Antelope Island 50 Mile Ultramarathon 2017 Race Report

Short story: Went in knowing I wasn't perfectly trained and ended up doing pretty well (but not surprisingly well).

So I don't know really where to start this story but let's just say that most of the time I would have done as little work as possible in terms of picking up the bib and getting to the start. I was quite surprised that the day before the race the packet pick up place was also offering 20% off nutrition products if you went to the early bib pick up. Well, that did it for me. I had my eye on some sports drink for probably well over a year and was waiting and waiting for my chance to not pay full price for it. Well, I got it. I mixed some of it. And then within the first mile of the race I threw it on the ground. No joking.

The morning of the race went pretty normal. I got up and showered and shaved and made sure I put on some of that anti-chafing stuff. I had my normal chips, pbnj, banana and some gummy bears. On my way out of my house to my car I was struck with a problem I didn't even anticipate: was I going to need a headlamp? I really hadn't even thought at all about this. But I did have 2 headlamps with me, but would I actually start the race with one on my head?

After getting to the start and all that normal stuff the race started with out a lot of fan fare. Just the race director saying "thanks for giving me your money." After a short list of announcements we were off.

My strategy for this race was only to not go out too fast and just get to the finish. I didn't have the confidence that I was going to be able to pull out any last minute magic so I just kept going as best I could.

So the first part of the race was rather dark but this is the part where most people are closer together and I was able to enjoy the benefits of other's headlamps and before I knew it the sun was making plenty of light.

The first 2.5 miles of the race is basically up a steady grade, not a tough hill but a hill nonetheless. I was making my way up just fine when I was struck with the thought that I have had at other races: why am I carrying 2 pounds of water on my chest while climbing this hill? I knew the first aid station wasn't far and before I though much more I dumped most of my liquid because I didn't think it was necessary to carry it with me and I wanted to not waste the energy to do so. So there goes a few cents worth of my new sports drink I had been waiting over a year to enjoy. Oh well.

Well, the race is on Antelope Island and if you don't know much about the island let me just say that it is pretty in a unique way. It's not a must see national park and there aren't blindingly tall trees and majestic canyons or rock formations. It's an island surrounded by the salt lake in the middle of a desert. There's a lot of short grass and bushes. There are some trees on the island higher up on the mountain, but they aren't dense and have to survive in some pretty harsh environments. Plus there was a fire last year that burned a good half of the south part of the island and some evidence of the fire can still be seen.

Sometimes when I'm out there trudging around I'm convinced that scenes from Mordor from The Lord of the Rings could have been filmed there. Just this short grass surrounded by exposed rocks and on an overcast day can look quite dreary.

Well the weather forecast for race day was set to be hot, and it was. After the first 25miles the effects of the heat really set in. The course was still heading south and running into the wind was nice and it helped. On this part of the course I was actually pretty happy with my performance. My energy levels were decent and I was able to keep a decent pace. I was hoping that the ranch would be soon but it wasn't. The ranch is the next turn around point at mile 33 and it is really far.

Well, I made it out there. I drank as much as I could and ate some junk food which this race my normal grab consisted of cheeze-its and m&ms.. I also ate some orange slices when I could.

Soon after leaving the ranch at mile 33 the heat really set in. There wasn't much in the way of wind while running north and it was pretty tough. All I could really do was to focus on moving forward and try to make more running steps than walking steps as each mile moved on. For the first miles after this point I decided that I would try to run a full mile and then walk/run the next mile and try to go back and forth. It actually kind of worked until about mile 40. Looking at my splits it isn't really evident, but it really doesn't matter.

After  passing the lower Frary aid station the 2nd time, about mile 38, I tried to keep up and just move. I was focused on getting to the fence where I knew I could just hike up the course along the fence up the hill and then get a chance for some level road/trail until the end.

One I got to the fence and up the hill I passed someone who was probably not feeling much better than me. And at the same time I got passed by someone else who seemed to be doing much better than I was. Well, not much to do at this point, I was pretty tired and just had to run my own race and not let anyone else get to me. Well, I ended up passing them again before the next aid station and then, to my surprise they didn't pass me again at all. Wow. Now that I think about it the people that I passed in the last 10 miles I'm not even sure which event they were running. They could have been 100 milers or 50 milers. I didn't really inspect bibs as they passed me or I passed them.

Well, after the last aid station the trail gets really interesting. It's rocky and has a lot of turns. It surprised me and it kind of thew off my rhythm of walking 25 step and running 100 steps. But no big deal. It was just me, the heat and the trail and about 2 miles to go. Just go I had to tell myself.

By this point I was about 1 hour behind my desired finish time but I guess my estimates were just too big for me. But I'm not disappointed or upset.

I had a great time out there. I'm glad that I never really descended into darkness and absolutely hated life like I did on my last 100k. No serious nausea or stomach problems. I did sort of lose my appetite at the last aid station but I was still drinking and I know that helped a lot.

Not sure if this race is calling me to come back yet, but it is a close race to my house and it really couldn't hurt to try and do it again.

Speedgoat 50k 2016

Done in 7:47 which is amazing. My watch says 7:46 but we’ll just take the ultrasingup.com at their word. I guess.

So the race starts. I’m still not that certain of how things are going to go. I know I have a plan but I don’t really know if I’m in better shape than last year or what to expect. I sort of thought that thinking that I could do better would be stupid to think. But anyway. Nothing too big transpires on the first part of the race. Getting to the first aid station I’m 3 mins ahead of my time from last year and I remember last year I was at the aid station longer because I had to tie my shoes. Well, I got in and out pretty fast. Got down to the halfway point in decent time. Right now looking back I do think that I might have been able to make it to the halfway point just a little bit faster if I would have tried just a little harder to make it down the river of torture. But still, at half way I was ahead of my estimated time. Now for the uphill. I took the uphill very well. I decided that I was going to run 10 steps and walk 10 steps. That may not seem like much but it was enough to get me ahead of at least 5 other people. It may have been a wash at the end of the day because some of those people passed me again but I still made time on myself compared to last year. About 6 mins faster than last year, which is absolutely awesome. So I get to the Mineral Aid Station the 2nd time and I’m doing and feeling great. I’m well ahead of last year. Of course to get to the next aid station is a lot of up so I just get out there and do it the best that I can. I was hoping to get some running steps in here but it wasn’t happening. This section is pretty steep and about 10,000 ft elevation. All I could do was just keep moving forward. No problem.

Get up to Mt Baldy in decent time and get down to the tunnel aid in good time. My split last year was 6:06 and this year I got to the same aid station in 5:40 - so i’m 26 mins ahead of my target time and I hadn’t even counted the time from getting lost last year. Hooray for that all the way home.

No problems to really speak of. In hindsight I sort of think I should have just gave a little bit more effort to get down and up parts of the course. But when I’m exceeding expectations in every way it’s hard to say that something different should have been done.

So I’m huffing and puffing up to Hidden Peak for the 2nd time and it’s great. I like the fact that there aren’t a lot of runners around me and that every 20 mins or so I pass someone.

Eventually I get to Hidden Peak the 2nd time and get in and out as quick as I can. Getting to the finish is by no means a picnic with some climbing and some pretty steep downhill still to manage. But I do okay.

Funny thing? I'm rolling up to the finish and couldn't have been more than about 1/3rd of a mile from it. I decide that I'm making good time and I'm thirsty enough that I need a drink. I take out my water bottle and slow down just a little. As I tilt my head back to drink my foot lands on a rock a little sideways and my calve muscle cramps and stops me dead in my tracks. I don't know what to do because I've never had this happen before. I can't move my leg. I try to rub it but that doesn't seem to do anything. Within probably 20 seconds I'm back up and moving to the finish. That was weird.


Notes:

Ate pbnj, a ziplock bag of chips, banana a few gummy bears about 30 mins before the race.

Did go to the bathroom before it started - always a good sign.

Felt like I drank a lot. I tried to finish off my water bottle before every aid station or finish it as I was coming in to the aid station. Tried to do the same with the electrolyte drink stuff they had as well.

Also felt like I didn’t eat as much as previous races.

Had some Red Bull at an aid station or two. No complaints.

Had some good pizza at the finish line with a sugar free red bull. An acceptable way to end the race.

Had my camp chair at the finish and that was very nice to have available.

Sponge bathed myself at the finish - at least my arms, legs and feet. Then put on some clean dry clothes. Always worth it.

Didn’t hang at aid stations at all. Always left with my water bottles filled. One with water the other with the sports drink stuff.

Ate more fruit on this course than I remember ever eating before.

Fruit is really great for eating right after eating chips or something like it. It “washes” out the crumbs. I really liked it. I hadn’t done this before. And I need to remember to do it again.

There were no gels at the aid stations? Just a big bottle that they would transfer to another container that you would have (if you did). Not a preference of mine to have it this way but I understand the desire to avoid trash and cut down on waste.

I only had maybe 2 gels outside of aid stations for the whole course. I think that last year I was trying to eat some religiously and that was probably 6.

Walk 10 steps and run 10 steps works (this is counting one as every other left footfall). It worked for me as long as I was at the right elevation which is about 8-9,000 feet. About 9500 feet it gets harder depending on how steep the trail is, of course.


I think my foot got caught up on a rock or two but no problems at all - just a very minor stumble.

I fell on my butt twice. Once while going down on the snow. No problems. Another time just going down some loose dirt and small rocks. My hands went back and luckily didn’t hit anything sharp. Very minor problems.

My Hokas (Challenger ATR) are, um, okay, I guess. They are light shoes and light doesn’t really go super well with durable. So while they have been okay shoes I’m worried that the soles are going - they look very torn and chewed up. Will they last me through the next race? I'm not confident. 

Conclusion: Knowing what to expect help me a lot and that alone probably got me plenty of time over last year. Drinking a lot helped, too. Of course training played a big part and I did have more trail miles and vert then I did last year. I'm not committed to returning next year but I'd say chances are better that I might. 

Speedgoat 50k Prep

Well no current word from the RD if the race course is going to be changed. I'm hoping it doesn't get changed but even if it does it's still going to be torture. 

I've been dedicating some mental energy to this race the last few days trying to figure out how I'm going to do better than last year and each time I go through a whole spectrum of feelings about it entirely. I go from thinking I'm in better shape than last year and that I'll do better to thinking this is the worst race ever and to think I can do any better is stupid. 

Thinking I can't do any better is usually the result of remembering how hard parts of the course were last year. I'll give it my best and I hope I can at least gain a little bit of time over last year. 

So going forward and regardless if at this point I think that I'm going to do poorly, I'm still going into the race with some strategies to improve over last year. In no particular order here they are:

1. Get to the top of Hidden Peak the first time in about the same time as last year. No logic tells me that going out faster here is going to yield positive results overall.
2. Go from Hidden Peak the first time to Pacific Mine slightly faster than last year. My hope is that I'm more prepared for technical downhill now more than I was last year. I feel as much. 
3. Go from Pacific Mine to Mineral Basin faster than last year. I think my biggest failure of last year was not moving faster across this section and doing so this year will help me get done sooner. 
4. From Mineral Basin to the Tunnel aid station is going to be a gamble for me here. I'd like to clear this distance in one hour if at all possible. 
5. Go from Tunnel to Hidden Peak as efficiently as I can. There's no doubt that at this elevation and point in the course I'm going to be knackered. All I can plan to do is move and not stop. 
6. From Hidden Peak to the Finish I just need to focus and move. 
7. Don't linger at aid stations and drink and eat a lot. 

Well, I sort of don't like that these tips for myself are a little non-specific, but it's what I have right now. I have my splits from last year and I have some target splits for this year.

It really can't be understated how hard this course is. The majority of participants are walking within the first mile. Sure maybe they are saving their legs for later but on average it couldn't be ran in the first place. Then just getting to the very top the first time is just excruciating and even more so for those who came from sea level to run this race. Then after you're trashed going up you go down and down. And then there's a lovely road that can only be described as a rocky river bottom with rocks up on rocks the size of footballs. There is absolutely no smooth shoulder and no easy way down. It's a few miles of ankle busting awesomeness. 

Then you get to the half way aid station. Wow! Half way! Then you look at your watch and double the time and feel pretty good about yourself and you're projected finish time. Then you leave that aid station benefiting from a smooth road and a few calories in your stomach and just about the time you think "this race isn't so bad" the road turns - and doesn't get rocky or technical, it just gets steep. You're forced to walk probably 90% of the time it takes to get to the next aid station because all it does is go up at a very steep grade. Up and up and up. The next aid station is basking in the sun and it is here you think, well, I made it this far and the next section is just up to the top of the tram, so I guess I'll go for it. 

You get back on the trail and again, you're just walking because who can run up 20% grades at 10,000 feet? The trail turns a few times and now you're just confused about where the course is going. You're on the course because you can see the flagging and other runners but you think you should be going a different direction. Then after you burn your legs and lungs some more going straight up a ski slope you get a road for about 100 yards and then the trail gets even worse. It goes straight up an even steeper grade and now your reaching 11,000 feet and you wish you were dead. Well, you look at your watch and think, the finish is now less than 10 miles away. You can do that, you do that distance often you just have to keep going. But why? 

Well, you did it. You got to the Tunnel aid station. and feeling pretty beat up but ready to head down to the finish just as soon as you get to Hidden Peak for the second time. All you have to do is go through the tunnel and do a mile or two. Easy. It can't be that hard. You don't remember the course profile being that bad between these aid stations. Then you go through the tunnel and go down a nice road. Just about the time you are okay the trail turns of the road and you enjoy a decent section of single track before the trail goes up again at another gruelingly steep grade. Your lungs are done. Your legs are done. Your feet can't clear the rocks any more. But I guess maybe it's the delirium setting in or maybe it's the energy from a fellow runner but you try to press on. But you think about the climbing you've done this far and how rough it's been and you don't really want to keep going. 

After a struggle with yourself that, for better or worse, took a while because your mind can't function very quickly. During that time you were able to clear another half mile or so you finally realize that the top is the only good idea. Good? Did you just think that? 

Well after you suffer through the sun exposed ridge and get to the next aid station the only thing keeping you in the race is the knowledge that the course is down to the finish. You are so convinced of this that you don't even need to ask anyone or question anything. It's down all the way to the finish. Only 5 more miles. You can do that in 40 minutes on a good day so how about an hour on a bad day? You leave the aid station and the trail is rocky and it's tricky but you manage. Then the trail takes a turn and starts going up. 

What?! Up? There is no up here. There is only down. What is up doing here? I can't do it. I don't want to do it. But I have to. There's no one else around me right now. I don't even know where else to go but to follow these stupid blue flags. You keep going the trail goes up. You die some more. Your water is almost gone and your last gel is going to kill you it tastes so bad. Finally the trail starts going flat then down again. But your body can't do either. It's done, remember. You push, you dig, you suffer, you count steps, you keep looking at your watch as the minutes tick by very, very slowly.  Finally there's signs of life and an end. It's still farther than you want it to be but you're still upright and moving forward. 

You cross the finish line and vow to never do it again. Then a few months pass and you sing up as soon as the registration opens. 

Speedgoat 50k 2016

Well, overall I got 7:46:53 according to the watch. That’s an average pace of 14:28 v

Some report:

Done in 7:47 which is amazing. My watch says 7:46 but we’ll just take the ultrasingup at their word. I guess.

So the race starts. I’m still not that certain of how things are going to go. I know I have a plan but I don’t really know if I’m in better shape or what to expect. I sort of thought that thinking that I could do better would be stupid to think. But anyway. Nothing too big transpires on the first part of the race. Getting to the first aid station I’m 3 mins ahead of my time from last year and I remember last year I was at the aid station longer because I had to tie my shoes. Well, I got in and out pretty fast. Got down to the halfway point in decent time. Right now looking back I do think that I might have been able to make it to the halfway point just a little bit faster if I would have tried just a little harder to make it down the river of torture. But still, at half way I was ahead of my estimated time. Now for the uphill. I took the uphill very well. I decided that I was going to run 10 steps and walk 10 steps. That may not seem like much but it was enough to get me ahead of at least 5 other people. It may have been a wash at the end of the day because some of those people passed me again but I still made time on myself compared to last year. About 6 mins faster than last year, which is absolutely awesome. So I get to the Mineral Aid Station the 2nd time and I’m doing and feeling great. I’m well ahead of last year and I’m doing great. Of course to get to the next aid station is a lot of up so I just get out there and do it the best that I can. I was hoping to get some running steps in here but it wasn’t happening. All I could do was just keep moving forward. No problem.

Get up to Mt Baldy in decent time and get down to the tunnel aid in good time. My split last year was 6:06 and this year I got to the same aid station in 5:40 - so i’m 26 mins ahead of my target time and I hadn’t even counted the time from getting lost last year. Hooray for that all the way home.

No problems to really speak of. In hindsight I sort of think I should have just gave a little bit more effort to get down and up parts of the course. But when I’m exceeding expectations in every way it’s hard to say that something different should have been done.

So I’m huffing and puffing up to Hidden Peak for the 2nd time and it’s great. I like the fact that there aren’t a lots of runners around me and that every 20 mins or so I pass someone.

Eventually I get to Hidden Peak the 2nd time and get in and out as quick as I can. Getting to the finish is by no means a picnic with some climbing and some pretty steep downhill to manage. But I do okay. 

Funny thing? I'm rolling up to the finish and couldn't have been more than about 1/3rd of a mile from it. I decide that I'm making good time and I'm thirsty enough that I need a drink. I take out my water bottle and slow down just a little. As I tilt my head back to drink my foot lands on a rock a little sideways and my calve muscle cramps and stops me dead in my tracks. I don't know what to do because I've never had this happen before. I can't move my leg. I try to rub it but that doesn't seem to do anything. Within probably 20 seconds I'm back up and moving to the finish. That was weird.


Notes:

Ate pbnj, a ziplock bag of chips, banana a few gummy bears about 30 mins before the race.

Did poop before it started - always a good sign.

Felt like I drank a lot. I tried to finish off my water bottle before every aid station or finish it as I was coming in to the aid station. Tried to do the same with the electrolyte drink stuff they had as well.

Also felt like I didn’t eat as much as previous races.

Had some red bull at an aid station or two. No complaints.

Had some good pizza at the finish line with a sugar free red bull.

Had my camp chair at the finish and that was very nice to have available.

Sponge bathed myself - at least my arms, legs and feet. Then put on some clean dry clothes. Always worth it.

Didn’t hang at aid stations at all. Always left with my water bottles filled. One with water the other with the sports drink stuff.

Ate more fruit on this course than I remember ever eating before.

Fruit is really great for eating right after eating chips or something like it. It “washes” out the crumbs. I really liked it. I hadn’t done this before. And I need to remember to do it again.

There were no gels at the aid stations? Just a big bottle that they would transfer to another container that you would have (if you did). Not a preference of mine to have it this way but I understand the desire to avoid trash and cut down on waste.

I only had maybe 2 gels outside of aid stations for the whole course. I think that last year I was trying to eat some religiously and that was probably 6.

Walk 10 steps and run 10 steps works (this is counting one as every other left footfall). It worked for me as long as I was at the right elevation which is about 8-9,000 feet. About 9500 feet it gets harder depending on how steep the trail is, of course.


I think my foot got caught up on a rock or two but no problems at all - just a very minor stumble.

I fell on my butt twice. Once while going down on the snow. No problems. Another time just going down some loose dirt and small rocks. My hands went back and luckily didn’t hit anything sharp. Very minor problems.

My Hokas (Challenger ATR) are, um, okay, I guess. They are light shoes and light doesn’t really go super well with durable. So while they have been okay shoes I’m worried that the soles are going - they look very torn and chewed up. Will they last me through the next race? I'm not confident. 

Conclusion: Knowing what to expect help me a lot and that alone probably got me plenty of time over last year. Drinking a lot helped, too. Of course training played a big part and I did have more trail miles and vert then I did last year. I'm not committed to returning next year but I'd say chances are better that I might. 

Next Up?

Well, I'm going back to Speedgoat in July. The race this year is a few weeks earlier than last year. I haven't read why but I don't think there's going to be a problem. I guess there might be some more snow than usual but who knows if that will affect the course at all.

Last year's Speedgoat 50k beat me up pretty good. It was the first race where right in the middle I was thinking "what would happen if I just stopped right now and called it quits?" Well, I didn't call it quits and I did pretty good overall for myself. I do remember getting to the highest point in the race and not even thinking about pace anymore. In fact, I was quite tired, upset and just wanted to be done. I had some guy take a picture of me at the top and I don't know if it was him or someone else who was sort of prodding me to not stop or slow down (even for the picture) and keep going and in my head I was just thinking "shut up." Here's a picture of that point. Not a lot of joy on my face.

Here's a video that was on the way up to Mt Baldy(?) at 11,000+ feet.

But of course I have no intent of letting the race get the best of me and I felt like I have had a score to settle with the race if only to improve on my time a little.

So that's coming up soon and then I don't have another race until the St George Marathon on 1 October.

I've been looking for another race and don't know what I want to do. Part of me wants to get a half marathon in to try and beat my PR of 1:25 and part of me just wants to get in a few full marathons in just to get in the mindset and really get ready for STG. Then another part of me just wants to get out on a trail race because I love the mountains and the trees and the dirt.

So will it be the Huntsville Marathon? Right now it's 2 weeks before SGT and I think its a decent price and a good choice. Other than that there's a few other races that are really tempting. Kat'cina Mosa 100k? Or the Morgan Valley Marathon?

Going to admit that no one is really reading this but on the off chance someone out there actually has an opinion on what race I should or should not run, let me know! 

The Zion 100k Ultramarathon 8 April 2016

Drove down. Got the bib and shirt and things. Got the things ready. Slept. Got up. Bathroom. Got ready. Had a peanut butter and jelly sammich, a banana and some gummy bears. Race started. 

This is where the adventure begins. But first, let’s go back. This was my first 100k and my training could have been a little bit better and mentally I think that I wasn’t in the most ideal place to take on this race. But I was still going to run it and I was still going to do the best that I could. I was very afraid of going out too fast and then not having enough left over for the rest of the race. So the whole race I was just concerned with not pushing too hard. I didn’t.

The race starts going out and pretty much instantly climbs up to the Flying Monkey aid station. With well over 250 runners going up the single track trail it’s not easy to pass. Since I wasn’t going out too fast, I just stayed around where I was and I didn’t try passing the 100 mile runners or worrying too much about it. So that climb was a fair amount of walking but no problem. Eventually we got up to the aid station and then the running could really continue and the crowd thinned out a bit. I was fine with where I was and just kept going. The scenery was beautiful and the 4x4r trail was plenty of fun and nothing too difficult to manage.

Came up to the Flying Monkey aid station again and made sure I stuffed down a few calories. A handful of M&Ms did it for me. The descent from the aid station was surprisingly a little harder to run than I was hoping because of the steep and rocks but once the trail got a little smoother I was able to pick up a few miles going faster.

Eventually the trail made it’s way to the Dalton Wash aid station where I got some more food, water, and all that. I left the aid station and continued up the hill to go up and over to the actual Dalton Wash road that goes up to the next aid station. The road was smooth and very runnable and I was able to keep a decent pace. Eventually I thought about the hill and how it was probably the last really runnable climb of the race. The next climb after this one I knew it wasn’t going to be runnable so I decided that I would try to get up this hill a little faster rather than just walking up it. So I did a little bit more running than walking until I got to the top.

Next aid station: Guacamole. Got some food and didn’t hang out too long. As the trail continued it turned to being a 50/50 mix of sandstone and dirt. But the trail was in a constant state of flux between the two. Sometimes it would be rock and runnable then it would turn to a short sharp drop off or a steep short climb. Both of which needed a change of pace to transfer. So it’s not always the easiest to keep a fast pace. But I was able to keep my desired pace of 11min average for a few of those miles. No problems. Got back to Guacamole aid station and continued on making sure I was eating and drinking enough.

Got back on to the road that goes down and back to the Dalton Wash aid station. Be careful what you wish for. I sort of wanted to be running fast when I was on the Guacamole trail but then when I was on the road it was a boring death march of just a boring dirt road. Well, at least it was going down and at least I was going a little faster and at least I was getting my overall average pace down a little bit, too. So it wasn’t all bad. At this point I was feeling okay. My plan all along was to change my shoes at the next aid station and I was looking forward to it. The shoes I had had on thus far weren’t my favorites, but as it has turned out have performed well enough for the job. There was a decent climb up to go up and over back to the aid station and it felt good to my legs and lungs to get that change in.

I got to the aid station and changed my sock and shoes and at some food then kept going as well as I could. It got a little cloudy but the temperatures were nice and there were no problems. I just kept going as well as I could to get up to the bottom of the next climb. I made it up the next climb by mostly walking as it was at least a 30% grade, if not more in some spots. The next aid station, Goosebump, was welcome and I don’t remember spending a lot of time there but I do remember not wanting to eat anything but pretty much forcing myself to eat some food. I really didn’t want to. So I just took some bacon and some other stuff. I remember leaving the aid station with 2 oreo cookies and I carried them for a few miles. I knew I had to eat it but I really didn’t want to eat it. I think I ate some and eventually just chucked the rest of it.

The trail up on this mesa wasn’t too different from that of the Guacamole trail. Lots of transitioning from rock to dirt and back. Up and down left and right and just a constant roller coaster for the majority of the time. There’s no real chance to just turn off and tune out and just go forward because you gotta stay on the trail and that requires the metal work of noticing the trail makers and not getting carried off in a direction that “feels” like it’s the course. I got turned around once or twice but no big mistakes that set me back any significant amount of time.

By this time, my poor old watch just didn’t have the juice it once did so it was beeping at me that the battery was dying and I was annoyed with it anyway and didn’t want to look at it because I was either going to get depressed or upset at what it was telling me. (I was running as much as I could so screw my friggin’ watch and its “data”) So it eventually just died and I had a useless electronic strapped to my wrist. No idea and no clue what my pace was or if I was doing okay or not.

A mixed bag of emotions with not having a source of objective information about where I was and how I was doing. I was now, mentally, just wanted the race to be over and wasn’t concerned with advancing or seeing any real benefit to pushing really hard. But then since I didn’t have any information about where I was it was hard to gauge how far it was going to be to the next aid station or the finish. So I did the only thing I really could do, just move forward. From Goosebump the second time to the next aid station I did the best I could but I wasn’t really feeling very energetic and didn’t have much motivation but to just run the flat and downhill parts and walk the uphill. I did what I could. Eventually I caught up to a female runner who wasn’t feeling great. We chatted a little and eventually had to pass her.



Virgin Desert aid station was next and it was welcome. I didn’t spend a lot of time there but did get some gummy bears and some water and I felt alright. A nice guy from Vancouver asked me if I’d like to run to the finish together and help each other out. I couldn’t argue with that. So we set off. I was feeling pretty hammered but not totally destroyed. I had to walk the uphills but was still moving forward alright I thought. This kind of worried me as I was thinking that I maybe I should feel a little bit more tired in my legs than I was feeling. Eventually our partnership ended - I had to keep moving and my buddy was needing to walk too much. It’s not like I was going that much faster but I was not really willing to walk. Ended up only about 2 minutes ahead of him.

The rain started and then the ground really got muddy but luckily this was only about a half mile from the end of the race. Reaching the end was glorious and was very happy to have it over and to make it the whole way.

Getting back to “normal” took a while. I didn’t have much of an appetite and I didn’t really want to move. We got to the hotel and I bathed and got cleaned up but then just laid in bed. My legs were on the verge of cramping and I did what I could to just relax. The next day my body was still very tired and fatigued, but I could walk and it really wasn’t that bad. However, I just didn’t feel like my body was all the way back to normal operations. Anyway. A few good nights sleep has remedied that and I’m feeling fine now. Let’s do it again!

Finishing my first 100k was awesome. It’s always hard to look back and wonder what could have had happened if something had changed. Should I have bought that expensive watch that could have lasted the whole race? Should I have pushed harder up the hills? Should I have started out just a little bit faster? Should I have found someone who was going a lot faster and just stuck with them? Should I have spent less time at the aid stations? Should I even be that concerned with finishing faster at all?

However, the bottom line is this: I love running, and trail running especially. Being out there during the race is really one of the funnest things I can imagine. The experience itself is incredible regardless what the data says at the end of the day. Just like days in life, some are better than others. I think this race was a great day even if I think I might have been able to finish a little faster.

2 Weeks Notice

I'm running the Zion 100k Ultra Marathon put on by Ultra Adventures in 2 weeks from today. So, if everything goes according to plan, I'll be in Southern Utah with nothing to do but move forward for about 11 hours.

So far training has been going well. I got in one training run over 30 miles and a few over 20 miles. And one good weekend of back-to-back long runs. So while if I had more time and energy to dedicate to just training for this race things might be going slightly differently, given the circumstances however, things are going fine. No injuries and some good quality running have been happening so I don't expect anything very bad to happen on race day.

This morning out on a favorite stretch of road.

Current plan is to take the next two weeks to keep some good base mileage in but not to do anything very strenuous. Tomorrow (Saturday) I might go out and get about 20 miles in but I don't expect to be doing race pace or anything.

Also I need to eat less food and that is one of the things that I want to do is to lose a little bit of weight before race day. The thought of having a few less pounds of mass to carry with me through the race makes me think that this is one way that I can increase my efficiency. Less mass means less energy to move it, right?

As for plans for performance on race day? Bottom line: finish in less than 11 hours. I've looked at the results from the previous years and (this year's course has changed a little as the start line has moved a little but results I don't think are going to be affected very much) I would really like to be in the top 10. Personally this is where things get me nervous and excited in a good way.

A few weeks a go I was sitting at work and was going over the race and thinking about things like shoes and drop bags and pacers and nutrition and in that moment I had to take a step back and realize how I felt as I was planning for race day. I love race day. I have been extremely lucky and blessed to be able to run so many races. Right there in my stupid windowless office I was just struck with the realization of how much I not just like to run, but how much I love race day.

Weekly Mileage

I'm increasing my weekly mileage in preparation for the Ultra Adventures Zion 100k Race. This week so far I've got 50 miles. What's funny is that this number isn't a high one for some people. But for other people this number is crazy. So, while I'm not even done with the week of running yet I've already run more than most do in a single week.

I plan on running 20+ tomorrow. I might get in 40k but I'm planning on about 35k.

At this point the most important thing for me to do is to get more time on my feet. Distance doesn't matter and speed doesn't really matter. Sure, I do get some speed work in and I do get some vertical in, but getting in the time is the number one priority.

I have a very lay study on the subject but tend to think that this is why some people don't get what they would like to get out of running. If some would just slow down and get out for longer periods of time, they would see many benefits. Cardiovascular benefits, mental benefits, and skeletal benefits can all result from just getting out and doing the time.

Antelope Island 50k - 14 November 2015

Got to the race check in - I had already showered and shaved by this point and had my pb&j and banana. I got my bib and shirt and then went out to the start line. It was kind of cold but the sun came up just as the race was starting and then in the first mile we were back in the cold shade again. I had my strategy to not go too fast at this point so I did my best to hold back - especially on the uphill. Across the flatter parts I was still going pretty quick and the downs I was going slightly faster. The first aid station I stopped and got some water and Gatorade then got some sugar in the form of M&M’s. It was fine and tasty. We flew down the hill to the switch backs and again, I was going fine but didn’t want to go all out. After the climb up the switchbacks was unknown territory and I didn't know what to expect. So I just stayed with go as quick as you can without going too fast. As with most trail races its more of going off how you feel and how much effort you think you should be putting in at that point in the race. After a while there was a big hill that came up that I really didn’t expect but I got up it by doing a little walk/run routine thing that I do. Cout 25 every other left foot falls walking and count 50 steps “running” it got me up the hill and I think that was a good strategy to have. Doing the walk then run strategy is a way to sort of even out the pace rather than just “guessing” and ending up walking more because you want and then not starting to run or something like that.

About mile 9 at the top of the switchbacks. (Photo credit: Lori Burlison)

I was hot by this point because I bought a pullover from the thrift store and I was wearing it. I wanted to throw it out pretty bad but didn’t want to litter the course so I kept it on. Right before the next aid station the wind started a little and then I was cold - go figure. I ditched my pullover and gloves anyway, got some water, snacks, a pb&j portion (it was amazing) and left the aid station feeling alright but I got a little bit cold, but that problem didn’t stick around.

The down was now coming and we all sped up a little. The crowd was pretty well evened out at this point expect for this group of 3 who were even with me...until they passed me. Anyway, I knew that I wasn’t going to keep up with them, mainly because I tell myself that I have the experience and I don’t need other racers to get in my head. I finish when I finish and I don’t let others really mess with me or else I might do something very dumb and be worse off for it. That group did break up and I think I passed at least one of them plus at least one more other person that was in the top 10 for most of the race but then he hit a wall or had cramps or something.

I got to an aid station that was really great, got some more stuff in my stomach (besides the Gu that I had been having “whenever I think I should need it” (which turned out to be about 4 gels over the whole race) I knew the Frary Peak aid station was coming up and part of my plan was to “turn on the heat” from that point on. So I kind of took it easy and kept moving as well as I could. I got to this next aid station and then I decided to give it a go. I got up to this small crest and hit my watch for a lap - which is set for 5k. I intended to do this next 5k split at just faster than 8min per mile pace. I counted every other left foot fall 100 times and looked at my watch. I would speed up or slow down as necessary to maintain the right pace. This worked pretty well, however, the last part of the split was slightly uphill and I wasn’t feeling the ability to go much faster. So I didn’t. I already knew I was where I was and I was still in great shape to finish in good time. But at 8:02 for that 5k split, it was good enough in my mind. So from this point on I just decided to keep moving. I walked for about 30 seconds while I got a gel in and some orange Gatorade (yuck!) and then just managed around a 9min/mile pace (or something like that).

Next up I saw the fence that signaled a turning point for the race where there is this hill climb and then it was basically down to the finish. I walked up the hill or, excuse me, “power hiked” and then as the hill crested I did my best to keep running. The dirt road turned to asphalt. My legs noticed but didn’t have much issue. The road went down and my body and mind were done but unfortunately, the race wasn’t over. I did another batch of “slightly slow down then slightly speed up” and then kept it going to the finish. I knew there was someone behind me and did look and noticed that he probably wasn’t going to catch me. If he had, what would I have done? I’m not really sure. Hopefully I would have not allowed it and been able to do so. But no worries. He was within about a minute behind me, which is pretty close.

The finish was awesome. and I was elated to get 10th place. Exactly what I was hoping for. No big problems at any one point during the race. The only reason I didn’t do better is because I don’t have the time to train more. That’s fine with me.

The best part of the finish area for me unfortunately wasn’t the chili, it was the ice cold Coke Zero.

Review: Ultra Raptor - La Sportiva

Quick review of the La Sportiva Ultra Raptor Trail running shoe.

Bottom line? I have logged a few miles in these shoes and have had no problems. They are comfortable and have done their job well. Be sure to check and double check to make sure the size you order is the size you want because they are Euro system sized.

Literally the first run I did in these shoes was an 18 mile run up a canyon and back down. I didn't know what size to get and while these were at first a little tight, they have stretched out a little and now I don't have any concerns.

That first run up the canyon was fun. I got up so high that I eventually was on snow for a few miles before I turned around and headed back down. In both directions the shoes performed well.

These shoes work well with some OR gators.

On my first 50 mile race I threw these shoes in a drop bag for the aid station at mile 32. Because they have a little more cushioning I had decided that it would be helpful for the slightly more rugged and inclined portions of the course.

So for the miles that I have logged I have enjoyed these shoes very much.

Bryce Canyon 50k (June 2015)

The Bryce Canyon 50k race is done. 5th place overall. 5hrs 23mins. Not bad. Not bad at all.

The weather was one of the more unpredictable things plaguing me (well, all of us really) at the beginning of the race. No one had any good idea of what to expect. Some looked ready for rain others looked ready for nothing but sun. The weather was surprisingly warm in the morning, probably due to the cloud cover.

I had forgotten to pack a beanie and got one for 6 bucks at the general store because I thought the possible discomfort of a cold head was worth avoiding for the cost of a cheap beanie. I don’t think I ended up really needing it, but I had it and that was worth it to me.

After we loaded on the bus and got out to the start I was feeling pretty good and looking forward to the run. I was a little worried about the weather which always puts me on edge regarding what to carry with me. I don’t like to carry too much stuff and I’d hate to get rid of something I that I might need later. However, I think I was wearing what most other people were not wearing, or what I think most people were not wearing, which was clothing that I didn’t care if I didn’t get back. Don’t get me wrong, I think an awesome lightweight windproof/waterproof garment is worth more than its weight in gold, but there’s something to be said of the value of a garment purchased at a thrift store for less than 10 bucks and being able to throw it away without a care at any point. I had on a cheap windbreaker thing and a fleece jacket on under that. Sure, it wasn’t winning me any fashion points, but really, did I care? Nope. It broke the wind and insulated me for about 12 bucks (and I’ve had and used these pieces for several races).

After hanging around for a few at the start the race was on. The weather looked a little scary but up to this point hadn’t done anything but bring some dark clouds to block the sun.

The first climb in this race goes to the highest point within about the first 8 miles. There was a little up and down on a single track trail but then the course hits a dirt road and you stay on the road and go up and up . I was feeling fine and just before I got to the steeper sections of the climb decided to ditch my fleece jacket and cheap beanie. I also put my wind breaker in my vest and decided to keep it just in case. It wouldn’t save me in a massive downpour, but if the wind got cold it would keep me a little bit better off than without it. And I could ditch it at an aid station without caring if it was gone. I also kept my cheap wool gloves incase my hands needed some warmth.

I felt good after losing that weight and then realized that I had 2 full water bottles on me and wondered why I was carrying them both full. One was empty a few seconds after that. I knew I didn’t need that much at this point and could get more fluids at the first aid station.

I could see that there were 6 people ahead of me. I was fine with that. I was hoping that one or two of these people would fade later in the race and that would put me pretty close to the front of the pack. That’s where I wanted to be and I would be happy staying there.

The climb to the highest point of the race spread out the field. The first 3 people were quickly out of my sight and I wondered if I would ever see them again. The other 3 were going about the same pace as me. I didn’t catch up to them but they didn’t get any farther ahead.

Going up to the top of the first pass one of them started to slow a little. I eventually was running with them and then passed them going up. I would never see this person on the course again until the finish.

The next 2 guys ahead of me were doing very well. They were staying about 100 yards ahead of me and I wasn’t able to make time on them.

Once the course started going down the weather began to be a little less cloudy. At times the sun would come out and the wind would gently blow. Both were welcome to a certain extent.

The first aid station came pretty fast and I noticed that the 2 people just ahead of me didn’t even stop. I was surprised by this because I knew that even though I wasn’t planning on stopping for long, I was still going to get some food and move on. Which I did. I grabbed some chips and a fig newton and some sort of sports drink and I departed quickly. The people ahead of me were now way ahead of me and I only would catch occasional glimpses of them. I looked behind me every so often and saw no one that I thought was gaining on me.

So I was now in no-man’s-land. I was alone for basically the rest of the race. I didn’t know how close the person ahead of or behind me was. After the 2nd aid station there would be occasional runners on the course that were part of the 100 mile event. They were always nice and would yield to me as I shuffled by.

Trying to remember the course from the previous year was somewhat helpful even though I was now doing the same course in reverse. But then it was also not very helpful because my memory was always thinking that it was shorter than reality.

I got to the 3rd and final aid station knowing that I probably wasn’t going to catch up to anyone a head of me and maybe no one would pass me. Within about 10 seconds of arriving at the final aid station a runner, which I had previously passed in the first half mile of the course, flew by me. She didn’t even stop at the aid station as far as I could tell. I stayed there for maybe a minute or two at most trying to get a few more calories in to my system before the final climb to the finish. Some pb&j, coke, sports drink, and I don’t remember what else were quickly consumed and I was off.

I was certain that the climb would begin soon – but it didn’t. It was much farther than I had imagined to the beginning of the final climb. I decided to commit to a walk-then-run approach. I would do this to get out of the canyon and on to the level part that would eventually lead to the finish. I have to say that it was mostly a success. I was able to run and walk despite my legs being pretty well depleted of any desire to go up anything. But I kept going. I discovered that shorter steps were better than long steps going up. I did my best to stay focused and move as quick as I could.

I was now passing some of the 100 mile runners every 10 minutes or so. I passed one and within about 10yards of passing them my right foot didn’t clear a rock and I went down. I bashed up my left knee a little bit and my hands were slightly scraped. It was a real surprise to me as I didn’t see it coming at all. I had to walk for a little bit after that but decided that I had nothing else to do but run to the finish. I didn’t have any first aid on me and didn’t see the point of using water and my dirty hands to rinse it off.

The climb up to the finish was much longer than I remember. Without a doubt it was absolutely beautiful. The trail was awesome and all the colors of the dirt and rock formations were just stunning. But the climb was long and seemed to never end.

My watched beeped at the 45 kilometer mark. I know that my steps are about 300 for every mile. With about 3 miles left and a little bit of approximation I decided that I would count 1000 steps and then I would decide what to do next to keep me going to the finish. The step counting went well to occupy my mind. I eventually passed someone who I think might have been one of the people that were ahead of me earlier. But I wasn’t able to really think at this point about who exactly it was.

After the step counting had gotten me through the last few miles I saw a family on the side of the trail who said something like “you’re almost there!” and I didn’t really believe them. I was convinced that I probably had about another 15mins of running or more. Just as they were behind me I crested a small rise and saw the finish. I don’t think I ran that last 100 yards very fast, but to me the time it took to get there was nothing.

Overall I’m pretty pleased with how I did. I know I’m a better climber than I was a year ago and during the whole race I never really stopped or had any major problems. The weather turned out to be a non-issue. In fact, I got sunburned a little on my arms where my sunscreen coverage was lacking.

If I have any lessons to learn it’s that if I want to do even better I need to practice hills as well as running at elevation more. It’s hard to get out and get as high as I need in order to train so that I can perform at the higher level. But seriously, I can’t be too hard on myself, I did pretty darn well.

My First Fifty - The Salt Flats 50 Mile Ultramarathon

Although I could probably make this a 2000 word post, I won't. Here are some short tidbits about my first fifty:

• The Salt Flats are beautiful and I think running across them is the best way to experience them. 
• Lemon Lime Gatorade is terrible and I don't like it.
• Training on hills really helped me.
• Changing shoes at mile 33 was a good idea.
• I can't help but wonder; if I rested more at aid stations would I have been able to make up that time and more? Or was short aid station stops a better idea? 
• To the guy who told me to eat solid food after mile 30: I never didn't eat solid food. :-)
• 2 full 20oz bottles might be too much if the aid stations are close (6 miles) together. It's a unnecessary weight thing
• I read complaints about some foods not sitting right with some people. I haven't encountered such a problem yet. 
• Cooperating weather was a huge contributor to my success. It wasn't too hot and was cloudy most of the day. 

At any rate, the race was awesome. I took something like 5th place overall which is what I was expecting. I had a great time and wouldn't hesitate doing it again. 

Speedgoat 50k

I just signed up for the Speedgoat 50k, July 24 at Snowbird Ski Resort in Utah.

It's one of the more popular races going on this summer and I couldn't resist the desire to sign up for another race. And running such an epic race so close to home was too tempting. It's supposed to be a tough race that is big on vertical climbing and on overall altitude (pushing 11,000 feet). I'm pretty excited.

Who wants to train with me?

Moab's Red Hot 55k 2015 - Review

I just did the 2015 Moab Red Hot 55k race. It was awesome. No significant problems of any kind. So much excellent execution on the part of the race organizers, the volunteers as well as my performance.

We rolled in to Moab on Friday evening and going to the packet pick up was one of the first stops. Eddie McStiff's is a cool place, but we had problems parking. The packet pick up process was pretty good and quick. It was pleasantly void of any 'vendors' or anyone trying to sell me stuff, something that I very much enjoyed. Actually getting the bib was probably the longest part. I hope no one had to wait much longer than I did. I ended up waiting about 3 minutes and I was gone. The packet had 3 pointless brochures from Hammer Nutrition and a card for a chiropractic place, a sample gel, the shirt and a trucker style hat. Perfect. I enjoyed the simple bag and glad it wasn't just full of ads for stuff or events I have no interest in.

I got back to the hotel room and pinned my bib to my shirt and got all of my other gear ready. Luckily, I didn't forget anything that I needed. I put my stuff in neat piles near the bathroom and went to bed.

The race started at 8am. This is kind of a late start time compared to some other races, but I had no problem with it at all. This gave me a chance to get to bed at a decent hour and still get plenty of sleep. I got up about 6 and had some pleasant time to kill before proceeding to the start - which would take about 15 mins to get to.  So, I did what I think everyone should do (if they don't or haven't) is shower right before the race. For me this just makes it better to be at the start and have everything clean and ready to go. I also shaved. I put on sunscreen, at a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a banana, had some water, and brushed my teeth. For me, that's a great way to start a race.

I also had time to make sure that I had my pre-race bag and post-race bags ready to go. These were packed with things that I think that I would need at the time. For the start, I had some hand warmers, and some chap stick, gloves, a throwaway jacket and windbreaker (from a thrift store). It's very nice not to be rushed.

I have been nervous before and gotten anxious before a race, but I wasn't either of these things before this race. I was pretty happy with how I was feeling and not worried about anything specific. I knew that if my stomach had problems I would just have to deal with it at that time. If I bonked or worse, then I was prepared to just deal with that when the time came.

Once I had walked to the beginning of the race I was ready to go. I tossed my throwaway jackets and gloves in a pile with the drop bags and after a few announcements I was off.

Without going in to a turn by turn narrative, suffice it to say that the trail was a mix of dirt roads, sand and stand stone. By the end my watch said 4k feet of elevation gain. My fastest mile was close to 7 mins and my slowest mile was around 17. There was much more elevation than I was anticipating but when your 28 miles in, there's not much to do about it. I was surprised how drained my legs felt at about mile 15 or so. I wasn't sure if my pace was too high or if the climbing had taken its toll. I mostly ignored them and just kept pushing. While the feeling never went away completely, as I got food and water in me and as its effects wore of, I could feel the discomfort subside or become less pronounced at times.

The aid stations were very uniform in their offerings of coke, PB&J, chips, mini candy bars, head and coke. I was able to get in and out of every aid station in pretty good time.

I'm not sure I noticed a cloud in the sky the entire time and while the air temperature was relatively cool, I could still feel the sun sucking it out of me a little.

What a great race.

The Salt Flats 100

I’ve just signed up for my first 50 mile marathon. The Salt Flats 100 offers a 50 mile event and that’s the one I’m going to run.

The plan I have had since 2013 was to work my way up gradually to a 100 mile race. I figured that I wasn't done running yet and that running is a lifestyle for me and not just something I am interested in doing for a few months and then quitting. So, why rush to get to 100 when I can have fun and learn along the way? So I decided that in each successive year I was going to run a longer race than the previous year and finish with a 100 mile race. So last year was my first 50k race (and it was my first trail race, too). This year, a 50 miler and then a 100k a year after that and a 100 miler the year after that. Who knows if I’ll stick to this exactly but sticking to it isn't the point. The point is to have fun running. 

This particular 50 miler intrigued me because of its location mostly. If you didn't know, west of the Great Salt Lake are some of the largest salt flats anywhere. It is also pretty very remote. The nearest city, Wendover, is little more than a town that offers the closest gambling to those who live in and around Salt Lake City area. The Bonneville Salt Flats, as the area where the race is located is called, is where land speed records of many kinds have been set. And on race day will be the location of the start and finish of my first 50 mile ultramarathon.

The first 13 miles or so takes place on the salt flats and is essentially an incredibly flat, straight run until you reach the bottom of some mountain “islands” that rise out of the flats. The race then takes a turn and follows the base of the mountains before going around and up a pass and then back down on to the flats to the finish.

In the coming months I have to train to run this race. This will involve back to back long runs in which a 30 mile run on one day is followed up by a 20 mile run the next day (or some variation of this theme). The intent of the training is to get the body and mind used to staying on your feet and moving forward for greater lengths of time. The training is also an opportunity to find out what works nutrition-wise when your body has 30 miles on it.  Sometimes, with that many miles, a stomach can get picky and cranky  so it’s important to know as best you can what works and what doesn’t. One of the most important things involved in an ultramarathon is drinking and eating along the way.

I finished my first ultra last June. It was a 50k race (about 33 miles) and I finished feeling pretty good. Pacing myself was perhaps the most important thing that I did second to drinking and eating at regular intervals. The nutrition part of that race was according to my intent. I knew what I was going to eat and when I was going to eat it. The pacing, however, was thanks to a buddy that I ran into. My body wanted to run faster and more often but he kept me in check. I believe had I not let him slow me down I would have had energy problems near the end of the race and ended walking a lot and not finishing as strong as I did.

I might be crazy, but no more so than all of the other ultra runners out there, so that makes me feel good. I can’t wait to experience a 50 mile race and spending, I don’t know, something like 10+ hours on my feet moving forward.

Headsweats Race Performance Running/Outdoor Sports Hat

I've run more races than some and of course, not as many as some others. If there has ever been one piece of gear that has been on me every single race, it's this Headsweats Hat. (There's actually one other thing that I have worn every race, but I'm going to save that for later)

This hat has excellent reviews, which is why I bought it in the first place. This has been with me through thick and thin, cold and hot, rain and wind. 

So, it's a hat and it's awesome, what more is there to say? I think that it is very comfortable. The bill is a great size to keep the sun from blinding you or, in my case, to keep vehicle headlights from messing up your night vision. 

This hat is also very low maintenance. I just chuck it in the wash after every few runs and it's good as new. I've had this hat now for probably 4 years and I still don't think it's ready to give up anytime soon despite the hell I have put it through.

In comparison, I have a Patagonia hat that is terrible. The strap on the back goes loose mid run, and it's heavy and uncomfortable. This Headsweats hat has absolutely no complaints from me.