Act I:
With a half hour of sleep being a generous estimate I was up at 3am sliding out an early poo, unusual for me in the pregame. All business and efficiency I set about greasing my entire body in running lubricant, standard running kit plus a couple of additional hacks to keep cool and sun protected. Now it was time to head to the start line for some athlete breakfast and nervous anticipation cut by friendly banter and shit talk.
These are the moments when time stands still but moves in the blink or an eye…
I have never felt such fear and trepidation before an event but here I was, just stick to the plan. I had told myself and anyone that asked for the last few weeks that a result of 29h59m59s is all I was after, anything else was a bonus. I knew my training wasn't sufficient but a couple of conversations in the days preceding planted a 24hour attempt in my mind…maybe, the main thing is to take it easy on the down hills early on and see how we are feeling. Take it easy, hike the uphills, don't get caught up in the crowd, run your own race.
The two things that came across as this biggest concern were the elevation and the heat, to add to this i had to watch my Achilles and right hip flexor so I wouldn't be caught dragging that leg for half the event and then the dreaded calf cramps that sporadically raise their head during events.
I was one of the first to arrive giving me the pick of the breakfast items. Juice and a muffin then slowly the rooms began to fill out, warm inside and quite brisk outside. I slowly moved amongst the crowd chatting to the runners, crew and organisers I had met over the preceding days as well as making some more last minute run buddies….then that iconic gate with its red digital glow began to reach go time.
Slowly the herd began to filter out into the elements to prepare for the ceremonial countdown and shotgun fire signalling the beginning of the long day out or, as they say, the big dance. I had joked the day before that there were that many Australians, we should hustle ourselves to pole position and block out the front runners with a row of Aussies but now it all gets serious. I shuffled my way toward the front of the corral as the countdown timer I had watched over the previous days lurched below the one minute stamp. Soon we broached ten seconds and the tradition of everyone counting down in unison, peak nervousness set in as I attempted to maintain composure and focus on taking it easy. The hard part is done, I made it to the start line, whatever happens from here is a bonus. Ceremony dictates a gunshot indicating the start of the event but I didn't hear it…
An easy run out of the gate, maybe one hundred metres and then the more than 4km climb begins, pull back to an easy hike straight away. So far so good, although a few times I feel my great rate rise so I try to calm myself internally and with deep breaths, more of that nervous energy. I immediately start seeing people I have met and, ever the clown, breaking the silence, calling them out and engaging lighthearted conversation, why is everyone so serious? Troy (Aus) flies past me, having known him online for almost three years now, I figure thats the last time I'll see him all day, Chris (Ger) comes up beside me and politely excuses himself as he sets his headphones and gameface on. I then spent most of the climb with Kaci (USA) and Simone (Aus) as very slowly the pack thinned out, before we hit the summit we would be jamming single file and prepared to shuffle down the single-track on the other side. Being mindful of the vistas of grand mountains and lake Tahoe in the distance I kept a consistent climb to meet the party at the top, with crowds and music I was sure to throw some shapes for the cameras with the rising sun shedding it's golden light on the day ahead.
Then it was on, once you hit that summit the gears shift, it's not a heavy descent but after the best part of an hour climbing, legs are eager to start running. What was mostly broad firetrail has now squarely set in on winding single trail overlooking valleys of pine forests and the occasional snow drift. Runners quickly set into race mode looking for lines and opportunities to pass or calling back of they feel you close behind with an urge to move through. I'm aiming to keep it easy and enjoy, although these are very runnable, fun trails. We cross some small remnants of snow and the first hints of wet feet with streams of the melt crossing the trail or coming directly down the trail, what would soon become a theme for the day.
Lyon Ridge is the first aid station the emerges from the wood at 10.3 miles or about 16.5k, looking back that was two and a half hours but it went by in the blink of an eye. I refilled my bottle and ate my way up the snack table grabbing biscuits, m&m's and fruit…wait, what was I here for? Volunteers call your number as you enter and again as you leave the aid station and off I went up the hill but caught the aid station captain at the last minute, someone I had met recently. It's always amazing finding a familiar face in these long events and this turned out to be particularly fortuitous. In my buffet excitement, I had failed to turn around and had completely missed the ice station, it was not yet hot but the plan was to ice early and ice a lot! He asked if I had grabbed ice and then ushered me back into the aid station, technically not something you are supposed to do once you have already cleared the checkpoint. He waved off the other volunteers concerns and I packed ice into my sleeves, running pack and a sock which I wore inserted into my neck gaiter. Now I was ready to continue, back to the climb.
More spectacular scenery lay before me with rocky climbs and dusty descents, playing leap frog with different runners or playing follow the leader in endless single file conga lines down switchbacks and passing the occasional photographer. The camera is always a fun part of an event, having some quick passing banter and playing up for the camera with a strong man pose or tongue out and throwing the horns.
Then before I knew it I was descending upon red star ridge and their forward volly was asking if I had a drop bag, an internal smile but an outwardly polite response in the negative I really felt it would be strange to have a drop bag so early in the game. Again I refilled my bottle, a sip of ginger ale, grabbed some snacks and gels and kept moving. I had already fine tuned, where they had standard thick GU gels I opted for the more watery version I had never tried before. They went down easy and I chose not to even wrestle with the thick, sticky texture or the regular offering.
Over the next twenty or thirty miles I would come in and out of range of Simone (Aus) who had helped me out with my bags a couple of days earlier and subsequently had us right place right time to meet Camille (USA). It was this section where I started to notice the length and grade of the descents. At first I questioned myself getting caught up in the conga line and having my speed dictated to me but I soon realised that you aren't able to take the descents easy, there is only two ways, you run the hills or brake the hills, either way your quads need to be primed. The aid stations are close but that terrain will catch you if you're sleeping. Then before I knew it, I had hit Duncan canyon, the last time I would see Kaci (USA) as she was shuffled away by crew. I packed ice, sunscreen, downed some decent food and from here it's a straight drop out of the aid station then into some long winding switchbacks where it really starts to heat up and you find some real creeks flowing across the trails.
The heat is often talked about at western states and this year was no different, however this didn't factor too much outside of my initial concerns. I don't know if it's the Australian connection, the 40 degree steamed up showers and baths I held every chance I got in the lead up or the kilo of ice I was carrying around at any given time during the event but at no point did I feel like the heat was irrepressible or that it was hampering my performance. I still made sure to splash myself in those streams when convenient. This next section did make me aware of my half hour of sleep the night before, everything else felt good I just had a little fade and wished for a little more sleep. Still too early for caffeine, hopefully it's just a phase…
I caught Chris (Ger) somewhere at the bottom of the canyon with a brief pass, I gave him a hoy but wasn't too sure how he was travelling. A lot of this section you are snaking into or out of canyons with pretty steep drops to your feet, at one point I waved another runner past, he caught a rock and almost went sailing down the side, luckily the damage was little more than pride and a face full of dirt. Back at the top the toll of the event was starting to show as I checked in with other runners who were largely silent, sometimes others must hate me when theyre in that pain cave and I'm asking how their event is going. I came across an American holding two hand helds in walk mode who said he had been throwing up and just outside an aid station Troy (Aus) came up behind me for a chat. I told him I hadn't expected to see him again and he said that he had to sit for half an hour as he was couldn't see or talk properly, I then watched him disappear in the distance.
Another party aid station came with crowds of people, music and fun, seeing a fresh tub of squirrels I dig my fingers in and must used at least half the jar between my legs and cheeks, that's like fifteen bucks back home! The ks seemed to roll over and I got a strong sense of the truly international flavour of the event exchanging conversation with Spaniards, french, Mexicans, Italians and more as I approached another canyon with a Mexican who seemed on the brink of pulling the pin. Keeping an eye on the time, I was well on track for that sub 24 hour and although those downhills were putting expected (but not well trained for) stress on, everything else was moving well.