Indiana Trail 100 2021 - Warm Fall Weather

October 9

In the course of my ultra-running career, I have never attempted to run three 100 mile races in the same calendar year.  I started this year only intending to run the Kettle Moraine 100 miler.  However, the weather decided to bring 94 degrees of heat on race day.  I dropped at mile 63 along with almost half the field.  So, I put my name on the waiting list for the Indiana Trail 100 for October, and since I was 89^th on the waiting list, I also decided to enter the Burning River 100 miler in Ohio in late July.  Unfortunately, the weather on race day in Ohio was nice and warm with thick humidity.  The temperature only rose to 86 degrees, but after 73 miles, I was cooked.  Amazingly and fortunately, I moved up the waiting list for Indiana and was entered by the end of August.  However, I was still planning to run rim-to-rim-to-rim at the Grand Canyon as part of our vacation in September.  So, two and a half weeks ago, I ran R2R2R in 98 degree weather.  Granted it is only 42 miles, but the steep, long climbs trashed my legs.

So, here I am trying for the third time this year to finish a 100 mile race.  I know I am ready, but so many things can go wrong along the way to a 100 mile finish. Let’s start with today’s forecast.  It rained yesterday, and the high temperature today is supposed to be around 76 degrees with the low tonight dropping near 60 degrees.  The temperature at the start is 57 degrees with partly cloudy skies.  I have a short-sleeve shirt on with a buff on my head.  The key today will be to remain patient.  238 runners begin the 100 mile race in the dark at 6am.

Stu and Darin early in the race

Mile 3.1      36:42 (11:50 avg./mile) South Park

I settle in nicely on this first section.  Along the way I meet two runners—Stu and KT—who are from North Carolina.  Most of us don’t stop at this first aid station.  I punch the lap button on my watch and keep moving right on through the aid station.

Mile 7.6      56:07 (12:28 avg./mile) Hilltop

I continue to run very conservatively by walking all of the uphill sections and cruising easily on the downhills.  I reach the aid station just as the new day is dawning.  I turn off my headlamp and grab two PB&J sandwich quarters—one of which has been grilled and tastes fabulous!

Running through the early morning

Mile 12.0    55:16 (12:34 avg./mile) Weber Lake

Previous editions of this race had a 20-mile loop.  This year the loop has been expanded to 25 miles.  This section has most of the extra five miles.  It is nice and smooth trail that is similar to the rest of the course, but there is one short section that has water on the course.  This first time through, we all get our feet wet.  On this section, I am running with Laura, who is a former triathlete.  She has finished the Ironman in Hawaii seven or eight times.  With a mile to go, there are signs with quotes from the Princess Bride.  It starts with, “You mock my pain—an ultra-race is pain your highness,” and proceeds with “A Christmas tree in the middle of the race course—Inconceivable!”  Lo and behold there is an evergreen tree beside the race course that has been decorated.  I grab a couple of PB&J sandwich quarters before proceeding.

Mile 16.4    55:27 (12:36 avg./mile) Rally

A little downhill

It is cool so far and overcast.  It looks like it may rain, but the chance today is less than 10%.  This is the one aid station in the loop where crews are allowed, and there are many crews and spectators at this aid station.  I eat a quesadilla and quickly proceed.  I am moving well with minimal effort so far.

Mile 21.9    1:14:35 (13:34 avg./mile) Schoolhouse

The weatherman was wrong!  During this section a light rain begins to fall.  I just hope it doesn’t rain too much and make the course really sloppy.  There is one part of the trail next to one of the lakes that is flooded, so I get my feet wet for a second time on this loop.  I intentionally slowed a bit on this section to ensure I wasn’t going out too fast.  With the early cool temperatures, I don’t think that is a problem at this point.  I grab two more PB&J sandwich quarters and proceed to the last section of this first loop.

Flooded trail section going towards Schoolhouse

Mile 25.0    50:06 (16:10 avg./mile) Sand Beach (start/finish)

My time on this section includes my time at the car at the start/finish area.  I continued to run comfortably making good time.  Just before the aid station, I see KT again as he stopped at his car for a bit.  My cousin, Andrea, said she was planning on coming out and seeing me so I told her that I would be at mile 25 between 11:00 and 11:30.  The time is around 11:20am when I get to the car.  I change my shoes and socks, eat a ham and cheese sandwich, refill my Camelbak, and drink some chocolate.  I say hello and goodbye to Andrea before beginning my second loop—one down, three to go.

Mile 28.1    42:17 (13:38 avg./mile) South Park

Having eaten a whole sandwich, I move a little slower on this first section.  I run a little with Stu on this section.  The rain has stopped, which is good, and it is clearing off some.  At the aid station, I don’t take anything as my stomach is still mostly full.

Slow and Steady wins the race

Mile 32.6    1:03:28 (14:06 avg./mile) Hilltop

The skies quickly cleared, and the temperature is now rising.  There is a breeze, so it is actually pretty nice right now.  I leave Stu behind for now, but I will see him later.  At this aid station, I eat two more PB&J sandwich quarters as my stomach is no longer full and press on to the next section.

Mile 37.0    1:11:30 (16:15 avg./mile) Weber Lake

Leaving the Hilltop aid station, I am looking for the water place that was on this section during the first loop.  When I get to it, I figure out a way around the water that keeps my feet dry.  This is a very good thing as keeping the feet dry for long periods of time is important.  The temperature continues to rise on this beautiful fall afternoon.  It will reach 79 degrees.  At this aid station, I take my first restroom break in the porta john.  It is a little early, but not a bad thing.  After that, I grab another quesadilla to eat, and I refill my Camelbak as I am consuming more water with the higher temperatures.

Mile 41.4    1:03:06 (14:20 avg./mile) Rally

This section has some open prairie, which would be nice if the weather was cooler, but now with the temperatures in the high 70s and the sun shining brightly, it is quite warm.  Fortunately, there is a breeze, so it isn’t too bad at this point.  As I approach the aid station, the crowd of crew and friends has grown significantly.  It is a great atmosphere!  I grab some more PB&J sandwich quarters along with a few potato chips to keep the calories coming into my body.  I like my time and pace at this point.

Mile 46.9    1:24:31 (15:22 avg./mile) Schoolhouse

It is such a beautiful afternoon that many people are out enjoying the plentiful lakes in this state park.  They look so relaxed and comfortable gently paddling their canoe or kayak.  The state park is named appropriately, Chain ‘O Lakes as there are many lakes, and they are all linked together by canals or streams.  Meanwhile, we runners are just nearing the halfway point of our journey and most of us will be out here all night.  I meet a runner on this section named, Allma, I believe this is her first 100-mile attempt.  Stu and Sarah are also around me as I approach the flooded trail section.  At this point, I again figure out a way around the water area by bushwhacking a bit.  I am not sure that Stu and Sarah agreed with my approach, but they did follow me this time.  At the aid station, I grab some more potato chips and even throw back a little Dixie cup of pickle juice.

Continuous forward progress

Mile 50.0    58:39 (18:55 avg./mile) Sand Beach (start/finish)

I make decent time from the Schoolhouse and get back to my car.  It is just before 6pm and darkness will descend on us around 7:30pm.  So, I need to take my headlamp with me.  As I am sitting behind my car, eating my ham and cheese sandwich, Allma arrives, and starts to change her socks.  Her feet are completely water saturated—very white and wrinkled skin.  I have four pairs of shoes with me at the car and another pair of road shoes in my drop bag that is a Weber Lake.  After seeing Alma’s feet, I decide to change my shoes and socks again even though I have managed to keep my feet dry.  I am thinking that it is better to change them now, and then I probably won’t need to change them after the third loop.  I also change my shirt and rig up my headlamp.  With the warm weather, I drink quite a bit of my CR02 beverage and a little bit of chocolate milk.

Mile 53.1    57:55 (18:41 avg./mile) South Park

I am nearly completely stuffed as I start this section, so I walk quite a bit of it.  At this point, I am not going to set any personal records (my 100-mile best time is 24:38) and am content to just get this done.  Survival is the name of the game, and that requires me to keep my stomach happy.  Stuffing it with as much food as I did at 50 miles was probably not the best thing, but a salt tablet and a little time usually take care of things.  I again don’t grab anything at this aid station and keep pressing forward.

Mile 57.6    1:15:33 (16:47 avg./mile) Hilltop

Darkness comes slowly, and I am almost to the aid station before I turn on my headlamp.  About the time I am turning on my headlamp, Stu and Sarah catch up to me.  It is great to have the company, and I am hoping it will keep me moving at a good pace.  At the aid station, I ask if there are any Tums, and the aid station worker has a roll.  I take two and decide to not eat anything.  I leave the aid station slightly ahead of Stu and Sarah.

Mile 62.0    1:20:39 (18:20 avg./mile) Weber Lake

I avoid the water on this section for the second time and soon thereafter Stu and Sarah catch up to me.  Stu is from the western parts of North Carolina.  He drove up with KT, whom we haven’t seen in miles and must be doing very well.  Sarah is from Washington State.  It is pleasant running with them, but I think I want to move a little faster.  As I approach the part of this section where the Christmas tree is, I wonder if it has lights on it.  When I round the corner and see the lights, it brightens my mood.  It is really cool to see the neat themes that some aid stations adopt!  At the aid station with my stomach feeling a little better, I eat a hamburger quesadilla that is really good.

Mile 66.4    1:18:54 (17:56 avg./mile) Rally

We leave the Weber Lake aid station walking in the dark, and then here comes Jake and his pacer.  They are running some, so I decide to proceed with them.  I say goodbye for now to Stu and Sarah.  Jake’s pacer is a guy named Chuck, and they are making good time.  Jake is a lawyer from the north side of Indianapolis.  I stay with them for most of this section, but when they run across the prairie section, I walk a bit, letting them go ahead.  At the aid station, I eat a hamburger patty that is rather dry, but I hope is the right thing I need at this point.  The crew crowd is still mostly here, but definitely smaller than it was when I came through on the last loop.

Mile 71.9    1:46:07 (19:18 avg./mile) Schoolhouse

This section is mostly on the high ground right through the middle of the park.  It is the straightest section of the loop and goes almost from one side to the other.  There is a point near halfway in this section where a glimpse of the finish area can be seen on the other side of a lake.  Then the course turns to the left to go out to the Schoolhouse.  As I have run this race twice before, and this is my third time through here today, I determine that it is about 2.5 miles from the point where the finish can be seen and the aid station at the Schoolhouse.  Landmarks are good things to have for motivation.  At the aid station, I get some noodles and broth to try something different for my stomach.  At some point on this section Stu and Sarah caught up to me again.

Mile 75.0    1:19:47 (25:44 avg./mile) Sand Beach (start/finish)

I leave the aid station with Stu and Sarah, planning to stay with them for a while.  But, about a mile or so into this section, I stop at an outhouse, and they continue on.  This will be the last time that I see them.  The bathroom break is successful, and I am hoping that alleviate that issue until after I finish the race.  Back at the car, I only drink Coke as my stomach is still not great.  I pick up my iPod and ear buds for this last loop.  I have a little over 10 hours to go 25 miles.  That seems simple enough, but that means I need to average 24-minute miles.

Mile 78.1    1:24:54 (27:23 avg./mile) South Park

I am tired and nauseated, and it is warm and humid.  Any drop in the temperature was replaced with more humidity, and the air is not moving at all!  I stop and sit at every bench I see along the trail.  I don’t sit long, just a few minutes to help my body cool down and rest a bit.  When I arrive at the aid station, I go directly to the porta john once again.  Obviously, I am not done using the bathroom. After another successful bathroom break, I grab a slice of pizza and walk out of the aid station.

Mile 82.6    2:06:26 (28:06 avg./mile) Hilltop

I struggle on through the night.  I know I am not moving fast enough at this point, but I am still in the race.  I need to just wait things out and hope for a rebound.  I know that hope is not a plan, but it is all I have at this point.  At the aid station I again use the porta john.  I only eat a few potato chips and proceed to trudge forward.  Forward progress is all I can do right now.

Mile 87.0    2:10:26 (29:39 avg./mile) Weber Lake

I avoid the water over the trail successfully for the third time.  Now, I am stopping at more than just the benches.  Any place I can sit down works, and I am dozing off for a few minutes at each stop.  The last place I stop on this section finds me sitting on the ground leaning up against a tree.  I am enjoying a nice catnap when I feel someone shaking my leg.  It is another runner’s pacer, waking me up to ask if I am okay.  Irritated, I say I am fine, and when she asks if I want to walk with them, I answer with a terse no.  After a minute or so after that rude awakening, I get up to walk to the aid station.  I pass the Princess Bride signs, along with Christmas tree and then meet an aid station worker walking towards me.  He says they got a report about a struggling runner and so he walked to find me.  He tells me that I need to make good time (yes, I know) if I am going to make it under the 30-hour cutoff.  I use the porta john (again!) and am putting my headlamp away in my drop bag, when the helpful aid station worker starts encouraging me to get going.  It is morning twilight as I leave without a headlamp, and I now have 4.5 hours to cover the last 13 miles.  That means I need to pick it up and average 20-minute miles.  Not a hard thing except that I have been averaging closer to 30 minutes per mile lately.

Mile 91.4    1:26:59 (19:46 avg./mile) Rally

With dawn comes a renewed focus.  I am not scared yet, but am power hiking quickly and running the downhill sections again.  With a clear goal, I come into the Rally aid station having averaged less than 20-minutes per mile.  I now know I have the finish made.  I just need to remain focused and finish this thing!  I ask if they have any quesadillas, and a guy brings me two very large ones.  I eat most of one of them, before throwing them away.  At this point there is no crew crowd left to cheer us tail end runners.

Mile 96.9    1:40:35 (18:17 avg./mile) Schoolhouse

I have 5.5 miles to the Schoolhouse.  This is my last tough section as the last one will be easier with the smell of the finish line.  I am power hiking along one of the ridges on this section when a small lady catches up to me.  Her first question is whether I think we can make the cutoff.  I respond very confidently that I will make it.  She then continues to talk about her doubts of making it.  I assure her that I have done this many times, and I know how to get in under the cutoffs.  Then when I catch the glimpse across a lake of the finish area, I tell her we have 2.5 miles to the next aid station adding that we will be there in 50 minutes or less.  Connie is still skeptical right up to the point where we arrive in 49 minutes from when I made my statement.  Her confidence grows considerably at the aid station.  We leave the aid station together, and I have a handful of potato chips in my hand.

Mile 100.0 57:35 (18:35 avg./mile) Sand Beach (start/finish)

Connie and I pass a runner and his pacer early in this last section.  Then about halfway through we get passed by a different runner and her pacer.  I keep them in sight, and when there is less than a half mile to go, I throw in my last surge.  I leave Connie a little behind, but I repass the runner and her pacer as I power hike up the last hill.  It is then just a short downhill to the finish.

Finish!

Finishing Time    29:37:32

100^th out of 238 starters (105 under 30-hour cut-off)

On the third and last chance this year to get my Western States 100 qualifier, I succeeded!  I didn’t leave much margin of error.  And, I battled through stomach issues in this race persevering to the end.  My speed and fitness was never a question.  The only question was how my stomach would hold up.  While it didn’t hold up very well, I was able to battle through it all.

Now I have nine weeks until Hellgate in December.  I don’t have any races planned between now and then, so I will have several weeks of solid training.  This will be the 19^th year for Hellgate.  All five of us fearsome five are entered again this year so we will see if all five of us finish.  Until then…

Never stop running,

Darin

Grand Canyon 2021 - Rim to Rim to Rim

Running the Grand Canyon from one rim to the other rim and back again in one day has been on my bucket list for quite a while.  So, when the Cirrus Owners migration/convention was scheduled for Scottsdale, Arizona, and we decided to attend, I started thinking about a R2R2R run.  This is not a race; it is just a run that many ultra-runners have completed.  The fastest known time according to the website (fastestknowntime.com) is 5 hours and 55 minutes by Jim Walmsley in 2016.

South and North Kaibab Trail

I made contact with a couple of my running buddies from Virginia about my R2R2R attempt.  Jeff Garstecki said that there should be plenty of water resupply points so 1.5L should be fine.  Martha and I have been out west for the past week, mostly in Montana above 7,000 feet.  So, my initial altitude acclimation should be okay.  We flew from Bozeman to Flagstaff yesterday, rented a car, and drove up to the Grand Canyon.  We stay in a hotel in Tusayan, which is about 15 minutes south of the South Kaibab trailhead.  

My goal is 14 hours, which I figure I need to make the first crossing in about six hours to allow for going slower for the return trip.

September 22

Getting dropped off

My alarm goes off at 3:30am.  I quickly go through my morning routine and eat two blueberry muffins, washing them down with a pint of chocolate milk.  We leave the room around 4:20am and drive to the Canyon.  The entrance is unmanned at this time of day, but there is an honor box to drop your money.  Since I am a veteran, I am free so we just drive to the south rim.  We get to Yaki Point Road, and the signs at the entrance say it is only for employees and no drop offs are allowed.  So, I hop out of the car, kiss Martha, and jog down to the trailhead about a half mile away.  The temperature on top here is 44 degrees.  I have a small Camelbak backpack with 1.5L bladder, hat, gloves, Houdini jacket, two bagels, butter, potato chips, and beef jerky.  I start with shorts, a long sleeve shirt, and a buff on my head.

Mile 7.1      2:05:12 Phantom Ranch

Crossing the Grand Canyon via the South and North Kaibab trails is easily broken into thirds.  The first third is down the South Kaibab trail across the Colorado River to Phantom Ranch.  The descent is rather steep with erosion planks in the trail every six feet or so.  Immediately below the trailhead, it is noticeably warmer.  10 minutes into my adventure, I stop and take off the long-sleeve shirt.  I have a small headlamp that is working nicely, but there is also a nearly full moon providing great lighting.  I pass a hiker just before I stopped to take off my long-sleeve shirt.  Later, I passed a hiking couple at The Tipoff point, which is 4.4 miles from the trailhead.  They say they are hiking all the way to the north rim.  The sun rise is beautiful, and I see the Colorado River for the first time.  I continue to run all the way down to the river and then cross the black bridge.  It is ow only about a half mile to the Phantom Ranch.  It is still nicely cool, and the sun has yet to shine down into the canyon.  I stop only long enough to take a picture before heading up the North Kaibab trail.  My legs are a little jelly-like after 4,700 feet of descent in only seven miles.

Black Bridge over Colorado River

Phantom Ranch

Mile 14.2    4:18:08 (2:12:56 split) Cottonwood Campground

This first part of the North Kaibab trail is smooth and only slightly uphill as it follows a creek up a narrow canyon.  I meet two runners coming the other way, who appear to be doing a rim to rim, from north to south.  Then the backpackers come in droves.  Most of them stayed at the Cottonwood Campground last night and are probably staying at the Bright Angel Campground, which is right next to the Phantom Ranch.  It is interesting that there are many more women backpacking than men, at least on this morning.  There are several couples, but then there are groups of women, 5-8 or more.  The sun first begins shining down on me around four hours into my trek, just before I make it to the Cottonwood Campground.  I sit down at the first picnic table, and eat a bagel with butter poured on it.  I empty some sand and small rocks out of my shoes before refilling my Camelbak. 

Mile 20.7    7:31:52 (3:13:44 split) North Kaibab Trailhead

After Cottonwood, the trail gets steep in a hurry.  My initial thought is that I should be able to do this section in a little over two hours.  Reality sets in as I meet another R2R2R runner, who tells me that I have about two more miles to go.  I also meet a couple of day hikers who ask me how far to the Roaring Springs.  I tell them it is about 45 minutes away, and then I ask them how long they have been hiking from the top.  There answer is 2.5 hours!  It ends up taking me another two hours from this point.  The desire to stop short and turn around is great, but that would leave this unfinished and tempt me to come back to try it again.  With the sun out, the temperature is rising quickly, but it is not yet too hot as I climb higher.  I meet a lot of day hikers coming down from the north rim.  My quads start to cramp a little as I make it the final stretch up to the north rim.  So, I am an hour and a half behind the time I wanted, and clearly I am not going to do this in 14 hours!  At the north rim, I talk with a couple of people while I eat some beef jerky and potato chips.  It is a really nice day in the shade at 8,200 feet elevation.  The north rim is about 1,000 feet higher than the south rim.  I text Martha and tell her I am going slower than planned, so it will be probably close to 10pm before I get back to the south rim.

Mile 27.2    10:19:22 (2:37:30 split) Cottonwood Campground

Coming down from the North Rim

My initial thought is that I can make good time going downhill from the north rim.  This goes well for about 30 minutes, but then my legs are cramping, so I stop and just walk.  It is painful going downhill walking, but I manage to keep the legs from cramping too much this way.  Every time I see other people, I just want to run down the hill to look like a real ultra-runner.  However, the temperature is rising quickly, and I know I need to take it easy if I am going to make it.  About an hour into this section, I have second thoughts that maybe I should have stopped at the north rim.  However, I figure it would take me at least two hours to hike back up, and then I would have to call Martha to come get me.  (The drive from the south rim to the north rim is almost four hours.)  Even with my dead legs, I still make it back down to the Cottonwood Campground in less time than it took me to go up.  I stopped at a water point about a mile back and ate the other bagel I had with me.  So, I just refill my Camelbak and press on towards the bottom and Phantom Ranch.

Roaring Springs

Mile 34.3    12:54:53 (2:35:31 split) Phantom Ranch

My legs have recovered relatively well, but I do not run this nice gradual downhill section because it is now blazing hot!  Instead, I power hike my way to the Ranch.  Along the way I see several backpackers struggling in the heat trying to make their way to Cottonwood for the night.  There is a little bit of a breeze, but it is still very hot.  I refill my Camelbak on the way to Phantom Ranch out of the creek running beside the trail.  I don’t have anything to treat the water with, but this stream is fed by the Roaring Springs, and it is swiftly moving.  About a mile from Phantom Ranch, I start to smell dinner being cooked.  It smells so good, and I begin to dream about a nice meal to fortify myself for the climb up to the south rim.  When I get to Phantom Ranch, I go up to the window to see what I can buy to eat.  The nice lady tells me that they are closed right now as they are serving the cabin guests for the next hour and a half; however, she can sell me something from the snack bar.  I walk around to the other side of the building to the snack bar, where there are a few candy bars for sale.  I decide to buy a Slim Jim, string cheese, and a cup of lemonade.  They also have beer, but they only sell that to the cabin guests.  So, no hearty meal and no beer for Darin!  I sit down at a picnic table with three other guys and talk to them while I eat my meager food.  It is 98 degrees here, and while it is a dry heat, it is still very hot if you aren’t sitting in the shade with a breeze.  The guys are from Chicago, and we have a nice conversation before I decide I should get going.  I leave Phantom Ranch about 5:40pm, thinking that I have a good chance to make it before 10pm.

Black Bridge again across the Colorado River

Mile 37.0    15:07:53 (2:13:00 split) The Tip Off

There are intermediate checkpoints going up the south rim, and I mark my progress at each of these.  Initially, I am feeling great.  I cross the Colorado River again and start the climb.  I am moving well, and I figure the quicker I climb the sooner it will be cooler.  I meet a couple of backpackers coming down, and he asks me if I need anything.  I am covered with salt from all of the sweating I have done today, but I respond that I still have several salt tablets left.  I am dripping sweat at this point, and it remains very hot.  Soon after this, feeling good leaves me, and this time, it isn’t my legs cramping.  It is a queasy stomach.  Okay, I need to take this slower and wait for the temperature to cool off.  The sun sets a little after 7pm, but it doesn’t get any cooler.  The rocks and sand have absorbed all of the radiant heat, and now are keeping the air nice and warm.  I start a rhythm where I walk for five minutes, and then sit down for five minutes.  I finally make my way to this point, and now know I still have about 4.5 miles to go.  There is no water on this climb up the south rim, so I need to ration how much water I am drinking.

Mile 38.4    17:09:54 (2:02:01 split) Skeleton Point

During one of my many rest breaks, two guys come along hiking down in the dark.  Jeff and James are just starting to experience backpacking, and they stop to talk to me.  They are amazed that I have gone this far and keep congratulating me on my accomplishment (that I haven’t finished yet!).  They are offering all sorts of items, and when James mentioned he has an extra liter of water, I seize the offer and have him top off my Camelbak.  He also insists on giving me a granola bar.  After several minutes of talking with them standing and me sitting down or even lying down, I realize that these guys aren’t going to leave until I start moving again.  (I think they were a little worried about me.)  So, I stand up, thank them for their generosity, and continue my climb while they continue their hike downhill.  I go about 100 yards, before I sit down again to take another break.  My five minute rest breaks have now turned into at least 10 minutes.  At some point, I stop for about 20 minutes as I take a little catnap waiting for things to cool off.  Finally, about 10pm, the air begins to feel not hot.  I manage to get a cell phone signal and text Martha to tell her I am running further behind schedule, but am doing okay.  I reach Skeleton Point, and I am elated!  I now only have a mere three miles and 2,000 feet of climbing left.

Mile 39.9    18:12:27 (1:02:33 split) Cedar Ridge

With the cooler temperatures and with a greater water reserve, I am able to increase my rhythm.  I am now hiking for almost 10 minutes in between my five minute stops.  The moon begins to rise, and the Canyon is beautiful in the moonlight.  The stars are awesome, and I lean back and stare up at them during my stops.  I am super motivated to reach this point in only an hour since I left Skeleton Point.  It looks like I just might survive this adventure and finish before midnight!

Mile 41.4    19:07:03 (54:36) South Kaibab Trailhead

I press on for the final section of the climb.  I only have 1.5 miles and 1,100 feet of climb left.  I start counting the switchbacks as a way to mark my progress.  I have no idea how many switchbacks there are as I wasn’t counting them on my way down.  My pace quickens, and I don’t run out of water until I have about 15 minutes left.  I am walking for up to 15 minutes before I take a break.  My count ends up at 16 switchbacks as I reach the trailhead and the parking lot.  I have made it!

This little adventure ends up being a bit harder than I expected.  Although I live at a low altitude, I think I am reasonably acclimated having spent the past week at 7,500 feet in Big Sky, Montana.  I didn’t have the climbing legs that are needed to run this quickly, but it would be interesting to do this when the temperature was cooler.  I am thinking that a late October run would be much better.  The trail is not very technical so running in the dark is not a problem.

I now have a quick turnaround for my next race.  I am making my third attempt at a 100 miler this year in order to get my name in the Western States 100 lottery.  The Indiana Trail 100 is October 9-10 in northern Indiana, and I am hoping it will be my coolest weather at a race this year.  I ran Cooter Creek near Charleston, South Carolina in April, and it was 75 degrees; I dropped at Kettle Moraine in Wisconsin in June when the temperature soared to 94 degrees; I dropped at Burning River in July in Ohio when it was 86 degrees and very humid.  The soreness in my legs does not completely clear up for a week and a half.  So, here’s hoping for some cool, fall weather in northern Indiana.  Until then…

Never stop running,

Darin