I don't normally do race reports on here, but this one was . . . special. Veteran ultra runners were calling it some of the worst weather conditions they'd ever seen.
This race is located south of Tucson, outside a tiny 'town' called Sonoita. It has a 6am start. For this year, there was a 70% chance of rain to go along with it. I accounted for rain and I've ran through mud before, but wasn't fully prepared for the 30mph gusting winds nor the results of several constant hours of rain on some of the trail sections.
In the first few miles, some of the winds were not only strong enough to stop me in my tracks, but force me to turn my back just so I could actually breathe. Later on, after the rain started, the wind made the rain drops feel like little BBs hitting you in any exposed skin. I had tiny red marks after the rain on my legs from these. Plus some wind burn.
The rain started coming down around mile 16, and continued through the entire time I was out there. The mile 19 aid station almost got lift off on their canopy when I arrived!
My typical fuel for ultras these days in Tailwind powder that I mix in one of my handhelds. Hard to pour a measured power from a baggie into a bottle in winds like that. As a result, I ended up using only 2 baggies during the race, 3 total counting the starting bottle. Ended up having to take in more calories at aid stations than I otherwise would have. They had these candy cookies . . probably had a half dozen at the mile 33 aid station. Delicious! The mile 40 aid station had a grill going under their canopy, which they had secured with straps and tent stakes by the time I arrived, and position multiple SUVs around it to act as wind breaks. I had an amazing cup of chili there, and a few strips of bacon, before heading back out for the last 10 miles.
The last ten miles were absolutely horrendous. The course was about half service road and half single track. The rain had turned the road into soft mud, where my shoes with sink in about an inch every step, robbing me of the bulk of my power. On the plus side, with the rain though, you really didn't get much mud or dirt accumulation on you. You could sink your feet into the mud above the ankles and half them be almost clean just a few minutes later. The water crossings in this stage were terrible. Flash running rapids created by the rains crossing both the service roads and the single track sections. These varied in width and depth, with a couple being hip deep on me and almost 15 feet across. I usually don't get scared for my life at races, but this got pretty damn close. You don't know how deep it is, or if its a smooth bottom, until you step in. Lots of rocks and small boulders being washed along with the water, and its fast moving. I pity anyone who had to cross these in the dark.
The single track sections sometimes seemed to merge with creeks, where if you didn't see the periodic course ribbon or LED, you'd think you were trudging up a stream.
Just before hitting the mile 45 aid station, I passed three runners. One almost unconscious and being carried by the other two. Luckily, they were only maybe 20 or 30 meters from the aid station. I passed along their situation when I got there, but another body carrying the trashed runner wouldn't have done any good on a muddy single track.
I got into that mile 45 aid station at about 5:20pm, giving me about an hour to finish before sunset at 6:21pm. Well, that 6:21 time came and went before I got into the finish, but it was civil twilight and so I didn't need to use my head lamp. Tossed my sunglasses into the grass though . . . no one my soaked gloves and numb fingers were in no way capable of untying my poncho hood to adjust them above the headlamp. About that poncho . . . my friend's boyfriend was acting as her crew and asked if we needed anything at mile 7. I told him that rain ponchos would probably be a good idea. He handed it to me when I was passing mile 26 or so, on his way to meet her at the mile 25 aid station. As I didn't have any cold weather rain gear in my drop bags, this poncho ended up being a gift from the gods. Probably would have dropped at mile 29 or 33 without. Even though the wind was strong enough to rip the hood off my head and unbutton the snaps, it was still able to take the worst of the edge off.
I got into the finish just a bit before 6:30pm. This was a gun timed race, no chip timing, but honestly, even though its my slowest 50M finish by far, given the conditions, I'm pretty ok with it.
Preliminary numbers have about 52 finishers out of about 150 starters. Multiple stuck vehicles on the service roads to the aid stations too. As the RDs had flatly stated that drop bags would not be mailed back or arranged for later pick up, I originally intended to hang out for a little bit after the finish for them to return. But, I drive a Honda Fit. And several people at the finish told me that the 5mi long dirt road getting into the start area was already bad and getting progressively worse. I made the call to abandon my drop bags in the name of safety and get the hell out of dodge. It was about a 1/4th mile up hill to the parking area, where I passed an SUV that had slid off the edge, sinking its front tires into a foot of mud.
On the way up, I passed my friend, who incidentally, I had talked into doing this as her first 50M, and learned that she had dropped at mile 25 after going hypothermic. She was on her way down to see about getting her own drop bags and offered to look for mine, and as the road was getting so bad, a futon at their cabin. When I got to the top of the climb, which really sucks after doing a 50M race, btw, I meant up with her boyfriend. He had apparently slid around a little bit getting in, but by his own accord, because he'd been a little overconfident driving an SUV. I decided to try get out in my Fit on my own, which I was able to. At a gingerly 5mph for 5 miles, occasionally pulling off the side to let the conga line of cars behind me pass.
Another side note, I had left my shoes at my house in Phoenix and had to buy a new pair the day before the race. So this incredibly shitty 50M race was ran in brand new shoes. Heh, not so pristine any more.
Never worked so hard for a piece of race bling in my life.
Some shots of my shoes in the album. You can see on the rear where they were covered by gaiters, compared to the fronts.
http://imgur.com/a/Eu5Et
This race is located south of Tucson, outside a tiny 'town' called Sonoita. It has a 6am start. For this year, there was a 70% chance of rain to go along with it. I accounted for rain and I've ran through mud before, but wasn't fully prepared for the 30mph gusting winds nor the results of several constant hours of rain on some of the trail sections.
In the first few miles, some of the winds were not only strong enough to stop me in my tracks, but force me to turn my back just so I could actually breathe. Later on, after the rain started, the wind made the rain drops feel like little BBs hitting you in any exposed skin. I had tiny red marks after the rain on my legs from these. Plus some wind burn.
The rain started coming down around mile 16, and continued through the entire time I was out there. The mile 19 aid station almost got lift off on their canopy when I arrived!
My typical fuel for ultras these days in Tailwind powder that I mix in one of my handhelds. Hard to pour a measured power from a baggie into a bottle in winds like that. As a result, I ended up using only 2 baggies during the race, 3 total counting the starting bottle. Ended up having to take in more calories at aid stations than I otherwise would have. They had these candy cookies . . probably had a half dozen at the mile 33 aid station. Delicious! The mile 40 aid station had a grill going under their canopy, which they had secured with straps and tent stakes by the time I arrived, and position multiple SUVs around it to act as wind breaks. I had an amazing cup of chili there, and a few strips of bacon, before heading back out for the last 10 miles.
The last ten miles were absolutely horrendous. The course was about half service road and half single track. The rain had turned the road into soft mud, where my shoes with sink in about an inch every step, robbing me of the bulk of my power. On the plus side, with the rain though, you really didn't get much mud or dirt accumulation on you. You could sink your feet into the mud above the ankles and half them be almost clean just a few minutes later. The water crossings in this stage were terrible. Flash running rapids created by the rains crossing both the service roads and the single track sections. These varied in width and depth, with a couple being hip deep on me and almost 15 feet across. I usually don't get scared for my life at races, but this got pretty damn close. You don't know how deep it is, or if its a smooth bottom, until you step in. Lots of rocks and small boulders being washed along with the water, and its fast moving. I pity anyone who had to cross these in the dark.
The single track sections sometimes seemed to merge with creeks, where if you didn't see the periodic course ribbon or LED, you'd think you were trudging up a stream.
Just before hitting the mile 45 aid station, I passed three runners. One almost unconscious and being carried by the other two. Luckily, they were only maybe 20 or 30 meters from the aid station. I passed along their situation when I got there, but another body carrying the trashed runner wouldn't have done any good on a muddy single track.
I got into that mile 45 aid station at about 5:20pm, giving me about an hour to finish before sunset at 6:21pm. Well, that 6:21 time came and went before I got into the finish, but it was civil twilight and so I didn't need to use my head lamp. Tossed my sunglasses into the grass though . . . no one my soaked gloves and numb fingers were in no way capable of untying my poncho hood to adjust them above the headlamp. About that poncho . . . my friend's boyfriend was acting as her crew and asked if we needed anything at mile 7. I told him that rain ponchos would probably be a good idea. He handed it to me when I was passing mile 26 or so, on his way to meet her at the mile 25 aid station. As I didn't have any cold weather rain gear in my drop bags, this poncho ended up being a gift from the gods. Probably would have dropped at mile 29 or 33 without. Even though the wind was strong enough to rip the hood off my head and unbutton the snaps, it was still able to take the worst of the edge off.
I got into the finish just a bit before 6:30pm. This was a gun timed race, no chip timing, but honestly, even though its my slowest 50M finish by far, given the conditions, I'm pretty ok with it.
Preliminary numbers have about 52 finishers out of about 150 starters. Multiple stuck vehicles on the service roads to the aid stations too. As the RDs had flatly stated that drop bags would not be mailed back or arranged for later pick up, I originally intended to hang out for a little bit after the finish for them to return. But, I drive a Honda Fit. And several people at the finish told me that the 5mi long dirt road getting into the start area was already bad and getting progressively worse. I made the call to abandon my drop bags in the name of safety and get the hell out of dodge. It was about a 1/4th mile up hill to the parking area, where I passed an SUV that had slid off the edge, sinking its front tires into a foot of mud.
On the way up, I passed my friend, who incidentally, I had talked into doing this as her first 50M, and learned that she had dropped at mile 25 after going hypothermic. She was on her way down to see about getting her own drop bags and offered to look for mine, and as the road was getting so bad, a futon at their cabin. When I got to the top of the climb, which really sucks after doing a 50M race, btw, I meant up with her boyfriend. He had apparently slid around a little bit getting in, but by his own accord, because he'd been a little overconfident driving an SUV. I decided to try get out in my Fit on my own, which I was able to. At a gingerly 5mph for 5 miles, occasionally pulling off the side to let the conga line of cars behind me pass.
Another side note, I had left my shoes at my house in Phoenix and had to buy a new pair the day before the race. So this incredibly shitty 50M race was ran in brand new shoes. Heh, not so pristine any more.
Never worked so hard for a piece of race bling in my life.
Some shots of my shoes in the album. You can see on the rear where they were covered by gaiters, compared to the fronts.
http://imgur.com/a/Eu5Et