1) What should I wear?
Come to Silverton prepared for anything: heat, cold, rain, snow, and
wind. All have occured on race weekend. In '94 I did most of the
Hardrock in a T-shirt and carried a windbreaker to add over the passes.
This turned out to be a very good combination. Leaving Ouray at sunset,
I carried tights, polypropelene pants, a sweatshirt, down vest, and my
windbreaker, and ended up wearing them all. In '92 or '93 it rained.
In '95, the run was cancelled due to the excessive snowpack, and it
snowed within a week of when the Hardrock would have been run (in July!)
Due to the very good possibility of rain, you should bring something
to stay dry, and stash a few extra shirts in your drop bags. I personally
witnessed what happened at Leadville last year - there were a lot
of very wet and cold runners who had nothing dry to change into.
Buzz Burrell adds:
Besides the usual answers (layered capilene, etc), I think the linchpin of
clothing is the windbreaker. Those summer rainstorms can be real nasty. I
strongly recommend Gore-Tex; regular nylon won't cut it when the sleet is
coming down sideways. There have been many attempts to duplicate Gore-Tex's
(somewhat) waterproof/breathable combination, but none do both as well.
Recently, Lowe and Nike have come out with new high performance fabrics, but
they currently only come on mountaineering style jackets (lots of unneeded
pockets and flaps that weigh too much).
I also feel a hood is essential to the jacket. Since it still needs to be as
light as possible (so you're not tempted to leave it behind) that seems to leave
mostly one choice: The Patagonia Pneumatic Pullover. Its so compact it will
fit into your water bottle holder. It's also a ripoff at $130, but it is the
lightest windbreaker that will keep you warm in a mountain storm (as long as you
keep moving). And of course, it comes in colors you've never heard of.
2) Should I wear running shoes or hiking boots?
Despite the rough terrain and many miles of cross country travel,
you will probably be much better off in running shoes, although
one of the modern lug soled running/hiking shoe hybrids might
not be an unreasonable choice. I usually wear my running shoes
when I go backpacking anyway. However, you'll want to pack
several pairs of whatever you wear, and bring lots of extra
socks. Even in '94, a very dry year, this was a foot-soaking
course. There are many stream crossings (see below), snow covered
sections, and dew soaked meadows - you may come into every aid
station with wet feet! After 24 hours of this in '94, my feet were
totally trashed, and my numerous soggy-foot induced blisters hurt
and slowed me down a lot over the final 14 hours. A trick I learned
afterwards from Al Zeller (who is entered this year) is to smear
your feet with copious quantities of vaseline at every opportunity,
thereby effectively waterproofing your feet. As Al said: "The only
reason to wear socks is to keep the vaseline in." This has worked
well for me in several hundred milers since.
Dana Roueche adds:
I am a regular at Leadville and have benefited from
the Rockport sponsorship with many pairs of their shoes. Last year they
gave us a prototype called the Leadville racer. It is a low cut shoe with
a nylon upper, a hiking shoe outersole and a medium padded midsole. I found
the shoe to be a little on the overkill side for a course like leadville and
preferred to use running shoes. On more rugged terrain like Hardrock, they
would be perfect. I am saving those shoes along with a leather version,
again lowcut with same sole for the race. My suggestion is, start with running
shoes while you are blowing off adrenaline, then switch to a lowcut,
lightweight hiking shoe like what Rockport has possibly at Sherman. I think
your feet will thank you for it and they are easy to run in when the urge
surfaces.
3) What kind of pack should I bring?
In '94 I used my Ultimate Extender, supplimented with a standard
day pack to carry all my extra warm clothes until I needed to put
them on. This worked well, although the day pack bounced obnoxiously
when I ran. This year I'm thinking of adding velcro straps, so I
can secure the day pack to my Extender. I usually carry two 20 oz
water bottles, but some of the aid stations in the Hardrock are far
enough apart that I will probably carry a third bottle, or plan on
treating water I come across with iodine (there are lots of opportunities
to do this).
Buzz Burrell adds:
I use the Ultimate Directions "Extender" for any length of run. It's the right
size. For those tempted to a larger capacity, the "Gemini" is bigger, but
beware it does not have the same no-bounce runners waistband. The "Trekker"
does, but if you fill it - and keep in mind, one will tend to fill whatever size
pack one is using - it is difficult to actually run.
4) How much of the course is runnable?
If you can run a rough trail, you ought to be able to run most of
the downhills. Due to the altitude, running even the mild uphills
will be a challenge. Most of the course is either steep uphill or
steep downhill. There's not much level ground, as might be expected
from the
5) How much climbing is there?
One change in the '96 route bypasses the section that Scott Hirst
is seen climbing in the UltraRunning magazine article of the '94 run.
However, there are still plenty of sections where you'll need an
occasional assist from your hands. The worst are climbing the ridge
below Handies Peak, and the final pitches of Virginus Pass and
Grant-Swamp Pass.
6) How are the river crossings?
Construction is beginning on a trail bridge across the Uncompahgre River just
before you reach Ouray. Hopefully, it will be completed in time for
this year's run. In '94 (a dry year) the water here was slightly above
the knee (the run crossed the dam in years before that). In a wet year
it could be far worse. The crossing at pole creek is also
likely to be quite wet - in '94 I barely made it across on rocks. In a
normal year it would be knee deep. Negotiating the beaver ponds at the
very start of the run will wet (and muddy) most shoes. The crossings of
Arrastra, Cunningham, and Maggie creeks may be wet, depending on whether
anyone has laid a log across them. The West Fork of Pole Creek is very
marshy - you'll get wet feet there. You cross the creek in Cataract
Gulch several times. There are a couple crossings of Upper Bear Creek
above Ouray, and in Upper Bear Creek above Telluride. You'll ford
Howard Creek just after the Chapman Gulch aid station. Two forks of
Upper Mineral Creek must be forded before and after the Kamm Traverse
aid station. Upper Porcupine Creek and Putnam Basin may be marshy.
You'll cross Bear Creek (the third one - as you might expect, runners
do occasionally see bears on this run) low down, and there's a
potentially knee deep crossing of Mineral Creek outside Silverton. Be
aware that any of these crossings you hit at night may also be quite
icy. Be careful! It's better to get your feet wet than to risk
slipping on an icy rock and dunking your whole body, when you're
exhausted, it's below freezing, and you're miles (and hours) away from
warm clothes.
7) How long ahead should I show up to acclimate?
Unless you're someone like John McGrew, who is lucky enough to live
in Leadville, you'll need to acclimate, and the more, the better.
Nevertheless, sea level dwellers do regularly finish Hardrock, and
often do quite well, like two time winner Dave Horton. Plan on spending
as much time as you can afford in the area before the run. My experience
when I moved from sea level to 7000' Los Alamos was that after the first
two days I could run without gasping, that after a week my workouts felt
relatively normal (although slower than down low), but that it took a
full month before I could run a normal workout at a normal pace. However,
you'll probably be walking all the uphills anyway, so the altitude may
not slow you as much as you might expect. In addition, some people
acclimate quickly, and some simply don't for whatever physiological
reason. If I lived at sea level, I'd feel comfortable arriving the
previous weekend. If I could only get there a couple days ahead of
the start, I still wouldn't worry, but I would
expect to have a harder time of it.
Dana Roueche adds:
The first biggest aspect to handling altitude which we all focus on and may
even take for granted, is to be in the best physical condition we can
be in. There is no better way to prepare for altitude than that, even if you
live at high altitude. Given you are in very good shape, you can teach
yourself in the very short term to adapt to high altitude....
You will not be at altitude long enough to grow more red blood cells,
but you can
can learn to use the ones you have most efficiently in short order.
You do need to arrive 5 or 6 days before the race. After arriving, find
the highest possible point that you can drive to. You need to be very
careful not to over do it in your final taper week. Ideally, you want
to drive to a point that is as high as the highest point on the course.
After you drive as high as possible, go for a 2 or 3 mile hike/jog. The
point is to give yourself an idea of what it is like to work at that
altitude. You should find it very difficult compared to what you are used
to. It is best to do this at least twice, the 2nd time should feel a lot
easier because you are becoming accustomed and changing your oxygen
expectations physically and mentally.
On race day, this will be your 3rd time working at altitude and you will
be even further accustomed. It is critical to start very very slow when
racing at altitude. This will allow your body and mind to adapt while
you are in the run itself. If allowed, the body will become as efficient
as it can with the resources it has. If you start out too fast or work too
hard going over a pass, the altitude can do an incredible amount of damage
in terms of fatigue. Later, when the course becomes easier, you will not
be able to run as well as you could have if you where more conservative.
8) How much snow will there be?
'94 was the driest year of the three previous runnings, and there were
short snowbanks to cross over most of the major passes, with a substantial
amount (thigh deep) below Virginus Pass. In '95 almost the entire course
was under snow, and the run was cancelled because of it. Expect anything
in between. We'll post periodic snow reports here,
as the season progresses. You can also check them
yourself.
1/14/96: There are unseasonable bare spots on the peaks above Silverton.
1/28/96: Colorado just got dumped on by a storm.
Telluride ski area reports a 59" base, midway.
9) Should I bring crampons, snowshoes, or an ice axe?
If the decision had been to run in '95, I would have brought snowshoes.
I didn't use any of these in '94, although I did use the fixed
rope below Virginus Pass. If there is a lot of snow this year, I'll
probably throw instep crampons, snow shoes, and an ice axe in the trunk
of my car, and might carry the instep crampons and ice axe at night.
Don't bring an ice axe unless you know how to use one - it hurts a lot
if you fall on the sharp end, and there is some technique involved in
stopping yourself in a slide with one. A ski pole might be a better
choice if you haven't used an ice axe before.
10) Will there be a moon? When are sunrise and sunset?
Here are the specifics for Silverton:
Friday, July 11: Sunrise 5:58 am Sunset 8:34 pm
Moonrise 12:25 pm Moonset after midnight 39% waxing
Saturday, July 12: Sunrise 5:59 am Sunset 8:34 pm
Moonrise 1:20 pm Moonset 12:29 am 50% waxing
Sunday, July 13: Sunrise 5:59 am Sunset 8:33 pm
Moonrise 2:17 pm Moonset 1:013 am 58% waxing
11) What kind of flashlight should I carry?
This question is sure to generate arguments whenever it is discussed, but
here is my opinion.
After two very bad experiences in hundred milers with AA size flashlights,
I carry a Rayovac Roughneck, which takes two D size batteries and a krypton
bulb, and is focussable. I've used this twice in hundred milers, and have
been very happy with it. My experience with small flashlights that carry
two AA bulbs is that within an hour, even a fresh set of batteries will
have dimmed to the point that I can't run a rough trail. Walking a rough
trail or running a dirt road is fine, but they just don't throw enough
light far enough ahead for me to feel comfortable running a trail. You'll
need to do plenty of this at Hardrock. D cell batteries pack more energy
per ounce than AA batteries, and last longer. I've found that a single
set of D cells last me all night, whereas it required several sets of AA
batteries that ended up weighing nearly as much. The focusing feature
is useful in that it allows you to widen the beam when you're going slower
(as on a trail) and need to see the bushes and trees that are reaching out
to grab you. I don't find the extra weight in my hand to be obnoxious.
The krypton bulb is noticibly brighter than a conventional bulb. The only
disadvantage of a D cell flashlight is that it's harder to stuff in
your pack when you no longer need it.
Some people love head lamps. I've chosen never to use one, for a reason that proved itself to be valid at AC100 last summer. My pacer was using a headlamp, his first experience with one. He was having a lot of trouble keeping up with me on several miles of narrow, occasionally rocky, downhill trail. Because the head lamp was so close to his eyes, the rocks on the trail threw no visible shadows, and he was stumbling all over them. Just as he was about to tell me to go ahead, it occured to him that he could just carry the headlamp in his hand, which worked much better. I suppose this is not a bad option if the weight of a flashlight in your hand is bothersome. I'll stick with my double D flashlight.
Here are some general cautions which apply to flashlights or head lamps, born of bitter experience: Put extra batteries and bulbs in all your drop bags, whether you think you'll need them or not. In the '94 Hardrock, I forgot to take extra batteries with me out of Ouray, and lost several hours because I could only use occasional pulses of light to spot the trail markers ahead. By the time I got to Grouse Gulch, where my pacer had an extra pair of batteries, even that usage had almost completely used them up (these were the hated AAs). Your crew might get lost, and not show up with your spares. You may find that your kid used the batteries in their boombox without you knowing it. You may be able to bail out another runner who didn't take these precautions. After all, you spent $140 to enter this run, you may have spent several hundred dollars to get here and more for lodging, you put in hundreds of hours of your valuable time training for this. Don't risk spoiling it all to save a couple bucks worth of batteries and bulbs! Also, practice changing the bulb and batteries with your eyes closed. It hasn't happened to me, but my pacer had bulbs burn out on two consecutive hundreds. Check to make sure your spares actually work. I used to carry a spare bulb permanently in my running pack, and found that the months of rattling around had disintegrated the putty sealing the glass to the base, and it was no good. Dad (my pacer) once got a bad bulb right out of the package. All these cautions are not simply to prevent disappointment and inconvenience. Hardrock is a dangerous hundred. It will be cold. It will be dark. It will be very rugged. You may be as much as an hour ahead of the next runner. It could be life threatening to lose a bulb and have to stand around, exhausted, below freezing, above timberline, in the dark, for an hour or more.
12) How should I train?
If you have to ask this, you probably don't belong at Hardrock.
Dana Roueche provides a less
flippant answer:
Even though I have not
seen the course, based on my hiking and other 100 miler experience, I can
share how I am training. In addition to running
lots of miles with long runs,
I do 3 treadmill workouts per week on Mon-Wed-Fri. I set the treadmill at
16% grade and walk at 15 min/mile pace for 6 miles each session. This gives
me over 5,000 feet of climbing in the workout, 15,000 feet per week. In
addition, I am lifting weights upper and lower body. For the lower body, I
am doing 3 sets of 30 squats along with leg extensions, curls, toe raises.
The squats are helping my hill workouts and the hills are
helping the squats.
Buzz Burrell adds:
Go backpacking in the mountains. For most of us, this isn't really a running
race, so *hiking* in steep terrain makes more sense as a training regime. Most
entrants' running background is probably more extensive than needed, but our
hiking muscles need practice.
13) What kind of food is at the aid stations?
This is covered in more detail in the runner's info package, which
appears elsewhere on this homepage. Generally, the standard hundred
stuff, however, remember that four of the aid stations are supplied
by muletrain (Pole Creek) or backpack (Engineer, Virginus, Putnam),
which limits what can be carried in.
There will be a new policy concerning aid stations at Hardrock this year, due to its increase in size: the central aid area (where the food is) will be roped off and accessible only to the runner and a single crew member or pacer. The rest of the crew is welcome to administer aid within the aid station boundaries, but outside the exclusion area. This is no big deal, and is routine in many other hundreds. It cuts down on the chaos.
14) What are the policies concerning pacers?
One pacer at a time, from Sherman on. Over 60, and you can have
a pacer the whole way. Pacers must check in at one of the "city" aid
stations (Silverton, Ouray, and Telluride), and can only start
at crew access points. "Muleing" is officially discouraged.
It hasn't been decided yet whether there will be special numbers
for pacers. One change this year from previous years is that pacers
will be required to pay $1 to cover Search and Rescue support
(entrants have this taken out of their fee).
In previous years, this was covered by the fishing licenses that
everyone was encouraged to purchase. This $1 fee is not just a
nit picking way to gather a few extra bucks for the run. It is
legally required for Search and Rescue support - if the pacer gets
hurt, and has paid the buck, all aid and evacuation is covered. If
not, the pacer (and possibly the Race Directors) are liable to cover
the cost. Why not go stick a dollar bill in your running pack right
now, so you don't forget?
15) Where can I stay in Silverton?
There are a number of hotels in Silverton. We'll post addresses and
phone numbers here, as soon as we get them. I plan to camp (as I did
in '94) at the USFS South Mineral Creek campground, near the Kamm
Traverse aid station, a few miles west of Silverton. This is a standard
USFS campground: picnic tables, water, fire pits, and outhouses. Costs
a few bucks a night. No special facilities for motorhomes. If this
is full, as it was in '94, you can pull off the road and camp at numerous
places along South Mineral Creek. The fishing is pretty good for Rainbow
Trout, and an out-of-state temporary license costs about $25.
16) Where can I get a shower after the run?
In '94 you could get a shower at the Teller Hotel in Silverton for
a couple bucks. I assume this is still the case. This is ordinarily
an easy walk from the start/finish, but I wouldn't want to do it after
the run! There are no showers at the South Mineral Creek campground.
17) Miscellaneous tips and ideas.
In '94 I carried one of those disposable cameras with me during the
run, and it was well worth it. This is one really
spectacular area! You can see the results at
http://microserf.lanl.gov/bpw/hrh.html. Be aware that that the cameras
without a flash produce very muddy pictures in low light or deep shadows.
Can't keep your glasses on when you get sweaty? Try a little golfer's rosin on the bridge of your nose and behind the ears. I picked this trick up from my Dad, and it works wonders! Also, portions of the Hardrock are shared with 4WD vehicles, which means dust. You probably don't want to wear contacts on the Camp Bird road, unless you hit it in the dead of night.
Silverton is a pretty small town. You may not be able to find that particular food or energy drink at the last minute. Better come prepared.
The active ingredient in most energy drinks is maltodextrine (aka "glucose polymer"), which you can get for $2-$3/lb at your local homebrewing store (even Los Alamos, with a population of 11,000, has one). I've had very good results dumping a 35 mm film can full in each 20 oz water bottle. Since it's completely without taste, it doesn't gum up your mouth or give you acid sores like some energy drinks do. I also add a couple crushed No-Doz for nighttime usage. This has helped banish one of my personal demons during hundreds - the fall-flat-on-your-face sleepiness that strikes between midnight and dawn.