I need to remember the words in this picture.
Prologue -
I had these big plans again this year to do both the Zion 100 and the Salt Flats 100. Thank goodness they were three weeks apart this year, and not one week apart.
I had been checking the weather the week before the race, like I always do. I don't like weather surprises in a race. It was calling for cool (50's and 60's during the day, low 40's at night). I can handle those temps. It was also calling for a 50% chance of rain Friday, going up to 90% Friday night. If you have wondered what exactly a 50% chance means, according to the weather service, a 50% chance means that 50% of the forecast area will experience rain at some point during the forecast period, the other 50% of the forecast area will not experience rain. That meant for Friday night, 90% of the race area would see rain. I don't like running in the rain. You get wet, you get cold, it's miserable.
Anyway, in anticipation, I packed every drop bag with some sort of dry, warm clothes, beanies, gloves, long sleeve t's, stretchy pants, etc.
I went out Thursday evening, checked into my room late and managed to get a somewhat reasonable amount of sleep before getting up early.
I made it out to the race start with about an hour to spare, so i just sat in the car to keep warm and waited. Unlike past years, it was overcast, so there would be no spectacular sunrise. At least the temperature wasn't too bad, maybe in the upper 50's with a slight breeze. All this would change later in the day.
Race time -
I caught up with a few friends as we waited for the start and Vince got us started right on time, 7am. We all began our 16 mile trek across probably the flatest ground on the face of the earth, yeah, there was no elevation gain or loss here.
I found myself running alone for the vast majority of this race. This is something I really like about running ultras and smaller races. I don't mind chatting with other runners, but for the most part, I like to be alone and run my own race rather than someone else's. Just me, the course and time.
The first few aid stations were pretty uneventful. In and out in just a few minutes or less at each one. My times were mostly according to my plan, maybe a bit slower, but I'm always optomistic with my race plans.
We didn't do any climbing at all until we left the aid station at 22.6 miles. At that point, we make a climb of about 1000' in about 3 miles or so. I usually walk most of this, but I tried to at least trot some of the less steep parts this climb. Downhill to the hastings Cutoff aid (31 miles), short stop, then out to the most remote part of the course. 9 miles north, then 10 miles back, six of it on the mud flats. The mud flats is probably the most monotonous part of the course. Walking this was not an option, so i just put my head down and ran. During this time I could see showers starting to form across the valley against Pilot Peak. At least they stayed on that side of the valley....for the time being.
I got back to the Hastings Cutoff aid (50 miles) in pretty good time, 10.5 hours, so I was still on track to go close to 24 hours. As I was sitting there, all of the sudden the wind picked up and it started raining. This did not bode well I thought. I took off from there into a vicious headwind and pelting rain. I got about a quarter mile out and seriously thought about turning around, but I kept going. After a bit the rain did stop, and the wind actually died down quite a bit and it was a pleasant run to the 61 mile aid station. by then the sun was setting and peeking out from under the clouds. I was hoping beyond hope that maybe there would be good weather overnight. As I ran to the 67 mile aid station, I could see some stars. I made pretty good time going back over Silver Island Pass and to the aid station at 74 miles, but just before I got there, the rain started coming down again. It was different this time, gentler, steadier, and without nearly as much wind. By the time I got to the 74 mile aid station, I was getting damp. When I left there I remembered that I had put a garbage bag in my pack just for this. I dug it out, put it on and kept going. It helped for awhile, but this section was uphill and just steep enough that I couldn't run and generate any body heat to keep me warm. I started getting colder and colder. Not only that, but the rain was picking up and it was getting a bit windier, and the temperature was dropping. Now I was cold, wet, and miserable. I knew I had more dry clothes at the Nevada aid station (80 miles), but I also knew that I had a 1500' climb ahead of me and that it would just get colder and windier. I finally got to the Nevada aid station at about 2am and shortly after decided to pull the plug. The thought of another 20 miles of being cold, wet, and miserable was a bit much.
After deciding to pull the plug, I still had to wait over two hours until someone could pick us up and take us back to the start. I had changed into my dry clothes, but I still never got really warmed up.
Aftermath -
So that's it. Another 100 mile DNF. As usual, when I DNF I learn something. This time is no different. I've been trying to figure out what I could have done differently that would have allowed me to finish. Warmer, dryer clothes? That would have helped. I don't have any rain gear to speak of, and I certainly didn't bring it along other than a rain shell and stretchy pants. Don't think that would have kept me dry for long, certainly not another 20 miles. So yeah, rain gear would have helped.
I think what it really boils down to or me this time (and maybe other times as well), is a lack of patience.
I was on a pretty good roll time wise. Had good weather prevailed, I maybe could have gone sub-24, who knows. Other than being cold, wet, and tired, I felt good, no body issues to speak of, no injuries. If I had the patience to wait for an hour or two to try and warm up a bit more before venturing out, that may have made the difference. My trouble is, I couldn't see beyond the misery I was in at the moment, I just wanted it to end now. I mentally checked out. Would having a pacer have helped? Who knows there as well. If I had a pacer and told that person to not let me drop for any reason other than injury, would that have kept me going?
So, I think the key lesson here is patience and seeing beyond the miserable present.
So yeah, I am kind of disappointed at not finishing. Course conditions were epic to say the least, but others finished, and I really had no reason to not finish other than a lack of patience and will. I just didn't want to be out in that crap.
 |
| This guy camped out Thursday night. It was dry then. |
 |
| 6" of water out on the salt flats |
Other stuff -
My mile splits were remarkably consistent for the 80 miles I did run. Check out the table. I slowed down on the uphills obviously, but the flat miles were the same.
| Salt Flats splits | |||
| Mile | Pace | Elev (ft) | |
| 1 | 12:23 | -3 | |
| 2 | 9:46 | 0 | |
| 3 | 10:14 | 3 | |
| 4 | 10:08 | 0 | |
| 5 | 10:07 | 0 | |
| 6 | 10:35 | 0 | |
| 7 | 10:38 | 0 | |
| 8 | 10:41 | 0 | |
| 9 | 10:53 | 0 | |
| 10 | 13:04 | 0 | Aid station |
| 11 | 13:11 | 0 | |
| 12 | 10:31 | 0 | |
| 13 | 10:25 | 0 | |
| 14 | 11:04 | 0 | |
| 15 | 10:20 | 7 | |
| 16 | 14:36 | 7 | Aid station |
| 17 | 11:25 | -10 | |
| 18 | 10:30 | 6 | |
| 19 | 10:29 | 28 | |
| 20 | 12:27 | 14 | |
| 21 | 11:19 | -19 | |
| 22 | 11:34 | 71 | |
| 23 | 16:36 | 202 | Aid station |
| 24 | 16:01 | 396 | |
| 25 | 15:50 | 356 | |
| 26 | 16:08 | -19 | Aid station |
| 27 | 11:07 | -411 | |
| 28 | 10:34 | -361 | |
| 29 | 10:28 | -205 | |
| 30 | 12:17 | 27 | |
| 31 | 12:22 | 53 | |
| 32 | 20:58 | 36 | Aid station |
| 33 | 13:10 | -70 | |
| 34 | 11:33 | -37 | |
| 35 | 12:01 | 10 | |
| 36 | 14:14 | 102 | |
| 37 | 17:53 | 271 | |
| 38 | 15:47 | 101 | |
| 39 | 11:36 | -279 | |
| 40 | 18:32 | 64 | Aid station |
| 41 | 12:43 | -303 | |
| 42 | 11:54 | 5 | |
| 43 | 11:21 | 1 | |
| 44 | 12:19 | -3 | |
| 45 | 13:25 | -3 | |
| 46 | 11:15 | 0 | |
| 47 | 11:32 | 2 | |
| 48 | 13:42 | 39 | |
| 49 | 13:48 | 84 | |
| 50 | 14:15 | 11 | |
| 51 | 32:15:00 | 6 | Aid station |
| 52 | 13:44 | -32 | |
| 53 | 11:43 | -83 | |
| 54 | 13:24 | -13 | Aid station |
| 55 | 13:10 | 1 | |
| 56 | 13:00 | 3 | |
| 57 | 12:38 | 7 | |
| 58 | 16:46 | 7 | |
| 59 | 13:34 | -1 | |
| 60 | 17:06 | 0 | |
| 61 | 11:15 | -6 | |
| 62 | 19:49 | 7 | Aid station |
| 63 | 15:14 | 117 | |
| 64 | 14:44 | 63 | |
| 65 | 15:57 | -114 | |
| 66 | 11:54 | -73 | |
| 67 | 13:04 | -15 | |
| 68 | 28:28:00 | 123 | Aid station |
| 69 | 18:42 | 291 | |
| 70 | 17:56 | 178 | |
| 71 | 14:47 | -238 | |
| 72 | 18:38 | 5 | |
| 73 | 16:04 | 20 | |
| 74 | 27:08:00 | 22 | Aid station |
| 75 | 17:50 | 56 | |
| 76 | 17:18 | 103 | |
| 77 | 18:24 | 25 | |
| 78 | 20:31 | -35 | |
| 79 | 19:06 | -116 | |
| 80 | 19:04 | -84 | |
| 0.8 | 1:28:03 | -73 | Aid station |
Mile
|
Split
|
Elevation change
|
1
|
9:57
|
-3
|
2
|
9:46
|
0
|
3
|
10:14
|
3
|
4
|
10:08
|
0
|
5
|
10:07
|
0
|
6
|
10:35
|
0
|
7
|
10:38
|
0
|
8
|
10:41
|
0
|
9
|
10:53
|
0
|
10
|
11:27
|
0
|
11
|
12:39
|
0
|
12
|
10:31
|
0
|
13
|
10:25
|
0
|
14
|
11:04
|
0
|
15
|
10:20
|
7
|
16
|
11:08
|
7
|
17
|
11:25
|
-10
|
18
|
10:30
|
6
|
19
|
10:29
|
28
|
20
|
12:27
|
14
|
21
|
11:19
|
-19
|
22
|
11:34
|
71
|
23
|
15:21
|
202
|
24
|
16:01
|
396
|
25
|
15:50
|
356
|
26
|
13:28
|
-19
|
27
|
11:07
|
-411
|
28
|
10:34
|
-361
|
29
|
10:28
|
-205
|
30
|
12:13
|
27
|
31
|
12:22
|
53
|
32
|
12:44
|
36
|
33
|
12:48
|
-70
|
34
|
11:01
|
-37
|
35
|
12:01
|
10
|
36
|
14:14
|
102
|
37
|
17:02
|
271
|
38
|
15:40
|
101
|
39
|
11:18
|
-279
|
40
|
14:59
|
64
|
41
|
12:38
|
-303
|
42
|
11:54
|
5
|
43
|
11:21
|
1
|
44
|
11:58
|
-3
|
45
|
13:25
|
-3
|
46
|
11:15
|
0
|
47
|
11:32
|
2
|
48
|
12:59
|
39
|
49
|
13:48
|
84
|
50
|
13:26
|
11
|
51
|
12:49
|
6
|
52
|
12:34
|
-32
|
53
|
11:43
|
-83
|
54
|
13:24
|
-13
|
55
|
13:10
|
1
|
56
|
12:50
|
3
|
57
|
12:38
|
7
|
58
|
14:32
|
7
|
59
|
13:30
|
-1
|
60
|
14:22
|
0
|
61
|
11:15
|
-6
|
62
|
12:53
|
7
|
63
|
15:14
|
117
|
64
|
14:44
|
63
|
65
|
12:04
|
-114
|
66
|
11:54
|
-73
|
67
|
13:04
|
-15
|
68
|
16:06
|
123
|
69
|
17:48
|
291
|
70
|
17:43
|
178
|
71
|
13:49
|
-238
|
72
|
14:22
|
5
|
73
|
15:56
|
20
|
74
|
15:04
|
22
|
75
|
16:32
|
56
|
76
|
16:55
|
103
|
77
|
17:30
|
25
|
78
|
18:36
|
-35
|
79
|
18:55
|
-116
|
80
|
17:45
|
-84
|
0.8
|
13:13
|
-73
|
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