Rocky Mountain High

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I have no idea how to write a race report for Transrockies! How does one condense six days of running and living in the world of this event into something that is both readable in length and does not come across as somewhat egotistical and self important? I don’t know, so I will just let it all hang out and hope everyone judges my intentions as honorable.

Prologue

The days and minutes leading up to stage one were mainly days of increasing apprehension. It seemed the more that the layers of this event were revealed the more Shelly Girl and I felt scared out of our minds. Could we complete this event and did we remember to bring everything we would need for six days in the mountains were just two of the many questions we were asking ourselves as we toed the line on Sunday, August 22 for the opening stage. As we looked around at athletes such as Krissy Moehl, Nikki Kimball, Max King and Brian Dayton we had to ask ourselves what the hell are we doing here? [singlepic=6702,280,200,,right]

Stage 1 Buena Vista to Railroad Bridge Campground at Twin Lakes (Distance 20.6 miles – Elevation Gain 3029 feet, Elevation Loss 2703 feet- Highest point 9337 feet, lowest point 7939 feet)

Man we were nervous! We had no idea what to expect so we had one goal and that was to go slow and conserve our energy for the week ahead. The day was crystal clear and hot with temps rising into the high 80’s by the end of the day. The heat combined with starting at almost 8,000 feet kept us constantly thinking of Mr. Bimble’s advice to keep eating and drinking! We started at a very conservative pace as we crossed, via bridge, the Arkansas River and begin our first of dozens of climbs. The trail was clean and the ascent was slight but we still kept a slow pace, as Dean Karnezes and his partner for stage one passed us at about mile two (Karnezes was running with a different partner each day as a North Face promotional device and we would see him a lot over the course of the week, depending on the quality of his partner). Eventually, we settled into a comfortable pace of hiking the big hills, jogging the flats and flying on the downs. This would become our ritual for the next six days and proved to be an effective strategy to complete the race. Stage one held no particular challenges other than maintaining a steady tempo and staying one step ahead of the heat. The terrain was more similar to Arizona dessert than Colorado high peaks and many participants struggled.  We saw one runner throwing up on the side of the trail and many others taking a few extra minutes at each of the checkpoints/aid stations.  By far stage one was the least enjoyable from a scenery standpoint but it still was a great introduction to TRR. It would have been a great run, if not compared to the stages that lie ahead of us in the following days. The first 16 miles were a very nice roller coaster ride with only one significant climb that I can remember, right before the first checkpoint/aid station at a little over 7 miles into the stage. By far the most difficult part of the stage would be the final 3.6 mile gravel road section leading to the finish at Railroad Bridge Campground. The section was pretty much flat but it was hot and everyone was tired. We walked a good portion of this section and began the week long practice of running to a certain point and then walking to another, another strategy that would prove useful throughout the event. Eventually we completed the grind and crossed the finish line at approximately 4 hours and 33 minutes. Good for 13^th place out of 23 teams in the Mixed 80 Division (combined team age over 80 years old). We were quite happy not being last and took a good 15 minute soak, along with the other competitors, in the ice cold waters of the Arkansas. Stage 1 complete!

Stage Recovery

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While running and enjoying the scenery were two of the great things about TRR, between race time was equally enjoyable. This time began immediately following the end of a stage with race recovery. After completing stage one, and knowing we had five stages yet to run, we were aware that what we did between the end of one stage and the beginning of the next was of vital importance to our experience. The first order of business was to begin the recovery process with food, a good cold soaking and massage. Throughout the week Shelly Girl and I, as well as a majority of the runners, were religious about these three steps. Whether it was soaking in the Arkansas, as we did after stage one, or making use of the soaking tubs at camp we did everything we could to help ourselves get ready for the next days stage by beginning the recovery process with a good cold soak to minimize the swelling in our legs. In addition to being functional, this time was also very enjoyable and a great opportunity to meet and talk with other runners. Upon arrival at Camp (on most days we were shuttled from finish to camp) the first order of business was securing a tent. This process was based on a first come first serve basis and was perhaps the best reason to finish each stage as quickly as possible. After tent procurement,  it was time to shower and continue the recovery process with a massage, which immediately grew from fifteen minutes to thirty minutes a day after stage one. We spent about 500 dollars on massages and it was the best investment we have ever made for a race.

Stage two- Missouri Gulch Trailhead to Twin Lakes Dam via Hope Pass (Distance 13.5 miles- Elevation Gain 3617 feet, elevation loss 4062 feet – highest point 12,534  feet, lowest point 9211  feet)

In retrospect, Stage two was the make or break day of TRR for Team Bimble and luckily it did not break us.  [singlepic=6727,280,200,,right] The climb to Hope Pass was the hardest climb I have ever done in my life. In fact, it is the only climb that I have ever had to stop and catch my breath and I did that twice. The day started out wonderfully, with another beautiful sunny day with temperatures only in the 50’s, but my legs felt awful and I was worried. Whether it was the altitude or the effects of day one I felt from the start that it would be a rough day. On the other hand, this would be the day that Shelly Girl would find a groove that she held on to for almost the entire event. Man she was a rock star on Hope Pass and I was so proud of her. The climb to Hope Pass begins about 2 miles into the stage at just under 10,000 feet. The climb itself is only about two and a half miles but the altitude gain is 2,500 hundred feet, or roughly 1,000 feet a mile as you climb to just over 12,500 feet.  It is a bitch! While Shelly Girl flew up the hill, I found myself struggling to keep up and eventually let her go. TRR is a team event and you must stay within two minutes of each other at all times, or risk being hit with a one hour time penalty. It did not matter, I could not keep up with her and she would be forced to wait for me at the top.  I did not know it at the time but this day would actually help us grow in strength and performance as the event went on. It is on the climb to Hope Pass that I learned to put my ego aside and worry simply about keeping a pace I could maintain.  While the climb was an enormous struggle it was also our first introduction to the amazing high mountain scenery that we would have the privilege to experience over the next several days. Breathtaking in both the lungs and in the spirit it was the first time I realized that TRR was to be a transcendent event in our lives.

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Somehow I got to the top of the Pass and saw Shelly Girl patiently waiting for me. It’s funny but for some reason we really did not take enough time up there. If we go back I will want to linger more and enjoy that special place. I think the reason we did not dawdle is that we were both eagerly anticipating the roughly four miles of screaming downhill that follows the ascent. We love downhill and the downhill from Hope Pass to the Twin lakes Trail was made for us. Man we flew! It was on this stage that we established a very important part of any success we had at TRR. At our ability level, we can really get down a hill! As would be the case all week, no matter how hard the climbs were, we had tons left in the tank to run hard on the downs. Also, it was lots of fun to run fast and pass other teams. While we were not at this point competing, everybody likes to pass people and it felt awesome! We completed the descent and made a right hand turn onto a single track trail that would take us the remaining 3.5 miles to the finish. While this trail was relatively flat, and a beautiful run along Twin Lakes, it was another of those sections that, for some reason was difficult to run. We found ourselves walking the ups and jogging the flats. If we ever ran TRR again I am sure we would want to train a bit harder so we could run more on these ending sections. In any event, Shelly Girl thrived and I survived Stage two in just over 3 hours and 27 minutes. We would find out later that this now put us in 10^th place and this movement in position certainly got us psyched for the 24 miles we were to tackle on stage 3.

Fellow Runners

One of the reasons we signed on to run TRR was to meet other runners, including those who are among the giants of the sport. This certainly turned out to be one of the great joys of TRR. [singlepic=6698,280,200,,left] Whether it was asking Max King about his strategy in running climbs as he waited to use the bathroom or Shelly Girl chatting in the shower with Krissy Moehl and Nikki Kimball,  TRR is a great chance to meet and mingle with runners from all over the world and of all ability levels. Truly amazing! We also were lucky to become good friends with two teams from Idaho, one of which ended up on the podium! Each day also brought us in contact with many teams, either in camp or out on the trail, and a big part of the TRR experience is this interaction with other runners. As long as we live Shelly Girl and I will remember and bore people with the story of the two TRR runners we randomly met on Aspen Mountain a few days before the race. This young couple got engaged only ten minutes after we saw them and they would go on to win four of the six stages in the open mixed division. It is indeed a small world!

Stage 3 Leadville to Camp Hale (distance 24 miles- Elevation Gain 2737 feet, Elevation loss 3662 feet– Highest point 10,909 feet, lowest point 9206 feet)

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Stage 3 was the stage we realized we would finish TRR and the stage we realized we were getting stronger as the week progressed. While I did not feel great I felt better and Shelly Girl was set for another strong performance. It was awesome to toe the line after meeting the challenge of Hope Pass and actually feel stronger. The atmosphere in the starting gate was electric and just before the start I looked up to see a photo of the legendary Steve Prefontaine in the window of an apartment near the start. Prefontaine has long been a favorite of mine and his quote “if you give less than your best than you are cheating the gift” has always been a credo to live by. I was stoked for a good day. The gun went off and off we went.  Stage three was set up for our strengths, and after a couple of miles run on the road we hit the dirt with the first of two long climbs. The first, up Mount Zion, was steep but only a couple of miles and the second up and over Tennessee Pass, while about five miles in length, was fairly gradual and the views were stunning.  In fact, it seemed this entire day we were feasted with the beauty of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Whether the miles and hours went by hard or easy they were always enjoyable and soon enough we began the fun part of the stage, from about mile twelve to mile twenty two, full of energy. The section of single track from the parking lot at Tennessee Pass to the final gravel road section, which took us to the finish at Camp Hale was perhaps our favorite part of the entire race. First, we were on the Colorado Trail! Whether you are a runner or a friend of history the CT is an epic trail and the section we ran completely lived up to our expectations. Beautiful single track, which trended downhill, the trail, afforded both beautiful views and wonderful running and we were in heaven as we hit the final aid station, roughly four miles from the finish. After resupplying, which included enjoying the fresh fruit that was a staple of TRR, we hit the last section fully aware that there was still a three mile gravel road section notorious for its ability to squash the spirit of many a runner before us. While the section trends mainly flat, you can see the finish at Camp Hale almost the entire way and the darn end never seems to arrive. The good news was we were still feeling strong and ran much of this section. We also knew that Camp Hale is one of the most beautiful stops on the TRR trail so we plugged along as best as we could and came into the camp at roughly 5 hours and 11 minutes for the 24 plus mile stage. Good for 8^th place, and more importantly we were feeling strong and ready, after the usual eat, soak, shower, massage, eat ritual to take on stage four, which would feature a climb equal in difficulty to Hope Pass.

The Crew at TRR

[singlepic=6729,280,200,,left] One of the things that make TRR such a wonderful experience is the large cast of volunteers who take care of the runners. These folks, who crew 24/7, are amazing people and they are also the personalities that help make TRR special. Whether it is Memphis Joe loading and unloading our luggage each day, as he dispenses Margaritas from  the back of his rental truck, or Houda, who takes care of all of our shuttle needs and drinks more than any man I have ever known, including as he runs stage four of the race, or the folks who provide aid  station support during the race and massage services after the race, all of these folks made TRR  so much easier for the runners We had  a shower truck for daily showers, a recharge station for our cameras, Ipods and Garmins and we had free beer and food daily to help everyone recover and enjoy the TRR experience. Shelly Girl and I are forever grateful for their efforts.

Stage 4 Camp Hale to Red Cliff (distance 14 miles- Elevation Gain 3060 feet, Elevation Loss 3617 feet – Highest point 11,681 feet, lowest point 8670 feet)

Stage four may have been our favorite stage of TRR 2010. After three days in the mountains we felt strong. At 14 miles the stage seemed almost short and we basically had a five mile climb followed by a nine mile descent. Perhaps most importantly stage four ends about 20 feet from Mangos, a local Red Cliff eatery, and everyone in camp was excited to head there for their famous fish tacos and margaritas. But first things first, the run was amazing. [singlepic=6728,280,200,,right] The day started with yet another crystal clear sunny day and moderate temperatures as we began the first part of the climb. The climb was hard, but by this time in the event we knew the routine and simply power hiked up the mountain. After about three miles we made a right hand turn, that we were warned about, and literally hit the side of a wall. This two mile climb was simply a grind and everyone did their best to survive (later I asked Max King, the God of this event, if he ran this section and he said no). Between the altitude and the pitch of the climb it was a brutal section but the nice thing about a six stage event is we had seen this before and we simply churned our way to the top, at which point we were rewarded with both a breathtaking view and a checkpoint/aid station. All seemed well as I approached Shelly Girl, who was about 100 yards in front of me, when suddenly she had severe stomach issues. To this day we do not know the cause but luckily, after two quick visits to the bushes, she felt fine. In fact a couple of my favorite pictures from TRR are of her dancing in the fields immediately after having problems. There were many times that I fell even more in love with her on this journey and this one of them.  In any event, we were back on track and ready for the almost five miles of screaming downhill that we most thoroughly enjoyed. We must have passed six teams on this section and once again proved that, for runners of our ability level, nobody could get down the mountain faster than Team Bimble. Except for a brief moment of fear at being off the trail we hit the bottom of the mountain with no problems and made a left hand turn to begin the signature part of stage four, a half mile run through  a creek full of ice cold water! Man this was fun!! Except for the fact that our feet were totally numb after about two minutes, it was incredible running through the water in the middle of the Rockies. Certainly one of our top 10 TRR moments! We emerged, literally, from the water and began the final three mile section into Red Cliff. Another end of stage long gavel road section which had me feeling a little unmotivated but I did my best to keep up with Shelly Girl and we completed the stage in a little over 3 hours and 11 minutes, finishing 7^th in our division for our highest finish to date. It was time for Mango’s!

Mango’s

If anybody runs TRR in the future you must bring money in your pack for Mango’s following stage four. Not only is it a TRR tradition but the time spent there will be among your most precious memories of the event. Originally, I did not want to go. I wanted to get back to camp and get our increasingly unorganized gear back in order. Luckily, Shelly Girl had me put my credit card and a $50 bill in my pack before the stage and when some of our friends asked us to go we accepted.  I am so glad we did! We had finished stage four early enough that there was still a good table to be had on the top deck so we grabbed it with our friends. Soon we were surrounded by runners, beautiful weather, the Rockies and among the best fish tacos and margaritas I have ever tasted. Who knows if the food was actually any good, or it was just the moment, but Shelly Girl and I will forever remember those special hours spent on the deck at Mangos, after completing stage four of the 2010 TRR.

Stage five –Red Cliff to Vail (supposedly 22.3 miles – Elevation Gain 4488 feet, Elevation Loss 4955 feet – Highest point 11,447 feet, lowest point 8210 feet)

Everybody was dreading stage five. Even though we were still gaining in mental and physical comfort it was simply a tough stage to get motivated for and we toed the line ready for a grind. In retrospect, our ennui was somewhat to be expected. We had run two tough stages at the beginning to find our rhythm and then we had a blast on the middle two stages, so a let down for stage five seemed appropriate. On the plus side, we simply had to get through this day and we would have reached the last stage of this incredible journey. Oh, maybe it was the ten plus mile uphill climb that began stage five that had us a bit on edge! Seriously, Stage five began with a slow steady trudge up to the top of Vail Mountain! The weather was once again wonderful, and the views spectacular, so we fell into line with the rest of the train and made our way up the mountain. [singlepic=6693,280,200,,left] After cresting the top of the climb we began our first descent of the day. The grade was not very steep and things were going quite well when all of a sudden Shelly Girl dinked a rock or root and tumbled to the ground. As she sat on the ground another team stopped to help but she waved them on with tears in her eyes. I have run with Shelly Girl for a long time and I know she simply needed a minute to compose herself. True to form she got up and we surveyed the damage. She scraped up her left side pretty well but nothing seemed too serious and we continued down the hill to the beginning of the final climb to Summit Ridge. I must add that we usually have an ongoing battle for best blood and at TRR Shelly Girl definitely took first place! I was proud of her for getting up and slamming down the mountain only minutes after taking such a serious fall, especially when we pounded by the team of guys who had stopped to help her only a few minute earlier! She was a rock star!

The Summit Ridge of Vail Mountain we were climbing was a series of switchbacks for the last part of the climb. These switchbacks were out in the open and we could watch, or be watched by, our competition all the way up the hill. This section is notorious for people cutting switchbacks but we saw none of that and we held our position as we reached the top of the ridge ready for some running and some views. The miles we covered along the top of the Summit Ridge were wonderful, with views in every direction. A lot of this section was also along a fairly narrow ridge with huge drop-offs on either side of the trail. It was a little scary but mainly wonderful to run this rolling section of dirt at over 11,000 feet.

After a very out of place for this event rock scramble, similar to the climb to Lost Lake during the Bash, we reached checkpoint/ aid station 2, re-supplied and took off for the remaining two sections of the stage. Both sections were primarily downhill and we looked forward to doing some serious running. The first part, from about mile 13-17 was fairly non-descript for this event. The views were great, but we were basically running on the access road for all of the ski lifts and we felt a little unmotivated and hot under the intensity of the sun at this elevation. The single track was also very narrow and while it was downhill it was difficult to make any time. We tucked into the last checkpoint/aid station ready to power down the last four miles and finish this stage. As we ran, basically switchbacking our way down one of the Vail ski slopes, we began to tire. In retrospect I believe it was the heat of the day but it did not help that it seemed we were not making much progress. We were running fast but it never seemed like the bottom of the hill was getting closer. We were probably running for about 40 minutes when I started to think the course was not quite the distance we were told it would be. There was nothing we could do so we just kept churning away until we finally saw the finish line and completed the stage in five hours and twenty eight minutes or so. Afterwards, we got Michele some first aid for her injuries and I went for a soak. Post race the big conversation was the fact that we had indeed run about two more miles than the 22.3 we were told. At the time it was a frustrating realization but now it just makes running TRR that much more of an accomplishment. This mileage puts the total up near 120 miles for the entire event!

Diner and a show

This report would not be complete if I did not write a little about the nightly ritual at Camp TRR that I will call dinner and a show. [singlepic=6700,280,200,,right] The first night, Shelly Girl and I basically wanted to eat dinner and go back to our tent.  By the end of the week, and the closing banquet, the after dinner activities were among our favorite memories of TRR 2110.  By the end of the week the place really did become like summer camp and a big reason was the nightly dinner and a show.

The routine was always the same. We met with our friends for dinner and then chatted until the festivities began. The show would always start with announcing the winners of the day’s stage.  Since two of the runners we became closest with were nightly winners this was a very enjoyable time for our little “posse”. After the top three were announced for the day’s stage the overall leaders were brought up to be recognized. There was something about the choice of music that went with the announcements and the atmosphere in the tent that really made this activity very enjoyable. After the results phase of the program there would be a report on the next stage. Distance, challenges, weather, and other details were discussed and the runners always felt fairly clear about the expectations for the next day. After this daily report came the highlight of the evening. We were shown photos and video from the just completed stage. During each stage we would see guys on the trail on bikes taking pictures and video and these folks would spend the afternoon editing the footage for our viewing that night. I simply cannot put into words how beautiful this was to see each evening. To see the beauty of the day, our fellow runners, and to see what we had accomplished out on the trail was unbelievably inspiring. If you ever run TRR make sure you attend dinner and a show, it puts a perspective on your experience that has me teary eyed even as I write these words.

Stage Six. – Vail to Beaver Creek 20.6 miles (Elevation Gain 4780feet, Elevation Loss 4879 feet – Highest point 10,160 feet, lowest point 7508 feet)

[singlepic=6723,280,200,,left] We had made it! I know we still needed to complete close to 21 more miles, but there was nothing but excitement and elation in our hearts and legs as we toed the line on Friday, August 27 to run from Vail to Beaver Creek. I actually thought of this stage like the final stage of the Tour de France, when they all sort of joy ride into Paris. We would definitely race on this day but the main thing in my mind was we made it!

The day started out like all the rest with a significant climb, this time of roughly eight miles. The switchback nature of the climb helped make the start manageable and we fell in line and got our way up another “hill”. Both Shelly Girl and I felt strong and we had no problem making our way to the first checkpoint a little over half way up the climb. For some reason my mind seemed quite preoccupied this day with our immediate competition. We were solidly in eight place, but I was aware that the two teams immediately behind us in the standings were really nowhere to be seen for most of the climb. On the other hand, the team immediately in front of us in the standings, Team 7, was in our sights for the entire climb. I don’t know why, but I wanted to finish ahead of them. [singlepic=6705,280,200,,right] It was important to me to end TRR stronger than when we started. Somewhere before checkpoint/aid station one,  we caught up with the team and ran together into the first checkpoint/aid station. The next section was a downhill and while Shelly Girl simply took off, as she had all week, I purposely thought let’s put a surge into Team 7  to let them know who was in charge on this final day. Petty and crazy but that is how I felt as we charged down the trail. We ran hard on the following section of up and down and I thought we must have separated ourselves from our competition, but as we got to checkpoint two, just over ten miles into the stage, I turned to see them right behind us. I must admit, I was a little disappointed but this feeling was soon to be replaced by exhilaration as we hit the section known as Buck Creek Trail. Wow, this was a fun section!  It was about a five mile downhill tumble, first through very wide and runable single track and then through overgrown narrow signal track, upon which we flew. We passed many teams, including several of whom had been way ahead of us in the standings, and this section was among our favorites of the whole event, with great views and simply magical running. Needless to say, we never saw team 7 again as we ended the section, and got dumped out onto a highway section leading in to and through Beaver Creek. Man this was a tough section! Running on roads, through a major town, after all of the wonderful trail we had been exposed to was enough to knock the spirit right out of me. Shelly Girl continued to motor on and I did my best to keep up with her, at least staying within the two minutes necessary not to be penalized. One aspect of this section that did keep me motivated was seeing and passing the sixth place team. This couple from Canada had been stronger than us for most of the week but one of their members was sick and we had finished way ahead of them in stage five. They seemed in better shape on this day and we jockeyed back and forth to checkpoint/aid station 3, the final checkpoint in TRR and began our final climb. Yes that’s right, you run over a hundred and ten miles and TRR takes you out to do one more climb to the top of Beaver Creek Mountain. No matter, by this point no 1300 hundred foot climb could break us and we simply fell in line and got our way to the top, enjoying the wonderful views of the high Rockies for one final time. Since we did not discuss it, I believe Shelly Girl was unaware that I had struck up a pretty heated competition in my mind with Team 6 and was determined to beat them to the finish. For some reason it was important to me to end the race with our highest finish of the event. Onward we trudged up the mountain, Shelly Girl keeping a steady pace and me keeping team 6 in our sights. [singlepic=6696,280,200,,left] Eventually, we reached a guy sitting in an ATV. I asked him “is this the end of the climb” and when he said yes we fastened our packs and let her rip down the mountain for one final time. To my chagrin Team 6, which had proven to be a bit stronger than us on the climb, was very strong on the downhill and I knew almost immediately we would not make up the time we had given away on the climb. We flew down the mountain as best we could, closing on team six with every step, but there was not enough ground left to catch them as we turned onto the final access road about 440 yards from the finish. The last moments seem like a dream but they are forever planted in my memory.  As we rounded the final turn I heard the announcer say “and here comes team number 139, Team Bimble, Russell and Michele Hammond. Wow, look at the smile on Michele’s face!” And with that we were done. We celebrated with a long hug, got our finishers medals and shirts and cried .We were done! We completed TRR in roughly 26 hours. We hung around for pictures, saw our friends and then got our stuff and left. It was over, we had done it and the experience will forever live in our memory.

Postlude

I miss TRR. It is a week later and I still daydream about the race. I still miss my friends, I still miss the challenge and I still miss the Rockies. The race was hard, beautiful and everything we had hoped it would be. We met the challenge but more than that we enriched our lives by having gone through the experience. While we are tempted to run the race again next year I hope we move on. There are so many amazing races to run, both on the trails and in every other aspect of our lives, and I hope Shelly Girl and I will find a new challenge. We have been so fortunate to have had so many amazing experiences because of our running and while I will always long for the trails of TRR I am confident that somewhere down the road you all will be bored by yet another Shelly Girl and Lefty tale of bimbling. Till then,  happy trails to you all.

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Lefty and Shelly Girl