“You can’t always get what you want, but you get what you
need”
I entered The 2014 Grand to Grand Ultra Marathon not long
after completing Racing the Planet Iceland in 2013 mainly because I had a great
experience at my first stage race and I wanted to have a new goal to set my
sights on.
The Grand to Grand Ultra is a 170 mile long self supported stage race
held in Southern Utah. Self supported stage races are such that you have to
carry all your own food for the week, emergency (mandatory) equipment, your clothing and your
sleeping bag and mat.
In the early of stages of training back in February, I
injured my hamstring and I wasn’t sure how I’d fare in the race but I’d been assured that
this race was “hikeable” since it has generous cutoff times for each day, so I
decided to go for it anyway.
The months leading up to the race were tough, a lack of
purpose was making me unhappy but having the race to focus on was good. Due to my injury I wasn’t able to run and most of my training consisted of long hikes with my backpack and strength training.
Getting to Kanab
Judy and I in Las Vegas |
I was lucky in that I had planned to spend two nights in Las
Vegas with my friend Judy the week before the race. It was to be an early
birthday celebration and it was a good distraction from the mayhem I left behind
in San Francisco. After two nights walking around Las Vegas, taking in shows
and seeing the sights, I was to meet the runners at Las Vegas airport on
Wednesday to catch a bus that would transport us to Kanab.
I got onto the bus just in the nick of time and immediately
found the “back of the pack” at the back of the bus. Andy, Brianna and others
had purchased some Prosecco, rum and other libations at the airport and were
getting “ready” for the long bus ride ahead. Mary and Erin from Canada who had
both participated in the Iceland race were also there and made me feel welcome.
After a drink (or two) we all became fast friends. Nathan
joined us from the front of the bus and Yuri one of the camp crew volunteers
proceeded to tell us tales of Aliens and had good stories about the event. He had run it the year before.
Everyone was slightly concerned about how they would do in the race – I
was in good company. After a while we stopped at an In n’ Out burger in St
George and before we knew it we were at our destination in Kanab where we
checked into our hotels and enjoyed a good nights sleep.
Exploring Kanab
Arriving in Kanab in the dark I did not notice the beautiful
red rock that surrounds it. It was so lovely to see this as the sun rose and
the blue sky provided the loveliest contrast.
After a traditional breakfast at The Parry Lodge ,
I met up with Mary and Yvonne for the days activities - The race directors and
the Kanab residents had organized some local activities to keep us busy on the
day before runner check in. First up was a tour of Best Friends AnimalSanctuary.
The Best Friends visit is something I had been looking
forward to since Sarah (a fellow competitor and friend from the Bay Area) had
recommended it to me on a training run a few weeks back. Best Friends is
situated in Angels Canyon 6 miles outside of Kanab on almost 40,000 acres of
land and they are famous for being the largest no-kill shelter in the United
States.
Our tour guide Raven provided great information on the
activities, we drove past horse yards, toured the cat shelter and briefly
visited Dogtown but one of the major attractions at Best Friends is Angel’s
Rest. This is not only the final resting place for the shelter animals but also
for companions of members and staff. Besides all the gravestones and trinkets, there
are wind chimes that make the most beautiful sound as the wind comes through
the canyon. Its actually indescribable,
you will have to visit yourself to experience it. Yvonne and I spontaneously
shed a tear as we passed by, and I knew right then I had met a kindred sprit.
After the tour of Best Friends we were to take a flight over Kanab in a small Cessna which local pilot Dave Baird had generously offered to runners. Dave turned out to be a wonderful person, with a very generous spirit, his main interest was for us runners to have a positive experience of Kanab so we could come back and it would benefit the town. The flight was spectacular, it was a small taste of the landscape we’d be seeing close up in a couple of days time.
The final activity for the day was a massage; this was a nice treat at the end of what already felt like a long week and was the perfect end to the afternoon. At the massage place I met up with James and Yuri who asked me to join them for dinner. We ate Mexican food with a few other runners and headed to bed for an early night. There was a lot to organize before runner check-in the following day.
Runner Check-in
On Friday morning I switched hotels to join Sarah at the Holiday Inn Express, we were all sharing rooms with other competitors for the final night in Kanab. By around one o’clock most of the runners were milling about near the hotel and since we had already received our tent assignments this was a good opportunity to start trying to identify our tent mates.
Runner check-in |
Race check in went smoothly, my equipment was numbered as required and I had everything that was on the mandatory list. I was surprised that the volunteer I was assigned to did not check everything as thoroughly as I expected but I assumed that there was a certain level of trust that we had all the gear we needed and I was pretty thankful not to have take every single labeled item out of my bag.
Mo and I ready to go |
At race check in, I chatted with a few other runners, for some this was their first stage race, others had a lot of experience behind them. I also met Mo who had participated in the Iceland race and had won that race, It was good to see an old friend. By the time we had finished the final runner dinner in Kanab, I had identified all my tent mates. There were 7 of us - Simon from Australia, Danny from England, Dan and Sarah from the US and Mickey and Roberto from Italy. I was representing Germany. This was tent #6 Hualapai!
Getting to Camp One
Saturday morning after breakfast we had to move our luggage to where it would be stored for the week and then we were loaded on buses that would drive us to Camp One. It was about a four-hour drive out to Camp One, of which the last hour was on a bumpy dirt road and everyone was happy to reach the destination.
Waiting on the buses to take us to Camp One |
Dan and another runner at the edge of the North Rim |
The tent at Camp One with Sarah, Dan, Mickey and Simon |
Catching a few minutes to calm my nerves |
That evening, we were served a delicious a pasta dinner with a spectacular view. Colin and Tess gave the race briefing as the rain clouds were gathering and during the night it the skies opened and we encountered our first thunderstorm of the week – I recall waking up around 3:00am to camp crew hammering in stakes to make sure our tents were safe. That was dedication! Sarah and I giggled at the absurdity of it all.
Stage One
A beautiful sunrise |
Thankfully we woke up to a beautiful sunrise and mostly blue skies; the rain had made the start a little cooler for us. I had been worried about how the heat would affect me so I was really grateful for the small amount of cloud cover. I spent a large part of the day passing the miles with my tent mate Dan from Chicago – It always amazes me just how much one talks out on the trails and we got to know a lot about each others lives during those 30.8 miles (49.6 km). The scenery was breathtaking all day, we had the vermillion cliffs in our sights most of the time and most of the trail was hard packed dirt.
Hualapai ready to go! |
Gregory and I looking invigorated after the storm! |
Thankfully this was not for long and soon we were back on dry ground and nearing CP 4 with Camp 2 in sight. Towards the end of this section we found ourselves dodging cacti – you did not want these beast to attack your shoes and had to be very careful not to stub your feet on any of them.
Stage Two
I felt fine when I woke up, no more nausea, but my appetite wasn’t there. I tried to eat some of the dinner I wasn’t able to the night before and managed to swallow about a quarter of it before giving up. I made up my “perpeteum” drinks (calories for the day) and was ready for the 8:00am start.
The views at the top were amazing! |
The first three miles up to CP1 were pretty straightforward, it was slow going largely due to the single track but the pace was friendly – everyone was excited about the day ahead. After CP1 the climbing began. We were faced with a climb of about 1300 ft (our elevation was already 6000ft) within about a mile and a half.
Needless to say this was hard, especially for a sea level dweller like me and I deployed a technique, which I’ll call “shade to shade”, where literally I climbed from one tree to the next to catch my breath at every stop the views were amazing and it was incredible to see how much distance we had covered. At the top I found Dan had waited for me. I felt terrible that he had waited, as I did not want him to miss any cut offs because of me so I urged him to go on ahead. I caught a second wind as soon as the climbing stopped and soon caught up to him and even passed a few people that had also had some difficulty getting up that hill.
I reached CP2 before the cut off but there was not enough time to eat so I marched on. The course between CP3 and CP4 was magnificent, there was another little climb but after that earlier hill they felt very manageable especially since I had already perfected the “shade to shade” technique earlier on. The weather was getting hotter and the few trees that provided shade were a blessing.
My favorite kind of road! |
My appetite still wasn’t what it should be for this kind of event – food is essential to stay strong but my spirits were high and I ate as much as I could and enjoyed the conversation at the camp fireplace before retiring to the tent for the night.
I was happy that I had a strong finish on Day 2 and I was happy that I had gotten so far considering my trepidation of even getting through Day one. Another 26 miles done and once again messages of support from friends were well received!
I was happy that I had a strong finish on Day 2 and I was happy that I had gotten so far considering my trepidation of even getting through Day one. Another 26 miles done and once again messages of support from friends were well received!
Stage Three – the long stage
The beginning of the Long stage. We would climb over this. |
Start time was 8:00am and everyone set out for the long day. The first few miles to CP1 were great, a nice long gravel road, I held a steady pace and enjoyed the cool morning air. In the distance I could see the cliffs ahead that was going to be our first climb.
Check Point 2. Sadly this is where Yvonne dropped. |
Just after CP1 we were faced with our first real climbing (scrambling) up the cliffs. This felt pretty dangerous as foot and hand holds were not that easy to navigate with poles in hand but I made it and although it was tough climb it still did not feel as tough as the day before, the rest of the trail to CP2 was rolling hills, it was hot, so once again, “shade to shade” technique was deployed. The day was getting hotter and many competitors were starting to feel it, when I got to CP2 there were a handful of runners hanging out trying to recover from the heat.
About 6 competitors dropped at this checkpoint including Yvonne who looked like she was beat by the heat, turns out she also had horrendous blisters on her feet and simply could not go on. I heard later that the runners who dropped at that check point were driven into Kanab, reunited with their luggage and wished “good luck”.
The trail was beautiful |
In the distance I could hear dogs barking and I knew that I was near CP4 and Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, by the time I reached CP4 it was starting to cool a little and I spent a few minutes at CP4 getting myself ready for the night ahead. I had another Perpeteum drink and fixed my red flashing light to my backpack.
At this time Dan had joined up with me again and we headed out into the evening together for the trek to CP5. It was so beautiful in the dark, this section of the trail was near a river and we could hear frogs croaking and the cool air was a real treat after the heat of the day.
Despite the nice cool temperatures, by the time I got to CP5 I was feeling pretty low. My body had been strained by the lack of calories during the day and although I tried to eat something there and regain my strength I once again didn’t feel like anything I had with me. At this time I also overheard the race director and the guy who had designed the course boasting how hard they had made the sand dunes this year and after doing calculations in my head about how long it would take to reach the next check point and wondering if I’d have enough time to rest there before the sand dunes and then unsuccessfully trying to locate something that would be palatable to me, I took off my shoes and decided I had had enough. I had found my limit.
The volunteers were very nice and they drove me back to Camp 4 and the first thing I realized as I was in the car was not how warm it was but how fast the landscape was passing, this gave them a good laugh.
Giving up is a terrible thing. I was totally okay with my decision at the time but as the new day broke and runners with whom I had been on the course the previous day were starting to come across the finish line. I started to feel sad about my decision to stop.
Sarah pulled me aside and told me that although it may sound corny, this experience would be character building. She was spot on. I had always said that if I stopped for whatever reason I would stay with the race and volunteer so right there and then I decided to embrace my feeling and I started to look for a new assignment. I found my way to Camp Crew.
Camp 4 after the runners had left for the day |
The morning of Stage 4, I gladly accepted an invitation to eat breakfast with the volunteers, and after seeing the runners off for the day, I was put to work. Bear, the camp crew boss asked me to take down the signs on the tents and gather the chairs then Duncan showed me how a tent gets dismantled. Each tent has nine poles and one center pole and every one of the tents had to be folded up and all the poles put onto trailers to be transported to the next camp and set up for the runners when they come in again after the long day out.
Before leaving I picked up a feather, Shawn, one of the camp crew noticed and pointed out that when picking up a feather it means you’re making a commitment – I committed to having a positive experience no matter what comes my way –
I loved being outdoors and in many ways I was grateful for the opportunity to see both sides of the race in one year. Many people volunteer one year and race in another.
At the Sand Dunes |
The drive to the next camp was a blast! Dean drove his four wheel truck while playing guns and roses loud on the car sound system – It took me back to days in Africa when we would drive around the bush on weekends – I was happy! We stopped at the Sand Dunes where we filled up water for the Camp – I was glad to see the dunes and was still okay with my decision to stop.
Camp 5 was to be set up in a field of wild sage and there were a lot of “stickers” - thorns with many sides that have a habit of sticking to everything that comes near, especially socks – they hurt. In South Africa we have a similar weed called “devils bush” . We improvised and made gaiters out of duct tape – this helped keep them out of our socks as we got to work setting up the tents.
A volunteer tent at Camp 5 |
There were 14 runner tents, one medical tent and one “cyber tent” and another 8 volunteer tents to set up. There were 9 people including myself to do this job. I got to know the rest of the camp crew that day. Hard working people. I felt right at home.
Mickey was the first runner to arrive before we had finished setting up all the tents. He had a steady fast pace and held onto his lead throughout the race. It was great seeing him come flying in but we had work to finish and James had promised me a ride into Kanab so I could get decent cell phone reception and make a call home.
Wind chimes at Angels Rest |
After the shower we had a couple of hours to kill before dinner and James drove us through Best Friends sanctuary. I was so happy to go there again and we spent time walking around Angels Rest as the sun was setting. Just before we lost the light we found the labyrinth at Angels lookout. We experienced more beautiful views in place that has left an impression on my heart.
That night I slept in a tent with the volunteers – it felt like the right thing to do.
That night I slept in a tent with the volunteers – it felt like the right thing to do.
Stage 5
Early morning wake up for the Camp Crew! We were awake at 5:30 am for breakfast and then the day started. The runners set off again at 8:00 am and we started tearing down tents. This camp took a while to clean up but we removed everything including any unused firewood from the night before.
It was a longish drive to Camp 6, we passed Bryce along the way and stopped at a gas station where I had a chance to buy potato chips and some lip balm that I desperately needed for my sunburned lips.
The site for Camp 6 was lovely. It was the opposite of the site we just left, there was no dust, no sage, just some wild flowers and grass. There were even horses in the adjoining field. It was a pleasant sight.
The site for Camp 6 was lovely. It was the opposite of the site we just left, there was no dust, no sage, just some wild flowers and grass. There were even horses in the adjoining field. It was a pleasant sight.
Setting up Camp 6 |
Nathan looking strong at the finish |
The first part of the storm hit during the night and once again thunderstorms had me up in the night. It was the eve of my birthday and I couldn’t help thinking how symbolic it was to have a cleansing storm to welcome me into my new year. I was safe and dry in my tent.
It was quiet enough in the morning for the runners to complete a 2 mile final run and finish across the finish line to receive their finishers buckle – their time would not count for this stage and it was a joyous celebration of great achievement by all. I was so happy to see Dan finish, he toughed it out to finish and smiled all the way, Sarah finished strong and placed second female, it was a beautiful moment watching them run to the finish line together.
All my tent mates of Hualapai made it to the finish! I admit
I felt a little disappointed in myself but I take joy in celebrating their
achievements and acknowledging my own – I went a lot farther than I thought I
might. I completed 88 of the hardest miles I’ve ever attempted and I had a
fantastic experience, I met some of the most amazing people I could ever ask to
meet, I was shown more generosity of spirit in one week than I can put into
words and I know I have made friendships that will last a lifetime.
Photo credit: Simon Dodd |
Runners heading to the buses that would drive them back to Las Vegas |
I took the longest shower (as
I’m sure did everyone else!) and we enjoyed a wonderful awards dinner followed
by dancing. I danced with joy in my
heart for a beautiful week. The landscapes, the songs that will forever take me back to waking up in camp, the smell of sage, the people, the
memories, they will all stay in my heart forever. A birthday I will not forget.
I had wanted a buckle for my birthday, yes. I’d hoped to come
home with one, but I came back with so much more. I’ll get that buckle next
time.
Celebrating success in Las Vegas with Sarah |
The pool at the Green Valley Ranch |
Hanging out with Yvonne before leaving Las Vegas |