[642] Grand slam and Wasatch Front 100

I had not written much.  After Western States 100, Wasatch was my next biggest huddle to get over.  I was not even remotely confident I had it in me to do the grand slam.

By any measurement, Wasatch is hard.  I read about it and I watched enough Youtube videos.  There is not enough training one can do to have the experience running at 10000 ft high and climbing 24,000 ft of elevation especially near where I live near sea level. 

I was concern about running in the high elevation.  I spoke with couple people in my running club who has gone to Wasatch before.  Some went out a few weeks before. One gave me the statistics of how long it takes the body to acclimate.  And he basically said, I could show up Wednesday and I would be fine.

I took a gamble, since I don’t have two weeks or even one week. Hotel cost would add up quickly.

My crew and I arrived in Salt Lake City two nights before i.e., Wednesday night.  Looking back, I wish I arrived a week earlier since I traveled for Labor Day anyway, so the cost, was only couple more nights for hotel.  I think the best place to stay at would be Brighton, which was at 8000 ft. 

Our location at Layton (near Kaysville) was not bad (3000 ft).  It was actually a blessing since it was actually only 15 minutes from the start and 30 minutes from the airport.  It was about 90 minutes from the finish.

The next day we dropped off my drop (supply) bags (I packed some change of clothes and socks, and warm clothes). I had three, for Big Mountain, Lambs Canyon, and Upper Big Water. I did not have one at Brighton because I would have my crew there. I have my crew at Big Mountain and Lambs too, but these two locations are too important, if my crew missed me, I would be screwed, (too cold to run without night gear).

  Then we went to couple places on the race course, including the start, Lambs aid station and Brighton aid station. Because each location was far apart (like an hour or more), before long the day was over. We did not have enough time to check out Big mountain, Alexander, Washington Park or the finish, or do a small training run at Bontiful B etc.  Having three more days would have been ideal. We also did some shopping beforehand.

I was blessed in that, a guy I met at a local running club  referred me to his friend, Sean, who would be my pacer at the race.  I would not able to have a smooth race if not for my team of pacers and crew.

The night before, we went out for dinner at a Korean BBQ, which was a first for me at 100 mile race, but it provided me ample of calories.

It was my first time meeting my pacer. Sean fed me well.  Sean had met Caroline, my crew chief, prior in former running events.

Sean asked what things I think I would need and he would provide.  I said I could not find my winter running gear (cap, and gloves), so he brought those along.  It was not too cold but at night it did get cold enough. Those gloves and cap kept me warm.

Next morning was the race. We woke up around 3 AM.  Note the race is unusual that the start time was on a Friday (and not Saturday).  Weather was typical good, blue sky, with very little wind.  We showed up an hour before 5.  I had a can of Cambell soup for breakfast.

There were very little fanfare, no race briefing, no music, no celebration.  I did not know who was the race director until few hours into the race at an aid station called John Grobben’s Shed. Some old timers filled me in about the lores and factoids.

We staged at a parking lot by the trailhead.  I started in the rear as typically. It finally sank in of how tough the course was as I started climbing the first 8 miles.

My friend Wayne also ran.  We were pretty much together in the early phase until Lambs (9 pm).  He was a stronger runner and I did not want to hold him back.

We climbed the first eight miles with no sight indicating the end. We actually knew where the end was because we can see from the parking lot up toward the radio/radar station at the peak.  It took us several hours before we arrived there. 

As we climbed, I can see those who could and who couldn’t do it around me.  Of course, the front runners were strong.  Those in the mid pack too were strong.  Wayne was part of that group.  I was at the tail end, like the last dozen. And we could see everyone were all walking up, and not just normally walking, but extremely slow one step at a time.  Even then, some had to double over to breath from time to time.  I was blessed with a strong body that I did not need to stop but maybe twice. 

The attitude was affecting some.  Some seemed unable to go on. You could see they started to lose their footing as fatique set in. I asked them to take a break and they did and they let me pass.

Once we got to the ridgeline, it was easier. The trail was wide and we  all starting running in an easy trot.  I ran with Mary from Washington, a runner my friend talked with before the start.  She was strong and I had no doubt that she would finish.  We passed some older folks and arrived at the aid station together (John’s Shed, RD). The race director was there serving us drinks. Mary then took off running, but I needed more time to catch my breath. I wouldn’t see her again.

The rest of the morning and early afternoon, the race course took us up to even higher mountains, like at Session Take Off. The scenery was something I only have seen in movies, like in the Lord of the Ring or The Sound of Music.  It was stunningly beautiful.  We felt blessed being just a few of us given the chance to run across those mountains.  The race motto, 100 miles of heaven and hell. We were in heaven.

We climbed one peak after another.  The Big Mountain was the last summit before we descended to the first crewed aid station also named Big Mountain AS.

My crew, Caroline was waiting for me as I arrived.  She probably was there the last 8 hours. I reached it at 3:45 pm.  I would not see her again until 9 pm.

Wayne, a fellow friend and runner had arrived probably 10-15 minutes ahead of me. He was still there when I arrived.  Wayne initially suggested he would pace me from mile 70 onward at Brighton.  I was hoping for that too, but our race pace was too different.  We were not sure who would arrive at Brighton first. In the end, I gained like 45 minutes ahead of Wayne, so the plan was not workable. By the way, Wayne provided me his pace chart, and I used it.

I left the Big Mountain thinking I had everything I needed.  Apparently the afternoon was hotter than expected. Future, Wasatch runners, day time is Hot!  Big Mountain is Very Hot! I finished all my water in a mile or two after I left and I was still hungry and thirsty.  This was like 13 miles, which took me like 5 hours to get through.  I regretted I did not stay long enough and sufferred while out on the trail.  I rewatched some youtube videos, they said one should not rush through the first crew aid station at Big Mountain.  Indeed. It was my mistake.

I took my frustration out on my crew. One thing I needed and failed to receive enough fluid and food before I left.  I was calorie deficient, not having been eaten much because the distance between earlier aid stations were 10-11 miles apart, so I did not have the recommended calories (300 per 20 minutes, equivalent to a gel pack, 3 packs every hour). Basically, I have not eaten the whole day. A crew station is a place to get some real good food.

While the trail from mile 30-45 was generally runable, I was not having fun.  Once I reached Alexander, the Aid station before my next crew location at Lambs, I sent a list of tasks to my crew, also, I was a bit ahead pace (an hour).  I would like my pacer to know that.  My crew chief arranged all that while I was at Alexander.

I arrived at Alexander with Wayne again. This time I stayed awhile to get enough fluid in me as well ate my fill. It was my second mistake of eating too much in too short a time that I did not feel good by the time I left.  From Alexander to Lamb’s Canyon is generally runnable.  I was targeting to arrive Lambs by 8 pm.  However, I was too full to run.  Sun was setting and it was cooler now.  So I arrived at Lamb’s after dark at 9 pm.

I met up two fellow grand slammers (Berg and Eli).  Eli is a stronger runner, but he was cramping up. He said he stayed over an hour ar Big Mountain.  He had expected to pass Lambs an hour or two ago before nightfall but now caught in the dark without a headlamp. 

I lended mine to him since I carried two (one from the morning, and one I just picked up at Big Mountain).  I usually use two on my run. I knew I was a slow runner and had expected to arrive at Big mountain at 7pm and Lambs after 10 pm, so I needed all the light early. Eli was grateful. I might have saved his race.  Imagine he had to descend 2-3 miles to the aid station  in the dark, but I am sure he could have double up with another runner, but sometimes that is still hard.

At Lambs, my crew and pacer were ready for me.  I was tired but they got me ready for the night.  I had blister forming on one of my toes. My crew (Caroline) cleaned up my feet and taped it. Sean got me plenty of food and drink. I put on an extra shirt and jacket for the night. We were then on our way.  I felt proud, we only used about 10 minutes. My crew took care of my cramping. The leg cramp did not come back at all, even after I finished the next day.

From Lambs to Brighton was just one humongous climb, like for 9 hours. It was good having a pacer.  Sean kept me engaged.  At each aid station he took care of my needs before attending his own. He helped keeping my stop at the aid station to as short as possible.  We reached Desolate Lake I think, and the aid station had a nice warm fire going and five or six runners were sitting around. We could not stay too long.  Sean reminded me to go.  He got a coffee for me and we headed off.

We continued to climb until we reached Scott (?) Pass. It was the highest point in the race, I think.  I did not remember much afterward.

  There must have been a long descent.  At times we passed other runners.  There was (#87) he kept with me all the way using me as his pacer.  It bothered me when someone constantly hiking behind me, but since he did not want to pass, over time I accepted his presence.

Initially, my goal was to reach Brighton by 6 am.  While nearing Brighton, I was doing mental math in my mind, and noted I needed to run  33.3 miles at every 12 hours.  So by 5 am on Saturday, I should have reached mile 66.6.  I felt I needed to reach Brighton, mile 69.6, by 5:45 am, in order to be on pace.  So Sean and I picked up our pace.  We reached Brighton around 5:35. I told Sean, I had to leave the station by 5:45.  (my watched was 5 minutes fast, so I think I left actually left at 5:40). I only used like 5 minutes.

I had expected my crew to have my stuff ready for me at Brighton.  There was a miscommunication because my crew never knew I needed help and what kinds of help. 

As I came in the station, my clothes, a change of socks, were in the crew’s car.  It was too late to grab them.  I wanted to fix my feet because it seemed more blisters were about to form.  Sean did what he could, he made sure I had enough food and fluid before I leave. Whereas about my feet, I just had to tough it out for the final 30 miles. My crew said it as much since I need to make cutoffs, I must go.

This I knew, but in gamer’s term, I was tilted (mad/frustrated). It was a fire raging in me for much of the day for the next 9 ish hours.

I had expected the last 30 miles to be easier.  I did not check the elevation chart.  I knew we had one big climb.  We did.  Ant Knob aid station too had a very big climb and apparently that did not show up on the elevation chart.

I reached Pole Line.  Pole Line too had a decent climb.  And it was way farther than I anticipated like 3-4 miles longer.  It might have been in my head and I was getting tired.  From there to Decker was about 11 miles. It was known as the Dive and Plunge.  For fast sub 24 hour runners, this was a dangerous section.  Even in day time, it was hard running downhill, because one misstep would mean plunging many feet down the mountain.  I reached one more aid station at mile 88. 

By then, I started worry that I might not have enough time to reach the finish before 5 pm.  It was 1:30 pm. I had 3.5 hours for the final 12 miles. The math was very hard to do in my head at the time.  I knew I needed to run to make it.  Earlier in the morning, I could go at 21 min pace and still would finish.  Now, I had to go at 17 minute pace.

I wanted to reach the Top-of-the-Wall (final 8 miles) by 2:30 pm.  That means I needed to do 4 miles in 45 minutes. The sun was very hot at this time. Everyone around me was running. I sprinted down with them and arrived at 2:15, meaning I am in the game.  Caroline was there waiting to pace me of the final 8 miles. I did ask, but did not expect that she would since she had a slight injury. I had expected the last 8 miles to be on the road but there were 3 miles of trail left and we had some serious descending (maybe 1000 ft or more). I was afraid the trail might be too hard for her. Caroline seemed to have a blast of time.  I just followed.

It was final a relief when we arrived at the aid station 5 miles out. We had 2 hours left on the clock.  By now, we knew, we could walk and finish.

I did not want to walk, fearing the course might be longer (some 100 mile races are 104 miles long). Caroline assured me not this course.  The last five miles were on the road but we had rolling hills, with a net down hill run.  It seemed forever before I saw the finish line.  I finished at 35:27. Happy to have it done.

We had a small gathering.  I did not know that # 87 finished after me. Eli finished couple minutes ahead. I thought I was the last grand slammer to finish but there was another who came in after me.  Berg was still at the finish.  Wayne had dropped at mile 92, unfortunately. He met us back at the finish.  The race closed at 5 pm.  I went and collected my drop bags. There were food out but I did not feel like eating.  The race officials were friendly. A few came by and chatted with me.  Berg and I went to collect our grand slam trophy and had our photos taken.

It was surreal. I did the grand slam. It was an incredible run.  My phone blew up with many cheering messages. I had it on airplane mode  most of the time until I had finished.  Some had followed my journey since Western States.  Some followed my live tracking the whole Saturday and night before.  I was cutting close to cutoff at some point, giving many of my followers a scare. We all breathed a breath of relief once I crossed through the finish line.

I accomplished only a few (14) had done this year. A lot people run a 100 miler but only a handful went for a grand slam (in a given year).  Nowaday, there are so many type of grand slams, but this one is the original and contain 4 of 5 oldest 100 mile races. So now my name is entered into the grand slam list as runner #418, listing along with many who were/are much more accomplished runners than me.