Here are some final updates for everyone's information.  As we are obviously very close to the race and many of our are packing or already traveling, here are the last thoughts and items you should know.  

Weather - It's going to rain.  Bring a jacket.  I strongly suggest a hat and gloves in your drop bag at Washington Park to take out with you to Hell's Gate and your trip to Buck Springs AS.  I don't care where you live right now, it's cold as heck up on the Rim when you are wet and it's 2am.  It may only get to 25-30 degrees but it's a very bitter 25-30 degrees. We had a number of runners reaching hypothermia for the late miles on the Cabin Loop last year.  A fresh set of dry clothes at Buck Springs or Pinchot would be a great idea.  

Drop Bags - You can leave them at the start from 5am Saturday until you take off.  We'll have them lined up in the parking lot to just drop off by the sign for that respective station.  No drop bags for Hell's Gate and make sure you can easily see your bib number and names on each bag.  We'll bring all drop bags back to the finish line as each station closes so you can pick it up there.  

Crew - There are a number of maps on this website that are useful for finding your way around the course with your runner.  http://www.mogollonmonster100.com/crew-driving-instructions.html  I don't suggest visiting Pinchot Cabin aid stations.  It's just a lot of driving along dirt roads but you're welcome to it if you want.  If you drive to any aid station as a crew please make sure you park safely along the road leaving ample space for emergency vehicles access if necessary.  If you are going to Washington Park aid station you likely won't be able to park all the way at the top of the station.  Please park on the right (east) side of the road again leaving plenty of space for fire trucks/ambulance. This is VERY IMPORTANT.  You cannot access Hell's Gate Aid station. Don't even try, you'll destroy your vehicle.

Camping - Many people camp out for this race all weekend.  This is possible anywhere within the Coconino National Forest (top of the Rim) and most anywhere on the lower part of the Rim which is Tonto National Forest.  Both these agencies we receive special use permits for use of the area with this race.  Due to several reasons the Tonto NF has closed down camping at Washington Park.  IF YOU CAMP THERE YOU CAN RISK OUR FUTURE ABILITY TO GET A PERMIT.  You can also get a ticket.  That's on you, but please do not camp along the river, they are beautiful and tempting spots but they are no longer available. Blame the leopard frog and lazy white trash people that throw diapers in the river.  We are only allowed for overnight use for the aid station, nothing along the river or "no camping" signs.  It's unfortunate and hopefully changes in the future.  All the other aid stations it's OK to camp, go for it.  

Course Marking - Nearly the entire course is marked with  yellow 3" plastic ribbons that say "MOG100."  Follow these and anything that is yellow.  There are some shorter sections that are 1" yellow ribbons without "MOG100" on them.  Those are ok too, we had someone steal some ribbon rolls and reflective tape...so had to improvise...yellow is good.  Red is bad.  

There is a lot of yellow high intensity 3M reflective tape out there on the trees, manzantia, on the ribbons themselves, on the trees which have "official" trail markers.  We put it out there to make it easy to follow in the grassy sections, open meadows, and in general the night sections.  During the day these are also nice confidence markers. Overall, the course has more markers on it than last year. Its still a challenging area to navigate at times.  Study the course map, pay attention and don't always trust the person in front of you.  Bring a map.  It's no coincidence the last two years winners meticulously studied the course maps on their own and carried it with them.  

I will not be able to answer any last minute emails or requests until packet pickup at THAT Brewery on Friday.  We'll be there from 4pm-7pm and a little after for those that can't get up sooner.  We'll also provide bibs/packets from 5am -5:45am on race day at the trailhead. We'd like to have your pacer's contact information (cell is fine) provided and an updated emergency contact number that we'll have you fill out when you check in.  

ALL RUNNERS have to check in with us on Saturday morning.  We'll have a small table set up, please make sure we have checked you off as present before we start.  You need to do this even if we saw you the night before.  

5:45am I'll have a few quick updates on the course, and then we'll get you all off.  There are three porta-potties at the trailhead as of Friday afternoon.  Camping is open at the trailhead and you can leave your car there all weekend.  We'll shuttle you back to the car after you crush those 106 miles.  

Anyone that sprints the last 100 meters through the finish line will forever be my hero. 

Don't finish with anything in the tank.  Leave it in Pine.  

Four days away from the 25th annual Zane Grey 50 Mile race and I'm 92% sure I tore something in my knee lifting my ipad off the ground at work today.  Yesterday I broke my left arm in a tragic arm raising exercise in a meeting.  I'm very much concerned that tomorrow I'm going to get hit by a runaway bus.

Of course, I've had these injuries before.  Usually right around the 20th of April...

It's how I know I'm running a great race, a rugged, tough, beat you down race.  Zane Grey certainly is all of that and then some.  These last few years of running has been dedicated to 90% Mogollon Monster prep work and training runs and the rest dedicated to Zane Grey. I don't run any races outside of Phoenix if it's not Zane Grey.  This is it.  This is my "A" race every year.  And I'm 100% ok with that. 

Because to me, its the single greatest race out there.  I love it.  Every rock, every obnoxiously steep and rocky ravine, the turns, meadows, pastures, trees, views, heat, and friends.  I love it all.  I have driven from Phoenix up to Payson so many times now, and yet, the drive has never gotten stale, never boring and I never dread it.  I always feel like the Highline (and above the Rim) is a true adventure.  It's a rarity to see another human out on the trails there.  Sure, you'll see some people camping here and there at trail heads (not Washington Park though, NFS banned camping there...more on that later) but on the trail itself?  It's generally yours for the day.  Its so rugged, devoid of human destruction, and downright beautiful from so many vantage points you constantly find yourself bewildered at where you are right then.  

A few things will be different going into this years race however. 

1)  Weather - The high temperature is typically 72-82 degrees with lows 35-45.  Its currently forecast'd at 54/30.  That would be the lowest high temp in at least 5 years, (likely much longer if I cared enough to check the almanac further).  This is going to be absolutely perfect weather for the race, optimal for most and takes away the advantage all Phoenix/Tucson runners had in heat training this time of year.  It's an advantage that has always helped level the playing field with Flagstaff and Colorado/Utah runners coming from higher elevations but colder weather.  It's generally been hot in Phoenix for a month now and the hotter it is on the Highline the better I tend to do versus others.  Advantage #1 now gone.  Bright side is, it'll be at least a bit more pleasant out there for everyone.

2)  The Highline Trail - Over the last two years Volunteer AZ - VOZ - has done some great trail work after they received a grant to improve the Highline trail and return it to a more sustainable state after years (or decades) of neglect.  Prior to the 2013 ZG race they had already re-routed a section of about 2 miles after Geronimo that removed a rather rough climb through a riverbed of erosion and replaced it with winding singletrack high above the erosion path.  This year they've completed several miles late in the race that does the same thing.  Removes very rough and rocky terrain for higher erosion controls on smoother single track.  There has also been two weekends in April of trail work that has cleared out some very rough sections from Washington Park through the Myrtle Trail turnoff.  That section alone is cleared out to the point that navigation alone is improved because you can detect the trail so much better now than previously when manzanita bushes covered cairns and misled you into following elk trails.  

Those two factors, the weather and the improved trail conditions, could make for some of the fastest times at Zane Grey ever.  Dave Mackey's 7:51 Course Record could finally fall. Hal Koerner, Andrew Miller, Chris Price, Erik Schulte, Brian Peterson, Catlow Shipek, Sion Lupowitz, Nick Coury, Evan Hone and several others are going create a big enough front pack to possibly push the few to continue on at that pace. Kerrie Bruxvort, Michelle Barton both could push for the women's course record.  Kerrie won last year and with better trail conditions and someone to push her it could play into a time for that record to fall as well.

OR...it'll stick around again for another year.  Zane Grey has a way of doing that to people and no matter the conditions...it still chews people up.  

For those that may find this useful here are each of the segments of the race, aid station to aid station, broken out on Strava Run. It's an easy way to interface the route and show various times throughout the race by multiple runners to give newcomers an idea of each individual section. 

Start to Geronimo: 
http://www.strava.com/segments/3221205

Geronimo to Washington Park:http://www.strava.com/segments/2374952

Washington Park to Hell's Gate:http://www.strava.com/segments/4996589

Hell's Gate to Fish Hatchery:http://www.strava.com/segments/6866953

Fish Hatchery to Christopher Creek (Pacer Option)http://www.strava.com/segments/6866956

Christopher Creek to Finish (Pacer Option) 
http://www.strava.com/segments/6866961

And for shits and giggles, here is the first 50K to Fish Hatchery:
http://www.strava.com/segments/3221221

And the entire pacer section from Fish Hatchery (33) to Finish (51)
http://www.strava.com/segments/6866979

And....the entire course:
http://www.strava.com/segments/6582057

Watches are not exact so don't get too excited about the 49.6 miles. It's 51, it just can't always pick up all the million zigs and zags along the way so is usually short on GPS (for me anyway) but a welcome surprise when you get to the finish. (Although the total may be a little different this year after the re-routes.)
 

This is my fourth year running Zane Grey.  Last year I knocked off almost 2 hours from my previous best time and finished in 10:37.  It was by far my hardest effort in a race and my best run race.  I started in the very back of the pack and slowly passed people on a race plan based on attrition not speed.  I wanted to go out at and average the same pace the entire race.  It turned out to work really well in keeping me from getting out of control on the downhills or hanging with people that were going faster than my desired pace.  I was never passed in the entire race where I didn't finish in front of the person and passed all but 12 people by the time I came in.  Even at the final mile I was dreading seeing any other people for the sheer fear and agony of having to push one last time to pass someone.  I simply didn't care at that point what my place was and my goal was to break 10 hours, long gone by then.  Yet my pacer Jay Danek looked back and we took off at the "1 Mile to Go" Ragnar sign (yup...it's a stolen Ragnar sign) and tried to catch this guy and his pacer.  All I wanted to do was just cruise on it, take my 10:40 time and be happy with it. Yet there we were, picking up the pace in an attempt to close a quarter mile gap in the last mile of a 50 miler.  Sheer genius.  

Yet we were closing in on them as we weaved in and out of sight, hoping with each step we got closer and closer before they realized we were behind them.  We got within 200 feet before the woman pacing him turned back and saw us and I knew it was then going to be time to hammer it.  I looked down at my watch and saw there was still at least .3 of a mile left.

It might as well have been 10 miles.  It felt like it was so far away.

I pushed on and we pushed the pace faster and faster until Jay finally pulled off the trail and yelled to get him.  It was like a scene from a movie, not a good one, like one of those shitty Netflix ones that they call a "New Release" but you've never heard of it...ever, but still a movie.  As soon as Jay yelled to hammer it the guys wife/girfriend/pacer yelled to the guy to run.  

So it became a sprint.  A full, unintended sprint to the finish of a race that I'm sure neither of us wanted to sprint at.  Yet here we were, putting the pedal to the absolute floor.  I knew where the finish line was...wait...no I didn't. Nobody does.  The damn thing feels like it's at mile 47 and every turn looks the same, every dip in the trail is the one that pops you out of the woods and to the two rocks that make the finish line.

I had to rely on my memory.  My tank was flashing on "E" and I couldn't possibly hammer this any more without literally passing out.  Or my heart exploding through my shirt.  That is was also a possibility.

With each step I was gaining on him, calculating how much longer I could hold this pace, would I catch him in time, I'm running out of real estate...can I get around him and pass him at the very last turn???

I was within 5 feet. I had closed this massive gap in a short distance and the finish line had to be right around the corner.  I had to make my move and on the very next corner I pushed it even harder, I was going to push past him like a NASCAR driver on the inside corner, just slingshot past him, through the rocks and into the glorious media onslaught that was surely awaiting my long anticipated and utterly dramatic finish.  

Except it wasn't the finish line. 

It was another hill.

And it destroyed me.

I simply could not sprint any longer. I was cashed.  Wasted.  Spent. Ruined.

I slumped over and stumbled through the rocks to the finish, 20 some seconds after my new nemesis.  He came over and we had a great laugh about it, and then I fell to the ground in sheer exhaustion.  

So here I am again, a year later, and going for the sub ten hours once again.  I've run 25% less miles a month this year versus last year but all my race times are the same or faster than last years same training races.  I've got another year of racing Zane under my belt and hopefully can keep towards the back of the pack long enough to pace properly to the end.  If not, I guess I can just sprint the last couple miles to make up time...

My brother Noah is back again this year, healthier and with more miles under his belt (I think he broke 100 miles for March!  New PR for him...only did like 30 last year...:))  He's going to do great again this year!

If you're running the race this year come say hello at registration on Friday! I'll be there for most/all of it helping Joe sign everyone in.  Would love to say hello, Noah and I will be in Mogollon Monster 100 shirts so say hi!  And if not, we'll see you out on the trail soon!  Training runs starting in May!

https://ultrasignup.com/entrants_event.aspx?did=26358
As of March 6th the above link is the current entrants list.  36 runners total at this point.  We've got an exciting mix of runners and I'm excited to see how it turns out.  Lots of returning runners in Jim Crosson, Honey Albrecht, Geoffrey Foote, Morgan Goff, Rod Sinclair, and Angel Vega.  All with their own stories and only Morgan having previously finished the race.  I'm sure each are coming back for their own reasons and excited to see them come through the finish line in Pine this year.  

There are a fast group of runners this year as well with local speedster Christian Rios taking his chances against the Monster.  Jeremy Bradford is joining us, winner of the Black Hills 100 the last couple years, a course that plays well for the Highline trail, and winner of a number of other hundreds over the years.  Angela Shartel recently entered and last year broke the course record at Angeles Crest 100 in 21 hours and change.  Liza Howard can break 20 hours at a hundred breast feeding her way through the course and locals like Erin Phelps help with a great field to see if the woman's time from last year (only year with female finishers) goes down and by how much.  Brandon Worthington won the tortoise race at Run Rabbit run last year which would have beaten a lot of the hares and will be out there.  Lorenzo Sanchez is fast and from Texas.  That worked out well for Steven Moore last year...

Brian Hopton-Jones has done well at Zane Grey in the past. Michael Miller of Scottsdale is one of the toughest runners on the circuit and I know will do well on the course.  Even if he tries to tell you he's slow, old and sweaty, he'll probably pass you somewhere around 75 miles...and he'll probably offer you his last gel and water as he goes by.  Be sure to thank him.  

Andy Pearson finished 2nd place in the first year in a strong 28 hours and has since gone on to crush a lot of races against some great competition.  Assuming his wedding doesn't get in the way of him coming back he's a smart runner and handled the rocks in his slippers better than I could have imagined.  I hope he makes it back to Pine this fall.

Part of what's great about ultrarunning is ten "elite" runners can show up to a race half of them get beat by people you otherwise haven't heard of buy maybe are speedy local runners or a specific course or conditions played to their strengths and the killed it. Marius Toma is one of those guys.  He lives here in Arizona, doesn't run a lot of races but has finished the Monster the only two years we've had it, the only person to have done so, and finshed third this year passing three guys on the final descent.  Gabriel Szerda finished 2nd last year and lives in NYC.  He lives at sea level and it was his first 100...of course I later found out he wrested in the Sydney Olympics for Australia so he's obviously a competitor but it just goes to show you, anyone can win any race.  Especially one so technical and with so many unknowns as the Monster with weather, heat and cold affecting runners throughout the race.  It's a lot of fun to see it all unfold come race day.  

I get emails asking what organization or charity the race supports with portions of the entry fee's.  For anyone that has started a race from scratch before...the first few years are not exactly revenue generators and therefore allocating funds to a charity or cause is challenging.  In 2013 I started my involvement with Team RWB and that involvement continues into 2014 and now the Mogollon Monster 100.  

Team RWB is a foundation built around the need and drive to enrich the lives of America's veterans by connecting them to the community through physical and social activity.  It's an organization I choose to be involved with an support because the people behind it are real, honest and passionate about making a difference in our veteran's lives.  And its working.  

This year we have several Team RWB members running the Monster and we're donating a portion of entrants fee's to Team RWB at the end of the registration period in hopes our small contribution can continue to help both our local chapter as well as those across the country.  Having runners wearing the RWB "Eagle" shirts along the course is something special to see and I hope more and more sign up throughout the year to fill the trails with Red, White and Blue come September.  If you are interested in learning more about Team RWB visit their website at www.teamrwb.org.  You don't have to be a veteran to join.  There are chapters all over the country now and if there's not, then maybe you can start one for your community.  It's all on the website and this video gives you a great overview of the cause Team RWB supports.  We are fortunate to have Liza Howard, Bill Egan, John Markham, Rainer Schulz running the race (and I think I'm missing someone...) as well as Jay & Traci Danek and others volunteering on race day.  

We'll be running the Mountain 2 Fountain 15K road race as the Team RWB team this Sunday! More exciting news on the Team RWB front as we get closer to race day!

Mudder races have never really interested me.  Yet last year the Town of Payson, Arizona added one to their annual Mountain High Games they have each spring and called it...

"The Mogollon Monster Mudder 5K"

I was admittedly annoyed at the name as I knew I would start getting emails mixing up the two races.  It was unavoidable and sure enough...still happens.  

So I signed up last year the same day and was thrown into one of the last heats.  Some local kid, tall Varsity Blues 6'3" 18 year old star QB was in my heat and everyone was talking about how he was going to win the entire race, out of all 300+ people.  Having never done an obstacle course except for those in the Army years ago, I wasn't quite sure how to pace an event like that.  So I just fell in behind this kid who went out like a rocket.  After the first two walls and 1/4 mile we were carrying 50lb bags of sand through thick (and rocky) mud.  He walked, I ran.  As I went by him I gave him a little encouragement to pick up the pace and we took off.  I hammered the rest of the course and beat him despite being stuck behind the last people in the heat in front of me on the ladder obstacles and unable to pass. We finished a few minutes apart but ended up 4th and 5th place overall respectively.  I left the race completely battered, bruised and bleeding. 

It may have been a 5k but even the 5k's in the Mogollon Rim country are rocky, rough and brutal.  

And I can't wait to go back! http://paysonrimcountry.com/Portals/0/2014_Mud%20Run_Information_Registration_packet.pdf

It continues to amaze me how much is available on the internet regarding the Mogollon Monster and search to find him/her.  Click on the photo above and you'll see...it's out there.  

Apparently.

Trail work is a constant effort on the Mogollon Rim.  Manzanita grows annually over the trail and needs to be cut back or it cuts you.  Many trails of the Mogollon Monster are clear, many need work.  The winter and heavy snow and runoff wreck havoc on erosion bars or cutting away new sections of trail and creating misleading turnoff's on the trail.  It requires a lot of work and the reason that we require 8 hours of volunteer work along with the registration.  Because this isn't the only race that needs this kind of help, it's required all over the country with simply different degrees of need.  

So April 5th and 6th we will be basing out of Washington Park Aid Station (Mile 26,51 and 86 of the race) and working along the Highline Trail to clear brush, manzanita and areas of need before the upcoming Zane Grey 50M race.  We'll start at 8am on Saturday and 8am on Sunday and will work sections throughout the day.  We'll be camping overnight and will provide food and drink for anyone that wants to stick around or camp.  Any amount of help is appreciated, either one day or two or partial days.  We'll take whatever you can provide.  Please bring gloves, a chainsaw if you happen to have one and you obviously can safely use one.  We'll provide the rest assuming you have a pack to carry your own water and trail food while out working.  

The Highline Trail is beautiful in the early spring with occassional snowfall on the Rim above the trail.  It's an opportunity to fulfill 8 hours of trail work needed for not only Mogollon (we also accept volunteer hours at ultras) but also for other 100's you may be running this summer with the same requirements.  We can sign off on that for you and happy to do so with your assistance.  If you are interested in joining us for one or both of the days please email me at azadventures@getoutgetlost.com so I know how many will be joining us.  

And just to keep things interesting...we're adding to the family on July 22nd this year.  Jen and I are welcoming our second child, a baby girl, into the Monster family this summer and Dean will be almost 2 and a half come race day.  First an infant at the race the first year, then running around this past year.  I think I can get him to carry 5 gallon water jugs by 2015. :)

Safe training and we'll see you out on the trail soon!  Monthly training runs to be detailed soon with dates and routes after Zane Grey concludes in late April.  

Have you seen this video yet?  Seriously, it's incredible.  http://zanegrey50.com/