Chapter 5 of The Journey to My First 100 Mile Run

29MAY02   Since the Mt. Bigelow run I have spent a little extra effort on speedwork now that my foot is feeling better and my hip is no longer a deterrent. Initially, this diary started out as a synopsis of all the trail runs in the Tucson series but as I get closer to AC I feel my training focus needs to be broader. I went to the track a couple of times and ran a 5K and 7 mile tempo run. I ran a low-key 5k cross country race at Lincoln Park in 16:59 and place 3^rd overall. I was please with this effort considering I ran 35 minutes before the race and another 20 minutes to get home.

 

After another track workout and another 7 mile tempo run I entered and raced the Cinco de Mayo 10K at Starr Pass. I have never taken part in this race in previous years because it is on the same weekend as the Lincoln Marathon for the National Guard trials. I warmed up for two miles with my friend Joel O’Bryan; then we lined up and started the race. My first mile was 5:45 and I averaged 5:40 pace per mile for the race finishing in 35:10 and 8^th place overall. The course is hilly which explains my slower time. I was still happy with the effort.

 

The following weekend I ran an easy Bear Canyon loop with Bob Redwanc, Pete Gonzlik and Chris Fall. The weekend of May 18^th, my wife and I travelled to the Lake Tahoe area for Pete and Tonja’s wedding. We were able to spend a small amount of time checking out some of the Tahoe Rim Trail. The Tahoe Rim 50 Mile is definitely a must do event for the summer of 2003. The weekend after that, Trish and I drove down to Madera Canyon and I ran the Super Trail up to Baldy Saddle and turned around for a 2:15 run and then returned the next day and checked out Vault Mine and Josephine Saddle for a 1:30 effort. Vault Mine Trail is an extremely difficult, completely uphill hike but the views are well worth it. This kind of back to back training is what I am going to have to employ over the summer. I could feel the previous day’s Super Trail downhill in my quads.

 

Over the past three weeks I have been lifting more weights. Once or twice a week I lifted for upper body and arms and once a week I put in a major endurance session for legs which entails 4 sets of 12 repetitions at 35 pound single leg extensions, 4×12 at 35 pound single leg curls, 2×12 at 115 pound squats, and 2×12 at 95 pounds lunges. My legs are fairly sore and stiff for a couple of days after this workout which means I’m either out of shape or I’m overdoing it. Last Friday I rode my bike 19 miles into work in the morning and returned to in the late afternoon. I am planning on continuing this Friday routine throughout the summer. Also, for the past three weeks I have consumed only 4 beers and strictly stick to wine for weekend relaxing. In addition I have significantly reduced my simple sugar end enriched flour intake. Since then I have lost 7 pounds.

 

The Santa Catalina Ascent has been cancelled this upcoming weekend due to a major forest fire in the Santa Catalina – Mt. Bigelow – Reddington Pass area. The Forest Service has opted to close all of the Coronado National Forest which also eliminates all other trail options in places like the Santa Ritas, Huachucas, Chiricahuas, and Mt. Graham. For now, the National Park Service has not closed the Saguaro Monument so I will make an attempt to run some of the lesser used trail out by Happy valley on the eastside of the Rincon Range and plan to start by going over Heartbreak Ridge down to Grass Shack and back up to Happy Valley Saddle.

 

13JUL02   It has been some time since I posted to this journal. After my run in the Santa Ritas the forests were closed except for the Saguaro East Monument. Joel O’Bryan and I took quick advantage the following weekend and ran an easy paced trail to Cowhead Saddle and then down to Grass Shack Campground and returned for a total 22 miles. The weekend of June 8^th I did a solo trek starting at 5:10am up to Manning Camp at 8100 feet elevation. This run is 25 miles round trip and virtually all uphill going out and downhill coming back. It took me 4 hours and 46 minutes so I was finishing near 10am and the heat was coming on. It turned out to be a beautiful day with no dangerous animal sightings. Upon reaching manning Camp I saw a dozen or so “hotshot’ crews up and about eating breakfast.

 

So far for five out of six weeks I have kept up with the weekly ride into work as well as six weeks of leg weights. Between June 18^th and July 9^th I ran weekly track intervals on Tuesdays ranging from 5×1 mile, 2×2 mile, and 12×400 meters. One interesting span of training that I did over the 4^th of July period was for five consecutive days I ran a 14 mile loop, “Three Tanks Trail,” on the lower Saguaro East Monument trails. My initial plan was to run three Bear Canyons or five Douglas Springs but since everything virtually closed except for these lower trails my mind was made up.

 

The first day I ran by myself starting at 5:15am. The loop starts at the east end of Broadway on the Cactus Forest Trail and heads east past the dam and up to the gold fish tank then continues toward the Douglas Springs Trail intersection. At the junction you head back west toward the Speedway trailhead and take the split up to and over Bajada Vista. Run down the Westside of the vista and follow the trails back up towards Speedway and follow the trail around west then south and west back to the start. I ran this counterclockwise in just under two hours. The next three day Bob Redwanc joined me and we ran counterclockwise the next two days and clockwise the fourth day. Our times were 2:25, 2:26 and 2:28. The clockwise direction seems to have more prolonged difficult climbing although our times were almost identical. The fifth day I went alone in the clockwise direction and ran 2:01 in a hard effort. Thanks to Bob I had good motivation to show up every day especially after a 4^th of July party at our house. During these runs Bob convinced me to travel with him and Eileen and run the White River 50 mile National Trail Championship on the 27^th of July in Washington State. I found airfare for $185 on Alaskan Airlines and decided to run my first 50 miler in two years.

 

The second weekend of July Bob and I went out again for an easy Three Tank loop. Three miles into the run I stepped on a thorn just under my left big toes on the ball of my foot. God did that hurt. I pulled it out and finished the run with a little remaining pain. Later that morning after the run my foot swelled up and I could hardly walk. This persisted for two days when I finally bought some Ibuprofen and the swelling and pain subsided. Apparently these thorns contain some kind of poison and since this thing went to the bone, I was injected. Luckily, 50 mile race is a week and a half away and I have time to make this better.

 

20JUL02   One week before the race in Washington, Trish, Alli and I drove to Mt. Lemmon to get our first run on the trails since the reopening of the national forest. Actually this was my second trail run since the forest reopened July 18^th. I had run an out and back to Sabino Basin on Phoneline Trail. It has rained every other night for the past two weeks so the dryness in the forest is getting quenched.

 

We parked at Sunset Trail across from the closed Butterfly Trail on Mt. Lemmon Highway. I ran from Sunset to Marshall Gulch up to Mint Springs and back down to Marshall Gulch. I ran fairly easy just to climb a few hills and not wear myself out before the 50 miler. We had all planned on only running less than two hours. Since I had gained a mile or two on the girls I could take a mile long detour on the Aspen Draw Trail. To my dismay I misjudged the direction of the trail and ended back up at Mint Springs. I thought I might be going in the wrong direction as I was climbing a hell of a lot. I persisted though, and after awhile I was past the point of no return – about 30 minutes, and hoped for the best. Eventually after 40 minutes I came to the saddle and the four-way intersection. I couldn’t believe one of the signs said Mint Springs. To my recollection the only Mint Springs was back at Marshall Gulch. After reading the other trail signs it dawned on what had happened. I was now 2.8 miles away from where I needed to be and my watch said 1 hour and 43 minutes. From here I ran hard because I figured if I was over two hours the girls would get worried. I ended up back at the car in 2:10. The mistake added 3.7 miles to my run and a lot harder effort than I initially planned for.

 

The last week before the race I took Monday and then Friday off and biked 44 miles over two separate rides on Tuesday. The afternoon ride was brutal die to strong headwinds and side gusts. My quads were smashed for two days after this ride. I ran six and seven miles easy the next two days to loosen my quads. My big toe still hurts a little so I have still been using Ibuprofen.

Chapter 4 of The Journey to My First 100 Mile Run

10MAR02 Esperero Canyon Loop   As you can see, my last sentence was “I will try for 3 and a half hours.” I didn’t come close. Coming into today’s 21.3 mile Esperero Trail run I began experiencing a little quirk in my upper left leg. This feeling is reminiscent of a debilitating injury I incurred a year and a half ago. Once I tore the tissue in the upper left hamstring, inflammation put pressure on a nerve in my lower left back. I thought today would be a good ‘feeling’ out day prior to next weekend’s Crown King 50K.

 

After two-thirds of a mile jog up Sabino Canyon Road I turned left onto Esperero Trail and began the rolling section of hills for about a mile. After this the trail climbs significantly eventually climbing up through a draw. It’s pretty cool that there actually is a trail through here because the trail basically climbs over and around rocks all the way through the draw. Catching occasional glimpses of Cathedral Rock; it looks so far away. After the draw the trail crosses an area filled with oak, juniper and pine trees as well as the unbending Manzanita. Today’s forecast is for 80 degrees and the sun is already up high and bright but for now, this section of trees is cool and shaded. After gradual and sometimes steep climbs I reach an exposed section of trail where if I turn around I can see Tucson splayed out before me. I basically hiked up through this portion until I approach the south face of Cathedral Rock. The trail still ascends until the top-out on the eastside of the tip of Cathedral Rock. I got here in 1:47 and went over the other side and sat down on the trail to eat a glucose tablet and some salt.

 

I started the run with two hand held 20 ounce water bottles, one filled with water and the other with XLR8. I have drunk half a bottle of water and a quarter of XLR8. On the backside the trail descends steeply through the bushes and trees. Luckily there is some snow. Without foot prints I don’t think I would have been able to follow this trail. Under the branches I spied the tricky switchbacks and several times overshot the trail only to quickly discover there was no trail. After coming down to the Romero Pass Trail junction I turned right and continued to run downhill more gradually and with less vegetation. I consumed very little fluid since the top except for a few sips of XLR8. I still have 2.5 miles of exposed trail to reach Hutches Pool where there is water. I take little sips of water through the sunny parts of the trail just to wet my lips.

 

Upon arrival at Hutches Pool I still feel good and decide not to chance the water since it is not flowing but standing in pools. This is a popular place for campers. The trail continues for two miles to Sabino Basin then ascends a small hill onto a 2.4 mile section ending at the top of Sabino Canyon Road. I start to feel nauseated through here and my quads are hurting at every step. I began walking small sections and finally reach the half mile downhill to the 3.7 mile long road. Sipping on the XLR8 is not helping as it has sugar in it and is just upsetting my stomach more. My time at the top of the road is 3:37. Normally I could run down this road in 23 minutes but after the initial seven tenths of a mile descent my quads give out and I walk and run when I can.

 

I am comforted by dipping my water bottle into a slow flowing, clean looking water under a bridge crossing. The water tastes good but is too late as my stomach rejects it. With a mile and a half remaining I decide to walk it in because if I run I want to puke and don’t really want to vomit around all of the hikers. I reached the finish in 4:21:44. Two years ago I ran this trail in 4:32 with Gene Joseph. Three years ago I ran it around 4:15 with Rick Fenno and Benito Gonzales. That year we ran out of water at Hutches Pool and took a dip to cool off. I guess the moral of the story is that I should use my Camelbak on this run in the future. Next weekend is Crown King 50K.

 

16MAR02 Crown King 50K   Here it is; the big event we all train for and travel to Crown King to scramble the 50K or 50 mile and then party at the cabins after the race. It is colder this year than the previous five years. The 50K starts near Lake Pleasant, northwest of Phoenix. The first mile is on the highway and then turns into gravel road. The first half of the race is an undulating dirt road. I started the race running stride for stride with my old friend, Sean Andrish, who is visiting from Leesburg, Virginia. Sean and I tied for 2^nd place last year behind Karl Metzler. This year, Sean thinks we can make a run for the 4 hour record. I do not have the same feeling due to all the past years I have run this course it has been hot.

 

Shortly after the first aid station at 8 miles I let Sean go ahead of me because I feel like I’m working too hard on the early hills of the race. By mile 11 Sean is out of view. My hip began aching a little but no real pain. I am still in 2^nd place as I come upon my wife Trish around mile 14. She started an hour early. As I reach her the thought enters my mind to bag the race and finish with her and just enjoy myself the rest of the way. Why is it that if I don’t think I can win this race then I don’t want to run at all? After slowing down momentarily with my wife I realize that I can still run and who gives a shit whether I win or not. Why not enjoy this race for once rather than treating it as a death march challenge every year?

 

I took my time at the 15 mile aid station. Then I jogged up the long steady climb at an easy pace and began to feel better. At this point a runner came by and asked me how far ahead Sean was. He looked intent on catching him so I told him at least 10 minutes. Now, in third place, I reach the top of the masochistic 19 mile hill and stop for a GU gel and water. I turned and looked back down the hill and seen Carl Anderson and Ann Trason climbing up to me. I bid them both good luck on the way by and told them the next four miles are smooth sailing to the 23 mile aid station.

 

After 23 is where the real work begins. The road climbs in and around the mountain to mile 27 and is rocky and difficult to run when you are wasted. I took my time again at the 27 mile aid station until I could see one or two runners approaching. I still have two more miles to climb to the top of the hill and then two more down hill to the town of Crown King. After the top-out I ran one mile down to a level area in the road that is about 200 yards long. This is where James Bonnett passed me. The kid looks fresh and is striding better than I am as I can’t match his pace and he gets away from me.

 

I finally ended this journey in 4:55 good for 7^th place. Breaking 5 hours in my mind is alright especially on a bad day. My competitive juices are drained as I do not feel like running another race again. Or maybe it’s that I don’t want to ‘race’ another race. I’m not sure how capable I am of doing this. I believe the Angeles Crest 100 miler is a good place to start. I will have no choice but to run and not race. I have no idea how to race a 100 miler and really don’t want to know. I want to finish and if I finish strong or ahead of anyone else then who cares. The 100 mile journey is my soul’s search for another adventure and it does not benefit from arriving at the finish line in any predetermined time or place. Time and place are both wants of the ego. I believe that if I am going to be successful at completing my first 100 miler then I need to put the ego to sleep and allow the soul to guide me through its wishes and desires and to run down a single track trail in the San Gabriel Mountain Wilderness.

 

I have cancelled my plans to run the Lincoln Marathon in May. It would have been my 11^th consecutive year at Lincoln, Nebraska and my 27^th marathon. I have no desire left to run a 6:00 pace for 26 miles on a hard road while competing for something my ego has already achieved 10 times over. I don’t know how long this has gone on but I figure back to my early teens when my soul has whispered wonderful ideas and places to go but I let my ego guide the way and make ill-fated decisions.

 

March 31, 2002 is Easter Sunday and also the Mica Mountain Marathon. I chose to sleep in and continue to take a break from the long trail.

 

13APR02 Mt. Bigelow   On Saturday, April 13^th at 6:00am I ran up the road of Sabino Canyon with my friend Tom Boyle as we commenced our ascent to Mt. Bigelow. Since I knew it was going to get hot later that morning I carried a 100 ounce Camelbak. It seemed to be pretty comfortable and it was nice to have water at my lips anytime I needed it. My pace felt leisurely for most of the run. I really took it easy today and enjoyed the views of the Palisades trail.

 

This route has several options. The main distance is the 50K by reaching the top of Mt. Bigelow and then returning to the visitor center usually around 1:00pm in the heat. Tom and I decided ahead of time that we would go to the peak and come back to the aid station at the trailhead for a total of 18 miles. After about 7 or 8 miles into the run I gradually pulled ahead of Tom. I still slowed to walk the steeper sections and continually kept my eyes out for snakes. Amazingly, I never spotted a snake the entire morning. As I got higher in elevation the pines kept the trail shaded all the way to the trailhead near Palisade’s Ranger Station. Here, Rick Kelly and Bob Bachani’s wife, Mary Alice, were set up with a full aid station. I reached this point of 15.5 miles in 3 hours and talked with Rick for several minutes as Tom and Tim Varner came up behind me. The three of us left together for the 2 mile jaunt up to Mt. Bigelow and then descended back past the ranger station on Mt. Lemmon Highway. Tom and I bid Tim farewell on his trek back to Sabino and then we waited for Tom’s wife, Suzanna, to pick us up with beer and sandwiches.

 

The trail series is coming to and soon. Multiple Wrightson Ascent is May 18^th, but I will miss that due to attending Pete and Tonja Chagaris’ wedding at Lake Tahoe. You can bet that I will get some miles in on the Tahoe Rim Trail that weekend. The last run on the series is during the first weekend in June, organized by Julie Arter in the form of Santa Catalina Ascent. By the first week of June I should be mentally and physically rested and ready to commence my summer training for the Angeles Crest 100 miler.

Chapter 3 of The Journey to My First 100 Mile Run

04JAN02 Wasson Peak Twenty-one runners gathered at the Sus Picnic Grounds in Saguaro National Monument West at 7am in order to run the Wasson Peak figure eight version of trail. Just before sunrise we ran north on the dirt road for about 2 miles and then made a right at the first T-intersection. Then run another 2 miles east to the Esperanza Trailhead. This trail meanders to the south towards the mountain range for about a mile and gradually increases in elevation until ascending switchbacks until topping out at the saddle junction. I ran fairly hard tot his point in an effort to complete this run listed at 15 miles near 2 hours. Just prior to the start, Ross Zimmerman claimed he had GPS’d the route and it showed 13.6. I personally feel the trail is 14 or 14.25 (I’ve since measured the route with a better GPS and agree with Chase; 14.2 mi.–Ross Z).

The Journey to My First 100 Mile Run

The Journey to My First 100 Mile Run

 

The following entries are a compilation of diary entries from September, 2001 through September, 2002. I entered the Angeles Crest 100 Mile Endurance Run for 2002 and kept a log of all of my longer training runs for the entire year before the race. The majority of the runs are from the TTR trail schedule. After perusing through these entries almost 8 years later I found some interesting insights; especially where there is mention of glucose and salt tablets and my reluctance to use a Camelbak. I will publish these entries one at a time over several weeks in order to avoid overburdening the reader. There is a twist at the end of this story so if you have the patience…read on!

Riding to Redington–Scouting the A-7 100K

At the Bar LY turn off, I didn’t know whether to be pleased or discouraged by the climb into the hills of the upland–

Looking west from Bar LY sign

Notice way off in the distance the road goes over a hill and disappears.  Then see the white crescent to the right that’s the same road curving over another rise?  A yellow-clad figure, Steve Kanoza, was on top of that hill waving his arms at me, or so he says.  (For the full-sized photo check out my Redington Ride Picasa Album and click on the magnifying glass.  I think I can make him out.).  We had established a pattern in which Steve would leave me on the climbs, then wait for me on hilltops.  When he commented that he was dropping under 4 miles per hour on the steep climbs, I admitted to going under 3.  He was sort of impressed that I could balance the bike at that speed.  Afterwards Steve commented to me that this was the hardest mountain bike ride he had ever done.  To Donna he commented he would never do it again, but he’s since relented.  It was the second longest and one of the 10 hardest mountain bike rides I’ve attempted,  so I was pleased with our effort, despite the cold I came down with later in the week.

Soldier/LaMilagrosa Loop Map

Here’s what the route looked like for last Sunday’s run. Click on this to see the full-sized map–

Reddington 50 (more or less) K

This write-up took me a few days because my GPS-bearer did a lot of wandering.  Gene Joseph (the bearer) and Jerry Riddick ended up extending the 50K (31 miles) to 33.87 miles according to my GPS.  Not only did they do an alternate route on the way out to the turn around, they made their own turn around point over a mile past the one I envisioned.  Fortunately Gene marked a waypoint at the Arizona Trail sign turn around on the way back, so I was able to construct a map of what the 50K should look like.  It appears to a bit short, so I might change the turn around slightly next year (for the 3rd time…).

An Easy 100

This post was provided by Jerry R:

A wise man told me that if redemption could be found for only $225 , I should grab it. After a failed attempt at Leadville, this seemed to be good advice. So I wrote the check and sent it off to the Rio del Lag 100 miler held Sept 27/28  held outside of Auburn CA.
It is a small race with mainly local runners. The RD Norm Klein ( and wife Helen) are legends in their own right, so this should be well staged. And with an elevation gain/loss of  only 9,000 feet up and 9,000 feet down, this should be an easy 100.

Hopkins 2008

This is our one flat-out (albeit not flat) road run.  It starts at the Whipple Observatory Visitors Center next to the Gamma Ray detectors.  14 people showed up to run, ride, or hike some version of the route, including Geno Foushee and I.  With Geno covering the aid station at the 8 mile gate, I could start the runners/rider, then hop on my bike and chase them.  The Aviles and the Lumms had already driven with Geno up to the gate, where they were going to do an 8 mile run/hike to the top.

Sabino Basin Run Sept. 21 2008

This run made it back on the schedule after a couple years of trail closures forced alternative routes.  Here’s run director Doug Kelly’s write-up, followed by my account with some photos.  I got photos of most people who did the Sabino Basin turn around. –Ross Z

This run features great views of the Sabino Canyon debris flows.  I noticed one of the big ones is starting to get revegetated–