Gemini Adventures 2012-04-25T20:01:40Z WordPress http://geminiadventures.com/new/?feed=atom Administrator <![CDATA[24 Hours of Utah/Moab 100 2012]]> http://geminiadventures.com/new/?p=1238 2012-04-25T20:01:40Z 2012-04-25T19:16:45Z Dust bloomed from the treads of the Suzuki DR 650S as we pulled up to the base camp a mile up Mill Canyon Rd., off of Hwy. 191. A layer of bugs were pressed flat across the visors of our helmets, blending blood with the red dust of Moab. The Gemini Adventures staff were setting up for the first event of the year: 24 Hours of Utah/Moab 100.

The dirt lot was host to a circle of racer-campers of varying types – those in pop-ups, caravans, sports mobiles, and conventional tents. At 8pm we celebrated the wife of “Two-faced Todd’s” (Todd Duncan) birthday amid a large crowd of ultra runners and staff, all with plates of thickly sliced vanilla cake and ice cream. “Two-faced Todd” was to participate in the 100-mile category of the race the following morning, and would do so with a face shaved on the back of his scalp, equipped with aviators and a mustache. It was difficult to see everyone’s faces in the soft glow of the fire pits, but you could feel the sense of family in the dark despite a lack of light. All of us slowly sank into the background; we fell asleep to the happy cacophony of a female relay team relaxing around their fire.

At 4:15 the next morning, the Gemini Adventures staff, bundled in thick layers, began to set up registration and the Oasis tent. Josh and Karen, infamous for their homey food, were at work on egg sandwiches and coffee. There was a soft purpling peeking from behind the white ridges of the La Sal’s when the first set of runners checked in for their bibs and swag. Just before 7 am, Reid Delman gave the pre-race speech. By this time the light lit the land, and each set of hands were slithering to keep heat and each pair of legs were yawning awake. The large group of men and women huddled at the start line, and then they took off down rocky Mill Canyon road.

The staff was anxious for the many hours to come. Bowls of m&m’s, sliced bananas, small squares of pb&j sandwiches, and potato chips were set at the registration and refuel tent, along with thermoses of hot coffee, water, and electrolytes.

The 24 Hours of Utah/Moab 100 course is set up as a 5.37 mile loop to be run clockwise and counter, as many times as possible in 24 Hours, 12 Hours, 6 Hours, or until 100 miles are accomplished. The loop takes place on the Monitor and Merrimac trail, with soft sandy sections of incline and decline, as well as an expanse of flat red rock that allows for a remarkable view of ancient, receding water lines in varying colors of green against the backsplash of the buttes and cliffs. The wind rustles the limbs of trees and shivers the thin blanket of creek water that appears in pockets along the trail.

The stakes were high for the first person to complete the initial 5.37mile lap. Up for the premium was a 40% lifetime discount for Ultimate Direction (hydration systems). Too Early (Brian Passenti) was the first man through, securing the lifetime gift.

As each runner entered the base camp, flashing their bibs to record their times, some would grab a handful of snacks, take a moment for coffee, or ask Josh and Karen for a sandwich to eat mid-loop. Others would turn on their heel and set off again with a look of undeniable passion for continuity. The variance in personal paces, needs, food and liquid intake provided an intimate inside look, a sort of physical, psychological, and emotional science experiment of ultra proportions. As each participant ran into the base camp, a musical metallic clatter of cowbells rang in congratulations. Some friendly faces with strength called out, “MORE COWBELL!” Others smiled, their eyes aimed in concentration or distraction at some point in Moab’s breathtaking landscape. One guy always kept us on our toes with his, “More Cowbell…okay that’s enough.”

There were lulls in the day, those spaces in time when you wait for the runners to come through, where you schmooze with the loved ones to talk stats and placing, and as we work, we are aware that there’s this whole big thing happening on those trails, something we can sense but not know – personal struggles, dialogues, sweat, aching shins, calves, sore feet. We know these things are going on, but there’s this stillness, this quiet to the experience for us, where the suffering is otherwise unnoticed, except for a brief moment at the base camp. You feel this bond to them, this extreme appreciation, because they must be suffering, and they have chosen to, and they’re doing so for reasons we may never know. As the runners came and went, toasted cheese sandwiches were made, potato soup, coffee. Some heavy-lidded racers took their coffee to go. It was time for each one to carry a flashlight and headlamp, and just about time for the night to reveal its silent secrets.

The 6-hour ended with Midnight Express (Kirk Hilbelink) as first male through with 32.33 miles, and Team Project Athena (Danelle Ballengee) as first female with 26.85 miles run. Some racers fell captive to the pain and dropped out, while others slowed. There were few that maintained their early-morning rhythm. It wasn’t until dawn that the light could recharge the land and some of the spirit that might have fallen asleep beneath the stars that night.

Adrian Shipley of Salt Lake City, UT clocked in 64.44 miles, achieving first place male in the 12-hour portion of the race. Veronica Wilson of Boring, OR ran 42.96, accomplishing first female.

Through an early morning start, a hot mid-day, a clear sleepless night, so many snacks, loved ones with sleepy eyes and arms full of fuel and love, the 24-hour participants were about to accomplish their large feat. What had began as a group had dwindled down to few. With a truly inspiring accomplishment of 91.29 miles, Running Free (Charlotte Vasarhelyi) held first place woman as well as most miles accomplished. First place male’s dirt runner (Gary Culver) held 85.92 miles, while Two-Faced Todd (Todd Duncan) came in second with 75.18 miles. The 24-hour team participants were spirited, each inspired and competitive through the race. The Extreme portion’s Eagle Mountain Runners (Megan Morrisey, Sue Hibbs, Mark Muelenthaler, Katie Mazzia, and Lynne Perry) of Eagle, CO clocked in 139.62 miles in 24 hours, placing first. In the Open section, Monkey Love (Dan Blankenship, Mike Rubsam, Melissa Kinnear, Audrey Oweimrin, Stacie Ward, Alan Ward, Brad Culberson, Regina Daly, Julie Seydel, and TJ Quirk) were first with 128.8 miles.

It was quite thrilling to watch the 100-mile participants compete. Natalie’s Team (Jeremy Bradford) of Denver, CO finished 100 miles in 21:17, winning first place male. Through the entire race he seemed empowered, strong, excited, thankful. His family waited for him at each lap’s completion, offering him love and support. He mentioned not being able to finish this race a while back, and that it was a goal of his to take it down, and take it down he did. Wild West (Christopher Westerman) of Castle Rock, CO was second with 100 miles accomplished in 25:56. Christopher was joyful the whole race through. It was his first 100-mile, and he had spent a good deal of time training on the steps of Red Rock Theatre near Denver to prepare. He encouraged his friend with a sprained ankle to accompany him on some of the laps, was full of high-fives, thankful for any company and conversation, and visibly strong-willed. Mark Hellenthal of Phoenix, AZ was the third and participant to finish the 100-mile portion of the race, with a time of 27:46. It was these three individuals running circles out there on the Monitor and Merrimac for several hours, out of 17 participants, that were able to finish.

When the awards were announced, the medals handed out, and the names drawn for prizes, the racers weren’t sitting on the ground or in chairs, or fragile-looking whatsoever. They were standing, and eager to walk up to receive what they had earned. I wanted to hand out 6-ft. trophies gleaming gold, statues, or in the least a case of beer – I wanted to do something large to show how inspired I was as a person, not just a runner, by them. Yet, here they were, standing and thankful. It’s never about the awards, though it’s nice to show something physical for what you’ve accomplished; it’s more about the memory, and that feeling of community that is ripe in muscles full of acid, fire pits, a toasted cheese sandwich, Reid Delman and his family, all of the runners and for all of the ways they are mentally, emotionally, and physically powerful kinds of people.
from the treads of the Suzuki DR 650S as we pulled up to the base camp a mile up Mill Canyon Rd., off of Hwy. 191. A layer of bugs were pressed flat across the visors of our helmets, blending blood with the red dust of Moab. The Gemini Adventures staff were setting up for the first event of the year: 24 Hours of Utah/Moab 100.

The dirt lot was host to a circle of racer-campers of varying types – those in pop-ups, caravans, sports mobiles, and conventional tents. At 8pm we celebrated the wife of “Two-faced Todd’s” (Todd Duncan) birthday amid a large crowd of ultra runners and staff, all with plates of thickly sliced vanilla cake and ice cream. “Two-faced Todd” was to participate in the 100-mile category of the race the following morning, and would do so with a face shaved on the back of his scalp, equipped with aviators and a mustache. It was difficult to see everyone’s faces in the soft glow of the fire pits, but you could feel the sense of family in the dark despite a lack of light. All of us slowly sank into the background; we fell asleep to the happy cacophony of a female relay team relaxing around their fire.

At 4:15 the next morning, the Gemini Adventures staff, bundled in thick layers, began to set up registration and the Oasis tent. Josh and Karen, infamous for their homey food, were at work on egg sandwiches and coffee. There was a soft purpling peeking from behind the white ridges of the La Sal’s when the first set of runners checked in for their bibs and swag. Just before 7 am, Reid Delman gave the pre-race speech. By this time the light lit the land, and each set of hands were slithering to keep heat and each pair of legs were yawning awake. The large group of men and women huddled at the start line, and then they took off down rocky Mill Canyon road.

The staff was anxious for the many hours to come. Bowls of m&m’s, sliced bananas, small squares of pb&j sandwiches, and potato chips were set at the registration and refuel tent, along with thermoses of hot coffee, water, and electrolytes.

The 24 Hours of Utah/Moab 100 course is set up as a 5.37 mile loop to be run clockwise and counter, as many times as possible in 24 Hours, 12 Hours, 6 Hours, or until 100 miles are accomplished. The loop takes place on the Monitor and Merrimac trail, with soft sandy sections of incline and decline, as well as an expanse of flat red rock that allows for a remarkable view of ancient, receding water lines in varying colors of green against the backsplash of the buttes and cliffs. The wind rustles the limbs of trees and shivers the thin blanket of creek water that appears in pockets along the trail.

The stakes were high for the first person to complete the initial 5.37mile lap. Up for the premium was a 40% lifetime discount for Ultimate Direction (hydration systems). Too Early (Brian Passenti) was the first man through, securing the lifetime gift.

As each runner entered the base camp, flashing their bibs to record their times, some would grab a handful of snacks, take a moment for coffee, or ask Josh and Karen for a sandwich to eat mid-loop. Others would turn on their heel and set off again with a look of undeniable passion for continuity. The variance in personal paces, needs, food and liquid intake provided an intimate inside look, a sort of physical, psychological, and emotional science experiment of ultra proportions. As each participant ran into the base camp, a musical metallic clatter of cowbells rang in congratulations. Some friendly faces with strength called out, “MORE COWBELL!” Others smiled, their eyes aimed in concentration or distraction at some point in Moab’s breathtaking landscape. One guy always kept us on our toes with his, “More Cowbell…okay that’s enough.”

There were lulls in the day, those spaces in time when you wait for the runners to come through, where you schmooze with the loved ones to talk stats and placing, and as we work, we are aware that there’s this whole big thing happening on those trails, something we can sense but not know – personal struggles, dialogues, sweat, aching shins, calves, sore feet. We know these things are going on, but there’s this stillness, this quiet to the experience for us, where the suffering is otherwise unnoticed, except for a brief moment at the base camp. You feel this bond to them, this extreme appreciation, because they must be suffering, and they have chosen to, and they’re doing so for reasons we may never know. As the runners came and went, toasted cheese sandwiches were made, potato soup, coffee. Some heavy-lidded racers took their coffee to go. It was time for each one to carry a flashlight and headlamp, and just about time for the night to reveal its silent secrets.

The 6-hour ended with Midnight Express (Kirk Hilbelink) as first male through with 32.33 miles, and Team Project Athena (Danelle Ballengee) as first female with 26.85 miles run. Some racers fell captive to the pain and dropped out, while others slowed. There were few that maintained their early-morning rhythm. It wasn’t until dawn that the light could recharge the land and some of the spirit that might have fallen asleep beneath the stars that night.

Adrian Shipley of Salt Lake City, UT clocked in 64.44 miles, achieving first place male in the 12-hour portion of the race. Veronica Wilson of Boring, OR ran 42.96, accomplishing first female.

Through an early morning start, a hot mid-day, a clear sleepless night, so many snacks, loved ones with sleepy eyes and arms full of fuel and love, the 24-hour participants were about to accomplish their large feat. What had began as a group had dwindled down to few. With a truly inspiring accomplishment of 91.29 miles, Running Free (Charlotte Vasarhelyi) held first place woman as well as most miles accomplished. First place male’s dirt runner (Gary Culver) held 85.92 miles, while Two-Faced Todd (Todd Duncan) came in second with 75.18 miles. The 24-hour team participants were spirited, each inspired and competitive through the race. The Extreme portion’s Eagle Mountain Runners (Megan Morrisey, Sue Hibbs, Mark Muelenthaler, Katie Mazzia, and Lynne Perry) of Eagle, CO clocked in 139.62 miles in 24 hours, placing first. In the Open section, Monkey Love (Dan Blankenship, Mike Rubsam, Melissa Kinnear, Audrey Oweimrin, Stacie Ward, Alan Ward, Brad Culberson, Regina Daly, Julie Seydel, and TJ Quirk) were first with 128.8 miles.

It was quite thrilling to watch the 100-mile participants compete. Natalie’s Team (Jeremy Bradford) of Denver, CO finished 100 miles in 21:17, winning first place male. Through the entire race he seemed empowered, strong, excited, thankful. His family waited for him at each lap’s completion, offering him love and support. He mentioned not being able to finish this race a while back, and that it was a goal of his to take it down, and take it down he did. Wild West (Christopher Westerman) of Castle Rock, CO was second with 100 miles accomplished in 25:56. Christopher was joyful the whole race through. It was his first 100-mile, and he had spent a good deal of time training on the steps of Red Rock Theatre near Denver to prepare. He encouraged his friend with a sprained ankle to accompany him on some of the laps, was full of high-fives, thankful for any company and conversation, and visibly strong-willed. Mark Hellenthal of Phoenix, AZ was the third and participant to finish the 100-mile portion of the race, with a time of 27:46. It was these three individuals running circles out there on the Monitor and Merrimac for several hours, out of 17 participants, that were able to finish.

When the awards were announced, the medals handed out, and the names drawn for prizes, the racers weren’t sitting on the ground or in chairs, or fragile-looking whatsoever. They were standing, and eager to walk up to receive what they had earned. I wanted to hand out 6-ft. trophies gleaming gold, statues, or in the least a case of beer – I wanted to do something large to show how inspired I was as a person, not just a runner, by them. Yet, here they were, standing and thankful. It’s never about the awards, though it’s nice to show something physical for what you’ve accomplished; it’s more about the memory, and that feeling of community that is ripe in muscles full of acid, fire pits, a toasted cheese sandwich, Reid Delman and his family, all of the runners and for all of the ways they are mentally, emotionally, and physically powerful kinds of people.

]]> 0 Administrator <![CDATA[Now Hiring]]> http://geminiadventures.com/new/?p=1127 2012-01-04T05:08:15Z 2012-01-04T04:41:24Z Gemini Events is expanding the team! Do you have a passion for endurance sports? Do you have an eye for details? Are you looking for long-term part-time employment? Check out the link below for a complete job description. If it sounds like a good match, send an email to reid_delman@geminiadventures.com with your resume and letter of interest. A handful of qualified candidates will be contacted for interviews and a decision will be made in mid February.
Job Description

]]> 0 Administrator <![CDATA[Snowy Range Snowshoe Races]]> http://geminiadventures.com/new/?p=1094 2011-11-30T21:01:17Z 2011-11-29T19:06:33Z From the mastermind behind the sadistic and silly Twin Mountain Trudge comes a new snowshoe race. On January 7th, 2012, the Snowy Range Snowshoe Races will kick off with 5K, 10K, and 20k backcountry adventure race options. Starting at the Snowy Range Ski and Recreation Area in southeast Wyoming, participants coming from the Front Range of Colorado can enjoy a traffic-free drive to pristine and snow-filled mountain fun (about three hours from Denver, less than two hours from Fort Collins).

The 5K and 10K races have been designated United States Snowshoe Association (USSSA) National Championship Qualifiers as well as Wyoming State Championship races. With the USSSA national championships being held in Colorado this year, this is a great opportunity to qualify! The courses have been designed for fun competition and excellent spectator viewing at a “world cup” style finish and party in front of the ski lodge. The 20k backcountry adventure race takes participants around the remote backside of the ski mountain, with more fresh snow and elevation change. Some say that snowshoe races could easily be run without snowshoes… not this one!
These events are open to all levels of snowshoers, from elite competitors to those who have never raced on the snow. Come give it a try and you may find yourself hooked! Based out of the ski lodge, participants will have access to a fireplace, hot meals, as well as various libations.
We have a growing list of sponsors, including Northern Lites Snowshoes, Hammer Nutrition, and the Snowy Range Ski and Recreation Area that should help make this a fun time!
For more information and to register, visit the race web site: http://www.journeymanadv.com/. The race director, Alec Muthig, can be reached at AMuthig@JourneymanADV.com. Hope to see you out there!
Alec Muthig

]]> 0 Administrator <![CDATA[What Gets Measured Gets Managed!]]> http://geminiadventures.com/new/?p=1088 2011-11-30T20:53:12Z 2011-11-29T18:56:25Z Now that we are closing the door to our 2011 racing and training season and as our 2012 season approaches, it is time to sit down and reflect what we did right in 2011 and what to add or include into our 2012 training. Here is my evaluation list of 7 training elements.

#1: Weight:
Are you at your optimal race weight? If not and you are thinking of losing those last 5 extra pounds now is the time to take action. It is difficult at best to lose weight when you are in the depths of hard training. Our bodies like homeostasis, this set point is hard to renegotiate when the workload is demanding. If you do experience weight loss during the racing season this often equates to a performance loss, a depleted body is a sluggish body. If you’re really hoping to peak in your 2012 season, losing the extra weight now is imperative to peaking for that “A” race in August.

#2: Recovery meal and hydration:
How well did you recover during the critical post 30 min workout recovery window? All too often, athletes forgo the refueling and rehydration post workout due to busy lives. This is a big mistake and one that can lead to a slow recovery phase, burnout, and injury. Finding a recovery drink or meal with 15-20gr of Protein and 45-60gr of Carbohydrate that works well for you can get you on the fast track to a full recovery for your next day’s workout. Your workout isn’t over until you’re fully recovered.
#3: Rest and recovery weeks:
Its not the hard workouts and long training run that most have troubles with, it’s when to rest and when to build miles and intensity that most don’t get right. Too hard or too long of a training run early in the season can lead to performance doubt if not injury to an athlete. And never allowing your body to rest or taper for a race will lead to burnout and sub-par training and racing season. Build weeks and rest days are important and should be considered an integral part of any athlete’s training schedule.
#4: Training specificity:
Did you train for your “A” race, by adding training elements to our plan that addressed race specific terrain? For example: was your “A” race, a mountainous 100mile run or a flat hot and humid 50mile run? The training plan for each one of these races will look very differently. Some of the pit falls can be training with other runners who’s goals don’t match yours, or only training to a “miles diary” and forgetting about the quality and specificity of those miles. Did you choose “C and B” races that supported your “A” race? Lets say you got into Hard Rock 100 last year, but you live in Alabama so your training consisted of road marathons every weekend. Needless to say your race did not go optimally. Before you sign up for that “A” race, break down the course and terrain profile then ask yourself can I get quality training in all the areas needed to have a great race between now and the race date. If the answer is no, then this maybe a 2 year race goal while you build the strengths needed to achieve your goal.

#5: Train to your weaknesses:
It’s really hard to not want to train only your strengths. After all, when you go out for a training run that plays to your strengths, you naturally feel better about yourself. This is a tough habit to break since your body and your mind want to do what they do best. To make the most out of your training, make sure you are putting in enough time working on your weaknesses. Sometimes this means you’ve narrowed your pace and heart rate zones that you’re training in. This is the quickest way to plateau your fitness and sub sequentially will lead to performance stalemate. If you know you need to become a better climber, schedule hill interval workout days. The idea is to improve enough on your weaknesses that they become strengths or at least not detriments.

#6: Heart Rate and Pace target zones:
Did you have clear and defined training heart rate and pace zones? Did you use your zones to reach your goals or did you train in your comfort zone with LSD? Training is an ever-changing process. As you get stronger and you become a more efficient runner your training zones will change. Neglecting to update your training zones or not use them at all will lead to over and under training. Revise your zones with a Lactate Threshold test every three months will keep you training in the correct zones for your fitness and goals.
#7: Did you have fun?:
If you can’t answer unequivocally and resoundingly “YES” from the depths of your heart then it may be time to step back and take a break. Remember when you first started running. What was it that hooked you? For most people, their answer will include the word “fun”. I challenge that training and racing should always be fun. If we allow ourselves to embrace the full process of training, the hard effort, the exhaustion, the beautiful scenery and our fellow runners, this can be affirming and metaphoric for the other parts of your life. But if every workout leaves you drained and broken down emotionally and mentally this should not be ignored and a call to your Dr is in order. Try to mix elements of fun into your training whenever possible. This can take form in a variety of ways. Whatever makes you smile during your training is well worth incorporating into your schedule. Staying true to the “fun” that hooked you to running is crucial to being a lifelong athlete.
Taking the time to reflect on your 2011 training and racing season will give you insight and set you on the right foot for your 2012 goals! What gets measured gets managed.
Happy Trails!
Cindy Stonesmith, Running Endurance Coach with www.ultrarunnertraining.com

About Ultrarunner Training
Ultrarunner Training is a coaching organization for runners, which emphasize the use of heart rate training to achieve personal goals and minimize risk of injury. Ultrarunner Training coaches leverage an individual’s physiology testing data and specific goal objectives, to build an individualized training plan. These personalized training plans, are progressive, measurable and goal driven, along with frequent coach interaction, enable athletes to achieve a new level of fitness and accomplish and or exceed their running goals.

Cindy Stonesmith, a coach for Ultrarunner Training, is a human performance and sport specialist. Her passion for running has taken her to beautiful mountain tops and deep sandy canyons. She blends her passion for running and sports education into the perfect balance so her clients achieve their goals and have fun doing so. Cindy has been a leading Masters Women Ultrarunner for the past 7yrs. Her most recent accomplishment is Sub 25hrs at Leadville Trail 100.

Contact:
Cindy Stonesmith CMT ACSM/HFS
Owner and Endurance Running Coach
Ultrarunner Training
303.518.4509

http://www.ultrarunnertraining.com

cindy@ultrarunnertraining.com

]]> 0 Administrator <![CDATA[Running Footwear]]> http://geminiadventures.com/new/?p=1044 2011-11-29T18:59:51Z 2011-08-02T19:15:04Z Not since Bill Bowerman ruined his wife’s waffle iron in 1970 has there been such a cry for running footwear changes. Because of the minimum amount of gear one needs to get started in running, footwear is of the utmost importance. With the huge increase in long distance running, running shoes have become a big business, as well it should. It’s estimated, that in 1980, 143,000 people ran a marathon in the United States compared to 467,000 in 2009. Your feet are the base of your running. No amount of training can help you reach your goals if you have foot related injuries.

As the numbers of long distance runners increase, so do the numbers of injuries. Throughout history many cultures have done long distance running without the technology that we have today. So, how do we solve this problem? With technology? In the 1960s, Coach Bill Bowerman attempted to increase the speed of his athletes by lengthening their stride. He felt the way to increase a person’s stride was to allow them to use a heel striking method of running where the first part of the foot to hit the ground was the heel and force the runner to then roll over the forefoot. He developed a shoe with a heavily padded heel and supported midfoot which took the impact off the foot and put it onto the shoe. These shoes became the standard for many years. Runners and coaches are now looking at this theory and wondering if it’s actually causing injuries. The introduction of barefoot running and the new Hoka One One’s, coming in at opposite ends of the argument, shows a strong desire to change the current look of running shoes.

The natural motion of running (developed over thousands of years of evolution), is when the lateral edge of the forefoot strikes first. While barefoot running is certainly nothing new, Christopher McDougall’s 2009 book Born to Run, has brought about a surge of barefoot runners and minimalists running shoes to our modern society. Many people agree that wearing modern running shoes causes the muscles and tendons in our feet to weaken, causes poor body mechanics and increases our chances of injury. According to barefoot proponents, there are many advantages to barefoot running.
1. It helps develop the small muscles in your toes, feet, ankles, legs and hips. The toes need to spread, ankles need to bend and hips need to adjust to movement for better balance.
2. Landing on the forefoot allows the body’s natural shock absorbers (foot arch, ankles and knees) to cut down on impact injuries such as shin splints. It also allows the body to keep a forward momentum to improve speed. Heel striking tends to put the brakes on with every step.
3. Removal of the heel lift allows muscles and tendons to stretch and strengthen cutting down on calf pulls and plantar fasciitis (both of which are common injuries today and were rarely seen just a few years ago.
On the other end of the scale, a new type of shoe that is making a huge splash is the Hoka One One. The Hoka is a running shoe that sports 2.5 times the cushioning of a normal running shoe. The midsole is rockered to allow the foot to roll into the push off from the forefoot. The heel lift has also been taken out, so like barefoot running, the calves and ankles are allowed to stretch and a midfoot strike is promoted. Although there is a large amount of cushioning, the shoes are no heavier than average running shoes.

The obvious advantage to “running on marshmallows” is that is takes out all the rocks and roots. It has been compared to riding a full suspension bike, where the shoes smooth out the surface of the trail. Often runners report not feeling as beat up with these shoes as they normally do.

It’s difficult to argue with thousands of year of evolution. And even though we have technology to assist our human shortcomings, it is difficult to say what is the best method for achieving our goals. With so many people running incredible distances foot care is essential.

]]> 0 Administrator <![CDATA[Race Report – 2011 Desert RATS 148 Mile Race by Martin Schneekloth]]> http://geminiadventures.com/new/?p=1017 2011-11-29T19:00:36Z 2011-07-19T04:34:00Z (Stage 1)

Day 0.5
In order to save some money on travel expenses and to acclimatize to the elevation, we arrived in Moab, Utah from Huntsville, Alabama via Denver, Colorado on Saturday afternoon in the second smallest plane I had ever been a passenger on. The pilot couldn’t have been more courteous. Our destination was the Desert RATS 148 Mile 5 stage (6 day) race that takes place at one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen within the Continental US. It’s a point to point stage race that runs along the Kokopelli Trail from Grand Junction, Colorado to Moab, Utah. During this race, you run along the Colorado River as well as some of the most awesome cliffs, canyons and rock and mountain formations with terrain just as varied as the scenery.


(Richard just after landing in Moab, Utah.)
Shortly after we arrived in Moab and took in the amazing scenery that immediately greeted us on our 20 mile ride into town, we checked into the luxurious Inca Inn at the end of town, just two miles from the Arches National Park. We had opted to rent a pickup truck (last car available in the Enterprise Rent-A-Car lot) to have some flexibility prior to the start of the race on Monday. I had to admit, for these surroundings, a big truck was more than appropriate for the terrain.

Briefly after checking into our new temporary residence and taking a short nap, we headed into town to meet up with some of Richard’s running buddies from last year’s Racing The Planet Atacama Desert Race for a quick dinner. We decided to head back to the hotel early in order to get up early on Sunday morning to do some sightseeing.

Having a rental allowed us to venture out on Sunday to go to the Arches National Park and take in some amazing sights, including the “Delicate Arch”, which allowed us to get in a little 5k trail run while seeing some fantastic natural sights.


(After a nice pasta lunch we did some last minute shopping for the mandatory gear list.)
We had to leave some items at home (e.g. knife and large bottles of sunscreen), since we only had carry-ons and didn’t check any luggage in order to make our connecting flights and we desperately wanted to avoid being detained by Homeland Security. Which reminded me, this didn’t keep Richard from proclaiming rather loudly and within earshot of one of the nice airport security folks checking our luggage at Huntsville International Airport: “My bag is going to explode when he opens it!” Obvious to both of us, he was referring to the fact that he had been struggling to get the carry-on bag closed with all of our running and camping gear and energy gels crammed in there, but how was the security guard supposed to know? Only my quick action to diffuse the situation by explaining what Richard was referring to when making his statement kept us from being detained…or maybe it was just the fact that the security personnel realized rather quickly that Richard just made a stupid, stupid comment.

Back in our motel room at the Inca Inn, we decided to do one final check of our mandatory running gear as well as our night gear bag that contained our camping gear. The mandatory gear would be validated during our race check-in Sunday afternoon at the race host hotel, the Archway Inn, just half a mile down the street. (The image below shows my inventory list for this trip. This list will also help me decide what gear would truly be a necessity for any future events).

Richard and I attempted another short nap, but we ultimately ran out of time and headed to the Archway in around 5pm on Sunday for the mandatory gear check and race check-in. After handing in our registration form, medical releases and two passport pictures, we received an expedition journal to be carried during the race at all times. Aside from my picture, it also contained emergency contact info as well as any additional medical info, e.g. allergies, etc. Along with the journal, we received additional race swag. Obviously, we didn’t receive the finisher’s awards in the picture until after the successful completion of the race. Oh damn, I just gave away the end of this story;-) We would also be weighted by one of the three doctors that would accompany us during this 5 stage race before we headed back to the hotel.


(Pre-race and post-race swag.)
We had to turn around again after a quick Subway sandwich dinner to attend the pre-race briefing at 7:30PM that evening. At that time, we finally got to meet all of the other competitors, 31 runners in total, as well as race director Reid and his entire team of volunteers. After sizing up the competition (just kidding) we quickly settled down to listen to Reid’s introduction of things to come. If there is one of Reid’s rules that I won’t ever forget, it was this “STAY ON THE TRAIL!” Not because I got lost, but because it represented the first three rules of this race;-)

Once the pre-race meeting concluded, Richard and I headed back to the motel just in time to see the Dallas Mavericks raise the NBA trophy for the very first time, Go Dirkules! Richard and I headed to sleep pretty soon after in preparation of the days to come.

Day 1
As usual, Rich and I woke up fairly early and indulged in some free continental breakfast and coffee before grabbing our gear and heading to the race headquarters, the Archway Inn in Moab, Utah at 10:30am to drop off our night supply drop bags and to get on the shuttle that would take us to the race start in Grand Junction, Colorado (the picture below shows my three tent mates and me on the couch and some of Richard’s Atacama Desert race buddies just behind us. Everyone still looked pretty relaxed).


(Everyone still looks pretty relaxed before the start of stage 1.)
We got a bit of a late start as the shuttle was late, so the original start was delayed from 1 pm to 1:50 pm at the Kokopelli Trailhead just 30 mile or so outside Grand Junction. The bus ride took about 90 minutes and every one of the 31 racers seemed to be excited and pumped to get this thing started. Half way into the trip we urgently needed a pit stip. Everyone had been hydrating for the race and what resulted was a scene from an open air concert, 14 guys lined up behind the gas station, trying to get rid of some of that hydration ( I think there actually might be a picture floating around about this particular sight).


(Shuttle ride to the starting line near Grand Junction, Colorado.)
Last year’s winner Sean Meissner (pictured above with sunglasses) returned to defend his title. After arriving at the Kokopelli Trailhead, you wouldn’t have been able to tell by looking at our faces that we were about to embark on an exciting yet intimidating adventure…148 miles of running through desert and mountainous terrain.


(Richard and I were “coolness” personified;-)
As we lined up for the start, Richard and I lined up behind Sean to give him a run for his money…no, not really;-) but we did hang with him for about 200 yards. Once we settled for a reasonable pace (again, not really as we came out way too fast for this unfamiliar climate) we kept chugging along. Immediately after making the first couple of turns on the winding trails, we were greeted by images like the one below that would accompany us for the remainder of this race, unbelievable canyons and mountains all around us, tiered ledges accompanied by steep cliffs all the way to the Colorado River.


(Just one of the amazing views shortly after the start of stage 1.)
The first thing I had to deal with immediately after starting was the extremely low humidity of 2 percent. Couple that with a high of 95 and a maximum elevation of close to 5000 ft and you’ve created something my body needs to adjust to big time. I ended up with a dry mouth and throat and a runny nose all day. I immediately checked with one of the three race docs following the conclusion of this stage and he confirmed that this is the usual reaction to this climate for first timers. I also ended up with wind burn in my right eye, but not a single hot spot or blister at this time (keeping fingers crossed).

Considering the circumstances, this first stage, the “Salt Creek Stage” of approximately 19 miles went ok, with an aid station and check point at mile 6. No problems there, enough fluids and food and felt good. However, between the first aid station and the water drop at mile 16, I almost ran out of water, couldn’t stay hydrated. Between these two points, we had to do a major descent to the footbridge across Salt Creek followed by a major climb straight back up the hill on the other side of the bridge. I loaded up at the second water station, grabbed some Pepsi and Oranges and moved on. We had slowed down significantly at this point, since the climb to the second aid station was massive and we came out too fast too early. We slowed our pace and went to the run/walk, running .5 miles and walking .5 miles until we reached the finish at mile 19 something in 4 hours and 47 minutes. The elevation, low humidity, high heat and ascents and descents kicked my butt!


(Footbridge across Salt Creek.)
Once we arrived at the finish, I immediately went for water. The crew had already set up our tents. I drank 5 bottles and still couldn’t use the bathroom until well after 8pm. But once I could go, I kept on going, so at least I was finally rehydrated. Prior to the briefing for the next stage, we received a fantastic dinner, mashed potatoes, chicken and all kinds of fruits and veggies. This race has an awesome crew.


(My tent buddies Alex, Rich and Doug, from left to right.)
Tomorrow’s stage will be a tough, 40 miles with just two aid stations and two water drops. We are going to run the lowest and hottest section of the race with little access to drinking water for almost 12 miles, so very conservative pace and water consumption is key.

 
Race Report – 2011 Desert RATS 148 Mile Race (Stage 2)


Day 2
Simply put, this one was extremely taxing on me, mentally and physically. This stage, “Milt’s Stage” had been adjusted slightly to “only” 35 miles due to some flooding along the Colorado River. This stage was aptly named after Milt’s restaurant, which would be catering the dinner following this stage. I heard buffalo burgers would be on the menu, which would be awesome. This stage was on the lowest section of the Kokopelli Trail, which meant extreme heat, 95 degrees in the shade, 125 on the ground in the sun. Humidity was a bit higher than yesterday, but it was negligible.


(123 degrees ground temp + 2% humidity = insanity!)
After two miles, we ran through McDonald Creek Canyon. We had to descend toward Bitter Creek around mile 8 and would climb again to the mesa top before getting to our first aid station and check point at mile 13. While the expedition journal called for an aid station at mile 5, we wouldn’t have access to water and aid until mile 13, and in this heat, it was tough.

During the stage prior to the first aid station, we also had our first scary encounter. We had been warned about scorpions and rattle snakes at the pre-race briefing, but as usual, I didn’t pay too close attention to what was said, other than “there is no need to suck on the wound if you are bitten”. I didn’t think it mattered anyway since we wouldn’t encounter any dangerous wildlife. Well, I was wrong, but only a little. About 10 miles into today’s stage, I was running ahead along the left edge of an ascending trail and Richard was following closely. I thought I’d heard a hissing noise but I paid no attention, until Richard’s uttering of “Wow” or something like that made me turn around just in time to see him jump to the right side of the trail asking if I saw that. “Saw what?” I proclaimed, “the rattle snake that hissed at you” Rich responded. Oh crap, now I was glad I didn’t actually see it. By the time I had turned around, the rattler had crawled under a rock. Aside from that briefly scary moment, some of the landscape early on this course was quite amazing.


(Another beautiful section of trail disappearing on the horizon.)
While there was a water drop at mile 21 which was not just helpful but essential on this really hot day, the second aid station would not be available until mile 28. This was obviously part of the challenge and a challenge it was. The staff had reduced the combined number of water drops and aid stations due to the shortened course for the day. This reduced access to water took its toll on us, especially on Richard. He really struggled to stay cool and overheating continued to be his biggest challenge. As we were making our way down a blacktop road from aid station 1 towards the water drop at mile 21, Richard finally told me to go ahead.


(Spectacular view from mesa top.)
He planned to continue to go very slow until his stomach felt better. The picture below shows Rich and I still running together earlier in the day. Unbeknownst to me, he initially decided to call it quits under the railroad bridge at mile 22. When one of the crew docs approached, he stated as much, not wanting to go on. However, the experience of the doc showed, when he suggested Richard wait about 20 minutes while he went ahead to the aid station. The doc would return in 20 minutes and if Rich still wanted to quit, he would take him. However, if Rich was gone, all the better. Luckily for Rich, Maya, Marilena came by to dowse him with water, which allowed him to finally cool off. They were followed by Alex, who informed him that he still had plenty of time to make it under the cutoff to the next aid station. That’s all Rich needed to get going again, thank goodness.

The section after the water drop mostly consisted of a trail similar to a jeep road that ran alongside railroad tracks for some time. After we turned away from the railroad tracks, the trail started winding its way towards the horizon alongside some power lines and not much else to see other than endlessly flat desert terrain with no finish line in sight. My only goal was to make it to the next aid station at mile 28. I figured, from there I would only have to go another 6 miles and I could walk those if I needed to. My blisters had not gotten any better and I just wanted to get off my feet. However, there were still quite a few miles between me and my sleeping pad.


(For a moment, I thought we were in the African Savanna.)
I made it to the second aid station about 1 or 2 hours under the cutoff, so there really had been no reason for me to be worried about it. But I was getting really tired. The last 6 miles of this course were as “challenging” as the previous 6 miles. Long, flat sections of trail with no end at the horizon. Little to no wind and high temps did the rest, slowing me down to mostly walking. When I finally spotted the finish line, I was ecstatic. I knew that tomorrow’s stage would consist of only 11 miles. For that reason, the RD called it the “sprint stage” while we runners considered it a rest day;-)

I did much better with fluids and electrolytes today vs. yesterday, but this stage finally destroyed my feet (blisters) and wrecked my body (exhausted). It is way too early to be getting blisters, ya’ll.

When Rich finally made it to the finish line, he too got his well deserved rest. Luckily, he did not quit during this stage. It would have been one lonely adventure for me;-)


(Richard resting comfortably in our new home.)
There was one serious climb on this section of the course, but I actually enjoyed that part. Mostly, we ran through desert terrain with no wind or shade. While the scenery wasn’t quite as breathtaking, it was desert terrain. I started to push a little after I left Richard, but that burst of energy didn’t last. The last 6 miles consisted of me walking it to the finish line. This was the toughest stage to date. Luckily, this was also the first campsite during this race that was located just 100 yards from the Colorado River, allowing us runners to cool our legs nicely before the rigors of the next stage. And while we were told that there would be no cell coverage along this section of the trail, Rich and I managed to climb a hill right next to our camp site, giving us just enough bars for a quick call home.

 
Race Report – 2011 Desert RATS 148 Mile Race (Stage 3)

Day 3
This stage, also referred to as the “Sprint Stage” was extended by two miles for a total of 11 miles to make up for the shortened stage yesterday. There were no aid stations available today and they really weren’t necessary anyway as it was a short race very early in the day. Isn’t it funny that everyone referred to today as a rest day? The course today ran from Fish Ford to Highway 128.


(Me pointing the way to the finish…or was it the porta-potty?)
As we entered the trail we went through remote rolling cow pastures and over slickrock, until we finally made the short but steep climb away from the river.


(One of many many steep climbs.)
The footing was generally ok, but we went over winding trails before steadily running up and down on single track trails along the Colorado River. One section was pretty muddy due to recent river floods. I barely required any water and only drank about a liter. I started the day with three small blisters and ended the day with three larger blisters.


(Some of the beautiful winding trails.)
Richard and I had decided early on in the day that we would each run our own race. I wanted to get off my feet as soon as possible to continue to rest my blistered feet. I also wanted to show that I could actually run a little, too. The last couple of days had been a struggle between adjusting to the elevation and dry heat and the blisters that continued to develop on my feet.
I initially thought this stage was going to be almost 13 miles, so when I actually saw the finish line, I still had way too much energy in the tank. I ended up semi-sprinting to the finish, feeling excellent and itching to do more, if it weren’t for the before mentioned blisters. Once runners reached the finish line for this stage, we were shuttled to today’s campsite that had to be moved from the original site due to flooding. This campsite was located right by Dewey Bridge at the Colorado River allowing us runners to take “ice baths” in the cold river.


(Our campsite right next to the Colorado River, very cool!)
I was able to run pretty well, but I am really worried about the 52 mile expedition stage tomorrow. If these blisters would get any worse, it was going to be a struggle. There would be a lot of uphill mountain running with at least 4500 feet elevation gain. Rest, rest and more rest and refueling and rehydrating was on the agenda for the rest of the day. We finished before lunch time, so everyone just lounged around for the rest of the day, exchanging running stories, comparing blisters and trying to nap under one of the big shade trees as it was impossible to sleep inside our tents, way too hot.

I guess some of the crew got so bored, they decided it would be a great idea to jump off the Dewey Bridge into the Colorado River. The current was so strong, one of them barely made it back to camp after floating along in the river fighting the current. We finished the day with an excellent pasta dinner in preparation for tomorrow’s stage. The food was absolutely amazing throughout the trip.

 
Race Report – 2011 Desert RATS 148 Mile Race (Stage 4)


Days 4 & 5
These were definitely the most difficult 52 miles I’ve ever run. Since this was going to be the longest stage of the race, we had a 7:00am start and thank goodness for that. The staff had shuttled us to the start of the race so we could continue the race at the same location we completed yesterday’s stage and I was in the first group that arrived at the starting line of stage 4. The sun was already cooking us and we had 52 miles of beautiful scenery and serious mountain trail ascents and descents ahead of us. Considering my blistered feet, I knew I was going to be in this for the long haul, with my target time closer to the official 20 hour cutoff rather than a PR.


(Me at the start of stage 4, 52 miles of fun in the sun.)
Richard and I went out easy and still managed to post a decent and unexpectedly fast 10 miles to the first aid station and check point, which was located at our camp site for yesterday’s stage. Prior to reaching the first aid station, we did however catch a glimpse of the LaSalle Mountains. If you look really closely, you will notice the snowcapped mountain range in the back. Once you realize that we’d have to climb and cross this mountain range before the end of today’s stage, the enormity of the challenge would become quite apparent.


(The snowcapped LaSalle Mountains in the distance.)
The first 10 mile section was mostly rolling hills, no real climbs or descents. That changed quickly after the first aid station and check point, which we reached after crossing Dewey Bridge (and the Colorado River) which was located near the campsite we had left just a couple of hours earlier. These check points were located and every full aid station.

Racers would be required to hand in their personal expedition journals to be checked in. We would also have to randomly show one of the mandatory gear items we were required to carry with us during the entire duration of the race. There was only one exception to this rule, The glow sticks only needed to be carried during the 52 mile expedition stage. Everything else had to be with the runner at all times. Failure to be able to present one of those requested items would lead to a time penalty at best, disqualification at worst. The only way to continue from a check point after failing to present a mandatory item would be to have another runner or someone else provide you with the missing item. No runner was allowed on the course with a missing item. One of my tent mates, Alex, almost fell victim to this rule. Thankfully, he was able to continue after receiving a severe time penalty.

After aid station 1, it was a continuous climb with a couple of downhills. Up and up we went. We wouldn’t see another aid station or water drop for 12 miles, which required some good fluid, salt and electrolyte management in order to stay healthy, yet make it to the next water drop without running out.


(I’m taking some time out during one of the climbs.)
Fortunately, we made it to the drop without serious problems, although Richard had run out of water. I managed to keep my fluid and electrolytes somewhat balanced and never really ran out of water at any point of the race. Between the first aid station and the first water drop, we ran through the Cottonwood Canyons that offered everything a trail runner’s heart desires and then some. We had some serious technical climbs and some serious descents to deal with. One of these canyons inspired me to jodel and thankfully, Richard was quick enough with his camera to capture any video footage of it. The echo was pretty cool, but thank god he didn’t record it…it wasn’t pretty.

When we reached the water drop at mile 22 or so, we refilled our hydration bladders and bottles with much needed water. We also noticed after refilling the water dispenser that there was hardly any water left for the remaining racers (about 10 or so following behind us). As a result, some of the other runners were not quite as fortunate, some due to no fault of their own (water drop did run out of water), others struggled to carry enough water to make it from aid station to water drop to aid station in the midday heat. Richard’s body started to reject any type of electrolytes supplements. He couldn’t swallow SCaps, Endurolytes or Hammer gels without all of it coming right back up. I started to really to really feel my blisters get worse whenever we descended into another canyon or valley. As a result, we needed to make some speed adjustment, speed hiking most technical sections and only running when we both felt comfortable, which didn’t happen too often. Because we slowed down quite a bit, it gave me the opportunity to capture some of the local wildlife that accompanied us throughout the race (see images below of a typical lizard and a snake).


(These little fellows were crossing our paths on every stage.)


(This one wasn’t as scary as the rattler from two days earlier.)
When we finally approached aid station 2 around mile 28 around 3 or so in the afternoon, I was ready to devour the two turkey and cheese sandwiches I had made the night before to be dropped off at this aid station for lunch. It was a late but very welcome lunch. If there is one thing I’ve noticed, it’s that my appetite has never ever suffered during any ultra event and I hope it will stay that way. Throughout the course of this weeklong race, other runners would stare at me in disbelief at these aid stations as I was wolfing down my sandwiches in 95 degree heat with parched throats, causing others to stop chewing and almost choking on their sandwiches, unable to swallow anything due to the dry heat. Not me, I couldn’t wait to eat my sandwiches during these long stages.

After we left aid station 2, we began to cross Onion Creek a few times. A local had informed us earlier to be aware of the Creek’s tendency to rapidly flood without any warning and that it could cause us to be stuck in the middle of nowhere. While I would have loved to press on to avoid any flooding, we really didn’t have the energy to push. Instead, we kept our fingers crossed that no flooding would occur…and we got lucky.

Around mile 40, we finally reached the top North Beaver Mesa, allowing us to get a much closer glimpse at the LaSalle Mountains, signaling the fact that we were indeed getting closer to the mountains and the much desired finish of stage 4. To reach this mesa, the climb seemed literally endless. Every time I dared to suggest that we had reached the top, we would realize that we would descend again before climbing right back up again. This went on for miles and miles…until we finally reach an elevation close to 8500 feet.


(Richard after reaching the actual top of this section.)
Shortly after peaking the top, we reached a water drop around mile 41 at a T-crossing in the trail. After getting some additional water, we turned right in pursuit of the final aid station about 4 or 5 miles down the trail. During this section, I had the opportunity for a nice long chat with RD Reid, who had caught up with us on his mountain bike while checking on some runners. During this conversation, I got the impression that a hot dinner would be served at the last aid station, so all Rich and I were thinking about after that conversation was to just make it to the next aid station to get some hot chili. When I finally reached the aid station (I had decided to push a little until the aid station and to wait for Rich there) and asked for my hot chili, all I got was blank stares. As it turns out, I had misunderstood Reid’s comments about dinner. Dinner would be waiting for us at the finish line, instead. However, once more the amazing crew of volunteers came through in a big way, offering me their own bowl of chili and a hot dog that had been dropped off for their dinner. While I was hesitant initially, it didn’t take much convincing for me to eat that hot dog. I had decided to leave the chili for Rich, who had been struggling with stomach issues all day. Turns out, he was more of a hot dog guy himself, complaining about the fact that I had the hot dog. Oh well, I shared the hot dog and we went on our way to finish out this stage before midnight. Shortly before we reached the last aid station, rain started to pour down on us and the temps became slightly lower as well due to the higher elevation. Thankfully, we had packed our windbreakers and they kept our body temp at a perfect level.

The final 8 miles consisted of another major 2 mile climb to the top, followed by a steep 6 mile descent on an asphalt road, all the way to the finish. My feet were shredded and the last 6 miles, well, let’s just say they didn’t feel good. We ran walked the final six miles, not really wanting to run, but wanting to complete this stage. We actually ended up running quite a good pace on the last 6 miles, but it wasn’t pretty. When Reid informed us that we only had a quarter mile to go, we started to mobilize our last reserves.

As we turned the final corner heading to the campsite and finish line for stage 4, I could hear the screaming and yelling and singing at the finish line. We were still 300 yards or so out and all I could think was that they were already celebrating the finishers that came before us and that they had started giving out the awards for the day, because they didn’t want to wait any longer for the remaining runners. Boy was I wrong. As we came closer to the finish, the yelling and screaming, howling, clapping and banging pots and pans became louder and louder and I quickly realized that all finishers were actually watching our headlamps bopping up and down in the darkness and cheering us on to finish. I am not one to get all touchy and feely, actually quite the opposite is true. But when I realized that they were cheering for us, that was the most special moment of my short ultra running career, sending chills down my spine and “almost” making me tear up…just a little…almost. When I finally sat down to rest and eat some hot food (3 grilled cheese sandwiches, a bowl of chili and two hot dogs) I was excited to have completed this stage.


(I wasn’t able to see the actual campsite until the next morning.)
The course itself was absolutely amazing and even though we took plenty of pictures, the enormity of this landscape can’t seem to be captured on a small digital camera. You’d just have to be here to understand. Beautiful trails, canyons, mountains and valleys. Most of the course just kind of blends together and I am just happy to be able to state that we made it to each aid station with plenty of time to spare against the cutoff clock, even though we had to walk a lot.

When we finally left the last aid station at mile 44 at 9pm, right before the final 2 mile climb and
The 6 mile asphalt descent to the finish, we were ready to get this done. We ended up “smoking” this final leg and ended with a negative split for the entire 52 miles, running the second half slightly faster than the first 27 miles.

 
Race Report – 2011 Desert RATS 148 Mile Race (Stage 5)


Day 6
Today would bring the conclusion to what has been an amazing week. The final stage of the 2011 Desert RATS 148 Mile stage race, the “Marathon Stage”, would take us along a tough course, starting with 6 miles of climbing on an asphalt road until we would reach the first aid station and check point. Richard and I decided during the first mile of this stage that we would both go our on pace on this final stage. I knew that I wouldn’t have to run after today, so I figured “screw the blisters and see what you can do today”. While Sean was out of sight pretty quickly, I maintained sight of the remaining front of the pack, never losing them completely over the 6 mile climb.

Once I reached the first aid station at the top of the 6 mile climb just before entering the dirt trail, the field of runners had stretched quite a bit. After refueling, I started to run my own race, trying to crash the downhills while speed hiking all uphills. As a result, I was able to maintain a steady pace, keeping my overall pace per mile for the first 13 miles at under 12 minutes. This included the 6 mile climb at the start as well as a 5 minute wait at one of the trail intersections that stomped me. Before I would venture down the wrong pass, I figured I’d wait for the next runner to point the way. While it did cost me 5 minutes, it did save me from taking a wrong and potentially race ending turn.

Just after leaving the first aid station, I practiced my good deed for the day. Mike, the runner just ahead of me, had completely missed the turnoff to the trail right after the aid station and continued to run down the road. I started to whistle quite loudly and consistently, but to no avail. Mike just would not turn around. However, the aid station crew must have heard me and one of the jumped in a car to see what was going on. After seeing me and me gesturing that someone had gone on in the wrong direction, they quickly caught up to Mike and sent him on his proper way. And how did he pay me back? By passing me 20 minutes later;-)

I turned right onto Sand Flats Road around mile 10, heading for a mostly downhill run towards aid station 2 at mile 15. This aid station was located at the entrance to the major challenge of the day, a 5 mile out and back section up and down Porcupine Rim trail, where runners would have to retrieve a numbered rock at the turnaround point before heading back down to the aid station. Because I was running stronger today, I actually saw the race leader Sean exiting Porcupine Rim just as I entered it. Wow, he was already 5 miles ahead of me, bummer. As I made my way up Porcupine Rim, quite a technical trail I might add, I continued to see the remaining field of front runners pass my on their way back down. This was probably the most fun I had during the race as I finally got to see all of the runners during the stage. Normally, you would see each other at the start and the finish, but not really during the race.

I ended up running almost even splits for both halves of the total 26.5 mile distance. I actually made up some spots on this last stage finishing 15th for the day and 16th for the week out of a total of 31 runners. While my goal was to run sub 5 hour for the day, I ended up with 5 hours 12 minutes. After exiting Porcupine Rim and heading to the last 7 miles to the finish, I started to slow down just a little, walking a couple of times when I could’ve possibly run. I was almost kept from finishing this stage altogether. About 4 miles from the finish a cowboy (seriously!) on horseback started unloading a large herd of cattle right in front of me with nowhere to go but through the herd. Of course, even though I slowed down to a walk, I spooked several cows and a bull, sending them charging back to their owner. I just kept my fingers crossed that he wouldn’t pull out his revolver to put me down where I was standing;-)

When I finally spotted the finish line, the runners and crew were once again at hand to cheer me on and will me across the finish line. It was absolutely awesome. And to top it all off, none other than the winner of this even, Sean Meissner, took off my pack after I crossed the finish line, sent me to a chair and filled up my bottle with ice water. What a class act this guy is!


(Me, Sean (what a class act) and Rich at the finish line.)
Final comments
Finally, I would like to thank all of the runners that I met during this journey (yes, I am calling it a journey as this was so much more than just a race). You all have been inspiring and wouldn’t have enjoyed it half as much without you. A special thanks goes to Reid and all of his crew members and volunteers. An extra special thanks goes to the kitchen crew for the week. Every morning and every evening, they whipped up the most amazing food in the middle of nowhere. I might have actually gained a little bit of weight, which was really hard to imagine after a week like this. But it just shows how excellent the food really was. The aid, the food and the overall hospitality we received during this event was absolutely amazing. I truly hope to be able to participate in this event again in the future. It is an extremely challenging event in one truly beautiful place.

And now I’m ready for a shower!


(The entire staff and racers at the finish line.)
You can find the final results for the 2011 Desert RATS 148 Mile multiday stage race here.

]]> 0 Administrator <![CDATA[Daily Hydration Needs For Athletes]]> http://geminiadventures.com/new/?p=991 2011-11-29T19:01:17Z 2011-06-10T18:43:58Z By Cindy Stonesmith
Daily Hydration Needs For Athletes
Most people think my job as a running endurance coach is to motivate my clients to complete their prescribed daily workout. However, I often find myself motivating my clients to take the time throughout the day to fully recover and be prepared for the next day’s training run. One of your first lines of defense for recovery is to hydrate properly throughout the day.
The human brain is made of 70% fluid and the human body is made up of 60-70% fluid; one could say we are mostly made up of fluid. You can’t live two days without consuming some form of fluid. The need to balance the fluid in our body is a daily activity, one that is often over looked, even by athletes. On a rest day you’ll lose 1-3 liters of water due to insensible fluid loss, depending on your size, age, athletic ability, and gender, through respiration, renal filtration, and metabolic processes.
If you want to train and race to the best of your abilities, proper daily hydration is imperative. Researchers concur that with as little as a 3% fluid loss, athletic performance is hindered, pace decreases and perceived effort increases. In laymen’s terms…we bonk! This is not a new concept for athletes; you know you need to drink fluid during your races, but do you know how much fluid you need daily?
A good rule of thumb for calculating how much fluid you need to replenish daily is to divide your body weight by 2.2 to get your weight in kilograms. Your weight in kilograms is how many ounces of fluid you need to consume daily.
For example if you weigh 150lbs/2.2 = 68kg/body/wt. A 68kg person will need 68oz of daily fluid to replace what the body uses at rest.
Think that number is a lot to swallow? You’re not alone; most of us don’t come close to hydrating ourselves daily. Let’s look at some of the variables that help or hinder us from reaching a topped off tank for a fluid balanced state.
Sleep:
During sleep we can lose up to 0.5 liter of fluid. This happens through respiration, skin evaporation, and renal filtration. Many of us go to bed dehydrated and wake up even more so.
Diet:
All liquids count in your daily fluid balance, but some are better than others.
Consuming a healthful diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables can provide up to 20% of your daily fluid needs.
Caffeinated drinks have a slight diuretic effect on your body. A cup of coffee or tea in the morning will count toward your total daily fluid but if you continue to reach for the coffee pot or caffeinated sodas throughout your day you’ll have a negative balance on your total hydration status.
Social beings we are, and where there is a party there is alcohol. Alcohol consumption has an undisputed dehydration effect. The more you consume the greater the net loss in total hydration. If you do find yourself having more than an occasional drink, consuming a glass of water for every alcoholic drink may offsetting the net fluid loss.
Exercise:
Many factors affect hydration status for athletes: ambient temperature (cold, heat, arid, humid), altitude, mode, intensity and duration of exercise, fitness level, size and gender to name a few. Due to all these variable sweat rate becomes an experiment of one. Research suggests an absorption rate of 12-25oz of fluid will fulfill most athletes’ hydration requirements in most conditions.
In order to calculate your individual absorption rate, weigh yourself pre and post activity to understand how your body reacts to these many variables. At Training Peaks my athletes track their pre and post workout weight with the daily metrics data pod. For example: a 150lb athlete goes on an hour run. He runs a tempo run, at high altitude, with an ambient temperature of 80ᵒF. While running he consumes 12oz of fluid. Post workout he weighs 149.5lbs, equaling a 0.5lb loss. The first line of defense for this athlete is to offset the 0.5loss by hydrating with 8oz post workout. For every 1lb loss post workout, an athlete needs to ingest 16oz of fluid. The 0.5lb loss during his workout also suggests that this athlete needs to increase his fluid intake during similar running to 20oz/hr.
So how much fluid does this 150lb athlete who runs an hour a day need?
Calculation:
68oz for daily metabolic replacement – 20% from diet high in fruits and vegetables + 12oz during 1hour workout + 8oz for a 0.5lb loss post workout = 81.2oz of daily fluid needs.
Getting it consumed:
It’s important to sip throughout the day, because ingesting a large amount of fluid over a short time will over activate the kidneys leaving you more dehydrated. In order to manage the total daily fluid needs during your day, divide total ounces into hours, i.e. 89.2oz/12hr = 7.4oz/hr. That’s less than a cup an hour, now that’s a number we can all ingest.
Follow these simple guidelines and you’ll find yourself well hydrated and ready mentally and physically for your next workout or race!
Reasons to hydrate:
1. To improve performance.
2. To promote dissipation of heat from working muscles.
3. To promote detoxification-flushing out bad toxin while bringing good nutrients into cells.
4. To keep joints and muscles lubricated and moving.
5. To promote mental clarity for training and race day.
6. To keep blood pressure in normal range.
7. To promote healthy digestive processes, makes you regular!
Tips to increase daily hydration:
1. Take fluid on every run, and set your watch to remind you to drink every half mile.
2. Take a water bottle with you to work.
3. Eat fruits and vegetables that are laden with water, i.e. watermelon, oranges, and celery.
4. Drink a glass of water before and during every meal.
5. Fill a container full of water that matches your recommended daily fluid in the morning. Then calculate your success every evening.
6. Take a glass of water with you to bed and sip throughout the night.
Cindy Stonesmith ACSM HFS, is a Running Endurance Coach with Ultrarunner Training. You’ll find her most days training in the foothills of Boulder Colorado.

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]]> 0 Administrator <![CDATA[Festival racers 2/25/11]]> http://geminiadventures.com/new/?p=899 2011-04-04T01:21:54Z 2011-03-01T18:02:12Z

2011 Registered Runners

]]> 0 Administrator <![CDATA[Desert Romp-Take a tour of Western Colorado canyons at the Spring Desert Ultras by Elinor Fish]]> http://geminiadventures.com/new/?p=833 2011-01-22T00:56:20Z 2011-01-22T00:54:14Z APRIL 17, 2010, FRUITA, COLORADO—Every spring I procrastinate about picking a race to kick off the racing season, rationalizing that more early season mileage is sure to reduce the pain of that first all-out effort. But by mid-April, due to a series of late-season snow squalls that pummeled our corner of the Colorado Rockies, I had yet to set foot on the trails. So when my training partner, Joy, suggested we go to the Spring Desert Ultra 25-miler in Fruita, Colorado, on April 17, I hummed and hawed until a week out before giving in.

The night before the race, I grabbed my pre-packed running kit, a sleeping bag, pad, pillow and a tent from Trail Runner’s gear room and tossed it all into my Ford station wagon and headed west.
Standing at the start line at 6:30 a.m. the next morning, I savored the cool air on my untanned arms and legs, which had been hidden under tights and long sleeves since last summer. Upon the start signal, the field of about 200 runners zoomed down a mile-long dirt road before scrambling up and over ridge. Away from the interstate’s din, I am struck by the desert’s eerie silence as we run over sandpapery slickrock. Hearing panting and footsteps directly behind me, I push the pace on the technical trail section, carefully watching the rocky ground ahead without getting too distracted by glowing red canyon below.

Reaching the first aid station (around mile 6), I’m surprised to see Western States 100-mile Endurance Champion, Anita Ortiz, of Eagle, Colorado, smiling and helping runners refill their water bottles.
Immediately after the aid station I started up a gradual climb that led to a flat, smooth section of trail paralleling the red canyon’s jagged lip. Below, the Colorado River cut a serpentine path through the canyon’s lush, green floor. Grateful for the trail’s smooth surface, I pick up the pace, catching up to Joy, who, as always, is smiling and exuding her usual positive vibe. “Isn’t this great?” she says.

“You were right, Joy,” I reply. “This course is amazing!” Further down the canyon, the sun, still low in the sky behind us, casts long shadows of runners on the canyon’s smooth walls, conjuring visions of the 10,000-year-old stick figures drawn by ancient peoples on stone walls and boulders all over this part of Colorado and Utah.
As the sun climbs higher, so do we, and my pace slows considerably as the once-smooth trail becomes rough and rocky. The trail steepens as we turn away from the river valley and climb back up a narrow ridge. Arriving at the final aid station, six miles from the finish, I feel good, but am all-to aware of what lies ahead. “Even when you think you’re at the top of the climb, you’re not!” my friend Todd, who’s finished this race three times, had warned me. And he wasn’t joking.
Hiking up the dusty dirt road, sweat streamed off my brow and salt caked my cheeks. As a “Canuck” I don’t typically do well in heat, so I forced myself to sip water more frequently. Topping the ridge, my breathing steadied and I took a deep inhalation as a cool breeze hit my too-hot face. I passed a male runner standing beside the trail and gazing out over the valley below. I wondered if he was savoring the view or about to hurl, but didn’t look back and find out.

With only about three miles remaining, I was relaxed and confident about finishing strong when I looked up to see a parade of 50-mile racers approaching, starting their second lap in the reverse direction. I glanced at each one and recognized faces that have graced the pages of Trail Runner magazine, such as Leadville 100-winner Duncan Callahan of Gunnison, Colorado, and Grand Slam finisher (and Trail Runner cover girl) Darcy Africa.

After descending a series of switchbacks, the singletrack abruptly ended andI lengthened my stride during the final mile-long stretch of road. As soon as my longest run of the year was complete, I promptly found a small triangle of shade and sat on the ground.

Reunited with Joy and our friends, Trail Runner’s retail sales manager Ashley Arnold and her trail-marathon national champion sister, Lauren (Cynthia) Arnold, at the finish line, we congratulated one another on a solid performance all around. The Carbondale gals finished 1-2-3-4!
The Spring Desert Ultra 50-mile and 25-mile events are part of the weekend-long Desert RATS Trail Running Festival, held mid-April in Fruita, Colorado. Festival organizer Gemini Adventures also organizes the six-day Desert RATS stage race and Mountain RATS four-day stage race. For full race results, information and event dates, visit www.geminiadventures.com

]]> 0 Administrator <![CDATA[The 2011 Twin Mountain Trudge Turns Epic by Ray Churgovich]]> http://geminiadventures.com/new/?p=828 2011-01-21T22:05:42Z 2011-01-20T21:47:43Z I would like to thank Alec Muthig, Josh Fuller, Nate, Josh Artery, Ted, the entire Twin Mountain Trudge Crew who stayed late into the night until I was safe and Search & Rescue. Without all of your help my Epic adventure could have had a very sad ending.
The 2011 Twin Mountain Trudge Turns Epic
Epic is the term that mountain climbers use when they talk about a climb that went wrong. The party got lost, gear was dropped, days being snowbound in a tent, destroyed camps, or even death. This year’s Twin Mountain Trudge turned into an epic day for me and all involved in the race. Just like on a good climbing day everything starts out fine and then slowly the situation begins to deteriorate. Some epic tales have a good ending while others do not. When things start to go bad and the situation begins to become dire, will you be ready to survive?
I am writing about my epic Twin Mountain Trudge because I want to share my experience with you so you can also be prepared for when things turn epic. I am very experienced in mountaineering, back country adventures, and ultra racing. Through the years I have never had any of my adventures turn epic, but I am always prepared just in case they do. And I sure did not think that the Twin Mountain Trudge would have turned into my first Epic adventure. Take for instance that I always carry a full first-aid kit with me when I hike. I have been lucky and in over 15 years of hiking in the Colorado Rockies and elsewhere I have never used it. Does that mean that I should stop taking it? Of course not.
The Twin Mountain Trudge (a.k.a. The Trudge)
This was my second year running the Twin Mountain Trudge. The Twin Mountain Trudge has an 11 mile race and a 22 mile race which is two of the 11 mile laps. Here is a quote from Alec Muthig’s email about this year’s race: “The conditions this year could very well prove to be the worst we’ve seen for this race . . . I NEED to stress that this is an “adventure” event and not a typical trail run. You will need to try to be self sufficient. We will have a minimal aid station on the course, but you should carry enough for a long, tough outing. My guess is that the fastest single loop will be around 2.5 hours, with others being out for over 5 hours… yes, for the single loop. Please be prepared to be out that long and please plan on emergency situations. If you get injured it will be quite a bit of time before we can get in and pull you out on a sled. Will you be able to not go hypothermic in the time it takes us to get to you? While only 11-12 miles, this is truly a backcountry adventure. Please be prepared.”
This is a serious adventure event and should not be taken lightly. It is in Wyoming in the middle of winter through tough and challenging terrain. This year I once again signed up for the 22 mile race and I know firsthand from last year’s race that Alec is 100 percent serious about the conditions and the need to be properly prepared. This year my preparedness was put to the test.
How I Prepared for the Trudge
Food
I knew what I was signing up for when I entered the Trudge again this year. Because I knew I was in for a long tough day I started out eating a hearty breakfast of: 2 breakfast burritos, a large smoothie, banana bread (see my banana bread recipe), and a few cups of coffee. For the race I had packed two chicken sandwiches, two chicken and rice burritos, pretzels, and granola bars. Plus, I planned on eating hot soup at the start/finish aid station before running my second lap.
Hydration
For hydration I carried 80 ounces of energy drink on each lap. Yes, that is a total of 160 ounces for a 22 mile race. My plan for the event was to drink the entire 80 ounces each lap. This event is a Trudge and it takes double if not more effort to run the same distance on dry trails.
What some people do not realize is that when it is cold outside you still need to drink and eat as much as you would during a warmer day. For distance runners, dehydration can complicate and accelerate the onset of hypothermia. Remember, that when the temperature outdoors is lower than your body temperature, you will give up heat to the environment. Your natural metabolism is usually enough to maintain your core body temperature. However, when conditions become extreme your body’s metabolism may not be able to protect you from heat lose. The result is hypothermia. Staying hydrated helps your natural metabolism to regulate your body’s temperature (see my story “Cold Weather Running”).
Gear
I came ready for any conditions. I signed up for two laps and I came prepared to run nothing less than two laps. Once I was at the start/finish line I assessed what gear I was going to take with my on each loop.
Here is what I took: a running backpack with a hydration system, arm warmers, neck gaiter, ear warmers, extra wool hat, chapstick, salt tablets, ginger, Tums, Imodium tablets, Acetaminophen (not Ibuprofen), toilet paper, plastic rain poncho, sun glasses, Photo ID, long sleeve wicking shirt, wicking vest, wind jacket, ski poles, Gore-Tex jacket, headlamp with fresh batteries, and a plastic bag to put my clothes in to keep them dry.
Yes, I carried all that gear plus my food and water.
What I Wore
A Hawaiian Shirt; heck it’s an extra layer (fashionable, not too functional), a long sleeve wicking shirt, a long sleeve wind resistant full frontal zipper jersey, wicking underwear, mittens, running tights, over the tights a water proof and wind proof shell, running shoes, neoprene socks, neoprene shoe covers, hiking gaiters, and micro-spikes.
My Trudge and How it Became Epic
As you can see I was well prepared and mentally and physically ready to start The Trudge. From last year’s Trudge I found that many of the 22 mile runners would start to really slow down on the second lap. My strategy was that the adventure really doesn’t start until the second lap and I would use the first lap to keep fueled and stay hydrated. I set my watch to go off every 30 minutes to remind me to eat a few mouthfuls of food. Then on the hour I would take two salt tablets (they are not just for running in the heat). Plus, as I mentioned earlier I wanted to drink the entire 80 ounces of fluid that I carried.
My first lap went just as planned and I was feeling great. Upon my return to the start/finish area I had a cup of warm broth, refilled my hydration pack with another 80 ounces of fluid, and was ready to go out for my second lap.
At this point Josh Fuller and Jen Malmberg tried to talk me out of going out for my second lap. I came to find out that nobody was willing to tough it out for a second lap. It took me about 3 hours and 25 minutes to go 6 miles! That’s how tough it was. But I came prepared and I told them that I came to run two laps and that I’m going out. With this Josh couldn’t let me be the only runner going for a second lap and he got his gear together and took off after me.
The second lap was actually “easier” to run since all the other runners had tramped the trail down. I still was prepared that my second lap would take me at least 4 hours to complete. Having a target on my back and Josh chasing me down made me run a lot more of the course than the first lap.
The Spiral into an Epic Adventure
I was still following my set plan of eating every 30 minutes, taking salt tablets every hour, and staying hydrated. My goal at this point was to stay out of the sights of Josh. Mentally I wanted him to turn every corner, come to every meadow, and start the long climbs without him being able to see me. I was able to do this and I started thinking about how it was going to feel to come in first place under such challenging conditions. I started thinking about the dinner all of us were going to go to after the race and all the stories that we would tell about our adventures out on the course.
Well, during all my day dreaming I missed the cutoff to head back to the start/finish line and ended up starting to run a third lap. I did not realize I missed the cutoff until things started to look familiar, like I have already run this section. I decided to backtrack to the last intersection. When I got there I was thinking that this is where the cutoff was supposed to be and it wasn’t. I decided to start running forward again and went a little further than the first time. This time I knew for sure that I had missed the cutoff. What really solidified this reasoning is that if I was on the correct part of the course I would have ran into Josh, and I didn’t.
I was already tired, and now I just wasted more energy running the wrong section twice and I was really getting tired. I really started to feel tired around 6 hours into the race and by this time I have already been out for about 7 hours. I started back tracking again and by now it was getting dark. Being prepared, I put my headlamp on and started backtracking. It seemed that I was backtracking further than I needed to. I have to admit I had a little panic at this point but quickly regained my composure.
What was Going Through My Mind
Here is the checklist that was going through my mind: First, I needed to stop moving since I did not know where on the course I was. Making the decision to stay in one place gave me the direction of what I needed to do until I am rescued. Plus, it is mountaineering 101 to stay in one place and have the rescue party find you. Second, Josh and I are the only runners doing a second lap and when Josh comes in Alec will ask him where he past me on the course. Josh will respond, “I didn’t pass Ray” and with this they will know I am lost. Third, Alec would not leave any runner on the course. Fourth, I knew it took Alec about 6 hours to mark the course. This meant that I needed to stay safe for 6 to 8 hours before I could expect anyone to find me.
The bottom line in all my thoughts was not to panic and make any stupid decisions, and to stay calm. By going over my checklist I had a rational plan that I would be rescued and this gave me a sense of reassurance. However, it was most likely going to be a long time before they found me with no guarantees that I would be able to hike out on my own.

My Plan of Action
Since I made the decision to stay where I was I was going to need a shelter from the high winds and snow. The task of building a shelter gave me a focus and kept me from panicking. No matter what, I needed a shelter. What would happen if for some reason they could not find me and I had to stay out overnight in temperatures that would be in the low teens. I decided that not only would I build the shelter for the short-term, but I also mentally prepared myself that I might have to stay out overnight.
I started building my shelter’s frame with branches and sticks. I built it about 10 feet off the Trudge course so it would be easier to find. The snow was like champagne powder and was not ideal for building a shelter. I used my poncho as part of the wall facing the wind to help give my shelter the most protection. I was beyond exhausted building my shelter, but what kept me going was that by building it I was keeping warm, and that I MUST have a shelter if I wanted to survive through the night. After over 6 hours my shelter was ready. By this point I had been in the cold, wind, and snow for over 13 hours.
I took my ski poles, crossed them over each other and stuck them standing up the snow on the trail in an “X”. This was a signal that my shelter was here and that I am inside. I could not take the chance that I would stay conscious and needed a piece of mind to know that rescuers would see the poles and explore the area and find me. I was ready to take refuge in my shelter and crawled in and from the inside I barricaded myself in. For those of you who have never made a shelter out of snow it is extremely important that you leave air holes otherwise you can suffocate and die from asphyxiation. On the ground of my shelter I put sage brush and pine branches so I would not be directly lying on the snow. I put on the extra clothes that I brought and then laid on top of my running backpack and the plastic bag that I used to pack my clothes in.
The temperature inside the shelter was warmer than the outside temperature but was still very cold. I knew that I could not fall asleep so I set my alarm on my watch to go off every 30 minutes. To stay warm I did sit-ups and moved my legs and toes vigorously. At this point I knew that I would survive the night but I was going to be miserable. I knew that as the temperature dropped that I would start shivering uncontrollably and that I might lose toes to frostbite. But I would survive.
The Rescue Finally Came
As I laid in my shelter trying to keep warm I heard in the distance two snow mobiles. I did not want to immediately punch out of my shelter just in case they did not come close because I would then have to reseal myself in and I would lose the little heat that I had generated. To my relief they came right to my shelter and stopped in front of my ski poles. It was Search and Rescue and the Sheriff.
When I came out of my shelter they did not think that I was the person they were looking for since I was still a functioning person and seemed to be fine. They asked me if I’m the person that needed to be rescued and after I gave them my name they were convinced I was the right guy. I have a feeling that they were thinking they were on a body recovery mission and not on a real rescue mission. Once we were back at the start/finish line they made a comment that they have never had such an easy rescue.
The Bottom Line – Be Prepared, Always
My epic adventure could have turned out to have a really sad ending. Because I took the seriousness of the adventure event and Alec’s advice I was prepared and survived my epic ordeal. I saw other runners that took less than the minimum requirements set by Alec. If they would have gotten lost their Epic tale would have been of a recovery and not a rescue. If you are not educated on survival skills you should not even think about attempting The Trudge. If you are not willing to take the proper gear because it will weigh you down and you are more concerned with “racing” you should not think about attempting The Trudge. Unfortunately I see people going into the wilderness unprepared all the time and my friends in Search and Rescue are the most frustrated with the people who are not prepared. Don’t be one of those unprepared people.

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