Squaw Peak 50

Saddle of Box Elder w/ Jerry and Scott

The Squaw Peak 50 turned out to be more than just a race for me.  I had been looking forward to it all year.  I trained thinking about Squaw not Zions.  Even though I wanted redemption for a 100k I wanted to know just how much I had improved and it was the perfect event to find out.

After Zion's I started to come up with a training plan for Squaw.  I quickly decided that I wanted to make sure I was getting my milage in, but I was not going to plan specific distances for each week.  I had trouble recovering from Zion's and didn't really get my legs back for a few weeks.  I tried to take it easy, but with most of the Wasatch opening up I really wanted to be up on the trails.  It just felt like I hit setback after setback, a cold, stress for building a house and work.  I was wondering if I was going to be ready.  I sure didn't feel like it.

Elevation for the year

At the end of May just a week before the race, and on a whim I decided to look at my stats for the year. Looking at mileage I was up from the previous months, which made be feel like I wasn't a slacker after all.  But then I switched the view over to elevation, apparently I had been getting my vert in, because I more than doubled my elevation for April.  Seeing this made me feel much better about the way I had been feeling.  The thing I had been debating over however was what would I finish in.  I decided to set a goal of a half hour earlier than last years 12:12:00.  I felt like if I could just go sub 12 hours it would be good enough.

June 7th rolled around and I felt numb.  No nerves before the race, although I tossed and turned the night before thinking about my drop bags.  At the starting line it was much the same thing, just a peaceful calm in pre-morning cold.  I found a couple of Wastach Mountain Wranglers and chatted it up, talking about the race and other things.  Before long we were down the trail.  Instantly I remembered two things.  First try not to get stuck behind the line of people going up the Bonneville Shoreline Trail (BST). Second how I loved the sight of the headlamps running through the tunnel of trees on the Provo River Trail. It was one of my favorite things from last year.

Going up the BST I started to wonder if I was moving too fast.  I wasn't pushing super hard but rather just a very nice run up the trail to the pipeline trail.  It felt good, I felt good, but I was worried that I might be pushing too hard.  I remember something that I heard several times over. "Just do what your body wants/can and it will work itself out".  So that's what I did.  I figured if for some reason if I pushed too hard, at least I would have had the good parts too.

Taken by Galen before Kolob Overlook

I met a guy named Scott on the ascent out of Rock Canyon, we had met a couple of months before at the Curley Springs Trail above Battle Creek.   It was his first ultra distance and he was doing fantastic. I was still doing well, but the thought kept in the back of my head "Maybe your going too fast".  I ignored it and kept going.  The part from Squaw Peak to Kolob Overlook is some of the most scenic parts of the race with sweeping views of the valley amongst the pine and aspens.  Its hard to not get lost running through this section.

The decent to Pole Haven on the other hand is a completely different story.  Its almost symbolic as to say, "That was fun, wasn't it? Now lets get back to the race." I kept pushing to get to the aide station and have a break.  On the way down, I kept thinking about the road up Hobble Creek.  Its usually hot and not very fun.   It helped keep my mind occupied till Pole Haven.  At the aide station I ran into some more Wrangler's, Josh and Kendall.

Then came the road.  It was hot and boring. The support from people driving up to the next aide station was nice.  Lots of Cowbells and cheering.  I kept my eyes forward and just kept moving.  One of the best things about Ultras is the aide stations and the people.  These people sit out in the sun all day long to support a couple hundred people they don't know.  I have to say without question, the people and stations at this race are awesome. Coming into Sheep Creek I could hear the music blaring and was greeted by a nice girl handing out otter pops. Last year when I came in I remember hearing AC/DC Highway to Hell.  Which could be fitting, as it was getting hot. ;)

Little Valley w/ family, mile 32

I rolled into Little Valley strong and happy.  The climbs felt good and I had a smile on my face that I couldn't remove if I tried.  Seeing the family also helped. I restocked, said goodbyes and headed out for the hardest part of the race.  The people at the aide station had told us that the next station Windy Pass, was out of water.  So I added an extra water bottle for a total of 3 for the hot climb out of the valley.

At this point some of the course had also lost its flagging.  If I had not done the course previously I would have been hopelessly lost.  It was here that I caught up to Chris who had started hiking from Hobble Creek earlier in the day.  It was good to see another friendly face.  Shortly after we started up the hot exposed switchbacks to the saddle of Bald Knoll.

Kendall who was pacing someone else had caught up to me.  I was dreading the upcoming climb up Bozung hill and Kendall's enthusiasm was rubbing off on me.  I decided to try to see if I could keep up for a bit and enjoyed the boost.  I remember very distinctly Kendall singing "Lets Go Fly a Kite...", which I would later wake up at midnight singing.  I also remember asking what time they were shooting for, mentioning that they were shooting for sub 11.  I was somewhat jealous, I would have loved to come in under 11 but just didn't think it was possible.

They dropped me shortly after the saddle but I managed to maintain the inertia going into Bozung hill. I was flying and it felt good and I didn't want to stop.  Bozung hill is like slamming into a wall with 1,200 feet in elevation gain in about a mile.  Its brutal, hands on knees, straight up climbing.  I was feeling it, but tried to maintain my momentum and attitude as I climbed.

Heading into Windy Pass I had a whole new outlook on the race.  I was feeling great and I knew I was going to finish strong as long as I kept my nutrition in check.  It was also for this steep and super rocky downhill section that I bought my Altra Olympus shoes.  Last year my feet were feeling very trashed from this section.  With out that extra padding I don't think my feet would have survived the 6 miles of downhill with all the rocks.

Finish

I hit Big Springs and was still ready to go.  I dropped my pack with the family and headed out for the finish.  I knew by then I could do sub 11 and I was bound and determined that I was going to hit it. I crossed the finish in 10:47, something I didn't think I would have been able to do.  I had a permanent smile on for several days after.  It felt great to not only achieve goals, but exceed them.  Its a memory that I will always cherish. The only problem with having such a successful race, is what do you do next?  Kachina Mosa, Bear, Pony Express, or Antelope.....

Squaw Peak 50

I finished my first 50 miler on Saturday.  The Squaw Peak 50 has a total elevation gain of 14,000 feet and is said to be the 3rd toughest 50 mile ultra in the US.  For some reason this one just made sense for my first choice.  I couldn't really explain why, it just felt right.  I remember when running last year on the trails above rock canyon.  It had crossed my mind that these were the same trails that the SP 50 was on.  I wondered in awe how people would manage to run 50 miles on such terrain.

In all honesty this time last summer I was wondering if I could somehow manage to run the Skyline Trail Marathon and live.  I had never ran over 18 miles at one time in my life.  I had no practical experience on trails, just a desire to get out and see how far I could go.  After completing Skyline and finishing a complete wreck I convinced myself that I could somehow run a 50k.  I trained a little more and had a fantastic time completing my first 50k at Antelope Island 2 months later.  Somehow in between everything I became hooked.  When asked by other people if I would ever go farther, my first response was probably not.  I was scared and intimidated by moving to a longer distance.  Long story short in November I decided that I would put in for the SP 50 and somewhat hope that I wouldn't get in.  Well as it turned out, I got in.

Much of the winter became a transition for me.  I went from slugging out 18 mile runs to looking forward to running my 20+ runs for training.  Some of these were even in the single digits on roads and I was eating up every second.  Fast forward 5 months and there I was, I couldn't believe it.  I was honestly going to attempt my first 50.

Starting my taper 3 weeks out I went with my friend Chris up Grove Creek to Big Baldy.  It turned out to be a fantastic day in the mountains.  Chris was also doing SP so most of our time was talking of our impending adventure.  We had a fantastic time.

Meadows between Battle and Grove

Panorama from Big Baldy

The week before the race my wife asked me how I felt. I felt good, energetic and was full of confidence.  In my head I had already completed the race and was mentally preparing for the next challenge.  Still that didn't prevent me from feeling completely overwhelmed with nerves at any given point.  I didn't get much sleep that night, mostly tossing and turning.  I kept worrying about small details, especially how cold it would be in the morning.

I got up at around 2:40 and got some breakfast.  I figured since I wasn't sleeping much I would try to get up to the race start to see my friend Chris and his friend Bill off at the early 4am start. I missed them however because the parking for the racers had been moved 1/4 mile down from vivian park.  I sat on the bank of the Provo River freezing and cheering them on as they passed.

My father had woken up and drove an extra hour down just to see me off.  I seriously have the best dad.  He has always been such a great support to me and with out him there I probably would have just been a big ball of nerves.   The race started just after 5:00 am heading west along the Provo river trail.  I remember seeing the all the lights shining on the tree canopy above the trail as we were running.  It looked like we were in a tunnel.  It was one of the many parts I wish I could have had a camera for, since in time I am sure the memory will fade.  

I remember that I kept telling myself, "Slow down till you feel like your running slow and then slow down some more."  I was doing 8ish min miles with the group I was with.  I kept telling myself that I needed to save it or I was going to regret it in the later part of the race.  But I kept going anyway, till we reached the Boniville Shoreline Trail heading south and up to Squaw Peak. It was a long line of fast hiking runners trudging there way to the top.  I got in with a great bunch that were just chatting and having a great time.  When we were coming up on Hope CG and the first aide station I could smell breakfast in the air.  It was then that I equated Hope = Bacon.  It stuck with me for the rest of the race.  

I got a quick refill on water and quickly left the aide station.  

If there was one thing that I had heard in my obsessive stalking of other ultra runners is what Craig Lloyd often evangelizes is that you should get out as quickly as possible from aide stations.  I decided that i was going to take this advice to heart.  I reminded myself that I needed to focus on a steady sustainable pace, but I was lost in it all.  I keept up on my nutrition though.  Something that I had learned the hard way at Moab this year.  Gu's every 45min with solid food in between.  It hasn't let me down yet. 

The canyon above Rock Canyon was beautiful.  The big pines and aspens had that smell about them that just gets right to your bones.  I live for that smell of the forest.  After taking off from the Rock Canyon aide station I found myself catching up to Chris and Bill.  Bill had had some very nasty stomach problems that had set them back quite a bit.  I was hoping that I would catch them around mile 25 or so.  Bill was feeling better however and they were both optimistic about the race.  With some reassurance and encouragement I headed up the trail hoping to see them catching up to me later in the race.  

It was this section of the trail that was less of a trail and more like a scavenger hunt for the trail markers.  The trail was practically non existant.  It was to my surprise that we ran across our RD John Bozung standing out in the middle of nowhere with his camera taking pictures of everyone.  John has an amazing history and quite a few accomplishments as well as just being a very nice guy.  Coming up over the ridge I could see the next aide station off in the distance.  I was still feeling good, but was running alone for most of this section.  I started thinking to myself quite a bit, and was wondering when I would hit my low and how many I would have. I guessed that it would be coming down into the next aide station Pole Heaven and I was right.  For some reason running on the dirt road was grinding me the wrong way. It became a matter of focusing on what I needed and just getting to the aide station.  It probably had a fair amount to do with the amount of down hill as well.  I began tripping over rocks quite a bit.  I even managed to recover from one potentially nasty spill and received a round of applause from the runners around me.

At Pole Heaven I tried to prepare mentally for the climb up to Left Fork on the pavement.  It was this section that I was not looking forward too. I was relieved to find that it was more lively that I thought it would be.  I talked with several people and people were cheering and honking from their cars.  When I was almost to Left Fork my dad showed up and cheered me on.  That helped to see a familiar face.  I hung around the aide station waiting for a bit to see if my wife and kids would show up but as it turns out I missed them buy just a few minuties.  

It was from this stretch on that I could see people struggling either mentally for physically.  Its not hard to see in an ultra, but its one of the things that binds everyone together.  Everyone from the runners to the aide station volunteers to the support crews seem to have this connection.  Its one of the things that I love about this sport. 

The sections from Sheep Creek to Windy Pass are some of the most beautiful of this course.  It was also at this point that I figured out I wasn't doing as well as I thought on hydration and my salt intake. Only having one bottle from Sheep Creek to Little Valley I ran out of water quick.  I was smart enough to pack another bottle at Little Valley but I didn't take the chance to hydrate well enough before leaving the aide station.  Something that in hindsight, had I known what was ahead, I would have taken some extra time to do.  

Climbing up out of little valley was beautiful.  I knew that this was the section that had the dreaded Bozung hill but I didn't really have a grasp on how difficult it would be.  It went straight up, creating its own trail on the ridge line of the mountain it gains roughly 1,100 feet in under a mile.  Its a but kicker for sure.  I felt like I tackled it ok.  But at the top I knew I was in trouble.  I had drained both bottles I had and my legs were starting to cramp.  I had been taking salt tabs but as I would soon find out, not quite enough.  Had I been properly hydrated coming out of Little Valley I think I would have faired much better. It was at this point that I met a guy who was just full of life.  Hooting and hollering and just having the time of his life.  It was infectious.  I always love meeting people like that.  

When I got to the Windy Pass aide station I drank and entire bottle of water and started taking in more salt.  It took a while, but eventually the cramping stopped and I was able to make a better pace down the mountain. It was during the cramping that my right IT band started to tighten up and cause me grief.  It wasn't so bad that I had to continually walk but it did cause me to favor my left leg a bit.  The larger rocks on the trail didn't help much either.  This caused my left food to take the brunt of a lot of things.  It ended up being the only injury that I had with blisters on my big toe and a sore ankle.  

Heading down to Big Springs I knew I was in the home stretch.  Getting to the field above the aide station I could see my dad waiting with my baby girl Emma.  She just grabbed on and wouldn't let go.  It was a great moment.  I grabbed some snacks more salt and filled both bottles fearing I would be slow the last 4 miles to the finish.  I soon found out however that it was a bit over kill.  I was able to get back up to a decent pace of around 8 to 9.  The last mile however I could feel it in my blood.  I dumped all the water I had and just went for it. It was a fantastic finish running to the end with my little girls. I managed to beat my expectations by finishing in 12 hours and 11 min.  I honestly thought it would have been more around 13-15 hours.  

It was a great race, and already I am looking forward to the next adventure. I would love to try a 100k and from there who knows.  I would still really like to attempt a R2R2R or Zions Traverse this fall.  But we will have to see how everything pans out. But from where things stand now, its going to be a great summer!

SP Finish

Squaw Peak

So this week was Pioneer Day week. I decided to take the kids up to Rock Canyon for a little hike.  Being new(ish) to the area I had never been up there so it turned out to be a fun adventure.  Ben didn't want to go, but once he found a hiking stick he was all for it.  We made our way up to the second bridge and then thats when it all came undone.  Another hiker pointed out a rattle snake in the bushes and Abbi lost it.  I tried to push on up the canyon but it wasn't going to work so we decided it was a success and headed down.  I always love getting out doors with the kids.  Its where I feel that we can connect and have fun with them.  Most of all I think it helps them disconnect from all the electronics and distractions of home.  

At the second bridge

After the run up timp last weekend I decided that I needed a bit of a off weekend from major climbing and decided that I would hit Rock Canyon and head up to Squaw Peak.  It looked simple enough.  I got up early, I guess a little to early for rock canyon.  I got there at 6:30 and not a sole was in sight except for a mountain biker.  So I took off the canyon ran past some sleeping teenagers at the bottom and then I was all alone till I reached the peak and came back down. 

It is always an awesome feeling being alone in the mountains.  Sometimes I am scared to death and jumping at the sound of every bird and other times I am in complete peace.  This one was just nice to be up in the mountains.  I did not know however how steep the trail was up to the peak.  What a quad burner.  The peak was nice, I sat down for a while and snacked on some trail mix that I brought and then decided I wasn't tired.  

Looking around I could see the Squaw Peak parking lot on the road up from Provo Canyon.  I thought it would be fun to run the loop from there to the campgrounds at the top of Rock Canyon.

"Wow I could have sworn there was a tail here".  At least thats what I kept telling myself as the scrub oak was slicing at my skin causing me to bleed all over my legs.  There was no trail, only steep oak covered mountain side.   I was almost elated if not exhausted by the time I finally hooked back up with the trail that runs along the road.   From there on it was all smooth sailing until I got back to the second bridge.

Being careful to avoid where I saw the rattle snake with the kids just a few days before I ran past to a fork in the trail.  I was too busy worrying where by feet were landing when I heard that familiar rattle.  Just about 3 feet from where I had planted my foot off in the brush was yet again another rattle snake.  But this one was bigger much bigger and very angry that I had scared him to death.  I backed up to get a look at it before moving on to leave it in peace.  Although a girl who was climbing with some guys heard it rattle and wasn't too happy that there was a snake near by.   Interesting run but I think next time I will stick to the trail instead of bush whacking it.