Fly on the Wall

Bonneville Shoreline Trail Marathon

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Location:

Salt Lake City,UT,

Member Since:

Nov 14, 2008

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Other

Running Accomplishments:

50k:  4:59 at Buffalo Run in 2010  (32 miles)

Marathon:  3:01 at St. George in 2009!

Half:  1:29 at Painter's/ St. George in 2009.  1:27 at Salt Lake in 2009 (aided course)

10k: 40:53 Greek Festival 10k at Sugar House park in 2010.

5miles: 32:10 Dam 2 Dam in 2009.  Master's winner.

5k: 20:00:00  19:54 in May 2010.

2008:  Ran the Slam + Boston

I need to update this!

Short-Term Running Goals:

Carpe Diem.

Don't trip over my own feet.

Long-Term Running Goals:

Keep running.

Personal:

1 wife

1 girl child

1 boy child

1 big dog

1 little dog

I'm a geologist for my day job.

Click to donate
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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Race: Bonneville Shoreline Trail Marathon (27.13 Miles) 05:02:00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
0.0027.200.000.0027.20

Sorry this was a long race and the report ended up being even longer.  I recommend skipping to the end.

Today I ran my first trail race, the Bonneville Shoreline Trail Marathon.  My only goal was to finish without bonking hard.  I thought I might be able to finish in under 5 hours but I had nothing to really base this on.

This race has no entry fee.  You are just supposed to bring food to share at the 3 aid stations and finish.  I think I read that the course is supposed to have 6,000+ feet of elevation gain and loss.  What ever the actual number it had some incredibly steep sections both uphill and down.  The route consisted of maintained single track trail, double track service road, forgotten dozer cuts, pipeline right of way, stream bed, deer trail, deer tracks, and even a few hundred feet of pavement.  It was marked with pink and yellow flagging tape.  In places it was quite foggy which made it more difficult to find the flagging.  If you are crazy you can read the full course description here- [url]http://www.users.qwest.net/~cirnielsen/bst.direct.html[/url]

We started on time at 7 a.m. with "Ready, Set, Go."  It had rained through the night and the trail was muddy.  The forecast called for more rain but we lucked out and only had a few drips with nice cool weather.  The first leg was about 11 muddy miles with an advertised 3,100 feet of elevation gain and loss- down into City Creek Canyon, up the other side, down to North Salt Lake, up a steep mountain (power walking), straight down back into City Creek Canyon (no switchbacks!), and back up to the start where the first aid station was (I ran with my Camel Bak).  I stayed on course and finished this part in about 1:50ish.  

The second leg heads back up to the Bonneville Shoreline trail and south to Red Butte Canyon.  Don't know what to say... It was muddy and I was tired.  I remember looking at my Garmin about mile 13ish and thinking-  :?  :(  :shock:  :x  :roll:  :|  :)  Anyway, about mile 20 I started passing runners who were headed in the opposite direction on the part of the loop that had traffic both ways.  This was the only crowd support but it helped give me a boost.  About mile 22 the course runs up Dry Creek but Dry Creek was ankle to shin deep with rushing water.  The gully is too steep and narrow to run anywhere but in the creek which was quite cold.  When the route left the creek it headed straight up the mountain on what is advertised as an "appallingly steep trail."  It was appallingly steep but it wasn't much of a trail.  On this section I did pass a young guy.  When I "flew" past him I checked my Garmin and I was burning it up with an 24 min/mile pace! :shock:  :lol:  He was the only other runner I could see and passing him proved to be a mistake.

After finally grinding up this mountain I knew the course was supposed to veer left and off the ridge line.  It was very foggy with maybe 20 foot visibility.  I kept looking for the flagging but missed it.  I found myself running, well "power" hiking up and over Twin Peaks and another hump and then straight down the other side.  It was foggy, I was 24 some miles into this thing, I was running down a rocky mountain with no trail, and I was alone and lost.   Not lost as in I'm spending the night but lost as in I'm not on the course and don't know where it is.  :roll:

At this point I ran into another lost runner.  We joined forces, ran down and out of the fog and then determined we were one or two ridge lines off of the course.  We ran side hill on some supper steep terrain, so as to not lose too much elevation, then down to a trail and back onto the route.  Once we hit a trail and I knew where I was and where I was supposed to be I left him behind.  Nice of me huh? :(

At about mile 26 I started to get a bit of leg cramping on the uphill sections.  Nothing debilitating but I didn't know how much further I had to go or how much further I had left in me.  I ended up running 27.13 miles according to my Garmin.

Few. I made it.  My time was about 5:02 and I figure the lost mile cost me about 15 minutes.  The winner was Carl Meltzer (sp?) who I gather is a trail/ ultra supper star and a professional runner I think.  The times aren't posted yet but I heard he set a course record with something like 3:45.

1- 7:38  155
2- 9:23  165
3- 12:23  167
4- 11:16  163
5- 8:37  162
6- 14:26  162
7- 12:02  162
8- 8:12  161
9- 8:04  162
10- 10:20  163
11- 13:45  157 1st aid station.  changed packs and changed shirts.
12- 12:40  162
13- 11:14  162
14- 8:45  162
15- 8:29  164
16- 7:43  162
17- 11:42  161
18- 11:53  161
19- 15:02  159  2nd aid station at the beginning of this mile?
20- 10:04  159  3rd aid station at the end of this mile?  (same aid station as 2nd).
21- 10:58  160
22- 10:16  161
23- 15:44  161
24- 18:33  160 lost in the fog?  OR just the steepest mountain.
25- 15:28  153 lost in the fog.
26- 9:21  163
27- 7:39  156
27.2- 6:20  162

27.13 miles
average - 11:09 min/mile, 160 bpm

Comments
From Kelli on Sat, Apr 25, 2009 at 18:13:28 from 71.219.83.91

High Carumba!!!! That sounds like quite a race. Were you just covered in mud??? I am glad the weather did not pour on you today, but it was a little chilly (at least while I was sitting at soccer games). I am sorry you got lost, that is a bummer (but you burned a few hundred extra calories, so go eat a Snickers or something)!!!

Great job, HUGE accomplishment.

From huans32 on Sat, Apr 25, 2009 at 18:27:38 from 24.2.68.35

Fly your awesome. With losing so much time losing the trail for a bit. You came in very strong. Great report I loved it. I remember how some of those miles we ran were tough with how steep both up and down. And you did awesome. Gratz on your first trail marathon.

From crockett on Sat, Apr 25, 2009 at 19:11:52 from 71.35.208.44

Well done! That is a very good time for that course and especially on your first trail race. Keep on the trails some more, you have some great talent for it.

From crockett on Sat, Apr 25, 2009 at 19:19:27 from 71.35.208.44

Oh, and Karl Melzer is recognized the one of the top, if not the very top mountain ultrarunner in the entire world. We are very proud of our local hero and we learn so much from him. When he is at his best, no one can touch him.

From Teena on Sat, Apr 25, 2009 at 21:06:43 from 67.177.20.13

Are you serious Fly??? Are you completely nuts??? Man ... you are amazing.

You are amazing!!

What did your wife and kids think?

COMPLETELY COOL, TOUGH, INSANE, AND HARDCORE!!!

Nice job!

From Smooth on Sat, Apr 25, 2009 at 21:18:39 from 71.36.71.239

I looked at the mountains today and thought about you running the BST race. The mountains looked like they're from Washington, foggy, rainy, misty.

You DID AWESOMELY AMAYHHZING!!!

CONGRATULATIONS! You're one talented runner and adventurous trail runner. Your family must be so proud of you. You know I AM!!! THANKS for sharing your report. I LOVE reading every word.

From desi on Sun, Apr 26, 2009 at 00:55:46 from 160.7.242.143

Absolutely amazing. Congrats your deserve it.

Chocolate Turtle

From Andy on Sun, Apr 26, 2009 at 04:06:01 from 198.60.114.178

Sounds like an amazing run. Congratulations. Are you hooked on trail marathons now?

From montelepsy on Sun, Apr 26, 2009 at 12:11:29 from 217.68.199.130

Holy mudpies, Flyman! You're a billy goat.

From Dmitry on Sun, Apr 26, 2009 at 13:12:17 from 71.199.54.200

Hey it was fun seeing you zip uphill and exchaning cheers as I was lazily running down that two-way traffic section of Dry Fork :) Crowd Support works both ways LOL.

From maurine on Sun, Apr 26, 2009 at 15:58:27 from 97.117.57.193

Wow - great job! That is one tough marathon from what I have heard. I'm actually glad I got injured a month ago and chose to not run it.

From MarcE on Sun, Apr 26, 2009 at 21:18:46 from 206.225.68.108

Sounded like quite an adventure! Not sure how I'd like trail marathons..it would be very difficult to compare one race to another. They're so unique. Great job, and how did you place overall?

From Kathie on Mon, Apr 27, 2009 at 12:00:09 from 207.155.176.10

Wow Fly I thought of you on Saturday, in Bountiful at 7:00 am it was beautiful and I thought you were having the same luck. I didn't even think about all the fog. So are you hooked on the trail runs... wasatch 100 next for you?

From DonGardinero on Wed, Apr 29, 2009 at 13:14:32 from 75.162.98.176

Mark...How's the recovery coming along?

From JeffC on Wed, Apr 29, 2009 at 16:10:44 from 167.207.128.101

You are a wild man! Nuff said!

From huans32 on Fri, May 01, 2009 at 08:32:14 from 138.64.2.76

Havent seen a post for a while. Hope your recovering well. Everything alright??

From Teena on Sat, May 02, 2009 at 22:49:31 from 67.177.20.13

Hope you had a great week Fly!!!

From MarcE on Tue, May 05, 2009 at 18:42:11 from 206.225.68.52

Where's Fly?

From fly on the wall on Tue, May 05, 2009 at 18:54:00 from 168.179.215.242

Thank you all for the kudos.

I took a week of R&R, that's Rest from Running. I was very busy with house projects. But now I'm back and raring to go!

I may, well most likely will, run another trail race but I'm not ready for anything close to a 100 miler. Perhaps I'll see if the Wasatch Steeple Chase still has openings.

Next up will be the 5k my work puts on for employees. It is in a couple of weeks and will happen during our lunch break. Other than that, the only thing for sure is St. George. I hope to train hard for St. George.

Thanks again for the encouragement!

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