Back At It

Got out in the early afternoon and ran the Butler Fork loop in the clockwise direction.  Made the half mile detour at the junction to check out Dog Lake.  Perfect day out!  Nothing really memorable to report.  My pace was completely pedestrian since I'm still trying to gain back confidence in my ankle.  It's gonna take a few weeks.

1:51:27
1,950' vert

I was determined to get up the canyon and run today.  So with ominous skies overhead, I drove up to Mill D North in Big Cottonwood and set off up the trail at about 3:45.  I knew I'd get rained on but wanted to see how far I could make it.  After 10 minutes on the trail it started raining.  After 20 I was soaked, so when I got to Blunder Fork I sat under a tree to assess the situation.  I had two miles to Desolation or a little over a half mile to Dog Lake. 

After waiting for about 10 minutes for the rain to slow, the thunder and lightning that was getting increasingly closer made my decision easy.  So I turned around and flew down the mountain.  I got caught in a bad storm last year when I was 4 miles away from my car, and I didn't want a repeat of that horrendous day.  A bit upset that I didn't get the run in I'd hoped for, but happy that my determination didn't overtake my common sense.

34:05
900' vert

Butler Fork loop clockwise again today.  Just didn't add on the section to and from Dog Lake.  Actually felt really on top of things for the first time in probably six weeks.  You know those days where everything just clicks?  Yeah, that was today.

Since I was feeling so good I decided to go hard.  I PR'd to the ridge, then ran the back section hard to see if things would continue to click, and they did.  The only problem was the growth.  It seemed like the overgrowth was twice as bad as it was on Monday when I did the same loop.  That's 4 days!  Are you kidding me?  It was looking more reminiscent of last year; maybe worse.  So I definitely had to slow things down through the sections where I couldn't see the ground. 

Just before I hit the junction to Dog Lake I stopped for a quick 30 second relief break, then ran the section down to the bottom.  Really bad growth through here as well.  I kept a quick pace, but didn't go anywhere near all-out since my confidence in my ankle still isn't great.  Reached the bottom and noticed I had a PR for the loop.  Nice!  Still feel like I left 5-8 minutes out there due to slowing in nasty sections and not bombing the downhill due to my ankle.

Got home, showered, and then started to notice the all too familiar feel of stinging nettle.  My left leg was especially numb.  Funny how I don't even notice it when it happens, but once I shower the feeling is full-force!

1:20:38
1,900' vert

Volunteered at the Speedgoat 50K.  First time volunteering for a race, so it was a very interesting experience.  I helped at the table for a short time, then marshalled in two different critical sections, and ran sweep once the last runner came through.  So I was able to get some miles in.

In the morning after coming off the tram at Hidden Peak, we had to hike down a few miles to the aid station I was assigned to in Mineral Basin.  Runners were coming through at around mile 10, then again at about mile 20.  We had to bust it to get down there before the first runner came in.  Anyway, someone had the bright idea to take two enormous watermelons to our station.  I was the only one with a pack big enough to fit one, so yep, I had to haul one down.  It wasn't all that heavy, but the shape was not comfortable on my back at all.  (I think I have a pinched sciatic nerve now.)  Not only that, a girl got stuck with the other one that she tried to carry in a bag, but the handle broke.  So we handed off back and forth the whole way down, cradling it like a baby.  Yeah, it sucked!

Overall, it was a great experience and something I'll definitely do again in the future.  Oh yeah, my dad ended up finishing his first ultra at this race in 11 hours flat.  It was great seeing him out on course a couple times and being able to get down to the finish line in time to see him come in.  Congrats to him on finishing a very tough race for his first ultra!