Dirty Thirty: Bringing Balance to the Force

Results

After driving home from the race yesterday two titles came to mind for my run. The other being, "The Beauty of Karma and One Wrong Turn." The second one foreshadows my race better while the stated title brings everything full circle. As a Libra balance is an important aspect of my life. Yesterdays race brought the scales to a closer equilibrium.

Our story begins at the 2008 Run Through Time Marathon in Salida. It was an especially snowy year that left sections of the "trail" buried by 18 inches of snow. Jedi's Parr, Callahan, and TGNMP led the charge through 17 miles. The trio missed a critical turn while young Skywalker made the turn and broke trail through the crusty snow. I left a blood path from my lower limbs that guided the following runners to a safe finish with no added mileage. It was a unique set of events that led to my first career win.

Our story fast forwards to 2010 Antelope Island Buffalo Run 50M. Mexifast and I leapfrogged each other all day long throughout the course. We were within 1 minute of each other at all times. Then a shift occurred. Imperceptible to those unaccustomed with the Force. Vader's mind powers temporarily clouded Obi Wan's vision leading him past the finish turn and into the parking lot. Young Skywalker yelled frantically as he watched in horror as the Jedi Master's Runner was being pulled farther from the finish by the Dark Side. Skywalker had a decision to make. Looking back he's unsure if it was the right one. Young he was and took the victory he did while Obi Wan cleared his mind and made it safely back home a minute later. The plot begins to thicken as the scales begin to tip.

Lightspeed ahead to yesterday, 2012. Young Skywalker starts the race and notices the huge pace difference between a 50K and a 50M. The first few miles he sits in the 7th spot as the leaders have thoughts of a Benjamin dance through their heads. By the time he hit the first AS at mile 5 he had worked into the 2nd spot with Ricks a $100 dollars happier 20 seconds ahead. Skywalker closed the gap and assumed the lead around mile 7. From here he began to build his lead ascending the rock strewn trail and descending at a good clip. Then another shift occurred.

Skywalker came to an unmarked trail junction. He knew the 3rd AS had to be close. The Garmin Light Saber read 16.5 miles. Aid was at 16.8. The next chain of events speak a lot about how to live life. Sometimes we misinterpret their meanings when the answer is in front of us. Skywalker studied his options. The Emperor whispered through the trees, "Go the Right way, do the Right thing." Skywalker accepted the first voice he heard instead of truly listening to the Force. Right he went. Downhill. Out onto a paved road. Next to a bridge. "This ain't it," he so elegantly remarked. Two hikers were coming up the road. "Maybe these two hikers who have no idea that a trail race is going on will know how to direct me back on course." He desperately asked the question he already knew the answer to. The hikers responded, "Not sure where the race goes but the Visitors Center is a mile behind us."

Skywalker thanked them and retraced his steps uphill to the trail junction as Ricks sped by. His 5 minute lead was vaporized just like that. As he got back on course Obi Wan appeared and reiminded him to contemplate the following: Take the High Road. When in Doubt Go Higher. The Hardest Thing and the Right Thing are the Same. Skywalker centered on knowing the correct definition of Right. Lesson well learned. He kicked himself for taking the Easy Way Out and going down the Path of Least Resistance. The answer was in front of him all along.

Now back on course he had to let go of the deflating thoughts that tried to imprison his race. On the other side of the equation he knew Ricks had been given a huge boost to regain the lead by simply Staying the Course. Skywalker fought hard and kept his head in the game as the duel intensified. Ricks had opened up a 30-40 second lead by mile 20. Coming into AS 4 at mile 23 Skywalker had slimmed it to 10 seconds. Game on! Towards the base of the final climb up Windy Peak Skywalker had bridged the gap. Unexpectedly Ricks pulled off the trail, motioning and telling Skywalker, "Go ahead, I hate this last climb." Skywalker knew what he had to do. Put in a strong climb, tag Windy and bomb down to the finish.

The heat increased. Skywalker was sweating. His legs were feeling the drain of already ascending 7000 feet in the last 4 hours. The final grind to the top was steady, not spectacular. After the summit Skywalker started downhill with a 20 second lead. The pins were a bit crampy. Ricks looked like he was done. Skywalker kept the cramps at bay through the techy initial descent off the peak and found himself cruising down the buffed out singletrack shortly thereafter.

Footsteps. The long drawn out foot falls of someone on a mission began to reverberate in Skywalker's ears. "Crap!" Skywalker glamourously muttered. He began to recall the events of the day. How hard he had worked to get back in the race. And now it was slipping through his hands. Ricks was getting closer and closer. Skywalker accelerated. Ricks was breathing down his neck. Skywalker accelerated. Then a shift occurred.

Ricks hit Lightspeed and blew by Skywalker like he was the Millenium Falcon down for repairs at mile 28. The final AS came and went. Less than 3 miles to go! Despite Skywalker's downhill strength the crevasse widened. Soon it was swallowing buses. Then houses. And finally Skywalker's hope of making it three in a row. Dust in the Wind.

Yoda, Obi Wan, and the other Jedi runners who have lost a race while going off course accompanied Skywalker those last few miles. "It's part of trailrunning," they instructed. Skywalker sat with this simple yet profound statement. "Yes it is," he agreed, "The trail presents us with many turns. Our attitude towards the trail defines our journey along it. And running the trail is just more fun!" Yesterday, 2012 balance was brought back to the Force. Full balance shall resume during Skywalker's 2014 race season. It is an even year.

Extras: This was one of my favorite 50K's. Beautiful course, a variety of terrain, lots of inspiring CO singletrack. The post race was awesome! I made sure to plan ahead for this one and brought the camp chair and my huge bowl and spork. Why? 'Cause they were sauteeing Noodles on sight and I mos def had to get my grub on! RD Megan Finnesy and her troop of volunteers did an incredible job of orchestrating a great race and a stellar post race which is the icing on the cake for an event. Thanks to all who volunteered and made the race a great experience. And to the disgruntled hiker who was removing markings near AS 3...I shake my fist at you!

Congrats to Justin Ricks! A hard fought battle he won. It was really impressive watching him close out the race. His 2:22 marathon PR was evident in the leg speed he exhibited those last few miles. In three miles he put a minute on me. I was crawling at 5:55 pace compared to his 5:35s. Awesome.

20 days until Western States.

The Pain Cave

This weekend at National Guard training I took a journey into the pain cave. Pain is part of the human experience. We will all deal with it during our journeys. Sometimes it is physical, sometimes it is emotional. Pain can result from forces beyond our control and most often it is a direct result from the choices we make on a daily basis. In our culture of comfort and convenience pain is often overlooked and something to avoid at all costs. Why is it we learn more from our pain/failures/defeats than our successes? I think the answer is found when we choose to rise above and overcome our situation. It is empowering to face the antagonist face to face and pass the test with additional wisdom and strength.

I am interested in what I can learn from my pain. How can I embrace the suffering? What lessons are learned from adversity? When will I get through it? These questions assist me in understanding what I am experiencing. Often these same questions are asked during an ultra. The reward comes when I finish and gain perspective on the battle I endured.

So after the existential intro and philosophical wax, let me get real. Pain can really suck and yesterday I drank from the fire hose. My opponent: Oleoresin Capsicum AKA OC Spray. Here's a similar video of what I went through (the meltdown increases intensity at 3:30).

As an even keel gent I don't get too high or too low from my experiences. I wasn't nervous or anxious watching my fellow comrades get sprayed and seeing their response to the stressor. Knowing my physiology I knew I'd be in for a treat. If you've ever seen me eat Mexican food you can confirm the steady flow of sweat beads that run down my brow with even the most moderate amount of spice. Now take a look at where OC stands on the Scoville Scale. The odds were stacked against me...heavily. So I channeled my inner Rocky and called out the Heat.

I toed the line and got sprayed. It's not a confidence booster when the first thing you hear from the crowd is, "Ohh, he got a lot, direct hit!" It was obvious to see when others hit the wall. The OC would enter the eyes and BOOM! the fireworks would start. Mine began almost immediately when I opened my eyes. Some likened the feeling to pouring the hottest hot sauce in your eyes. Others to the pleasant feeling of hot lava gently boiling on your eyeballs.

My task was to get sprayed and then work through the 5 challenge stations with a full on OC exposure within 90 seconds. The OC hits the skin and eyes with an inflammatory response. Redness, swelling, pain, heat, and loss of function are the cardinal signs. I was blinded from the beginning. Sprayees are instructed to speedily strobe their eyes open and shut to activate the tear ducts and clear the OC. All I wanted to do was clamp my eyes shut as tight as I could. When I would attempt to open them it hurt worse. My eyes became super sensitive to the sunlight and as they swelled inside the sockets it was excruciating to flutter the eyelids even for a millisecond. Sprayees are instructed to avoid touching the face with the hands. All I wanted to do was rake my face. This would lead to cross contamination and additional soothing side effects.

Further discussion described the sensation as burning sand grinding in your eyes or the calming thought of placing poisoned tip needles in your pin cushion like eyes. I staggered to the first station where I started unleashing knee drives to the opponents padded midsection. Then I was handed a baton and instructed to protect my head in a defensive posture as I lurched along to the second station. Here I alternated baton jabs to attackers in front and behind me. Stumbling to station 3 I used the baton to block pugil stick swings. Inconsistently swaying into station 4 I had to drop my padded Sargeant with an arm bar takedown. The final 5th test was to identify a Sharpie's color by its colored cap.

The marathon was complete and the ultra was just beginning. Now began the decontamination period. Wash the face with soapy water. Rinse. Flush with clean water. Repeat. Repeat. Rpeat. Stand in front of fan to dry out the eyes and remaining OC. Try to regain full onobstructed vision...the next 12 hours. I forgot to mention that when I was sprayed gravity did its inevitable job. The OC trickled down my cheeks and entered my mouth. Now my lips burned and I started coughing fire. A few times I almost puked. Other decon tips included taking an "L shaped shower" so any residual OC would not go down on your unmentionables (insert colorful stories involving both genders here). During my shower I reactivated the residual OC on my face. Now my face and ears burned. Hurts so good! Spray protocol advises the user to saturate target from ear to ear across the browline. Checkmate!

So I overcame adversity. I ventured deep into the pain cave. And what was my grandiose epiphany? Goggles are GRRRREEAT! With that said I earned my OC Certification and never have to repeat that again in my military career. I wish I had video/pictures of my experience; they're out there somewhere. Give me a shout if you find them. Stellar.

The Quads Rocked!

Photo: Erin Bibeau

The day started early. 3:30 AM to be exact. Stefanovic rolled in shortly before 4 and minutes later we were headed to the start serenaded by The Bear. I slept great and was wide awake despite the o'dark thirty morning. After pinning the bib I did my typical wavering on race wear. Since Mother's Day was soon to be I thought of my mom and added gloves and arm warmers. Thanks mom!

Hanson feeling right at home! Photo: Eric Lee

Toeing the line is always a good time. You get a few minutes to say hi to the existing friends and meet a few new ones. I was really glad that Riddle and Rydman and any runner new to these trails could make the trip. I love running in Lory and Horsetooth and sharing these trails with others who are experiencing them for the first time.

Rydman. Photo: Eric Lee

Riddle. Photo: Eric Lee

The race started and we were off. I soon settled in with Crandall, B. Goding, and Malmberg. Half way up the first climb as we gained the Stout Trail, D. Goding and Riddle joined the party. No one would have guessed but Dan Goding has been battling injury and had only run once in the past two weeks leading up to the race. He won the 25 miler! Anyhow, up Towers we climbed and down Spring Creek we descended.

Arriving at the Horsetooth AS DBO provided live Transvulcania updates. How cool is that! I'm running through the AS, filling my bottle, and learning that DJ Money just shocked the world! I wonder if B. Powell was giving him and Kilian QR50 updates? Most likely I'm sure!

Koop. Photo: Eric Lee

Then it was up Horsetooth and across Westridge. I caught up to a younger guy who was running the fastest I've ever seen anybody run in Five Fingers on technical trail. Soon it was down Mill Creek and I caught up to the Wise Sage and Fan Favorite. Fast forward a bit and I finished my first lap in 3:36. Marks and Funk resupplied me and it was time for Round 2!

Jaime, Malmberg following. Photo: Eric Lee

Back up Timber I was running well. I had a 10 minute lead starting the second lap. It was great seeing so many familiar encouraging faces as I ran against the traffic. Descending Howard was its usual fun and soon I was at Arthurs Aid with a sense of dread beginning to set in. I had already begun to think about the climb up Mill Creek. This was one of the game changing points on the course and I knew I was in for a grunt.

Coming into Arthurs Aid. Photo: Eric Lee

The Mill climb started out o.k. Then I began to encounter the low point of my race. First I began steadily slowing down as I ran. Then I shuffled. Followed by power hiking. Trumped by hiking. And finishing with a peppy walk. My legs were powerless. I was dizzy and thought I might faint at times. Such an awesome place to be when you're half way up the climb! I kept moving at my scorching clip and eventually made it to the Towers Aid. I must have looked terrible because no one said a word as I stumbled in. This climb alone cut my lead in half.

Stewart. Photo: Eric Lee

Two cokes later I began the Westridge traverse. The legs were getting a bit crampy on the climbs. After muscling through the roundabout traverse I was pointed downhill on the HTR Trail. Once I hit Southridge I was cranking. Miles later and a quick stop at the Horsetooth Aid, DBo informed me I had a 7 minute lead. It was time to keep truckin and finish it out. As I descended the single track to the base of Spring Creek I could see Rebenack charging down Southridge. The lead had to be only 5 minutes.

Spring Creek was my redemption climb. I rebounded after my Mill Creek melee and ran 90% of this one. Soon enough I was at the top downing two cokes before the downhill bomb on Towers Road. This was by far the fastest I have ever descended Towers. The moisture gave the road added tack for extra control and traction. Gone was the usual dust and loose top layer. The Stout traverse came and went followed by the technical Sawmill drop. Now I was in the valley. No more trees to hide in and fully exposed to the hungry hawk eyes of Rebenack and Co. My goal at this point was to crest the ridge at Arthurs Aid without being seen.

Once I made the crest BG gave me the thumbs up and verbal confirmation, "No one is in sight, don't worry about a thing." From here it was 2 miles and change to the Finish. I put it in cruise control and enjoyed my valley tour home.

Rebenack finish. On my tail all day! Photo: Eric Lee

Looking at the fog all day made me think about Gorillas in the Mist. Jane Goodall enjoyed her first ultra. I was supremely relieved that I won. Anything less than 1st would have seen TNCRD lose his house. Dana and the kids would have been pissed. Felt like I made the world a better place with this run.

Joking aside it was a flawlessly organized race. Awesome job by Pete and Nick. They directed an inaugural race that was planned out like it had been going on for years. A huge thanks to their army of volunteers and everyone at FCTR for their cheers, support, and all around positivity.

Streaks! Still alive is my undefeated record in ultras in the backyard! Still alive is winning ultras in the Bajadas! And 2012 marks the 5th consecutive year with a 50 mile win! It's always fun to include the most random streaks/FKT's you can think of to inspire and propel your training to the next level. What are your current streaks?

Quad Rock Results

A fun day on the hometown trails! Results here.

More to come in the next few days!

Welcome to the Quad Rock...

In your best Sean Connery impression say out loud to yourself, "Welcome to the Quad Rock." Makes you smile doesn't it? Make sure you emphasize your pronunciation of ROCK. The chatter and the temps have been heating up in preparation for next weekends inaugural running. This will be the second ultra to call Fort Collins home alongside the one and only year of the Bluesky 50K. With that said I am looking forward to putting my "undefeated record in ultra races occurring in my hometown" on the line. It is equally impressive as my: Walk to Avo's, eat two tempeh burgers, talk smack with the boys, walk back home, FKT of 2:32:45. And there will be the X-Factor to contend with at QR. More on that later.

Here's a look at the boys in the 50 miler:

MIA- Mike Foote, Jason Schlarb

1. David Riddle- 2011 JFK 50 champ and CR of 5:40! Hands down the speedster and naturally gifted runner of the group. His strength is his speed. Most of his results are 50K's with a few 50M and 100K finishes. He wins nearly everything he has raced. The unknowns: his performance at "altitude" and racing a tough 50M with lots of up and downs.

2. Jacob Rydman- He's having a great 2012 with 2 bronze medals at the Cali Spring Classics of WTC and AR. QR will be the toughest 50 he's raced. Running on all cylinders he'll be one to watch.

3. Paul Terranova- he races a lot of 50K's with a few 50 mile/100K finishes. At Bandera he was right behind Clark this year. He could surprise a lot of runners.

4. Jason Koop- More long haul experience (races 50M and above)than the top three runners combined. He's running strong this year- 2nd at RTTM, 2nd at CM50K, and QR will be his 3rd ultra in 4 weeks. Jason and I battled it out last weekend, won't surprise me a a bit if we're side by side with only a few miles to go.

5. Corey Hanson- Bellvue's Best. He knows these trails better than anyone. His house is a 1/2 mile from the start/ finish. He's got the freshest legs of the bunch with QR being his first race of 2012. Reports from BG indicate that he's running strong. His high muscle glycogen stores are a result of years of GHB fueling.

6. Ryan Burch- (let's see if I can pull off this writing in the 3rd person awkwardness). He's put in consistent training this year with weekly track workouts, solid long runs, a 5K PR, and consecutive sub 30 minute PR's on The Hill. He's only raced one ultra in 2012 with a solid run at CM50K. Next to Corey he has the blueprint memorized for these trails. His best distance is 50 miles. The unknowns: is he fully recovered from CM50K to put forth an A effort? How will he handle the hometown pressure to put a W on the board?

7. The X-Factor. This contender can take out anyone racing next weekend in the blink of an eye. Going unnoticed in nearly every race this deadly force can strike at a moments notice. Look out for the Quad Rock Rattler! My Friday and Saturday runs saw my left foot come within 10 inches of two different rattlesnakes. Friday I was off the race course on the Foothills trail when I ran by a disguised rattler next to a yucca plant who started his battle rattle as I passed him. Way too close! Saturdays encounter was even more alarming. I was ascending the summit rock of Arthur's. 10 feet from the summit coiled up in a small depression on the rock I passed a small two footer who was eerily quiet in the shade. I "woke it up" to distance the snake from the most popular hiking destination in Lory and alerted the ascending groups of hikers on my way down. Needless to say...good luck and watch your step next weekend!

Cheyenne Mountain 50K

Photo- The Gazette, Jerilee Bennett. Post race interview. It was a fun day of racing at the second annual CM50K. I had originally planned to race Zane Grey but had to change the schedule because of National Guard commitments. I had run each distance at CP the last two years so I decided to change it up and find a new race in Colorado to get a measure of my spring fitness level. The morning started out cold. 40 degrees with 20 mph winds. It really bites the skin when you're in shorts and a singlet. I knew I would warm once I began running but the time leading up to the start was filled with shivering and goosebumps. 7:50 AM, still sitting in the car with the heat on. 7:51-7:56, standing inside indoor bathroom. 7:57-START, acting like I wasn't shivering while talking with Koop. By far the best pre-race warmup I've ever had! The race began and I was feeling sluggish. It took a few reminders to tell myself I was racing and not on a training run. Koop and I weaved through the opening miles of undulations and hair pin turns on the trails of Cheyenne Mountain; Colorado's newest State Park. I led the race the first 14 miles with Koop always within 5-20 seconds. He took the lead as we wound down the low grade trail with the finish line in sight to complete our first lap. Jason had a few seconds on me as we clocked the first lap in 1:57. The opening undulations came at us for round two and I was content running a few strides behind him. Jason's stride looked effortless. It's a bit deceiving; he's moving so smooth it doesn't appear like he's going fast..and that's the artistry. Did I mention he ran Zane Grey last weekend- 50 miles of gnarly mountain trails?

Photo- pikespeaksports.us, Tim Bergsten. Spot on AS support- Brandon Fuller. At the 20 mile AS I passed him while he took in some fluids. At this point I tried to create a decent gap and get out of sight on the wooded trails. At mile 23 I couldn't see him when I looked back and thought I was leading by a minute. The next few miles he would get closer and closer as I looked back. I was running consistent and it appeared like he was going faster and faster. At the top of a climb nearing mile 26 he was 5 seconds back. I started envisioning us throwing death moves on each other during the final 5 miles of primarily descending terrain. I foreshadowed the finish being an all out sprint and then puking upon completion. The pain cave looked me right in the eye.

Photo- The Gazette, Jerilee Bennett. Coach Stefanovic expected a win so I knew I had to gut it out. Get on with it! I pushed the descents and put in a solid 5 miles thinking he was just behind the bend when I would look back. Thankfully I created enough of a gap to cancel my foreshadowed ending and crossed the line in 3:57:35 and a second lap split of 2:00. Koop finished 1 minute and change behind me. Overall I had a fun time at this event. The course was flawlessly marked and you can't go wrong with a hot catered meal and post race massage/ART awaiting your finish. This race would be a great choice for anyone considering their first ultra. Great markings, aid every 4-5 miles, a two loop course to gauge pacing, and a good post race area to relive your success! Brandon Fuller's report. In other news...a huge shout out to Dylan Bowman for droppin' the hammer at Leona! Welcome to the Big Dance my friend!

Photo- pikespeaksports.us, Tim Bergsten.

Photo- pikespeaksports.us, Tim Bergsten.

Totally Epic Proportions

I really tried to psych myself up to run the "Round Up" this year. After a lengthy match of mental tennis going back and forth with the pros and cons of this run I'm glad I chose the alternative today. The "Round Up" is only for the hard core runner who enjoys self-flagellation. El Jefe Mejor refers to it as his annual session of "mental callousing." The numbers speak for themselves: 30 miles, 10,000 ft. vertical gain. Here's the kicker- that 30 miles is run on only 4.5 miles of trail! It is literally vertical suicides to each mile marker and back to the bottom as you incrementally ascend Round. Absolute madness I tell you! I myself overdosed on the "mental callousing" running suicides on the b-ball court from 4th-7th grades. The other kicker- (I shouldn't have even asked this question...but I was curious) RB: What time are y'all starting? NC: 5:30 AM. RB: Leaving your house at 5:30? (Another question I just had to ask) NC: No, running from the TH at 5:30. So I did the math. This meant leaving the warm and friendly confines of my residence at approximately 4:35 AM. In the battle of Sleep vs. Round, Sleep handily won.

The alternative. I then had to figure out my long run for the weekend. With Quad Rock quickly approaching I figured I should get a few more laps on the course before the Big Day. Last November Clark and I ran a loop of the course from his door with the addition of both Rock summits. 27 miles, 4:22, 9:45/mile. Today I ran a lap from the door of Bellvue's Best also with the addition of both Rock Summits. 27.6 miles, 4:38, 10:05/mile. Less than 1 mile of repeated terrain, shorter drive time, "mental refreshment",a Goding sighting, and a 10:45AM start time...PRICELESS!

Clark and I were discussing what a superhuman effort on the 50M course would be. It got as low as 7:15. As I look at my times above that were run at steady conversational efforts I'm thinking that only a handful of runners will break 8 hours. 7:30 breaks down into two 3:45 laps...and there will be carnage on the second lap especially if its hot so there will be no negative splitting on this one. If I compare apples to oranges on other two loop 50M courses I've run, the closest lap splits I've had were still 21 minutes apart. That came at CP last year - my best time at Fruita came with at least 40 minutes difference between lap times. To break 7:30 at Quad Rock I'm predicting that the first lap will need to be at least a 3:30 to come back in 4:00. And Quad Rock has significantly more climbing than CP and Fruita. The more I think about it sub 8 sounds more realistic. Nick's CR at Jemez of 8:07 is run on a course with approx. 1000 ft more climbing and at higher altitude. I'm curious to see what time will set the inaugural bar...and pray for sub 80 degree temps on race day!