Chips Ahoy!

I am now a week out from Moab, and one thing I have yet to curb is my appetite. In particular Chips Ahoy, mostly because I am cramming them into my face right now as I type this, and I CAN'T STOP!!!!! This week was more of a forced taper than I would have liked because of schedule.  But I am sure I wont be complaining about it come next Saturday.

The best thing about this winter is being able to run with the Wranglers.  It has opened my eyes to what I though could be done.  To see and meet so many great people has been awesome.  I love this group, with so many people who just love to run and have fun. Here are some pictures from January.

Cy and Me at Snowbird, coming up from Tibble Fork.

Wranglers @ Mount Olympus

American Fork Canyon

Dennis

Me on the Alpine Loop

Last week I got the chance to do something that I have always wanted to do.  I wanted to run Lake Mountain from the house and back.  I remember when I first started running I stumbled upon a blog post that was talking about the very same thing.  I always wondered if I would be able to just pickup and head out.

Well it happened last week.  The Wranglers were heading out to Lake Mountain for some good ole fashioned fun. Some where planning on doubles and even more.  I decided I would meet the second group at 7am for my assent.  I left the house at around 5:40 and headed toward the mountain.  I felt a little dorky with so much gear, but no one was awake anyways.

View of Lake MTN

Back to Home

Well its always true that Wrangler Runs never disappoint. It was perfect timing for my run, I even found this sign!

It felt great to get something off of the bucket list and bag 24 miles at the same time.  Not to mention that the run felt fantastic! Well needless to say I am hoping of a much better time for Moab this year.  6 hours and 30 min was a bit sad.  I am sure I will do better with nutrition and I feel like I am better trained.  If nothing else the weather should prove to be a massive boost.  I am ready to be out of the cold if only for a few days!

Kalalau Trail, Kauai, Hawaii

Napali Coast - Kalalau Trail

It all started with the wife and I planning a get away vacation.  She had always wanted to go to Hawaii, so as soon as she settled on Kauai I started looking for a trail.  I figured I could have one afternoon to burn, right? After doing some research, the only trail with any distance was the Kalalau trail.  There were others listed, but were either paved or too short to make the journey worth it.  Besides, looking back, running on that island is suicide with the traffic and roads.  And who wants to run roads on vacation?  I would rather take my chances with my pasty white skin and no sun screen on the beach.   (Which btw is another funny story, but maybe later).

Kalalau from the top

Facts about the trail:

• Location: Kauai, Hawaii
• Length 11 miles one way (To the Kalalau River, not the beach)
• Rainforest and arid landscapes
• Numerous stream crossings
• Steep exposed sections
• There are "permanent residents" camped throughout
• A camping permit is required
• 6,526 feet gain over the loop of the trail

Kalalau Trail

Preparation

So I Googled the crud out of this trail trying to pull more than just tourist facts about the trail.  There were numerous accounts on blogs of the trail describing its beauty and difficulties of the terrain.  The one thing I could not find however was an account of someone running the trail.  Which kind of freaked me out, but there are Strava segments, so why should I worry right? I felt confident in my assessment and a month out I emailed the Hawaii State Parks to inquire if I needed a permit.  After some arguing, it turns out that you need one even for a day trip, no exceptions.  The nice lady even did her best to give me a stern warning about what I was thinking about doing.  I did my best to prepare before packing our bags, projecting my needs and possible timing of which I estimated around 5-6 hours.

Me at the start

On your mark get set GO!

Well the chosen day had arrived, with only minor sunburns.  We left the Cottage in Lihue around 6 am and headed north towards Ke'e beach.  The forecast called for scattered showers throughout the day, but in Kauai it rains every day with an annual average rainfall of 460 inches.  I packed light, taking my AK vest w/ 2 bottles, sun glasses, hat, MSR tabs, and nutrition (5 gels and food). Steph had decided that she wanted to see the first part of the trail to Hanakapi'al so we set off together.

Her first question to me was: "Your going to run this?" It wasn't that it was a mountain trail or even the rocks or cliff's.  It was the condition of the trail.  It was mud.  Solid mud and mud puddles, mud covered rocks and roots.  It was so bad that people were putting leaves from the plants surrounding the trail to try to cover the mud.  It was just a huge muddy mess.  And then it started to rain.  After getting a mile into the trail we were able to find some more manageable sections heading down to the beach.  It seemed things would get better for the rest of my trip.

Hanakapi'al

After walking around the beach and exploring a bit, I contemplated just spending the day there, but I was committed and said goodbye to Steph and headed up the "Permit Only" section of the trail.  Trail conditions had not improved much from the initial hike/run in.  The scenery was amazing and made me just keep going searching for what was around the next corner.  The trail here was mixed wet and dry usually littered with leaves and guava fruit which combined maintained and sketchy trail sections with steep climbs/drops and big rock.  The rain came on hard at times making running near impossible on the good sections.  The nice thing about the rain is you really didn't need much protection since almost everything is inevitably wet anyway, so I decided not to take my rain jacket.

The experience

The experience of running through a rain forest was alien to me.  The senses, sights and sounds were so different from running in the Wasatch.  The sheer amount of trees and the sea of green. Occasionally a fruit or coconut would come crashing down through the trees and scare the crap out of me and make me laugh at my own jumpiness. The expanse of the ocean that stretched out without any end.   The sound of the waves would boom against the cliffs like the howitzers at Camp Williams. Water falls were everywhere in the cliffs above the trail.  The many streams and river giving sound to the quietness of forest.  The sound of the rain hitting all the trees above me.  The guava fruit was so fragrant, especially when smashed into the trail.  The flies loved them and would swarm everywhere when you approached. The old stone structures and terraces gave a sense of history to the trail. In my head I imagined running with ancient Hawaiians on this very same trail. 

Running on a coast line was so different from anything else. You can see the trail off in the distance on the far canyon wall, but to get there you have to descend and move into the canyon and the ascend and move out.   It played tricks with my mind the entire length of the trail especially at the end. The differences between the valleys and the cliffs was even more pronounced by the change from jungle and rock scrambling to exposed cliffs and very little cover.  

As I dropped down into Hanakoa I found other hikers at the campsites by the river.  I stopped ate a GU and chatted for a bit with a couple of people.  Everyone asked how long I was planning on staying. Apparently carrying next to nothing didn't tip them off, and most people refused to believe I was making a day trip. One other thing I had noticed in some of the other smaller valleys but especially in the Hanakoa valley was the overgrown agriculture terraces from when the valley used to be inhabited.
  

At Hanakoa the weather had changed, the clouds had moved off and the sun came beating down.  The heat also started to really come into play here.  Rounding the corner out of the valley I could tell the terrain was starting to change to a more arid look and feel.

The more arid section.

The next section is especially known for its steepness and cliffs.  Little to no vegetation was present and some of the exposure was quite unnerving at times.  Loose rock, cliff and only ocean below made it one of the more memorable sections.  I was so mad that after making back through this section that I didn't take any pictures so have a look at these ones for a good idea.   It reminded me a lot of peak scrambling.  

The next section it was getting hot and the humidity was up (85%).  I had almost gone through my 2 water bottles and was looking forward to resting at the beach that I could see off in the distance.  Down a ways below was a more secluded beach mostly blocked by the cliffs, which had some people tanning al-natural.

Pu'ukulua (Red Hill) (You can see this at the bottom in the rainbow picture)

After descending a very steep red dirt hill you end up at the Kalalau River which is a very nice tropical oasis after coming through the hot dry part of the trail from Hanakoa.  My first impression was to jump into one of the pools to cool off, but a sign on the hill quickly stopped me before I managed to get in. The river is the only source of water for the local inhabitants of the valley so they want to keep it as clean as possible. The river is also the official end of the Kalalau trail at 11 miles. The beach is another 1-2 miles further down.  Which is where the approved camping sites also are. I was tired and hungry but I wanted to see the beach, so I continued on down the trail until my shoes touched the sand.  It was just so hot I wanted to sit in the shade, so I snapped a picture and headed back as quick to the stream as quickly as I could.

Kalalau Beach

This is where it gets interesting!

Well I though I had planned well.  I had just enough water for lunch and I was 3 hours into my adventure feeling hot but good.  I unstrapped by pack filled a water bottle and dropped a MSR tab into it to have more water for when I finished my lunch. Opening my pack I had a very big "Oh Crap" moment.  There was nothing else in the back besides my sunglasses and phone.  My mind quickly reviewed the morning and packing.  Nope I forgot my sandwich, which just happened to be part of my nutrition that I was going to use for the run.  

Slightly panicked I took a quick inventory of the situation and came to the obvious conclusion.  I was going to bonk and bonk hard on this run.  I had three gu's left.  Two of which I had for lunch and was going to save the other one for the run out.  I finished off what water I had left and realized that I was more dehydrated than I originally thought.  Crap I though to myself, the tabs take 40 minutes to work fully and I only have one bottle at 10 minutes.  Doing the math and knowing the time that I told Steph I would be back, I had to get going.  I filled the other bottle and put in a tab and headed back up Red Hill.  

On the way back to Hanakoa I stopped and said a quick prayer, to give thanks for the opportunity that I had been given to run in such a beautiful place.  I think I might have also been asking for something similar to Jesus and the Loaves and Fishes.  Begin the slog fest! I began passing people that I had seen on the way in.  Saying hi I just kept trying to keep moving as fast as I could, running when I felt like it on the good trail.  The heat hit hard on the cliffs section, I downed almost all of one bottle and was almost done with my second by the time I hit the Hanakoa stream.  At the stream I just stood there for a while, and then jumped into a pool and sat down.  The water was like magic giving life to my tired legs.  I filled one bottle downed my last gu and charged on determined to make it back to Steph by my estimated time.  

The way back.

Remember what I was saying about the valleys?  In the picture above you can see the tip of Ke'e beach (trail start).  What you don't see is all the valleys in between.  Each time I rounded a corner I could tell I was getting closer, but only in baby steps. The guava fruit that was smashed on the trail was so fragrant that it made me sick when I could smell it.  Each stream I came across I sat in try to cool off and give me new life.  All I wanted to see was the Hanakapi'al beach and to know that I only had 2 miles to go. Each climb up from a valley was steep and the sun was beating down.  My pace was slowing dramatically too.  The uphills were now just a steady hike pausing in the shade where I could find it.  

I deliriously kept telling myself that Steph had hiked back into Hanakapi'al and was waiting there with a cheese burger and coke.  Hey whatever works right? No such luck :) Instead I plunged into the river and laid down much to the amusement of all the tourists around.  Knowing that there was only two miles left was a blessing and a curse.  I was toast.  Most people probably thought I was crazy thinking I had only gone in two miles to the beach and looking so trashed. 

23 miles

Once I could see Ke'e beach I knew I was in the home stretch and I moved as fast as I could down the wet rocky trail.  Once I hit the end of the trail I looked for Steph.  She waved to me from the beach prompting me to come over.  I promptly crashed on a cement bench and laid down, exhausted.  I had done it. Something that I was looking forward to for most of the summer.  I finished my adventure run. It was magnificent, beautiful, crazy, and emotional.  I knew without a doubt that I had left it all out on the trail that day. The Kalalau trail lived up the toughness that everyone had described and will forever be etched in my memory as one of the best runs I have ever had. I even got to run with the love of my life!

And to top the whole day off we had dinner watching the sunset. What an awesome vacation!

Mahalo nui loa Kauai

The Universe Hates Me - A love story.

The following is my Skyline race report.  In the event this post does not make sense please disregard and wait for my Sapper Joe report next week.  I am sure it will be even better :)

Friday

I had decided last minute (two weeks ago after Kings) that I was apparently in good enough physical shape to attempt to run the Skyline Marathon before the Sapper Joe 50k this weekend.  So with the bright idea of conserving the environment I promptly boarded a train heading for Layton to meet my Dad.  Trying to get to the train we realized that the road was closed.  My wife successfully did an end run around American Fork to get us there on time.

Upon reaching SLC central the train conductor promptly told us that we would be waiting an undefined amount of time for the train next to us.  It seems it had broken down and needed to be moved back to the yard.  After 15 min of waiting we proceeded to the North Temple station.  (BTW the broken down train was still there).

When we reached the station, the conductor then told us that we had to wait for the previously mentioned train to pass us on the way to the yard.  We waited.  It wasn't long till the train passed (maybe 10 min) and then the train pushing the other train returned past our platform.  I assumed all was well and that we would be moving shortly.  Ohhhhh was I wrong!

The conductor then informs everyone left on the train that there is a chemical spill in Woods Cross and that we will now have to use a bus bridge to get to our destination.  For a while I toyed with the meaning of "Bus Bridge" and couldn't come up with any other imagery other than busses being destroyed by trains. I was ticked.

After packing into a bus I was right up by the driver standing for my ride to Farmington, that is of course after we stop at Woods Cross to let those passengers off.  Well as it turns out Google Maps on an iPhone is the best way to guide a bus bridge to its destination.  Especially when the said chemical spill is blocking the best route to the station.  I do have to admit that the driver of the bus was a very nice guy and we did have a great conversation moving from station to station.

Thank goodness for my Dad, he saved me.  Instead of Layton he came and got me in Farmington.  I was glad to be off the bus and in a normal car. Oh and another BTW, the train that I left at North Temple? Ya it showed up right when I was leaving Farmington.  FTW!

So since I don't have any photos from the race I decided to include the music that fit the feeling of the day. (Some are sarcastic, ok most) Hence Luckiest Man above.

Saturday - RACE DAY!

The good news?  I didn't have to ride the busses to the starting line!  My dad was kind enough to drive me to the start (He ran the Half, and rocked it).  For starters the morning was warm.  I mean really warm.  It was going to be a hot one.  Race started at 6am sharp, so I decided to head out with out a headlamp.  Which turned out to be just fine.  After stumbling over some rocks, and maybe people we were off and up the mountain.

About a half a mile in I started to notice that my left food was beginning to go numb.  I figured in all my morning grogginess I had simply tightened my shoes too tight. So I stopped to fix them.  And then again at mile 1 and 1.2 and 1.3 and 1.5 and 2 and... Well by then I couldn't feel my left foot. It was so numb that I could hardly step on it.  I was getting ticked.  By mile 3 I had enough and resolve to just remove the shoe and see what was wrong.

I found a nice rock, but noticed a pile of horse crud with flies buzzing around, so I decided it would be better to find another spot.  Well those weren't flies, they happened to be large black wasps.  The first one hit me in my right hand and the second was in my right leg. It was like someone shot me with a pellet gun.  I said some things that I don't recall (ok I lie) and ran to the next bend in the trail.  They only thing I remember is the screams from other people getting stung behind me and the onset of a seriously bad attitude.   I did manage to forget about my left foot until mile 4.5.  There I undid my shoe completely and just let the laces hang.  It felt better by mile 5 and so did my finger and leg.

American Authors - Believer seemed to be a good fit here.  "I am just a believer that things are going to get better!" Well they did.  I crested the ridge line just below Mt Ben Lomond and the view was amazing. I remember last year this is where I got my high for the race.  I loved running the ridge line toward the North Ogden divide.  I put on my headphones and headed out for a good time putting all that crap behind me.  

Oh and did I mention that I hadn't tied my shoe yet? Yup.  It didn't end well either. I did a flying superman down my right side into some dust and rocks.  Banged up my right knee, hip and hand.  What is it with my right side anyway?  My bad attitude had hid itself not too far away and it came storming back.  I was done and pissed and looking for my first DNF.  I didn't care.  As soon as I reached the Half starting point I was done.  

Carousels song titled "Lets Go Home".  It just fits. I had every intention of stopping and going home.  That was until Sam and Steve came in behind me and taunted me with a "You let us catch up". That was all I needed.  I knew from that point with my attitude it was going to be an all out slug fest but I didn't care.  I was going to make this one count!  Well maybe at least hurt... a lot....

The rest was rather uneventful.  I made descent time for me.  Completely forgot to take care of my nutrition and bonked hard on the last 3 miles.  But in the end I finished and I didn't let it beat me. Well maybe physically and mentally, but I still had my pride! lol.  In the end I finished almost 1:20 head of last year at 5:05.  I really wanted sub 5 but I would take anything on a day like that.  At least I finished and kept with it. I learned a lot.  Seems like I always do.

Here to seeing how it all works out with Sapper Joe.  It will be another adventure I am sure. Oh and I lied I do have a photo.  Just to prove I finished...

Skyline Video

The fokes over at Striders Running in Layton put up this video of the Skyline Marathon.  I had a hard time explaining to Steph the exact steepness of the south side of the North Ogden Divide but I think this video explained it well.  Its amazing how easily you forget the pain...

http://www.stridersrunningblog.com/1/post/2012/08/skyline-mountain-marathon-2012.html

Skyline Trail Marathon Post Race

Wow what an experience.  While I wouldn't put that one down for the record books I would have to say it wasn't bad for my first marathon!  I had a few ups and downs but over all it left me wanting more, but just a tad sore.

I headed up to my dad's the night before to make sure I could get a good jump on the morning. My dad being the ever caring soul wanted to drive up and scope out the starting line.  We headed up Friday night and as we were driving around what would be the start and end of the course it finally started to sink in.  When you stand back and look at the distance it is quite far.  I guess looking at a map doesn't quite do it justice.  I honestly don't know how the 50+ milers do it. Maybe its a scope thing.  You just can't tell how big it is?

Skyline Marathon Route

Anyway back to the race.  I woke up early on Saturday morning around 3:30.  I didn't even have to hit my alarm my body was already awake.  I made quick work of getting ready and packed my things.  My dad was heading down to do the Saratoga Tri and was just getting up as well.  I Said good bye and wished him luck and headed out the door.

When I got to the park people were just beginning to get there, I got out of the car to stretch and just stare at the stars.  I forget how many there are.  I kept looking around at other people as they were moving around trying to see what they were bringing for hydration, etc. I guess I was feeling self conscious about bringing my hydration pack. Was 64oz overkill?  In the end it proved to be a good decision for me.  Although I could have probably done just as well with two bottles.

The bus drivers got lost on the way to the trail head.  It didn't help that it was still dark and then having 50ish people telling you that you went the wrong way.  We ended up starting around 6:20, almost 20 min late.  I guess I really didn't need to bring my headlamp because the sun was now peaking up over the mountains to the east.  We got started fairly quick and the lead group was gone.  I learned after finishing that they finished sub 4 hours.  Just amazing.

The climb to Ben Lomond peak went great.  I did run into an issue with my left foot going numb for about 3 miles but after adjusting my shoe several times it finally went away.  The rest of the climb was fun and I was just enjoying my first trail race.  When we got to the AS at the top of the ridge the view was amazing from both sides.  I grabbed a quick cup of water and headed on down the trail along the ridge line.  I was felling pretty good and was trying to hold myself back but I couldn't resist letting loose a little on that awesome single track.

Skyline Trail heading south to North Ogden Divide

I was just having a blast and continued that all the way down to the divide and the AS.  I filled up and grabbed some snacks and headed up the trail.  I was expecting the trail to be mostly like the previous climb with nice switchbacks and a decent grade.  The game changer for me was when I turned that next corner and began staring at the 15-20% grade before me.  It wasn't going to be a run for me but rather a very long hike to the top.  I got a good gauge on my shape as a few people passed me and I really began to struggle with the accent.  When the trail finally broke the tree line and wrapped up the ridge line I finally saw the picture below.

Climbing to the peak on South Skyline

By now the lead pack was probably almost done and the sun was getting higher overhead.  It was hot and the climb was miserable and I didn't like where this was going.  By the time I hit he summit and headed down to the 3rd AS I was tired and I wasn't quite feeling the same as I had been on the down hill from Ben Lomond.  What I didn't know at the time is that I had ascended an extra 1000ft over what I had been planning.  For some reason I thought the total elevation gain was going to be 4200ft, after finishing and uploading data from my Garmin it came in at 5264.

I decided that I would turn on some music and make the best of the next 8 miles before heading off the mountain to the marina at Pineview.  I passed a few people and got passed more than I would like to admit. The trail was long, dusty and never ending.  It didn't help the Pineview with its blue water was very inviting.

Finally hitting the marina I filled up on some more water and hit the last 3 miles of trail along the shore. It was miserable and I was hot and out of energy.  In between stints of walking and running at what seemed like lightening speeds (I could have been passed by a grandma in a walker) I kept plugging away inching ever closer to the end.  I looked longingly at the families launching their boats to head into the cool water that seemed like it was just feet away.  I was also recalling the stories that I have read on running blogs about people hallucinating in heat or from exhaustion and wondering to myself at what point that would become a reality.  I was no where near that stage but I wondered in my head what it would take to get there.

One of the great things that I love about doing these races is the support from my wife and kids.  I love getting to that finishing line and having those kids run the final stretch with me.  It a fantastic feeling.  And I have to give some serious props to my wife for standing out there waiting for me with 4 little ones.  Not many people would do that.

The kids and I finishing

I was glad to be finished.  More than anything I was glad to be out of the sun and out of the heat.  It took me a grand total of 6:22.  I remember thinking to myself when doing the last climb if this was something that I wanted to do again. I had already registered for the Antelope Island 50k in October and the thought of running at that time was a very challenging one.  Interesting thing was that once I crossed that line I new I wanted to do Antelope Island more than ever.

As a matter of fact I am already itching to get back up on the trails and my legs haven't even recovered yet.  I really want to run the Brighton to Rock Springs section of the Wasatch 100.  I am thinking maybe this Saturday.  Here's to getting back out on the trails.

Corner Canyon - Skyline Prerace

I decided to take off up Corner Canyon today and just take it easy.  I headed up Hog Hollow with Bear  (my dog) and we watched the 50k runners from the Corner Canyon 50k head off to Ann's trail.  It reminded me of the challenge ahead for the Skyline Trail Marathon next weekend.  I kept it short around 8 miles and headed back home.  Bear was exhausted so it turned out to be a good time to head back.  I couldn't get him out of the steam at the entrance to Hog Hollow.  I should really get out with him more.

After watching the runners all I could think about was the Skyline Marathon.  I have been through a mix of emotions coming up to this coming week.  Mostly I am just terrified that I chose a trail marathon for my first one.  I don't doubt that I can finish, but it still doesn't stop my mind from playing those constant tricks of did I train hard enough, what else could I have done, what am I going to need? If anyone knows me they know that I love to analyze things till my mind is exhausted, much how I like to run.  Someone else said "If a problem can't be worked out on a long run it's not a problem".  I like that saying.

Back to Skyline.  It starts at the Weber County North Fork Park and heads up the Ben Lomond Peak Trail (2042) to the ridge of Ben Lomond Peak.  From there it heads south on the North Skyline Trail (2001) down to the North Ogden Divide which also happens to be the half way point and starting point for the half marathon.  From there we head back up to the South Skyline Trail up and over the "Ogden" mountain and down to the Pineview Marina.  From there we run along Pineview to finish at the Eden Park.

My biggest worries is hydration.  We have 6 aide stations along the way with the longest stretch being about 8 miles between them.  I worry mostly about hydration since I tend to sweat a lot and by the time I hit the 8 mile stretch  about 9-10 am the sun will be overhead and staring to get hot.  Normally I think I would trust that each aide station would be fully stocked and I would just take my handheld filling up as I go, but that turned out to be a mistake when I did the Utah Half.  The aid stations ran dry and it was very hot for the run.

So my question that I am wrestling with is take my pack or just use bottles?  I would rather use my handheld then take my pack, although I do like the convenience of the pack with the pockets up front.  I wish I had something in-between that sported bottles with the pockets for packing snacks.

I have been wondering what I will be able to complete the course in.  Having no baseline for a marathon let alone a trail marathon.  My guess is that it will be somewhere between the 5-6 hour mark.  Given my time up Timp (4 hours round trip) with roughly the same elevation gain (minus some) and coming in at around 15 miles.  I am not looking to set a PR or anything just trying to see what I can do.  Besides it will be a good reality check for the Antelope Island 50k in October. Hopefully it won't end up like the Echo Tri.

Here's to a good week of over analyzing!