Sunday, July 11, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Bighorn 100-Miler
It’s been a while since I’ve written here. Since Moab, I’ve done Orcas, Lake Sonoma, and Miwok. All went well in those races. And now the Bighorn Mountains in Wyoming. This was my first 100-miler. And from beginning to end, it was an excellent adventure.
Six of us from Corvallis traveled together: John, Sander, Gaby and I would be running; Dave and Erik would be our crew and pacers. We had the van packed tight with camping and running gear, and food. The drive to and from Bighorn was a blast; lots of cool sites and adventures, worth a blog entry in themselves.
We arrived at Dayton on Thursday and hooked up with Ashley and Josh at the park. Spent the day prepping the drop bags. I fretted way too much over what things to put in which bags. The only thing I new for sure from all reports was that I would need warm clothing and lights waiting for me at Foot Bridge.
We went into town to register, drop off our drop bags, and weigh in. The weigh in was a bit of a concern to me. I knew race officials might hold you back if your weight went way wonky. I was sure I would loose some weight during the race, and so tried to weigh in as lightly as legitimately possible … I stripped down to the running gear I expected to start the race with. 161 pounds. That sounded about right.
Ever since Miwok, both my knees have given me problems, to the extent that almost all my training leading up to Bighorn was power walking. I took some comfort in stories of folks who finished other 100-milers by walking most of the way. So my main goal was just to finish under the 34 hour cut-off. If things were going well, I would try to come in under 30. I had looked at splits of last year and worked up average splits for some 30 hour finishers. I would use those times as guideposts. Essentially, it was looking like 13 hours to the turn-around at Porcupine (48 miles), 17 hours for the return trip (Bighorn is an out and back).
The race started at 11:00 on Friday morning. The weather was perfect (though it rained during most days of the trip, for the two days of the race, we had clear skies). Everyone was stoked. Someone sang the anthem. And we were off!
My right knee started it’s dull ache pretty much from the get-go. After some time, my left knee joined the chorus. The aches were tolerable, and my hope was that they wouldn’t get worse. I may have run a bit slower because of that, but not much. And things never did get worse. I was grateful for that. All my other body parts worked fine the whole way. Well, except my toe nails … I lost one during the race, and it looks like a couple of more are on their way out.
The course has a total elevation gain of about 17,000’. There are two substantial climbs, one at Dry Fork, the other at Foot Bridge. I walked both of these, and some lesser hills too. By and large, where slope isn’t an issue, the course is runnable most of the way. Some of the single-track in the meadows is mottled up with hoof prints and requires attention. Some areas have loose rock that likewise require care.
The first drop-bag aid station was Dry Fork. Dave, Erik and Josh were there to help me out with my stuff. This was a quick stop. I was the last of the Corvallis runners to come through.
At Footbridge I stopped for a few minutes. There were a couple of friendly dogs milling about ... that cheered me up. I replenished my gels and Perpetuem. I also grabbed my tights, lights, mittens and cap, stuffing them into my pack. It was still warm, but that wasn't going to last.
The Narrows out-bound also had a dog. A border collie named Sumit. Cute fella.
The run towards Porcupine was amazing. There were some vista views that brought to mind the scale of Moab. Mountains. Wide open meadows. It was great just being there, great to be part of this event. I ran the piece out to Porcupine pretty much by myself, occasionally passing someone or being passed.
It was about 8:50 pm when I saw the first runner coming back from the Porcupine turn-around. He looked fresh and strong. Amazing. I knew I was still at least 3 hours from Porcupine.
As the sun set, it started to cool off. I put on my running jacket, cap, and mittens. It would get close to freezing, and I didn't want to be getting too cold. My new running jacket worked as advertised … keeping me warm and dry while venting water vapor. I turned on my head lamp. I also had a flashlight. The flashlight (a Surfire G2) in particular cast a bright tight beam that made it relatively easy to navigate the unfamiliar terrain.
As I progressed toward Porcupine, I passed more and more runners coming back from Porcupine. It was too dark to see faces. I was saying “Hi” to everyone, and waiting to hear a voice that I recognized. Eventually, I ran into Ashley being paced by Josh. Ashley was making good progress (and would go on to be the first female!). Soon there was Sander, who was also looking strong. About a quarter mile from Porcupine, I met up with Gaby, Dave and John running together. It was great to see them … we shared brief updates. That really helped to energize me. We parted company.
The few miles before Porcupine were punctuated by water, slippery shoe-sucking muck, grassy field and deep packed snow. It would have been good to have Inov-8s I thought.. This was my least favourite part of the course. My feet were wet and cold. I was glad to have new shoes and socks waiting for me at Porcupine, but I knew that they wouldn't stay dry long once I was on the return leg.
I got to Porcupine at about 12:15am ... about 15 minutes behind my 30-hour schedule ... not bad. The ranger station was packed and bustling. Erik was waiting for me. He took good care of me, reloading my bottles, swapping fresh batteries into my light, as I swapped shoes and socks, and put on tights. It felt good to sit down for a bit. I had half a potato. And we were off.
The night sky was clear and full of a qazillion stars. Awesome. We kept a steady pace through the dark. I took one bad slip in the mud, and went over on my ankle a few times, but nothing that slowed me down.
We stopped once every hour so that I could pop a gel and Scaps. We would stop briefly at most of the aid stations to replenish water and maybe grab a bit to eat. I was never really hungry during the race.
It was real cool to watch the night sky gradually lighten up as the sun came up. The whole experience of running through a sunset, the night, and then the sunrise was new to me. But at 5:00am I reminded myself … still some 12 hours of running to go.
Erik did a great job keeping us on pace. He had a good feel for how fast we were moving. We were constantly updating the math for a 30-hour finish. We started getting into aid stations ahead of schedule. It seemed like 30 hours would be possible.
At Footbridge we dropped off our lights and cold-weather clothing. Those same dogs were there. I weighed in at 164 pounds, a slight increase. I figured it was just a scale thing. However, at Dry Fork, I weighed in at 169 pounds. This same scale had me weighing 162 out-bound. The attendant looked at me with some concern, saying that’s getting too high. I explained that I was feeling fine. She told me to increase my salt, and let me go. So I doubled my SCap intake from that point on.
On the way down from Dry Fork, we caught up to Gaby and Dave. Dave was having IT issues, so Gaby joined Erik and I, and we bid Dave good-bye. With a few miles to the finish, Erik’s foot, which had been causing him some pain, was slowing him down. Though I really wanted to finish the race with Erik, I decided to keep running. We parted company, and Gaby and I continued. The last few miles of the race were on dry, open, gravel road. This was my second-least favorite part of the course. It had some gentle hills, which by now seemed pretty formidable. I had to walk up some of them … I’m sure Gaby could have run the whole way in, but she stuck with me. We finally got back to the highway, then the park, then the final lap of the course, crossing the finish line in 28:07:58. It felt good to be done.
The rest of the crew … John, Sander, Ashley, Josh … were waiting for us. Dave and Erik were there too … they had gotten a ride back while Gaby and I were still running. All our runners had finished in fine form.
As for wildlife ... never did see any. I had heard the story about the crazy moose of last year. This didn’t feel at all like the moose habitat of home, and I never worried about running into one. On the other hand, I had no trouble imagining a grizzly bear roaming some of these vast meadows. A cougar up in the rocks …. ya, I could also imagine that. I didn't see any of that. Our crew actually did see a moose. And a fox too.
A couple of observations and lessons, in no particular order: • I never actually felt sleepy during the race ... I was sore and tired, but I never felt the need to go to sleep ... never took the caffeine pills ... that was a surprise; • I never reached a point in the race where I thought about pulling out; I’ve been there before in other races, but not this time … much of the credit for that goes to Erik and the great job he did pacing (thanks dude); • even after 28 hours, my contact lenses never dried out … I was sure I’d need to at least use eye drops along the way, but nope … didn’t ever have to think about them; • should have had an extra pair of gaiters at Footbridge in-bound … the muck at Porcupine totally messed them up; • should have had plastic bags waiting for my wet shoes and socks in the drop bags; • was glad I had sunglasses & sun screen … it was bright and hot in the meadows; • my new running jacket and flashlight worked great; • should have used more SCaps from the get-go … next time; • Perpetuem worked again; • though I’d never do it myself, I can understand now why some ultra runners get their toenails surgically removed; • next to long runs, those Wednesday night McCulloch Peak power walks were the most important piece of training for this; • next time, weigh in heavy; • when you’re a stranger in a strange land, there is something comforting about the familiar pattern of the stars at night.
There are a lot of people I want to thank for making this amazing experience possible: • the entire Bighorn crew … Gaby, Dave, Erik, John, Sander, Ashley, Josh … you all made it so much fun; • Dave and Erik, for all their planning and hard work as crew and pacers … you guys rock; • the Corvallis trail runners … I couldn’t have been prepared for this without the guidance and training shared by this gifted, giving, group of athletes; • Meghan, Brodie and Dr. Hughes, for helping to keep my body parts working all this while; • Gaby and Guy for all the running, enthusiasm, encouragement and counsel these past years; • Marilyn, who showed me the Perseids 12 year ago, and has been my pacer through this crazy trail race of life ever since … thanks for everything angel.
Some pics by Dave and Gaby are here:
Dave 1
Dave 2
Gaby
Six of us from Corvallis traveled together: John, Sander, Gaby and I would be running; Dave and Erik would be our crew and pacers. We had the van packed tight with camping and running gear, and food. The drive to and from Bighorn was a blast; lots of cool sites and adventures, worth a blog entry in themselves.
We arrived at Dayton on Thursday and hooked up with Ashley and Josh at the park. Spent the day prepping the drop bags. I fretted way too much over what things to put in which bags. The only thing I new for sure from all reports was that I would need warm clothing and lights waiting for me at Foot Bridge.
We went into town to register, drop off our drop bags, and weigh in. The weigh in was a bit of a concern to me. I knew race officials might hold you back if your weight went way wonky. I was sure I would loose some weight during the race, and so tried to weigh in as lightly as legitimately possible … I stripped down to the running gear I expected to start the race with. 161 pounds. That sounded about right.
Ever since Miwok, both my knees have given me problems, to the extent that almost all my training leading up to Bighorn was power walking. I took some comfort in stories of folks who finished other 100-milers by walking most of the way. So my main goal was just to finish under the 34 hour cut-off. If things were going well, I would try to come in under 30. I had looked at splits of last year and worked up average splits for some 30 hour finishers. I would use those times as guideposts. Essentially, it was looking like 13 hours to the turn-around at Porcupine (48 miles), 17 hours for the return trip (Bighorn is an out and back).
The race started at 11:00 on Friday morning. The weather was perfect (though it rained during most days of the trip, for the two days of the race, we had clear skies). Everyone was stoked. Someone sang the anthem. And we were off!
My right knee started it’s dull ache pretty much from the get-go. After some time, my left knee joined the chorus. The aches were tolerable, and my hope was that they wouldn’t get worse. I may have run a bit slower because of that, but not much. And things never did get worse. I was grateful for that. All my other body parts worked fine the whole way. Well, except my toe nails … I lost one during the race, and it looks like a couple of more are on their way out.
The course has a total elevation gain of about 17,000’. There are two substantial climbs, one at Dry Fork, the other at Foot Bridge. I walked both of these, and some lesser hills too. By and large, where slope isn’t an issue, the course is runnable most of the way. Some of the single-track in the meadows is mottled up with hoof prints and requires attention. Some areas have loose rock that likewise require care.
The first drop-bag aid station was Dry Fork. Dave, Erik and Josh were there to help me out with my stuff. This was a quick stop. I was the last of the Corvallis runners to come through.
At Footbridge I stopped for a few minutes. There were a couple of friendly dogs milling about ... that cheered me up. I replenished my gels and Perpetuem. I also grabbed my tights, lights, mittens and cap, stuffing them into my pack. It was still warm, but that wasn't going to last.
The Narrows out-bound also had a dog. A border collie named Sumit. Cute fella.
The run towards Porcupine was amazing. There were some vista views that brought to mind the scale of Moab. Mountains. Wide open meadows. It was great just being there, great to be part of this event. I ran the piece out to Porcupine pretty much by myself, occasionally passing someone or being passed.
It was about 8:50 pm when I saw the first runner coming back from the Porcupine turn-around. He looked fresh and strong. Amazing. I knew I was still at least 3 hours from Porcupine.
As the sun set, it started to cool off. I put on my running jacket, cap, and mittens. It would get close to freezing, and I didn't want to be getting too cold. My new running jacket worked as advertised … keeping me warm and dry while venting water vapor. I turned on my head lamp. I also had a flashlight. The flashlight (a Surfire G2) in particular cast a bright tight beam that made it relatively easy to navigate the unfamiliar terrain.
As I progressed toward Porcupine, I passed more and more runners coming back from Porcupine. It was too dark to see faces. I was saying “Hi” to everyone, and waiting to hear a voice that I recognized. Eventually, I ran into Ashley being paced by Josh. Ashley was making good progress (and would go on to be the first female!). Soon there was Sander, who was also looking strong. About a quarter mile from Porcupine, I met up with Gaby, Dave and John running together. It was great to see them … we shared brief updates. That really helped to energize me. We parted company.
The few miles before Porcupine were punctuated by water, slippery shoe-sucking muck, grassy field and deep packed snow. It would have been good to have Inov-8s I thought.. This was my least favourite part of the course. My feet were wet and cold. I was glad to have new shoes and socks waiting for me at Porcupine, but I knew that they wouldn't stay dry long once I was on the return leg.
I got to Porcupine at about 12:15am ... about 15 minutes behind my 30-hour schedule ... not bad. The ranger station was packed and bustling. Erik was waiting for me. He took good care of me, reloading my bottles, swapping fresh batteries into my light, as I swapped shoes and socks, and put on tights. It felt good to sit down for a bit. I had half a potato. And we were off.
The night sky was clear and full of a qazillion stars. Awesome. We kept a steady pace through the dark. I took one bad slip in the mud, and went over on my ankle a few times, but nothing that slowed me down.
We stopped once every hour so that I could pop a gel and Scaps. We would stop briefly at most of the aid stations to replenish water and maybe grab a bit to eat. I was never really hungry during the race.
It was real cool to watch the night sky gradually lighten up as the sun came up. The whole experience of running through a sunset, the night, and then the sunrise was new to me. But at 5:00am I reminded myself … still some 12 hours of running to go.
Erik did a great job keeping us on pace. He had a good feel for how fast we were moving. We were constantly updating the math for a 30-hour finish. We started getting into aid stations ahead of schedule. It seemed like 30 hours would be possible.
At Footbridge we dropped off our lights and cold-weather clothing. Those same dogs were there. I weighed in at 164 pounds, a slight increase. I figured it was just a scale thing. However, at Dry Fork, I weighed in at 169 pounds. This same scale had me weighing 162 out-bound. The attendant looked at me with some concern, saying that’s getting too high. I explained that I was feeling fine. She told me to increase my salt, and let me go. So I doubled my SCap intake from that point on.
On the way down from Dry Fork, we caught up to Gaby and Dave. Dave was having IT issues, so Gaby joined Erik and I, and we bid Dave good-bye. With a few miles to the finish, Erik’s foot, which had been causing him some pain, was slowing him down. Though I really wanted to finish the race with Erik, I decided to keep running. We parted company, and Gaby and I continued. The last few miles of the race were on dry, open, gravel road. This was my second-least favorite part of the course. It had some gentle hills, which by now seemed pretty formidable. I had to walk up some of them … I’m sure Gaby could have run the whole way in, but she stuck with me. We finally got back to the highway, then the park, then the final lap of the course, crossing the finish line in 28:07:58. It felt good to be done.
The rest of the crew … John, Sander, Ashley, Josh … were waiting for us. Dave and Erik were there too … they had gotten a ride back while Gaby and I were still running. All our runners had finished in fine form.
As for wildlife ... never did see any. I had heard the story about the crazy moose of last year. This didn’t feel at all like the moose habitat of home, and I never worried about running into one. On the other hand, I had no trouble imagining a grizzly bear roaming some of these vast meadows. A cougar up in the rocks …. ya, I could also imagine that. I didn't see any of that. Our crew actually did see a moose. And a fox too.
A couple of observations and lessons, in no particular order: • I never actually felt sleepy during the race ... I was sore and tired, but I never felt the need to go to sleep ... never took the caffeine pills ... that was a surprise; • I never reached a point in the race where I thought about pulling out; I’ve been there before in other races, but not this time … much of the credit for that goes to Erik and the great job he did pacing (thanks dude); • even after 28 hours, my contact lenses never dried out … I was sure I’d need to at least use eye drops along the way, but nope … didn’t ever have to think about them; • should have had an extra pair of gaiters at Footbridge in-bound … the muck at Porcupine totally messed them up; • should have had plastic bags waiting for my wet shoes and socks in the drop bags; • was glad I had sunglasses & sun screen … it was bright and hot in the meadows; • my new running jacket and flashlight worked great; • should have used more SCaps from the get-go … next time; • Perpetuem worked again; • though I’d never do it myself, I can understand now why some ultra runners get their toenails surgically removed; • next to long runs, those Wednesday night McCulloch Peak power walks were the most important piece of training for this; • next time, weigh in heavy; • when you’re a stranger in a strange land, there is something comforting about the familiar pattern of the stars at night.
There are a lot of people I want to thank for making this amazing experience possible: • the entire Bighorn crew … Gaby, Dave, Erik, John, Sander, Ashley, Josh … you all made it so much fun; • Dave and Erik, for all their planning and hard work as crew and pacers … you guys rock; • the Corvallis trail runners … I couldn’t have been prepared for this without the guidance and training shared by this gifted, giving, group of athletes; • Meghan, Brodie and Dr. Hughes, for helping to keep my body parts working all this while; • Gaby and Guy for all the running, enthusiasm, encouragement and counsel these past years; • Marilyn, who showed me the Perseids 12 year ago, and has been my pacer through this crazy trail race of life ever since … thanks for everything angel.
Some pics by Dave and Gaby are here:
Dave 1
Dave 2
Gaby
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Moab 50K
The Moab 50K course is one of the most scenic I have ever run. The race takes place just outside of Moab, Utah. The area lacks forests altogether, but makes up for it with canyons, cliffs, rocks, sand, cactus and some brush ... and spectacular views that force you to pause and wonder what it's all about.
I met up with Scott Kruis and Nok, and their friend Laura from Wyoming, on race morning. Scott and I did the 50K, Nok and Laura did the 10 miler. The race also offers up a 20 miler. We lucked out with the weather ... no rain and a nice cool day.
The race was relatively hard, with two tough climbs of 1,000' each ... that second one only a few kilometres from the finish. Much of the course was technical, more of a scramble, but it was really well marked. There were some sandy stretches that made me glad I had gaiters. In a few areas, ropes and ladders were provided to help get up and down rock faces. I'd rank the race as tougher than the Mac but maybe a bit easier than Orcas.
Moab might be the most dangerous race I've ever done. Lots of places to get hurt if you're not careful. At one point two runners ahead of me missed a turn off of a cliff face ... by the time they had realized their mistake the ledge they were on was just a sliver and they were slipping off of it. They were just able to inch their way back without slipping off completely. It made for some scary moments.
After my troubles at McKenzie and Bizz Johnson I decided to run this race with the goal of finishing in good shape. I wasn't worried about time ... I rarely checked my watch, and when I did it was usually just to check on altitude. I kept a moderate pace the whole way, walked the two big climbs, took my time at aid stations, and didn't scrimp on gels or salt. That approach paid off. No hip or calf trouble. I finished the race feeling good in 6:08. I was really happy with the way things went. Scott finished in 7:45ish, getting the sub-8 he wanted. Nok and Laura finished their 10 miles in fine form too.
This was a neat and different kind of race. The volunteers were great. The race director (and much of his crew) is from Quebec ... he is an enthusiastic fella and did a great job.
Some pictures by Scott and Nok:
I met up with Scott Kruis and Nok, and their friend Laura from Wyoming, on race morning. Scott and I did the 50K, Nok and Laura did the 10 miler. The race also offers up a 20 miler. We lucked out with the weather ... no rain and a nice cool day.
The race was relatively hard, with two tough climbs of 1,000' each ... that second one only a few kilometres from the finish. Much of the course was technical, more of a scramble, but it was really well marked. There were some sandy stretches that made me glad I had gaiters. In a few areas, ropes and ladders were provided to help get up and down rock faces. I'd rank the race as tougher than the Mac but maybe a bit easier than Orcas.
Moab might be the most dangerous race I've ever done. Lots of places to get hurt if you're not careful. At one point two runners ahead of me missed a turn off of a cliff face ... by the time they had realized their mistake the ledge they were on was just a sliver and they were slipping off of it. They were just able to inch their way back without slipping off completely. It made for some scary moments.
After my troubles at McKenzie and Bizz Johnson I decided to run this race with the goal of finishing in good shape. I wasn't worried about time ... I rarely checked my watch, and when I did it was usually just to check on altitude. I kept a moderate pace the whole way, walked the two big climbs, took my time at aid stations, and didn't scrimp on gels or salt. That approach paid off. No hip or calf trouble. I finished the race feeling good in 6:08. I was really happy with the way things went. Scott finished in 7:45ish, getting the sub-8 he wanted. Nok and Laura finished their 10 miles in fine form too.
This was a neat and different kind of race. The volunteers were great. The race director (and much of his crew) is from Quebec ... he is an enthusiastic fella and did a great job.
Some pictures by Scott and Nok:
Thursday, September 17, 2009
McKenzie 50K: Bonkarama
Well, this was a rough one.
There was a good contingent from Corvallis and area, including Guy, Scott L, Scott K, Todd, Mike, Mikio, Gerhard, Will and Jason. Good to see them all again.
My goal was to come in under 4:45, trying to get a 50K PR. I started out slow, real slow. The first part of the course was fairly technical … winding round a bunch of lava roc. At the turn-around, at the first aid station, most of the Corvallis crew was ahead of me ... good to see friendly faces passing by. As I passed Guy, he held up his hands … they were full of blood from a nasty fall. Ouch.
I kept an easy pace until about 12K … my average pace at that point was 6:20 min/km. I decided to ramp things up a bit. I would have to work now if I wanted to get that down to 5:42 .. … the average pace I would need to break 4:45. So, I cranked it up. My calf was complaining, right from the get go actually. But the pain was not getting worse, which I thought was a good thing. Other than that I was feeling good. I started to pass folks.
Things were going well until about 40K. Then in the space of a kilometre or so, the wheels came off the cart. My calf seized up, my stomach started with the hee-bee-gee-bees and I just ran out of juice. At this point, it was a struggle to run at all, even though the course was very easy from here on in. I had to take walking breaks, even on level ground. Nasty business. Haven’t felt this bad since SOB last year. People I had passed earlier on were now passing me. Arggg … I hate when that happens. It’s funny … I did STORMY just last month … 50 miles on a much tougher course … and I felt way better at the end of that than I did right now. It’s all about pace I guess.
I managed to catch up to Guy. His hands were a bloody, dirty mess from that initial and subsequent falls. Skin hanging off. But he was still going. We trudged along together for a while, each of us whining about our respective misery. With a few klicks to go I pulled away from him, albeit it real slowly. The death march continued. My GPS said about 2 klicks to go when I came up to this guy who said 60 yards to the finish! What a pleasant surprise. I managed to fire things up a bit and actually ran across the finish line. Finished in 5:11. I turned around to find that Guy was right behind me … just a few seconds or so back. Had the course been much longer, he would have passed me.
So … I'm glad this one is over. However, the McKenzie course is really nice, and I hope to get back for some fun running some time. Marilyn and the dogs would like it too. The best part of the day was that Guy finished … this was his first ultra. I was real happy for him. And Scott L managed the PR he was hoping for, winning a wager with Gaby and some beer in the process. I think everyone else did real well too. And while we were doing this, John and Ken were on their way to conquering Wasatch, with the help of pacers Gaby, Dave and Sander. Yup, a good weekend for Corvallis trail runners.
There was a good contingent from Corvallis and area, including Guy, Scott L, Scott K, Todd, Mike, Mikio, Gerhard, Will and Jason. Good to see them all again.
My goal was to come in under 4:45, trying to get a 50K PR. I started out slow, real slow. The first part of the course was fairly technical … winding round a bunch of lava roc. At the turn-around, at the first aid station, most of the Corvallis crew was ahead of me ... good to see friendly faces passing by. As I passed Guy, he held up his hands … they were full of blood from a nasty fall. Ouch.
I kept an easy pace until about 12K … my average pace at that point was 6:20 min/km. I decided to ramp things up a bit. I would have to work now if I wanted to get that down to 5:42 .. … the average pace I would need to break 4:45. So, I cranked it up. My calf was complaining, right from the get go actually. But the pain was not getting worse, which I thought was a good thing. Other than that I was feeling good. I started to pass folks.
Things were going well until about 40K. Then in the space of a kilometre or so, the wheels came off the cart. My calf seized up, my stomach started with the hee-bee-gee-bees and I just ran out of juice. At this point, it was a struggle to run at all, even though the course was very easy from here on in. I had to take walking breaks, even on level ground. Nasty business. Haven’t felt this bad since SOB last year. People I had passed earlier on were now passing me. Arggg … I hate when that happens. It’s funny … I did STORMY just last month … 50 miles on a much tougher course … and I felt way better at the end of that than I did right now. It’s all about pace I guess.
I managed to catch up to Guy. His hands were a bloody, dirty mess from that initial and subsequent falls. Skin hanging off. But he was still going. We trudged along together for a while, each of us whining about our respective misery. With a few klicks to go I pulled away from him, albeit it real slowly. The death march continued. My GPS said about 2 klicks to go when I came up to this guy who said 60 yards to the finish! What a pleasant surprise. I managed to fire things up a bit and actually ran across the finish line. Finished in 5:11. I turned around to find that Guy was right behind me … just a few seconds or so back. Had the course been much longer, he would have passed me.
So … I'm glad this one is over. However, the McKenzie course is really nice, and I hope to get back for some fun running some time. Marilyn and the dogs would like it too. The best part of the day was that Guy finished … this was his first ultra. I was real happy for him. And Scott L managed the PR he was hoping for, winning a wager with Gaby and some beer in the process. I think everyone else did real well too. And while we were doing this, John and Ken were on their way to conquering Wasatch, with the help of pacers Gaby, Dave and Sander. Yup, a good weekend for Corvallis trail runners.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
On STORMY, coming home, Mary's Peak, Waldo
A busy two weeks.
Two Saturdays ago ran the STORMY 50 mile ultra out of Squamish BC (Squamish Test Of Running Mettle, Ya!). A nice run. Did it in 9:05. Better than I was expecting. Placed 13th overall. No big issues, but one of my right quads was complaining near the end.
Two days after that, Java and I returned home to Corvallis. For the first time in four months, saw the sun set over Mary's Peak. The pack is back together.
Two days after that, ran Bald Hill/Mulkey Ridge with Guy and Gaby. So good to run with them again.
One day after that the Corvallis crew had a nice 'welcome home' run for me up Dimple hill. Too sweet.
Two days after that, the crew ran Mary's Peak. It was beautiful up there.
One week after that, I worked the Twins Peak aid station at Where's Waldo. What a great crew. Lots of fun!
It is SO good to be back.
Working Twins Peak station
Twins Peak babes
Two Saturdays ago ran the STORMY 50 mile ultra out of Squamish BC (Squamish Test Of Running Mettle, Ya!). A nice run. Did it in 9:05. Better than I was expecting. Placed 13th overall. No big issues, but one of my right quads was complaining near the end.
Two days after that, Java and I returned home to Corvallis. For the first time in four months, saw the sun set over Mary's Peak. The pack is back together.
Two days after that, ran Bald Hill/Mulkey Ridge with Guy and Gaby. So good to run with them again.
One day after that the Corvallis crew had a nice 'welcome home' run for me up Dimple hill. Too sweet.
Two days after that, the crew ran Mary's Peak. It was beautiful up there.
One week after that, I worked the Twins Peak aid station at Where's Waldo. What a great crew. Lots of fun!
It is SO good to be back.
Working Twins Peak station
Twins Peak babes
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Nice tail
I ran the 5 Peaks Mount Seymour 12K race yesterday. A very, very technical course on the side of Mount Seymour. Total climb was about 2100'. A very popular race. There were about 200 runners doing the 12, and probably as many doing the 6K. Both groups started together, so it was hard to know who you were competing against. They sent us out in waves which further complicated that.
I've not been training at altitude and could tell. The lungs had a hard time keeping up with what the legs were calling for. I was passed several times along the way. I lack the agility it takes to move quickly across this kind of trail ... and I'm too chicken to risk spraining an ankle.
The last couple of kilometres I spent trying to keep up with a gal who was very good at navigating the terrain. I was pushing hard while trying not to stumble. The trail opened up in the last few hundred metres before the finish. I just managed to pass her and heard her say 'Nice tail'. Made my day.
I finished in 1:17, placing 36 overall. The best time was an amazing 0:56 ... how someone can move that fast over trail like that I'll never know.
Afterward went for a grind to the top of Mount Seymour (4600'). Beautiful views of the mountains and coast. Then went to the Endowment Lands for an easy 20K. All in all, a good running day.
I've not been training at altitude and could tell. The lungs had a hard time keeping up with what the legs were calling for. I was passed several times along the way. I lack the agility it takes to move quickly across this kind of trail ... and I'm too chicken to risk spraining an ankle.
The last couple of kilometres I spent trying to keep up with a gal who was very good at navigating the terrain. I was pushing hard while trying not to stumble. The trail opened up in the last few hundred metres before the finish. I just managed to pass her and heard her say 'Nice tail'. Made my day.
I finished in 1:17, placing 36 overall. The best time was an amazing 0:56 ... how someone can move that fast over trail like that I'll never know.
Afterward went for a grind to the top of Mount Seymour (4600'). Beautiful views of the mountains and coast. Then went to the Endowment Lands for an easy 20K. All in all, a good running day.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
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