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| Yellowbell: Fritillaria pudica |
So I figured, it may take me twice as much time to finish the 2nd loop as it takes to complete the first. So if I just happen to finish the first 11-miler under 2.5 hours, then I would go on to the 2nd loop. If it's any slower, then I'd bail. The weather at least was supposed to be cool, like 50s at most, clouds and rain. That would be just right for me. Beyond the 60s and in the Sun, I'd succumb to the heat too quickly.
It rained all night but stopped in the morning. The hills were covered with the mist. The foothill prairie was unbelievably green, and the trail went into and out of puddles. Like we aren't in Utah! The first tricky slippery sections of mud were already there on the way down to City Creek, and on the other side it's got really gooey - the way it will remain on good 20% of the course today. I joked that it was like skiing of sorts. -Like UPHILL skiing, commented a fellow runner. Right, exactly. I am no stranger to that. I wasn't looking forward to faceplants in the mud ... not yet, at least :) ... so I kept the pace down in the most slippery spots.
City Creek valley below was so beautiful with the shreds of mist clinging behind green subridges. The downtown was melting into the fog - and so did the ridge of the antennas above. 3 deer raced along on the slopes of Ensign, and I could see the lead pack of the runners on the undulating trail ahead, but the ridgelines remained invisible. Next we were in the fog, too, making me worry about missing the Monument Peak turnoff.
But there it was, the steepest uphill section of the first 11-miler loop, up and up towards the invisible goal. I chuckled that it may be easier this time, now that we don't see how far is the top of this thing. Finally we were on the yellowbell meadows. No views around from this high ridge today, but I was pleased enough to see these modest spring flowers underfoot. The species name, pudica, is Latin for modest :)
The moment I crossed the ridge and started down the pipeline, the mist cleared, and I could see the start line way down below. Not my favorite section, this pipeline ... especially in this direction. Steep and rocky, then steep and gooey. I let several runners overtake me here, even some who I passed on the uphill of Monument Ridge. OK, the hard parts are over, just a little uphill from City Creek back to the East bench and - the time was like 2:26. Sounds like I gotta keep going, then?
The uphill to the start of singletrack traverse around Avenues Twins wasn't steep, but all I could do is walk ... still at a good satisfying pace. Once it levelled, it was a nice relaxing run all the way into Dry Fork. It didn't feel like much work and yet I was moving faster than the twice-the-first-loop-time prediction would have it. But of course there were major uphills ahead! In Dry Fork, the fastest runners were already on the way back to the finish line (this was one of the very few sections where the "fwd" and "rev" tracks overlapped). It was nice to exchange hoots and thumbs-up with them ... an understated version of spectator-support at work :)
A pleasant surprise at Huntsmans Cancer Institute support station! There was The Old Grizz, who jokingky refused to give me a hug, like, too much hair and mud on my body (I was running shirtless of course). Grizz told me that I was making good time, and I think it was true ... not merely an empty encouragement. I would so much prefer to see him on the trail, but if it just doesn't work for the beat up knees anymore, then I really gotta respect the willpower it takes to shake off the Runners High addiction. Best of luck on your bike, Grizz!
The Southern-most loop of the track zigzagged around Red Butte and returned to the aid station in less than 4 miles. I guess I just should have left the pack at the station, I never did use anything in the pack except for a couple pills of ibuprofen ... not even the water. But hindsight is 20/20. Now it was all the familiar tracks near my workplace. Traversing the lower slopes of Van Cott, crossing Red Butte Creek on the Stony Steps Bridge, and a gentle uphill to the ridge below The Furniture ... which felt surprisingly long and tough, this being the 19th mile of the run.
Down Georges Hollow to the pipeline and back to Huntsman's ... the route didn't deviate from the traditional track an iota, which meant that we had to cross the Natural History Museum construction site with all its mud. Ahh, what is a good run without a wee bit of tresspassing?
Back at the support station, the mood was turning festive homestretch. There is this huge mountain to cross ahead, or a little pesky hill, whichever way you call it. Been there before. Of course this time around, I resorted to walking up Deer Creek. And I had a feeling that I was DFL at this section. Where the Bonneville Shoreline Trail took a hairpin turn left and out of the drainage, our track coninued NNE along a faint gully-bottom trail, which was mostly submerged in a brook now. The people ahead of me either tried to straddle the creek whenever possible, or to cling to one bank when not. But being a tad crazy about a good splash, I didn't get out of the creekbed much. "Somebody up ahead forgot to turn on the hot water faucet", all I had to say to people I overtook there. Finally the trail exited to the left and hit the lower ridge of Black Mountain in ... ahem ... three easy uphills. The whole legendary climb barely took a dozen minutes if I recall it right, but it sure felt like work. Up on the ridge, I had nine people behind me at last. Of course half of them overtook me again as I hobbled down to the finish line, about two miles away now (actually from the race results I later learned that there were half dozen more racers further behind).
North wind was blasting the ridgeline track, and my fingertips were getting numb, but I had a little ambitious goal now, to finish under 7 hours. Yes you may laugh, but to everyone, one's own ambition. So I didn't stop to put on the darn shirt. At the BST junction where I've been nearly 4 hours earlier, the return track was marked to the right. Surprise surprise! A few uphills ahead! But it was a true homestretch all the same. A dog owner asked me, where did we start? "From the reservoir right there". Less than a mile away? I guess it really didn't explain our tattered look :)
The obligatory 0.2 miles beyond the two loops' combined 26 was down the sidewalk. Let's see. No blisters. No falls. No strained joints. 6:54. Not bad really!
For a moment I thought that the hardest part of the weekend will be walking this sidewalk back to the parked car. Or will it be dancing? We got two back-to-back milongas in the run up to UTango Festival, 6 weeks from now. Gotta wash off the caked mud, shave, and dance.
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| And then it was the milonga time... Rose Sachs Gardens, 4/26/09 |
