Chris Wristen

LEADVILLE, COLO. — The red carpet treatment usually is reserved for the glamorous; famous folks who’ve spent hours perfecting their look for the cameras and throngs of adoring fans.

In Leadville, however, the red carpet is rolled out for the dirtiest, muddiest, sweatiest, grungiest of characters whose appearances have been carefully crafted not in front of the mirror, but through hours of marching over mountains and tramping down trails.

Crossing the finish line in 11:53:38. No joy; all pain.

In Leadville, the goal isn’t to look good on the red carpet; it’s to make it there before the time limit elapses and the finish line closes.

That was my goal for 8 1/2 months since signing up for the Leadville Silver Rush 50-Mile Trail Run — my second ultra and first 50-miler.

As a flatlander, most of my training took place in the thick Kansas humidity to simulate the breathing difficulty that would come from running 50 miles at 10,000 to 12,000 feet above sea level. After an additional week of acclimatization in Colorado, I was ready to toe the starting line on Sunday, July 15.

Standing at the base of Dutch Henry Hill for the 6 a.m. start, chatter and anxious glances swirled through the crowd in the 44-degree temperature. The national anthem plays]ed. There wass a five-second countdown, and then the crowd surged forward and upward — a few sprinting, but most swiftly hiking — to the top of the hill. From there, the pace quickened with runners jostling for position. Separation happened fast as the leaders bolted ahead and the hikers settled into a steady cadence. I ended up somewhere in between.

The first 13.5 miles to Printerboy aid station passed quicker than I expected; barely 3 hours. Most of it was runnable, other than a 1,000-foot climb between miles 7 and 10 to 12,000 feet.

Rumor at the aid station was that most of the field of about 600 runners was ahead of the usual Silver Rush pace. The near-perfect weather probably had something to do with it. The sun was blocked intermittently by clouds, and temperatures were now in the low 60s.

The Silver Rush 50 begins with an uphill climb – and then makes four trips above 12,000 feet.

Out of Printerboy, there’s a half-mile downhill jaunt through the woods, followed by a four-mile uphill run/hike to the Rock Garden aid station. At that point I was 18 miles in, and still feeling good thanks to well-managed hydration and nutrition, as well as a responsible pace.

Shortly after departing the aid station, race champion Michael Aish (6:54:34) blew past me on his return trip. Race runner-up David Ruttum (6:59.26) followed a few minutes behind, looking equally relaxed. I also was feeling fresh, although that’s primarily because I averaged nearly six more minutes per mile than they did.

My hope entering the race was that I’d feel good at the turnaround so I’d have enough energy left to grind out the final 25 miles to the finish line. The second climb above 12,000 feet started to take its toll, but the four-mile, 1,800-foot descent to Stumptown provided welcome relief. My best friend and crew had a chair, sandwich and fluid waiting. After a five-minute rest, I was back on my feet and headed back out for the second half.

I felt good, but it didn’t last long. Four miles and 1,800 feet of climbing awaited, and nearly everybody was walking. For us mortals in the middle of the pack, each step upward toward 12,000 feet was a challenge. Footing wasn’t good in some sections, and the wear and tear of the first 25 miles was setting in quickly. The objective was to simply endure this section, and after more than an hour of climbing I made up lost time hammering the next seven miles of mostly downhill back to Printerboy.

Justin flew in from Washington, D.C., to help crew me to the finish line. He’s one of those people I can always count on.

I arrived back at Printerboy in 8:05, well ahead of pace for my goal of a sub-12-hour finish, and actually in striking distance of sub-11 with 13 miles to go. My legs felt strong and my nutrition was good, so I decided to aim big. I ditched my hydration pack to reduce weight, grabbed a hand-held bottle, stuffed a few Hammer gels in my pocket and took off. I was after sub-11!

The lofty aspirations didn’t last long. A half-mile later, during the final three-mile climb to 12,000 feet, sharp pains began shooting through the top of my left foot with every step. My pace plummeted. Walking was the only option for the next six miles. The foot hurt too bad, and my legs started to lock up.

The wheels were falling off.

More than a dozen runners passed me en route to the final aid station at Black Cloud, just seven miles from the finish line. Rain began to fall as I arrived at the aid station and refilled my bottle. Moments later, hail stung my arms and I started to shiver.

The reality of a 50-mile mountain race was setting in quickly. After 37 miles of confidence, the final 13 were leaving me hobbled and humbled. Sub-11 wasn’t happening, and now I was in danger of missing my goal of a sub-12-hour finish.

Done.

With that in mind, I forced my legs to wake back up, tolerated the foot pain and found a way to run. It worked in spurts for the final seven miles; run for two minutes, walk for two or three, then run again.

Finally, the sounds of the finish line reached my ears. I heard the announcer barking out results. I heard the roar of the crowd as other runners were finishing. My pace quickened, and finally the finish line came into sight. I emerged from the woods, ran across the top of Dutch Henry Hill and heard my best friend cheering below. After a few fast, painful strides down the steep final hill, I rounded the bend.

There it was: the red carpet.

Numerous others already had crossed the finish line — some I’m sure looking fantastic, but most weathered and weary — when I took my turn as the 284^th runner on the red carpet.  As was to be expected, it was a very Leadville — not Hollywood — red carpet experience. Photo evidence revealed no flashy smile, no celebration despite finishing in 11:53:38 to meet my sub-12 goal. Instead, I looked like just about every other Leadville red carpet runner: dirty, suffering and relieved to be done.

Kicking back in a camp chair, chilly temperatures settling in at Moraine Park Campground and the sweet aroma of campfire smoke wafting through the air thanks to the just-lifted fire ban, I gazed up at Longs Peak — clearly visible in front of a cloudy backdrop  — and counted my blessings for this streak of good luck.

It was supposed to rain nonstop during my visit to Rocky Mountain National Park. The forecast was so dire that I contemplated bailing on camping and grabbing a cheap room in Estes Park instead.

On Monday night, however, the lucky streak of good weather at the start of Colorado’s “Monsoon Season” was fresh on my mind. The weather couldn’t have been much more perfect, and these days couldn’t have gone much better.

***

The forecast wasn’t promising on Sunday as I made the drive from Fort Collins to Rocky Mountain National Park.

Thunderstorms were expected — at a pretty much constant clip, and for days on end — and sure enough, the first drops pelted my windshield just four miles outside of the park.

Setting up my tent in the rain was a foregone conclusion, and all indications were that most of the next two days would be spent inside that tent waiting out the storm.

As luck would have it, the rain subsided just long enough for me to set up the tent and put my sleeping bag inside. Then, the sky cleared long enough to embark on a short hike that took me to a valley packed with about two-dozen photogenic elk. The rain resumed moments after I returned to my campsite, but again the skies soon parted and allowed enough time to cook some chili mac on my MSR Reactor stove and settle into my tent for the night.

By 9 p.m., temperatures dropped into the 40s and I burrowed deep into my sleeping bag. Then the rain returned, and the gentle patter of drops on the tent lulled me to sleep.

***

I went to bed expecting a rainy Monday, but conditions changed during the overnight hours. I peeked out of my tent in the morning to a clear view of Longs Peak and large patches of blue sky — a good morning of hiking could be had!

After firing up the stove to fix oatmeal and coffee, I headed to Bear Lake Trailhead and set out for Flat Top Mountain. It seemed like a reasonable target. With a little more than 2,800 feet of gain to a maximum altitude of 12,361 feet — about 350 feet higher than my 50-mile trail race in Leadville will climb — the nine-mile round-trip looked like a good wake-up call for my rested legs, as well as a much-needed test of my lungs.

I set off at a steady clip, focusing on controlling my breathing and sipping on my water hose every four to five minutes. My legs needed about two miles to wake up, but then they felt fine the rest of the way. It took my lungs about an hour to adjust to the thinner air, but the closer I got to 12,000 feet, the easier it seemed breathing became.

Including about a 15-minute break at the top and numerous stops for photos, the round-trip took me four and a half hours. Other than being hungry, I felt completely fine.  It was an encouraging effort with the Leadville Silver Rush 50 just six days away.

The mountains are calling and I must go. – John Muir

It’s scalding hot in Kansas.

The sign at the bank read 105 degrees as my dad and I headed to Kansas City International Airport where he dropped me off for my afternoon flight to Denver.

In contrast, Colorado — which literally has been on fire for the past few weeks — greeted me with accommodating temperatures.  It was in the upper 70s when my flight landed.  The T-shirt and running shorts that almost felt like too much clothing in Kansas suddenly left me feeling underdressed.  It’s chilly compared to KC.

Before I’ve even picked up my rental car, any wildfire worries disappeared. At first, it was just a few sprinkles falling, but the menacing clouds hinted that there was plenty more to come. Within 15 minutes it was a downpour that didn’t let up all the way to Fort Collins. In fact, the drive took 2 ½ hours because part of Interstate 25 was closed due to water on the road.

It was 9 p.m. by the time I pulled into the lot at the Super 8 and checked into my temporary home at 5,003 feet above sea level.

The rain subsided by the time I woke up this morning — but that’s not expected to last.  By 11 a.m., storms are supposed to roll back in.  That should allow me just enough time to grab breakfast at Lucile’s, but after that my drive to Rocky Mountain National Park is expected to be a soaker. My hope is that upon arrival I will get a break in the weather to set up camp, go for a hike, and fire up the camp stove to fix dinner before the rain resumes. Time will tell.

As for the rest of the week, Tuesday and Wednesday will be spent visiting old roommates in Denver, and then I’m off to Leadville.  Justin will arrive on Friday evening, and we’ll have all day Saturday to hang out before he crews for me during the race on Sunday.

Speaking of the race, the forecast continues to be in flux. The current race-day forecast for Leadville is a high of 70, low of 41, and a 60 percent chance of rain. I’m hoping weather.com is wrong about the rain, although I’ve been expecting it and preparing for it.

Anyway, it’s time to go play in the park!

WEEKLY TOTAL:

12 miles running.

YEARLY TOTAL:

689.32 miles running.

Today marked my final training run in Kansas City before heading to Colorado on Saturday to begin adjusting to the altitude for the Leadville Silver Rush 50-Mile Run.

I’d hoped for a little company on the trail today, but ended up starting the 9 a.m. run at Shawnee Mission Park solo. The temperature was in the low 80s, but the humidity was pushing 80 percent and I felt it right away. I crossed paths with Sherrie Klover at the final intersection, however, and we ran the final 1.25 together. It was a fitting end to my training runs in KC since Sherrie has been such a source of encouragement throughout my training. She also was there with me for my longest training runs – including the 31.32-mile run a week and a half ago at Clinton Lake.

I also used today’s training run to try out the chest harness for my GoPro camera. I’m hoping to use it during the race since the camera weighs next to nothing. I need to tinker with the harness a bit to shore up the stability of the camera, but it was a big upgrade.

Below is the video of the run – sped up to 400 percent – to condense it from 43 minutes to 8 minutes.

Two miles of walking — all the while, hamstrings tender and calves begging to cramp — brought an unceremonious conclusion to Saturday’s final long run in preparation for the Leadville Silver Rush 50-Mile Run.

There was suffering — plenty of it — for the first 14 miles, too.  The humidity was thick, and temperatures tipped 101 degrees. That was the idea of a mid-day training run, however. It was about preparation for the final half of the race when the sun likely will be beating down on a course that offers no shelter from the elements.

It’s important to be prepared for everything, and I’m pretty sure I’ve covered all of the bases during the past few months. Only time will tell. I hope I’ve done enough to prepare. I believe I have, but we’ll know the answer definitively two weeks from today.

Hard training officially ended at about 3 p.m. Saturday when I walked out of the woods at Shawnee Mission Park, 16 miles and 3 hours and 20 minutes after I started.

Tapering officially is under way. There will be no double-digit mileage days for the next two weeks; only easy runs to keep the legs fresh and moving until race day July 15.

Two or three easy runs and some strength training will be part of the routine this week, as will packing my bags for Saturday’s departure for Colorado. Then the final week will consist mostly of a few hikes in the mountains while my lungs get ready for the limited oxygen. (A quick side note: the High Park fire near Fort Collins was officially 100 percent contained yesterday!)

Race day is approaching. The hard work is done. It’s almost time to go!

WEEKLY TOTAL:

28 miles running

YEARLY TOTAL:

677.32 miles running

Leadville motivation was at an all-time high this week, and the reasons were plentiful.

For one thing, it marked the final week of hard training before scaling the mileage down until race day. For another, the Saturday long run was targeted as a new personal-record distance day. Then there was the fact that good friend and training partner Brian Brooks would spend Saturday and Sunday pursuing his first 100-mile finisher’s buckle at Western States, the Rose Bowl of endurance running.

Talk about a triple-whammy of motivation.

Coming down from the Bunker Hill loop at Clinton Lake on Saturday.

I wasn’t so optimistic when the week began. Thanks to a 50-mile training week last week, my legs felt like hell on Sunday and again Monday when I headed to work. I didn’t plan to run, but ultimately tossed my trail shoes in the car just in case.  After work, I headed to Shawnee Mission Park to join the Monday group and try for a few slow miles in the humidity.  At some point during the day my knees must have decided to no longer be cranky, because they were ready to run. After a 4.5-mile loop with the guys’ group, I cranked up the pace for an extra solo 2.5-mile loop to get the lungs burning in the humidity.  Humidity’s my only real option for altitude training in Kansas, and I wanted to take full advantage.  Post-run pizza and beer with friends capped a great day and set the tone for what would be a very good week.

The legs felt strong enough for 5 miles of hill repeats on Ogg Road on Tuesday, and then 7 more miles on Wednesday before tendonitis began to flare up in my left ankle (the price of six straight days of hard running without a break).

I gave the legs Thursday and Friday off to rest, which was much needed.  The recovery time made little difference by Saturday, however, as the aches and pains barked louder while the miles piled up.

A friendly copperhead slithers across the trail during the Saturday long run at Clinton Lake.

I expected Saturday’s run at Clinton Lake to hurt — and it did plenty, in all likelihood due to the back-to-back 50-mile weeks — but the greater challenge was staying focused. Just 20 minutes after we began running and half a country away California, Brian toed the starting line at Western States and began his quest for a 100-mile finisher’s buckle. The goal was a 7- to 8-hour run, but the trail chatter constantly seemed to find its way back to Brian and curiosities about his progress on the course.

We did a 6.5-mile loop with the larger group, and then about a half-dozen of us headed out for more mileage with an 11.5-mile out-and-back on the white trail in addition to a trip through the Bunker Hill loop. My legs felt fine until the final 10 miles. That’s when my right big toe joint grew very cranky, my lower back tightened up, and the tendonitis in my left ankle began to throb. A fair amount of hiking was mixed in on those final miles.

The final Saturday tally was 31.32 miles in 7:21. Back-to-back 50-mile training weeks were done and the hardest training was officially complete.

The home stretch at Clinton Lake.

The remainder of the day was spent devouring pizza, downing Pedialyte to rehydrate, icing the aches and pains away, and tracking Brian’s progress.  He finished his 100-miler this morning in 28:28:29.

Next week will be a mix of recovery and reduced mileage.  Ideally, I’m looking for 4.5 miles on Monday and Wednesday, two days of strength training, and then about 3 hours on the trail on Saturday. After that, it’ll officially be taper time.

Two weeks until I’m in Colorado! Three weeks until race day!

CREW UPDATE:

While heading home from pizza Monday night, I received a call from Justin Unger — my best friend since kindergarten and brother by choice — confirming that he’d booked his flight to Colorado to crew for my 50-mile race!  I know the short-notice trip isn’t easy for him to do, but I’m thrilled that he’ll be there and I know it’s important to him.

We grew up playing soccer together, became Eagle Scouts together and backpacked in Alaska together. He’s not a trail runner, so crewing for an ultra race will be new territory, but I know I’ll be in great hands with someone who will demand that I manage my nutrition properly, monitor my pace, and get my butt across the finish line.

WEEKLY TOTAL:

50.32 miles running (biggest running mileage week ever)

YEARLY TOTAL:

649.32 miles running

I expected the final weeks of training for the Leadville Silver Rush 50-Miler to be difficult, and they’ve been every bit as challenging as expected — if not more.

Last week was certainly the most mentally challenging week, and getting sick on top of it didn’t help either. This week was a refreshing bounce back, however.  A majority of the credit goes to friends from my running crew who picked me up mentally, as well as while on the trails.  Debbie, Jim, Wael, Larry, Katie, Coleen, Shelley and a few others should take a little bit of extra pride in their role in what I expect to be a first 50-mile finish four weeks from today as they helped keep me on track mentally.

A reinvigorated mental approach needed a revamped physical effort, however, and slowly but surely the body recovered throughout the week.

Monday was a good start as I joined the MudBabe Mondays crew and took a quick 4.5-mile loop in reverse with Wael, Casey, Bryan and Tom. After that, it was off to dinner with Debbie and Jim.

Tuesday included five miles of hill repeats on Ogg and then chill time on the porch with Shelley.

Wednesday included 10 solo miles on the trail at Shawnee Mission Park. Then, Thursday was a de facto recovery day thanks to 13 1/2 hours at the office. Five miles Friday on the Lawrence River Trails were the low part of the week as humidity, dehydration and heavy legs caught up with me.

On Saturday, however, came a breakthrough. A 6:30 a.m. start and 84-percent humidity at Clinton Lake created exhausting conditions early. Good company — including Laurie, Gary and another half-dozen Trail Hawks — made the early miles more bearable, and then Sherrie and I settled into a steady rhythm the rest of the way for a 20.5-mile run in 4:45. I went through five liters of water — the most I’ve ever consumed during a run, ever. My body felt fatigued from the heat, but my legs felt fine.

Five more miles today on cranky knees closed out the week on both high and low notes. The high was that it gave me my second 50-mile week of training. The low was that the knees didn’t recover as well as expected.

Now, another week is in the books. For better or worse, four weeks from right now the race will be over. The coming week will be the final grueling week, featuring an eight-hour long run Saturday. The week after will include a four-hour long run. Then it’ll be time to taper until race day.

The countdown rolls on, and the finish line — both of training and of the race — is within reach. My legs and lungs are just about ready. They’d better be, because finishing is the only option.

FUN FACTS:

According to weather.com, the average high temperature for July 15 in Leadville is 71 degrees and the average low is 38.  The record high is 80; the record low is 32.

WEEKLY TOTAL:

50 miles running (tied for biggest running mileage week ever) 

YEARLY TOTAL:

599 miles running

It just dawned on me, but two years ago today was summit night for my Kilimanjaro trek.  It was one of the toughest things I’ve ever done, and truly unforgettable.

Here’s a flashback to summit night at the highest point in Africa:

One hard month. That’s June. That’s all that’s left of training for the Leadville Silver Rush 50-Mile Trail Run.

It’s the toughest month, of course. The longest training runs; the most soreness. Aches last longer; pains are more magnified.

Sleep is crucial. Diet is critical.

One hard month. Then it’ll be time for two weeks of tapering before the race.

After five straight days of 10-milers in late May to build up my mileage base and prepare my legs to bounce back, the focus for June is time on feet. There are no mileage goals for Saturday long runs, just hours on my feet. Run, hike, whatever … as long as I’m on my feet and moving, the miles will add up.

Saturday was the first of five straight Saturdays of time-on-feet runs. The goal was six hours. I headed to Clinton Lake in Lawrence to join some of my Lawrence Trail Hawk friends who were playing host to a 40-mile, 40^th-birthday run for Gen-no Cline. What better way to pass the time on my feet than with friends and veteran ultra-runners on some excellent trails? Gary Henry set a slow but steady pace. It was slower than I prefer, but that turned out to be a good thing since pace is one of my great weaknesses.

The time ticked by quickly, and the miles added up. In six hours, I logged 23 miles and my legs felt completely fine. At that pace I could’ve easily gone 30 before having fatigue set in. I definitely could’ve set a mileage PR — my best is 31 miles in 6:22 from the Winter Psycho 50K in February. The only negative was that my surgically repaired right big toe joint flared up pretty bad. Otherwise, everything felt good.

The next four Saturdays will include two five- to six-hour long runs, an eight-hour long run, and a four- to five-hour long run.

Then, it’ll be July. It’ll be time to taper. Race month will be here.

WEEKLY TOTALS:

39 miles running (second-biggest running week ever)

15 miles cycling

54 total miles

It’s eight weeks until race day, but it feels like crunch time is approaching rapidly.

Scratch that. It doesn’t feel like crunch time is approaching rapidly; crunch time really is here.

Eight weeks until race day means six weeks until taper time, which means the most important training — mileage, weights, hill repeats, etc… — have to be taking place right now.

That was the case this week.  The plan called for adopting a strategy that is preached by friend and veteran ultra-runner Danny Miller: Run 10 miles per day, day after day, until you have covered the total distance that your race calls for.  In this case, that means five straight days of 10-milers.

My previous personal best for miles in a week was 36.  I started the Five 10’s on Tuesday and concluded yesterday, giving me 50 miles for the week and 65 total during a seven-day period going back to last Sunday.

Each day was progressively more grueling, although my times were consistent. The fastest day — day four — took 1:55. The slowest — day two — took 2:05.

The purpose of the routine was to train the body to bounce back quickly, adapt to pain, and keep going when it wants to stop. Actually, that’s only half of it. The other half, and probably the more important half, was to train the mind to endure and keep going.

Day four marked a significant mental breakthrough, as indicated in part by the time. My pace wasn’t any faster that day, and it was the second most painful day of the five, but I simply didn’t take any walking breaks when a knee, ankle or hamstring would begin to scream at me. Eventually the temporary flare-ups would fade away.

This week’s training elevated my mileage base. The goal of the next week will be to recover, get stronger, and put greater emphasis on climbing since the Leadville Silver Rush 50-Mile Run has about 7,300 feet of climbing with six climbs up to 12,000 feet. The Saturday or Sunday long run likely will be replaced by a half marathon on Ogg Road for extensive climbing — and downhill — training.

The following week’s long run will be a time-on-feet training day of five to six hours. After that, more climbing practice, more time on feet, and more counting down to race day.

Crunch time is here, and it’s just beginning.