Ways & Means

I couldn't tell you specifically why I delayed my departure from Flagstaff for almost two weeks. Perhaps it was a culmination of our van having an ongoing issue, my allergies keeping my off the trails for weeks, or remnants of my feet dragging as I held on to the pieces of the past. However, I am relieved to write: we have finally left on our trip for the summer. Sol and I now find ourselves exploring new trails in Boulder.

I found it extremely difficult to motivate myself to train the month after I found out I wouldn’t be able to run in Patagonia. Working so hard to peak a training plan and focusing all my energy on preparing for what Ultra Fiord was going to dish my way come race day, ultimately left me deflated and grasping for a withering stoke that began to rapidly deplete after the airlines would not correct my return flight. So, I decided to give myself a reset. I halted training completely for the month of May and decided that I would simply run when I felt like it, for the amount of time that felt right. No training plans, no tempos, no obligations – just going with the flow. Turns out my flow took me to basically not running at all and also not climbing much, as I was still nursing a finger injury from a month prior. I definitely lost fitness in both my climbing and running, but I believe the mental break was much needed after the disappointment.

Sol and I now find ourselves in Boulder, Colorado. We’ve already enjoyed some great runs in our first couple of days in town and I am slowly rekindling the fire to train harder (enjoying it at the same time). Racing ultras is a beautiful thing, but I never want to be consumed by it. For me, sometimes over emphasizing a training goal or a goal race takes my consciousness off the simple beauty and love of running in the mountains. After all, running is much more than medals and finish times.

The beauty of the post Aussie workout. Sun's out, tongues out on Mt. Sanitas.

Remembering that love is defined by what we put into it, the value, the care and the awareness. Once I reconnected my focus back to the love of being out in the mountains with one of my best friends every day, I was able to reconnect with my desire to push myself in that enjoyment. Not in a way that my desire to achieve outweighed my desire to love, but that my love for running propelled my desire to begin pushing my limits once again. Each and everyday that I am allowed to delve into the beauty of this earth with my two feet I find myself in humble appreciation. Knowing that it is a mere blessing to have the health and resources to do the things I love everyday.

What lies beneath is far different than what lies outside. 

Sol and I hope to make our way to Western States at the end of June then back down to Boulder after, before we head out to Hard Rock mid-July. We’re already digging this town and the beauty that surrounds it. Super excited to explore more in the coming weeks, see familiar faces, and meet many new ones as well. More to come soon…Por el Amor de la Vida.

The Sunshine Girl

Monument Valley Ultra

Post by Matthew Van Horn.

The Monument Valley Ultra marked my second Ultra Adventure's event and it did not disappoint. Driving to Moab from Flagstaff three times over the past year I had glimpses of the valley on several occasions and seen what I thought was everything the valley had to offer. I was severely mistaken.

A magical turn that leads visitors to the most driven dirt road in the country, opens up gates to a sacred land that few (besides Navajo) are allowed to step foot on. Yet again, Matt Gunn managed to find a way to open up the courses even more this year. Gracefully passing by thousand year old ruins, million year old arches, while summiting one of the best views on the Navajo Reservation in Mitchell Mesa - the entire course provided runners with a truly memorable experience.

Most of the course changes were because of Larry and his family (Navajo tribe members) who live in Monument Valley and have ancestry going back thousands of years in the area. Gunn first met Larry while hiring a horse tour guide to plot out the original MV course. Larry is through and through a traditional cowboy. From his sharp brimmed hat and dusty wranglers to his hardworked leather-worn hands, it is easy to see this is a man who lives off the land and with the land. Soft spoken and always deep in observation, Larry led a pre-race blessing on both mornings of the 100 mile race start and the shorter distances. His daughter gave a pre-race presentation the night before the race on the traditional role of Navajo women in the Hogan. This included touching on topics like Navajo belief systems, family roles, traditional customs and language. It was incredibly special to witness and take part.

Larry's daughter giving her presentation the afternoon before the race.

I arrived Thursday to offer my help and watch the 100 milers start on Friday morning. Friday I was able to drive around with Matt and the Ultra Adventure's media crew to shoot footage and see a part of the area that only 100 M runners would be able to encounter during their first 36 miles. (No other race distances go through this section)

I don't know this gentlemen's name, but if there was an award for best beard - he would have won, hands down.

Candice Burt and Kelly Agnew running along side during the early stages of the 100M race

Kelly Agnew on his way to a 4th place finish over all in the 100M

Sunset over the horizon taken from race headquarters 

Matt Gunn and his crew arrived almost a week early to help distribute aid to local Navajo people affected by the severe winter storm that deposited almost 2 feet of snow in Mystery Valley. With their encouragement runners donated money, supplies, and goods that would be distributed to those in need. I wasn't able to take a picture of the pile of donations at race headquarters, but it was definitely significant and inspiring.

Arriving a couple days early allowed me to observe just how much hard work goes into making a race like this function smoothly. Learning that one guy (Rick) marked 100% of the courses for all the distances blew my mind! For those of you who don't know, that takes an insane amount of time and dedication to be out there entire days before the race in the hot baking sun, while you are sticking flags to trees and signs to the sand. All while knowing you will have to go out and retrieve all of these markers immediately after all the races end. Another guy (goes by the name of Turtle) organized every aid station and was in charge of making sure supplies, volunteers, and drop bags found their way to and from aid points. Not to mention all the wonderful volunteers who worked aid stations and helped set up and break down camp. The people involved in this race amazed me. The camaraderie and genuine concern for each other and the environment was refreshing. Something that often gets lost in the deep midst of heavy competition at races. This group was their for a higher purpose.

When I drove around with Matt and the film crew on Friday I was wondering how he managed to attract so many amazing people to make his events truly special. That question was already answered. The guy (Gunn) is simply doing good things for good reasons. These reasons greatly exceed any profit oriented prerogatives or fame. They speak to the nature of love and understanding. It is crystal clear, once you experience an Ultra Adventure's event you know it is taking place for the people, locals, culture, and environment. There's no top dollar price purse or looming international recognition hanging over head for the winners. These events are purely and solely about compassion and love, for beautiful areas and cultures.

I want to send out a huge thank you to all the volunteers, ambassadors, runners, local navajos, and of course Matt Gunn for making this a truly memorable experience. I am humbled and excited to be joining the Ultra Adventures Ambassador Team and work alongside so many amazing people using trail/ultra running as a medium to do a bit of selfless good in the world.

Huge shout out to Christian Gering (Durango, CO) for putting on yet another stellar performance at the 50k in Monument Valley. I first met Christian at this years Moab Red Hot 55k where it was both our first cracks at competing against a heavily competitive field. Christian is as humble as they come and you can tell he's out there loving it all. Respectful in nature to everyone he comes in contact with, I look forward to seeing what he does in his races to come. Another shout out to Andy Pearson, who was coming off a win and course record at the Antelope Canyon 50M. Andy put on yet another impressive performance at the Monument Valley 50M and finished in a strong second, only minutes off the eventual winner. Kelly Agnew, another Ultra Adventures ambassador along with the 2 gentlemen I just previously mentioned finished the grueling sand filled 100M in 4th place overall. Lynette McDougal went on to finish as the 2nd woman overall in the 100M and looked absolutely un-phased after pulling into the 36M aid-station with a golfball size blister on her heel.  Jackie Achter rounded out the top placing ambassadors with a 2nd place finish in the tough 50k course. Last, but not least a huge thank you to Cherri Marcinko and Jennilyn Eaton who made the drive all the way from Salt Lake and weren't even running in any of the events. Both of these gals volunteered the entire weekend, either working aid stations, setting up camp, or helping check runners in. They both swept the courses after the races were completed and embody the phenomenal good vibes that freely float around at all UA events.

 It's safe to say the ambassadors Gunn has selected aren't just strong runners, but also phenomenal human-beings. I'm looking forward to my next UA event (Bryce Canyon 50M in June). Here's a link to all the UA events Grand Circle Trail Series

100M and 50M hand made finisher tokens

Sunset during my last night in Monument Valley

Sol back on her home soil (Rez dogs are the best dogs)

Sunrise during the 100M race start

Aftermath of a hard ran 25k (1:43)

When the mind is clear, the body is calm, and the heart is at rest

It has been a while since my last post, life has been full of surprises and now I am back in Santiago, living, working, and running here.

Today I had the opportunity to run with a group of ultra runners based out of Santiago, Chile. To state it simply: it was one of the best and most beautiful runs I have ever had.

Our mission: summit Cerro Provencia. A small peak tightly nestled in the graces of the white soldiers they call 'Los Andes'. Cerro Provencia holds its own in technicality (according to running standards) and at some points was a (bit) dangerous in parts of the 25km climb and descent. That just adds to the fun right?

The beginning of our ascent

We made our way up the backside of the mountain, scrambling up some extremely steep cliffs. With a glimpse to our left we had a beautiful view of the Andes and to our right we had an amazing overlook of the entire city of Santiago.

The view to the left

The view to the right

As we made our way closer to the summit the winds were relentless and the trail was covered in slick ice. Needless to say this made for a very interesting descent!

The last push to the summit

On the way down myself and a fellow runner (Moises) burned our way down the trail. It was one of the most amazing descents I have had the chance to experience in my young ultra-running career. In comparing the steepness of this run to the the likes of the Bright Angel Trail head and North Kaibab in the Grand Canyon, I have to admit that the backside of Cerro Provencia is much stepper and more technical (which made for a couple close encounters with the rocks and my backside). As we floated down the trail head, riding the edges like waves, we were able to gaze upon the grandness of the snow covered Andes and soak up their prestige. It was a beautiful run and being joined by great people made it that much better!

Fellow runners Moises, Felipe, and myself (almost at the summit)

Clarity

In total we were on our feet for around 3 hours and 30 minutes. 25km in 3:30 for a couple quick and young ultra runners should put the steepness in perspective!

I'm looking forward to many more runs on this trailhead and discovering many new ones with my new found ultra friends. The Patagonia International Marathon is at the end of September and I'll be training for it until then! I'm also planning on running the North Face Endurance 50 miler in October, which happens to be in my backyard.

Our view at the end of our run

My first Curranto

After my trip to Bariloche I managed to catch a mean case of Bronchitis. So this past week I have been indoors and resting (two things I am admittedly not a fan of). During my wait to get back to running and my usual workouts my family obliged me with a curranto...

Unfortunately my 8 or so months as a vegetarian had to come to an end with my arrival to Chile. Simply put, the people of Chiloé do not believe in fruits and vegetables and therefore it is almost impossible to get enough protein without consuming meat once in a while. On the upside, the meat in Chiloé is one of a kind. The livestock and poultry are treated to a standard that is a hundred times higher than the best organic farm in the United States and you can taste the difference in quality. Happy cows = healthy meat. However, I am looking forward to returning to my vegetarian diet when I head back to the US!

As of right now it has rained for 2 months straight on the island of Chiloé, with glimpses of the occasional sunlight. I am not a fan of the constant rain and have already reached the conclusion that I could never live in a place that has continuous rain after this stint at volunteering. I respect the rain and the water for all it provides, but I don't like it constantly pounding my house and not being able to see the bright smile of the sun when I wake!

For curranto education...see below

Bienvenido a Bariloche!

This past week was spent in the snow-caped mountains of Bariloche, Argentina. A city known for its beautiful scenery and tasty chocolate. The drive in on the bus was a once in a lifetime experience, with each winding turn emerged a new lake surrounded by beautiful mountains filled with lush green canopies.

I ran up one of the local peaks (Cerro Otto) twice during my stay and had a very lengthy run along the lake as well. Running up Cerro Otto was a beautiful experience. The mountain was covered in snow and the trail loosely defined in the winter, which gave me the opportunity to make my own way up the local slant. The runs were followed by a trip to the local chocolate factories and then a visit to a local brewery for some great brew.

Bariloche is an amazing place to live if you are an outdoor enthusiast. With tons of routes to climb, mountains to run, lakes to kayak and trails to hike...mountaineers can't go wrong with this Patagonian gem. It reminds me of Flagstaff, Arizona or a slightly smaller Boulder, Colorado.

Snowboarding on the top of Cerro Catedral

Rule number one of chocolate making...you need a good mustache

Bariloche has some amazing graffiti and street art

As well as some amazing local brew at Cerveceria Manush!

One of the many amazing views from the top of Cerro Otto

Chiloté food is one of kind! Hasta Siempre!

Today I am in Osorno and will shortly be on my way to Bariloche, Argentina for some snowboarding and chocolate! I'm planning on doing some running in the midst of the Andes this week, as winter break just started and the real running is about to begin! I wanted to post a couple more photos of my new home (Dalcahue, Chiloé). One thing the entire island of Chiloé surely does not fall short of is amazing food! Between Pichanga, Curranto, Milcáo, and home made empanadas, you are bound to find yourself in a food coma after a visit to the local market!

With my host pops Richard, who happens to be one of the best chefs on the island!

Besides the amazing food, Chiloé is also known for its colorful and warm wool clothing. 

Fuego Fuego Frutillar!

Its been awhile, I have been doing tons of writing and unfortunately very little blogging! Things have been moving rapidly as I have been settling into my Dalcahue niche and finding my stride with teaching at my new school. Last weekend I was able to travel to Puerto Montt and Frutillar, where I did my fair share of running.

My morning run on a country side road in Frutillar bajo. On a clear day you can see the volcán Osorno across the Llanquihue lake. 

The sunset that we witnessed on our last night in Frutillar was absolutely amazing. I'll let the photos speak for themselves!

Perhaps the craziest night I've experienced yet in Chile took place in Frutillar. After a celebratory asado went horribly wrong, the house next door to ours (literally 40-50 feet) caught fire! We awoke to shouts and sirens outside our window as local firefighters (all volunteers) rushed to the near by lake to connect their hoses. The entire town of Frutillar bajo was standing outside within 30 mins, as the spectacle of something exciting usually doesn't arrive until the city hosts its world renowned music festival in the summer. A routine nights sleep turned into an all night wide-eyed escaped as we watched the power of this massive fire slowly grow and consume one of the most historical houses in Frutillar. There was something strangely magical happening here, as the contrast of the full moon outlined the silhouette of the monstrous blaze.