Trail work day

Saturday 5.31 I completed my volunteer trail work.  A requirement of some Ultra marathons is an 8 hour day of volunteer trail work.  I am not sure exactly how or why this requirement came to be but,  the Wasatch 100 website states that "we should be stewards of the land that we use and love".  I imagine that trail service  was a deal made with the Forest Service.  The Vermont 100 requires 8 hours of volunteer work at an Ultra marathon (my Aid Station volunteer day will be the topic of another blog, probably around VT 100 time).  For Western States you can do either trail work or ultra event work.  Leadville doesn't have the requirement, it is set up differently.

So early Saturday morning I met Steve and the other volunteers/runners at the Orson Smith trailhead of the Bonneville Shoreline trail in Draper (~30 minutes south from my house on the east bench of the Salt Lake valley).   We would be working on the Trail of the Eagle, which is the best hiking route to Lone Peak.  Steve has been working on this trail for years..... which means that new work is pretty far up the trail.  This day would be Steve's first work day for the 

2008 season, which means that our crew got to tote the tools up the trail.  I carried a Pulaski and a McLeod (two classic and essential firefighting tools).   The Pulaski combines an axe and a mattock on one head.  The McLeod is a combination of a rake and a hoe.  I am quite proud that over the years of trailwork I have Pulaski and McLeod in my vocabulary.  

We headed up the trail nearly 3 hours with quite an elevation gain to the desired work area.  As a bonus, this steep climb with work pants and extra carrying weight could be counted as a heat training session! Our trail section to be fixed was a part of the trail that went straight up.  We essentially extended the trail and cut in a low angle switchback.  With all the rain, the soil 

was nice and loose (in years past I have done trail work on rock hard soil).  However,  nothing makes root removal easier.  A fun part of trail work is that you get to chit chat with your fellow 

laborers about your common thread.... Ultras! During trail work there is a ever present dialogue of past races, who's who in ultras, strategy, trail conditions, etc.  Here is a photo of Bob and I discussing Wasatch, impact of Ultras on family life, education, and a bit of local politics .  We met a few years ago during trail work.  There were a couple of guys who I met in past trail work days and that is fun to catch up.  Steve has a padlocked box up the trail where we could store the tools for future work days this season, nice because we didn't have to haul them downhill.

Victory!  Notice the sweet root-less trail I helped blaze

Over the years I have heard people grumble over this requirement.  I don't mind at all.  I am very glad to help maintain and improve the trails.  I look at it this way, I spend a lot of time out there and I appreciate the fact that the trails are there.  Wouldn't it be fun if there were more trails to play on?  I could think of a lot of places I would like to go or to link up with other trails... I am not so fond of bushwacking.  Forest Service funds are limited and the Wasatch 100 group barely makes a dent.  National Trail day is sometime in early June, last year it was on the same day as Squaw Peak.  Mountain bikers sure use the trails?  Hhhhmmmm

Squaw Peak 50 miler is on Saturday.  This will be my 6th year in a row.  I just checked the weather forecast.... mid 50's and chance of thunderstorms, expecting lots of snow on the trails.

What's a Gee?

Once upon a time in a land far far far away, the land of the warm wind known as Chinook, MT..... the youngest of the Luckett family was born.  

This is Montana, Chinook is located north-central on the 'HiLine'.... almost in Canada

The three older sisters were in the care of Great Aunt Josephine, waiting until they could meet their new sibling.  Debbie, age 5, Andrea, age 4, and Jennifer, nearly age 3, just couldn't wait any longer.  While Aunt Josephine was sleeping, they snuck out with their suitcase in search of the new baby.  Fortunately, they did not encounter any dragons or monsters and their father found them and they were brought to see the baby.  Now it was highly anticipated that the fourth Luckett should be the male heir, alas the babe was a girl.  This was not the first time this child would be known as 'difficult'.  As there was no girl names chosen in preparation, she would then be named after her great-grandma Carolyn (Caroline) Miller.

The name Carolyn was a challenge for little Jennifer.  The most deciferable word heard when Jennifer beckoned her baby sister was "gee-won".  All the grandpas and grandmas and sisters and parents from then on so affectionally referred to her as "gee-won".  As she grew up, friends followed suit and also called her gee-won more often than her given name.  In the far far far away land of Chinook, it can be said that most of the townspeople called her gee-won.  

One day as she was learning to write her name, the question was asked....."how do you spell gee-won".  It was decided that the name in which Carolyn was so affectionally referred to, shall be spelled Gee 1.  However, when Gee 1 carved her name into her mother's piano bench, she wrote in cursive Carolyn Luckett.....deeply in red ink.

As the girl aged she never seemed to be affected by the oddity of this name.  It was so frequently used that a new teenage friend (Juli, 8th grade) once told her parents that she was going to the movies with Carolyn.  Juli's parents thought she was talking about Gee 1's older sister, they were too polite to query as to why the Lucketts would name their daughter such an unusual name (after all they were from Montana and not Utah).

Gee 1 grew up, became a nurse, moved away from the land far far far away and ended up in Utah.  Even though the people of Utah are known to give their children odd names, Gee 1 has not seen a replica of her name in all the babies at Primary Childrens.  The people did not know the secret of her past, however it still gives her a warm feeling to hear the calling of Gee.  When she became an aunt, she taught her nieces and nephew to call her auntie Gee 1.

 Beaming Auntie Gee  with Maria & Isabel

In the year 2008, when Gee 1 was deep in training for her Grand Slam of Ultra running quest, her sweet but sarcastic daughter teased her with comments such as "ruuuunnnn Forrest ruuuuunnnnn".   The idea of a Blog intended to document this significant event in Carolyn's/Gee 1's life came to be.   And, in the spirit of her life's Gumpish-like strange encounters, this Blog shall therefore be named RunGeeRun.

And she ran happily ever after.....but we know that is not the end!

Sorry about the delay in this posting.  I am recovering well from Bishop and keeping up the training for Squaw Peak.  It is just amazing that I am still post-holing thru snow as low as 7500 ft.  Cross-training for the week is painting my kitchen, believe it or not but you can do lots of squats when painting.

Race Report: Bishop High Sierra 50 Mile

Sophie, Peter and I packed up the Eurovan and headed southwest to Bishop, California.  Bishop is nestled in mountains with the Sierras west of town.  We stayed at the Millpond campground, which worked great because that is where the race started and finished.  As we headed to CA, the temperatures rose along with the gas prices ($3.49 in SLC and $4.07 in Bishop).  We joined Colleen and her daughter Megan at the campsite.  I met Colleen early on in my Ultra years.  She is the one to whom I made the aforementioned comment "I will run the Wasatch 100 course once".   We had the typical scheming and planning session.   I found it much easier to pack for a race that starts in daylight and has one expected temperature, HOT.

Colleen and I discussing race strategy

We then headed into town for the pre-race dinner.  It was held at a local restaurant, and they had quite a delicious pasta dinner.  The most amazing phenomena was free beer, yes, a free beer station.  Quickly, Colleen and I remembered that we were not in Utah.  Proceeds from the race benefit the local Bishop hospital.  There are three races starting simultaneously (20 mile, 50K, and 50 mile) and next year they will add a 100K.  The beginning of the course would be the same for all and then at certain points, the 20 miler and 50K runners turn around. 

Race Start 6am

The course was essentially on jeep roads, no single track, in the lower foothills of the Sierras. Albeit, we climbed to the highest point at Overlook 9385 ft., up to the lower edge of the snow. The majestic peaks above us reached 13,000+ ft and had tempting trails, but they were probably off limits for an organized event (the Forest Service permit thing).  It took us nearly 20 miles to make the 5000 ft climb to Overlook.  This somewhat low angle climb had very run-able sections.... however the terrain was tough.  The first ten or more miles was this sandy yuck soil, 1 step forward and 1/4 step slide back.  I spent a lot of time zigzagging and jumping to the islands of packed soil, maybe I did run a 100K?  

Somewhere in the first few miles I had an overwhelming sense of fatigue.  I nibbled on Goldfish, an orange slice and a bit of banana at an early aid station (which I now am suspicious that only made things worse) though I did pass up the chocolate dipped strawberries.  I had no giddyup and the powerfood wasn't kicking in.   

We went thru a marshy area and I stopped to enoy this 

beautiful iris, which helped to ease my pain.  

So I trudged on at a Frankenstein pace, bumming out because I typically do better on the climb.  I thought there was no way I would finish before nightfall, let alone cross the finish line.  When I started drinking Perpetuem things started to get better, though I still had waves of fatigue.  The first of three times at Edison Loop Aid Station (AS) is at Mile 17. Here you are greeted by a guy dressed as a Pirate and armed with a weed sprayer full of water.  There is nothing like a Pirate misting your cooked body to improve your attitude.  We then did a loop up to the Overlook and then back to Edison Loop.  The Overlook AS had quite a spectacular view.  Right above was a ski-able slide path.... tempting.  They were making fresh potato and cheese Piroges, also tempting but I didn't partake.  

The fourth, and last wave of death happened enroute to the Intake 2 AS, mile 23.8.  Close to the aid station a guy caught up with me and asked “how are you doing?”.  Now I am a pretty happy runner and times are real tough when I have a bad attitude, especially to a stranger.  I think my response scared the guy, and this was his first Ultra.  We crossed the highway and I saw the Eurovan in the distance.  Peter and the girls were just arriving.  I dropped down from the highway to the aid station and panicked waved to them.  Peter came over and I buried my head into his warm shoulder and had a meltdown.  I think I was speaking in tongues with fatalistic comments.  Pretty much scared Peter and Sophie.  They calmed me down, offered me an ice cold Red Bull, and encouraged me to go for the next aid station, they would check on me there.  Big hugs and kisses and off I went,  aaaahhh cured by the love and support of my family.  The Red Bull worked too, my attitude had a powerful come back.  

Getting my groove back

As I neared the Bishop Creek Lodge AS, mile 29, I saw Colleen on the return.   She is great, always cheerful and encouraging.  My second time thru the Intake 2 AS, mile 32, I downed the second Red Bull and took off for the last big climb.  I motored on the climb and really started to enjoy this run.  It was now midafternoon and the heat was cranking.  During my last stop at Edison Loop the Pirate not only misted me but slathered my arms in sunscreen. Ultra runners have long hours of sun exposure and should always have that in consideration.  The return back to the start was much more enjoyable than the first, I snapped a few photos:

I felt that we ran thru the land of the giant pinecones.  

1. Unknown flowering pink bushes 
   

       

Thanks crew..........see ya at the finish!

 Historically I stop eating 5-

10 miles from the finish, I guess I just dream of real food at the end.  Four miles from the finish I was running out of Perpetuem.  I took a Power Bar Double Latte Gel and Whammo, I was on fire.  I had been comfortably cruising, but all of a sudden I just had to get the job done.  I had a strong finish, Sophie met me for the last 100ft. and ran me in.

Post race, I had my recovery drink and iced down my knees and ankles with the snow that Peter and the girls collected on their hike.  This sure does help with the recovery.

The Bishop High Sierra 50 miler will prove to be a great trainer for Western States.  I learned nutrition do's and don'ts and feel I came out of it with a better strategy.  I did better than expected in the heat, and did well with my electrolyte replacement.  I would definately recommend this race and will probably do it again, but not the 100K.  Next time we would allow for a longer stay, there is much more to explore around Bishop!

My Arsenal

In preparation for my quest, I stocked up with an arsenal of footwear.  My running shoe of choice is the Hardrock by Montrail.  Yes, they make shoes intentionally for the Ultra runner. Basically, trail running shoes are a hybrid of a street running shoe crossed with a hiking boot.  I have tried other shoes but the Hardrock provides a nice cushion with dependable stability and they are pretty light too, well lighter than a ski boot.

When the Hardrock goes on sale, I buy in bulk.

The Hardrock come in regular and wide width.  I found the first four regulars on a good sale.  Upon second thought, my feet may be more comfy in the wide version (as I get deeper into the summer I am concerned that my feet will swell).  Fortunately I found the wide version on a killer sale and bought three more.... an over supply is no worry, it is not likely they will go unused.  Sierra Trading Post and Running Warehouse were my sources, but I did have to spend a fair amount of time searching around for the best deals.

Tried and true, I can even take a fresh pair of Hardrocks out of the box and run 4+ hours without a blemish on my foot.  They breathe well in the heat and do well submersed in a river crossing.

I like to take photos of my feet doing fun things.  This was taken during a stream crossing during the Grand Canyon rim to rim to rim adventure.

Peter is aghast ever time there is a shoe box delivered to the doorway.  I really try to have a "shoe comes in shoe goes" out policy but there always seems to be an excess.  Not a bad thing when someone with a size 7 foot comes over but forgot shoes.

This garden art was initially felt to be the protector from weeds.  I strike the pose of The Slayer of the Shoe Garden.

Off to Bishop on Friday.  My next posting will be my first race report!

Happy trails, Carolyn

In the beginning......

A blog about my quest for the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning....hmmmm.  I was never known for my writing skills and I was never a natural athlete.  And now here I am, sharing my thoughts about running four 100 mile runs this summer.  How did this all start?  In the beginning... somewhere in my love for the Wasatch mountains I started trail running (probably to keep in shape for backcountry skiing).  On a dare, I ran the Squaw Peak 50 miler in June 2003.  I had a blast and celebrated with a beer at the finish.  Near the finish I thought "could you continue on another 50 miles?".  The following January I was accepted into the Wasatch 100, but I told a fellow Ultra runner that I would only do Wasatch once.  Wasatch 2004 still leaves heartache in my soul....but it inspired me to do more.  In short, I completed the course, but ~15 minutes after the cutoff time.  "No buckle for you" still resonates in my head in a quirky Asian accent.  I now have 3 finisher buckles (proudly displayed in the above photo).

My training plan?  Well I had a fabulous winter skiing in the backcountry and at Alta.  My husband still kicks my butt on the uphill, but he has me convinced that breaking trail is the best training.  Skiing is the best cross-training for altitude plus weights with all the backcountry gear.  I also had a couple of cool runs.  I ran the Moab Red Hot 50+K in February and I went to the Grand Canyon for a non-race run with 3 friends in April (we ran ~45 miles South rim to North rim and back to the South rim in 14 hours.....with a stop for lemonade at Phantom ranch).  More about those runs in a later blog.... and I am sure that I will also insert some of Peter's amazing ski photos too!

Running Schedule: 

Bishop 50 mile  May 17

Squaw Peak 50 mile June 7

Western States 100 mile June 28-29

Vermont 100 mile  July 19-20

Speedgoat 50K July 26  ****possibly

Leadville 100 mile August 16-17

Wasatch 100 mile  September 6-7

My blog plan?  I will try to post 1-2/week.  I will write about the races before and after, strategies, equipment, and other info on Ultras.

#1 Here is some very basics.........................

So what is an Ultra?  Basically a distance longer than a marathon (26.2 miles).  Typical distances are 50k, 50 mile, 100K, 100 mile, and then there are ones much longer but I won't go there as 100 miles is long enough for me.  Most Ultras are on trails in the mountains.  In the mountains a runner has extra challenges by the beloved Mother Nature... such as wildlife, weather, and terrain with elevation changes (all of which I have stories to tell).   Sometimes there is a short section on pavement or gravel road which links the trails.  Training runs can be time consuming.  I don't have one of those GPS geek-o-meters, so I measure my runs in hours.  A short run is 2-3 hours and  a strong trainer is 4-5 hours.  A few times before Wasatch I will run up to 8 hours, which is about all I can do without support.

That's it for now.  This week I am cutting back in preparation for the Bishop 50 miler.

Carolyn