Friday, April 4
200+ mile attempt #10
Weather - cold, hot, etc
Preface
Destination Trails ("DT") hosted the first three 200+ mile races I completed. I ran Tahoe 200 in 2019 and it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Ben and I ran Moab in 2020 and it was a less than stellar experience, which we chalked up to Covid issues. Bigfoot rounded out the "Triple Crown" of races in 2021 for me. Arizona Monster 300 would be the first DT race I had run in 3.5 years.
This inaugural race was announced sometime in 2023, with registration opening the exact day and time I was toeing the line of Southern States 200. That meant that I had to give my ultrasignup information to Ben so that he could get me registered. I did NOT want to miss out on this opportunity. The race was NOT cheap, coming in at $1,995 before taxes, fees & extra add on gear.
The month leading up to the start was kind of a disaster. A few days after getting back from our 50k in New Mexico, I headed to Mexico for my sister in law's birthday. We had a great time while we were there, but I did not get in any substantial running - the timing of which was a bit unfortunate since it should have been some peak miles. Shortly after returning from Mexico I came down with the flu that pretty much knocked me on my ass for nearly TWO WEEKS. I missed a second weekend of miles. Add to that, the pain in my right arm from the fall I had sustained at the 50k AND the newly developed back pain I had been feeling (I'm assuming this was from lugging 60ish pounds of gear by myself to/from the train station and through the airport). Let's just say that I felt like the odds were stacked against me before I had a chance to run my first step.
Packet Pick Up / Day Before
I stayed in Tucson near the airport. It looked like the drive down was going to be a little over an hour. Once I had breakfast and made sure all my drop bags were good to go I got in the car and headed south. I tried to find somewhere to walk along the way and had a heck of a time finding anywhere to park as trailheads didn't seem to actually exist. I found a walking/cycling path that paralleled a busy road and it was fine for what I wanted to do. Went to Walmart to pick up some last minute supplies before continuing the drive.
I found a brewery on the drive down and stopped for a beer. It was actually a really cute establishment and the beer was pretty good. Also ran into fellow Rad Rabbit, Andre.
I hurried out of there since I still needed to drive another half hour, check in and drop bags. The rest of the drive was uneventful, and I was glad I was doing the drive during the day! Windy, two-lane road with frequent signs warning to watch for animals, plus border control checkpoints (that weren't open). Arrived with plenty of time to get everything done. Pickup was in Patagonia at the finish line - and it was a zoo!
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| Photo: Anastasia Wilde |
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| Fellow Rad helping out at check in |
A fellow runner, Jason, had arranged a private shuttle from Patagonia to Superior so we wouldn't have to ride the race provided shuttle at 6 am (for a noon or later start, since none of us were in the first wave). Totally worth the money! The drive definitely took a long time, but I imagine part of that was because we were hitting rush hour(ish) in Tucson. Jason had booked a BnB in Superior less than a mile from the start line and the shuttle dropped us off right at the front door, which was nice. I wanted to get dinner early so that I could chill and mentally prepare for race day as early in the evening as possible. I had found a pizza place within walking distance and headed over. It was a cute little place, Edwardo's, but there was only one woman making food and another serving. I ordered a crazy amount of food, but it was delicious and exactly what I wanted for a pre-race dinner. Plus, I had enough left over for breakfast.
I made sure to get all my electronics charged and then settled in bed to watch Yellowjackets. Lights out was pretty early and I fully expected to not get much sleep.
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| Pretty sunset from the front of the BnB |
Race Day
Imagine my surprise when I had a decent night of sleep! I woke up well before my alarm was supposed to go off, but that was fine and not unexpected. Like I always say, I always end up needing/wanting more time and this morning was no exception. I took a shower (my last one for a week!!) and braided my hair. Had multiple cups of coffee, surfed the internet and got all my gear ready to go.
I wasn't supposed to be starting until noon, but I knew a lot of my friends were going to be starting in the earlier wave, so around 10:15 I decided to get all my things ready to go and begin my walk to the start line. I was just a few minutes into my walk when I saw Thor drive by - she offered me a ride if I wanted to sit in the back of her truck. I politely declined. Then a volunteer, Will, who was driving a U-Haul pulled over and said that he could not in good conscience allow me to walk. So I took a ride for the last half mile or so.
Arrived at the starting area and the arch and corrals were set up and people wandering around the start line. There was a small folding table set up with two nearly empty jugs. Uh, is this supposed to be the pre-race water supply? I probably should have filled up my bottles before leaving the BnB, but it didn't occur to me that the start line wouldn't have anything? I saw a few people I know - Natalie, Helgi, a few others. Finally I decide to just buy a bottle of water from the coffee truck that was there. They were very kind and told me I could just have a bottle. At least I was planning on running light to the first aid station since it was less than 7 miles away.
A while back, we had found out that were doing a wave start. Four waves, each an hour apart. The earlier waves would essentially get bonus time to complete the course, with those starting in the latest wave, 2:00 PM, being the ones on the official race clock. I had been put in the noon wave, and although I wanted to be in the first wave, I was denied as it was "full" and told I had to start in my current wave, which was fine.
They were also doing another mandatory gear check. This seemed to have been decided last minute and it made little sense. We had to do the check to get into the corral, but once we were in the corral after doing the check, we couldn't leave. I'm not discounting the need to do the check, but it seems like we could have had a sharpie star written on our bib and then we could still have sat in some of the provided chairs or something.
The 11 am wave headed out and the countdown to my start was on! It was overcast and a bit chilly and we even got a few raindrops here and there. I used the bathroom a few times and continued chatting with other anxious runners.
Finally, I decided to just get the gear check out of the way and get in the corral. I found Ana and we got a pre-race picture taken.
Start to Picket Post (6.6 miles)
There were a ton of people at the aid station. I was able to get some ice and coke. I can't remember at all what I had to eat here, but I think probably a wrap or something. The new pack also was going to be interesting because I had purchased two soft HydraPak 2 liter bottles that I needed to fill going forward to carry enough water. The upcoming section was going to be one of the longest of the race, so I was about to find out how well this was going to work out. I used the bathroom on the way out.
Picket Post (6.6) to Gila River (28.7 miles)
We would come across multiple signs like this that outline the track of the AZT.
I passed the first runner from the first wave maybe 10 miles in. It wasn't too much longer after that when I got passed by people from both the fastest (elite) wave and the second fastest.
With the sun now down, all I really had to look forward to now was the next aid station! I was getting hungry and really looking forward to it. Came into the aid station and it was INSANITY. There were soooo many people milling around and it was incredibly crowded. I had to take off my pack and put my poles down but there wasn't really anywhere to sit. I finally found a spot near some rocks and went to get my food. There was one volunteer making pasta/sauce/meatballs. He seemingly had just one giant pot that he was using to cook all the above - but separately so as not to mix things. Thankfully I got there at a time when every individual ingredient was ready, so I got a big cup of food. Looking around for cutlery and I see two ziplock bags containing... nothing but plastic knives. Probably 200+ plastic knives. No spoons. No forks. At this time I had my spork in my bag, which I used to eat, making other runners around me jealous. I probably wanted other food but also likely had some sensory overload and was wanting to get out of there ASAP. I spent longer here than I would have liked, but there was not really a way to make it faster given how dark and chaotic it was. Noticed that there wasn't really any snack things to take with me on the run, but glad I'd had some food.
Gila River (28.7) to Grand Enchantment (45.4 miles)
This entire section was done in the dark. I don't remember too much other than I got passed by a lot of people. I spent a few miles with a gal named Jenn that was super friendly. At one point she got a decent amount ahead of me, only for me to suddenly come upon her with cholla stuck to the bottom of her shoe!! The guy that was directly behind her pulled out his comb and got the bulk of it off. The girl that was between him and me randomly had pliers in her bag - which he used to get the rest of the quills out. Jenn said that the cholla had been rolling down the middle of the trail and while she saw it and was actively trying to avoid it, she had ended up stepping on it anyway. Thankfully with some teamwork we (not so much me, but other people) got her taken care of and on her way. I think we sorta stayed together for a bit until we ended up going our separate ways.
Prior to the race I had been talking to Ben about how I don't think that the way I have handled being tired and caffeine has been working that well. So while I had packed some to have on course, I didn't really plan on using it. The goal was to try and avoid caffeine during the day and then to try and only have caffeine after sleeping.
I was definitely tired by the time I came to the first sleep station (also my first drop bag) at Grand Enchantment.
It was a DISASTER here. It was the first of many times I felt like I rolled into a refugee camp. There were tents set up for sleeping, but they were packed when I got there. There were some mats, very few, if any blankets. I finally was able to square away a mat but without something warm to wrap up in I was absolutely freezing, even though I was wearing all my gear. Frustrated, I decided I would just have to get up. I noticed that there were dozens of people sitting by the fire and THEY were using the thick blankets that were supposed to be in the sleeping tents. That really pissed me off. Not to mention, in all the time I was the aid station, it didn't seem like anyone ever left sitting by the heaters. I needed to change clothes and finally just had to walk behind the food tent and change since it was so crowded there was nowhere else to do it. I cannot remember what food I had here, but I feel like I definitely left the aid station upset. The extreme staggered start probably at at least 80 runners at this aid station at one time, which was WAY too many.
Grand Enchantment (45.4) to Tortilla (58.6 miles)
Headed out in the dark. This was another longer(ish) section and would be going to the first of the R&R aid stations. I don't really remember this section at all.
Arrive at the Tortilla aid station. The R&R, according to the race guide, these are "Ramen and Resupply" - minimal aid stations that have "hot water to use for ramen noodles and hot drinks along with grab and go snacks. It was at this aid station that I started to realize I was going to REALLY have a hard time being a solo runner. Came into the aid station and had hoped that there might be a place to lie down and sleep. There were people sleeping on the ground, but it was loud and hot and I didn't think that was going to work out well for me, so I nixed that idea. There WAS ramen, which I ate because that was really all that was there. Apparently, what DT neglected to tell anyone was that "snacks to go" literally meant bars and gels provided by the neversecond sponsor. I am used to other long races have things like chips, crackers, trail mix, applesauce, granola bars, etc to take. Not this race. Just gels and if there were any left, the protein bars or whatever they were, also supplied by neversecond. This aid station also didn't have a bathroom, just a bucket with a canopy over it. Since we were in the middle of waste land, I used that. I think that Paul and Ana came in as I was leaving. I left a little irritated with lack of food and still not having slept.
Tortilla (58.6) to Freeman (75.0 miles)
It was hot hot hot. And by hot, I think it was in the low 60s, but with nearly full sun it felt warmer than that. I was a few miles outside of the aid station when I fell, landing hard on my right side. I got a hole in my shorts and since I landed on my phone (screen out), the screen shattered. Thankfully it was a protector and not the actual screen, but I still was getting little pieces of glass in my hand when trying to use it and the cracks were in JUST the right places that some buttons didn't work. Annoying.
Ana took off a bit ahead and Paul and I got the first inklings of some raindrops on our way into aid. They dispersed to their crew vehicles and I attempted sleep for the second time. I can't recall how that went, but I do know that it didn't go as well as I hoped. I may have dozed off a bit here/there but it wasn't the recovery sleep I was hoping for. I also have zero recollection of what the food options may have been here.
Freeman (75.0) to Black Hills (91.0 miles)
Thankfully, in the amount of time that I had been lying down, the storm blew through, so the timing was perfect. Ana, Paul and I must have pre-decided the amount of time that we were going to be spending at the aid station, because we all left at the same time. Pretty sunset with all the storm clouds.
Another long slog of 16 miles to Black Hills aid station, which I was looking forward to! Joni was supposed to be working it and I couldn't wait to see a friendly face. Can't remember much of this section at all. We did the whole section in the dark. Somewhere in here might have been the only time that we really got off course. We were coming down a fire road. It was wide and sandy, and then we all suddenly had our watches alert us that we were off course. Roughly the same time, we hear Helgi yelling from behind us that we are going the wrong way. Pull out Gaia and head back. Even being basically right on top of the "turn", we can't immediately see where we need to go. Turns out there was one sign in the ground "marking" the turn, but it was sort of facing away from the direction any of us would have been looking and there wasn't any immediate flagging with reflectors. So that was frustrating, but at least we didn't get too far off course.
All tired, we agreed on doing our best to get some sleep at Black Hills after arriving. Joni WAS working, and her aid station was the best so far. She made little pizzas and was really focused on being proactive and asking all of us what we needed. We had made a plan to head out at a certain time (1:15 am maybe is what's in my head) and I actually dozed off sitting in a chair by a heater. Got all my gear ready to go and grabbed my Monster bracelets that Melody made and the gila painted rock and headed out.
Black Hills (91.0) to Tiger Mine (105.3 miles)
I think we all stayed together for a while, until Ana decided she needed to take a nap because she wasn't feeling safe walking around the trails. Even though I hadn't really slept, I said I was feeling ok and I planned to continue on because I really wanted to just get some sleep at an aid station. They stopped to sleep and I kept going, only to get dreadfully tired about a mile down the trail. I remembered they had discussed a 15 minute nap, so I set my timer for the same amount of time. I never did see them again this section. There was a climb up to the aid station, which was yet another sleep station. I really really really hoped that sleep would work for me this time!! (Disclaimer, I am only about 60% that this is the section this actually happened).
I believe I actually got sleep here. I had seen Paul's crew and let them know that I wanted to head out with them if possible but that I was planning on sleeping for at least an hour. I ended up changing clothes and having some food, this might have been the first burger on course, I can't recall. The biggest incident at this aid station was the start of the truly revolting port-o-potties. Riddle me this. You have 300 people registered for a race. At least half of those runners also have crew. And pacers. Plus there are volunteers. Why on EARTH would you only have TWO PORT-O-POTTIES??!? At this point, I was comfortably mid-pack. And yet they were already full and nearly overflowing. I hate to think what they were like by the time the back of the pack came through. Seriously gross.
The other issue that came up more and more as the race went on was the placement of the water jugs. It hadn't been as much of an issue or irritation early in the race when it was cooler, but as it was getting warmer, it bothered me that the jugs were on tables in full sun. Why? So the water was hot and gross tasting. As I was getting ready to find Paul, I saw that he was heading out already!!
Tiger Mine (105.3) to Oracle (114.3 miles)
I moved quickly and was able to run/walk and catch up to Paul and his son, Jeff. It was nice to catch up with Jeff as I hadn't seen him since he helped me and Paul out at our Katy 225 event.
It was warming up and the sun was shining. At least we only had a short section to get done.
At some point they held back because Jeff had on all his winter gear (including his puffy) and he needed to take it off and put it in his pack, so I continued on. This section went by reasonably quickly. It was exposed and hot, but nothing crazy.
Arrived at the Oracle aid station. It was hot AF, but this is where I would be picking up all my gear that I would need to go up/over Mt. Lemmon, the hardest section and highest elevation of the course.
Pleasantly surprised at this aid station. I definitely had a burger with the works and some other food. I had planned to take a few extra minutes to sit in the shade and ensure I was getting enough calories for the beefy sections that were coming up. While we were sitting there someone yelled that there was a gila monster near the trail, but it was gone pretty quickly and I never saw it. Ana was in/out pretty quick with her pacer and I decided I would wait for Paul and Jeff because it might be nice to have company on this section.
Oracle (114.3) to Mt. Lemmon (128.5 miles)
14 miles and 6,000' of vert. The section I was probably dreading the most. Paul and Jeff and I headed out together.
First, we weren't even going up Lemmon to start. We were going up some other hill that was adjacent to Lemmon, and I wasn't even sure where Lemmon WAS. It was just up, up, up.
We were no longer on single track, but on wide double track and jeep/fire roads. It was hot and exposed and there were no switchbacks or relief from the climbing. It was really slow going and I took tons of breaks going up. I think it was at this point of the race that I basically made the decision to drop from Divide 200. Not because the two races are even remotely similar, but because I know Divide is a lot of climbing and challenging terrain with a MUCH shorter cutoff.
Realized at some point that we were nearing the section where we would cross over to Lemmon. See below:
This "sawtooth" (since I don't really know what it's called) was kinda fucked. There were steep and narrow climbs, overgrown everything, bushwhacking. We never got super close to an edge, but I did not enjoy this section at all. The sun was starting to set and I had really hoped that I would be able to get to the aid station before that happened.
I realized I wouldn't make it before sunset, so I had to stop and pull out my headlamp. I made it another 10 or so minutes before I stopped to put on my R1, as it was getting cold fast and I didn't want to arrive already cold at the aid station.
Mt. Lemmon (128.5) to Charloux Gap (145.9 miles)
I was really really really getting tired but there weren't any good places to lie down. I was getting careless with my footing and was worried about hurting myself. Finally when the trail smoothed out a bit I just took off my pack and laid down in the middle of the trail. I hoped that if Ana or Paul saw me they would stop and say something. They didn't come up behind me on this section, but someone else did ask if I was ok and I figured I should just get up and keep going. Eventually the gross rocky parts stopped, but then these horrific mogul mounds came up and they were almost scarier to navigate. I really hated this part. A lot.
I kept thinking with it being more flat that I would see people in front of me at some point, but I never did.
I saw Jason out here taking pictures and he confirmed that this was a bit of a longer section, as I had suspected. The last minute course changes had me less familiar with section mileage than I'm used to. I was really hot in this section and I hadn't seen anyone since I left the aid station. Finally I laid down in some shade and I think that was when Ana and her pacer caught up to me??
Apparently they had missed the turn off the road at the start and had been behind me the whole time. Doh.
It was SO NICE to be with people again! As we got to talking, Ana mentioned that she had a Zygos 5.0 pack in her crew vehicle and that I was welcome to borrow it and use a smaller pack if I wanted to. I was seriously entertaining it as my pack was big and heavy and awkward. I finally decided that yes, I would do that. I would put everything I no longer needed in my drop bag so that it could head to the finish line and anything I might want to still use I would keep in the pack and Trena, Ana's crew, would hold onto my pack for me.
A volunteer met me at the exit of the trail and walked me to the aid station. It was pretty dark and chaotic but I found where I could order food. After 8+ hours of hard work I was starving and ordered both a burger and a burrito. Found a seat by the heater and chowed down. I had plans to sleep for a few hours here as I was definitely sleep deprived at this point and still had a very hard upcoming section.
I was not happy when I found out the sleep station was about 3 feet from the table of water. It was loud and chaotic because there were also crew vehicles parked a few feet from the tent. Between all the talking (I more than once yelled to please be quiet as people were trying to sleep) and car/van engines being on with headlights, I wasn't optimistic about sleep. I was wearing ALL my gear, including my puffy, using my upgraded bivy and still freezing because there was only thin fleece blankets in 30 degree weather. Needless to say, I did NOT get any real sleep. Again, I might have dozed off for a few minutes, but this was a crucial aid station for me without crew and it was a complete nightmare and was set up very poorly.
I wanted to get more food on my way out of the aid station, only to be told that they were out of food but that more was on the way and it should arrive in 1-2 hours. WTF are you kidding me??? Grrr, I found my drop bag and unfortunately didn't have a ton of stuff in there, although I grabbed all the snacks and my Trader Joe's coffee. Went to make my coffee and couldn't find a cup bigger than the small mouthwash size ones, only to be told they were also out of those. So I had to mix my coffee packet in the smallest cup ever. Then I'm wandering around trying to figure out where to go and who to check out with. Volunteer "are you heading out because you heard we are out of food?" Me, that's part of it, but also it's not something to joke about, we have a very tough section coming up." So I aired my earlier grievances about sleep station placement and being out of food, etc, but not like he could do anything about it. He is giving me verbal instructions of where to go, but after this much time without sleep I can't really function so I ask "is it marked?" and he says yes.
Lies.
I see ONE flag but I'm not even out of the parking lot yet. Get to the road and there is no marker of where I'm supposed to go. I had to pull out Gaia, and at this point I'm also on the phone with Ben complaining about the aid station.
Sure enough, there was only maybe one marker on the road, and I nearly missed the turnoff. The guys behind me DID miss the turnoff, but they didn't hear me yelling at them about it. Found the trail and my despair began as I had foreshadowing of how bad the descent was going to be. 16 miles, but something like 6,600' of down. The top couple miles were actually not horrible, which lulled me into a false sense of security. I had no idea where Ana or Paul were, but I thought they were both behind me and I kept hoping they would come up behind me and I would be able to latch on.
The descent was about as awful as imagined. I don't do great on technical down and this was just that. I kept sliding and falling. I got passed by a decent number of people in this section, and they all disliked it as much as I seemed to.
I was really really really getting tired but there weren't any good places to lie down. I was getting careless with my footing and was worried about hurting myself. Finally when the trail smoothed out a bit I just took off my pack and laid down in the middle of the trail. I hoped that if Ana or Paul saw me they would stop and say something. They didn't come up behind me on this section, but someone else did ask if I was ok and I figured I should just get up and keep going. Eventually the gross rocky parts stopped, but then these horrific mogul mounds came up and they were almost scarier to navigate. I really hated this part. A lot.
SO happy to finally get to Charloux Gap. This was another stupid R&R station, which made no sense, since we were basically right off a road. We also didn't have a drop bag here, so even though temps were heating up and we no longer needed the mountain gear, we had to carry it to the next aid station.
I had ramen with some potatoes, but once again, no food to take to go except for crap gels. After a 16 mile section that probably took longer than the climb up, I was NOT happy about the lack of food. There was a cot that I had was able to lie down on for a bit and since it was warmer I was actually able to get a little sleep. While I was getting all my crap ready I noticed Ana was getting ready to head out.
Charloux Gap (145.9) to Catalina (158.1 miles)
I planned to catch up to Ana and ended up leaving the aid station less than a minute after she did, but realized that I had left my poles at the aid station and had to go back. By the time I collected them, I couldn't see her and her pacer any longer. I had hoped to do some run/walk but I was also carrying the remainder of my ramen/potatoes and my cup of coke and chalked it up to a loss.
We were on the side of the road for maybe a mile, or more? I saw the turn into the Catalina State Park area, and it thankfully looked flat and tame, although warm and exposed.
We pulled into the Catalina aid station. Stopped at the food tent and we were told that they weren't making hot food at this point, which I guess was fine since the In n' Out was in the parking lot and that's what I planned on having for food.
It took WAY longer than I planned to switch out packs, but I had to make sure that I had everything I needed, move over my bib and my tracker, etc. Then of course, In n' Out was really slow, but I was able to change clothes in the bathroom AND WASH MY HANDS, and that alone was worth it.
So I had been under the impression that there were bathrooms and water fountains on this section, so when I started to realize I needed the bathroom, I pulled up Gaia to see how far away they were. Unfortunately we were in an area where I was probably hours from the next one. I finally had to go behind a pillar in an underpass, but then I definitely felt better. I saw Laura ahead of me and hoped to catch up to her and her pacer, but she must've been doing a lot of running because I wasn't able to catch them. So unfortunately, I ended up doing most of this section alone.
Ana had already headed out at this point - wearing knockoff crocs that Trena had picked up for her (jealous!!) - and I hoped to possibly catch up with someone to keep the Loop bike path more interesting.
Catalina (158.1) to Rillito (176.4 miles)
So, turns out that it's not exactly easy to eat a burger and fries and hold a giant soda while walking. Thankfully, though, I had the smaller pack and I had left my poles with Trena, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been. I finally stopped at the picnic table and finished off my food. I held onto the Dr. Pepper until it was gone.
Decided to set up my phone with some intervals and threw in some music. I don't know how much running I have ever done this late in a race, but I figured anything I *could* do would only help me out.
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| Random shoe tree |
The middle miles of this were awful. There were some detours on the course, and I ended up being with another runner (I think his name was Ben?) and his pacer - they were from Australia. VERY minimal flagging, even when we had to leave the loop and go through neighborhoods. We stopped at a gas station on the course and I got a huge slushie and then another pack of gum and more cough drops. I'd been rationing them but my cough wasn't getting any better. They both walked faster than I did so we didn't stay together for long, but I was happy I'd been able to follow them through the detour section.
I had found out from Trena that this was going to be the best place to swap my bag out, so I had made a plan that I would do all that when I first arrived at the aid station, before eating or taking a nap so that when I was done with all those things I'd be able to leave right away.
There was a weird section in here where we went under the train tracks and I was definitely concerned about ending up in a homeless community but all that happened was I ended up in a sandy wash. I am fairly sure this is the section where there was a very small water crossing, and even though I saw it and watched out for it I still managed to step directly in it, getting my shoes wet.
Marking in here was confusing and sparse as well, but I lucked out by being about a hundred yards behind a volunteer that was putting out lights and additional signage heading to the aid station.
I got to the aid station right at sunset. I immediately walked around the parking lot since there was a small amount of light, but I didn't see Trena or a the crew vehicle. I went to the food tent and figured I would eat something and then go on the crew search again. I can't remember what the food was, but it was sufficient. Once again, walked the lot, nothing. Figured I would take a nap and lucked out that the first tent I found was empty! I closed up the windows, laid on the cot with a blanket and set my alarm, I don't remember for how long.
Casa Blanca (288.1) to Finish (304.3 miles)
I also had an epiphany that I would need to do some research and find out when the crew aid stations were, since I would only be able to swap packs back if it was at a crew aid station. The Rillito aid station was set up in a big parking lot and seemed to have tons of space and food options. I was nursing a minor bloody nose, but whatever I wanted to eat they had and I don't remember being mad about it.
I spoked to Trena and found out that Ana was sleeping but planning on heading out in a bit. I said I was going to be sleeping soon, but maybe we could meet up. I asked about future crew stations and it was either swap back NOW, or not until Gabe Zimmerman at 223. I was worried about not having poles, but she showed me the profiles and said there was nothing crazy so we agreed I would stick with the smaller pack. I went to lay down, set my alarm for a few hours but woke up after maybe an hour.
I pulled up Facebook to check out updates in the group and happened to see a post about someone leaving the aid station I was currently at and being harassed by people on the path and it was suggested to not do this section alone. I could see out the door of the tent that Ana was getting ready to leave with her pacer. I ran across the parking lot in my socks and said I could be ready in a few minutes and to please wait for me because I didn't want to do that section by myself.
Rillito (176.4) to Valencia (197.6 miles)
In the hustle and bustle trying to get out I forgot to drink coke or my coffee, but I was just so happy to not be going out alone.
We weren't exactly sure where the incident had happened, but Krista, Ana's pacer said she would be alert and watch out for us. I am not sure what had happened overnight, but it seemed like everything on the Loop trail just got sketchy and scary. The wash that was next to the path was filled with an insane amount of garbage, homeless people, fires and you could just smell the pot smoke. We were an hour or so into the Loop when a guy came stumbling out of the bathroom off the path looking like a zombie and not wearing pants. Ok... this is what we are going to have to watch out for.
We were both getting tired and Krista said she would watch over us while we took a nap. We pulled out our bivy and laid down for a bit, but I don't think either of us slept. Neither of us had a great time in this section, but I think Ana really had a hard time here. Krista was trying to keep us entertained with word games, but all we could think about was sleeping and going to a gas station to try to get some coffee. With it being dark out, we could see all sorts of businesses and lights, but it was hard to tell if there was anything close enough to the trail that we could leave and try to get something. First time we tried to go to a gas station and when we got close enough we realized it was one of those really small ones that wouldn't have had anything for us to get anyway. Mad, we got back on the path. Ana had a one track mind about leaving to go to a hotel that was basically right off the trail and Krista had to talk her out of it. This was a rough section. The next time that we saw a gas station that was close we looked to check the hours - OPEN!! But when we got there, the inside was closed (and another runner that was frantically hoping to find an open gas station as well).
So, that was not meant to be. We kept trudging along. Ana and Krista both have a very brisk walk and I kept having to jog to keep up with them. We were walking along what we thought was a military base of some kind and trying to stay awake. We started singing and dancing and at one point we came across two runners who found some benches along the side of the path and were going to nap. We finally decided that even though we were close to the aid station that we would take a dirt nap right before sunrise so that it would be a "new day" when we got up.
We took a nap in the area below (and I think I actually slept) only to find out we were in a section filled with cacti and quills. Oops.
We finally get to Valencia (the road) and there is a gas station (that is open, yay!!!). I got a big coffee, a donut and giant bag of cheddar Chex Mix. We snacked on the rest of the walk to the aid station. I noticed that when we were getting close that it looked like the port-o-potties had been dropped in the wrong location, I was right.
It seemed like we had been walking forever and were SO HAPPY to be at this aid station. Sat down in a chair only to discover the arm was broken. Looked around at the others and all the camp chairs were broken. Wth!
I had food here, maybe a burrito? I can't remember. As we were chatting with the guy volunteering we found out that he wasn't even a DT volunteer, he was a runner that had dropped. And so was the other gal helping out. Still not really clear if the volunteering was actually voluntary for them or if they had to if they wanted a ride to their car? They were very nice and helpful though.
I don't think any of us needed to or tried to sleep here, I think the new day actually DID rejuvenate us. As we were getting ready to head out the two guys who had been napping on the benches came in. I guess 1). a ranger of some kind had come through and told them they couldn't sleep there and 2). One of them got CREAMED by a bicycle. Like knocked down on the ground and injured and was checking with medical to see if it was going to be safe for him to continue.
Valencia (197.6) to Pistol Hill (212.9 miles)
This section was probably the worst of the entire race. We left the aid station and moved onto a dirt road. I think I heard a rumor that this was actually part of the (a?) town dump. The road was littered with SO. MUCH. GARBAGE. Like piles and piles of trash. We stayed on this for a while and at some point turned onto the shoulder of a two-lane highway. A gradual climb on the shoulder of a highway. WTF. It was SO hot and the cars were all flying by. This section sucked so bad. And then after miles and miles of this, we turned onto another dirt road. This one may have been even worse because the cars on here still were driving really fast, but they were also kicking up dirt and making the dust even worse. There was zero shade in this section. After miles, we finally turned back onto single track (I think back to the AZT) and headed toward Pistol Hill, another stupid R&R station. It was hot and we were NOT happy.
Arrived at the aid station and there was basically carnage. Two tents and one volunteer working that we could see. He was doing his best with about two dozen runners trying to get out of the sun and there were even a few cots where people were trying to sleep. Krista and Ana were on one side of the food tent and I was on the other, hoping to get a chance to take a nap on the cot. In the meantime, had my R&R food of ramen and potatoes, and probably 3 cups of coke (thankfully with ice). I was able to lie down for a minute and pretty sure I was able to nap for at least 20. At some point I realized I didn't see Ana and found out from Krista that one of the volunteers was letting her sleep in their van, so I figured I would just get my stuff ready and get out of there.
I had a change of clothes but nowhere to change really, so I asked the guys with the van if I could use their van as a shield while I changed clothes. I was REALLY glad to have changed clothes, I felt a lot better, especially since I had remembered to use more Salty Britches.
Got back to my pack so that I could change shoes and discovered things had gone very wrong:
Matt was also at the aid station and I used one of his safety pins to try to drain the blister. It was absolutely disgusting. Once that was done I put my trail shoes on, only to realize I had NOT remembered to put my gaiters in my pack and would have to do the next section without them. I hoped it wouldn't be too sandy.
I probably had some more ramen, can't remember what else there might have been and headed out. I figured Ana would catch up with me.
Pistol Hill (212.9) to Gabe Zimmerman (222.9 miles)
This section was actually really nice. I think I had fueled well and cooled down enough that I actually felt pretty good leaving. At one point I thought, I should run a bit and see what happens. And it felt pretty good. Not sure how much I ran overall, but enough that I could no longer see the people behind me.
I definitely woke up before the alarm went off and it was PITCH BLACK outside. Ok, I think part of that was anxiety over getting my pack back because I did still feel tired but I wanted to get that taken care of. So I grab my stuff and walk the lot again and do not see Trena. I tried texting Ana and calling her but it went straight to voicemail.
So now I have a conundrum! Suddenly I'm having very invasive thoughts. I am now on night 5(?) of this race and what if I they were already at the aid station and left while I was sleeping?? So I'm sitting in a chair near the food tent and hyperventilating and crying and a volunteer comes up to me and asks if he can help. I realize the second I open my mouth that I sound like a drunk person trying to act sober at a party. I open with "I realize this sounds stupid and doesn't make sense, but someone has my pack and I can't remember what their car looks like and I need my stuff." Like a blubbering idiot I know I am not making any sense but bless his heart, he is calm and asks all the right questions. So he asks who the runner is (Ana) and do I know if she is here (how would I know that? Oh yeah, tracking) and what does the vehicle look like (I think an SUV but I don't remember make or color). He comes back after a few minutes, and he has located them!! YAY!!
Turns out that 1). they had just arrived 2). Ana was already napping and 3). they DID think that I had already been through there. I took the time to reload my original pack and get everything switched over and brushed my teeth. As I'm back at the food tent trying to get a few more calories and fill my water, I suddenly have a bloody nose and I'm having to use my dental gauze up my nose to stop the bleeding.
By the time I am ready to head out I am an emotional disaster. This tiny blonde volunteer (remember her for later) asks if I am ok and says I'm doing great and good luck. Even though I'm a wreck right now, I pack up and head out.
Gabe Zimmerman (222.9) to Santa Rita (233.5 miles)
Wandered out of the aid station and with my very long aid station stop I was having a hard time getting going. The bottoms of my feet were absolutely killing me. I think the first mile I did back on the trail was almost 40 minutes long. I got into a bit of a better groove but was still slow. I didn't see any headlamps in front of me and none behind me. I was really not into this section. I tried calling Ben and he didn't answer so I really had nothing to keep me awake and motivated.
The above tunnel was terrifying, by the way. Finally at some point I decided that since no one was close to me that I would take a dirt nap and hopefully I would wake up when someone went by me and maybe I could tag along. I made sure to put my poles down facing the way I wanted to go and got in my bivy. I probably slept about 10 minutes and heard some people say "did someone leave all this gear here?" and I jumped up like I had been shot out of a cannon and said "I'm really struggling, I'm going to try to keep up with you to stay awake." The two guys did not slow down at all, but I got my stuff together as quick as I could and did some run/walk and moved as quick as I could and eventually after close to a mile I think I was able to match their stride a bit. The runner wasn't very chatty but the pacer (who was in back) was a bit more friendly. I can't remember how long I was able to keep up before I lost the pace and hung back.
Somewhere before the next aid station Andrew and his pacer came up behind me. They were actually super helpful in keeping me motivated (at least I think it was this section - I can't remember).
It seemed like a miracle that I actually made it to the aid station.
I have ZERO clue what happened at this aid station. Remember NOTHING.
Santa Rita (233.5) to Oak Tree (251.2 miles)
Don't remember what was at the aid station, but it was the last R&R aid station so it can't have been anything too exciting. I think I actually left the aid station by myself. The first few miles were fine, I don't remember. Spent a lot of time with Andrew and his pacer the back half of this section.
I have no idea what this section was at all. I am sure it was hot, but I cannot definitively remember anything. I was in bad shape when we finally got nearer to the Oak Tree aid station.
Arrived at the aid station and was definitely hungry. I was able to get a big lunch of a club type sandwich with turkey and all the toppings. Plenty of ice here and I think I sat there and had 2-3 cups of just ice water because I had been so hot. I definitely took a long nap here, there was a cot set up in the shade. When I was getting ready to head out I was able to get another sandwich. Brian was the aid station captain here and worked really hard to keep runners happy and went out of his way to create as much shade as possible for us. It was HOT here.
Remember the tiny blonde female volunteer? She was at this aid station also. The first person/volunteer of the race to offer to fill my bottles. Kept offering me different foods to eat. Her kindness was just overwhelming and when we headed out I told her thank you for being so helpful and asked if I could give her a hug and started crying again. (If you don't know me, I am NOT a hugger, so this was definitely out of the ordinary for me).
Oak Tree (251.2) to Apache Springs (266.6 miles)
When we headed out it was still the heat of the day. I left with Andrew and his pacer and they were definitely moving a lot quicker than I was. They paused every now and then to let me catch up but in general I was slow and struggling to keep up. Still hot, and my feet were killing me. I took another dose of Advil and Aleve and then at some point started to feel better. When it got closer to sunset we had managed to end up in a group of maybe 8 people, including Natalie. We had a decent amount of climbing and we all sat down at the top of the climb to have a snack and enjoy the sunset.
We are all tired, and the guys that knew the map suggested that we keep going until we got to Kentucky Camp for a nap. There were plenty of places where a dirt nap would have been fine, but on we went. I got into an Adirondack chair. There were some splinters on the arm, but I got in my bivy and set a timer for 20 minutes. I didn't sleep the first time around and set a second timer for maybe 10. Finally was getting up and so was everyone else and on we trudged. Another 2.8 miles to the aid station. THE SECOND TO LAST AID STATION.
I knew it wasn't a sleep station, but really hoped to just be warm and take a nap in a chair. Rolled in actually before everyone else and moved two camp chairs together. The volunteers brought me a big plate of pasta and meatballs. Once I got in my bivy I set my timer for 40 minutes. I was shaken awake by a volunteer because apparently my alarm had been going off and I didn't hear it. Scared the crap out of me. And also, why on the iPhone will alarms not play through headphones?? Snoozed and I think took another 10-15 minute nap. Wanted to have more food but they were almost out of everything. Goal was to get through as many miles as possible at night since it was supposed to be very hot the last day.
I noticed Natalie stirring and asked if she wanted to head out together, which she did.
Apache Springs (266.6) to Casa Blanca (288.1 miles)
It was the middle of the night when we headed out. We had both slept, but not enough for us to be awake and alert. We stopped once in a while to remove layers but in general had a nice, calm night with some good conversation. We had heard rumors that there was going to be a water cache along the course which was going to be very appreciated with how long this second to last section was.
We were both tired and a bit before sunrise we found a spot to take a nap. Not sure either of us actually slept and multiple people would come tearing up the trail "is this the water cache??" Like why would you yell that? Either way, we kept going and the water drop was less than a mile from where we had tried to nap.
I was getting more and more tired and finally I told Natalie to go on without me, that I was going to have to take a nap before I walked off the trail. It was already warm, so I just pulled out my bivy and laid it on the trail. Set a timer for 15 minutes. I woke up after less than 10 minutes and bolted awake like I had been shot out of a cannon. I think I thought I had laid down without setting an alarm and I worried I had been asleep for hours. That had me MOVING! I was moving really well when I got up. It was hot, but I cruised at some of the fastest paces I had been doing in a while. I passed some guy a few miles later and caught up to Natalie maybe a mile after that. This section was the deja vu section. I would turn a corner and ahead of me I would see a sweeping trail loop around. I would do a bit of running and then would get to the corner and it would look exactly the same the next time around. Seriously, this happened multiple times for over an hour? And then came across this:
I am soooo hot at this point. This is over a 20 mile long section and even though I have water I just want to get to the last aid station. I get another bloody nose at some point and have the dental gauze up my nose. I see a runner in front of me and I pass her, seeing a photographer (that isn't an official photographer, so maybe someone with special media permits?) about a mile from the aid station. All I remember is him telling me "don't look directly at the camera" - you mean the giant camera that is currently 2 feet from my face? Ok.
I survive this section and get to Casa Blanca, the last aid station. Thankfully they have food and ice. It's hot AF. I see Trena, and she tells me that Ana is napping and will likely not head out until close to 5 pm. I also do not want to be out in the heat, but on the other hand, I want to NOT be out for another night.
I take off my shoes and lie down on the cot and doze off for a bit here and there. John, part of Paul's crew found me and offered me mango and blueberries. Not necessarily food I seek out but on a hot day this sounded delicious and was really appreciated. I had a drop bag here, so I pared my pack down to the absolute bare minimum in terms of what I was carrying and amount of water I planned on taking.
Finally I grabbed a wrap off the table and had the volunteers fill my ice bandana as full as they could.
I took my third selfie of the race at the sign directing me to the finish.
The trail seemed really mild at the start, and there were basically no markings. These cows were a bit scary and got relatively close to me. I was mildly worried they would chase me.
When I loaded the route I could have sworn it would only be 14 miles. But once I got further in, I could tell it was going to be at least 16. UGH, just want to be done. It was so hot hot hot.
There was a bit more climbing than expected, but every step I was doing was getting me closer to being off this course. Probably to my detriment, I put my watch on the miles to go screen. It was a huge cause for celebration to be under 10 miles!!
I realized much later that this picture I took of an AZT gate was the ONLY picture I took of a gate. Fun fact, there were hundreds of gates along the course and I feel like they all opened/closed differently. Became a bit of a fun time time the more tired I was trying to navigate how to open/close them.
There were some bigger than expected climbs at the end. When I supposedly had about 3 miles to go, I snapped this picture. I had hoped to be done before sunset, but the trail was unexpectedly technical and steep.
I had no clue where the course was going. I ended up on a steep and technical descent that I didn't expect and slid down on my butt again which almost had me in tears again. I remember thinking to myself that all her other races have downhill and not technical finishes, so why is this one a nightmare??
All of a sudden I am finally off the trail. I am on the shoulder of a road and getting honked at by semi trucks. I wonder if I am off course and if I should be on some trail maybe adjacent to the road? But then I see a rare flag and know I'm in the right spot. There are cones for a construction zone and I'm wondering where I need to go and where the finish is.
Less than a mile to go. I hear dog growling near the road and see his eyes glowing. It appears he is behind a fence, I am not worried. Then suddenly, he is behind me! He is stalking me and feet behind me every time I turn around. I pull out my poles and start clicking them in his direction and yelling NO!! Figures I'm going to get eaten by a dog a half mile from the finish.
I can see the lights off to the right and am deciding when I want to cross the road. There is a volunteer yelling at me to follow the lights, which is somewhat confusing. Finally, I see the arch and run under it.
Jason and at least one other photographer/videographer is there. I'm coughing because there is so much dirt/dust in the finish area. Running a half mile with the dust isn't great for my lungs, apparently. Jason takes my tracker and is trying to shoo me in for my photo. Meanwhile, I cannot breathe and am having a coughing fit, all with a volunteer asking me if I want water.
Yes, I want water, and maybe a minute to catch my breath. I get my picture taken and then am ushered into the tent to pick my buckle. It's dark and I'm overwhelmed trying to chose one. Once I have it I'm handed my finisher mug and a print in a cardboard tube. I'm moved along to the finisher tent, which is really a dark tent with NO ONE ELSE in it and the same volunteer asking if I want pizza. My hands are full with swag and I still have the pack on my back.
It is one of the top underwhelming finishes of my life. Forgetting to even get my own personal finish line picture I wander to get my drop bags and head to Tucson to go to my hotel.
The end.
Garmin Time - 151:37:36
Garmin Distance - 292.57 miles (no, I don't care it doesn't say 300)
Official Time - 151:37:34
Elevation Gain - 37,256'
Thoughts:
- I had always planned on doing this without crew, unless Ben would have been able to join. His job kinda sucks and he couldn't take the time off. He said he would quit to come down and I told him that was not at all necessary. CAN this be done without crew and pacers? Obviously, yes. I mean, I did it. It was NOT easy however, and I would NOT recommend it. There were not heated or indoor sleeping areas. Most of the sleep stations didn't have enough blankets for the number of people that were there. The lack of food and fuel was appalling and could have been resolved if I had a crew to pick stuff up for me. At this price point it's ridiculous that anyone should have to supplement aid stations, IMO.
- The pack drama. So historically, I have used the UltrAspire Zygos. I had gotten the version 6.0 a few months prior and found a lot of things I liked about it. Less than two weeks out I decided to fully load it up and realized it somehow was NOT going to have the capacity I needed to carry a 4L minimum
- As I said at the beginning of this report, I hadn't run a DT race since 2021. Ben and I had a crappy experience at Moab in 2020, but we gave her a pass since it was Covid and we just were happy to be racing. I am of the opinion that Covid taught DT that they can skimp on supplies, cut every corner they can and people will still sign up for their races. I am guilty of knowing that might happen and signing up anyway.
- This is definitely a graduate level race and having ZERO pre-requisites is an interesting and risky choice. It doesn't seem like there were any casualties at this event, but I can easily see how those that are inexperienced in both/either the terrain/distance could quickly run into problems.
- Most of the aid stations were abysmal. I was comfortably middle of the pack for at least the first 200 miles and often encountered rationing and/or things just being gone to begin with.
- The port-o-potty situation was disgusting and unsanitary. Unbelievable to only have two at most aid stations.
- The minimal R&R aid stations were pretty much garbage. How are you going to have "just" ramen for substantial calories and honestly nothing to go but gels??? If this is what you plan on how do you justify NOT telling runners that? And also, why I am I paying a $2,000 entry fee to have to ration ramen and instant potatoes??
- Understaffed aid stations, overworked volunteers and lack of supplies. Thankfully they never ran out of water, but everything else they did. I never want to be upset with volunteers as they are at best working for race credits, which many people never use anyway.
- The course, outside of about 100 miles in/around Tucson was fine. The beginning? Beautiful. The end, also pretty but by then I was just tired of the race. The Loop Trail in Tucson was disgusting and unsafe. Not that it would have made much of a difference, but I would have liked to know that it was basically Tweaker Town and I'd have to worry about being attacked or assaulted. This is NOT a nice part of town.
- Swag - cheap, cheap, cheap. While other races have branched out to the more classy Boco backpacks, DT is still using the cheap duffle bags. The race shirt is ill-fitting and cheap. Not just one, but TWO cheap coffee mugs that can't be put in the dishwasher. The only swag I'm happy with is the hoodie that I paid $70 for and my beautiful buckle. Interesting that volunteers got higher quality merch than runners...
- Would I recommend this race? Absolutely not. DT can claim my $2,000 entry went to all sorts of permits, perks and supplies and it's just not true. I have done point to point races, just as remote and had exponentially better experiences. This race is a blatant money grab and DT gets away with this because they are the most well-known name in the business.
Gear:
- Pack(s) - Osprey Tempest Velocity 20L and UltrAspire Zygos 5.0
- Watch - upgraded to Garmin Enduro 2 for racing and I love it! It will not be my daily watch because it's huge, but I only charged twice while sleeping and had like 40% battery left when I was done.
- Shoes - 4 pairs, two Topo Ultraventure 2, one Topo MTN Runner, one Phantom 3
- Socks - Stance and Smartwool
- Zensah high neck sports bra
- Tops - rabbit sun shirts
- Shorts - CVG 5", Patagonia 8" Maipo, Rabbit 5" Leggy Smashem
- Kogalla and UltrAspire Element Waist Pack
- Petzl headlamp
- Pants - North Face Aphrodite, rabbit hiking pants and REI rain pants
- Rain jacket - Patagonia Storm Racer
- Insulating layer - Patagonia R1 (I've said it before and I'll say it again, one of the best pieces of gear I've ever owned & shame on you Patagonia for discontinuing this item for women!!!)
- Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer Hoodie (used only for "sleeping" at Mt. Lemmon aid station and maybe the first 2-3 miles leaving the aid station. If I'd had it earlier on there was a chilly night I'd have been happy wearing it, but was fine without).
- Bula fleece lined hat, Tahoe 200 hat & Party Pace hat
- Upgraded to a SOL Escape Light Bivy (instead of the free bivy provided by the race) and it was AWESOME. Weighing in at 5.5oz it probably was heavier and DEFINITELY bulkier, but I appreciated that it didn't make the crinkly sounds and it was sturdier. I used this a ton.
- Other essentials - chapstick, sunscreen, toothbrush/toothpaste, LEKI poles (only used maybe 1/3 of the time), OR sun gloves, stretchy cheap gloves, Salty Britches (individual packs), Goodr sunglasses, cough drops, gum, random snacks to stay alive - including Nerd clusters, which might be the best and most delicious candy.
If I can remember additional details, I will supplement.
Yikes! I am happy the weird hug was because the volunteer was so nice. But this really doesn't sound like a good time. I still think you are amazing though!! What an insane accomplishment!
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