Goblin Valley 50k Back to the beginning

After trekking through some think sand up a hill, I finally arrived at the turn around point.  I quickly drank some fluids from my drop back and booked out of the aid station.  I had taken the lead after leaving the aid stop. Wow I was in the lead.  I couldn't believe it.  I had a chance to win my very first ultra. I spent the next 5 miles smiling big at everyone I passed on my way back and they would tell me good job. Gave my friend Chris Lander a low five as we pasted each other.  I had never lead a race before and it felt so good. Then the wheels came off and I started to cramp.  I have a long history of cramping and not recovering.  I started to stretch my legs and walk.  I kept looking back for the next runner to come cruising past me in the wash.  Maybe my legs will get better and I can pick the pace back up.  After about 4 or 5 people had pasted me I hit an aid stop and eat about 8 orange slices and some Heed.  I don't like the taste of Heed but knew it would help me re-hydrate and maybe recover. 

Nine years later I was toeing the line for the Goblin Valley 50 k again.  I had high hopes I had learned something from my first experience running this race and this past years race failures. I have tried new hydration techniques and had my secret anti cramp weapon bottled up and in my hydration pack.  Pickle juice, tastes horrible but did the trick at Wasatch.  I also had a second bottle in my drop bag at the turn around.  The plan was to drink  my secret weapon about mile 10-12 for preventive measures. My wife also had this super awesome idea to put a small cooler full of ice in our drop bag to keep a Dr. Pepper and a Dew cold.  Best Idea ever.

During the pre race meeting the race director informed us that they had to change the course due to the pass weeks ran fall.  A truck or two got stuck trying to get out the turn around.  So what? I think it would have been fun running throw the mud for a few miles without aid and then turn around. That would really test us and we could really see what we are made of. It would turn in to a mud run. But the RD and probably many of the other racers didn't share my same view of FUN.  The plan to add on the miles at the start of the race by sending us out the front gate of the state park on the road and then do a 4 mile loop.  The RD called it a natural loop.  I wasn't a loop at all. Just and out and back. 

In the first few miles of the race you could tell who the roadies were.  They went out fast and 3 of them ran together for the first 5 miles or so.  I took the first miles easy and relaxed.  Ran with the first women for much of the race. Lisa was from Colorado and had won the women's last year and hoping to improve her time. About mile 10 I saw the first 5 runners take this trail to the south off the paved road.  I don't remember the race going that way and if they had changed it I was up for change.  As we approached the turn off there was pink arrows sending us that way like the RD said the course would be marked.  It still didn't seem right.  Lisa stopped and looked at the sign and at the bottom of there arrow had someone's name like you would put for a family reunion.  We could see the top guys but could only one of them was close enough to hear us yell they were going the wrong way. 

I was once again leading the race but knew it wouldn't last.  The leaders were running a faster pace then I wanted to this early in the race.  They passed me in a hurry and once again was in 5th place.  Just after passing the Little Wild Horse Canyon trail head I downed about 4 oz of pickle juice.

My favorite part of the race is the wash.  It looks like a dried up river that has dug is way down for 100 years.  It wasn't so dry this year. No matter how much I tried to miss the puddles I was splashing here and there.  There wasn't that much mud but enough to kick up and specked my legs. 

As I hit the turn around and quickly grabbed my cold bottle of Mt. Dew and exchanged my pickle juice bottle for a full on.  I left the aid station drinking Dew and was ready to pick up the pace.  The 3rd and 4th place runners were not that far in front of me. It was time to start tracking them down.  Once back in the wash I found the 4th place guy walking.   I could see it in his eyes. His will to go on slightly broken, exsosted, defeated and hoping the pain would go away sooner than later.  He look and felt a lot like I did walking in the wash years ago. I felt his pain and hoped I wouldn't join him walking some time later in the race.  No far after I had passed him my left hamstring started to cramp.  I quickly stopped, pulled out the pickle juice and took a swig while stretching.  Then I was off running again.  It had work really fast and without any lagging pain.  I had to use the pickle juice one other time about mile 25 and it worked like magic again.  I wish I had known it would work so well sooner.  I can't remember how many times I have cramped darning a race. Was the pickle juice really working or was it all in my head.  I think there for I am?

Shortly after leaving the 2nd to last aid stop I spotted the 3rd place guy about a half mile ahead of me.  If I can see you I can ketch you, I told myself.  As I picked up the pace I know the last 4 or 5 miles would literally be an up hill battle.  The gap was getting smaller and smaller. At one point he stopped at the top of a hill and looked back at me and knew I was gaining on him.  With 2 miles to go he was about 100 meters a head of me and at that point I knew I could pass him.  But at that same time my body said it had had enough and the tank ran dry.  I tried to run up hill and fell to a slow walk.  Heading in to the last stretch of the race through the hoo doos I was giving everything I had to keep moving.  I could run down hill but had to walk anything that had a grade to it.  I started to feel light headed.  As I started to climb the last steps to the finish I grabbed the hand rails that where there and my head started to spin. Upon running across the finish line I almost fell over. But I had two angles Lisa the first place women who had passed my on the stairs and Dulce holding me up. 

They helped me to a chair in the shade and my head continued to spin.  I sat there staring into space not really hearing what was going on around me.  Dulce poured water on me to cool me off as well as gave me some to drink.  The medics came over to check me out.  Someone told me that they wanted me to get on their stretcher and then take me over to the ambulance to cool me off.  I politely declined and told them I got this and all I need was a Mountain Dew.  That didn't sit well with the medics and they wouldn't let me have one.  What? Who are they to tell me I can't have one. They don't know about the reviving power of Mt. Dew.  I have use that soft drink as a pre race celebration, mountain top salute, and post race recovery drink for years.  It had always done the trick to make me feel better.

I sat the finish line for who knows how long before feeling I need to lay down in the shade somewhere.  Dulce helped me to a picnic bench and I attempted to slowly lay down. Wham, I hit my head on the bench and didn't care.  After some time had passed I slowly got some more water and food in me and felt good enough to walk around.




What a day!  I finish the race in 4:27:09.  It was a PR for the course but not for the distance. I felt I had paced it well and given it my all. I can see how easy it would be for someone to give up and quit when things don't got well.  If I had given up when I hurt so bad I couldn't walk so many years ago, it would have opened up door to make it even easier to quit the next time.

I may never be able to repay the kindness and selfless care I received at the finish line. I am grateful for my friends.  I hope to be able return the favor.  Big thanks to staff at Endurance Athletics for helping with the gear I need for my race.

Gear:

Hoka Stinson's
Hoka hydration pack
Captain America socks
Endurance Athletics singlet

Meta salt caplets
Oreo's
Quaker chocolate chip granola bars
Sport beans
Gatorade in my hydration pack

Paul, Eric, and myself