Jerome to Sedona
Jerome (Mile 126.5) to Dead Horse State Park (Mile 135.6)
After coming into the aid station Jason worked on my feet as I was developing blisters under the calluses on both of my big toes. Nothing that a safety pin and some tape couldn’t fix. After realizing there was no gelato or popsicles to be found I shifted gears and decided to change into a fresh set of clothing. There was no need to stay much longer so Jack and I set off into the sun, which felt magnified as we ran down the blacktop pavement. Once further out of town I needed to pee so I ducked into some brush, just to then be found by the race drone. Jack found it pretty funny while I did not, I just crossed my fingers that they weren’t broadcasting that camera live. As we continued on, we had people driving up in cars cheering, pulling over for photos and introductions. It was very inspiring to meet these people, and I felt humbled that they were tracking and routing for me.
About a mile and a half later we took a left hand turn on a steep and loose double track that slid underfoot making it a slow 1,000’ drop. We navigated through Bitter Creek Wash and then back on the main road. It was here that I suddenly went from okay to not okay. I stopped for a brief second bent over and started throwing up. Jack being a kind person patted me on the back and told me it would be okay as I emptied all the liquid out of my stomach. I stood up and we walk for a minute before I threw up a final time with Jack commenting “At least the drone isn’t here!”
Surprisingly I felt better, which isn’t typically the case when I get sick. A bit too much electrolytes I think and I knew at the next crew stop it would be important for me to get in some calories and liquid so I texted my parents and requested a Slurpee. I had never had one before, but that was what I wanted. After texting we took it easy for a while and then got back into our rhythm as we followed the twists and turns of the mix of single track and double track maze that led to Dead Horse State Park.
Dead Horse State Park (Mile 135.6) to Deer Pass Trailhead (148.7)
At Dead Horse State Park my parents had a bright red very large Slurpee for me. It was cold, it was beyond sugar packed and it was going down pretty easy. Knowing that I didn’t want to test my stomach for a while I poured the remaining red icy drink into a large soft flask and loaded up my pack with extra UnTapped Salted Cocoa. My mom loaded up my ice bandana as it was still pretty hot out and it was very dusty and dry.
I had done this next section in training so knew what was ahead. A lot of rolling terrain that was very runnable. As Jack and I put our packs on to leave the aid station multiple people were telling me that Michael Versteeg left roughly ten minutes prior. It was fun to hear but I knew that I needed to not focus on others at this point and just stay true to what I could currently comfortably give in the moment as there were still plenty of miles to go!
(Jack Leading the Way to Deer Pass Trailhead )
Before sunset, we had caught and passed Michael and his pacer. I stopped and told him he was an inspiration and that I was sorry he was in a rough patch. I told him I was cheering for him and that he would catch me further down the trail. Jack and I worked to follow the course with all the intersections and the GPS route made it much more doable.
As we clicked off miles, we ran past multiple remote campsites with people enjoying the beautiful star and moonlit sky. In some ways, I envied them at that moment. A nice fire, a good drink, stories and laughter, and a bed to climb into. Speaking of a good bed I was getting to be a space cadet. The plan was to go about 40-44 hours before my first sleep so I told Jack I thought it might be wise to get a nap in at the next crew stop rather than trying to push through the next big section and going more like 46-48 hours without sleep.
Jack texted Jason and he was on board with this plan and that made me excited. I used the idea of sleep as a carrot to get me there and with less than a mile to the trailhead Michael Greer and his pacer caught and passed his. His energy and spirit each time we saw him was incredible. When we got to Deer Pass I went in the RV, took off my pack and shoes, and climbed into bed. Awe it felt good, everything settled in for rest except for my mind. I could hear pacers, crew, and volunteers outside, it was like my hearing was hypersensitive.
I told Jason I couldn’t sleep. He gave me noise canceling headphones and told me I had to try for 15 minutes and then we went outside. I was in a warm and comfortable bed, eyes closed, and had what felt like a very weird dissociative experience. It wasn’t sleep, but it wasn’t normal awake, I didn’t know what it was. Then, after what felt like was 15-minutes I wanted to get my crew and pacers' attention subtly without going outside because it was cold. I decided I flash Morse Code with my headlamp across the parking lot, yes getting very sleep deprived. Apparently, my headlamp flashing worked, because Jason came over and I told him I couldn’t sleep so let’s go. I put my shoes and pack on, grabbed my poles, and off into the darkness we went.
Deer Pass (Mile 148.7) to Sedona (Mile 163)
I was up and moving, not quickly but I was making forward progress and this was one of my favorite sections in training. We made our way on the Lime Kiln Trail and jumped around from single track to dirt roads and back to single track. I remember seeing a sign saying one hundred miles to go. I asked Jason “How do I wrap my mind around that?” and he said, “You don’t.” It made me realize I needed to stay focused on this current section and the current moment. Soon we crossed a paved road which signified to me that we were about to climb as we hit Schuerman Mountain Trail. Up we went and each time I thought we had reached the top I was wrong. The darkness made it hard for me to judge how much was to go or to get a sense of how far we had come. For the last ½ mile, I felt disoriented, but once we reached the high point, I could vividly remember the downhill to Red Rock High School.
(Exploring the MIles into Sedona in February During Daylight!)
We worked our way down to city level, hit the high school, and passed the water drop before getting back on single track. I imagined the views, although was also thankful that I was not doing this section in the heat of the day.
Lots of turns and intersections but then a left-hand turn that took us off the Bandit Trail and into a neighborhood. Now it was just navigating smooth pavement and crosswalks for roughly a mile and a half before we arrived at the aid station where I was told by my crew that I would need my cold weather mandatory gear for the next section.