RAMROD (Ride Around Mt Rainier One Day)

I. Love. This. Ride.

RAMROD is perhaps the most scenic, iconic, and challenging recreational ride in the Pacific Northwest. Over the years I have ridden it loads of times and although some years have been harder than others, it's always been an awesome experience. This year I rode it with my good friends John Phillips and John Ospina and a friend of John Ospina's Mark. These guys drug me around the mountain without complaining and waited for me at rest stops. Good friends are great to have.



Prior to the ride this year I was extremely flattered to get approached by the current President of the Redmond Cycling Club (Joseph Matthews) who said he wanted to feature me in this year's edition of RAMROD Stories. We did all the filming and interviews in one afternoon right by my house and through the magic of editing Joseph came up with this. The whole experience was super fun.


The RAMROD Story experience also made me smile as the days of 7:15 are LONG gone but it also proved to me that you can enjoy events across a wide spectrum of fitness levels. Here's to getting outside for yourself no matter what your speed.

These days my friends and I have a pretty reliable RAMROD routine. We start around 6:00 AM, ride relatively fast between aid stations but we also stop at every aid station and enjoy ourselves and the services the volunteers bring to the table. Speaking of volunteers, one of my friends (Tony Callen) was at the Box Canyon rest stop this year serving up my favorite treat in this ride, chocolate croissants.



The weather was perfect! This time in July, the weather is rarely bad, we only needed arm warmers and thin gloves at the start (which were shed in pretty short order) and it never got too hot.

Every section of this course is scenic in its own way. The first 70 miles are very green and you ride past some very pretty lakes. The middle of the ride obviously features Mt Rainier and the last 40 miles are also scenic in their own way.

You know that feeling when you get a new bike? I had it. This was going to be my first long road ride on my new Thesis OB1. It's my first 1x (only a single chainring) road bike and I was excited to see how it performed. The result? Awesome.



There were a few times when I was wishing I had that in-between gear (the cassette is an 11-speed, 10-42) but it was much less than I anticipated. And the bike climbs and descends like crazy.

We started out in a pretty small group and only collected a handful of other riders. That was great and we were moving along smoothly. Then, we started to collect more and more people. Some of whom had different agendas and varying amounts of pack riding experience. I should have known this was going to happen. :(

Soon we are surging like mad when a particular person hit the front. Some people seem to take a very long time to learn that proper paceline riding is achieved by maintaining the speed of the GROUP rather than having every person pull at their own favorite speed... Needless to say, I burnt a few matches closing gaps when these people would sprint off the front.

One such surge was just outside of the second aid station and it was a massive effort for me. Too much in fact, I was just about to let this guy go when I saw the aid station and he slowed down. At that point I was still at least 50' behind him with perhaps 40 riders on my wheel. Argh.

As we rolled out of this aid station I realized right away that I was cooked. Totally. And I was not even halfway into the ride! :( Then we rode up this tiny rise and I was off the back like a sack of bricks. After a few seconds I realized this was not one of those times that anyone was going to wait for me so I just tried to get stuck in at whatever pace I was going to be able to maintain. I also decided to cram some food in my face and chug a bottle.

Wow, I was moving s l o w l y. Nothing to be done except enjoy the scenery. So I did, all the way up to Paradise, and down to Box Canyon.







Which is where everyone was waiting for me and where I saw Tony and had my chocolate croissants.

I was feeling better! But I also knew that I was close to blowing up again so had to walk the line between going hard and making it to the finish. As we rolled out of the Box Canyon rest stop, Joseph came with us! That's right, he's not just the President of RCC, he loves to ride too.



In the ensuing miles, John Ospina and Mark slowly slipped up the road and finally I was just riding with John Phillips. We maintained a relaxed pace, mostly because it was the only pace I could maintain! :) For the first time in ages, people were passing me going up Cayuse Pass. And I gotta say, good for them.

Normally I would have pictures of my massive turkey, cheese, lettuce, and tomato sandwich but for some reason I didn't have the motivation to pull out my phone so I just at my lunch at the "deli stop" and enjoyed every bite. Sometimes there just is no substitute for a sandwich, potato chips, and a Coke.

The last 40 miles of this ride is best in a group, the bigger (to a point) the better. For some reason our timing must have been off as there were no other riders moving when we decided to make our exit. Oh well. I probably pulled about 10% of the time during this section, I was running on fumes and the smallest rise would have me drifting off the wheel in front of me. I hate it when that happens. But here's to good friends! Every time it did happen, they waited for me or slowed down. We finally got to the Mud Mountain turn off and then I knew I would make it to the finish.



Just before the finish we got one last shot of the mountain.



And then we were riding into the school.



And then we were eating ice cream!



Huge thanks to John, John, and Mark for towing me around all day. And to Redmond Cycling Club for putting on this extraordinary ride year after year. I have so many memories of this event, both great ones and painful ones, but I wouldn't trade them for anything. Here's to doing it all again in 2020!

Here are all of my pictures and videos.

Nutrition (before)

• water

Nutrition (during)

• 4 large bottles each with 1.5 scoops Perpetuem, 1 scoop Endurolytes Extreme Powder, .5 scoops Fully Charged, 1 Race Caps Supreme, 1 Anti-Fatigue Cap, 1 Endurance BCAA+ Cap
• 1 Hammer Bar
• 2 large bottles each with 2 Endurolytes Fizz tablets
• lots of fruit (melon, grapes, orange slices), 2 chocolate croissants, chocolate chip cookie, half of a peanut butter and jelly bagel, turkey & cheese sandwich, potato chips, 12 oz Coke
• 1 cup coffee
• water

Nutrition (after)

• large bottle with 3 scoops Recoverite
• 50 mg Hammer CBD
• 1 beer
• fruit
• sparkling water

Gear

• Thesis OB1 bike
• stock Thesis road wheels and tires (30 mm tires with maybe 45 psi)
• Hammer Nutrition socks, bib shorts, short sleeve jersey, wind vest, cycling cap
• gloves

Broken Arrow Skyrace 52k

I love this picture!



I'm jumping to ring the cowbell at the finish of the Broken Arrow Skyrace 52k in Squaw Valley while holding my phone so I could film my run to the finish. I'm not crying, I am tired, and I'm very happy.

I usually travel to races alone but this time a ton of friends and Shelley were there too. Also running today were Aaron Ostrovsky and Seth Davis.

This race started at 7:00 AM which was very reasonable! Especially considering that we were staying in the Squaw Valley Lodge and our room was about 100' from the start line. :) I still stuck to my normal routine of sleeping as late as possible, skipping breakfast, and showing up as relaxed as possible. A 5:30 AM alarm was pretty luxurious considering I usually wake up at 4:30.

The night before I laid out all my gear and nutrition, pinned on my number, and all I had to do after getting out of bed was fill my bottles with water and drink some tea.

ASIDE - my strategy of not eating prior to a race (or big workout) is not random, it's based on the Hammer Nutrition SOS (Secrets Of Success) manual. I have been VERY (and pleasantly) surprised by how much of a difference this has made for me. I don't consume anything for three hours prior to a race and as soon as the race starts I start to consume liquid fuel. Pure gold.

My strong suit this year and last year has been pacing. I'm getting older and slower but by being more intelligent about my pace and optimizing my time at aid stations, etc. I have managed to record some PRs lately. I'd be lying if I said this was not pretty addictive! One big key to my pacing has been my Stryd running power meter. Which I forgot at home. Damn! I realized this on the flight here three days ago and had not been at peace with it until this morning. When you have been relying on a tool and that tool is not available, it can throw you for a loop. But then when I realized that the altitude would probably render my "normal" power numbers useless and I was more relaxed. So today I was going old school and would run by feel/perceived effort. I did have my heart rate strap but again, at this altitude, I was not sure if I could rely on the numbers.

I walked to the start and miraculously found both Aaron and Seth. We took the obligatory start line selfie.



3, 2, 1, go!

The start was on the other side of the village so the first thing we did was run through the heart of the Squaw Valley resort.



This was pretty cool! For a few seconds it felt like we were in Chamonix at the start of a much bigger race.

Yesterday at the VK I learned a valuable lesson. Wear sunglasses (which I also forgot at home) when on the snow! Lucky for me the La Sportiva tent was giving them away for free and I was more than happy to wear these bright yellow shades today. They really saved my bacon!

I was told the first mile or so of this race is the same as the start of Western States. So now I guess I have run a tiny piece of that famous course. :)

The beginning of this race heads up the ski slope for a bit and then dips into the woods. There was snowmelt running down and across the trail on the ski slopes so your feet got a little wet if you were not careful but it wasn't a big deal. What was a big deal was Aaron. I had hoped that we could run together today but he kept easing up the trail and would pass people when I felt like I was already going as fast as I wanted to. Seth was already gone up the trail.

In the woods I got stuck behind some slower runners for a while and when I finally worked my way past them there was no one in sight in front of me. Darn. But I knew better than to force it so just ran my pace which was a little faster than those folks I had just passed. After a while I saw Aaron up ahead, apparently he was also stuck behind some slower runners. :) For a little while, we were running together again.

But that didn't last long. As we hit the first big hill, I pulled out my phone to take a picture. Aaron said something like, "Get me...!" and ran ahead. I did get him, and that's the last I saw of him. :)



Solo baby! One upside to running alone is I only went my pace. But I did miss the company.

Once you start climbing in this race you don't stop for a long time. There are a couple of descents sprinkled in the climb but it's pretty much up. And up. And then you use a fixed rope. And another. And then you climb a fixed ladder. #skyrunning

Whew! It's logical I guess, but about 90% of the climbing in this race is in the first half of the loop. There is only one climb of note in the second half of the course. And if you ran the VK yesterday, hello! You get to do most of it all over again. Twice. But no complaining, this is what I came here for.

I finally made it to the top of Squaw Peak. which is about halfway through each lap.





After you crest the peak you run across a small plateau, descend a bit and then run this long traverse across the top of several chairlifts. During the first lap there were hardly any people up here but during the second lap I was dodging around skiers and snowboarders constantly. Turns out you could ski for just $5 today! It was pretty funny to be out here in shorts and a t-shirt in the snow and to see all these people staring at me with this, "What the eff...?!" expression. Some skiers did cheer, that was nice.

ASIDE - maybe I should just always wear a race number? I like it when people cheer me on.



After this traverse, you run down the biggest snow descent.



During the first lap I was being overly cautious on the snow descents but during the second lap I said to myself, "C'mon Martin, you're a skier! Go for it!" And sure enough, I promptly passed half a dozen runners. I also wiped out three times in rapid succession but the falls were no big deal. :)

At the bottom of the snowfield you did a 180 and climbed right back up. But then it was about 3.5 miles of descending to the finish. Most of this descent was on a dirt road that had a layer of wood chips on it so you could really go fast as the surface was nice and soft. And there was a section of singletrack to keep things interesting. And one small climb to keep things honest.

The first lap was hard and I was dreading the second one just a little. But as I started the second lap I realized that each time I finished a difficult section, it was the last time I would do it so that cheered me up.

On this day I was doing fine on the descents but struggled just a little on the climbs. Not an ideal situation when you are in a Skyrunning race. Thank GOD I had my trekking poles... Not everyone uses these but I swear by them for hilly ultras. On this day I was poling so much and so hard that I got a small blister on the inside of both thumbs! And my lats were a touch sore the following day. But they sure saved my back. Having poles also meant I did not need to grab the fixed ropes! I was able to kick my own steps or use existing ones and use my poles for support.

I've gotten in the habit of carrying all of my nutrition and this event was no different. I had my own gels with me and small, ziplock bags of powder that I could dump in my bottles so all I needed from aid stations was water. This strategy has worked out very well for me.

Since I usually carry two 24 oz bottles, I only needed to stop for aid twice. #winning

I used the aid station at the top of the last descent on the first lap and the one on the climb during the second lap. After that my two bottles were plenty until the finish, I think I finished with half a bottle left.

We had such perfect conditions! The views were off the charts but unfortunately, my attention was usually focused on the 5' directly in front of me. I did stop twice briefly just to look around. And I did take a few pictures.

After about half a lap the field had gotten very strung out and you had an idea of where you were. And after one lap you had a much better idea. I was running close to this group of five people during the second lap and couldn't make any progress until that last snow descent, here I was finally able to pass them. I also passed a few more people on the last dirt descent but one guy who I thought I had put in the rear view mirror came storming back and sprinted past me with about .5 miles to go. Good for him!

The finish of this race is awesome. You can see the base of the ski area for a few miles and there are no surprises so as you descend you have a good idea of how much you have left to run. And people in the village can see you with about one mile to go so the cowbells start ringing and it's a great feeling when you hear them. As I ran down the last stretch of road to the finish I pulled out my phone to make a movie but I could not switch it from camera mode to video mode while on the run so I had to stop for a second within sight of the finish. It was worth it.



And Shelley got a movie of me finishing too!



Mission accomplished!



Venues like this make racing a real treat! I love ski resort villages and being able to hang out so close to the start/finish. Like today, I crossed the line, hugged Shelley, we went for a little cool-down walk, and then I showered and went back to the finish to cheer on other runners. And eat food. And have a beer. Duh.

Some takeaways.

• Skyrunning is what it sounds like, lots of up, down, and plenty of technical terrain. You will do your share of hiking and will probably need to use your hands.
• The vibe at this race is great! So is the race swag and the prizes if you get on the podium.
• Pace yourself! How often have you heard this? Well hear it again. Save something for the second lap. One of my goals was to have enough energy to really run the second descent and I accomplished that.
• Plans change. Just one month ago Aaron and I ran almost an entire 50k together and finished within a couple of minutes of each other. Not today. Roll with the changes.
• To my surprise, the altitude did not affect me as much as I thought it would. In fact, I never really thought about it and just ran. At no time was a gasping for breath. For sure I went slower than at sea level but it was not the issue I was expecting it to be. Nice.
• During this race I literally didn't use anything from the aid stations except for water. And I consumed fewer calories and liquid than I was expecting. And I was fine! Probably a bit of an anomaly but this also reinforces the "less is more" Hammer Nutrition philosophy in the SOS handbook.
• I wore a large vest and carried lots of supplies including an emergency rain jacket and first aid kit. None of this extra stuff was needed today but you just never know...
• Lots of climbing means lots of descending. Make sure you have comfy shoes with enough cushion to survive the downs. Mine were awesome!

Here are all my pictures and videos.

Results

• 3rd - Men 50-59
• official results

Nutrition (before)

• water, tea
• 2 Hammer Gels 10 minutes before the start

Nutrition (during)

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

Nutrition (after)

• I did not bring any Recoverite for after this race but then again I wasn't doing anything the next day.
• large bottle with 2 Endurolytes Fizz
• various snacks and beer

Gear

• Topo Athletic Ultraventure shoes
• Stance Run crew length socks
• Patagonia Strider Pro Running Shorts 7"
• Hammer Nutrition short sleeve running shirt
• Topo Athletic Team Running Hat
• Ultimate Direction PB Adventure Vest 3.0
• Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z Trekking Poles
• Garmin fenix 3 GPS watch

Broken Arrow Skyrace VK (Vertical Kilometer)

A Vertical Kilometer never fails to impress, and the Broken Arrow Skyrace edition didn't disappoint. Per Skyrunning rules, these events gain 1,000 meters in no more than 5k, must be above 2,000 meters and the incline has to exceed 30%. #vertisreal

If you go to any high alpine ski area that has a peak above treeline and find the most direct route from the base to the top, you get the idea. Most of the time you are not on a trail.

I have only ever run one other VK, that was at the Lone Peak Vertical Kilometer which was part of The Rut back in 2015. Looking back on that run report I packed a camera and took pictures! Hahaha...

These events take me roughly one hour to complete so I didn't need to carry anything with me. We were allowed one drop bag for the top which is always nice as you might be freezing once you finish and you always want a drink and snack.

The start time was 11:00 AM which was great! I could have a real breakfast without getting up at some insane hour and let it digest. What a treat as I usually never eat prior to a morning start.

Here I am leaving our room about 45 minutes prior to the start.


[Photo credit Shelley Criminale.]

I have never taken so little with me to a trail race! Those poles weigh less than a full handheld bottle.

You know what's crucial prior to a short race like this? Warming up. You know what I hate to do? Warming up. I know, such is my life. But I forced myself. I jogged up a dirt road from the base of the ski area and threw in a few accelerations and a few stretches of walking to recover. I knew it was going to suck but I also knew I would feel better when I was done. I was right on all counts. And I was glad I warmed up.

The start of these events is always spectacular. The gun goes off and a herd of people charge up the mountain. It's pretty funny looking.


[Photo credit Seth Davis.]

We ran up a ski slope, up some cat tracks, there was actually a small descent halfway up, and then we hit the snow. The snow slopes were so steep that the organizers had fixed some ropes with knots so we could pull ourselves up. Turns out the snow was just soft enough for me to kick my own (tiny) steps and so I just used my trekking poles and never grabbed the rope. I was able to pass a few folks on this section.

The last part of the climb is on rock/shale. It's not loose but it is steep and just before you get to the summit there is a fixed ladder with a handrail that you need to climb. I was pretty winded by this point and so needed to grab the handrail just for safety.

Once you step off the ladder there were about 20 steps that had been dug in the snow and then a 50' sprint to the line.

Here I am coming off the ladder putting my pole back on.



Once you finish you get to hang around and cheer on other racers, that was cool! Luckily the weather was cooperating and I was not freezing. This was especially nice as our drop bags were not actually at the finish, they were over a hill and down by a saddle which was about .5 miles away. Okay today but that would sure suck if the weather wasn't perfect...

I wasn't at this race alone, Aaron Ostrovsky, Andrea Ostrovsky, Holly Davis, and Seth Davis were here too. After collecting Aaron and Andrea we headed down to the drop bags.



Then we were on snow.



The path to the gondola took us across one ski slope and then down another. WHAT FUN! Just before we ran down we bumped into Michael "of course I'm running all three races this weekend" Wardian. He was so psyched about being on a ski slope with skiers that he asked me to take his picture with some of them. You can see him here on the left in the beginning of the video.



At the top of the gondola it was gorgeous! So warm and sunny. We hung out for a bit and I just soaked in the scene. And made a mental note that Squaw is an amazing ski area and we need to come back in the winter.



Eventually I reluctantly got on the gondola.



I recommend this event! The scenery is spectacular, the venue is awesome, the organizers do a super job and there is lots to do in Squaw. Plus, you know ski villages have great bars and beer...

What did I learn?

• Sun on snow is bright! I should have worn glasses and by the time I was on the gondola, I was seriously squinting. Almost everyone else wore them for the race.
• Pacing is important no matter what the distance! I was hiking within 100 m of the start but I also ran lots of sections. It's always better to finish strong than gas half way up.
• You pee a LOT at altitude. Be prepared and budget your time accordingly, you will need to go again just before the start. Also, be sure to hydrate accordingly or you will suffer.

Here are all my pictures and videos.

Results

• 3rd - Men 50-59
• official results

Nutrition (before)

• 6:30 AM - 2 hard boiled eggs, 2 bananas, large bottle with 2 Endurolytes Fizz
• 9:00 AM - large bottle with 2 Endurolytes Fizz
• 1 Hammer Gel 10 minutes before the start

Nutrition (during)

• nothing

Nutrition (after)

• large bottle with 3 scoops Recoverite (I had the bottle in my drop bag)

Gear

• Topo Athletic MT2 shoes
• Stance socks
• Topo Athletic Team Shorts
• Topo Athletic Team Singlet
• Topo Athletic Team Hat
• Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z Trekking Poles
• Garmin fenix 3 GPS watch

Sun Mountain 50k

I had a big dose of self-doubt going into this race which is kind of funny as I have raced quite a few times in my "career" so you'd think that nerves would be a thing of the past. Well, nothing like setting an aggressive time goal to bring that back in a hurry. :)

Luckily it was a perfect day for the Rainshadow Running Sun Mountain 50k. It had rained the day before so there was no dust and it had dried up enough before the start that there was no mud. Just loads of awesome singletrack. It was about 48 degrees when we took off and in the upper 60s at the finish.

Did I mention that my sister Lucca was there running too and that I ended up running almost the entire event with my friends Aaron Ostrovsky and Simeon Ashworth? Complainers had zero ammunition in other words.


I love data! Numbers can be fun but they can also weigh you down. It's been a while since I have done this but sometimes there is nothing better than putting your GPS watch in a box and going for a run with zero technology other than the drawstring in your shorts so they don't come off when you jump into an alpine lake during said run. Anyway, back to the numbers

Last year at the Sun Mountain 50k, I had a pretty good day in spite of getting injured in the process.

2018
Distance: 31 miles
Time: 4:56:18
Average Power: 286 watts
Average Pace: 9:33 minutes/mile

This year I did not get injured during the run and recorded these numbers.

2019
Distance: 32 miles (it was a new course and depending on who you talk to it was 1-2 miles longer)
Time: 5:08:15
Average Power: 281 watts
Average Pace: 9:38 minutes/mile

Apparently, I am nothing if not consistent. Another interesting tidbit, my watch recorded exactly the same amount of elevation gain both years, 5220'.

I have been using my Stryd running power meter for pacing.

For all the similarities, the two runs were also very different.

In 2018 I strained my calf just a few miles into the run. And in spite of starting with two friends, I was running solo from mile five or six to the finish and really had to focus to maintain my effort.

This year I planned on starting with Aaron and then at the start line we met Sim and suddenly we were three. Aaron is fast. Sim is fast. What were they doing with me? I guess I have developed a reputation as someone that is good at pacing their effort. Class is in session. Ready... go!

I loved the new course! In previous editions, there were several out-and-back sections and especially in the first one, you were getting bombed by the leaders coming down the steepest descent as you were crawling up it. Not so awesome. This time traffic was always going in just one direction.

The aid stations were perfectly spaced, pretty much every six miles. Planning my day was so easy.

Early on Sim started to ease up the road but I told him I wasn't going to go that fast this early and he slowed down! How nice. Here we are running early on, Aaron is just behind Sim.


[Photo credit Glenn Tachiyama.]

Some things (luckily!) don't seem to change.

• I have my fueling pretty wired, more about that later.
• It's always so great to see Glenn Tachiyama out on the course.
• Starting slow works, more about that later too.
• Shoes matter. I know, right? It is running after all.
• I did not use trekking poles at this event and never have for this run, I guess you could but it would only be for short stretches and then you would be wasting time stowing them. These climbs are not long enough that they blow up my back without poles.
• Running with friends frequently beats running alone.

As we ran along I usually ended up in front setting the pace. I would glance at my watch (I created a dedicated screen with just power and heart rate) every once in a while and Aaron and Sim would keep me entertained with their endless chatter. Don't get me wrong, it was very nice! I just can't talk that much while I'm running.

Based on last year I knew I only needed to stop twice, at the 2nd and 3rd aid station. Turns out Aaron was cool with this plan and I rolled through the Sun Mountain Lodge parking lot (aid station #1) without stopping. I think Aaron and Sim did stop but we are shortly all together again.

Since I usually carry all my nutrition (powders and solids) these days, at the second aid station all I had to get was get a bottle of water that I dumped my pre-measured ziplock bag of powder into. Done. Once again we ran out together.

Ditto for aid station #3.

Just before we got to the fourth aid station Sim and I separated ourselves from Aaron by a few meters. It wasn't much but because I did not stop and both Sim and Aaron did, I suddenly had a gap. From the course profile, I knew it was all downhill to Patterson Lake from here and then about two miles of rolling trail (just like last year) to the finish. But just because I sometimes know how to pace myself doesn't make the effort easy. :) By this time I was feeling pretty spent. I held off Sim for a mile or two but then he was right behind me again.

Here we are running along Patterson Lake.


[Photo credit Glenn Tachiyama.]

If I have a weakness (and rest assured, I have way more than just one), it's mental focus. I can keep pushing, but pushing at maximum effort is just not my style. I run for fun after all so eeking out every last bit of effort is not something I am good at. As we hit the bottom of the descent I felt two things. 1) I was really psyched to be this close to the finish and 2) I was wondering when Sim was going to drop me. To his credit, Sim stuck with me for almost one mile along the lake and then said, "I'm going to see what I've got." and took off.

And then I was walking.

Sometimes when the elastic snaps there is no reattaching the tow rope.

But I didn't totally fall apart, I just slowed down a little. And after walking for two short stretches I was able to jog it in. And behind me, Aaron finished strong! Turns out he was just struggling with the gradual climbs and on the shorter, steeper stuff and on the descents he was doing just fine.

Sim finished in 5:06:58 (15th overall).

I finished in 5:08:15.

Aaron finished in 5:10:03.

Turns out Aaron even passed one guy in the last couple of miles to grab that 17th spot. So. Freaking. Awesome.

Talking to both Aaron and Sim, I think this is the fastest they have run at this course if you grant that this edition was longer than the previous ones. And although I have beaten them both in ultras in the past, I'm guessing that won't be happening again soon after this pacing "lesson". I suppose that's the price you pay for friendship. Hahaha. I'm only partially kidding. :)

I learned and reinforced some things at this run.

• Chafing is not fun. Luckily I don't usually suffer from this but wanting to play it safe and after a friend turned me on to Nexcare Flexible Clear Tape I tried some on my nipples. It's the bomb. I didn't even notice it was there and it sticks really, really well. I now have a roll in my gear bag all the time.
• For the "nether regions" (that's "sack and crack" for those who are guessing), my favorite remedy is Squirrel's Nut Butter. This stuff is all natural, does not make you smell like a chemical factory, and it stays put. One application is all I have ever needed, even in a 100-mile run.
• About halfway in my vest started to wear a groove in my neck. It felt like the rigid cycling bottles I like to use were bouncing around way more than usual and the two straps in the front that close the vest were already as tight as I could cinch them. It suddenly dawned on me that this vest has another adjustment system and I was able to find it while running and in about 30 seconds had solved my problem. Nice! Thanks for making shit that works Ultimate Direction.
• Don't take chances with nutrition or shoes. It has taken me about two years to dial in my liquid fuel for ultras and now it works so well. I also opted for some shoes with a bit more cush than what I have used in the past since this course is 1) very runnable and 2) does not have any sharp rocks. My Topo Ultraventure shoes were so comfy. The only reason I took them off at the finish was to jump in the lake.
• I miss running with my sister. We ran this course together in 2017 and it was a super experience. Doing another ultra together has become a priority.

Huge thanks to both Aaron and Sim for trusting me with pacing duties! I don't think we started with this as a plan but it worked out that way to the benefit of all of us.

Here are all my pictures.

Results

• 1st - Men 50-59
• 16th - Overall
• official results

Nutrition (before)

• one cup coffee
• 2 Hammer Gels 10 minutes before the start

Nutrition (during)

• 4 large bottles each with 1.5 scoops Perpetuem, 1 heaping scoop Endurolytes Extreme Powder, .5 scoop Fully Charged, 1 Race Caps Supreme, 1 Anti-Fatigue Cap, 1 Endurance BCAA+ Cap
• 4 Hammer Gels
• 2 pieces of watermelon

Nutrition (after)

• 3 scoops Recoverite
• 50 mg Hammer CBD
• 4 pieces of pizza
• 1 cookie
• 2 beers [Porter! There was an incredible selection this year.]
• water

Gear

• Topo Athletic Ultraventure shoes
• Stance Run crew length socks
• Patagonia Strider Pro Running Shorts 7"
• Hammer Nutrition sleeveless running shirt
• Topo Athletic Team Running Hat
• Ultimate Direction Race Vest 4.0
• Garmin fenix 3 GPS watch
• Stryd Running Power Meter

Stryd power file