Here begins my Three Part Tale of abandoning all parental responsibilities for the sake of a stupid hobby…
It's "States", not "Western"
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| Look. A 100 mile starting line. Cool. Or whatever. |
Back in December, Western States and Hardrock both held their lotteries on the same day. I'd been entering into the Hardrock lottery since 2015, and the last time I'd ran States was 2016. Roughly speaking, the math said there was a 50% chance of getting into at least one of these races, and a 25% chance of hitting the proverbial jackpot. And, well, yeah, I got into both races and drew the ire and jealousy of thousands of runners while simultaneously ruining my family's entire summer.
States is "flat" and fast with only 18,000' of climbing (really, only 15k after the opening Fun Climb to kick things off) and 23,000' of runnable descents. Oh, and it can be hot as hell. Hardrock is basically the exact opposite: 33k of climbing, at an average asphyxiating altitude of 11,000', with tons of technical trails, and half decent chances of being caught above treeline during "electrical events".
It's a bit tricky trying to train well for both, and, one could argue I certainly failed to train well for either. In the months leading up to the race I put in a rather respectable, for me, amount of mileage -- appx 60 miles a week. I put in some "speed" work ranging from marathon to tempo efforts, but not as much as I'd done in the run up to States back in 2016. I also tried hitting near 10k of climbing per week -- enough to give the legs a sense for climbing required at Hardrock, but not enough to inhibit any of that "speed" development. And I prioritized a number of long descents on the treadmill to season the quads. And in the weeks before States, I put in a lot of sauna time to get ready for the heat, and hopefully to also slightly increase blood volume and serve as lazy man's altitude training for Hardrock. Basically, I tried to be well-rounded in preparation for both races.
Hardrock was 100% the focus race, which relegated States to that of a tune-up of sorts. Even so, I had grand illusions of posting a massive PR out there. In 2016 I ran 18:45 for my 2nd ever 100 miler, and it felt nearly effortless. Everything clicked that day, and I'm honestly not sure if I've quite replicated that level of execution in any race since. But with 9 more years of training, I figured 40 year-old Chris should be able to crush 31 year-old Chris. I've long thought that my peak genetic potential and perfect race execution might yield mid-to-upper 16s at States. So I decided I should run somewhere between 16:40 (10min miles) and 17:30 (easy round number). As a backup, I'd most assuredly break 18:45 and set a course PR. I honestly couldn't contemplate anything worse than that. Oh, also, I knew for a fact that I'd crush fellow Team USA alum Jeff Urbanski at States. That dude was going down!
It's time to read about a humbled man!
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| 100 miles. 600 calories. What could go wrong?! (Not pictured: all the shit Kristin would schlepp around) |
Kristin and I flew out to California on Wednesday before the race and snuck a couple of kid-free days (thanks, mom!) -- hiking, enjoying dinner out, relaxing on a beach, etc. Good times. Then it was time to pretend like I wasn't an old fart who sucks at training.
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| Casual pre-race stalking... |
The climb up to the Escarpment was sluggish, but I was happy to take it easy. Jeff outpaced me, which definitely bruised my ego. But I caught back up soon enough in the high country and flowed through the single track. Around Mile 20 I started feeling a bit off -- loss of appetite, sluggish, slightly woozy. It could have been a touch of altitude, but also, Kristin wonders if it had to do with me taking an allergy pill at the start of the race to combat some sinus pressure I'd been feeling since we got to California. Either way, I didn't feel fantastic. And then came the climb out of Duncan Canyon. My legs felt dead. I couldn't drive my knees. My quads didn’t want to do anything. I'd guessed that normal-me should've arrived at Robinson Flat at 5:15. Instead, I was nearly a half hour late. By that point, I pretty much resigned myself to hiking every incline for the rest of the day to save my legs for Hardrock.
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| I'm already done with this stupid race. |
I was very cautious on the long downhill to Last Chance back in 2016, but this time around I had more confidence in my legs. Looking back at splits, compared to 2016 I ran the downhill half marathon from Robinson to Last Chance a full 15 minutes faster, and I felt just peachy. In this section, Tara Dower and I kept going back and forth every mile or two, which was a fun experience for me. She, on the other hand, was hacking up a lung from apparently contracting the Bubonic Plague just before the race. When I reached Last Chance, and then descended to El Dorado, I had a sense I was back on track and might be able to eek out a sub-18 for the day. Then I had to climb up to Devil's Thumb…
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| Mandie made me a sign! |
In 2016 I floated up Devil's Thumb and also up to Michigan Bluff. Those climbs felt puny and pathetic. This time around I walked practically every step. My legs just would not let me run uphill. So by the time I hit Michigan Bluff, I was sure a PR was out of the picture. Then, a sluggish jog to Foresthill had me arrive nearly a half-hour behind my 2016 split. That felt like a gut-punch.
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| Not enjoying this... |
Kristin again sent me on my way, and I humble-jogged down to the river probably a minute per mile slower than 31 year-old Chris. It felt like an eternity. Climbing to Green Gate, again, felt impossibly slow with legs that would not cooperate. I took my sweet time at the aid station and then apparently, based upon comparison splits with 2016, crawled to the next aid station like an infant. Somewhere between Auburn Lake and Quarry Rd, my headlamp, which was supposed to have a full charge that'd last 5+ hours, warned of imminent doom. I put it on the faintest setting and practically sprinted to get to the Quarry Rd aid station so I could beg for a replacement headlamp. I was mercifully given a spare headlamp they had lying around, though no one knew for certain whether or not the red light on the back might mean "low battery". That sprint to Quarry Rd felt exhilirating, my legs actually carrying me purposefully, efficiently for the first time all day. But the panic completely jacked up my adrenaline and I crashed hard on the way to Pointed Rocks, with that janky LED Lenser replacement headlamp which has the world's most poorly designed beam and had to be held as a flashlight because apparently my head is statistically smaller than normal design parameters.
At Pointed Rocks, Kristin gave me a replacement headlamp and I set off on an ambitious attempt to "save my race" and come in under 20 hours. But I rolled into Robie a minute or two late, then looked up at that stupid neighborhood hill I had to climb, and said "screw it, I'm walking".
I ended up with a 20:05. Lightyears worse than last time around. I honestly felt a bit embarrassed. I also distinctly remember apologizing to Kristin at multiple aid stations for how slow I was going. The day kinda felt like a yaboyscottjurek meme.
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| Just get me outta here. |
At any rate, it wasn't all that bad. I had a number of moments on the course, particularly in the high country, where I was able to look around and appreciate the beautiful scenery (before plunging into the ugly hell that is endless miles of glorified dirt roads surrounded by dead grass). I also had a great time seeing multiple Team USA alum: Jeff (who I crushed); Chad and Jake, who were crewing Jeff and were popping up at all the aid stations; and Mandie, who was kind enough to make me a sarcastic sign at Last Chance (she gets me). Chilling with a bunch of Virginia peeps at the award ceremony was also a highlight … man, I miss the East Coast.
I also somehow still managed to pass like a dozen people in the back half of the race and still finish 21st Male (or, alternately, F14). No matter how poorly you think you did, it's always nice to keep reeling people in as the miles tick by.
And, I don't know if it was luck or fate or what, but the shit-the-bed performance of my climbing legs meant I wasn't wrecked at all after running 100 miles. And that definitely boded well for Hardrock … 13 days later.
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| The world's worst finisher shirt. |
Here's a fun table of crewed aid stations and how poorly I performed.
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Intermission
La - De - Da
Once the Meh Effort that was Western States 2025 was over, Kristin and I headed to the airport for a red eye so we could get home in time to watch our kiddo's dive meet on Monday. I relaxed and spent the day with the family. And then gathered up all of my shit for my solo plane ride out to Colorado on Tuesday. Kristin and I had bailed on our kids for 5 days, and then I came home for 30 hours to play Father Figure, only to turn right around and dart off again, this time leaving Kristin to solo parent for 6 days as I undertook the very serious task of … hiking and relaxing in the San Juan mountains.
Coming from the rarified air that is 600 feet above mean sea level, it's safe to say I was slightly terrified that altitude would absolutely wreck me at Hardrock. I was terrified of a DNF. Not simply because it was Hardrock, the one 100 miler I've wanted to do more than any other in the world, but also because if I screwed this up, got altitude sickness mid-race, and DNF'd, I'd have to start all over at 0 in the Never Lottery and likely wait another 10+ years for the opportunity to loop the San Juans. So, Kristin, the ever-understanding and ever-loving partner that she is, never once hesitated with the idea that I immediately go from States to Silverton to acclimatize. Man, I really lucked out in life, didn't I?!
I landed in Denver on Tuesday afternoon, around 60 hours after finishing Western States, and 10 days before Hardrock, and proceeded to book it to a campground at the base of Mount Elbert. Wake up at 600', go to bed at 10,000'! The next morning, for my first little post-States shakeout, I bagged Elbert with a 4 hr, 10 mile, 4500' hike. The hike up was slow. The air thin. The legs dead. On the way down, towards the end, I didn't even have enough in me to jog some easy downhills and flats … I was so tired I had to walk downhill! But it was amazing, and I felt nothing but gratitude for the opportunity.
Then, I drove my sexy Chrysler Pacifica rental over to Silverton to spend the next 5 nights sleeping in a van at 9300', in the abandoned lot next to Howie's house that he so graciously set aside for me.
I had no kids. I had no job. I had no responsibilities. I was free.
I spent the rest of the week knocking out 10 mile hikes with 4-5k of vert, checking out amazing lakes and sections of the course, and reading and napping at 13,000'. I met awesome new folks, lounged around, and basically just had the time of my life. It was incredible.
After 5 straight days of hike-jogging at altitude, I'd netted over 50 miles and 20k of vert … the week after running States. 50 miles in a normal week is an accomplishment for me, so being able to do that mere days after a 100 miler felt rather incredible. And every day I could feel my legs coming back a little bit more, and my lungs better tolerating the altitude.
My family came out the Monday of the race and we spent a few days hanging out in Purgatory, checking out Mesa Verda, etc etc.
Intermission
Joy
Snapshots of my first Hardrock…
Before I dive into anything, I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the tragedy at Hardrock this year. Somewhere just after clearing the first climb of the course, a seasoned runner at the rear of the pack collapsed on the trail. She was found unresponsive by a photographer buddy of mine who was out shooting the course. He spent the better part of an hour performing CPR until EMS arrived. Eventually, she was pronounced dead, and carried off the mountain. Some of us runners caught word of what happened during the race. I was already grateful for my opportunity to spend a day in the mountains, but hearing the news definitely heightened my perspective of the day. I soaked in as much of the beauty as I possibly could, and, importantly, I was patient with myself at high altitude … better to take it easy, enjoy myself, and get to the finish line in one piece for my family than to risk disaster. In the days after the race, members of the Hardrock family built a memorial cairn on the course, which will undoubtedly grow over the years as future Hardrockers pass by and pay their respects by placing another rock upon the mound.
Seeing Horty:
Rolling into Cunningham with ease at 10 miles, I had my first meet up with my crew for the day -- good ole Dr. David Horton! The day before States, Horty called me up, asked what my plans were for Hardrock, and basically said, "boy, I'm gonna come out and crew you!"
Kristin was ecstatic because she was relieved of any guilt she might have for not coming to any aid stations during the most looked-forward-to run of my life -- Cunningham is down a 4wd road and too early in the race to be a big deal; Sherman is too damn far away for normal people to get to; Animas is down a 4wd road that she wasn't a fan of last time we drove it as a family; Ouray would've meant driving the kids back to the hotel room 1.5hrs in the dark along the Million Dollar Highway; and Telluride would be in the middle of the night, 3hrs from the hotel. So, yeah, Horty was a life saver in her eyes!
It's not every day a runner gets to roll into an aid station to be greeted by a helpful crew who just so happens to be the first ever Hardrock champ … among one or two other lifetime accomplishments ;). It was, honestly, fantastic. I've run every 100mi+ race I've ever done without a pacer, and I've only been crewed a handful of times by my wife. So I know that I can tackle pretty much anything solo. I didn't *need* Horton to be there. But it was awesome to roll into the aid stations and see a friend like him.
Finding a friend, of sorts:
Somewhere around Mile 20, Amber Weibel and I crossed paths in/around the Pole Creek aid station. We were both 2 of, I think, 6 runners attempting The Double. We ended up going back and forth a billion freakin times during the race. We never really ran together, but we were always within a few minutes of one another. My legs were sluggish climbing, especially whenever I'd clear 11,000-11,500', but Amber was like a damn billy goat on the climbs, putting me to shame. On the other hand, I tended to descend a bit more quickly than her.
So for more than 24 hours we played this fun little game. I'd look down during a climb to see Amber gaining on me with ease. Eventually she'd overtake me, oftentimes as I was sitting on a rock, exhausted, during one of my every-1000-foot snacks. We'd exchange pleasantries. Then I'd try my best to keep up, utterly failing in the process, watching her get farther and farther away as we approached the top of a climb. Eventually, I'd make up ground on a descent or flatter section and overtake her, knowing I'd undoubtedly see her again in the early stages of the next climb.
I enjoy the solitude of the trails, but Amber's adjacence was an unexpectedly comforting and encouraging part of my Hardrock experience. I could always count on myself trying just a little bit harder on the climbs in a desperate attempt to keep up, and I enjoyed the thrill of the overtake on the descents. It's safe to say I wouldn't have had as good of a day out there had she not been around.
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| What my family does when they don't have to put up with me. |
Lunch at Animas:
My first Hardrock was never intended to be a "race", it was supposed to be a "journey". So I allowed myself the freedom to chill at some aid stations for absurdly long periods of time. I rolled into Animas, Mile 44ish, after 12 hours of running (hiking) and the never-ending climb over Handies at 14,000'. I was looking forward to a nice little break for a few minutes. Horton immediately caught me as I came in, directed me to a chair, and said "hey, look who I found!". And out popped Meg Eckert, multi-day extraordinaire and team member from Big's last year! The three of us sat down and chit-chatted for a bit as I re-filled my pack and took a moment to eat some food and down some protein. It was one of those little energetic moments that made the day so special.
The Dark Descent:
I wasn't fixated on time for Hardrock, I just wanted to enjoy myself. BUT, crunching the numbers and looking at other people's finish times, I had this sense that I could break 30hrs if I tried really freaking hard and didn't run into (m)any altitude issues, so I drew up a race "plan" for 30 hours, knowing it was extremely unlikely I'd hit that given my relaxed approach, but nonetheless serving as a guidepost. Under that plan, I was supposed to arrive at Ouray, Mile 58ish, just after 8pm … before dark. Horton said that whenever he ran in the CCW direction, one of his goals was always to get to Ouray before dark. So Ouray Before Dark was my only real time check for the day, but more than anything I knew I wanted to roll into Ouray feeling good. The descent into Ouray is a more than 5000' drop, and I really wanted to enjoy that descent.
After leaving Animas, I took my sweet time getting up to Engineer, walking way more than I should have. I got to Engineer Pass, around 13,000', just as the sun was setting. The views of the basins and mountains in every direction were absolutely spectacular. I knew I'd miss my Ouray Before Dark target, but getting to see the sunset was definitely worth it. As I rolled along the descent, into the twilight, I held off as long as absolutely possible before turning on my headlamp. After the high alpine meadows, the Bear Creek Trail turns into an exposed trail hugging the side of a gorge. It's a thrilling trail in the daylight. Take a turn too fast, slip on some loose rocks, and the next thing you know you'll be tumbling down a 150' cliffside to your death! At around 11,500' you pop into the gorge. By that time the sun had long ago dropped behind the mountains, with only the alpenglow left to light my way. But I pushed on, without a headlamp, for as long as I could, trying to balance the need for safety against the urge to fly down the mountain. Finally, somewhere near 10,000', I relented and popped on my light and cruised the rest of the way down the gorge. All the while, the deep, black chasm to my left echoed with the sounds of the rushing water far below, and the steep mountain walls surrounding me were charcoal shadows set against the darkening night sky. It was magical.
Then, I rolled into Ouray feeling great and sat down with Horty for 15 minutes or so for "dinner".
Climb by Moonlight:
We were gifted with a full moon at Hardrock. And after Ouray is the billion hour climb up to Kroger's Canteen, nearly all of it on packed dirt road and OHV trail. I'd been looking forward to this more than anything else. Hours of climbing in the dark, with a full moon to light the way for a good deal of it. I jogged and hiked that climb without a headlamp as much as I possibly could, enjoying the night sky and the silhouettes of the surrounding mountains. And yes, at one point I tried to convince a dude and his pacer to turn their headlamps off. They obliged, momentarily, but clearly didn't see the wonder in it quite like I did.
Heart to Heart:
Learning about the passing of a fellow runner weighed on me during the race, all the more so because I'd heard that my friend Howie was the first on the scene. I spent hours with those thoughts bouncing around in my head, balancing sorrow for the tragedy and concern for my friend against alternating feelings of joy and gratitude for my opportunity to run in the mountains. As I neared the approach to Kroger's Canteen, a truck's headlights were bopping down the mountain towards me. I had a feeling that I knew exactly who it was. When they stopped to let me by, I peered into the window to be greeted by Howie. We spent a few minutes chatting, checking in on each other. It was a departure from our normal interactions, where I'm sarcastic and complaining, or I'm flipping him off as he's trying to take a cool photo. I was glad to bump into him, and to hear and see that he was okay.
Party Time:
The final climb to Kroger's is a super steep scramble of 500' or so, with a decent amount of snow and loose rock. Climbing up it was a blast, trying to keep from sliding down by maintaining 3 points of contact as much as possible. At the top, it's a party. A tiny aid station occupying a little spit of ground on a 13,000' rocky saddle, supplies packed in, rave lights all around, music blasting. Exhausted and thrilled from the ascent, I parked myself on a rock bench and immediately "ordered" a shot of mezcal. One of the aid station volunteers happily obliged and took a shot with me. Clinking stainless steel shot glasses with a stranger in the middle of a full moon night above the San Juan tree line. Absolutely perfect!
10 minutes later, after scurrying down the scree slide on the other side of the saddle, running across loose rock above 12,000', I could feel every little bit of that alcohol coursing through my oxygen-deprived system. What a rush!
This is The Climb that Never Ends:
Telluride to Chapman. Up and over Oscar's Pass. I'd seen historical splits and they almost defied belief. 27-30hr finishers often struggling to break 4 hours over a 10 mile section of the course. A single climb and descent. 4 hours. Ugh! I wasn't entirely sure if it was a 5 mile climb and a 5 mile descent, or a 7 mile climb and a 3 mile descent. All I knew was it would take forever. I was right.
I started in the dead of night. 4 or 4:30am. And I climbed well into daylight. At some point after dawn, Amber caught back up to me, somewhere near this weird false summit with a big ole post sticking out of the rocks. I stared at that post for what felt like a half-hour as I trudged skyward, fantasizing about the rest/snack I'd reward myself with once I reached it. And just as I happened upon my breaktime, I look back and am greeted with an entirely too chipper "Hey there, Chris!". It was Maggie Guterl, pacing Stephanie Case. I have no idea where the hell they came from (well, I mean, they came from Telluride, just like me), but they were cruising and I ... was not. I latched on up to the weird double-saddle-summit, and then Stephanie and I cautiously contemplated the "proper" path to cross a steep little snowfield, while Maggie, with her enviably fresh legs, leisurely hopped down the 20-30' snowy drop. I couldn't decide if I should follow along cautiously or recklessly, and incorrectly attempted a middle ground, got about halfway down, then fell back on my ass and uncontrollably slid the rest of the way, with that old, icy snow chewing up my right butt cheek the whole slide down. Then the 3 of us merrily ambled over to the actual summit, a full 3 hours after I'd left Telluride, and began our descent down a fun little "road" that a buddy of mine aptly described as "filled with dolls-head-sized loose rocks". Fun times!
The Grant Swamp Scramble:
Amber, Stephanie, Maggie, and I found ourselves tackling the Grant Swamp Pass scurry at the same time. Amber got there first, and the remaining 3 of us observed her valiant attempt at the "proper" route -- straight up. When we arrived at the bottom of the scree, we could tell she was starting to stall, and so we cheated and went on the "official" flagged route that zig-zagged alongside -- the course markers elected to coddle the runners with scree switchbacks rather than force everyone up the old school "proper" chute. At any rate, Amber eventually abandoned her heroic effort and scurried over to the slightly easier "official" route. And on multiple occasions I just stood around, a few stories below, watching waves of loose rock shoot past me as Amber shouted "rocks!" and "sorry!". After an eternity, I finally crested, placed my rock on the memorial, and scurried on down the other side, doing my best not to get distracted by the Island Lake views.
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| Lakes! |
What a Dick:
After making my way over to KT, I began the climb up to the Putnam Basin. This section, all the way up to the crest, is my favorite stretch of the entire Hardrock Course. As you work your way to the treeline, you hike through a gulley filled with trickling snowmelt, little rock outcroppings, and green shrubs all around. And then you pop onto the basin and are greeted with a couple miles of alpine meadow you have to cross, with incredible views in every direction. As expected, Amber caught up with me and we tackled the final stretch "mostly together" (as in, she was ahead of me and I couldn't keep up), working our way up the 800', steep-ass, grassy hill to 12,000'. After cresting, I turned on my descending legs and gapped Amber like a desperate bro fearful of being chick'd. Knowing full-well I would finish, I finally let my stride open up and began running a respectable pace. In the final miles of the course, I blew past another runner like the biggest asshole in the world. She was walking, accompanied by some random dude. The moment I passed, I got a weird, familiar feeling. Then I turned around and realized it was Katherina, with Howie by her side ... folks I'd been hanging around for my whole week in Silverton. Instead of stopping to chat and see how it was going, like a respectable human being, I yelled something stupid like "come run with me!", without breaking stride, and continued on to the finish.
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| Putnam |
I've got dozens of other little snippets tucked away in my brain, little memories of a fantastic weekend on the Hardrock Course. But these are the big ones that'll stick with me.
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| I love this pic! Running with the kids, Horty looking on (in awe of my running skills). PC: no clue. |
