Training Log Archive: PGIn the 1 days ending Sep 14, 2009:
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| Mo |
Monday Sep 14, 2009 #
Note
Ultra Tales, part 3 -- And why did you think you could do this?
With two 50-milers under my belt, it seemed time to try something a little longer and a little more challenging. Well, maybe a lot longer and a lot more challenging. Namely, the Wasatch Front 100 Mile in the mountains immediately east of Salt Lake City, Utah. My guess is that Fred suggested we go do it, and I wasn't smart enough to refuse.
The appeal was undeniable. Great scenery, an adventurous course, a chance to enjoy the mountains both at day and at night. But I think the main attraction was that this was only the second year for the race, and in the first year there had been 7 starters, and no finishers. Tell me that's not irresistible.... :-)
The race was in mid-September, be we were actually committed to going back in March when we got our plane tickets, just $196 each, so what if the routing was Hartford to Baltimore to Houston to Denver to Salt Lake. We talked Dave Southworth (an orienteer in the early days, ran in the first Billygoat) into coming along as our crew.
The course was just brutal. 24,000' of climb (and 24,000' of drop). A mix of jeep roads and trails and a few places where there was no trail at all. As much as 20 miles between aid stations. You started out with a 5,000' climb. The course was barely marked, instead you got several pages of directions (and of course we had the topo maps)..
Were we in over our heads? Absolutely. But so was most of the field of 19 who showed up at the start line. The best of the bunch was a fellow who had run the Western States 100 in 18 hours. He was moving way faster than us, running up some serious hills, but he was directionally challenged -- he must have expected the course to be marked. He passed us at 35 miles, after some long detour, passed us again at 60 miles after another detour, and was waiting for us at 65 miles so we could show him which way to go.
By then it had long since gotten dark, and cold too, below freezing, and snowing on and off. We had a stretch from 67 to 71 miles on an open ridge near 10,000' and Fred couldn't keep warm. I was warm enough, but my ankles will killing me, and knees starting to act up too. We finally dropped off the ridge down to the Brighton ski area, where Dave was waiting for us with hot soup and sandwiches.
73 miles done. What lay ahead was about a marathon, two more mountain passes about 10,000', cold and windy and accumulating snow. One more pass, maybe another 10 or 15 miles, I think I could have done. But not this. We climbed in the car, maybe 2 in the morning, enough was enough.
The fast guy finished in just over 30 hours (the time limit was 36), and two other guys paced themselves well and finished in 35.
Was it fun? Of course. How could it not be? I would be back....
The course, very approximately, leaving out lots of turns and switchbacks so the distance looks way short. But it wasn't. Course went north to south.
With two 50-milers under my belt, it seemed time to try something a little longer and a little more challenging. Well, maybe a lot longer and a lot more challenging. Namely, the Wasatch Front 100 Mile in the mountains immediately east of Salt Lake City, Utah. My guess is that Fred suggested we go do it, and I wasn't smart enough to refuse.
The appeal was undeniable. Great scenery, an adventurous course, a chance to enjoy the mountains both at day and at night. But I think the main attraction was that this was only the second year for the race, and in the first year there had been 7 starters, and no finishers. Tell me that's not irresistible.... :-)
The race was in mid-September, be we were actually committed to going back in March when we got our plane tickets, just $196 each, so what if the routing was Hartford to Baltimore to Houston to Denver to Salt Lake. We talked Dave Southworth (an orienteer in the early days, ran in the first Billygoat) into coming along as our crew.
The course was just brutal. 24,000' of climb (and 24,000' of drop). A mix of jeep roads and trails and a few places where there was no trail at all. As much as 20 miles between aid stations. You started out with a 5,000' climb. The course was barely marked, instead you got several pages of directions (and of course we had the topo maps)..
Were we in over our heads? Absolutely. But so was most of the field of 19 who showed up at the start line. The best of the bunch was a fellow who had run the Western States 100 in 18 hours. He was moving way faster than us, running up some serious hills, but he was directionally challenged -- he must have expected the course to be marked. He passed us at 35 miles, after some long detour, passed us again at 60 miles after another detour, and was waiting for us at 65 miles so we could show him which way to go.
By then it had long since gotten dark, and cold too, below freezing, and snowing on and off. We had a stretch from 67 to 71 miles on an open ridge near 10,000' and Fred couldn't keep warm. I was warm enough, but my ankles will killing me, and knees starting to act up too. We finally dropped off the ridge down to the Brighton ski area, where Dave was waiting for us with hot soup and sandwiches.
73 miles done. What lay ahead was about a marathon, two more mountain passes about 10,000', cold and windy and accumulating snow. One more pass, maybe another 10 or 15 miles, I think I could have done. But not this. We climbed in the car, maybe 2 in the morning, enough was enough.
The fast guy finished in just over 30 hours (the time limit was 36), and two other guys paced themselves well and finished in 35.
Was it fun? Of course. How could it not be? I would be back....
The course, very approximately, leaving out lots of turns and switchbacks so the distance looks way short. But it wasn't. Course went north to south.
Note
The absolute high point of the Pawtuckaway weekend was the debut of my new Lupine Tesla X at the night-O'.
That's a headlight (Lupine is the name of the German company that makes them, Telsa X is the model). It is the least powerful light they make, and it still puts out 700 lumens at the high setting. I had it at the middle setting, at which the battery is supposed to last all night, and it was awesome.
A whole lot of money to spend for a light, but I hopefully have some more rogaines in me, plus our Tuesday evening Mt. Toby running group will start needing lights within the next week or two, plus whatever else may come along. And I already got a whole lot of pleasure out of it.
That's a headlight (Lupine is the name of the German company that makes them, Telsa X is the model). It is the least powerful light they make, and it still puts out 700 lumens at the high setting. I had it at the middle setting, at which the battery is supposed to last all night, and it was awesome.
A whole lot of money to spend for a light, but I hopefully have some more rogaines in me, plus our Tuesday evening Mt. Toby running group will start needing lights within the next week or two, plus whatever else may come along. And I already got a whole lot of pleasure out of it.
trail running 51:50 [3] 5.6 mi (9:15 / mi)
rhr:48 weight:137.5lbs shoes: saloman
Mill River to Juggler Meadow (27:06) and back (24:44). Legs very tired starting out, got a little better after a while. Not pushing it, just a bit of junk mileage.