Today was about pushing the limits and could be the hardest single day run effort I've ever done. While running the Skyline Trail last week over Ben Lomond Peak I noticed a trail race sign at the North Ogden Divide. I contacted the race director Friday since the race was already closed and the race was in the morning. In total opposition from usual trail/ultra races he got me an entry. I felt it would be a great opportunity to run a single track race on mountains, gaining over 5,000 feet, with some of the best trail racers out there. I knew Steve S is in awesome shape right now, Nathan P had just won the Wasatch and Jupiter Steeplechases, Pablo G had won this race three times already, a group of ultra guys including Shane M would be there, and the serious local guys. It would not be the backyard easy run. Historically my weak points have been heat running and anything with hills, and I have been focusing on those as I slowly crawl back into shape. But I also knew that we were running a 23 mile attempt late afternoon of the Grand Teton which was honestly on the edge of my ability. If we hauled butt, it would just all fit in...
Starting line of the marathon I had some decisions to make. Most runners had serious gear, Camelbacks, fuel, etc. The race director had sent us an email the night before that the trail was now .4 miles longer and aid stations few and far between. But when Steve S stepped up to say Hi he only had a hand held water bottle and regular running gear so I made the choice to run with just a 20 ounce bottle of water and a good size bag of gummi bears. Hopefully I'd hit the aid stations. I got off quick right behind the lead pack as the race hit the single track straight up the switchbacks up the mountain. Right away the 6-7 guys were going much faster than I wanted, or probably was capable of. I just got my head down and dug in since I knew we had 3,000 feet to climb. I was already exhausted since I'd been up until 2am waiting for my son to get home from a date. I was cussing him the whole way up. I hit the small aid station at 9,000 feet and asked the crew how far behind the lead pack I was. Three minutes behind one group and over six behind the leaders. In seven miles. So I knew they were climbing today over a minute faster per mile than I could. I had averaged just over 10 minute pace coming up. So I hauled down the hills to the next climb. Very rocky and narrow and I found that I couldn't go as fast as I wanted. I was limited by technical ability/trail instead of fitness. Not what I expected and a good lesson from the day. The trail forked all over and was marked at those forks by a yellow ribbon on the right trail. Very difficult to see at six minute pace with your head focused on the trail. Coming out in Ogden divide and crossing the highway I made a bad mistake. Looking across the road there were three trails, one had a yellow ribbon on it and a volunteer who I yelled at which trail to take. She pointed at the one climbing up and I simply started up it. It shortly turned and began going down and soon I knew that wasn't right because we had a 2,000 foot climb up to the next ridgeline. I turned around and ran back. The volunteer was freaking out she was getting cussed out by the race folks. Apparently they had stepped away to stock the aid station and left her there. (Found this out after the race) It was a sucker punch and as anyone knows who races, going off course can wreck a race for you if you let it. I didn't want that to happen. I had a hard time getting back in the game. It was now mile 13 and my next mile climbing up was 17 minutes! Crap. Once again I had to get my head down and just focus on turnover. My next climb miles were 13 and 11, and I was getting stronger. Pretty cool to experience. As I crested the saddle I could see a pack of guys ahead climbing Lewis Peak (I believe). I hit the aid station and started the downhills again. No more hills to do. Sweet. It started coming back and miles 18, 19, 20, 21 were at 5:53 pace. I felt pretty good. This was just a different kind of race to run. I could tell my feet were blistered up and tried to just ignore it. I passed three guys ahead of my now and dozens of weekend trail runners going down. Lots of cheering and high fives from local runners who stepped aside for us. Very cool. I also began weaving around half marathoners and bikers. Two miles along the lake and it was over. I thanked the race director and talked to the guys who kicked my butt for a while about how the &%$# they could run up hills that fast. I think Steve S would have won the race had he taken that first climb just a notch back. Then I had to bust out of there for my drive to Jackson Hole. Long race report today but I want to remember the feeling of this race. The first 100% effort trail run I have ever done. Lessons; You cannot gain time back if you are not conditioned enough to run fast uphill. You simply cannot go fast enough downhill on narrow, rocky, single track. Also, know the trail. Read the maps and know where you are going. Run it beforehand if you can. Good experience for me and even though I could not keep up with the fastest guys, I was encouraged that I was getting stronger and negative split a mountain, trail marathon.
My son picked me up and had three cheeseburgers ready. We drove fast up to Idaho Falls and picked up my brother and a few of his older kids. We drove to Jenny Lake, Jackson packing and planning along the way. I knew it was a singular day for an afternoon attempt at the Grand. High pressure system and clear radar meant a significant chance of missing the afternoon thunderstorms that are the norm in the Tetons. We were running west across the range from the Wyoming side to the Idaho side. But looking at the time we changed plans and nixed the climb up the Grand, accepting that we would run across Hurricane Pass 10,700 feet through Cascade Canyon instead. I didn't want any risk of staying the night along the trail. The kids dropped us off and we took the ferry across to hit the trailhead. They drove around to Tablerock Trailhead on the other side of the range to meet us. Incredible trail. Impossible to describe. We stopped as ran eating handfulls of huckleberries the entire run up. I had some serious rubber legs and was getting very nervous about a 4,000 foot climb and 20 miles. I was eating the whole way up now, sweeping the Huckleberry bushes and drinking from the glacier waterfalls. Five miles in I was starving anyways and had to ask my brother to stop running and speed hike for awhile so I could down a few packs of peanut MMs. Very surprised when it all came back and we ran right up through the 8,9, and 10,000 foot levels. Super cold above 10,000 feet and my bro was very dizzy now and had tingly, numb hands from the altitude. The wind was roaring through Hurricane Pass above 30knts and we just had to push it fast through. We stoped once we hit the sun going down the other side so I could ductape all my toes and the blisters from the morning. But man we were loving it. What mountains! Every now and then going down we would swing by small campsites and say a quick Hi to the campers. Soon it was headlamp time and I discovered that my headlamp batteries were dead. How stupid could I be? Very technical trail down following my bro ahead? Jello legs as well? Luckily I had my cell phone, turned the light on and taped it to my hand. We had to drop pace significantly because I just couldn't see the trail. Neither of us cared about that by this point. Five miles from from the trailhead we met my son running up. What a cool feeling! The plan had worked and he was having a blast. He had lost his headlamp coming up and was on an adrenaline high. Just as it was getting dark he had jumped a pair of bears on the trail a few miles below us and was a bit freaked. He had ran in the dark after that two more miles up until seeing our lights, sure that they were chasing him down. Those last five miles were some of the best runnign miles that I can remember, the three of us running down, sharing the light, talking and singing as loud as we could so those bears would stay away. My brother would stop us every now and then to show us fresh bear tracks in the trail and a few mountain lion tracks. Bear were all over and I was glad to have a very familiar trail guy along. We finally reached the trailhead at 10pm and had to hop in for the drive back. This was an unreal day.
  
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