Bryce 100

    Back to work after two week vacation, needless to say I have a pile of work to catch up on and a pile of crap to put away. Somehow in the midst of the post vacation madness I will attempt to write up a race report for the Bryce 100. Why Bryce 100? Well I didn't make it in to Western States again this year nor did I even have a chance to make it into Hardrock, so why not do a tough and scenic race in Utah? Des and I always wanted to do a Utah trip, lets throw a 100 mile race in there somewhere.
    Bryce 100 is slated as a one of the most scenic 100s in the country (I am inclined to agree), it is a out and back on the Paunsaugunt Plateau right outside of Bryce National Park, it boast 18000ft of elevation gain all at an average of 8000ft - 9000ft of altitude. On paper it looks like no huge climbs but more like a bunch of roller hills, the pictures and videos posted online looks like a mix between running ridgeline through hoodoos, grass fields and lots of trees.

   Doing a 100 mile race in the middle of a two week vacation presented challenges I never had to deal with before a big race. Not only does one have to pack for two weeks of living in hotels and cabins but I needed to pack all my essential gear to be used during the race. The start of the vacation we visited Las Vegas for two days, while we had an amazing time my stomach did not with all the beer and buffet food. Next we were off to Zion for two day of cabin living, Zions rock formations, weather and accommodations were amazing, I was sad to leave but it was time to head to Bryce and get my race prep going. Ahhh.. Bryce! If I could recommend only one place to go in Utah it would be Bryce, the views are awe inspiring and top notch. Four days in Bryce, two for tourist duties and two for racing duties.
   At about 5:15am I hopped onto a crowed school bus on my way to the start line, short drive to the start line, where I mingled with other runner and stayed warm by the fire pit. The start of the race was very uneventful, we were warned that it would be very cold during the night hours of the race, I shed my coat, ate a GU, counted down from 10.. We were off, I notice two runners up front that took off like bullets so I settled in the chase pack of about four other runners. The first 10 miles of the course were a lot of fun (helped that my legs were still fresh) we went up and down several draws, just rolling at a good comfortable pace and taking in the scenery. We made our way through some amazing hoodoos and rock formation along hill tops, I think to myself 'if this is how the race is going to be I've died and gone to heaven'. I do remember going down a switchback section telling myself this will be a bitch of a climb on the way back. There are positives and negatives in running an out and back course; you can mentally prepare and map out what you need to do and what to watch out for on the return trip, but you can also sike yourself out by remembering the tough parts that lie ahead.

PC: Lucid Images

   At aid station 1 (Thunder Mountain) I believe I was in forth or fifth at the time, I quickly downed a GU, filled up with Gatorade in my soft flask, turned on my SPOT tracker and headed out. Miles 10-18 I don't remember too well, just a lot of gradual uphill's and cows, yes cows! It was reminiscent of White Bull but big cows instead of bulls. I was running with a nice fella originally from Montana who had bigger balls than me and was kind enough to put his life at risk by running directly toward the cows and scaring them away. My hero..
   Aid station 2 (Proctor) is where I meet my beautifully pregnant wife for the first time, she informed me I was in second overall.. Second overall!? Huh.. How? I should be in forth I didn't pass anyone.. any who, bladder filled, Carbo Pro downed, I ate bananas like a monkey, ate another GU, thanked volunteers and peace out. The only way to sum up miles 18-28 is climbing! Lots and lots of climbing, it got so bad at points I had to use my hands and rock climb up to the trails, to add insult to suffering there were parts of the trail that were so overgrown with grass and thorn bushes it tore and sliced gashes into my legs, ah yes what's ultra running without sacrificing some blood to the trails? I was running low on water and it was starting to heat up. Somewhere along the end of this stretch I got passed by another runner who was very focused on running fast, tried to make small talk but didn't get much from him. How did Bryce go from beauty to beast? When will the suffering end? Blubber Creek!
   Mile 28 aid station (Blubber Creek) was a quick and pretty uneventful aid station, I filled my bladder back up and got what I thought was Gatorade in my soft flask (later turned out to be what I think was a chalky mess of Heed or Tailwind?) Thank the volunteers who informed me the trail was off to the right after the Subaru, sure enough single track after the Subaru. The section from mile 28 to 36 ended up being some kick ass single track with easy rollers and breathtaking views! Thats what I'm talking about, Bryce in all its glory. As I'm in running bliss just clicking off the miles, another running passed me, wait, didn't you just pass me coming into the last aid station? He informs me he missed the right turn at the Subaru, and that this was the second time has got off course, he then proceeds to leave me in his dust. Running happily in third place now yet another runner catches up to me, this time was a nice fella who chatted with me for a little while till he was sick of running my slower pace, fourth place..

   Don't remember Mile 36 aid station (Kanab Creek) very well at all, I think I was just so focused on making it to mile 41 (Straight aid station) that I just dumped the fake Gatorade out and filled up with real Gatorade and went on my merry way. Mile 36 you depart the amazing views and run down fire road all the way into mile 41, I remember running this section fast (well fast for 35 miles into a 100 mile race, its all relative) and making up some good time.

    The beautiful site of mile 41 aid station! (Straight Canyon). Desirae, Brett, Trey and Billy, it was like a reunion, it was tough for me to leave this reunion, but the race must go on. More Carbo Pro, bananas, GUs and it was off on single track through the beautiful fields of Straight Canyon, although the fields did not last long and the single track dumped into fire road. The fire road went up, up and up, I made good time alternating power hiking and running up the fire roads all the way till 0.5 miles to the top of Pink Cliffs, where the fire road turned into a straight up uphill scramble to the top (Simi people... Haggerty hill anyone?). After the grueling climb up to Pink Cliff I was rewarded with one of the best views of the course, it took my breath away (or was it being at the highest point of the course 9400ft) and into the Pink Cliffs aid station (mile 47).
    What goes up must come down right? Mile 47-50 was all downhill fire road and I took advantage with pushing the pace, mile 50-51.5 was a slight downhill on single track underneath the Pink Cliffs. While the views were amazing in this section some of the single track was washed out by creeks and interrupted any flow I tried to gathered up. First place past by me about a mile out from the aid station, I was waiting for second and third to come but next thing I know I'm at the turn around (Crawford Pass mile 51.5) Not only were Desirae, Brett and Trey there waiting for me so was two other runners, one was sitting in a chair drinking a beer while the other was contemplating dropping out or continuing on.

PC: Derrick Lytle

   "Eat some real food" Desirae demands of me, so I eat more bananas, a Nutella roll (amazing), and a turkey roll (who the hell put mustard in my roll?) Carbo Pro, Gatorade and of course Brett! Its always redeeming to pick up a pacer, off we go making a Go Pro video, crap are we going the wrong way already? Realizing our mistake really quick, we turn around and hop on the single track that takes us under Pink Cliffs. UP the fire road to the top of Pink Cliffs (now in second place), sharing the amazing view with Brett and making good time on our way back down the scramble section and fire roads to meadows that lead to Straight Canyon aid station (now mile 62). Wow 10.5 miles with Brett already done? I guess miles fly by when your having fun, no worries I will see Brett again later in the race and now I get to run with the legend that is Trey Barnes.
   Heading out of Straight Canyon Trey and I had a long fire road climb up to mile 67 Kanab Creek aid station, I did my best to run as much of it as I could but I was in a low patch and probably walked a good portion of this section. It was a pretty uneventful climb to mile 67 but Trey made for good conversation and time flew by fairly quick like, next thing you know we are at the Kanab aid station.

  Kanab Creek (mile 67) to Blubber Creek (mile 75) is where things got exciting again, back to amazing single track overlooking some amazing hoodoos and rock formations, this is what ultra running is all about! My watch was dying so strapped on a new one, despite some gear changes I was making good time through here, all good things must come to an end and that end was Blubber Creek aid station.

   Filled back up with Gatorade, bananas and GU, I quickly headed out to try and beat the sun. We donned our headlamps a few miles out of the aid station as some technical downhill's and bushwhacking reared its ugly head. Scratched myself up some more during this tour through the bush (although it didn't seem as bad on the way down as it did on the way up), I thought I was making some pretty good progress on the downhill's until I started to trip myself up all over the place. After almost falling on my face and almost twisting my ankle, Trey made me slow down, walk and catch my breath before continuing on. 78 miles on my legs and we had to climb down some sketchy rock section of the course, we were at the point in the race were the miles just crawl by, every mile starts to feel like an hour, I was feeling down on the downs.. After some powerwalking back up a nice climb I had a little redemption jog all the way down to Proctor aid station (mile 84).

    A howl in the night coming into Proctor along with the familiar howl of Brett in return, but unfortunately no Des in sight. The shuttle was not running to the aid station at that point in the night, so Brett had to hike his way in and Des smartly opted her way out, the woes of running too "fast" I guess. To add insult to the situation Trey had to run/walk his way back 3 miles to the car after running 23 miles with me. All that aside I knew everything would be okay, I had a 5 hour energy shot, a short hike up and the rest would be almost all downhill into Thunder Mountain aid station (mile 92). Biding my time as the miles slowly tick away I alternate running and walking knowing I was comfortably in second place (or so I thought).

   "Smelling the barn" "Taste the finish" or so they say, I was really just smelling sweat and tasting GUs. Regardless we were at Thunder Canyon aid station (mile 91) and there was "only" 9 miles left to go, 9 miles of a constant rollercoaster of ups and downs, no sweat at least it was fairly smooth single track. Enjoying what scenery we could take in with our headlamps and hiking up the last big ascent of the race I look back down the hill to see a red light coming up the hill below us. Oh hell no! There is no way I'm letting anyone pass me with 8 miles to go, I inform Brett that third place is closing in behind us and got down to business. I ran the last eight miles fast (well fast for 92 mile legs), I sprinkled in a couple walk breaks here and there but I ran almost the entire section to the end. I was running scared and I kept glancing behind me on the trail, I didn't talk much at all at this point because I was focused on a fast finish. After what seemed like an eternity we spilled out on to a fire road for the last mile, where Brett and I sprinted to the finish line (7 min/mile). Ran into the howls and familiar cheers of Des and Trey, and whos this!? Its CJ! My son and wife waited for 2 hours at 2AM in the dark and cold to watch me finish in a time of 21:45:37 good enough for second place overall!

    None would be possible without a great group of people who supported me along the way, so big thanks to Desirae for crewing me along the way while also crewing our baby boy in her belly, you have become an expert crew person, yet another reason among a list of many why I love you so. Thank you Brett and Trey for your countless hours of running with me, keeping me sane, entertained, hydrated and pointed in the right direction, beers on me! Thanks to the RD Matt Gunn for putting on a flawlessly run event and to all the volunteers who spend countless hours at aid stations to cater to us needy runners, you are very much appreciated! I once again live up to moniker of quicksilver and I'm okay with that for now, but who know what the future will hold. Until then a beer to celebrate and another trail to run..