Just Monkeying Around

Monkey Business

Screaming Monkey 100 | Ultramarathon #081 

Travel

Exploring the "monkey trails".

I booked off the Friday afternoon from work so I could make it out to Northwest Louisiana. I've done this a bunch of times but I always, and I mean always, forget how much extra time I need to allow to drive through or around the outskirts of Houston metropolis that close to a weekend. I left after lunch at home and assumed it would only take me the 4-4.5 hours I had allotted but of course with the Houston area traffic it turned out to be 5+ hours before I'd arrive at the Eddie D Jones Park just outside of Keithville (not too far southwest of Shreveport).

I pitched my little one-man tent near the starting area and then headed out for a quick 2ish mile shakeout run to explore the trail terrain before the sun fully had disappeared behind the tall trees of the park. I ate my make shift dirtbag dinner I had brought for myself and got cozy for the cold night that was slowly descending upon me and the other runners staying in the park.

Saturday, The Race

It was a old night dipping down into the high 30s, which was colder then I was expecting it to be. That made crawling out of my tent much more of a chore as I was bundled nicely under many layers of blankets staying warm. As the closing countdown to the race start was continuing I managed to get out of my tent and get into my running kit. The pre-race meeting was a short blast of information by Michael Puyear, the Race Director. There was not a ton of new information coming at us that was not in the pre-race email briefings except that where we needed to split off from the 100 km runners on our first loop - which was termed the bonus loop. 

With that the group of the 100 Mi and the 100 km runners all lined up underneath the starting arch in the 40f morning. I was anxious to get going just so I could warm back up as I opted for my 3" trail shorts right from the start. My legs were feeling the chill off the Texas fall weather. The group took off at a very slow pace out of the parking lot and down towards the gravel road leading us into the woods. I found myself at the front of the pack k by the time we arrived at the first volunteer guiding us to the singletrack into the woods only about 0.2 Mi down from the start line. I was then using my headtorch to guide myself through the misty dark woods while keeping my eyes fixed below me as this trail was full of roots. The first 1.5 Mi was on this twisty turny singletrack that popped us out onto a gravel service road where the aid station was. I passed right by it and follow the straighter equestrian trails for the next 4 Mi which brought us back around to the same aid station.  Back into the woods and more singletrack climbing and weaving back up the small hillside we initially descended on. 

There was 3 runners not far behind me as I could see there lights as I was weaving through the trails. I came out to a road crossing and this was the "decisive" point where our 100 Mi bonus loop was to take us back to the start, meanwhile the 100 km runners were to continue on and complete the full loop. However, the volunteer watching the road crossing informed me that 100 milers were to go into the woods and 100 km runners down the road. I stopped and questioned him. He insisted that he was correct, even though I thought otherwise. Against my better judgement I followed what he said and crossed the road following the trail further into the woods. Noticing that the trail seemed to be turning away from the starting area and the tall communication tower (and its blinking red lights) where now behind me. I had paid enough attention to notice these aspects of my surroundings and so I stopped and noticed I had run a good 0.25 Mi past the road crossing now. I waited for a minute or so to see if the next runners were coming yet...no footsteps were heard. I made a quick decision to run back to the road crossing as I was confident I as now not going in the correct direction as a 100 Mi runner. Backtracking the quarter mile I arrived at the road where the volunteer standing by the cones was there instructing the next 3 runners exactly what he had told me. They collectively looked at each other and informed him that he had it backwards. And so my decision to come back was smart, not compounding my initial mistake of listening to his initial direction when I thought it was wrong. Two of the runners were of 100 km distance and took off into the woods, and I headed back down the road back towards the camp parking area with a fellow 100 Mi participant. We went along together and chatted briefly as we followed the road back just under a mile or so to the start/finish arch. My fellow runner ducked into the porta-potty for  quick bathroom break as I crossed over the mat checking in to complete my bonus loop - just 6 more full loops (15.6 Mi) now lie ahead of me and the finish.

I headed back out by myself as the other runner was still getting aid at his chair. With the sun now creeping up I was able to shed a layer of clothing and took of my headtorch. I then retraced this first 5ish miles before coming back to the road crossing, this time continuing straight across (for sure) and doing the full loop. Back onto new trails was exciting again as I twisted and turned through the woods. This experience is one of the reasons I truly love trail running and don't mind being out there by myself - it makes me feel like as kid again.

The Screaming Monkey 100 is a unique course as it is located with this park (Eddie D Jone Park), with a full system of these mountain bike trails, about 11 miles worth. There is also some equestrian trails as well which we utilized early on in the loops. The park itself is flanked by a veteran's cemetery, an abandoned prison (2nd ultra in a row for me with a prison: see BFC), and a chimpanzee sanctuary. Making my way through the woods descending the trails on the second third of the loop I could here the bell system at the veteran's cemetery that was oddly calming background noise early in the race. Eventually I popped back out of the woods and back onto a service road that lead us down to the abandoned prison. Unfortunately we did not get a full tour (in the prior editions of the race apparently the runners got a small loop with the prison area between the various buildings. This year this was not allowed as they were actively demolishing some of the buildings). The course ran right up to the corner of the property where the buildings started and a guard tower was and then diverted us back into the trees. The course was back near the main camping area but then turned once again taking us back out on the perimeter of the park towards a small lake/swamp/marsh area. Finishing off two thirds of the loop now I arrived at the next aid station.

Taken on Friday pre-race as I arrived at the Park.

Screaming Monkey 100 course layout (Photo: STRAVA, OpenStreetMap). The full loop is 15.6 Mi which the 100 Mi does 6 times plus a starting bonus loop of just over 6 Mi to make the mileage equal to 100. The equestrian trails are all the long straight sections.

Old entrance to the abandoned prison. (Photo: Justin Loeb, taken from the SM100 Facebook page)

couple of the buildings in the abandoned prison. (Photo: Justin Loeb, taken from the SM100 Facebook page)

The last third of the full 15.6 Mi loop was fully on mountain bike singletrack. This would be my favorite section of the course. It was not very fast or flowy since it makes so many turn and twists and abrupt changes in direction, but it was a great trail to run none the less. The ground underfoot was tricky as well and there we numerous roots and the fall leaves on the ground tried to hide some of these. That being said I never did fall or trip this race - always an accomplishment at an ultramarathon.

I love singletrack

I was getting closer to finishing the loop and I could start hearing the chimpanzees (monkeys) starting to make noise. This last portion of the trails took us weaving around behind the sanctuary and around back over towards the camp and the start/finish area. This would be the spot I'd hear the primates basically every loop from then on. It was a true Screaming Monkey experience as you'd hear them randomly in those last few miles of the loop, even in the night hours.

The day light loops for me were quite straightforward as I ticked off the mileage. I ran the entire time by solo except when passing other fellow trail runners out there on course. It was a great day weather wise and I had no complaints.

Photo: Justin Loeb

Photo: Justin Loeb

Heading on to my 4th full loop I knew that I'd be closing out that loop in darkness, so I was smart enough to have my kogalla waistlamp in my pack ready to go. As mentioned it had been uneventful to this point as I kept plotting along. Then as the darkness had engulfed the park and I was heading back with about 2-3 miles to go on the loop I noticed a light coming up behind me. This was the first time someone had come up from behind on me, so I now was caught about 65 Mi into the race. I was passed fairly confidently as I was not moving super well at this point. I tried to hang on to his pace and maintained a consistent 20 second gap for a good long while. Eventually he would pull away further as we twisted, ducked, turned, climbed and descended the never ending turns on the closing miles of singletrack. We'd see each other lights the entire time as we constantly were changing directions with the trail, but I could never know exactly how far back I had dropped back now. Finally the loop ended and I asked the timer how far ahead the guy before was. As he looked at me somewhat puzzled he explained that was the 100 km finisher/winner and had just finished, and not one of my 100 Mi competitors. I had waisted a little bit of energy trying to keep pace with this runner but I think it was a positive in the end since it reminded me to stay vigilant and just keep moving forward. Who knows when I would be caught from behind. Only 2 more full laps to go - a little 50 km run so to speak.

The temperature dropped quite a bit into the wee hours of the morning again, and I choose to keep my 3" trail shorts on instead of opting for my pants. I figured this would motivate me to keep moving forward and not walk too much.  My pace on these last 2 loops had mirrored the temperature drop and I could feel my fatigue level slowly creeping up. But I noticed my time on the last loop and I had arbitrarily set my eyes onto a sub-23 time since the next hour was fast approaching. I ran the last few miles at a decent pace and crossed the line in 22:56:33 in 1st place with a wire-to-wire victory.

Finisher photo with RD Michael Puyear.

I got handed my buckle and then proceeded to head directly to my car in the parking lot to dig out my warm clothing I had set aside. I made a quick change into warm dry set and grabbed my chair and one of my warm blankets and plumped myself down beside the bonfire they had going in the middle of camp. I enjoyed a Run Wild Athletic Brewing Co. IPA as I warmed up and relished the feeling of not wearing shoes. The warmth of the fire eventually took me and I fell into a nice snooze in my chair. I had about a nice hour and half nap there by the fire as it was quiet.

I awoke and as daylight began to break the Race Director, Michael, emerged as well. He came over and congratulated me and got me the finisher award plaque for 1st place as well as a Screaming Monkey pint glass with a bonus Trail Toes jar inside. I chatted for a bit, we got our picture taken and then I proceeded to get up and pack up my tent setup and gather the rest of my goodies I still had spread out. My 81st ultramarathon was done, and like many of them before I then proceeded to get ready to drive home right away so I could get home to my wife and kids for the remainder of Sunday.

Thank you to Michael, G.O.A.T.S., and all the volunteers out there.

Results

• 22:56:33 | 1st overall
• 100.62 Mi (161.93 km) | 7,267 ft (2,215 m)
• STRAVA activity: https://www.strava.com/activities/6224649077
• My 81st ultramarathon | My 26th run of 100 Mi (or more) & my 24th completion
• Ultrasignup Results: https://ultrasignup.com/results_event.aspx?did=80805

Updated 100 Mi(+) buckle collection (Photo: Katie Meding).

Gear Used

• Shirts: rabbit  LS & SS rabbitELITEtrail team kit
• Shorts: rabbit 3" FKT
• Shoes: HOKA ONE ONE Challenger ATR 7 (test pair)
• Socks: rnnr (rabbit edition)
• Headwear: rabbit  (BOCO) rabbitELITEtrail cap & beenie
• Gloves: rabbit  (BOCO) 
• Sunglasses: goodr
• Watch: Garmin fēnix® 6X - Pro Solar Edition
• Waistlamp: kogalla RA Adventure Light
• Headlamp: Nathan Sports Halo Fire
• Hydration: x2 20oz Nathan soft flasks
• Anti Friction lube: Trail Toes
• Gear Bags: Victory Sportdesign Grizzly backpack and 3 Victory piglet bags utilized as laundry bags
• Cooler: small Coleman including some refreshing Athletic Brewing Co. beers.

Thank you for following along

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Next Up: Franklin Mountain Trail Run (2021-Nov-12 to 14th)

Texas B.M.F. (Last Human Standing) (2021-Nov-19 to t.b.d.)

Blazing Good Time

Blazing 7s

A Solo 100 mi Virtual Run Effort

TROT (Trail Racing Over Texas) has been amazing with supporting out running community and has offered a variety of virtual runs since the lock-down from the COVID pandemic has started. When the spring/summer virtual events opened up there was very limited options for a 100 mile option, and so naturally I jumped on that opportunity and snagged a spot in the Blazing 7s 100 Mile Virtual Run, and a chance at another buckle. This was back at the end of March and we had a deadline of August 1st to complete the distance and submit the data in order to earn the buckle. I had no initial plans of when, where, or how to run this 100, I just knew I wanted to join in the fun as I have come to love the 100 mile distance. I kept busy in the spring and did a bunch of smaller 50 km virtual races so I kept delaying when I put this one on my schedule.

Fast forward to July and I managed to sneak in a 100 mile real life trail race in Colorado (see prior blog post). Since I had delayed scheduling anything else this left me with basically 2 weekends to get my Blazing 7s done. I choose July 24-25 since I could finish my work a bit early on Friday, head out running and then finish up by Saturday evening to have Sunday with the family...pretty simple right? Seemed like a great plan to me and then the Tropical Storm in the Gulf started forming and was about to hit SW Texas coast at this time as well.

Pre race photo by Katie Meding.

Set up my garage as a nice little aid station with my essential supplies around my chair and foot stool. I had a plan of running as much local trails as possible prior to the mass rain that was inevitability making its way to our region from the edge of the storm. I placed plenty of socks nearby as I thought this might be a time I'd change between loops (this turned out to be good foresight).

Victory Sportdesign (Cougar II) and my much needed Trail Toes anti-friction.
Also had some emergency GU roctane gels for some extra energy boost if needed. 

I set off mid afternoon on Friday after completing my tasks at work for the week. I figured I could get a nice jump start on my miles and then arrive back home for dinner with my family for our regular Friday pizza movie night. My first "loop" consisted of hot humid miles where I linked up a bunch of my local trails. I got in 3 hours on nice easy paced effort to kick off my race. It was now Meding family movie night, and so i kicked off my shoes and came into the house for pizza, beer, and family time with the wife and kids as we watched the kids pick of Ugly Dolls movie. I relaxed for just over an hour and then decided I better get back out before the rain crept in. This loop I set off for a section again on my local trails, 2 miles to the trailhead, a 7 mile trail segment, and then 2 miles back home. I took my headlamp with me in case I was longer than anticipated. The storm clouds were getting closer and darker too. I knew staying dry at this point was now just a luxury I should enjoy. Of course about half way through my trail segment it started raining hard which made the trail super slick. Here in the Houston area it is super clay like and so rain on the trails is much like ice in terms of the surface. My pace slowed dramatically, but i was still enjoying the miles in nature. My thoughts also drifted to the fact this would be my last trail miles for this run as the trails close with rain storms. I arrived back home darkness now here and had finished around a marathon in distance. A quick stop this time around and off I went for an hour more of running, this time on local sidewalks. Finished this off and i basically had done 50 km at this point (31.9 mi to be precise). I then kicked back on the couch and grabbed some more pizza and sat with my wife on a family zoom call (in lieu of the usual family get together at this time of year).

Just over 2 hours had gone and it was nearing midnight now. Time to get back at it, as my wife was heading to bed. Put on my third pair of socks thus far and got some podcasts queued up for the night sections. I had these 2 long road segments planned to get done which were my last 2 streets to complete my #EverySingleStreet Sugar Land project that I have been working on (*full blog post to follow on this project). The miles were pretty boring and lonely, which is why i brought my podcasts to keep the time ticking by. This brought me to almost 59 miles done and nearly to sunrise. I got out of my wet clothes from the non-stop humidity and light rain all night. I took a small nap and spent another 2 hours at home before getting back out.

The day brought on more intense rain storms that were unavoidable. My pace seemed very slow and i was getting annoyed by the squeaking of my constantly wet socks and shoes. By around mile 73 I noticed that chaffing was occurring from the constant wetness even with my regular Trail Toes use. THe problem was i got a bit of irritation in a spot that had not happened to me before, so i had to deal with that unpleasantness. After stopping and then getting running again seemed to be the worse pain until i got in a groove and everything was lined out so to speak. I utilized a lot of Trail Toes (anti-friction body creme) to get this run complete - but it definitely helped save my race.

After 81 miles the skies were nearly black again, cause of the next wave of storm clouds. I did not want to keep taking extended breaks as i found it hard to start back up. My next loop I choose to run nearby our house and just do loops around this small neighborhood pond, which is like 0.7 mi around. I did I think 8 loops here and came back for more hydration and snacks, and of course another pair of socks (I lost count of how many pairs at this point). Only 12 more miles to go.

Since i was getting lazy and tired i kept my last 3 loops simple as can be. I ran around New Territory Homeward Way which is a nearly 4 miles from my doorstep to doorstep. I made the stops between these 3 loops more like true aid station stops where i just came in the door filled up my bottles and was back running in under 2 minutes. At this point I was moving much better than earlier and I started to count down the miles. With one neighborhood loop to go I noticed I had exactly 45 minutes to go sub-30 despite all my stops. With that I had a new goal and put the hammer down to keep pace on that last loop to get under that round 30 hour mark. It turned out to be my fastest "loop" at 09:44 min/mi (fast pace for me during a 100 miler).

Results

• Total Time: 29:53:45
• STRAVA activity: https://www.strava.com/activities/3820206069
• Loop Times:
• Total Moving Time: 19:41:03 | 12 loops
• Total Rest Time: 10:12:31 | 11 breaks

My map from STRAVA.

• My miles were also used to advance myself and my 2-man team further across Texas (virtually) for the Trans-Texas Virtual Run
• Mentioned above the final 2 streets of my #EverySingleStreet was completed during this run. A full blog write up on that will follow soon.
• This was my 65th ultramarathon and my 17th 100 mi (or more)

Texas sized bling! One of the coolest buckles I've earned to date. Thank you TROT!

Gear Used

• Gear Bags: Victory Sportdesign
• Shirts: Trail Racing Over Texas team singlet, rabbit  short sleeves
• Shorts: rabbit 3" FKT
• Shoes: Altra Running Duo
• Socks: Drymax Socks 8 pairs
• Headwear: rabbit (BOCO) endurance cap / NathanSports Inc HyperNight Cap (night running)
• Sunglasses: goodr
• Watch: Garmin fēnix® 6X - Pro Solar Edition
• Headlamp: NathanSports Inc Halo Fire
• Hydration: Nathan Sports Inc VaporKrar 2.0 12L with 20oz soft flasks, Trail Racing Over Texas collapsible cup
• Other: Nathan Sports Inc bandolier safety vest (night running)
• Anti Friction: Trail Toes

Thank you to my family for letting do my crazy ideas and even running virtual races from our own home.

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Silver Lining During a Pandemic

Silverheels 100

Rocky Mountain bliss | my 64th ultramarathon

Pre Race

Sitting at home on the weekend I got a notification from HPRS Facebook that their pre-race meeting was on for tomorrow night (Jul-06). I had somewhat been looking around to see if any races had been on for the last few weeks. Training solo and being alone for all of my pandemic miles I was itching to get back to a race atmosphere. I was ready for another 100 miler. I tuned into that Facebook Live broadcast, and after hearing Race Director John Lacroix go through the new race protocols and the new procedures of the race to help protect runner and volunteers alike I felt like this was a viable opportunity. I had mentioned the idea to my wife and she was encouraging me to go, as long as i was safe. Monday prior to this Facebook live pre-race meeting I had also talked to my work peer and confirmed if I would he would be able to take off an extended weekend. And just like that the conditions were in place for me to get away and run in the mountains. I entered my name on UltraSignup, paid my entry on Tuesday and informed work I would be off over the weekend, confirming my days off and coverage (I'm thankful to have flexibility like this). Just like that my weekend plans were set.

Ready to hit the road. This was taken
Wednesday night as I packed. My
Victory Sportdesign bags carry all
my gear in my travels.

My alarm buzzed nice and super early for 02:00 Thursday. I had packed and prepared my gear the night before. I kissed my wife goodbye and tried not to wake her fully. By 02:30 I had my coffee made and everything into my car and started my solo journey North West. 16.5 hours later and only a few stops for random bathroom breaks, 3 fuel stops, and 1 shakeout run stop in New Mexico, I had arrived in Fairplay, Colorado late into the afternoon. I got some food and then walked around the small town exploring the area on foot. Fairplay is a very small old mining mountain town that is home to the Burro Running National Championships each year. It is also the town famous for being where the cartoon South Park is based off of. Fairplay sits at the base of the mountains and is at just shy of 10,000' elevation.

View of Fairplay, Colorado looking back toward the "South Park" area. Elevation 9,953'

The Day Before Race

After a nice dirtbag style night in my car (trunk/backseat) where i was able to get some decent sleep. I got up with the sunset in the chilly Rocky Mountain air - how I missed these cool temperatures! I relished the fact I was able to wear a hoodie first thing in the morning. I had gone to a local coffee stop and grabbed my essential for the day and then went out to meet up with the HPRS volunteers. They were organizing a hike and trail work day. I joined them for this and used it as a nice little way to enjoy the morning. I spent just over 5 hours helping out clearing, clipping, and brushing a local trail that was going to be used in the race. This event was done well as everyone kept their distance and also wore masks.

HPRS trail work pre-race. This is on a section called "Jungle Hill". 2020-07-10

After my morning I decided to get a little shakeout run in and spend a tiny bit more time on my feet before taking rest before the big race. Looked up some local areas on the map and settled on a short drive to Hoosier Pass, not too far north from Fairplay at all. There was a small little parking lot there on the pass where a trailhead existed. I got out my running shoes and headed out on a short adventure. I've been "run streakin' " for a little bit now and always aim for minimum of 5 km (3.1 mi) per day, and therefore that was my goal. I headed down the trail and then climbed up and up shooting for about 2 mi out before I'd turn around. The beauty of the area and the pure exploration was exciting. I managed to keep my run under 4 miles although I definitely could of gone on for hours exploring. I did manage to sneak up to over 12,000' elevation as well (my 1-day acclimatization plan 😂)

Just splashing in puddles like a little kid that I am at heart.

Taking in the views and enjoying my short shakeout run. Hoosier Pass, near Breckenridge, CO.

After my run I went back to Fairplay to check it for the race in the evening bib pick up, dropped off my 2 drop bags, and then enjoyed a nice filling meal before enjoying the mountain sunset.

Race Day 2020-07-11

Another night dirtbaggin' it in my car I was up long before the sun. The race times were rolling starts in waves of 15 people at a time starting at 03:40. It was dark, it was chilly, but it was great to get up and be excited for a mountain adventure. I was set to start in the first wave, so at 03:40. I stayed in my car prepping the last minute stuff and ensuring i had everything in my NATHAN hydration pack. To maintain my safety and my promise to my family i did not walk over to the start until 1 minute before go time after putting up my bluff wrap mask (this was also one of the requirements of the race at the start and aid stations). I looked down at my watch and saw 03:42 and the RD was counting down. Here we go...

We set off from Fairplay on a flat section out of town for a couple miles down a county road before ducking into the forest and back country. I was running with the lead 3 people for about 0.5 mi then they dropped back. We were not going particularly fast so I just kept my own pace and continued on in front solo. It was also a bonus as I was keeping my social distance bubble by doing so (😂).

Silverheels Mine turn around. We had to obtain a bracelet here
to prove being there: once at 11.4 mi & then again at 91.9 mi.
Elevation here is listed at 12,070'

After passing the Alma water drop station the trail took us up into the mountains. The elevation gain started in a big way with a large climb from here all the way to High Park and then ultimately to the high point on the course of Silverheels mine at 12,070'. By the time I arrived here it was 11.4 mi elapsed and already about 2,000' of gain.

I headed back down the mountain and eventually passed the runners whom started in the first wave. Everyone was in good spirits still and waved as we passed. We all had our bluffs up when we passed each other as was the request and race protocol. Once back down to High Park the course then went down over the other side of the pass of the mountain. I was still running in front. A long descent down into the valley past some old gold prospecting sites following the little creek. I rounded a corner and heard a rustling in the bushes to my left. Since I was alone in my thoughts it startled me a little and then I spotted the moose just hanging out eating some vegetation no more than 30 feet away from me.

Cow moose about 15 mi into the race. I got this picture once I waked away a few yards, hard to see in this picture, but it is there in the middle enjoying a morning snack. I was about 30 feet away initially when i spotted her on the side of the road.

I continued on exploring the course and enjoying the mountains. There was a couple very small creek crossings and mix between singletrack, gravel roads, and some double wide jeep roads. Around mile 24 I was passed for the first time and lost the front running position. Another large section of climbing occurred just before the Jungle Hill aid station. It was a long USA forest jeep road that climbed for what seemed like miles. Once at the top there a tiny bridge then was a 1.5 mi descent of singletrack down into the aid station - this may have been one of my favorite sections (coincidentally this was the area I was doing trail work the day before). A short stop here for some fruit and then I continued on to another out & back section where a water drop and hole punch (for verification) was. On the way back from this check point (Crooked Creek) I passed a bunch more runners who were not that far behind as we were now nearing the 50 km mark into the race. I was still moving fairly strong at this point keeping a nice even pace, not too labored.

After the next aid station down in a little valley I could tell the course was taking us back up in elevation. I peered off in the distance and saw the climb that lay ahead beyond the alpine meadows were we trekking through. Somewhere around here another runner passed me and I dropped back into 3rd position. From the Trout Creek aid station I ascended upwards through these meadows and saw a good size mountain pass that I assumed we would be heading over. You always feel so small in the mountains and I just took in the views as I kept glancing up to my right thinking...."yup, we are going to be climbing up and over that". I think I was even telling myself I wish we would just go straight up and get this over with. Well I should've wished for something different because once at the true base of this small pass the trail went literally straight up for about 0.5 mi but gaining a bunch of elevation topping out at 11,400' or so.

on top of pass between Trout Creek and Tarryall aid. At about 11,400' elevation.

 

Coming down the other side it was much more North American style traditional trails with switchbacks and zig zagging back down into the treeline. Not too far was Tarryall aid which was the main aid and large crew station on the NE portion of the course. Runners hit this aid station a total of 3 times, and thus I elected to have one of my Victory Sportdesign drop bags here. Just before Tarryall the 3rd person caught me and we ran in to the aid together, and left up towards Gold Dust together. Here she dropped me on the climb and thus I dropped back to 4th place. I attempted to catch on the downhill but did not push to much as I was trying not to blow out my quads since the race was still not even 40% complete at this point. A 4th runner passed me pushing me back to 5th before reaching the aid station.

Heading back towards Gold Dust,
about 50 mi completed.

A large section of gravel country roads was the next portion of the course. Looping around from Gold Dust through Halfway Gulch and returning back to Gold Dust, Taryall aid stations. It was a long gradual climb up and around the initial portion of the loop but then it turned directions and was a ridiculously long gradual downhill. Again I tried to pace myself here to save my legs. I managed to pass by one of the runners moving back up into 4th position (he was having stomach issues, just before Halfway Gulch). I kept it steady as I could. The biggest and most annoying part of this section was the dust from all of the vehicle traffic on the road. It was so hot and dry the dust just lingered. But man the views were great from up on this road. The road circled around another peak and headed back up towards Gold Dust aid. I passed the female in front of me here as she was walking towards me (backward on the course). I asked her if everything was good, and she assured me it was but that she was dropping from blowing out her quads. I still not quite sure where she was self extracting since the aid station in front of us was the shortest way of course I thought. So arriving back through Gold Dust and back to Tarryall (second time), I was not back to 2nd place since 2 in front of me had dropped.

The large aid station of Tarryall was a relief site as it was very hot now in the middle of the afternoon and have completed 55.8 mi of the course. Now was a longer out & back section that took us out to Camp Como. It was a great section of trail that had some nice technical rocky terrain mixed in with singletrack winding through the woods. It was a great section of trail, I just wish I had more energy. About 2 miles from the turn around I passed the front runner which means he was about 4 miles in front of me (nearly an hour).

Rockier terrain on the trail to Camp Como turnaround aid station.

All the way back to Tarryall for the third and final time, I sat down here briefly for the first time and enjoyed a bit of food and nutrition before setting out on tackling the large climb back over the pass that brought us into this area of the course. Another runner came into the aid station not far behind me and was also sitting down for a break. I left before him and headed out trying to get to aid and over the pass before needing my headlamp from the impending night darkness that was coming. The grind was slow and long climb back up the pass, and it wasn't long before I was caught again. We worked together for a little bit but I could tell he had slightly more energy so I let him go ahead on the final portions of the pass ascent. At the top of the pass I had to take a bio break and stepped off into the woods. I used some leaves of sort that somehow was not the best choice as later on it caused a little irritating rash that bothered me for the rest of the run (this is the first time this has happened to me during a race). I did manage to keep it under control while running once I got to an aid station and used some of the best anti-friction lube there is: Trail Toes.

After my bio break and then tip toeing down the straight down side of the pass I managed to get running decently again. But at this point there was another runner and his pacer who were "flying" and passed me with ease. Not too far later I actually caught the guy who had passed me about a mile back coming over the pass, but he hung on and so we ended up jut running together for the last half mile or so back down to the Trout Creek aid. We started chatting to keep each other company and distract ourselves as the darkness was nearly engulfing now.

Early morning feelings.

We arrived into Trout Creek and both sat down and got some hot ramen noodles soup here from the great volunteers. It appeared neither of us was trying to run away from each other at this point so now with headlamps on we headed out for the remaining 35 mi leaving together. Myself and Thomas, as I finally discovered his name, worked together for the next couple hours which made the time go by a lot faster than running solo. We got all the way to Jungle Hill climb before he was now moving better than me on the climbs. I told Thomas to continue on and I would try and catch him back on the downhill section. But I never did catch him again. I was back on my solo trek running in 4th place with a marathon or so to go. The hours ticked by slowly and my usual early morning lows were catching up to me. I had the biggest longest climb ahead from Poor Man Gulch up to High Park and all the way to the high point of the Silverheels Mine to obtain my second summit bracelet.

My feet were killing me and drastically slowing me down. My legs felt pretty good considering so really it was my sore tender feet that were my issue at this point. After the looooooong grind back up to the mine negotiating the near sunrise hours I finally started to feel awake again, opposed to the sleep walking pace the last couple hours were. Grabbed my second bracelet and then turned around headed back down the mountain. It was a long half marathon all the way to the finish with 80-90% of it being downhill. It was still slow going as the pain of the constant downhill started to creep into my quads, but still mainly my feet. Near the very final "aid" stop of Alma, which is actually just a water drop, I got confused and was actually going bakwars on a section repeating a portion i just did. Here the leading female and her pacer met me and asked me where i was going. I double checked my gps and realized that I doubled back on a trail i was looping around on. Luckily it was only maybe a 0.25 - 0.5 mi of extra mileage, but who knows how long before i would have noticed if I did not meet them there. I tried to keep up with these ladies as I was now knocked down to 5th overall. I kept up for a good while all the way to the country gravel road section with 4 mi to go. My feet were causing me to shuffle a lot slower than I wanted to go and there was no way for me to keep up. I settled into my own pace and kept pushing forward towards Fairplay.

Finally of what seemed like forever on that last gravel stretch, the town of Fairplay came back into view. Like one does in the end of long endurance runs i was walking for a bit until I turned the corner and the South Park track was within view. I then resumed my ultra shuffle and "ran" onto the track making the 3/4 loop around and under the arch for the finish! 5th overall and done in under 30 hours this was my longest 100 mile finish yet. I had a goal of 24 hours initially, but i did not know if that was possible. I know the altitude had a little to do with it, but honestly for the most part my feet are what did me in. The altitude does not affect me in terms of headaches or altitude sickness that some people seem to experience, I guess I am lucky that way. This was my 64th ultramarathon.

Start/Finish arch with Mt. Silverheels in the background. Thank you HPRS.

I sat down in the field and took off my shoes to reveal large heel blood blisters on both feet. I got my chair and put my feet up for awhile trying to relax and nap a bit as I watched the first few 50 milers whom started to trickle in within the next couple hours. I got in a bunch of fluids and a few snacks. Before some afternoon showers rolled in I packed up my car and started out on my next portion of my endurance weekend: the 16.5 hour return drive back to Texas. There was a lot of stopping for naps and a few walk breaks to try and keep legs loose as possible, while keeping my feet swelling down. I arrived back in Sugar Land, TX later afternoon Monday returning to elevation of 85'. I went straight to a quick testing facility and got my blood drawn to get a COVID-19 test - which turned out negative. I did this for peace of mind returning to my family. I then did get in a recovery run that Monday night keeping my #runstreak alive which is now nearing 100 days. Time to rest up and continue onto the next adventure whenever that maybe.

Course Details

This was a great course. Essentially a long lollipop style course with a couple out & backs thrown in there. HPRS shared the detailed map, aid stations, and eve the .gpx course prior to the event for everyone. The course was very well marked (but not over marked 👍). Silverheels is a very tough challenge for everyone since it is known as the 2nd highest 100 miler within North America, behind only Hardrock 100. Silverheels comes in at an average elevation of 10,813' and let me tell you that it feels that way especially on the second half of the run (of course I am coming from sea level).

Detailed map and elevation profile provided by HPRS. Available on their website.

Nutrition

I stuck with mostly BASE Performance hydration mix and water (1 bottle of each). I supplement this with fit for the most part all the way up until about 70 mi mark. From there I started using GU Roctane gels one every 45 minutes or so to keep my energy up for the last quarter of the race (I think i went through about 6 of them total). I also downed Coca Cola every aid station for that quick sugar and caffeine hit. I think i also sat down and ate ramen noodles 2 separate times for the broth and warm fluids during the night hours.

Results & Data

My full STRAVA activity: https://www.strava.com/activities/3753674350

Mileage: 105.70 mi (170.11 km)

Elevation Gain: 14,914' (4,554 m)

Total Time: 29:47:41

Place: 5th overall (4th male)

Silverheels 100 buckle and (x2) Silverheels mine summit bands

Gear Used

• Gear Bags: Victory Sportdesign
• Drop bags: Victory Sportdesign (x2)  Coyote II  (Tarryall aid station, Poor Mans Gulch aid station)
• Jackets: rabbit elements light jacket
• Shirts: rabbit long sleeve
• Shorts: rabbit 5" FKT
• Shoes: Altra Running TIMP 1.5
• Socks: Drymax Socks 1 pair (Hawks edition)
• Headwear: Trail Racing Over Texas endurance cap
• Sunglasses: goodr (rabbit PR edition)
• Watch: Garmin fēnix® 6X - Pro Solar Edition (started at 88% ended at 40% full GPS mode)
• Headlamp: NathanSports Inc Halo Fire (x2)
• Hydration: Nathan Sports Inc VaporKrar 2.0 12L with 20oz soft flasks, Trail Racing Over Texas collapsible cup
• Other: Nathan Sports Inc gloves
• Anti Friction: Trail Toes - applied once at beginning and only 1 reapply which kept me chaff free all race. Also helped me with my rash issue from my one bio break incident.

Thanks

1. A big shout out to all my supporters and sponsors for this year - check out my Friends page.
2. Human Potential Running Series (John Lacroix) for putting on this event and taking the new race protocols and social distancing seriously to make this event happen. I did feel quite safe out there.
3. The volunteers! As always fellow ultrarunners and non-runners alike that help make these events happen deserve the majority of the credit. Thank you for assisting us runners and aiding us through the night on the mountain.

#staysafe everyone and remember to continue to social distance and follow your local guidelines. I know that some people may think me travelling at this time is not the best idea, and well I may tend to agree I put in all the mitigation measures possible to keep myself and my family safe. In the end I felt like I did everything I could. There is still a lot of people out there not wearing masks. 

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Thank you for following along . 

This was ultramarathon #064 for me, and 16th 100 mile (or longer).  Next up: 

(i) Blazing 7s 100 mi Virtual Run (date: t.b.d. before Aug),

(ii) completing my #EverySingleStreet Sugar Land project

(iii) Trans-Texas Virtual Run 879 mi

An Unexpected 100 Mi PR

A Jog in the Ouachita Woods 

AT100 | Ultramarathon #046

Well I set off to Arkansas this weekend in hopes of somewhat redeeming myself from my last couple race performances. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't disappointed per say in how things went, it was just a combination of bad luck and conditions that made it so they were not my best runs (check out my prior blog on it here).  The Arkansas Traveller 100 was my fall A-race as it was my Western States qualifier for 2020. I did not have a backup plan for this, so it was all or none in that regards. With that I set off to Arkansas on a solo trip because sadly we could not make it logistically for my family to come and crew and cheer. Arkansas was to be my 13th state to run in thus far (check out my heatmap in my data section for more nerd stats like this).

Friday was a mandatory per-race meeting and so i had planned ahead and booked off work on Thursday for travel. This means i could take my time, which is a rarity in my normal planning of things. So later on Thursday morning after getting my 2 oldest daughters to school I took off and headed out on the drive north to Arkansas. I made to Lake Sylvia campground safely and set up my tent for the weekend. The campground was nearly exactly 1 mile from the start line, which was perfect logistically. At the check in we actually had to weigh in - which is extremely old school method of tracking runners. This might be the only race left in the country doing this.

When i travel solo i use this convenient 1-man tent. Better than sleeping in my car, which i used to do.

Right before race start. (L to R: Trevor Meding- rabbit, TROT, Victory | 
Sean Nakamura,- rabbit, altra | Martin Schneekloth- altra)

The night went fairly smoothly as I slept well and only woke around 04:15 when all the other tenting runners around me started to get ready (my alarm wasn't scheduled to go off till 04:30).  I got up and put on my rabbit attire and double checked i had all my gear in my Victory Sportdesign drop bags and my Nathan pack. I flung on my headlamp and started to trek towards the start line. A nice little 1.1 mi walk to the start area in the cool Arkansas morning. Arrived and got my bid...#120. Met a couple fellow ultrarunners I knew including my rabbitELITEtrail teammate Sean Nakamura who was about to complete the "Great 8" of 100s (check out that story here). And just like that the race director called us all outside and lined up on the road.

Saturday | The Race

The course is an old school course that consists of only 2 miles of pavement (1 at the start, and the incoming mile at the finish). The remainder of the course is made of up mostly double track unmaintained jeep roads and old gravel roads that appeared to rarely be used save the odd hunters and campers with ATVs. For a full detailed description on the course the AT100 website provides all the details you need. Basics it a large 18 mi figure 8 loop (that nearly returns to the start) and then is a long 41 mi ish out & back.

Chasing runners on the singletrack of the Ouahita Trail

Knowing my own stupidity and previous record in races i purposely held back on the start and was not near the front. I just casually started off and did a medium pace for the first mile as we got to the first turn and veered off onto some side gravel road. From there i just settled into a comfortable pace for the remainder of the first 9 miles which brought us to the 2 aid station. Here was where the course dove into Ouachita Trail for the next 8 miles which was some awesome singletrack section through the woods. This was by far my favorite part of the course as i really enjoy singletrack trails. It was also fairly condensed with runners at this point and i found myself at the back of a 6-8 person congo line for the entire section. This was good as it kept my pace in check and i didn't go to fast but yet had people to pace with. Those 8 miles flew by quickly as it was scenic and nice and cool still as the sun rose through the Ozark woods. At the very end of this section we emerged by Lake Sylvia aid station in the campground parking (near where my tent was, and only 1 mi from the start). Coming out of the woods into the parking lot there was like 75-100 people there cheering and yelling. It was really cool, and something i had not witnessed before in a 100 miler like this. It was the first crew opportunity and easily located to get to, but i was not expecting it just under 3 hours into our run. The large crew/crowds at the crew accessible aid stations would be a theme in this race which was pretty neat to experience.

I came into the aid grabbed minimal food, including a nice grilled cheese, and refilled my fluids and took

AT100 trail cam Crossroads (outbound mile 18) | photo: David Turner

off again in about 30 seconds. This was where i separated from the other 8 ish people i had been following on the Ouachita Trail. I was still feeling good from a relaxed pace and the boost of the crowd was awesome so i just kept on trucking. The next 2 miles was all gravel road uphill where we then ventured off into more wilderness off road ATV style roads (the trail cam grabbed the outbound picture). Not the most technical trails ever, but you definitely need to pay attention or you will roll and ankle or kick a unmovable rock in no time. Some sections were fast and others required you to look down and ensure careful foot placement. Arkansas Traveller presented a unique challenge in the fact in was not super steep climbing and descending but it was a fair amount of it. In fact the course was an overall 12,000 ft of gain and descent (24,000 ft of elevation change overall). But the nice fact was a lot of the uphills were gradual enough to power hike/ light jog and as you regained your heart rate you could then bomb the downhills which would inevitably follow soon after. I continued this pattern as it was working very well for me this day.

The next major crew spot was at mile 31 (50 km): Lake Winona. I came into this spot still running well and not really aware of what position i was in. I figured I was positioned in the top 15% at this point.  Again the cheering from the crews and spectators was something unique and I really enjoyed the boost again. From here I just kept on cruisin' doing my power hike ups and running the downs. This momentum made it so i could continue to run the flats as well as I had not tired myself out at all at this point.  The heat of the day was starting to show its prowl but the Arkansas heat was no match to the current Texas heat my body was used to the past few weeks. Everything was still clicking nicely until the next major crew spot at mile 48: Powerline. Here I stopped briefly at my Victory drop bag, switched out my buffs and then grabbed a singe pack of my Trail Toes to reapply my anti-friction to help prevent the chaffing issues. Again I continued on still feeling fairly strong considering the mileage covered thus far.

Powerline aid station outbound | just about half way done

Powerline to Turn Around was long road sections all gravel roads but very scenic. When i was

approaching the final few miles getting to the end of the course i figured i would start seeing the leaders doubling back in no time. But as i got closer i still had no idea what position i was in and still had not seen anyone. Could i really be that close to the front? Did i miss someone passing me already? I was not quite sure. As I was playing this thought game in my head i finally saw someone approaching from the other direction. Then i started to wonder exactly how many more were ahead of me. I was hoping i would be in top 10 and have a chance at making a run at good placement going into the last 40 ish miles.
...2...
...3....(fellow rabbit teammate, Ashley Nordell | rabbitPRO, who was crushing the women's race)...
....and well that was it. I only saw 3 people in front of me before I finally approached the Turn Around aid station. I literally could not believe it and now i was wondering if I could hold on now that i had this confirmed information of where I stood currently in 4th place. I filled my fluids, downed some coke, ate some more fruit, and thanked the volunteers. With that I headed back out towards the long inward 41 mile push to the finish line.

Turn Around aid station | furthest point on the out & back

My next mini goal was to get back to the Powerline aid and get my headlamp, which would also be that  nice round number of 100 km done. I was still running all the downs and flats at this point. I was starting to wonder how long I could hold onto the pace I was setting for the race. I just kept truckin' forward and eventually I saw someone in front of me....did i just catch up to 3rd? Then i realized that it was a single runner (both 2nd and 3rd place had pacers when we passed just before the Turn Around aid). This person then looked back at some point and saw me. They slowed down and let me catch and at this point I realized I knew this person: it was Heather Gothard. She was out running just getting in some training miles as she was at the Powerline aid waiting for another friend she was supporting. She waited for me and impromptu paced/ran with me into the Powerline as we chatted for the next 3 miles. It was a nice break and gave me a chance to get out of my own head for a little bit. Heather was asking me how it was going thus far and it was here when i realized exactly what pace I was on and headed for (I run with a buff over my watch so i don't fixate on time, distance, etc.). My pace had me on track for like a 17.5 hr finish which is just bonkers to me, but I was still feeling well so had not slowed my pace as of yet. Coming back up the slight hill into the aid I thanked Heather for the couple miles and remembered to head directly to my Victory drop bag and grab my headlamp and battery for my watch. Downed some more coke, grabbed some quesadillas and fruit and headed out to the cheer of the crowd again (so cool for the support)!

Powerline aid station inbound | nearly 70 miles done

Now my goal was to remain as strong as I could and maintain pace before the sunset and darkness crept in. I was doing fairly well but began to slow around mile 73. I recall coming into the Bahama Mama aid and not feeling 100%. But then i realized I should try and go to the bathroom, the thought didn't really occur to me naturally more of a decision point, but it helped a lot as I felt much better after this. I guess all the calories I was consuming had some much needed blood flow assisting with some digestion.

After some more fluids and this little bathroom break relief I got back up and headed out now turning on my headlamp for the first time as the tunnel of trees and branches made it nearly complete darkness. At this point despite feeling better my legs started to get heavy and I could feel my pace slowing. The walk breaks finally started to creep in. However I was super proud of myself lasting 70+ miles of not walking on the flats to this point, so I was not down on myself at all. I just wanted to keep it going so as to not get caught from behind and loose position as I was in the middle of a race. I kept my forward progress going and slogged my way back to Lake Winona. My right foot pad was starting to bug me and I thought I might have a blister  forming there. So I got there and asked the medic to pop & tape it up for me. Turns out it was just raw and not a blister yet, so he managed to add a moleskin on there just for cushioning to help with the impact. I spent probably 10 minutes in this aid station which was my largest break yet. It was worth it as I got in some broth and noodles while get my foot worked on. I placed my sock back on and laced up my shoe again and stood up and noticed a slight difference, to the good, already. I headed up the hill out of the aid station and again the crews and spectators cheered me as I left running. Pretty cool to have that happen in the dark out at an aid station late into the evening.

Lake Winona aid station inbound | Slight break here for foot (right) repair

My foot was much better although my legs kept getting heavier with only about 15 miles to go. I just kept convincing myself to run when I could and take minimal walk breaks. I had no idea how far or who was behind me, but I did not want to give up position as I am a competitive person once the race is on.  My new realistic goal at this point was to try and get a sub-20 hr finish. I made it to the second last aid station just after mile 90 and utilized a chair. I sat down and got some potato soup from the volunteers there. This got some energy back for sure! As I was being lazy in the chair enjoying that amazing soup a couple headlights appeared coming into the aid station. Just like that I had been caught....and passed....the runner basically didn't stop. His pacer filled his bottle and they kept going within seconds. With that I got up made sure I had everything and headed back out now chasing 4th place with approximately 9 miles to go.

Electric Tower aid station inbound

I ran out seeing the headlamps about 0.5 mi in front. I just kept a constant pace, not really gaining but not losing either. Then all of a sudden they stopped and I saw one headlamp shining back at me. I wasn't quite sure what to make of it until I got slightly closer and saw that the runner was bent over having a little puke section on the side of the road. This allowed me to pass them and regain 4th place again. I probably got about 0.5 mi in front of them when they started back out. The race was on again. I maintained a better pace now and we rolled into the last aid Station at mile 95. I came in had my bottle lids off already and refilled them before the volunteers could get me anything else. "No thanks!" I said when they asked what they could get me to eat, "I have to stay ahead...." and with that I took off, and the runner behind rolled in separated less than 200 m now with 10 km to run.

Pumpkin Patch aid station | last top till the finish

With the realization of a full on race now I pushed my pace as much as I could. It felt like 7 min/mi but of

The last 10 km was a full on race for 4th overall.
Screen grab from STRAVA.

AT100 trail cam Crossroads (inbound mile 99) | photo: David Turner

course it was more like 8.5-9 min/mi, but relatively speaking that is pretty fast considering I was 95 miles in at this point. The next section back was 4 miles of double track jeep road with multiple puddles to sidestep in the low lying spots and avoiding the large rocks to kick. This part consisted of me running on the side of the trail hiding close to the side as to somewhat hide my headlamp to provide the illusion I was further ahead, along with me looking back every few minutes to view where their headlamps were. There was little break in pace and I kept pushing on. Finally I popped out of the jeep road and came back to the gravel road....2.5 miles to go as the volunteer did a bib check-in here so the race HQ knew who was coming in. This last part was 2 miles all downhill on gravel, I pushed my legs as fast as I could go while still glancing back. By the time I got to the pavement I thought I was somewhat safe as I had not seen their headlamp shining at me, but then a final glance and I saw they had hit the bottom of the hill as well and were now coming onto the pavement. With less than 0.5 mi to go it was now down to a kick finish at a 100 miler....oh and there was a nice 300 ft incline on the pavement road at this point back up to the lodge where the finish was. I stopped looking back. I put my head down and ran as fast as I could which included the uphill. At this point many people's car are parked there and I started getting a few claps, but also some weird looks as I don't think they realized why I was running so hard. Once at the top of the hill running down the last 0.2 mi passing all the parked cars I saw the finish banner. I turned the corner into the lodge and finished still in my sprint, and just collapsed. The race director and finish volunteers weren't quite sure what to make of it at first, but I managed to mutter that "he's right behind me" as I lie there in the grass trying to regain my breath. With that sure enough, they came down under the banner about 1 minute behind me. I got up and went over and thanked him for an awesome race and congratulated him on his finish.

Results

102.39 mi | 11,627 ft+ | 19:40:23 | 4th overall (M3)
STRAVA summary here: https://www.strava.com/activities/2767638834/overview

• Achieved my 2020 Western States qualifier -- this will be year 2 in the lottery for me
• Achieved my initial goal of sub-24hr
• Achieved my 100 mi PR by 27 mins (previous was 2017 Brazos Bend 20:07:28 | 931 ft+)
• Ran my 46th ultramarathon

Arkansas Traveller 100 | sub-24 hour buckle is colored just to add bit more flare.

AT100 buckle award presentation 2019-10-06 | Video: Heather Gothard 

Post race with my rabbit teammates after receiving our buckles on Sunday's award presentation.
(L) Ashley Nordell | rabbitPRO | F1 (3rd overall) | 18:12:20
(R) Sean Nakamura | rabbitELITEtrail | 60th overall | 26:39:48 -- completion of the "Great 8" of 100s

Thank you

A big shout out to my 2019 supporters:

rabbit | rabbitELITEtrail Team
Trail Racing Over Texas | Team TROT

Victory Sportdesign | Team Victory

Nathan Sports Inc | Team Nathan

Altra Running

Trail Toes

Drymax Socks

goodr

Gear Used

Gear Bags: VictorySportdesign

Drop Bag: VictorySportdesign Coyote II (x2: one at Lake Winona, one at Powerline)

Shirts: rabbit short sleeve

Shorts: rabbit FKT 3"

Shoes: AltraRunning TIMP 1.5

Socks: Drymax Socks 1 pair

Headwear: rabbit (BOCO gear), TeamTROT cap

Sunglasses: goodr

Watch: Garmin Fenix 3 HR

Headlamp: NathanSports Inc Halo Fire (x2)

Hydration: Nathan Sports Inc VaporKrar 2.0 12L

Nutrition: GU energy, fruit, Gatorade, coca-cola, potatoes