ultras — Race Reports

Race: Whiskey Basin 60K

Location: Prescott Circle Trail — Prescott, AZ

Date: April 13, 2019

Looks like I’ve already made a habit of writing race recaps months after the actual race (spoiler alert: this won’t be the last one), but late is better than never and sometimes a bit of time offers an opportunity for reflection.

As much as I love writing an immediate race report for Strava, with adrenaline still coursing through my veins, it is not until days, weeks, or even months later where I fully come to realize and appreciate the feat of completing an ultramarathon.

For one reason or another, my mind keeps coming back to this race recently, so it must be time to put some of those thoughts into words.

I registered for the Whiskey Basin 60K in the immediate aftermath of finishing the Orcas Island 50K.

The post-race blues had set in hard.

After pushing myself harder than ever before, facing a low point, and coming out the other side, I was coming down from a high that left me exhausted, sore, and, frankly, a bit depressed.

Even though I wasn’t physically ready to run again, my brain yearned for another challenge. I had monitored Whiskey Basin for a bit because:

It was an Aravaipa Running race and I had followed Jamil Coury since getting into trail running
A coworker of mine ran Black Canyon 60K (another Aravaipa race) and had good things to say, and
It was a relatively close trip from San Francisco to Arizona.

Arriving in Prescott

I traveled to Prescott, Arizona — about 1.5 hours north of Phoenix — with my buddy, Cory. He and I have run some trails together in the past and he was looking to dip his toes into an official trail race and signed up for the Whiskey Basin Half Marathon (new in 2019).

We arrived early, so opted for a detour up to Flagstaff, and a stop at Mother Road Brewing, before eventually making our way back down to Prescott.

It was wild to experience 80-degree temps in Phoenix only for it to snow and hail while we were up in Flagstaff.

Race Morning

I took a shuttle from the start/finish to the starting point near Thumb Butte.

It was so cold (like 35 degrees at race start), but I knew it would warm up quickly, so I figured I would just rock my Houdini until the first aid station.

At Thumb Butte, there was a single men’s bathroom, so the anxious moments ahead of the race were largely spent waiting in line to, uh, flush out the nerves.

One of the race volunteers gathered us up to an imaginary starting line, said “go”, and we were off, quickly forming a single-file line onto the single track trail ahead.

Start to Mile 6.6 (Thumb Butte to Copper Basin Aid)

Nothing crazy, just tried to settle into the race and not push the pace too hard.

Started on single track from the get go, so the first couple miles were pretty slow anyways. Ended up running with a really nice dude named Gil from Vancouver and chatted while the miles ticked by.

It was still cold enough that the trails had frost one them!

Mile 6.6 to 12.7 (White Spar Aid)

The race started with an 8-mile gradual climb, so when we finally started going downhill, I just tried to cruise a nice, relaxed pace.

The trail was more technical that I expected, with lots of rocks, and was also pretty narrow, which made it difficult to really fly as fast as I wanted to, but I was able to maintain pretty consistent splits heading into the second aid station.

Beautiful pine forest during the early part of the race.

Mile 12.7 to 17.2 (Goldwater Aid)

Two ultramarathons, two times where this part of the race was my lowest low.

Something about being 12-14 miles in, but still only being like 1/3 done was tough to handle mentally.

Started to doubt if I was going to be able to finish.

Though I expected the climbs in this section to be more gradual and runnable, I ended up hiking more than expected, which fueled the negative thoughts even further.

Luckily, I knew this was all in my head, so I focused on taking in more calories and reminding myself that I *get* to do cool stuff like this.

Mile 17.2 to 26.1 (Badger Mountain Aid)

Spent a little extra time at the 17.2 aid station because my drop bag was there and there were 9 miles to the next station (longest gap in the race).

The decision to put a handheld bottle in my drop bag was clutch, as it really helped me stay on top of hydration and calories during the long section.

I spent a good chunk of this section alternating between running and hiking and focusing on nutrition. It was hot and exposed and I was really starting to feel the effects of the day.

Mile 26.1 to 29.9 (Sundog Aid)

Found my running legs in this section (read: found my 12-minute/mile shuffle legs) and was able to run most of it.

I knew it wasn't far to the final aid station and was happy to be feeling this good this late in a race.

No cramping, no major bonking, just the expected amount of pain and suffering.

Leading up to a final aid station, we came off a decent and had to go through a tunnel under the freeway (see picture). As I entered the tunnel, I heard someone behind me. As I exited the tunnel and started winding my way up to the aid station, I looked back and saw that Jamil Coury (he ran the 88K) was behind me! Said "Hi" and "What's up, dude", but didn't have the energy to say much else.

We entered the aid station together to the sound of a truck blasting "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and spent a few minutes getting sorted out before heading on our way.

Under other circumstances, I would have really enjoyed the opportunity to chat with him longer, but I could tell we were both hurting and didn't want to bother him too much.

Mile 29.9 to Finish

Jamil pulled away from me (obviously) out of the aid station and I was on my own once again, which I actually quite enjoy late in races.

The aid station volunteer told us 6 miles to the finish, so I looked at my watch and figured somewhere around 36 miles would be the finish line.

I found my running legs once again and was able to run most of this final section. Passed four 60K runners during this section and only got passed by a couple 88K runners.

The finish line seemed to take forever, and the final bit was pretty much all uphill, but I could hear the music near the finish line and it was pulling me home. I charged up the final hill and closed out what was a long, tough, and enjoyable day on the trails.

Reflections

The Prescott Circle Trail completely exceeded all of my expectations. I figured it would be dry, and I knew there were some pine forests, but I did not anticipate the diversity of trail and the absolute beauty of the surroundings. I look forward to getting back to Arizona soon to run some more trails and fully intend on completing the Whiskey Basin 88K — which runs the entire Prescott Circle Trail — in the near future.
I spent a lot of this race thinking about life and about my loved ones. Coincidentally, the race fell on my brother’s birthday. My grandma was also, at the time, in hospice care, while my wife was five months pregnant with our son. I thought a lot about the ebbs and flows of life, what it means, why we’re here, and how to (try to) make the most of it. A couple hours after the race, I learned that my grandma had passed away. I certainly held her close throughout the day and tried to balance the idea of one life ending and another soon to begin. There was a certain circular beauty in that thought, even though I still struggle to fully articulate it now.

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