Gorge Waterfalls 50k 2014 Race Recap

This race was scheduled for Saturday March 29th (my 11 year wedding anniversary) my very understanding wife was willing to let me sign up for this race by being persuaded with a weekend at Skamania Lodge and some personal time in Hood River while I ran through the trails of the Columbia Gorge.

As anyone who lives local knows the weather leading up to the race was rain, rain and more rain. This was really depressing me for the race I was worried we would be sloshing through mud and unable to actually run not to mention being out in the pouring rain for 6 or so hours. Come the morning of the race however the sun was out and the rain had stopped, I was unsure how long it would last but would take every dry minute I could get. Prior to the race I was very unsure on how to dress for the race as it was warm and we would be doing some heavy climbing but downpour rains were in the forecast for any minute.



I decided to play it safe and go with pants a shirt, jacket and hat (not to mention my 5+ pound hydration and storage pack). As we started the run somewhere between 200-300 runners crowded onto a single track trail in the forest (talk about a bottle neck) my plan was to start close to the front and let all the fast people pass me rather than getting stuck behind slower runners on this trail that made running not only difficult but very dangerous in most spots. Unfortunately the race was running late and I didn't get my bib number until a few minutes to the start so I got shoved to the middle of the pack.We all ran very slowly for about two miles bunched up until we came to our first "yes first" stream crossing. Everyone kind of froze, I assume at the idea of having wet socks for the next 30 miles and this was a chance to get ahead of a chunk of the crowd. After that point the race scattered out a bit but I continued to come up on a line of 8 or so runners tightly bunched heading up the hills. As the first 4 miles or so were a steady climb up many people were walking (to preserve energy for later in the race) and causing the traffic jams on the trail. I understand this is a very normal thing in trail ultras but I was becoming a bit antsy and was ready to get ahead of these bunched up packs.

I had told myself before the race that I needed to take the entire thing easy and enjoy the scenery as there was no reason to try and run this hard. I hadn't got in as much training leading up to the race as I had planned and I was unsure how the elevation and climb would play out on my energy level. This strategy was thrown out the window around this time (mile 4) and my competitiveness came out. I decided to change my race strategy and run the first 20 miles pretty hard and see what I had left for the last 10 or so. I figured if I could get ahead of a large group of people early then i could just try and maintain that and if they had conserved enough energy at the end to pass me back by then they deserved it.

I started heading up the hills pretty hard and soon after we came to our first significant downhill section, this is where I let it loose and passed by a big group of runners. After that I just tried to stay consistent and run hard to the first aid station around mile 9 or 10. The trails were very technical we crossed probably 8 to 10 small streams, multiple snow banks and other large sections where the trail disappeared into an area of large (slippery) rocks. Even the sections of trails that weren't in water, snow, or rocks were very technical compared to what I am used to. They were very narrow and very rocky, it seemed like no matter where you put your feet you were just going to be running on rocks all day.

The trail continued up and down and up again until we reached the first aid station. By this point the sun was still out and my jacket and hat were becoming very cumbersome. I was getting pretty hot but didn't have many options so I started strategizing for the second aid station where I had a bag waiting for me. I decided I would continue to run hard to the second aid station (somewhere close to mile 18) and use my drop bag to ditch my coat and hat and even thought briefly about shedding my hydration pack to feel light and have energy for the last 3rd of the race. I thought with the third aid station around mile 24 or so I could make it from aid station 2 to aid station 3 without food or water and then from the 3rd aid station to the finish. My big dilemma was music. I had an ipod (in one ear, the rules on the trail) and new without my pack it would be annoying to carry so i ultimately decided to keep the pack but shed the close.

As we made our way towards the 2nd aid station I was getting very annoyed with the pain in my feet from landing on so many rocks and twisting a few ankles not to mention the general ankle twisting form that the trail forced on you with how narrow it was. I had my first wardrobe malfunction as my left sock slid half way down my foot and I was forced to stop and take my entire shoe off. I watched about 6 people pass me by as I took care of that darn sock (for the first of many times) and decided while I was stopped I would put my jacket in my pack to cool off early before the aid station. I got back running again and within a mile we hit our first real waterfall of the race it was massive and the wind was blowing as we crossed the close by bridge. I was completely soaked from head to toe once I arrived on the other side of the bridge and thought "what a good time to take my coat off" someone close mentioned "well its not every day you get a full shower in the middle of your race"

We finally hit the 2nd aid station and I was able to ditch my coat and hat and anything else I figured I wouldn't need for the last stretch. Moving on the route took us on to a two mile stretch of road near the highway. This should have been a nice break for the throbbing feet and banged up ankles but the wind was horrendous. I was trying to run hard and make up some time on this flat section of course but felt like I wasn't even moving. After about a mile an older gentleman who had been running directly behind me for the last ten minutes came up beside me and said "that wind is eating me alive, I've been drafting off you do you want to switch?" We spent the rest of the time on the road taking turns drafting by running behind each other and avoiding the wind.

As we finished up that stretch of road and hit the trail for another hill climb I told the guy I had been running with I was gonna walk a bit (I was feeling completely wiped out). I started hiking up the trail and the rain started to fall and fall and fall. I walked for a very short stent before my energy came back and I was able to start running. This should have been the lowest part of the race for me as I was just completely exhausted, I still had about 10 miles or so to go I was soaking wet and had no jacket or hat. Yet the "runners high" of all runners highs came over me at the perfect time. I started to laugh at the circumstances and felt amazing, my feet weren't hurting I wasn't cold (even though it was now hailing) and I was flying through the trails rarely seeing anyone else but slowly passing the handful of people that had passed me during my aid station stop and the highway stretch.

This great feeling went on for a while, through the 3rd aid station (where we all had a good laugh that I had ditched my rain gear right before the rain hit) and into the last large climb of the race. I had decided not to use my GPS watch on this run (as I was just going to try and take it easy) so I had no idea other than the aid stations what the mileage was or any concept of how long I had been out there, but I did remember from the course map that the last large climb was about 2,000ft of climb in 2 miles then we came back down the other side and had one last mile of flat to the finish line. So as we hit the last large climb near the base of the Multnomah Falls viewing switchbacks I not only had my runners high still in full force but knew it wouldn't be long till I was dry and headed for the Skamania Lodge hot tub.

I started power hiking up the switch backs and was passing allot of very tired looking racers, they all gave me positive words of encouragement with a hint of jealousy towards my still high energy level. As we reached the top of the Multnomah falls area and started heading down I thought "yes I did it, I powered up all those hills and kept a good pace and now its downhill to the finish line" Unfortunately the trail headed UP AGAIN. This was very disheartening but I just kept thinking it will go down any second. That second lasted about 45 more minutes of steep climbing and almost everyone I had passed on the first uphill stretch had now passed me back. I was completely unprepared for how steep and long that last climb would  be.

The next thing I remember is a runner coming up from behind and saying, 'we did it were at the top, it's all downhill from here" I muttered a half intelligible "uh huh" He took another look at me and I think he could see in my eyes I had lost all energy and spirit and was ready to pretty much walk the rest of the race. He said "you can do this c'mon lets go". This was just enough to shake me out of my slumber and I started to run with him, we began talking and getting to know each other and before I knew it we were running hard again and I was feeling good. We flew down the next section of the race and passed probably 10 more people before coming out of the trails into the west parking lot of Multnomah Falls. We said to each other this is it we are done! Unfortunately we still had one last muddy mile to the finish line. I wanted to just walk so bad that last mile but kept running and even though it felt like it took an hour I kept Jason (the guy I had recently met and was running with) in my sights all the way to the finish line. I crossed the finish line where the race director was waiting, I shook his hand and called him a "sick s.o.b." I finished 88th out of 306 overall and was pretty pleased with that it took about 6 hours and 40 minutes (about an hour longer than I thought since I didn't have my watch)

I was pretty dazed, wet, cold and hungry when it was all over. My feet were killing me and I realized just how difficult a long technical trail ultra really is. I would have to say that this 31 mile run was about twice as hard as my flatish 50 miler last October. At this point I have no idea if I will do more of these, longer versions, shorter versions or stick more to the flatter roads and trails. This was definitely an adventure/obstacle course type race with nature and one sick man creating the obstacles. However I am glad I got to experience it and have so much more respect for the people who compete and complete long trail ultras.

Thanks everyone for the well wishes and support, I have heard there are some good videos of the race coming out so i will post those to this page as they are released.

proposal after crossing the finish line together "would you be my ultra-wife"

My coach Yassine (and 4th place overall in the 100k) running the Gorge trails.
pic credit by Paul Nelson Photography


"we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope" (Romans 5:3).

Week #22 (Autumn Leaves Race Report)

Weekly Mileage: 55.54

Wednesday was a light 4+ mile stretch run to keep the legs fresh before race day.

Friday was carbo load day (just about the best part of training for a race) it also happened to fall on our monthly birthday party for work (the theme was Thanksgiving Food). I ate multiple rolls, mashed potatoes, stuffing and pie, pie and more pie. This worked out so well as it allowed me to stuff myself with high carb foods earlier in the day instead of late that night and then just eat a nice pasta & shrimp dinner before heading to bed. I also picked up my race number on my way home from work and received #11 (spontaneously) my favorite number since I can remember (this was a good omen for sure) My sister-in-law Heather came over that night to stay with our kids since we had to leave about 5:45 Saturday morning. Unfortunately her daughter Brynne broke her wrist that day in an epic P.E. collision, but they still came over (very appreciated).

Saturday Beth and I got up just before 5:00 am and started getting ready, I had trouble getting all of my breakfast down, not sure if it was nerves or the lunch feast I ate the day before (I didn't feel nervous). We left the house at 5:45 and arrived at the pitch black park at 6:20 am. I felt a little rushed as I tried to get everything together and 7:00 was approaching soon, the good thing about that is it didn't leave me with much time to get nervous. Our friends/pacers Ian & Mindy Durias showed up a few minutes before the start and before I knew it we were off.

I started the race listening to some random music following my headlamp as the sun would not rise for about 45 minutes. I started near the back of the pack (129 runners 65-50k runners and 64-50 mile runners) I was moving through the pack pretty quickly and kept trying to find a person or two I could follow at a good pace. That early on most were going to slow until I finally found myself behind a younger lady and older man running and talking together. They seemed to be running at about a 9:00 minute mile pace which was exactly what I was planning on trying to keep for as long as I could, so I hunkered down behind them and followed their lead for about 4 miles or so. Once the sun came out (with plenty of welcomed clouds) it was much easier to see and the headlamp & gloves were no longer needed. I finished the first 6.25 mile loop (actually about 6.5 mile loop more on that later) feeling really good and ready to accomplish this goal today!                              

I grabbed a few fig newtons and a filed up water bottle from my "crew"and headed out for the second loop. I changed my ipod from music to the audiobook "Dad is Fat" by the comedian Jim Gaffigan this was a great choice as the book was funny and all about parenting, it lasted just over 5 hours and I finished the entire thing while I ran. Things continued to go well until I was finishing up the 3rd loop around mile 20 when my left knee started to feel some pain and pressure. This was not an unfamiliar pain as I have experienced it in my   last few long training runs so I knew I could run with it but what I didn't know was for how long. When I got back to the staging area I rubbed some icy hot on it grabbed a few more fig newtons and headed out again. 

Loop 4 was probably the hardest loop as I was in a decent amount of pain due to the knee and knew I still was not even half way done, I also was a bit annoyed as I realized the route was a bit long measuring almost a 1/4 mile longer than stated (this is not uncommon to make sure everyone gets in the distance or even a little more rather than a little less especially if trying to qualify for some other race) I did the math having to run the route 8 times and figured out I would be running about 51.5 miles! I wasn't to excited about that but the negative thoughts were very fleeting I was able to stay positive and keep moving. I did have to start walking on the up hills as that's where my knee pain was most prevalent. When I finished the 4th loop I got some more icy hot on my knee threw down a few ibuprofen and was encouraged by my "crew" that I just had one more loop by myself and then they would start running with me. However before I left my friend Ian noticed a large round stain on my blue running jacket near my right chest area. He asked if that was an old stain I looked down said no I hadn't noticed it before and checked to make sure I wasn't having any chaffing issues. I hadn't felt any discomfort and when I did a quick check realized my race number a burnt orange color had just bled from the sweat through my jacket.

 After that pit stop and check over I was off again. A mile or so in I decided to check on the stains origin one more time only to realize I was bleeding, yep bleeding from my right nipple through my shirt, through my race number and through my jacket. Wow I thought how could this happen without any pain whatsoever. I thought about back tracking to change my shirt and get some Vaseline but decided to risk it, keep moving forward and hope they had something at the aid station about another mile away. Luckily for me they had some Vaseline and it was enough to get me through the rest of that loop. That loop (loop 5) went well as I was in less pain probably thanks to the ibuprofen and excited to have some friends run with me for the rest of the race. I also felt I was over the halfway mark and starting to make some real headway towards accomplishing this. I finished leg 5 switched out my shirt, my shoes and lost the jacket, got new refilled water bottles and applied some Vaseline. I was ready to start loop 6 where Mindy would be running with me and figured being a Red Sox fan this was my "Curt Schilling" moment.

              

As I took off on loop number 6 hoping to find Mindy as she had left early to try and catch up with me

 (she was cold and trying to warm up and also I'm sure very anxious and bored of sitting around watching people compete in something) I realized that in all the nipple attention I had forgotten to apply any icy hot to my left knee. This was by far the biggest mistake I made in the race as the knee gave me more problems but having Mindy there was a huge help. It pushed me to keep running as much as possible and we discussed how I felt really good. My energy hadn't wavered since the start of the race, I was now about 7 hours in and I felt like I had been running for maybe 4. Cardio wise I felt like I could continue forever, I had no real fatigue and was still running well. Other than my knee issue I was in a great place physically and mentally and talking about the positive place I was in with Mindy really helped to stay there and make the time pass on faster. 

After finishing the 6th loop I got to my much anticipated (and new best friend) icy hot and Mindy switched out for her husband Ian so he could run loop number 7 with me. We talked again about how good I felt and how I couldn't believe that I hadn't hit any type of wall physically or mentally and Ian kept referring to my training really working. See the thing is with a race this long you only train to about 35 miles so you don't know how your body will react for those last 15 miles as you have never experienced it before. Luckily for me not only did things go well but I was feeling better than I had in most of my long training runs. I was feeling full of energy and even  though my knee was giving me issues and by this point causing me to walk any up or down hill I was totally cognizant in a positive place and knew it was now just a matter of time. 

As Ian and I finished loop number 7 my Mom, Sister and Casto had arrived along with Allie and the twins. I knew in the back of my mind they should be there by now but hadn't thought much about it until approaching the staging area. It was so great to see all the kids and Allie holding up a sign, it was great to have the support of my family there. I knew they would be sitting there for another hour or so until I actually finished and felt a little guilty about that but appreciated it all the more knowing they were there to support me. I made quick pit stop changed shoes again and traded Ian in for Beth. I was excited to run this last loop with her as she has been my biggest supporter through the last 5 months. To be honest I signed up for this race without asking/telling her until I had already done it and the amount of time that has been sacrificed has been difficult. She has been a great support through it all and I was happy to share the last hour running alongside her. (honestly an hour together without any screaming kids is a treat even if it was the 9th straight hour of exercise).

We took off and she kept asking me what I needed. I wasn't really sure as I was surprisingly still feeling really good and wanted to just keep moving forward and run as much as my knee would allow so I could get to the end and celebrate with everyone. Ian & Mindy anxious to run some more (I'm not the only crazy one believe me) decided to run the course backwards and catch up with us so they could run the last mile or so to the finish with us. They caught us and all 4 of us began running the last mile or so to the finish line. That last mile I thought about how I expected to be more emotional towards the end of this race but I also expected to have to go through a deep low and pull myself out at some point during the race. I had experienced that in much shorter runs and just thought it as part of the territory. I think the ease of the run and the day (the weather was overcast and absolutely perfect) pretty much lead to that low never happening. The race atmosphere, great people and amazing support from not only family & friends that were there but all of you that have kept me going through this challenge took away any of that negative energy that would pull someone down to a place where they would question there ability to finish. I ran hard that last mile and sprinted with everything I had left up the last hill to the finish line. I was greeted by my family and other racers and couldn't believe the day was over. Honestly I felt so good and encouraged I kinda felt like going for a run :)    

If you look closely on this photo you can see the previously mentioned right nipple stain.

"Pacers" Ian & Mindy pretending to be tuckered out.

My mom looks proud and my sister just looks nervous. lol

 The Best Crew Ever!

Me and Allie right after the race

















 The coveted belt buckle.

      

                                                                                                                                      

All in all I finished pretty close to what I had expected even with the knee issues. 46 of the 65 runners finished the race and I placed 20th overall.

Thanks again to everyone for all the support and keep your eyes open for the next adventure!!!!!!!!!!

Week #21 (Taper Week)

For those of you that aren't familiar with the term "taper" it is the time before a race when your training s finished and you lighten the workload in an effort to be fresh going into your race. Usually a week or two, for a 50 miler most people suggest three to four weeks of tapering but with the way things worked out I am only able to get two weeks in. I'ts probably all for the better as I get pretty stir crazy during "taper" weeks anyways.

Weekly Mileage: 16.45

Monday Rest Day

Tuesday was an early morning run, I wanted to keep it short and just stretch out my legs as I was still a little sore from Saturday's 30 miler. I ended up getting in a very cold 3.30 miles at a 8:26 pace but am not sure it accomplished what I was hoping as it was so cold I didn't get much of a stretch.

Wednesday Rest Day

Thursday I got up early nervous about the temperature again but it actually was much warmer. I woke up not feeling good as I started to have a fever and the dreaded "yellow snot" was back again. I knew I probably shouldn't run especially with the high likely-hood my sinus infection from a few weeks ago may be coming back but I am so tired of being sick and having things getting in the way of my training I had to get out there. I just don't have time left to miss any training sessions.

Friday Rest Day (by the end of the night I actually began feeling much better)


Saturday I woke up and left the house for my run at the same times as I will next week for my race. I wanted my body to get used to the routine and also wanted to note the temperature and daylight so I would know what to expect next Saturday. The temperature at 7:00am was COLD, much colder than during the week at 4:30am and the sun didn't rise until close to 8:00am. This was a good experience as I will make sure I am prepared for that type of cold next week (my hands were like frozen slabs of meat for most of the run). I ended up running just over 8 miles at a 8:46 pace and everything went well other than the cold.

Sunday Rest Day

*Going into "Race Week" I definitely feel like my training could have been better and my nutrition and weight are not where I wanted them to be however I also feel pretty confident about the race. I have great people supporting me from afar and there on race day and mentally I feel prepared. I can't believe after 5 months the week is finally here, I am nervous and excited and to be completely honest really ready for it to be over :)

Week #20 (Home Stretch)

Weekly Mileage: 35.72

Monday Rest Day

Tuesday Rest Day

Wednesday I went out for my first morning run in the new neighborhood, it was pretty dark out and I was glad my feet are trained to react quickly because as I ran on some bumpy/broken sidewalks there were many moments that my feet had to react to something my eyes couldn't see. I ran 5.5 miles at a 8:30 pace, it felt comfortable and easy very little issue with my left knee that had been bugging me.

Thursday (unscheduled) Rest Day

Friday Rest Day

Saturday was the big day, I planned to get in one last long run for training before starting to taper for the race. I felt a lot of pressure to really get in some good mileage as my long runs have left me with a lack of confidence lately. I felt I needed to prove to myself that I was still in race shape and I could mentally push past the discomfort it will take to finish the race. My goal was at least 30 miles and maybe upwards of 35 if all went well. I decided to solicite for some help as I planned to run a 6 mile loop around my new neighborhood 5 to 6 times and figured it was a good opportunity to run with some friends as my long runs don't usually lend themselves to that luxury.

Ryan showed up at 6am and we took off for the first loop, his personal best for distance was 6.26 and he asked how far we were going, I told him it should be a little under 6 miles and he seemed comfortable with that. This was a new route for me and it was very dark out so Ryan and I passed one of our turns. Before we noticed we had added an extra mile each way. I told Ryan well I guess you'll run a new personal best today as long as you make it back. He did great finishing 7.77 miles with me (he had plenty of energy to spare) and I minded him that the two skills I was forced to lose back in my personal trainer days were any sense of direction and the ability to accurately count to ten.

I ran the next loop solo and it went by quickly as it was shorter than the first since I stuck to the original route. After that I stopped by a good friend/co-worker/new neighbors house (Audri) so she could run the 3rd loop with me. She had recently twisted her ankle and this would be her first run on it in almost a week. We started out great but after a decent sized hill she started to really feel some pain so we decided to cut it short and head back to her place, before we got there though she wanted to keep running and so we looped around the neighborhood a few times completing almost 5 miles.

As these two were the only friends I could sucker into giving up their Saturday morning to run with me I was now back on my own after 19 miles with at least 11 to still go. Honestly thou I felt really good, mentally the early miles had gone by so easy (thanks in part to the company) that now I was two thirds done and the only thing that was a struggle was some pain in my left knee and calf cramps. Thankfully Audri had a tube of spare icy hot as mine is still packed in a box somewhere.

I finished up the rest of the run feeling pretty strong and finished it out after 30.22 miles averaging a 9:49 pace. I was hopping to add another few miles but really started to feel it in my left knee heading down hill on the last mile, so I decided its still training and to play it safe. Overall I feel pretty good about the last 5 months of training and now it's time to take it easy, stay loose and prepare for race day.

Sunday Rest and Eat Day

Week # 19 (Is it over yet?)

Weekly Mileage: 33.16

Monday I went for a run in the morning I got in 4.06 miles at an 8:34 pace, it felt alright but I was still experiencing a lot of stiffness and an almost swollen type feeling around my left knee and hamstring. It doesn't impair my running but makes me nervous that it will get worse before the race or become an issue during the race.

Tuesday Rest Day (kind of)

Wednesday Rest Day (kind of)

Thursday Rest Day (kind of)

Friday Rest Day (kind of)

This week has been.... Well the word "busy" doesn't do it justice. Between work, packing and moving, recovering from sicknesses something had to give and unfortunately this week it was running. if eel like it is going to come back to bite me during my race as after the lay off because of the sinus infection and now this I feel as if I have taken 3 steps backwards in my readiness when I should be feeling  my strongest and putting in my largest training miles before tapering for the race.

Saturday I ran around the new neighborhood (Gladstone) and was hoping to run a 5mile loop 4 times during my first loop the pain in my left knee area was pretty bad and it felt pretty difficult altogether. I wasn't sure how much I could really get done and after the first loop I decided to switch my shoes. Within the first few steps of the second loop my knee felt fine, I realized at that moment that all the runs I have been feeling this knee issue have been with my latest pair of shoes ( a different brand than my typical Brooks Pure line). I don't think the shoes caused the issue and it is still there without them, but the new shoes are aggravating it for sure.

The run still felt difficult though and I ended up getting in just over16 miles at a 9:10 pace. I planned on running another decent run on Sunday and hoped I could get out more miles then.

Sunday I went out for another run and it was pretty warm out,I wasn't very sore from Saturday but within 3 miles I felt tired and done. The good news is I pushed myself as far as I could, the bad news is it was only 13 miles. I keep waiting for it to get easy and and to feel strong and confident again but it isn't here yet. hopefully it will come within the next week as it is my last real training week before I need to taper for the race.

Note: I was very proud and inspired by my friend Ian who finished the Portland Marathon this weekend. I haven't heard all the details but it sounds like it was a grind but he got it done and I hope to do the same at the end of this month.

Week #18 (Back at it)

Weekly Mileage: 22.67

Monday I ran 5.14 miles at a 8:46 pace, I had wanted to go a little further but it was early morning and the weather was off and on monsoon style rain. I was wearing a tank top and decided to cut it a bit short as I was still trying to recover from last weeks sinus infection. This was actually the first day I started to feel better after about 10 days of sickness.

Tuesday Rest Day

Wednesday Rest Day

Thursday I ran again in the morning and only had time to get in 4.06 miles at a 8:23 pace. I am still feeling pretty weak and nervous about some pain I am having in my left knee I figured Saturday's long run would be a good test and let me know how my knee will hold up and how my fitness felt

Friday Rest Day

Saturday I woke up early to hear the rain absolutely pouring down in buckets, I was not looking forward to spending the next couple of hours running in that weather. I finally decided to hit the gym and run on the treadmill, for how much I despise running on the treadmill I figured this would be a nice break from the rain and a more comfortable way to get the miles in.

That thought process lasted less than an hour before I packed up my stuff through on my jacket and hit the road to fight through the rain and the wind. The weather was pretty brutal but compared to the treadmill I felt like I was in paradise. I ended up getting 13.5 miles in the longest I have ran in 3 weeks and overall it felt pretty good. I still feel pretty weak and need to get mentally stronger early on in my long runs but my knee gave me very little issues and I felt recovered by the next day.

This next week will be a big mileage week (my last of 2) hopefully I can start to feel strong again and feel ready for the race on October 26th.

Sunday Rest Day

Week #17 Recap (Warning! It's Boring)

Weekly Mileage: 4.16

Monday Sick

Tuesday Sick

Wednesday Sick

Thursday Sick (Got antibiotics for Sinus Infection)

Friday Sick

Saturday Sick

Sunday I was still not feeling well but I told myself I had to run by Sunday no matter how I felt, basically I am running out of time to finish up my training (including my two last big mileage weekends) and a decent taper before the race. The weather was rainy, windy and muggy and my head still felt like a huge balloon plus my sinuses were somehow plugged and runny at the same time. I got just over 4 miles in at around an 8:25 pace per mile and it took everything I had.

Somehow during my 10 days off from running because of the sickness (the longest break I have had in about 10 months) I have developed an injury. My left leg around the back of my knee and on my upper calf has become very sore during my time off, the best way to describe it is like my ligaments surrounding my knee are fatigued. Not sure how taking time off could cause this issue but when I ran I felt it being very sensitive and am very nervous about putting it to the test next Saturday with a 35 mile training run.

There has been allot of ups and downs during this training (especially lately) and I am definitely at the bottom of another hill looking up (when you feel wiped out running 4 miles running 50 feels so daunting). They say "life imitates art" and I think "training imitates the race" so I have to assume that my training is preparing me for the challenge ahead not just physically but mentally.

One More Thanks!

I wanted to say thank you one more time to everyone who sponsored me in my effort to raise money for Compassion International. The final count has been done and with some generous matching and very generous people our Hood to Coast team raised $5,831 for the water of life effort in impoverished Countries.

That money will provide 71 million gallons of water or to think about it in another way, clean water for 71 communities. Great job everyone and thanks for helping make such a big difference.

Week #16 Recap

Weekly Mileage: 9.97

Monday Rest Day

Tuesday Rest Day

Wednesday I got out there early and ran 5.60 miles at an average pace of 9:23. It is getting darker and darker each morning at 4:30 making it more difficult to see. I took it easy on my pace since the visibility was low also my muscles weren't very sore but felt heavy and tired for sure.

Thursday I got up early again and put in 4.37 miles at an average pace of 9:09 the run felt better than the day before as my muscles were one day further from the 32 miler last Sunday and a little stretched out from Wednesday's run. I was feeling extremely tired though, I went to bed early that night but can't seem to get enough sleep I also feel like I may be fighting off a cold or something.

Friday I was supposed to get up early for a circuit training workout but I opted for some extra sleep as the day went on I kept feeling the cold coming on and then going away but each time it came back it was a little stronger. By that night there was no denying it, a full blown cold had developed I was glad I had Saturday planned as a Rest Day and figured I would be o.k. to run on Sunday.

Saturday I was wrong! I woke up feeling pretty horrible and it did not get any better during the day

Sunday I hoped I would be on the other side of the mountain but it only got worse since Saturday. It has turned in to a cold/flu hybrid and I am really frustrated with myself for not eating better over the last week because I think I could have avoided catching this bug if I had. At this point I have to just play it by ear as I have a 35 mile run planned for next Saturday, we'll see how things progress and hopefully I will be ready to take on that challenge by next Saturday.

Week #15 Recap

Weekly Mileage: 43.19

Monday Rest Day

Tuesday Rest Day

Wednesday I mixed in a hour long full body workout early in the morning. I am going to mix this in more during September since my weekend runs are so long. I will replace some of the weekday runs with these workouts to give my legs a little extra rest. I was more sore than I expected the rest of the week after actually working these muscles I have ignored for awhile.

Thursday I got up in the morning before work and ran 7.06 miles at a 9:22 pace it was a good easy run but I definitely noticed the summer is coming to an end as it was much darker at 4:30 that morning than it has been through most of the summer.

Friday I planned to get up in the morning and get another full body workout in but when I awoke I heard the rain coming down and even though I was going to work out in the garage it was just enough to push me back into my warm bed. Of course I regretted that decision during the day and hoped I could sneak a quick run in after work before Beth and I went out for dinner.

To take a quick step back and to give some insight into how my brain works, a few days before I was thinking about Beth's upcoming 5k she had planned for Saturday (The Color Run) and wondering if she had a goal for the race, this lead to me thinking about what my next goal should be for a 5k (my last 5k I ran was on 7/4 and I set a new PR with 21:45) I decided I would really like to run a 5k in under 20:00 minutes but I would have to wait until next summer to put in some specific speed training and sign up for a race to give it a go.

Fast forward up to Friday again and Beth says "ya it's fine if I sneak in a quick run before we go out for dinner" I figure I just have time for 3 or 4 miles and then think well since I am going to run around 3 miles and a 5k is 3.1 miles why wait till next summer lets just take care of that 20:00 goal right now. I take off east on sunnyside and start pushing the tempo I realize right away this is probably not a good idea with a 32 miler planned for Sunday but I can't stop now that it's in my head. I run the first 2 1/2 miles right around the pace I need to be at but the tempo and decent hill right in the last stretch was a little to much for me. I finished the 3.1 mile run in 20:58 a 6:46 pace not my goal but I was pretty happy with the effort. I ran another mile to cool down and stretch out before we left for the night.

Saturday Rest Day-got to bring the kids down to PIR to support Beth and some of her co-workers in the Color Run it was a fun experience and she did great.

Sunday I realized if you ever want to question your sanity just wake up at 4:00am on a weekend so you can get out the door by 5:00 to put in over 5 hours of exercise. Oh and make it on the first weekend of the NFL this should get someone to commit you. I had planned out this race as a good test and training run for my Ultra in that I mapped out a loop around my neighborhood that would bring me to my house in just over 10 miles. I would stop by my house like an aid station to refill water bottles and use the bathroom before heading out again ultimately completing the loop 3 times. My Ultra is a 10k loop that I will have to run 8 times and each time I will be back at the starting/finish line having to leave again so I figured I need to train for the mental toughness to leave each time even when I get to the easiest physical place to stop.

The run itself went pretty well it started of dark and cool but before my first loop was done the sun had started to rise and it began to warm. I got to the house and the family was still in bed which was a bonus because I was already fighting the wanting to quit bug and knew seeing them would make it that much harder. I took off again and the weather got warmer about half way through, by the time I got to my house for the second time my plan was to tell Beth right away to not let me stay as it would be so easy to sit on my couch and get ready for football. When I arrived they weren't home they had all left somewhere so I made my pit stop and got back out on the road my body was getting beat down by this point and it was getting very warm out but knowing I only had one loop left and remembering the lessons I learned from last week   (I re-read them myself that morning) fueled me through and I finished!!!

There was a tough spot from miles 16-19 and the last two miles were also difficult but overall the difficulty was 90% physical struggle and only 10% mental which was a nice change from my last couple long runs.

The Secret  

I’m not as confident as I seem

But the road doesn't know that

It simply is

Hard and smooth beneath my shoes

As I start my morning run 

I’m not as sure as I seem

But the road doesn't know that

It Stretches out before me

Like a string of unbroken promises

A morning just ready to begin

I’m not as strong as I seem

but the road doesn't know that

It waits for me like a familiar friend

Nonjudgmental, yet

All-knowing

I hurt, I ache, I mourn

but the road doesn't know that

Nor does it care

It simply is

every day the same, a constant star

This I know for sure

I can’t go any farther

But the road doesn't know that

It beckons me on, encouraging me

to break my record

Test my limits

Prove to myself I can do better

That’s the secret

between the road and I

Tina Bausinger

Week #14 Recap (I QUIT)

Weekly Mileage: 40.67

Monday Rest Day

Tuesday Rest Day

Wednesday was my first run since Hood to Coast I decided to take 3 days off and take it easy during the week wanting to ensure I would feel good for the heavy mileage I had planned for the weekend. I got 5.57 miles in that morning at a 8:53 pace and felt pretty good, it was muggy but I felt great at work that day and was glad I got up and put in the effort.

Thursday Rest Day

Friday Rest Day

Saturday the plan was to run a "self marathon" (26.2) miles and then follow it up with a 10 mile run on Sunday. The night before I was not really looking forward to it, just feeling unmotivated, uninspired and not even sure where I was going to go. I woke up that morning at 6:00am (about an hour later than I wanted to) and decided to run the 205 bike path to the springwater trail west and back. I took off just before 7:00am and it was already a little warm but my legs felt pretty fresh and I had an ipod filled with new ultrarunner podcast interviews to listen to.

The run was going decent until about 10 miles in when I started to feel pretty tired. My toes were in pain, my calves were starting to ache and I was feeling an overall fatigue; not a great place to be with 16 miles left to go. I continued on heading west and it continued to get warmer out, I made it to the 13 mile point (about 2 miles past Oaks Park) and I was not in the best of places. I had to sit down right on the trail and take of my sock as I was certain one of my toenails (the one that had been bothering me from hood to coast and subsequently turned black) had fallen completely off and was rattling around loose in there. I checked to find it was still attached but was raised from a large blister surfacing underneath it causing it to catch on the fabric of my sock as I ran.

Too Much Information Warning:

A this point I also realized I had not had to pee yet which for me is very unusual. I decided to chug the water I had left and make a quick pit stop at a convenience store in Sellwood to refill my bottles. After doing this I felt slightly refreshed and ready to head home. Unfortunately this feeling of contentment (I can't call it good) was VERY temporary. My calves began to ache with every step and my quads felt incredibly heavy, my will quickly followed this physical downward slide and I found myself walking. I was about 16 miles in when I decided to quit, quit this particular run (I would ask someone to borrow their cell phone and call Beth to come get me) quit running all these long and painful runs, quit this stupid endeavor of training for such an incomprehensible race of 50 miles. I wrote it all off I mean how could I expect myself to run 50 miles when 16 was about to bring me to my knees. I thought about how my nutrition could be better, how I should have stretched more this week and how I haven't got the sleep my body needs to recover, but most off all I thought about how I could get out of the undoubtedly upcoming 10 hours of pain I would have to endure trying to run 50 miles. What had made me think I could do this, how egotistical and stubborn must I be to think I could go from not running at all to running 50 miles in a 16 month period.

Through these thoughts I continued to run and walk, I thought maybe the race director would let me switch my registration from the 50 miler to the 50k. I thought about every reason why I should get out of this and get out now, how much easier it would be and how nice it would be to not feel this pain anymore, but I continued moving. I pushed up a few big hills feeling more inspired as I got closer to home only to feel more exhausted causing me to walk again. Finally I arrived home I had made it just over 25 miles and it had taken me over 4 hours and 21 minutes (22 minutes longer than my first marathon (26.2) in April). See I wasn't getting any better, things were only getting harder and by late October I would be lucky if I could run 20 miles let alone 50.

I struggled through the afternoon happy the run was over and not dealing with the panicky thoughts caused by the pain but still questioning just how I would get through this and if I could keep moving forward in this process.

Sunday I was to run a 10 miler but I was obviously pretty beat up physically and mentally going into the day. As the day went on I realized being a runner (I guess I am one of those now) the best strategy for me to solve problems is to go for a run, but what do you do when your problem is running. I decided to revisit a book I had read (listened to) awhile ago called "The Dip" it's a book about quitting and probably not what you are thinking, it actually encourages it. I got my running shoes on and loaded the book onto my ipod before heading out. The run was the best I have had in months, not because I wasn't in pain, not because it felt good but because I learned/remembered these lessons.

1. Never look into the future through the eyes of your current circumstances

We tend to look into our future and try and see what is possible through the eyes of today's circumstances and this kills dreams. If you are a "left brain" like me this is easy to do as we look for patterns in life and tend to build that pattern from our current circumstances. If I hurt right now running 20 miles I will be in even more pain trying to run 50. If I am exhausted in life and I try to give anymore I will be even more exhausted. The thing is we should never do this, we should only look backwards through the eyes of our current circumstances to understand that we are probably in a place we could have never imagined years ago (good or bad) and remember that things happened to get us where we are we could have never seen back at that point in time. The only thing we can count on is more of those unexpected things will occur in the future bringing us to a place we could never plan for. We should only look forward through the eyes of a dreamer and imagine all that can be possible even if we can't see the stepping stones that will get us across the river.

2. The quote "winners never quit and quitters never win" is total B.S.

Winners quit all the time they have to quit the things that are getting in the way of them accomplishing their real goal or focus, and know what and when it is right to quit. The quote wouldn't be as catchy but should read like this "Winners never quit anything that is worth while because it is difficult at the moment" So if quitting is an o.k. solution how do I know when and what I should quit? This is what the book walks you through and here is how I have simplified it in my mind.

If quitting is the easier solution then you should continue and if continuing is the easier solution then you should quit. It is easier to continue on at a "safe" dead end job then to quit and take the risk to find something better. It is easier to stay in a relationship that you know is not what you deserve then to quit and hurt the other person and have to start over. It is easier to quit a job that is difficult because you are fearful you will never become good at it then it is to continue on and find out for real. It is easier to quit a long term relationship with someone you love then to continue to put in hard work and give yourself to someone else to strengthen that relationship. A great tip is to decide in good times where your quitting line is that way you do not try to make that decision when you are in the stress of struggle.

3. I don't do endurance sports to avoid pain but to embrace it.

Lately I have been looking for ways to make my running less painful and more enjoyable and I need to remember if I am seeking pleasure and lack of pain there are allot of things I could be doing to accomplish that and running is not one of them. The reason I am attracted to endurance sports is because the winner is not the person who figures out how to avoid the pain but the one who learns to embrace and dare I say even thrive off of it. Life will send us many uncomfortable situations along our journeys and having confidence that you can not only survive in those moments but be your best in them is unmatchable. I am also confident that the Lord want's me to take on this challenge and I have to remind myself he knew what I was in for when I signed up even if I didn't and any pain and struggle that comes along with it he wanted me to go through and therefore I will not only get through it but embrace it.

Here is something I paraphrased about a year ago that was inspired from a quote I read from another runner, I think it illustrates point #3 well.

"My run doesn't start until The Beast shows up, I run not dreading The Beast but anticipating it, anxiously waiting for him excited to see what challenge he will bring and ready to wrestle through it. If we spend our lives trying to avoid The Beast we will not know how to handle him when he appears, and he WILL appear. Looking for The Beast, seeking it out is a way of training our souls to fight temptation and to build the confidence that when it shows up unexpectedly in our lives we will be prepared. Seek out The Beast, challenge yourself and be amazed at what you can accomplish.  

Needless to say my head is fixed I am ready to run my 50 miler and take on the challenges that will come along with it (at least for now).

Week #13 Recap (Hood to Coast)

Weekly Mileage: 22.87

Monday Rest Day

Tuesday Rest Day

Wednesday we were on vacation up on Mt. Hood but Beth and I wanted to get a few more miles in before the relay so we went for a short 3 mile run. It was pretty muggy and didn't feel super easy so neither of us felt great momentum going into the weekend.

Thursday Rest Day

Friday/Saturday was the Hood to Coast Relay for those of you that don't know it is the largest relay race in the world with over 12,000 runners it included teams from all 50 States and 39 Countries this year and I personally saw 2 Olympic Medalists before we even started the race. It spans from Mt. Hood to The Oregon Coast (198 miles) with each runner (teams of 12) completing 3 legs in a relay format so that someone is consistently running.

My first leg was just East of Sandy and after 2 miles of down hill with a pretty fierce headwind it turned upwards climbing some twisting back roads. I felt decent through the run until with about a mile and a half left a side cramp (which I never get) locked into my left side and never went away. The road was very uneven and I couldn't stretch out my left leg fully while running. I finished the 6.08 mile leg however at a 7:42 pace which was a bit faster than I had expected.

After our van of 6 finished our legs we passed the running on to van#2 and headed for some food and a quick shower. Luckily some friends running the relay with us happen to live right along the route. There was a bit of drama at the next major exchange point where both vans meet to pass the running back off to van#1 and the traffic had built up causing teams to struggle to even make it to the next check point in time to meet their driver. Luckily through some very offensive  driving and a keen sense of direction we avoided most of it and made it to our runner with about 5 minutes to spare.

I was pretty excited to start my second leg even though it was over 7 miles and not starting until about 10:30 at night. I had to run from Scappoose High School to St. Helens High School along Hwy 30, it was very dark and my head lamp must have been loosing it's charge because I could barely see a foot in front of myself. I did not enjoy my run very much as with it so dark I had to run slower just for safety (almost ran right into a few mailboxes) we were not aloud music and again the road was banked causing me some hip pain and tightness in the same spot I had the cramp from the first run. After what seemed like about 20 miles I actually finished the 7.68 mile leg at an average pace of 8:22.

After our van finished it's second legs we headed to a little town called "Mist" we quickly learned why when everything was wet around us and it constantly drizzled all night. We got there about 1:30 am and only had a few hours before we had to get up and run again. Beth and I slept in the van for about 3 hours and the rest of the team roughed it in the field with tarps and sleeping bags. We had a snafu as we had estimated the arrival time of our other van incorrectly and since there was no cell service we were actually at the exchange for about 30 minutes before we could connect and get our next runner on the road.

I got to watch our van finish their 3rd and final legs and was very inspired by everyone's resolve as I knew how hungry, tired and sore they all were but they got out there and put in the miles. I was especially moved to watch Beth as this was kind of a culmination of her declaring she wanted to do this 6 months or so ago and then training and completing it. I was so proud and impressed and could see the sense of satisfaction in her face after that last leg was done. She had just finished 17 + miles in 22 hours on little food and sleep after just less than a year earlier not being able to run 3 miles straight without stopping to walk. What a transformation, it goes to show you what anyone can accomplish when they put in the effort and stick with it.

I finally got to run my 3rd leg it was a 6+ miler with a large hill halfway through, I had allot of support from our team and others as I made my way up the hill (still not sure why I had to go up hill so much when I was traveling from the mountain to the beach) It was difficult but I was inspired to finish strong with all the support I had along the route and from watching my vanmates rock it out. I finished the 6.11 leg at an average pace of 7:37 (my fastest of all 3)

From there we got to drive to the beach and hit the party we got cleaned up and waited for our other van to arrive. As the last runner came towards the beach we were all allowed to join up with him and run across the finish line together. It was such a great experience, the people were great, the weather was perfect and we got to raise money for a amazing cause. Thank you to everyone who was a part of the experience.

Sunday Rest Day (Food-Food-Food)

WEEK #12 RECAP (Light Week)

Weekly Mileage: 19.67

Monday Rest Day

Tuesday Rest Day (by Tuesday I felt pretty good after the heavy mileage of the previous weekend)

Wednesday my first run since the weekend went well, I took it very easy to test out the legs and got in 4.10 miles at a pace of 8:57, still felt a little fatigued but no pain or issues. I did this run at night and realized I enjoy running in the morning so much more than at night. The fresh cool air, empty stomach and lack of tiredness from the day make it so much easier to accomplish.

Thursday  Rest Day

Friday I went out in the morning and got in 5.56 miles at a 9:17 pace. Things felt good but I am not feeling as refreshed as I would like for how easy I have taken the week. I am going to play the next week or so by ear leading into Hood to Coast and get in my runs but not worry about the exact mileage so much in hopes to get refreshed before the weekly mileage really starts to pile up again.

Saturday Rest Day (we took the kids to the Clackamas County Fair as Beth didn't have to work until later that night it was nice to have a Saturday morning to enjoy with the family but I could feel that not running was definitely wearing on me and I was a "little" grouchy through out the day)

Sunday I went out for my long run of the week I planned out a 15 miler but ended it after 10. Physically I could have kept going but my calves and quads were feeling pretty tight and my right ankle had some pain. Again I am trying to stick with a strategy over the next week or so to really listen to my body and take it easy so I am prepared for the last month of heavy mileage leading into the race.

*I plan on mixing in some cross-training via P90X in the next couple of weeks to help strengthen my core and keep up my fitness while I give my legs a little bit of a rest with some lower mileage in hopes to feel ready for the push of September. That being said I am still on pace for my largest monthly mileage yet (by almost 20 miles) for the month of August.

Week #11 recap (Heavy Week)

Weekly Mileage: 43.55

Monday Rest Day

Tuesday was my first run since the Self Marathon I ran on Saturday, I was feeling pretty rested and fresh going into the run. During the run I could feel a fatigue in my leg muscles but no real soreness or issues. I was hoping to get in about 7 miles but listened to my body and felt like it would be best if I cut it a little short. I ended up with 5.72 miles at a 9:15 pace.

Wednesday I could not get myself out of bed, I have been very short on sleep lately. I usually get between 5-6 hours and then can catch up with a nice 8-9 hour night on one of the weekend nights but because of our schedules and the length of my long runs lately I haven't had that "catch up" day in a few weeks. I thought maybe I could fit it in at night but that didn't work out either. I wasn't to upset as I thought it might be best to take this weeks runs a little lighter as I had some serious mileage coming up for the weekend.

Thursday I got out early (4am) and wanted to get a few miles in with a little more speed, I've noticed I can only stretch certain muscles at slower speeds but when I run faster I am able to get a deeper stretch. I got in 2.80 miles at a 7:59 pace before having to stop because of some stomach issues.

Friday Rest Day

Saturday was my long run day and the first opportunity for me to rack up some miles for my fund raiser (see the make a difference tab for details) The plan was to run a 6 mile loop around my neighborhood then head North to my friend Ian's house (12 miles away) then meet up with him and he would run back with me to my house for a total of 30 miles.

I started early and ran the 6 miles around my neighborhood feeling pretty good but sweating like crazy (think the humidity was extra high) I stopped at my house to refill my water bottles and change my shirt before heading out to Ian's. The next 12 miles were pretty difficult as it felt very long I think because I have run that route before but never with 6 miles already under my belt so I was feeling tired in spots I wasn't used to feeling tired in.

I arrived at Ian's house feeling pretty exhausted and not super excited about having 12 miles left. I ate some potatoes (thank you Mindy) and refilled my water bottles again before heading out with Ian by my side. Around 20 miles I really started to struggle I found it difficult to drink and run at the same time and it was getting warmer and warmer outside. I had to walk every time I needed a drink and by about mile 24 or so I was out of fluids again. I had to stop by a convenience store to buy more and filled up the water bottles again before continuing on.

Unfortunately things didn't get any easier by about mile 26 I had to keep stopping and walking in between running spurts and got to the point where I just didn't think I could run anymore (physically or mentally) I was expecting to feel pretty decent as last weekends 26 miles went relatively well, but I think the miles back to back really were wearing on me. I asked to borrow Ian's phone and decided to call Beth to meet me where the path met up with Sunnyside about a mile or so ahead. I called her twice and of course she didn't answer. This made me frustrated and I used that frustration to start running again.

Once I got to Sunnyside I got caught at a few crosswalks and realized it was so painful to be still I had to keep moving, not moving was more painful than moving. I pushed it a little harder and realized the faster I ran the less my legs hurt (cardio and energy wise) it was hard to run but I had to keep pushing to get it over with and keep the pain out of my legs. I ran mile 28 (which includes some hills) at a 9:30 pace and only stopped to walk the last big hill on Sunnyside heading up East to 122nd. After that hill I ran the rest of the way and even did a loop in the Church parking lot across from my house to make sure I would hit 30 miles before getting home.

All in all I averaged a pace of 9:56 which is much better than I thought with the intermittent walking mixed in there. I am very glad Beth did not answer her phone and that Ian was there to make sure I survived. I was in pretty bad shape when I got home I usually don't take ibuprofen because it can keep your body from going through its own recovery and rebuilding phases but I couldn't shovel them in my mouth fast enough when I walked in the door, I was pretty afraid of how I was going to feel when the adrenaline and movement stopped. I took a bath and quick shower and Beth let me lay on the couch for a 1/2 hour or so until the pills could kick in. After that I began to feel better and by night time was in relatively decent shape.

Sunday I had an opportunity to pile up a few more miles if I got out the door early before Church. I woke up sore but feeling pretty good and decided to use the run as a stretch since I was to sore or stiff to really stretch out on Saturday. I took off and felt better than I could have hoped for after about 200 yards, I was sore but not in pain and could tell the run was doing me good (I have really noticed when you are very sore from exercise the best thing to help you recover crazy as it may seem is... how would all the drinkers out there say it? oh yes "a little hair from the dog that bit you")

I was planning to get 10 miles in and felt pretty good through the first 4 but after that I could tell the run was starting to move out of a good stretch and into something that was going to continue to break down muscle fibers and make me even more sore or worse injured (plus I still have to go to work tomorrow) so I called it a day and we raised $475 for Compassion Internationals Water For Life Program. Thanks again to everyone that supported me (financially or in many other ways)