Whole lotta high-altitude running first half of June – past 3 weekends, nothing under 8000ft. Body feeling banged up after a busy Marathon Start to 2018. Right heel in particular. Bouncing back slower, plantar fasciitis not better/struggling.
Day or 2 or 3 needed to refresh, mentally spent. Lotta effort push/push/pushing, focused on a single goal. Bighorn now the past, leaves ya spinning/no direction, in-between goals. Same thing after finishing my 50 States in 2016. Like opening holiday gifts. So much planning/purchasing for family/loved ones, decorating home/hearth, cooking Christmas dinner…blink, it’s December 26th. Not quite ready to talk New Year’s.
Hike high, get small, quiet-wonder intervention. Peaks covered in last season’s winter. Lakes & streams overflowing with snowmelt; impromptu waterfalls borne for the summer. Just what the doctor ordered 😊
4am Sunday start, trailhead parking fills by 6. Backpack outta the front closet. Pup couldn’t have been any more excited. Followed me room to room, back of my heels. No Pup left behind, not today. LOL>
Hwy 119 thru Boulder Canyon, across Ned center, first right toward Eldora, Hessie Trailhead. Other waiting hikers all layered UP, chilly 34 degree Start. FAAAANNNTASTIC! More perfect? 20 minute delay – for MOOSE (Momma/calves). Expecting rain mid-afternoon, just a quick up-n-back peak peek today.
Power-hiked to Lost Lake. Less than a mile in, nothing strenuous. GREAT place for a picnic. 4 miles more to Jasper, day’s second alpine lake. Bit more secluded, distance blessed. Ticking off trail signs, careful not to miss a poorly marked left & inadvertently bushwhack to Diamond (been there, done that).
Early hiker chatter now gone, replaced with the whoosh of rushing water. Alpine flowers, green mountain meadow, tall lodgepole Pine. Good to feel small again. Surrounded by peaks, tall evergreen & remnants of last season’s snow. Just me, my dog & whatever food/water I’m carrying on me back. Negativity flush.
Pup off-leash leading the way, trekking over large drifts of white. Twice was not be able to find the path (left/right/up & over/or valley descent below) but luckily Ro can always tell. Great nose. & Always back to check on Papa. Treat reward, good Pup 😊
Mile-half to Devils Thumb Lake. Drifts dissipated, pushed thru stretches of scratchy willow [Moose candy]. trail below hidden/obscured, slopped thru mud – but not Bighorn mud. Perspective, never lost a shoe. Wind blew cold. AWESOME feeling in June.
Devils Thumb Lake on my right, three sides capsuled by peaks. Planted myself on a long flat rock. Pup disappeared, chasing marmots. Alpine groundhog chirps sharp/short/shrill bouncing off canyon walls. Smell of burrito/Pup raced back, marmots no longer of interest.
Called it b4 the Pass, clouds racing in. Good to feel small again. Just a dot on the immense nature-scape backdrop.
One/two/THREE alpine lakes, FIRST HIKE of Colorado summer. Bring it on! ❤
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- Hessie Trailhead
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- high hike, snowmelt overflow
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- fast-flowing water
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- trail sign direction
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- early a.m. cloud burnoff
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- Jasper Lake
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- June SNOW
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- marmot
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- no Pup left behind
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- off-leash LOVE ❤
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- chicken soup for the soul
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- Devils Thumb Lake 11,138ft
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- Home, Sweet Colorado Home
Indian Peaks Wilderness
6 days ago hadn’t heard of Creede. Spirit broken after failing to finish last Saturday. It’s not that I didn’t finish, it’s that I quit. Let conditions of the day – heat, altitude, nausea, crowd – break me. Additionally, opened the door/the possibility of ending my streak, 54 months marathoning. Bright side: Dirty 30 highlighted holes in my training, tweaks I could make before Bighorn.
15 marathons past 5 months, 1000 miles complete. Stronger than 2015, the year I went Maniac ‘Platinum’. HUGE miss in this year’s Bighorn quest? Failed to run BIGGER in my own backyard. Knocked off a lotta East Coast targets but only ONE trail – and nothing over 7000ft, even in training. Insert: Creede. Small mining town 6 hours from my front door stoop.
Marathon field < 50, mix of dirt & Colorado asphalt. High altitude [9000ft+] without the technical bouldering of Dirty 30. Thanks 50 Stater-Beth for sharing your race calendar (post-run Vermont). Wasn’t looking for a BONUS race then. No crystal ball, didn’t know.
Direct from work, journeyed solo outta Boulder. 3 hours tonite, 3 hours predawn – too fatigued for a drive straight-shot. Bedded in Salida, up again at 2:45am. Race dressed, key on the dresser, door locked behind. Rolled into Creede 5:35am, 10 minutes to spare (bib pick-up/registration). 99. Same EXACT bib # as last Saturday. What are the chances? Cursed or redemption?
mining town past
School bus boarded at 6. Cold morning shiver, mercury would soar 40+ degrees by race end. Stopped 20 minutes outside of Silverton. Out-n-back course. Dawn burst o’er the surrounding peaks, bright & blinding. Beautiful part of Colorado enveloped by canyon.
7am Mountain time. Start Line drawn in the dirt, headwaters of the Rio Grande (same Rio Grande, Texas to Mexico). Sported an ultra-vest (no cup event): bottle of water, bottle of electrolytes. Slight grade first couple miles, remainder of the day flat – ultimately descending into town, 8800ft elevation. Mountain time 😊
Popped on Highway 149 [Mile 5]. Notta fan of running highway; that said, notta lotta early morning traffic Silverton-Creede either. Perspective. Added an extra .75 (third-quarters mile) – ARGH – went left, later righted by a race cyclist. But, not my first rodeo. Would drop back on dirt mile 18, joined by Halfers bussed to marker 13.
5th overall at the Half. Aided by cool temps/steady pace, led the middle pack.
Good portion of the day ran with last year’s women’s winner (she’d finish 3rd today). Both of us fueled at 18. Despite her encouragement, walked most the next mile. Hot sun overhead, expended lotta energy first Half. Nice gal. …and I was sixth.
No water again ‘til 25. Empty. Guy in a truck honked encouragement – I yelled WATER. Vehicle stopped, guy handed over his open bottle. Random act of human kindness. Shared half-bottle with a college gal I’d chatted up miles 21/22.
Joined Runoff’s 6k event at their turnaround (mile-half from Finish). Appeared having been lost in a desert (I looked a hot mess – HA!), family jogging with their dog (mom/dad/3 boys) shared a Nalgene bottle. Again, thankful for the kindness of strangers ❤
Stop, start. Stop, start. 90 degrees, summer ablaze even on the Western Slope. Long 20 minute mile, drug the last one out. Dusty path littered with mine rock & sage led to Creede Ballpark. Finished in an irrigated field of green. June marathon complete, tag.
Laid back & over-sunned listening to a folk band. Veggie burger & a soda, small town festival. Good energy, happy vibe.
Not the greatest of courses – lotta highway, lack of race support/water – but the people here are good. Pure hearts. Just carry a full [backpack] bladder if visiting on a hot day 😊 Tick, tick, tick. 7 days, Bighorn.
RUNOFF RUNOFF
Rio Grande Restoration Project
and Headwaters Alliance
CREEDE, CO
Saturday, June 9, 2018
MARATHON OVERALL RESULTS
PLACE NAME GEN AGE BIB CITY/STATE TIME PACE
1 JACKSON COLE M 22 43 ALAMOSA CO 3:27:29 7:56
2 KYLE CLARK M 35 2 MORRISON CO 3:39:16 8:23
3 GRANTLEY SHOWALTER M 24 8 ALAMOSA CO 3:52:00 8:52
4 NOEL PRANDONI F 22 89 SANTA FE NM 3:57:23 9:04
5 KATELYN SNYDER F 26 16 FORT DEFIANCE AZ 4:44:59 10:53
6 SHAUNA GUTIERREZ F 27 124 ALAMOSA CO 5:03:36 11:36
7 ASHLEY MCCARTY F 39 67 DIBOLL TX 5:07:40 11:45
8 K R HAGA M 51 99 LOUISVILLE CO 5:17:38 12:08
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- Welcome to Creede
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- bib pick-up/registration
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- headwaters of the mighty Rio Grande
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- mining town past
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- Centennial State FINISH
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- San Juan Mountains
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- Summer HOT 🔥
summer trippin’ to Creede
Not all stories have a Cinderella finish but ALL add fabric to the journey.
Saturday’s ultra in Colorado’s Golden Gate Park a short hour-15 from home. Coordinated bib pick-up Wednesday, short drive from the American Mountaineering Center (formerly Golden High School, venue for the nite’s Trails in Motion Film Festival). Easy peasy, check done.
50k Start times: 6am, 7am & 8am.
Past couple 50Ks have finished 6 hours or under – only my first trail trek in Moab did I exceed 8 hours. However after listening to the chatter (preceded by a flurry of emails), opted for the early early Saturday option. Would also help avoid [a] good portion of the day’s summer heat.
3am wake-up, walked Ro, packed my ultra vest. Neighbor dropped me near the Start, approximately 4 miles of the Visitors Center (thanks Larry). Prepacked 2 drop bags: one for mile 17.4, other at the Finish line. First Colorado run of 2018. Warm, thin-air trail, elevation 9500ft. Good prep for Bighorn. Late add to the calendar, ensure a June marathon finish (extend streak to 55 months).
Beautiful scenic start. Colorful Colorado. Most eye catching of 2018.
Single track trail. Aspen & canyon walls, up-n-down day bouldering. Toughest trail run of my life. Looking back, the whole thing’s a blur. More hike than run. All UP, all DOWN, not much in between. Couple switchbacks, few stretches of Aspen, whole lotta boulder. Elevation gain similar a 14er hike.
Nervous start but digged the temps – upper 40’s, my kinda weather. Despite being my third race in 6 days, legs/mind felt strong at the first Aid Station. No delay, no dillydally. Refilled my water bottle, kept moving.
Start to Aid Station #1 (5.0 miles) — Enjoy a flat 0.25 mile run up the dirt road before reaching single-track trail. At mile 1.95 begin a steady, single-track climb through a cool, lush valley, crossing the stream 11 times. At mile 3.4 leave the stream and begin a 0.4 mile lung-burning climb. This section is steep but short. Keep pushing; it will be over before you know it. At mile 4.0, turn right at the junction for a short 0.2 mile climb to the top. The descent is rocky but fast. Take a moment to enjoy the great view of Mt. Evans to the south. Descend the 4 or so switch backs to Aid Station #1 at mile 5. Fuel up here for a steady 1,000 foot climb over the next 3 miles.
Long 7 miles between aid stations. Multiple climbs kicked my butt. All UP, all DOWN, crazy steep. Lotta pressure from behind, folks running the downhills blind. Lotta wasted time, dropping off trail/hugging a tree, letting the faster runner pass. Sunshine, jump in temp, altitude sickness. Altitude sickness? Me? NEVER an issue hiking ANY Colorado peak, yet today: headache & nausea. Body jarred, rushing over rock. Lead legs now, quick feet gone. 5 miles from my Drop Bag – salty snacks & Imodium awaiting, couldn’t stomach day’s Aid Station offerings (lotta sweet, little salt, no protein). Walked, rehydrated, kept moving. Short electrolytes.
Aid Station #1 to Aid Station #2 (6.9 miles) — Climb the Buffalo trail (double-track dirt road) for 1.2 miles to the metal gate. Take advantage of the rest rooms here if you need them. You are heading west, .5 miles up the Snowshoe Hare trail to the Aspen Meadows Camp Ground. Take a hard right at the bottom of the hill. If you cross the stream across the road you have gone too far. Continue the steady climb up to Mule deer trail. Take a moment to enjoy the great views of the divide. Turn left on Coyote which begins one of the toughest climbs of the race. Aid Station 2 is just .1 mile ahead on Mountain Base Road. This is a great place for crew, friends and family to meet you.
Puke fest, mental breakdown. NOW here come the elites (8am start), argh. AMAZING athletes. Even MORE time wasted, standing aside waiting for runners to pass than slogging/hiking/walking. No pace, nothing steady. Temps heating up. Complete mental blowup, super disappointing. 2 of the athletes on my Twitter feed raced past, flying over rock. WOW!
Aid Station #2 to Aid Station #3 (4.9 miles) — This climb up Coyote is tough, but the reward is worth it. Breath taking views of the divide to the west – so be sure to turn around and enjoy them when you get to the top of this 1.4 mile climb. The top is a rock scramble, so follow the cairns and trail markings, keep your head up and you will stay on the trail. Over the next 2 miles you will descend 1,100 ft…this section is technical – travel at a comfortable speed, keep your eyes ahead and pick up your feet! No Diggers! After the long, fast descent you will come up onto a junction on your left that traverses over to Horseshoe. Cross the foot bridge and turn right for .1 miles to Aid Station #3 and your drop bags at Fraser Meadows Trailhead.
120 marathons under my belt. Today however, felt like the ultimate impostor. Far beyond my skill level. Too technical, too quick. Too much elevation, too much everything. Felt heavy, large, overweight. No sugar-coating today’s result. Tough one.
Aid Station 3 arrival. No mas. Flagged down an official & called it. Less than 5 hours in, DNF.
Too many runners, too tight a trail. Just couldn’t imagine another 15 miles. 380 participants on a single-track hiking path; far too crowded, notta lotta fun. Crazy beautiful/technical course. For me however, not a good fit.
Dear Dirty 30’ers,
I hope you are recovering well and relishing in your accomplishment. Regardless of which distance you raced at the Dirty 30 this past weekend, the challenge was real and the courses were tough.
KEENAN HAGA #99 STATUS: DNF
START 6:08:12 AM
AID 1 Time: 7:15:49 AM Split: 1:07:36.66
AID 2 Time: 9:02:44 AM Split: 1:46:54.98
AID 3 Time: 10:57:18 AM Split: 1:54:33.99
50k Overall Results
- 15 50k Jackson Brill M 19 * 4:35:52.1 8:52
- 24 50k Chris Mocko M 32 * 4:46:15.7 9:12
- 18 50k Brian Condon M 31 * 4:51:33.9 9:23
- 69 50k Seth Demoor M 32 4:51:49.8 9:23
- 1096 50k Dylan Marx M 26 4:57:56.3 9:35
- 203 50k Jonathan Rea M 26 5:07:26.3 9:53
- 1092 50k Adam Loomis M 26 5:10:47.6 10:00
- 21 50k Timothy Olson M 34 5:11:30.4 10:01
