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2nd Annual Three Sisters Circumnavigation

September 21, 2013 (Morning)

Exercise Type: Run

Weather: 39->45F. Partly sunny -> overcast -> mist -> rain

Comments:
My 2nd attempt at the Three Sisters Circumnav was well-timed: I'm fairly run-rested, and I won't be doing any weekend running the next three weeks:

- 9/28 - NYC
- 10/5 - Solo Fast
- 10/12 - LA

So when I was awoken at 0400 to a raging rain storm, I was undeterred. It needed to happen.

Up at 0500; the rain had stopped. Out the door and on the road by 0600, heading East upriver. By the time I got on the McKenzie Scenic Highway, the roads were actually dry and skies clearing. However, the truck thermometer read 39F when I hit the trailhead at Lava Camp Lake! But I was prepared.

I wore the following:

- Columbia long-sleeve tech shirt (which we product-tested last year); phenomenal warmth + moisture wicking
- water/wind-resistant PI hoodie jacket, pilfered from Jimothy in February
- the usual PI compression shorts
- visor + ear warmer
- cotton gloves
- heart rate monitor
- ...and a whole lot of olive oil, covering the legs, arms, shoulders and chest. And ears!

My gear load was significantly less than the first attempt in 2011 (http://joeuhan.blogspot.com/2011/10/three-sisters-circumnavigation.html), reflective of what I've learned since then:

- Ultimate Direction Anton vest
- Steripen water purifier
- cellphone
- wilderness "survival"/first aid kit
- map
- 1/2lb peanuts
- one 16oz water bottle, 2/3 filled

While I brought the peanuts, they were for emergency only. I had a big idea for this run: zero calories. I wanted to see if it could be done; I knew it could be done, so I had to try it.

When BGD and I tried to go real-low energy on our R2R run, we were running too hard - beyond fat-burning. Today, I would be on total HR discipline: ideally 150, but for sure under 160.

Hit the trail at precisely 8AM. I hit chrono on the watch, then switched back to clock. I would record total "on course time", and otherwise just monitor HR. For the first couple miles, the HR monitor wasn't accurate - too much olive oil, but once I got sweating, it was reading accurately.

The loop, simply put, is about a 44-mile loop with a 3 mile out/back lollipop stick at the very north end. Ran easy, three miles up, along the PCT, to the formal "loop". It was cool, but not raining. Actually got to see North Sister, which had accumulated some recent snow. Footing was good, because it had rained in the last 24 hours.

Running clockwise: the trail plunges down the east side of the "crest", dropping a good 1000' or more, to Green Lakes trail, which took me meandering "south-ish" along the east side of the mountains, with frequent views of North Sister, and later Middle and South. The Pole Creek burn - which precluded a '12 run last fall - was cool to run through. Not a very hot burn, though it doesn't take much to scorch the pumice soil.

I felt pretty good for the first 2-3 hours, with the bulk of that time with my HR in the high 140s - low 150s. I was acutely aware of how important it'd be to be disciplined with effort. If I was too aggressive and cheated, I could pay dearly without any sugar. The typical "MAF pattern" is that I can run "x" pace at MAF for an hour or two, then the body fatigues, and quickly I can only do 0.8x at that same effort. This began to take shape as I climbed up the east shoulder of South Sister, to the high point (>7000') of the run, just before Green Lakes. Did a lot of hiking, as it took barely any effort to peg 160.
Through the first 3+ hours, I barely drank my 12oz of water, but when I reached the heavy-traveled Green Lakes area, I was looking forward to a cool drink. In '11, there was a lava stream rolling down from the mountain; I drank from it without treating, but today, it was dry! Damn. So I went to the upper-most lake and accessed a stream. I treated that wter, drinking a whole 16, then grabbing another before pushing onward.

Ran past about a dozen folks in that first 18 miles or so. The folks around Green Lakes were most inquisitive: these are the people that are "outdoorsy" enough to get out, but only enough to go to Green Lakes (which is about an hour drive out of Bend, and then maybe a 2hr hike from the road). There were many overnight campers I passed. Some would ask how far I was going, and I'd say "Around". Those who got it, were impressed. "You're hardcore!" said one. I would store that comment and use it when things got rough, which they invariably did.

Passed through the Green Lakes plateau and downhill toward "6 o'clock" on the loop, and the Moraine Trail. This might've been the low-point of the run. For reasons unknown, my HR was pegging in the 150s, going downhill! I felt flat and worn, and I looked forward to times when I could walk. This also happened in '11; perhaps it was the higher elevation.

Crossing over to Moraine Lake Trail, my pace slowed, and out came the rains. A light mist, with intermittent bursts of legit rain. I'd pull up the hood periodically to hold in some heat, but I reckoned that as long as my HR was in the 150s, that would keep me heated. It was, even climbing those ups toward Moraine Lake.

For the next hour+, nearly every uphill, even the 1-2% douche grade, was unrunnable. My HR was spike and I'd feel exhausted.

I was only halfway done.

Big climbs, then big downs to Wikiup Plain, a large pumice desert that lies east of the PCT. I passed four female hikers on the way down, but I was not chatty - again feeling worn and worked, even on this switchbacked downhill. I hit the desert flats and was cutting maybe 11-minute pace; the slightest up would peg the HR at 163. Ugh.

I finally hit the PCT junction (~7:30 on the "clock"). I looked at my watch: 1:20pm. I wasn't sure about the distance but I think that's about 28 miles in. A hiker approached from the North. Needing some rest-time and a little humanity, I stopped and stretched there as he approached. We chatted for maybe three minutes before I shoved off.

This section is extremely runnable from my recollection, but I forgot the amount of uphill douche grade I would encounter in that first half of the last 22 miles. The coolest part of this section are the meadows - open, pumice-covered (and thus treeless and flat) sections. The trail was invariably pancake flat in these areas, which made for great running.
The rain had stopped for about a half hour, but came on strong again once I was heading north. Flat across the pumice, a big down to the first of maybe two dozen meadows that I counted along the way, before a long stretch of wooded, uphill douche grade. I walked a great deal of it, again more HR pegging and fatigue.

Run mechanics was a huge focus of this run. Per Friday's R-log, the focus was:

- L elbow straight back, R arm straight forward (instead of swivz)
- Trunk "feeling" right
- L hip extends
- overall trunk forward

In my swim lesson on Friday, we did drills designed to feel the trunk and pelvic mobility, very similar to the "scoot" drill I do with running, so that was crucially successful to engage the gluts and open up the pelvis.

At this point, >30 miles into the run with zero fuel, I felt like I was running the end of a hundred miler. I remember what it felt like to be "bottled up" in my hips at the end of WS '12, so it was a big focus, even going super-slow, to pump the elbows and use the trunk and pelvis to extend. And it worked pretty well, even under extreme fatigue.

More rain, more douche grade, with merciful meadows every half mile or so -- this was the pattern for the next ten miles. I knew there had to be at least a dozen meadows before the Obsidian area - a heavy-trodden waterfall and volcanic glass area at 9 o'clock on the loop. This was always a huge landmark, as it marked the 10 miles to go. It's also quite familiar: home to my first-ever real trail run. I knew if I could get to Obsidian, I would make it. But the thought of tearing into those peanuts in my pack loomed large in that dead zone between 30 and 40.

The rain continued; it saturated the trails, and when I did hit a meadow, the narrow-cut singletrack would fill with 1-4" of water, which I had to run through. But I was thankful to have the breeze at my back, which kept me from extreme chill. Still, my now-soaking cotton gloves were of little help in keeping my hands from numbing.

I was excited to get to Obsidian for other reasons: drinking water. There are two natural springs - water that literally bubbles upward from the filtered mountain snow melt - in that area, and I was getting legitimately thirsty after three hours of nursing only my 3rd bottle of water. There was a psychology to that, as well: with zero hope of calories or salt, my entire Central Governor gravitated to the joy of that cool lava rock spring water.

Though I was inching farther north and closer to Obsidian, I was struggling. Even running the flats was tough at times, and when I stopped, I'd get dizzy and stagger a few steps. It sucked, but I knew I had to keep moving. Rest was simply not an option: stopping would plunge the body temperature, and I'd be in real trouble. I moved along, periodically amazing myself at my ability to throw together a decent stride and pace, thanks in large part to using my arms and getting the pelvis moving!

Finally - finally - I entered the Obsidian area. I hiked the steep (5%?) upgrade past the falls and to the spring water that fed it. I sat for the 2nd time all day to dunk a bottle and down it. It was so fucking cold that it felt like my tongue was getting freeze-burn! Once again, I drank one and took on, moving quickly. Even that two-minute stop caused a huge plunge in body temp: the hands were numb, as was my face. Hypothermia trumps exhaustion in scary shit, so I ran as quickly and consistently as possible, north out of the Obsidian area, down to "Glacier Way", another landmark. I warmed up, and the downward elevation plunge added a few precious degrees of temperature and windbreak.

At this point, I began counting landmarks. There were three before the homestretch downhill, but the biggest was looming: Opie Dilldock pass. This was a huge up-and-over climb through a massive lava flow. The trail zig-zags through rough, rocky lava, barely runnable on the downslope.

A weird thing happened after leaving Obsidian: my HR dropped. A good 10-15 beats: at rest, at flat jog, and even climbing. While my energy didn't change at first, I found that I was running downs at 14x, flats at 14x-15x, and only when I would push on an up, would I get close to 160. I wasn't sure what to make of this - though it seems like this phenomenon is vaguely familiar. But the fact that I was still exhausted didn't change things; if anything, I was worried that a HR drop would mean my brain was shutting me down, and that progress - and heat generation - would be compromised.

The hike up the steep, rugged Opie Dilldock, was brutal. I was dizzy and uncoordinated; my feet frequently slipping beneath with my attempts to push-off. The mist-filled wind blew up the pass; a slight consolation - at least it wasn't blowing me down.

After a 15-minute uphike, I finally "summitted" to an equally lava-filled plateau. I started to run, if only to get some heat going. I felt OK. Continuing through the lava field, I felt even better, running the same douche-grade ups to the proper pass summit, only this time the trail consisted of round lava rock, the same as what is found at the top of Maiden Peak. Yet I felt power.

The trail peaked and plunged. The downhill stride felt good, but it was effort to avoid excessive braking. But I felt good. And strong! The brain drain of the past several hours was gone. "This is weird". At 42 miles, this run was hardly "in the bag", yet I felt like my body had turned some mysterious corner, where I'd unlocked another energy reserve.

I forgot how much runnable downhill was in this section. Opie peak at about 6900', and Lava Camp is about 5500', so I knew I'd have some great downs, but wow, was I cruising. The stride felt great, and again, my HR was low. Flying - like, legit 8:xx pace - on those douche-down, my HR was scarcely 140 and I felt strong. The ocassional 5-20 second uphill was easily digestible and the HR would spike only to the mid-150s.

The trail plunged downhill north of Opie into a large meadow where the Scott Lake Trail crossed, another important landmark. I had one more climb: Yapoah Crater - a giant cinder cone of small lava rock. I ran up about 80% of it! Holy shit! The last bit was legitimately steep, but once over the top, it was fierce descent to a super-runnable flat, before meandering through another rolling lava field.

That spat me out to a ridge just below Scott Camp and the beginning of the loop! Yes!

Three miles to go to the finish; I opened up the stride, in super-form focus, with heavy emphasis on getting the feet beneath me. I flew downhill, triumphantly, but in deep exhaustion - the brain knowing was I nearly done, but in dire need of respite.

Hit Lava Camp and stopped the watch: 9:20 on the nose. In 2011, I did it in 10:20.

What a fascinating experience. Some thoughts:

- Not eating wasn't that hard - again, once you accept the reality of something, the brain/body adapts
- I felt worn and down, but I'm not sure it was that much different than if I was taking in calories.
- the MAF pace was, once again, pure money. It's all day pace, and the lack of calories, plus the terrain and altitude, only confirmed that. If I run <160 in the high country - then "push it" at that MAF pace from Little Bald to Swinging Bridge (IF we get to run it again in the next 1-4 years!), I will be set up to crush the 2nd half of Western States.
- The HR drop and subsequent energy burst is interesting. Why? Was it a brain effect, of "knowing" I was nearly done, even though I had 20% of the run still remaining? Or was it the water on board, which added plasma volume, or otherwise quelled The Governor? I dunno. But those last ten miles felt like the end of WS '12, when I was able to push everything with little consequence. It was the first time I'd felt that in a very long time.

Post-run: was super sore in my calves, like crazy achy. I quickly changed out of my drenched clothes first, and then ate: half a large container of cottage cheese (the fattest I can find: 4%), some salami, and then the OOJ Recovery Potion. Had a nice drive down the scenic highway - the heat blasting in the trunk to warm-up.

Stopped for coffee at Harbick's, ate some more peanuts. Got back to town and went for one last beer at LB's (he moves out completely on Monday), with Mr Roberts.

Great day!! But a tough one...this is why you only do runs like this once a year, so you have time to forget how brutal they are. But, it was a tremendous confidence boost - guess I have some fitness in the body, still!