Grand Canyon - Rim to Rim to Rim - 10/20

Round 3 - The Grand Canyon - Rim to Rim to Rim

Basics
42 miles
~11,000 feet of descent
~11,000 feet of climbing

What a beautiful trail/run. If you're in shape for this ... get on it! Starting on the South Kaibab trail (awesome views the whole way), down to Bright Angel campground, up to the North Rim then back down and out to the South Rim on the South Kaibab. You could go on the Bright Angel trail instead of the Kaibab for either the up or down. I picked the South Kaibab because it's shorter, but I'm not sure it's that much faster. There is really just a small yearly preferred window to do this run, either early/mid October or late April. Later in the year (end of October), it get's cold/icy higher up (N. Rim) and the water is turned off at Cottonwood and Supai (could still treat from the Angel Creek if you needed to though). During the summer ... don't even try it (unless you are one of those rad Badwater runners .. even then it just seems sketchy) .... May-September the average max in the inner gorge is 90+ and you are at the lower elevations for ~17 miles.

So October 20th is about optimal. I felt I was in OK shape for this one. I had done a strong 18 mile, 3000ft climb the week before and I had a big base of running this summer. Drove up the night before, got to sleep around 1:00. Woke up to a perfect day, good temps (~50 at the rim) with a light wind .. started down the trail just after 7:00AM. The first 6 miles are STEEP! 4700 feet down with a average grade of 752ft/mile (14%). Spent a little bit of time behind a mule train ... special ... then down to the bottom ... amazing how quick this section goes. I had run down and out before, so I knew to keep it slow on the section, but still it beats you up. The next section has a really mild grade only climbing 1500ft in the next 7.1 miles (211 ft/mile - 4%). I ran through this section, but it seemed a lot slower than I wanted ... just feeling it from the start. The 7 miles up to the rim is awesome ... ran sections, but most of the switchbacks were just too steep (4250 climb, 616ft/mile, 12%). A little bit of rest at the rim then back in the hole! 7 quick miles down to Cottonwood, then 7 miles of work to Bright Angel Campground. I really worked on this section trying to keep up a good pace - the low grade and distance (miles 28-35) make this feel almost flat. Even in October this section and the inner gorge are hot (~85F). Took it easy up the lower gorge then power hiked to the top. The last few hours were perfect ... sun down, 2/3rd moon out, the entire Canyon lit up, stiff wind at the top ... doesn't get much better. The last shuttle bus pulled up about 10 seconds after I topped out ... PERFECT!

Total Time - 12:36
Liquids 320 oz - 20#'s! of water/cytomax ~ 1080 calories
Gels ~ 1500 calories
Ran ~30 out of 42 miles.

AFTERMATH - This run KILLED my calves for the next few days. I just hobbled around in pain ...

Training Thoughts - Probably need to run more hard down-hills to help train for this. Immediately afterwards thought - never again - but .. after a couple of days ... I'm ready to go! The last 7 miles to the North Rim are definitely runable, just need to really dig in.

The grade on the climbs is really steep. For comparison:
Bishop High Sierra 50 (up-section) ~ 16 miles, 5400 ft, ~6%
La Luz trail run , 9 miles, 4700 ft, averages ~10%
Pikes Peak Marathon (up) - 13.3 miles, 7815 ft, ~11%
Wasatch Steeplechase (up) - 6 miles, 4500 ft, ~14%

Trail Distances/Elevations
Start - S. Kaibab Trailhead - 7,200 ft
6.3 Miles - Colorado River - 2,460 ft
6.9 Bright Angel Campground - 2,500 ft (Water)
14.0 Cottonwood Campground - 4,000 ft (Water)
20.9 North Rim - 8,200 ft.
27.8 Cottonwood Campground - 4,000 ft
34.9 Bright Angel Campground - 2500
35.5 Colorado River - 2460
41.8 South Rim - S. Kaibab Trailhead - 7,200 ft
(Water also at 19.1/22.7 - Supai Tunnel)

Still have the public enemy CD in my head
Startled several hikers coming down from the North Rim singing (and if you've heard my singing - that's scary enough)

I'M LIKE THAT DOLL CHUCKIE BABY
KEEP COMING BACK TO LIVE LOVE LIFE LIKE I'M CRAZY