After Waldo, I was seriously considering a DNS for this race. Then I ran HTC, did really well, and decided to go for 4:15! What a difference a week makes. I came up with some splits based on one year of experience running this race...really there was no basis for them. I didn't really stick to them...definitely ran too fast from aid station 1 to 2...and missed 4:15 by about 7 minutes...4:21:56.
5.7 miles, 47:54, 8:24 pace 5.5 miles, 41:05, 7:28 pace 5.5 miles, 46:10, 8:24 pace 5.1 miles, 45:06, 8:51 pace 3.3 miles, 29:08, 8:50 pace 5.9 miles, 52:33, 8:54 pace
I rode over to the race with the Pain Train, Dennis Gamroth, and Mike Tyler...needless to say, it was fun ride. Big props to Dennis for running a great race even though he was sick...4:49:57. Here's how my race went...
It really felt like I was running hard from the start to the first aid station...I had the debate going on in my head...am I going too fast? No Garmin to know for sure. There was a guy right behind me for most of the way up...I felt like I was letting him push me a little too hard. When I got to the first aid station, I wasn't sure if the split was right there or after the short out and back. I hit it after the out and back and was actually about a minute behind where I wanted to be!
So naturally I pushed a little harder on the next section. I saw the Pain Train on my way back down the trail and was pretty surprised he was so far back...I wasn't really sure what he had planned for this race since he already had the Trail Series wrapped up. A short time later I caught up to Will Kalenius because he had made a pit stop off the trail...when he got back out on the trail, just ahead of me, he really put the hammer down...or at least it felt to me like he did...I decided I would try and stick with him, but I knew I was going too fast. This was confirmed a mile or two later when up ahead I could see a group of Rogue Valley Runners! It's one thing to try and run with them...it's quite another to catch up to them...so at this point I slowed down and let Will go. Needless to say, I was several minutes ahead of my split time for this section. By the way, Will ran an awesome race...4:05:07...it was nice to get to talk to him a little after the race.
The next section was the technical section...lots of lava rock...this was definitely not factored into my splits. I made it through OK...no trips. After this section I was still a little ahead of the pace for 4:15.
Surprisingly, I had trouble on the next section. I was running along on a nice flat/soft section of trail and must have missed a root, as in, I didn't see it...I went flying...landed face down on the trail and when I hit, my water bottle went flying out of my hand and over the cliff, down into the river! It only took a split second for me to realize it was gone for good, so I just got back up and took off. Luckily, someone at the next aid station had a bottle I could use for the rest of the race...thank-you! When I got to this aid station, I was pretty sure 4:15 was out of the question.
The next short section went by pretty quick...but the whole time I was dreading the final long section to the finish. I was pretty much spent by this point and really just trying to hang on. A mile or two into the last section, Jeff Phillips went flying by me...literally...he was out of sight real fast. And a mile or two after that Mike Tyler caught up to me. I got the impression he was kind of hurting too...he didn't seem to want to pass me, so we ran the rest of the way together...I have to say, he really pushed me...I would not have been going that fast otherwise. So we finished, and before I can even catch my breath, here comes the Pain Train! I have to admit, I was a little surprised...he may not be real happy with the race he ran, but I was impressed. This guy has incredible patience...it really serves him well in these long distance races.
Below are a couple pictures of me from the race...thanks to Tom Riley for the pictures.
My lower legs, right below my calf muscles, were really hurting for days after the race. I hate to blame a pair of shoes, but I've had some trouble with the Montrail Streaks...I hadn't ever had this kind of problem with other trail shoes. I also don't think they have enough cushioning for me...I need to find some new shoes.
For the 4th year in a row, I ran the Hood to Coast Relay with Kult Kevorkian. This is one of those legacy teams that has been around for something like 20 years. Look for our team on the Hood to Coast documentary. So how did I get hooked up with them? Well, it just so happens that one of Tonya's friends from grad school, Leah Henriksen, has been on the team for a number of years. In 2005 they needed runners, so Tonya and I both ran...and in the years since then, Tonya has been nice enough to let me continue to run with the team now that we have kids.
This van probably has more HTC's under its belt than I do
I have really enjoyed running with this team...they're out to have fun...they're not overly competitive, but they are very particular about getting the numbers right and keeping track of the details...time, pace, etc. And I have to admit, it's been a big ego boost for me every year...I am known as the fast guy and the long-distance runner. Because of this I have been type cast as the guy who should run the longest legs every year. I don't mind...it's been interesting to look back over the years and see my improvement. Some of the legs have changed slightly over the years, but they're more or less the same.
2008 Kult Kevorkian T-shirts and theme: 'Cause Tramps Like Us, Baby We Were Born to Run'
One other important note about Kult Kevorkian...they are organized! This is a very good thing, but it means commitment to participate has to be made close to 10 months in advance...at the time last year, I knew HTC was the week after the Where's Waldo 100K, but I wasn't too worried...I thought if I had nothing left after Waldo it wouldn't be a big deal...like I said before, this HTC team is not super competitive. Well, I had a tough time at Waldo, so I was really curious how HTC would go...was I over tired and in need of a break...if HTC went poorly, there would be no question. I made sure to wear my Waldo shirt because I was sure I was the only one out there crazy enough to run HTC less than a week later...but I wasn't...I saw Gary Lear in his shirt and I also recently heard that Randy Benthin ran both. Surprisingly, HTC went very well...I ran it all out...I guess I had something left in the tank after all...below are my stats.
Leg 9 - According to the HTC handbook this leg is a gentle downhill run...there is no way...it is definitely a gentle uphill run. By the time I was getting ready to start (about 9:00PM), the conditions were perfect for a fast run, except for the darkness...footing was sometimes tricky...part of the Springwater Trail is gravel. When I started off, I had no idea how fast I was going. There was one guy up ahead of me that I wasn't catching very quickly...I ended up catching him within the first mile, but I could tell he was going a little too fast for me...I let him go, but shortly afterward he stopped to tie his shoe or something. He caught me again with a couple miles to go, I think...I tried to find him after I finished because I wanted to know what his 10K PR was! I was surprised with my pace considering I'd never run that fast in a 10K. 2005 - 7.30 miles, 50:30, 6:55 pace 2006 - 7.30 miles, 46:18, 6:21 pace 2007 - 6.89 miles, 44:28, 6:27 pace 2008 - 6.89 miles, 40:48, 5:55 pace
After our first set of legs, our van stopped at St. Helens High School to sleep for a few hours. I was really looking forward to getting some Burgerville burgers and a milkshake...but our team had started from Mt. Hood much later than we had in the past, so it was too late when we got to St. Helens...Burgerville was closed! I paid a couple bucks to sleep on the floor of the St. Helens High School gym.
Leg 21 - I've decided that this leg is much better at night...you can't see all the dust you're breathing (it's a gravel road). In years past, I've always run it in the dark...this year I ran a little after sunrise. After my first leg, I definitely wanted to run under 6:00 minute miles. I knew the leg had a pretty nice downhill, but early on, I was wondering where it was...finally I found it and cruised. 2005 - 5.00 miles, 34:09, 6:50 pace 2006 - 5.00 miles, 32:15, 6:27 pace 2007 - 5.00 miles, 31:08, 6:14 pace 2008 - 5.00 miles, 29:26, 5:53 pace
After Leg 21
After our second set of legs, our van stopped in a big field near the last van exchange to sleep...it was hot and noisy. Darin Swanson describes this well.
Leg 33 - This leg is long and rolling...I knew there was no way I was going to run sub 6:00 minute miles again, so I just went hard...I definitely faded toward the end...probably the last two miles. It was early afternoon, so it was warm...I was glad I took some water with me. And it's always good to be done...we made it to Seaside, found a place to park, and got to the finish in time to run across the finish line with the whole team. Then, as is tradition for our van, it was off to pizza...I was so hungry. As we sat down to eat we got to watch the finish of the Men's Olympic Marathon...cool, I had wanted to watch it. 2005 - 7.90 miles, 58:46, 7:26 pace 2006 - 7.10 miles, 50:32, 7:07 pace (Leg 32) 2007 - 7.72 miles, 51:49, 6:42 pace 2008 - 7.72 miles, 49:37, 6:25 pace
Thanks again to everyone in the Kult for another great year. And good news...Waldo and HTC do not fall on the same weekend next year! I'm in....
Needless to say, this race did not go too well for me. The race starts at the Willamette Pass ski lodge and basically goes straight up the ski run...so it's a walking start...I remember feeling really anxious...I wanted to run. My Garmin stopped working a few weeks before the race...I had some aid station splits in mind, but I really had no idea how fast I was going until I got to the first aid station. I followed Kelly Woodke for a while...at one point I even tried to follow him into the woods for a pit stop, but he directed me back onto the trail...pretty embarrassing...sorry, Kelly. In my defense, it was still dark and I was just following the guy in front of me.
In hindsight, I was definitely going too fast, but I don't think that was my main problem. I got to the first aid station several minutes ahead of what I thought was a 12:00 pace...since I had plenty of time to spare, I stopped to use the Gold Lake Campground bathroom. Next up was the climb up Fuji Mountain...I definitely backed off a little here and felt pretty good up to the Fuji Mountain aid station. From there to the top seemed a little tougher...I had run this part of the course a week earlier with the Pain Train and Dennis...I definitely felt the altitude then, but I didn't really feel it as strongly during the race. Heading up to the top of Fuji, I was still a little concerned I was going too fast, but I saw plenty of people on their way down and felt better about where I was at. The view from the top was great.
Heading down Fuji Mountain to the Mt. Ray aid station, I could tell something was not quite right...the Pain Train caught me shortly after hitting the Fuji aid station for the second time. I stayed with him all the way down to Mt. Ray, but I didn't feel very good...I would describe the feeling as a lack of energy...it felt like I was running out of gas...a little early for that to happen. At Mt. Ray, the Pain Train made it out of the aid station just ahead of me and quickly disappeared from sight. Because of the way I was feeling, I got pretty down on myself and had a lot of trouble on this section...I knew it was going to be a very long day.
By the time I made it to the Twins aid station, I noticed it was getting hot. I literally stumbled into the aid station and Dennis and crew took care of me and gave me the race update. I headed off toward Charlton Lake and was a little discouraged that it took so long to finally get to that downhill section. Just before I made it to the Charlton Lake aid station I was surprised to catch up to Kurt Eisele...he wasn't doing too well either...he said he had walked the whole section from the Twins to Charlton Lake, which I think must have been where he dropped. I told him I had to start running again because my crew was waiting for me up ahead.
My Mom, Dad, and Will were waiting for me at the Charlton Lake aid station. Not only that, but the aid station was manned by the Corvallis trail running crew and families...so, as you can see from the picture above, I was pretty excited to make it here. My answer to how I was doing...I didn't feel terrible, just not very good.
Someone suggested I take a dip in the lake...it took a little time, but it felt really good. I took off for the Road 4290 aid station feeling a lot better than I did when I arrived. I don't know how long that feeling lasted, but it couldn't have been more than half way to Road 4290...this was a very hot section. I hit another wall and eventually Leif Rustvold and Robert Pool caught up to me. They encouraged me to try to run with them, but I was having a lot of trouble...I felt like I could run fairly normally for a little while, then this wave of complete exhaustion would come over me.
Eventually I made it to the aid station and my Mom, Dad, and Will were waiting for me there. The middle picture above does a good job of showing how I was feeling at this point. I never seriously considered quitting, but I was thinking, how long is it going to take me to go another 25 miles in this condition? It turns out that the answer was almost as much time as it took to go the first 37. I took some extra time at this aid station...sat in the shade, got sponged off...I knew the next section would be very long...and it was. This was another section of the course I had run before...it was nice to know where the spring was to fill up my bottles...I needed it. I finally made it back to the Twins...got another race update from Dennis, saw some carnage (several people dropped here)...it was really uplifting to hear the Pain Train was doing so well...sounded like he was going to hold on and win the Oregon Trail Series. That gave me a boost...I ran the next section pretty well, under the circumstances, until the trail started heading uphill to the Maiden Peak aid station.
I REALLY struggled going up Maiden Peak. That's all I have to say about that.
And once I made it to the top, I wasn't in a big hurry to head back down. Frank Schnekenburger caught me at the top...it was nice to see a familiar face, so I headed down behind him...and Ken Ward was right behind me, as you can see in the video above. Frank ran hard down to the last aid station and I tried to keep up...it took all I had. At the Maiden Lake aid station, he took off well before I was ready...he had a great finish. I saw some more carnage at this aid station...someone was being wheeled off on a stretcher. After leaving the aid station, I got to chat a little with Ken on this last stretch of trail...he's really a great guy...he seemed a little concerned about me. The Rosary Lakes were very nice...unfortunately, I didn't see any swimmers.
By the time I got back on the PCT, I was really wanting to be done. Thankfully, not too far down the trail, Kristin and Carlos appeared in front of me and paced me to the finish. I tried to run "hard" with them, but just couldn't keep it up all the way to the finish. They definitely helped get me there, though. If only they could have been with me for the last 25 miles!
I finished, got my hat, and laid down on a bench. The Pain Train got me some food and drink...thanks for that. It took awhile, but I eventually felt like eating and drinking again. Where's Waldo is one hell of a tough race...I guess that's why they say on the website, "It is not a beginner-level ultra and participation in the race should not be taken lightly." I feel like I had a healthy amount of respect for the race beforehand, but now I know I underestimated it to some degree. It's bothered me that I can't really pinpoint exactly what went wrong, but it only took a couple days off for me to start thinking about next year...I want another shot. I want to come back better prepared and run smarter.
While I was having my fun, Will was having a lot of fun waiting for me...he really wore my Mom and Dad out. After waiting for me at Charlton Lake and Road 4290, they went over to Waldo Lake, then back to the finish to wait for me again. Will had a lot of fun playing in the dirt and rocks...he even got himself a new girlfriend. Later in the day, the weather turned and we got some clouds and rain...and a rainbow too...from the picture, you can see Will was pretty amazed. Thanks, Mom, Dad, Kristin, and Carlos for all your help!
Please excuse the language used in this video, but the chase scene plays out a lot like this race...me trying to keep up with the Pain Train.
Congratulations William Swint, eventual winner of the 2008 Oregon Trail Series, on a great race and a great season...sure there's one more race, but it will be your victory lap. I know how hard you worked this year...you earned it.
What better way to start off the 4th of July than with a race? This year I ran in the 25th annual Stayton 10K...it was my second year running the race. Last year, there were a number of factors that added up to make a tough race for me (I barely broke 40:00)...I was training for the PCT 50 miler, so I wasn't doing a lot of fast running (I remember my legs feeling "dead" during the race)...July 4th was in the middle of the week, so I was training right through the race...the course is pretty challenging (it's out-and-back with several significant hills)...and it was very hot. This year I was hoping for a better performance, but wasn't expecting great things because my recovery from the Newport Marathon had been pretty rough...most training runs were not feeling good, but things were starting to get better.
Another interesting subplot was that I had recently lost a bet and was given some clothes to wear for the race. Below are a couple pictures of me before the race...don't disrespect the half shirt...Will is looking like he doesn't even know me.
As the race began, I fell in behind the lead pack and watched the Pain Train lead us through the first mile...I remember thinking, he must be feeling good! I found myself right behind Mark Robins and thought I'd try and hang with him since he had just run a 38:04 10K a couple weeks ago. But just before we hit the first big hill heading into Sublimity, he stopped for water and I kept going. As I ran up the hill, I noticed I was getting closer to a couple guys ahead of me so I reeled them in...and at this point I was feeling good so I thought, let 'er fly. I caught one more guy on the way back and I also got a few interesting looks as I passed people heading the opposite direction...several smiles! As with most 10K races, I was able to "hang on" in the end and not get passed. I finished 5th in 37:43...a 10K PR on a tough course. Thanks to everyone for a great cheering section at the finish (see the video below)...and thanks to Bullseye and the Pain Train for not finding shorts for me to wear...don't think I would have been able to run that fast in cut-offs.
It was really nice to run a good race after all the tough training lately. Next up is the Where's Waldo 100K...not only is this race challenging with good training, but I'll have the added challenge of training with a new baby. Lately I've been doing lots of running with Will in the jogging stroller, the Pain Train has made many trips down to Corvallis to run with me, and the grandparents have been very supportive on the weekends helping Tonya with the kids while I try to get the long runs in...thanks everyone, especially you, Tonya, for the support!
I should have known better than to bet on myself in a scramble...seriously, I've had some trouble in the past. This goes all the way back to the summer before my senior year of high school when I attended the Steens Mountain Running Camp in Eastern Oregon with three of my teammates (Joe Bartosz, Jonah Lynch, and Lafe Paulson) in preparation for my final year of high school cross-country. This camp was a defining running experience for me...I had such a great time hiking, running, and camping in the Steens Mountain wilderness. During the camp, there were many different activities...some of the highlights were the 30 mile hike/run, the uphill 5K, and the cross canyon race or team scramble. My team for the scramble included Joe, Jonah, and Lafe plus a guy from Tillamook, Josh Huffman (interestingly, I've noticed his name in marathon results lately...he was a good runner in high school and, not surprisingly, he broke 3:00:00 at the Boston Marathon this year...congratulations!). The scramble course was not marked...we had to run in a general direction cross-country down into a canyon, back out (I remember this involved a large snow field), and then find the finish. I was doing alright until we were probably about 100 yards from the finish...all of the sudden my calf cramped. Rather than hobble into the finish, Joe (on the left in the picture) and Lafe (on the right in the picture) picked me up and carried me...one of the rules of the race was that all team members had to be holding the ribbon when crossing the finish line. Getting carried across the finish line was not really something I am proud of, but it did make for a great picture in the Eugene newspaper...the expression on Joe's face is priceless.
Fast forward 12 years...Mt. Hood Scramble 2007...with a race description like this, I had to try it..."This event isn't designed for the pansy-ass front avenue runner -- DO NOT expect some cutesy lil' downtown 5K, or some wussy boy trail-run. This mother is packed with adventure: hills, creeks, rock, dirt, heavy brush and more. Wear clothes you don't mind ruining, and bring band-aids if you are concerned about some bleeding. As for aid stations...there is plenty of water on the course, but I'd think twice about drinking it...especially after you waded through it. As for the distance, well it’s about 6-miles or whatever "K". We'll time you, give you awards, probably some watermelon, and hell, we may even throw a few beers -- all you have to do is finish. Think you’re up for it? We are ready for you, and to quote Shakespeare’s Henry V, "he who shed his blood with me, shall be my brother" See you on the hill." I signed up and was planning to run the race with the Pain Train and Bullseye. Unfortunately, the night before the race I ate dinner at a restaurant in Albany which shall remain nameless, and got very sick...snakebitten again...my first DNS.
Mt. Hood Scramble 2008...return of the team scramble...the teams were the Pain Train and Bullseye versus my brother-in-law Lee and myself...lowest total combined time wins. The losers would sing karaoke...but since I like singing karaoke, I'd have to wear clothes picked out for me at the 10K in Stayton on the 4th of July. I was a little nervous about the race because my recovery from the Newport Marathon was pretty rough...the big problem was I got sick a few days after the race...it lasted several days and then seemed to hang on for a long time after that. I finally went to see the doctor and he gave me antibiotics for what he thought may be bronchitis. By the time this race rolled around, I was over it, but I hadn't really run at all since the marathon. My plan was to line up behind the Pain Train and try and stay as close as I could...then hope that Lee could beat Bullseye.
As I told several people after the race, if I had known there would be that much snow, I would have brought snow shoes...I'd say the course was at least 75% snow...it's really unbelieveable how much snow there still is up there. I lost the Pain Train pretty quickly...I was too busy postholing in the deep snow and trying to stay upright. I'd say the race for me was like one of those dreams when you're running in slow motion. It felt like I was giving it everything I had, but my body wasn't responding. When I finished and found out I was about 12 minutes behind the Pain Train, I knew we didn't really have a chance...Lee did beat Bullseye, but only by a little over a minute...too bad they weren't closer...that would have been some kind of finish. The good news was I got another great scramble picture...below is a shot of me I bought from Brian Conaghan...check out the rest of my pictures here.
So, another rough scramble for me...but a bet is a bet...I'll take my punishment like a man. Pictures from 10K in Stayton on the 4th of July will be posted soon...and I plan to get video of Lee singing karaoke.
I'll never forget going down to Sacramento in 2004 to run the California International Marathon...the day before the race they had a seminar where you could meet and talk to the pacers. At the time, I was trying to qualify for the Boston Marathon, but training-wise, I really didn't have a clue what I was doing. The 3:10:00 pacer was talking about his running background (he had actually just been picked to run Western States, which at the time meant nothing to me) and his strategy for the race. I remember feeling very confident after listening to him which, looking back now, is pretty funny...and I remember him saying one other thing...once you break 3:10:00 you move on to the next step which is breaking 3:00:00...and once you do this, "you own the marathon." Now that sounded cool...that sounded like something I wanted to do.
In reality, I've been humbled so many times by the marathon, I know I'll never own it. A lot of things have to go right for you to be successful. For the Newport Marathon this year, it's quite possible everything was perfect...good training, a great taper, finish times from the Eugene Marathon for inspiration, several recent "bad" marathons for motivation, perfect weather, lots of support, and no high expectations since I was flying home from Italy the day before the race.
Thursday night was my last night in Italy. Intially the plan was to take it easy that night...eat dinner in the hotel restaurant, go to bed early, and get a decent night's sleep before my 6:55 AM flight the next morning. From what I understand, getting good rest before a marathon is important! But the Italians would have none of this...you have to go out on your last night in Italy, so we made plans to meet in Milan for dinner. To make a long story short, it ended up being a late night...we didn't get back to the hotel until after 1:00 AM. So let's see...I ended up getting about 2 hours of sleep. It was painful getting up that morning, but once I got going, I felt better. Only a short flight from Milan to Frankfurt and then a 10 hour flight from Frankfurt to Portland and I would be back in Oregon. I fell asleep a few times on the long flight, but didn't get much sleep. Thankfully, I remember feeling really good when I got home Friday afternoon...I think I was just really happy to be home. That afternoon we packed up and headed for Newport. My parents had rented a house for everyone to stay in and my mom made a spaghetti dinner...thank-you! It was really nice to see everyone and I was very excited for my sister, Kristin, who was running her first marathon. That night I got about 6 hours of sleep and woke up before my alarm went off.
From the start of the race I felt really good and I remember thinking a few things...I was going to be very careful with fueling today...I wanted my legs to hurt, not my stomach, so early on I pushed a little harder then I might have otherwise (mission accomplished...I hadn't been that sore after a race in a long time). I also did not drink Gatorade the morning of the race! I drank much more water than electrolyte drink during the race, and I ended up taking only 2 gels, one at mile 8 and one around mile 16. There was something else too, something that I had been thinking about for over 3 weeks...I have to admit, I was very impressed and inspired by the results of a couple runners I know or know of at the Eugene Marathon. They ran great races, above and beyond their normal performances, as far as I knew. Raille Wilson ran 2:50:16...I knew he had broken 3:00:00 several times, but as far as I knew, never by more than 3-4 minutes. Chris Highfield ran 2:55:47...I've never met Chris before, but know he's from Corvallis. From race results, I could see he was in the same boat as me...trying to break 3:00:00 but coming up a few minutes short several times...as far as I know, this was his first sub-3 hour marathon...congratulations on a great race! My only explanation for their performances was they must have just gone for it...I think it's time to really push my limits. I wanted a spectacular finish or a spectacular crash and burn.
When I hit mile 4, I tried to back off slightly...let's not get crazy, I thought...but I was still running in the 6:30's. I hit the half marathon mark a little under 1:26:00, then the turn-around was a couple miles past that. At this point, for whatever reason, I put the hammer down and ran a few miles in the low 6:20's...part of this stretch was fueled by the huge emotional boost I got when I passed my sister going the other direction...she told me later she got a big boost too. Looking back at my mile splits, I noticed I started to slow a little past mile 20. But the Pain Train was waiting for me at the 22 mile mark...that gave me another huge emotional boost of energy which lasted about 2 miles. So at about 24 miles, reality set back in and I started to fade again...but by then there was no doubt...I was going to absolutely crush 3:00:00. I ended up crossing the line in 10th place with a time of 2:52:13...a 12 minute PR. That's still a little hard to believe, mainly because I know at some point my performance has to level off and based on my past three marathons, I was starting to think maybe it already had...now I'm not sure what to think. My sister finished her first marathon in 4:24:03...I'm really proud of her...she did real well with the training and ran a great race...it's such a great accomplishment. Now who's next? My marathon coaching services are free of charge at the moment.
I totally agree with the Pain Train, this is why I do this...for the occasional perfect day like this one. If there was one word to describe how I felt after the race, it was satisfied. But only temporarily, I'm not quite finished yet...I still have unfinished business in Boston...April 20, 2009 is already on my calendar.
