2023.06.17 07:00:00
Training and Preparation
The usual – 5-6x per week Gym (strength + WOD), run 1-2x per week, 20-minute mobility 4-5x per week, a lot of walking (~4-5mi/day), some rucking. To improve on, as always, ruck heavier and up more hills. Drink less beer.
Travel
I took an early Friday morning flight from LA to Salt Lake City. I rented a car, took the day off work, and traveled to the Salt Flats (~2 hours). I booked a hotel ~30 minutes from the start point. After the Salt Flats trip, I drove to the hotel area and shopped for my event food. My return flight was the next night around 11 pm. Ideally, this would give me enough time to finish the race and make the ~1-hour drive back to the airport.
Gear
Pack: VOG GLOBAL ASSULT RUK
Third time using this pack (see Op OCALA for more details). I should train more with this pack, but no issues during events other than some minor rubbing mid-back.
Outfit
- Hiking pants w/snacks, chapstick, whistle, and phone in pockets
- T-shirt
- Baseball cap
- Goodr Sunglasses
- Spandex
- Sports Bra
- Ininji Toe Socks + Darn Tough Socks
- Salomon X Ultra 4 Low Hiking Shoes – Women’s – this was a first!
- Whoop
- Garmin Fenix 7
- Flip Belt w/battery pack/charger
- Trekking poles (in hand)
Reflection: This was my first time using Salomons on a long hike. Something in my gut told me to wear them over my go-to GORUCK MacVs. I enjoy rucking in them. They ended up being the right choice.
Packed
- Front/side/belt Ruck Pockets: med kit, wipes, some snacks, pocket knife, salt tabs, Garmin InReach Mini 2, headlamp, light hat, light gloves, Mechanix Work Gloves, Life Straw, empty Nalgene
- Microspikes
- Small Dry Bag: extra socks, extra t-shirt, leggings, extra headlamp, batteries, ID, car keys, eye drops, disposable contacts, chem light
- Large Dry Bag: Patagonia puffer jacket, winter gloves, winter hat, extra Life Straw, snow goggles
- Additional required items on GBF list: emergency shelter, compass, extra chem lights
- Vog Global hoodie jacket
- Extra shoes: GORUCK MacV
- Other: Additional medical bag – extra med type supplies, extra straps, hand warmers
- Food & Water (see nutrition below)
- 1 local beer – Wasatch SLC (Salt-Lime Cerveza)
Reflection: I leaned on the side of overpacking gear for this event. There was a potential of snow on the mountain and cold weather. The minimum dry weight requirement was 20#. I weighed in right around 21# during the weigh-in. I didn’t need the extra shoes, but was wearing different shoes for an event. As a bonus, the boots brought me right to weight. And now I can mention GORUCK in the post!
Nutrition
Pre-Race
- Thursday: I ate more than my “usual” intake on Thursday with the early Saturday start, I didn’t want to overeat on Friday night. Lots of liquids.
- Friday morning/afternoon: I realized I didn’t eat enough throughout the day with travel. Accidentally my day was snacking rather than real meals. Took in a lot of water and electrolytes.
- Friday evening: Ate a tasty steak, potatoes, broccoli, and bread from Outback and drank a Mich Ultra. I grabbed a few snacks from the hotel and ate those later on along with electrolytes.
- Saturday morning: Some liquids and this amazing blueberry muffin from the gas station
Race
- 3L water bladder (full)
- 1.5L bladder with 2 Liquid IV + ~1.25L water
- 2 Snickers, 1 Reeses Take 5, Welch’s Mixed Fruit Snacks, Swedish Fish, 2 small bars, 1 caffeinated sport beans, 2 Clif Blok (1 caffeinated), 2 liquid IV packets
I ate 1 Snickers bar, 1 Clif Blok, 1 small bar, and most of the fruit snacks (it was a good-sized bag). There was 1 aid station. The station was originally supposed to be around mile 10, but due to road conditions was moved to mile 6. By the time I reached mile 6, I barely sipped through any water and decided not to take the time and stop. I also popped one 12-hour Aleeve at some point.
Reflection: I probably did not eat enough, but wasn’t feeling hungry or drained. I thought I had run out of my liquid IV, but it turns out the hose was just twisted. My water was dry around 2 miles out. Looking back, I probably should have put at least a 1/2L in my Nalgene at the water station. It’s better to have more water than none.
Admin
Leading up to the start, I didn’t have much to do as my ruck was ready to go. I filled my water at the hotel and I only had to pack my bladders and food. I also shuffled a few things around to my pockets and flip-belt for accessibility. I followed Gregg’s advice “Be bold, start cold” by taking off my base layer and stuffed it in my bag. It was freaking cold.
I walked down to the bathroom. I mention this because the short, uphill walk back was exhausting. We started at ~5700ft elevation. This SoCal-based rucker was not ready for the elevation. The few times I wore my elevation mask around the house for chores did not do the trick.
Admin was straightforward, no frills, weigh your ruck before adding water and food, confirm you have the required items, head to the Start Point, and go. We were informed that we had 7 hours (not 6.5) to earn dog tags and 10 hours to pass. We started at 07:30.
Setting the Scene
The night prior, six candidates started Operation Five Zero (50-miler). For TWO ZERO, we started with three athletes (I think it was supposed to be 5-6). Similar to Op BLACK BEAR, I had a solid plan. I even looked into the trails the route shared and knew there would be some snow at the end (hence buying micro spikes two days before the event having never used them). I contemplated how I would do this write-up. I will share the plan here since I will mention it throughout, but won’t provide a complete analysis of the execution to plan as I did for Black Bear.
The Plan
Let’s note that even though this is called TWO ZERO, it’s mapped around 20.9 (AllTrails), so 21 miles.
Plan 1: Realistic with weather and playing it safe. 10hr
- 5.7 miles. Pretty flat. 15min/mi. 1.5hr.
- 5.0 miles. 2600ft elevation gain. 25min/mi. 2hr.
- 1.3 miles. 15min/mi. 20 min.
- 3.5 miles. 2500ft elevation gain. Likely snow/ice. Play it safe. 45-60min/mi. 2.5-3hr.
- 2-2.5 miles. 2000ft elevation loss. Steep. Likely snow/ice. 45min/mi. 2hr.
- 3.0 miles. 1500 elevation loss. Should hopefully be clear (based on AllTrails scouting). 20min/mi. 1hr.
Plan 2: Clear weather/ground. Dog tags. Fresh as F. Maniac. 6.5hr (original dog tag time)
- 15min/mi. 1.5h.
- 20min/mi. 1h45m.
- 15min/mi. 20m.
- 30min/mi. 1h45m.
- 15min/mi. 30m.
- 15min/mi. 45m.
The Ruck
As I’ve mentioned before, Gregg requires text check-ins every 2 hours. I have the the following message ready to go: Cvetkovski. 0.0mi. 00:00. Condition.
The “condition” piece is new for me, but the idea is to give an idea of how you’re doing on a scale of “Fuck you Gregg”
to “Feeling amazing”. The following reads as a reflection of my “conditions”.
Start point. 0.0mi. 07:30. Cold AF.
As I said, I followed Gregg’s advice to “Be Bold. Start Cold.” Though everything is telling you to not take off your base layer, it’s the best thing you can do. You won’t want to be sweaty from the start so losing the extra layers, though miserable, is the right choice.
The other two guys (who I’ll reference as red shirt and blue shirt) started by jogging. I decided I would jog too. I have been playing around with “Zone 2” training. There is a lot of literature around this it has come up in many of the audiobooks I listened to. Anyways, I figured if I could stay in a high Zone 2 to low Zone 3, then running the start when it was flat would put me in a good place. Due to the elevation, I permitted myself to stop if I started to feel too winded early on.
2.7Mi. 08:04. No longer freezing and can feel my hands.
I feel pretty good. The weather is beautiful. I probably should have started with gloves, but it’s all good. Only 30 minutes have passed and I feel like I’m covering ground. Naturally, there was some flooding on the paved trail just after sending my check-in. It covers the entire trail and there’s no way to avoid getting your feet wet. This is just how these things work. I received intel that there would be a “closed” passing where there was an avalanche. The snow also made for some awesome waterfalls.
I don’t fill up my water around mile 5.5 since I had only had a few sips (a little over an hour in). I end up catching up to the pair of guys. They thought they were lost, but the trail connecting up to another trail was overgrown. Uncertain if it was ever really a trail, but Brandon helped navigate me through some of these “trails” during Black Bear. I continue to catch up and be passed by the pair.
Blue shirt didn’t have maps downloaded so his partner continued to wait for him. Generally, the climb started around mile 6. The elevation is more of a factor than I imagined, but I’m making progress.
9.07mi. 10:04. didn’t wear a belt and my pants keep falling down.
Yep. My pants would not stay up. It’s annoying, but I’m managing. The climb continues. The leapfrog also continues. It is gorgeous. The grass is green and the trail is pretty nice – not too much loose rock, not too many hidden turns. I recently listened to David Goggins’ “Never Finished”. I think back to him discussing a race where he felt amazing in the beginning and had self-talk around the lines of “I’m going to crush this”. This bit him in the ass in the end. I managed keep my excitement at bay. I finish the 5-mile climb in just over 2 hours and am 11 miles in.
I’m able to quickly move through the 1-mile downhill and then up again we go. I begin noticing a little water here and there on the trail as the next 2500ft climb starts. I’m at about 7K ft at this point and my body is feeling good, but I’m getting winded and having to catch my breath. I then run into my first sign of snow. It isn’t much, but it’s slippery. I opt to sit down and pull out my brand-new microspikes. They go on easily. I have a moment where I’m deciding if I should keep moving. I’m at least
halfway and decide that it’s just a little snow and carry-on. I make it through the snow-covered area but am a little panicked. I realize there is a stream near where I walked over and may have drifted close to where it was. I calmed down and then cross through some more snow. It’s small amounts and I am relatively comfortable especially when red shirt passes by. He asks me to grab a bar out of his bag for him.
I also decide it’s a good time to eat a quick snack. I take off my microspikes, it looks pretty clear. It’s also time to text the boss.
13.45mi. 12:04. Little water and snow. Can’t wait for op sea level.
I still feel sprightly. I mentioned the bit of water and snow to Gregg and make a joke. My sea-level lungs are not prepared for this elevation. I still have ~1700ft to climb, but as long as I keep moving with intent and a steady pace. I know I’ll be good. I have service and text Scott and to check-in and say “Hey!”
I estimate that I hit the “real” snow a little after 1 PM. I’ve decided that snow is harder to move through than sand and/or water. Especially uphill. I was born and raised in Buffalo, NY so I have experienced snow. I have never hiked in it.
I coach myself that it’s ok to move slowly. It doesn’t feel unsafe to keep going. I do slip here and there, but that’s more because I occasionally lose focus. I know red shirt is ahead of me and blue shirt is nowhere to be seen behind me. I do see red shirt’s footprints in the snow and attempt to follow both AllTrails and the tracks. I don’t know how deep this snow is, what it’s covering, or if there’s anything I can’t see under it. Anytime I look at my maps or sip water I force myself to stop moving. Mentally, I’m pretty worn down, but am pushing on and continuing to listen to my body. It’s cooling down a bit from the elevation, but I’m staying warm.
15.75mi. 2:03pm. Pissed off from this snow pace. Body is in order.
I get a text from Gregg around this time checking in that I’m okay. I send back that I’m frustrated, but okay. I didn’t realize my frustration until this point. I’ve only covered a little over 2 miles in 2 hours. I look back to my notes and know I’ve planned for this – to “play it safe”. I keep on moving and smiling.
And then I run into a barrier. Up until this point, I have been confident in my abilities. And now there is a big crossing across a snow-covered trail that I am honestly scared as shit to cross. Slipping feels inevitable, especially since I can see where red shirt went down. But I can see the trail that I need to get to. I plan to move slowly, use the foot holes to guide my steps, and if I fall I need to fall towards the trail. I also tell myself that if I lose any gear, it’s ok. It’s more important for me to make it safely. I am scared, but making one decision and taking one action at a time. As expected, I slip and slide down. Fast. I audibly yell out “Please God!” on my way down as I’m trying to stop.
My watch clocked me at 9.4mph. I lost one of my hiking poles out of my bag a little further up. I decided to attempt to get it based on how far up it is, but if I have to make a second attempt, it’s lost. It was a blessing in disguise – it put me on the trailhead I was supposed to be on. The aftermath of this is in the above video.
Turns out I ended up two contours below where I was supposed to be. No stress. Just have to climb a little bit, but nothing crazy. I managed my way over and up. I make it to the summit and figure I have made it past the worst of it. Nope.
Now I am terrified. I know I made the last one, but this one is much steeper and more daunting. I am tired, but my mind is locked in. I see where red shirt made it and went down. My plan is similar to before – move slowly and with purpose. This time I have one glove on and shorten one of my poles to the shortest setting and take off the cap to use for balance on my left (falling) side. My goal is to make it further than red-shirt. Around halfway I lose my footing and grab onto the snow. I regain control and keep moving. I make it slightly past red shirt (in the video) and slide down at 8.6mph.
Now I start making my way down. I know the trail will continued to be covered snow and that I need to keep my head on my shoulders.
(2:59PM) fyi. mile 18. i’m on “trail” but this is really messy.
(3:17PM) sorry that was 16.
These were not mandated check-ins but FYIs. I was extremely frustrated at this point. I could not find anything that resembled a trail. I was falling all over the place. I was sliding on my ass more than I was walking. I slide into a deep hole with a large tree.
My shoulder slammed into the ground. I try to get my head straight and tell myself that everything is okay. I shouldn’t be mad about the snow, it’s not in my control, and the time it’s taking me to get through this mission. I kid myself though. I slip again and fall hard. This is where I come to terms with my emotions. I take a few minutes sitting with my ass in the snow and have a hard talk with myself. I drink some water and have a snack. I finally feel like I can set my ego aside and pull myself together. Going back and watching these videos is funny – I know I’m foggy, but all-in-all I feel pretty good. And honestly can’t wait to finish.
17.81mi. 3:55pm. stoked to be back soon.
Based on my route recon, I expect the trail to be cleared up around 3 miles from the finish. The problem is that mileage on trackers isn’t perfect. I’m annoyed, but at least not pissed off and enjoying myself. I am just ready to be done at this point. My Welch’s fruit snacks are my hero and make the last of the snow bearable.
I start to move with pace and I feel really good about it. I am moving and grooving and know I’ll make it in under the 10-hour pass mark. I have a long conversation with myself about pushing harder to make a better time and self-preservation. Another post to come on this POV. I stride/jog out the last 3 miles. I did miss a turn, but caught myself quickly and didn’t add much extra on. Crossing over a creek I splashed some water on my face and felt more refreshed than I had in hours. Let’s finish this.
Endex. 21.92 – 22.7mi. 1712. whew.
The distance differs a little based on AllTrails vs my watch. My final time was 9h42m. A pass, but not good enough for dog tags. My first comment to Gregg was “I will never do an event with snow like this.” Caveating this with “without the proper gear and training”. Then followed by “If we started in the reverse direction I would have turned around and quit”. Generally, I’m happy and I finished safely. I also know I have more in me.
Helpful Links
Personal Reflection
“Take time to deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in.” – Napoleon
A book I listened to (possibly Deliberate Discomfort by Jason Van Camp) references the OODA loop – “Observe, Orient, Decide, Act”. At a high level, this is a decision-making approach where you take in and filter information, put that info into context, quickly make the best decision you can with what you have, and also understand that you can adjust as you get more data.
For each challenge during this event, I felt myself iterating through this process over and over again. I had to take in what I had and move. If I got stuck overthinking, I would be up on that mountain for days waiting for the snow to melt.
Learnings
- No plan survives contact with the enemy. Or as Gregg explains “remain fluid and reactive to ever evolving situations”. You have to adapt to the situation and remain calm in doing so.
- Having a plan allows you to adapt. Having a plan from the start allows you to be more flexible and adaptable. You generally know what is coming and where you may be able to make up time and where you can adjust.
- Toughness is navigating discomfort, not bulldozing through it. Taking this one from Do Hard Things by Steve Magness. You have to make the best decisions you can with what you have, not just “push through”.
Final Thoughts
“Your internal condition means nothing. It’s just another excuse that you give yourself permission to stay out of the risky zones of life. The problem is: Those risky zones are life. The rest is just existing.” – Gary John Bishop, Unf*ck Yourself
I was listening to the right books while training for TWO ZERO. This event put me far beyond my comfort zone. I don’t know if I will do another event that has snow like this. Proper gear and knowing how to use it may change that opinion. I made with what I had and finished safely, technically “passed”, and made the best decisions with the skills and knowledge I had.
This would be a difficult event without snow. The elevation you start at and climb to is no joke. The distance is manageable, but long enough to wear you down. Luckily I still haven’t had any major wildlife encounters to scare me off. GBF hasn’t failed to bring me to another gorgeous place and challenge me.
Until the next. 🏃♀️ 🔄 🏔️
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