ART doesn't always turn out

Trying to Design My Own A.R.T.

Sometimes Things Don't Go As Envisioned.

Ultramarathon #116 | FKT #003 - Arnold Rim Trail (ART)

My Personal Background of the Arnold Rim Trail (ART) 

I have known about the ART for about 4 years now ever since going to visit my in-laws place in Arnold for portion of our summer vacation back in 2021. Each year I have been lucky enough to make it work with remote work environment and join my wife & kids and come back each summer for a week in the July time frame. In 2021 I discovered the trail existed and ran a bit of it (the San Domingo section from Avery Rd to the Heliport). I fell in love with the trail remoteness and views out there for sure. I vowed to hopefully come back and run the full trail. The following year in 2022 there was some trail closures (due to some trail work) and thus I never even got out on the trail at all that year while in Arnold.  In 2023 I came to Arnold again to discover the trail had actually been lengthened officially from the Heliport (18.9 Mi) to a further southern point of the Fullen Rd trailhead (22.8 Mi). Due to having an upcoming race (Tahoe 200) within 2 weeks after our trip to Arnold in 2023 I did not attempt the out & back version of the ART. Instead, my long run was just the ART-reverse going from Fullen Rd all the way back to the start at the Logging Museum in Arnold. I submitted some updated route information to the Fastest Known Time website to include the newest trail extension from 18.5 to 22.8 Mi as that was not on there yet. I vowed to come back and set the FKT or give it a go the following year if I managed to get back again. 

2024 rolls around and we are back to Arnold for our week again in July! It was time....

My FKT attempt was definitely a tale of two distinct halves of my adventure. 

OUTBOUND - the First Half (0.0 - 22.8 Mi): smooth and steady

Taken just prior to setting off at the 0.0 Mi trailhead sign in
Arnold at the Logging Museum. Photo: Katie Meding.

Dropped off at the trailhead in the early hours about 40 minutes before true sunrise. My wife, Katie drove me the few miles from our place and documented my start with a couple pictures and a short video of me heading off. I officially started my out and back journey at 05:27 about 20 minutes before the sun was up. There was however enough light to see sufficiently without a headlamp. My pack was heavy enough with all the fluids I was carrying to not worry about another small item such as a head torch.

The outbound journey was pretty straightforward and uneventful (as planned). Climbing up to the highest peak of the route I was treated to the rising sun in the distance behind me which created a nice orange glow to the cloudy solo morning.  It was truly peaceful and fulfilling out there in the forest.

sunrise on my way up to Manuel Peak (4,445 ft+), the highest point on the ART route.
Taken at 06:18 just under an hour into the run.

After cresting the high point I followed the ridgeline admiring the vast views to my right. I paused briefly on the Top of the World took in the view and then made a strategic decision here to drop/place one of my 32oz electrolyte drinks here for the way back just to save some weight on my back. I found a nice log not far off the trail and placed my bottle underneath (foreshadow alert!). I continued onward passed Cougar Rock the followed the ART as it dipped back into the forested area which somewhat parallels Highway 4 between Arnold and Hathaway Pines.

Everything going smooth as I dropped down over Avery Sheep Ranch Road and into the San Domingo section towards the Heliport and ultimately the southern terminus of the ART (Fullen Rd). The morning thus far had provided overcast cloudy conditions, which was a huge change from the week as it had been sunny and low 90s in Arnold. I very much appreciated the cooler running conditions this day (foreshadow alert #2!). Looking across the Arnold rim has always been a pleasant sight as I am grateful to move through the Stanislaus National Forest and be able to do these type of activities.

Pointing out the Heliport pad (@18.9/22.8 Mi) in the distance across the Arnold rim.

Passing the Heliport I knew there was just under 4 miles to the end of the ART. I continued to move well even as the sun started to poke through the clouds at random short intervals. Luckily this final portion of trail is covered quite well inn shade from the tall surrounding trees of the forest. With just over a mile to go the trail finally stops descending down from the rim (again...) into the bottom where San Domingo Creek lies and then it is a steep 1.2 Mi climb back out to Fullen Rd and the current end of the ART route, where I would turn around. I made another strategic decision here; I took off my vest and splashed my face and neck with the cool creek waters. I took only 1 handheld and my phone (to document) with me for the last climb to the turnaround point. This would give my back a slight break of having to carry my pack before the journey back to Arnold. 

Half way @ Fullen Rd trailhead (22.8 Mi)

I arrived at the top of the rim hitting the Fullen Rd trailhead sign and marking my time at 05:09:35 to complete the first half of my out and back attempt. A short three and a half minute break was warranted as I had some dried fruit and gummies snacks. The sun was now strikingly hot as it pierced through the clouds to its full extent. I somehow had the feeling that my A-goal of 10 hours was not really in play since it was a net uphill back to the starting point. My thoughts remained optimistic through that perhaps a solid sub-11 was in the cards for today. 

INBOUND - the Second Half (22.8 - 45.6 Mi): wheels have fallen off

I left Fullen Rd heading back down to the San Domingo Creek to retrieve my vest and push onwards. My goal was to have my longer "halfway break" here in the shade and at the creek to cooldown (the 3.5 minute stop at the top was a simple photo op and snack break). For reference the starting temperature was about 73f in the morning at Arnold, 90f during my first crossing of San Domingo creek outbound, 95f at the turnaround point on Fullen Rd, and did reach a high point of 104f during my inbound journey according to my Garmin-STRAVA data. It felt all of that and more admis the rock backdrop of the rim wall in places.

At San Domingo Creek back at my vest I simply put my plan in place, sat down, organized my bottles drinks as I had pre-planned for the inward trek, got out my snack bags, took off my socks and shoes, and then lowly ate calories as I shuffled my lower body into the creek to lower my temperature. Luck was on my side as there were no mesquites present near the flowing creek at this time of day - a true blessing. I took a full 15 minute break here in the water fully submersed my legs and the occasional dunking of my full body to keep myself wet and cool.

After my break I thought it was sufficient time to cooldown and I certainly felt better, so I got up put my hydration vest back on and trudged forward. The next few miles were some of the hottest sections of the day as the Arnold Rim Trail winded back out of the trees onto more exposed portions of the trail with rock as the background to the piercing afternoon sun. Suddenly I felt super tired and drained only 5 Mi back on the inbound. I took 2 separate dirt trail naps in the shade because I felt my heart rate spiking in the heat and I had no other solution at the time. I could literally feel my time goal(s) slipping away quickly. My ART run was no becoming more about survival and simply getting the near 46 Mi journey completed altogether. There was another tiny creek that I had dipped my hat in on the way out that I saw had a spot big enough to sit in and submerged my legs again. This was around 31.8 Mi and I took time here to drastically cool my core temperature by soaking in the water - it helped a lot, but I was way behind my own expectations. Ultrarunning is a lot about overcoming adversity and simply pursuing forward progress even when things are not going your way on the day. My FKT attempt was now on this track.

Two things lie in front of me I was grasping onto to pull me towards the end of this run. First was the Cowell Creek crossing around marker 7.8 Mi. Secondly, the Top of the World peak where I had placed my 32oz bottle about marker 5.5 Mi was going to be refreshing and the hydration I needed to get me through.

This look basically sums up my inbound journey on the ART today.

Pressing on the shade of the trees again was a welcome brief relief from the peak heat of the afternoon even as the ambient temperature was still elevated. Finally reaching the creek with 8 miles to go I again took a few minutes and literally submerged my entire body in the small narrow creek. After a couple minutes of cooling down I felt my energy and draw of the finish rise again within me. I was able to move a little better and faster again after my dousing.  I only had a little bit of my water on me left so I was rationing it and timing it to reach the Top of the World and my last bottle.

I took another sip from my bottle shaking it to see how little was left. Not far now....almost to the peak....

I arrived up the little grind my Cougar Rock up to Top of the World. I took a v-line directly for where I had stashed my bottle on my outbound trip, anxiously awaiting to refill my 2 soft flasks which were essentially dried up now. Wait....what!?....where is my bottle??? I checked under the log I placed it and looked around close by but nothing, no empty bottle, no signs of anything. I sat down for a minute and had a big pity party as I starred into my soft flask with about 2 oz of fluid left - that was it. It was 90f and I was nearing dehydration already cutting it close on fluid consumption and really counting on this last 32 oz bottle on being here. At last it was not and I realized there was literally nothing I could do about it except press on and somehow grind it out. Super slow and steady I kept moving and paced myself with lots of walk/hike breaks trying not to over exert myself at this point. Time goals were all gone and now it was just about finishing up the ART and setting a time on the FKT board, even if it was a lot slower. I took tiny sips just to wet my lips every half mile or so, saving the little fluid I had. My mouth was starting to hurt from dryness.

I finally reached the paved portion of the path, which meant I just had the initial 0.8 Mi to go to the 0.0 Mi trailhead start. This was my sign to finish off my drink and get home! I passed a pair of backpackers (one of only a couple people I saw out there all day) as I managed to run a little back into the parking lot. I saw my van there as my wife was there awaiting to pick me up. I ran passed the trailhead sign, stopped took a quick pic of my watch, and promptly asked for water. I downed an entire single serve water bottle and asked for more. Two minutes of catching my breath then I took of my pack and chatted briefly with my wife while we went the 150 feet or so down to White Pines Lake where I grabbed a cold coke & Athletic Brewing non-alcoholic Run Wild IPA and went and sat in the water to cool down as I attempted to rehydrate. A short 15-20 minute soak and then I got out and dried off as we headed back to the cabin for a proper shower and cleanup. 

I had envisioned a grand piece of ART today, but it did not quite turn out the way I wanted. I was a full 3.5 hours behind my A-goal (10 hours) and 1.5 hours behind what I thought was the realistic goal (12 hours). The heat of the day had come out to play and spit me out. The thing about ultrarunning is you never know and just have to roll with what the day gives you. Time to recover and finish up my training block as I look forward to #AC100 in just under 3 weeks.

My Garmin showing my time (official stopped at 13:39:59) back in the Logging Museum parking lot.

My STRAVA route and splits.

Aftermath of my scratched-up legs from the rugged and less-used portions of the ART trail where wild thorny plants took over most of the singletrack. It was not as bad as the prior year in 2023 when I ran one-way ART route, however the thorns still persisted out there.

Arnold Rim Trail website: Arnold Rim Trail – Hiking, biking & horseback riding in Arnold, CA

Official FKT route link: Arnold Rim Trail (CA) | Fastest Known Time

My STRAVA link and data: Arnold Rim Trail (out & back) FKT, Arnold, CA | Run | Strava

Gear Used

• Shirts - rabbit SS rabbitELITEtrail team kit, rabbit LS UPF deflector 2.0 with hood
• Shorts - rabbit 5" shredders 2-in-1 trail
• Headwear - rabbit (rnnr) rabbitELITEtrail team kit
• Shoes - ACSIS GEL-Trabuco 13
• Socks - DryMax
• Hydration - NATHAN Pinnacle 12L race pack with (x2) 20oz soft flasks, and also (x2) 18oz handheld soft flasks
• Watch - Garmin fēnix® 6X - Pro Solar Edition
• Other - iPhone with Gaia GPS app (as a backup to my watch)

Final Thoughts on the ART

This is a very cool trail in a small mountain town. If you ever pass through the area or are up towards Lake Tahoe, the PCT (Ebett's Pass), or even just Bear Valley Ski Resort I would recommend the area for a day hike or run of the Arnold Rim Trail. There are many access points from the town where you can make short routes not having to do the trail from one end or the other. The ridge line which contains the high peaks (Manuel, Top of the World, and Cougar Rock) are such a great viewpoint to hike up to I would definitely recommend.

Overall, the ART is super well marked having proper (and new) signposts along the way and at every single junction. It would take a lot for someone to get lost or off-track as it is that simple to follow even if you have never been there. 

The southern section down passed Avery Sheep Ranch Road coming out of Avery, CA is quite remote and off-grid per say. You are no longer next to the town directly at this point and so your only way out is either end of the trail. This being said my favorite section is probably the San Domingo miles because of this remoteness and the vast views down the valley you get as you traverse multiple times up and down the rim itself. The heliport (18.9 Mi) is right next to Highway 4 as this used to be the end of the ART trail, but now continues on to Fullen Rd where it is super remote, and nothing is there at all except a trailhead sign along this lonely secondary back road. If you are starting or finishing here you will need to arrange a ride ahead of time. Also of note that I did not have cell service for majority of the entire trail, only small portions on the high points (I currently have AT&T provider). Might be a good idea to carry a Garmin InReach or similar satellite tracker for safety.

----- ----- ----- ----- -----

Thanks for checking out my trip report and my ultra blog

Next: Angeles Crest Endurance Run 100 Mi (2024-Aug-03)

Turkey Time

Turkey Creek Trail FKT attempt

Big Thicket National Preserve, Texas

FKT #002 | Ultra #060

This week has been interesting for me already. I am off work on a furlough and so I have a lot more time on my hands, which obviously would be done working. I took this opportunity and randomly decided to go for a long run attempt, and in fact a Fastest Know Time effort, on this trail I found out about. I believe I was browsing FastestKnownTime.com and the Texas routes and saw this one was added not that long ago. With everyone else in pandemic quarantine and social distancing FKT attempts have been up all over the globe. I have only ever attempted one prior (Franklin Trail in California), but I enjoyed the experience and the challenge of the solo effort.

Tuesday night after kids were in bed I looked over at my wife and she instantly knew I was going to go early in the a.m. as the idea has been floating around since last week when I knew I would be off work. She knows me better than I know myself. I got up and started gathering my gear I thought I would need. Being an chronic over-packer I took stuff for various temperatures and weather as there was a chance of rain for the area. Set out some nutrition and my other essentials before hopping into bed. Set my alarm bright and early.

I arose to a 03:30 buzz on my phone. Dazed at first I did manage to get up and then change and sneak out the door after making my coffee to go. 2.5 hours later from my doorstep I passed through Warren, TX and was at the North trailhead of the Turkey Creek Trail. This place was a tiny parking lot, maybe big enough for 10 vehicles at most, and there was a small (closed) restroom building. There was also maybe 6 picnic tables scattered around under the tall pines within the U-shaped driveway. Spent a couple minutes gathering my thoughts, mixing up my bottles and then laced up my shoes. I was going to be heading from the North trailhead all the way to the bridge where it was closed off due to some trail renovation on the other side. The out and back route is 26.5 mi, just over a marathon and sneaking into the ultra classification. This is the route laid out by Brent Williams whom posted it onto FastestKnownTime.com. I had a personal goal of sub-4 hours and hopefully closer to my 03:30.

06:45 I hit start on my Garmin and off I went southbound. The first few miles felt great in the nice warm Texas morning. However it soon became quite humid from all the cloud cover. Then i found out the worst part of my day....the Deer Flies (or Horse Flies). They were constantly buzzing around me and quite abundant. The only good thing is they kept me moving a a decent pace. But I would constantly be swatting them and brushing them off my shoulders and back, it was so annoying. I actually dropped my bottles a couple times trying to reach on my back.

3.2 miles into the run I made a slight navigational error and went down the wrong trail. Luckily it was literally only like 0.15 miles before I realized I was circling back to where I just was. I ran back to the junction and sure enough I saw the bench with the Turkey Creek Trail label on it that I completely glanced over initially somehow. Oops.

6.2 miles (10 km) into the run I came out of the trees and onto the dirt road (Country RD 4825). I had my Garmin maps on my watch and was following the along every once in awhile. I knew that I had to duck into the other side of the trees very shortly but there was like 3 spots that all looked like the trail. I mistakenly took one into an open ended camping/parking area near the creek edge. I circled around and continued 0.1 miles back on the dirt road crossing over the creek on the vehicle bridge where the trail obviously was (it was even labelled here). I passed a couple tents around mile 8.5 in the middle of the forest not too far off the left of the trail. It appeared they were probably still sleeping, no signs of movement. 

I kept up my target pace and doing well despite the humidity for the entire first half. I got to the bridge (aka the turnaround) and took a couple pictures to document. I also popped one of my gels here. My phone was not working the best either due to the moisture and the fact I was completely drenched from sweat and the humid conditions. My watch was 1:52:16 and thus my sub-4 was well within my current pace as I had initially planned. But the thing about planning is you need multiple plans and goals. I had a little boost heading back northbound now trying to outrun the Deer Flies still.

By the time I had reached mile 20 the effort level I was feeling was not good. My body was not liking the conditions. I recall glancing down at my watch and saw my heart rate (HR) was very high. From here on out I had I had to institute run-walk breaks just to keep my HR down and try to maintain. Not the best run, but I managed to come in close to my goal of 4 hours. I did not have the kick in those final few miles to maintain running effort while keeping my HR down enough. Sadly I knew my sub-4 was slipping away. I returned back to the parking lot and stopped my watch...4:04:15. My Garmin distance came out slightly short at 25.94 mi (but my backup AllTrails app tracked 26.7 mi).

STRAVA activity: https://www.strava.com/activities/3445107996/overview

FKT website: https://fastestknowntime.com/route/turkey-creek-trail-tx

The trail is in good shape and well taken care of. The scenery is great under a nice canopy of tall trees. There is a lot of small bridges and boardwalks that cross various little ditches and off chutes of the creek, and various water spots. There is also a larege number of benches build and scattered along the length of the trail. Overall on the day I saw 1 deer,  1 raccoon, many squirrels, 1 dog (whom I never did see the owner as he came out of the bush - kind of weird), 1 small garden snake, and way too many Deer Flies.

Ideally this FKT route would be extended to the visitor information center, which was listed as 2 miles from the bridge which is the current turn around point on this route. Then it would be closer to a 50 km route and include the full north to south portions of the trail. Maybe one day I'll have to come back to the Big Thicket National Preserve and explore this potential.

Gear Used:

Gear Bags: Victory Sportdesign 

Shirts: rabbit trail tank

Shorts: rabbit FKT 5"

Shoes: Altra Escalante

Socks: Drymax Socks (Hawks edition)

Headwear: Trail Racing Over Texas endurance hat

Sunglasses: goodr

Watch: Garmin fēnix® 6X - Pro Solar Edition

Tracking: AllTrails app (on my iPhone as backup tracker to my watch)

Hydration: Nathan Sports soft flasks

Anti Friction: Trail Toes

Nutrition fuel used: x2 GU roctane gels & x2 20 oz Base Hydro mix.

----- ----- ----- ----- -----

Thank you for following along.

My Month of 5s

"April showers brings May...."

A Start to My Month of 5s.

The fifth month of May is upon us and here we are still faced with a different world with covid-19 pandemic. I am going to challenge myself and make the 5th month of the year, My Month of 5s. I will be aiming for the following goals of during the 5th month of 2020:

• 55 miles per week (minimum) revised 2020-05-10 --> goal of 70 mile weekly average, which works out to just over 555 km.
• 5 km per day that i'm active (or more) revised 2020-05-05 --> goal of 5 km every day of the challenge: all 35 days
• 5 runs per week (or more) revised 2020-05-05 --> same as above thus = run daily!
• 50 km ultramarathon each of the 5 Saturdays (or Sundays - if delayed by weather/family issue)

Why? Why Not. Keep yourself motivated and active during these times is important. Not just for your everyday athlete but for anyone. I'm not saying you need to go run an ultramarathon every weekend, but I think it is valuable to at least commit to staying active and getting outside, while of course abiding by the local rules and guidelines that may be in place in your area. I challenge you to get out and even walk on a regular basis, do more biking, or simply trying something new and beyond your normal comfort. *Again please stay safe in these times and follow your local rules and most certainly the CDC guidelines.*

Below is my tentative schedule, and it starts today! I rarely take rest days so I will probably run 6-7 times a week still in going for my goals because well I just love to run and stay active. You can follow along daily with my STRAVA account (https://www.strava.com/athletes/16130969).

"My Month of 5s" tracking sheet

A huge thank you to Trail Racing Over Texas (Rob & Rachel Goyen) for not only converting some existing races into virtual options, but also coming up with a whole other mini virtual summer series to keep the trail community motivated and engaged. Thank you.

Register for TROT virtual races here: https://trail-racing-over-texas.myshopify.com/collections/trot-virtual-races
Open from now until 2020-Aug-01. Full updates follow at @trailracingovertexas

WEEK 1 (Apr 27th - May 3rd)

My Week: Kept up my training  while doing some of my #EverySingleStreet Sugar Land project work as well. On Tuesday I had a really decent workout for me. A 5 mile tempo at my half-10k pace where I nailed it and actually felt very well at the end. I have been trying to have at least 1 speed workout per week since the beginning of 2020. Rest of week was filled with mix of trails and road streets to make up my mileage. Kept active everyday.

My Race (Crazy Desert Virtual Run 50 km): Woke up bright and early for this one as I knew it would be a warm day. Started off with a 400m TROT time trial at full speed to get my blood flowing which i came away with 71 seconds (not my fastest, but speed is not my specialty either). Then leaving from my house, I spent the day leisurely travelling around Sugar Land area linking up all my mountain bike trails by the Brazos River (there is ~24 miles worth). I tacked on the extra mileage with a slight detour back home in the end to ensure correct distance. A fairly easy pace for myself and had a very enjoyable time listening to a couple podcasts and simply enjoying the local trails.

Ultra #058. STRAVA activity: https://www.strava.com/activities/3386469368

My Crazy Desert Virtual 50 km linking up all the Sugar Land mountain bike trails on the Brazos River.

WEEK 2 (May 4th - May 10th) 

My Week: After 2 weeks at I have now revised my goal for May to not only hit that 55 mi minimum but aim for an average of 70 miles per week over this 6 week block (includes the 1 week prior to this challenge where i hit 68.7 mi). I think this will be a great training block for me. I was going to have a big May initially anyway building up towards California Untamed 330 mi, but it has since been delayed to 2021 in the wake of the pandemic. I have decided this should not alter my training process to much and I will use this time to focus on my own build anyway. My Month of 5s is just a great way to stay motivated to do so. I did have one workout this week on Wednesday where I kept it simple and did a short speed intervals of 2 sets of (5 x 1min @ 5:30 pace, w/ 2min recovery) with 5 min jog between sets. My goal lately is to do at least 1 speed type workout per week as part of my training stimulus. In the past I have been very sparse on this on not very consistent.

My Race (Wildlflower Virtual Run 50 km): Alarm was set for 03:30 super bright and early. Packed up my gear in my Victory Sportdesign gear bags and Nathan pack and hit the road North from my home in Sugar Land to the Lone Star Hiking Trail (LSHT) out in Sam Houston National Forest. I was drawn to the forest, I had to go. I've been wanting to run the LSHT in its entirely for awhile now, and I have just not put a date to it yet. But I took this weekend as a chance to get out and explore some more of the trail. I started prior to sunrise at trailhead #10 and headed east and south following the blazes marking the trail past trailhead #11, #12, #13 and went out a full 16 miles (which put me at mile marker 84). Here I turned around and returned back to my car at the parking at trailhead #10 to complete my mileage. The miles were easy pace and so relaxing. I soaked up nature and simply enjoyed the trails and forest. The second half on the way back west I saw a few hikers getting out to enjoy nature as well, but not a lot. I may have to return back up here soon for more long runs. I hope to complete this full trail and give the FKT (Fastest Known Time) a go in the fall/winter when the weather cools off again.

Ultra #059. STRAVA activity: https://www.strava.com/activities/3426186846

My Wildflower Virtual Run on the Lone Star Hiking Trail (LSHT)

WEEK 3 (May 11th - May 17th)

My Week: Into my 4th straight relatively high volume week now and legs are starting to feel a bit heavy. But that did not stop me as this week was my highest yet. In fact I decided to take my "workout Wednesday" and do a long run in the form of an FKT attempt very last minute. I had discovered the Turkey Creek Trail somewhat randomly browsing the FKT sight and thought it would be cool to do some time. Since I am currently on a furlough week from work I took the opportunity to do it. I managed to set the unsupported FKT on this route. You can read all the details on my trip report. 

Ultra #060. STRAVA activity: https://www.strava.com/activities/3445107996

An impromptu FKT attempt on the Turkey Creek Trail in the Big Thicket National Preserve.

My Race (Possums Revenge Virtual Run 56 km):  I had moved my planned race on Saturday over to Sunday to avoid some anticipated thunderstorms coming in on Saturday in my area. I did squeek in my #QuarantinedQuarter run for 5km around my pool though. Sunday a.m. I got out my Sugar Land map of my #EverySingleStreet project and found a nice big blank area in the middle of the map. I headed out early and ran around the neighborhoods checking off streets and simply filling in my map. I made 2 pit stops back at my parked van, self-supported style, to refill my water. A great morning listening to some podcasts and checking off my map.

Ultra #061. STRAVA activity: https://www.strava.com/activities/3467976350

Completed Possums Revenge as well as checking off more streets for my #EverySingleStreet Sugar Land project.

WEEK 4 (May 18th - May 24th)

My Week: As my mileage has been consistent now at my higher mileage of ~70 miles per week I have been felling pretty decent. Thus far I am happy how my body is handling the load. Some other goals would be to get a bit more sleep and keep up my strength work and yoga I have been dabbling in with my wife. I did put in 2 harder workout this week. On Tuesday I did some intervals on 2 mins on, 2 mins off. I was aiming for about 10 reps, but I accidently stopped my watch (instead of the lap) after the 6th rep. I called it there, and just finished with a cooldown run to finish off the day. My second workout was on Friday when i took on a faster 5 km run. There is this STRAVA challenge right now called Run For Heroes Faster 5k Friday and this is week2 of the challenge. I have mapped out a perfect 5 km route from my home and now using this as a fitness gauge to time trial myself every once in a while and to complete this challenge over the next 3 more weeks now.

My Race (The Sweaty Yeti Virtual Run 50 km): I wanted to get out and get some vertical gain into my runs so I took the long weekend opportunity to drive out to San Antonio, TX for this weekends 50 km challenge.

It was supposed to be cloudy and a chance of storms in the afternoon so I thought it would be nice cool running weather - that turned out to be false! I started out at the famous Powerlines segment and was going to just do 5 reps (it's a perfect 10 km out&back).  The morning was about 87f and 100% humidity. Eventually it cooled down a bit to mid-70s but I was slowing down badly. I struggled to keep pace and to change it up I just started doing other off trails and routes to get the mileage in. The sun came out late morning and I was down to a death hike to get the run completed. After many long breaks (including one short nap). I managed to grind out the mileage and complete The Sweaty Yeti. This is my slowest 50 km run to date, but my lesson today was grit= don't quit. Proud of myself afterwards on getting it done.

Ultra#062. STRAVA activity: https://www.strava.com/activities/3506847198

Utilizing a facet to cool down. Rough day running for me. 

WEEK 5 (May 25th - May 31st)

My Week: Another solid week of training was had. Initially I was a bit worried coming off Sunday's horrible run that lasted literally twice as long as I would have anticipated. But I took a couple short recovery days early in the week and that definitely helped a lot in terms of overall outlook on my week. I did not do a mid week workout like I have been accustomed too for this same reason. On Friday I did a 5 km tempo run at decently-hard effort and was using this as a baseline for HR training moving forward (I have been wanting to do this for a long time, but have never gotten around to it). I also added one final workout at the very end of the week post-race and to finish off the month (see more details on this in the Summary section.

My Race (Double Dragon Virtual Run 50 km): I did not put a lot of thought into the pre-planning for this virtual run and so the night before I grabbed my Sugar Land maps and looked where I was lacking in terms of my street progression a long run would benefit from and help knock off a big chuck. With this strategy I found my "route" a mere 12 hours before the run. I knew the area and parked at a local park where I planned on lots of streets and also left the options of some local trails to mix in. This is exactly how it played out as I took a casual approach and did about 20 miles of streets and completing a lot of my Sugar Land #EverySingleStreet project and then did the remaining 11 miles or so on the local trails to mix it up and also provide some fun back into this last virtual 50 km. I did enjoy the run very much and got another 64 streets done at the same time.

Ultra #063. STRAVA activity: https://www.strava.com/activities/3536571299

Running along the Oyster Creek Trails on the latter third of my run. I love trails!

Summary & Conclusions.

My weekly mileage totals this month is on the higher side (for me I usually average ~40-45 miles). I was planning on a large block in May-June building toward California Untamed 330 mi, but unfortunately that has been postponed till 2021. However I have decided to keep my training volume high during this month and build my fitness anyway - long term goals. Below are my final numbers for the month:

My Month of 5s - Final Stats.

Looking back I am proud at how I have ramped up and now handled the increase in my mileage and also the grind of running daily. I achieved all of the goals that I did set out for the 5th month:

• COMPLETED - goal (revised) of 70 mile weekly average, which works out to just over 555 km
• achieved 607.72 km (377.62 mi)
• COMPLETED - goal (revised) of 5 km every day of the challenge: all 35 days
• achieved all 35 days > 5 km
• COMPLETED - run 5 days a week or more
• achieved running all 35 days thus each week was done in the process
• COMPLETEd - 50 km ultramarathon each of the 5 weekends
• completed all 5 ultras done, and also did an extra FKT in there as well, so i got 6 ultras in with this extra unplanned long run.

#MyMonthof5s
Pictured here with all 5 medals - crafted by Elevation Culture.

So how do I feel after creating this self imposed challenge for myself? Well honestly I feel great. My body has adapted to running a lot more mileage in training than I have normally been accustomed to even though I have go above these numbers many times due to my love for ultra races. I have been thinking a lot over the month of how this training block will benefit me in the future and well to finish off the month I threw down a hard 5 km effort to see how my body is holding up. Keep in mind this was my second run of the day and also after a moderate 50 km the day before. I am extremely happy that I came away with my second fasted 5 km time in a solo time trail setting with a split of 0:18:58 for the 5 km. My fitness has definitely benefited from this Month of May. I will now take a couple weeks of lower volume and absorb the training and let my body adjust.

What's next? The age old question for an ultra runner.

Now that I have had this nice solid training block I will throw down a 100 miler in the near future - I have a virtual Blazing 7s 100 mi entry I need to complete before August. But most of all I am excited to get back to some real racing events. We have just gotten word here in Texas that TROT has been allowed to put on all of their fall series events currently and so I will be highly looking forward to most of those events. Can not wait to hit the trails again with the entire #TROTtribe and throw down with trail friends and just simply enjoy the fact that I can participate in this great sport of ultrarunning.

----- ----- ----- ----- -----

Next up: Blazing 7s Virtual run 100 mi

Thank you for following along.

Franklin Trail (double) FKT

A Venture Into the FKT Realm of the Sport

Carpinteria, California | 2019-12-28

I rolled around restless unable to sleep and simultaneously disrupting my wife's night rest. I decided to get up earlier than my alarm since i was not resting anyhow and was careful not to wake the other 2 kids in our room (the trickiness of vacation sleeping arrangements). At least I saved them all from the annoying alarm sound, right? I gathered up my remaining gear that i had not already set out and started to pack up the van.

05:00

Now I started heading out the door to the trailhead. I got to the end of the neighborhood street and as I was going over to ensure I had everything in my head, double checking, I realized I had forgotten...my shoes! Turned around and came back to get those, since a mountain run in my flip flops would not go very well. Back on the road. After locating the Carpinteria high school which was only about 20 minute drive I pulled into the staff parking lot which only had one other lone car in the dark early hours. Based on the trail description the trail started here and wrapped around the school. After parking and getting out I quickly saw the saw sign indicating "Trail -->" right there at the edge of the parking lot. In fact there was 2 such signs one on either end of the staff parking lot. Thus the school sign was the perfect starting point as it was right in the middle of these signs, mere steps from the dirt and start of the trail which was fenced off from the school yard itself.

I spent a good amount of time in my van getting everything in my hydration pack and sticking it where i wanted. Gathered up my warmer items in prep for the brisk morning hours. I probably took nearly 40 minutes of just sitting there fiddling around and whatnot before I was actually ready to start out. This was somewhat on purpose as so I could start out without a headtorch and prevent having to carry that one extra item.

Sunrise was impending now and I did one last check. Tied my shoes and walked over to the school sign.

06:41

Selfie at starting point - Carpinteria High School sign. 06:41 | 44f

Out & Back #1

After my selfie photo for documentation, I was off, starting officially at 06:44 according to my watch (and confirmed by my STRAVA upload after). The first like 0.8 mi is a boring section that is like a dirt sidewalk that goes around the school and other facilities. Once past all of this the next 0.9 mi was very well used and windy singletrack that climbed to the first bench named Frank's Bench (clearly a local viewpoint).

Climbing above Carpinteria, CA. Taken at 07:21.

The trail is very well marked and opened up to a double wide jeep road type terrain from here until 5.2 mi. It is a more or less all uphill section with a few dips that did come back down briefly winding around a canyon corner only to climb higher on the other side. A good power hike to get the day going. At any potential intersection was a trail sign clearly marked (which even had mileage noted on them). This was very reassuring for someone who had not been here before. After following the double wide road up all the way to 5.2 mile. Here you need to turn sharply right and go up back on

5.2 mi turn marker. The main double wide trail is parallel to my chest in this
picture. This photo was taken at 14:18 on loop 2 to show the turn.

singletrack. The sign is small and not super obvious, however I recall this upon reading up on the trail prior. This is where I would consider the only tricky turn is on this side of the mountain. Of note, my GPS had the turn closer to 5.0 (but that's minor).  At this point you have ascended about 2,000 ft+ up. But this is where the it all begins in my opinion.

After entering this singletrack it was very well maintained and extremely user friendly. The steepness really got going. You can see this from the STRAVA segment someone has created called Franklin phase III ascent (2.57 mi | 2,042 ft+ | 15% avg. grade). But once at the peak the views are well earned and very expansive in all directions. I took a couple moments for sure here to enjoy the view while trying to locate the trail heading down the other side. Except I could not find the trail. I started to get frustrated. I wandered in both direction on the Divide Peak OHV trail at the top looking for the trail entrance. I could literally see the trail down below where I needed to go. Eventually I got tired of looking and decided to take the route I thought was most appropriate. It was somewhat bushwhacking and slow going, since it was off trail. But at last I made my way over to the trail. Once I stood on the actual trail again I looked up and saw it kept going back to where i was standing prior pondering how to get here. Trevor you idiot...that was stupid!

Explanation of my loop 1 mistake route finding.

Finally back on some trail and on track. From here I could see if was a long descent down into the canyon where I knew the lake wouldn't be far away, after all it is only 2.1 mi from peak. The trail is a little different on this side of the mountain as there is clearly less traffic. For the most part it was a straight forward route all the way until i discovered a small camp. Later I found this was named the Alder Creek Camp. A nice little spot basically in the middle of nowhere. There was a lot of overgrown brush and downed trees here. I had a little trouble navigated the trail along the creek and at times found on the opposite side starring at the trail literally 25 feet away from me as I was hoping a tree or skirting rocks. Again this navigational issue was easily fixed once I learned the entire route on the first full trip "out". I guess this is what happens when you on site something.

Rounding a bend in the canyon as I was up along the bank the trail was well above the creek at this point. I was concentrating on my footing so much I nearly didn't see how close I was to my end point - Jameson Lake. The far end of the Franklin Trail was now within reach. I recall glancing down at my watch and noticing I was already at the prescribed 9.2 mi distance of the trail. I was skeptical of the distance to begin as someone noted on AllTrails.com it was inaccurate. Once down to the very bottom of the canyon there was a lot of creek hoping beside an old gold mining site (or what appeared to be). There was a ton of downed trees here on the trail which was more or less recognizable again. Then all of a sudden the trail popped out onto a double track road which was about 0.3 mi long with a slight climb at the end. Here the road ended at a sign beside the lake. I recognized this all followed it down to the water edge - the boat launch. Took a quick photo and shot of my watch stats for documentation.

Jameson Lake boat launch (Out & Back #1). Taken at 09:40.

Garmin stats at turnaround. 25% complete. Again this had ~0.7 extra mileage.

Now I just looked up realized a nice 2,500 ft+ back to the divide peak lie ahead. Put my head down and headed back up the creek canyon slowly making my way. I did stop briefly at the camp and took a photo.

Alder Creek camp. Taken at 10:08.

This 2.1 mi back to the peak was definitely slow climb. Once I got back to the power line tower, and to where my route mistake was on the way down, I continued back on the actual trail and was extremely shocked at to where it emerged at the peak. It was literally 5 feet away from where I was standing looking for the dawn thing for what seemed like forever. I had a little joke to myself in my head about this but let it go, as these things happen in trail running.

The peak had some awesome views again as I stood there catching my breath from the climb. Then adjusted my pack and gear and was ready for the 7.9 mi down to the start (7.5 mi of this was literally downhill - loosing ~3,750ft within this stretch - STRAVA segment). I had a good section all the way back down consuming my remaining water in my soft flasks. I did stop to take some pictures of animal tracks I saw. At last I came back to school and rounded the fence-line back to the sign, where I pressed my lap button.

*This ended the Franklin Trail out & back 20.5 mi unsupported (05:03:19). I then self crewed myself and refilled my water in the parking lot. I had enough gels & chews with me so I was good on that front. The only other thing I did was sit for a couple minutes and roll out my legs. I got back up and walked over to the high school sign and pressed my lap button once more to capture the interloop time precisely. I was off.

Garmin stats back at the trailhead/school sign. 50% complete. | Out & Back #1 Complete.

Out & Back #2

I had a moment of doubt sitting at the start wondering if I should just call it a day since the route was a lot harder effort than I had in my head. My grit got the better of me and I was on my way back up in no time. I only spent just over 10 minutes in the parking lot. At this point just after noon there were so many people out hiking, biking, and just wandering these lower trails. I noticed a lot of people looking at me oddly as they probably realized I passed them going down and now was power hiking going back up like some sort of mad man (which aren't we as ultrarunners in a sense?).

The long grind to the top seemed like an extra long venture this time around, even though in reality the splits were not all that different. Once I got to the peak I took no time at all to continue onto the trail where I had previously messed up on loop 1. My legs were feelings the miles at this point and the descent down the other side was slower going. I was already dreading the climb back out as I got closer and closer to the lake.

An old gold mining site? A cool thing to find along side the trail.  You have to transverse under and around this structure to follow the Franklin Trail. It is only about 0.4 mi from Jameson Lake at the bottom end of the route. Taken at 14:51.

Jameson Lake boat launch (Out & Back #2). Taken at 15:01.

Garmin stats at turnaround. 75% complete (50 km done).

Old truck way out in the bush near Jameson Lake.

Once again I put my head down and started marching back towards the peak. My legs were actually starting to get minor cramps at this point. No big deal I just took gels a little more often to help keep this issue away, which it did. I knew my pace was super slow, but I also knew once I reached the top I would be done like 98% of my total climbing for the day. It was also daunting to know I had the major quad buster section to run down all the way to finish off the day. At the peak again I took a moment catch my breath and adjusted my gear for what I hoped was a fast-ish descent. I took off racing the sun.

Chasing the sunset over Carpinteria. About 5 km to go at this point as the sun was going over the horizon of the ocean. Taken at 17:02.

I pushed the best I could all the way to the finish. The darkness was creeping in every step now. Rounded the school fence and got my phone out to document the finish.

Garmin stats as I touched the sign to end the Franklin Trail - double out & back.
100% complete. Taken at 17:32.

Walked over to my van which was about 100 steps away and started shedding my damp stinky gear. I took a moment for myself and just realized what I did. This reflection allowed me to be proud of my effort, even though it was more than I initially thought when picking this route. This would be my 50th ultra distance

Stats

My STRAVA results and overview can be found here: https://www.strava.com/activities/2964026208

A total of 10.25 mi each way on the Franklin Trail results in:

• 20.5 mi, 6,500 ft+ for the single out & back, and 
• 41.0 mi, 13,000ft+ for the double out & back.
• I posted a comment on AllTrails.com to provide feedback on the distance discrepancy

I created a STRAVA segment (Franklin Trail out & back) of the entire round-trip for FKT purposes and so it has visibility for any other potential route runners.

• At time of this blog post my time is still only one synced as completing the entire out & back, leading me to believe mine might be the Fastest Known Time for the single as well.
• NOTE: only my loop 2 shows up due to my route finding experience on loop 1. I guess STRAVA's algorithm did not allow my loop 1 to make the cut with all my extra little mileage boo boos.

My Garmin finished reading:

• 41.77 mi  (basically bang on! *recall it includes the 0.7 mi  I was route finding on loop 1)
• 12,986 ft + (and 12,986 ft descent)
• 10:47:43 total elapsed time (see below)
• 4,210 calories burned

Franklin Trail (double out & back) -- elevation vs mileage profile 

I did not encounter much wildlife on the trail itself: x1 squirrel, a bunch of hawks flying above, x2 small rabbits, a few ducks at the lake. But here is the collection of photos of my wildlife trace evidence out there on the Franklin Trail:

The Franklin Trail Fastest Known Time (FKT) can be viewed here: https://fastestknowntime.com/route/franklin-trail-ca. I am hoping my double (and potentially single) out & back attempts gets validated with verification in part due to this trip report.

Gear Used

Sitting on back of my van with my Victory Sportdesign gear bags
getting ready to set off just before sunrise. Taken at 06:11.

• Gear Bags: Victory Sportdesign - all my gear was in my Victory bags and it was all neatly organized in the various compartments these bags offer
• Jackets: rabbit vest, rabbit elements light jacket - did not use
• Shirts: rabbit long sleeve (rabbitELITEtrail edition)
• Shorts: rabbit smooth operator 7"
• Shoes: Altra Running TIMP 1.5
• Socks: Drymax Socks 1 pair (Speedgoat edition), Zensah compression calf sleeves (lego block edition)
• Headwear: Trail Racing Over Texas (TROT) endurance cap
• Sunglasses: goodr (TROT edition)
• Watch: Garmin Fenix 3 HR
• Headlamp: NathanSports Inc Halo Fire - did not use
• Hydration: Nathan Sports Inc VaporKrar 2.0 12L | 1.6L bladder & (x2) 20oz soft flasks
• Other: rabbit (BOCO) gloves, x3 headwrap/buffs, Columbia beenie - did not use
• Anti Friction: Trail Toes - applied once at beginning of day
• Nutrition: GU gels (x10) and chews (x1 pack) & water (about 3.0 L (100 oz) total)

Lessons Learned

Fastest Known Time (FKT) attempts are fun way to adventure and enjoy a route. I personally love the adventure of new scenery and trails and so this effort worked out perfectly for me to squeeze in on my vacation. Even though this was a very hard and tough day I am super happy to have accomplished the double out & back. I know for sure there is time to be bested here, but at least I can put a number on the board for someone to go after. If you have any questions on this route or my run, please reach out.

Thank you to my wife and my kids for allowing me to sneak away for the day to complete this adventure. Thank you to my sponsors for the continued support. Thank you to the friends of Franklin Trail and everyone involved in maintaining this route as it was in great shape, and litter free. I imagine I may be back on my future visits to the Santa Barbara area, although maybe for a shorter run next time.