Western States

Now that the race is upon us, I must say thank-you Tonya for letting me do what I love...all day and all night long...

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McDonald Forest 50K - 2011 vs 2010

After running the McDonald Forest 50K 6 days after the Eugene Marathon last year, I figured I could easily run the 50K faster this year...but I didn't...luckily I have the mile splits from both years to see what happened.

Mile 1 - The first mile was quite a bit slower this year...I just felt like I should not be in the lead pack with Max King.
7:21 ----- 6:38

Mile 2 - Very disturbed that I can still even see the lead pack.
7:48 ----- 7:27

Mile 3 - Started to climb...I wore my heartrate monitor this year and noticed it was getting pretty high, so I did some hiking. I can't remember how much of the hill I hiked last year...it seemed like less.
10:18 ----- 9:56

Mile 4 - Topped out on Powderhouse and started coming down...I caught up to Jason Hill who was confused by an arrow pointing back the way we had just come from. I convinced him that I knew where I was going and he followed me.
8:29 ----- 7:11

Mile 5 - Cruised down the gravel road...a little more slowly this year.
7:07 ----- 6:46

Mile 6 - Hit the Old Growth trail and New Growth trail. Jason Hill is pulling away. In my opinion, the New Growth trail, which is a new addition to the 50K course, adds about 45 seconds.
7:32 ----- 6:47

Mile 7 - Nothing but a blur of cowbells and train whistles...hit the aid station and began the climb on the west side of Lewisberg Saddle. I figure I was at least 5 minutes slower to the first aid station this year.
10:15 ----- 8:40

Mile 8 - Headed down Alpha trail.
7:36 ----- 7:26

Mile 9 - And onto the gravel road. Caught back up to Jason Hill, but soon lost him again...for good.
6:52 ----- 6:24

Mile 10 - Began climbing and entered the Maze. I'm thinking..."here's where all the hiking I've been doing pays off." It seemed to make a bigger difference in the second half of the Maze. Also passed April and her wedding party just before entering the Maze.
13:01 ----- 13:19

Mile 11 - Out of the Maze and onto Extendo trail. Last year this is where I caught up to my neighbor Dominic Cusimano who had taken the early start...and this year was no different! That's back-to-back finishes for him at 60 and 61 years old. I can only hope to be running 50Ks into my sixties.
8:56 ----- 8:53

Mile 12 - Continued down Extendo trail to the second aid station. I was trying to push it on the downs this year...this was the first time I could tell based on the splits. Was able to catch Jason Hawthorne here...heck, the guy had just completed an Ironman the weekend before. Surely he would be taking the next weekend off...
7:08 ----- 7:39

Mile 13 - Propelled up Uproute by cowbells and train whistles.
9:15 ----- 8:58

Mile 14 - Topped out on Uproute and back into the Maze.
9:29 ----- 10:19

Mile 15 - Wow, maybe the hiking did pay off.
11:17 ----- 12:55

Mile 16 - That's almost a 3 minute gain in 2 miles. Ended up passing Matthew Carrell and David Larson somewhere in this stretch.
12:00 ----- 13:11

Mile 17 - Out of the Maze and onto the gravel road. This is where Dennis Gamroth is usually stationed with his truck. He told me there was a guy who was hurt and walking not too far ahead. As I started up the hill I began to wonder where the heck is this guy. Either he's walking really fast or I'm running really slow. It turned out to be Chris Rennaker and I didn't catch him for well over a mile.
11:43 ----- 11:22

Mile 18 - Headed up the gravel road to Dimple Hill. This is always a lively aid station. Everyone was in a giving mood.
9:12 ----- 9:02

Mile 19 - Down Dan's Trail...I really wanted to run this section better than in past races.
7:27 ----- 8:16

Mile 20 - Very happy to see a sub-7 minute mile.
6:44 ----- 7:42

Mile 21 - My momentum was still carrying me.
8:36 ----- 9:34

Mile 22 - Maybe I got a little carried away heading to Chip Ross aid station?
8:26 ----- 10:02

Mile 23 - Had a little trouble coming out of the Chip Ross aid station. Tried to take a couple SCaps, but couldn't get them down. My stomach was starting to rebel. Got some motivation from the cowbells and train whistles, but I felt like the wheels were starting to come off. I let the Pain Train know this when I saw him on the out-and-back.
9:44 ----- 8:41

Mile 24 - Hit Lower Horse trail. This is going to be a grind.
10:35 ----- 11:59

Mile 25 - I felt like I walked a lot more of the Horse trails this year, but overall I may have been a little faster than last year.
12:47 ----- 12:37

Mile 26 - Thank God for gravity. Made it back to the Saddle aid station. The cowbells and train whistles were motivating right until they were out of sight. I was out of gas.
7:18 ----- 7:23

Mile 27 - When I hit this mile I made a mental note..."I am so ready to be done."
10:07 ----- 8:47

Mile 28 - I struggled up the gravel road. There was a lady on a bike going back and forth giving me updates. She said no one behind me was even close which actually made me let up a little. One of the next times by, she mentioned someone was walking the downhill up ahead. This motivated me...I figured I could probably catch this person if they were walking the downhill.
11:42 ----- 10:22

Mile 29 - So I ran the downhill pretty well, but it took everything out of me. I did catch the walker...it was Will Kalenius. At the time, I didn't realize he was ahead of me, but after the race I guessed he may have dropped out earlier in the race and just decided to walk back to the finish.
7:20 ----- 7:18

Mile 30 - Really struggling here. This is supposed to be fun, right?
10:51 ----- 9:47

Mile 31 - Todd Janssen comes flying by me with probably about a half mile to go. I thought no one was even close! Great run, Todd. You're running really well!
9:45 ----- 7:42

Finish - So let's see...I lost at least 5 minutes in the first 7 miles and probably more than 5 minutes in the last 4 miles...there's always next year.
4:46:16 ----- 4:42:45

McDonald Forest 50K

This is about how I felt at the end of the race today.



I'd like to give a superbad shoutout to Eric, Gene, and Roger for coming out to support me. Thanks, guys!

The New Season Begins Today

A day like today really gets me excited about "changing gears" and focusing on a different kind of running.

Time to start working on my 100 mile pace...

New Years' Day Double

The Capitol Mile has become a New Years' Day tradition for me. So when I heard that Run Wild Adventures was also going to have a race the same day, I decided I had to do both...two races less than two hours apart. No problem...they're both short.

There was definitely some unfinished business to take care of at the Capitol Mile. As I was standing in line to check in, I got interviewed by the Statesman Journal...I said I resolved to break 5 minutes this year after running 5:00.7 last year. Based on recent training, I believed I could...I was feeling good, but it was really cold that morning. I had time for a one mile warm-up but was still freezing at the start. The first half mile of the race was out toward the river and I didn't feel warmed up...I think I was running in 4th. Coming back I started to feel a little better and caught one runner to finish 3rd in 4:54.9. Based on my four finishes, I'm projecting a sub-4:00 mile by 2023.

2008 - 5:15.4
2009 - 5:11.5
2010 - 5:00.7
2011 - 4:54.9
2023 - 3:59.9

Thanks to great driving by the Pain Train, I got to the start of the Hangover Run just in time. I took off with Joe Dudman and was right on his heels. I tried to pass on a muddy corner shortly after we turned off the gravel road and almost went down. Patience, I thought...I made my next attempt to pass right around the 1 mile mark...just before the "unique aid station featuring "Adult" beverages." I opened up what felt like a small gap, but I knew I had to push hard to keep the lead. We finally turned back onto the gravel road and I could feel Joe closing the gap...luckily I had just enough left to hold him off. It was a fun cross-country type course with some gravel, grass, and dirt. Joe and I talked briefly after the race and he said he thought they should keep the race a 3K again next year...I agree.

So my double went really well...sub-5 minute mile and a win at the Hangover Run...but a double is not quite as impressive as Joe's New Years' Weekend Quintuple. Nice work!

Top 10 Running Lowlights from 2010

10) Mile Repeats - These are never fun, but I guess training is not supposed to be fun.

9) Missing a turn at the Santiam Canyon Scramble - This would have been my best scramble ever...luckily, I still held off Sean Meissner.

8) Shotgun Creek Trail Blast 50K - I did have a great race here, but I wore the wrong shoes. I had heard the course would be mostly road, so I decided to wear my old Lunaracers. Unfortunately I had absolutely no traction going up the one long muddy hill and my feet got totally hammered going down the gravel roads...there just wasn't enough protection. And one foot is still bothering me today.

7) Missing the Where's Waldo 100K - I can't wait to run this race again...I think it's one of those races that will take me several years to get right. Realistically, my next shot will be in 2012.

6) 5:00.7 at the Capitol Mile - I think my time speaks for itself.

5) Missing the 2010 Boston Marathon - I had run in the race 5 straight years and was a little bummed that my streak would be broken, but it was somewhat out of my control. The race filled so fast I didn't have time to decide if I wanted to run it, so I just figured it was meant to be. In 2009 I had finally run sub-3 hours and I guess I didn't feel like I had anything else I really needed to prove there. Otherwise, I would have registered right away. The good news is my sister and I got in for 2011.

4) Sauvie Island Marathon - The Eugene Marathon was my number one highlight from 2010, but I had a dream shortly after that race of running an even better marathon just two months later at Sauvie Island. The key word here is dream. I tried to get back on track training-wise after Eugene, but it wasn't happening. All the workouts I was doing before Eugene felt so much harder before Sauvie Island...there were a few I even cut short because I couldn't get through them. In the race I managed to keep up with the leaders for the first 4 miles and then I watched them slowly pull away. About halfway through the race I even had to stop and take a crap which I've never had to do in a marathon before. By this point I'm laughing at myself and wondering if I'll even break 3 hours. As for the rest of the race, the miles kept getting slower and the pain kept getting worse. It wasn't much fun. Pretty amazing that I feel like I had a terrible race and still ran 2:54:48...makes me think that with the right preparation and good conditions this would be a fast course. I'm only smiling because I'm done.

3) Mustache for a Week - The Pain Train beat me at the White River 50 miler and we had bet that the loser would wear a mustache for the 2 months following the race. I didn't realize how much I would dislike wearing a mustache. I couldn't believe how self-concious I felt for the week that I had it. I was actually very happy that prior to our third baby being born, Tonya asked me to get a haircut and be clean shaven. I figured it was in my best interest to comply. The Pain Train understood and at some point in the future I will finish paying up on this bet. I did get to rock the mustache at the first week of the Bush Park Cross-Country Series.

2) McDonald Forest 15K - Without question, this was my worst race of the year. I guess if you race enough you're going to have at least one race here or there when you feel absolutely terrible and want to quit. The worst part was I didn't see it coming at all. A few weeks later I went out on my own and ran the course faster than I did in the race. Maybe because I didn't stop here and consider turning around.

1) Injuring Eric Jensen - I'm not sure if I really let him know how bad I felt about this. I know what it feels like to be injured and not be able to run like you want...it's the worst. He expresses an interest in trail running and I go and take him on some of the toughest runs around! Let's see...Mary's Peak, Dome Rock, a mid-week 13 miler in McDonald Forest...sorry for pushing a little too hard a little too soon. Looking forward to running with you in 2011.

Top 10 Running Highlights from 2010

10) McDonald Forest 50K - I ran my personal best time here (4:42:45) this year after running the Eugene Marathon 6 days earlier. To me, that says there's a lot more room to improve in the future. This would be higher in the top 10, but I think this "double" really "hurt" me. I certainly wasn't ready (i.e. not recovered) for the Sauvie Island Marathon on the 4th of July.

This race makes the top 10 any year...it's my hometown ultra and it's always fun hanging out after the race to talk running...or bow hunting.

9) Sub-5 Minute Mile - I was pretty excited to see the All-Comers Track Meets this past summer in Corvallis on the calendar because I figured this would be my opportunity to get that sub-5 minute mile I missed out on at the Capitol Mile in January (a 2010 lowlight). I only made it to the meet in July and I only ran the mile. Even after getting horribly cut off right at the start (i.e. I got tripped up and almost went down), I ran a 4:58, but looking back, I'm not sure if it was really a mile or only 1600 meters. A big thanks goes out to Team Jensen for coming out to support me and taking some pictures. Thanks!

8) Adding to the "Crew" - This year I feel like I really started to assemble my own small group of runners at work - Eric, Gene, Roger, and Sam. It's been great to find more people excited and passionate about all things running. I really enjoyed running with you guys this year...looking forward to more.

7) Mt. Hood Scramble - Felt like I finally "ran" well at this race after years of trying. I was even lucky enough to catch the Pain Train the day after a long run and squeak out a win. This is another race that would make the top 10 any year. If you haven't tried it, you need to. One other thought...I prefer this type of scramble versus the Warrior Dash which seems to be gaining in popularity. I like the idea of "natural" obstacles rather than man made. Couldn't find any video from 2010 yet.



6) Payback - I finally won a bet with the Pain Train.

5) Sauvie Island Marathon - Got to see Eric run a huge marathon PR...by over 25 minutes, I believe! By all acounts, it was one of those "perfect" races where everything comes together. One of those, "this is the reason you run" moments. Sam also ran a half marathon PR here. For me personally, this race ended up in the 2010 lowlights.

4) 12 Hours at Corban College - I came away from this event feeling like I was part of something special. I didn't see any other 12 hour races last year, but I didn't need to. William Swint gets my vote for 12 hour UPOY, but not without a special shout out to Jason Nixon for getting him through it.
I was there early on and we were having a lot of fun...talking about the size of the field, trying to get William to compete with the relay team, telling him to try running an sub-18 minute 5K loop for a bigger donation, lighting a camp stove...but I left for Grandma Novie's birthday party after he hit 50K, I think, and I missed some of the drama around the 8 hour mark. However, when I got back for the last few laps to make 100K, I could definitely see that things had changed since I left. What I got to see in the end was a gutty, inspiring performance. I really hope they have this race again next year...I'd love to test myself here.

3) White River 50 Miler - I consider myself very lucky to have been able to go up to Washington for the weekend with Bullseye and the Pain Train to run this race in order to get a qualifier for Western States. I had a great time hanging out with those guys, the course and scenery was amazing, and I got to run with the best ultrarunners in the country. All I had to do was break 11 hours, but I decided to take a bet with the Pain Train...not really sure why. Loser has to wear a mustache for 2 months. I guess the only thing in my favor was the fact that he was training through the race in preparation for the Where's Waldo 100K. I would be running it on more like marathon training.
It was pretty interesting how the race played out. I tried to stick right with him early on, but as usual, I ended up getting ahead. I can't remember now if he caught up before the 3rd aid station (Corral Pass), but I know we were there at the same time. I left a little before he did and when I was leaving the 4th aid station (Ranger Creek), he was just arriving. Next came about 5 miles of downhill, which at first felt great, but by the end, I felt pretty hammered. He caught up to me on the way down and we arrived at the 5th aid station (Buck Creek) together. We left together too, but he slowly started to pull away. I still felt really hammered and was having a hard time getting going again. Up next was the 8 plus mile climb up Sun Top trail. I was walking a lot of this, but was surprised that I was catching a few people and very few people were catching me. At the 6th aid station (Fawn Ridge) I was totally shocked to see him just leaving as I was pulling in. The race is on! Between here and the top I finally got my legs going again and once I made it to the top, the 7th aid station (Sun Top), I was licking my chops in anticipation of the 6 miles of downhill. I ran it as hard as I could and mercifully it finally ended. Once things flattened out, I remember turning a corner and I could see quite a ways down the road. I saw someone not too far ahead in a red shirt...could it be him? Finally the last aid station was in sight. As I pulled in, he was just leaving! At that point I was completely spent and I felt like I had to stop and refuel (special thanks to Bullseye for crewing for me). The last 6 plus miles was on fairly technical trail and just seemed to go on forever. I never saw him again and was really questioning whether I would even make a sub-9 hour finish. In the end, I did, and was very happy to sit down. This is definitely a race I'd like to run again.
Look for the Pain Train's finish around 8:50 in the video. I was the very next finisher, but they decided they'd filmed enough, I guess! Look for my mustache in my 2010 lowlights!

2) Spectating at Western States - Prior to White River, again I was very lucky to have been able to go down to Western States with Bullseye and the Pain Train to essentially watch the race. The Pain Train would be pacing Cameron Hanes from Foresthill to the finish. Western States is a big deal in the world of ultrarunning and it was really cool to be part of it this year. We ended up arriving on Friday and got to check out Squaw Valley where the race starts. We attended the pre-race briefing and I won a free entry into the race for 2011 through the raffle. We ran the first few miles of the course and Cameron treated us to dinner. Finally we headed to Auburn for the night.
On Saturday we were able to check on-line to see how the race was progressing. Then we headed to Foresthill to wait for Cameron. While we were waiting, the Pain Train met a friendly dog and I met Cowman A-Moo-Ha. Once the leaders started coming through, things got even more exciting. Anton and Kilian were essentially running together and Geoff Roes was more than 10 minutes behind them. When the Pain Train headed out with Cameron, Bullseye and I headed back toward Auburn. We stopped in again to check the live race update...Geoff Roes had seriously closed the gap on Anton and Kilian! Let's head for Hwy 49 (mile 93.5) to see them come through! By this point Geoff had taken the lead and was only about a minute ahead of Anton! Wow, this is close! Let's head to the finish! It was a little anti-climatic...Geoff won by over 6 minutes, but it was pretty cool seeing them finish and hearing them describe their races right after finishing. Rather than try to backtrack, we waited there for Cameron to finish. He finished very well in 22:41:07. Hard to believe I will be running this race next year. Glad to know I'll have an experienced pacer.

1) Eugene Marathon - The Rosling's kicked ass! Two marathon PR's (mine, hers) and a trip to Boston planned for April 2011.