Whaaa Haa-pened?

Mac Forest. Yep. Mac Forest. I always think I am ready for it. Six months or so after the last one I think about the course. It isn't that hard. It has a few hills. Then about half way into the race, BOOM! The Jesse Ventura Body Slam to the mat! Dazed and confused I wonder where my energy went, or my quads, or my gut or as this year, my head. Don't ever under estimate "The Power of the Mac, Luke".

So as I am driving in the early morning hours towards Corvallis I am sad again. No Gail with me. This was to be her first attempt at the McDonald Forest 50k. But she is still not up to speed. She has no gas in her tank right now and could not imagine running a race on the trails. So again I travel alone to get my trail fix.

I get there in time to chat with a few folks. It's a nice sunny cool morning. I put my race number on upside down which I don't realize until later. It says 08 but is supposed to be 80. So all day long I confuse the aid station folks. I decide again to use a waist belt as I have lost interest in carrying a bottle on real long runs. I am bringing few gels as I am planning on eating at the AS rather than packing a ton this time. Solid food is more my goal now on Ultras.

Nice pond near the start.

We get a short talk and then about 200 of us take off down the road. I am dead last as usual. I stop and take some pictures and soon everyone is almost out of sight. I like it this way. I hate the crowd on a single track trail the first few miles. I like to run alone or with one or two others. Anymore than that and I might as well run the Portland waterfront at noon on a weekday.

Rare happy time for me this day

Once we get on the trails I have a chance to test my knee. It has been a major pain for about two weeks. I have not been able to go upstairs with out holding on to the railing. Going down or most flats are fine, but up is knife like sharp pain. I ran 7 miles two days prior in San Francisco and after 5 miles or so it didn't hurt. So I am hoping for that here. As I push up the hill every step shoots pain in my knee. I have had lots of knee problems but nothing like this. So I transfer some push off to my good/right leg. I am now officially worried.

Such great trails here.

Soon I start to see the first runner I will pass. My leg still hurts. I ease by and chat for a bit as usual. We keep going up. I walk the steep and run the easy ups. I pass a few more runners as we approach the top, probably a 600 foot climb or so. We drop out into a clear cut and the sun is shining strong. I ease down the hill with caution. I don't want to pressure the knee so I just go at a medium pace. After awhile we are back on the gravel road and have a nice downhill for a mile or so. Again I just go even pace.

Nice view with the clear cut newly planted.

As we climb into AS one my leg is feeling better I think. This is around 7 miles. We start a big climb out of the AS and all feels good in the knee. This is cool I think. Next we drop back down a small old road. This is big down and usually I fly here, but not today. At the bottom its up we go for another good climb. This is what Mac is. No flat, just up and down all the time.

Common roads we run here.

Around mile nine I notice my quads feel a bit tired. Strange as I have done some hill work and had some of my biggest mileage months every the last two months. Maybe it was the 7 mile run two days ago? I usually take at least 3 days off prior to a race. As we wind up "lovely rita" (I hate you Rita!) I chat with a woman from Southern Oregon with a Southern accent. We have a great chat and it helps to cover up the heavy breathing on this big uphill hike. This whole area is by far my favorite section of the race. Lots of single and double track trails. Its tough but fun.

The push to the top of Dimple Hill.

I pass more runners, which many are the early starters. I run into Dr. T and his dad and we chat for a bit. The course has only a tad of mud. I would hate this place if it was really raining. Boy it would be a tough one.

We now hit the big climb up Dimple Hill, which tops out at 1500 feet. So we get about a 1100 foot climb. At the top the "Where's Waldo 100k" folks have the body builder theme going on. The gummi bears say "human growth hormone" and they have many other performance enhancing drugs for us to take. (Just kidding! Jeez!) It is all good for a laugh. Sad thing is, I am not laughing. I am tired. I take some more S caps, drink my Starbucks Double Shot, eat half my cheese and turkey sandwich and head down the downhill. I don't even feel like running. I just feel...blah....blah.

View of Corvallis around mile 20

I get to the bottom and walk the first uphill I come to. The fun is gone. Now its work. I wish I had gas. I take a gel. I drink some more. I am more thirsty than usual so I think maybe I have taken too many salt tabs. I walk allot now. I notice the huge amounts of poison oak, it is everywhere off the trail but you are fine as long as you stay on the path. I only run downhills now. I get into AS at mile 22 or so and eat a bit and head out. Now many folks are passing me. I am the slug now. I get a little running in on the mile or so downhills before the horse trail climb. This trail kills me every year and this year was no different. As we climb from about 300 feet up to 1300 or so I bet I walk all but 500 yards or so. I have a major pity party. I am going to quit this. I will DNF at the last AS. My head is light but my gut is fine. I just don't want to do this. How many races do I have to say this???? I mean really. Why do something you don't like? Why do I even run besides the fact I would he obese if I didn't? If I can walk it in it will be about 8 miles. Oh that will take forever! These all things I think.

Ugly, cranky, very white boy!

I finally get to the top of the hill where it dumps out onto a gravel road. I see a big pile of rocks and I go over and sit on it. For 5 minutes I sit. People pass, I rest. It's downhill now but I don't care. I am so done with this crap. I get up. I walk. I trot. I walk. I hate life. I trot. I mumble. I walk. Then I hear the noise of the 26.8 mile AS. So I trot a bit. They hoot and holler as usual. I eat a bit and they ask how I am. I say "I'm tired!" So they suggest I sit down for a bit. I do not argue with them! I chat with a few guys I have seen out on the course at other races. They keep feeding me Dixie cups of Coke. I have 4 or so. Finally after about 15 to 20 minutes I get up. I do feel a tad better. So I waddle out thinking I will just walk the last 4.8 miles to the finish.


The final uphill push at mile 27.

I cross the road and push up the gravel logging road. This gentle climb will be a 1.5 miles or so I think. I am on autopilot now. I just walk. Nothing else. Just walk. Finally at the top I look forward to a trot. Not bad...I continue to trot. As it goes downhill I enjoy the run, well sort of. At least I don't hate it anymore. Soon I hit the trail again. We have one last uphill climb. Then a 1.5 mile screaming downhill. I just cruise. No pushing today. I pass a few and one passes me. I finally hear the finish line crowd. I cross the line in 7:31:18. My worst/slowest time ever for any 50k I have ever done. 31 minutes slower than my Mac time in 2007. An hour slower than two years ago.

As I walk around I don't really feel real bad. My gut is usually making me dizzy but I don't have that. I go and eat some pasta and cookies. It tastes good. I am thirsty and drink a few cans of Mango juice. I don't know what hit me today. Maybe I didn't eat enough? But my gut felt so much better. Maybe too much salt? Maybe the 7 mile run the other day? Maybe cause I am 50 and weigh almost as much as I ever have. All these questions.

On my drive home I feel real good. I eat more cookies. I open the sunroof. I enjoy life. I worked hard to get ready for this race. I don't have the time to train like many I know. I have other interests other than the running. But it is one of my passions. Ask me why I couldn't tell you. It is just part of me I guess. And yes I will run again. And of course it will suck. I do know I need to evaluate what is the max distance I should run. I just think anything over 35 miles or so is really hard for me on the trails. So maybe I should stop at the 50k mark. I never want to get to the point where I don't like it. The year or so I was running a ton of half marathons I think was the most enjoyable running of my life. I love that distance. You can push hard but still have to be in cruise mode. You get an awesome workout but you are not exhausted at the finish. Maybe that is where I need to be? But I know I will always be out there.

Fat Boyee Takes Down the Rumble

Well this race has always kicked my fanny for some reason. It seems its been a death march the last 4 miles to the finish on this course. One year it was the furthest I had ever run. The next it was really warm for the season. So at least I had little boy excuses! But this year I am in pretty good condition, not the best but I am pretty happy with where I am at. So my goal at the Peterson Ridge Rumble 60k was to go out on an even pace, run the easy hills, walk the tough ones, don't burn out on the downhills and finish strong.

Gail and I had planned on this race for a few months. We were both excited and nervous as the day approached. But then Gail had some health issues pop up and she could not do the race. Yes you woman readers I did ensure that it was OK for me to go do this race without her. I might be dumb but I am not stupid! :) So I did feel bad and left on Saturday night for Sisters to spend the night before the race. It was a lonely drive over the Cascades as I was going to be on my own for this one. My motel only about 5 minutes from the start line so that allowed a little extra sleep time. I had decided to take the early start for a couple of reasons. First they had instituted a cutoff at 25 miles at 5 hours for regular starters and 6 hours for the early folks. I new I would be pushing it to be at mile 25 in a mountain Ultra so that was reason one. Next was Gail would take the early start so it is always nice to run the first few miles with her, plus I think it puts her at ease at the start. What put me over the top was when Gail couldn't make the trip I could leave an hour earlier for home. So be it, the early start was for me.

It was a cool morning with some frost on the ground as I arrived at 0630 to grab my bib for the race. I was to be number 51 which I wonder was planned by Sean or just lucky. You see last year I was scheduled to do the Rumble and it was going to be my 50th race at marathon distance or longer. So I asked Sean if he would give me bib 50. He said "Sure". So this year I get 51 and Gail was scheduled to get bib 50. Hmmm.... interesting. Well I decide to do the layered approach today. I will were shorts, two shirts, one long sleeve the other short and then wear my thick running vest and some cotton gloves. That way I can peel off layers as we go. I have 3 spots for drop bags so as it warms up I can ditch a layer.

Cool morning for us early starters.

We it came to my eating plan I am leaning away from the gels. I am trying to get a handle on my nauseous stomach so I am trying to eat more solid food (sandwich, potatoes, chips etc) rather than gels. I am using the "blocks" which are little protein pieces and some Chomps which are chewy and not as sweet. Gail has also got me on the Hammer Fatigue Caps so I will do these again along with some "S caps" every hour or so. I also usually take 2 Ibuprofen or Tylenol around 2 1/2 hour point. Also at the AS I might have a 1/2 cup of Coke every few hours and I also planned on one Starbucks Double Espresso shot at mile 28.

About 25 of us crossed the road to the start line. I had some nice chats with fellow nut cases that run crazy distances in the woods for fun. Many of you I recognize cause we all seem to do the same races in Oregon but you names will often escape my tiny brain. Sean tells us to follow the Yellow ribbons not any other color. It will be hard to get lost out there (He was right about that).
He counted down from 5 and off we went. The race hits a little jeep road for a mile then goes out on to a rocky red gravel road for 2 or 3 miles. This road is always a pain as it has lots of rocks sticking out of it.

We had a high overcast most the day.

Soon we drop in on some nice single track and start the easy climb. We will go from about 3200 feet to just over 4000 for a 900 foot climb by mile 11 or so. Most is runnable with some short walk areas. I enjoy this part of the course as I think allot of it is new, or I am getting old and just don't remember it for races past. I get some good views and stop to take a few pictures. Its a high overcast day but the sun does peak out at times. It is actually a great temperature to run in.

Nice single track early on


Quite a few little rocky sections

As we pass through the Aid Stations all the volunteers are great. I am just drinking water off my belt.(Like my belt more lately than hand-held bottles. They have been making my shoulders tired.) I try to hydrate 20 to 30 oz an hour. I eat solid food and only a couple of gels. As I head back down the course the leader passes me at about mile 12. So he starts an hour after me and catches me in 12 miles...amazing. I see friends now that took the normal start, we high five and say hello. I cruise down the hill but there are still some climbs to be had. Around mile 20 in a real rocky section I trip big time. Arms waiving fly off the trail and barely miss a boulder to the face. But somehow I keep upright. I stretch out some hamstrings and back muscles but nothing seems to be hurt. I press on.

Views of Black Butte from the Ridge.


Our little snow patches near the turn around.


Some trails seem newly cut

We drop back out on the red gravel road and head back towards the start but soon us 60k'ers slip off the road on to some nice soft Jeep trails in the woods. This is sooo much better. I make the cutoff with 1.5 hours to spare. If I had taken the regular start it would have only been by 30 minutes which would have made me pretty nervous so I am glad I took the early start. Only thing I don't really like is the fast folks catch me and need to pass. Most are great but some don't say a thing just blow by. I am a back of the packer so I rarely get passed in a race because I start out so slow I usually pass others throughout the day.

"Boy you are ugly and your girlfriend weighs a ton!"
OK who can guess what song that is from? Band? FP baby(hint)

I hit the marathon (26.2 miles) point at 4:50. I am quite happy with that time in this race. We then begin a big climb up this ugly red cinder road. This one doesn't have the rocks but has tough little climbs in it. In previous years this section killed me. This year it is cool and I run probably 75% of it. It is also about 6.6 miles between Aid Stations in this 900 foot climb. I conserve my water so I always have a sip if I get really thirsty. Soon I hear it. The AS! They are playing "Don't Fear the Reaper" by BOC (Blue Oyster Cult" for you young ones). Curt Ringstad of Waldo RD fame helps me find my lost drop bag. I grab a few gels for my pockets and eat some food. Curt and I have a good laugh as he mentions that he forgot the cow bell for this song. We both relate to the SNL skit on this song and the cow bell.

Climb section prior to mile 28


Nope not gonna run it. OK maybe a little.

I now know its mostly downhill to the finish. I will not die. As I eat my turkey and cheese sandwich as I run I promise to stay strong. Who would ever think I could eat a sandwich and run? Not me that's for sure. I stay upright and alert as Curt said some vandals had moved the trail markings already. Wonder why those losers like to do that? I come into the "Manzanita" section of the course. The trail gets more rocks but views are pretty cool. The trail does lots of winding back and forth so you really need to stay focused or you will go "boom". A few folks continue to pass me. I figure Ronda would have caught me by now but she hasn't so I feel pretty good about that. I get a bit tired and walk some more ups but I run some of them too that in years past I couldn't. I finally see the last AS at mile 32 or so. Two years ago I sat on the picnic table and had a 5 minute pitty party while I fixed my shoes. I was wiped out. I remember Olga catching me here yelling at me to get my "sorry ass up" and follow her in. This year I feel tired but good. I eat a tad and drink and then press the 4.3 miles to the finish.

This section is amazing. Pix don't do it justice.


Same spot just behind me.

I always remember this section as being pretty easy and mostly roads. I was always depressed I couldn't run it in the past. This year I just had this great little 10:30 to 11 minute/mile pace going. It just felt cool. For some reason it just had a rhythm to it that put me at ease. I did hit some single track climb that I had to walk but I was fine with that. I knew I still had gas in the tank for the flats and down sections.

You can tell this is later in the race. I am pale!

I drop back on to some dirt Jeep roads. I have my tunes blaring away at this point. (Motley Crue? Ratt? or GNR?) Not sure but I was into it. Then I think I hear a scream. I pay no attention. A minute or so later I hear another. I look around. I think that's Ronda back there? I raise my hand and then plod on. Sure enough soon she passes me all happy and we high five. Wish I had that juice at this point! :) Well with about a mile to go and she passes me is allot better than I expected. At this point I think we still have a couple miles to go. Cheri then passes me. She is so dang strong now and good for her. I say "I think we have a little over a mile to go" She says "Closer than that". Sure enough...I can see the school. How cool is that!! All we got to do is cross the highway the through the parking lot and one lap around the track to finish. Yes! Got this one done and I ain't quite dead yet. (MP and the Holy Grail quote). I get on the track and am pretty happy. I finish feeling good in 6:56 for 36.5 miles. Something like a 11:20 pace. I messed around quite a bit in the Aid Stations but time was not my goal for this year. I was super happy to be under 7 hours but I did attain my goal of finishing strong.

I got my Rumble socks and a bottle of water at the finish line. Had a nice chat with Ronda and Cheri. Met Bill and Micheal and hung out for a few. I then new I had to be getting home to check on Detour so I showered and hopped in the car in less than 30 minutes after the finish. I grabbed a large coffee and coke at McDonalds and started the 2:40 drive home. I felt pretty crappy the first hour then the caffeine kicked in and I really started to feel good. I was a bit sore when I got home but had now real pains. Got zero blisters this year. (didn't do anything different). No bad chaffing to speak of. And no sunburn this year!

This is a great race. It intimidated me in the past. At first for its distance. Then I thought the altitude and hills were hard. Now with experience I know its a very runnable course and the distance is tough but not killer like a 50 mile trail race. It is nice to have a good taste in my mouth after a long race. Often that is not the case for me. Thanks again to RD Sean for a great race. I love your style. Laid back but very organized. You cover most all the bases. I am sure I will be back for years to come.

PS We may have a little Fat Ass Marathon in Portland sometime around April 27, 28 or 29th. Gail needs to get a Marathon in for April since she got sick for this one. If anyone interested in running some miles with us downtown let me know. I will post the exact date when we pick one. I think this would be her 35 month in a row? Detour Rocks!

Round and Round We Go

When we stop nobody knows! Yep it was time for the Pac Rim 24 hour run again. Gail and I really wanted to run for all 24 hours this year. We even went as far as to rent an RV so we could park on the street next to the course and take a quick nap if need be. We also spent the night before at the park so we didn't have to lose too much sleep the morning of the race.

Course markings? Just don't cross a street!

Speaking of the race its the same course as always. Around Lake Sacajawea in Longview, Washington. It's a great little 1 mile loop course. I am writing this about 3 weeks after the race so I am sure I will forget some things. The starting line had some really tough runners and was the biggest group yet of about 75 runners. We said hello to all of our Ultra friends and had a blast at the start. We set up our table with all of our goodies and preparations to survive 24 hours of running. We then listened to the Fred the "Wildman" who was our Race Director again. He didn't say much new but it is always a joy to listen to his chats.

Fred telling us "just turn right!"

The weather was trying to cooperate. It was going to be just the right temps in the mid 40's and 50's with no rain til late Saturday night. So Detour and I were ready to go. Rick decided to join us and try and do a 50k, his longest run since his latest battle with "A-fib".

Fenny and Gail


Who is that guy? Oh its the winner Tim!

So Fred set us off in our clockwise loop. We trotted and chatted for a few laps. Then Katie and Eric came up to join us. The made a quick coffee run then came back and ran 5 or 6 miles with us. It was a good time and the Starbucks was great! Thanks Slugs! They headed back to Portland and we just kept a loopin'. I tried to take a break every 10 miles. Not eat every lap but just now and then. Tried to eat more solid food and less gels. (I think I only did 3 the entire day?) It was just so much fun to see our friend Sarah out there, her first big race after a couple of years of serious injuries. He "old man" Marc who was going for it too. Lisa and Tim, last years winners. Our friends Jim and Fenny. My dad who at 74 decided to come up and walk a half marathon. Eric and Michelle from up north and there gang. Steve Walters who was running for charity. Susan K who was going for a PR in 100 miles. Leif, Beast, Amy and many others who I am sure I have missed naming. As you can tell it is a good group. Oh and I can't forget Ben and shouts that tear through the night! :)

The bestest lap counter ever, Bart.

Gail and I kept running together. All but a few minutes here and there we stayed side by side. It was pretty cool be running with your wife for all those miles. Mile 1o was fun. Mile 20 I was feeling pretty good. Around mile 30 life started to suck a bit. So I told Gail I was putting on my tunes. That really juiced me up. I felt soooo good on miles 30 to 40. We walked most the pavement sections and the little up hills. So we probably walked 1/6th of every lap? Maybe not that much but its just a guess.

A nun who decided to run. Nah its Susan and she is cold but happy!

Rick got his 50k and was dang happy. So did Sarah who didn't even think she would run that far til the Tacoma Marathon in May. Susan was hurting with back and leg pain so changed her goal to 50 miles. Others came and went as a 50k was Fred's minimum for getting recognized in this race. After that every mile counted to your standing in the finish.

Way to go Sarah! Welcome back!!

Rick decided to keep going and see how far he could go. He ended up getting 40 miles in which is amazing as he hasn't run that far since the Portland Marathon last October? Congrats to Pole!

Gail and Rick...and he got his 40 miles too.

When we got to mile 40 I was feeling real good. We took a good 10 to 15 minute break to eat and check out the feet etc. After we got up I was stiff for a mile or so. I turned off the tunes and Gail and I just chatted as we ran. After each lap it got quieter. I was starting to have doubts about this. I couldn't wait til mile 50 when we would take another break. I was getting cranky for sure.

Detour and Fatboyee...round and round!

At mile 50 we stopped again for 15 minutes. I ate a little and really tried to keep hydrated. Gail and I pressed on. By this time I was ready to walk. After the mile 51 we pretty much walked all the time. A few jogs here and there. I was in big pity party mode. "Why do I do this? It is no fun to feel like shit" "Marathons and 50ks? Yeah those are fun, but this distance is just insane. Why do this when it isn't enjoyable? I'm quitting at mile 55. You can keep going but I am done. Don't care about this 24 hour crap!" So you get the point? I was out of it. It was all walking. Gail kept telling me "just another lap". "We will just see what happens at 55 miles" She was being most excellent at keeping me moving.

At 55 we took a break. Gail said lets go do some more so off we went, walking. I actually started to feel a tad better when Gail got severe blisters on the balls of both her feet. She had been shuffling them for quite some time but I didn't want to say anything about it cause we all do abnormal things at this point. At mile 58 she was in really bad pain. Her legs felt fine, her energy was great but she was just in agony. We stopped and tried to fix them. Nothing seemed to help. So we did two more miles for a total of 60 and told the lap counters we were done for a bit. Actually I said we were quitting and Gail said we were just taking a break!

So off to the RV we went. We crawled into bed and tried to sleep. How crazy was that. Bizarre nightmares, restless legs, and just overall strange things going on. Gail had me set the alarm for 7 am to see if we could do a few more miles.

As the alarm went off I was hoping to just stay in bed. Gail said "no lets get up and see what we can do." So up we got and changed into our cold weather gear. It had rained and was pretty chilly. We got back on the course. Saying hello to all those that were doing the all night thing. Probably 20 folks went all night. I think 14 ended up going over 100 miles.

Feeling loopy yet?

Gails feet still really hurt. So she couldn't run. I felt good after a lap and wanted to trot but Gail and I had stuck together the entire race so we would stay together again now. We ended up walking with another woman and it really helped to pass the time. We got 3 more miles in and without being able to run we quit 20 minutes before the cutoff, finishing the 24 hours with 63 miles. Just over 100k that we did last year. Our longest run ever in 1 day.

Marc did 75 miles. Many in his loafers due to foot pain.

They gave out the awards as we ate some good food. Tim won again with 127 miles? Jess from Seattle got second overall and top woman with a course record 116 miles. Wow! It was fun to see them hand out the awards. Everyone was tired, hungry and a bit loopy.

Those "thong girls" from up north.

I said I was done with this distance. It was not fun after mile 50 this year. Now, 3 weeks later I will try it again. I have no idea why I keep doing this? It sucks. I feel bad afterward. I am slow so I never win anything. It is just a crazy hobby. Do I need help? Fat, tall old men are not supposed to this. I should be working on my garden or something. Strange....not sure if I will ever figure it out. But I do enjoy the friends I have made. They are all great and I enjoy everyone one of you! Thanks for putting up with me. Cya all out there on the "loop" next year.

Yeah Yeah Hagg Lake 50k

That is the way I feel about the Hagg Lake 50K race. Yeah, yeah, whatever. I don't mean to sound insulting or anything but the last couple years I just go "blah" the last 14 mile lap. This year was no different. It is a fun little course that takes out around Hagg Lake in Western Oregon's Coastal Mountain foothills. You do a killer little 3 mile loop to start to make sure you get your 31 miles in.

I got to the race early so I could get a good close parking spot. It was a beautiful clear and cool morning. I chatted with the usual suspects and some I hadn't seen in a few months. They handed out a nice technical shirt with a nice new logo. I set my drop bag out with the resupply items I would need after the first loop. Then headed back to the car to stay warm for a bit.



(But I'm not ready yet!)

As I got back to the start area I was fiddling around with stuff and the next thing I know they are counting down 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 GO! I still don't have my water bottle belt (not into hand-held bottles lately) on or my tunes plugged in. So once again I am last at the start. Sean yells at me "It's a run not a walk!" Oh well....off I plodded. I know this course starts with a nice climb right from the beginning so I am in no hurry. I run and walk the first 1.5 mile climb hit the turn around and ease down the hill. Last year I blasted down this hill and it really took a toll on my quads so this year I just easy. Was fun as always to say hi to all your fast friends on these out and backs.

(The climb from the start)


(Ahh...my feet feel better already)

We hit the single track at just over 3 miles and it was nice to feel the soft dirt. My Brooks Cascadia's are so uncomfortable on pavement. I passed a few folks who started out too fast and settled into a nice rhythm. My goal was to finish strong and secondary was to beat last years 5:48 PR. I had run a marathon last weekend so I didn't really think a PR would be possible. This year the course was a tad different as we got to cross a little man made bridge that had been washed out for years. So we spent less time on the road. The course just meanders around the lake with some short steep climbs but minimal elevation change.

Hagg Lake Dam


See Olga I can smile

As I got back on the pavement to cross the damn I picked up the speed and passed quite a few runners. I hit AS one feeling good and moved on quickly. On this side of the lake there is a different feel. It was warmer for sure and you have more open space and mud. Some sections had been plowed which did help but at other times made for hug bogs of mud up to a foot deep. I just plowed through them as I knew there was no reason not to. I had my DryMax Maximum Protection socks on and my Dirty Girl Gaiters over my shoes. It is a nice combination but the Cascadia's are such a mesh shoe that the mud will go right through. The good news about that is that they dry out really quick. I also did not get one blister this entire race. I have been fighting side of my heel blisters, but not on this one.

(One of the few road sections)

At AS 2 I said hi to Caroline and Steve. It was good to see friendly faces. I refilled and left quickly. This section is very muddy in places and was only 4 miles to the start/finish line. I was feeling pretty good still as I rolled in at mile 17. I took off my long sleeve shirt and grabbed 6 more gels for the last loop.


After about 3 miles into this loop I started feeling a bit tired. I began to walk some of the steep climbs. On the road across the dam I was much slower this time. At AS 2 I was not having much fun. I took a bit more time. I headed out after taking my usual 1/2 hour gel and a couple of S caps. I gut felt fine I was just weary. I plodded through this section getting grumpier with myself. I had lots of self doubts of why I enjoy runs over a marathon in length. I thought this was a stupid hobby. Just the usual crap that I go through. I am just like a baby with a full diaper! Waaa- waaa - waaa!


Finally it was the last AS at mile 26.5 or so. I was full of complaints at this point. Steve was being nice asking about some of my running friends. Caroline was trying to be positive. I wanted a gel that wasn't sweet and they didn't have one (do they even make one???) so I continued to waste time. Finally Caroline goes "Get going, c'mon get out of here! Go...go...go!" and as I start to waddle back on the trail she takes off chasing me out of the Aid Station. Well it worked. I started running and it made me feel better for sure. I felt kind of bad cause I was complaining so much.

(There was frost on this side on the first loop)

I felt better this last 4 miles knowing the finish was close. I passed a few more folks but overall I didn't seem to pass as many as I usual do. Not sure why and I did finish a bit lower than my normal spot. I think I was 81 out of 125 or so. I ran through some major shoe sucking mud pits but never fell or lost a shoe. I heard that at least 4 shoes came off in this section. Then came the best sign in the race. The one they have that says "1 mile to so pick it up". "Yea!!!" I was a happy boy. I pretty much the entire last mile. I could here the folks at the finish line. I am so dang slow that there usually are not many other runners around when I get there. Kind of a bummer at times but it is what it is. I cross the line to a few chears in 6:08 and change. Twenty minutes slower than last year but I also tapered last year and had not run a marathon 7 days earlier.

I was tired and a bit grumpy as my gut had acted up a bit. I just grabbed some coke and a hot dog and wandered around for just a few minutes. I then went down to the creek and washed my shoes off as the mud covered to above my ankles. Went back to the car and started the hour drive back home. I wish I had felt better and could have hung around but I was in one of those moods where I just wanted to be done with this day. That last 2.5 hours was not fun.

Ain't that the truth!

Well my first Ultra since September is done. I love being back on the trails but it is tough being out there for so long again. Just now 4 days later I am sort of looking forward to my next planned race in a month at the Pac Rim 24 hour run. Maybe I will do a marathon or something before hand but I don't have anything planned.

Whatever

Gail needed her monthly race so it really only worked out for us to do the Cupid Marathon up in Rochester, Washington, just south of Olympia. It had a nice 10:30 am start so we didn't have to get up very early to make the 2 hour drive from home.

Gail had just worked three 12.5 hour days in a row so she was still pretty tired on Saturday morning. So while I drove us North she sacked out in the back seat. I knew she was tired as I noticed she didn't move for an hour and a half! We got to the race which is set in a small town that has an old Grange building for the starting area. It was raining but not too cold. We went inside met some friends and stayed warm. Gail was in the ladies room til 1 minute from the start. We ran down the steps and off we went at the start.

The course is on country highways and roads is a double out and back. Many places the shoulders are only a few inches wide and you have cars going by you at 50+ mph. I had the Hagg Lake 50k coming up in a week so I was just planning on cruising this race with a goal of 4:18. I ran the first 8 miles with Gail and it was fun. Soon she stopped for a gel and a walk and waived me on. The rain continued but I never got cold. I picked up the pace and cranked up the tunes. Soon I was back at the start line and we then had to do another 3 mile out and back before starting the second loop.

Once the second section began I didn't see anyone for miles. I have not seen the results but I bet their weren't more than 25 marathoners. Soon I saw Gail after the turnaround. There were zero mile markers on this race. We stopped and she was a bit stressed about how far she had to go. I figured she had 7 or 8 miles. Off we went and I pushed towards the start line. I never go tired on this race but just kind of fatigues or bored. I hit the start/finish area and began my 3 mile loop. I pushed a bit and felt pretty good. I started to pass a few folks but had no clue whether they were early starters or not. This course was pretty darn flat except for one 50 foot knoll or so. I breezed up that and made the final turn to the finish. I crossed in just over 4:19 which was right about where I wanted to be. I didn't want to get too tired as I had the 50k coming up in 7 days. I am not planning on racing at Hagg but I will try to come close to last years time if the course is not too muddy.

Gail was looking good and came in at 4:55. After 3 hard days on her feet I thought that was pretty good for a winter race for her. We then had some great after race food and got in the car for the drive home. This course is for those that just want to get a race in. It is not that safe and the course is poorly marked unless you have run numerous races before. But it motivated us to get a 26 mile race in so I guess that is what counts. Another one in the books is all I can say and I think this is 33 months in a row for Gail now. Good job Detour!

My kind of race

So I read online about this little race that is going to happen in Portland on Friday night. It is a type of race I have always wanted to do. I wasn't sure if my training was up to speed but because of the long cold nights this time of year I was getting more training in than I would say in the summer. I get bored when it gets dark early so I really workout these skills during this season. I asked Gail if she wanted to do it? She said sure if we only have to do two. Yep, two laps is all you have to do. And drink two 8 ounce beers. This was the to be my first Beer Relay. The post said come down to Duniway track at 8:30 pm. You will drink one 8 oz. beer, run one lap then drink another 8 oz beer and run another lap. "Cool! I can do that!" So we I invited my Slug running friends to join in. They all wussed out except "maybe" oh I mean Katie.

So we are at home getting ready and at 7:30 pm I get a call from Katie. "Hey I am here and its dark and no one is here". OK I say we will be there around eight. We arrive and there is Katie sitting alone in the dark on the bleachers. She jumps in the car and we chat for a bit. No one shows up. Then a few folks are milling around. We decide to take a few warm up laps. More people show. We ask they say "It's gonna start all the other side of the track at 8:45, they are getting the beer now." Awesome I think. This is gonna happen.

So we go to the far side of the track. About 20 folks are there. The guy who is putting it on is charging 15$. Half will go to the top 3 finishers and half to an Ethiopian relief fund. The RD begins to tell us how this works. Remember we think we only have to drink 2-8 oz beers and run two laps. He says "Here is how it works. You will drink 8 ounces of beer, then we will say go and you will run one lap. You have 2 minutes to finish one lap or you are out. After that two minutes you drink another 8 ounces of beer and that is completed in 2 minutes or you are out. Then we yell go and you run another lap, then drink another beer in 2 minutes. We continue this til the last runner is left. So to recap you are out if you can't run the lap in 2 minutes, drink you beer in two minutes or if you throw up. Any questions?" I get this look from Gail. "Two minutes??? Thats fast! Plus we keep drinking??? This wasn't what I was told." Secretly I am thinking this is perfect. This is going to be hard and fun. Katie says "What?? I thought we would leisurely sit on the bleachers, sip a beer then jog a lap and repeat. What is this??"

So we get handed our beers. "Two minutes til we run, drink up!" So down it goes. Good beer too. Not bud, miller etc but we got microbrews. Then someone yells "Go!" and we drop our cups and take off. Oh how I hate running fast. Gail leads me til the last corner. We are really moving here, 6 minute pace or so for a mile. We cross the line and they hand us another beer. I put mine down quick. Gail is working hers down. Katie can't do it. Not going down for her so she is out. Next lap off we go. We get done and Gail says enough or maybe she did 3 I can't remember. (Wonder why? :) ) Off we go again, and again and again. Each time I come around I get Gail looking at me with that eye that says "you said only a couple of laps". The young guys are all way ahead of me now during the run but I am still making the cutoff by 15 seconds or so. I got everyone by at least 15 years here. My only goal is not to be the first guy to quit or DQ. Finally after 7 laps one the guys hurls. Yep I am so happy. So I drink my drink and run the 8th lap ( 2 miles). I was going to make the cutoff time again but I stopped running prior to the finish line to ensure my DQ. Hey! I had a 20 mile training run set up for the next morning! But this sure was fun. Last few laps were tough with all the bloated stomach and burping and tired legs. But the old guy survived!


Katie's cousin Ruben post chunks


See it wasn't all just guys that raced.


So we stayed to see who would win. It was down to about 8 guys. They just kept going. Katie's cousin Ruben was leading on most laps. Around lap 15 he finally tossed his cookies. Guys were losing it everywhere. One guy right on the track in front of us when they said "Go!". Oh we were laughing. Then TC (name protected to save him a beating from his wife) was getting pretty funny. Taking off his shirt at first and letting his big white belly hang out. He would rant about how he was fat and all these skinny runner guys couldn't beat him. Soon his shorts were pulled up like a sumo wrestler, cheeks hanging out and everything. And around they went.

Running, beers and too many laughs.



Running and beer. What a combo!

Soon they were over 20 laps! (20 small beers too!) and it was down to maybe 3 guys. One runner as he finished a lap said "The fat guy won't barf!!". Oh how we laughed. Gail was making me cry she was laughing so hard. Then it happened, we thought it might. TC removed all clothes except his shoes. Yep streaking was back in style. It was down to two runners. Off they went. And then the worst thing happened. They collided and both fell! One with no clothes on, face first! Oh this was gonna be ugly. But wait! He is up and he wins this lap. Amazing and no blood too.


The girl runners. Megan, Katie and Gail.

Well Katie is trying to be a good samaritan and help TC get his shorts back on. But he is pretty buzzed and can't get his legs in the holes in the shorts. Katie is directly behind him. Oh she was brave. No time, shorts still off and they take off again for another lap. Remember these guys are still running sub 2 minute laps! This is tough stuff not just a drinking game. They both make it in again. This time TC falls down on the grass. He is trying to get his shorts back on but has both legs in one hole in his shorts. He is wallowing on the ground. They yell go. He screams "Wait!!!!" But it is too late. The other runner takes off. TC gets up and takes off running but disappears into the bushes a the corner of the first lap. So our winner crosses and he has all of his clothes on.

TC with his Sumo outfit showing us his skill

I know a few of you will think this a bit over the top and yeah it might be but boy it was sure fun. One of those bucket list things I always wanted to do. But I am glad I had a long run scheduled so I wasn't one of those losing my lunch on the track. It went to a good cause and what else would I have done on Friday night? Watch TV???

Swillin' and swooshin'

Thanks Megan for all the Pictures!

Goals, Dreams and Desires

Sunrise from Fuji Mt at Where's Waldo 100k

I never really make plans for a new year. I am mostly a "whatever happens" type of guy when it comes to life. (Ask Gail about the home remodel!) But since I turned 50 I kind of feel time fleeting away as a runner. Yeah I know the story of all the folks that are still running strong in their 60's, 70's and beyond. I just feel our body is like any machinery. Sometimes they last a long time and sometimes the parts just wear out no matter what we do. So as I look to 2010 I feel a bit of urgency. I have some running things I want to do. Whether I have the dedication or not to do it is another thing.

So here is my goals and dreams for 2010.
1. Finish the Where's Waldo 100k
2. Finish the Where's Waldo 100k
3. Finish the Where's Waldo 100k
4. Feel better at the end of long runs. ( I have fought this forever. Ask Gail about post McKenzie River 50k at 2 am in the morning)
5. Beat my PR at Mac Forest 50k
6. Get my buddy Rick back to kickin my ass on some runs. (Not all of course! :) )
7. As a new Race Director, make Autumn Leaves 50/50 a popular race for Ultra runners again
8. Fix my stomach issues on races over 50k
9. Run for 24 hours at Pac Rim
10. Continue my passion for the sport

Running Dreams for the Future.
1. Get in Western States 100
2. Finish the WS 100
3. Qualify and run the Boston Marathon
4. Run with Gail the entire race at the NYC Marathon
5. Run the Munchen (Munich) Marathon
6. Run forever


Gail at the finish of Western States in 2009

Kind of strange things I want. But they are my dreams. As you can tell Waldo is number one. It kicked me hard last year. The conditions were perfect and my body quit on me. This year it probably will be hot, raining, and other ugly things but I must finish. I will try my best that is all I can do.

Now I have a question for the two of you that read this blog. I am thinking of doing the new Pine to Palm 100 mile race in Southern Oregon in September. This looks like a killer of a run with over 20,000 feet of climb. For some reason I want to attempt this run. I know I will probably DNF but something is pushing me to try. I want your opinions on this. Should I try it or is it way out of my league? Place your vote here. Oh and btw I had to add a word verification because I was starting to get quite a few spam posts.