50 @ 50
Buffalo Run on Antelope Island, Salt Lake Utah race report (book) March 23-24,
2018
It’s
true, Ultra runners are liars, bold face ultra-liars. I was told this weekend
before the start that “That climb up that hill there is pretty much the highest
elevation we will hit in this race (Craig Lloyd, bold faced liar extraordinaire
as that was the “shortest” climb on that side of the island up that little rise
compared to the ridges we ran up further up that side)” Then in the race “You
just made it up the worst climb out here” and “Don’t worry about what is coming
up, it’s not a problem” (Valerie Hewett, another good liar as that was NOT the
worst climb by far, it was just the first major climb, and anyone who can look
at you and tell you “it’s all good from here” just is begging to not be
believed in the future). Also, “The Ranch aid station is just a little ways
down and then you will be coming back up to us quickly (nice aid station
worker, but a liar, who I cannot remember his name, there was NOTHING quick
about the section to the ranch and back, flatter than most of the rest of the
run, but not quick). And finally this one from the final Aid station volunteer,
“All you have left is this little bit around this side of the island and then
you are finished! Here let me show you the road to the trailhead, it’s not
far.” (HOLY COW that was the LONGEST 4+ miles in total dark with no reference
points that ever existed, like EVER! Even finally seeing the lights in the camp
at the finish was anticlimactic because by that time you had given up hope that
any other life existed out there!)
And
those liars up there, every single one of them including the ones that lied
just tiny lies to keep spirits up and share a little humor, made this race the
most amazingly wonderful experience of a 50 year life. I love each and every
one of those amazing people who find fun and humor and community together
through a love of finding your deepest self and exposing it to every emotion
imaginable while putting your feet and your body to its ultimate use and abuse.
Fully connected to the environment, nature, around you.
Now,
the report itself. Miles and I arrived in Utah and drove out to Antelope Island
the day before the race to scope out what I had gotten myself into. It was a rainy,
cooler, kinda nasty day and there was concern that this would be our weather
for the race. At least the soil was mostly sand and drained really well, so mud
wouldn’t be a big issue. As I drove across the causeway, the mountains on the
island keep getting bigger and bigger. I had looked at the course map, but
looking at it and understating it are two VASTLY different things. I was trying
to figure out which of the peeks we were tackling and had settled on it being
two “short” ones that I was able to convince myself that I could handle. I was
going to be ok, and I could do this “thing”. I saw some of the buffalo, Miles
really wanted to go see what they were all about, and had a nice visit with the
ranger in the visitors center (very informative and she was fun to talk to
before the race). Then I went back into Layton and found my hotel and decided
to rest up after a 1000+ mile drive and get my drop bags and running stuff
together before the race start the next morning at noon.
Woke up
to wind and rain and listened to the forecast and they were predicting clearing
with winds laying mostly down by 11am, AWESOME! That put a HUGE upswing in my
overall mood and I had no doubts that I would accomplish my 50 mile goal as
long as I stayed upright and didn’t take a tumble. Probably one of the
highlights of the race was that morning arriving at the camp and meeting so
many AMAZING people. I am horrible with names, so I’m not even going to try to
name everyone but each one of your faces made an impact in my day beyond words.
Valerie drove in shortly after I did and we gave each other a big “trail
sisters” hug and spent so much time talking that we forgot to get a picture
together. She is a bright ray of sunshine and has a huge heart! She was my
biggest cheerleader out there and kept me going by always having a huge dose of
encouragement as we passed on the trail. Finally it was race briefing time and
we listened to Jim Skaggs (RD) talk about the race and course. Miles was ready
to go by this time and was doing his “pre-start dance and song” keeping
everyone either entertained or scared because he sounds scary right before a
run, kinda like a police dog waiting to be let go to take down the bad guy. I
laugh because there is nothing mean about him, but you couldn’t prove it before
a race start. Then time to line up and we take our spot near the back. I opted
for an early start with the 100 mile runners (as did some other 50 milers) so I
got to also see all of them stepping up to the line and they were a remarkable
bunch.
Countdown
and we are off to head down the fence and up to the “highest elevation that we
will run” according to Craig. As we were going up the hill (because it sure
wasn’t one of the mountains I could see near us) I had the thought that I
believe Craig is one of those ultra-liars, because there is no way the race
starts with the biggest up right off the bat when so many other up options were
available further on up the Island. This part is nice wide trail, solid
sand/rock and relatively easy to keep up a nice pace even going up. Miles and I
settled into a good 13/14 minute mile pace and kept watching runners ahead of
us clear the top of the “hill” and head down and across the other side TOWARDS
one of those much higher peaks. Yep, he’s a liar, up we start toward what I
learned was called “One Tree Hill” and a climb that was WAY more up than that
little hill we just came across and my pace went to 20’s very quickly. Up, up
and more up, then round a corner and MORE UP. The trail here got rockier and
not as wide but we just kept going up. Thought we had hit the final bit of
climb when we got to the first Aid Station at around mile 5. There were great
folks there that explained we were to go out on Elephant Head and around the
top to a drop box with stickers. We were to get a sticker and put it on our bib
to prove that we had done the entire out and back portion (RD called it the
“Agnew rule”) and show it to them when we returned to that Aid Station. There
was a drop, then the final climb UP to get to the base of the peak of Elephant
Rock and around the tip.
That is
where Valerie caught me again, she was coming back as I was going out. This is
where she ultra-lied to me, LOL. No Valerie, this was NOT the worst of the
climbs, just one of them, but thank you for the ultra-lie as it let me confuse
my head for a while with the lie that from here on out it was “easy”. So around
the peak I went and got my Wonder Woman sticker (appropriate I thought at the
time) and took a minute to soak in the AMAZING views across the lake and down
into the deep valley that I would soon be running towards the next climb. In my
head at this moment was “one down, one to go!” and I didn’t let anything else
filter in. I was feeling good, my legs appreciated the relative flat going
around the point. Miles was still digging in and trying to convince me that I
could pick up my pace but I kept him well grounded at a 17-20 minute mile pace
with the minor climbs being walks and quicker downhills sprints (only sprints
because the downhill parts were very short before you were climbing short
sections again).
We got
back to the aid station, had some more potatoes and water, and Miles got some
pats, then we were off into the valley getting ready for the next climb. I
could see it coming and see the folks coming back from “somewhere around the
point in the valley, but a LOT higher up on the mountain than I thought we were
going to be. As I was working my way toward the climb, I saw a saddled horse
running down the trail without a rider further down toward the beach, then a
rider on a horse running behind him trying to catch him, then the horseless
rider walking down the trail behind them both, LOL. Somebody got dumped. I
entertained myself watching the “freed” horse in front run tail up and looking
back and “laughing” at the horse chasing him trying to catch him. It was a good
bit of time before he decided it was time to be caught. It was a nice
distraction from thinking about the next climb. Miles was ready to go help
round up the runaway but that dang leash. We then rounded the last part of the
flat valley part and saw the climb start through some rocks. A nice bit of up,
then through the rock and it semi-leveled out while still going up around the
other side of the point. Then I looked and saw tiny, tiny runners WAY up on the
mountain and realized that my next real “up” was ahead. It had warmed so much
that lizards were out all over the rocks and Miles kept darting from side to
side on the trail trying to chase them on the rocks, but those guys are fast and
would dart to the other side of the rocks before he could jump toward them. But
it entertained us as we kept turning corners on the switchbacks up the mountain
side. I lost count of the switchbacks but finally we hit the last one where the
people I had seen before were so tiny and could look down into the valley below
and see more tiny people down there. Poor souls, I knew just what they were
thinking looking up, what I had been thinking “damn switchbacks!” But we had
concurred them, the mountain did not beat us and I still had legs and lungs
when I got to travel mostly flat for a while back around the side of the
mountain toward the aid station I had grown to love as this would be my 3rd
trip through it and it felt like coming home at the moment to people who loved
me and had been waiting for me to come back and visit again.
Miles
and I grabbed some more potatoes and water, and I got a craving for about ¼ a
can of ginger ale and they supplied it cheerfully and with encouragement for
the return trip to the camp down the “One Tree Hill” that sucked so much out of
you that it was nice that it gave back on the return trip with a beautiful
down, down, down into the cove and the starting area. I knew from the map that
I was done with the Mountain climbs, that part was over! I had done it and
still felt good, ready for a change of shoes and socks and dry clothes (sweaty)
before the sundown part of the run. I felt more of that good energy returning
as I “flowed slowly” back into the valley, ready to think about tackling that
final 30 miles with a solid 20 under my legs already.
Made it
into camp and since my jeep was right there, I used it as a drop bag point and
did the change there. This is also where it turned tragic, or so I thought in
the moment. I had taken off my hydration pack and laid it in the seat of the
jeep, got Mile’s water bowl filled for him to drink up while I was changing and
decided to use the porta potties quickly so I shut the jeep door and heard a
crunch and it sprang back open. OH NO! I had just crunched my phone in the door
and broke the screen. It was my brand new Samsung Galaxy S8+ bought 3 weeks
ago! The screen was flickering and I couldn’t tap anything to make it work, it
just flickered. MY MUSIC!!!! MY VIDEO ABILLITY!!! MY PICTURE TAKING!!!! All
were destroyed in that moment, I wouldn’t have that distraction, that fun
activity any more. It was just me and the trail from this point on, WHAT WAS I
GOING TO DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! I slowly walked to the porta potty and was
thinking this was the beginning of the end. I was done. I didn’t know what I
was going to do. Well, I did my thing, walked back to the jeep and looked at
Miles who was cheerfully wagging his tail at other runners who were passing by
us on the way to their vehicles to do their changes and decided that I needed
to get over myself and we would just run and sing and scare everything out
there the rest of the night and finish this thing, damnit! I hadn’t come all
this way to this beautiful place to let technology kill it for me. I was here
to have fun and damnit fun would be had! So I quickly changed socks and shoes,
put on dry warmer clothes and headed back to the starting line (with my busted
phone in my vest just in case a miracle happened and it healed itself, LOL) and
checked in with the officials that I was heading back out. Took about 12
minutes for all this to happen, so not too bad really time wise, just
emotionally seemed to last forever.
Miles
and I headed out for the “Ranch” side of the run, saw a pair of pronghorns who
took a LOT of interest in Miles and he them till they decided a retreat was in
order, which included a heck of a downhill that I knew would be a HELL of an
uphill on the way back to the finish so this set in my head the entire rest of
that section and I knew I had to get it settled that I was going to beast that
climb back out. Then a short out and back north toward the causeway and the
Mountain View aid station there which was filled with awesome guys who set me
up well for the run down the shore towards the Lower Frary Peak Aid station.
Left there feeling good and light was only starting to fade, no music, but the
Magpies were singing beautifully so it was a treasure to not have something in
my ear besides their song. Saw some more buffalo along the trail close to us,
but they were busy eating and ignored us. Kept running and running and running
till the light totally faded and I dug out my headlamp so I could see the
trail. Kept seeing folks coming back from the Ranch and we exchanged
encouraging words along the way and just keep spirits up. Miles and I were
feeling good, but hungry as I hadn’t gotten any potatoes at the Mountain View
aid station so we were looking forward to hitting the Frary aid station for
some goodies. Finally saw the lights and heard the folks there and soon enough
they were offering us good things (potatoes) and pizza! Got filled back up and
hit the trail for the last part of the out section towards the Ranch and the
boys scouts manning that station. Along that part I found Valerie coming back
up as I was going out. We hugged, she encouraged and took a couple of pictures
since I told her about my phone issue, and Miles and then off we went again
each heading different ways.
I
thought, in that moment that the section from the Lower Frary aid to the Ranch
aid was the LONGEST part of this whole race, partially because the dark made it
seem you were nowhere, and because I was seeing fewer and fewer folks out there
coming back by me. Though each time I spotted a headlamp in the distance it was
a great motivator and “pulled” me towards them just for the contact for a few
brief, “shining” moments of encouraging words and often a huge pat for Miles
from other runners. Miles is good at making friends like that. I did notice a
bit of mental fatigue at this point as I was two red lights in the distance and
they kept getting closer. I began to wonder who the HECK had a car out on the
trail and WHY were they backing it up for such a long distance???? Then when I
heard voices it registered that there were two runners together with red lamps
instead of white, LOL. Finally I could smell the smoke and hear the boy scouts
in the distance, couldn’t see anything yet as they were still around another
bend, but just hearing the boys playing in the dark was a huge encouragement.
Rounded the bend and the boys and guys there with them were asking me what I
needed, what could they get me and by heavens they had the BEST potato soup I
have ever eaten in my life at that point. It was amazeballs in a cup! Miles and
I got sorted and psyched for the return LONG trip back to Lower Frary and then
that climb that I knew was coming.
Miles
was once again encouraging a faster pace, not because he knew I needed it, but
because the field mice kept darting out into the path of light from my headlamp
and he really needed to chase them, LOL. There are a LOT of field mice on the
island and I think we met every one of them. Didn’t catch any, but sure wasn’t
for lack of trying on Miles part at this point. I kept asking him where the energy
was coming from, didn’t he just want to go straight? We finally got back to
Lower Frary and Valerie had left instructions that someone was to take my
picture there since my phone had died and they remembered to take one. As I was
refueling I heard this voice, and my head went “I KNOW THAT VOICE” and suddenly
there was Wanderley Reis! This amazing soul had driven out and found me just to
be a voice of encouragement since he knew it was my first 50 mile race. What an
AMAZING friend! It was a HUGE mental boost to have someone do that,
ultra-amazing! While the guys at the aid station were setting me up for the
rest of the race, refilling water and offering me the most amazing broth
Wanderley was lifting my spirits and making sure I was doing ok and offering encouragement.
I left that aid station with the hugest smile on my face and a song in my heart
because of the friendship of kind souls just because they are good people. I
knew that climb was coming but nothing could stop me from taking it on like a
challenge and kicking its butt at this point! We traveled what felt like a good
4 miles and there it was, The Hill up the fence, the never ending hill up the
fence. This was nothing, I had climbed MOUNTAINS, and this was just a hill. Up
we went, and up and up and up till there it was, THE TOP, we were over! Miles
set the pace up and I followed the whole way. Talk about another mental boost!
I did it, we did it! I think I broke into song here, sorry to anyone who heard
me but it had to be done, it was Eye of the Tiger, I couldn’t help myself.
Took a
deep breath finally and we turned left along some road headed to the last aid
station, Bridger Bay, and around the north end of the island to the finish.
This is where the mental fatigue totally got to me. I was following a
well-marked path on the gravel road section to the next part of trail. The
flour and reflective markings were still there after the rain and very clear. I
had been on the road for a bit and crossed another one and saw the arrow to
cross the road on the left side of the road. I crossed and started up another
huge gravel road hill, and kept going up, and kept going up, and kept going up
but not seeing any more flour arrows. WHERE DID THE ARROWS GO???? HAD THEY
WASHED AWAY???? WHY WASN’T I SEEING ANY MORE ARROWS??? When I could almost see
the end of the road after an awful UP I gave in and hollered out “HELLO!!!!
DAMNIT ANYONE THERE AT ALL???? HELLO????” I was second guessing myself but it
seemed like every time I second guessed myself I should not have done so
because I was right the first time. But, there was the end and nothing in
sight. My shoulders sagged and I turned around and went back down really
scanning for markings. Finally, at the BOTTOM of the hill, just before the road
crossing, just after the arrow on the left to cross the road, THERE ON THE
RIGHT WHERE I HAD TOTALLY OVERLOOKED IT was the flour arrow and reflective sign
to take a hard right on a trail. OMG I SUCK, I REALLY SUCK, WHAT IS WRONG WITH
ME!!!!! Then I laughed and shook it off and off Miles and I went back on dirt
thinking “Dang if I’m not getting MY moneys worth out of this race, adding a
mile and a half to this thing!”
Then
there it was, the final aid station before the push around the north end and
back to the camp. The kind volunteer got me some ginger ale and lead poor lost
me to the gravel road that I needed to take to the final trail head around the
end of the island. He said it was just down that way at the garbage bins. Off I
went and started looking hard for the garbage bins. Once again a ways down I
hadn’t seen any garbage bins, just a lot of tents and was thinking damnit I’m
lost AGAIN! Suddenly, here comes a 100 miler on his 2nd lap. PRAISE THE LORD!!!
“I’m following you to the trail head, you are a life saver!” I told him. He was
probably thinking “crazy woman, what is wrong with you?” He takes a sudden left
at the garbage bins that had magically appeared before getting too far ahead of
me and I was SAVED! There was the trail (this was at about 3am in the morning
BTW).
So off
Miles and I went on this trail, I can follow trail, have no problems with that,
it’s the road thing that gets me every time! About a mile into this section it
went totally dark, not a light to be seen anywhere on the far coast of the
lake, just DARK DARK DARK. Couldn’t see camp, couldn’t see life anywhere,
couldn’t see beyond the light cast by my headlamp. I started thinking maybe I
would just sit down on this rock over here for a minute cause I feel ok body
wise, but I’m a bit tired. Might just sit for a second. “OH HELL NO! DO NOT SIT
DOWN! KEEP MOVING” I started singing this over and over, out loud. Then with
about a mile and a half left it finally registered with my head that I was
seeing the lights from the camp, I could see the tent!!!!!!!! Miles and I
picked up our pace a bit and slogged that final stretch into camp. I WAS going
to do this, I HAD already run 50 miles, and this was the “Bonus” part! There it
is, the fence down the road to the finish, wait, where is the little dirt road
to the finish, where is my turn? OH THANK HEAVEN THERE IT IS! Rounded that
little turn and “Here comes a runner!” The finish! WE DID IT MILES! 51.5 at 50!
We’re not content to do the normal, we have to go the extra mile and a half
dude! Finished before 5am in the morning!”
Got my
mug, got a picture, then all I could think was SLEEP! I got everything off
Miles and I that was “get offable” got some water and we climbed in the jeep,
grabbed a blanket and went out for about an hour and a half. Total wipe out.
Woke up when folks started arriving for the Saturday start and went back to the
tent and visited for a while, still half out of it, but smiling even while
being totally done. I had an early check in at the hotel, so we went back to
town. After stopping at Walmart on the way (talk about a HORRIBLE walk through
Walmart, I was leaning on that cart like a drunk sailor) for Epson salts, then
a stop at a T-Mobile store to replace my destroyed phone, I got to the hotel
and had a short shower and then a LONG soak in a tub full of Epson salts. Got
cleaned up and NEEDED to go back out to the island and visit with everyone that
I was just too wasted to see after my run.
I got
some amazing Buffalo soup that the RD’s wife makes, she is an OUTSTANDING cook.
And visited with some more amazing runners done or coming in. Was visiting with
Wanderley at the finish as he was volunteering taking times as runners came in
when he was needed to take some volunteers down to and aid station. So I
offered and they handed me the timing list and I clocked runners coming in for
a while. SO MUCH FUN to stand there and congratulate others finishing an
amazing race. And the time back on my feet after refreshing was a good thing, I
think it kept me from being too sore the next day. I met a lot of folks from
the TAUR group, a lot of just amazing runners and volunteers and had the
absolute BEST time of my life being a part of this AMAZING race. Ultra-runners
ROCK!
End
notes: I finished without any blisters and have never been able to do that
before. Changing the shoes and socks (Injinji trail weight socks and Pearl
Izumi Trail N3’s) was a great call, even though not wet, the change just felt
good. I fueled on one Cliff Bloc every 2 hours, Coffee Peanut M&M’s,
potatoes and potato soup, one Scap with caffeine and electrolytes every hour,
and the equivalent of a can and a half of ginger ale over the course with just
plain water continually. I never felt like I was out of fuel and could have
gone further at the end if I had to so it worked for me. And, finally, I love
this running thing! I never felt like I couldn’t finish, even in some of the
lower points, just mentally knew that I WAS going to finish. Which brings me to
my new issue. On a LONG drive home, where I felt really good and moving was not
an issue along the way, I kept thinking about 100k, like why not? Stay tuned…..
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