Black Canyon 100K

When I began laying out my racing schedule for 2015, one race was clearly calling my name; The Black Canyon 100K.

The Black Canyon 100K is a point to point race that runs from Spring Valley to New River, AZ. Point to point races are far more intriguing than loop courses. I mean, you aren't going to end up where you began. Instead, you are going to end up in a place far, far away. It's exciting!

In addition to my excitement about the course, Black Canyon is part of the Montrail Ultra Cup, meaning the top 2 female and top 2 male finishers would automatically qualify for entry into the prestigious Western States 100. This race was going to bring some talent.

While aware that the chances of me punching a ticket to Western were nearly impossible, I was excited to test my skills on the national level, against some of the best. My two attempts at running the 100 mile distance were both hampered by some unfortunate circumstances, so this would also be my furthest race to date.

As race day drew closer, the prediction for the weather grew increasingly more interesting. This wouldn't be the kind of interesting that plagued my races last year. Nope. In typical Arizona fashion, this race was going to be a scorcher!!

Training wise everything went smoothly. Kristi and I managed to find a neat (creepy) lodge right outside of Mayer, located just minutes from the start. We managed to catch a few hours of sleep in what was surprisingly the quietest room on the face of the planet. Strangely, staying in a desolate lodge in the middle of nowhere on Friday the 13th isn't all that scary..

Raceday morning quickly arrived and I fumbled to get myself put together. As I walked down a flight of stairs, I realized that my right achilles was really tender.

"Whaaat??" I said under my breath.

I put some pressure on the ball of my foot and lifted myself up.

"Ow." I said. This time not under my breath.

My achilles was in pain. How could this be? I tapered very carefully. Had I tapered too carefully? I tried to ignore it and chose not to mention it to Kristi either. I knew it wasn't bad enough to keep me from running, so why feed it any energy.

We arrived at Mayer High School, where I picked up my bib and did the usual pre-race mingle. The wind whipped around fiercely sending shivers down my spine. I soaked in the coolness as I thought ahead at what was to come.

What was to come, wouldn't disappoint.

More than a hundred runners all lined up. Jamil went over some course instructions, which can be summed up to; Head down the road, get on the trail and head towards Phoenix..

I gave Kristi a hug and whispered "See you on the other side.."

The amount of talent standing at the front of the pack was a little intimidating. I said a few encouraging words to myself as the countdown dwindled down. The race was underway!!

I had a plan going into this race and I was going to follow it. For God sakes, I was going to follow my plan! I watched the lead pack quickly pull away. I started to run faster and began to gain on them. Then I pulled back.

"Follow your game plan." I reminded myself as a few other runners cruised ahead.

I settled into a nice pace and enjoyed the freshness of morning. I watched the sunrise paint the desert with a golden glow. I galloped upon a few other runners and the four of us ran together for the next several miles.

Antelope Mesa aid station was just a blur as I cruised right through. My achilles was tender but I was certain in wasn't going to be a major issue. It was just going to be painful and like Scott Jurek would say, "pain only hurts."

It was beginning to warm up as I left Hidden Mine AS with a couple other runners. I was really relaxed and focused on taking in salt and electrolytes, knowing that the heat was getting ready to wail on all of us.

One of the guys I met was Jacob Singleton. Jacob cruised effortlessly and I could tell he was feeling good. At just under 20 miles, the three of us rolled into Bumble Bee AS. We all ferociously stuffed various food items in our mouth. I looked up and saw Jacob fly off into the distance as I quickly gave chase.

I kept Jacob in view for a mile or so before I convinced myself to get back to running my race. A wise friend gave me some advice and it was ringing through my head; "Only you can effect your race."

I suffered through a rough patch for the next few miles and began doubting weather I could finish the race. I began thinking about an interview that Sage Canaday did following his recent win at The North Face Endurance Challenge. He described reminding himself during low points, that he chooses to run.

No one is making me do this. I do this because I love to run. I got a little spirit back.

I made my way to Gloria Mine AS, along with a couple other runners slightly ahead. I grabbed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and took off.

As I zigzagged up the switchbacks, I looked back towards the aid station. Neither of the other runners were following behind. If I said that it doesn't make me feel good when I start to pick off runners, I would be lying. It gave me a boost and I fell into a very nice groove.

The sun began to beat down with a little more enthusiasm, so the first creek crossing was a welcoming sight. I could see another runner enjoying the gift of mother nature as I approached. I quickly realized that this wasn't just another runner, it was Hal frickin-Koerner.

I filled my handheld with the stream water and poured it over my head. The cool water was invigorating. I filled it up again and twisted the lid on. I started up the switchbacks and passed Hal. I introduced myself to him and we talked briefly. He wasn't feeling very good and looked to be struggling a little. I wished him luck and was on my way.

I got a nice burst of energy as I made some separation from Hal. It was obvious that my choice to wear my pack was a smart move. I was sucking down water, taking in salt and chomping on Honey Stinger chews. I had my handheld filled with cool creek water that I was using to cool myself down with.

I was in high spirits as I trotted into Soap Creek AS.

I joked around with the volunteers a bit, feeling very relaxed. I was in a good place. I wasted very little time and was on my way.

The Black Canyon Trail is rugged. It goes up and down. It has rocks. Lots of them. Shade, not so much. The heat was increasing and the trail was beginning to beat me up. I, again, reminded myself that this is what I train for. I passed a couple more runners and got a needed boost.

There is a small out and back section as you make your way into Black Canyon City. The women leader, Caroline Boller, flew by me as she headed back out with my Aravaipa Racing Teammate, Kristina Pham on pacing duties. Then came Jacob Singleton, still looking solid as gold.

A bearded runner named Taylor Spike, whom I would get to know better, was also on his way out as I arrived at the aid station.

I joked around a bit with Deron Ruse and refueled. Michele Yates was being tended to after taking a pretty bad fall. The two of us left the aid station at the same time but it was clear that she was in pain. I wished her well and pulled away.

I quickly caught up with Taylor. We shared a few words and I passed on by. The next few miles were a steady grind. It was blazing hot and if felt like the trail was always going uphill. I have been doing a ton of vertical training and my legs felt surprisingly strong. Then, not so much.

In the blink of an eye, I felt like I was hit by a train. The heat began to wear on me and I became nauseous. I tried to throw up, but only dry-heaved. I sat down and moaned.

"Dig deep" I told myself. "You gotta dig deep."

I picked myself up off the ground and began to run. I wanted to stop, but I repeated the "dig deep" mantra and kept on going. The stretch from Black Canyon City to Cottonwood Gulch was long and dreadful. I scampered into the aid station, overheated and doubtful.

"How are you feeling?" one of the volunteers asked.

"It's so hot.." I said while haplessly holding myself up.

"You want to take a seat there in the shade for a minute?" she said, pointing to a couple of chairs sitting underneath a tent.

I looked over at the chairs. They were blanketed in shade. They looked so inviting, as if they had a pair of glowing halos hovering over them.

"No, I can't. If I do, I will never get up.." I sadly admitted.

I stuffed a handful of ice in my hat and set off, back into the inferno.

I was able to keep a consistent pace despite the vile feeling and soon it passed. I hit 50 miles and was optimistic about my race. I was still hanging onto a nice pace and had some energy stores left in the bank.

"This could be a damn good day!" I told myself.

At 51 and a half miles, I rolled into Table Mesa AS. My stomach was a bit queasy, so I popped a couple tums. Overall, I was in a good place. There was a light at the end of the tunnel. I could finish this thing off. I would finish this thing off.

I saw Deron again. I walked over and exclaimed, "I cannot wait for this to be over!"

It was all good. It would be over soon! I took off at a nice clip, the tums worked their magic and my stomach felt settled. I was ready for the last ten mile grind.

Soon after my excitement for the final stretch came, I approached one of the 50k runners. She was hiking up a steep section of jeep road. I did my best at being encouraging.

"Good job.." I said as I passed by.

"I'm just not used to this heat.." she responded, sounding completely deflated.

"At least we have a little cloud cover" I said while pointing out a thin layer of something trying to impersonate an actual cloud. On I went.

I soon hit a fork in the road.

There were no markings in either direction. The fork to the right looked wrong, but so did the fork to the left. I made the determination that going left seemed less wrong being that it went straight up a steep hill. That would make sense!

I trekked up the hill scanning every direction for a course marking. There in the distance, I saw an orange marking! Relieved, I got a burst of energy and charged up the remainder of the hill. I topped out and looked into the distance.

I saw NO MARKINGS. I noticed a camper, some ATV's and several people at the bottom of the hill in the distance. I made another wise decision. I went rumbling down the hill, of course!!

As I got closer, I could see a marking on a fence post.

"There it is!" I thought.

As I looked further ahead, I could see that there were red flags on EVERY fence post as far as the eye could see!

"Oh shit.." I cried. I knew I was in trouble.

"Hey, you guys see any other runners coming this way??" I asked a group of guys standing there.

"No.. What runners?" one said.

"I seen somethin' over there" another one of them said, pointing to a speck in the distance. I looked and to my surprise, Table Mesa AS was remarkably visible in the far distance.

"No... Not that.. This isn't good." I said under my breath.

I turned around and went charging back up the steep road. Soon I met back up with the other runner, who was coming the same way.

"This is the wrong way. Have you seen any markings?" I asked.

She shook her head.

"Dammit, this is going to destroy my race!!" I cried.

Realizing that I missed a turn and that my race was in peril, I wasted no time chatting. The adrenaline was coursing through my veins. I was running a completely unreasonable pace as I went flying back down the hill. I came across the marking I had seen before, but I now realized that it was just an old yellow piece of flagging. It was tattered and worn out, like it had been hanging on that branch for years.

"Oh my God, you have to be kidding me.."

I made it back to the fork in the road. My heart was beating out of my chest. I made one last act of brilliance and headed down the other unmarked direction.

I ran and ran, in full panic, looking for a orange flag. But there were none here. Not a one. Nothing. I turned back around and headed toward the jeep road.

"This is awful.." I felt completely defeated.

I got back on the road and began backtracking. I eventually saw a trail cutting up the mountain off of the road. It was marked.

I am not sure where everything went wrong. I am not sure if I followed the other runner or if she followed me. The one thing that I did know was that I had lost at least 30 minutes, ran a couple extra miles and wasted a ton of precious energy in the process. And conveniently, there was a nice grinding climb waiting for me as soon as I got back on course!

I figured at least one person passed me during the detour and I had some work to do. This was going to be more challenging than I had anticipated. I went back to the "dig deep" mantra and began hammering away.

The energy I had expended while I was lost was obvious. I was out of breath, but not out of the game. I tried to stay as positive as possible.

"It could have been worse.." I convinced myself.

The next few miles were kind of a blur. I was surprised at how well I was able to recover from my mistake and settle into a groove again.

Seeing a runner ahead of me shook me out of the trance I was in. There in the distance was Taylor, shuffling up a switchback. I kept at it, trying to close the gap between us. Every time I was able to see him, I was a little closer.

Abruptly, Doe Spring AS appeared ahead. I saw Taylor standing there refueling as I galloped in.

"What happened?" He asked.

"I got off course. 30 minutes off course." I weepingly admitted.

"I was wondering what happened.. Damn." He said.

"How much is left?" I asked one of the volunteers.

"Four miles!" she exclaimed.

I looked at my Garmin. I had already cracked 60 miles, so this wasn't exactly good news.

"Alright.. Thanks."

I grabbed a piece of a pickle, nibbled on it and left.

I caught up with Taylor and we talked briefly about me getting lost and about the race. He was very encouraging.

"See you at the end. We should get done by six!"

My goal time was around ten and a half hours, but that was out due to my dreadful mistake. But if I could finish in 11 hours through the adversity, that would be a huge accomplishment.

I am not sure where it came from, but it was something of beauty. I began running faster and faster. I came upon another runner.

"What race are you doing?" he asked.

"100K" I responded.

"Great, am I going to have to race you to the finish?" he asked me.

"I guess so!" I quipped as I jumped over the side of the trail and in front of him.

I put the hammer down and pulled away.

I saw the finish line in the distance. It felt like I was running sub-six minute pace!! I crossed the finish line and it was over!

Kristi was there to congratulate me, as always. While disappointed that I got lost, I was in total shock at how well I was able to finish off the race. That last charge secured my spot in the top ten of male finishers. 12th overall in eleven hours and some change.

Aravaipa Running put on another amazing event. If you want to experience the rugged desert and all that it can dish out, this race is for you. I am already looking forward to returning next year! Who knows, maybe I can go under 10 hours.. Aim high!!

Thank you for the support- Aravaipa Racing Team, Pearl Izumi, Feetures, Honey Stinger and Kristi!!

For a race filled with so much talent, I am beyond proud of what I was able to accomplish. I feel like getting lost showed me what I am capable of. In a strange way, I am glad I got to experience that.

It proves that when you feel like there is nothing left, there is more;

You just have to dig deep!!

Finish line fireworks! Photo courtesy of Kristi McCauley

Coldwater Rumble 52K

When I think about my venture into ultra running, the Coldwater Rumble has a significant chapter in that story. I finished off 2012 with a PR at the Tucson Marathon in a time of 02:54:01. I had worked so hard for that time and I was burned out. I wanted to run in the mountains. I wanted to soak in the scenery. For the love of God, I wanted to run on some dirt!!

I had heard about Aravaipa Running. I had heard the stories of the Coury brothers putting on quality races in the Phoenix area. So I went to the web and looked them up. I was blown away by the website and all of the races that were on the schedule. "Damn, this looks like a lot of fun right here.." I thought to myself.

The race I decided on was the Coldwater Rumble 50K. I had one 50 mile race under my belt and was excited to try out a new distance. The race didn't disappoint. I was astounded by the organization of the event(s) and I had a blast racing on some good ol' fashioned DIRT!

I wound up coming in 5th place and it was at that moment that I realized that I wanted to put marathons on the back burner and focus on running ultras.

Last year I decided that Coldwater was going to be a regular event for me and I managed a 3rd place finish. I had an absolute blast battling with Bret Sarnquist and Michael Carson and was honored to share a podium finish with those beasts.

I have been fortunate to acquire some sponsors for 2015, none of which I am more excited about than being chosen as a member of the Aravaipa Racing Team.

As I set my sights on this years edition of the race, I began to think, "Wouldn't that be rad to win it. Win an Aravaipa event in my first race representing Aravaipa. That would be TITS!"

I mean, this was the race that propelled me into becoming an ultra runner. This was the race that gave me the motivation to do what I love and forget all the bullshit.

This was that race!

So I figured I was going to give it hell and worry about the repercussions later. I wanted to win the damn race.

My training went great until I decided to bash the side of my left foot on a rock the week before the race (Thanks for the invite, Gabe!). I think I may have suffered some nerve damage but that's neither here nor there.

After spending the entire week leading up to the race explaining in precise detail the origin of my foot pain to Kristi, we headed off to the Estrella Mountains. It was race day!

I hadn't noticed anyone that was crazy fast on the entrants list, but that rarely means anything. I figured there was going to be someone that was going to push the pace and I was excited for the suffering that was in store.

Time quickly ticked by and after a few pre-race pics it was time to line up. I laced up my Pearl Izumi N2's as Jamil went over the course directions. Giddy with excitement, we all hopped up and down like Chris Christie in the Cowboy's press box. Except less awkward. And minus the fondling of Jerry Jones, but you get the idea.

The countdown commenced and it was time to RUN!

My Aravaipa teammate, Michael Carson, shot some video as we all sprinted out of the gate. I much prefer getting filmed by him than racing him! I took the lead as a group of us hit the trail. I wanted to put myself in the front and build a decent lead from the beginning. Then I would relax and settle in. That was my plan.

There seemed to be some flaws in my plan from the very start. There was somebody behind me and he was getting closer. I was pushing a pretty hard pace. Too hard. Too early.

"I know I'm being an idiot right now.." I sadly thought, "I should pull on the reigns a little.."

So I backed off a bit and the runner behind me quickly caught up.

We ran side by side for a mile or so in complete silence.

"I feel like garbage already.." I thought to myself, "This dude looks like he's on a Sunday stroll.."

"Hey... You do a lot of ultras? I asked, breaking up the heavy panting.

"I've done a few. This is just a stepping stone to something else." He responded.

"A stepping stone to what? What is this guy talking about? Who is this guy?" I pondered

"How about you?" He asked

"Yeah... I've done a few." I responded, "I'm Sion.."

"What?"

"Sion. That's my name. Sion."

"Harold."

It was pretty clear that Harold was a man of few words and we quickly went back to sharing only the sound of our running.

Soon after passing through the Coldwater AS, I decided to let Harold take the lead. He was floating along the trail and making it look effortless. I let him pull away a bit for the next mile and focused on my breathing. Eventually, I worked through a rough patch and was back on his heels.

I could tell that his pace had already slowed and I was beginning to feel much better.

"Now is the time.." I thought.

I made my move and passed Harold. I put some pressure on the gas pedal and created a little gap. Ultra running is so much strategy. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I was taking that risk.

The next several miles were pretty flat but the wind was beginning to whip around quite a bit. I was cruising around a 6:45 pace and feeling outstanding. During every race, I remind myself to take in the beauty that surrounds us. I made sure to look into the distance and soak in the scenery.

The trail went up and down, in and out of washes. Rocks upon rocks and wind that continued to get more severe. I kept my pace locked-in despite the conditions. I couldn't see Harold behind me any longer. I figured that I was extending my lead, but as soon as I reached a high point, I looked back and there he was!

"What in the... This dude is for real." I mumbled.

The next segment of the race was filled with soft sand. The sand combined with the wind was sucking the life out of me.

"Dude is gonna catch up.." I began to think.

I made it to the Pedersen AS, refilled my handheld, stuffed a bean burrito in my mouth and bolted out of there.

Overall, I felt pretty good. It was knowing that Harold was close behind that kept me running an uncomfortable pace.

I decided not to fill my handheld at the Coldwater AS for fear Harold was closing in.

"I may regret this." I thought as I ran right past it..

I had four and a half miles to go before I got back to Rumble Headquarters. I had to milk that bottle.

I was getting excited to see Kristi at the turn around, so I punched the pace. As I neared the turnaround, Carson popped up as if straight out of a bush and began shooting some more film.

"Anyone else close?" He asked.

"There's been some dude on my tail the whole time.." I replied.

Well, you're good. You're running a smart race.." He encouraged me.

"Smart race?" I thought to myself, "I've run a terrible race so far.."

Soon I made the final decent into Rumble Headquarters. I swapped handhelds out and grabbed some more Honey Stinger chews from Kristi. I made quick work of my time there and galloped off, beginning the smaller loop.

In my mind, I had built a good lead. In my mind, I had several minutes on Harold. In my mind, I was wrong. Harold and I crossed paths as he made his way into the turnaround. I only had about a minute on the guy.

"Are you kidding me?!" I said aloud, "Who the hell is this guy??"

The beginning of the second loop had quite a bit of climbing for the first few miles. I pushed past the pain and hammered away as best I could. I put my game face on and focused all of my attention on breathing and maintaining a consistent pace.

"This is why you train, Sion." I told myself, "This is what you work for.."

I hadn't payed much attention to my time but I was clearly on pace to set the course record. On I went.

I passed through the Coldwater AS and kept on trucking. I had really fell into a groove. I knew that the final few miles were going to hurt. I was ready to embrace the pain. Embrace the suffering! Feed me! Feed my desire to feel pain!!

Then it happened. In a split second, it happened. And when it happened, I was quite sure that there would be no course record for me on this day..

I felt my legs buckle with cramps that would kill a small child. I screamed in agony. I was forced to a complete stop. My eyes welled up with tears from the shear pain I was enduring.

"For the love of everything sacred on this earth, make it stop!!!!" I cried.

I felt my right hamstring and there was a bulge the size of a softball beating like a heart. I slowly began limping forward and the left hamstring seized up, forcing me to collapse to the ground.

I lay there looking up at the beautiful blue sky, wishing I could just go a few more miles.

I forced myself up, back on my feet. I staggered forward a few steps. The pain was incredible. It was so intense. It felt like the muscles in my legs were literally going to rip right through my skin!

"Oh God.." I moaned.

I looked up and there were a few people on horseback coming my way.

"You alright?" one of them asked.

"Yeah, just some cramps. I'm almost finished.." I said, as if everything was peachy keen.

"Okay.. How far have you gone?"

I looked down at my Garmin. "Thirty two miles.."

As I said that, I realized that I was almost done. Surprisingly, I was still in first place. It was time to run regardless of the cramps!!

I slowly started jogging and the cramps remained stagnant, but ready to pounce. I put my mind elsewhere. I thought of laying on a soft bed. I thought of a good meal. I love my life and I love where I am going. In the distance I saw the finish. I pushed the pace as I made the final descent into Rumble Headquarters.

I shot through the finish line in a time of 04:30:23, good for first place and the win!! For a course that is just shy of 33 miles on a windy day and some gruesome cramps, I am very satisfied with the result. Despite missing the course record.

Kristi was there, as always, smiling and telling me how proud she was. I gave her a kiss and smiled. I was happy that it was over.

"How do you feel?" She asked.

"I feel like shit.."

And I did. And I wouldn't have it any other way!!



                                       
                                     
                ~Check out this awesome video Michael Carson put together!

                           

Putting the game face on. Photo by Kristi McCauley

Team Aravaipa 2015! Photo by Kristi McCauley

I'm very professional when it comes to racing. Photo by Kristi McCauley

Get some grit!! Photo by Bret Sarnquist 

Wrapping up the first loop, asking myself; Why do I do this silly sport? Photo by Kristi McCauley 

To the victor go the spoils. Photo by Aravaipa Running

                                        "Running an ultra always seems like a brilliant idea,

                                                    until you are running said ultra."

                                                                      ~Yours Truly