Cursed Realm of the Faceless Ghost

Sapper Joe 50K

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Location:

Provo,UT,

Member Since:

Apr 07, 2010

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Other

Running Accomplishments:

5K - 17:11 (Cougar Run)

10K - 34:35 (Deseret News)

15K - 57:33 (Utah Running Club)

1/2 - 1:22:26 (Mountain View Trail)

50K - 4:22:31 (Sapper Joe)

Short-Term Running Goals:

Sub-2:45 at Saint George Marathon

Win the Antelope Island half marathon

Long-Term Running Goals:

I'd like to run the Angeles Crest 100 at some point. And I'd still like to go sub-4 at a trail 50k. Other than that, I'm open to suggestions.

https://www.strava.com/athletes/4808912

Personal:

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<iframe height='454' width='300' frameborder='0' allowtransparency='true' scrolling='no' src='https://www.strava.com/athletes/4808912/latest-rides/184689bbf831149f2053e60709730c07651232d3'></iframe>

I was a competitive cyclist for years. In 2009, after racing in the Tour of Utah, I decided I had plateaued as a cyclist--I could continue to improve, but I wouldn't break through to a new level. So, I started looking for a new challenge.


I thought that challenge would be mountain biking, but I'm a terrible bike handler. I married Catherine in January 2010 and a couple of weeks later I entered the SLTC Winter Training Series with her. A couple of weeks after that I decided I'd like to run ultras, so I signed up for a couple of 50Ks to get started.

Those first races came and went, with varying results. I was looking forward to running more and possibly pushing into the longer distances, but I injured my knee in June 2010 and I've never been consistently healthy since.

I started law school in August 2010, which meant less time for training. In June 2011, Baby Elliott was born, which meant even less time for training. But she's worth it. 

Baby Nora joined us in October 2013, with the same effect on training as Elliott (who, incidentally, is no longer a baby). 

I (finally) finished school in April 2014 and now I'm an evil corporate lawyer in Salt Lake. I have no illusions that I'll ever get back into the shape that I once was, but I'm perfectly at peace with that. I still have many goals to accomplish and many years in which to do it. 

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Race: Sapper Joe 50K (31.2 Miles) 04:22:32, Place overall: 1
Total Distance
31.20

Going into the race I wanted to break 4:30, which I expected would give me an overall win and a course record. I did, and it did. I'll have a full report up by tomorrow. For now, here's a picture of Catherine, Tigger and me with a tank and what may be my favorite trophy ever (I'm talking about the helmet, in case that's not clear). 

Now for the full story:

The race started at six in the morning, so Catherine and I were up just a little before four. Pre-race nutrition has been a source of problems for me as a runner, so I decided to do what I had done (seemingly successfully) before the Red Mountain 30K. Specifically, I ate a ton on Friday, capping it all of with a huge dinner, and limited myself to a banana and a couple of cans of soda before the race. I think that worked out for me.

We arrived at Camp Williams around 5:30, which gave us plenty of time to get our shoes on and use the bathroom. While we were hanging around, I met Jun (who I believe was the first person to comment on this blog). That's one of the best things about the Fast Running blogs--every time we go to a race, we get to meet in person people we already know from online.

Just before six we headed out to the start. I was jittery, as I always am before a race. In fact, I was more nervous than usual, because I had actually prepared properly for this race, and I was going into it with the expectation of winning. At the start line, I had a hard time not looking around and assuming that everyone there was faster than me.

Catherine and I lined up right at the front, next to Jun and Scott W., and a minute later the cannon fired and we were off.

I immediately settled in with a front group of three other runners. As we started the first climb, I found out that I was the only 50K runner in the group. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing, because it meant I was in the lead, or a bad thing, because it meant I was going out way too hard with more than 30 miles left.

As we approached the first brutally steep pitch, two of the runners with me started hiking. That seemed like a good idea, so I did the same, although I had left them behind by the top of the pitch. The other guy continued running and grabbed the 50 dollar bonus at the top, but he slowed down significantly after that, and by the first summit of the day (at about 4 miles), I was all alone in the lead.

The descent off the backside was a pain--so steep and rocky that I may have been descending more slowly than I had climbed. I've learned that my New Balance 100s generally do a poor job of keeping debris out on steep, gravelly descents, and today was no exception. At the bottom of the descent I stopped to shake a few rocks out of my left shoe, and while I was doing that a different 30K runner, who I hadn't seen before, passed me.

I put my shoe back on and continued along, about 200 feet behind the 30K runner, until all of a sudden he reached a clearing and turned around back toward me. Since I've gotten lost in every trail race I've done, I assumed we had made a wrong turn, but it turned out that the clearing (which was also the location of the first aid station) was simply a turnaround point for the 30K course. I continued straight ahead without stopping, and from that point on I was alone until the 50K course rejoined the 30K nearly 20 miles later.

(I'd like to point out that this was the most well-marked race I've ever run, and getting lost wasn't really an option. Every turn was marked with arrows on the ground and at least one sign, and there were ribbons marking the course every 100-200 feet for the entire 31+ miles.)

The next ten miles or so between the first and third aid stations were my favorite. Everything was cool and quiet as I wound through the valley and over the hills, surrounded my some impressive mountains I'd never seen before. I remember thinking that I should run there more often, but every mile or so I was reminded that that would be a bad idea as I passed another target range, artillery range, mortar range, or machine gun range. Clearly, the National Guard enjoys blowing stuff up.

Twice during this section I saw a runner in a white shirt on the switchbacks below me, but I could never tell whether he was right on my tail or 20 minutes back.

By the time I hit the third aid station, around 19 miles, my legs were starting to fade. Leaving the aid station, I hiked the short, steep climb to another summit and than suffered through a steep, rocky and punishing descent, all the while questioning my decision to wear such a light shoe on a run like this. At the bottom, the course turned uphill again for the final climb of the day. I knew that if I could survive the next 4-5 miles, the only think that stood between me and the finish was a long descent.

I climbed slowly but steadily, hiking several of the steeper sections but mostly running. Somewhere along the way I met back up with the 30K course and I enjoyed having a steady stream of runners to pick off and pass one by one. It blew my mind to think that they were 12 miles behind me.

I stumbled past the last aid station stopping only long enough to grab a few Endurolytes, and then it was on to the final descent to the finish. I had been out more than three hours by then, and since I still haven't done any training runs much longer than 2 hours, my legs were feeling destroyed. I wanted nothing more than to stop, but I knew there was another runner somewhere behind me, so I kept plodding along, looking over my shoulder every 30 seconds or so.

Eventually I reached the tunnel that took me under the highway and back to the base, and it wasn't until then that I realized that I was absolutely going to win the race. I crossed the line with a little more than 4:22:30 showing on my Garmin, nearly 20 minutes faster than last year's winner and course-record holder (this was only the race's second year).

Catherine was waiting at the finish, having had a good run in the 15K, and I was just happy to see her. We sat in the grass for a while and watched other runners come in, including the next 50K runner about 10 minutes later. Then we ate, picked up the award and headed home.

It was a great race. I'm sore today, but nothing like what I felt after the Buffalo Run. I'll probably be back next year to see if I can beat my time, but for now I'm looking forward to the next race. I've put my name on the wait list for the Logan Peak race, bit in case that doesn't work out, does anyone know of any other good races in the 50K range coming up in the next month or so?

New Balance MT100 Miles: 31.20
Weight: 0.00
Comments
From catherine on Sat, May 29, 2010 at 14:22:32 from 67.169.248.86

Great job! You're the best!

From jun on Sat, May 29, 2010 at 17:30:23 from 97.126.224.79

Dude, seriously. That was an unbelievable performance. I was stunned when I heard what your time was. You were really on today. Great job winning. Not sure if you know, but you but the guy who won the Bear 100 last year. He took second, like 15 min behind you. He is a really strong ultra-marathoner. Impressive.

It was good to meet both of you. You guys are great together. Glad you had a good experience.

From Rob Murphy on Sat, May 29, 2010 at 18:41:48 from 98.202.182.29

Congrats on rackin' up another W. You are taking quite well to this running thing. Keep it up.

From Twinkies on Sun, May 30, 2010 at 10:00:59 from 67.166.116.191

Way to bring home the win. I haven't ran that course, but that is an amazing time for a trail 50k.

From Snoqualmie on Sun, May 30, 2010 at 12:48:16 from 24.18.192.33

Congratulations!

From Aaron Kennard on Sun, May 30, 2010 at 16:02:25 from 69.18.151.138

I'm completely impressed! I haven't come across your blog until jun mentioned you winning this, and its awesome to see how fast you took up distance trail running. I used to be really into cycling too, but definitely not anywhere near cat 1 level.

I look forward to following your future training/races.

From Aaron Kennard on Sun, May 30, 2010 at 18:05:08 from 174.51.250.151

hey jun - wasn't that Geoff Roes who won bear 100 last year? With how many 100's that guy has won, that would put faceless ghost's race yesterday many more notches higher in impressiveness.

From Faceless Ghost on Sun, May 30, 2010 at 20:18:01 from 67.169.248.86

Aaron--there might be some confusion. I assure you I haven't beat Geoff Roes in anything :)

From Aaron Kennard on Sun, May 30, 2010 at 21:10:55 from 174.51.250.151

Well...perhaps jun may be thinking of a different race, because according to this, Geoff Roes won the bear 100 last year:

http://www.bear100.com/results.htm

From Burt on Sun, May 30, 2010 at 23:04:49 from 68.225.214.248

Nice job and nice outfit. Great report.

From Jon on Sun, May 30, 2010 at 23:28:56 from 75.169.153.160

Congrats- a win and a course record- can't beat that!

Not sure who Jun is referring to, but I'm sure Geoff Roes (who won the Bear last year) wasn't at this race.

From Little Bad Legs on Sun, May 30, 2010 at 23:39:51 from 67.170.153.203

Great job! Sounds like a fun race.

From Lily on Sun, May 30, 2010 at 23:54:39 from 67.199.181.73

Congrats! It takes great stamina to do what you did!

From Scott Wesemann on Mon, May 31, 2010 at 01:49:06 from 75.162.69.51

Wow! I'm really impressed with your race today. It was nice meeting you guys, but too bad we didn't have time to chat. I thought I saw you running back onto the base as I was driving out because I saw someone in orange shorts, but I kept thinking there was no way because of the time, but it must have been you. Congrats!

From jun on Mon, May 31, 2010 at 12:10:43 from 97.126.224.79

Maybe I was wrong about that guy winning the Bear last year. That is just what the race director told me. It could have been another year or another race altogether.

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