Live Results and Race Tracking for Saturday

This year, you can follow this link to keep track as I attempt the 100 Run:  http://my1.raceresult.com/details/index.php?page=4&eventid=18847&lang=en

My bib # is:    732

My main goal this year is to finish.  If I am feeling good, look for the aid stations to post me coming through around the following times:

Mayqueen: 2.5 hrs
Outward Bound: 5 hrs
Twin Lakes: 7.5-9 hrs
Winfield: 11-13 hrs

There is a possibility of hug variance on those numbers, so don't get your panties in a bunch if I am not right on time.

Send me some good juju and prayers.

I'll post a follow up either way in the next week or so.

Signing off for the summer,

Chris

Warning: Possible Taper Rant

So the taper is in full affect (being only 4 days out from the race).  I worked long, hard hours all weekend, and then did a little over 5 miles on both Sunday and Monday.  Today I cut the grass (which will be my run for the day).  I plan to just go run for about 30 minutes tomorrow, and then the next time I run it will be for 100 miles (if all goes well).

I feel good some times, and other times it seems impossible that the race is this close.  I am glad that I will have a big crew, but that also adds to the pressure of not wanting to let anyone down who has traveled so far.  I'm glad that folks want to know how I am feeling, but to be honest, at this point it doesn't really matter.  The race is starting Saturday morning.  So, whether I feel great or terrible between now in then, the race is going to start at 4:00 on Saturday, and I am going to be there.  I hope folks don't feel upset with that kind of answer, but I'd rather they wish me luck or something of that nature, because asking how I feel is pretty inconsequential.

Everything from here on out is mental.  I am not going to get stronger or weaker in less than a week.  So that leads to this mental roller coaster.  When I am talking to folks that know about the race, and talking strategy, I feel good.  When someone asks how I feel, or if I am ready, it makes me think too much about something that doesn't matter.  So until Josh pulls the trigger on that single shot 12 gauge on Saturday morning, I'll be up and down in my head.

On a lighter note, I made a big pot of gumbo last night, and a few people from around town, and my crew will be having a good size dinner here at the house tonight.

I don't know if all runners getting ready for an ultra-marathon go through these feelings, but I thought this might provide some insight into how it feels the week before in my head.

4 Pass Loop, Mt. Massive, and Soon to Taper

So I took two days off after the night run up Powerline, and then went big.


I did the 4 Pass Loop over in Aspen near the Maroon Bells.  It is exactly what it sounds like; 4 mountain passes strung together by trails.

It was predicted to take about 8-9 hours, but ended up taking 11hrs and 15 mins because of a 1.5 hr detour early on that not only cost that time, but also cost leg power as it was mostly a climb.

The start looks like this:

This is as inhabited and developed as any view you will see on the trail; it is very much in the wilderness.

Be prepared for lots of pictures, because the flowers and lush vegetation were overwhelming.

This sunlit valley was a picture I took from atop the detour route.  At least something nice came out of this wasted effort.

A lot of the trail looks like this

View from the trail, headed up to the first pass

View from nearly atop the first pass

Lots of wildflowers in this Alpine Valley...the camera doesn't capture the wide array of colors

A waterfall

So that was a sample of what it looks like out there.

Here is a look at the trail from above after hiking up...you can follow it all the way down the valley.

The climbing (which really means steep uphill hiking) was tough for me; it is not my strong point.  Luckily, the back side of every climb is a descent, and that is where I am at my best.  There are also a few points where you can run along the valley floor, as you can see below.

The day was very long, and tough, but hopefully it will pay off on race day.  I got a lot of good pictures out of it, so if nothing else, that was a success.

This looked so much like a giant version of a bluebonnet that I had to take a picture.

This video is just a quick look at all of the different colors of flowers that bloom right alongside the trail.

Here is a video of the last (or maybe next to last) valley floor all the way up to nearly the top of the pass.

So all of this happened last Thursday.  I took Friday and Saturday off, and then did about 5 miles of singletrack running on Sunday.

The next day I did a hike of Mt. Massive, and then took the next day off.  The following day, I did the race course from the Timberline trailhead to the Fish Hatchery.  I have taken the last two days off.

Tomorrow night, I plan to run with a local group the last 23.5 mile of the course from Fish Hatchery to the finish.  That will pretty much wrap up my long runs, and the taper begins.

Hopefully all will go well, and the taper will leave me feeling strong, refreshed, and confident on race morning.  I have been feeling slow and heavy the last few days, so hopefully all that will get lined out for a successful finish in 2 weeks (holy crap that is close).