DH stranded by high water on his ultra marathon run and I'm stuck at home

[azfiddle]

I was sitting at home waiting for news from my husband, who was running the Old Pueblo 50 mile trail run south of Tucson today- in very rainy and windy conditions. 8:30 pm. I just got a call from a ham radio operator to tell me that he is okay, but that he (and other runners) are stranded by high water in running washes and that he may not make it home tonight. I know he has some dry stuff in his drop bags but it sounds pretty miserable. There are a couple of cars and I think what the caller told me is that they are rotating folks in and out of the cars and keeping them warm.

I would say this is way more extreme than epic as the course is at an elevation above 4000 feet.

Wasn't it enough that El Tour de Tucson was an all day rain ride last fall? We had a month of warm weather and it rained today for the first time in months.

Hoping he really is able to be warm and dry tonight- there's nothing I can do but wait.:(

Sharon

[ny biker]

Yikes!! I hope he and the others make it home soon.

[smilingcat]

Thank goodness for HAM to send you a message. At least your husband and other runners have communication so he is safe. Miserable maybe but he is safe and I think that is the best news.

50 mile run?! good grief.

[OakLeaf]

Oh man. That's scary. Hope they were able to keep warm overnight and that he gets home very soon!!

[Crankin]

Rain + wash= bad
at 4,000 feet? :eek:
Thinking of you.

[azfiddle]

7:45 am here. Still waiting for some news. There is no cell coverage on a lot of the course and I don't know how far from the end he was when he got stuck. I felt really guilty sleeping in a warm bed last night....

Thanks for the kind thoughts everyone.

[azfiddle]

Here is a link to a description of the course and a map: http://oldpueblo50.com/coursemap.htm

[azfiddle]

Got the call - he spent the night in a van with a propane heater and is fine. He made it to mile 47 and then had to abandon :(

[emily_in_nc]

That is really, really bad luck! :( We just spent February in Tucson and saw maybe two drops of rain at the beginning of the month. How ironic the race happened to be held on March 1. Sorry that your DH had to abandon, but that's entirely expected with the wind, rain, and cold. Glad he had heat overnight at least! Know you'll be glad to see him today...

[Crankin]

Glad all is well.
Back in the 70s, I experienced two "100 year" floods, 2 years in a row, at this time of year in the Valley. It severely disrupted my life. My parents also made the dumb new Arizonan mistake of trying to drive through a flooded wash when they first moved there.
Although the results are often disastrous, I used to love this time of year in the desert, and the rains, because it was the only hint that there are seasons!

[Pax]

Glad he's safe, bummer he didn't get to finish!

[goldfinch]

Wow! What bad luck to have the run the first day of rain in more than a month. I am glad he stayed warm and safe.

[Catrin]

So glad that he is safe! Sad that his luck with the weather was that way, but glad he is warm and safe!

[azfiddle]

He wrote a very cool post on facebook:
Sometimes after a difficult day with something you love the bonds of affection grow ever deeper.

The peaks of the Santa Ritas rest quietly the day after a stormy Old Pueblo 50 Mile Run. The night before, abandoning the run at mile 47 due to dangerous swift water stream crossings, I forfeited the finisher's belt buckle. Yet, I had already received the gifts of the day's images and experiences on the mountain.

And then he posted a beautiful picture of the mountain from this morning, with snow on the peak and a beautiful blue sky above.

[salsabike]

azfiddle, that's lovely. Good for him. And glad all are safe.

[emily_in_nc]

That's awesome -- he sounds like one who can truly find the silver lining in any dark cloud!

[azfiddle]

What I said to him was- "You ran those extra miles on another day and besides- how many of those big honking buckles can you wear at one time anyway? You already have 4 and nothing to prove. Love you!"