Early last week I decided to run Aravaipa Running Elephant Mountain. I have been feeling unsure about where I’m at in my training looking to Crown King. I also have not really raced in a very long time. I studied the course profile and thought, it can’t be that bad. I decided to make it my goal to break the course record (5:16:12). Aside from mild panic on Friday night when I couldn’t find GU peanut butter gels, I was feeling pretty relaxed. (I did eventually find gels in the bottom of my purse.)
At the start of the race there were two women out in front of me. I didn’t really want to make a push so early. We started running up switchbacks and seemed foolish to try to kill myself half a mile in. I ran with Bret Sarnquist and we chatted for a bit. Taking advantage of the downhill I moved into 2nd pretty quickly. I passed the 1st place woman and I could tell she was not going to just let this happen. In a very rocky and sandy creek bed she made a move to go back into first. There was no way I was going to push it in that terrain. I just reminded myself that we were only about 4 miles in and there was a long way to go still. The trail dumped out onto jeep road and I used this to my advantage. I moved back into first and stayed there the rest of the race.
At the start of the race there were two women out in front of me. I didn’t really want to make a push so early. We started running up switchbacks and seemed foolish to try to kill myself half a mile in. I ran with Bret Sarnquist and we chatted for a bit. Taking advantage of the downhill I moved into 2nd pretty quickly. I passed the 1st place woman and I could tell she was not going to just let this happen. In a very rocky and sandy creek bed she made a move to go back into first. There was no way I was going to push it in that terrain. I just reminded myself that we were only about 4 miles in and there was a long way to go still. The trail dumped out onto jeep road and I used this to my advantage. I moved back into first and stayed there the rest of the race.
Start/Finish Line
Cool playground for the kids!
Yep - there were horses on the trail.
I had decided to take my Ultraspire pack with me. It’s brand new and I haven’t really worn it, but I figured I could always drop it at an aid station and pick it up later. I didn’t have water in my pack, just my gels and Skratch packets. It became clear pretty quickly that I did not have the pack fitted correctly because it was rubbing my right shoulder really bad. I alternated between forgetting about it and being miserable. I decided to deal with it until the Spur Cross aid station. I figured since there were drop bags here it would be the best place to leave it and get it back later. But I am looking forward to getting the fit right and being able to use the pack.
Sometime after this decision I totally ate it. Flying though the air, painful landing ate it. There were two guys behind me who of course asked if I was ok. “I’m okay, just go,” I answered. I knew I was fine and I didn’t want them sacrificing their race. I somehow managed to cut up and bruise the inside of my arm. I also landed so hard on my left boob that I actually thought “ good thing I don’t have implants because that would have popped for sure!” The rest of the race my left leg was bugging me off and on. I think I have a deep bruise that is going to make life miserable for a while.
At the Spur Cross aid station I was able to leave my pack. The volunteers there were super nice about taking it. And it was back at the finish line when I finished. Yeah! This is the point where we turn around and go back from where we just came. Single track with runners coming at you and lots of hikers can make it hard to hold your pace, but the upside was I could see where the other women were at behind me. I felt comfortable with my lead and just told myself to stay consistent. This was my mantra for the race. Stay consistent. Huge thank you to the hikers who knew I was coming behind and waited for me so that they wouldn’t be on the boards for crossing the water. I wasn’t looking forward to having to run through the water so early in the race.
The rest of the race went really well. The good thing about out and back is that I knew where to push the pace and where to take it easy. The course was really split between technical and smooth and super runnable. At mile 15.8 I decided I needed solid food. I was feeling hungry. I ate a little peanut butter and jelly and chased it with mountain dew. There was a little belching, but my stomach tolerated it well and this was on a flat section so I was pushing the pace.
I went into the start line and my friend Tommy with RWB took care of my bottle so I could go out and make my final loop. I got a little confused and Jamil had to remind me what to do. Poor Jamil – taking care of me must be exhausting. I knew I just had to make it to the first aid station and back. This meant I had to go up the steep switchback again. I told myself to run for 5 minutes and then take a break. I knew I had a lot of downhill on the other side and it seemed stupid to kill myself and have nothing left to run fast on the downhill. I think I made a good decision. Flying downhill there was another runner coming at me. The path was wide so I let him take the outside and I cut the inside close. Then I heard it – the rattle! Yikes I yelled! I warned the next two runners about the rattlesnake ahead – they were very thankful. I have yet to have a rattlesnake encounter and I am not looking forward to when it finally happens. I get to the aid station and I want to kiss those guys! I am so close to being done and even if I slow I can still run a 4:45 to 4:50 and take the CR with a pretty good margin.
I start running and something seems wrong. I don’t remember coming this way. Wait - this is the way we ran the first time. This can’t be right. This section is smooth with a lot of down and I should be flying, but instead I'm walking, stopping, talking to people because I think I took a wrong turn. Remember when I studied that course map, I memorized it incorrectly. In my head I am convinced I just ruined my race. I spent so much time walking, crying and cursing. I was running out of water and I was worried about that. I decided maybe I am wrong and to run until my watch said 31 miles because at that point I should see the finish line. But at 31 I knew I wasn’t close to the finish. Then I hear “Don’t give up we are almost there.” What? It’s a guy I had been running with off and on. I had been looking behind me for him and could never see him, another reason I was convinced I was wrong. “We’re going the right way,” I ask? Yes! Shit! I look at my watch and realize I can still break the CR if I get a move on. Out of water, thirsty and pissed I took off running. I finished in 5:10, 1st female and 6th overall. My Garmin says I ran 32.2 and my average was 9:39/mi.
I’m pretty happy with this. I’m pissed at myself for not just continuing to run even when I thought I took a wrong turn. I had no idea where I could have gone wrong so I wasn’t going to turn around so why did I waste all of that time? Lesson learned. And I won’t study the course maps any more either!
Congrats to Bret on 1st place. Thanks to Aravaipa for an amazing race. Thanks to Freak Brothers for the delicious pizza! Thanks to Scratch Labs! I could not have made it through this hot day without you!
A huge thanks to Charlie Boeynik at Cadence Physical Therapy for getting back to being able to race!
Sometime after this decision I totally ate it. Flying though the air, painful landing ate it. There were two guys behind me who of course asked if I was ok. “I’m okay, just go,” I answered. I knew I was fine and I didn’t want them sacrificing their race. I somehow managed to cut up and bruise the inside of my arm. I also landed so hard on my left boob that I actually thought “ good thing I don’t have implants because that would have popped for sure!” The rest of the race my left leg was bugging me off and on. I think I have a deep bruise that is going to make life miserable for a while.
At the Spur Cross aid station I was able to leave my pack. The volunteers there were super nice about taking it. And it was back at the finish line when I finished. Yeah! This is the point where we turn around and go back from where we just came. Single track with runners coming at you and lots of hikers can make it hard to hold your pace, but the upside was I could see where the other women were at behind me. I felt comfortable with my lead and just told myself to stay consistent. This was my mantra for the race. Stay consistent. Huge thank you to the hikers who knew I was coming behind and waited for me so that they wouldn’t be on the boards for crossing the water. I wasn’t looking forward to having to run through the water so early in the race.
The rest of the race went really well. The good thing about out and back is that I knew where to push the pace and where to take it easy. The course was really split between technical and smooth and super runnable. At mile 15.8 I decided I needed solid food. I was feeling hungry. I ate a little peanut butter and jelly and chased it with mountain dew. There was a little belching, but my stomach tolerated it well and this was on a flat section so I was pushing the pace.
I went into the start line and my friend Tommy with RWB took care of my bottle so I could go out and make my final loop. I got a little confused and Jamil had to remind me what to do. Poor Jamil – taking care of me must be exhausting. I knew I just had to make it to the first aid station and back. This meant I had to go up the steep switchback again. I told myself to run for 5 minutes and then take a break. I knew I had a lot of downhill on the other side and it seemed stupid to kill myself and have nothing left to run fast on the downhill. I think I made a good decision. Flying downhill there was another runner coming at me. The path was wide so I let him take the outside and I cut the inside close. Then I heard it – the rattle! Yikes I yelled! I warned the next two runners about the rattlesnake ahead – they were very thankful. I have yet to have a rattlesnake encounter and I am not looking forward to when it finally happens. I get to the aid station and I want to kiss those guys! I am so close to being done and even if I slow I can still run a 4:45 to 4:50 and take the CR with a pretty good margin.
I start running and something seems wrong. I don’t remember coming this way. Wait - this is the way we ran the first time. This can’t be right. This section is smooth with a lot of down and I should be flying, but instead I'm walking, stopping, talking to people because I think I took a wrong turn. Remember when I studied that course map, I memorized it incorrectly. In my head I am convinced I just ruined my race. I spent so much time walking, crying and cursing. I was running out of water and I was worried about that. I decided maybe I am wrong and to run until my watch said 31 miles because at that point I should see the finish line. But at 31 I knew I wasn’t close to the finish. Then I hear “Don’t give up we are almost there.” What? It’s a guy I had been running with off and on. I had been looking behind me for him and could never see him, another reason I was convinced I was wrong. “We’re going the right way,” I ask? Yes! Shit! I look at my watch and realize I can still break the CR if I get a move on. Out of water, thirsty and pissed I took off running. I finished in 5:10, 1st female and 6th overall. My Garmin says I ran 32.2 and my average was 9:39/mi.
I’m pretty happy with this. I’m pissed at myself for not just continuing to run even when I thought I took a wrong turn. I had no idea where I could have gone wrong so I wasn’t going to turn around so why did I waste all of that time? Lesson learned. And I won’t study the course maps any more either!
Congrats to Bret on 1st place. Thanks to Aravaipa for an amazing race. Thanks to Freak Brothers for the delicious pizza! Thanks to Scratch Labs! I could not have made it through this hot day without you!
A huge thanks to Charlie Boeynik at Cadence Physical Therapy for getting back to being able to race!
2nd place is Shannon McQuaid and 3rd place is Jane Murawski
Bret Sarnquist, the male winner and good friend.
