Map of the 2011 GTTRR course weaving through the Rockies
If you are not familiar what the Gore-Tex Trans Rockies Run (GTTRR), think of a cycling stage race and you start to get the idea. Over 6 days and 120 miles, teams of two run together through the Rockies, starting in Buena Vista, scaling and dropping back down Hope Pass, passing through Leadville, climbing the bowls in the ski resort of Vail and descending down into Beaver Creek to finish. No easy task.
I had been preparing for the GTTRR months before it would take place; putting in the long runs, the big miles. I knew it would be a long week of racing with the Pikes Peak Ascent occurring the day before, making it about 135 miles in 7-straight days of racing (and that is without warm up or cool down or any other type of after-hours running I might get talked into). All was going great, including a course record at the Summer Roundup 12k Trail Race in Colorado Springs, CO, until that little sensation in my tibia told me it was going to get worse if I didn’t stop. I will name our little sensation “Tibi” the stress fracture (and that is not what I was calling it when I was going through it. I was using much more harsh names like #&*@$er and %$*#head! Yeah, that bad).
So, the next six-plus weeks included little-to-no running and lots of aqua “running” (I don’t like the term “jogging”), elliptical and cycling workouts. Talk about monotony! Actually, the cycling wasn’t too bad as I was actually getting somewhere. After little help and direction from doctors, I monitored Tibi with the knowledge and advice of our newest Colorado Springs PT, Simon Gutierrez (thanks for the expertise Gute, the next race is mine!). I tested the leg out with a run to the top of Pikes a week before the Ascent and it held up. Tibi didn't show its face....or crack, or whatever.
Unsure that I would even be competitive come race day, I set off with the lead group and pretended I was going to do well. To my surprise I found myself running smooth to a 2:27:24 and a 7th place overall finish. A place higher than last year and only 45 seconds slower. What would I have run if I was actually training!? I couldn’t complain, though, considering the circumstances. The best part of it all was the leg held up.
After the Ascent awards ceremony, Alex Nichols, who also ran the Pikes Peak Ascent, and I (no longer competitors but now teammates) drove through the thunderous storms with our support crew and fans, Nora and Martin. With the GTTRR welcome BBQ and registration over with before we arrived, we drank good beer and ate dinner at Eddyline Brewing Company in the small town of Buena Vista and discussed our race strategy. Not knowing how the race would unfold, we were very conscious that it was a long 6 days and anything could happen. Just coming off the Pikes Peak Ascent, we agreed to stay comfortable the first day.
Stage 1 – The Opener – Buena Vista to Railroad Bridge - 20.9 miles
Stage 1 Profile with deceiving uphill finish
Comfortable is NOT what I would call the manner in which the first stage went out. FAST, is what I would call it! It seemed like these dudes were running a 10-mile trail race the way they were pushing the pace in the first few miles! I guess that is what happens when you have really fast road runners and track guys. We were not prepared for that at the beginning of a 20.9-mile stage so we hung back with 2010 Run3 champion, Justin Ricks, who gave us a lot of good advice which set us at ease (the Run3 option is a 3-day solo run of the first three stages). Justin had beat all of the solo runners as well as all the 6-day teams last year so it made us feel much better about letting those teams go.
This first stage was a hot one with deep sand that lead you to believe you were at the beach and an amazingly (mentally) difficult last 3.5 miles on a straight, flat dirt road to the finish (actually, the profile shows a slight uphill all the way to the finish, which explains why it felt so difficult). I don't think it would have made a difference if we had worn the x-talons, as the sand was so deep. Alex and I both wore the f-lite 230's.
Our comfortable pace turned out to be 7:07 average for the 20.9-mile day and that is including almost 3,000 feet of gain and loss. We didn’t see the top two teams, Team Bend and Team Run Flagstaff, but we were going back and forth with the British-based Team Salomon who, as we discovered, loved to hammer the down hills—Crazy Brits!
Alex and I were thinking the Brits would be easy to take as they were power walking on the uphill sections, but that thought changed when they went by us like a freight train on the descents. “Maybe they will just wear themselves out,” we hoped. Gradually gaining on the Brits in the last couple of miles, we felt content coming in 4th position, as there was some tough running ahead. 2 hours 28 min 48 seconds was a long time to be out in the heat. I looked like a salt lick at the end of the stage and the icy river was much needed to salvage the legs. I could tell it was going to be a long week.
Stage 2 – Straight Up & Straight Down Hope Pass – Vicksburg to Twin Lakes - 13.3 miles
Stage 2 BIG Climb, BIG Descent
This was our day, Alex and I believed. Our specialty is climbing and after both placing in the top-10 at the Pikes Peak Ascent, we knew we needed to attack on the most difficult climb of the race, Hope Pass. This stage went out fast for the first two miles then shot straight up almost 3,000 feet in a matter of 2.5 miles, then descended sharply over the next 3.5 miles and finished with a flat 5 miles along Twin Lake.
We knew we needed to be in front when we reached to start of the climb, because passing would be very difficult on a 20%+ grade, so we took the pace out in the first two miles with our honorary 3rd teammate, Justin Ricks. The altitude seemed to be working to our benefit, as the other teams did not attempt to pass us to get position up Hope Pass. I decided to go with the x-talon 195 to get traction up the steep slope of hope! Alex went with the f-lite 190's.
Alex and I leading the charge up Hope Pass, Hoping not to Pass out! *Photo courtesy of Denise Ricks
I could tell Alex was eager to push the pace; he seemed to be floating up the steep grade, where I was having trouble getting the power output I had just a few days ago at the Ascent. It became very ugly really quickly. My quads were heavy and I had Ryan Bak of Team Bend breathing down my neck (actually, more like breathing on my calves with the steepness we were running). Even though the total time of the climb was approximately 40 minutes, it seemed like an eternity. Thus is the case when you are struggling. I watch as the top 3 teams passed me and slowly pulled away up the climb and disappear as the downhill dropped away in front of us.
Alex and I were both very cautious on the rocky downhill while the team of Mario Mendoza and Nick Hirsch (Salomon Trail/Adidas) whooped it up as they and a few individuals bolted by us. Cautious = Slow. We were able to get the pace back up once we were along Twin Lake but no one came back to us. When we finished we discovered how much time the leading teams put on us, it was disgusting, it kind of made me gag! The winning team, the Brits of Salomon (sounds like a biblical passage, doesn’t it), had powered their way down the Pass and put 12 minutes on us. You see what I mean about gagging now?
I wasn’t really sure of the cause of my lack of power needed to climb the Pass, but it could have been the accumulation of miles (about 50 in three days, more than I had done in the previous 5 weeks thanks to Tibi). Our only consolation was that we knew our legs would not be destroyed like the other teams might be after pounding the huge downhill. So, our sights set on Day 3. In the meantime, the beer that John Schneider of Black Fox Brewing Company supplied for us helped to numb the emotional pain of the past two days. Carbo loading is carbo loading, right?
Trans Rockies Tent City – it’s a little cramped but no different than tract housing *I took this!
Stage 3 – The Long Day – Leadville to Camp Hale – 24.2 miles
Stage 3 Only 24.2 miles, that’s all!
The longest stage of the 6 days, this one weighed in at 24.2 miles. A marathon in trail terms! Showing no signs of slowing down as the stages progressed, this one went out in 6:30 for the first mile and 12:45 through two miles. Yeah, a bit fast! Determined to utilize the rested legs, Alex and I stayed close to Team Bend and Team Run Flagstaff on the climbs and tried to gap the not-so-strong climbers and not-so-used-to-the-altitude Brits of Salomon. The gap that we created on the Brits was short-lived as they closed it on the descent and proceeded to put a gap on us.
On the flat section in between the climbs we edged up on the Brits of Salomon and Alex gave me the “hold our position” sign after I gave him the “let’s go around them” sign. I guess I was running myself into shape because I was ready to charge ahead. This pulling back of the reins really got me eager but gave us a few moments of rest. Alex dropped his hand and we went with some authority just before the next climb.
A little humor ensued shortly thereafter, as it should when things get serious, when Alex decided to plow through the middle of a 20-foot stream crossing. I tip-toed gingerly around the edges. After three steps, I see him disappear into the stream out of the periphery of my vision. My teammate just got swallowed by the stream!!!! He didn’t expect it to be as deep as it was and came out with the look of a small child whose head had just been submerged in a pool at swim class. A shocked look, you could say. It definitely got him refreshed and ready to run hard.
And run hard we did. We were able to get rid of the Brits on the flat sections of the course and make them disappear out of out rear view mirror. Just past one of the aid stations we spotted what turned out to be the yellow jersey’s of Team Run Flagstaff (the team leading the race wears yellow jerseys as the leader of the Tour de France would). This made us very happy and we continued to push the pace.
More downhills greeted us. And when downhills greeted us, the Brits also greeted us. We came out of the last single track section and onto a relatively flat last 3 miles and who lurked close behind but those crazy Brits. Needless to say, these last couple of miles turned into an all out effort because if we kept in front of them we would stand atop the finishers podium that night at the awards ceremony. The perfect consolation for running hard.
With my lack of running in recent weeks due to my adoption of Tibi, I was struggling, while Alex was urging me to pick it up. Somehow I summonsed the leg turnover to stay in front of the Brits and we even were able to see the yellow jerseys of Team Run Flagstaff finishing up ahead. Our first podium finish of the race was secured and it felt good. We had finally proven that we were contenders and were rewarded with the coveted sleeveless Gore-Tex jackets (yes, really sleeveless!).
Our first podium - Run Flagstaff-2nd (Left), Bend-1st (Center), Colorado Runner/Inov-8-3
rd (Right). Yes, I am holding hands with Max King, such strong hands!
*Photo by Denise Ricks
The end of the race came for Justin Ricks as he won his second straight Trans Rockies Run3 after vomiting the last few miles of the stage. We were wondering why we saw him strolling down the dirt road with 2 miles left. When we went to ice our legs in the stream, he continued to “feed the fish” as the French say, but they say it in French. Wow, I have never seen someone puke so much! Congrats Justin (on the winning, not the puking).
Stage 4 – Moving up on the Totem Pole – Camp Hale to Red Cliff – 14.1 miles
Stage 4 Our type of stage…minus the downhill
This was the second shortest stage of the race (14.1 miles) and we knew it had a very big climb that we would use to our advantage. The first two miles again were 12:45, still fast. I was not sure what had gotten into me but it was difficult to stay controlled, I really wanted to charge up the steep climb. And yet again, Alex had to calm me down – a yank on the reins.
This was finally a day that we both felt like ourselves, like mountain goats. After leading the first few miles, Team Run Flagstaff took over but we stayed right on them throughout the climb. Today would also mark the first day that I heard an expletive out of Alex’s mouth. When he thought the climb was finished, we broke out of the tree, turned a corner and it continued to climb. The f-bomb was pretty funny out of someone that is so soft-spoken.
Alex and I taking the lead early in the flashy blues hunterimagery.com
As usual, the Brits lurked in the background, threatening to catch us on the downhill, which there was a lot of to come. We ran the uphill and flats hard to put some buffer space in between them and us. We also managed to run a fairly decent downhill but, as we expected, the British invasion came from behind.
With 3 miles to go, we had to run through a ¾ mile section of a freezing cold stream with the Brits gaining on us quickly. We knew that our Inov-8 f-lite 230’s would retain considerably less water then their beefy, rainbow-colored Salomons, which would be crucial in the last few miles. The feet went numb after a minute or so and once we got back onto flat ground it was difficult to tell if an ankle had turned, if they were landing correctly or even if they were broken. No time to think about that, they couldn’t be felt even if they were broken; we had to run at top speed.
This had to be the fastest we ran the entire race thus far. We were probably pushing 5:30/mile pace in an effort to stay in front. Hitting the tarmac, one of the Brits pulls up alongside us while yelling to his compatriot to follow suit. We see an orange cone and a finishing flag about 100 meters in the distance and I hear Alex yell, “GO!” We unleash a kick like the finish of a 5k and crossed the line in 1:47:55, 5 seconds ahead of the Brits, to claim the second tier on the podium behind Team Run Flagstaff.
It was a close day, but we were moving ourselves up on the podium. After speaking to last year’s stage and overall winner, Max King, we learned that we had run over 10 minutes faster on the day and we weren’t even the leading team. This year was by far the most competitive on record and we were happy to be proving ourselves worthy. The margaritas we consumed at Mango’s Mountain Grill at the end of the finishing chute were well deserved.
Stage 5 – You never know what the body is going to do – Red Cliff to Vail – 23.6 miles
Stage 5 Another long one
The human body is a very interesting piece of machinery. It can be pushed beyond limits that you ever thought possible and, on the contrary, it can also cease to function at any given point in time. We anticipated the latter from my body, having made a quick transition from no running to the highest mileage week I have ever put in, but it was perplexing when it was Alex’s body that did not want to cooperate.
After another fast start, we were right up there with the other top teams when Alex says to me, “Slow down, it’s a long day.” I figured he was doing this for my wellbeing, but, as I discovered a few minutes later, he was doing it for his. I thought he was joking when he said he needed to slow down. “Ha, not Alex,” I thought to myself. He was probably the most well prepared runner out here. He had been running with the Kenyans a few months ago! After joking back at him with, “Alex shows a weakness,” I realized he was serious. We slowed to pedestrian pace after 3 miles and even began to walk. I guess there is a benefit to going out fast; we only had three teams in front of us and none in sight behind us, even when we slowed to a walk.
We were able to nurse Alex back to health after and hour (that regurgitating and feeding system that a mother bird does to her babies really works!!! Hey, if Ace Ventura can do it, why can’t I?!). Realizing we would not be in contention for a podium finish on the day, we settled to conserve ourselves and take in the beautiful views of the Vail Valley, Mountain of the Holy Cross, the Alpine wildflowers and everything else we never get to enjoy while, heads down, we are purposely propelling ourselves forward.
I thought I would experiment and try out the new road-x 233. Since these are basically bald, as far as traction goes, I was concerned that I would not get enough grip on the rocky trails. I only noticed slippage on gravely or sandy off-camber sections and the ride of the 233 was amazing! I loved them so much that I decided to wear them again on the last stage.
Alex and I getting to theplace where beer flows like wine…Vail hunterimagery.com
Even with running as easy as we were, I still managed to almost fall on my face two times, while Alex had several close calls and his first official tumble. Luckily, it was in a soft, beautifully decorated field of alpine flowers. We both attempted to urinate while running, which didn’t work out too well. That is a very difficult thing to do! While Alex had his first official fall, I had my first official shart (otherwise known as gambling and losing). Don’t ask, it’s long story. Well, not really, it can probably be explained by the multiple cans of sardines and bags of tuna we consumed after yesterday’s stage.
With our setback, we still managed to finish the day in 4th just ahead of the fast charging co-ed Salomon team of Anna Frost and Rickey Martin (ehh, Gates, I mean, Rickey Gates). It was off to find that fountain where the beer flowed like wine and watch the US Pro Cycling Challenge time trial up Vail Pass.
Stage 6 -- The Injury -- Vail to Beaver Creek -- 23.4 miles
Stage 6 Not an easy one, particularly when you are hobbling
We were going for broke today. We were rested and hungry for a stage win. Making up 30 minutes on any of the top 3 teams seemed far fetched, barring a major catastrophe which I would not wish on anyone, so a stage win would have to suffice. It was obvious at the starting line that everyone was ragged from the previous 97 miles. I joked with Max King about not taking it out too fast. He replied, “Oh, you don’t have to worry about me, I’m not going to push the pace!” So, what does Alex go and do: take the lead and charge up the first hill. I was fine with that since I had been doing it every day. Sorry Max, it wasn’t my fault!
After a mile, I was caught up in the pace of the other teams running around me and didn’t even realize Alex’s disappearance from the group. “This is not a good sign,” I thought. I slowed down and we reconnected. “My Achilles is pretty bad,” he tells me. Well, we’ll just slow down for a mile or two, get it in working order and then go after them again, I believed. Not with an injury like this. The Achilles pain started in the previous day’s stage when the timing chip that we are required to wear around our left ankle began to rub on his tendon and cause inflammation.
We slowed to a shuffle and runners began to pass us very early in this 23+ mile stage. It was difficult to swallow, but if we wanted to get through the next 21 miles, we needed to preserve his tendon early on. It was no longer about getting a stage win or breaking into the top 3 teams, it was now about getting to the finish line. So, I took on his equipment belt and water bottle, as he did for me in an earlier stage when I was struggling, to relieve him of even a little weight and extra annoyances. At one point, I jumped off the trail in search of a tree branch that could be used as a crutch, which I found and worked for a while but it wore his arm out and made him look like Yoda. So, I just used The Force and carried him the rest of the way. Don’t believe me, we have photographic proof!
One skinny dude carrying another skinny dude hunterimagery.com
Again, we were able to enjoy the amazing view of the surrounding mountains and the beautiful scenery, other runners, the flowers (obviously), a beer at mile 16 and again with 100 meters to go supplied by that Rickey Martin guy, these trails that we love so much, the wonderfully staffed aid stations and the very reason why we were here in the first place – to run. With our almost 4.5 hour finishing time, we still managed to hold onto our 4th overall placing (we had a 2.5 hour buffer over 5th place going into the last stage). It just gave us fuel for the fire to come back next year and redeem ourselves and I won’t say win it all…ahh, what the heck, we’re going back to win it all!
This might have been the single-most memorable running experience of my life, and, trust me, I have had a few: from running in a Viking burial ground in Norway, to discovering that cows with bells around their necks really do exist in the Swiss Alps and running through the frighteningly polluted city streets of Cairo, Egypt (it’s just as polluted as New York you say, well, the gas in Egypt still contains lead!).
The people at the Gore-Tex Trans Rockies Run fed us plentifully day and night, set up the tents we slept in everyday, had a daily awards ceremony including a video and picture show, kept the beer on ice, had a chillax area under the Inov-8 tents run by who else but Inov-8's own Gina Lucrezi, where we could catch up with friend, old and new, and enjoy a nightly camp fire. Every runner there became recognizable and part of the experience, no matter how fast or slow (or how much beer they drank: JT). If you would like to experience a similar adventure, forgo that cruise and take a weeklong running vacation through the Rockies!
One of the most amazing scenes of the race, in an Aspen grove hunterimagery.com
