Spokes

The crew at the start I woke up and my legs felt amazing! Staying off of them and the CBD seemed to do the trick because I was barely sore and felt super fresh for the day.  I knew it wouldn’t be an easy day as we would be climbing 2,000 feet right from the start over the first 5 miles. Just like in Stage 4, right from the start, Morgan took off. The first 6 miles involved a 2,000 foot climb up a 5-7% grade paved road. I trailed behind Morgan for several miles and let him have some space, but I pushed to keep up with his pace. I was gassed a few times but was able to fall back into stride. Around mile 4 there were some switchbacks and they reminded me of Lookout Mountain back in Golden which I had done all winter in training. “You’re at home Tim! GO!!” I picked up the pace and went past Morgan. He was right on my heels as we made the first turn. I pushed a little harder. He faded back a hair. Rounding the next turn I was out of sight for a little and I sprinted hard and t...

I woke up sore in the morning. Breakfast wasn’t until 9AM since it wasn’t a race day, so I took some time to chill around camp. Josh and Melissa were still there so I got to hang with them for a bit which was awesome. As a bonus, I got to shower up in their camper. I swear dirt just ran off me in rivers as I washed my long hair and feet. There were several options of things to do during the day. There was a stream close by with a waterfall that some people were hiking to. With my legs so sore I decided to do all I could throughout the day to rest them and rub them down with some CBD cream. I hopped a shuttle down to the Colorado River where several people were heading for the day. There was a tent down there with lunch and some drinks. Since I had been alcohol free for a few weeks I decided to drink some bubbly water and wait for the race finish to have a real beverage. I was still feeling good, but my legs were sore and I was already thinking a lot about the marathon. It was kin...

I slept a little better last night, but still not great. I was super nervous about the Stage on this day. 8,000 feet of climbing, 43 miles. The first 37 miles were all mostly uphill. Morgan had been talking about this stage all week and I knew that this is where he was hoping to make his move and try and buy back time. I knew full well that 30 minutes could easily be overcome on a day like today. My plan going into the day was to play defense. Say on Morgan and not let him get any time back. If he ran, I would run. If he walked, I would walk. I had to remind myself that vertical was my strength. The steeper and longer the climbs, historically, the better I did in races. I was still nervous for the day though. We were graced with some cooler temperatures on this stage. In the high 80’s and overcast, it was a welcome reprieve from the stage 2 days prior. My group started an hour after the first wave, and like expected, Morgan didn’t waste anytime getting to work. He was running uph...

Day 3 Another restless night’s sleep in the tent, but I was able to drag myself sheepishly out of bed around 5:45AM. Today’s stage was the shortest of all of them at 9 miles, and I was looking forward to a shorter run and a day of relaxation. Since it was the sprint day, I threw on my running ‘jorts’. Not sure if they help me go fast, but they definitely make me poke pun at myself and lighten the mood. I grabbed some light breakfast and coffee and made sure my running gear was packed up for the stage. I didn’t really have a plan for the stage, other than continue to keep tabs on Morgan who was only about 20 minutes down in the overall. I did have a thought that if the trail looked runnable that I would hammer it out after the first mile or two. Morgan and I  The start We all started together on this stage. The first mile was a gradual climb back up the road we finished yesterdays stage on. The pack of runners was tight up the hill. The leaders were all together and the mood w...

Getting ready for the day The sun rose and the camp began to stir with activity. Breakfast was at 6:30 and the first wave of athletes would head out around 8:00 AM. My wave would be 30 minutes behind the first wave. I had a lot of time to think throughout the night as one of my tent mates sawed logs and my earplugs only muffled part of the sound. My plan for the day was to go SLOW. Move steady, hydrate and eat. I would let go of any desire to keep my leader status and just let the race unfold in a way that kept me healthy. Stage two was close to 40 miles and completely exposed. There was nowhere to get relief from the hot sun so I knew that it was critical to stick to my plan. I was dressed in a long sleeve white shirt, shorts and my white hat in an effort to keep my skin cool. Stage 2 Start The stage started off mellow. The leaders were pretty much together although the Morgan (the second-place guy) ran up the trail a little ways. I was with a guy from Florida named Mike. Mike had...

The Gonzo I rolled out of bed around 6am. I slept pretty good for being in a hotel room. I showered and got dressed and made my way over to the racer hotel for breakfast and check-in. At the hotel waiting for the bus The hotel was buzzing with activity. We were all cheery and ready to get this show on the road. I ordered a small coffee and some toast and made my way out to the busses which would take us to the starting line in Fruita, CO. The bus ride was about 90 minutes or so. I made a few new friends while we all chatted about different races we had done and what excited us about Desert Rats. There were 35 athletes or so on the bus, so it was a great crew. Chris and I on the bus The bus finally pulled up the dusty road to the start of the Kokopelli Trail. Unglamorous, like a scene out of a movie, the desert loomed out in front of us with arms that wanted to suck us into nothingness. After some photos, another bathroom break and slathering on sunscreen, the 30+ racers and I wan...

I could feel a bead of sweat drip down my back as I drove home from another long day at the office. I looked at my car thermometer. The temperature outside was 87 degrees. Inside my car, the temperature was hovering around 110 degrees and the heater was blowing hot air into my face. I was less than a week away from the Stage One start of the Desert Rats 150, one of the historically hottest stage races in North America. I had been training since December for the run and it was almost go time. Cramming in all the heat exposure I could was essential to preparing my body for the elements. Sitting in a hot car was just another component of training. In addition to big weekly run mileage, I was working in hot baths where my core temperature would reach 102 degrees, 90+ degree day runs in layers of clothing and some passive sun exposure. I took the week leading up to the race catching up on sleep and getting my packing list down to a manageable size. For the entire 6 days, I was all...