As I mentioned, 15 minutes to gear up to run was started the day off, but none-the-less I made due with what I could, grabbed a bottle of Heed and a clif bar and started out. I set myself up in the back of the group since I figured there would be relay runners going full out for the first laps, something I knew I definitely didn't want to get caught up in. It was amusing that I was so used to people instantly starting to run when the race started, but here, everyone simply started walking, then building into a slow jog and the group very very slowly started to spread out. Completely different than any other race I've done. Plus, people are talking to each other the entire time.

I quickly found two guys that had done ultras before who I met the night prior while setting up camp. I decided to stick behind them and do their pace. That single decision was probably the best thing I could have done and it taught me more in the first 3 miles than I could image. I would have been one of those stupid first-timers who would have attempted to jog the entire thing. As soon as we hit the first uphill, BOOM, they started walking... and so did I. Garmin was showing a 17minute/mile, so it was still a good pace for walking, but I would have been stupid otherwise and tried to maintain a 13-14minute jog pace instead. That early realization that walking was more than just OK in a race like this saved me.

I stuck with those two guys for the entire first lap, mimicking everything I could, when to walk, when to jog, etc. Plus it really helped to have good conversation to take your mind off the fact you've just started something that isn't going to end anytime soon. Within the first mile I had the true realization that "Even if you run fast, you're not going to be done any sooner than if you go slow... it's 24 hours... it's not like you hit mile marker X and know you only have to go .2 miles to be done"

At the end of the first lap my crew was there cheering me on, handed me another bottle of HEED and asked what I wanted next lap. I immediately turned around and started back out for another lap. Again, ended up with those other guys as they caught back up to me (I guess I didn't spend as much time as them before heading back out). By mile 10 my knees were already feeling the pounding of that brutal sandstone... I thought... wow, even at the end of the Sedona Marathon my knees didn't feel like they do already. I stuck with those guys again the second lap, one guy dropped back behind to pee and I finished out the lap with the other guy. Unfortunately having just woke up, my digestive system wasn't really functioning well during those first two laps. I tried forcing myself to drink my 8oz of HEED on each lap, and managed 1/4 of that clif bar by mile 10. Heed wasn't sitting well with me, whether that was from not being awake yet or not having food before hand I'm not sure. Towards the end of lap 2 I felt like I was going to throw up already. I know I say "Throw up or Die", but it was a little too early for either of those to happen.

So I switched over to Gatorade for lap 3, ditched the clif bar and grabbed some clif bloks and a clif shot to take with me. It was now around 9am and the weather was warming up, so I ripped off my black shirt and cold weather hat and put a white shirt and normal running cap on. The gloves came off and I had remembered I hadn't had time to put my calf compression sleeves on, so I put those on as well before starting out on lap 3.

I took long enough on lap 3 that those two guys were out in front of me, which was fine, but now I was alone. I kept the same tactics those guys had shown me, walk the uphill, jog the downhill and flats. The gatorade was going down well and I was finishing off the clif blok packet before the end of the lap. 15+ miles down and I now realized why people say "There are good hours and bad hours". Lap 3 and 4 turned out to be "good hours", laps 1 and 2 were definitely "bad hours".

Unfortunately those first 10 miles had put me into a hydration and nutritional deficit I was trying to come out of for the rest of the day. 8oz of fluid per 5.37miles was not enough to overcome that. The race finally got their unmanned aid station set up after I was done with lap 4. Their aid station was 2 5gallon water jugs, a bag of hammer gels, and two camp chairs in the middle of a horrible long downhill section of sandstone. My crew had cooked up some eggs and sausage for me, so I stopped and aid what I could of that after lap 4. I realize in hind sight that I should have spent more time and ate more of it. But I did use the port-a-potty, but unfortunately not to pee.

By now I've done 20+ miles and me knees are starting to bug me again. Those downhills on uneven terrain that's as hard as concrete was kicking my @$$. I remember thinking around this point... 20 miles... only 2 more sets of those for my goal of 60. I started having to put more water into my 8oz bottle at that aid station when I still had 2oz of gatorade or heed left. So I started being able to get 14oz of liquid each lap. Laps 5 and 6 were about as bad as lap 2, but at least I was able to eat and drink while moving now.

I pushed on, getting slower with each lap, by lap 7 I was now walking most of the downhills as well, but could still push on during the mile or two of flat that was there. I'd look over my buffet of nutrition after each lap, sometimes grabbing some doritos (wow, those tasted AWESOME 37miles into the race). I ate some ritz crackers... was eating 1/4th a banana at each stop... I realize now I needed to eat a LOT more though. I thought I was eating a lot, but no where close to what I should have been.

By lap 8 I was now having to walk the uphills, downhills and anything with sand. Leaving me walking about 5 miles of the 5.37.

After lap 8 (42.96miles) I didn't think I had much left in me. I stopped for an hour, cooked up a cheeseburger on the grill, sat down and tried to drink more and figured maybe an hour break will help me get some energy back. I started back out and was feeling good for the first mile. That burger really hit the spot. But then the sandstone came again and although I had the energy, my knees just couldn't take the pounding anymore. I was having to turn sideways slightly to go downhill, each step felt like it could be the last. At one point I realized if I stepped forward instead of to the side, I would have slid down a 5 foot embankment off the trail. I didn't even know that thing was there until I was about to step off the side. Talk about being mentally out of it. I realized it was around 11 hours into it and I was avoiding caffeine thinking I'd need it for after midnight. But I hit that unmanned aid station and was out of Heed in my bottle, so I got some water and put a Hammer gel in it that had caffeine... this lap took an hour and 55minutes to do.

I sat down at the end of that lap and talked with my crew. Was I really almost done at 43miles?! Pacers weren't allowed until 8pm, it was 6pm now. By the time I got back up and started off on lap 9 it was 7pm, the 12 hour guys were finished now. I was jealous. But I signed up for 24, so I had to do at least one more, no matter how I felt... I had to get back out there.

Lap 9 ended up being my last lap. I was posting 28minute miles on the uphills, and 23minute miles on the downhills. Every step was painful to the knees. Having to side step downhill most of the time, I felt like an out of shape 80 year old with bad knees who needed a walker to get through Wal-mart. I hit one flat section and thought... if this is going to be my last I need to see what I have left... I saw the Garmin show a 11:30mile pace, but I only managed to maintain that for around 100yards. I was having to throw my hips side to side just to make my legs move and try to minimize the impact to the knees. I figured not lifting my legs much would lessen the impact of coming down on them, so it was more like a guy trying to run without bending his knees than someone actually running. I finally had to pee! It had been 13 hours since I woke up and I just now had to pee?! That is not a good sign... and it was neon... like 1980s neon yellow.

2 hours after I started lap 9, I came stumbling back into the checkpoint/camp. It was after 9pm now, my headlamp was on for the last hour+. I had to decide... keep pushing (ie, keep walking up and down that sandstone that has caused all this) or prevent injury and make sure I don't ruin my tri season and training on an event where I simply wanted to see just how far I could go?

14 hours into it, I decided the rest of my season was more important and that with every lap I'd try after that would exponentially increase the risk of seriously injuring my knees. I threw in the towel... didn't know whether I was hot or cold, but sat near the fire and had a beer. I went over to the event tent and told them I was dropping out so they didn't think I died on the course and never returned.

I think I made the right decision... 48.33 miles in one day. My biggest weekly volume until that point had only been 40.63miles. I had managed to run more than my entire weekly volume in 14 hours instead of 7 days. I understand now why ultra runners post up 100+miles/week consistently.

I went hiking the following day in Arches National Park with my friends. I was in less pain, but still moving kind of slow. A 4 mile out and back hike past Landscape Arch out to Double O Arch reinforced that I had nothing left last night. If I struggled to do those 4 miles after having slept for 10 hours, I didn't have much left to give to the race, if anything.

Will I go back?... When asked on Sunday I responded with "maybe for the 12 hour", but now on Monday... I'm thinking I have a vendetta against that course and the fact that I only lasted 14 hours... so maybe I'll go for the 24 again, but this time I'll be ready.

Wake up more than 15 minutes before the start. Bring larger bottles of water when running. Force myself to eat more on the uphills. Keep my running pace slower when I do run. Figure out a way to land softer when running downhill and avoid the shock to the knees.

sat down, because walking was even hard at that point. Grabbed a beer because I deserved it.


It was my first ultra, I had no idea what I was going to be capable of. I woke up late, I couldn't eat and drinking upset me for the first 10 miles and put me into too much of a deficit. My knees were not ready for all the heel striking I was doing (most of my runs are mid/forefoot striking).


The tech t-shirt rocks! The single aid station was put out there after most people had done at least 2 laps. The unmanned aid station consisted of 2 5gallon water jugs, a big ziplock bag of Hammer gels and two camping chairs. They were really good about replacing the water and gels though. The course was marked with ribbons and at night they put out glow sticks which worked well. They were pretty good about sending their own guys out to run and replace/add ribbons/glow sticks. Overall I think it's a good event, but it's also my first ultra, but it makes for a good first since logistics are easy (hopefully you can do 5.37miles without needing their aid station since you have your own at the starting line each time).