Gorge Waterfalls 50K - Columbia Gorge, OR - March 25, 2012

Don't go chasing waterfalls...

Course Profile

ODE TO JAMES VARNER, RACE DIRECTOR


James Varner is a class act. Due to an overly destructive winter and recent inclement weather, the original course from 2011 could not be used for 2012. Over the past few weeks, the course was changed 4 times due to snow levels, trail conditions, bridge construction, and probably a few other factors (the final course change was made 2 nights before the race). As if that wasn't enough, he got a flat tire on the way to the race, and the race start was delayed 30 minutes. Even the staple gun didn't work when he tried to nail up the race results on a fence after the race. James (and Candice no doubt) went through a LOT of trouble and stress to keep this race from falling apart, and for that they have my respect and appreciation. THANK YOU for everything you and everyone else did (volunteers included) to help put on a flawless race!!! Hopefully I can make it up and volunteer for another one of your amazing races. Cheers!


GORGE 50K

Holy shit, the field was stacked! The lead group started at an easy pace, and I found myself running with the likes of Max King, Yassine, Jeff Browning, Ian Sharman, Eric Skaggs, Nick Triolo...it was a trip running with these guys, and I knew from the start that there's no way I could keep up with them. But maybe having a home field advantage will help? Or the fact that half of them (seemingly) ran the Chuckanut 50K the weekend before? Or that Yassine went snowboarding the day before and might be a little sore? Yeah right. After tapering 2 weeks for this race, I just wanted to have a strong race.

Photo by 
Glenn Tachiyama

If you look at the profile at the top of this blog, you'll see a little tiny hill at the beginning/end of the race. The course was a pure out-n-back, hence the mirrored image. That little hill is a 2 mile grind uphill almost 2,000' before it goes downhill at the same quad-pounding rate. I run this hill at least every other weekend, and that was my saving grace knowing every turn and exactly how far the tippity top was. It kept me calm and ready to blaze the technical downhill (my favorite). My hope was to recover from the uphill whilst bombing the downhill towards Multnomah Falls, but the grade was steep and rocky enough to keep my knees high while trying to fly. The jack-hammer effect was taking place, and my quads were beginning to feel abused. Ian Sharman put his downhill legs to work and passed me just before we veered onto trail 400 (mile 6). So begins the great depression.


My legs were drained at this point. The uphill killed my calfs and the downhill rocked my quads. The demons awoke and starting saying evil things to me. So I gave myself a little pep talk...You think that hill was kind to everybody else? Keep your head up, mind the rocks, and run like girls are watching!...That snapped me out of it. Coming into the first aid station was also a big boost right when I needed it. Thank you Nicole, Kyle, and Justin for all the Love! I was a little out of it, but I really appreciate it! I'll catch up with you at the Rumble!

Photo by 
Glenn Tachiyama

The Rocky Road to Dublin kept popping into my head because of all the damn dirty rocks just waiting to roll my ankle or trip me up. Dangerous, yet, invigorating. I tend to excel in technical terrain, partly because I enjoy dancing with the rocks...also, because it demands so much of my focus, I feel myself running in a zen-like mental state. Especially bombing a rocky downhill, where all I'm focused on is the next 2 steps I'm going to take. To help me focus, I even have a zen chant that I repeat in my head...Shit shit shit SHIT AH shit shit ok...shi-SHIT whoa-whoa-whoa!!!! ok hup hup shiiiiIIIIIIIITTTTT!!! ok, whew! 


Alas, the trail eventually dumped onto paved road for a 2 mile stretch. Flat terrain has never been a strength of mine, but it was relaxing to just sit back and put the legs in cruise control. I had no real ambition for catching the 10 fast mother lovers in front of me, so my focus was staying in front of whoever was behind me. There was no point in getting into bad habits of looking over my shoulder this early in the race, so my eyes were glued to road ahead. Whenever I run on roads, I sometimes play the 'Badwater' game. Here's how you play: Run on the white line of the road. If you fall off, you lose. That kept me entertained for maybe a quarter mile.

Zen Face, 
Photo by Renee

Reaching the 2nd aid station, I dropped my water bottles off with my coach and hero, Todd Janssen. I then darted up the 2 mile out-n-back, cheering on everyone already heading in the opposite direction. After the turn around, I found out who was behind me. Some fast guy and some fast woman, maybe a quarter mile behind me. Shit, too close for comfort. 15 miles to go, let's see what I got left! I greeted Renee Seker and grabbed my bottles from coach/hero Todd Janssen, and off I went back to the road from whence I came. This time it was full of runners heading to the out-n-back. That was awesome, being able to cheer on EVERYBODY without having to dance around a skinny little trail to let each other pass. Maybe that 2 mile stretch of road was a blessing, after all.


Getting back to the trail was a relief. My climbing legs were working strong, and I pushed to lengthen the gap between me and whoever the hell was behind me. Every now and then, I would glance over my shoulder to see how I was doing...nobody...so far so good...onward, Trail Warrior!...As I got closer to the Multnomah Falls Trail (that little hill at the end of the course profile), I slowed a little, anticipating the agonizing ascent. Ready...set...ENGAGE! Trotting up the Multnomah Falls switchbacks, it wasn't long before I alternated running and hiking. Near the top of the falls, I peaked down the switchbacks and still saw nobody...Don't let up, Jbob...only 1.5 miles left to climb...Run...hike....run...hike...run *CALF CRAMP*...f-bomb, GU, hike...hike...Oh shit, is that Jeff Browning? Just before cresting the top of the Wahkeena Trail hill, I spotted Jeff Browning maybe a couple hundred yards ahead. His hip flexors were shot from the Chuckanut 50k the weekend prior, so he'd been hiking this whole hill. It's amazing how much ground you can cover on someone while run/hiking (especially applicable in 100 mile races).

Photo by 
Glenn Tachiyama

As soon as he crested the downhill, I knew I wouldn't catch 'Bronco Billy'...I was just stoked to be within a minute of the guy. When I began my downhill, I emptied my bottles and switched to downhill gear. It definitely wasn't a comfortable downhill, but I managed a decent pace. Passing by hikers prompted priceless expressions. Rounding the final switchback around Wahkeena Falls, the legendary Glenn Tachiyama was ready and waiting with his camera.


Running through the busy Multnomah Falls parking lot and rounding Benson Lake to the finish, I was spent.

Results: 3:56:57 – 11th out of 211 Finishers

Pace: ~7:40 min/mile

50K PR

RESULTS

*Gasp*, photo by Renee

Looking for a Hug, Photo by Renee

As soon as I finished, I needed a hug. First was James Varner. Second was Todd Janssen. And third was Renee Seker. Thank you guys for everything! That was probably my best race so far, in terms of effort and reflecting my current fitness. So...What's next? I've got a race every 3 weeks until the Bighorn 100 miler on June 15th. It's going to be a fun couple months! My current race schedule can be found at the tab above.

TEAM NSPIRE

Thank you Todd and everyone at NSPIRE for the privilege to represent you at the race. Should be an exciting year, for both of us!

TOAST TO GLENN TACHIYAMA

You shoot our faces in the most beautiful places,

making us look our best when we feel like muck,

With a pint of beer, I'll give you a cheer!

For without your photos, my blog would suck.

...Next beer's on me!

TRAILFACTOR 50K/HALF MARATHON - FOREST PARK, PORTLAND, OR - MAY 28, 2012

There's an awesome 50K/Half Marathon being put on in Forest Park on May 28th. Everybody's doing it! You should too! Seriously, it's going to be a fun race. Check it out!


Cheers,


Jbob

Hagg Lake Double (50K & 25K) - February 18th & 19th - Forest Grove, OR

High above the mucky muck...

Photo by Glenn Tachiyama

Hagg Lake is one of my favorite races. The course is a muddy hell, but it makes the finish even more enjoyable. The best reason to Love this race, though, is the people that show up.


HAGG LAKE 50K - SATURDAY


Carpooling with my friend Jen Love (volunteer, runner, true champion, vegan extraordinaire), we arrived about an hour before the race. As soon as we parked, I started recognizing everybody as if it were a Heineken commercial. Gale Henry directed us where to park, Randy Benthin arrived as casual as ever, John Lotts did a drive by chat, Nick Triolo was getting psyched up, Rick Kneedler was chatting heartily with someone, Larry Stephens was warming up by the propane lanterns, Yassine was harnessing his vegan powers, Tom Green was keeping Christina warm (or vise versa?), Marta Fisher was wearing the same shirt she wore last year, Russ McGarry was non-jogging somewhere, and Todd Janssen was all smiles. I wish I could have chatted with everyone before the race, but alas, that's what the finish line is for. So Jason went to take care of Business.


COWBELL


Hmm...Why are they ringing a cowbell? Isn't it a little early? Maybe they're gathering people for a pre-race meeting...wait a minute...OH SHIT!

Where most people started the race. Photo by Glenn Tachiyama

Where I started the race.

As soon as I heard the sound of people running past by my Porto, I dropped an F-bomb into the crapper, bolted to the starting line, and took off in last place...and I was already laughing about it. The course starts by doing an out-n-back climb up this long gradual gravel road, so I had plenty of time and space to gain a decent position before hitting the single track. As I climbed the ranks, I chatted with some folks along the way. After the turnaround, I decided I needed to switch shoes. A few weeks prior, I bruised my forefoot badly by running 20 miles with a rock in my shoe...and so the only shoe I've been able to run in without pain is the Hoka One One Bondi. As the course routed back through the start/finish (mile 3-ish), I grabbed my drop bag and switched into my moon shoes.


LAP 1 OF 2 AROUND HAGG LAKE

Photo by
 Glenn Tachiyama

The trail around the lake is a skinny single track trail that can get muddy as funk. This year was exceptionally funky. There were no major climbs in the race, but even the smallest hills had me running in place with absolutely no traction (road shoes were a bad choice). Eventually I would find myself on my hands and knees crawling to the top, using my water bottles as pick axes. Epic frustration. The downhills were more fun, like skiing without the ability to turn. The hairpin turns were especially interesting.


The course enters only a few small paved sections of road, and I ate up every bit of dry land that I could. Just before the first aid station, the trail opened up to the dam road. As soon as my feet hit the dam pavement, my dam legs took off! Eventually catching a man named Jared, we shared a dam conversation and soaked in the dam lake view. Then the pavement ended and we were back to the slippy trail. Damn.

Dam Road. Photo by
Glenn Tachiyama

Parts of the trail weren't too bad, allowing me to keep a consistent stride. And then...there were sections of rutted trails that had me skating like Brian Boitano. Not to mention, everybody else was slipping gracefully. Some runners ran off the beaten path in order to gain some traction in the grass (me included), but there was no escaping the mud entirely. Sometimes I tried running along a berm, but that just caused my feet to slip off the berm on both sides, wreaking havoc on my groin. Of course, rockstar Glenn Tachiyama was there to capture these magical moments on his camera.

Photo by Glenn Tachiyama

The last few miles before completing Lake lap #1 were absolutely soul-sucking. The trail was saturated from all the recent rainy weather, and the mud was trying to pull me down. The last few bits of road running gave me some much needed "venting" to shake off the tweaks and pulls in my groin and hamstrings. Then after carefully navigating the twisty trail leading to the start/finish...so begins lap 2.


LAP 2 OF 2 AROUND HAGG LAKE


Knowing what I had to go through a second time, knowing that it was going to be worse than before, and knowing that I couldn't do a thing about it...I just enjoyed myself. My ambitions were to survive the 50K with a strong enough pace to be proud of. That, and everyone I ran with during the race had an amazingly positive attitude...we were all there to have a good time, regardless of the conditions. My muscles were getting pulled apart, but I was happy. There's no community like the trail running community, and to spend a day of misery on the trails only to find elated and ecstatic runners at the finish line huddled intimately around the same propane heater...that's why I Love this race.

Results: 4:18:27 – 20th out of 233 Finishers

Pace: 8:19 min/mile

50K PR

 

(Photos by Long Run Picture Company)

The only thing better than finishing the race was getting a hug from my BFF Todd Janssen. My IT bands and groin took the brunt of the chaotic slipping and sliding action from the trail, so I took a little ice bath in Hagg Lake with Sean Meissner and Cassie Scallon. After all, the 3 of us were returning the next day for a victory lap around the lake. Wait, WHY would we do that?!?! OH yeah...you get a growler of beer if you do both the 50K and the 25K. There were about 20 of us doing the double (Larry Stephens, Mo Codino included)...Sunday morning, please be kind to us!!!

Mad Props to Magda for winging yet another ultramarathon and Tim for finishing his first ever race. Sorry I missed you guys at the finish!

Check out Yassine Diboun (2nd place) and Nick Triolo's (4th place) blogs about the 50K!

My car is sexy and I know it.
Thanks G'ma!

Check out the 3 Non-Joggers Podcast,
These guys are hilarious!
(Photo by Sir Charles Replogle)

HAGG LAKE 25K - SUNDAY

Part Deux...

I wanted to shoot my alarm clock in the face. But after waking up and beginning the drive out to Forest Grove, I was at peace. There's nothing to prove today, except to just to go out there and earn what's been promised to me...a holy handle filled with 64 fluid ounces of Love. After parking my car, I immediately started jogging to get my legs moving. My groin was feeling the worst in terms of stiffness, soreness, and crankiness. Larry and Mo were suffering from the same thing, but we were determined to see this thing through...if not for the glory, than for the beer!

COWBELL

Don't worry, I'm in there this time. Photo by Glenn Tachiyama.

Photo by
 Glenn Tachiyama

The short out-n-back up the gravel road was a good little warm up. My legs recovered well, and I was climbing at a happy pace. Running back past the start/finish (1.5-ish miles), I knew my legs weren't ready for the mud. Looking behind me, I saw 5 fresh runners pushing hard. So I let them pass, since they were going to pass me on the trail anyways. It was funny watching them slide through the muddy path instead of running off the side of the trail in the grass (the only part with traction). My pace was very conservative as I non-jogged through the already twice trampled Hagg Lake course...damn 50k runners...

Halfway through the race, my muscles were loosening up a bit. My legs were going strong, my groin was getting flexible again, and my mood went from conservative to hungry...I was gettin bad! One by one, I reeled runners in. Knowing how to get through the tricky spots of the course was a big advantage, and I gained steam as I passed the last aid station (had to take a porto break, but I didn't lose much ground). By the time I was at the homestretch, I had passed about 10 runners since the halfway point, and I almost wished the race were longer so I could keep hunting people down. It's one of the greatest feelings in ultrarunning when you find yourself going strong despite running on theoretically tired legs...

Results: 2:10:38 – 20th out of 314 Finishers

Pace: 8:25 min/mile

Ice bath in the lake, chicken soup for the ultrarunners soul, and a Growler of Beer for pulling the double shift. Life is good!

Cassie Scallon, Sean Meissner, and This guy, toting our Trophies!

I really didn't want this weekend to end, but it was extremely humbling to think about what I had achieved. I'm happy with where my fitness is, but I still have a ways to go. My sites are set high on some key races this year (Miwok 100K in May, Bighorn 100m in June, Wasatch 100m in Sept), and it's weekends like this that'll help get me ready for a hopefully successful summer. If it weren't for the Hokas, I wouldn't have been able to run for the past 3 weeks due to my bruised foot, so I'm extremely grateful that I've found a solution to a hopefully temporary problem.

SHOUT OUTS

Great job Todd Janssen, Kelly and Eric Barten, and Marianne Jones for Directing the Shit out of the Hagg Lake races. You did a perfect job! And thanks to all the volunteers who weathered the storm to help us weather the storm. Thanks Glenn Tachiyama and Long Run Picture Company for shooting all those flattering photos. And cheers to Trailfactor, Bananasluggers, and all those non-joggers who shared the experience!

NSPIRE did an amazing job with the real-time race results, and I'm impressed with how well it broadcasted the live results online. I've ran races before that have tried using a similar timing system, but I've never seen it actually work. You guys have mastered it, and I hope more races can adopt your  timing system. Great seeing you guys again, your work is appreciated! Keep it up!

Cheers!

Jbob

Rodeo Beach 50K - Marin Headlands, San Francisco - December 31, 2011

Breathing Deep at Sea Level...

Rodeo Beach, the Family Tahoe at the Start

Mum and Dad drove to the start of the race with me. As we arrived, I had the Cowboys and Aliens intro theme song sharpening my wits through my headphones. My main goal for the race was to destroy my finishing time from last year. This is a laid back, low key race...maybe 50 runners were doing the 50k. The 30K runners were scheduled to start at the same time, so the number of people toeing the starting was a decent size. One of the race directors made an eloquent (not really) speech, quoting his friend Dave Mackey in saying that it's the responsibility of the runner to study the map prior to the race. Psshhh. As I happened to scan the crowd at the 10 second countdown, I saw a guy wearing Hoka shoes, a Hoka shirt, and a Clif Bar visor. Hey, that guy looks like Dave Mackey, I thought to myself.

3...2...1...JUMP ON IT!


Filled with anxiety and a week of carbo-loading on Christmas Cookies, I bolted up the first hill and took the lead. 30 seconds later, it dawned on me that I started too quickly. 1 minute later, it dawned on my muscles that I started too quickly. 90 seconds later, my ego caught on. Shit. I tried to pull a Matt Carrell and practically sprint up the hill regardless of how I felt, but in retrospect, it was a poor choice. Now I'm slowing down, and feel like such a young/eager fool. What will Dave Mackey think?! At the 1st mile mark, Dave Mackey trotted by as I was hiking to catch my breath. His judgmental silence I will never forget.

My turbo boosters were turning into farts, my throat was scratchy and sore from breathing deeply, and I was depressed. 2 miles in, I felt like I was at mile 10...it was bad. But at least I saw my parents at the top of the hill! This was the first ultra they've been able to attend, and they were hiking around with the dogs on Coastal Trail as I trotted by. Mom could see I was struggling, but I was still moving decently well. There were maybe 6 or 7 guys in front of me. I had no idea who was doing the 50k or the 30k, since the bibs were not obviously distinguishable between the different races. The 50k course follows a 30k route back to the start for the first loop of the course, so both races were running the exact same trails. Whatever. Any company is good company.

Bitches

After the first aid station in Tennessee Valley (Aid Station #1), there were a couple guys who couldn't see any course markers. I didn't stop and chose a somewhat obvious trail at the unmarked fork in the road and kept going despite the lack of markers. This is how I caught 3 of the runners, as the doubt and frustration helped us bond as a group. There were about 5 of us, and only 1 actually studied the course map. So, he led the way for a bit and steered us true. At the same time, I kept looking for Mackey tracks. I found one Hoka footprint, which not only gave me confidence I was going the right direction, but it complimented my excellent tracking skills. I don't just race people...I hunt them (just humor me on that one). During this stretch of trail, I FINALLY was feeling better since blowing up in the first mile of the race! I dusted the guys I got 'lost' with, found a rhythm, kept my head up, and let my hair down. Want some? Get some!


Arriving back in Tennessee Valley (Aid Station #2), now begins the long gradual climb (2-3 miles) out of the valley. My legs were moving strong as an ox and steady as a river. My speed was found more on the downhills of this race, especially with the 6,000' of climb that was slowing me on the uphills. After the long gradual climb, there was some gorgeous scenery of the bay, Golden Gate Bridge, and skyline of San Francisco/Oakland. The Marin Headlands really are a treasure among the cities and roads of the Bay Area. Following the breathtaking ridge line views, I found Aid Station #3. Then 3.5 miles of downhill/flat trail later, I was back at the start. 30K done! I refilled my bottles and had to reach around a relaxed Dave Mackey to grab some cheese-its.


Me: "Good Luck next weekend!"
Mackey: "Huh? Uh, Thanks, you too!"
Me: "...um, thanks!"


Guess I caught him off guard. What I really meant was, good luck in getting 2nd place, because Yassine is going to win THE SHIT out of Bandera. God Speed, brotha! (Dave, if you ever happen to read this...please don't take it personally, I hear you're a good guy. I'm just a little biased).


The final 20K of the race follows the exact same course, minus the section between Tenessee Valley Aid stations 1 and 2. So, burnout hill...we meet again! This time, the climb was easier since I was warmed up and taking it steady. Run run run run...run...washed-out road? shit turn-around run run run ahA! run ON CORRECT TRAIL run run run. My legs were feeling a bit drained, and I was almost jogging at some of my low points in the race...almost. There was nobody in front of me or behind me, from what I could see. I had no idea what place I was in, nor did I really care at the time. I was fighting some side-stitch cramping, and concentrating on the hills to make up for my early self-destruction. My legs were pushing well over the last 20k, and I ran 97% of the hills. Not too shabby.


Arriving at the final Aid Station, someone finally mentioned to me that I was probably in 1st place. Exsqueeze me? Qu'est-ce que c'est? Score! The last 3.5 miles were then spent pounding downhill and looking frantically behind me for any possible pursuer. I was not expecting to be in this position, so I was a bit surprised by it. Regardless, I ran my butt off like a slow cheetah and ran the homestretch with my Mum and Dad cheering/recording as I crossed the finish line.

Results: 4:28:47 – 1st out of 33 Finishers

Pace: 8:40 min/mile

50K PR. Previous PR was 4:29:19 on a Flat Muddy course (Hagg Lake)

The Official "Race Director Hand Shake"

I'm happy with my 1st place finish, but it's nothing to get cocky about. Again, I did not expect this. First of all, my winning time would have only been good for 4th place at last year's race. Although, I did beat my previous time by about 25 minutes...which I'm very happy with. I ran a strong race, and I'm definitely getting faster. My confidence will grow with more experience, as it has over the past year. This win was simply a great day on a great course put on by a great group of people. The race itself is very ultra-esque, in that it's extremely casual with no real glory except for the reward for finishing and re-discovering the joy in running. The first half of the race I had to somehow keep reminding myself why I do runs like this...and I really don't have an answer yet. Maybe I run just because I get to blog about it? That's been fun. "Hey everyone, guess where I just ran!" Bah. My true happiness comes from what running has given me over the past year...Health, Friends, and Happiness. Whether 100 mile races are deemed "healthy", that's another story. This was a Hell of an end to a Hell of a year. Thanks to everyone who reads this damn thing! Your support is beyond appreciated. Happy end to 2011!

Afterthoughts: I probably won because I wore the Hagg Lake shirt/socks combo.

Race Fuel: Mainly used GELS, a couple handfuls of pretzels, a PB&J slice that almost killed me, and a dash of coke. Skipped 2 aid stations, didn't spend more than 10 seconds at most aid station stops, and re-filled my bottles once at the 30K mark.

Cheers! -Jbob

North Face 50 Mile Endurance Run - Marin Headlands, San Francisco - December 3, 2011

TRAINING


I signed up for the North Face 50 miler even before I completed the Cascade Crest 100 mile race. It looked like the perfect distance and difficulty in a warm wonderful place during the relatively harsh winter months of Portland. Without any real races on my schedule for September through November, my training was hardly as serious as my skinny jeans are fashionable. Miles weren't counted, consistency was inconsistent, and the days grew short. And apparently I'm scared of the dark, since every ambitious weeknight solo run often changes from 15 miles to MAYBE 5 miles. Hmm...Anyone have a dog that I can borrow?


In short, the past few months have involved lots of trail race volunteering (Portland Trail Series, Forest Park Marathon, Autumn Leaves 50m/50K/10K) and some random adventure runs. One of the best parts of being an ultrarunner is being able to say "okay, let's run around Mt. St. Helens in a couple weeks"...or "Run the Grand Canyon with team USA, a Leadman, and the Yassine Machine? Sure, I'll join you guys!"...or "yeah, I'd enjoy a 5 hour 23-mile night run/slog up Larch Mountain on a Friday night in 6-12 inches of fresh snow from 7:30 pm to 12:30 am! Count me in!" It's been a crazy few months indeed, especially with the birth of my first nephew and niece in November. Family, Friends, and running adventures, oh my!

Mt. St. Helens: Randy, Me, Kathleen, Amy, Shane, and Ellen (taking the photo)

Grand Canyon video with Leadman, Yassine Machine, Chasing Amy, J-Bob, and The Queen

Yassine, about to punch me in the face because I wanted a photo (or 3).

Freezing at the top of Larch Mountain with Amy, Yassine, Shane, and Aaron.

Uncle J-Bob!

THE NORTH FACE 50 MILE ENDURANCE RUN

Onward to California! I was actually studying the course on my laptop as my airplane flew over the marin headlands and the Golden Gate Bridge. It didn't look so bad from up there! The worst part about the race was that it started at 5 AM on Saturday, which isn't the easiest time especially for out-of-towners. After about 4 hours of sleep, my alarm went off at 2:00 AM and I began the early drive from Santa Clara (Mum and Dad's house) to the Marin Headlands. I got there plenty early, sorted my GUs, shook Bryon Powell's hand, took care of business, and lined up for one of the most competitive races of the year.

3...2...1...RUN WHAT YO MAMA GAVE YA!

A river of headlamps led the way down the road and onto the trailhead, and the gradual climb up Bobcat trail began. For the first mile I could recognize some of the runners around me, like Karl Meltzer, Tim Olson, Ellie Greenwood, Dakota Jones, Tsuyoshi Kaburaki, and Ian Sharman. Is this a sign that I was starting out too fast? Naaah...Then the uphill started. My stomach started to feel empty, and my running effort was turning into a calf burner. 2 miles in, I eased back into a comfortable pace, and ate the dust of what seemed like 50 elite runners. The wind blew hard, making my spit fly the opposite direction from which I spat. After cresting the top of the climb, the downhill pounded the rust from my muscles and loosened things up...but my stomach was battling nausea for a few downhill miles. After downing a GU Roctane and some M&Ms at the first aid station, my stomach problems surprisingly went away. *Ahhh*.


The ups and downs early on felt good, but I was still amazed at how fast the lead pack was running. Oh well! Running down to the Muir Beach Aid station, I threw my headlamp at Devon C-H and briefly introduced myself as I kept running "HEY I'M JASON AMY'S FRIEND SHE SAID I COULD LEAVE MY HEADLAMP WITH YOU THANKS!!!" I even wrote her a thank you note on my headlamp. Thanks again, Devon! Lord knows the weight of my headlamp would have added priceless minutes to my finish time...right? Right.

The Elites early on,
Sunrise over the hills

The long climb to Pantol Ranger Station was extremely runnable, and it was hard not to just blast up the switchbacks. Heeding Jason Hill's advice and knowing I still had a long way to go, I kept a steady pace and survived the climb as efficiently as I could. It definitely seemed to go on forever.


Cardiac Aid Station (mile 18) marked the end of the long-ass climb, and was the gateway to the fabled out-and-back section. Before I got to the out-and-back, I ran by a group of spectators walking along the road. It was JB Benna, Tony Krupicka, and some other guy wearing a bini. Pleasantly surprised, I yelled OH HEY WHAT UP?! The guy in the bini cheered back, YOU'RE RUNNING STRONG, DUDE!...What can I say? My guns don't lie.


After some winding trail that reminded me of Wildwood, I reached the fabeled out-and-back. As I started down the trail, no one was running towards me...yet. Then through the trees I see Some Guy, Dakota Jones, and Mike Wolf (with his bloody head) making their move and trying to split away from the chase group, shortly followed by Geoff Roes and other fast mother f*ckers.


Me: "Hey Geoff, which wallet is yours?"
Geoff: "The one that says Fast Mother F*cker"


Since this was an out and back section on single track, I had to dramatically dive out of everyone's way as they were running by. At the time, there were about 50 people in front of me. It got tiresome after a while. After the turn around, though, it was MY turn to rule the trail. I felt like royalty as everyone cleared my path. Eventually getting back onto the one-way trail, I had to stop and fix a side ache. Krissy Moehl ran by and told me to cough it out. *A-HOUGHABLAH*. Holy shit...it worked! And thus, the halfway point in the race was celebrated with an exaggerated awful sounding cough.


The downhill leading to Stenson Beach was my favorite part of the course! It was technical (roots, rocks, stairs), rapidly downhill, and reminded me of Predator for some reason (like everything else does). I was having a grand ol' time! And then I reached the bottom and struggled to find my uphill gear. The climb out of Stenson Beach was gradual at first, but then the stairs ate me up. I tried to run the trail space between the sets of stairs, but I was getting worn out. ENTER: Power Hiking.


During my hiking, I decided to take a quick bathroom break. This may not be a fascinating subject to anybody reading this, but I finally tried "going on the go". During CCC, I became impressed by a runner's ability to pee on the run, and so this was my first attempt at making forward progress whilst peeing. It was more of a walk, but I almost made it far enough for a first down. And for those who accuse my blog posts of TMI, you're welcome.


The climbing ended sooner than I anticipated, and I made up a lot of ground on the downhill. It's an apparent strength of mine, as I passed other 50 milers who dusted me on the hills early on. Then there were a few climbs that forced me mostly to a hike. Maybe my nutrition was inadequate, or maybe I just didn't want to run. Either way, if I were able to run I could have made up a lot of ground on a lot of people. <--Noted for next year.


Coming down the homestretch to the Old Inn Aid Station (mile 38.9), I caught up with the Queen as she was pacing Kami Semick. What an honor to run with her majesty again! Meghan paced me for a couple minutes before I took off on the downhill. Sad to say, Kami eventually dropped for one reason or another.

Climbing Out of
Muir Beach

This next section was mostly downhill to Muir Beach (mile 42.6), and nobody passed me beyond this point. The hill leading out of Muir Beach was runnable, but my legs were lacking enthusiasm. I instigated a walk 25 steps, run 100-200 steps routine that was extremely manageable. Looking back, I wish I had just sucked it up and ran every bit of that uphill. It really wasn't that bad. Hill perseverance is something I still need to work on, especially with less than 8 miles to go. At the very least, I was still running strong. And at this point in time, the tag in my shorts was beginning to itch my upper butt. If that's the biggest thing that's bothering me at 5 miles to go in a 50 mile race, then I'm having a good day.


After Tennessee Valley, the gradual uphill went by quickly and I began to recognize the sections of the course where Ellie Greenwood passed me and I almost threw up (unrelated events). The final downhill felt surprisingly good on my quads, and I was passing everybody (mostly 50K runners). The final half mile was bittersweet, having spent a perfect day on a challenging course. Smelling the finish line, I rounded the corner with a sprint.

Results: 8:05:58 sec – 45^th out of  317 Finishers (360 started)

Pace: 9:44 min/mile

All Results 

Rock on.

Fellow Oregonians! Jim and John (Hagg Lake Buddy) after finishing their 50K.
John had a 50K PR on this freakin' course! Unbelievable! 

Finished, happy and proud. But for putting forth my best 50 mile effort, I'm still amazed at placing 45th. Being that this is the first real race I've run with so many elite runners, I'm glad I have a standard where I can compare myself to the best of the best. If I ever hope to reach that level, I've got a long way to go. It's weird to keep finishing these races, and never being truly satisfied. Maybe I'm not so much addicted to running as I am addicted to improvement. As I keep seeing myself improve, I want to keep going. At the same time, I Love meeting people who are striving for the same thing; to get stronger, faster, and to eventually reach some kind of Euphoria that always seems out of reach. For some people, it's a marathon. For others, it's every marathon...or ultramarathon.


Whatever, the beer in my hand says I'm a winner. Cheers!

Dinner at home: Hunter stew, Perogies, Sierra Nevada, and a Festive Snowman.
It's good to be home!

Here's a summary video of how the race looked from the front. It gives a great look at the course, too.