I had rolled this race over from the previous year given all the pandemic cancellations so while I was excited to get my WSER qualifier for the year, I had to come to grips with a couple things -
- I really dislike training through the Arizona summers
- I had gotten used to running only a couple days a week (cross-training the other 4-5 days)
- I longed for better and more consistent training/race nutrition, hydration and electrolytes
This isn't one of those blogs where you have to read my life story before getting to the race report so I'll skip to the good part and then elaborate on those items above afterwards. Generally, I had concerns about finishing under 16 hours (for the finishers hat) or even under 17 hours for the WSER qualifier. With an anticipated 12,000' in climbing, this would be the most challenging 100k I'd ever done.
All you need to know is that this race went as perfect as possible and I hope to replicate my new training plan and nutrition for all my future races.
Start to Mt. Fuji (13.6 mi)
Weeks prior to the race, we kept getting emails from the RD that there was a possibility the race would be cancelled due to the fires (smoke) in the area. I'm very thankful that the weather cooperated on race day to not only blow out all the smoke, but to drop the temperatures down to a very reasonable 50-60F (cold by Arizona standards).
Like any great mountain ultra, you start straight up the ski slope. Nothing fancy - just you, your headlamp, poles and 100-200 of your closest ultra-friends 😊 Cresting this first climb, we were greeted with a very timid sunrise, chilly temperatures and amazing pine-needle-covered single track pretty much all the way to Mt Fuji.
The climb up to this peak got a bit technical and rocky but nothing more than what we experience every day in Arizona. I could definitely feel the elevation in my legs and chest on the way up. Intermittent cramping in my calves made me very aware that I wasn't hydrating or taking my salt tabs according to plan. Shame! The most disappointing thing about Mt Fuji however was that clouds and mist had overtaken the peak at that time of day so there was no view when I got to the top (boooooo!)
Mt. Fuji to Charlton Lake (32 mi)
I honestly don't remember much between Mt Fuji and Charlton Lake. As the mist dissipated and the sun came up the temperatures didn't change much - which made running so much better!! I just remember thinking to myself that this trail is so runnable despite some of the variations and climbing before you get the Charlton Lake. Additionally, I'll just say that my fueling and hydration were going well at this stage - I was probably carrying more calories than I needed but I'll tell you more about that later.
Charlton Lake was very serene and peaceful. Quite a few hikers and campers out besides the volunteers and race officials. It was a nice place to take a 50k break - I was able to gather my thoughts, more nutrition and enjoy the view of the Twins in the distance (one of the next peaks we'd summit)
Charlton Lake to Maiden Peak (50 mi)
If you haven't looked at the profile for this race, you'd see that it's basically:
- Up
- Down
Repeat 5 times 😜
Leaving Charlton Lake (A5) was another of those sweet downs where I let gravity, the cool crisp air and my fairly fresh legs propel me into the pine-covered valley of Oregon single-track. The trees are completely covered with that stringy looking moss which makes the views even more majestic and different than the deserts of Arizona.
You hit the Rd. 4920 aid station (A6) at about 37 miles and it's THE last aid station you can have a drop bag during the race. This was a bit concerning given my unique nutrition strategy for this race. I was relying only on what I brought in my drop bags so the thought of carrying enough for the next 26ish miles was a little overwhelming (and heavy!) I probably took a little too long at this aid station but the last thing I wanted was to be shit-out-of-luck later in the race lacking the right nutrition or clothing for what I suspected would be a daylight/dusk finish.
One of the race veteran's at this aid station was also commenting on how hot this next section up to Maiden Peak would be given how exposed it was. He recommended taking extra water. Now, I know that we all have relative perceptions of what 'exposed' means but coming from the desert where your only shade is a lone saguaro on the side of the trail, this section was FAR from exposed and not hot at all. Perhaps a bit more sparse but none-the-less covered in pine trees and plenty of shade to protect you from any sun (the 5 or 6 times it popped out that day).
I regretted taking all my food and extra water up Maiden Peak because honestly, it's a bitch. Like, hands-on-knees-stop-to-rest-every-10-feet kinda bitch. Because the last thing you want to be doing 50+ miles into an ultra is climb a peak averaging 18%-20% grade. Brutal.
All things considered, I made it to the top of Maiden Peak and it was glorious...
Maiden Peak to Finish
So you might wonder, how was I feeling at this point. Honestly, I was feeling better than ever. My shoulders and neck were aching due to the weight of my vest but my legs, head and heart were all full and ready for the downhill stretch to the finish line. I've honestly never felt so good this late in a race and it showed.
I was running just about everything in this section. I took a few walk breaks to help stretch my shoulders, neck and back but my legs were strong. My energy levels and spirits were high knowing (anticipating) a daylight finish was definitely possible.
Downhill running is not always great however and leaving Maiden Peak I was instantly reminded that steep quad-busting sections are never fun after 50+ miles 😖 Despite this 2 mi stretch of vertical chaos, the remainder of this section is just as glorious as the first...pine-needle covered single track trail etched with rays from the setting sun. I had my headlamp but wouldn't actually need it. I was propelled by a consistent energy source I've never known, mental clarity and the shear joy of knowing I would finish under 16 hours.
In past races, crossing the finish line was always a relief. This race, I was proud and elated with not only what I had accomplished but how I had accomplished it. I had tested both a training and nutrition strategy at this race and the results were better than I could have ever expected.
Official finish time: 15:11:16
Race results in case you're into those sorts of things:
- 51st out of 90 finishers
- 10th (of 20) in 40-49 AG (men's)
- 13th (of 27) in 40-49 AG (all)
Training and Nutrition Strategy
I won't yammer on about this - look for another blog post with more detail but essentially I flipped my training and nutrition on its head in preparation for this race. Huh? What does that even mean?
Periodicity
Instead of a 3 week build to 1 week rest, I did back-to-back long runs every weekend and slowly built distance without a true "rest" week. I supplemented Monday through Friday with cycling (largely endurance climbing), rowing and boxing.
Training/Racing Nutrition
I started using Vespa, dextrose-based chews and gels along with fatty real food like olives, bacon and guacamole. Even natural sugar (fruit) seemed to confuse my GI while using Vespa. I'm able to consume far fewer calories and burn fat throughout the entire race. The gels, real food and chews help supplement occasionally but using fat for fuel appears to be a game-changer for me (let's face it, I drink beer and therefore have a lot of fat!)
There are numerous other benefits you get from training with fat but I'll save that for another post.
Supplements
During training, I take the following supplements and vitamins:
Relive my race below and stay safe out there!
.png){kind=logo}
