Hello,
I'm back from 10 days of fun in Colorado! Steve Pero (my friend from Boston- who would run during the night with Sue Johnston-my friend from Vermont who would win..)and I left University of Virginia where I am now a proud masters student!!.. on the first of July and drove 32 hours to arrive in Silverton..Colorado.. Met the great 64yr old John Dewalt and 61y young Rollin Perry who would both finish (6th & 5th) times for each.. and after an hour in town headed up the Kendall MT. summiting our first 13,000 footer! Sucked! altitdue is rough, terrible headaches, dizzy, panting.. could not even run down.
The next day I took it easy and tried to run the 6 miles into town from our campsite. Ended up hitchhiking in. Could only run 2-3 min. at a time... wow no air even at 9300ft.
Tuesday I summited Oscar pass with Bert Meyer(a 4 time finisher) and Steve and ran down the way the course goes. Nice 8 mile trek and actually felt good. Still headache but not as bad.
Rested Wed. and Thursday watched amazing fireworks, listening to them echo off the mountains, as Silverton is surrounded by 12,000fters.
Fri. Morning woke at 4:15 a bit nervous but ready... Got around and was off and running around 5th place next to Sue down the streets the first 1/2 mile.. Felt okay so I told Sue I'd hang with her for as long as I could. When we hit the first trails (and slight hills) the Cliftons, Jureks, big 100mile race winners, Course record holders, annual top ten finishers went by us and we settled in.
The first climb began and ended 2 hours later with me realizing I could climb with the best there is, and stay with Sue but I was not acclimated and was breathing hard when they were not. My heartrate was 160 plus constantly and was to remain there forever!!!!! I took some pictures and noted the course was marked poorly and hard to follow, as we got off twice early on..
I hit the first down hill easy trying to spare my quads and let people go by. 2:25 at the first aide station 9.6 miles in!!!!!!!
I then hit the road with Betsy Nye(3rd place) and climbed the next mountain strong but easy stopping lots to drink , eat, fill my bottle from a stream, take pictures, sit on a rock, and mainly to keep my heart and head from blowing up. Headache got worse at the top and I was around 30th place but not working hard other than the altitude.
Then the worst section came from 13 miles to 28 miles we never went below 11,500ft. and my head killed... I just felt weaker and weaker as I was on good trail but could barely run. Got hotter as clouds left a bit.. I stayed with Betsy for 40 min. then she left me. I sat at a tiny aide station that mules had packed in to the hills and thought maybe I was in over my head... but Some great runners were behind me, and I just don't quit... so press on. 22 miles in 6 HOURS!!!! does not make since but...that is Hardrock.
We finally started down on a great pine covered trail as the first rains hit. I felt much better and moved up a bit but was really alone for hours until I got to Sherman and met Ian my frind from Ithaca who happend to ba able to pass thru Silverton.. I ate a ton and was glad for my well planned drop bags.. Got a good bit in for the next section would be cold and wet and 11 miles before aide again. It also had a 14,000ft peak!
After two advil and a steady 30 min walk on a constantly climbing hill I began to feel good and ran strong... too strong as I missed a turn and ended up 22 minutes of running off course(easily two miles.. 2 strong miles...dammit!!!!!!!!!!!) I lead two others off course too to make me feel worse but then began to climb like a machine. Keeping the breathing at a steady pant and heartrate at 170 or so I climbed the switchbacks until above treeline with out a break passing Tim Hewitt who honestly looked near death. altitude had given him headaches,nausea, and the shakes.. he would struggle to get out to 42.. to drop) After sighting the top for the first time the rain got harder and my crappy jacket began to leak and cling to me..
Handies has false peaks and the summit is actually miles in away from the first bit of the spins you go up.. Such disappointement had rarely ever hit me as each time I reached a top it was not THE top... I sat down and dug out a hat and warm mittens and water proof shells from my camelback backpack I wore... No bladder in it I just carried two bottles, one with a filter in it so I could take water from streams.
Al caught me and we would continue to leap frog one another and see each others lights the next 30 miles. He is from Wisc and in his 3rd attempt. he finished in 40hours.. Finally we go down and down and down and after hours I reach the Grouse gulch aide station at 42 miles. Put on dry shirts, get out my headlamp, change shoes, eat and eat and eat and 28 min later leave the station walking up engineers pass with a FULL stomach as the light began to dimm. 2+ hours later and 7 miles of up hill dirt road walking I reach the top. it is 9:30 at night and I finally turn on my light to find the reflective markers to weave my way down a hill to the aide station.
The are nice people and I eat a veggie burger, a potatoe and continue. After jumping(splashing thru) my 67th stream I begin a fun section of Bear creek trail that reminds me of Ithaca and the Vineyard loop, Wish it was light for I would run strong, but enstead it is a safe run, fast walk around sharp turns and steep descents that end up putting you 500ft above a gorge on a 2 foot wide ledge of shall with a rock wall to your right and air to your left. I think of my friend Elana, and my Mother who I had promised to not DIE and just walk.... I actually slipped on the tiny shall twice already, in areas where the drop off was not there so now it is a walk ever down. The stars are amazing and 1/3 moon is bright. The river crashes and roars and I think about this beautiful area and not that I have been going for 20 hours...
I go thru another real frustrating section at 56 miles trying to find a trail in tangled turning woods above the OURAY town thinking that each turn will lead to my road and none do. FINALLY I pop out and descend into town 1/2 mile to the aide station. The wind is wipping 45 miles and hour in a freak thing and I eat solely from my drop bags, pudding, jello, applesauce, fruit cup, take a bananna from the table and wish for the milkshake Steve was supposed to give me here... (it sits there not found... doah) Two Japanese folks waiting for AKI(he finishes in 47hours) cover me with a blanket to stop my shaking and rub my shoulders that ache from carrying my pack... With a full stomach and new batteries I head out of town passing 6 people heading in. I must be going slow??? How can they be catching me? It is another long road walk 6 miles to next aide station but I don't know this and think I am about to miss a turn for hours!!! I go slowly and feel just mentally down... I have decided I will finish but am nolonger being competitive and I wait for the light behind me to catch up. It is Al and we walk steady to Govenors's station 65 miles in. it is 4am and I take a caffiene pill and chat with the volunteers. I feel better spirit wise and eat some chips, have some coke, put down some instant mashed potatoes, take some TP with me... and head out after AL who left 8 minutes before I do. This clib goes from 7900ft in OURAY to 13,000+ at Virginia's pass and takes forever.. I start to walk with some spirit to catch Al and as hints of dawn break I turn off my light and follow the road after his. Catching him in a steady climb feeling confident and then we get lost!!!!!!!!!! damn course marker anyway. 2 inches of survey tape??? come on! use like 26inches and make it blue and yellow stripped with neon green polka dots!!!! Hardest markers to find in my 12 years of racing..
BY back tracking we find that we go up sharply on a non-trail and pick our way up a Talus slope, this is tons of rocks the size of a fist or your head piled upon one another... then it gets really steep and I strap my bottle to my waist and put one in my backpack and climb with my hands (class5 climb) into the snow, then use the footprints and kick steps to continue up. The sun has risen now and I take off one of my long sleeves. The the snow goes way up a 90 degree pitch. I see a black rope 1/2 way up. this is serious climb now. People could die here... WOW
I begin to kick step up the ice wall and then stop,go back down get out my camera and take a picture this is too good... no one will believe me... I then ascend, grab the rope and panting until I am so faint I see spots I finally make the top and sit where two guys have put up a tarp and made a tiny aide station... They are true DUDES and ask if I want coffee... they have fire.. I wait for Al to get up safe then say good bye and thanks for the company but now I feel good and will run strong. I will cover the next 34 miles nearly as fast as the winner. Weird.
WIth the sun up it is now 25 hours in and a new day here I begin to scramble and make my descent, down down down I go and then really start to run the runnable spots. You must understand these are not trails these are Mt goat paths. I get below treeline and into pines and run by old mining buildings and enjoy the air. My head does not hurt anymore since I take two advil every 5 hours. I don't want to go more frequent for I tend to piss blood if I do that... thus I don't. It is a lonely run and when I see the Telluride ski slope I get anxious to be down. Finally I pop out into tow and run down a street with some guy waiting for me to point the way. I get into the aide station and sit.. 73 miles down (plus the 2 extra) and begin to figure if I can finish by nightfall..
Change shoes, and see my feet are prunned and white but okay, and eat my usual: pudding, potatoes, jello, applesauce, bannana, chips, have a coke, fill bottles with water and one with MT. dew, I feel amazing and the aide station people say I look so good... I leave here on a mission and am competitive again. I will climb the next 10 mile segment a full 8 minutes faster than anyone in the field including the winner. I walk with power.. each step is consentration and a solid footplant as I begin the switch backs in the warming sun. it is 8am, and I now run all downs and flats and even some ups, I don't stop to rest at all for 57 minutes, then take a picture and suck down a gel, I am shaky with my effort but climb on driven for some reason... I do these things to see how tough I am.. Am I really that weird? The wildflowers remind me of all that I want from life(peacefulness and simplicity) and I take a picture of a waterfall, and use up my camera with snow covered mt. shots. I pass one guy and continue on, footsteps of some 29 others are in the dust on the trail. After I am above treeline I sit on a rock to let my panting stop and close my eyes in the bright sun and am almost alseep in 2 seconds. I am even groggy!!! Enough of that.. I get up and continue up reaching a snow field and carefully hiking up it, the snow is wet and slippery. After a LONG time I am at the top and I begin to run(at 13,000ft mind you) around the spine of the mt. over to the Oscars pass and after a 30 ft slide on my feet down a snow slope I am over the pass and heading down a jeep road switchbacking as I run the downhill miles in 27 minutes making my toes BLack and hurting badly as they smack the front of my shoes.
At the aide station at 83 miles I hear Sue is in a dogfight for the lead and at 29 hours in the winner will soon finish. A local guy, Dennis, asks if I want a pacer to run in and I say "well I will be slamming if you can keep up come along"..... I leave in a rush as flies are biting me and wind down further to the base of the next mt. I climb as if possessed and pass 5 people in the next 2 hours of climb. We ascend above treeline into a purplish rock talus field and head for a pass that is amazing. I stop to sit and eat a few nutrigrain bars and begin to climb again.(you can't climb and eat at the same time..) I look up and see two guys scrambling on a pitch that honestly seems 95 degrees and is a scree slide. rocks from pea to foot size are sliding and avalanching all around them and I can not... absolutely can't bleieve I have to do this climb...... I am 30 hours into the hardest race in the world and now I know why. Dennis and I begin to climb and head for the right side where there is bigger rocks to hold onto. After 25 minutes of panting fearful climb I am up...! It has been raining the last 15 and I just smile knowing again, that no one will belive what I have done here.. this race is a bad dream! Amazing. I turn to start to go down and pause as I see Joel Zuckers memorial plague. It is nice and I am humbled thinking he died on the drive home from this race 2 years ago. He worked in Alfred where I went to school and was the first ultrarunner I ever met.
I slide down another scree field with reckless abandon and excitement, Dennis can't keep up and I sight two more ahead. It is Scott Eppleman and pacer. He finished the MMT 100 in MAy 7 hours ahead of me and I am passing him now, Wow I feel great. I run strong now, missing a turn and coming back on weaving around on a 6 inch dirt path jumping creeks and enjoying the run knowing I don't have much more to go. At 89 mile I hit the KT aide station and sit for more potatoes, exceed, melon, and leave quickly heading into my worst section. a 6 mile stretch of climbing and grassy meadows and hot sun. We climb strong thru trees and then above treeline it is all grass.. this is the sound of Music...
I don't know where I am going and am getting the stumbly I've been out to long feeling, after 7 hours of invinceable climbing and strong running, I am reduced to a painful(knee) and wobbly(ankle spraining) run/ speed walk and mentally am trash wondering how much longer I have to go. we climb 4 diff. hills and finaly the 12,400 one and down the other side we go. I try to run but have to stop to stretch my left IT band as it gets worse and worse. Where is the last aide station????????????????????????????????
I see it and all is okay. we enter it and I eat a bit and fill the bottles and take two advil and hope the knee will make it. it is 5.9 miles to finish and I am 35:01 in.... Yes I will break 37 hours such respectability! one of the top 85 times on this course ever.
Dennis and I super speed walk over the roughest talus fields and rocks and follow an what looks like a bad deer path down, thru mud, some more creeks and more rocks and finaly enter trees and run HARD I mean HARD down... down, when will this end, I am doing amazing, my mind is racing and my lip begins to quiver a bit as I think of what I am doing... this is the toughest race in the world and one year almost to the day after I start this sport I am running here well, and unacclimated... wow! my head aches!!! I think I hear the final river, but it is just wind in the pine trees, then I do hear cars, the final road crossing is close.
There it is the river!!! I hold the rope and begin to wade across, people on the road by parked cars cheer, Tears well, and I hope Sue and Steve are still around by the finish...
I cross the road and do the last tiny climb, panting and fall to a walk one last time then run the last two miles into town, descend on a singletrack onto blacktop make the turn and see the cones and the rock!!!! I give the rock a kiss as rain is about to fall and walk on in to the gym. 36 hours 19 minutes. Last years champ and course record holder has come in 15 minutes ago!!! Wow.
I am 21st of 118.. 60 finish.. and Sue has won(10th overall). what a trip for Us.
After the hoopla Steve and I get some pizza, and I get to sleep around 10pm. Then another 34 hours in the car and back to Virginia I am!!! Two black toes, and no injuries... I can run today. barely even sore. So excited...
Later,
Greg
Ps If I am able work/school wise I will return to this race year after year after year...
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