"Event Name: Shafer Butte Endurance Run
Additional Info: Low-key ultra. Roughly 52 mile. Over 10,000’ of climb on the route that is a mix of trails and multi-use forest roads at elevations between 2,800’ and 7,500’. No entry fee, no medical aid, nor any formal communications. The course will not be marked, but"
But what? What else needs to be said? No entry fee? No medical aid or communications? Not even course markings?! I had been to one other Fat Ass style event before, the Capital Peak Mega Fat Ass in Capitol Forest, WA, and both years I did it, the course was pretty well marked and very well organized despite being a club-style run with no entry fee. For this run, I was prepared for a mostly unsupported run where I would be carrying my full pack with 2-liters of water and all the food and clothing I would need for potentially ten+ hours in the mountains.
This would be my last big training run to prepare for the Big Horn 100 in two weeks. My goal: Run a casual pace that would allow me to remain fresh for the entire event and finish feeling like I could go back out for another 50. Possible? Yes. But my track record in the 50 mile distance has not been exactly comforting, mostly due to not maintaining my nutrition properly, but also a nagging pair of tendonitisized knees from all the overtraining I did last summer. So... I wanted to run/walk at a pace that would allow my knees to survive as long as possible over at least the 50k distance, and then, if I felt good enough, go for the 50 miler. Risky? Maybe, this close to my first 100. But I needed to take care of a couple things. I needed to know if my knees were going to be able to handle it and I needed the mental confidence booster of putting down a solid 50 miles without feeling completely hammered, knackered, and shot by the end. And that's exactly what I did. Bring that 100 mile shiznit on man cause I'm ready. I haven't been sore at all since Saturday's run. How is this possible? How could I cover 50 miles on foot with 10,000 feet of climbing in 10 hours, 20 minutes and not even be sore afterwards?
Stay tuned, my naughty monkeys, for I shall reveal my revelations in my next post. Muhahaha. MuHaHaHaHaHaH! MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Overlooking Boise
This section of trail was about an hour to an hour and a half from the start and must have had 5 or so susustained pitches of trail that were at 30+ degrees angle within the 2-3 miles we covered.
Bogus Basin
This is what a 50 mile dog looks like. Yes, I got beat by a pooch. Sadie and her runner, Andre finished about 15 minutes in front of me.
No comments:
Post a Comment