Carkeek 12 Hour

( Coming into the aid station after another lap)

I ran the Carkeek 12 Hour way back on Halloween, I've been meaning to type up a race report ever since but I may have waited too long... here's the short of it (for now, anyway)...

• The course was 1.93 mile loops with approx. 430ft. of elevation gain per.
• I ran 25 loops in 11 hours and 40 minutes for a total of 48.25 miles and approx. 10,750 ft. total elevation.
• I ran ~13 loops with Terry
• I ran 1 of those 13 in an Elvis costume
• Some of my favorite running folks were out there, a few were missing too
• Bob meet me at the end of one of the loops, we chatted and he took a few pics (above and below)
• Over all, I had a grand old time at this race
• I apologize that this race report sucks as bad as it does.

('I want a grilled ham & cheese this big!')

Hundred in the Hood!

Shortly after being notified by my wife that she would be visiting her grandmother in Iowa at the end of September, my eyes were glued to race calendars, I know I get bored easily and am always looking for something to do (that's still fun) when ever she's away. I was surprised to see that my local options were quite limited, it came down to 2 races, the Bellingham Bay Marathon or the Hundred in the Hood, the major obstacle with both being expenses. Right away, I knew which race I was more interested in, here's how I saw it, I could pay $110 to run 26.2 miles with about 1400 other runners (including the half marathoners and 5Kers) on the streets of a city I've been to numerous times -OR- I could drop an extra $40, get to run an extra 73.8 miles (turns out it was even more than that) on the famous Pacific Crest Trail which I had yet to step foot on in any state! Again, the decision seemed simple.

After wrangling up some spare $$ (thank you record collection, I knew I kept you around for some reason), arranging a dog sitter (thank you Zale & Morrie), and working out travel arrangements (HUGE thank you Tony, Shawn, & Bob), all that was left to do was the small matter of running 100 miles!

Friday morning I headed to Shawn's house and meet with her and Tony, soon we were on the road to Government Camp, OR. After checking into the hotel (again, HUGE thank you Tony & Shawn) we headed to the race's starting line where packet pick-up was being held, there we said our hellos to a few familiar runners and after a little while headed back into town for pizza and an early retirement to the mattress.

The next morning 3:00am came as early as it sounds like it might, never the less, it was up and at 'em, we got prepared, checked out of the hotel, and drove to the race start with a good half hour or so to spare. The morning was surprisingly chilly and I ended up spending most of the spare time staying toasty in the car, with about 10 minutes 'til the start we headed up and schmoozed a bit with some familiar faces. While waiting for the start I was able to find Rob, he and I had emailed back and forth a bit prior to the race discussing the idea of shooting for a sub-24 hour finish, we had decided that we'd give it a shot but that ultimately, finishing was still the main priority.

(Mt. Hood from about 12 miles in - Photo by Danni Coffman)

At 5am Olga, the co-race director (who, by the way has a great race report on here blog - follow the link), said "GO!" and we were off, into the darkness. I allowed Rob to take the lead, knowing I have no abilities when it comes to even pacing, and soon we were in the woods on the PCT where we would spend the majority of the run. The early going portions, I don't think, could be considered 'technical' but in the dark they did require a bit of consideration prior to each step, but as the hours went forward the trail became smoother and soon the day light was enough to guide our way. Once the headlamp was turned off I really came alive, besides avoiding bees (who managed to sting 3 different runners who were near me, but didn't get me), I was really enjoying my time on the trail, the miles seemed to rush by and before I knew I found myself at the turn around of the first out and back section of the race (mile 14 at Frog Lake). At the aid station I grabbed a few snacks, refilled my water bottle, and was quickly out again.

(The sun begins to sneak through the woods - Photo by Danni Coffman)

The next 14 miles to the 'Horse Camp' aid station flew by even quicker, though I know it is not the case, in my memory the whole distance was a gradual, fast down hill just begging to be run. I felt so comfortable and loose as I cruised down it was ridiculous. When I did arrive at the 'Horse Camp' aid station I couldn't believe 28 miles had already fallen away, in that time I had been treated to great trail conditions and wonderful views of Mt. Hood and Timothy Lake.

(Up along the trail on a perfect day for running- photo by Danni Coffman)

As the race progressed, Rob and I began to get separated on occasion, Rob had run 70+ miles at the Plain 100 less than 2 weeks prior, and as a result, I was just 'feeling' some portions of the race more than he was at the time. I would run ahead then walk for a while until Rob would come up fast on my heals, we kept this going for some time until, at one aid station, Warm Springs Meadows I believe (mile 38.5), I took an extended detour into the woods, working on some, umm, 'secondary business,' when I emerged back on to the trail I was unaware of whether or not I had been passed so I decided to go on as if I had been, it turns out that Rob still was behind me at this point but that wouldn't be known for hours.

(About to begin the second out and back - Photo by Lucinda Iglesias)

The miles between Warm Springs and the Olallie Meadows camp grounds (mile 55) now seem uneventful in my mind, though I can specifically remember my amusement as I headed into the 'Pinheads' aid station and continually passing and being passed by the same two runners as we headed away form it. I guess that since the miles were not momentously bad or good the only portion I really recall well is the brief mile or so that leads off the PCT to the camp ground at mile 55.

When I sat down at Olallie Meadows I changed my socks and shoes, attempted to address some blister issues on the heal of my left foot, and proceeded to eat most everything in site. The volunteers at Olallie were amazing, rushing around making sure each runner had what they needed and then some, I must admit this did make the getting up and leaving all the more unappealing, never the less, I did eventually get up and was once again on my way.

From 55 to the Olallie Lake aid station at mile 58.3 I ran alone, despite the actually distance, this portion seemed long but soon enough I was once again being greeted by friendly volunteers (including a guitar strumming, beer drinking, singer who welcomed runners as we approached)!

I had been feeling good through out the race, but as I continued on to Breitenbush Lake at mile 65 time, time seemed to slow, and miles dropped off slower and slower. At one point, on my way up the hill that way clearly between myself and the aid station, I caught up with Gilles (whom, you may remember I spent the night running with at STORMY), I asked him how much further and he told me that the runner who had just past us going the opposite direction (on the "back" portion of this out and back) told him he had left the aid station 40 minutes (!) ago... I was stunned... how could it still be that much further?

Eventually though, I did arrive, I promptly sat down and soon was talking with 'Mike,' a Californian runner who was attempting his first 100. While talking it became apparent that he was in a bit of a jam, it seems he was with out his drop bag due to some miscommunication between himself and his crew, it was getting cold out and he nothing but what clothes he was already in, I loaned him some cheapo gloves and an extra shirt to layer over what he was already wearing and soon we both headed back into the woods. Once on the trail, it seemed to me the the head lamp Mike was wearing may not be adequate, I insisted he take my hand held flash light as well in case we ended up getting separated, soon there after, that's just what happened. I, for some reason, had gotten my second wind as night fell and was now running good again, eventually I lost sight of Mike behind me but continued forward knowing needed to take advantage of any strong running I had left.

Between 65 and the next aid station at mile 71.4 crossed paths with Rob once again, obviously he was behind me but I was glad to see that he appeared to be moving well so imagine my surprise when I got to the next aid station and there he sat, wrapped up in a blanket sitting next to the fire. He told me he had decided to drop back at mile 65 and was given a ride up to this aid station, I was disappointed for him as I know he was really hoping for a finish, but I won't begin to pretend that I know how it feels to run 70 at Plain and then another 65 less than 2 weeks later, especially knowing that we had both gone out too fast.

I joined Mark Dahlby on the way out of the aid station, together we ran for quite some time. At mile 75, the second visit to Olallie Meadows camp grounds, I once again changed my socks as Mark mumbled a bit about dropping, after a little shit talking from me and some pampering from a very helpful aid station volunteer, we were back on our feet, trying to stay warm as we headed back to the 'Pinheads' aid station.

Despite the good company from Dahlby, miles 75 to 'pinheads' at 85.6 were an unquestionable low spot for me. The entire 10 or so miles, I struggled trying to regulate my temperature going back and forth between too cold and too warm, on the few occasions that I did feel comfortable drowsiness would creep in, and my sleepy feelings were only worsened when the batteries in my head lamp began to dim. Mark did his best to keep me going though I am confident that I slowed us both down considerably, at one point I even needed to use his hand held as my headlamp had dimmed just too much to be useful. When we finally got to 'Pinheads' I was a mess, i sat down to change my batteries and was soon falling asleep being cared for by the volunteers like an ER patient. I told Mark to be on his way, as he was clearly moving better than I was and I had already wasted enough of his time as he waited there for me.

When I finally did head out, I was lucky enough to quickly end up on the heals of 2 more CA runners, Danni & Chris, they first offered to let me pass, but I had just worked hard to catch up with them and when I declined, Danni asked if I wanted to stick with them for a while, I jumped at the opportunity and was thrilled to have company. Despite the fact that I had gone back out on the trail on my own accord, I was still feeling, mentally, very fuzzy, and I can say for a fact that had I not joined up with these two I would have really been stuck in my rut.

I ran with Danni & Chris up until the last 3 miles or so, at which point I decided I'd see what, if anything, I has left. Shortly after breaking off and moving ahead of them I paused and sat on a log (don't ask me why, I really can't say except that I was feeling sorry for my self) very soon after I heard Chris's voice instructing me to "go on, git!," it made me laugh and got my ass in gear one last time, from that point on moved forward with purpose, running a good chunk and walking with determination when running didn't feel like an option. Finally, I saw the turn off on to the road which I knew lead to the finish, I began to run and didn't stop 'til I crossed the line, relieved and exhausted. My official finish time was 28:56:19, almost an hour faster than my STORMY finish time.

(At the finish line with co-race director Olga - Photo by Allison Moore)

At the finish line I was meet by Bob (who's been frequently referenced in past posts) who drove down to see me finish and, eventually, drive me back to Washington. We stuck around for quite some time BSing with other runners and sipping on a few brews (me, not Bob ;-). We ended up seeing all but the final finisher come in and from there headed back to Government Camp to have a burger and beer at the Mt. Hood Brewery. Within about 15 minutes of leaving the restaurant, I was fast asleep in the passenger seat, I stayed that way until we were about 50 miles into WA.

(Surveying the damage - Photos by Allisone Moore & Bob)

In the end, I generally had a great time out at 'Hood,' though I must admit, I feel like I'm may need to be out there next year again, just because I do think I can run better and faster on that course. At this point recovery is going well and I'm looking forward to the Carkeek 12 hour at the end of the month, between now and then I have my first half marathon (weird, I know) and hopefully plenty of good training miles!

STORMY 100!

After a half day (Wednesday) of driving from Seattle to Whistler with stops including, but not limited to, Whidbey Island and Squamish, followed by a full day (Thursday) of hiking and adventuring on Blackcomb and Whistler Mountain, Friday morning came early.

(just prior to the start, Rachael probably wanted one last photo just in case)

Rachael & I woke up at 6am with hopes of being on the road by 7am, with an hour of winding, construction worker filled hi-way in front of us, I wasn't willing to take any chances on being on time. All went as planned, and by 8am-ish we were in Squamish with more than enough time to spare. We briefly visited a park on the shores of Howe Sound, located the hotel for future reference, then bummed around near the starting line for a brief bit of time.

(off we go! - photo by one of Thomas Villalon's crew)

At 10am, after a short briefing, I and 29 others (I believe) headed out of the camp ground and down the road. Early on I ran at a very slow comfortable pace, chatting with many as miles ticked off. I enjoyed early parts of the course, especially some of the forest that seemed to completely hide in residential back yards, but for the most part the first 22 miles of so went by quickly and, in truth, felt more like half that distance, I felt fresh and was still raring to go.

(early on with still plenty of (s)miles left... see what I did there... - photo by Bruce Grant)

For the next 8 miles or so, I ran in the company of an alternating group of the same 6 runners, lots of laughs were shared and the time felt less like a race and more like a little jaunt with friends despite the fact that I knew none of them by name. Eventually the little gang did dispersed though and I found my self running alone en route to the Powerhouse aid station. At Power house I once again nibbled and picked on PB&Js, jelly beans, and various other treats, then went off to begin the long trek up 9 mile hill (which in reality is only 6 miles, but still).

(Myself and Thomas, one of 'the gang' easing back down from the University aid station - photo by one of Thomas Villalon's crew)

9 mile hill is 6 miles (I know, I know) of dirt road with plenty of small rock and divots, the majority of the 6 miles is up hill and uncovered, thankfully most of the day was overcast, and thus I was spared by the sun. At the end of 9 mile hill was another aid station, 37 miles into the race, where I was told there would be 'just a little more up hill and then a bunch of down,' as good of news as this was that little bit of up hill sure seemed like a lot more. When the down hill did finally appear the fist good chunk of it was very runnable and very fast but when the Powerhouse plunge came I was forced to pull the e-brake. The plunge is technical, steep, and would scare me to death if I were on a bike (this video does a good job of showing why), though I must admit, with a little more juice in the tank, I bet it was be a blast to rip down it as it was pretty fun still pretty fun some 42 miles in!

As I neared some where around mile 45 or so dusk was beginning to set in and I busted out a flash light. Those first few miles by flash light were a lot of fun but right after the aid station at mile 46.25 I had a moment of dread, it wasn't the dark that was messing with my head, it was the climbing, I was fine with it right there and then but knowing I'd be seeing it again with ~4 miles left made me cringe.

Around 10:30pm I came into the half way point (also the start & finish) greeted by Racahel & a host of wonderful volunteers offering pizza(!!!), coffee(!!!), and a whole other slew of goodies and treats. Rachael fetched my drop bag and filled up my water pack for me as I quickly slipped into a fresh shirt and pair of shorts, I then proceeded to plop down, eat, and chat. After a few minutes Rachael asked me how long I planned on staying, I told her that I knew a few guys were right behind me and that I wanted to wait for them to head out into the dark with. Those two guys, Gilles and John were experienced on the course and great company to run with, we ended up sticking together the entire evening until the sun finally started to reappear. One of the great benefits of running with these two, besides the company, was Gilles wife was working the Perth aid station which meant friendly smiles, Frappuccinos (!), orange juice (!) and many more goodies that I can't swear were available to all runners! I appreciated all 3 of their presence greatly and I hope I made that abundantly clear to them.

I was once again on my own after the 4th pass of the University aid station with nothing of real interest to note between there and the 3rd pass of the Powerhouse aid station. In fact, all I can really recall about those 3+ miles is that at one point I mistook a log for a photographer, Rachael tells me this qualifies as a hallucination, but I think I was just bleary eyed (and that the damn log really looked like a crouched person with camera in hand).

After a quick stint at Powerhouse I once again went to begin the climb up 9 mile hill, just prior to heading up a car pulled over slowly on the dirt road and rolled down the window. I recognized the driver as a runner I had been talking to earlier in the run, I said 'Hi' and asked him if he had already finished (which, at least seemed like a reasonable question at the time), he informed me that, sadly, he had needed to drop due to blisters, I offer my condolences, we wished each other well, and then up I went. During my climb I thought to myself, 'wow those blisters must have been bad, I can't imagine how bad they'd have to be to drop; boy I sure am glad my feet are feeling good.' Famous last thoughts, I now know, with in 15 minutes I could feel numerous hot spots and blisters, and, of course, it seemed with each step I was bound to peg one of them. I began moving slower and slower until, at one point, I looked up and saw another runner a few hundred yards ahead of me, I decided to make it my goal to catch up which I eventually did. That runner was Nate who I stuck with, off and on, almost up until the 2nd plunge, once again, his company and conversation were invaluable!

Once I got back to Powerhouse for the last time I requested some Mole Skin in order to help take some pressure off the blisters. Better than mole skin, I was directed to a search and rescue

volunteer who proceeded to to bandage and wrap my feet as best as possible, though the time it took to do this was a bit longer than I would have liked to stay there, it was the right move and I'm extremely grateful for the help, it made the last 7 miles that much more bearable.

(mile 98 - that counts as a smile, right? - photo by Bruce Grant)

From powerhouse to the finish, things went slowly but I was once again moving with determination, picking up my pace when ever possible and taking stock of the entire experience. As I pined for the finish line, there was a small part of me that wasn't ready for it to be over and a large part that was brimming with joy, but then, there were also my feet...

(finally coming across the finish line - 29:53:05, 21st out of 22 finishers, 29 starters - photo by Rachael)

I came into the finish line 'still smiling' greeted by the cheers of many a fellow Marathon Maniac,various others I've meet through running, and many there to support 'their' runners. The rest of the afternoon/evening was spent eating, talking, eating, drinking, eating, and sleeping (with an ice bath and shower thrown in for good measure).

(all I ever really wanted - photo taken from http://brendaontherun-banffandbeyond.blogspot.com/)

In the end, as much as this was a big deal to me, I walked away with the same feelings I have at the end of most ultras, that was great(!), what fun(!), when do I get to do this again!?! The biggest difference to me is now those thought include other 100 mile races!

Extras:

• Finish time 29:53:05, 21st out of 22 finishers, 29 starters.
• Thank you, thank you, thank you to Rachael for putting up with all of this and so much more, Wendy the race director and all the wonderful volunteers, and to everyone I shared the trails with, I can't wait to run with you all again!
• See more photos from the rest of the Canadian trip here
• STORMY's web site
  

White River 2009

Youch! That's my one word to describe this year's White River 50 Mile Endurance Run... youch...

The day started off in West Seattle dark and early, 2am to be precise, I was out the door by 2:30am meeting up with Matthew in Magnolia to car pool, en route by 3am. We arrived at that race start with only minimal turning around and were soon checked in and toeing the line for the 5:30am early start.

('feasting' at the Buck Creek aid station 27 miles in)

Though I started near the front of the pack of early starters, I did not feel as though I was going out too fast and was able to settle into a reasonable pace fairly quickly. I ran the first 6 or so miles with Eric Barnes whom I could tell was going to be stronger for longer than I had in me, never the less I trailed along and talked with him while I could. Shortly after watching Eric disappear ahead of me my day really began, some where near mile 7 or 8 I started to feel early signs of cramping, though really that's only in retrospect, at the time I just thought it was brief little one-offs. Soon the one-offs added up and before I knew it my quads, thighs, and calves, on both legs, had tensed up to the point that they felt like tree stumps, I did my best to continue moving forward but I must have looked pathetic and ridiculous all at once as I stammered along attempting to move straight legged down the trail. With every bend of a knee either a quad or calve would scream. More than any other time on any other course, I entertained the idea that I may not be able to finish, I wanted to but I knew there was no way if my legs continued to feel the way they did. Thankfully, after hobbling for a short time, I asked another runner if they happened to have any S-Caps, though I hadn't taken them before, I was willing to try anything at that point. Under instruction from the fellow runner, I took 2 right then and there, and with in minutes started to feel better - not 100% by any means, but better. From that point on the race was a battle between electrolytes and cramps, one moment I'd think I was in the clear the next I'd start feeling it again, this made for a long day on the course.

(...coming in for the finish, still smiling 'as always!'...)

I'll spare you the long details, ups and downs, and ins and outs of the rest of the race and just stick with the 'it was a long day' cliche. I will say though, that never have I been happier to have such a catastrophic break down during a race, after all, there I was, 2 weeks out from STORMY learning invaluable lessons that would no doubt aid me in finishing 100 miles. Thanks to White River I stocked up on S-caps (and Clip 2!), and, even more importantly, I got a lot of time on my feet while feeling horrible, I know that sounds unappealing, but the confidence I gained but 'gutting it out' was essential. I knew if I could go that long, feeling that bad, and still finish, that, if nothing else, I might have a chance at STOMRY.(don't be fooled by the clock, remember, I took the early start.. add an hour...)

All photos used above taken by race director John Wallace III.
More photos via Glenn Tachiyama here, here, & here
Finish Time: 12:39:30
151 out of 166 (195 starters)

A tough day...

(To any of you who strictly want to read about running, I apologize but this post will be a little more 'personal' than usual...)

About a week prior to the Green River Marathon I started, once again, toying with the idea of shooting for a 3:30... even went so far as mention it to 2 other 'cowboy' Maniacs (sorry, that's sort of an inside joke). But 'toying with' and really planning on doing it are two different things - my 'toying with' usually means, I do what I always do and hope for the best, and I was content to do that once again, well that is, until Friday morning...

Without going into the full details, I'll just say, I received very unexpected news Friday morning that my friend Stever had died early that morning, losing his one year battle with Leukemia (you may remember, he was my inspiration behind the '13 in 12' this past November through February). Among the million other things in my mind, was the thought that I wouldn't be running the next day, I was fine with that, but as the day progressed I was told by both Stever's wife and mother that I should run. Johanna, Stever's wife phrased it perfectly, she told me 'we have to do what we know how to do, I now how to garden on my hands and knees in the dirt and you know how to run... I'm going to garden tomorrow morning... you should run.' I can't say I was sure it would be the right decision, but never the less, I said I'd do it.

Friday night was a fairly late evening and Saturday morning seemed to come quite early (despite the 8:30am start time). I woke up, put on my shorts and "Stever's Fan Club" t-shirt, and prepared to head out. Once at the starting line I felt very out of place waiting for the race to begin, I couldn't exactly ignore other runners that I know but at the same time, I couldn't really announce 'hey, I'm only kinda, sorta here right now.' I faked my way through a few conversations and waited for the start.

(Stever's Fan Club shirt, only mine is orange)

Once the race began I kept to myself for about a whole 5 minutes, something about running makes me talkative I guess. I said 'hi' to a few familiar maniacs including race director Steve Barrick, and eventually found my self running with *tc (does he go by that name anymore?) and Pete Nicholson (MM # 207), whom I hadn't meet before. *tc blazed ahead after a bout a half mile but Pete and I continued to run the same pace for the first 14 miles, give or take. Pete's company allowed for good conversation, but regardless of what we talked about (mainly running, go figure) my thoughts would always drift back to Stever and his wife and family. Eventually, I just said what was on my mind - poor, Pete, I sure I was sort of a downer - I had to though, verbalizing it only seemed fair, it was that, or I could continue to try and hold a conversation while occasionally zoning out.

(Pete looking strong, me, on the other hand - I'm just keepin' up)

Somewhere around mile 14, Pete told me he was going to peel off and use a rest room, I was fairly confident I'd see him again as he was still running strong and I really had no idea how long these 8 minute miles would last. I continued on, keeping an eye on the Garmin trying my best to stick to the pace. At about mile 17 I caught up with *tc and asked him if he had a 3:30 in him, he said he didn't (he was still recovering from a recent 100 miler) but suggest I try and keep up with the person in front of us for pacing, we wished each other well and I continued on pushing my pace.

(Essential running gear for Saturday 6/6: fake smile & "Stever's Fan Club" t-shirt)

By the time mile 23 came I felt spent, I opted to walk momentarily for just a short break, as will sometimes happen that walk just kept getting longer and longer - 'the next light pole... no, no, the next light pole...' I was literally walking away from the 3:30 goal. I thought long about my next move, I thought about Stever, and, despite not being a spiritual person, I thought to Stever... I thought about all that was going on, then I started to run again... hard.

Miles 24 through 26 were sub 8 minute miles with the final .2 being run at a sub 7 minute mile pace. I felt every step of it. I finished gasping for air and drenched in sweat with a 3:29:39 to show for the effort . As soon as the running stopped the hobbling began, my right foot had cramped up right under my arch, it felt like I had a softball lodged in my foot. I wiggled my way down the beach, took off my socks and shoes, and stood in the sound for a few moments hoping the cold waters might help - it did, but only slightly. I hobbled around a bit more until I was able to arrange a ride home from the ever helpful and friendly Jon Yoon (MM# 467).

That's essentially it, I must admit, I'm at a loss on how to end this post, so I'll instead of a tidy little wrap up, I'll just say this... right now, until June 22nd, the National Marrow Donor Program is offering Marrow Donor Registry kits for free, these kits are simple and give you the opportunity to possibly save a life. Please follow this link, 'click the "Join" button, and GET REGISTERED! - http://www.marrow.org/

Mt Si '09 ('full' report)

(jeeze, maybe it's just that I was raised Catholic, but this feels like some kind of confessional or something...)

After a poor race at Dizzy Daze, I was left feeling burnt out and detached from running, I suspected that this would eventually burn off but as the days went on, I continued to ignore any urges to train. The first week I felt justified, I was angry and frustrated and felt some time away would help. The second week, I first was confused, thinking Mt. Si was that coming weekend (and thus defending it as 'tapering'), then, when I realized the date mistakes, it was just good old fashioned laziness. By the beginning of week 3 of no running, the guilt was finally starting to set in, by the end of that week the desire was back, but, of course, Sunday was the race, so that just meant, 'a little bit longer.' It's a strange feeling standing at the start of a 50 mile race after not having run for 3 weeks solid, it almost feels like your cheating, and I guess in some ways I was... but for the time being, that was gonna have to do.

The start also felt odd with so many of the 'usual suspects' not being there; between McNaughton recovery, Boston the next day, and the next week's Capitol Peaks, there were a whole slew of missing faces. For me, there was very little conversation to be had, a chat here or there, but nothing that lasted more than a half mile.

Despite what I had planned, I still managed to do my first 14 or so miles too fast, but as hard as it is to get going again post bonk, it's quite tough to slow down when you're raring to go. When I hit the aid station at mile 14 I refilled my bottle, grabbed some potatoes, and walked my way from the aid station until I finished eating. Within a mile (at most) my stomach told me the potatoes were not a good idea. The stomach cramps were bad, I knew I needed to get to the next 'rest stop' and the sooner the better...

(Fast forwarding for you, the reader's sake)

...I left the 'rest stop' feeling better, but unfortunately, much more tired than I should have been only ~18 miles in. The rest of the race was fairly uneventful (which is another way of saying, the course was boring me to tears), I walked more than I should have and was looking at the Garmin far too much but in the end, I finished.

I finished faster than I did last year, which I guess counts for something but, despite being kinda sick of the course, I hope to be out there again next year, better trained and eying an 8 hour finish (I know that's a big jump, but I think it's possible). More than anything, I'm just happy to be resurrected...

Now let's go train!

(...and not to down play it by any means, but as usual there are 2 people I need to thank for their constant support, my wife Rachael & my good friend Bob, together, they came from Seattle to see me go by at mile 47 and then watch me finish. After returning home they waited as I bathed, then the 3 of us headed out for burgers, and in my case beer! The promise of seeing the 2 of them at the finish line is always reason enough to get there :-)

Mt. Si '09

I'll get to an actual race report soon enough, but for now, here's the skinny...

50 Miles - 9:05:26 (17 odd minutes faster than last year) - not great, not terrible, and when ever it's not terrible, well, then it's pretty damn great!