I have never run a Golden Ticket race before. What does a Golden Ticket even mean? Well in ultra running, the Western States 100 that runs from a ski area near Lake Tahoe all the way through canyons down to the town of Auburn, CA. It is considered one of the most historic and original OG US 100 milers in the country. It is the race every ultra runner wants to do. The lottery is tough and takes most applicants upwards of 8 years before they gain entry. There are a few ways to fast-track things. Black Canyon 100k is one of those races where top 3 male finishers and top 3 female finishers are offered a Golden Ticket, an entry to run Western States. Often the Golden Ticket races are some of the most competitive.
Black Canyon this year was being hyped and billed as the “most competitive ultra of the year next to Western states”. Literally every “sponsored” and unsponsored ultra runner was showing up to throw down in the desert. It is a model course to Western states as the course starts 4,000 feet up and descends down into the canyons.
I wanted to give myself the best chance out there and so Ashlee and myself flew out early to spend some time relaxing in Sedona, AZ, in red rock country. As soon as we arrived Monday afternoon after our flight was cancelled on Sunday, we settled in but something was not right with me. The next morning, I could not breathe out of my nose, had a sore throat and felt like my sinuses were out of control. And so began our wellness retreat. I was definitely suffering from a virus that had become a full-blown sinus infection. We did everything we could to get myself feeling better. From plenty of sleep, drinking herbal teas, nasal rinses, eating healthy wholesome food, and spending some time in the red rocks, I was hopeful that things would clear-up before race day. We even had a couples massage using some of the red clay found all around us in the land of red rocks. We had left the snow and cold of Rhode Island to come to rain, sleet and eventually snow in AZ.
Our time spent in Sedona was really amazing and after the snow on Friday morning before packet pick-up we hiked a little taking in a Sedona full of light and snow-covered vistas. That really is a magical place. I was turning a corner but was not 100%. We then headed to Black Canyon city to meet with Matt and Brittany to link-up and take in the race experience.
Matt and Brittany would run the 60k and I was signed up for the 100 mile challenge, meaning I would run the 100k on Saturday and then turn around and run the 60k on Sunday. The packet pick-up was at a new location called “Chilleen’s on 17” think of it like a BBQ/general store. They had great space and it was fun to mingle and see some of the big names in the sport at this race.
We would be staying at the Aravaipa house with some of my team mates as I am a member of the Aravaipa New England race team. It was a lot of fun to meet members of our team such as Corrine and Graham Shalvoy, Ferdinand and Cyril, Joe and so many others.
Some race reports are super detailed. Giving you a play by play of every little thing that happened on the trail. Rather than doing that, I would tell you, if you are considering running Black Canyon, do it! Though I did not get to experience the whole course, I will definitely be back next year to redeem myself at the 100 mile challenge. Aravaipa puts on a masterful event and it was amazing to witness such incredible performances out there.
So how did my race go? Well ultimately I pulled the plug with a DNF and a DNS for the 100 mile challenge. Rather than risk being sick for longer, I made the decision that it was not worth running a sub par race just to finish the 100k, not run the 60k and remain even sicker for much longer. I have some big goals this year and it is just better to be smart and think long-term.
Here is a little more about what happened in my race.
The big hype moment was snow at the start delayed the race 2.5 hours. It was wild to be in those moments having to get ready a couple times before waiting around another 30 minutes. Then at 9:30am I set off through the mud with 1 thousand other runners. Just insane. The pace was really fast from the get-go. My first mile of 6:20 put me in 45th place to start. As we hit the single track, the ankle-deep mud was like running a snowshoe race. I remained calm and felt my best shot to run my best would be not to be absorbed into the hype of going out too fast and running controlled the first 20+ miles. So that is just what I did.
The photographers did an amazing job of capturing the runners! And so as I started to work my way through the field a little bit, I wound up and down the trails running in th 6:50-7 min mile range. It felt comfortable but the truth was immediately, I knew I felt sick. Nasal drip was running down my nose onto my face, my ears would pop everytime I exhaled and truly I knew I was in for it. It was by mile 14 when on an uphill, I just could not push the way I wanted to. My energy levels felt flat. I was sick and we gave it a shot I told myself.
At Bumblee Ranch, I told Ashlee and the whole crew I was going to see if maybe I would feel better as we continued to descend down the canyon. But right after that aid station, I had to walk. It was here I called Ashlee and told her I would drop out at the half-way mark which was the next crewed aid station. It was at that moment I linked up with Shea Aquilino who is a fast 23 year old from Carmel, Indiana; in the same area as Brittany and Matt live and she had a nasty ankle sprain. We both suffered and worked together about 12 miles to the next crewed aid station and it was awesome sharing in that camaraderie. Shea ultimately finished 14th Female after considering dropping out half-way. She is a testament that you are never out of it. For me though, my role of racer switched to crew.
It was awesome to help support my fellow Aravaipa team members as well as Matt and Brittany to their 60k finishes. Running can be a team sport and I am really lucky to have such a great team that helps support me.
Congrats to everyone who ran Black Canyon. I will see you all next year. So what’s next? Well it looks like Cocodona might be in my future…
Cresting the Summit 