Ultra_Tales_Issue_13

ARTICLETHE GRAND SLAM OF ULTRA RUNNINGgoing to listen to his whining about how hard it wasgetting so early on when I was trying to ignoreexactly the same thing my body was telling me loudenough. I got to Big Mountain aid station, milethirty nine. Dave Cockman, another slammer wassat back in a chair, I joked about him looking asruined as I felt but said we’d both somehow make itto Solider Hollow. I sat back in a chair in someshade with a pops-icicle knowing full well thatmight not be the case, the heat and altitude weregetting to me and I wasn’t even half way.Apparently it was ten degrees Fahrenheit less than2013, that didn’t make me feel any better but I wasreal glad it wasn’t any hotter. The miserable old boygot into the aid station so I had to get up and out ofthere, I had to remain positive. It wasn’t far downthe trail I found myself running with Catra in herbright florescent attire and enthusiasm to go withit, it was her 109th hundred miler and my 9th, she’drun Wasatch before and said we were thirty minutesin front of her target pace for a thirty two hourfinish. This was a lot better than I thought, we gottalking and the miles passed by for a while as wejogged down to Alexandre Ridge. Shortly after thesun went down, I’d carried the head torch I startedwith as I wasn’t feeling good early on and thought Imight need it if I didn’t make it to Lambs Canyonaid station before sunset, this was a really gooddecision as I couldn’t have gone on without it.When I got to Lambs Canyon a lady rushed overwho genuinely looked happy to see me saying howmuch stronger I was looking. I felt bad notrecognising her but she recognised me from hoursearlier at Big Mountain aid station where I was satback in a chair ruined, I felt a lot better than I did atBig Mountain but that wasn’t saying much. I justsmiled and joked that I was still stood on my feetand that was good enough. Thing is, I knew onlyhalf the run was done, I just had to do what I’d doneagain. The first fifty two and a half miles had takenme seventeen hours and ten minutes, I hadeighteen hours fifty minutes left on the clock andforty seven and a half miles to go. I didn’t wastemuch time and got back on it, I knew there was anundulating climb ahead of me, like two stepsforward one back but vertically, climbing up amountain to drop back down into a canyon to climbout again higher up. Next aid station was Upper BigWater, this one had beds with people sleeping in. Iwas nearly falling asleep on the climb up to the aidstation, the beds and blankets looked too good! Asmuch as I was envious of the people tucked up inthem I thought they must be envious of me still onmy feet however much I felt like I shouldn’t be.“I’d been going through inmy head miles left vs.hours left on the clock andthe terrain to come anddidn’t like the results. Ihad to get up and out ofthere..."I’d been going through in my head miles left vs.hours left on the clock and the terrain to come anddidn’t like the results. I had to get up and out ofthere, I thought back to the start and mentalpreparation for the run. I started with no excuses,I’d taken good care of my feet in the first threehundred miles, I’d taken it easy between racesallowing maximum recovery, all the little voicescould come up with was I’d never needed my bed sobad in my life and the time and mileage calculationwasn’t looking good so why put myself through itwhen a finish wasn’t going to happen. Or simply“the Wasatch Front is far too tough, especially beinground four”. But the thought of waking up havingquit was my worst nightmare. Waking up havingbeen timed out on the trail knowing I’d put one footin front of the other and pushed on as best as Icould until the final cut off would have beenacceptable, but quitting over 360 miles in to theslam was just unacceptable, my trekking poles werekeeping me vertical and caffeine gels were boundto kick in at some point.As much as I was struggling the thought of actuallyquitting gave me the boost I needed to push on andnot give up, I’d been spending too much time in aidstations which is something I don’t usually do but itfelt like I really needed to. The next two aid stationsI spent only one or two minutes in, just topped up200 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://