Summit junkie!

Pony Express 50

Recent EntriesHomeJoin Fast Running Blog Community!PredictorHealthy RecipesScott Wesemann's RacesFind BlogsMileage BoardTop Ten Excuses for Missing a RunTop Ten Training MistakesDiscussion ForumRace Reports Send A Private MessageWeek ViewMonth ViewYear View
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
200920102011201220132014
15% off for Fast Running Blog members at St. George Running Center!

Location:

American Fork,UT,USA

Member Since:

May 20, 2009

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Other

Running Accomplishments:

6 100 mile finishes:

Wasatch 100- 2011

Wasatch 100- 2012

Buffalo Run 100- 2013

Bryce 100- 2013

Wasatch 100- 2013

Buffalo Run 100- 2014

100 mile PR- 22:42

Multiple ultra distance adventure runs every year

My running focus has been on ultra running since 2011

Climbed 348 peaks from 2010-2013

 

Short-Term Running Goals:

Race Schedule for 2014:

Buffalo 100 (Goal: 22 hours)

Bighorn 100

Wasatch 100 (Goal: Under 30 hours)

Have less than 20 trail diggers in 2014:

Diggers so far in 2014: 1

Climb 100 peaks in 2014

Peaks climbed so far in 2014: 40

Long-Term Running Goals:

24 hour Wasatch 100 finish

Personal:

Refuse2quit blog

My adventure blog

Summitpost profile

Click to donate
to Ukraine's Armed Forces
Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Saucony Kinvara Lifetime Miles: 175.05
Hoka Bondi-B Lifetime Miles: 492.55
Brooks Cascadia 6 #3 Lifetime Miles: 246.52
Altra Lone Peak #2 Lifetime Miles: 398.00
2013 Elevation Gain Lifetime Miles: 325375.00
Altra Lone Peak #3 Lifetime Miles: 409.50
Altra Torin Lifetime Miles: 268.25
Altra Lone Peak 1.5 Lifetime Miles: 380.35
Altra Provision Lifetime Miles: 44.10
Altra Lone Peak 1.5 #2 Lifetime Miles: 312.40
Altra Lone Peak #4 Lifetime Miles: 439.00
2014 Elevation Gain Lifetime Miles: 118065.00
Altra Olympus Lifetime Miles: 98.00
Altra Lone Peak #5 Lifetime Miles: 146.70
Race: Pony Express 50 (50 Miles) 10:30:00, Place overall: 9
Total Distance
50.00

Wow! What an experience. What a fun race. I completed my first official ultra marathon yesterday running the Pony Express 50. This has been a really fun year so far with a lot of fun crazy adventures and this was probably the best one so far. I had to wake up at 3:30 AM and I only got 3 hours of sleep, but when I woke up I was feeling really good. Two of my best friends, Rob and Greg would be crewing me and then met me at 4:00 at my house and we were on our way. On the drive out I went over my expectations for the race and what I thought I would need from them to reach my goals. They both seemed really excited and it was a lot of fun having them both there with me. Greg was at one time a top 10 runner in high school, while Rob has never really been all that interested in sports or athletic pursuits, but both of them were pumped, which was cool.

We arrived at Lookout Pass about 30 minutes before the race started. This gave me a little bit of time to make final preparations, go over all of my food and hydration needs with my crew and check in and get ready. I started to get a little nervous because you just don’t know how your body is going to respond going further than you ever have before. I thought I was ready and had trained well all year, but you just never know. Luckily I was with two of my my best friends and they were able to lighten the moment a lot. Actually, they made me laugh all day long which really helped.

A few minutes before the start Davy had some words for us and then we were off. There was a woman that went out really fast, and then me, and then the rest of the group seemed to be lagging back a bit. I really didn’t get a chance to meet any of the other runners and I had hoped to meet some on the course, but I was quickly pulling away from most of the pack. It didn’t seem like I was running fast at all and when I checked my pace I was at an 8:30 and I felt totally fine, so I went with it. My original plan had been to run about a 9:00 pace for at least the first 25. After the first mile the woman had opened up a lead on me and I couldn’t even see anyone behind. I was running alone in the dark with a smile on my face. The stars were stunning and I saw a few falling stars. The temperature was cold, but it actually felt really good for running and I didn’t need a warm hat or gloves, although I had on a long sleeved shirt. I told my crew to meet me at mile 3 just in case I felt like I wanted something, and at 2.7 I hadn’t seen them pass me yet, so I was getting a little worried that I would miss them, but they soon arrived and I was feeling so good that I told them to go ahead to mile 4 and to have a gel and some water ready for me.

Probably one of the most annoying things that happened the whole day were two cars that passed us very early on going probably 50 miles per hour. One was a large truck that kicked up so much dust I had to cover my mouth and nose for about a minute. I was really angry at the lack of consideration of these drivers and there may or may not have been a few choice words from my end.

At mile 4 I had my first stop at the car. Actually I didn’t really slop, but grabbed a gel and some water and quickly downed them on my way. They told me that the woman was about 3 minutes ahead of me and I have to admit I wanted to catch her. The guys were really fast getting me what I needed and I have to say that they were phenomenal throughout the race. I could not have had a better crew. Not only did they take care of me and do everything that I asked, but they would jump out of the car every time they saw me and run up and ask what I needed before I got to the car. I told them I would meet them at mile 7 and I was off.

The next 3 miles were really fun. I felt solid and I just listened to the music, looked at the stars and ran. Incredible. I still couldn’t see anyone behind me, so I knew that I would probably not see the other runners for a long time if ever. At mile 7 I actually took another gel and had more water and Rob told me that I was exactly 50 seconds behind the girl. I kind of laughed because he was really getting into it and I reminded him that we still had 43 miles to go and I told them to meet me at mile 10.

The sun was now starting to come up and I could now see the woman that I had been chasing. I was slowly gaining on her and my competitive juices were tempted to push and pass her, but I just held back knowing that I needed to save my legs for later in the race. Just before mile 10 I was right on her heels and both of our crew cars were parked very close to each other. We both stopped for a quick break, and as soon as we started running again I caught her. Her name was Nanette and we talked and ran together for the next 6 miles. This was also her first official ultra, so we talked about our training and what we had done over the summer to get ready and she is a really nice person and it was fun to be running with someone. It sure made the time fly by. She was being crewed by her husband and for the rest of the race he would continue to check on me every time he passed. They were amazing people.

Nanette and I chatted until mile 13 where my crew was waiting for me with a gel and some Cytomax, so I walked while I took them and she kept running. It took me about 5 minutes to catch back up, but eventually we were running together all the way to Simpson Springs. Nanette and I passed 3 of the 100 milers that had started an hour earlier than we had and I was sure that they were just holding back to conserve their energy and legs, but it was still cool to be passing runners that started an hour before we did.

There was a pretty good hill leading up to the springs, and I felt strong the whole way and we never had to stop and walk. At the springs they took our number and Nanette stopped to make some gear adjustments, and I wouldn’t see her again for over 15 miles. I was now leading the pack of the 6:00 AM starters, although I never thought I would win the race because Davy told Jun that some really fast experienced runners were starting at 8:00.

The next several miles were much harder running alone. I continued to pass the 100 mile runners, but I didn’t usually chat with them long. The road was now really flat with a long straight away. I could now see several of the 100 milers and I made it a goal to pass as many of them as I could. Over the next 10 miles I counted 7 more of them that I had passed. I was still feeling really strong, but the sun was now up and it was getting really hot. I had been taking at least one salt pill every hour and now I increased the amounts of fluid that I was drinking as well. I would alternate between Gatorade and water and taking Cytomax every two hours. I was also taking a gel about every 2-3 miles to make sure I was getting enough energy. So far I was feeling really good.

I hit my marathon in 4:34 just as I passed a bloody dead rabbit on the road. The heat was bothering me a little, so at my next crew stop I changed from my black tank to my white one and Greg also put sunscreen on me while I drank some Gatorade. I ate some potato chips and two cookies and I was feeling pretty good. I was wondering when I would see Jun and I was hoping that we would catch me so we could run together, but I hadn’t seen his crew car, so I knew he was still several miles behind.

Miles 28-35 were pretty tough for me. I was feeling really good, but my joints started to hurt and the heat was making it more difficult to want to push. I kept catching myself falling off of my pace and every time it was more difficult to pick it back up. This part of the race was a real grind and it would have really helped to be running with someone as the miles were dragging on a bit. I did get passed by Davy during this section and he was looking strong. We chatted for a few minutes and I actually picked up my pace, but I couldn’t keep up with him and he quickly moved ahead. About 30 minutes later two other guys that started with Jun passed me and I asked about him. They said that they though he was having some issues, so I started to worry about him, but when I went off into the brush for a bathroom stop a few minutes later I finally saw his crew car for the first time, so I knew he wasn’t far behind.

Heading up to Dugway Pass is by far the most challenging part of the course. It is very steep and I found myself hiking for the first time all day. I could have run it, but I could hike it as fast as I would have been able to run, so I decided to give my legs a little break. While heading up the pass I finally saw Jun making his way up from behind. It was great to see him and we talked and joked the rest of the way up to the pass where we both started running at a really good pace. This might have been the most enjoyable part of the race for me. We were over 37 miles and the extra boost from seeing my friend really helped so much. We were actually running pretty fast and passed several runners on the way down and they all commented on how strong we looked. I kept sending my crew ahead because I didn’t want to break our stride, but at mile 43ish I finally had to stop to get a drink and my legs were getting really tight when I stopped, so I had Greg rub them out and after I got back on the road Jun was too far ahead for me to catch. It was a little demoralizing, but I wouldn’t have wanted him to stop. He was looking strong and I wanted him to keep pushing while he was feeling so good. I was hopeful that I could have kept up with him and pushed all the way to the finish, but I just wasn’t strong enough. It did help me so much having him there for those 5-6 miles. I was definitely running faster and stronger while we ran together.

Miles 43-47 were definitely the most difficult of the entire race. It was now very hot, my legs were screaming and pushing any kind of pace resembling quick was out of the question. My crew was stopping every mile for me and I was taking them. I would wash off my face, drink and take gels as the thought of solid food made me want to throw up. I just remember grinding and thinking that I wanted to finish strong, even though my body was telling me otherwise. At mile 46 I sat down for the first time and Rob and Greg both asked me if I was alright. I was fine, but I just finally got tired. The heat was a beast. I also noticed that someone was gaining on me and I thought it was Nanette. It put a smile on my face because the last time I saw her around mile 33 she was really hurting. I was really pulling for her to push hard, but at the same time it motivated me to push harder too. Her husband pulled up next to me and offered me some grapes and I thought I could get them down so I accepted and they tasted so good! It was a real boost.

At mile 47 I had one of the best surprises of the day. Greg hopped out of the car in full running attire and announced he was going to run in with me. I was really excited and hoped that he would make it with me. He hadn’t exercised at all since our trip to Ibapah Peak that was over a year ago. Ironically, we were now in the shadow of Ibapah and I pointed it out to him, as we could see the peak ahead. I told him to just tell me some funny stories to take my mind off of the pain and it worked. The stories really aren't blog appropriate, but they sure took my mind of of things.  My pace picked up and the last 3 were actually much easier than the previous 5 had been. We were now running a sub 10 minute mile pace. It was so fun and helpful to have Greg running in with me.

Even though I knew we had to pass the finish and go a half mile and then turn around, I still wasn’t prepared for the demoralizing feeling. That was by far the most difficult thing for me and I thought about Davy maybe doing that as one last mental hurdle to get over before you get your 50. The last few hundred yards were tough. I was spent and happy I wasn’t doing more miles on this day, although looking back I think I could have pushed it further. When I reached the finish I was elated. I had done it. This was one of my goals for the year and there were certainly times that I doubted myself, but I did it. I hurt everywhere, but it was worth it. I didn’t feel much like eating for a few hours after, so I didn’t get to enjoy the burgers at the finish, but that was ok. Getting the finishers medal was sweet enough. So my first official ultra is in the books and I loved it. I learned so many things about myself on this day and I can’t wait to get back out there and do it again. Also, congrats to Jun and Davy for rocking the 100 and inspiring me for my next big running challenge.

Brooks Cascadia 4 Miles: 50.00
Night Sleep Time: 3.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 3.00Weight: 156.00Calories: 0.00
Comments
From leslie peterson on Sun, Oct 17, 2010 at 14:32:08 from 174.52.158.81

I agree! The desert is magical, and to have other "crazies" out there with you is just a perfect way to spend a day! Glad you did so well Scott, glad you loved it, and am glad you will be back for more! What's next?

Looking forward to the long version of the race report!

From jun on Sun, Oct 17, 2010 at 14:58:34 from 97.126.224.27

Scott, nice job man. You were moving strong while I was with you and you finished in a great time. Awesome job. Glad you had a good time.

From Twinkies on Sun, Oct 17, 2010 at 15:20:55 from 24.2.82.73

Awesome job Scott. You beat the time that Jun and I got last year by 13 minutes. You are truly a strong ultra runner.

From Teena Marie on Sun, Oct 17, 2010 at 17:54:09 from 174.23.122.157

A huge congratulations!!! Can't wait to read about what you learned about yourself and the body!!! It'll be a good read for sure! :)

Seriously, amazing! :)

From Smooth on Sun, Oct 17, 2010 at 21:52:58 from 67.41.235.104

CONGRATULATIONS Scott! WOW! You beat Twinkies & Jun's 2009 time by 13 minutes on your very first ultra race! WaHOOO!!!!

Can't wait to read all the details and what you learned. I am glad you loved it and wanted to run it again next year! :)

From Faceless Ghost on Sun, Oct 17, 2010 at 22:09:01 from 69.169.157.242

Great job, Scott. Looking forward to the whole report.

From Oreo on Sun, Oct 17, 2010 at 22:40:31 from 174.27.208.142

Nice...Way to rock it. That's a great time..

From Scott Wesemann on Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 03:46:44 from 75.165.249.90

Thanks for your comments everyone. The full race report is now up.

From Maurine/Miles on Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 08:25:15 from 63.255.172.2

Loved the details. That heat took a toll on everyone. I couldn't stand food from 25 on. Wasn't that last stretch after Blackrock about 4 times longer than it should have been (emotionally)?

From Bryce on Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 08:44:47 from 67.186.213.216

Great report Scott. Strong race, you finished in great time. Nice job out there, sounds like everything went pretty smooth. Congrats on your first ultra, and first 50 miler, that's a huge acomplishment.

From Scott Wesemann on Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 13:41:12 from 66.239.250.209

Maurine- The last mile was the worst by far. It was tough. It just seemed like the turnaround sigm would never come and I couldn't see it and then I thought I missed it. Ugh!

Bryce- Thanks! Yeah, I thought it was a pretty smooth race actually. I think all of my crazy runs over the summer really helped prepare me for this. There really wasn't anything unexpected and I felt reasonably well the entire time.

From Maurine/Miles on Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 13:46:13 from 63.255.172.2

Agreed - I would have preferred doing an out-and-back on one of the side roads than to have to pass the finish and come back to it.

From jun on Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 13:49:30 from 66.239.250.209

Good feedback. Maybe Davy would like to hear it.

From Smooth on Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 14:19:25 from 67.41.235.104

I love reading your detail report. AWESOME STRONG run, Scott! You had me wonder what those non-blog-appropriate stories were! :D That heat sounds brutal and you conquered it! WAY to accomplish your first ultra and in such GREAT finish time!

My friend, Paul Losee (62) finished 2nd to the last in his first ever 100. He vomited and ran the last 40 w/ no fuel and very very little fluid if any. Do you have any recommendation in the tummy issue? I guess it is an individual thing. You seem to handle it very well.

From Tom on Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 14:49:21 from 137.65.56.16

Great job that's quite the accomplishment.

From allie on Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 17:58:04 from 174.23.232.22

truly awesome. way to go!

From Julie on Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 22:42:45 from 67.199.162.82

That is sweet!! It must be awesome to know you can do something so hard.

From Lily on Tue, Oct 19, 2010 at 00:26:22 from 67.199.181.73

Scott you are amazing. I can't think of a better word.

Did you stretch before hand? :)

From Scott Wesemann on Tue, Oct 19, 2010 at 02:09:00 from 75.165.249.90

Smooth- Thanks! Haha RE the wild stories. I don't even want to give you a hint. They were bad, but kind of what I needed at the time. :) I forgot about my pain.

Thanks Tom

Thanks Allie and Julie. It was awesome!

Thanks Lily- Actually I didn't have time to stretch before the race, but I did do some stretching and rolling the night before. It REALLY helped.

From Scott Wesemann on Tue, Oct 19, 2010 at 02:25:10 from 75.165.249.90

Oh Smooth RE the tummy issues- I think a lot of it is trial and error and finding out what works for you. I think it is good to get out for some longer runs and see what you can tolerate and what makes you feel good and gives you energy. I actually learned a lot out there about myself on this race because I took waaaay more food than I could ever eat because I wanted to have a big variety in case something sounded good. I could not eat anything like a sandwich or something heavy, and I didn't even touch the Coke or Rockstar energy drinks I had because they sounded gross. I know I can do gels, fruit, salty chips and peanut butter cups :)

For most of my longer runs it has been Raspberry/Huckleberry gels as the staple with other various snacks mixed in. On this race I felt really good the whole way, although I didn't eat as much solid food as I hoped for because it just didn't sound good.

Oh and just a thought- I think it is very important to be taking in energy often along with salt because as soon as you get low on energy or electrolytes you could start to feel sick and bonk, which will make you not want to eat and eventually you feel worse. I used to have this problem a lot (Jun knows this well) on my longer hikes in the mountains.

From Smooth on Tue, Oct 19, 2010 at 18:43:27 from 67.41.235.104

THANKS for the tips and thoughts on fuel/fluid for long distance, especially your suggestion on electrolytes. I am going to carry some S-caps w/ me on this Saturday's Goblin Valley 50K. I remember last year when I ran the Pony Express (I only ran 54K to celebrate my 54th birthday), I did not feel like eating any solid food towards the end. Early on I had oranges, PowerBar gel, gatorade, half a bagel. I bonk at marathon mark and couldn't stomach anything. It wasn't even nearly as hot as this year. So thanks for the tips!

From MatthewVH on Wed, Oct 20, 2010 at 12:01:56 from 69.27.9.106

Inspiring! Sounds like you had a great day out there. Keep it up.

From Kelli on Wed, Oct 20, 2010 at 13:47:28 from 71.219.65.246

How ya feelin, there, Scott?

From Lily on Wed, Oct 20, 2010 at 14:41:37 from 67.199.181.73

Yes, how are you feeling?

From Scott Wesemann on Wed, Oct 20, 2010 at 15:23:22 from 66.239.250.209

Thanks Matt. Looking forward to our little adventure next week.

Kelli/Lily- I am almost back to 100%. My legs feel really good, and I am itching to get back out into the mountains. Peak bagging this week for sure.

From Kelli on Wed, Oct 20, 2010 at 18:28:26 from 71.219.65.246

That is amazing! You are an athlete.

Add Your Comment.
  • Keep it family-safe. No vulgar or profane language. To discourage anonymous comments of cowardly nature, your IP address will be logged and posted next to your comment.
  • Do not respond to another person's comment out of context. If he made the original comment on another page/blog entry, go to that entry and respond there.
  • If all you want to do is contact the blogger and your comment is not connected with this entry and has no relevance to others, send a private message instead.
Only registered users with public blogs are allowed to post comments. Log in with your username and password or create an account and set up a blog.
Debt Reduction Calculator
Featured Announcements
Recent Comments: