Colorado Trail- Speed Record / FKT logistics proved as always to be the achiles heel

The humble beginnings of a storm that I'll never understand the full magnitude of...

A quick note on my Colorado Trail FKT attempt.

For months before leaving I poured over records of other attempts. I noticed most attempts failed from problems logistically as opposed to physical destruction of the body. I tried to plan for all variables, to plan for the unknown, to plan for multiple scenarios.

I didn't acclimate, however this wasn't my biggest hurdle.

On the second night I was on the Continental Divide. I was over 13,000'.

In the morning it was hot and the sun beat down on me. Then, after climbing to the continental divide, a strong storm came in and freezing rains and cool breezes tore through my body. I brought more clothes than I usually do on a summer run, but I became hypothermic wearing only a paper thin rain shell. I pressed on as I had no choice. I had about 30 miles left to finish the day where we arranged a 4x4 to pick us up at Carson Saddle.

With about 20 miles left I saw Eric coming back towards me. He had gotten turned around and wasn't sure we were on the correct path because the trail is poorly marked and there are several ambiguous trail junctures. The lighting and sweeping clouds were altering his directional senses. I was certain we were on the right path and knew I had to keep moving to prevent my body from shutting down completely. I didn't deliberate with Eric too long and marched on with my teeth chattering and my muscles violently trembling doing what I had to, to stay alive.

We got to Stony Pass and our crew wasn't there. I didn't wait as stopping caused me to black out momentarily and stumble/fall. I knew that I had to keep moving. It was something like 17 miles to Carson Saddle where our 58 mile day through the San Juan's was supposed to end.

I knew from the get-go that day two would be pivotal. Carson Saddle is where we were supposed to end day two, and there is no normal road to get to Carson Saddle, only a jeep road requiring a lifted 4x4. It was going to be a long 17 miles to get there from Stony Pass. The terrain soars above 13,000' and air is minimal. The winds and freezing rain made it that much more challenging. Hypothermia as well made this a mission that had me dancing with the grim reaper along the Continental Divide. I knew I had to dig deeper and fight to stay alive. Eric reminded me to eat to keep my energy up by eating. I was already hypothermic but I was moving well even with the tremors and shaking. Keeping nutrition flowing meant energy which meant movement which meant staying alive. If my stomach had gone south then I wouldn't have made it off the mountain. I pounded each step and moved as swiftly as possible.

I saw a cabin in a valley and pointed it out to Eric. "Look, Eric, a cabin with a chimney and a fire!". Eric screamed back, "What?!?! Keep Moving! What is your only choice?!"

Apparently Eric didn't see the cabin. He said I was hallucinating. I saw it clear as day. It was right there.

Realizing I must keep moving, I said "F--- It!!! The faster we move, the faster we finish this day! I ran on towards Carson Saddle determined to stay alive and to keep moving forward."

The pain from the cold stinging my bones was agonizing. I screamed loudly many expletives to curse the conditions and the way the frost stung my core. I would stumble frequently. I kept losing my vision and blacking out. I would fall and then awaken. I would plant my trekking pole to stay upright. I couldn't decipher my surroundings. Luckily for me, since Eric had gotten turned around when I became hypothermic, it meant we were together. I couldn't determine where the trail would go often and I would yell, "Where?!". Eric understood my simple one word demands meant to point to the next cairn and I would run to it. I don't think much of superstition or the like, but I was more than thankful to be with Eric in my moment of frailty, fighting with all I had to make it to Carson Saddle under my own power.

Eric kept saying, "This rain has to end! It's Colorado! These afternoon storms don't last this long!" I don't know if he was trying to convince himself or me. Probably both I guess.

Alas, the rains kept coming and the cold grew more bitter by the passing hours as we ran on barren mountaintops at over 13,000'.

We eventually made it to Carson Saddle after the sun had set.

We looked around and saw no truck.

We noticed no other humans.

We marched on up the road.

Eventually we saw safety.

Robin and Guy had hiked in two tents, sleeping bags, and a little food for us. Stephanie stayed alone at the base of the mountain with our other vehicles and gear.

The 4x4 truck couldn't make it up Carson Saddle due to the Weather. Robin and Guy acted by getting us survival gear.

I slept warmly in my Western Mountaineering bag, happy to be alive.

We awoke at Carson Saddle at 5am. The third day was rough as I wasn't able to access any water for the first 20 miles over snow mesa. I hadn't drank much that night either as I was low on water. Without the truck to get us off the mountain we couldn't access our supplies. I struggled with dehydration and fatigue across the Mesa. Sleeping at Carson Saddle that second night meant sleeping at 12,200' which made recovery from the hypothermia and extra energy required just to survive that much harder.

I had to dig deeply to reach Carson Saddle on that second night. The endocrine system had to dump as much adrenaline, testosterone, etc. into my body as it could... Having to knock out our biggest mileage day the following day after fighting to stay alive put me in a hole I never recovered from... After fighting for 2 more days, I was out by day 5 on a 9 day mission. Eric however, began day 5 strong and determined. It was an error in logistics that was his final blow.

I never considered abandoning the record until several days later when I knew it was impossible. I continued to push myself into the ground and tried to stay strong and positive mentally. Eventually I was so wrecked my "running" pace which destroyed me was only 3mph. I gave it my all, pushing all the way, but I was in decay, after riding a roller coaster of fighting to recover many times from big efforts. We were operating on maybe 4-5 hours of sleep per night.

I hadn't started the fifth day when Eric followed the wrong Colorado Trail, I threw in my towel trying to finish the fourth day. I had to take a break for at least half a day. Eric was doing well physically up until that point but we were both so close to the realm of 100% capabilities that any blow to the effort was incredibly hard to recover from.

There are two routes around the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness. His detour was only about 5 hours, but we were only getting 4 hours of sleep each night. That meant he lost an entire night of sleep to recoup that blow. I had planned on running the remainder with Eric and coming back on Friday night to cover the section I had missed, to at least finish but at that point the blows were too many and the battle was lost even to complete all 486 miles before our planes were scheduled to leave the next weekend. We didn't leave wiggle room outside of the record itself.

We continued our week, touring the Colorado Trail and summiting 14er's each day making the most of our time there.

I suffered mentally and now even a week after returning home it's eating at me a little. I'm not really sure how to convey what happened on that second night or what to make of it all...It's been a hard week to see things clearly.

I will be back to attempt the record again. Unfinished business fills my spirit for now.

Tired. I'm spent and weary, but trying to be positive. I'll recover soon. At some point, I dream of taking Denali on the Colorado Trail just to hike it, over several weeks, and enjoy the beauty it possesses...what a gorgeous trail.

I'm focused on recovery for the next few weeks, to get out of my head. Then I need to talk with my family about my fall race plans. I'm hoping to run North Coast 24 Hour in Sept to qualify for Team USA to represent the country in the 24 hour competition. Then in November I'm running Mountain Masochist followed by Lookout Mountain in December. (Like I said... I need to chat with my family first before any of this is final...)

Many thanks to our awesome crew who allowed this attempt to take place. I value each one of you and will do my best to pay it forward in some way by helping out another the ways in which you've each supported me out there.

One step at a time. Logistics and the Colorado Trail Speed Record

The greatest journey begins with a single step. I have heard this many times and although it's true, it didn't mean much to me until recently. This whole year that saying keeps ringing in my ears. ( I suppose "running" through my head would be a better analogy.)

In attempting what I consider large scale endeavors from directing a trail marathon to planning a 600 mile run at over 10,000' elevation it is easy to get weighed down by the details. One can readily succumb to the stress of the juggling act and cower under the pressure. Large scale projects are a lot to take on, and yes, they can be scary but the only thing to fear is failure, and failure isn't the end of the world. Lately I'm able to take on larger tasks without stressing...I suppose it's all about mindset. 

I recently spoke to friend about tactics for his first 50 mile ultramarathon. One great piece of advice we discussed is to never stop making forward motion. The same holds true in planning these large scale endeavors. As long as you keep making progress in the planning phases and chip away at the end objective, you can do many things you thought impossible. Just pick one manageable piece of the puzzle, figure it out and keep going.  

In an ultramarathon don't try to run 50 or 100 miles, just run to the next aid station. In planning a race, I can't do it all in a day, but I can plan aid station menu's, or contact a sponsor for prizes. Just like Bill Murray says in that horrible movie, What About Bob,  just make baby steps! 

I think we are capable of a lot more than we believe. We just have to make that first step. Today I booked my flight for the Colorado Trail speed record attempt I'm tackling this summer. It started by just making a page on Facebook, then ordering maps and figuring out the route, and today I bought tickets. Through the support of friends and family this is going to happen. I am daunted nonetheless, but making forward progress! 

Last year prior to attempting the Tour de Virginia I was injured. I went in to the 14 day, 580 mile stage race with everything but machismo. I deemed each day I finished a success. In turn, I had a blast and finished healthy. Without a care in the world I ran 40 something miles per day through Virginia in 100 degree temps for 14 days. I didn't focus on tomorrow. I just lived in the moment and enjoyed it, pushing the limits each second. 

The anxious feelings I've had regarding this summers endeavor in Colorado are quickly making way for positive vibes. I'm prone to be my own harshest critic. The pressure I feel is from within. That's why I spill my guts on these pages for you folks. I'm talking to myself, reinforcing lessons I've learned... Writing is how I analyze and understand my experiences... I know this feat in Colorado is undoubtedly the biggest challenge I've ever taken on.

The injury I suffered before the TDV last year allowed me to put less pressure on myself. I need to ease up on the pressure to prepare and remember the many lessons I've written about over the year. I can do this, but I have to find the mindset first. I have to learn to practice mindfulness and live in the moment. That same drive which pushes me to the limits of my personal potential also push me to overtrain, (not allowing recovery from training) . Living in the moment I train effectively; when I feel good I train hard, when I feel worn I recover and get stronger. I have faith in my training and I'm not scared to take an easy recover day. The hay is in the barn.     

I'm flying into Colorado on the 16th. I'm meeting Eric, Robin, Mike, and more on the 17th to enjoy one day in Colorado and discuss logistics before we begin what will seem to be non-stop running for 600 miles. I am not going to go into many details about mileage and how we plan to break the current FKT, (fastest known time), until after the fact. The current FKT, (or speed record preferez vous?), is 8.5 days.  

Until then it's going to be a crazy ride. I'm headed up to the White Mountains in NH to see Kara's family next week. I'm planning to do a Presidential Traverse and a Pemigewasset Loop run. Both are epic White Mountain runs with time above treeline. Snow should be minimal, but I'll see how the trails look next week. Late season snows could still fall. A week after returning from NH I'm doing a 12 hour race as a training run for Colorado. The race is the Hawthorn 12 Hour on June 8. We're going to the Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival the day after the race which I am psyched about! Since we'll already be in Indiana it worked perfectly. The following week I'm off to Chattanooga to be Mr Dad and watch Denali while Kara has some line shows. Chattanooga is awesome and I'll be getting plenty of training miles in, on, and near the Lookout Mountain 50 course. Upon returning from Indiana, I have one week until I jump on a plane California bound to pace rock star Traci Falbo in her first attempt at the papa of all ultras, the Western States 100.

All of this movement and travel helps facilitate that mindfulness I mentioned earlier- Just going with the flow, and breaking the routines I easily fall in to. The greatest journeys begin with a single step, just keep making forward progress.

  

Colorado Trail Speed Record / Grand Slam Pacing / Backside Trail Marathon

A lack of recent blog posts certainly doesn't reflect the level of running I've been experiencing lately. January/early February has been a fruitful month here in Louisville and I feel like the old pistons are pumping better than ever.

With the help of my PT at Advanced Orthopaedics I recovered well from Hellgate and was running again in no time. 2013 was up in the air as far as race plans went, but my running was not only stronger than it has ever been, but also fun was, and is, back in full in my running.

On New Years Day, I ran the Hangover Classic 10 miler in 1 hour flat while pretty sick with a sinus infection acquired from my job as an urgent care nurse. I recovered from the race, (and sinus infection), quickly and I decided it was time to call the speed work off for a few months and focus on economy and efficiency. I got in about 8 solid weeks of speedwork during November and December and so after a week off in early January I hit it hard with some super fun long slow distance. I knocked out a 115 mile week mostly on trails which was a blast. I've been setting heart rate limits on the road at 100 Miler heart rate pacing, (140 bpm) and my speed has bumped up noticeably over last year which shows gains in effienciency as my hips, glutes, and core are all functionally balanced due to my morning workout routine band exercises.

I had originally hoped to run the Tour De Virginia again to relive the experience from last year, but as it won't be happening it took me a few weeks to figure out the game plan. I'm pretty excited with what I worked up.

Next week as always I'll be looking for the win at Louisville Lovin' the Hills 50K, the toughest 50K+ around with over 6000' elevation gain on technical singletrack. Following LLTH 50K, every March I always run the 50 Miler at Land Between the Lakes and I'm pretty happy with the results I've had there. This year however I'm tackling the 60K, (38 miles), as it's the original classic distance there. I'm shooting for the course record of 4:26 and with a good run I'm pretty sure I can break it as long as the weather cooperates and I'm feeling froggy. The reason I'm shooting for the exciting 60K this year is to hopefully go into my "A" race a little fresher this year. I have high hopes for the Umstead 100 mile on April 6 and the 60K at LBL will save my legs 12 miles of racing only 4 weeks before Umstead. The 60K course record will also pay out a nice prize purse to help pay for some of these adventures! Last year for the 50 mile I was right on the 60K course record splits so as long as pacing and fueling are flawless I've got high hopes. Its all about the weather and course conditions though...

After my "A" race at Umstead I'm going into an unstructured training period to allow for recovery. In May I would love to run a 24 hour event such as "3 Days at the Fair" in NJ to try to qualify for the USA Worlds 24 Team. Worlds won't happen for another year though so there is plenty of time to peak for a 24 hour run at another time. Last year I learned some valuable lessons about taking time off and recovering inbetween races. I always have known that we can't function at 100% all the time and trying to do so yields unimpressive race performances.

After my break from serious training in April and May I'll be pacing Traci Falbo during her Grand Slam attempt. I'm pretty stoked to get to run on some of the most storied courses in the sport, like Leadville and Wasatch without the pressure of racing myself! I'll get to truly witness the beginings of the race and then pace one of the fastest chicks in the country! Pretty awesome stuff. Currently I know I'll be pacing for Leadville and Wasatch.

In lieu of the Tour De Virginia this summer which won't be happening I've managed to come up with another adventure which spawns the same sentiment and epic nature; The Colorado Trail. I'll write more about this endeavor as it come to form. Many options are on the table; supported, self-supported, etc and so I need to gather more data. If anyone is interested in taking part in running on some of the most amazing terrain in the country for two weeks averaging 50-60 miles per day at an average elevation of 10,500', give me a shout and lets chat. I'd love to make this a group event in the same vein as the Tour De Virginia.

Of note also is the Backside Trail Marathon. I've taken on the role of race director and I hope to grow this trail marathon and half over the next few years. We have great sponsors lined up: Quest Outdoors, Smith Optics, Clif Nutrition, Olmsted Parks Conservancy, Headfirst Performance, Injinji Socks, and more! There are still spots available. The race can be found on facebook at Facebook.com/backsidetrailmarathon . Registration is at Ultrasignup.com


Looking forward to good times in 2013.