2018: An Amazing Year of Trail Adventures

Spoiler: This turned out to be another year of highs and lows. But that's life, right? After recovering from the fracture I was anxious to get back to my quest to finish a mountain 100M. I chose the inaugural Old Cascadia 100 in September. I hadn't been aware that these trails existed so Marc and I went out for a few scouting runs (plus I went to the official preview run). These trails are amazing and count as my top 10, maybe even top 5 trails.  

Our first visit to the Old Cascadia trails in May

March: Pacific Rim One Day 33 miles  This was my first race back from my knee fracture so I kept my miles low.  I remember feeling really good this day.

Pre-race selfie with the Wildman

April: Whiskey Basin 31k  4:04 Traveled to Arizona to visit the family and do this race up on the Prescott Circle trail.  Love, love, love.  My brother ran the 10k.  I wanted to break 4 hours but didn't quite make it. Dream race is to go back and complete the full Prescott circle which is about 54 miles.

I love the high desert

My brother, Phil

June: Newport Marathon 4:09 I hadn't run a road marathon in forever but decided to go out and join Moe who is one of the only people to have run every Newport marathon.  I hadn't really trained for a fast race, but ended up beating my 9 year PR from back in 2007 at the Eugene Marathon.

June: Old Cascadia Preview Run  I wanted to get some more miles on the course so I woke up early on a Saturday and drove the 2.5 hours down to the race start/finish despite feeling under the weather.  They shuttled us to the Quarry and we ran the 20 mile course back to the start/finish.  It was overcast and we didn't get any views.  It even snowed a little but it was still an amazing day.  James Holk was filming to put together a short video to advertise the race.  He lost touch with the fast folks so us slower runners are featured.

June: Wyeast Wonder 50k  6:44  This was good enough for an age group award.  Not bad for two weeks after the Newport Marathon and a week after 20 miles on the Old Cascadia course

June: Hypnosis Night Run DNF  I wanted to redeem myself but I ran even less this time.  My heart and mind wasn't really into it.  Some day I'll go back and do this.  Perhaps even at the Coldwater races in January which are in the same mountain preserve.

July: Ochoco 50M  14:10 My race this day will forever be known as The Great Ochoco Famine.  I felt so slow and every step seemed so hard.  I never really found my groove.  I thought I wasn't going to make the last cutoff and dug deep to get there.  I'm not particularly fast but making cutoffs is not usually a problem for me.  After making that last cutoff I knew I just had to get to the finish however I could.  I slowed down even more and even sat down on a rock at one point.  By now I was extremely nauseous but forced myself to take in tiny bits of fuel.  I finally reached the last aid station that was at the top of a big climb and then there would be just 5 mostly downhill miles to go.  It was later in the evening and they had made broth and so I sat down to have some.  Oh man did that hit the spot.  I felt revived and was able to run, shuffle the rest of the way to the finish.  I was happy and relieved to be done but still not feeling that great so I declined the post-race meal.  And then back in Prineville I just crashed in our room without eating.  The next morning I woke up early and ravenous!  Marc wanted to keep sleeping but I was SO HUNGRY and I convinced him to come out with me in search of food.   The local diner was open and I ate a ginormous breakfast with the farmers.  And I was still hungry, but that definitely took the edge off.

I carried this elevation chart/aid station guide during the race

I may not have crushed the race, but I certainly crushed breakfast.

Later, while reflecting on the race I couldn't figure out why I was so slow. Was I getting old?  Did I forget how to train?  I talked with my friend Dana who is also an amazing ultrarunning coach.  She asked me a few questions and without missing a beat said...you didn't eat.  And after reflecting on that for a moment I knew she was right.  I had let myself get way behind on nutrition early on and then I was never able to catch up.  And that's why we call that race The Great Ochoco Famine.  I'd like to go back and redeem myself but that particular race no longer exists.  Hopefully Alpine Running or someone else will bring it back.

July: Elkhorn Crest Marathon 6:58  I wanted to redeem myself and complete a legit marathon at this race after my DNF in 2017, so I headed back out to Eastern Oregon.  I'm happy with my time as this is a seriously difficult course.  I definitely earned my shower beer!

August: Three Fingered Jack Circumnavigation

I'm mostly just recapping my races, but looking through 2018 I'm reminded of all the trail adventures I went on, mainly with Marc or Jen.  My plan once I get up to date is to share more of our adventures here on the blog.  In August 2018 all three of us took a day trip to central Oregon to circumnavigate Three Fingered Jack.  It was the most perfectly amazing day.

August: Another Old Cascadia adventure  Marc, Dre and I went back out to the Old Cascadia trails to run the full loop part of the lollipop course.  It was hazy due to wildfire smoke but the views were still there.  With about 10 miles to go Marc decided he'd reached his limit so we left him in a spot that I knew how to get to, but the first road I took was actually blocked by boulders.  So we had to turn around and take another road. We finally found him and were worried that he'd been waiting so long and might have run out of food and water.  Turns out some people had driven by and gave him some water and half of their Subway sandwich.  It all worked out in the end, except we hit road work on the freeway and didn't get home until midnight.  It's all part of the adventure, right?

September: Backcountry Rise 20M 5:05  I earned some Daybreak Racing race credit for sweeping at Tillamook Burn earlier in the year and used it for a last long run before Old Cascadia.  I just love the Mt Margaret Backcounty and Mt. St Helens areas.

September: Old Cascadia 100M DNF but earned a 50M finish (15:48)  I felt really prepared for this race.  I'd trained with a lot of vert, more than I'd ever done and a lot of big miles.  I'd been on every section of the course. But man, these trails are stout.  I was just so much slower than I thought I would be which was pretty demoralizing.  The RD's subsequently moved this race to June, which I think is much better (snow level permitting) since there is much more light in the day.  We started in the light but finished the last climb in the dark which definitely slowed me down.  I don't think in my other 100 mile finishes it has been dark before 50 miles.  I felt okay but did the math and decided to stop after one loop of 50 miles.  I have so much respect for some of my fellow runners who kept going despite the probability they wouldn't make the cutoffs.  Also thankful to the RD's who gave me a 50 mile finish instead of a DNF.  Despite not reaching my goal I still love these trails and try to get out to them as much as I can.

At the start of Old Cascadia with my amazing crew Dre & Christina (Marc also crewed.)

October: Dupont Endurance Challenge 24 Hr 90 miles 1st place  I wanted redemption so registered for this 24 hour race up in Washington.  This race also had 48 and 72 hour options and you could start the 24 hour race on 3 separate days (Thursday, Friday, or Saturday.  I chose Friday so when I finished on Saturday another 24 hour race was starting and I wouldn't know my placing until that one finished.  I was really focused at this race and was able to park my car right on the course.  I used my car as my aid station and had all my bottles pre-made so I barely had to stop.  I can't remember the exact mileage of the course but I think it was about 3 or 4 miles and on rolling trail.  Sometime late evening my knee started hurting and I walked most of the night. I think if I could've run more I would have reached 100 miles.  Nevertheless I ended up winning this race.  The win was bittersweet since as soon as I got home I found out my Mom had just passed away in Arizona.  So this race will always be associated with that in my mind.

December: McDowell Mountain Frenzy 10M 1:55  Back in Arizona, my brother and I ran the McDowell Mountain Frenzy 10 mile race.  So much fun.  The Arizona sunrises never disappoint.

There were so many more adventures in 2018 that I could write about but this is getting long.  Revisiting my race results and pictures has been a wonderful reminder of what a great year it was.