Squaw Peak 50, 2015

Squaw Peak 50, 2015

Much better, but not quite there.

            This is one of my favorite challenges each year. I did it the first time just to prove that I could do it. 50 plus miles through the mountains with tons of elevation climbs, what a great challenge.  Every year that I do this one I learn more and more.

            This year I figured it was going to be a hot one. I had some good ideas on keeping cool and having a great race. Well by Saturday the weather was very cool and even a chance of rain was in the air. I ended up staying up late Friday as I did some reorganizing of my strategy and drop bags.

            I went to the Friday evening meeting and got my shirt, number and bag. The meeting was good with an inspiring speaker.

Here is a picture of what I was looking forward to.

Saturday morning my friend and co-worker Steve picked me up at 04:15. His wife drove us to the start. I placed my drop bags and took my supplements and 1 gel. I found Derik the Red and Brian Beckstead. I usually go with Brian at the first. He knows the course very well and always has a good strategy. Every year he has always caught and passed me somewhere in the last 15 miles or so.

Well I had my plan which included a pace chart for every mile, my drop bag/pitstop strategy, and my awesome support crew.

I spent quite a few hours analyzing my past races, including elevation and perceived effort to make my pace chart. It had me finishing in 8:40:00.  Maybe a pipe dream, but I figured that it was at least a 20 minute buffer for my real goal of 9 hours.

I lined up next to Brian and we were off. He was joking with everyone and making fun of my over analysis and preparations. I just hung out with the group until we reached the first turn and climb. Up we went into the darkness towards hope campground. The vegetation was so green and big. Most all of the single tracks for the whole day, it felt more like jungle than Utah mountain trail.

I got to the first aid station, Hope Campground feeling great. I didn’t need anything. I just dropped my rain jacket and gloves and kept going. We keep climbing until just after mile 7. It’s along here where I start to pass the early start people. They are always an inspiration. I know that they plan on being on the trail for pretty much the whole day. Respect!

The first climb is about 2600 feet in that 7 ½ miles. We then get about 2 miles of downhill, mostly single track. These are my favorite sections. My real strength as a trail runner is steep downhill single track. It is just a controlled fall. I just feel like I am 10 years old again. So fun.

At mile 9 we start climbing again. Just before the next aid station I passed Davey Crockets son. I made a quick stop here for some water refill and a few bites of melon. About a mile out of the aid station I passed Davey Crocket. It was good to see him. He was doing a SP-50 double. He had started the day before at 2pm so this was his second lap. From here it is mostly running on the dirt road. It is wide but rocky in a way that pounds your feet. It started a light rain. I actually got pretty cold.

The next aid station is Horse Mountain, and the top of this climb. From mile 9 to 15 it is another 1200 feet of elevation gain. This completes the first half of the courses climbs. I had a drop bag at this aid station. This would be my first shoe change. Well because of the rain, they had all of the drop bags in the back of a truck. I swapped out my Saucony trail shoes for my Hoka ATRs. These are cushy and super padded. These make the downhill pounding easier.

It’s now over 3100 feet downhill for next 6 miles. Time to Fly! I got going fast enough to see a 6:24 for mile 20. This is another fun section. You just have to watch carefully for the course turns. If you miss one you end up doing some extra miles. This part of the course takes us down to the left hand fork of Hobble Creek through pole Haven. There is an aid station about 1 mile from the pavement. I grabbed a few snacks and kept going.

As I got to the pavement I saw my first personal aid crew. Dexter my son was there. I was about 5 minutes ahead of schedule. That felt good. I swapped out the Hokas for my regular marathon shoes. My Kinvaras are light and just right for the run up the canyon on the pavement. Along here I came across Heath Thurston. We ran together for most of this section. This is about 4 miles of paved road. Luckily there is usually not much traffic.

At the end of the pavement is the next aid station. This is also just over mile 26. So I have completed a marathon but still have another 25 miles and a couple of thousand feet to climb. Dexter had driven up and helped me swap shoes, out of the road shoes and into my Brooks Cascadias. I got more water and some snacks. Here my first pace was waiting. David Taylor had offered to come and help me out. It is always easier and more fun to run with someone. I was excited. David had helped me out the last 4 miles last year.

It is dirt road again for the next 4 miles. David kept me going. He would push me when needed and let me slow a bit in between. He is a great pacer. We then came into the Sheep Creek aid station. I grabbed a water refill and some nutrition. Another fast stop and we were off. The race now turns up the creek. We literally run up the creek bed for about a mile before there is any semblance of a trail on the side. Fortunately there was no water this year. This section is about 6 miles of climb and then almost 2 down into Little Valley. David kept me honest and going at a good pace.

When you get low on glucose your body starts to do strange things. The first thing to go is your brain as your muscles are first priority. David had asked me what I was using for fuel, it took almost an hour to process that and remember what I was using.

We rolled into the Little Valley aid station 10 minutes ahead of schedule. My brother Todd was there on his motorcycle. I took a few minutes to refuel with mostly melon. I like this because I get the moisture and something to actually eat. To get to this point I have climbed another 2100 feet and then dropped almost 500 back down.

Next up is the toughest section. From here on is where the race really starts or at least where positions are gained or lost.

I felt really good as I left David, Todd and the station. I was about ½ mile out of the station when Todd came zooming up alongside of me. I had left my Go-Pro on the table and he brought it to me. I was glad. I knew that there would be good things to document from there to the finish. Todd turned around and took off. He was in a hurry so that he could get all the way down and then get back up South Fork for my next pit stop. About 1 minute after he left I suddenly felt nauseous. I then proceeded to vomit. So I turned on the Go-Pro so that I could document the rest of everything coming up. I drained the total contents of my stomach. It was so soon after the aid station that the electrolyte pills I had taken were still intact. For a moment I considered picking them up and re-swallowing them. Last year I kept seeing different capsules along the trail. I figured they were from some of the faster guys up ahead of me. I picked up a few along the way and took them. Like I said, the brain doesn’t function very well at this point.

I know stood looking at about 5 miles and about 2500 feet to climb before I got to the next aid station. I seem to always have a bad spot in this race. It’s usually somewhere between mile 30 and 40. It’s just something I have to deal with. Each year I get better and learn more.

The next mile was like a death march. I just kept moving. A little bit further and I saw Heath. He had made a wrong turn. I got him back on track. From this point until Windy Pass I kept doubting myself. It looks like someone had pulled a lot of the trail flagging. Just when I would be ready to turn around I would find a small piece of flag laying on the trail. Mentally this was draining.

I finally made it to the base of Bozung hill. I fondly call it S.O.B., son of Bozung hill. It is a climb of just over 1200 feet in a mile. There are places where it is so steep that you can literally reach up and grab bushes and pull yourself up. It averages a 30% grade.

When I was at the base and looking up I could see 2 guys that were about ½ ways up. This gave me a bit of hope. Somehow I just kept going. The further I got the stronger I felt. My pace dropped to a low of 24:30 for mile 41. I was so glad to finally get into the aid station. They refilled my waters for me while I gulped down some melon and other snacks. One of my fellow Run4Fun members was helping out here. I later found out that one of my co-workers, Dawn Christensen, was also working there. I missed her because she was down at the spring filling water jugs while I was there. I am so very thankful to all of the people who help at the aid stations. This race would be 10 times more difficult without them.

After the Windy pass aid station it is all downhill to the finish. I was able to pick up the pace but I sure wasn’t able to fly. I just kept thinking that Brian would be catching me any moment. I was surprised that he hadn’t caught me yet. Fear of being caught and willpower was all that kept me going.

I knew Todd was going to be meeting me somewhere along here before the Big Springs aid station. I was surprised at how far up he was, and that my nephew Chris was there also. They had been there long enough to see the leader go by. They told me he was about an hour ahead. They had prepared a nice spot for me to sit. Just like a pit stop they stripped off my shoes and socks and put on clean dry socks and my Hoka Bondi shoes. These are my marshmallow shoes. They are so thick and cushy. I was then off once again. I had hopes that I could catch someone on the way down. I pushed as hard as I could. It felt much faster than it actually was. I averaged in the mid 8s for the next few miles.

I was really glad to finally see the dirt road. Todd and Chris were just a bit behind me as I rounded a corner and came face to face with 2 horses and riders. I just calmly moved to the side and kept on going. They were pretty surprised. Next was the big meadow. As I started across I could see some bike riders coming up the trail. As I got closer I realized that they were my brother in law Jerry and his son Austin. They were really surprised. I guess that they weren’t expecting more to show up until later. The 2 of them turned around and went with me all of the rest of the way to the finish. As I got to the lower edge of the meadow I saw my mom. She is always a great support and my running inspiration.

Quickly we were at the Big Springs aid station. My Dad was here with my last drop bag. I grabbed what I needed and got going on down the road. It is all pavement for the last 4 miles. Jerry did his best to give me encouragement as he rode alongside. My parents drove in their car behind as chase vehicle making sure I didn’t get run over.

The race is called the Squaw Peak 50, but it has always been over that. It is kind of tough to see your watch show mile 50 and know that you still have more to go. Well I gave it all I had for the last mile and even a ‘sprint’ into the finish. Mile 51 was completed at a 7:02 pace. Not too bad I think.

I crossed the line and saw 9:11:44. I hobbled a few more yards onto the grass and collapsed. I had given it my all. John Bozung and all my family gathered around. My family is used to this, but it seem disconcerting to everyone else. I had to lay there for a while before I could muster enough to stand up. I finished 7^th overall and 2^nd in Masters. I also set a new personal record by 15 minutes. I had missed my goal but still did pretty good.

I already am working on my race plan and strategy for next year. I so enjoy pushing myself and seeing what I can accomplish.

“To Give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift”