Not Really The Perfect Training Run For The Arkansas Traveller 100

I did a great run last Tuesday, Sept 18, on a local hill called 'Mt Sanitas' (pronounced locally as 'San-e-tas') with good friend Bob Rayburn and his dog Mabh (pronounced "Mave'). Bob has been doing Sanitas repeats for a few months now and has always asked me if I wanted to join him. I did one loop with him right before Leadville (he was doing two), but hadn't since last week. The loop consists of a south trail which climbs about 1300' in 1.5 miles, then descends for about a mile to the Sanitas Valley below which adds another mile to the whole loop distance of 3.4 miles. The time I did this trail before Leadville I was really dragging up the climbs, and after reaching the top, turned around and went back down, which was not a good decision as I was pretty toasted and the downhill really took it out of me. I ran it with Bob last week hoping to do two loops (one clockwise, the other counter-clockwise) but was unable to get away from work in time to meet him when he started, so I was a little late and proceeded to go counter-clockwise up Sanitas Valley and meet him somewhere along the way and make my way back. I met up with him about halfway up the climb, and turned around and ran back down the valley to the cars. I then did the next loop counter-clockwise, thereby doing about 1.5 loops, or about 5 miles.


The plan today was to do two loops so I was pretty much psyched to do the two loops this time. I met Bob and Mabh after work at the foot of Sunshine Canyon and we made our way up the steep trail on the southern trail. I don't mind coming up this trail but I really hate going down it as it is quite steep, with a lot of bouldering steps to negotiate, as well as huge gnarly roots. As we were going up I stopped occasionally to take some pictures. This terrain is certainly not like anything Bob and I will see at the Arkansas Traveller in a few weeks, and I kinda chuckled to myself that this is not what I need to do for Arkansas. It is good hill training, but much more severe than what we will see there. But at least I took solace in knowing it won't be anything like this so, in theory, it'll be a cake walk. Well, not really, since it is 100 miles, and those are never a cakewalk, altitude or no, rocks or no. The scenery is fantastic however, with numerous chances to stop and catch a breath and take in the views of the city of Boulder below, and Denver and other towns in the distance.



The trail starts off with log steps, which gradually becomes boulder steps. There are some mellower sections that both Bob and I muster a run, but those are short-lived as the terrain starts getting steep again and we go back to hike mode. Some parts of the trail are actually rock faces, with no discernable trail so we make our own going up. Bob and I finally get to the summit at 6,850' and take in the views. I forgot to look at my watch here but Bob says we did it in 30 minutes. The view check also allows both of us to catch our breaths.



We then head down, but I end up taking a different trail and I notice Bob taking another. He tells me there's more scrambling on my route, so I backtrack to where Bob is and we head down. The first bit is pretty rocky, and I take my time negotiating the drops and such. Bob is way ahead of me by now, as I told him to go on ahead and wait for me at the trailhead for the valley trail below. I've turned my ankle so many times in the past I just take it easy on these types of trails now. I know that in a short while, the trail becomes a lot nicer and runnable. I notice Bob and Mabh down below a bit, not that far ahead and I start running now. I caught up with them both at the trailhead waiting for me, and I suggest we go on ahead. The rest of the loop consists of a smooth dirt road, mostly downhill, and gives me a chance to pick up the pace a bit.

I thought I kept hearing Bob's foot steps behind me and so I kept going. Not far from the end, I look back and notice no Bob. I figure he'll be here shortly so I keep going. Got to the parking lot and waited. And waited. And waited. So I decide I better go back up and see what happened to Bob. I got about a third of mile up the trail and see Bob running down. He apologized for being late but met another person with a Doberman (like Mabh) and he stopped to talk about the dogs. So I ran back down with him and got in some bonus mileage for the loop. When we got to the parking area Bob suggested just one loop, as he ran at lunchtime and was feeling it. Besides, we both were eager to be done and make our way over to one of the local pubs in town for a beer or two. So we made our way over to the Hungry Toad and ordered some Fuller's ISB pints. A nice way to end the run, and the day.