good, I again forgot to get ibuprofen from my bag and forgot bug spray. During the descending my achilles didn't bother me and on the divide there weren't any mosquitos. So I was off again, this time with Andrew accompanying me for the last 10 miles. But Pit time: 8 minutes 46 seconds.
The first mile out of Slumgullion continued downhill. I felt great. There was a little bushwacking required to follow the race course as it ran through what appeared to be an area washed out by runoff. Then the climb began. At first I was okay. But as it progressed, my achilles really began to have shooting pain on each push off. The lower elevation meant higher temps and the heat began to set in on me. My lack of long training runs meant I wasn't ready for this after 40 miles and fatigue really set in. Mentally I cracked. I just didn't feel like I could go any further. I cursed myself for forgetting the ibuprofen. If it weren't for Andrew being with me in this section, I might still be there. At one point I stopped and sat down. Two runners came by and encouraged me to keep going. "Always Be Moving" That's the mantra I have said to myself in my down periods in the 50K's I did in 2014. Even if it is a shuffle, it still means you are closer to the finish line than you were 5, 10, 15 minutes ago. But it was slow going. The climb seemed to go on forever. It actually was 2.3 miles with a gain of 1500 vertical feet. My watch would register one section with a gain of 725 feet in a mile. Near the top, it crossed through a meadow, where the mosquito's were out in force. Anytime I stopped, they would swarm. Another motivating factor to keep moving. Somehow I kept moving along, and when we finally began to level out and even descend a bit, I was surprised to find myself able to run again.
We rolled into Vicker's Aid station at 45.5 miles having "run" the last 5.4 miles in 1:46 (19:53 pace). I was able to get some bug spray here. Took in some food along with M+M's. Refilled bottles, as I had dumped one on me at one point to cool off just a little. 4.5 miles to the finish. There sign said 3.5 miles, but based on what Greg had told me and what my watch said, I believed it was likely 4.5 miles. Sub 12 was out of the question. Now the goal was sub 13.
The course had a few more little hills, before descending steeply into town.
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| Descent through the aspens. Photo courtesy of Andrew Armiger. |
The descent reminded me a bit of Imogene Pass Run, in that you were looking down on the town, but still had a ways to go to the finish. I wasn't going to fall for that siren song of "look you are almost done." It was going to be longer than it looked. Obviously tired and hot, I just focused on trying to run the rest of the way. The last mile through town is so tough as it is so flat. I haven't run on anything this flat in hours. The clock was ticking. I tried to sprint it in, but photo shows it was just a fast shuffle.
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| Coming into the finish. Photo courtesy of Andrew Armiger. |
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| Finish! |
12:56:49. 84th out of 182 finishers. The race is limited to 250 people. Not sure how many actually started, but likely 225-240 started. All in all I am happy with the race. Primary goal was to finish, and I did. I felt like I kept a good, consistent effort throughout the nearly 13 hours. I was able to regroup a couple of times during the race when I felt low, especially after I cracked on the last major climb. I ended up running in the last 4.5 miles (13:29 pace) and finished "strong." It was a great experience. The first 15 miles were worth the price of admission. The area is so amazingly beautiful. The folks who put on the race are great. The town really embraces the race. The next day there was free breakfast for all runners and support crews. Every finisher is announced and given their appropriate award. I gladly accepted my white hat for sub 16 hours. It is a great race and some day I will be back, because I know I can get that red hat for sub 12 hours.
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| Lake San Cristobol as we returned post race. |
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| Snow melt means Waterfalls. |
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| Atop Engineer Pass |
So it was another great weekend in Lake City. I can't wait to go back.
Link to all the numbers from my GPS.
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