Arizona Trail Race 300
An ultra race can often blur into a very long indistinct line, punctuated with intense moments of joy, pain or misery. Often ones emotions can swing and change in a second. Ones thought process can become irrational and extreme very quickly, especially when feeling disorientated during darkness. Its quite funny looking back at what was going on in my head. This post is a record of my experience during the 300.
*7.30 am thursday* This is real, this is happening. Breathe, breathe! I’m surrounded by blokes on full-sus bikes in skin-tight lycra. Me and my little pink hardtail feel very out of place. Where are all the girls!?
*around 4pm somewhere near Gardner canyon* The trail is lined with bright yellow flowers and as I stop to take a photo, a sideburned 750 rider cruises by “it’s so beautiful”, he says. I laugh in happiness and agreement.
*sunset in the santa ritas* I feel awful and have done for a few hours, I’ve got a splitting headache and haven’t been able to eat since Kentucky camp. I get off to push up another steep climb and then pause and look around. The sun is low, casting beautiful golden light on the hills, the long grass glows in the long rays. Absolute silence surrounds me. I remember Kait’s cookies, and grab one out, delighted to find I can eat it. When I carry on everything seems that little bit better.
*10.30pm* Stopping on a ridge line to try and eat, I turn my light off to enjoy the dark. A huge moon casts a silver tint over everything and I can see the shadowy outlines of the hills. As I eat I become aware of a munching sound, I’m not the only one having dinner. Using my helmet light I find, a foot away from me, a very big mouse tucking into a prickly pear. Unperturbed by my light, Mr Mouse lets me watch him as I finish my wrap.
*11pm* Surrounded by coyote howls. the washes are endless. I’m feeling very disoriented. Where is the road?
*1am friday* I’m pushing my bike round and round in a wash. I’ve just crossed under a road and I cant find the trail. my brain wont work, I cant use my Garmin properly, I’m feeling so useless. Another equally tired rider joins me and we stare stupidly into the dark together. Eventually we see lights zooming by on our left. The trail!
*2.30am* Finally arrive at colossal cave campsite and have to ask where the spigot is. There are a bunch of riders stopping here and I decide to join them. After filling my bag of oats and protein powder with water I force myself to eat. This boost of easy to stomach food is my lifesaver on a day when I’ve eaten half of what I should have. Lying down I get about 20minutes sleep before I wake, shivering uncontrollably. Better get up then. In the bright moonlight, I move to the toilets for some privacy to apply chamois cream, but someones helpfully sleeping there, so I push a bit up the trail before getting my bum out. As I’m lathering on a handful of cream I hear a discrete cough and realize someone is bivving a few meters away, and the full moon bouncing off my buns was giving them more than they had bargained for.
*5am* The first light outline the hills behind me. Ahead the moon is starting to fade between the Sonora cactus. The road stretches right to the moon and the blushing sky. A young lad on a town bikes sits and watches the beauty too, I wonder if he slept up here last night or if he rode out for sunrise.
*7am rocking k mart* Why wont the shop open? Why today? Come on, we are waiting! Eventually we give up on the k-mart, I’ve been drooling for crisps, I’m so hungry but cant eat any of my sweet food. I do some math, optimistically figure i can make summer haven before the restaurants shut. I don’t know how to find another shop here anyway, my British phone doesn’t do data.
*10.30am* What is this track? This is awful. We don’t even have to do this, why are we doing this.? What is the point of this horrible loop? How do people even drive this? Argh! Wait, why is there a blue line on my garmin? Theres been no junction? Oh there was. GAHH!
*11am* I’m lost again. In another wash. This time with Bob for company. It might have been him last night too but I was too tired to tell. This is frustrating. But then, Gila Monster! Everything is forgotten as we rush to take a photo and watch this cool dude swagger about.
*2.30pm* We reach the creek before the Molina hike a bike. The water feels so delicious as I soak my feet in it. I’m bonking hard, as we rest in the shade and purify water I try force down more food and almost throw up in front of the boys. We start dreaming of how much food we will buy at the top. Fries, burgers, pizza, cold lemonade. I’ve never been so hungry, and yet unable to keep food down.
*4.30pm* Why the F are we pushing up trails when there’s a great big road right there!? Come on! I just want to ride my bike! I just want to get up this stupid hill!
*5.30pm* Im too hot, whens sunset? Come on darkness!
*6.30pm* Finally shade. I’m still to hot, cool down already! Why is this road so busy? Why does everyone have such noisy trucks? Why are you passing so close? Why am I only going 1mile per hour??
*7pm* Moonrise. How beautiful. And look at the lights of Tuscon. Its so stunning.
*11pm* I need a catnap. I hope there are no bears. I hope no one worries if my dot stops on the highway. Hah! No one is watching my dot anyway.
*12.30am saturday* What is this!? Is this a joke? The organizer has such a sick sense of humor, grin inducing singletrack indeed. Why am I pushing my bike in a stream, where are all the other tracks, did i get a booby-trapped gpx track? Am I going round in circles? Am I ever going to get out?
*1am* I hate this! I’m stuck, wheres the trail? S**t, there’s a huge drop there, cant go that way! Why does my GPX track have a road called help me? Have I been stitched up? I’m crying now, from frustration, anger, but I’m also a bit afraid, the canyon feels very exposed in the dark, I don’t know where I’m going, I don’t trust the gpx but i have no choice but to follow it. Better toughen up.
*1.45* The toilets at Summerhaven! Woohoo! I’m alive! I sit in a corner and shiver in relief for 20min.
*2.30am* Yes! Im amazing, just aced that ridiculously steep loose singletrack, i can totally do this sleep deprived riding thing.
*2.35am* No no no no that was the wrong way. Stupid Annie! ugh its harder pushing up than it was riding down.
*4am* Im gonna puke again. Lets stop and lie down and see if my stomach can settle. Wow, look at all those stars. The sky is amazing. I feel so small, who cares about how fast a tiny person on a bike on a tiny mountain in the middle of a huge continent can ride one short bit of trail.
*4.30am* Skunk!
*6am* Sunrise!!!! Look at that, is incredible! Im so happy, this is the only place i want to be right now. Look at it!
*8am oracle* CRISPS CRISPS CRISPS. Oh man that is so good! Food is so wonderful! Oh man food!
*10 am* This underpass is the best place in the world. Its so shady and cool and comfortable. I could live here. CRISPS!
*2pm somewhere before bloodsucker wash* Man its getting windy. I cant even push straight. And these spiky things are getting blown at me. I need a wee.
*2.05* Ouch! My bum is on fire! Oh S**T. My chamois is filled with tiny thorns. No no no no.
*3pm* Chollas to my left. Chollas to my right. Chollas on my tyre. Chollas on my grips. Chollas in my leg..
*4pm* Shade. Thank you Sonora. I love you.
*4.30* Bird. Wait, that looks funny. Black and white stripes. On the trail, i wander what it is. *bends down* SNAKE!!!!
*4.31* Please be nice mr snake. look, im going really slow, i didnt mean to scare you. I just want to go past in peace. Whew!
*4.45* WTF! WTF! *Jumps off bike* S**t S**t S**t its another huge rattlesnake. Mr snake if you had kept quiet id be long gone and you wouldn’t have to put up with me staring at you. Id have ridden right past and not nearly jumped on you! Stupid snakes.
*5pm* Ooh whats this dude? Hes so cute! Like a tiny, grumpy dinosaur. Hello!
*6.30 freeman road* Where the water? Why cant i find it? Hi Cow, can you show me the water please. Evan! Thank you, you’re so nice.
*6.45pm at the water cache* I chat to Evan as Liz and a singlespeed dude catch us up. Wow look at Lizs legs, they are incredible! She is super stoked and stops with the others to refuel as i head off.
*10pm* Emergency stop! Death mouse. Death vole. Death bird. Come on guys i dont want to hit you! Stop running infront of my bike please! (I dont think i hit anything)
*2am ripley ridge Sunday* Liz has stopped for a sleep but want to chat about packrafting. Im so confused. Where is her energy coming from? I need to keep going. Down and up, down and up.
*2.30am* I keep feeling like ive been turned around and am going backwards. I lie next to the trail for half an hour to rest my head. The ground is so comfy.
*3am* Will this never end! Why am i going up on a descent? Why cant the trail go down. I want to be at Kelvin!
*3.30 kelvin spigot* Hah, look chairs. So tempting. How does this spigot work? Please let there be water, why is there no water? Oh, you push down. I knew that. How much to take, i dont want to push an extra three kilos around the Gila.. hmm ill take 4 liters and get from the river later.
*7am* Pavel! “if you were faster, you could sleep more” Thanks Pavel, im doing the best i can..
*8.30* Ive messed up. I cant drink that brown water, i have no filter. Do i take some as backup or go with my 3 liters? Hmm, possibly 8 hours to the end.. in the heat… with only salty food… do i wait till evening when its cooler? Sign, board, tell me what to do! You make this next bit look ok. Ill go for it and stop eating. Who needs food?
*10am* Man its hot! Everything is sweating. Im so shiny.
*10.30* So Hot. must be nearly there. Sip sip, dont gulp. Save water. Just keep walking. 1.2.3.4.1.2.3.4. OMG percy pig! Sweets! Im not going to bonk.
*11.30* Top! yes, im going to make it! im not going to dehydrate and die! Ive done it!
*11.35* That wasn’t the top…
*12.30* Real top! Yaaasssssss! Downhill all the way baby!
*12.45* Why am i pushing uphill again? That signboard showed nice gentle downhill..
*1.30pm* Who built this trail? This is awful. Why cant it go down? Why is it so wiggly? This sucks!
*2.30* Last 750ml water. This really sucks. I hate this. Im never doing this again. Whoever built this should be shot. Where is the end? WHERE IS THE END?
*3.15* Im sure i saw the car park. Where is it? Why am i going up? Who put all these rocks here? Junction, which way? Up? Is this ever going to end?
*3.30* I think im done, theres the crew. Finally, that trail was horrible! oh look, i still have a full bottle and half a bag of percy pigs. Silly me, didnt have to feel so hard. A shady seat. Thank goodness. Can i cry now?
AZT300 was my first multiday ultra. I owe massive thanks to two incredible humans, Kait Boyle and Kurt Refsnider for all their advice, encouragement and for being at the end with a shady seat and a cold sprite.