Sometimes you just need to go back. It helps you remember – the joy and the suffering….
It has been over 10 years since I competed in the Grand to Grand Ultra. Since then, Lisa and/or myself have volunteered at Grand to Grand every year since. Last year there was interest by the organizers in putting on a 100+ mile event over some of the more scenic parts of the course. After much work, they pulled together a very tough ultra in the high desert around Kanab Utah, the Utah 115.
With my upcoming Hardrock attempt in July, I thought this would be a great training run to shake out nutrition, crew support and to get some time on my feet. Not only was I now a competitor (versus a volunteer) but we also got to see many of our G2G family, both locally and from around the globe.
Overall, this event was underestimated by almost every competitor. There are very few desert ultras in America and experience in them here is limited. Even those that signed up for the shorter 50-mile event were surprised at the difficulties encountered. While distance and elevation gains were nothing spectacular, conditions under foot were shall we say special. No where in the United States (or perhaps the world) will you see an ultra with this much soft sand. This made for one hard run and DNF rates were high. Finishing times were also much slower than many thought they would be (including me!). I would say this is as difficult as any 200-mile event.
The Utah 115 is not a point-to-point but a semi out and back. This was done to minimize the number of aid stations and to keep the event close to town. This is a huge benefit for crews. The course is insanely scenic and encompasses major portions of the G2G Stage Race. Highlights include Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, the Coral Pink Sand Dunes, views of Zion National Park, Cave Lakes Canyon, and more.
While the weather was not too hot you are exposed to direct sunlight most of the time. Mid-May can also be quite cool in the morning and some even got some use out of their rain jackets. In the high desert you must be ready for all weather conditions.
The start was typical with everyone bunched up. Pace was slowed due to the climb out of town via Tom’s Canyon that necessitated some scrambling. Once up on top, it was rolling tracks down to the first major aid station at Best Friends. From there, one had to climb out and through Cave Lakes Canyon and onward to Yellowjacket aid station right before the sand dunes. It was great to tackle the dunes in daylight since typically most runners during the G2G cross them at night. Tough yet spectacular. I unfortunately could not locate a sandworm to ride.
At this point I was somewhat on my estimated timing but that soon started to unravel with the heat of the day and rough cross-country sections. It is imperative that one pays attention to the markings (which are very well done) since a missed turn can cost you some significant time. Even with a requirement that competitors download the track to their phone, there were some that put in bonus miles.
I toiled on by myself for many miles on the remotest part of the course and eventually got to Clay Flats AS just after dark and slightly behind schedule. The next major section saw a significant slowdown in my pace. The years are catching up with me and I have accepted that, besides this was basically a training run.
In addition to Lisa, my friend Dave Dogruel provided some awesome crewing. He also paced me through the rough part of the night (midnight to sunrise). I am a morning person and struggle with the 2 am to 5 am time frame. Dave on the other hand is a night owl and is regularly up between those hours. It worked out well to have Dave run with me then.
As the cool morning turned to mid-day I began to slow down again. Retracing some of the course had the advantage of knowing what was ahead but plodding was the strategy by then. When I reached the last aid station the shadows were long, and I broke out my headlamp anticipating an after dark finish. After a winding decent down Squaw Trail into town, I finally crossed the finish 39 hours and 53 minutes. As usual Tess and Colin (co-race directors) were there to enthusiastically great every finisher with their buckle.
Some recommendations for this event. Full gaiters are a must. I did not think I would need them (even though I used them at G2G) and I went with just trail gaiters. I eventually ditched them and just emptied sand at every aid station. Long sleeve desert shirts are a smart idea due to the sun exposure as well as wide brim hats or hats with capes. While poles are a personal choice, I did find them useful in the dune fields.
If you need to prepare for a desert race (such as the Marathon des Sables) you should put this one on your list. While harder it will get you accustomed to desert racing. As an early season ultra, this is a tough one, you seriously should consider doing the Utah 115!
Ultra Stage Racing 