Coldwater Rumble 100
January 16, 2021
Possible titles: Cruisin For a Bruisin, Smooth Move Rookie, Rocks Rocks Rocks, Sand, Rocks Rocks
Coldwater Rumble is put on by Aravaipa who as always puts on a great event. The race happened in Goodyear, AZ just southwest of Phoenix. There were several events and our temperature was taken before we were allowed in the starting corral for multiple wave starts. Everyone wore face coverings which helped us keep safe. The hundred mile course was five loops on a very rocky trail with a one mile section of deep sand. Only one significant hill at the beginning of the loop, otherwise just little ups and downs into the washes. Lots of cacti and sunshine with temps during the day in the upper 70s and low 40s overnight.
Rocks, rocks, rocks, sand, rocks, that makes up a 20 mile loop at Coldwater, now do that five times and you get a buckle. The morning started off cold and we were anticipating lots of sun for a few hours in the afternoon and boy did it deliver. Jess comes down here just for the sun and apparently to kick everyone else’s butt. She has won this race and placed second now twice.
loop one
This loop started in the dark going uphill with a ton of rocks and scree and...of course I fell after the first mile and landed on my upper arm on a big rock. Cruisin for a bruisin. I also landed on my hip funky and it would be funky for 60 miles. The sunrise was beautiful and after the only significant hill that seemed steeper each loop, the course dropped you in the middle of the desert with nothing around except cacti and trails for miles, so you run. There was a while on the first loop where I felt blissful, good running, sunshine and music that makes me happy. I enjoyed this as I knew it wouldn’t last just like pain and suffering in a hundred do not last the entire time, unless you make rookie mistakes.
loop two
My backpack felt heavy but I knew it would get colder later and I had my light from the morning, extra food, extra light, wind breaker, etc. and I just had stuff I thought I needed. The sun was now quite warm so I must drink a lot. Here comes Buddha belly. The ever present belly you get while running a hundred. Did I mention the sun was hot. Well it was crisping my skin and felt good as long as I had enough water. So of course I run low on water on the long section of eight miles. I had to ration sips every half mile for about three miles, smooth move rookie. However I made it and that aid station was a welcome site as they had ice and all the water I could drink. A fellow runner mentioned I should try endurolytes instead of salt pills to deal with Buddha belly so I did. The endurolytes didn’t help with the belly but I also didn’t have any leg cramps during the heat which is great. Thanks Martin.
In the heat I like to get most of my calories from liquid with little snacks. It was hot and so I was having difficulty eating a lot. I would chew and chew and then couldn’t swallow. So I didn’t eat much during lap two, it was hot. I had to slow down during lap two in the heat and was hoping to run more at night when it was cooler. Backpack has everything I need and it is heavy. (Maybe you shouldn’t carry so much, they do have aid stations and drop bags, duh)
lap three
Before I started lap three, I knew the sun would go down so I used the daylight to change socks and relube feet. This seemed to work as no problems with the feet even though a lot of sand, dirt and grit could have caused lots of issues. I grabbed my long sleeve shirt as it would likely get cool when the sun set. Beautiful red sky was a bonus and then the sliver of moon and stars were an excellent distraction to the dry heaves. The heat got to me on lap two and it took me lap three and four to get myself back to the point I could eat. I would run and then the burps would turn into dry heaves so I had to walk, look at the stars and repeat. Another runner came up behind me and I stepped off to let him pass and he didn’t, then he actually threw up. Oh so that is how it is done. Maybe he was schooling me on my dry heaves.
lap four
Try to eat, run, dry heave, look at stars and repeat. It was a little cold at times so I put on a second long sleeve only to take it off as it was too warm. It was a repetitive lap, change shirt, try to eat, dry heave, look at stars and repeat. My back pack is heavy so I decide to go with one bottle cause I’m not drinking anyway. (Smooth Move Rookie)
Sometime during loop 4 in the dark I fell again and this time got a few cacti burrs in my leg. Luckily I was able to pull them out. So now I will have a nice bruise on the outside of my knee. Just part of the experience, actually I am surprised I only fell twice on such a rocky course.
lap five
After not eating much for 40 miles I convinced myself I would stay at the main aid station until I got some food down. Blueberry pancakes with lots of syrup, yum. Then I walked easy to make sure they stayed down. I am a new person with food in my belly. I was going to change my socks again but I was too lazy (Ha, lazy, while running a hundred miles, Ha). I put on my puffy coat as I was now cold. Got to the Coldwater aid station at 3.4 miles into the loop and asked for hot cocoa, sugar makes a runner go. Dropped off my light and coat as the sun was coming up. I see my friend Jess who is going finish with not her best time but she is passing women because she does that, finishes strong.
Damn forgot to top off my water bottle (Smooth Move Rookie). I was only filling one bottle because my pack was heavy. Going into the long section of 8 miles I did not take enough water. Sun rises, it gets hot, I have to ration my water...again, rookie mistake. After the sandy section I am Sooooo happy to see this wonderful aid station. I have more pancakes and extra syrup. SUGAR! Feelin good. Now I think maybe all the dry heaving was from eating too little and trying to push myself, hmmm. More to experiment with on another run. Oh that’s right we are already signed up for another hundred, in fact we signed up during the race as they were having a sale, saved $62.50. Silly girls.
My shoulders and upper back are sore from carrying too heavy of a pack. I need to be more strategic with what is in my pack. Need to stop carrying things, only to never use them, for a hundred miles... I have some well traveled stuff.
One thing I did right was to avoid caffeine for two weeks before this run and so only one cup of coffee on race morning and one cup in the evening kept me alert all night.
Now I see the damage I did when I fell. Apparently blood likes to creep down due to gravity. So the whack on my upper arm now has a purplish blue hue all over my bicep. I share this bruise with several people and call it my bad ass bruise because well...
Finished Coldwater Rumble in 30:25. Don’t have to do that course again.