(The race that almost wasn't)
This race report has to begin well before the starting line. I had my eye on this race early in the year as part of an overall 2015 goal I had made to PR (Personal Record) in every distance from 5k to 50k. Very aggressive goal as the shorter distance runs and longer distance runs take very different types of training and discipline. The goal in general started well with a 10k & 30k PR but quickly went downhill as I missed a few race distances because of work trips and my overall training and nutrition honestly just not being on point.
At the end of July while running in the 3rd race of the Summer Trail Series with some friends I took a hard fall on some pretty technical single track trail while going full speed downhill. The end result was a double fracture in my left foot (Cuboid & 5th Metatarsal). I was only 3 months from race day and had Hood to Coast planned in the middle as well. My race plans and final push for 2015 success looked bleak at best. As I laid in my favorite chair with an ice pack on my foot only two days after the fall and still walking on crutches and in a walking boot it was sign up day for the race. I sat there looking at my ipad contemplating the odds I could recover in time to actually run let alone have enough time to actually train for the 50k distance. I pushed the button and spent the money and hoped for the best. I thought to my self I would rather be upset that I wasted the money than upset that I could have ran the race but didn't sign up. I decided to take on the mantra of "NO EXCUSES".
I continued to work out and do everything I could to keep my fitness up while running was not an option. My goal became continue this effort with the walking boot on until a few days before Hood to Coast then try the foot out for a few short runs and attempt the three legs (17 total mile distance) of Hood to Coast as a good test of the foot to see if I could actually start training for the Ultra. The test runs went well, a little pain but nothing I figured I couldn't deal with. Hood to Coast went well (Other than the weather) my foot held up and I didn't feel like the distance created any set backs. After a post Hood to Coast trip to the Podiatrist I was given the (your crazy but if you can make it through that I don't see why you can't keep running on it).
(The result of the wind and rain at the Hood to Coast finishers stage)
Just before Hood to Coast I had suckered my friend and co-worker Andrew into signing up for the race as well. He had run Portland Marathon last year and hated it so why not add an extra 5 miles of distance and 4,500ft of elevation climb all while on rocky muddy trails in November. Needless to say my sales skills came into play and Andrew was reluctantly on board. He ran Hood to Coast with me and our plan was to get right into Ultra training as soon as we finished the relay. We started hitting the mileage pretty hard adding to it every weekend while trying to keep each other sane and motivated. I'm really glad Andrew signed up because there were plenty of moments when I wanted to use my foot as an excuse and bail on all the hard work I knew was ahead of us.
We hooked up with a running group called Endurance Trail Runners and ran a few long runs with them. That was really helpful and we met a guy named Ken who was planning on running Silver Falls as his first 50k. We did a long effort in The Gorge up and back down Larch Mountain and on my Birthday I decided to run/hike the entire Wildwood Trail as a good last long effort before tapering for the race. The confidence built with each long weekend effort and my foot felt stronger and stronger. I really began to think I may be able to not only finish this race but potentially get one last PR for the year.
Race Morning:
My alarm went off at 4:15am my body felt so so as I was still feeling the affects of the 120 mile October, I had been unable to get in for a pre-race massage to loosen things up and I had spent a few days that week in Las Vegas for work (not the best taper plan). What I wasn't feeling was nervous, my experience finally was playing a part and I knew what to expect plus I was going into the race with a new strategy that I was intrigued to see how it would all play out. I knew the race would be difficult (they never really get easier) and I knew it would be cold and rainy but I felt prepared for all of it. I was also excited to be heading down to the race with Andrew and Ken who were both running their first Ultra.
The race started at 39 degrees and my shorts, shirt, arm sleeves and compression socks were not enough to keep me warm but I knew later in the race I wouldn't want to be overly warm or have gear I wanted to get rid of and no place for it to go. It took about four miles for the chill to go away and my body to feel like it was moving efficiently. My experience has taught me that most people run these long races with the strategy of I will run a little slower than I normally would for as long as I can and hope I can finish the race. I have done that as well and it has worked as a means to finishing the race but I wanted something different out of this race. I wanted to actually finish strong and feel like I had something left for the final miles. This strategy is one I have read about plenty but am always nervous to implement as it requires starting slow and staying there for over half the race before switching into a higher gear to finish the race. The fear has always been that I wont have enough left to make up the time lost by running slow and easy early on in the race.
I figured there was nothing to loose, at this point the worst that could happen would be I would finish slow and easy. I continued on once my body was warm at a nice easy pace and planned to stay that way until about mile 19.5 where there was an aid station and a long down hill section that followed. I wanted to be able to take advantage of that downhill and have the energy left to run hard to the finish from that section on. I stayed disciplined and tried to keep moving well without exerting too much energy. I had forgot my running watch that morning which was probably a blessing because if I had seen my time in the first half of the race I probably would have bailed on the strategy thinking I could never make up the time later in the race. I ran on effort and tried to not let my heart rate get above what I perceived to be about 120bpm.
At mile 12 or so we had a creek crossing where the very cold water was about up to my calves. Not the most comfortable thing with 19 miles left to go but after a few miles I had forgotten we even went through it.The course was a mixture of bike path, wide groomed trails and single track rocky rooty technical trails. A lot of rolling hills but nothing that felt too steep for too long and many beautiful waterfalls along the way.
As I got close to the aid station at mile 19.5 I took a mental check of how I was feeling, I felt good I had kept up my food, water and knew I could finish this race at this pace with no problem but did I have another gear. I was concerned I did not and would have to continue at this pace near the back of the mid pack the rest of the way. I decided to trust the plan continue along the process I had in place make my changes (which included large amounts of icy hot) at the aid station and try and give it a go. I took off from the aid station and not only found I had a second gear but maybe even a third. I felt like the race had just started for me, I was full of energy and excitement and running faster than I could have imagined 20 miles into a 31 mile race.
I still wasn't sure how the strategy would end up so I decided to count how many people I passed in that last section to decide if the strategy was successful or not. As I ran on I saw what I had expected many racers starting to hit "the wall" and doing more hiking than running as their energy was depleted and they were in the spot I had been in many times just trying to limp across the finish line. At this point in the race the Marathon racers were mixed in with us as well so some of the runners I was passing were 50k racers and some were Marathon racers. I was able to take advantage of the downhill and even run hard on the uphill sections of the course. As I reached "the stairs" with about 4 miles left I had passed 74 other runners in the last 7 miles of trails and knew not only had the strategy worked but even though I was starting to tire I had made up more time than I could have imagined. I did not have my watch and no sense of what the time was at but my gut told me a PR was possible if I just kept moving forward.
(Not the actual Silver Falls stairs but ask any runner this is what they felt like)
At this section of the course you climb a long stretch of switch backed steep stairs before you have another long climb up to the parking lot. You reach the parking lot feeling like the race has to be close to over as you couldn't have parked more than a half mile from here. The problem (and my least favorite part of this course) is that you still have about 3 miles to go so the course takes you on about three 1 mile loops around the parking lot where you can see and hear the finish line each time but have to split off and run again (one of which includes a section called Nutcracker Hill). Finally you come pout onto the grassy field with orange traffic cones guiding your way and across the finish line. This was the first time I saw any time the entire race and I realized I had beaten my previous 50k PR by about 15 minutes!
I was very pleased with the results, enjoyed the way it felt to finish the race strong and was excited to see my family and wait for Andrew and Ken to cross the finish line as well. The weather which was supposed to be pouring rain for the entire race had held off until about the last two miles for me so I was very pleased with that but it now was coming down hard and I was really hoping Andrew and Ken were still moving forward towards their goal. They both came across the line with that completely exhausted yet accomplished look on their faces that I knew only to well. I was so pleased to watch them experience that moment and know whatever they say now they are hooked for life :)
I want to thank my Wife for all the Saturday mornings dealing with three kids by herself while I run, Andrew and Ken for the support, The Endurance Running Group for the great training support and all my friends and family that have been positive and supportive during the adventure. Now Winter is here it's time to let the legs rest for awhile and dream up some new challenges for 2016!
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