Rio Del Lago 100K

Last Saturday I braved the heat at the inaugural Rio Del Lago 100k (RDL). As expected race day was HOT! Forget the mild summer we’ve been experiencing. Race day was hot and humid, (97deg was the high I was told). To add to the fun the day before the race was the hottest day of the year for the Sacramento area.

I initially planned to run the 100 miler. I needed a local long race this year due to family obligations. Early in the year it was a toss between a planned 100K by PCTR in Tahoe, Headlands Hundred and RDL 100 mile. RDL won due to its later date and location.

Two weeks out I had a huge final week planned, the weeks mileage would be 80+. The weekend would include a night run followed by a final long run and then a speedy long run. The long run would include all the major climbs with some heat thrown in.

While on the night run I twisted my right ankle. When I got home I had the typical swelling and pain. My plan was to start the long run planned for 7am, (7hrs away) and see how it was. The next day I hobbled to start the run. About the time I realized I should stop, I twisted the same ankle again.

With my newly formed cankle I went home to enjoy a weekend of ice, elevation and anger.

After a week of no running and a lot of therapy I ran on it. Not a 100% I decided to step down to the 100K on Sunday. Besides the worry of the ankle I lost my mental game. Running 20+ hours at less than 100% did not appeal to me at all.

Training

RDL 100 is not a flat 100 miler, but it’s not what I would call hilly. Most of the 9,000 feet of climbing is in the first 40-50 miles. To me what defines this event is the heat. My training plan called for serious heat acclimation.

Training time in the 3 months right before the event was at a premium. Except for TRT 50 mile in July most long runs were 5hrs max. To compensate I did more doubles (25/20, 30/20) than usual. I also ran more long hills and kept up my mid-week quality run.

Besides having more fun training I was defiantly stronger. My new favorite long workout is this: one repeat of the “Damn Hill”, which is Auburn Dam Overlook (ADO) to the river and back. Then ADO to the Cool Fire Station using K2, then back to ADO. Then do another repeat of Damn Hill. The run is 28ish miles and 4000ish feet of gain. The 2nd repeat is TOUGH mentally. For my next 100 miler I want to try this run but do two repeats each time.

Early heat training consisted of running my mid-week quality run at 4-5pm. It’s a 10-12 miler with 30-40 mins at tempo pace. Once the summer came my pace slows a lot. I knew I was adapting to the heat when I could do tempo pace again for this workout in 95+ heat.

One month out the RD sends out a message that the course has been changed. The new course repeats the Folsom Lake trail sections twice. A much tougher race, but a true trail race now. I thought the timing was pretty lame on the RD’s part, but my training had it covered. This became a moot point later for me. In talking to other RDL 100 runners the change one month out was not welcomed.

Race

From training I thought an 11-12hr finish for the 100K was possible. I planned to use the cooler morning temps to bank a little time on the way up if all went well. Race morning was warm and humid.

At 5:30am the 20 or so of us lined up and off we went. I settled in with Mike from Santa Cruz for a while and just let my body dictate the pace. After an hour or so the sun came out and I ditched my light. My legs felt dead but fresh, I knew my lack of running the past two weeks would make me feel flat.

After the Rattlesnake aid station it felt like my legs were becoming twitchy, what the F*^&. OK time to increase salt and put the iPod on.

By the time I got to the base of K2 I was doing at least three salts at a time. It seemed that after the twigs would go away they would return with 30 or so minutes. So for the next few hours I probably did 5-6 an hour. By the time I got to ADO again I was feeling great. I kept the heavy salt use up until the end of the race.

At Cool I had my first crew meeting. My lovely wife Lily and daughter Izabella met me.  Pacer and teammate Melisa was also in attendance.

To be honest right now my aid station memories are a bit blurred. I had a lot of rehearsal going on in my mind, so everything else is a blur.  But I do recall these folks: Eric, Kathy, Paula, Melisa, Stan and Dasie. Thank you so much for the encouragement it really helped.

I always hate the climb to ADO from No Hands Bridge. Training a lot on the climb this summer helped me find my rhythm on it. It also showed me that when it’s hot this climb will put me in a hole if I let it. I ran/walked the whole hill without pushing it. This would help me for later. A 1.5 miles out I ran out of water but I felt good.

At ADO #2 the ice cold Coke and dunking in the canal was like starting the race over, I felt great.

Melisa was there to pace me and off we went. It was nice to have someone to talk to.

The flat terrain along the canal to the top of Cardiac was a welcome change also. Melisa got me into the canal one more time; I had dried out in the two miles since my last dunking. I was feeling better than I had in hours.

After clearing the aid station at the base of Cardiac we began the run to Rattlesnake Bar. Running down stream on this section of trail is fast once you find your rhythm. I found my rhythm and the body responded. I ran this 8-10 mile section feeling better than I had all day. Sadly I dropped Melisa along the way. She got me to where I was currently running, thank you Melisa you helped more than you know.

At Rattlesnake Bar #2 I came in still feeling good ready to finish that way. After hearing that Melisa was not with me Eric told me Gerell was ready to pace. Gerell is a great runner.  He is a fellow member of Fleet Feet's Ultra Trail Racing Team.  Gerell paced Eric to a great finish at Western States 100 this year.

                       

Everything was working great at this point. I had pain in my foot, but otherwise I was happy with how I felt. This soon changed; if I were to put my finger on it I would say I exceeded my endurance a bit.  Surprisingly I found a good rhythm with walking the ups and running everything else. Towards the end I had some cramping and I got low on calories again.

Gerell kept me occupied and moving forward. The best part at the end was when we dropped onto the levee.  A wind was blowing so he got in front of me and pulled me to the finish.

Izabella met me near the finish and we ran it in together, always the best part.  11:44 and I was done, 1st place.

After crossing the line I laid down which I know better. Sure enough my blood pressure dropped. It was a toss up between throwing up and passing out. I’m sure I passed out, but Lily said I was talking the whole time. Some indeterminate time later I was up and felt better after a Coke.

Post Race

The standard of ice bath and a trip to Wendy’s followed.  Soon after the race my ankle swelled up to its former glory. My heel hurts; I think I've developed planar fasciitis.  No blisters and all my toe nails intact.

My excess salt intake during the race was not an issue, (40+).  No brown pee after the race was over.  I would say my water and salt intake was correct.

What Worked

Heat training: Thank god for the sauna at my gym. The time I spend in it took what I thought was good heat acclimation to a new level.

Gear: My Salmon S-Lab pack is beat up from use this year.  But the insulated bladder and sleeve in the pack kept me in cold water all day. It’s still the best pack out there.

Training: A lot of things helped, but it's the HILLS! that made the difference.

Food: Spiz, 2000+ calories from it during the race with no stomach problems. The only issues was when it gone hot. I could drink it, but warm vanilla milk is not my thing.

Carbo-Pro: Two scoops with a scope of Gatorade and who got your self 225+ calories of carbs and salts.

More pictures and a pacer's report here.

Thanks to Lily, Melisa, Dasie, Gerell, Eric and Kathy for helping me and cheering me on. 

AB

2011 Tahoe Rim Trail 50 mile race report

I came into this race with the intention to enjoy the day and get some training in for Rio Del Lago 100. Since May illness, injury and a busy life has made consistent training difficult. I wanted to know where I was as the final weeks approach the race.

The Tahoe Rim courses are TOUGH. So I spent some time researching where I thought I was fitness wise. I developed a “guess” of what I thought I could run with my current fitness and without breaking myself down. I didn’t want to have to interrupt training for RDL, but enhance it. My best guess was the 10-11hrs range with a 10:30 looking to be the best guess.

As I have for the many years I have run this event I car camped at Casa De La Remote Parking Lot. Melisa showed up like last year and after hanging out a bit we went to bed early. Unlike last year it was a lot colder, which bode well for race day.

Race morning I was surprised to see so many familiar faces running the 50K and 50 mile. Usually I don’t see too many locals at this race.  The 100 miler runners had left at 5am. I knew Jake Rydman and Tony Overbay were already on their way.

The Fleet Feet Ultra Team was representing in a BIG way with Melisa Mahon, Bill Carr, Trish Godtfredsen, Monica Moore and Brian Miller racing. In support of us were Chuck Godtfredsen and Stan Kososki.

Also racing was Andrew Schooley, Jamie Frink, Jack Meyer and Tim Twietmyer.

I have to give a big shout out to Kuni and Dasie Yamagata who came out to watch us start. They ended up crewing me all day which really made the difference in my race. The climb to access the Tunnel Creel Aid Station is not an easy hike to do.

Soon after the gun I saw the familiar face of Jenny Capel, a top female runner I had run with a bit at Way to Cool 50K. Jenny told me she was training for Leadville 100 and would not be pushing today. Since we were in a similar boat I told her I would be hanging around with her.

I stuck to my plan and hiked all the ups, which was hard to do since it’s a race, but I had a plan. The run unfolded this way all the way to Tunnel Creek. The cooler weather and wind on the ridges made me wish for my arm warmers. I kept my gloves on for the first 30 miles. My Reynard’s was in full effect thanks to the cold wind. But the cool temps helped my race so I tried not to think about my frozen corpse white hands.

Coming into Tunnel Creek I saw Kuni and Dasie. A quick in and I headed out feeling good. The Red House Loop came and went without much say other than the creeks were the deepest I’ve seen. I still don’t understand why the red House Loop is seen as so bad. The climbs to Marlette Peak and Snow Valley Peak have a lot more impact on the race. The Diamond Peak climb even more so (if your doing the 50 or 100 mile).

I returned to Tunnel Creek a bit down on calories. Dasie gave me my bottle of Spiz which quickly got me back rolling. I have gone back to this little known product to help me get more calories while running. At 517 calories a bottle and no issues drinking it, I’m going to be staying with it again.

It took a while for the Spiz to kick in, but once it did I was feeling better. This part of the course I had not seen years, I forgot how much it rolled. But like the whole course the views are second to none.

The descent to Diamond Peak Aid Station was a nice change. I’m glad I did not bomb it like I wanted to because my quads still had a lot of work to do later.

I hit Diamond Peak at about 5:30hrs. I thought I would be here anywhere from 5:40 to 6hr. The large crowd was a welcome sight. Dasie and Kuni got me set. While I got set to climb I saw J.R Ross and Stan Kososki

So I’d seen the Youtube videos for the Bull Wheel climb and heard the talk about it since they switched to this course. In person I have to say it the steepest climb I’ve ever “run”. The pitch of the grade at the top reminded me of climbing Mt. Shasta, (I’m not kidding). I think they should go back to the old course or cut out this climb. It just breaks the race up too much; the old course had a much better flow.

After topping out on the climb I felt good and got back into a good rhythm. After Tunnel Creek X3 I took some time getting to Hobart Aid Station. I was staring to reject food so it was Coke time. I did choke some gels, but I do so hate that feeling. A third bag of Spiz would have saved me here.

At Hobart I decided to check on my pace. Up to this point I was only looking at my HR and overall time. I saw that a sub 10hr was possibly, but at what cost? Soon after the food issues reminded me to calm down and follow my plan; I had running to do tomorrow and the next week. No room for a broken down body.

I hiked a lot up to Snow Valley Aid Station and really felt the altitude (9,000) once I was there. I drank about a liter of Coke at the aid station and figured I was set for the remaining miles. I know this descent well; I knew it can pull you home if you’re up for it.

Sadly I was under fueled for the seven miles and got a bonk with a side order of nausea about 4 miles out. Regardless I just took it in stride and got through it. I saw pat Mackin on the descent; he looked to be enjoying himself. I had to walk some of the flats by Spooner Lake, but man my guts were cramping.

Melisa, Dasie and Kuni were there to greet me at the finish, which was great.  A 10:15 finish and a Coke helped to wake me up.

Spooner Lake is known for having leeches; they have signs and everything for it. Regardless I have my ritual free cold/ice water soak to perform. I must say I was disappointed by Spooner Lake’s temperature for my soak. I would have to wait and drive home for a proper ice bath.

(And if you’re wondering, no I had no leeches stuck to any of my hidden parts)

Gear

My favorite gear continues to work well for me:

Salomon pack, she’s a little beat up but continues to be the best hydration pack I’ve used. Fully loaded I barely know it’s there. The snug fit continues to be really helpful on the twisty single track.

Roctane gels continue to be my favorite. I had an issue with them clogging up in my flask. I didn’t add as much water as I usually do, which might have something to do with it. Dasie Yamagata pointed out that it might have been the cold, something to watch for next season.

Nike Trail Pegasus 27, no complaints during the race, rugged and cushioned. I did notice recently that I like them more after they have about 60+ miles on them. Before that they are really stiff.

Spiz drink mix, 517 calories or more depending on how many scoops. Carbs, Fat and Protein in a bottle what more could an ultra runner want. Why did I stop using this stuff?

AB

2011 Western States 100 mile, Pacer’s Report

As I previously posted Kuni Yamagata asked me to pace him at this year’s “Big Dance”. Kuni, also known as “The Beast” is a tough as nails ultra runner.  Here is how it went down:

Foresthill

Melisa Mahon, my designated driver delivered us to Foresthill around 3pm. Lily had arrived hours earlier to do massage at the aid station. Melisa and I were sporting our Fleet Feet Ultra Team kit ready to support our racing peeps.

I quickly located Dasie Yamagata, Kuni’s wife. Dasie and her posse of friends crew for Kuni at his races. Dasie is this most prepared, person I have met when it comes to ultra. She had everything covered, with backup. Dasie and the rest of the crew give off the good vibes a runner needs to feel when they see their crew.

After a few hours of watching the race and catching up with friends, I went down Bath Road to meet Kirk. He told me he had some issues earlier, regardless he looked great and appeared to be on his way to a great finish.

I later returned to Bath Road to meet Kuni and get us on our way. When I met him he looked great. I got a quick update from him and except for some quad fatigue, he was feeling good.

We met Dasie at the car and got on our way, onto the Cal-Loop.

Cal Loop

After a short pee break at the top of the climb we got into a rhythm and headed for the first aid station. During the break I go off two photos, my camera promptly crapped out after this, so much for photos. As we ran I was amazed at how relaxed Kuni was on the trail after 62+ miles. This was a good sign that he had saved himself for the more runnable part of the race.

By Peachstone we were consistently passing people. I began to notice that no one we pasted stayed with us or even near us. With the darkness you can see people’s lights, even when they are not so near. I later joked with Kuni that they were either too scared of him or we smelled too bad to stay with us. This got me a few laughs form Kuni.

Kuni kept taking in food and held a consistent pace all the way to Rucky Chuck (mile 78). We completed the section in about 3:30. By now I could see that Kuni’s focus during a race is second to none.

A few howls by me let the aid station (and world) know we were coming. Dasie and the girls were waiting for us. A few hellos’ and we were in and out.

River Crossing to Auburn Lakes Trail (ALT)

After a very quick river crossing in the raft we took a short break on the Far Side. Kuni took a meeting in the Portalet. Kuni was still able to get food down without issue. But his downing of an Ensure and V8 juice in quick succession worried me. I told him we needed to take our time walking the hill to Green Gate to let his stomach process. I was worried that much food and the odd mix would sit in his gut.

On the climb Kuni began to get nauseous. He told me he was also hitting his first low point or “bad patch”. We took it nice and easy on the climb to Green Gate. I tried to distract Kuni at this point. I think I blabbered on quite a bit about how much I like the night and stars. A girl in hot pants went by at one point; I might have mentioned that to Kuni. Regardless of his nausea we hit the Green Gate aid station without stopping and no meltdown. Kuni got right back into a run as we left the aid station.

Prior to the race and during it Kuni told me, “I hate ALT”. I never understood this since I know that ALT is very runnable rolling single track trail. It was on the run from Green Gate that I realized his ALT section was different than mine, oops. Kuni was talking about the section from Green Gate to ALT. I always thought of “ALT” as ALT to Brown’s Bar.

After realizing this I told Kuni he was right that this section with the climb at Third Gate sucked. But I quickly pointed out that he was running strong. Since we always walk climbs he was moving through the section quicker than he was giving himself credit for. At one point I told him I didn’t want to hear anymore negative talk from him about ALT. He was running it strong and, he had to take my word for it.

As we started the climb to the Schoener Memorial Kuni had some mild vomiting and other bodily issues. To my amazement this hardly slowed him down. He would stop briefly to bend over and vomit a little. As soon as he was standing upright we were running again.

Up to this point in the race Kuni had mentioned more than once that his quads were shot. He told me he soaked them in El Dorado Creek earlier with good results. With the way he would go downhill you would not have known he was having quad issues. At the creek near Dead Truck trail Kuni again climbed in and soaked his feet. Again to my amazement he was able to sit down and get up with very little stiffness and no cramping.

At the ALT aid station Kuni took another meeting in the Portalet. I went on ahead to change out my batteries. At the aid station Kuni weighted in only half a pound over, NICE!!! The medical guy was there and asked Kuni how he was doing. I mentioned the issues he was having and that he recently took one Imodium. I pointed out that his fluid and food intake was good and that he was peeing.

Regardless Med Guy held us up and started in about Imodium stopping him from sweating and blah, blah, blah. I appreciated his concern, but he was holding us up. In my opinion compared to many others on the trail, (like the guy quivering in a chair a few feet away) Kuni was golden. One Imodium wasn’t going to end his day. Suffice to say I moved Kuni onto the broth while I deflected Med Guy. Don’t mess with a Pacer on the edge!

ALT to Brown’s Bar

Kuni was having some up’s and down’s through this section. But as always he was running the flats and downs like we were out on training run. His leg strength and fitness this late in the race continued to impress me.

I was now checking my cell phone and saw I had service. I gave Dasie a quick call with a brief update.

Brown’s Bar came quick. Kuni was still nauseous so we kept up the crackers and soda. The broth thus far was too condensed and salty for him. We left quickly and started down the hill to the Quarry Road.

By this point I had lost track of how many people we had passed. But I repeatedly pointed this out to Kuni to boost his confidence.

Brown’s Bar to Cool

We continued to hike all ups and run everything else. Kuni was tired of hills from the way he was talking about them. To combat the negative talk I continually pointed out that he was running more than anyone we had come across. I also told him that he was hiking the hills faster than anyone else, which was a true statement.

The climb to Hwy 49 came quickly and Kuni appeared to have got back some pep. I saw Lily at Hwy 49 and told her we were doing great. After some more soda and crackers we were moving up the hill.

After Hwy 49 I began to talk to Kuni more and outline the trail as we came to different sections, “Hill, start walking”, “loose rocks”, etc.

As we crossed the meadow near Cool I told Kuni we were running the descent to No Hands Bridge. In hind sight it was probably not the best thing to do. I could have ended up pushing him too hard and risked a meltdown. But this was the Beast and I knew he was game, and boy was he.

As we started the descent I drifted ahead of Kuni. Until now I was always behind him on the trail. I lingered just out of reach and kept up my talking, “steep decent starting, or loose rocks, short steps”. Mostly it was “stay relaxed, breath, and let the hill pull you”.

Kuni ran the whole 3 miles down to the bridge without one trip or misstep.

A few howls by me to wake the dead and signal our arrival and we were at the bridge. We found Dasie and Crew awaiting our arrival.

No Hands Bridge to the FINISH

After a brief stop and energy boost by Dasie and Crew we were took off running again.

We continued on towards Robie Point without issues. Kuni was running some of the moderate uphill’s now so I knew he could smell the barn.

Just prior to Robie Point Aid Station I asked Kuni if he would like to take the spur trail to the Overlook. I told him we had the time and it would show everyone just how tough he was. The look I got was priceless, but to his credit he politely declined. 24+ hours of running and he is polite, he is a better man than I. I think I would have dropped an F-bomb.

At the Fleet Feet (Robie Point) Aid Station I knew we would be greeted by a large group of friends. The crowd was huge and did not disappoint. This final boost of energy pushed us onto a glorious finish on the Track in 25:36.

After thoughts

If you have never paced a runner, I would highly recommend it. Especially if you are new to the sport of ultra running. The experience is like nothing else, it gives you an idea as to why we do this thing called ultra running and what it take to succeed. It also shows you the best in people.

Now that the race is over I have a few more nicknames for Kuni. “The Machine” and “Man of Steel” come to mind.

A priceless experience, thank you Kuni for allowing me to share in your Western States journey.

AB

Western States 100 mile Endurance Run

Big Dance, Track Meet, or just “States”, whatever you call it the race that gave birth to a sport is this Saturday. Like many others I can’t wait for the weekend to get here.

I am not competing this year, but doing something that is equally rewarding, pacing.  Kuni Yamagata, (Bib#399) known as The Beast asked me to pace him from Foresthill to the Finish.

(Thank you Kuni for asking me to pace you, you won’t regret it).

Kuni is a tough as nails runner and all around nice guy. My plan is to keep Kuni on track and get him to the Placer High as fast a possible.

I have enjoyed crewing/pacing people at events in the past. In a sense you’re competing in the event, but all of your energy is for someone else’s race. If you can give yourself over to the perspective change it is a very rewarding experience

As always the race is a top notch event. There is a webcast, mobile webcast, Twitter. Not to mention fully stocked and unique aid stations backed up with an army of volunteers.

Some useful links:

Mobile Webcast: http://m.ultralive.net/webcast.php

Event Webcast: http://www.ultralive.net/ws100/webcast.php

Kuni’s page: http://www.ultralive.net/ws100/399

Since this is a race, a new toe color is in order. Sparkling Silver appears to be the color choice. But I have to check with Izabella, since she usually chooses the color for me.

See you on the other side.

AB

Rolling to a stop

For many months I’ve been on a roll with my training. My training group was great fun with lots of long runs with great people. Way to Cool 50K went very well. It’s only May and I’ve had some great workouts and epic runs on the trails. My trip to the Grand Canyon was an epic. It showed me my fitness was continuing to improve. It looked like Bishop 100K and the coming season was going to be as fun as I had hoped.

The week after Grand Canyon I rolled to a stop. Even though I was able to get back into running the week after I was really tight, more than usual. I was dumb and ended up straining my back in the yard the Friday after Grand Canyon. Being a newly minted 40 year old I can safely say I’m living up to the cliché. Having never had a back issue, I can now relate to what my friends with bad backs have gone through over the years, F&%$ing hurts!!!!

Around the time this injury occurred I realized I would miss my daughters first swim meet of the year if I attended Bishop 100K. As a dad I can’t do that so I pulled out. Since I haven’t healed as quickly I planned, I wouldn’t have made the race anyhow. As I type this I’m still not running much, with much of it on the treadmill.

My forced sabbatical for the past few weeks has given me the chance to slow down a bit. I enjoy these monuments in life, but I wish they just didn’t have to hurt so much to get to them. 

Things I’ve learned recently:

Since I wasn’t doing the usual weekend long run, I went to coffee instead. People watching at a Peet’s coffee house on a Saturday morning is great. I now firmly believe there is an obesity problem with America’s 20 and under set. I saw more healthy and active 40+ year olds than 20 and under. How is that possible?

I got a pair of New Balance Minimus shoes for my birthday. (No, I will not be running in them.) Know what these shoes are great for, water shoes and kick around shoes. Running around the beach, climbing rocks, cliff diving at the local lake, these are the shoe you want. They remind me of the Nike Aqua Sock from the 90’s.

I eat A LOT when I’m stressed. If I ever get a really bad injury I’m going to get FAT!

Now that I can make homemade miso soup, I eat it almost everyday. (Is that bad??)

I am now VERY motivated to be healthy and train for TRT 50 mile and Rio Del Lago 100. I’m even feeling a need to go back to CIM to erase last years run.

Time to go do my Yoga poses.

AB

2011 Grand Canyon R2R2R adventure

Last weekend I had the pleasure of returning to the Grand Canyon for another year. Unlike last year when I was solo, I had my best girl and wife Lily with me. Also along for the fun were my long time friend Nick Bingham and his wife Christy.

Last years trip was great, but not a R2R2R. This year I planned to complete the whole enchilada. Last year injury and lack of training had me do a shorter but just as rewarding trip to Ribbon Falls and back out.

Nick who I’ve known since high school was the person who first exposed me to trail running. Nick has always been a great runner. He has run top five at Western States 100 as well as sub-2:30 marathons. I looked forward to spending some time with him the trails. It had been along time since we had run any distance together.

Lily’s plan was to run down South Kaibab as we planned to. She would then visit Phantom ranch and then head back up Bright Angel Trail. Even with her recent performance at Way to Cool 50K I was worried about her running alone. The Grand Canyon can be unforgiving if you make a mistake. Her lack of experience with food and salt intake during a long outing worried me, but I keep reviewing with her what to do so I trusted she would be OK.

Like last year we elected to fly all the way to Flagstaff and then take a rental car the last hour+ to Grand Canyon. 13hr car rides really don’t sound fun to me any longer. We also got a room at the Yavapai Lodge instead of camping.

Nick and Christy live in Reno. After meeting in Phoenix, the plan was to fly together on the turbo prop to Flagstaff. When we met at the gate we were greeted with a sign that said FLIGHT CANCELED, uh oh not good.

We were told it was for maintenance and we would have to catch a later flight. This smelled fishy so Lily went to work and got us squared a way with some $$$$ courtesy of US Airways. We contemplated driving up from Phoenix, but a long drive did not sound fun to anyone.

We eventually flew out at 7:30pm. Once in Flagstaff we found out the plane we were supposed to take had some mechanical issues trying to leave Flagstaff to get to Phoenix. It made three aborted take off’s before the problem was found. Uh OK I’ll take the delayed flight. US Airways obviously lied to us, but we got some $$$ back so I’ll take it. We all later talked about what would have happened if it had made it back to Phoenix and then broke down with us on it.

Friday we did the tourist thing, rested up and visited with the group that was camping. Unlike last year there was no snow, but it was still very cold. The forecast for the following day showed very cool temps, even in the canyon NICE!!!!


I felt better looking out from the rim, unlike last year’s vertigo the minute I looked out over Bright Angel Trail. I did have problems being near people as we looked down or stood on a precipice.

Nick at one point ventured out onto a ledge while we were at Yaki Point. I had to step back from the wall completely and couldn’t watch much. An odd reaction, but for some reason watching other people on ledges was freaking me out.

Saturday morning we awoke at 4am to cold temps, but clear sky. Nick and I decided to not wait too long if the main group was running late.

At 5:05am were off. My anxiety with leaving Lily surfaced at the trail head. I snapped at her when discussing something about her running pack, (I later apologized to her). She told me she knows I do this when I worry about her. She reminded me later that I can’t do it all.

Nick and I descended slowly at first due to the cold. Unlike last year it was a lot darker most of the way to the river. The lack of picture breaks this year was the reason. I left the camera with Lily so any trail picture you see are from her. I took a few iPhone shots, but not much.

We hit Phantom Ranch in 1:17 and filled are packs for the push up the valley. A few miles after dropping my gloves and beanie I regretted my decision. The sun had not yet hit the valley floor. A stiff cold wind was also present, (all day). My hands suffered most of the trip up to the Ranger station at the base of the North Rim climb. My Reynard Syndrome was in effect for WAY to long. Had it not warmed up I would have had to turn around.

I think we hit the Ranger’s cabin in 3:30 +, I was feeling good and ready to get to some solid efforts in. I did a hard 30 miles in the WS100 Canyons the Saturday before. I was curious to see it I would be tired or not once the climbing started for really.

Soon after starting Adam Barstad caught us. He looked fresh and kept moving he later ran a 9:20ish for the whole R2R2R, WOW! Soon after Roaring Springs we got into the climb proper. I was fueled and feeling great. My fitness so far this year has continued to shock me so I must be doing something right in training.

As we started up into the steep stuff I began to feel the weight of trails height on me. Knowing this feeling I slotted into the third man slot to ascend at my own pace. As we headed up switch backs that were cut into the red rock my stomach dropped. Its tough not to see down at this point and the drop off of the trail we had just come up hit me when I looked.

Nick saw I was in trouble and stopped. As he got closer I stopped him because I felt like I had the day before. I explained my issues to him and how I knew I could get through it. I told him to go on, I would either trail behind or I would see him later at the bottom. After he left I took a few minute and pushed on, but I noticed a shake to my hands and knew I was toast. I’ve never had that before in these situations.

My goal on these trips is fun, not the R2R2R goal; it’s a by-product of my fun. So I turned and headed down. The steepness of the canyon wall you’re on stares you in the face as you go down. Knowing I was toast I took a second and looked out from the trail.

The canyon with all it steepness and grim finality had a beautiful energy to it that I wanted to experience more. But my physical fear of it was just too much for me to take in. It’s odd how fear can give you clarity and focus to see this beauty.

As I made my way down I was amazed how much scarier it was to go down the trail.

I soon ran into a few folks from the group starting their way up. I told them of my failure and wished them well. After a food break near the Ranger’s cabin I reassessed my plans for the day. It was too cold to hang where I was. I also did not want to waste time sitting. I also did not want to be the guy who not only didn’t finish the R2R2R, but ran less and had less climbing.

The climb up the valley from Phantom ranch does climb, but not steep like a Rim Trail. So I figured get what I can, but go for more miles and quality at that. I needed to be toast like everyone else for the climb up Bright Angel Trail.

So I channeled my inner 50K runner and ran like hell (sub 8mpm) down to Phantom Ranch. After loading back up a bit on water I turned around and headed back up the valley. Somewhere along the way I tweaked my left ankle which was hurting but runnable.

On my ascent back up I ran into Adam Barstad again at the 7hr mark. Ten minutes later I met back up with Nick and another day runner he was running with. We proceeded to run low sevens back to Phantom Ranch which was interesting to do after 7hrs of activity. My ankle was killing me during this time so I had to break down and suck down some Motrin.

We took our time in re-fueling and hydrating before pushing on. So far my Salomon pack had held up well. I was able to hold enough food that I didn’t need to buy anything at the Ranch.

We crossed the Colorado River and started the Bright Angel Climb slowly as the food digested and I let the Motrin kick in. I finally felt warm which was a nice change. Just before the Devils Corkscrew I soaked my ankle in the creek which helped a lot.

I set pace up front and got us to Indian Gardens feeling OK. I think I was more behind on food than I thought, but ate a bar hoping to keep my energy up. Gels at this point were making me gag. The great thing was that my legs still had snap to them. I could run when I wanted to with no cramping or the possibility of it showing up.

Just past the 2.5 mile toilet we both hit a low energy point. Gels were out of the question and I was out of solid food. Nick pulled out a giant Snickers bar that we spilt. It was Heaven, the caffeine in the chocolate had an instant effect and we pushed on better than ever.

We saw the wives at the last tunnel and tagged in at the top for an 11hrs finish.

Lily looked great. She told me she had a great day and only had an issue on the way up Bright Angel Trail. It sounded like she had a really bad bonk. Christy took great shots in the morning at South Kaibab Trail. She later went to Indian Gardens and back on her own. So everyone got a piece of the Canyon.

Once back home an ice bath and compression socks got me on the road to recovery. I had no blisters or feet issues of any type. Thank you Drymax socks.

We later went out and did a protein overload dinner. The Bright Angel Restaurant has a sampler platter with ribs, chicken and steak. Lily and I spilt it and ate it all, Yum.

The following day I felt great, the ankle pain was gone, but I could feel tenderness in one spot.

Sunday I showed everyone where I had bummed around last year in Flagstaff. The bar was there, but they no longer offered the cheese and bread tray. The club sandwich, fries and craft beer made up for it.

I offered to treat Lily to anything she wanted at the numerous outfitter stores in old town. She deserved it after the trail she tamed on her own. She proceeded to make the Patagonia store in town very happy.

Once home I downloaded the Garmin to see the damage. I’ve always been told the run is 10,000 ft of climbing and 46 miles long for the route we took, this always seemed too low to me.

Granted I did not hit the North Rim. I questimated I ran the same distance or farther in the valley. My Sport Tracks log said my run was 52 miles with 22,000ft of gain. Garmin Connect said it was 50 miles with 25,600ft of gain. The Garmin route had a lot of gaps and weird tracks. The Sport Tracks route was solid. Regardless of distance/elevation it was a good day, no R2R2R, but a long fun day with great people.

AB

Salomon Advanced Skin S-Lab Hydration Pack Review



So I have been running with pack since February. I have completed a lot of runs with the pack, both on the road and trail. The distances have varied from short (6 miles) to long (30+). I have completed one race, the Way to Cool 50K wearing the pack. I figured I could finally give the pack a review. Here we go:

Fit

Salomon is a European company, so for us Yanks, the fit runs on the small size. I have the largest sized pack they offer the M/L. The pack fits snug, but it’s supposed to. Even though the pack is snug I have yet to be chafed or been rubbed raw by it. If I were larger in the chest and shoulders the fit could be an issue. I’m just shy of 6”3”, 176-180lbs for reference. If they ever made a size large I would try it out to compare the fit.

The “pack” is actually more of a vest. The body is made of a reinforced padded and breathable mesh. The pack rides higher on the body than other packs I’ve worn. For comparison I’ve run in Nathan, Gregory and Camelback’s. I like this aspect because I feel freer around my waist. So on technical trails I don’t notice the pack like I have with others that ride low.

The beauty of the fit is that you slip it on, clip two front straps and you’re good to go. Since the body of the pack is one piece there is no other adjusting needed after an initial fitting. With a full bladder and stuffed pockets you might have to adjust the straps a little.

With the snug design of the pack there is minimal to no bounce even with a full bladder. I have run two tempo runs with the pack at sub 7mpm pace without it bouncing all over the place.

Function

The two front draw string pockets can be stuffed with a ton of gels, etc and closed on the fly with ease. Even stuffed the pockets don’t bounce or shift while loaded. I liked the wide mouth design of the pockets which made access while running a breeze. I haven’t tried it, but from Internet photos the pockets can hold small water bottles. I have not tried this, but as it warms up I’m going to.

There are two removable zipper pockets that Velcro on above the draw string pockets. I have yet to use them or need them. The pack also comes with a space blanket and whistle.

The rear main pocket and side waist pockets are a tight mesh weave with a zipper closure. The side pockets are on the small side, but stretch well if you want to stuff them.

The drinking tube is routed into the pack body so it is not as exposed as other drinking tubes. It also has a reinforced sleeve around the plastic tube. This also prevents the tube from flopping around or being in the way. The drink tube links in to the Source bladder by a clip. When you unhook it the bladder will not empty.

Bladder

The water bladder is 1.5L and made by Source, it is the best bladder I’ve ever used. It is square in shape. It opens at the top and uses a fold over clip design so opening and filling is easy. When you open it you can pinch the flap into a funnel. This makes drinking from it easy when you want to top yourself off before you top off the bladder. Cleaning and drying is easy since it opens the width of the bladder at the top. I can stick my whole hand into it to wash it out.

The bladder rests in a removable sleeve that has a “tin foil” liner to help keep things cool. I don’t know if it works, but it looks high-tech and appeals to the nerd in me.

Observations

I tend to know what I’ll need on a long trail day. As such I never seem to use all the space given in running packs. Winter long runs and 30+ mile backcountry runs are when I fully use pack space. For the runner who likes to take a lot of gear, the S-Labs pack space could be a bit limiting.

The lack of straps makes the pack fit more like a piece of clothing than a pack. Some people might not like this; I see it as a strong point. You put the pack on like you would your shoes or shirt and just go. The lack of straps also reduces the pinching I’ve gotten from other running packs when I try to snug them up better.

I have run a little while using just one or none of the front straps. While not as snug a fit, you can run with it this way if something broke on the trail.

To me this pack is made for racing with its snug minimal design. But it is just as good on my weekly long run. You can take what you want and not feel bogged down. Taking the pack off to re-fill and put back on mid-race is quicker and easier than any other pack I’ve used.

Its true test will come in a few weeks when I run the Grand Canyon R2R2R. If the pack can take what I need to get through that run I’ll never want another running pack.

Conclusion

If you hate packs, this could be the pack that changes your mind about them.  This is the first pack that I've run in that dosen't make me feel like I'm running with a pack on.

The bad news,

This baby will set you back $180.

I also just saw a posting at iRunfar.com that a higher capacity model is being tested overseas. Here are some photos:

 

AB