Grey Rock 50k in the Cascades - Train to Hunt

[flyguide]

I thought this might fit into the Elk forum.  These pics are from a 50k trail run that I was at last weekend in the Ahtanum area west of Yakima.  I didn't see any other camo there except for me, and I was the only elk bugling in camp the morning of the race so I don't think anyone else from the site was there.  Maybe next year a few guys from the site here will do this.  Getting a formal run on the calendar that you have to commit to is a great way to keep yourself honest.  They have a 12k and 25k course too that is a great starting point  There wasn't as many competitors as last year and the guy that holds the course record didn't show up so I knew this might be my one chance to actually win this event.   It is a hell of a run in some awesome elk country and has well over 6,000' of elevation gain and 6,000' of loss.  There were tracks all over the entire course.  Perfect place to train for elk season right?  Rough trails too, very real.  I took off in front of the pack and vowed to go out hard and try to maintain the pace.  I gained some good distance on the pack by the top of the first climb which is rated at right around 1900-2000' of elevation (the race started at 4200' in elevation and topped out at about 6300' - yes plenty of snow on top still).

As I was coming down the back side of the first climb which is essentially a dive bomb down about 2000' I couldn’t believe it when I heard footsteps behind me! How could this guy be keeping up?  I was flying down that trail leaping over deadfall and everything!  It wasn't even the same guy that trailed me most of the way up.  Anyway, this was going to be a tight race I could tell.  We ran neck 'n neck to the first checkpoint at about 8 miles and by that point I was already feeling a weak spot on my foot under the right arch but it was too late to do anything about it.  I would have to run through it and it got pretty ugly.  The picture doesn't do it justice at all (It hurt worse than it looks).  That shot was taken the next day after the aid car cleaned it up post race. 

Anyway, I took off out of the first checkpoint at 8 mile with an ok lead but that damn guy kept catching up to me.  He was hot on my heels and I asked him if he had ever done that race before and he said "no" - a few minutes later I let him pass because I knew this climb well, it is about 2200' in elevation gain and is a true a mankiller near the top. I figured he would wear down in the top end and I would overtake him then.  He passed me and I just kept a decent pace feeling very strong.  I was on a killer pace and nearly caught up to him at the half way point after climbing a mountain with at least 50 false summits... each time I thought I was at the top... nope, "come on!" the top has to be up here somewhere!  I came into the halfway point/turnaround 4 minutes back and made the first of my fatal errors.  I didn't eat hardly anything at the checkpoint.  I only ate a half of a banana because I felt so strong and wanted to catch back up to the bad guy.

I caught him at the point of descent to head back down the hill ( we ran along a ridgeline at 6,000' for about 2 miles it was spectacular - elk tracks everywhere ).  The bad guy missed the turnoff because of all the snow the trail was hard to see and our tracks were nearly invisible because of the crust.  We both ended up missing it and we found it at the same time together and the race was on!  We ran like banshees down the mountain with me barely in the lead.  It was a tight competition and at this point the other runners were still coming up the hill and cheering us on.  It is rare to run that hard so close together in these races.  It was a crazy descent, very fast and pretty dangerous.  The other guy fell down hard and cut himself up pretty bad but hardly missed a beat.  He could have been seriously injured, it was in talus rock on a very steep hill. He was a tough competitor.  The next debacle was that I got a bunch of highly concentrated Powerade all over myself and while in the lead I stopped to splash it off in a creek (it was sticky and driving me crazy), instead of a 10 second splash I fell in the damn creek and soaked my shoes, feet, and socks completely wet! What a dork.  I kept running with water and bubbles shooting out of my sneakers.  It was really disheartening, the second of my fatal errors.  I pursued him with a vengeance and wet feet for another mile when all of a sudden he came running up from behind me!  He had taken another wrong turn, bad luck, we were both trying to give each other the race.  A comedy of errors. I can't stay out of the creek and he couldn't stay on the trail.

I came rumbling down into the final checkpoint at 24 miles but was feeling pretty tired, but confident I would leave him behind on the final climb, another 2,000' ascent.  I do Manastash ridge for a training run outside of Ellensburg a lot and steep hills and big climbs tend to be my forte.  Not today though.  My final and fatal error was not eating nearly enough sugar, gel, or anything for that matter.  My wife was yelling at me telling me to eat at the final checkpoint but I was trying to go lightweight and fast I didn't eat or take anything with me for the last climb.  I had to watch 1st place disappear up the hill in a shuffle hardly faster than my walk.  It was a nightmare.  There was nothing I could do, I totally bonked and got really nauseous and lightheaded all the way up and nearly walked the entire hill which I expected to run.  I finally crested the top in rough shape and trotted down the back side towards the finish line which was a 1900' drop that sounds easy but after 27-28 miles at that point just keeping moving is pretty tough.  I caught up with my sister on top who was still finishing her 25k and having her there to shout at me sure helped keep me going.  I rumbled down the hill to take 2nd place 13 minutes behind the 'bad guy' whom was a great competitor and a hell of a cool guy. 

I can't wait to race him again.  I learned a ton about blood sugar managment in this race. I gave this one away.  They gave me a blue ribbon metal for the 30+ division which is kind of cool.  I really enjoy the people at these races and I am learning a lot about running in rough terrain.  I have a 50 miler on my radar for next year and might do a race in the north cascades in August that tops out at 8,000' that sounds like it is half mountain climbing and half trail running.  Even with as tender and sore as I am right now it is a pretty damn satisfying feeling after having run 32 miles in over several mountains in 5 hours, 30 minutes. 

Run hard, train hard, laugh hard... and hunt harder.

[Karl Blanchard]

Awesome write up!  Sounds like you gave it hell!   I came out strong this year and was on par to run my first marathon ever but as spring progressed my knee's gave up on me.  pretty frustrating at 28 years old but I have backed off my running and upped my mountain biking. I rocked mt. axe's last weekend and I'm climbing Adams next saturday.  7 more weeks and its go time! I can smell the Alpine already!

[kalamasasquatch]

just when start to feel pretty confident in my fitness i read a stroy like this and feel like i should be in a retirement home and my 3 mile mt run is a joke! hell of a race good job!

[bucklucky]

Flyguide your an animal ! I hate runnign so Im out of that one  Nice write up. Was the bad guy a hunter by chance?

[BENCHLEG]

congrats and thanks for sharing the pain with us. i feel my pain packing meat. that is slow and steady. you should be proud of your effort i am. 

[SemperFidelis97]

I dont imagine any backcountry hunting will be a problem this year now I got to ask you do you just run the elk down exhaust them then put them out of their misery I did a couple 30 mile humps in the Corps, that was pretty tough cant believe you ran that.

[PacificNWhunter]

Great job flyguide!

[Bob33]

Here's one for you: http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/nature/Fair-Chase.html

[Caseyd]

Congrats 

I have a buddy who runs ultras and I can't even imagine running for that distance/length.

[briancorneal]

That looks like a ton of fun.  I'm planning on running a 100 miler next year.  Where do you find these runs?

[rtspring]

Heck of a story and congrats..

Not for me, I got better things to do

[dreamingbig]

Congrats on a great race!

[flyguide]

That looks like a ton of fun.  I'm planning on running a 100 miler next year.  Where do you find these runs?

Just search for any permutation of "ultramarathon in washington state", most events have 16 mile courses that a are a great first goal to start with.  It is a great way to train.   If I get a formal race on the calendar it keeps me hopping out of bed in the morning trying to get prepared.

[WAcoyotehunter]

holy smokes dude!!  you're a stud!  nice work

[PlateauNDN]

I dont imagine any backcountry hunting will be a problem this year now I got to ask you do you just run the elk down exhaust them then put them out of their misery I did a couple 30 mile humps in the Corps, that was pretty tough cant believe you ran that.

    I thought those were bad but, what you just described!  Damn brother you're a stud for sure!  I'm also curious about whether you just run the elk down or not?