"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.
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