#seeyouinauburn: 2013 western states 100 report

training started with a few cautious steps out of carol's driveway running backwards to meet casey and the queen who were continuing the old tradition of running into kamp from foresthill. the previous weekend had seen my achilles swollen so badly i couldn't fit into shoes and had a week in flip flops. i was done. i wanted some time on the trail and to support my friends in their training, but planned to be at kamp as a soigneur.  i had gotten into the 2013 race via an aid station spot it was going to be my first time racing the event since 2009. it's hard to be in michigan bluff and not run, so a few steps on the dance floor were worse than no steps. tree to tree. right, ann?


i had been battling an achilles issue since completing wasatch in september. the blisters on each achilles had been so bad they had gone completely through the skin to the tendon and the resulting scar tissue caused constant inflammation to the tendon. i endured massage, extremely painful graston that aggravated some nerves in my soleus and lots of painful strength training to to restructure the tissue into a functioning mechanism. all of it hadn't seemed to work. i was still swelling regularly and unable to do any running of more than 20 minutes.

a funny thing happened on that run. you see. i also believe in the healing powers of michigan bluff. 64 days later i was standing in line at check-in with a fantastic twietstache collecting schwag and getting my vitals recorded.

"just make sure it turns the corner" -tim twietmeyer

what had happened? i think it's simple. i got happy instead of getting mad. i had so much to be grateful for. i had a number to a race that 2300 people had wanted to run. my good friend was at the helm for the first time after years of dedication to our sport. my other good friend was back after a year off due to injury after getting 7 straight top 10 finishes at the race. another friend had moved from nederland, colorado to foresthill and was going to be along as a member of my crew. add all that up and it hard to not be grateful for the opportunity that was in front of me. 64 days after those first couple of steps in michigan bluff i was standing on the starting line ready to head to auburn.

kamp had been great. memorial day weekend, jimfest and some solid weeks of training had brought me to the line under trained but fresh in mind and body. ajw, family and i did our usual squaw routine of the squaw valley condo. thursday brought on incredible veterans panel and the pre-race briefing giving thanks to shannon, mo and recognizing all of the volunteers and people who make this race possible were the high points. a few of us had decided to honor twiet in a way that a few of the eugene crew had discussed back in 2009, but we didn't have a good feel for the temperature of the honoree. rest assured when the twietstache journey began, so also did a period of unforced abstinence for about 5 or 6 of us. personally, i believe the stache was as clutch as making sure you select the right sling for race day. further proof that running well at western states begins in choices we make long before dr. lind fires the shotgun.

more "clutch" decisions. the real reason for ajw's 7 straight top 10's

speaking of: at 5 am following hugs, coffee and a jovial countdown, myself and 368 others took off from the new starting line and began our ascent up squaw valley to the escarpment. i was strangely calm. happy and peaceful. i watched folks around me stumbling on rocks and struggling on whether to walk or run, often looking at who was around them to gauge what was right or wrong. as we had so many times in training, ajw and i settled in and begin to make our way up as the sun was starting to illuminate the trail before us. the weather was stunning and it didn't take long to start sweating. the mythical forecast in the days leading into the race had foretold of it being really, really hot. turns out the hot weather chick was getting it right this time.

good morning, lake tahoe (photo by luis escobar)

i reached to top somewhere at the back half of the first 100 people, turned around for a stunning view of tahoe and then slipped onto the trail with andy right behind me to begin making our way toward lyon ridge. the high country was totally snow free and already dusty. some of usual wetter areas were still slick and creek like approaching granite chief wilderness, but nothing like the snows and cold weather i had heard about the previous 3 years. it was already crowded and ajw and i let momentum carry us around folks who were unfamiliar with technical single track and those already second guessing their pace. the views up high were unreal! sun creeping up and lighting up the granite. it was getting warm quickly. i hit lyon comfortably and settled into a conga line aping ajw all the way to red star where he stopped for a drop bag. leaving here, i had the trail to myself for the first time all day. it was here i paid attention to my split for the first time and found my 3 hour split to exactly what i was hoping for. it still felt relaxed and resembled what it felt like to run with LB in this same section back in 2009. it didn't take long before my training partner for most of the 64 days leading into this years race, the queen, slipped up behind me. she had told me earlier that she imagined us running together through parts of the race and i wasn't surprised to see we'd found each other. there was something different about her running this year and i had made it known to my very close friends who i believed was gonna win the ladies race this year. meghan is like some of best wine i have ever had the pleasure of enjoying. better with age and enjoyed more and more with each passing year.

enjoying the high country (photo by michigan bluff photography)

we descended into duncan canyon in conversation similar to any long run we've done it wasn't until we heard cowbells that i remembered the AS. coming in, LB and BK were there. i doused for the first time as a volunteer told us it was 86 degrees already at 9 am. i picked up meghan's extra ice bandana and headed out towards robinson flat. taking the opportunity to douse heavily in duncan creek, a nice steady hike up a runnable but exposed climb to robinson seemed a little cautious, but also seemed smart. crew was meeting us at robinson and i was excited to see dirty steve, carey and meriwether. this was whit's first WS and he was a guy who visited robinson in the winter months on two wheels so i wanted to see what he thought of the scene unfolding on race day. my split card had me coming into robinson at 10:30, which was exactly when i stepped on the scale. i found my crew quickly in the shade and refueled for canyons. i felt great. the energy from the crowd. seeing 3 people who were taking an entire day to help make my day was special. plus: it's western states! i crossed the bridge leaving the AS with meghan and handed off my finished bottle of recoverite to carey and headed towards the sunlight. popping out of the woods at the intersection to little bald i got my first good dose of what the heat was going to be like today. dousing and staying cool and calm was working for me and meghan and i methodically made our way up a few places, only stopping once to watch meghan pick herself up from a fall. she informed me she was done with that, making herself accountable to me on the matter and we descended into awesome millers defeat aid station. i took the time to grab a cold soda here, douse heavily and i heard for the first time where the queen was in the womens race. i took a bit of time getting out of here and finally caught meghan and a few others within a mile or two and just kept my momentum down to the party at dusty corners. what a great crowd and awesome to see friends there. i was solo coming in and Karl escorted me through the AS stuffing ice in my hat and packing my neck. dousing heavily, again i made my way towards the well marked turnoff to pucker point feeling good.

approaching robinson flat with the queen (photo by firepotter)

pucker is one of my favorite sections. i moved well, albeit a touch too fast, in 2009 and just like then i instantly started catching people. i made two quick passes before getting to the actual "point" and was instantly reminded of how hot it was getting. the in and out exposure allowed me to constantly remind myself to chill out. it wasn't long before i caught up to rory and aliza cruising along and while they offered to step aside, it was a chance to run with two of my favorite women's competitors and also let me know that i was exactly where i needed to be at this point in the race. it was great to catch up with them as both were feeling good and enjoying the day. it didn't take long before we started catching more dudes and rejoining the road into last chance we caught and passed joelle and another guy in quick succession before landing at the last chance aid station and my drop bag. climbing on the scale, i was exactly one pound down and quickly exchanged the contents of my drop bag as my bottles were getting refilled. another clutch bucket of ice and water and i was off ahead of the ladies who were taking a bit of time to get going. i made a quick catch just out of last chance on some guy walking with the nfl style eye black painted under his eyes and no shirt and found my way down the descent to swinging bridge. i felt smooth on the descent, but noticed my core temperature and sweating seemed a little excessive for the effort. the air was stifling and nothing was moving. i know of the little trail down to the water about 20 feet before you hit the swinging bridge and remembering the jiz's story of 2006 decided that taking the time to submerge in the river and completely cool off was well worth the "lost" time. i had been moving well all day so i had no reason to believe this wouldn't remain true after getting in the water. i don't know long i was down there, but i waited until my heart rate got below 100 bpm before emerging. i saw eye black dude and one other guy i had passed before last chance cross the bridge and noticed nikki and rory coming to the water as i was getting out. i heard a whoop and a splash as i crossed swinging bridge and upon hearing nikki laughing and enjoying herself, i knew my choice was a good one.

enjoying pucker point (photo by michigan bluff photography)

starting the climb up the thumb i was totally refreshed and starting to climb with purpose. i re-passed the two guys who had come over the bridge quickly, they barely seemed to be moving. i was able to make the first flat switchback in under 10 minutes and i knew i was moving well. i started mixing in running and hiking, passing a few more stumbling walkers and popped out at the aid station just under 30 minutes from the bridge. i was stoked to see that split and quickly hopped on the scale while fellow tamalpan charles savage filled my bottle and motioned towards the tent next to the douse bucket where several race favorites were sitting. he smiled and made mention of the race rewarding the patient and i checked out full of run having only lost two pounds since the start of the race. the adrenaline from the good split on the thumb was tough to manage and i had to step on the brakes several times before starting my descent to deadwood. upon making the drop i started catching more people fairly quickly who looked to be in pretty rough shape for having left an aid station barely a mile back. just under halfway i ran into jake, who was walking. i stopped and tried to help him out of his funk by offering up some s-caps and a quick pep talk. i was confident he was solving his problems because he knew what his body needed when i saw him. soon after i caught up to big army dude, adrian from south africa who i had run with at memorial day camp, tamalpan lon freeman and a couple of others. the descent was hot. exposed. no air moving. carnage was happening early and often. i hit el dorado creek aid station right behind the second place female and took my time getting bottles and ice bandana refilled as in less than 50 minutes the bandana was dry and bottles were empty. dousing heavily, salted potato's and popsicle and i made the decision to hike 90% of the climb. it was so easy to get sucked into racing and i knew i was barely halfway through the day and it was HOT. i was caught by adrian and a rejuvenated jake, who was running the whole climb, and patiently made my way to over the top and ran into michigan bluff feeling refreshed. both bottles were empty from dousing and drinking and i quickly stepped on the scale. i was back to starting weight, feeling refreshed and ready to run. dirty steve let me know they had set up in carol's yard and i quickly found them in the shade. unlike 2009, my plan was a quick transition as i knew i would be seeing them again in just over an hour. gave carol a quick hug, got some awesome encouragement from the michigan bluff social club, new bottles, bandana and icy cold douse of water from whit and dirty steve and i was drinking an ice cold blood orange pelegrino while making the walk up the street out of michigan bluff with my crew. i felt great and couldn't wait to get into foresthill. i made quick work of volcano canyon, stopping in volcano creek to soak for a couple of minutes like i had at the swinging bridge, even watching a competitor i had just passed minutes before walk right through the creek without so much as dipping his hat in. soaked, i squished my way towards a howling LB and the bath road aid station where my cal st pacer, julie, was waiting with coconut water and ready to get me to foresthill. quick douse and nuckles with LB and BK and julie and i made our way up the climb. my strategy here is simple: walk in the sun, run in the shade and use the tangents. dirty steve met us halfway down with recoverite and we made quick work of bath road and set a nice pace into foresthill. tons of cars, trucks, fans and hooting spectators made it hard to lazily stroll into the aid station. i was feeling good and excited to see everyone. climbing on the scales i was quickly met by john trent, who was especially encouraging as he knows how much we share a love for this race and i enjoyed a quick lunch courtesy of the awesome volunteers from the silver state striders club out of reno. dousing heavily i checked out and found my crew about 200 yards down the road. we had a small hiccup with the bottles as i needed one water and one gu brew, but my crew got it quickly changed out, filled with ice and julie and i started moving down the road. i had to once again check myself against the adrenaline as it felt hot, despite the ice bandana and staying wet and i knew that it was time to start thinking about racing some of these folks, but not quite yet.

cal st called for a conservative split and julie did a excellent job of keeping me in check on the early downhills. i think she could tell i was fired up and made a point to remind me of all the running that was going to be needed after the river. she's been a top finisher at this race before and lives locally, so despite all the miles i've run on cal st, i knew her advice was sound. i also knew she had seen how everyone looked who came through before me...it was an uneventful trip into cal 1, but shortly after cal 1 i passed veteran dan barger at the base of mackey hill and told julie i wanted to get out of his sight as quickly as possible. dan's a local and recent top 10 finisher at WS, so knew there would be a good chance of seeing him later. making our way through the rollers to the top of the elevator shaft, i started the game of counting them off out loud. julie again reminded me to keep it cool. a conservative descent down the shaft and making good time into cal 2, i felt stoked with the split. i arrived seeing jake and his pacer recharging at the aid station. we exchanged encouraging words and after a quick refill, i was out of there. i quickly told julie i wanted to let momentum carry me to the base of 6 minute hill and we flew down the switchbacks. i thought this would be key because i knew how exposed the later part of this cal st section before the river would be. a nice smooth hike up 6 minute hill in just under 6 minutes we hit cal 3 alone and ready to keep moving. julie reminded me to keep drinking in this section as i hadn't pee'd for a bit when on cue i had to go for the first time since sitting in the creek under swinging bridge. my weight had a been a tad up at foresthill but i think that was due to the scale being off a bit but didn't want to take a chance. making good time down to sandy bottom, we saw two runners who quickly stepped aside; flashing smile told me it was big cat. i was sad to him down, as i thought hal would win the race, but he and his pacer, josh were so encouraging as we scooted by. soon after, i noticed the heat was getting to julie and she was starting to tighten up a bit. it was pretty clear to me up to this point that we were moving much faster than my split card on this section, despite her keeping me in check and it was catching up. hitting the two lane dirt road near the river, she prodded me to move on and she would catch up to me while i was at the aid station. i hated to do it, but i moved away quickly. this section was totally exposed. i hiked all the climbs and moved smoothly on the downhills. i took a quick look back on the last climb and saw julie hanging in there and knew she would catch back up while i was on the scales and she could join me on the river crossing. i cannot describe how that descent into rucky chucky felt. the sun was up and i knew i was gonna get my daylight crossing that had eluded me in 2009. jumping on the scale, my weight was 1 pound under and i was stoked to see i was back on track. watermelon, salted potato, quick shot of coke i made my way down to the...boats?! shit. i had been looking forward to cooling off in the river and was sad to see the boat. julie caught up to me as i was getting in and i took to leaning over the edge and splashing. i saw dirty steve waiting on the other side as the boater seemed to be having trouble getting control of his rig. i was getting frustrated and entertained grabbing the oars and doing it myself before he finally got us turned the right way and made our way back to the volunteers waiting on the other side. i took my time getting out, submerging into the soaking hole near shore for a bit and made my up the bank into the aid station manned by my club members. they were stoked to see someone flying the tamalpa colors and let me know that as i arrived. as much as i wanted to stay, i was across the river and it was time to start thinking about chasing.

like most of the day, i used to climb to conserve. i ate, drank a coconut water and a bottle of recoverite while making my way up the climb. i "posed" for luis by running a short section but like the last section of cal st, this was mostly exposed and in the sun. i still had 25 to go, so i knew a few minutes up to green gate lost by not running shouldn't hurt. we saw several pacers and crew making their way down, including hutty, who was the jiz's pacer so i knew he was on track and possibly on the hunt. coming into the green gate aid station, i noticed a considerable change in attitude from years past when i had been here as a pacer. they made a point of welcoming myself and my pacers into the aid station and certainly put themselves up for "most improved" aid station at this years race. dirty steve was taking over as pacer, so we took the time beyond the gate to change out flasks, chomps and get my headlamp around my waist. whit and julie got me setup and ready for the next section to auburn lakes trail. the sun was still up and i checked out with dirty steve still of the mindset that i wanted to take it relaxed. it didn't take long to start catching folks. jorge and his pacer, brett were first and they were both very encouraging. i knew jorge was not having the day he wanted, but i was proud he was heading to auburn. he made the point of letting me know he would see me there. i told dirty steve i wanted to hammer for a few minutes in case jorge found his legs. you can never count anyone out. i told dirty my short term goal was to get to ALT aid station before i had to turn on my headlamps and we set about doing it. i felt great in this section. legs had plenty of dexterity for the few technical sections. i was tired, but felt good. 80 plus miles of racing, you take it as it comes. i had made a point of not asking what place i was in during the entire day and coming into ALT, as i asked for my drop bag, i asked if anyone knew what place i was in. i heard 18th, i heard 20th. i heard 7th. ok, fair enough. thanks. my weight was down another pound and they said it was 97 degrees at 9 o'clock. clicking on my headlamp, grabbing handful of potato's and a popsicle, i walked out chewing and told dirty i wanted to make sure i got the food down before we started running. a few bites of the lime popsicle made me gag, so chucked it and flushed with water. the potato's went down easy and we walked all the way until the turn onto the old wtc course and crossed a dry creek and started running. shortly after starting the run, the urge to pee came up again and had my most satisfying wiz of the entire race. color was good, volume was good. ok, lets go. moving towards browns bar, i told steve i wanted to keep the momentum we had kept going into ALT and we easily settled back into a rhythm. about 20 minutes into it, we saw headlamps snaking through the canyon in front of us. i wanted to reel them in quickly and picked it up. making contact with the tallest pacer i've ever seen, he stepped aside to reveal a kid i remembered from asheville standing there in his pearl izumi singlet. i remembered brandon for not only running races like black mountain marathon, but also for his famous crawl across the finish line at boston several years before. he'd come a long way since then and was still running well this late in the race. we made quick greetings and i stepped on the gas to put space between us. i knew in this section you can see lights in front of you for a long way and i wanted to get us out of sight pronto. it wasn't long before robert palmer started echoing through the canyons and i expected to see models with swimcap hairstyles wiggling next to the trail in the darkness. lots of beady eyes as we saw two or three foxes on several occasions that provided solid adrenaline bursts. robert palmer switched to foghat and i knew the lights and sounds of the rob cain and the rogue valley runners browns bar aid station was just around the corner. i knew they didn't have internet service so they wouldn't know who was coming and i wanted to surprise SLF. popping up the short climb through the christmas lights into the aid station, i could tell they didn't expect to see monkeyboy. big hug from rob and i set about getting fed. i asked how long had been since another runner had left and was told 10 minutes. i still didn't know what place i was for sure, but felt like 10 minutes was enough that i should keep moving with purpose. getting some soup with ice in it, two slices of watermelon and refilled bottles, i couldn't believe how nice the aid station now was. brightly lit. sober volunteers. friendly, enthusiastic workers. while green gate was improved, browns bar was, by far, the most improved of all the stops. what can you expect from a town that only a short while ago had upped it's cougar count from 3 to 4.

starting the descent out of browns, the lights started playing with me a little and i couldn't get into a rhythm. it felt awkward and i kicked several rocks on this section. catching myself, i took a few calming breaths and relaxed. smiled and cracked jokes with dirty steve about being trail smear. i knew i could open up the legs again once i hit the quarry road and made my way down the descent. popping out on the dirt road, i told dirty i wanted to keep momentum down the road until it flattened out and then settle in. i was tired and looking for those headlights. i saw none and settled into a slower rhythm than we'd had going into browns bar, but moving. it was 93 miles in, i guess the fatigue was catching up. i couldn't help but notice how it still felt warm and that the cool relief that usually comes from being near the river just wasn't there this year. clicking off my headlamp, i relied on dirty steve's torch and a waning moon to guide us along the quarry road. i hiked some climbs and ran the flats and downs and was surprised how quickly we got to the trail turnoff up to hwy 49. hitting the technical single track, my legs actually felt better and we were running. i ran/hiked/kept momentum up the climb and started to really feel my legs coming back. the change in how i was moving the legs felt good and i was feeling like i could start thinking about racing. hitting some familiar checkpoints on the climb it wasn't long before i started hearing cars and knew we'd be hitting the road crossing and last significant aid station/crew point during the race. I knew that getting through 49 means you can start smelling that barn a bit. flying into the aid station with traffic stopped as i moved quickly to the scale. i wanted to leave a good impression with the crews in case anyone was chasing me down. weight was down another pound. a quick bottle exchange and nuckles with whit, i noticed ajw's crew howling and screaming. having been a part of that crew for so many years, it was great to see how excited they were. shelly and those boys mean a great deal to me, putting a point on the sentiment that western states is truly family.

leaving 49, i got a report i was only 8 minutes behind yassine, but still no idea where i was overall. i dug down and ran most of the climb up to cool meadows, which was the first time all day i forced myself to run something i wanted to hike. the fatigue was setting in but i wanted to give myself a chance to race these folks and put away anyone who might be chasing. popping out in the meadow, it was a beautiful night. waning moon, lights of auburn but no headlamps in front. i saw a rider on horseback well off the trail and then when i looked back for it again, it was gone. so i nipped from my gel flask. sensing some mental fatigue i told dirty i wanted to really lay it down on the descent down to no hands and asked him to get in front for the first time. i thought a change in stimulus would refresh. steve set the perfect pace on the descent. getting into the trees, a few moths buzzed around my headlamp and right as i noticed it, one went right into my mouth. it flapped a bit and i started gagging immediately and vomited. steve heard me and stopped. i retched 3 or 4 times, emptying my stomach and started running. i went about another half mile or so and then told him i needed to stop and eat. i stood there fishing honey stinger bites out of my pockets and sipping water and steve suggested we start moving, slowly. i started jogging, then running, slowly picking up the pace and within sight of the bridge, i started to feel like i had earlier in the race. hitting the bridge, i was disappointed to see how much time i had taken to get down there, but was happy to be back on track. two cups of 7-up while walking across the bridge to put in some quick, easy calories i lost puking back in and i told dirty we'd be running when we left the bridge. there were no lights behind us or in front of us and it was strangely quiet running along next to the river with only the rhythmic scratching of our feet on the dirt and bobbing of steve's torch. it was a ritual that so many had shared before and i was instantly emotionally grateful to be in this position. it was starting to hit me, where i was from 3 months ago to where i was on this day and all the people who had taken time to be there for me. i knew i wouldn't have much time to myself once i got close to robie, so i thanked steve for the day and everything he had done. steve had offered to support me early in december and stuck with me through injury. i was proud to be sharing the trail with him...but we were not done. leaving the quarry double track and onto the single track climb, i started feeling good. i saw lights from houses overhead and moved off the single track and through the intersection prompting me up to robie point. i was running this entire climb and a volunteer made his way down to me asking what i wanted. i asked for sprite and nearing the gate near the aid station, it was here that i was told i was 11th male and that karl had left about 10 minutes earlier looking "horrible" and barely moving with shot legs. my entire crew; whit, julie and carey had all come down to robie to join me but i couldn't explain to them how that news changed how i was feeling. i moved into one of the quickest hiking paces i have ever had up the first part of the pavement and felt my crew melting behind me. looking at my watch, i told carey out loud "i think i can break 19" to which he replied "is that a question?" and i knew his answer was the statement i needed.

jim howard told a story at jimfest about getting to hwy 49 and all the pain going away from his legs when he ran his unreal 58 minutes split from 49 to the finish in 1983 catching jim king just before the white bridge to win the race. the feeling in my legs as carey and i were running up the hill to the mile to go sign was exactly what jim howard described. the party at the mile to go sign was pandemonium! i saw tyler curley and tyler curley's beard leading a throng of drunks, gypsy's, stock brokers and cowgirls into a massive frenzy urging us to the finish. i heard the words..."karls walking". i didn't know two words could draw anymore excitement and energy out of me, but i was wrong. i was flying. bottles empty, running tangents, right down the middle of the road. i was going so well that cars pulled over to let us by. i meant business and a mile of being selfish was fine by me. moving up the street, carey set an awesome pace. popping up the small rise and making the left turn down towards the white bridge my eyes scanned for any sign of a runner. i knew karl would be sans pacer so i didn't want to miss him. i cut off my headlamp to go stealth and couldn't get down finley street fast enough. a car pulled over and yelled "go, scott!" out the window. approaching the stadium, i heard cheers and the baritone sounds of tropical john and i knew i had run out of race course to make the catch. i quickly thanked carey for his help and waved to a few outside spectators and entered the stadium and onto the track. for a short time i was alone on the back stretch and i couldn't contain the smile. hearing the words "monkeyboy" wafting across the auburn night from the microphone of tropical john and i let out a full laugh at how absurd our sport is. making the final turn and seeing LB waiting, medal in hand, was a very satisfying completion to my day. 18:55:51 and a finish before midnight. hugs, handshakes. photos. the final scale of the day.

greeted by the new rd :-) (photo by irunfar)

i was truly honored. 1500 volunteers, race staff. friends, family, fans, crews, supporters and lovers of this race both present and following from all over the world. 2300 people wanted a chance to wear my number. i was thankful i had been able to honor it. sitting on chair after talking to tropical john and lisa, who had come down from the booth to congratulate me. i took a look around and was a little sad that it was all over. i found my crew and celebrated with them, getting a few photos from larry gassan for posterity. he asked if i wanted one alone, and it didn't seem appropriate. i was getting an ultrasound when i heard the jiz finish and an ecg when the queen arrived. the only time the timing was off all day was being in a medical study that demanded we get tested 30 minutes after finishing. of course, both of them were in it as well, so we soon were celebrating with each other, laughing and crying from exam tables at the back of the medical tent.

first tamalpan (photo by cindy goh)

reflecting, i was pleased with how i felt at the finish. i had taken care of myself the entire day. corrected the mistakes i made in 2009 and didn't repeat them. LB and i used to spend many hours talking about the haggin cup and i kept mindset through limited training and on through race day. the twietstache served as a close reminder of how tim twietmeyer ran during his 25 silver buckles and 5 victories here. he always ran like he had to be at work on monday, and took care of the vessel. one of the few things we have in common now is 11th place finishes. i have a long way to go, but i'm pleased with how my body felt and recovered. it turns out this years race was the second hottest day in race history with a high of 102 in auburn. staying cool and keeping calm and not getting caught up was clutch. extra time taken early paid off big in the end.

brother meriwether (photo by larry gassan)

i can't thank LB, the staff and board members of the Western States Endurance Run enough. congratulations on putting on a world class event and exceeding the gold standard amongst a very visible profile. to all the volunteers, crews and fellow finishers i share in your victories and celebration and offer thanks for your part in this journey. my training partners: the queen and the princess, thanks for sharing the trail with me when i was building fitness. miles truly are more enjoyable when you are laughing and sharing story. LB and AJW for teaching me things you can't be taught and allowing me to be a part of your races in the past, building my skill for this race. my crew and pacers: dirty steve, meriwether, julie and carey, thank you for dealing with early wake ups, traffic, shuttles, hot weather and poor parking to give me your smiles, your encouragement when i needed it and kept me in check the entire day. i can never thank you enough and will be happy to return the favor at a moments notice. siiri, thanks for helping me get healthy and believing in me. i hope you enjoyed the show from afar. my buddy, DT for making the long drive just to make it in time for the awards ceremony and sitting through that heat to help celebrate. finally...carol. there aren't enough hugs, smiles, happiness, joy and love within me to express what your gesture means to me. this was for you, especially. it was an honor to represent. 

dirty steve, carey and julie (photo by larry gassan)

 200.4 down, 800.16 to go. see you in 2014.

gear:
top: tamalpa wicked lite shirt by mountain hardwear, modified for hillbilly cooling techniques
shorts: custom patagonia strider pro shorts
shoes: montrail fluidbalance
socks: injinji run 2.0 lightweight mini-crew/black
hat: patagonia 5 panel duckbill mesh cap/white (0-78)
headlamp: black diamond spot
accessories: ice bandana x 2, traser p6500 type 6 watch
hydration: mix of nathan,ultimate direction bottles and handhelds. one with gu brew/roctane, one with water until the river crossing, then went to water in both bottles.

food:
powergels in a flask, honey stinger organic energy chews, coconut water mixed with hammer recoverite. I took 9 s-caps the entire day. i also ate boiled potato's dipped in salt, twizzlers and watermelons and drank mountain dew and 7-Up at every aid station. i was able to digest all of this by balancing out my stomach potassium with coconut water.

see you in 2014 (thanks, dirty steve)

Statesmas

saturday, june 29th, 2013 11:55 pm. photo by gtach

quinque

Michigan Bluff Social Club photo by Marianne Wedellsborg

one of the best things about the taper is being able to catch up on things you have been meaning to attend to. i feel like this journal is one of those things. i have a lot i could write about, but the pending run from squaw to auburn on the western states trail is mostly what is on my mind.

excited to be heading to squaw tanned, strong, healthy. i have legs to run. i'm not going to spend a lot of time focusing on what i wasn't able to get done. i have experience on this trail and i know what i know. the weather is looking very similar to 2009 and for that, i am grateful. i know the lessons i learned on that day and i get a chance to bring that experience back to a course and an event i love.

this year is special in many ways. my good friend, mentor and long time training partner took over as race director this year and it's an honor to be able to participate in his first go at the helm. i know, first hand, the passion he brings to this race and his unique perspective as a long time participant in this race cannot be understated. he knows what we are in for. i haven't had a lot of days of healthy running this year, but over 20 of those days were spent on the course and most of them with the queen. there is something very different about her running this year and i'm excited for her race. it was very cool to bring back the traditional michigan bluff training kamp v 7.5 this year the miles shared with Q were a big highlight to this short and sweet build up. i'm also excited to be able to share the race with a brother in spirit, meriwether. he and his family of wahoos and guppies have made foresthill their new home and he's been exploring the trail via two wheels a good bit this spring putting names and experiences to places we've talked about. whit will be part of my crew, headed up by dirty steve. i coudn't be in better hands. lastly, this year i was fortunate enough to gain entry into the race via an aid station spot courtesy of carol hewitt and the michigan bluff social club. if you have run through michigan bluff, you have run by the house as the aid station sits at the edge of her front yard. it is an honor to be able to represent her at this race. the biggest anxiety about being injured all winter and most of the spring was not getting a chance to honor the gift of her entry. it was fitting that that injury resolved itself while staying in her house and i was able to kick off this crazy buildup to get ready for this race. i believe in the magic of the michigan bluff and the western states trail and i look forward to celebrating that in 5 days. see you in squaw.  

monkeyphat

the newest of the dark knights

the parallels are eerily similar. i was stale. uninspired. the trails were all looking the same to me back in the day when i took a chance on an overly built steel frame with a wheel size unfamiliar to most. i remember you only had four or five tire options at the time. i built it up, including some prototype wheels my employer was about to start manufacturing at the time, threw on some dickies and headed out to one of my local spots on a sunny, fall day and took a ride that changed my outlook on mountain biking forever. now, years later, the 29 inch wheel is everywhere including on the top step of the world cup racing. it's all changed so fast, all of it for the good. 

fast forward a number of years. i saw curiaks ti snow bike at interbike a few years back and read his blog about doing the iditatour in alaska on two wheels. i thought the bike to be a bit niche, reserved as an option for only select geographical residents, and nothing more. then, two years ago, i had custody of a southern oregon prototype with a 29 inch rear wheel and a front end sporting a truss fork and large, phat snow tire. chasing the builder through the hills around ashland i was stunned at how the bike performed on dirt, and i was able to see the builder do some unreal things on his steed that only comes with confidence and time spent in the set up. still, though, impractical and expensive.

now september of this year rolls around. stale. uninspired. recovering from wasatch and shredded achilles. the leaves were changing and an opportunity came to me via the same company whoring out overbuilt steel bikes that brokered my last ride epiphany several years ago. 4 or 5 tire options only. sunny, fall day. it was by coincidence that those same dickies just happened to be chosen for the pedal and three hours later my outlook on covering trails on two wheels has been altered again, another evolution in the revolution

the details of how and why are my own. i won't put any expectations or words in your mouth. i know what i was able to do differently than on my other bikes. you'll find it stacked with shortcomings if your into lycra, carbon fiber and power meters. the early snow fall we had showed me why this bike was designed, and the rainy melt off showed me how versatile this toy can be when you are open for discovery. most of all, the stoke face and fun was back. motivation to get out and try to see what it couldn't do bridged the gap between being able to run trails and buckling down to focus on my next adventure. now, my recovery days will have a little different look to them this winter. any obstacles in place will be mental, because the physical ones this puppy can ride over. cheers.

 **late edit: 11/10/2012 first time i've ever been here in the winter. won't be the last.**

11/10/2012 fresh tracks

enjoy the process: 2012 wasatch 100 mile run

"whatever you do with your running, you only cheat yourself by pushing, pressing, competing. there are no standards and no possible victories except the joy you are living while dancing your run."--note i shared with 0j0 on june 8th, 2012

i am having a hard time deciding where in the timeline to start this story. i feel like it should be begin long before the starting line in kaysville. maybe i haven't run enough of these to be able to break them down into a single movement between point a and point b, but nonetheless, it feels wrong to simply begin with the starting line words "get out of here..."

wasatch has been on my mind for a couple of years. i was in the race in 2011, but my year fell apart last summer and i wasn't in a good place to be able to train and manage my life, which was far more important at the time. the emotional connection between the spirit and the physical has been well documented by me on this blog and i wasn't in any shape to be able to "train" for an event that is as physically and emotionally demanding at wasatch and it wasn't the priority.

i am fairly certain that when the applications to run went live this year, i was one of the first one to print it out, send in my check and wait the two plus months for the lottery to take place. it was part of my rebuilding process. i spent several hours running this winter shrouded in motivation with thoughts of tackling 100 miles on this trail. i had several reasons for seeking out this race. i wanted to get out of my comfort zone of running. i'm not talking distance, but style of event. wasatch is very different from western states, my muse for most of the last 7 years. i wanted tough. i wanted moderate altitude. i wanted the style of the race to force me to rethink and challenge myself in training in ways i hadn't done before. i needed for the event to be associated with personal growth, in some ways. i wanted it to be a classic event. indeed, this year was the 33rd running. i also wanted it to be in a location where i was outside my "cocoon of comfort". i didn't want to know the racers or volunteers at the aid station, very little about the course and it needed to be a location where i hadn't raced before.

south sister summit with great group of friends

training this year has gone well. i traveled a good bit and ran in the rockies, the sierra's and even some running on the last 47 miles of the wasatch course. light snow year here in the cascades opened up our proving grounds in may so i was able to spend a good amount of time training for specificity. i had no alibis for the physical aspect of the task at hand. 20 days out of wasatch, i had my first gut check. i had trained through to the waldo 100k, with only a 4 day mini taper and ended up pushing a tight hamstring a little too far and strained my calf right at the hamstring/gastroc attachment. i was on crutches for 4 days to totally unweight the tissue. i rehabilitated with the idea that i had time for this to resolve itself kept mentally in the game. i would have been tapering during this period, anyway, so nothing to lose. i did a training run 7 days out, albeit very, very slowly, that showed me that i was able to run on it and a massage 3 days before the race confirmed that the tissue was sound. i was ready.

i didn't have a split card, but had an idea of two benchmark times i wanted to hit along the way at miles 53 and 75, otherwise, my goals were keep my stomach working all day. not lose weight. keep my core temperature managed and have legs to run strong the last 25 miles of the race from brighton to the finish. most of all, run with joy and enjoy the process of running 100 miles in the mountains.

view of francis peak from howard and kathy's

a fellow runner and friend, dave town and his crew/pacers and i stayed with friends at a ranch in kaysville about 4 minutes from the starts. beautiful setting. 20 acres with a view of the course. horses. family style large dinner the night before. very relaxed. i slept 5 hours the night before the race which is unheard of for me before any ultra, much less a 100. i woke up relaxed and ready to roll. we drove to the start and i did my lebron james chalk toss with some trail dust to appease the spirit of monkeyboy and was stoked and thankful to be standing on the starting line.

dave and i at the starting line in kaysville

"have fun out there. be nice to each other..."

-john grobben, race director

countdown from 10 and we were off in a stampede of headlamps and too many slow guys standing up front. after 200 yards of elbows and collisions, i settled in. the trail follows roughly 5 miles on the bonneville shoreline trail and is very smooth running.

headlamp start art. photo by lori burlison

i was in a group that seemed to be clicking and of the same mindset, so we ran along nicely until the climb up chinscraper. headlamps clicked off and we started talking to each other. i was running with paul terranova and mike leroux amongst others. both of these guys were running the grand slam and paul adding ironman hawaii to his grandkonaslam for 2012. the most amazing thing about paul was that he had never done a 100 miler prior to western states and he decided to put on this adventure. it was great to meet and chat with them as we shared the early miles. i started noticing what felt like a little rock in my shoes and stepped off to remove it and found the rock to be a blister. 6 miles in and i already was dealing with my first blister of the year. okay. we'll deal with it. resuming the climb we popped out on the ridge with beautiful views of salt lake and antelope island and a city waking up to a friday commute. i wondered how many folks down low knew what was going on in the mountains above.

first water only aid station at grobbens corner and the RD was there, himself, to fill my bottles. i was told i was in 38th place here and it didn't seem to matter. i was sticking to my plan. a group of 8-10 guys panicked and took off on the single track. i got to the dirt road descent down to Francis Peak and while i was running 7:15's very relaxed down the hill, this group put 4 minutes on me in 3 miles. at francis peak i had a drop bag. i refueled, swapped my headlamp for taproom cap and swapped out empty flasks for full ones. the blister had popped but wasn't painful, so i kept moving. physically, i felt like i hadn't done any running and was very controlled. i passed a few folks leaving the aid station and noted it was starting to get warm. i started passing runners almost immediately. a few short conversations revealed some lofty goals on their part so i took stock to check in and make sure i wasn't moving too soon. i then remembered that usually only 8-12 people break 24 hours here each year, so i took kept moving along. i came to an intersection to see mike leroux popping out of the woods and we both started the climb up the ridge line. i asked after 5 or so minutes whether he saw ribbons and right as he answered, 3 runners came back towards us from uphill. we were off course. running together back down we connected with jay smithberger, also a grand slammer, right at the correct intersection and ran as a group of 7-8 on the climb up to bountiful b aid station. tension broken, we chatted our way up this climb introducing ourselves and dealing with the trail that looked like it hadn't been used since last years wasatch. we arrived en masse at bountiful b where friends mark and sierra postle were volunteering. i took time to refuel, eat and douse with water. i got a few photos with mark and then hiked out chewing potato's and salt with jay and mike. we would share the next 4 miles together before i got away for good on the climb out of sessions aid station. my legs were full of run and i started moving in this section. the course is open and exposed, mostly ridge running with stunning views. you can see runners for miles in front and behind you. it is nice to be engaged and know your making progress. i caught up to three guys as we were going into swallow rocks and i recognized one of them as sean andrish from virginia. refuel and right out. i doused again heavily here and ran into paul again just out of this aid station. he was jamming to music so we just exchanged smiles and i moved along. i knew i would be seeing siiri at big mountain so i really checked in and throttled back. descending down, you can see and hear the aid station for almost a mile before you arrive. i calmly dropped in and noted the pain in my big toe on my right foot. feels like another blister. okay. manage the downs. crossing the road to the scale and aid station, siiri was there to greet me. i hopped on the scale to find myself only down a pound from starting weight! Yes. stoked. changed flasks, refueled, coconut water, ice in my cap and my secret weapon for the hottest section of the course coming up, my ice bandana. i hiked out with a potato in one hand and a popsicle in the other. i walked the climb out making sure i got everything in and washed down with plenty of fluids for digestion and started running.

view of alexander ridge from little dell parking area

i was 24th leaving big mountain and started passing folks almost immediately. exposed, hot, rocky. i saw karl running the course back towards me and he updated my placing to 20th. the ice bandana was money in this section. i never felt overheated and it gave me confidence to keep my effort measured. i read lots of reports where this section cooks people who push here, so i was mindful of that. i got to see two young badgers fighting over a shady spot, which was very cool considering how rare it is to see these in the wild. the trail was a mess. i knew why karl is called speedgoat after running in this stuff. your foot never hits the ground straight or evenly. your constantly off camber. one of the descents was like running downhill at 30% grade on pool balls. controlled crashing is the best description and my toe nails were letting me know they were unhappy. i knew i had blisters galore and started forming a plan to deal with them at lambs canyon. i arrived at alexander ridge right behind another runner, who quickly raced out of the aid station like it was a 5K. i got my bandana refilled, mountain dew, potato's and salt, doritos...yes, doritos and slowly made my way into the serengeti section of the course. dirt road along powerlines with waist high dry, dead grass. i noted the grade of ascent. the exposure and went into self preservation mode. i allowed racer X to drill the climb. he must have looked back 10 times. it seems like it took forever to run/walk this section before making the turn onto singletrack that would lead us down to the aid station the virtual "halfway" point of wasatch. this trail was rad and the shade was really nice. i would pop out into open sections as runners cork screwed their way down to lambs canyon. the terrain changed and they actually run you past the station before allowing you to climb up to it. cruel, but funny.

blister draining face. photo by bryon powell

i looked at my watch right as i checked in on the scale, it read 4 o'clock. i had hoped to be leaving here at 4, but was fine with where i was. physically and emotionally, i felt great. no lows. i only had to get my shoes and socks off and see what my toes looked like. scale had me another pound down, to 143, but considering the heat and exposure, i was happy to have managed. lambs looked like a mash unit. runners dealing with carnage all around me. right as i take my shoes off and start popping and taping blisters, bryon powell shows up with his camera and smile! roch and siiri put cold, wet towels on my neck to keep me cool while we cleaned and taped the blisters. i knew the right big toenail wouldn't be long for this race, but relieving the pressure from the blister underneath really helped. we got it taped up, moleskin and tape on both achilles, fresh socks, coconut water, recoverite, potato's and a half sandwich, and i was walking out with a refilled ice bandana (thanks, meredith terranova) and mr. irunfar for conversation.

working the road up from lambs. photo by bryon powell

i steadily hiked/jogged the two miles up lambs canyon road pavement talking to BP about his trip to europe, finding balance, beer and training. the talk was so good, we continued to stay with me heading up bear ass pass on the trail and immediately slipped into pacer mode. we both have spent considerable time pacing the jiz, so it was cool to have him keeping me accountable while we were discussing pretty much everything except wasatch. grateful for the hour distraction, i left him on bear ass pass and started my descent to millcreek full of stoke and feeling good. i knew i was in the shade and the worst heat of the day had passed. i caught one runner as soon as i hit the pavement for the 3 mile climb to upper big water and soon caught peter lindgren and his pacer. i moved well, keeping momentum right into the aid station at millcreek. drop bag, shirt change, watched a friend vomit 3 gallons of chicken soup into a trash can while his pacer and i hazed him. i was relaxed and enjoying myself. nobody else seemed to be in the same mindset. i grabbed my headlamp, flasks, gloves and made sure i took potato's with me and started running my climb out of millcreek. i caught the last of guys who had blasted away from me earlier in the race almost together and immediately made a wrong turn at the intersection of dog lake and great western trail. the markings were minimal and someone had sabotaged it. i knew i was off course within minutes and retraced my steps. repassed the two who i had just seen and continued to climb up to dog lake and the descent down to blunder fork. starting the climb up to desolation lake, after the second wrong turn, i had my only mental low point of the day. the grade and footing just seemed to be un-runnable for me at that moment and i couldn't get any momentum going. paul terranova, who i hadn't seen in hours, came roaring by here with his pacer leading into the aid station at the lake and this snapped me out of my mini-pity party as his enthusiasm was awesome. i stopped, got calories in as quickly as i could to try to restore some blood sugar to see if that would make the difference and watch paul and his pacer disappear into the distance. i was heading for sunset, red lovers ridge at 10,000 feet and i knew it was make or break time for my race. my stomach responded nicely. i took in all my calories and even realized i was a bit hungry. okay. we got this. i hiked the climb up to red lovers ridge making sure to check out park city and allow my stomach to digest the contents before breaking into a nice run on the crest trail heading to scott towers. i could see headlamps going on in front of me and plenty of them coming into desolation lake behind me. i knew the race was on! twizzlers and mountain dew at scott pass before starting my descent to brighton. twilight, dust and darkness made the single headlamp less than ideal in this technical section before the road, but it was manageable. my legs were ready to run. i saw 2 sets of headlamps in front of me when i hit pavement and a fan asked me if i was scott and told me i was 11th

looking back at brighton from climb out of aid station. no. i was not there in the daylight, but bronco was.

wow...no shit. okay. he then proceeded to run the next 100 yards down the road with me in a full marching band suit shaking a cow bell. i only hoped the next 200 plus runners coming through would get the same reception.

i cruised towards brighton. my crew. my blister kit. my food. i was ready to get the final push underway. i rolled into the aid station just behind paul and another runner and climbed on the scale. 145. starting weight! i had asked my crew to set up outside heeding the advice from the wasatch veterans, but my feet were a mess. i could see the blood soaking through my bondi's and i knew i needed a warm, dry place to get them resolved. back of the lodge was the medical room and we had it all to ourselves. mark postle and siiri cleaned, dried, drained and got me re-taped. duct tape used to cover up the moleskin, cotton tape combo to keep them intact and i switched to compression socks for warmth. added a buff, a second black diamond spot headlamp worn around my waist and my nine trails jacket. finished a full bottle of coconut water, recoverite and ate some honey stinger chomps. the stop was 18 minutes, but totally necessary. i walked out and noticed several sets of runners who i had passed since lambs canyon all there in the lodge, and checked out in 14th place with 3 runners right behind me. It was 9:50, and i knew i needed to be out by 10 pm to have a shot at breaking 24 hours. i was on time. i gently hiked the climb and let the food digest, i was quickly passed by two runners and pacers. i remained calm. i knew my legs were good but wanted to keep my stomach working. my body was feeling great except for my feet. i had good legs, albeit tired from 75 miles of running and i was moving fluid out regularly. so kidney's and hydration were good. i recaught one of the runners on sunset pass at 10,400 feet and started the descent towards ant knoll. i could see my breath in this section, so i knew it was cold. i was glad for the jacket, gloves and wool base layer. the breath mixed with the trail dust, mixed with shitty horrible footing made this descent a bit of a carnival ride. one runner freaked out and thought we lost the trail. i had run this in training and assured him we were correct, it was just that nasty. i never saw him again until the finish. shortly before ant knoll, peter lindgren and robert mueller came rolling past me! it was great to see them rejuvinated and moving well again. i knew peter was a veteran and runs this race with ninja like precision. he ended up finishing 4th. i took my time getting potato's at ant knoll and fueled for the grunt climb out of the aid station. this climb seemed longer and tougher than in training. i didn't panic, i just kept moving. topping out to great views of park city again, i jumped a grouse right off the trail and it scared the shit out of me. hello instant adrenaline and i broke into a quick run. the grade is rolling through here and i ran every step. i could no longer make out headlamps  behind me or below me, so i was alone. i came into pole line pass aid station right after midnight and was told two runners were right in front of me. i got some coke, twizzlers, potato's and was told i looked great. truthfully, i was in good spirits and felt fine. i took left the station with a whoop and tried not to get too caught up in racing. i saw headlamps again quickly and could see groups of 3 or 4 making their way above me on the climb heading towards rock springs. slowly but surely, we were coming together. i caught up to robert mueller right at the rock springs aid station and we would yo yo back and forth for the next several miles. the dive and plunge were not good sections for me. it was so dusty, i couldn't see. i was slipping and sliding and busted my ass several times in this section. keep in mind, trail runners don't maintain this part of the course. OHV folks, do. having rocks and dust in the trail makes it more appealing to folks on moto's, less appealing to runners on foot. i watched headlamps dance away from me and just tried to get down it without breaking anything. i kept saying "enjoy the process...you knew this was here". it was far dustier and slick than my training run, but soon i was through it and back into running mode. heading into the section known as the seven hills of babylon i was running. the grade was classic bend, oregon and my legs responded to this familiar terrain by moving. i re-passed robert for the final time, caught up to another runner and pacer going through a low (i later learned this was brendan trimboli) and was full of run heading down the decent of irv's torture chamber. i could see two or three sets of headlamps through the woods snaking down towards teddy bear junction and heading down to pot bottom. i was thankful for my patience early in the race because now i had exactly what i wanted...legs to be able to run strong the last part of the race. i made the turn at teddy bear junction right as my headlamps started to flicker...uh oh. i knew i had 2 miles of descending, and spare batteries in my waist pack. i made the decision to try to bomb the descent and get my batteries changed at the aid station while i ate so i didn't have to stop twice in two miles. my waist light and headlamps were dying at a consistent rate, so i was flying blind on this descent. i took a deep breath and tried to visualize what i remember this section to look like from training and just trusted my balance. headlamps were worthless and barely on so i ran on feel. i could see i was catching a group of two and finally saw the lights of pot bottom with a runner leaving and runner and pacer going in right in front of me. i recognized paul terranova and his wife. they left quickly while i dug out my batteries and went about getting some night vision restored. i drank two cups of coke, ate a potato and salt again and was able to get things changed, despite cold hands, and left 4 minutes after paul. i saw two sets of lights making the descent into pot bottom right behind me, so i knew i'd have to look forward, not backwards.

leaving pot bottom, you have about a mile climb with several creek crossings on dirt/jeep road. about halfway up i saw paul and meredith's lights and a single headlamp further up the road from them. i kept nipping from my gel flask and drinking and being patient. making the turn off the road onto the first part of the 4,000 plus foot descent down to midway my legs once again responded. i passed a runner within a half mile, sitting in the trail. i urged him to get up, asked him if he needed anything, etc. he kept talking about getting lost. yep, join the club buddy. however, your almost there and sub 24 is within reach. get up. i felt like i did what i could do here and kept moving. this descent on OHV jeep road is just rude. you don't run down it as much as you slalom down it. quads, as they had been all day, were perfect and full of run. the only thing keeping me from really pressing the throttle were my blistered toes and heels, which were screaming at me for relief. the grade starts to level out and you see the lights of town as it bears to the left on a dirt road. i knew this to be leading towards the water tower and kept running strong in this section. i dropped towards the gate on the water tower and saw a pair of headlamps on the climb. i saw them turn around and look at me and start running. i ran the climb, made the right turn and knew to look for the sharp left onto the beautiful single track at wasatch mountain state park. i saw by how the headlamps were moving that they were racing me. i was thrilled. it was great to be running fast at 97 miles of a 100 miler. testament to executing a good race plan. i was drawing closer to them and finally realized it was paul and meredith. after 23 hours of sharing the trail, it was cool to be with the guy you had pretty much run the first 2 hours of the race with and finishing his grand slam. we broke out onto the pavement and enjoyed the tempo that meredith was setting for us. paul's crew came out to join us and my bladder was screaming for relief and my timer reminded me it was gel time. yes, we were close, but respect the distance and the recovery. i emptied my bladder, took my final gel and had a backseat view of the grandkonaslam celebration heading towards the finish line. straight up, it takes balls to think it up. it takes wisdom, smart and great support to see it through. i happily crossed the line at 4:17 am in 9th place to the traditional handshake from RD, john grobben and bonus hug to boot. then, it was time to celebrate with friends and crew who made up the finish line reception party. siiri, who took awesome care of me all day. sierra and chelsea, crew and pacers for my friends dave, and jeff, who had won in the 4th fastest time in wasatch history. I dried off an waited to see brendan, robert and the guy sitting on the trail all come in under 24 hours, which i was stoked about.

finish line crew. jeff won in 19:33 photo by frau s

i was full of joy. thankful. humbled. wasatch was hard. my calf/hammy injury had tested my resolve and i never lost belief. the appreciation of being healthy and able to run made the day that much more satisfying. i had taken care of myself, managed my body i had truly enjoyed the process. the rewards far outweigh the hardware collected on the day. though. earning my place amongst the royal order of crimson cheetahs was certainly a cool experience.

being received into the royal order of the crimson cheetah. photo by suann lundsberg

cheetah pose

good buddy dave worked hard for his buckle. very proud of him.

gear:
top: patagonia airus t (0-65), patagonia merino 1 short sleeve (65-100)
shorts: custom patagonia strider shorts
shoes: hoka one one bondi b
socks: patagonia lighweight merino run quarter socks(0-75), CEP compression socks (75-100)
gloves: patagonia merino 3 liners
hat: ajw's taproom trucker cap, confederate blue (18-75), buff headband (75-100)
headlamps: black diamond spot x 2 (thanks, rocho)
hydration: mix of nathan,ultimate direction bottles and handhelds. one with gu brew, one with h2o.

food:
powergels in a flask, honey stinger organic energy chews, margarita clif shot bloks, hammer recoverite, amy & brians coconut water. i also ate boiled potato's and salt, twizzlers and watermelons at aid stations. i did not take an s-cap the entire race due to high sodium content of gels, blocks and potato's dipped in salt. i was able to digest all of this by balancing out my stomach potassium with amy & brians coconut water.

best part of the weekend. friends: sierra, mark, chelsea, dave, me, howard, kathy and siiri.

the time and support it takes to train and prepare for these certainly extends beyond the miles logged on trails. i can't thank the race volunteers and staff enough for putting on a classic, well run event. runners are treated as adults and are expected to act as such. much love and respect goes out to my fellow runners and crews. siiri was fantastic as my crew chief. she kept me accountable at the three aid stations i could see her at and gave me something to look forward to. her support in this from the start last winter to the finish line in midway is unmeasurable and shares as much in this story as i do. i'm very thankful. mark, sierra, chelsea, dave, howard and kathy. thank you for being a large part of this trip. looking forward to recovery and enjoying fall playing in the cascades. i have a seriously neglected single speed in need of some attention. 

 

top of bear ass pass by bryon powell