pacing Dave VanMiller at the Cascade Crest 100 Mile Endurance Run

Sometimes (read: usually) it's not about me.

This weekend I had the chance to pace my friend Dave VanMiller at the Cascade Crest 100 Mile Endurance Run and it was awesome! More to the point, Dave was awesome!



Pacing and volunteering have got to be the best ways to give back to this sport of trail running. Pacing and being paced has also been some of the best experiences I have had running.

For the past several years I have been running with my sister Lucca at the Seattle Marathon. Some years it's just been for fun and some years she was really going for it and I believe her Marathon PR was set on this course one of the years we ran together. It's become somewhat of an annual tradition. We have also run all of the Sun Mountain 50k together.

I had the good fortune to happen onto a pacer myself when I ran Cascade Crest and it was a fantastic experience. So when Dave said he was looking for a pacer and my weekend was free I jumped at the opportunity.

Cascade Crest lets you pick up your pacer at about the halfway point. Dave's wife Gretchen was going to run with him from mile 54-69 and I was going to take him from 69 to the finish. Since I wasn't going to start running until about 11:00 PM and since there isn't much you can do prior to running except for relaxing, I opted to drive to the halfway point (the Hyak aid station) early to meet Gretchen and Dave.

It was a little surreal sitting there in the John Wayne Trail waiting for runners to show up knowing what they had just covered... One thing that always impresses me is how comfy I am running in these relatively mild temperatures but how freaking cold I get just sitting around in them. Glad I planned for this and packed some layers.



And it was comforting to see that not everyone else was immune to the relative cold.



I met tons of friends that were also pacing. It felt like half of my ultra running friends had either gotten into this race or were helping out. So cool!

Gretchen and I connected, discussed logistics, and then there was nothing ot do but chill until Dave showed up.

Watching the leaders come and go was impressive. The first runner had a 50-minute gap on 2nd place! I was told this guy has won this race twice and was going for a course record. When he took off with just his wet t-shirt and two handheld bottles into the cold night and the higher elevation sections of this course I had my doubts... turns out he did win but didn't beat the record.

Dave arrived a little ahead of schedule and looked like he was having a super day! We gave him his pitstop and I managed to snap a quick picture.



After Dave and Gretchen left, I just cleaned up Dave's drop bag, put everything in Gretchen's car, locked it up and drove myself to the next transition.

And had absolutely. Nothing. To do.

This is the tough part for pacers (or a support crew). You show up early to ensure you don't miss your runner and then you wait.

It was too cold to hang out in just my running clothes so I put layers on over the top, got all my shit ready, reclined my car seat and tried to relax/nap.

Except you can't really nap or you'll miss your runner. I was parked in a turn on a dirt road and the runners would come by me pretty quick. I could only see each one for perhaps 10 seconds and then they were past my car and heading up the road to the aid station. I was really hoping I didn't screw it up.

Luckily I saw Dave and Gretchen approaching. Thank goodness most people have a unique running style which I can recognize immediately. As they ran past I got out and proceeded to grab my gear. Funny how you think you have everything laid out and ready and then it takes WAY longer to actually shed your outer layers, put on your vest, your headlamp, grab your trekking poles, lock the car, reassure yourself that you really locked the car, run through the mental checklist, and jog up to the aid station.

"Dave! Dave, are you here?"

But it worked. I found my runner, found Gretchen, gave her the car keys, told her where it was, and then Dave and I disappeared into the night. And onto the most technical trail of this race - the "trail from hell".

Dave had told me before the start that his goal was 22-24 hours. Gretchen had told me he was having a great day but didn't mention any specifics. I figured if we just didn't slow down much it would be a super finish. The next aid station - Mineral Creek at mile 75 - was not far away in terms of distance but because the trail is so tricky and because it's always up or down, it takes most people about 1.5 hours to get there. Dave is a pretty good trail runner and didn't slow down at all here. I ran in front so I would occasionally turn around and shine my headlamp on the more technical sections to help Dave descend without tripping. There is one creek crossing just before you get to the aid station and you had to rock hop across. I made it over dry but Dave dipped the toe of one shoe in the water. He didn't seem worried so I wasn't either.

We arrived at the aid station and Dave was Mr. Efficient so we were moving again in no time.

From Mineral Creek (mile 75) to No Name Ridge (mile 82) is one big dirt road climb. The one time I ran this race I walked most of it. Not Dave. He kept breaking into a jog. Even when we were walking Dave was moving. On this road we slowly caught another runner, I think he was a great carrot.

Up on the ridge it was colder for sure. Dave was in and out of the aid station again but I grabbed some soup to warm up and had to catch up.

This section of the race takes you along the "Cardiac Needles" so named because the elevation profile looks like an EKG. Our carrot was really strong and it was a challenge to stay in touch. I checked in a couple of times to see if the pace was okay and each time Dave said it was. Dave was really impressing me up here. This is not fast terrain, especially after 80+miles, but Dave was moving really well.

The cherry on the top of the Needles is the Thorp Mt fire lookout. To get here you need to do an out-and-back from the aid station at mile 86 and climb to the high point of this race. Dave (as do most people) opted to skip the aid station on the way up. To prove you ran this section there was a book attached to the lookout and you had to grab the page that corresponded to your bib number. Dave was all business and so we arrived at the aid station again in a hurry. Dave grabbed some food, I filled his bottles, and we were gone.

Suddenly Dave said, "I forgot my poles!" Damn, I had failed one of my pacer duties and let Dave leave equipment behind. I was just about to tell Dave I could run back and get them when he said, "Forget about it. I have a friend at the aid station and can pick them up from him later." Turns out this was a prescient decision.

Dave was still pushing hard. I was SO impressed with his ability to move. Our carrot was still around too, I was starting to worry about Dave blowing up but this guy has loads of experience so I just tried to help and encourage him along.

Dave is the most appreciative and humble runner I know. Every time I told him, "Good job!" or, "You're doing great!" he would say thanks. He even apologized for the occasional grunts he was uttering from the effort. I was like, "Grunt away Dave, you are killing this!" A few minutes after leaving the Thorp aid station Dave slowed just a bit and grunted. I stopped, turned around and he had thrown up. Now this is not a super rare occurrence in ultra running, especially when you are pushing hard (which Dave was!), but people take varying amounts of time to recover from it. Dave took about 10 seconds. I've never puked while running but I imagine it can actually feel good depending on the circumstances... We didn't stop to discuss this topic as Dave was already moving again. What focus!

The climb to the Thorp fire lookout is not the last "needle" and on the next climb, Dave suddenly asked for my trekking poles. No problem! Glad to help. My poles are longer than Daves but the difference is not extreme. At the top of the climb, he just handed them back. Nice! This is how we rolled over the next couple of hills.

Dave was still doing okay when we got to French Cabin (mile 89) although he had slowed a bit on the climbs. Our carrot kept pulling away on the ascents and we would catch him back up on the descents. I filled another bottle here for Dave and we were off.

Over the course of the last big climb and the next few miles, our carrot slowly pulled ahead. Suddenly he was going faster on the climbs and descents. Dave didn't get rattled and we just continued on as best we could.

I thought we were in no man's land so when a headlamp started to approach us from behind I tried to stay calm. When it came time for them to pass, they said hi, it was our carrot! He had taken a break to fertilize the trees and was just catching up. Dave took it all in stride but we couldn't hang with him as he ran past and slowly, very slowly, his light disappeared up the trail again. On the upside, no one had caught us. :)

As we approached the Silver Creek aid station (mile 96) Dave had the presence of mind to ask me if I would fill a bottle for him as he ran straight through. Yes! It only took me about 60 seconds and then I was chasing Dave down.

I'm no maths wiz and my watch was not displaying the time of day so it was hard for me to give Dave any sort of ETA or time goal to shoot for. Luckily Dave was content to, and able to,  just go as hard as he could. As we hit the pavement, we closed just a little on our carrot but we couldn't catch him. When we finally started running along the train tracks toward the fire station, Dave looked at the finish line with the giant clock and said, "It's not 22 hours yet!"

Oh man, if you can sprint after running 99+ miles then that is what Dave did. Wow!



This guy is amazing! I only hope I can channel this much focus during my next 100-mile race.

Kudos to you Dave!

Pacific Crest Trail - Section J (Stevens to Snoqualmie)

I have had Section J (Snoqualmie Pass to Stevens Pass) of the Pacific Crest Trail on my long list for years. Funny how things can suddenly come together.

Turns out my friend Bryan Estes has wanted to run this too. Bryan has hiked this section, and various portions of it, numerous times but he has never done it in one push. We had been talking about this since we both ran the Seattle Stairway Foot Tour in June so when his calendar opened up a few days ago, and I was free too, I jumped at the chance. Did it fit in perfectly with my training and racing calendar? No, but when opportunities come along you need to grab them. You also need to keep your racing in perspective - I do this for fun and fun is exactly what I hoped this run would be about. Fun and adventure.




Warning: this blog post contains pictures of bloody knees. :) Nothing too gross hopefully but just so you know.

We did not plan much! Bryan is a very experienced ultra runner, backpacker, and outdoor enthusiast, I could not have picked a better partner. My only decisions were how much of what types of food to carry. Ironically, I made some bad ones in this category. But other good decisions helped me through.

Transportation also was a dream. I was able to drop a car at Snoqualmie Pass Friday evening with Bryan's help and Saturday morning Bryan's in-laws just happened to be driving to Lake Chelan over Stevens Pass and offered to give us a ride. Nice!

At 11:00 AM we were ready to head out from Stevens Pass.



Let me just say that the PCT is amazing! In WA there are so many lakes, views, spectacular trails; we were taking pictures ALL THE TIME.

One of the first treats was running (pun intended) into my sister Lucca. Turns out she was running from the end of Icicle Creek Road to Stevens Pass and we met about 2.5 miles from her finish/our start.



I'm still blown away by how much trail running has helped us reconnect, so grateful for this sport.

The PCT is really well signed. At about 90% of all the intersections, you see this.



And if there isn't any sign it's obvious which way to go. You just follow the natural flow of the trail and avoid the path that is not "natural" or deviates from the obvious line.

Bryan and I both brought along four 500+ ml containers for water but never needed more than two at a time. There are tons of lakes and streams this time of year and we only got low on water twice but each occurrence was not a crisis and I was able to catch up on my hydration eventually. Something to keep in mind is that we were "running" and a hiker would need more time (and water) to cover the same distance. I put running in quotes as any trail runner knows, running usually includes some hiking. And it can include a LOT of hiking when you go this far.

I seem to have a reputation for falling down while trail running and on this trip I, unfortunately, kept my streak alive. :( The first tumble looked spectacular but once I got myself cleaned up it was no big deal.

Here is the "I just fell down" picture.



And here is me a few miles after washing my legs in the creek above.



Magic, right?

The second fall was a bummer. It happened less than 8 miles from the finish and as usual, it was because I was getting tired and not lifting my feet high enough. This one was a little worse.



Most of the rock around here is granite and when I landed I scraped my right thigh across a wedge of it. But again, looks can be deceiving and after a warm shower, I looked much better.



This second fall managed to put a significant gouge in the Gorilla Glass of my watch!



Okay, no more gross stuff, I promise. And rest assured I was super conscious of lifting my feet those last few miles... I think on longer runs I get into this mode of trying to maximize my efficiency and lifting your feet less is more efficient than if you lift them more. Until you trip.

Technology is fun! Of course, you should not rely on it 100% when out in the wilderness but having a GPS tracker along that let me send people progress reports and which let the recipients of these reports reply (great motivation!) was really cool. It was also fun to be able to check our progress on our phones with a mapping app and to have the ability to take all these pictures! Remember giant SLRs? And disposable cameras? Hahaha... We did have a printed map for backup.

I was amazed by all the through-hikers we saw. The PCT is freaking popular! I guess this is the time of year most folks are finishing their north-bound journey. There were also loads of other hikers and backpackers. Don't go here this time of year if you want solitude. :)

I'd like to apologize to those campsites we walked through in the middle of the night with our headlamps on... Normally it would make perfect sense to camp really close to the trail or even right in the trail, right? I mean who's going to show up on a trail at night? One tent was literally in the middle of the trail and it was right at a river crossing so Bryan and I walked around this spot multiple times to be sure we were headed in the correct direction. Finally, the guy in the tent mumbled, "Go down to the water..." I suspect he really meant, "Get the eff out of here NOW!" Sorry guy. Did I mention I love my new headlamp? It's super bright and lasts all night long.

Lately, Seattle has been inundated with smoke from various forest fires and we saw it and felt it on this adventure. Sunday evening it hurt a little to eat and I can still feel my throat Monday but I wouldn't say it's terrible. This trip was so worth it and my throat is already 90% again.

We still had super views but they were not the "I can see for miles and miles" kind. Cases in point.







We didn't have an agenda or time goal but ended up covering ground faster than anticipated. I was hoping to run the last 30 or so miles in daylight as that scenery is some of the most spectacular but we ended up there in the dark and really only had light again for the last 10-12 miles? Rats. But a very contextual rats, this was a freaking awesome trip.

Movies really are the new pictures so here are a few fun snippets of video.

Leaving a lake after filtering water.



Smoke.



Running along the PCT.



There was plenty of water and various cool "bridges" across it.



Climbing at night.



The weather was perfect! It never got too hot and we never needed to put anything on at night! Bryan and I spent the entire time in the same outfit. In fact, during the night we commented numerous times how warm it was, the few cool breezes we did get were very much appreciated.

At night all the smoke was unfortunate. I was hoping for an amazing night sky with zero light pollution. Instead we got a blood orange half moon amidst total blackness. Pretty cool, but not what I was hoping for.

My nutrition was not perfect, Or rather, I need to figure out some alternative fuels for adventures when I'm not racing or when there are no aid stations. I experienced my most dramatic case of "sweet fatigue" and within perhaps 10 miles I was already sick of food bars and within 20 miles the mere thought of a food bar or gel was enough to almost make me throw up. Thank goodness I had brought along alternative fuels! Even so, there were stretches where I was running on fumes more than I wanted to. Hammer Nutrition Perpetuem and Endurolytes Fizz turned out to be lifesavers! The mild flavor of Perpetuem was something I could stomach start to finish and Endurolytes Fizz was always delicious and the electrolytes in them helped drain the water from my gut in a way I have never experienced. There were a few times when we guzzled plain water and each time I felt bloated and like the water was sloshing around in my stomach. That was never the case when I drank water + Endurolytes Fizz. Both of us packed way too many food bars (better safe than sorry I guess) but the number of bars I brought along was laughable. I think it was 20? I ate two and choked down the third. Ditto for the gel. On the upside, we were SO ready to help anyone on the trail that had run out of food... :)

Retelling the entire journey step-by-tedious-step would be just that, boring! I'll try to just provide highlights.

Getting shit ready. And by "shit" I mean nutrition. Everything else (technology, shoes, gear) is pretty much on autopilot these days.



Turns out both Bryan and I like to take pictures, but I think Bryan won that contest on our adventure. Here he is documenting the PCT logo at the trailhead sign at Stevens Pass. I think it was the 10th picture he had taken and we hadn't even started running yet.



Climbing the very first hill through the Stevens Pass resort. There were wildflowers start to finish!



I hear that equestrians use the PCT a lot. We only saw horses once, it was on this same first climb. The riders were really friendly and the horses were very well behaved.



We encountered almost every type of terrain you would expect in the Pacific Northwest. Flowing singletrack, switchbacks, rocky shale (is that redundant?) and water crossings. Sections of this trail were AMAZING, other sections were amazingly resistant to efficient forward motion. :)



At 54 years old I still like to pose next to big rocks. I also like to jump and touch low hanging signs while walking down the sidewalk, see how far I can make it down a beach while only stepping on driftwood and not on the sand and balancing on parking lot dividers as I walk from my car to the mall/hospital/store. Sue me.



It really was cool to be able to communicate with friends and family while out on the trail. Here I am typing an update into my phone (which was connected to my GPS tracker via Bluetooth) while walking. Barely. I almost tripped a couple of times while doing this but we didn't stop moving! :)



I couldn't get enough of all the water! It helped me clean up, was delicious, and even sounded awesome as you approached it.



We were able to stay dry for all but one water crossing.



The one where we had to get wet was about 20 miles from the finish, right where we woke up that camper in his tent. It was the middle of the night and perhaps there had been an alternative route but we didn't feel like searching. And the water felt REALLY GOOD. In retrospect, I should have stood in it a little longer and cleaned up my legs.

Water from that wet river crossing was the only issue I had the entire trip. My feet stayed wet the rest of the way and 20 miles at our pace was a long time so I had some peeling skin on my heels and the balls of my feet at the finish. But it cleared up within 24 hours so no biggie.

I guess even filtering water can be a blast!



The Kendall Katwalk never fails to impress. Even if it is socked in, just knowing about the exposure and potential views makes it awesome.



Here I am sending another update from the south end of the Kendall Katwalk. This shot captures a lot, some epic scenery, a small person next to big mountains, the smoke, what a day!



Our shoes at the finish.



Two happy guys at the finish after spending 21 hours together.



I learned a lot doing this.

• Nutrition - it's not (thank god) just about bars and gels. Next time I plan on packing some things like cheese curd (Lucca gets credit for that suggestion), potatoes with olive oil and salt, smashed up avocados in a ziplock bag, you get the idea. All of these things should keep fairly well.
• Good friends are, well, good. Turns out Bryan and I were very compatible fitness-wise on this adventure and neither of us complained which is a HUGE BONUS. We also love talking about things besides running. That is so refreshing to me.
• Good gear, especially shoes, are so, so, SO important.
• The pack I wore was too big. Sure, it's nice to have the room but even if I had needed all of my clothing (I was carrying a wind shirt, raincoat, undershirt, buff and light gloves) it would have fit in a smaller pack. What I wore had a 22-liter capacity, what Bryan wore had a 15-liter capacity and even he had his pack synched way down to minimize the bounce. That 10-15 liter size seems to be the ticket for most outings.
• My favorite pack has almost everything in the front. That includes TWO bottles, trekking poles, your phone/camera, food, lip balm, etc. The main compartment in the back should really just be for extra clothing or larger items that you won't need very often. I have not found my ideal pack yet but I'm still looking... the Ultimate Direction BP Adventure Vest 3.0 (not the 4.0) comes really darn close. The pack I wore today (because I ripped my Adventure Vest and have not replaced it yet) was comfy on my back but is going straight to eBay. Don't get me wrong, it's freaking well made and freaking technical, it's just not for me and it's too large (in terms of fit, not in terms of capacity necessarily).

When I ran the White River 50 Mile Endurance Run I chose the Topo Athletic Ultrafly 2. Officially this is a road shoe but in my day-to-day training, it's been so darn comfy that I figured why not run an ultra in them? Boom. I have a new favorite ultra shoe. The Terraventure is normally my go-to trail shoe (and it still is), it has a rock plate and lugged sole but if traction will not be a big concern and the course is not especially rocky, the extra cushion of the Ultrafly pretty much compensates and it just protects your body that much more.

Here are all of Bryan's and my pictures. And there are a lot...

Nutrition (before)

• Water
• A smoothie around 7:00 AM

Nutrition (during)

• 8 large bottles each with 1.5 scoops Perpetuem, 2 scoops Endurolytes Extreme Powder, .5 scoops Fully Charged, 1 Race Caps Supreme, 1 Anti-Fatigue Cap, 1 Endurance BCAA+ Cap
• 3 Hammer Bars
• 2 Hammer Gels
• 8(?) large bottles of Endurolytes Fizz (two tablets per bottle)
• 3(?) large bottles of plain water
• 2 Perpetuem Solids

Nutrition (after)

• Large bottle with 3 scoops Recoverite
• 3 Tissue Rejuvenator Caps
• 2 Floyd's of Leadville CBD Softgels

Gear (that I used, I carried a lot more)

• Stance socks
• Topo Athletic Ultrafly 2 shoes
• Patagonia Men's Strider Pro shorts 7"
• Hammer Nutrition Sleeveless Running Shirt
• Topo Athletic Trucker Hat
• Salomon 22-liter pack
• Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z Trekking Poles
• Black Diamond Icon Headlamp (this thing lasted all night on the high power setting no problem)
• Garmin Fenix 3
• Garmin inReach SE
• Mobile phone
• Squirrel's Nut Butter Anti-Chafe Salve
• MSR Water Filter Pump (not the smallest but it has worked for years and it's fast)

White River 50 Mile Endurance Run

Finally. It seems like all of my friends have run the White River 50 Mile Endurance Run multiple times. Without a doubt, this is one of the most iconic events in the Pacific Northwest and it always attracts an elite field but it has not fit into my calendar so far... until this year. Better late than never. #worththewait

Here I am full of naive optimism at the start.



Not only is this a super course, the Seattle Running Club (my running club) has a long history with the event. We have been associated with this race in some fashion since its inception and we still treat it as one of "our" races and promote it and staff the biggest aid station at Buck Creek (nominally half way). I've volunteered at this aid station twice and it's a blast! Huge thanks to Scott McCoubrey for putting on this event every year.

The conditions were pretty awesome. Sure, it was warm but that's expected. And although some people called it "hot", I don't think it was an extreme day by any means. Hey, it's summer after all! This is what we all say we miss during the other half of the year. One thing that was unique this year is there was a recent forest fire. At one point we were running through some pretty charred trees. Every tree trunk been denuded to the point where only the larger branches remained and some of the smaller trees looked really pitiful. Not only were they black, the heat had cooked them to the point where they bent around in a semicircle. Sometimes there was race flagging tied to the tips of these bent trees and it looked like something from The Lorax. But artistic in a way, with these bright, pink ribbons bringing some color to an otherwise totally black and gray landscape.

When the weather is nice and I'm pretty certain it's not going ot change I like to travel light. Since I didn't need any clothing, I wore the lightest vest I own that will still carry two bottles. It might not seem like much of a difference, but not having that extra bulk is awesome. Speaking of bulk, I was blown away by how many people I saw with nothing more than one hand-held bottle! In the heat that seems risky to me but that's what all the elites carried and for the most part, they all did really well. I guess when it takes you that much less time to get to every aid station, you don't need as much fluid? Or something...

Today was a learning experience for me. Here's hoping I can remember the lessons. My results have been really good this year. Not because my training has changed dramatically but because I finally have my nutrition and pacing dialed. Today I had to take some additional things into account.

You'd think that since I have used Hammer Nutrition products for over two decades that I'd have my nutrition sorted ages ago. Not. When I was younger I could tolerate bigger mistakes and I was just cycling. I'm convinced the impact of running, coupled with the sustained higher heart rate is more difficult to fuel for. Last year I got close and this year I have gone to not eating anything for three hours prior to races and fewer calories in every bottle, that was the ticket. Hammer Nutrition has been extolling both of these philosophies and I finally took them to heart. Guess what, they work. :) That is one thing I really like about Hammer, they stick to their philosophical guns and only change when there is a science-based reason to do so. They have been advocating "less is more" and as long as you don't overdo the "less" part, I agree 100%.

Until this year my running pacing was always subjective or based on "feel" (perceived effort). Yes, I would use a heart rate monitor but that is subject to all kinds of influence. That all changed when I got a Stryd running power meter. Having used heart rate and power on a bike for a long time, I have had my eyes open for a good running option for ages but all that I saw on the market was shite. That was until I saw Joe Gray had been sponsored by Stryd. I totally respect Joe and feel he would never partner with anyone/anything that he didn't believe in so after contacting him and asking some questions about Stryd, I got one. It freaking works! Power is the most objective indicator of how much work you are doing and it is not influenced by how tired you are, if there is a headwind, the temperature, etc. Plus, the heart rate you can maintain will change over time (as your run progresses and as you get older) so if you want the most useful numbers, power is where it's at. Having used Stryd running power all year here is what I have observed.

• Stryd is super consistent. My running power seems a tad lower than my cycling power but other than that, the numbers are rock solid and don't change. Which is awesome, when I am mentally impaired by an effort, the last thing I want to do is math.
• How easy is this footpod to use? Very! Just pair it with your watch, add a power field to your activity and away you go.
• I have not tested the limits of the battery but currently, it lasts longer than my aging GPS watch which craps out around 10 hours these days.
• Garmin Connect supports running power so all your extra stats show up there. Nice! When will Strava FINALLY support running power...?!

These days I am very familiar with my max 50k power. The mistake I made today was assuming I could stay pretty close to that over the course of 50 miles. Oops... For a 50k I can sustain around 285 watts. If I dial in that number and hold it, I'll have an excellent result. I started out around the same power in this race and pretty quick it climbed above 300 (sometimes above 320) during sections on the first ascent. I know from experience that a few minutes over my target isn't going to kill me in an ultra but today it was too much too soon. Too much for the distance and too much for my "training" which hasn't really been training at all and more doing what I want since my last race. My average power for this race was 235. And I blew sky high on Skookum Flats. In retrospect, I think I need to target something around 250 or 260 for a 50-mile event, that coupled with some actual training and my target time of sub 9:00 would have been manageable. As it was, I only missed it by 10 minutes and I think (read: know) that I lost all of those minutes in the last seven miles.

I was on target for an 8:45 ish finish at halfway and at the top of Suntop 8:50-9:00 still seemed doable. I could feel myself dragging going up that last little climb to the aid station but then the descent from Suntop took way more out of me than it should have. I love descending and usually, my legs can handle it pretty well. I started this descent at 7:30 pace but within one mile I was moving at just under 7:00 and held that pace to the bottom. Where I promptly had to walk! That's when you realize it's too late to bounce back and the run turns onto damage control... Which was a bummer since Skookum Flats is an amazing trail! It's so much fun to run, not so much when you are surviving.

My power went roughly like this today.

• 280 on the first climb
• 260 on the out-and-back
• 250 on the first descent
• 220 on the climb to Suntop
• 275 on the descent (going down is harder than some people think!)
• 190 on Skookum Flats

Usually it's ME that passes people in the last 10 miles. Today I got passed by four people on Skookum Flats. :( I suspect I walked half of that trail. Pacing, pacing, pacing.

In spite of me turning this into a bit of a death march, there was tons of positive today.

• The views! Holy cow, I did so many double takes as there were very few clouds in the sky and Mt Rainier is right there in your face.
• The volunteers! Every aid station was full of super helpful, friendly people. All I had to do was ask them to get stuff out of my pack, fill my bottle, etc. I just stood there pretty much.
• My friends! Oh man, I saw SO many people I know today and I heard so many people shout my name that I never saw or didn't recognize. That is a huge boost.
• Schofferhofer! Some very generous friends were at this race and thoughtfully brought a cooler full of this and offered me some. So. Damn. Good.
• I changed up my shoes for this event. With that long descent from Suntop in mind, I opted for the Ultrafly 2 instead of my usual trail shoe the Terraventure. The Ultrafly 2 has less traction and no rock plate but it does have more cushion. On a day like today, traction really isn't an issue and for these longer distances, comfort is king. The Ultrafly 2 was pure gold! It was fine on the ups and SO comfy on the two long descents. It's hard to convey the significance of what having zero foot issues means during an ultra, this is my new 100-mile shoe!
• The Beers Earned Plus app I installed on my Fenix 3 said I had earned 34 beers today! Now that's a whole different kind of ultra...

Huge congratulations to all the SRC runners who toed the line today, there were 40+! And to Arthur Martineau who beat me today while describing his run as a "shit show". That guy has buckets of experience. And to Keith Laverty who got 3rd overall. This kid can run!

Most likely I'll be back to try this, and sub 9:00, again.

Here are all my pictures.

Results

• 2nd - Men 50-59
• 37th - Overall
• official results

Nutrition (before)

• water
• 2 Hammer Gels 10 minutes prior to start

Nutrition (during)

• 6 large bottles each with 1.5 scoops Perpetuem, .5 scoops Fully Charged, 2 scoops Endurolytes Extreme Powder, 1 Race Caps Supreme, 1 BCAA+ Cap, 1 Anti-Fatigue Cap
• 3 large bottles each with 2 Endurolytes Fizz
• 1 flask Hammer Gel
• watermelon, plain water

Nutrition (after)

• 2 Tissue Rejuvenator Caps
• 2 Floyd's of Leadville CBD Softgels
• water, beer, BBQ

Gear

• Topo Athletic Ultrafly 2 shoes
• Stance socks
• Topo Athletic team shorts
• Hammer Nutrition sleeveless running shirt
• Hammer Nutrition visor
• Ultimate Direction Race Vest 4.0
• Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z Trekking Poles
• Garmin Fenix 3 with heart rate strap
• Stryd running power meter

Stryd power file

Needles 50k

Boy, there are 50k courses and there are 50k courses. I thought the Yakima Skyline Rim 50k was burly - and it is - but the Needles 50k is next level. Huge thanks to Rich White for organizing this event. Clearing such remote trails takes work! I'm psyched to have run the 3rd edition of this race.



How does this event compare to a "regular" 50k? These days I can run most 50ks (with up to 5k of vertical gain) in about five hours give or take. The Yakima race (9k of vertical gain) took me 6:20. The Needles race (10k of vertical gain) took me 7:20. Yikes!

It isn't just the amount of climbing, these are real trails! The first third of this course is all narrow, rocky, rooty, twisty, turny singletrack. You even have to climb over a fallen tree that is 5' in diameter, it's awesome!

This is a "Fat Ass" style event in that you get minimal support. There were just two aid stations, in the race description we were told they would only have water but in true trail running community style, when I got there, there was some food. :) We did not have race numbers and timing was handled by the promotors wristwatch.

The event web page said we had the option of starting at 7:00 AM or 8:00 AM but when I checked in I learned that some people had started at six, five and FOUR. Holy cow. When people choose to start four hours prior to the official start it tells you a little bit about what kind of effort is involved and how much people respect this route.

The first half of this course is quite remote. You are on trails that get less traffic than most, which just adds to the adventure. There is a bit of a dirt road descent to the first aid station, some dirt road climbing and then you are right back on singletrack for the remainder.

The second half is more or less the last 15 miles of the Cascade Crest 100 mile course. It includes the Cardiac Needles (a series of abrupt climbs that look like an EKG - hence the name of the event), the climb up to the Thorp Mountain fire lookout, and a long descent back to the start/finish which is a blast if you have not blown up your legs by this point.

With so little aid and no race numbers, you might be curious how the promoter could verify that you had actually run the entire course? Well, first there are very few shortcuts available and second, he had strung two hole punches on the course and you were supposed to punch your map at the appropriate spots. Done and done.



Even though there was not much aid on course, there was a GREAT finish line spread. Complete with the requisite beer.





Here I am after availing myself of said spread.



Thanks to Arthur Martineau for getting the only picture of me running.



I felt fairly good throughout but could also tell that I was not as fresh as would have been ideal. I guess the Seattle Stairway Foot Tour took a bit more out of me than I hoped it would and additional recovery time between events would have been ideal. As a result I walked some stretches that were totally runnable.

There was a fair bit of snow on the ground in the second half too, that slowed everyone down a little. I was thankful for my trekking poles on some of the snowy sidehills.

The weather forecast was for clearing throughout the day with highs in the mid-60s. Not. It was super comfy at the start and I almost started in a singlet... Halfway in the clouds descended and it was socked in plus it started to sprinkle. It was a little clearer and warmer at the finish but you had to keep moving to stay warm from Thorp Mountain to the bottom of the descent.

With about 10 miles to go, I noticed my right hand was suddenly really sticky. I looked down and it was covered in blood! Turns out I had nicked one of my knuckles and it was bleeding a freakish amount. Perhaps it was a sharp branch or the time I slipped in the corn snow, I don't even recall when this happened. I stopped twice to rinse it off in streams but it didn't really stop gushing until I was two miles from the finish.

Here are all my pictures.

Results

• 1st - Men 50-59
• 9th - Overall
• official results

Nutrition (before)

• water
• 2 Hammer Gels 10 minutes before the start

Nutrition (during)

• 4 large bottles each with 1.5 scoops Perpetuem, 1.5 scoops Endurolytes Extreme Powder, .5 scoops Fully Charged, 1 Race Caps Supreme, 1 Endurance BCAA+ Cap, 1 Anti-Fatigue Cap
• 1 flask Hammer Gel

Nutrition (after)

• 3 scoops Recoverite
• 2 Xobaline Caps
• 1 Floyd's of Leadville CBD 50 mg Softgel
• a bunch of vegetarian over-the-top carby dishes (see photo above)
• Pita Chips w/hummus and guacamole
• beer
• water

Gear

• Topo Athletic Terraventure shoes
• Stance socks
• Topo Athletic team shorts
• Topo Athletic team short sleeve shirt
• Topo Athletic Trucker Hat
• Salomon S-Lab Adv Skin 5 liter vest w/70 oz bladder
• Black Diamond Carbon Distance Z trekking poles

Here is my Stryde power file.