Shotgun Trail Blast 50K

Well it sure felt good to race again. I missed running Hagg Lake 50K in Feburary due to an illness, so I haven’t done a race since early January. When I was sick I didn’t run for a solid 2 weeks, so I had some catching up to do anyway. By the time the Shotgun Trail Blast 50K rolled around on April 2^nd, I was really ready try out my winter training.

The Shotgun Trail Blast was another small local race put on by the Eclectic Edge folks and was held about 30 minutes east of Eugene. The course was two 25K loops, each with about 2000 feet of climbing, maybe 5-6 miles of trails and 10 miles of logging roads. There were only 9 of us in the race as most of the folks were running the 25K. The aid stations had water and Gatorade a few snacks. They also had radios and took our splits at the start/finish and out on the course. I brought my own gels.

Mid-way through the first loop, I realized that Cameron Hanes, a talented ultra-runner and extreme hunter was only a short distance behind me. That kept my pace honest. I came through the first loop in 1:57:20 and I spent a little time at my car getting some more gels & fluid before heading out for the second loop. I felt like I had run the first loop fairly solid, but was still feeling strong. I ran the second loop in 1:55:41, an overall time of 3:53, average pace of 7:31, first place, and a nice negative split.

I enjoyed the course, the route was well marked, and there were just enough volunteers to make it all come together. I felt grateful to have a 50K race so close to home, and it was fun to chat with everyone after the race.

Bandera 100K

Bandera was a wonderful time with friends and a great race.

Goals: I was hoping to keep my time as close to the leader as possible for earning Montrail points, possibly place in the top 3 take home a little prize money, and most importantly - enjoy a full day of supported running in a new and beautiful landscape. There were some big names in the race and at least on paper, a top 5 place let alone a top 3 looked out of the question. But things never go according to plan in these events. Being that this was really only my third race over 50 miles, I also was hoping to build some additional confidence at these longer events.

There was a big group of us going to the race including Craig and Laurie Thornley, Pam Smith, Meghan Arbogast, and Jeff and Laura Riley. For the most part we traveled on the same flights, rented a van together, and all stayed at the same house. Honestly, it was more of a vacation with friends than a weekend of hard racing.

Unlike last year where the temperatures were in the single digits, our weather was just right. Cool at the start, warming up in the morning, then just when it started to get a little hot the clouds moved in and cooled it down again. Just before the start I decided to ditch my hat, arm sleeves and gloves. The aid stations were all about 5 miles apart, and because it wasn’t hot most of us went with just one bottle.

From the gun there were a whole bunch of folks that took off, which always makes me a little nervous, but I knew would most likely provide a day full of passing folks, which is better than the other way around (like at JFK). Most of them came back within the first four miles. From the start to the first aid station the trail has two climbs and is difficult rocky footing. All the hill climbs are relatively short, maybe 300+ ft, but the loose rocks and grade make them difficult. Around mile four I caught up with Jason Bryant of NC and one other runner. At the first aid station “Nachos” (m5.6) I grabbed a cup of something we were out at 0:46, only a tad bit faster than the frozen leaders of last year.

The three of us ran together for the most part to the next aid station “Chapas” at (m11.4) 5 miles. The section from Nachos to Chapas was much more runnable with no major hills and less rock. I filled my bottle at Chapas and I was out at 1:26. Aside from a few long gradual rocky climbs along the powerlines, the tail remained very runnable from Chapas to the next aid station at Cross roads. Jason and I regrouped and we caught and passed Chikara Omine, who was second last year. He seemed to be running fine, just slower on the rocky climbs. Jason pulled ahead a bit but we were together as we pulled into Cross Roads (m16.9). I left Cross Roads at 2:07 and on the three sisters loop section which was rocky and hilly Jason pulled ahead for the last time. He had about a minute on me when I left Cross Roads for the second time (m 21.9 2:46) and after a porta-potty break I lost another minute. I stayed about 2 minutes behind Jason most of the rest of the race. The first half of the section between Cross Roads and Lucky Peak was runnable but then it starts to get rocky and hilly again. The trail remained difficult through Last Chance aid Station (m 26.1 3:22) and onto the finish (m 31 4:07) with the Lucky Peak, Cairn’s climb and Boyle’s Bump. Well except there were some nice fast parts along the top.

I felt like I was running very relaxed, but started to feel the distance around Last Chance aid station on the first loop. However, 4:07 seemed like a good time for the first 50K and was under the course record pace. I just had to focus on minimizing the second loop slowdown. I was 5:02 at Nachos (m36.6) and 5:52 out of Chapas (m42.0).

I suppose I’m getting better at the hydration and nutrition, but I often feel like I’m doing a lot of bad guess work. I was fighting off cramping most of the day, but never had any real serious issues. The race had Heed at the aid stations and my stomach really liked that, but it was making me feel bloated. I switched to water from Chaps to Cross roads (m 47.9 6:42) and felt tons better but after more cramping I got nervous about going without the added calories & electrolytes and switched back on the three sisters loop back to Cross Roads (m 52.9 7:31). Running into Cross Roads the second time I just caught sight of Jason leaving. Laura Riley was there to help and I switched bottles to my EFS fluid. By this time Craig had finished his 50K and told me that Bryan had seen me also and looked nervous. I was thinking maybe he would get excited and run too hard for a while and then maybe I could catch him in the last section. Unfortunately my EFS drink didn’t sit well, and I couldn’t drink or eat at all over the next section. I switched back to the Heed at Last Chance. (m 57.1 8:11) At the Last Chance aid station they told me Jason now had 3 minutes. You never know, but he seemed out of reach at this point. However, with 4.9 miles to go I had a solid chance of getting in under 9 hours. I felt better and better, and had a great last section which was only 1 minute slower than my first lap split. I felt like I was flying down the decent and the only thing keeping me from going faster was the cramping. I knew I would break 9 hours. Then at the toe of the Boyles Bump decent I saw Jason’s yellow jersey. I was gaining fast, but wasn’t going to catch him. I finished 4^th just 23 seconds back in 8:57:42. Dave Mackey was 1^st in 8:16 (which didn’t help me much for the Montrail points, but he took an impressive hour off the previous C.R.) I found out later that Geoff Rose had dropped out after the first 50K, Dave James was second in 8:33.

It was an awesome race, I had a great time with my friends (who also really enjoyed the event) and it really ended on a positive note.

Frozen Trail Fest 50K

I was looking for a small event to run sometime between JFK and Bandera and was pleasantly surprised to discover that a local (and extremely active) running event management group Eclectic Edge Events was hosting a 50K with 5 (!) other shorter options at Mt. Pisgah. The course was hilly and very muddy. We ran 4 loops around the park, with 2 of the laps taking us close to the top of the hill, one nearly to the top and the last loop up and over. This was probably not quite as the hilliest 50K in Oregon, McDonald Forest, but was muddier than the muddiest 50K in Oregon, Hagg Lake 50K. My goal was to get in a long run at a good (but not race) effort. I also wanted to do a good job of nutrition and hydration. Everything went well, I won the race in 4:34 (out of maybe 20 entrants) and didn’t take too long to recover and get back into training. Pam Smith, from JFK 50mi and who will also be running the Bandera 100K with us in a week, won the women’s race. Ultras are much different to organize than road races, and I thought the folks at Eclectic Edge did a great job. The following photos from the race are from Michael Lebowitz, who did a great job of capturing the event.

JFK 50

The JFK 50 in Maryland on November 20, 2010, was an interesting mix of ultra-running and old-school small town road race. For example, when I entered, I sent in a return address stamped envelope which I received back with a little slip telling me I was entered. Of course, I could also just look at the online start list.

At any rate, I seemed to have a good thing going, so after the McKenzie 50K in September, I was on the lookout for another race. I’m happy with how JFK race turned out but in the end, I realized I had lost some of my momentum between September and late November.

My goals for the race included:

1. Run under 6:00 and get a qualifying time to be considered for the USA National 100K Team

2. Score some points for the Montrail Ultracup.

3. PR for 50 mi (6:18 at American River)

4. Get into the top 5 to win some prize money and payback a bit of the cost to get to the race

5. Gain more experience.

6. Participate – JFK is the largest ultra in the USA and has an interesting history.

Start and Appalitaion Trail

I felt good at the start and the weather was just right: sunny and in the mid-40s at 7:00 am. We climbed up a paved road for about three miles before jumping onto the Appalachian Trail. The trail was as promised: rocky and covered with leaves. The footing was tough. I thought the trail section would be my strong suit but when I found myself in the lead, I was a little surprised. I decided to go with it and was rewarded with this live coverage report: “Dan Olmstead of Oregon is the leader, reaching Gathland Gap in 1:05 and looking fit, fast and on fire."

The first 10-15 miles of an ultra are always so much fun. I could probably win most races if I just stopped at 15 and let everyone else keep going.

Tow Path

Around mile 16, the trail dumped us off onto the long flat tow path, a “rails to trails” project. I was still in the lead for a few miles before the eventual winner and first time ultra-runner, Brian Dumm, caught up to me. He was very friendly, and looked comfortable. He was going a bit faster than felt good, so he slowly pulled away.

The tow path had mile markers so I was able to easily check my splits. However, over time I realized they were off. I’d run a 6:45 followed by a 7:45. I really wasn’t sure how I was doing with respect to my 6-hour goal until I got to about mile 30 and realized I was falling behind. Around mile 24, Jacob Edwards, who ultimately came in 3^rd, caught up to me and we ran together for a long ways. He also had never run an ultra but had just PR’ed in the marathon in 2:31. He didn’t think we would see Brian again either because he was a 2:27 marathoner. This was mildly frustrating because I have run several 2:26’s. But that was some time ago, and I was not in that kind of shape. A lot can happen in an ultra and I thought there was a chance I would see them both again. I was wrong. Shortly after Jacob, David Riddle, the 2^nd place finisher, caught us. As the three of us came into an aid station, two others joined us. By the time I fumbled my way out of the aid station, I was a distant sixth.

A Short Side Note About Aid Stations

My aid stations at this race were horrible. The folks with pitchers of fluid were usually behind the table, busy filling Styrofoam cups. I would stop at the table and start dumping half-full cups into my bottle. After about the fifth cup, someone with the pitcher would usually understand what I needed and would then fill me up. Most of the other guys seemed to have support as best I could tell. I did stash a bag with some Gu’s, a banana and a small bottle of chocolate milk at mile 30. Chocolate milk helps during a slow hilly 100K. At 7:10+ pace, it just makes you a little sick for a few miles should have known that.

It was clear I wasn’t going to get under 6 hours, but I was resigned to stay focused and get as close to pace as my body would let me. Near the end of the tow path at mile 42, I caught Michael Wardian and one other guy. I was now in 4^th.

Last 8 miles on paved Road

I was excited about moving into 4^th, but was cramping in several places, my legs were trashed, and I was getting desperate. I was taking extra salt, Gu’s, and fluid, anything I could think of to keep me together for a little while longer. With about 7 miles to go, I noticed 5^th place moving up. He passed and put on another about 3 minutes by the finish. I was doing about 8 min pace, which, all things considered, I was quite happy with. I scooted across the line in 6:10:30 an average of 7:25’s and was able to hold onto 5^th place.

Last thoughts

I’m glad I got to run JFK this year. It was quite a different experience and I really enjoyed the history of it all. I think I made the most of my fitness; I was able to stay in the race mode even when I was really struggling, I set a PR, and made it into the top five. This race beat me up much like a road marathon would, but I’m now feeling motivated to improve my training and get ready for the Bandera 100K in early January.

Congratulations to Amy Sproston and Pam Smith of Oregon who went first and second for the women!

Twilight River Run 5K, 9-29-10

Well I decided to jump into a 5k that started right outside my office at EWEB. I ran a 15:38 (avg. 5:02 /mi) I ran together with a friend Jeff Druet from the Eugne Running Company through half way then inched ahead for 1st place. It has been a long time since I tried to run more than one 5 min mile, and I was thankfull I didn't pull anyting doing so. It was a fun run on the bike path, however it wasn't easy. That last mile was violent. (to use a term from Matt Lonergan)

MCKenzie River 50K

I seemed to be on a roll as McKenzie turned out to be another good run for me. My recovery after Waldo was going well so when the chance to enter the McKenzie River 50K came, I jumped on it. McKenzie is another local race that is well run, competitive, has plenty of history, and is incredibly beautiful. We in Eugene are lucky to have such great races so close to home. Many of the racers, their friends and family stayed in Ice Cap campground the night before the race, so I enjoyed an evening of laughter and campfires. I was thankful for the late(ish) 7:30 start however, I didn’t sleep all that well and probably would have been ready to go at 5:00. Due to a bridge replacement project at the Carmen reservoir and construction at the Ranger Station, the race course was modified this year. The race started up in the Ice Cap campground, the turnaround was extend (uphill) on the Santiam Wagon road, and the finish came prior to passing Paradise campground but instead took us uphill on a gravel road for about a half mile before a quarter mile downhill to the finish.

At the start Jeremy Tolman, Steve Richards, and I decided to take the lead. Jeremy was leading us quickly up the trail towards Clear Lake. After a brief wrong turn towards the waterfall overlook (I think I did that last time also), we rearranged our order and Steve took the lead. The three of us stayed together up through the lava field on south side of Clear Lake. The twisty-turny technical sections are slow but don’t seem too bad when you are running them. However, as the day progresses you realize they really take a toll on your body. At the north end of the lake we turned right onto the out and back portion of the course and started passing the early starters. At the Santiam Wagon Road aid station (6.1mi.) I met Tom Atkins who took my warm cloths, and gave me my water bottle. We then had a short out and back section along the road that took us a short ways uphill.

During this whole first hour together the three of us were having a good time joking and taking in the scenery. We were of course wondering the whole time how the rest of the race would unfold. On the west side of Clear Lake Steve met his crew and stopped to exchange some clothing, and I think decided to back off a bit for a while. From that point on Jeremy and I were on our own.

Like Waldo, I made a real effort to stay on top of my fluids, calories, and sodium. Jeremy led the entire way, and I felt comfortable just drifting up and back depending on our various trail strengths or if I was fumbling around with gu’s. I always kept him in sight however.

I always feel a little guilty racing at McKenzie River because it is such a beautiful place. I gave a ½ second glance at the blue pool as we passed, but I really couldn’t spare more than that without tripping.

I had no idea what pace we were running. The pace felt comfortable from the Trail Bridge aid station all the way to the last aid station at Buck Bridge. I had hoped to beat my 3:44 time from four years ago, but based on how I felt, I wasn’t sure if that was going to happen. I had recovered well from the Waldo race three weeks ago, and I had a surprisingly good 10 mile steady run the week before. However I just didn’t have enough confidence in how my body would handle the late miles. I was content to focus on racing and not worry about the time. The great thing about having run a 100k recently is that this 50k was feeling short. I remember thinking “wow we only have an hour left of running”. Jeremy was still looking relaxed and I was starting to think about the end of the race. Tom met me at the Deer Creek aid station (23.5mi) and swapped bottles with me again. His work had saved me a lot of transition time through the aid stations. He wasn’t going to be able to meet me at Buck Bridge because he needed to go back and crew other friends. Jeremy and I only had about 7.5 miles to go and it was only 3.3 miles to the next aid station. The pace quickened. I decided I would fuel up, drink almost all of my fluid, take a few more S! Caps, and just blow through Buck Bridge. I knew I had a good hard 4 miles left in me. Jeremy was still looking relaxed and was also drinking a lot. I was starting to think he had the same plan. Things were going to be interesting.

As we approached Buck Bridge the trail widened and I was getting ready to go. Then suddenly Jeremy caught a root and went down! I didn’t know what to do, my body was starting to push and my head said to stop. It didn’t seem right to make a move when he was on the ground. I stopped, jogged back a few steps. He seemed ok, and was getting up so I jogged ahead. As he made his way over to exchange bottles with his crew, I decided it was ok to go and took off. I went hard to the finish and aside from some calf cramping it felt great. My final time was 3:35:14, second fastest time on the course. I had an awesome time and enjoyed seeing everyone else come in.

Where's Waldo 100K 2010

On my third attempt to run this race, I finally made it to the starting line not only healthy, but fit. Waldo this year meant a lot to me for many different reasons. It’s a high caliber competitive race with prize money, two Western States spots, and a part of the Montrail Ultra Cup series. Also it’s local—co-directed by my good friend Craig Thornley—and is a beautiful and challenging course. Most importantly, Waldo would be a trial for me. After my 2008 Western States experience, I endured an incredible period of self-doubt, and I set Waldo up as a litmus test—an indicator of my ability to run well at longer distances.

Courtney and I stayed in a hotel down in Oakridge with Sunsweet teammate Meghan the night before the race. On race day, I think Courtney was more nervous than I was. For the most part, I was just looking forward to spending the entire day running on the awesome wilderness trails. Megan had recently given me Brian’s (her husband) headlamp to use for the first section that would be in the dark. Brian passed away in early August, and using his light at the start of this great adventure felt symbolic and reassuring.

The climb up the ski hill felt comfortable. I loved looking back down the hill and seeing all the bouncing lights slowly working their way up the hill, and into the day ahead. Around five of us were loosely grouped together as we filtered through the Gold Lake aid station. Courtney met me near the road crossing and took my light and extra clothing. Lewis Taylor and another runner gapped us, and I didn’t see them again until nearly the top of the Mt. Fuji.

Tim Olson summited first, and then was gone. The picture to the left is possibly the last clear sighting of Tim anyone got until the Mt. Ray aid station. Part way down I stated getting reports about Tim: “He is about 2 minutes up… He has about 3 minutes on you… That guy was flying – he has about 7 minutes on you!” Officially, he had put 4 minutes on me in a little under 7 miles. Ouch. Courtney met me at Mt. Ray and I had some banana. Lewis was right behind me. I decided to work a bit on the grind up to the Twins aid station to see if the gap was for real or just a crazy downhill effort by Tim. By the Twins aid station—theme: Heaven and Hell—Tim had put another minute on me, so he was obviously was not just a great downhiller. I backed off a bit and felt a little relieved I was free to run my own race.

At Charlton aid station I met Courtney again. She gave me some chocolate milk, a banana, my second water bottle, and a hug. What else could I need? I was half way, feeling relaxed and in control. However, I knew that with the day warming up and the Twins & Maiden Climbs ahead, the hardest part of the course was still to come.

Shortly after the Charlton aid station I started to get some minor cramping in my calves. This slowed me down a bit, and I wasn’t able to take advantage of the downhill section into Road 4290 very well. I thought I had been taking enough salt and it was still fairly cool, so I figured I must be a dehydrated. I started drinking more, knowing I could refill both bottles soon at the 4290 aid station.

Out of the aid station, on my way to summit the Twins, the cramping wasn’t too bad because it was mostly flat and uphill. The Twins were work, but I felt like I kept the pace going well. Heading downhill to return to the Twins aid station I quickly realized that I hadn’t fixed the cramping and that is was now a big problem. I needed salt, and lots of it. I had been eating a little food at the aid stations and taking gels regularly which seem to be enough to keep my energy up, and my legs still felt good. Because of the cramping however, I felt like I really lost out on some good quick running down from the Twins to the Maiden Peak aid station. I had used up the last of my S! caps when I got to the aid station and they were able to give me four more, but only after some negotiation with the aid station captain.

The climb up Maiden peak was hard. I was able to keep a good hike/jog pace going for part way but as I got closer to the summit, I was really struggling just to hike. Eventually the trees started to thin, and I knew I was almost there. I was really looking forward to the short out and back near the summit. Maybe, just maybe, I would catch a glimpse of Tim (I didn’t) and I would get a chance to find out who might be behind me. No Tim, and no one within 9 minutes behind me. It would have been nice to see Tim, but this was once again my ticket to just run my own pace. I was feeling good again. I didn’t think it was possible for anyone to catch me, and I didn’t have to kill myself trying to win.

At the Maiden Lake aid station I received a nice face wash from the volunteers and a one man pep rally from Ed Wilson. I still had some cramping on the way down, but after some extra S! Caps at the aid station I was ready to go. All things considered, including the the previous 54.5 miles, I felt fantastic on the last section. As I got closer, I realized I was not only going to break 10 hours but I would be way under. It was possible for me to be competitive at these longer distances and I could prevent myself from falling apart at the end.

I had passed my Waldo test with flying colors. Overall this was beautiful day on wonderful trails supported by some of my best friends… oh, and one more piece of good news: I didn’t get lost.