Lost Soul 100 2016 Race Report

"Look over there," a runner ahead of me said at mile 1 as he pointed towards a hill where a herd of mule deer were running in the cool early morning. The early morning was cool but dry. The first mile came in at 7:22 min/mile pace with a sub-6:00 min/mile pace on a 1/2 mile downhill road section. As I passed many runners up on that section, coming into the top 15 runners of 200 starters in the 100 milers and 100 km runners, I overheard some runners saying, "He won't be able to keep that pace up the whole way." They and I both knew it, but it was so easy to cruise in the early miles and keep the heart rate down on the downhills regardless of pace.

The Wednesday night before the 100 mile race, I dreamed that I fell asleep during the ultra marathon many times, waking up each time realizing I had lost time, but feeling content knowing that I could now pass slower runners up. I kept falling asleep though so this never happened.

On Thursday morning, I took a flight into Calgary, AB. After picking up a rental car, I drove the 2+ hour route south towards Fort McLeod and then East to Lethbridge. Upon heading South from Calgary, a torrential thunderstorm came with lots of hail and temps down to 6 Celsius. That was cold! I stopped for a subway sandwich on my way to Lethbridge, and checked into Lethbridge Lodge around 6 pm. I then picked up my packet at Runners Soul and then went to Osho Sushi restaurant for Yakisoba and rice, which was really tasty.

The alarm went off at 6:00 am, and I ate bananas and bagels for breakfast.
The next step was to decide which shoes to wear. I had planned on wearing my Altra Lone Peaks but when I put them on the cushioning felt gone from the trauma they took at Bighorn in June. I put on the barely worn Altra Olympus shoes with the comfy feel and decided to take my chances with the narrow single track which increased the ankle injury/fall risk.

At 7:10 am, I dropped off my 3 drop bags, and at 7:30 am, I went to the pre-race briefing.

Lost Soul 100, would be my sixth 100 mile start, and I hoped to finish a slam here after finishing Badger100, Zion100, and Bighorn100 earlier this year. Yet I would have to do it without a crew, without a pacer, and without knowing anyone on the course.

At 7:55 am, the Canadian national anthem, "O Canada" was sung, which was the first time I had ever heard the song at a race. It really is a great patriotic song, and I enjoyed it.

At 8:00 am on Friday morning, we started off.

Image by Mark Virginillo

After settling into a sustainable pace, I enjoyed the 4 mile first leg which loops around the South hills,  and has some flat sections near the end before climbing up back to headquarters. Those first 4 miles only took about 44 minutes, kind of a fast start. I grabbed and quickly ate some bananas and potatoes, dropped my light jacket, and took off towards Softball Valley. This leg 2 is a good 5 mile section that goes under a long, long train bridge that frequently has trains going over it.

This section then goes up and over some hills and along some coulees. Just as I saw softball valley in the distance and looked at my watch, I saw I still had 1 mile to go to the aid station. I wasn't surprised then to see the trail head up steeply onto a hill before cruising down again to Softball Valley aid station. Here I refilled the bottles, ate bananas, potatoes and pretzels and took off towards Pavan, pronounced (Puh-'von). The next section, leg 3, is 6 miles and was the toughest section for me each time because it is hill after hill after hill. There were lots of small cactus plants on the side of the trail, such that I was afraid I would step on one with the narrow single-track, especially in the dark during the second and third loops. 

The heat really started to intensify in the coulees where it felt up to 80F. Thankfully it was cooler on the ridges with some wind, but the intense sun didn't help. I struggled to maintain hydration, but kept on top of it fairly well. At Mile 15 or 16 came Pavan aid station, and I was happy to see Sushi rice and seaweed after being on the course for 3 hours. Wow, that was really tasty, too. I also ate bananas and took off. Leg 4 is a 10 mile section heading straight up into the North Hills and along a nice plateau before descending into a flat section. Some nice landowner supplied us with water bottles on a fold up table 3 miles into this section. More hills then came. 

One great thing Lost Soul Ultra does is to name many of the hills with signs, such as Curly Hill, Moe Hill, and Larry Hill. It also puts difficulty ratings on many hills, like black diamond, blue square, and green circle, just like ski slopes. Its the little things like this that bring smiles to Ultrarunners and that keep us going.

At Mile 21 comes a super steep downhill with no traction, which was sketchy with my Olympus shoes. The only water crossing then came with several relatively stable logs to cross with. Along this section by Old Man River, I saw and heard migrating Canada Geese, belted kingfishers and many songbirds. Black-billed magpies flew across the valley occasionally. A few clouds danced across the sky bringing sporadic relief from the intense heat of the midday. At this point, my legs were getting tired and I was ready for a break so I started alternating speed hiking and running.

At Mile 26, I arrived back at Pavan, eating more rice, bananas, and pretzels. I was expecting a mostly flat leg 5 from the map with 4 miles in this section, but there were two really steep hills early on. I caught up to a runner who said, "Oh, I remember this hill!" She had run this race before, and remember this infamous section. I came across another runner named Hiro who was running really well. I gave him some encouragement and he went on ahead. The heat was intense now in the early to  mid afternoon. One final hill came a mile later before Softball Valley. At Softball valley, I fueled at mile 30 and proceeded on towards probably the easiest section, leg 6 heading back towards the HQ aid station. The final climb up HQ is quite steep but there is ground netting to help with traction, and at the top, there is a paved path toward the aid stations that you can see.

It was 3:20 pm when I arrived at mile 34 at the HQ aid station, or 7:20 elapsed time. I was a little behind schedule to get a sub-24 hour finish, but I was doing my best which was all I can expect. I ate bananas and potatoes and took off. On loop 2 leg 1, only the 100 miler runners were on this section as the 100km runners didn't have to run this leg. The trail thus thinned out quite a bit, with only a couple of runners seen on this section. I cruised back to HQ A/S and then to Softball Valley A/S. The next 2 legs from miles 43-59 would be the most difficult legs of the course for me. 

From Softball Valley to Pavan, the relentless hills really took a toll on me after a long hot day. I would have to hydrate better and eat more so that I could make it to the finish. It was about 7:30 pm when I made it to Pavan, mile 49, just about to the halfway point. At mile 50 I would have been on my feet for 12 hours, so a sub-24 hour finish was out the window. Upon arriving at the Pavan aid station, I just stood there. A volunteer comes up to me and says, "you look like a lost soul." I said, "yeah, well, at least I fit in well here", with a smile on my face. He asked me if I had a pacer or a crew to which I said, "no." His jaw dropped and said "well, the aid station volunteers will help me throughout the night." I said, "Yes, I will need the help a lot." I sat down, and he brought me some broth, rice with quinoa. After finishing that I ate some bananas and changed into warmer clothes and took potatoes with me as I took off with only 7 minutes spent at the aid station. One volunteer there said as I took off, "Its a good thing you didn't stay very long here." I didn't know exactly why he said that to me, but I agreed with him and said, "Yes, I just need to keep walking." I turned on my headlamp and came across a group of 8 children with glow sticks who quickly ran behind a bush beside the trail. I smelled the fish and acted like nothing was going on. The kids yelled and screamed and I acted scared to which they laughed and giggled. As they talked amongst themselves, I politely told them there was another runner coming soon, which was true.

As I climbed up several hills it was just in time to see more deer and the sunset.

The wind really started to pick up on the ridges, and I was glad for my long sleeve shirt, light jacket, and beenie. In the dark, the narrow single track with the ever present trail-side cactus significantly slowed down the pace, and I hiked more than I ran. A few shrews raced across the trail. More flats came. Then came the super steep slick downhill section, but this time in the dark!

"Snap" is what I heard as I fell to the ground and slid a few feet down the slope. The rest of the way down I scooted down the slope to the bottom to assess the damage. "Whew" I thought as I realized i just sprained my pinkie finger that was more tight than painful. I slow down again and hiked over the water crossing before gaining more momentum towards Pavan A/S at mile 59. I came into the A/S more chipper I am guessing. The volunteer who had said I looked like a lost soul before, had a smile and saw a revived runner, albeit with an undeclared sprained pinkie finger. More broth, bananas and rice would be taken with much gratitude, and I took off in the dark again at about 11 pm. 

The next section was great as I had my second wind and cruised through the dark up over steep hills, down coulees, through valleys, and towards the Softball Valley aid station. I was kind of emotional as I realized this would be my last of four 100 milers this year, and that I needed to enjoy every mile of it. The approach into Softball valley in the dark was cool with glow sticks and orange pylons showing to way to the aid station with a half moon overhead. For fun I turned off my headlamp, running on the grass in the dark to see if I could sneak up upon the people at the aid station. Here I had some broth, potatoes and bananas. It was about 12:30 am. At about 2:00 am, it had taken me 18 hours to travel 67 miles. I now had 17 hours to do the last 34 miles. Now the question was, "how fast could I make it back that last loop. The first loop took me 7:20; the second 10:40, so I didn't know if the third loop would take me 14:00 via extrapolation, or even more. 

The consistent hydration and nutrition along with the cooler temperatures of the night started slowly, slowly to give energy back into me. Leg 1 back to HQ A/S was faster the third loop than the second loop. The third wind had begun. I only hoped it would last a while. I didn't last more than 4 miles, but I keep moving anyway. Leg 2 from HQ to Softball Valley was faster the third loop than the second loop. I enjoyed turning off my headlamp again as I ran under streetlamps and the half moon coming into the A/S. 21 hours had elapsed, it was now about 5:00 am at mile 77. It was mile 97 though for the 100 mile leader who came into the aid station at the same time as me. He and his pacer commented that the runner up was 30 minutes behind, but they didn't stay very long. 

I fueled and took off, realizing that I looked forward to the hills more than flats now. The hills were actually easier than the flats, even the steep hills. 

More deer greeted me in the hills. At the top of curly hill, I saw the sunrise. I kept stopping to get a better picture, because it was so amazing.

At mile 83, I ran across more runners returning to the finish at their mile 93. I was inspired by them to keep running, many of whom said leg 4 was the toughest because of the 10 mile distance between aid stations. 

I kept moving. This was the time when illusions, not hallucinations would surface. I saw a black bear in a gully which didn't move and turned out to be a culvert. I saw many people in brown clothes standing on the trail watching the runners go by, that turned out the be rock cairns. I saw a few snakes which turned out to be roots in the path. I did see one live garter snake later that morning, but no rattlesnakes. 

Upon reaching the super steep downhill at mile 89, I gingerly scooted down the hill, sliding a little but not risking another, and potentially more dangerous injury. The water crossing came, followed by flats and Pavan A/S at mile 93. The few short step hills along the next section, leg 5, brought with it intense wind up to 40 mph, along with sand/small rocks blowing in my face. The heat was again building up. As expected the 50km leaders who started at 7 am that morning were catching up to me. I saw that they hiked the steep uphills just like me but a little faster, but they could run really fast on the flats while I power hiked and ran occasionally. I caught my fourth wind upon reaching Softball Valley AS at mile 97, stopping for less than a minute to fill a bottle and take a few potatoes with me to eat while I power hiked towards the finish.

I encouraged a few more 50km runners that passed me and I power hiked as fast as a 16 min/mile pace the last 4 miles, which were mostly flat. My feet were really sore now and the flats were again harder than the hills. 

I really looked forward to the last hill now. I practically ran up the last steep hill in a sprint, and sprinted that last path to the finish, trying to make it in under 29 hours, and it was.

Image by Mark Virginillo

At the finish at just before 1 pm, Hiro was there to congratulate me on the finish, and I congratulated him as well. 

The 2016 slam was done--and how fitting it was to complete it at Lost Soul which has Softball Valley Aid Station, at which I ran into 6 times.

At the Sunday awards breakfast line I looked at the boulder and rock awards for the fastest runners overall and age group awards. I seriously said to a runner behind me, "I am glad I am not getting an award because I have to fly on an airplane back home today." I didn't get a response from him but I shrugged it off. The joke was on me though because they announced that they were giving awards to the top 5 in each age group. "Uh-oh" I thought, because I think I was 5th place in 18-39 age group for the 100 miler. I still hoped I didn't get a 200 pound boulder. Maybe I would get a tiny rock. Nope--it was a 26 pound rock that I would pack in a suitcase back to the States.

The finisher tile

For days before this last race, I kept asking myself why I run these 100 mile races and endure so much discomfort. During the first loop of this race I realized the answer.

"Do not worry about those trying to catch up to you or those who are ahead. Rather stay focused on the path ahead and enjoy the journey. Encourage each other. Step aside when faster runners want to pass. It's only a race or competition for those who run it for that. For those who run fast or slow for the adventure, it is simply a journey to be enjoyed, and each is one-of-a-kind."

Bighorn100 2016 Race Report

Rattlesnake, thunderstorm, heat, cold, and sore toes

"Rattlesnake", several runners ahead of me said at mile 6 as they halted in their tracks. A group of about 10 runners halted for about a minute as a rattlesnake rattled at us and slithered off into the brush beside the dusty trail head up towards Upper Sheep A/S. I saw a part of the snake in the brush when I finally ran by it, hoping that it would not lunge towards me. I said to another runner, "we can cross rattlesnake off our checklist now." He said, "Is this bingo or something?" in agreement, and laughed.

The day had already started out on an interesting note, promising additional adventures for the day. At 9am Friday, race instructions were given at Scott Park in Dayton to each of the approximately 285-300 runners who were to start the race. I said goodbye to my wife and kids and was shuttled off to the start on Tongue River Rd. I found a cool spot on a bridge over the river there and settled in for the 1 hour wait.

At about 10:50 am, the national anthem was sung. At almost 11 am, I came up to the starting line, situated towards the back so I would not start out too fast. I was happy to see my wife and kids there for the send-off.

At 11am, I took off with the rest of the runners with temps starting around 75 under sunny skies. I gradually passed up quite a few runners at my easy pace passing the tongue river trailhead and lower sheep. I carried 3 water bottles--1 handheld and 2 in my front pack. I was determined not to get dehydrated.

This year, from lower sheep to upper sheep from miles 3.5 to 8.5, the ascent seemed much easier, probably from a combination of being in better shape and from being further back in the pack. I didn't have to stop at all going up, but tripped once of twice when I passed runners up. Upon reaching Upper Sheep A/S at mile 8.5, I ate a little and headed up towards DryFork A/S. My elapsed time arriving at DryFork A/S (mile 13.4) was 3:12 and I was in 121st place. I felt like I performed well on that section, and was 28 minutes ahead of my time from last year. I only needed 5 minutes at this aid station and I was off towards Footbridge as the temps had climbed to the 80s. From DryFork to Footbridge, the terrain is lots of ups and downs with elevation largely between 6,000 and 7,500 ft, not including the drop to Footbridge which is bottoms out between 4,000 and 5,000 ft. I was able to run the flats and downhills and powerhike the uphills. I had no difficulty hydrating or eating and was feeling confident as I descended into Footbridge at mile 30 with an elapsed time of 7:00, 125th place which was right on track, a full 3 hours ahead of the cut-off and 59 minutes ahead of last years split time. Here I ate bananas, potatoes, crackers and such. I packed a jacket for the cold night weather as well as a hat and gloves and headlamp.
From Footbridge I started with a mix of running and power-hiking to cathedral rock.
Leaving cathedral rock (mile 33.5), it was still light out and I had no idea what the next few hours would bring.

At mile 34, I learned what a 20% chance of thunderstorms can mean in the Bighorn Mountains. It means lightning, thunder, and rain. Thankfully I had packed a light rain jacket which I hastily put on as drops of rain came down. After hiking in the rain for 5 minutes, I realized I left my waist pack with my phone and other belongings back there, but checked again and realized I was wearing it but I was wearing it behind rather than in front. Whew--close call. I again resumed running and power hiking up to Spring Marsh mile 40, feeling good. The darkness was coming and I put on my headlamp. From Spring Marsh I started up but I started to feel the elevation above 7,000 ft for the first time on this HC climb. From Spring March to Elk Camp I for the first time experienced dry heaving around mile 42. I did multisystem checks to make sure this was just sporadic and not a systemic problem and everything check out, so I just slowed down the pace a bit and proceeded twards Elk Camp (mile 43.5). At Elk Camp I ate some noodles with broth and crackers and started to climb up above 9200 ft elevation. On this section I had to stop multiple times to sit down and catch my breath. Other runners would pass me up and ask if I was ok. I would say, "Yes, I am ok, I just need to stop to catch my breath." To one person I also said, "I live at the beach", and the runner chuckled. I was expecting this though so I kept up the courage. I was happy to arrive at Jaws (mile 48) at 13:49 elapsed time, a full 1:46 faster than last years split time and 4:11 ahead of the cutoff. I spent 27 minutes at the aid station and used the restroom. I ate soup, quesadillas, and crackers. There were several runners laying flat on cots, apparently exhausted. When I arrived at Jaws I was in 150/251 place, and upon leaving I was in 127/207 place, telling the toll that the HC climb had taken upon the runners.

It was 1:16 am when I left Jaws and started to long descent down to Footbridge. The mud was there but was not as bad as last year. I was able to run most of the downhills, didn't have to stop at all and never felt the utter exhaustion like I had felt last year. I passed a few runners from Jaws to Footbridge mile 66 and arrived there at 6:29 am, 19:29 elasped time and 4:31 ahead of the cutoff.

I ate some food, put on sunscreen, took off my jacket, changed my hat and headed up "The Wall". This is a steep, steep climb up from Footbridge. I was able to powerhike fairly well and only had to stop a few times near the top. My GPS watch was malfunctioning though, giving me inaccurate data and at one point I thought I had bypassed Bear Camp Aid Station Mile 70, because my GPS said I had gone 5 miles since Footbridge. I actually backtracked 1/4 mile until I met up with 2 other runners. I asked them if they had come across Bear Camp yet, and they said, "no it should be just up ahead." I realized that it was getting late in the run and mental fatigue and confusion can settle in quickly. From Bear Camp to DryFork, it was getting really hot and the frequent ups and downs at high elevation made me powerhike more than run, but I maintained hydration. The final ascent to DryFork is grueling and I stopped a couple of times to catch my breath as the temps were reaching the upper 80s. I reached DryFork A/S at 26:37 elapsed time and needed only 13 minutes to refuel and put on suscreen. I was 3:10 ahead of the cutoff, and it was mosly downhill from here.

I left Dryfork (mile 82) cheerful in the bright sunny day that promised a high temperature of near 100 in Dayton at the finish. I power hiked more than ran the rest of the way all the way to the finish. Along this section, I would refill my bottles with GuBrew, Heed or water and soon after the liquids would feel warm or hot. It was almost impossible to keep the bottles cool. I realized my body could get overheated easily as well, so in order to prevent heat exhaustion or worse, I would keep my effort slow and cruise to the finish. The one climb I had not anticipated was the one coming back from Upper Sheep A/S. It is very steep and I had to stop like 10 times to catch my breath.

On the back side there was about 5 miles of downhill, but my toes and foot were beat up from the repeated banging against the rocky trails which festered toe blisters and subungual blood blisters. The bottoms of my feet were very sore as well. So I ran as much as I could and then hiked some as well.

At Lower Sheep A/S (mile 92.5) many runners were taking lots of time resting there and hydrating. I refilled a bottle which became hot liquids soon after, and kept on power hiking. Parts of the trails from here to Tongue River Road mile 96ish felt like the upper 90s, near 100 F. I power hiked the last 4 miles at a fast 16 min/mile pace passing many limping runners up. Along the road the last 4 miles, there were many encouraging spectators, a volunteer driving down the road handing out cups of ice to us, and even an aid station with fruit and cold treats.

As I headed towards the finish, I was cheered on by my wife and at the finish, a volunteer put a wet towel around my neck and gave me a finisher blanket.

I reached the finish (mile 101.5) with a time of 31:25, a full 2:35 ahead of the cutoff. This was good enough for 121st place--the exact place I was in when I reached DryFork at mile 13.4! Out of approximately 285-300 starters, I was more than happy for my 121st place overall, and only about 170 runners finished. Although altitude and heat training could be given me a faster time, it was nice to know that with my fitness, I could still finish way before the cutoff using just the training I enjoy most--out in nature, close to home.

The awards breakfast is Sunday morning and featured pancakes and orange juice before the awards ceremony. At the awards ceremony, each 100 mile finisher is announced by their city/state/name/finisher time in order from fastest to slowest. I received my buckle and finisher jacket. In addition, the top male and females in each age group, etc. are announced. The Rusty Spur awards are also given out for sub-24 hour finishers. 

Summary of what went well:
1. Even effort pacing: first half 14.5 hours, second half 17 hours
2. Optimal hydration and nutrition
3. Problem solving on the fly--managing thunderstorms, GI distress, heat, GPS failure
4. Altra Lone Peak 2.5 shoes
5. Fitness, from multiple long runs (including Badger 100 and Zion 100) and hill training this past year
6. Practicing running in mud on OCT and Cape Lookout SP
7. Knowing the trail from last year helped out quite a bit
8. The volunteers and race setup were top notch
9. The drop bags were well organized and were at important points along the way.

Summary of how I could run faster next time:
1. Continued hill and technical running over time
2. Altitude training
3. Heat training
4. Have a pacer

So what's next?
This year I decided to run four 100 milers, Badger 100, Zion 100, and Bighorn 100 are in the books; only Lost Soul 100 remains for this year.

Zion 100 2016 Race Report

Motto: The ability to finish a 100 mile race is based first upon training and preparation, secondarily upon the ability to problem solve on the go, and ultimately upon the desire to complete the goal.

"I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all." Ecclesiastes 9:11

Zion 100

The training and preparation:

As this was the second of four 100 milers planned this year, the bulk of the running mileage in training would be on trails. Additionally, since this race would be run just 2 weeks after my first 100 miler of the year: Badger Mountain Challenge, I would need to incorporate big runs 2 weeks apart. This included two 40 miler training runs 2 weeks apart in Dec/Jan, and two 50 miler training runs 2 weeks apart in Jan/Feb. After successfully finishing Badger Mountain Challenge 100 miler in 25 hours 25 minutes, I would run only a total of 18 miles between Badger and Zion.

I planned to have 4 drop bags for Zion, 1 small one at Dalton Wash miles 15 and 30, and a small duffle bag at Goosebump miles 35, 47 and 68, Graton Mesa miles 53 and 62, and Virgin Desert miles 76, 81, 87 and 94. These would include Tailwind, Clif Shot Bloks, long sleeve shirts, warm jackets, extra shoes, etc.

Sebastien would be the pacer for me from miles 53-100, which would bring a confidence boost.

Problem Solving:

The race for me turned out to be all about problem solving on the go, with issues arising that I had never expected and at times I doubted whether the problems would go on forever and stop me in my tracks or if they would somehow go away.

The trails consisted of single track and double track. The total elevation gain is stated to be just over 10,000 ft, yet the actual gain is greater due to multiple rolling hills, ruts, and rocks that had to be ran over. On top of the mesas, were 8 foot tall boulders called slickrock that had white painted dots signifying the path to maneuver over. These boulders kept the running to a minimum and made getting into a rhythm difficult. The mesas also included the highest altitude of the course topping out around 5,500 ft which is not very high, but still limits the running speed.
Three major climbs of the race included Flying Monkey Trail with one rope on a steep section, Cemetery to Grafton Mesa, and the biggest climb being Goosebump which actually has ropes to grab onto.

The weather was cool and cloudy most of Friday, but rainshowers with cold wind came Friday evening and continued into the night and the next morning. When the rain hit, it turned the clay running surface into Gumbo--a sticky slimy muddy surface that makes the runner slow down quite a bit. The week before the race, the RD sent out an email saying that anyone who wanted to not start the race for safety reasons could get a deferment until next year. Runners would be at their own risk. Also, if the trail got too muddy, the RD would shorten the course down as low as 84 miles to preserve the trails integrity and for safety reasons while allowing the runners a Finish and still have a WS qualifying race. Since I had experienced the famous mud at Bighorn last year and on the Oregon Coast Trail last April, I felt confident the mud wouldn't alter the race for me. I pressed on and flew into Las Vegas on Thursday, and met Sebastien before heading over to Virgin, UT to sign in.

Miles 1-13: Start--Flying Monkey Trail--Dalton Wash A/S:
It is 5:00 am and it is dark out. 300 100M and 100KM runners including myself are sitting around barrels with fires inside to keep warm. We will talk with one another, think about the race to start in 1 hour, and look around at the other runners there. A few runners have cloth wraps around their face to block out the famous dust from their face.
At 6:00 am, we all take off with our headlamps and our packs. The long grueling route began. My plan was to stay midpack for the first half of the run and see how I felt later on. After running for two or three miles, we ascended Flying Monkey trail's singletrack which included a steep section with a rope. The steepness of this trail was moderate requiring hiking. Once I reached the A/S I refilled hydration bottles and proceeded upon onto the mesa. I was running relatively slowly and felt the elevation up at 5000 ft. We had to maneuver over boulders and around multiple turns before returning to the A/S. The descent from Flying Monkey was difficult because of all of the rock which pounded the feet. I let faster runners pass me up without hesitation as I knew it would be a long day. Just before we got to Dalton Wash A/S there was a creek that could be crossed on the rocks safely, yet my left foot slipped and got immersed in water.

Miles 13-30: Dalton Wash A/S--Guacamole A/S--Guacamole Mesa--Guacamole A/S--Dalton Wash A/S: The trail starts out at a decent climb on single track until it reaches a dirt road that is good for running on. Yet GI issues began that would continue for 10 miles, slowing down progress drastically. I went from midpack to near back of the pack by mile 23. Furthermore the slickrock boulders on Guacamole mesa slowed progress and continued to pound my feet. I wondered how long I could ever get back to a decent pace. Finally at mile 25, I made the decision to switch from Tailwind to water and Heed for the duration of the run which turned out to be the way to fix the GI issues. It was at the descent from Guacamole A/S that I got back into a respectable running pace and began passing people who passed me on the Mesa. It began to rain on this section and the light rain shell was put on before continuing on. At the last mile of single track before Dalton Wash A/S, I caught up to some people very slowly hiking up that hill, and rather than passing them up immediately, I just followed them up to the top before zooming passed them on the downhill. At Dalton Wash A/S it was nice to see Sebastien who encouraged me and who would meet me up at Grafton Mesa that evening. The A/S had PB&J sandwiches which tasted really good.

Miles 30-35: Dalton Wash A/S--Goosebump A/S: The trail first heads out on a paved road which crosses Hwy 9 before heading out towards Gooseberry Mesa and Goosebump climb. I continued to work my way back towards the midpack and hit Goosbump climb feeling energized. I hiked steadily and slowly, used the ropes on those sections, and only stopped 3-4 times near the top to catch my breath. At Goosebump A/S, I ate Quesadillas, bananas, and potatoes. I was 3 hours ahead of the cutoff.

Miles 35-47: Goosebump A/S--Gooseberry Mesa A/S x 2--Goosebump A/S: I set out from the A/S with right knee pain which was probably a combination of residual fatigue from the 100 miler 2 weeks before, and from the hard uneven surfaces of this run. Therefore I walked slowly for the next 6 miles letting many people pass me up. I found a way to hike that was the most comfortable. I only got off course once for 0.2 miles with one other person, but we easily found the trail again. The slick rock boulders were everywhere up there and the progress would have been slow anyway. It was nice that there was Gooseberry Mesa AS up there 1 mile apart at miles 40 and 41, which allowed me to eat bananas and potatoes both times and get back some calories. At about mile 41, I found I could run again pain free and passed many people up who just passed me up, encouraging them along the way. I found a large group of runners (5-10) who weren't sure where the trail went, but I was able to encourage them and confidently say it was this way. I continued to run until I was back at Goosebump A/S at which time is was raining heavily with a cold, cold wind. Many of us runners where huddled under tents eating food and getting warm. At the first sign of lighter rain, I dashed out with a dry shirt, gloves, and rain shell. I was 3 1/4 hours ahead of the cut-off.

Miles 47-53: Goosebump A/S--Grafton Mesa A/S: This section was fast and relatively flat allowing lots of running with hiking breaks. By mile 50, I had been on my feet for 13 hours 10 minutes. It was on this section that I met Kevin which was encouraging. He was moving along really well. About 1 mile from Grafton Mesa, I hit a dirt road that had become Gumbo mud. Yet I found the dry parts of the road and ran swiftly to Grafton to meet Sebastien there. I had hit my "second wind".

Miles 53-62: Grafton Mesa A/S--Cemetery A/S--Grafton Mesa A/S: After eating potatoes and quesadillas, I took off with a few potatoes in hand. I must have been running well because I almost inhaled a potato, coughing off and on for the next mile, happily of course. Darkness of the night came and headlamps came on. This section was like a maze with twisting turning trails, slickrock boulders, cactus to not step on, and headlamps that at one instance seemed ahead of us, and the next instant seemed behind us. We passed up a few runners on this section and met many runners ascending from Cemetary. After a quick fueling stop at Cemetery we hiked back up the last big climb of the route, greeting many people and encouraging each other. The twisting turning trail the last 2 miles heading back to Grafton was a little tricky to find the path, and Sebastien was really good at finding the trail markers. We came into Grafton Mesa A/S, refueled and took off.

Miles 62-68: Grafton Mesa A/S--Goosebump A/S: This section was solid as we hiked mostly and ran a little. We encountered heavy rain and cold wind that made me wonder how long this was going to last. I remember two runners dashing passed me as if they were running a half-marathon. After reaching the A/S, there were many runners warming up and refueling. I saw Keven again who had been running well the last sections and who had confidence. I changed into a warmer jacket and gloves and hoped it wouldn't rain all night. It was about 1 am when we arrived at Goosebump A/S, a full 4.5 hours ahead of the cut-off.

Miles 68-76: Goosebump A/S--Virgin Desert A/S: Sebastien and I took off down the steep Goosebump trail in the dark, this time not using the ropes, and descended well to the flatter section where we could run/hike again. We passed several people up here, one of whom was limping safely. About 2 miles out of Virgin Desert A/S we joined runners completing the Red loop before arriving at the Virgin Desert A/S. At the A/S I ate potatoes and quesadillas. I realized my right knee froze up again and I could only hike. Running was not an option at this point. I remember though that the last time this happened at mile 35, it took me 5-6 miles before I could run again, so this might happen again.

Miles 76-81: Virgin Desert A/S--Red loop--Virgin Desert A/S: I hiked ever so slowly on this section on an undulating terrain which included maneuvering through muddy ascents and descents in steady rain. Only one or two runners passed me up on this section, which kind of bewildered me. After hiking for 4 miles, I found the knee pain was gone and I could power hike now, and I determined to finish the race power hiking. At mile 81, I had been moving for 23 hours 30 minutes. As I was hitting my "third wind", I excitedly handed the volunteer there my red circle and asked for my white circle for the white loop. The volunteer said, "Do you want to hear the good news or the bad news?" I hesitated for 7 seconds before saying "the good news" because I only wanted good news at this point. The volunteer just said, "Well--The RD has called the race because of the muddy trails. There have been some injuries, and the trails are getting too muddy to run on." I stood there in shock for 30 seconds or so. They said all runners were to proceed to Highway 9, run along the highway and up Kolob Terrace Rd to the finish. All runners who made it back to the finish on foot would be granted a finishing time and WS qualifier. After refueling some, I felt a little sad that I couldn't get in 100 miles on this day, but realized that I would get rest sooner which was nice. Furthermore, I knew I would have been able to finish 100 miles before the cutoff time anyway.

Miles 81-89: Virgin Desert A/S--Finish: This section was on a now-muddy road for 3 miles to highway 9. Highway 9 was about 3 miles in length and was paved. On an up Kolob Terrace Road we went, seeing one runner dash past us on the uphill. I marvelled how he could run so fast this late in the race. At the finish area, the last 0.2 miles was on the muddiest trail I had seen all day and night. I dashed across the finish line at 25 hours 56 minutes. I then proceeded to thank Sebastien for running with me all night and picked out a personalized belt buckle that meant something special to me.

 

 

On the Sunday after the race, I went to the Zion NP entrance and hiked Watchman Trail and Pa'rus Trail. What an amazing trip! Bighorn 100 is next, I am ready.

 



 

Badger Mountain Challenge 100 2016 Race Report

"In a 100 mile race, familiarity with the trails gives a huge confidence boost."

After running and finishing this race in 2015, I was excited to start the year off with this 100 miler. Not only did I know the trails well, my good friend Sebastien would pace me the last 50 miles.

The weather report would call for cooler weather this year, with comforting clouds and no risk of a sunburn. More people signed up this year with approximately 70-80 signed up. Only 26 of those would finish. Would I be one of those 26 finishers? If not, I would be one of the 2/3 of those signed up who either didn't start, didn't finish or stopped at 50 miles. The odds were against me. The only thing going for me was my past experience, Sebastien who would pace me, and my desire to finish.

At 7 am, the 100 milers and 50 milers started together in cold weather. All day and all night I would wear long sleaves, gloves, hat, and windbreaker. Ok, shorts were fine too.
Each 50 mile loop would entail about 7500 ft elevation gain and would each require 2 more miles and 1 more Red Mt. ascent compared with the 2015 course.

The course starts up Badger Mountain with nice single track, with most runners alternating hiking/running the uphill. I started in the middle and passed many people and many people passed me, but on the downhill, I zoomed past many again. This year I would have quick aid station stops, planning ahead of time exactly what I needed so there was no delay. I would use GuBrew that was provided because I had tried it before and it worked ok.
After running down Badger Mountain the course goes along the highway a short distance in Goose Gap and head up Candy Mountain. I met a nice runner named Guy and we talked a little and I let him go ahead. After Candy Mountain, I met Kandice who Sebastien paced last year and is a fast runner and we leap frogged along the course until the Red Mountain ascent where she went on ahead as she was at a faster pace for the 50 miler course. She also redirected me 2 times when I didn't see the ribbon which was helpful. New to me, the course heads along the back side of Red Mountain with switchbacks and tumbleweeds to a road below before climbing sharply back up Red and then plummeting to Sunset Aid station. I ate a banana, filled the bottles, and ran down Sunset Road towards McBee Parking.

Even though the course was 2 miles longer this year, I still arrived sooner at McBee parking which gave me confidence. Maybe it was the cooler weather, maybe it was my training. It was about 10:40 when I arrived there and I quickly refueled and headed up McBee Ridge. McBee gains about 1400 feet in 1 mile. This year for some reason, there were fewer people ascending McBee with me. I guessed it was because I was no longer smack dab in the middle of the pack, but actually ahead of the middle. The views were amazing and I enjoyed talking with a few of the runners going up about the views and other stuff. At the top, I was feeling a little tired so I took it easy for a few minutes on my way to Chandler Butte at about mile 25. I was happy to see the leaders coming towards me on Chandler Butte and they encouraged me as I cheered them on. I wasn't racing them so it was just nice to see them doing well. After Chandler Butte, my pace picked up some and I passed a few runners up on this section and down to McBee parking. The aid station volunteers were great like last year, I just had less time with them this year because I hurried through aid stations.

After McBee parking, I saw a 50 miler runner going the wrong direction away from the course so I redirected him for which he was thankful. That's one thing about ultras that is so amazing. There is time to be friendly, to talk, to encourage and to inspire.
The course then goes up and down sandy trails through coulees and vineyards, with many short and steep parts.
At Jacobs Road I was able to run the whole segment to the culvert before ascending gradually up to Candy. Last year I crossed paths with Gabe on the North side of Candy, and this year it happened on the South side, and I was definitely ahead of my pace from 2015. After going up Badger, I zoomed down the other side to meet Sebastien who would pace me. 50 miles and 10:30 on the clock. 21:30 left to make it before cutoff time.

I grabbed my lights and some food, and we headed out for the last 50 miles. I was feeling great--I was looking forward to the slower pace at night though. I would walk/run uphills and flats and try to run as much of the downhills as my stomach would allow, which got more difficult as the night wore on.
The first hiccup was dropping my gloves at Badger aid station and having to backtrack 5 minutes to find the gloves before resuming the course. I told the volunteers now I wouldn't get hypothermia. I was now "the glove guy" according to the aid station personnel there. I didn't find that I was "the glove guy" until I returned at mile 97, when I responded, "I didn't get hypothermia, see!" I liked it that they remembered me, and they were amused that I remembered them.

Over the next 50 miles, Sebastien and I would pass up more runners than passed us, although it happened gradually. This year, the winds weren't quite as strong, and it didn't rain much but overall it was colder, especially at night. At McBee parking, one of the leaders Nathan who just descended McBeee advised me to wear a face mask if I had one, and thankfully I did and wore it for hours and hours. On McBee Ridge, the wind chill must have been in the teens with real temps in the mid 30s. The fingers felt numb at times even in gloves. I was wearing 2 long sleeve shirts, a down jacket and a windbreaker. Yet running shorts were in order. Runners get this because we burn so much heat with our legs but not much with our chest/arms, so that explains the need for more upper body clothing.

As the miles went on and on I would just will myself from aid station to aid station, hitting a wall right before the next aid station due to depleted energy stores. I would eat real food again and have more energy until the next aid station, and so on. Sebastien was great to run with as he would stay focused about finishing and we would talk occasionally but didn't have to talk all the time, which was nice and peaceful for me.

As many ultrarunners have said before, the sunrise brings energy to the runner, especially if the end is in sight. Even when moving meant hiking some flats as fast as possible--at a 14 or 15 min/mile pace, the early morning was inviting and the finish was in sight.

Foods that went over well were potatoes, potato soup, Quesadillas, bananas. The flagging was great all night long. 

As we summited Candy Mountain for the last time, we checked our watches to see that soon we would cross paths with the 50K and then the 15K runners. We did see many fresh runners and we encouraged each other. The descent from Badger Mtn was incredible because we had less than 1 mile to go and there were myriads of 15K runners heading up the Mtn. It was inspiring to see so many people heading out for the run and everyone was encouraging as Sebastien and I sprinted to the finish.

It was 25 hours and 25 minutes since I started the morning before. This was a full 2 hours and 17 minutes faster than my time in 2015 on a course with 4 more miles and 2 more Red Mtn. ascents. 

What went well?
1. Strong training weeks with mileage peaking over 100 miles in one week
2. Lots of hill running, on rocking logging roads mimicking the course
3. Accurate drop bag planning with cold weather clothes
4. Having a pacer made the second half faster than if I were running alone
5. Better hydration and fueling
6. Quicker passes through aid stations

What could I have done to run even faster?
1. More fueling
2. More years of experience
3. More core body training/cross training

Badger Mountain Challenge 100 is a race a highly recommend to anyone who like ultras for many reasons:
--Nicest runners
--Nicest volunteers
--Great organization
--Great food
--The open scenery makes it easy to see where the runner is going which gives confidence
--The few drops make it easier to find what you need in that drop bag

Wilson River Traverse yo-yo Keenig--Idiot Creek Loop Rd--Keenig

WRT yo-yo Keenig-Idiot Creek Loop Rd-Keenig 11 hours 24 min for 51 miles with over 12K elevation gain. This was a solo self-supported run.

On January 27, 2016, I decided to run the WRT from Keenig Creek parking to Idiot Creek Loop Rd and back to Keenig. Starting at about 5:20 am, I would be running in the dark for more than 2 hours. Sunrise wasn't until I hit Diamond Mill. The rest of the day though would be in daylight with mostly cloudy skies with temps in the mid 40s to mid 50s. My shoe for the day would be Altra Olympus to give my knees a break from all of the climbs I would encounter, although stability was somewhat lacking with these shoes. For the day I used 4 strawberry Clif Shot blocks, 1 rice burrito, and 8 bottles of 20oz Gatorade. One drop was placed at Kings TH crossing and was accessed twice. I placed Merrell Trail Glove shoes in this drop, picked them up when I got there, packed them the 4 miles to the Creek Ford and than packed them back.

Here is are some segment details of the run:

Keenig-Footbridge: Starting at 5:20 am, it was dark, but I was able to run the switchbacks up to the ridge. I didn't notice the trail closed sign that I saw on Jan 1, but I saw it on the way back. Three slides were still there along the ridge but were passable. No snow remained on the trail, but the trail was very soft, making it easy to roll an ankle on the Altra Olympus shoes. I also had to be careful on the slick bridges on these shoes. Upon crossing the gravel road, I saw many logging trucks heading up that road.

Footbridge-Jones Creek: This is a relatively flat section and it was nice to lengthen the stride a bit. There were still a few hills though.

Jones Creek-Diamond Mill: Dawn was coming and soon it would become lighter outside making travel a little faster I hoped.

Diamond Mill-Kings: The long ascent up to the ridge is always a challenge and I always look for that rock face to tell me I have reached the ridge. I saw deer in the forest on this section and that was nice.

Kings-Elk: I accessed the drop bag, dropped my headlamp off, filled hydration bottles, grabbed shot blocks and got Merrell Trail Glove shoes for the Elk creek fording. The climb up from Dog Creek never fails to challenge me.

Elk-Idiot Creek Loop Rd: It was nice to have some relatively gradual uphill running before I reached the Elk creek fording experience after 1/2 mile. There is a sign that you can't miss for the crossing. This time of year, the water is deep and you can't hop rocks. Since I didn't to soak my socks (prevent blisters) and didn't want to soak my Altra shoes, I switched out to my Merrell Trail Glove shoes and forded Elk Creek to knee deep icy water, trying not to scrape against rocks too much or fall and soak my gear. I switched into Altra shoes again.
From there it is 3 miles up, up, up to the top of a ridge. It surprised me how the switchbacks kept going up and up. The highest middle peak on the first picture of this page tells the story!
I reached Idiot Creek Loop road with a time of 5:34.

Idiot Creek Loop Rd-Elk: This was a realy fun section, tearing 3 miles down the switchbacks to Elk Creek. Again I switched out to my Merrell shoes and forded the Creek. I saw a forest working hiking the lower section inspecting some small slides. Then I switched back to the Altra shoes.

Elk-Kings: The wall came quickly on this section, so I got shot blocks and gatorade, although I had to hike more than I would have liked.

Kings-Diamond Mill: Here I dropped off my Merrell shoes, picked up my headlamp just in case I were to slow down a lot, and picked up rice burritos. The rice burrito were great for giving me energy for the rest of the run--the complex carbs lasted hours. After than it was just gatorade. Sure the climb to the ridge was tough but I power hiked up and teared down to the bridge. It started to sprinkle on this section, but not enough to put on a rain jacket.

Diamond Mill-Jones Creek: I enjoyed taking a peak at the short waterfall visible along the first part of this segment.

Jones Creek-Footbridge: More light rain and sprinkles happened on this segment. This was a fast section do to few short hills. The Wilson River was full and impressive, giving a welcome distraction to the muscle and Achilles soreness.

Footbridge-Keenig: I heard more logging trucks up ahead during the first mile, but a didn't see any trucks. It shounded like they were logging in the hills above the trail somewhere. I alternated running/power hiking for the uphills and ran everything else. My finish time was 11:24, with 5:34 for the first half and 5:50 for the second half. I stopped my GPS watch at 11:25 when I got to the car. Strava only gave me 9:56 for the 51 miles it logged with 12,278 ft elevation gain. I felt the 51 miles and 12,278 ft gain were accurate though. The 11:24 includes a 5 min aid stop at Kings1 and 6 min aid stop at Kings 2, and two 10 minute stops to trade shoes and navigate the fording of Elk Creek. I guess the 9,734 calories burned explained by I had supper at 6:00 pm, then again at 8:30 pm, then again at 9:15 pm!

 

Running Race Schedule 2016

My 100 miler SLAM for 2016

1. Badger Mountain 100--March
2. Zion 100--April
3. Bighorn 100--June
4. Lost Soul 100--September

Wilson River Traverse out-and-back Run--Jan 1, 2016

Run it like a race

On January 1, 2016, for my first run of the year, I decided to start the New Year with a long trail run--and to run it like a race--light and fast. It's like the fast finish long runs marathon training books and websites talk about. Scott Jurek in Eat and Run talks about running up and down Mt. Si, repeatedly, checking progress and getting faster. This works for any trail or course, but for 100+ mile race training, race-specific training would mean running the last tune-up long runs like a race.

This would be my fourth time running Wilson River Traverse out-and-back. For the third time in a row, I would run this trail solo, self-supported from Elk TH to Keenig TH and back to Elk TH. My fastest 2 times were 10:00 in February 2015 and 10:10 in January 2015. Below is a map of the Wilson River Traverse. Although different distances and elevation profiles have been published, my Garmin GPS consistently gives me approximately 41 miles and over 10,000 elevation gain.

The temperature at the 6:00 am start would be 22 F with clear skies the whole day, and with the entire day staying below freezing. With a cold East wind that would drop the wind chill into the teens, a cold day was in store. With sunrise 5-10 minutes before 8 am, the first 1.5 hours would be in the dark.
I would run in Asics Gel Fuji-Attack shoes, running pants, three upper long sleeve layers including a down jacket, hat and gloves. The cold day kept the down jacket on all day. I had 2 drop bags--1 at Jones Creek and 1 at Keenig Creek. My only stashed supplies were gatorade and clif shot blocks (strawberry-no caffeine).
I used my Garmin GPS watch and would let it run continuously including through all stops, just like a race. My plan was to look at the watch only at the checkpoints and not in between.

Following is a discussion of the run:
West bound:
Elk TH-Kings: At 22F to start the run, I saw snow patches beside the trail above 750 feet. The trail starts steeply up to Elk Mtn TH. The Wilson River Trail (WRT) headed along the ridge West with some snow on the trail at 1000 feet and had gentle slopes until it descends sharply to Dog Creek which has a wooden bridge. Along this section I think I saw a coyote in the bushes to the uphill side, but it was dark and I wasn't sure. After Dog creek, the trail heads gently up the ridge and around a swampy area before meeting up with Kings Mtn trail. 40 minutes done and feeling great.

Kings-Diamond Mill: From the Kings Mtn trail crossing, the WRT heads across a creek and winds up but not too steeply. From this point to the ridge top at 1800 feet, there were 4 large logs across the trail, first two conifers spaced by 1/2-1 mile and then two alders together. This slowed progress some. When snow covered the trail from about 1000-1800 feet, this really slowed progress as the snow was hard and icy, but brittle. The snow depth reached 4 inches. Occasional hiking was necessary and dawn was arriving. As I reached the far side of the ridge, I was able to turn off the lights--headlamp and flashlight. The descent into Diamond Mill was fast. A large wooden bridge greets the runner into Diamond Mill. 1:50 done and feeling great.

Diamond Mill-Jones Creek: After crossing the bridge into Diamond Mill, the trail winds between the DM parking lot and river, crosses a road and head up a hill only to descend back across the road. The trail winds across a creek and finally to Jones Creek Parking. 2:14 done and feeling alright. The fast descent made one of my knees a little sore, but it was a minor twinge. After 1 minute for restocking fluid and nutrition, I was off--2:15 done.

Jones Creek-Footbridge: From Jones Creek, the trail is flat going by the forest center and winds along the Wilson River. This part was particularly windy as it was open and exposed. The trail was frosty, but many fishermen were enjoying the clear day. The trail eventually crosses a road by Wilson Falls and then heads up a hill--relatively steep but not very long. I hiked part of this hill. The trail then descends nicely into a forest and into Footbridge. 2:53 done and feeling great.

Footbridge-Keenig Creek TH: From Footbridge, the trail heads East across a creek and up hills before descending and then heading up a short segment of a gravel road. The trail heads down and over a creek, and goes sharply up to a ridge. The ridge reminds me of the ridge between Kings and Diamond Mill with frequent creek crossings. The trail was snow covered over much of the trail again with hard brittle, unstable snow. Two or three separate slides were seen along the ridge, slowing the trail down quite a bit. For me the Footbridge-Keenig Creek segment is the hardest section because it is least traveled, and least well maintained and is technical. The trail eventually drops down with multiple switchbacks to Keenig Creek TH. 4:20 was the elapsed time upon arrival. I had hidden my drop bag so well, it took me a few minutes to find it. After restocking and taking a couple of pics, it was 4:26 and I was off. Feeling good and optimistic. I was still on pace to get a new PR at less than 10:00.

East bound:
Keenig Creek TH-Footbridge: Going up the switchbacks I alternated running and hiking. I would run the straights and hike a few steps at the corners, then run again. This part reminded me of the Cape Lookout South beach trail. The snow at the ridge and slides slowed me down again but I was able to keep on running. This is the segment that I really need to dig deep as this is the lonely section. Except for having to stop to re-tie my shoes (were triple knotted), I zoomed down the trail to the creek and then hopped up to the gravel road before heading back towards footbridge. 5:59 done and feeling good. I was slowing down a little as expected, but not as much as have in the past this far into this distance.

Footbridge-Jones Creek: From Footbridge to Jones Creek, I was feeling it but as is often the case, I saw the first people of the day--first 2 mountain bikers and then several hikers. This usually boosts my energy level and sure enough I was able to push through discomforts. Upon arrival to Jones Creek the time was 6:45 and restocking took me to 6:47. Feeling good.

Jones Creek-Diamond Mill: This section was difficult for me because I knew it was short, but after stopping for 2 minutes restock, I lost some momentum and hiked more than I would have liked up to the ridge before zooming down to Diamond Mill. 7:15 was the elapsed time, feeling good especially about my overall time.

Diamond Mill-Kings: I knew the steep slope up from the wooden bridge would require some hiking, but I ran as much as possible. I found that even short hiking breaks would let me run again for awhile. Being able to run uphill this late in the run gave me confidence. Snow on the ridge slowed progress again as did the logs along the descent. I saw a few hikers along the descent. Time elapsed was 8:44, feeling good. I had 1:15 to finish the last section, so I just had to run some and I would make it.

Kings-Elk: I passed many hikers along this section and this kept me going. I knew there were only a few miles left, so I ran as much as I could--trying to have the best time possible. The ascent East from Dog Creek was brutal--another underestimated part of the trail. Hiking up was difficult--running seemed easier than hiking after it flattened out some. The final descent to the start of WRT at Elk was fast and brought me to the bottom at 9 hours and 33 minutes--a full 27 minute PR from my best time in February 2015 when I ran it in 10:00. I was really happy that the harder second half wasn't much slower than the first half--this is very important for ultras.

The elapsed times were as follows:
Elk (Mile 0): Start at 6:00 am
Kings (Mile 3.5): 0:40
Diamond Mill (Mile 9): 1:50
Jones Creek in (Mile 11): 2:14
Jones Creek out: 2:15
Footbridge (Mile 14.5): 2:53
Keenig Creek (Mile 20.5) in: 4:20
Keenig Creek out: 4:26
Footbridge (Mile 26.5):5:59
Jones Creek (Mile 30) in: 6:45
Jones Creek out: 6:47
Diamond Mill (Mile 32): 7:15
Kings (Mile 37.5): 8:44
Elk (Mile 41): 9:33 finish at 3:33 pm

First half: 4:26
Second half: 5:07

In summary, this is an amazing trail that is an excellent substitute for a 50-miler race heading towards any 100+ miler race. The checkpoints are race-like. Even "Footbridge" is the name of an aid station at Bighorn 100 where it is also about 1/3 into and 2/3 into the total distance. Essentally all of the trail is on dirt single track. The scenery is lush, varying and refreshing, solo or in a group. I hope to run this trail again and again, in the snow, ice, sun, clouds, and rain.