2013- A year in review: By Scott Wesemann

What a year! It seems like I have been saying that every year for the past several years, but as I look back at 2013 I can't help but think it was a pretty phenomenal year once again. I ran more miles and gained more elevation than ever before. I finished 3 100 mile races and once again hit my goal to summit over 100 peaks for the year. Here's the recap:

A hug from Craig at the Buffalo 100 finish.

Buffalo Run 100: Yeah, on paper this race seems like a pretty easy one, if you can call running 100 miles easy, but this year the weather didn't cooperate and finishing this race was one of the most difficult things I have ever done. The cold air, wind and constantly changing temperatures were something I hadn't planned well enough for. Mix in some really achy knees and the first 50 miles were a total mess. The wind calmed down some the back 50, but the cold temps during the night really took a toll and grinding out the last 30 miles was a suffer-fest. I didn't have the finishing time that I wanted, but I got it done and overcame a lot of adversity out there. I'm looking forward to running this race again in 2014 and significantly improving my time.

The boys at the Bryce 100

Bryce 100: This was the best experience that I have ever had in running and one of the sweetest memories of my life. I was fortunate to be able to run every step with 3 of my best friends, Craig, MattW and Josh. My plan going in was to do whatever I had to in order to hang with the guys for the first 50 miles and then take it from there. Remarkably we all felt pretty good the whole way and not only were we able to run the entire 100 miles together, but we also finished in a very respectable tie for 19th place. I still can't believe that we all went the whole distance without any significant issues. I'll never forget all of the laughs, the pain and pushing each other through the night. I think more than anything this race taught me what I am capable of and it also reaffirmed that I have some pretty incredible friends.

Me, Craig, Josh and Matt at the Bryce 100 finish.

Speedgoat 50K: This is probably the most difficult 50K in the country and since it is in my backyard I've wanted to do it for a few years now. After banging my kneecap in the Uintas my training had suffered significantly and I was worried about it going into the race. Fortunately I felt fantastic the entire 32 miles and the scenery was as good as it gets anywhere. Mix in several elite runners, most of the local ultra running crew and all of the Refuse2quit guys and it made for the perfect day. My only real complaint was my knee took a beating in Mary Ellen Gulch, but otherwise I completely enjoyed this race... Oh wait, there was that part when we had to make the final climb back up to Hidden Peak. That kind of blew a bit, but otherwise it was one of the best days of 2013 and I got to swear at Karl.

Running the Speedgoat 50K

Wasatch 100: This was my 3rd straight Wasatch. With my experience finishing the race twice along with some very solid training during the year made me feel very confident about reaching my sub 30 hour goal, but the Wasatch course has a way of neutralizing expectations. It was one of the hottest Wasatch race days ever and was in the high seventies when we started at 5:00 AM. I felt nauseous from the start (damn you Hostess pie) and didn't start feeling well until about mile 25. I did have a fantastic stretch from mile 25 to Swallow Rocks at mile 34, but I developed a really bad calf cramp that got progressively worse to the finish. I felt decent to Desolation Lake (mile 66) but from there to Brighton the wheels came off, the nausea came back and I lost my will to finish. After spending several hours at Brighton (mile 75) my pacers, Rob Bladen and Zac Marion refused to let me quit. I was convinced that I couldn't finish, but somehow I got out of there and came back to life. I felt phenomenal the final 25 miles and went from 211th place to 150 at the finish, shaving almost 3 hours off of my previous best time on the last 25 miles. It was my slowest 100 mile finish ever, but one that I am the most proud of. I learned that our bodies are stronger and more capable than we think. We can accomplish at times what we think is unthinkable.

Finishing my 3rd Wasatch 100

102 peaks: Keeping track of my total mountain ascents for the year started in 2009 after I made it a goal to climb a peak per week for the year. From 2010-1013 I've summited 348 peaks. Last year I set a goal to go over 100 and I finished the year with 116. My goal this year was once again 100 and midway through the year it wasn't looking very good, but I made a really strong push the last few months and just barely hit the mark. Most of the summits were repeats, but I did hit 11 new peaks that I had never been on and I loved every single one. My favorite summit memory of the year was watching the sunset from the top of Tokewanna Peak with MattV and Craig. It was pretty awe inspiring to be there in that moment, in one of the most remote and least visited places in the High Uintas. I'll never forget that feeling.

Willard Peak with Jennilyn and Craig

2013 was a sweet year. Most of all the best memories from the year are getting up early while the rest of the world sleeps, to meet great friends to play on the trails and in the mountains. I could not be more stoked for 2014. We have a lot of adventure planned and I'm psyched to watch all of my friends do amazing things. There are races to run, summits to climb and adventures ahead. Bring it on.

The Grandeur Peak Fun Run

A Glance Back While Planning Ahead

As I sat down to plan out my running schedule for 2014, I struggled to grasp and accept the idea that the 2013 season was over. There were so many emotions that went into this last year. Heartaches and struggles as well as successes and accomplishments were so much more abundant and profound this season. So what started as a post about the new year and new goals, is going to be a look back at the great season that 2013 was for me.

I consider this last year my defining year in running. Not because the races that I competed in or the adventures that I was a part of defined my career as a runner. But because I was finally able to define what kind of runner I am.

Up until this year, I found myself to be a rather mediocre road runner. With marathon PR’s just under 3 hours and half PR’s just under 1:20, it was time for me to start really focusing on speed if I want to “go anywhere” in running. Even though I started to see the benefits of my focus, running didn’t get any better for me. It wasn’t until I met up with Craig Lloyd and Mark Kruezer that things started to fall into place. Through them, I found the Wasatch Mountain Wranglers... who I instantly felt akin to.

It started on a cold February morning when Craig somehow convinced me that I should run my 20 miler with them on an icy trail. Of course I showed up without a pack, no micro spikes and no headlamp. It was the most difficult and uncomfortable 20 miles I’ve ever run. But by the end of that run, I was hopeful that I would be invited on more of these adventures. Thankfully the gang thought I was cool enough and I was welcomed with open arms.

I noticed that I was focusing less and less on the road and had been training more and more in the mountains. Going fast quit becoming the goal and focus. It was replaced with having fun and being out on trails. I almost felt a relief after a successful 3^rd place finish and another 3 hour marathon at the Ogden Marathon because that meant that I could finally completely let go of what little grasp I had left.

The vision I had for the year finally came into focus just a few weeks after Ogden. With beat up legs, I was coaxed (it really doesn’t take much, apparently) into a last minute 100k race at the Bryce 100. I don’t know what it was that made me sign up for this race with just a day’s notice and knowing that I was completely untrained… especially since I was still hobbling from the marathon not even two weeks earlier.

That day, that race and on those trails, I learned who I was as a runner. It took 65 miles of SUFFERING, almost 18 hours of pain, and a pretty good sunburn to help me understand that I would rather suffer for that long on the trails than suffer 3 hours on the road. As Mark likes to say, “[I] had a different look in my eyes from that day on”. I had grown up that day. A LOT. I would consider it my aboriginal walk-about.

Thanks to New Balance, I was offered a spot in the Leadville 100 and had something in the Ultra world that I could now start to focus on. Once I recovered from Bryce, the next two months were about getting in long days on the trails and running to the tops of things. So many fun adventures ensued! Brighton Marathon, Millcreek Overnighter, Pie ‘n’ Beer (which I turned into a 50k), King’s Peak Marathon, and even my own 50k on the BST with a few peaks thrown in.

Leadville was a special day for me. Definitely the highlight of the I have my own race-day philosophies and will one day possibly try to explain them when I can find such words. But mainly not approaching that race with ANY expectations or real concrete goals is what made it so much fun and successful. That, and the fact that I was crewed by my father and wife and was paced by two of my favorite running friends, Leslie and Bob. Crossing that finish line meant so much to me and I’m glad I was able to spend it with those closest to me.

It sounds obscured, but that one singular step over the finish line changed me forever.

After my selfish summer and once Leadville was done, I decided to repay the favor for a little while and had a blast pacing Leslie at UROC 100k (where she destroyed it!) and supported tons of friends and even got to pace Scott Wesemann, with what I consider the most impressive finish, at Wasatch 100 this year.

I thought my season had ended with Leadville and was just having some fun on peaks. I was, again, talked into a last minute 100k at Antelope Island. I went out just to have fun and was able to compete with fellow Altra Footwear runner Damian Stoy. We had a fun day running together and I was very happy to end the season with a second place finish.

I was able to play around for the week after the race on a few peaks with some friends, including two first time peaks on Lone Peak and Olympus. Unfortunately, an injury that I incurred at Antelope Island went into full blown status and I was forced to take the rest of the year fairly easy.

The frustration that I thought would come never did. I know it sounds cliché but, honestly, I was just so happy to be a part of such a great community and so grateful for the year I had, that it didn't matter to me. Besides, I got to spend some much needed time with family, loved ones, and bowls of ice cream.

I wish that life had a rear view mirror so I can keep my focus on what’s to come, while occasionally looking back and seeing where the trip has already taken me. 

Waxing Lyrical

 By MVH

Caution: Gratuitous Use of Personal Pronouns Ahead

So let's get the stats out of the way first:

In 2013 I covered 2500 miles on foot and accumulated over a half million feet of vertical ascent. In the narrow world of "People Who Do This Kind of Stuff" - meh, that's sort of middling. And I am a middle-aged guy so that is appropriate. But for me, if I define myself, in part, as a distance runner, it translates to a pretty good year. I ran faster and farther than I ever had. I even won some races.

Other significant accomplishments:

I slugged back a lot of endurance gel. Like, gallons.
I pooped a lot in the out-of-doors.
I did much of my own laundry.
I made new friends ( I hope).
I strengthened existing friendships (I hope).

Highlights:

All of it.

OK that is a lame answer. Choosing the best, I include:

Antelope Island Buffalo Run 100 Mile. Early in the year it was this finish that confirmed to me what I could do. I would build on it.

Grandeur Fun Run. Storheim's local little ten mile, 4,000 foot uphill party. Raining, muddy, tons of fun - as advertized.

 Millwood 100. The exquisitely painful and joyful (See Alma the Younger) hundred mile monster lurking in the heart of the Wasatch. I did it. I love being able to say that. I did it. Stuff like this is a gateway drug to the hard stuff: Barkley and Nolans. Wait, what?

Lone Peak to Pfeifferhon Traverse Loop, starting and ending in Draper. It was a 25 mile solo adventure involving a climb to Lone Peak via Big Willow Cirque. After the summit I traversed the ridge to South Thunder Mountain, then followed Lightning Ridge to Chipman Peak, then traversed to the summit of Pfeifferhorn. I exited to Red Pine/White Pine trail to LCC, then ran the road back to Draper. This was significant for me because the Beatout route over the same terrain was my first major hike in the Wasatch, several years ago when I was a fat hiker. That first time, the terrain terrified me. As a runner, I experienced one of those Rocky Mountain highs John Denver sang of when I tap-danced over granite boulders and trod grassy in-betweens.

Pony Express 100 Mile Endurance Run. Meltzer says: "Winning never gets old". For me, it was an entirely new thing. Will it get old? Stay tuned.

Frary Peak Hill Climb. A tiny little uphill battle race out on Antelope Island. I won it, barely. So far, Meltzer is right.

Antelope Island to Fremont Island. With Jim Skaggs and a group of die hards, I ran across the Great Salt Lake to privately-owned Fremont Island. We ran in a snow/rain storm over the flattest of flat exposed sandbar. Rumors of wild boar on the island kept us on our toes (we didn't see any) and we laughed the entire way out and back.

I cannot wait to start the new year. I am excited to see what friends do, and to offer my support and encouragement. I prefer not to tell people what they cannot do. I don't ask why they would want to run a hundred  miles or climb over the mountains. I know why. It's the how, where, and when that interests me.

A Year In Reflection

by Craig

Like taking any mirror selfie, writing a year-end report always comes out better in my head than on paper. Thinking back now it’s easy to hold on to all of the disappointing results and allow them to weigh on my confidence going into 2014. But the optimist and core ultrarunner in me is still always looking forward and I know that everything I went through this year will be for my benefit next year. So this report will be focused on the amazing and not the disappointing.

2012 was a very successful and quite selfish year for me. I knew as I was going through it and at the end much of my year had been spent wrangling many of my friends into tagging along or crewing/pacing me on several of my personal adventures. I made a commitment to make 2013 more focused on my friends’ accomplishments and less on my own. I’d like to believe I did a pretty good job of it, but there is still a part of me that knows I could have done more.

In January a very tiny person came into my life. For being so small Jennilyn is a giant in determination, running ability, and suffering. She can also be a little mean. In only a few runs she was a central spoke in our community wheel of runners and quickly bounced to the top of “I’m going to lead the way in making everyone suffer at my amusement”. Needless to say she was immediately one of my best friends. Jennilyn is a very focused runner with grandiose goals that she often keeps close to her chest. She does this because running, for her, is very personal, and her goals and successes are also deeply personal. She has very little interest in being in the limelight. Just ask her to interview on camera and you’ll know what I mean.

Jennilyn came to me twice this year to help her achieve two big goals. The first was her attempt to become the first woman to run the Utah Triple Crown. A course that was well within her abilities, I was invited along more as tour guide and videographer, than to offer any real support. What transpired was my fourth time doing the Triple Crown, the two of us laughing and chatting for hours on end, and even getting a little scared of the weather descending South King’s. She went on to put up a monster time and set a standard that will be tough to beat. It was truly an honor for me to be there and witness how strong she is in the mountains, especially on technical terrain.

Later in the year she asked if I’d like to tag along and pace/crew her on her attempt to set a women’s FKT (Fastest Known Time) on the 100 mile long White Rim trail of Canyonlands National Park. As is my way, I asked if I could just pace her the whole 100 miles, to which she graciously agreed. She ended up being my anchor for that run for more than 65 miles before I was able to be of any real benefit to her. I dealt with stomach issues for over 30 miles. Luckily, as is my way, I fully rallied that last 20 miles and was even able to really help her the last 15 or so. Her time of 21:54:30 will be a tough standard to beat, I can tell you that. Ultimately, I'm grateful to have been there to witness her first 100 and set a new FKT.

I’m not sure I can recall how many times Matt Williams has dropped everything to crew, pace, or just show up to a race or adventure run in support of me. He’s probably invested more money in my running success than he has in his own. Without a doubt he is the most selfless person I know. I committed to him that if I ran a respectable enough time at Buffalo Run 100 in March that I’d pace him at the Bryce 100, line-to-line. What would transpire would define who I really wanted to become as a runner and set the standard for the outright best moment of running for me in my entire life. It would take nothing short of a miraculous adventure with close friends to beat what happened at Bryce.

If you haven’t read the race report, understand that what me, Matt, Scott, and Josh did at Bryce was monumental. Running 100 miles, line-to-line, together is nearly a statistical impossibility. Our goal going in was to run together for as long as possible and then spread out as people got tired and needed to fall off the pace. My personal commitment was to stick with Matt the entire way, as it would be his first 100 miler. To none of our surprise we were all still together at mile 33. And then still together at the turn-around at mile 50. I remember coming out of the aid station at Pink Cliffs (mile 55) telling the boys that unless something major happened to one of us that we’d go the full distance together, something that still seemed impossible at the time. Finally, at Blubber Fork (mile 75) we knew we had it in the bag. Fast or slow, walking or running, we would go the full distance together. We crossed the line, hand in hand, and all fell into tears with the joy of our accomplishment.

Bryce 100 redefined me as a runner. Because of that running with friends and being a part of their accomplishments became more important to me than my own. Sure, I’m still driven to run fast and test myself, but none of those accomplishments, whether in the past or the future, will hold as much value for me as simply the time I get to spend in the mountains or desert with my friends. Our collective success is what matters to me now. We don’t have to be running together to share it, we simply need to be there for each other, to support each other, for it to hold such great value. And going forward, I know that my failures in running and racing will always be less important than watching the successes of my friends. With that lesson now firmly embedded in my running character I look forward to 2014 with all the optimism in the world.

Let’s go get it Wranglers!!!

Thank you to my sponsors who have been more than gracious to me this year. 

Altra Zero Drop shoes - by far the best running shoe ever made.

Ultraspire - hydration at its absolute best.

Gnarly Nutrition - electrolyte drink additive and recovery powder that is sent from the running Gods. 

Monsters in the Shadows

-Zac Marion

As the early morning casts its shadow across the valley, my mind is taken to years past when childhood imaginations ran wild with thoughts and even occasional sightings of monsters and wild things lurking just beyond the light. Time has faded away the fears of fangs, claws and fictional beasts, replacing them with equally daunting grown up monsters.

Just this morning, while traveling to meet up with some great friends for a run, I reflected on driving that same route in similar conditions a year ago. The jagged ridges and peaks had cast equally terrifying shadows as these mountain sized monsters lurked in the darkness of a pre-dawn glow. Their intimidating switchbacks, never ending hills and rough terrain was a far cry from the comfort of my road running. Trail running had become the creeping monster literally hiding in the shadows.

Over the course of three years, I had worked myself from extremely unhealthy to an extremely mediocre road runner. I enjoyed my mind numbing rhythm. I enjoyed my attention to pace. I enjoyed the same routes with houses and stop lights that never changed. I was comfortable in knowing what was coming. Aside from the occasional side cramp, there were no surprises and nothing to fear.

I had only really been on one trail, and just a handful of times at that. It was a 9.89 mile out and back route with a grand total of 500ft of elevation change. It was probably the hardest run I did through my training, and the slowest. I never found a steady rhythm. That ridiculous climbing was messing up my pace. All the twists and turns had me lost. And day to day, the trail was constantly changing on me. I never knew what to expect or even knew where I was most of the time.

I was afraid of what I couldn’t succeed at. I was afraid of these seemingly insurmountable tasks. I tried to hide under the comfort of my road running, but I knew they were still out there… haunting me.

But how do you conquer your fears? You face them. Head on. You peel back the covers and peer into the dark corners and shadows. You accept what is or is not there and you stand up to it. You struggle and fight until the beast has succumbed.

It’s funny how personal reflection can be the night light that exposes those fears for what they were. Fear is just your imagination and personal intimidations getting the best of you. I look back on what I originally feared in trail running and ironically they have now become my favorite aspects of the sport.

It’s nice to get lost and forget about everything else, excepting what the trail will bring you. All of the curves and dramatic elevation changes are character that makes every trail experience unique. And it’s something that ought to be enjoyed because whether it is mud, snow, erosion or fallen trees, it will not be the same when you come back tomorrow. I have rarely experienced a greater reward than getting to the top of a peak and peering down 3,000 ft below and looking at the miles of ups and downs that it took to get there.

I look forward to today’s adventure as I get closer to those dark shadows that draw me in. It’s a new day in a usual place. A place where I can run and play where the wild things are.

White Rim 100 FKT Video

White Rim 100 - A Pacer's Story

by Craig
This is tough for me. How do you tell a story that isn't yours to tell? A race that wasn't yours to run? As a pacer everything is about the racer, but when you are 'pacing' the full 100 miles it becomes a race of your own, with all of the ups and downs that go along with running the full distance. And this wasn't even a race, but an attempt to beat the current Fastest Known Time (FKT) on a significant trail in southern Utah.

Jennilyn Eaton, a Salt Lake City local, had been planning for some time to attempt a women's FKT of the 100 mile long White Rim trail in Canyonlands National Park. A couple of months ago she invited me along for the full ride, hoping to help her run faster end to end. I'm sure she was relying on my experience in races and long adventure runs to get her through the "tough miles". She had never run 100 miles before, but had put up solid performances in the 50 mile and 100k distances. Going into the run she was looking fast and strong. But now I'm wandering over to her story. You'll have to see the video to get the full details on her experience (forthcoming).

I didn't make a big deal about my running 100 miles to anyone prior to leaving because I figured it wasn't mine to share. I knew if she wanted to make a big deal of it, she would. I also knew she wouldn't. For Jennilyn this experience was about something deeper than just an FKT, it was personal and defining and I didn't want to tread on that.

I haven't been to Canyonlands since I was a kid. I couldn't tell you anything about a national park that is close enough to be almost a day trip. What I did know was that the route had a casual 12,000 of vertical climbing, most of it runnable. I also knew it was entirely a dirt road with about seven miles of pavement. It seemed fast and I was optimistic that her aggressive goals were achievable. For me it would be about hanging on for the ride. I would need to have a good day to be of any real help to Jennilyn, as the course would test not just my endurance, but my speed.

 

We started our run at 6:20am at the bottom of Mineral Basin. In the first two miles we had an amazing switchback climb of over 1000 vertical feet. And then a long 18 miles of gently rolling uphills until we dropped into the Schaefer Trail inside of the park proper. We took it easy, had great conversation, and cruised along in the morning light. Our crew (Jennilyn's husband Ben and Matt W) would periodically stop to take video and photos, but there was no planned aid stop for the first 20 miles. It was a long way to go without stopping, but turned out to be a very wise decision. I felt great and looked forward to the amazing views ahead.

Running pavement early on - mile 18

 

Dropping into the canyon via the famous Schaefer Trail is like falling into a world of Wonderland. The entire landscape changes; hoodoos, arches, and islands of floating rock mesmerized us as we rounded every bend in the road. It was now nearing 11am and starting to warm up. My stomach was turning a little south and I was having problems eating. Jennilyn was pulling ahead at times, her focus solely on her goal and not me - right where it should be. With each stop (about 10 miles apart) I would take a little longer while she would go ahead. Mile after mile I felt like my condition was worsening and she would continue to pull ahead. My focus was completely on helping and being there for her, so I would push to catch up, sometimes catching up a mile or so before our next aid, other times coming in a few minutes behind her. At mile 56 I finally started feeling better and caught up with her just as her stomach was turning the other way. She couldn't eat and started getting low blood sugar. Our aid stop at 58 was focused on getting us both strong again and we left in good spirits.

 Just before dropping into the switchbacks on the Schaefer Trail

Looking down at the Schaefer switchbacks

 Not feeling well around mile 45

Running on the moon

I was finally in a position where I felt like I could be an asset to her. We talked and laughed as we made our way towards Murphy's, one of the two remaining large climbs. We ran smooth and climbed strong and found ourselves at the top of Murphy's - mile 66 - eating pickles (Jennilyn, not me) and other goodies before starting into a long 15 miles of rolling downhill. Jennilyn pulled ahead for a while before she got very sick again. Now she was unable to keep anything down. I had been running an even pace, still dealing with some tummy issues and a diaphragm cramp, yet my focus changed to keeping her moving and upright. We were well up on her goal time and could take extra time to get her right, but at mile 80 we had to spend a bunch of time trying to get her feeling better without success. Most people would have laid down and either waited till they felt better or quit. Jennilyn got pissed for having puked on her shoes and took off running faster than I could keep up. I did catch up (more like she waited for me) four miles later and stayed with her the rest of the way. By this time I was rallying and felt strong in the cool night air. I did have my first ever puke-while-running experience just before mile 88. I sure wish that would have happened 40 miles earlier because I came away feeling like a million bucks. Unfortunately for Jennilyn, her throw up sessions did not leave her feeling better, but even worse and she had to push through regardless. Amazing.

We finished the run just after 4am in a total time of 21:52:33.

 We just ran 100 miles

 Satisfaction that it was over

I spent my day doing everything I could to keep up with her. At my lowest points my mind would wander to the possibility of having to give up and hand off duties of pacing to Matt or Ben. My fear of failing Jennilyn drove my ability to not lose her and catch up when I felt horrible. It guided my attitude and shored my emotions when I needed to be there when she was having her lows. More than anything it allowed me to truly savor the success she would have in this accomplishment. I'm proud to have run 100 miles on such a beautiful course. More so I am honored to have witnessed Jennilyn accomplishing a goal she has had for herself for so long. It was truly amazing to watch.

Thank you to my sponsors whose gear continued to exceed expectations. And to the other companies whose gear was also incredible. I ran in and ate the following:
Altra Zero Drop Lone Peak shoes - I never took off my shoes, never felt the need to.
Ultraspire Revolution Vest - While I didn't use it the first 40 miles, it literally saved me the last 60.
Gnarly Nutrition Boost - This water additive is the best thing to happen to me in ages. So amazing.
Vfuel Gels - For long distance running, there is no better gel.
SPOT GPS Tracker - I carried the new Gen3 the full 100 miles and never knew it was there.
Injinji Trail Socks - Normally I change socks at 50 miles. Not this time. 

Head over to http://trailandultrarunning.com in the next few days to see an interview with Jennilyn as well as the feature video.

**All photos by Matt Williams