Luke Nelson

Thoughts, pictures, vids, links and other randomness from a happy wanderer.

[slukenelson]

Long Run Favorites - Summer 2020

As the northern hemisphere slides into summer, I thought it might be helpful to share what I am using during my long runs. It is interesting to me to find that I trend to a very similar kit for local long runs essentially every time. This will very somewhat if the weather is questionable or I am headed in to the alpine. Recently, in times of COVID, I have been doing all of my long runs close to home, or even from my front door. They have been ranging from four and half hours to six and half hours. Let’s dive in.

After the run, I went inside and rinsed off and put the kit I used on the table. Here is a shot of that kit. Here is a breakdown:

Patagonia Duckbill– this is my go to headwear. Super light and comfortable all day.

Zeal Optics Incline– Great looking and better fitting sunglasses from Zeal optics. They are made from castor beans and are biodegradable.

Patagonia Capilene Daily T- I do alternate between the capilene lightweight and daily. On very hot runs I have been leaning towards the daily since it does not dry as quickly and helps keep me a little cooler. When I am concerned about staying dry, capilene lightweight is the go to.

Patagonia Strider Pro 5” Short– This short is the standard for long distance shorts. It has 5 pockets to handle whatever you may want to carry. Has a very comfortable liner, and is just short enough to allow unrestricted mobility while running.

Patagonia Slope Runner Endurance Vest– This vest was the product of years of work and refinement done while we worked on the High Endurance Kit. It fits like clothing, carrying all I need for a long run or a full day running in the alpine. I carry two 500mL flasks in the front, and the rest of my kit in the back of the vest. There is no bouncing and no rubbing. It is amazing.

La Sportiva Jackal– The Jackal has become my go to shoe for very long runs. It fits slightly looser than my absolute favorite the Kaptiva, and also has a little more cushioning which comes in very handy when putting in the long miles. The shoe fits very well, and locks my foot in place even on rowdy downhills. The outsole is quite durable but still sticky enough for technical running. When I head to the alpine or am focusing on a very technical route with scrambling, or when I am running shorter runs I run in the Kaptiva.

Suunto 9- The watch didn’t make it in the picture because I never take it off. I wear it as my daily watch, for every training session and I even use it to track my sleep. It has incredible battery life, often lasting longer than a week without need to recharge. I love adding routes to the watch which makes it an incredible tool for navigation. The app it syncs to can be really useful to help find common routes for running, hiking, or biking when in a new area via a feature called Heatmaps. The App also makes it very easy to create a route then load on to the watch.

GU Energy Labs– On long runs I often start with two flasks of Roctane, Lemonberry is my favorite! Add in a couple of the energy gels, often a mix of roctane or normal, a stroopwafel or two, and some chews to keep the variety of fuel. I shoot for 150-200 calories an hour for top performance during long efforts.

Jaybird Vista– These wireless earbuds are used everyday for me. I love using just one bud, either in the right or left ear, to listen to books, podcasts or music. They have great sound, great battery life and never fall out!

Katadyn Be Free– This amazing little water filter fits the flasks that I usually carry and allows me to refill from streams along the way. It makes it was easier to stay hydrated without carrying a lot of water.

Inreach Mini– I often run where there is little or no cell service. I see this device as an essential tool. Not necessarily to call for rescue, but as a communication tool with my family. It has come in quite handy a couple of times when I have come upon injured hikers and bikers where the only way to get them out was with this device.

First Aid/Emergency Kit– After years of being in the mountains I have learned that having a few items in a kit is worth the weight. I carry an emergency bivy, some tape, whistle, fire starter, bandages, a few meds, Numask CPR shield, clot dressing and a voile strap that can work as a tourniquet. This little kit goes with me when I run, climb, ski, or whatever else I am doing in the backcountry.

Next time I head on a run to the Alpine I’ll snap some photos of my kit and share that here. I also plan on sharing some more about the new Patagonia High Endurance Kit and the process of developing the best kit for long alpine runs. Stay tuned!

[slukenelson]

Motivation

Mike Foote pondering motivation during a tough patch on the Three Col Loop, Nepal.

To say that we are living in interesting times would be an understatement. The current COVID-19 pandemic sweeping across the planet has been surprisingly disruptive to the majority of the planet’s way of life; classes cancelled, businesses mandated to close, employees working from home. A society forced to distance. As the crisis swept over our lives, the endurance and mountain communities were impacted in a way that few anticipated, races and climbs were cancelled. Initially, the events were few, but that number rapidly grew until the first half of the year was basically erased. Runners and climbers alike bemoaned the loss of goals. Many took to social media to express the remorse for all the work that had been done for nothing, now that the target had been removed. During a phone conversation with my Coach, Scott Johnston, the question of motivation was discussed. We talked about what we observed, on social media and elsewhere, that athletes had been reacting in various ways, some completely abandoning training, others no longer had the desire to do hard work. “What is the point,” many asked, if there is no race, no summit to chase. 

Over the following weeks, that phone conversation weighed on my mind and I thought of my own motivation. I, like many others, had an event cancel. I had put in a wonderful training block to prepare, and yet when it was canceled, I did not feel like anything was lost. Of course, I would have loved to toe the line, to have gauged the fitness and to have experienced the test, but I had no regret. On a subsequent conversation with Scott, he asked, “what should we do with the fitness from this block?” The answer, that came instantly to my lips, surprised me, “nothing”, I said. My desire was to simply continue to build. To continue to work on the craft I have chosen to dedicate a significant portion of my life to. I did not miss out or waste training simply because I could not race, I had made a better version of my athletic self. I had simply engaged in the process. While listening to a recent podcast one of the hosts asked, “are we trying to be an action or a result?” This struck me as the core of my motivation. I am trying to be the best version of me, not a place in a race or a person on a summit. Certainly, goals along the path can help gauge progress, but, for me, they do not define it. 

In these trying times, when many of us are limited with how we express our physical self, I see an opportunity to discover the core of motivation. Why do you practice the craft of moving in the mountains or running trails? What is it that gets you on the treadmill run intervals when you are forced to shelter in place? I know, that for me the motivation lies in the process. The constant, relentless pursuit of improvement. I choose to be action, not a result.

[slukenelson]

Multi-day Nutrition Tips

Over the last couple of years I have been doing more running adventures that take multiple days. It has been a difficult learning curve as I have experimented with various strategies for equipment and fueling. Last year the crew at GU Energy Labs worked very closely with me to develop a nutrition strategy for a multi day traverse of the former Bears Ears National Monument. You can learn about that process and strategy over on their website: https://guenergy.com/nutrition-tips-fast-packing/

[slukenelson]

Mother’s Day Ode to my Partner

This photo could speak volumes for me. The amazing woman in this picture is Tanae Nelson, and we got married almost 16 years ago. In those nearly 16 years we have had crazy adventures to South America and Europe. We spent countless nights sleeping on the ground, in tents and generally vagabonding around the western US. We shared pow days and icy days as we snowboarded and grew together. She worked while I went to school. We got a dog, then we had kids.

Adding kids to the equation changed things. Tanae became a mom, and she excelled at it. Perfect, no, but incredible, yes! She handles the stresses of family life with grace and serenity. She is way better at being a parent than me.

Tanae as a mom and my own mother, have a lot in common. Both have been unrelenting in their support of my and my efforts to achieve my dreams. Both have laid awake at night wondering if I’m ok as I run, climb, or whatever on some trip on the other side of the planet. Both have made my life better as they love and nurture me. Moms sure are awesome, and really should be celebrated everyday, not just on Mother’s Day.

The reason I shared the picture at the top of this post is the reminder of the adventurous woman I fell I love with and have loved for over a decade. It’s not easy to keep a relationship functional, and we had had our fair share of tough times. But this, this moment of Tanae riding a camel in Namibia, a trip she took solo to meet her friend, reminds me that regardless of how hard it is to make it through the day, that this amazing soul has my back and I have hers. And well, that means we can make it though any day.

[slukenelson]

Trying to Catch Up- Discrete Cirque Series Snowbird

It is near the end of November and I am barely getting around to updated the website about this race. I jumped in to the Cirque Series race in August as a chance to put in a hard effort, with lots of vertical, as final preparations for Nolan’s 14. I knew the race would be a barn burner. It has a good prize purse, is short enough to be accessible to all sorts of freaks, like road bikers, road runners, nordic skiers, etc. Driving down the night before I was super excited to be able to mix it up with a bunch of speedy folks and to gauge where my fitness was after training hard all summer.

The race itself went amazingly well for me. The pace of the front was blistering and I was almost immediately dropped in to the chase pack as the leaders flew up the service road that was the first ascent. I knew that if I could keep in the mix until the course got steep and technical on Peruvian Ridge that I could make some moves and get closer to the front. It played out almost exactly as I imagined and as we climbed the ridge to the top of the tram at Snowbird I moved into 3rd or 4th place. There was some back and forth as we worked across to Mt. Baldy and the technical descent into Mineral Basin gave me another chance to move up again. Through the tunnel and one long fast descent to the finish. I was in third and chasing as hard as I could, trying not to look over my shoulder. My training had not included running super fast and it was pretty tough to keep the turnover cranking all the way. Despite being an old ultra runner, I managed to hold on to 3rd place! I spent the rest of the morning cheering in runners, hanging out with the crew from Jaybird, Sunnto and Zeal.

Anders crushing the cargo net in the kids ropes course.

I was very fortunate to spend the rest of the afternoon crushing the summer activities at Snowbird with my family. We rode the Alpine slide, mountain coaster, obstacle course, high ropes course and finished watching the sunset from the top of the tram. When we snuck into the restaurant at the base right before closing, and the kids started to fall asleep before we even ordered, all I could do was small at how fortunate I am.

The rad crew at Jaybird made a killer video of the event, check it:

[slukenelson]

Bear 100 Video

At the end of September I ran the Bear 100. It was only four weeks after completing Nolan’s and frankly I was still wrecked. My training had consisted primarily of recovering from the monster effort at the first of the month, and I had only run 18 miles the entire month. Interestingly, I was not intimidated by going in to the race as many would consider ill prepared. Mentally I was on a different level than I had ever been before. The monumental effort it took to complete Nolan’s re-calibrated what I knew I was capable of. I went in to the Bear with no expectations of racing a certain time or for a certain place. I simply wanted to finish the race so that I would have the appropriate Hardrock qualifier. Tanae and the kids came down to crew me during the race, for which I am extremely grateful and my friends at Jaybird came and made a film about it. I hope you enjoy:

[slukenelson]

Beyond the breaking point

Jared Campbell taking in the sunset on La Plata

I tried to escape the fog that has shrouded my brain since Nolan’s and write a few thoughts about the hardest things I’ve ever done. You can find them here: https://www.uphillathlete.com/nolans-14-record/

[slukenelson]

Day 7/12: My Favorite Things

Day 7/12: I tried several times to get a picture of today’s favorite, but I failed. So instead of showing my Jaybird freedom earbuds, here is a nice picture of running in the desert. I regularly listen to music when I am training, wireless earbuds that stay in place and are comfortable are awesome. The Freedoms are worth checking out for sure.

I have tried dozens of headphones, most of which wouldn’t stay in my ears when running. Through an interesting series of events I was able to try out a pair of the Jaybird Headphones. It took some tweaking, but once I dialed in the fit (over-the-ear, with wings) I was hooked. I didn’t think that a wire bothered me too much, but when I cut the cord and it worked, WOW! It was a major improvement.

If you are looking for gifts for loved ones, particularly those who enjoy music and exercise, check these out.

[slukenelson]

Day 6 of 12: My Favorite Things

Day 6/12: spending long days in mountains requires some good eyewear. Zeal Optics function perfectly, are made from materials that are kind to the planet, and they look dang good too!

Right now my favorite pair of sunnies is probably the Ace. They are amazing sunglasses that are completely biodegradable. Think about that for a minute, a pair of sunglasses that are not bad for the planet! Worth checking out for sure.

[slukenelson]

Day 4 of 12- My Favorite Things

Day 4/12: you’d be surprised how much I think about food when I run. When it comes down to is food is fuel for our body and I tend to crave what I need. Patagonia Provisions has played a major role in fueling my trips, recovery, and even day to day life. My current favorite is the fruit bars, but the black bean soup and breakfast grains come in a close second.

I have taken the Provisions on trips all over the globe. The bars have saved me during long flights, long runs, and long waits. The soups are super easy to cook, and taste great plain or dressed up with fresh vegetables, cheese, or whatever else is handy. The salmon products are delicious and so filling. Finally the new breakfast grains are the just the thing to start your day off right.

[slukenelson]

Days 2-3 of 12- My Favorite Things

Oops, I missed posting yesterday. Day 2/12 I mentioned my appreciation for Black Diamond Headlamps. I often run early in the morning or late at night and these lights are critical. I have a bit of a quiver that I use. The specific light depends a little on what or where I am running, how long I’ll be out, and how much light I’ll need. My three favorites are:

The Iota: This is a tiny headlamp that packs a ton of light. I love keeping this in my pack for long days, you know, just in case. I also use it when I need a light for the first part of a run, but not the whole thing. Finally, it is my go to light to use as mandatory gear in races that require a light be carried.

The Sprinter: This light is the big brother to the Iota. This light had a little larger battery and a blinky red light on the back. I love this one for urban runs, or when I need light for longer. It is rechargeable which is rad since it gets a ton os use.

The Icon: This is the light when the run goes all night or I need to see very clearly and well ahead. My go to light for hundred milers, technical runs and beyond. I have a customized version of the Polar which brings the battery off of the head. The light burns bright and long.

Day 3 favorite thing is the Patagonia Houdini. This is one of the most loved and used pieces of gear I own. The Houdini has long been a staple in my running and I rarely leave home with out it. It weighs only a few ounces, stuffs smaller than my fist, and is just enough protection to get you out of the mountains when the weather goes south. You can get more information about the Houdini by heading over to Patagonia.com (There is even a video of my talking about my favorite jacket there).

[slukenelson]

Day 1 of 12 of My Favorite Things

Day 1/12- Running really doesn’t require much, but it really helps to have good shoes. My go to shoe for day to day training is the @lasportivana Helios SR. I have worn this shoe to run and race all over the world and it is one of my favorite things for getting in the mountains.

The Helios SR is a light, nimble mountain running shoe. It has just enough protection for rugged mountain runs while maintaining good trail feel. The sticky rubber really helps in a technical terrain.

To find out more about the Helios SR go to: http://www.sportiva.com/men-s/men-s-footwear/helios-sr.html

[slukenelson]

12 days of Christmas 

I have been thinking for a long time about how I could share my appreciation to the companies that support my running. Today I decided that sharing a 12 days of Christmas gift ideas would be a way to thank them and help our friends and family with some holiday shopping. So stay tuned starting tomorrow for 12 of my favorite things.

[slukenelson]

Fortunate

Last night I had the incredible fortune of watching the northern lights out of the window of the plane as we flew over Greenland at 31,000 feet. When I happened to glance out the window as I struggled to sleep, to my amazement, I saw the incredible flickering green light dancing across the sky. For about 45 minutes I sat mesmerized with my head pressed against the window. A couple of times I glanced around the plane to see if anyone else had noticed nature’s light show, but everyone seemed to be asleep or glued to a screen. The lights faded into the distance and I settled back in my seat, the sleep that I was hoping for did eventually settle in, but not before I had time to ponder the lights.

I sat there, glowing from the experience, and at the same time was sad that those around me had not been as fortunate as I. Nothing prohibited others from seeing what I had seen, yet they hadn’t. The experience passed them by. A strong sense of gratitude filled my being. Gratitude for the experience with the lights, gratitude for opportunities to travel and see the world, gratitude for life. I thought of all those who support me as I chase dreams around the planet. The cornerstone of that gratitude rests on my wife, Tanae. I know of no other woman as amazing as she is. She supports my training and ambition, she put me through school, she tends to the needs of our children, and she puts up with me. I am so fortunate to have her in my life.

There are so many others in my life that make possible what I do: my parents, friends, family, and the companies that believe in me. I sit typing these words in the Amsterdam airport, en route to Scotland for another Skyrunning race and I can’t help but smile. Thank you to those who support, love, and help me to continue living the dream. Please take a minute to put down the screen, look out the window, and look at how amazing your life is . Don’t let the lights pass you by.

[slukenelson]

In the Midst of It

Training in the Tetons. Photo: Luke Nelson

Several months of very focused training and preparation, weeks spent preparing the body, thousands of miles of running, and now I find myself in the midst of it; race season. I started working towards these events in October, but the preparation is made up of years of training. I have been working with my coach, Scott Johnston of Uphill Athlete, to do all I could, to be as ready as possible, to perform my best.

After a season of mostly adventure running last year, I felt a strong desire to compete and to see how much more potential I could tap into. I reached out to Scott to help and we have been doing the work.

I raced the Whiteface Skyrace in July as a check-in race. I raced well, but found some areas in which I could improve. We adjusted training, focusing on weakness. I find that most of us tend to focus on what we are good at, and there are certainly gains that can be made with that type of focus, but they are limited. The fastest way to progress is to work on what we suck at, and that is hard, because we aren’t good at it.

I raced in Tromso, Norway a few weeks ago. It was one of my “A” focus races. It went well, not perfect, but well. I had an amazing experience there, and learned more about myself as a runner. I was also humbled by the competition and the terrain. I found more that I could improve on as I develop my craft as a mountain runner.

In less than 24 hours I will toe the line at my first Vertical Kilometer race. I have wanted to do one for a long time. I like running uphill, and am psyched to compete with some of the best in the world at The Rut. The day after the VK I will be racing the 28k skyrace. While it may be a shorter race than I have focused on in the past, I know how difficult the terrain will be and know that I am ready to have a great race.

A few weeks later I will head to Scotland to race the Glen Coe Skyline race, the next stop in the Skyrunning World Extreme Series. It will be a test of physical and mental strength.  A Few weeks after Scotland I will head to Flagstaff for the Flagstaff Skyrace. I can’t say what the exact outcome will be, nor can the other incredible athletes that I will be competing with. I can say for sure that I will be having a ton of fun running in some of the purest mountain races on the planet and I hope the other runners are doing their work. I want a good fight.

[slukenelson]

Responsible in the Mountains

Matt Irving living on the edge.

Several months ago social media outlets exploded in outrage about the passing of a runner during a race in South America. The reaction really bothered me. I spent a lot of time contemplating the accident and how it relates to the current state of ultrarunning. I wrote my thoughts, then re-wrote them. I bounced ideas off of friends and finally asked Meghan and Bryon at iRunFar to allow me to post my thoughts. They went live yesterday. Check them out here: http://www.irunfar.com/2016/06/with-whom-lies-responsibility.html

I would be interested to hear you thoughts, comment there or here if you have something to add to the conversation.

[slukenelson]

Going South- Part 2

I finished an amazing run up to Angel’s Landing to be greeted by three kids on a tail gate eating oatmeal. Normally, they would still be sleeping, but today they were excited to get on to the next leg of the journey. They work early and started packing so that we could meet up with Roch and Catherine for some time off the beaten path.

We struck camp, got loaded up and then walked over the the visitor center from our campsite to check of the girls’ Junior Ranger badges. Ever since the very first visit to the park with them several years ago this has been a requisite. There was a mass of humanity around the visitor center and lines for everything, except the Junior Ranger desk, which was a relief. Before long we were loaded in the truck headed up Grafton Mesa to find our compatriots. We had brought the truck to make it possible to take the road less traveled, and although the road to Grafton sees plenty of traffic, it takes a high clearance rig to get up the road. We bounced our way to the top and had no trouble finding the turnoff where we would meet our crew.

Mid-afternoon Jam Session. Chloe rocked a solid blues performance accompanied by Roch.

After setting up camp again there was time for lots of short hikes, trail runs, exploring, and even an hour long jam session with Chloe and Roch headlining the event.  Brynlee and I went out for about an hour long run, at her request.

Brynlee getting her trail run on.

It was super rad to see her psyched on using her own two feet to see this part of the world. Great food was the theme of the evening and once again early to bed, weary from the days adventures.

Par for the trip, I was up before the sun getting my run in. I ran off the mesa down to Rockville and then managed to work my way back to camp linking up mountain bike trails that fortunately went where I imagined they would. Back at camp, a quick breakfast and then once again packing up to and heading to what I expected to be the best part of our trip, the Grand Canyon.

Chasing the Synchro through the desert.

There are lots of places to visit the Grand Canyon. In this case, we were relying on the guidance of Roch and Catherine and headed to Toroweep. Again, the truck came in handy with 60+ miles of dirt road, including some pretty rowdy low speed 4×4 driving. We followed Roch in his Synchro, and after a couple hours of driving we were literally on the edge of the canyon.

Roch showing the girls the rafts working their way through Lava Falls.

It would do it a disservice to try to explain what it was like for the family to see the Grand Canyon for the first time in this remote, relatively untouched section of the canyon. We spent time getting history lessons on the canyon and the river from Roch, about the geology and landscape from Catherine, and allowing the kids to simply roam in a wild place.

Stars dot the sky as the full moon lightens the horizon on the rim of the Grand Canyon

The next morning Roch and I trotted out of came well before daylight, and made our way towards one of the few places you can penetrate the rim and descend to the river.

Desert plant life is aggressive, beautiful and delicate.

We worked out way down through geologic time and as the sun kissed the upper canyon walls, we reached the river.

A young Barrel Cactus grabbed my attention on the descent to the river

It was incredible for me to be sitting on the scouting rock for Lava Falls, with Roch, who knows so much about the canyon and it’s river history. We spent 45 minutes discussing the route through the rapid, how it changes at different flows, and hoping there would be an early party headed down the river.

Roch explaining the finer points of running Lava Falls.

Unfortunately none came, so after ceremoniously dipping in the river we began the ascent towards the sun, the rim, and out camp beyond.

Keep in mind a trip the the river is serious business.

  The wild bunch, wrangled together only once for a quick picture.

A couple hours after we had said we would return, we trotted back into camp, and once again began to break camp. My heart was full of melancholy as we packed the tent and stove, this would be the last time we would strike camp for our spring break adventure. We had experienced so many amazing places and things, the kids were hitting stride with being outside, dirty and a little feral, and I was sad to see the trip coming to an end.

Family photo on the rim of THE canyon. An image that will long be favored.

We parted ways with Roch and Catherine, and headed to St. George to visit our the Thatchers and spend a couple days in St. George before heading home. It was strange to be in the hubbub of the city after camping for the last week, and both Tanae and I almost immediately longed to be back in the solitude of the Canyon, the Mesa, or  simply the wild desert. We would have gone, but we couldn’t pry the kids off of the trampoline our out of the pool. We embraced the moment and joined them.

Another pre-sun departure found me on an adventure in the Sand Hollow/Sand Mountain area knocking out one last long run to put the finishing touches on a 120 mile training week. As I got back to the house I was relieved to not have to pack a camp and drive, we played the rest of the day away and the next morning made the long trip home.

One final note, 10 days of adventure in the desert and the Yeti still had ice!