Beaver, Utah
” Beauty and the Beast. If they got together and had a love child, it would be Tushar.”
Words a past runner used to describe the Tushar Mountains. Delano Peak was the signature climb but this was the crux of the race and for me, the Beast: a 4000-foot climb in 6 miles at the halfway point. Gradual switchbacks, rugged and rocky, overgrown vegetation, progressively getting steeper. Warm to warmer. Keep moving, I tell myself, your legs are trained but I’m so tired, my inner voice protests, a nap sounds nice. I pass a runner lying in the middle of the trail. I’m resting, he says. There’s concern that he has altitude sickness but seeing his pacer next to him gives me comfort to continue (and resist the urge to join him!). I missed the sharp turn to Edna Peak from being mesmerized by the beautiful sunset but luckily turned myself around before going too much further. The climbing is still not over and oh yes, here comes mountains of talus!
Thoughts drifted back to the race check in. The volunteer handed me my bib and said: You’re going to crush it! My son leans in and says with affirmation, yes you will! He then proceeded to have a conversation about me pacing him at Western States someday. It wasn’t until that moment, did I realize the impact my running had on him. The years of feeling guilty for leaving the family to train melted a bit more in the hours leading up to Tushars. It didn’t matter how the day would unfold; he was proud of me for just showing up. His energy stayed with me throughout the run, lifting me from my lowest lulls.
I had no expectations for my first high altitude race, which stayed at an average of 10,000 ft elevation and capping out at 12,100 ft. No surprise when the head pressure, heavy legs and staggered gait manifested during most ascents. But I was moving better than expected, reaching the first aid station at Alunite Ridge in 2.5hrs. The first 8 miles (which is also the last 8 miles) felt most technical, having never seen descents so steep. Plus, multiple streams and snow crossings macerated my toes early on. Mud lake (second aid station) to Blue Lake was probably my favorite section, nice and runnable rollers, hardly seeing anyone until the climb up the pass, offering views of Mt. Baldy and Mt. Belknap in the distance. The terrain was tough and exposed, but a fellow from SoCal kept me focused. That was a highlight – running alongside so many other runners and exchanging our “why”. I was leapfrogging with a couple who lived near my parents. It was fun to have short conversations every time we passed each other.
The rest of the run was a blur, shifting between slow motion to fast forward, finding a rhythm between fueling and continuous movement, with one too many pit stops to remove loose rocks and debris from my shoes. Finally, I hiked into the last aid station to complete the loop, knowing at that point I would not finish in daylight with 8 miles to go. Remember the steep, technical descent from earlier? Now it was short and steep on the way back. Fueling was minimal in the last 1.5 hrs as I ran out of water and the body was rejecting solids. I completely forgot about a small flask of Coke in my pack, too tired to search and tried to take in the LMNT drink mix. It was so salty that I couldn’t take anymore after a few sips. Yet somehow my legs kept moving forward to the beat of my internal soundtrack, Otherside, while visions of my son flickered in the darkness.
The last few miles were looong, hearing the loud cheers but unable to see the finish line! I caught up to another runner on the final descent and together we hiked up the last hill and mustered up some energy to run the last 200 yards in, where I was greeted with hugs from my family. I have no appetite at the finish line, and it wouldn’t be until the next morning when I could take in anything. Body was beat, mind was ready to rest from the mental gymnastics of the day. I decided right then that Tushars was the most challenging race I’ve ever done but a pivotal moment as it changed my lens of how I viewed my capabilities. One that my son already found, and it only took a race of this caliber for me to believe it.
Additional notes
Nutrition:
– Roughly 250+ calories/hr
– Gels: 3x Muir Energy, 6x GU liquid gels, 4x SE, 4x Maple syrup
– Liquid calories: 2x TW, 2x Gnarly, Coke
– Solids: watermelon, ramen, PBJ, 2x bean roll, turkey/cheese tortilla, Chex mix, Skratch/GU chews, broth/carrots/potatoes
Body
– Minor right forefoot sprain 3hrs into run followed by sore ankle/heel in the last few hours
– Very mild quad cramping 5hrs in, seem to ease with dowsing face / thighs with wet buff
– Unusual intermittent toe cramping (right and left but not at the same time)
– First run where I did not do my squat test after crossing the finish line… didn’t think I could get back up!
– All muscle soreness cleared up after 2 days
Gear
– All the hikes/walks/running errands with a heavy pack paid off
– Used poles the entire time
Routine leading up to race
– Foam rolling aggressively until race week (mostly because of a right patellar tendon flare)
– LMNT 2-3x/wk from 2 weeks out
– Chloroxygen 5 days before
Lessons learned
– More liquid nutrition in arsenal for end of race
– Practice hiking, like seriously practice it
– Eat aid station food… it’s the bomb diggity
– Train your brain to face the abyss and make a plan to get through it
Total time: 16:13
Total ascent: 13,136ft
Avg 570 ft of change per mile
