I left at 3:15am & drove to the start up through Julian and arrived at 4:30. Did my bag drops which were kind of a new thing with no crew. Then tried to stay off my feet and get another 30 mins of sleep. Running for 30 hours is tough already on a good day. Trying it after not sleeping well for a month and worrying about family I knew would be ridiculous and concerning from the start. I wasn't even sure if I should run it. Perhaps just stay at home and take care of the family. But after a few discussions with my wife, the best bet was to at least try to race.
National anthem sung by 300 people with no music and then a 6 am start. The temp was nice and cool in the grass area with a few small water jumps. Most of it was a foot wide with 2 ft tall grass past that and mostly flat trail but a little like running in an angled trough in some spots. Each step, both ankles rolled in a bit. Cross the highway at mile 1 and then the first climb started and a zig zag for a 900 ft gain.
Flat grassland from the start for the first mile above. Elevation chart and first climb starting at mile 2 below. Basically you zig zag up the hill in the background above.
The first climb took effort but didn't seem too bad. The climb was fairly steep but just power walked and light jog when not steep. But once at the crest, the issue became rolling and a little rocky terrain and running on basically bark, wood and tree branches. Not too bad and nice to have some pace and be jogging again. We then worked our way down a fairly technical and rutted rocky section with a downed runner who clearly had a bad sprain or a broken ankle. I kicked a few rocks but got into a little grove after a wile. Then into aide #1 at mile 7.5 below.
After the first aide station at Paso Picacho with some watermelon, another GU ... we went back across the 79 highway and straight into another climb with the first half mile being very steep. Then switch backs with rock steps all the way up toward Stonewall Peak saddle. This was no tougher than the first climb but now at 2 hours in... you could feel a little breathing work starting. When we crested the saddle, I was happy to start the down hill... but it was very tight zig zag and rocky and hard for me to run. With my knees feeling tired and the right 1 year out of surgery I decided to just back off and take it slow. Lots of people passed but after it leveled a bit we broke into the grass plains again and headed toward the 2nd aide.
Once we hit the flatter areas it was a much nicer trail and back into sections with the 2 ft tall grass trail and into Chambers aide at 12.5 mile aide back by the lake at approximately 2 hours and 45 mins in. 15 mins back of predicted but still technically on pace for the window I wanted. However, this was where my first mistake took place. As I approached the aide I only had them refill my water. I completely forgot to check electrolytes. I just didn't realize how much I had gone through it already. I grabbed a few bites of stuff and continued on. I left Chambers and had back out on the exposed sections of the course on the way to Sunrise 1.
The trail to sunrise 1 was mellow climbing for 8.5 but running out of water 4 mile sin as we became more and more exposed made it seem longer and tougher. The trail worked around the rim of the upper section and next too sunrise highway for a while. That climb continued off and on. Not horrible, but consistent and I was OUT of water!. This is when I started to notice that I had signs of stomach issues. I was unsure if they were heat related, altitude or effort. Likely a combo of all. So I began to back off and just slow the tempo a bit and be conservative into Sunrise 1. I felt warm, but not horrible. Again... rocky troughs seemed to be what I was running in/on. Occasionally kicking a few rocks here or there and stumbling. But nothing horrible. Just the tweak of an ankle and knee here or there when you did it with a hard stumble and recovery. No major injuries or issues. Same old same. Light stomach discomfit and around the corner to Sunrise.
After cooling off and seeing Dennis at the aide station I sat for a while and and tried to eat as much as possible. Lots of dunking Ice and water on my back. I grabbed my first drop bag, but then put it back as I didn't see my arm sleeves for cooling in it. What I forgot until later, was that I had rolled them up into my shoes to save space. Mistake #2. Not slowing down and recalling what/why I had a drop bag and taking the time to prepare for the next segment. I knew it would be warm, but did not know how much and did not know the actual running course/trail to well. I saw 'to well', meaning not at all so when I read this next year before the race I remember... I know the area.. I know the terrain... but I didn't pre-run it and that is different than driving on the 79 to go camping. Heart rate data shows 150+s for this entire segment. Rough watch numbers show 12 min pace avg for the segment. Too fast? (review data)
Out of Sunrise #1 at 10:41 am. Which means 4 hours and 41 mins time on feet so far. (mile 21 and just shy of 3k climbing already). Thanked the road crew as I crossed the highway... I felt good and finished the PB and J that I was working on. (Next year... that section on the next are a 3 water section!)
At mile 22 some great views and the single track over the desert was great. Warm... but a trail to cruise on off and on... for a while. Then the climbing started again exposed in the sun. Not terrible, but not 'run-able' for me either. The goal was to work slowly without spiked effort on the heart rate and keep some momentum around a 15 min pace. 7.5 miles with a 1k climbing to Pioneer Mail aide here we go. This is where I began to over heat and felt warm. I didn't think I was over heating, but I didn't feel good either. 3 bottle section next year! I passed a few people already struggling and 2 were sitting on the trail. Passed a rattle snake that scared a few ladies and kept moving. Lots of walking an mentally struggling. Lots of rolling rocky sections like the photos I found below.
But still moving forward and ran the mile down to Pioneer Mail. I came into Pioneer mail 30 mins back of where I hoped. Same gap from Sunrise 1. It was now 12:30pm. Mile 28.2. Again, heart rates showing 150's the and 160's the entire section. I felt okay when I got there, but the more I sat, the worse I felt.
Avocado rolls at this aide station were great. I tried to eat watermelon and some other items but my stomach was not happy. I sat in the shade trying to recover for approximately 15 mins and tried to get rested (drop heart rate) while my stomach cramped. I slowly gained back my mental wit and then grabbed my drop bag with arm sleeves, iced them down, grabbed a GU and I left pioneer mail aide.
Out of this aide station I knew to take my time and just walk... Occasionally on a flat jog if I felt ok. But to go slow. This is where I traditionally failed to keep my stomach in check during Noble Canyon 50ks. So I walked... numbers show still 16 min avg for the next section to Pine Creek at the bottom of the trail before Noble climb.This is where I started to have general fatigue from lack of eating, but I wasn't too concerned. The section pictured below ... is all baseball sized rocks... hard for me to run on.
On one of the rock sections... my knee suddenly decided to give me sharp pains. This was odd as I didn't recall tweaking or doing anything specific to it in the last few mins. Just the standard uneven surface tweaks and ankle rolls. From there, rocks .. rocks and more rocks. The rollers from the peak on the way down were okay, but I was moving slow. From there we transitioned down onto the trail at the base of the valley in the heat and the knee got worse very quickly even though it was just a rolling climb. And so did the stomach. I few dry heaves and the warning that my stomach problems were real. A few slow rolling and steep climbs suffering and not knowing how far and how long until I hit the down hill had me worried on my pace. Soon we hit a stream crossing and the climb to the paved road on the way to Pine Creek aide... I knew I would be able to jog lightly on the down hill with no rocks... paved road... and try to get some rhythm back. But NO. The knee got real upset and I couldn't jog at all.. I had to walk and it was a steep down hill.
Once I got to mile 36 at Pine Creek aide, I was not in a good place. I had to walk, my knee hurt to even walk flat and slow, I could not hold down any food, only water and I had planned to drop. I sat in the aide station trying to get my belly under control while putting in calories. Watermelon and oranges. I sat feeling crappy for a long time. Turns out it was 30 mins. I was now 1 hour and 15 min behind estimated pace. Then out of no where I decided screw it.. I can at least walk to the top of noble and make it to the next aide station. So I got up, asked them to fill my bottles and off I went.
Noble canyon was hot but i was gaining energy the more I went. I felt better and better. And then I didn't. The top steep part of noble crushed me. My knee began to really bother me again and struggled big time as I ran out of water. I needed more water and more bottles. I also should have put in more food. I managed to hobble up to Big Tree and sit in the aide there for a while. The crew there gave me otter pops which were wonderful. A new friend and I walked the remaining 2.5 to Penny pines 1. I started to feel okay again with my stomach walking but had very low energy as I hadn't eaten much in the last 4 hours. And then trying to trot the down hill to Penny Pines 1 I could barely walk as the knee was getting worse with the stupid sharp pain inside.
--- So what did I learn and how to adjust for next time ----
