Jasmine's Rumble Pics: http://picasaweb.google.com/mtnahorniak/PetersonRidgeRumble2008.
If anyone has a favorite (or a few faves) and wants a full sized pic, let me know, and I'll be happy to send it on. :-)
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Monday, April 14, 2008
Peterson Ridge Rumble!
On Sunday I ran the Peterson Ridge Rumble 60k in and around Sisters, Oregon. http://www.fleetfeetbend.com/rumble/index.html) It’s hosted by the speeder ultra runner and all around nice guy Sean Meissner (http://sascharuns.blogspot.com/).
Up until the morning of the race, I was still waffling on whether to run hard, or take it easy and treat it purely as a training run. I hadn’t planned on making this a “target” race, so I hadn’t tapered much for it, but I had tapered some (some of it a “forced” taper as I was only able to get in minimal running for the week Jasmine was in Thailand). And last Monday I managed to sprain an ankle a bit – if felt OK but it was pretty swollen for a couple days. And on Friday prior we’d taken Avery sledding and snow-tubing at Santiam pass, and I managed to wear myself out a bit hiking up the hill and, more-so, building a snow-cave and tunnel with Avery. For the snow cave I spend way too much time kicking away at the snow, and afterwards I discovered I’d managed to over-stress something in both shins in the process, and found myself hobbling around a bit. But at least it was a great snow cave - well worth any injury. I know.... whine, whine, whine!
(Speaking of whining, Jasmine, in a search for sympathy, wants me to include the fact that she suffered a rather debilitating injury while sledding. The injury is to her “bum”, as they call it in the Queen’s English. She’s been sitting on an ice pack or a donut shaped pillow ever since.)
So I wasn’t feeling overly rested, but I have been feeling great running lately, and putting in lots of training miles. The morning of the race I was walking from our hotel over to the start (letting Avery and Jas sleep a bit longer). It was a perfect morning, I was feeling good, so I decided I might as well run as hard as I could. Plus, the course was shortened due to heavy snow-pack from 38+ miles to a mere 34. For some reason 34 miles seemed a lot easier than 38, so what the heck.
I had very little idea what to expect from the course, other than it was considered “runnable” except for a short “grunt” section. The start was pretty flat, on easy trail. There was
a group of 5, I think, that took off in front setting the pace. Another pair of runners followed closely behind, and I settled in not too far back from them. The pace was really fast for me, but the course so far was easy, and it felt good.
We crossed a bridge, then crossed a paved road, and then got onto a long, flat, straight stretch on a dirt road. Finally we came to a right turn back onto a trail, and arrived at the first aid station. I still had water in my bottles, but grabbed a couple gels for my pockets, and downed a few M&Ms.
The next section followed a trail along a creek. I’m sure it was lovely, but I was focused mostly on the trail, and trying to keep up the pace with the pair of runners ahead of me. Eventually we crossed the creeks, and the trail started rolling a bit, mostly up-hill, but pretty gradually, and it was all runnable. I could occasionally hear female voices from behind, sounding way too casual for such a quick pace.
I passed the 2nd aid station, filled up with water and electrolyte drink, and grabbed a couple more gels. Soon after, I came across Jasmine and Avery, taking photos at a sunny section, with a great view of North Sister. The 2nd aid station also served as the 4th aid station, so I’d next see them right there on the return. I tossed my gloves to Avery and kept going. It was already getting pretty warm.
It didn’t take long to get to “water only” aid station 3a. I still had water, so I kept on going. The next section was the “snow-shortened” section, so instead of 6-7 miles, we’d be looping back to the same aid station “3b” in just a couple miles, so I didn’t stop. By this point, I was running in a pack of four runners. The guy I’d been following for a while was Justin Angle – who’d I normally have no business keeping up with, but he was just coming off an impressive 100 mile run, and he wasn’t exactly racing today. Stan Holman (former Hagg lake 50k course record holder) from Washington was with us, and Kami Semick, star ultra runner and all-around outdoor athlete extraordinaire from Bend, was setting the pace. It was exciting to find myself in this group, though it made me worry that I was over-reaching, pace-wise.
I managed to take a spill here at one point. No injuries, but I got pretty dirty. I felt bad that Stan stopped to make sure I was OK – I didn’t want to slow anyone down. I got up as quickly as I could and caught back up to the group.
After a bit of easy climbing along a gentle ridge, we dropped down into a canyon. Here there was some snow on the trail, and some serious ice in one or two sections. I’d fallen a bit behind the group prior to the ice, but I managed to run down the ice section pretty fast (it reminded me of heading down the hill from the rec-center to the dorm at Michigan Tech back in the day, where the sidewalk was always a sheet of ice), catch up, and slide past the more cautious runners. Soon after the ice section was the “grunt” – a steep, loose climb straight up back out of the canyon. No running here. Just hiking it hard left me pretty knackered by the top, although it was only a few minutes long.
Back at water-only aid station (“3b”) I filled a water bottle and kept going. I was really trying to stay on top of eating and drinking and I think it paid off later in the day. From 3b, it didn’t take long to get back to aid station 4, where Jas and Avery were still waiting. Avery had on her new pink cow-girl hat. Very cute. J
From AS4, it was mostly downhill trail to AS5. Coming up the other way on this section were lots of 30k runners, many with their dogs. (Dogs were allowed in the 30k race). It was occasionally “exciting” to run past runners and dogs, at high speed (going downhill) on a narrow trail.
By this time the runners had spread out a bit. Kami was well ahead, running with another woman who had caught and passed me, as were Stan and another runner that had caught our group. I think Justin stopped back at an aid station. At one point Stan and the other guy appeared to take a wrong turn. They were pretty far ahead, but I could still see them. I stopped at the intersection – they were following a very rough looking “unofficial” trail, while the main trail turned to the right. I started following them for a second, but stopped, and some early starters caught up from behind and agreed the right turn had to be correct. I shouted – not sure if they heard or not. The early starters started shouting, so I kept going. (I found out later from the other guy (not Stan) that he lost about 4 minutes on the wrong turn. He caught back up and passed me 5 or 6 miles later). I was relieved to see a yellow ribbon soon after, indicating I was on the right trail.
I reached the next aid station, and then re-joined the long, straight road that we’d come up earlier. Except, I think it gad grown longer for the 2nd time along. This was about 20 miles into the race. It was strange being able to see so far – I think it was Kami ahead of me, probably by 1/4 mile or so. After a long slog, I finally crossed a road, then a bridge over a creek, and turned back onto a single track trail. This section followed a creek for a while, and then meandered through the woods. I was running alone by this point, trying my best to stay focused and keep pushing, while saving a bit for the last few miles.
Eventually the course dumped back onto gravel road. A volunteer made sure I made the correct left turn, and informed me that it was 2.3 miles to the next aid station. What he didn’t tell me was that it was almost all up-hill, and almost all fully exposed to the sun. So it was a long 2.3 miles, but a good 2.3 miles. The hill let me change my pace and cadence enough that it felt good on my legs, and I was able to run the whole thing (except for a few quick walking breaks to drink and down a gel). Occasionally the hill appeared to crest, only to start climbing again around a corner. But it was all pretty gradual and runnable. I was passed once in this section by one of the guys who’d taken the wrong turn earlier. He was running strong. A few minutes later I passed a runner who was walking up the hill. He said he’d tweaked his ankle pretty good. I offered some Advil, but he said he was OK to keep going without. I pulled away, and with about 9 miles to go I was running alone again. I didn’t pass, or get passed, by another runner for the rest of the race.
Aid station 6 finally appeared. I refilled both bottles, grabbed a couple more gels, downed some food, and started off again on a single track trail. From this point on, it was mostly downhill to the finish, though there were a couple rollers that involved some uphill running. I figured I’d run conservatively for the next two miles, then try to push it a bit for the last 6 miles or so, if I had any gas left. 15 or 20 minutes out from the aid station I downed another gel, struggled up a warm, sunny uphill section, then tried to push it for a while. This part of the course was stunning – narrow single track meandering through a wide open hilltop, with views up and down the Cascade volcanoes. I made note to come back some day and hike this area in order to soak up the view – for the moment I tried to keep my eyes on the trail. I passed photographer in this section (I’m looking forward to that picture), then a kid out hiking with his family who assured me I was near the next aid station… finally back into the trees, and into the aid station where Jas and Avery were waiting.
I refilled both bottles again, ate a gel, and asked what place I was in. They weren’t sure, but thought “definitely top 10”. I was pretty excited at the prospect of a top 10 finish, and I definitely didn’t want to lose it on the last 4.2 mile leg to the finish. Also I knew I had a shot at a sub 4:30 time, especially if it were indeed mostly downhill to the finish. I took off determined to run hard, though I was struggling a bit at this point. For the next 15 or 20 minutes I tried not to think of the finish or count down the miles, but rather just keep a steady pace. There was one modest uphill section. I power hiked a bit while drinking some, and pouring as much water as I could over my head. I also started looking over my should
er quite a bit, wary of getting passed. Before long there was a nice, gentle downhill, and I was able to run it pretty fast. A long straight section let me see that there was nobody within several hundred yards behind me (or in front), so I felt pretty confident my place was set. I started focusing on getting in by 4:30. A sign said 1 ¾ miles to Sisters. The finish line was at least ½ mile before Sisters, so I figured I had at most 1 to 1 ¼ miles left. My watch read 4:18. The trail was still a gentle downhill, so I kept running hard. Sooner than I expected, I saw the road in front of the middle school (where the race finished), and I knew sub-4:30 was in the bag. I crossed the road, meandered through the parking lot, and entered the track, where the finish line was still about a half lap around the track. Avery joined me for the last bit on the track, and held my hand across the finish line. I came in just under 4:27. 8th place! Whoo Hoo!
Next up is our “hometown” race – the Mac forest 50k, just four short weeks away. I’m hoping to break five hours, as last year I missed that mark by just three minutes. Hopefully I can recover fast from yesterday’s run, get in a week or two of solid training, and leave time for a decent taper. After the Mac 50k, I’ve got 10 weeks until the Tahoe Rim trail 100 – my first 100 miler!
Up until the morning of the race, I was still waffling on whether to run hard, or take it easy and treat it purely as a training run. I hadn’t planned on making this a “target” race, so I hadn’t tapered much for it, but I had tapered some (some of it a “forced” taper as I was only able to get in minimal running for the week Jasmine was in Thailand). And last Monday I managed to sprain an ankle a bit – if felt OK but it was pretty swollen for a couple days. And on Friday prior we’d taken Avery sledding and snow-tubing at Santiam pass, and I managed to wear myself out a bit hiking up the hill and, more-so, building a snow-cave and tunnel with Avery. For the snow cave I spend way too much time kicking away at the snow, and afterwards I discovered I’d managed to over-stress something in both shins in the process, and found myself hobbling around a bit. But at least it was a great snow cave - well worth any injury. I know.... whine, whine, whine!
(Speaking of whining, Jasmine, in a search for sympathy, wants me to include the fact that she suffered a rather debilitating injury while sledding. The injury is to her “bum”, as they call it in the Queen’s English. She’s been sitting on an ice pack or a donut shaped pillow ever since.)
So I wasn’t feeling overly rested, but I have been feeling great running lately, and putting in lots of training miles. The morning of the race I was walking from our hotel over to the start (letting Avery and Jas sleep a bit longer). It was a perfect morning, I was feeling good, so I decided I might as well run as hard as I could. Plus, the course was shortened due to heavy snow-pack from 38+ miles to a mere 34. For some reason 34 miles seemed a lot easier than 38, so what the heck.
I had very little idea what to expect from the course, other than it was considered “runnable” except for a short “grunt” section. The start was pretty flat, on easy trail. There was
a group of 5, I think, that took off in front setting the pace. Another pair of runners followed closely behind, and I settled in not too far back from them. The pace was really fast for me, but the course so far was easy, and it felt good.We crossed a bridge, then crossed a paved road, and then got onto a long, flat, straight stretch on a dirt road. Finally we came to a right turn back onto a trail, and arrived at the first aid station. I still had water in my bottles, but grabbed a couple gels for my pockets, and downed a few M&Ms.
The next section followed a trail along a creek. I’m sure it was lovely, but I was focused mostly on the trail, and trying to keep up the pace with the pair of runners ahead of me. Eventually we crossed the creeks, and the trail started rolling a bit, mostly up-hill, but pretty gradually, and it was all runnable. I could occasionally hear female voices from behind, sounding way too casual for such a quick pace.
I passed the 2nd aid station, filled up with water and electrolyte drink, and grabbed a couple more gels. Soon after, I came across Jasmine and Avery, taking photos at a sunny section, with a great view of North Sister. The 2nd aid station also served as the 4th aid station, so I’d next see them right there on the return. I tossed my gloves to Avery and kept going. It was already getting pretty warm.
It didn’t take long to get to “water only” aid station 3a. I still had water, so I kept on going. The next section was the “snow-shortened” section, so instead of 6-7 miles, we’d be looping back to the same aid station “3b” in just a couple miles, so I didn’t stop. By this point, I was running in a pack of four runners. The guy I’d been following for a while was Justin Angle – who’d I normally have no business keeping up with, but he was just coming off an impressive 100 mile run, and he wasn’t exactly racing today. Stan Holman (former Hagg lake 50k course record holder) from Washington was with us, and Kami Semick, star ultra runner and all-around outdoor athlete extraordinaire from Bend, was setting the pace. It was exciting to find myself in this group, though it made me worry that I was over-reaching, pace-wise.I managed to take a spill here at one point. No injuries, but I got pretty dirty. I felt bad that Stan stopped to make sure I was OK – I didn’t want to slow anyone down. I got up as quickly as I could and caught back up to the group.
After a bit of easy climbing along a gentle ridge, we dropped down into a canyon. Here there was some snow on the trail, and some serious ice in one or two sections. I’d fallen a bit behind the group prior to the ice, but I managed to run down the ice section pretty fast (it reminded me of heading down the hill from the rec-center to the dorm at Michigan Tech back in the day, where the sidewalk was always a sheet of ice), catch up, and slide past the more cautious runners. Soon after the ice section was the “grunt” – a steep, loose climb straight up back out of the canyon. No running here. Just hiking it hard left me pretty knackered by the top, although it was only a few minutes long.
Back at water-only aid station (“3b”) I filled a water bottle and kept going. I was really trying to stay on top of eating and drinking and I think it paid off later in the day. From 3b, it didn’t take long to get back to aid station 4, where Jas and Avery were still waiting. Avery had on her new pink cow-girl hat. Very cute. J
From AS4, it was mostly downhill trail to AS5. Coming up the other way on this section were lots of 30k runners, many with their dogs. (Dogs were allowed in the 30k race). It was occasionally “exciting” to run past runners and dogs, at high speed (going downhill) on a narrow trail.
By this time the runners had spread out a bit. Kami was well ahead, running with another woman who had caught and passed me, as were Stan and another runner that had caught our group. I think Justin stopped back at an aid station. At one point Stan and the other guy appeared to take a wrong turn. They were pretty far ahead, but I could still see them. I stopped at the intersection – they were following a very rough looking “unofficial” trail, while the main trail turned to the right. I started following them for a second, but stopped, and some early starters caught up from behind and agreed the right turn had to be correct. I shouted – not sure if they heard or not. The early starters started shouting, so I kept going. (I found out later from the other guy (not Stan) that he lost about 4 minutes on the wrong turn. He caught back up and passed me 5 or 6 miles later). I was relieved to see a yellow ribbon soon after, indicating I was on the right trail.
I reached the next aid station, and then re-joined the long, straight road that we’d come up earlier. Except, I think it gad grown longer for the 2nd time along. This was about 20 miles into the race. It was strange being able to see so far – I think it was Kami ahead of me, probably by 1/4 mile or so. After a long slog, I finally crossed a road, then a bridge over a creek, and turned back onto a single track trail. This section followed a creek for a while, and then meandered through the woods. I was running alone by this point, trying my best to stay focused and keep pushing, while saving a bit for the last few miles.
Eventually the course dumped back onto gravel road. A volunteer made sure I made the correct left turn, and informed me that it was 2.3 miles to the next aid station. What he didn’t tell me was that it was almost all up-hill, and almost all fully exposed to the sun. So it was a long 2.3 miles, but a good 2.3 miles. The hill let me change my pace and cadence enough that it felt good on my legs, and I was able to run the whole thing (except for a few quick walking breaks to drink and down a gel). Occasionally the hill appeared to crest, only to start climbing again around a corner. But it was all pretty gradual and runnable. I was passed once in this section by one of the guys who’d taken the wrong turn earlier. He was running strong. A few minutes later I passed a runner who was walking up the hill. He said he’d tweaked his ankle pretty good. I offered some Advil, but he said he was OK to keep going without. I pulled away, and with about 9 miles to go I was running alone again. I didn’t pass, or get passed, by another runner for the rest of the race.
Aid station 6 finally appeared. I refilled both bottles, grabbed a couple more gels, downed some food, and started off again on a single track trail. From this point on, it was mostly downhill to the finish, though there were a couple rollers that involved some uphill running. I figured I’d run conservatively for the next two miles, then try to push it a bit for the last 6 miles or so, if I had any gas left. 15 or 20 minutes out from the aid station I downed another gel, struggled up a warm, sunny uphill section, then tried to push it for a while. This part of the course was stunning – narrow single track meandering through a wide open hilltop, with views up and down the Cascade volcanoes. I made note to come back some day and hike this area in order to soak up the view – for the moment I tried to keep my eyes on the trail. I passed photographer in this section (I’m looking forward to that picture), then a kid out hiking with his family who assured me I was near the next aid station… finally back into the trees, and into the aid station where Jas and Avery were waiting.
I refilled both bottles again, ate a gel, and asked what place I was in. They weren’t sure, but thought “definitely top 10”. I was pretty excited at the prospect of a top 10 finish, and I definitely didn’t want to lose it on the last 4.2 mile leg to the finish. Also I knew I had a shot at a sub 4:30 time, especially if it were indeed mostly downhill to the finish. I took off determined to run hard, though I was struggling a bit at this point. For the next 15 or 20 minutes I tried not to think of the finish or count down the miles, but rather just keep a steady pace. There was one modest uphill section. I power hiked a bit while drinking some, and pouring as much water as I could over my head. I also started looking over my should
er quite a bit, wary of getting passed. Before long there was a nice, gentle downhill, and I was able to run it pretty fast. A long straight section let me see that there was nobody within several hundred yards behind me (or in front), so I felt pretty confident my place was set. I started focusing on getting in by 4:30. A sign said 1 ¾ miles to Sisters. The finish line was at least ½ mile before Sisters, so I figured I had at most 1 to 1 ¼ miles left. My watch read 4:18. The trail was still a gentle downhill, so I kept running hard. Sooner than I expected, I saw the road in front of the middle school (where the race finished), and I knew sub-4:30 was in the bag. I crossed the road, meandered through the parking lot, and entered the track, where the finish line was still about a half lap around the track. Avery joined me for the last bit on the track, and held my hand across the finish line. I came in just under 4:27. 8th place! Whoo Hoo!Next up is our “hometown” race – the Mac forest 50k, just four short weeks away. I’m hoping to break five hours, as last year I missed that mark by just three minutes. Hopefully I can recover fast from yesterday’s run, get in a week or two of solid training, and leave time for a decent taper. After the Mac 50k, I’ve got 10 weeks until the Tahoe Rim trail 100 – my first 100 miler!
Monday, March 24, 2008
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Flirting with Spring
It’s been sort of hit & miss weather wise here in western Oregon lately. Lots of clouds, a little rain, and occasionally a great sun break, which serves to convince on that spring as arrived for real… then the sun goes back into hiding and the rain showers return. It’s Frustrating, but better than January.We’ve been pretty busy since the last blog. The last weekend in February we spent on the coast at a friend’s cabin, in Seal Rock. It’s a great cabin in a fantastic spot, with a terrific view of the ocean, and a pathway right down to the beach. I’m a little concerned that it may fall into the sea someday, as it’s on a cliff made out of loosely packed sand. But for now it sits a 50 or so feet back from the cliff, so I figured it’d last the weekend, at least.
We had a good time relaxing, running on the beach, reading, painting, picking shells and agates off the beach, and enjoying lots of seafood. We also checked out the Sea Lion cave just north of Florence. It’s cool to see, but I wouldn’t want be a sea Lion and live there. It’s noisy, the residents are cranky, and the cave just may be the stinkiest place on earth. But it’s worth checking out, and the drive between Waldport and Florence is pretty spectacular.
This past weekend I did lots of running. Lots of training guides describe a weekend “sandwich” where you rest Friday and Monday, and put back to back long runs on Saturday and Sunday. I tried my own version of a “sandwich” where I ran long Saturday and Sunday, and in between “sandwiched” a wine and food festival, where I sampled more than my fair share of the best wines Oregon has to offer. Saturday’s run was great, though I woke up _way_ too early in order to squeeze it in before Jasmine’s painting lesson and taking Avery to her first “soccer practice” at “Little Kickers.” She got a free uniform for signin
g up and looked adorable, and had a great time. After lunch we all headed up to Evergreen Aviation Museum (home of the “Spruce Goose”) where they were hosting the Oregon wine and food classic. Tons of food, art, airplanes, and, of course wine. More wine vendors than you could imagine. All from Oregon, I think. Avery and I also checked out the Spruce Goose, and toured the inside of a WWII bomber, while Jasmine checked out the food and art. Avery learned you had to be less than 5’7” to be a “gunner” on a WWII bomber, so while that would rule me out, Avery was excited to know she could be one, and happily informed Jasmine: “Mommy, I can be a GUNNER!”The next morning I got up early for my long run, minus an hour of sleep due to the time change, and minus a few brain cells from the previous evening’s wine. Note to self: avoid over-indulging on adult beverages before long runs. Extensive wine tasting will certainly not become part of my pre-race routine! I managed to down some coffee and oatmeal, and drag myself out of the house to the forest. M
y running partner left me a phone message cancelling for the day, so I was on my own. Probably just as well, as I wasn’t too sure how well I’d be running. I lingered in the car a few minutes at the trailhead, hoping the coffee would have more affect, but it didn’t. So I left the car, walked a minute or two, and finally started “running”, in the loosest sense of the word. After a few minutes I noted that I hadn’t dropped dead, so I picked it up a slight bit, forced down some water, and just kept moving, up and down the hills of Mac Forest. I continued this for another 24 miles or so before deciding that I’d satisfied my training needs, and paid my penance for the previous day’s indulgence. JSunday afternoon, Avery had a play date to which Jasmine drove, so I had a quiet afternoon at home by myself. It was warm and sunny outside, so I ended up spending all afternoon doing gardening and yard work, while Rory (our dog) lied in the sun and watched me work. Smart dog, he is.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Hagg Lake 50km
I ran the Hagg Lake 50km again this past Saturday (www.haggmud.com). This was my third year running this race (it was my first 50k in 2006), and we were lucky enough to have, by far, the best weather and best trail conditions ever seen for this race. It was quite a change from last year, when weather and trail conditions bordered on ludicrous, and included long sections of “trail” that had become streambeds, complete with standing rapids and deep pools.
I was a little unsure what to expect from myself. I’ve been getting in some good training, but I didn’t taper for this as much as I usually do for a 50k – maybe 10 days, rather than my normal three weeks. Also, I’d been coming off a cold, and earlier in the week I’d managed to tweak my back pretty good – right where I’d had problems last year with what turned out to be pneumonia, after the Mac Forest 50k. I was freaked out enough about it that on Thursday I went into the doctor where they listened to my lungs, took a chest x-ray, etc. Everything checked out fine, and my doctor’s advice was “take some ibuprofen and enjoy your run. I felt a lot better after that. By Friday I felt really good again, so I figured I’d give it my best shot, and whatever happens, happens.
Saturday morning was clear and cool. I popped some Advil at 7:45, and put some more in my pocket for later. At 8:00 am we were off. I tried my best no to over-do it up the first (and only) big hill, and even forced myself to walk a couple times. I still managed to push my heart rate well above where I wanted it. I was using my heart rate monitor for the first time during a race. I didn’t have a target heartrate in mind, but I did want to record the data and see where my “race pace” heart rate was.
After the 3 mile out and back, I settled into a pretty good rhythm for the first loop. For a while I followed a couple pretty strong runners – one of whom I recognized as Sean Meissner, who I’m pretty sure I have no business running with when he’s at his best. I followed these two for a few miles. On the uphills, Sean and the other guy would pull away a bit, while I’d catch up a bit on the downhills and flats. I was doing my best at this point to avoid trying to keep up or race against anybody, but instead just focus on keeping a steady effort. I managed to keep within sight of the two until the first aid station. I was feeling pretty good, but I didn’t try to keep pace as they pulled away after the aid station.
Even with the dry weather lately, I fully expected the far side of the loop to be a mud pit. I was pretty shocked, and pleasantly surprised, that what had been heavy, wet, and sticky clay the previous two years was now solidly packed, which made for some fast running. Sections of trail that had sucked out energy previous years were fast and fun this year. With the good conditions, and the fact that I was feeling strong, I realized that I had a shot at a PR (my previous best 50k was 4:28 at Mckenzie River, last September). I do, however, have a habit of going out hard and fading late, so I tried not to get too excited, or push it too early.
I finished the first lap (about mile 17) in about 2:15. I felt really good about going after a PR, and then some. By mile 20, though, I started feeling pretty tired for the first time, and the legs weren’t quite going like I hoped. I scaled back my pace just a bit (and my heart rate), forced down another gel, and tried to drink some more water and energy drink (I was carrying two handheld bottles). For just a few minutes my stomach seemed a bit off, but by the next aid station it came back around, I burped a few times, and my legs perked up a bit. Between the Damn aid station and the next (last) aid station, I really forced myself to keep my pace in check. I really wanted to save something for the last 6 or 7 miles. I was passed once by this section by a guy I’d met last year (Kurt) – though I didn’t recognize him until we chatted at the finish line. We’d run together for a while last year, until he pulled away on the last couple miles.
With maybe 9 miles to go I caught another runner, and decided to just stay on his heels and let him set the pace for a while, rather than pass right away. I hope he didn’t mind. He mentioned he was bummed he didn’t have his i-Pod. I offered to sing for him, but he politely declined.
With about 8 miles to go, William Swint caught us. I’d been expecting this, as this is now the third race in a row where William has caught me with 6-8 miles to go. (Coincidentally, the other time I’ve met William was when I was hiking out from Three Fingered Jack last summer. About five miles out from the trailhead, William came running by. If he weren’t such a nice guy, this habit would get on my nerves). For the moment, William stayed with us rather than moving by. Apparently he’d hammered pretty hard to catch and move past Mike Rosling (another Corvallis runner) who was just a few minutes back, and had gotten a bit bonked in the process. That’s what he said anyway, though he still looked pretty strong to me.
After the 7 mile sign (halfway around the lake) I picked it up a notch, and William and I moved past the guy I’d been trailing. We ran more or less together for quite a while – all the way to the last aid station, with about 4 miles to go. Somewhere before the aid station William moved ahead of me, and slowly but steadily started to pull away. I think we passed another runner during this section, though I’m not sure.
After the last aid station, I was pretty sure I was in the top 10, but not sure exactly where. I’d been told much earlier in the race that I was 10th. It was difficult to keep track after that though, as the early starters and 25k racers were mixed up with the 50k racers. I knew at least two guys had passed me since then (William and Kurt), but and I wasn’t sure how many people I had passed. I really wanted to hold onto a top 10 finish, and was pretty determined not to get passed again during the last 4 miles to the finish.
Also at the last aid station, I realized I had a shot at a 4:15 finish, though it’d be close. I thought I’d left enough in the tank to give it a shot. I blasted through the aid station, grabbing a couple gels but not really stopping.
Somewhere in the next mile I noticed a guy not far behind. I pushed hard for a few minutes, and managed to lose him. The course came to a road section that stretched for a few hundred yards, where I could see quite a ways in either direction. I looked back again and couldn’t see the guy behind me, so I knew I had at least a few hundred yards on him. William had managed to put a few hundred yards on me, up ahead, so catching him was out of the question, despite my best efforts.
4:15 was going to be close. I kept looking for the 1 mile to go sign. I think I passed it at around 4:06, meaning I “only” needed to run a nine minute mile to get 4:15 (I’d averaged just a bit over 8:00/mi up to this point in the race). Given that Hagg is a relatively “easy” 50k, and given that I may never see course conditions this good again on this trail, I figured this might be as good a shot as I’ll ever get to run a 50k trail run in sub 4:15. So I pretty much decided to do it, right there with a mile to go.
There were a couple tight turns, a couple short ups and downs, and a big parking area to cross before the final short trail section to the finish line. By the end of the parking area, I knew I had it. I slowed up just a bit, smiled, and let myself re
ally enjoy the last few minute or so. I let out a holler (hoping Jasmine and Avery would hear me coming) and coasted through the finish at 4:14:30. 7th place! Avery and Jas were there to take pictures and deliver hugs.
I was a little unsure what to expect from myself. I’ve been getting in some good training, but I didn’t taper for this as much as I usually do for a 50k – maybe 10 days, rather than my normal three weeks. Also, I’d been coming off a cold, and earlier in the week I’d managed to tweak my back pretty good – right where I’d had problems last year with what turned out to be pneumonia, after the Mac Forest 50k. I was freaked out enough about it that on Thursday I went into the doctor where they listened to my lungs, took a chest x-ray, etc. Everything checked out fine, and my doctor’s advice was “take some ibuprofen and enjoy your run. I felt a lot better after that. By Friday I felt really good again, so I figured I’d give it my best shot, and whatever happens, happens.
Saturday morning was clear and cool. I popped some Advil at 7:45, and put some more in my pocket for later. At 8:00 am we were off. I tried my best no to over-do it up the first (and only) big hill, and even forced myself to walk a couple times. I still managed to push my heart rate well above where I wanted it. I was using my heart rate monitor for the first time during a race. I didn’t have a target heartrate in mind, but I did want to record the data and see where my “race pace” heart rate was.
After the 3 mile out and back, I settled into a pretty good rhythm for the first loop. For a while I followed a couple pretty strong runners – one of whom I recognized as Sean Meissner, who I’m pretty sure I have no business running with when he’s at his best. I followed these two for a few miles. On the uphills, Sean and the other guy would pull away a bit, while I’d catch up a bit on the downhills and flats. I was doing my best at this point to avoid trying to keep up or race against anybody, but instead just focus on keeping a steady effort. I managed to keep within sight of the two until the first aid station. I was feeling pretty good, but I didn’t try to keep pace as they pulled away after the aid station.
Even with the dry weather lately, I fully expected the far side of the loop to be a mud pit. I was pretty shocked, and pleasantly surprised, that what had been heavy, wet, and sticky clay the previous two years was now solidly packed, which made for some fast running. Sections of trail that had sucked out energy previous years were fast and fun this year. With the good conditions, and the fact that I was feeling strong, I realized that I had a shot at a PR (my previous best 50k was 4:28 at Mckenzie River, last September). I do, however, have a habit of going out hard and fading late, so I tried not to get too excited, or push it too early.
I finished the first lap (about mile 17) in about 2:15. I felt really good about going after a PR, and then some. By mile 20, though, I started feeling pretty tired for the first time, and the legs weren’t quite going like I hoped. I scaled back my pace just a bit (and my heart rate), forced down another gel, and tried to drink some more water and energy drink (I was carrying two handheld bottles). For just a few minutes my stomach seemed a bit off, but by the next aid station it came back around, I burped a few times, and my legs perked up a bit. Between the Damn aid station and the next (last) aid station, I really forced myself to keep my pace in check. I really wanted to save something for the last 6 or 7 miles. I was passed once by this section by a guy I’d met last year (Kurt) – though I didn’t recognize him until we chatted at the finish line. We’d run together for a while last year, until he pulled away on the last couple miles.
With maybe 9 miles to go I caught another runner, and decided to just stay on his heels and let him set the pace for a while, rather than pass right away. I hope he didn’t mind. He mentioned he was bummed he didn’t have his i-Pod. I offered to sing for him, but he politely declined.
With about 8 miles to go, William Swint caught us. I’d been expecting this, as this is now the third race in a row where William has caught me with 6-8 miles to go. (Coincidentally, the other time I’ve met William was when I was hiking out from Three Fingered Jack last summer. About five miles out from the trailhead, William came running by. If he weren’t such a nice guy, this habit would get on my nerves). For the moment, William stayed with us rather than moving by. Apparently he’d hammered pretty hard to catch and move past Mike Rosling (another Corvallis runner) who was just a few minutes back, and had gotten a bit bonked in the process. That’s what he said anyway, though he still looked pretty strong to me.After the 7 mile sign (halfway around the lake) I picked it up a notch, and William and I moved past the guy I’d been trailing. We ran more or less together for quite a while – all the way to the last aid station, with about 4 miles to go. Somewhere before the aid station William moved ahead of me, and slowly but steadily started to pull away. I think we passed another runner during this section, though I’m not sure.
After the last aid station, I was pretty sure I was in the top 10, but not sure exactly where. I’d been told much earlier in the race that I was 10th. It was difficult to keep track after that though, as the early starters and 25k racers were mixed up with the 50k racers. I knew at least two guys had passed me since then (William and Kurt), but and I wasn’t sure how many people I had passed. I really wanted to hold onto a top 10 finish, and was pretty determined not to get passed again during the last 4 miles to the finish.
Also at the last aid station, I realized I had a shot at a 4:15 finish, though it’d be close. I thought I’d left enough in the tank to give it a shot. I blasted through the aid station, grabbing a couple gels but not really stopping.
Somewhere in the next mile I noticed a guy not far behind. I pushed hard for a few minutes, and managed to lose him. The course came to a road section that stretched for a few hundred yards, where I could see quite a ways in either direction. I looked back again and couldn’t see the guy behind me, so I knew I had at least a few hundred yards on him. William had managed to put a few hundred yards on me, up ahead, so catching him was out of the question, despite my best efforts.
4:15 was going to be close. I kept looking for the 1 mile to go sign. I think I passed it at around 4:06, meaning I “only” needed to run a nine minute mile to get 4:15 (I’d averaged just a bit over 8:00/mi up to this point in the race). Given that Hagg is a relatively “easy” 50k, and given that I may never see course conditions this good again on this trail, I figured this might be as good a shot as I’ll ever get to run a 50k trail run in sub 4:15. So I pretty much decided to do it, right there with a mile to go.There were a couple tight turns, a couple short ups and downs, and a big parking area to cross before the final short trail section to the finish line. By the end of the parking area, I knew I had it. I slowed up just a bit, smiled, and let myself re
ally enjoy the last few minute or so. I let out a holler (hoping Jasmine and Avery would hear me coming) and coasted through the finish at 4:14:30. 7th place! Avery and Jas were there to take pictures and deliver hugs. 
I spent the next couple hours enjoying post-race bliss, watching the field come in, and catching up with the other runners. I took a few minutes to soak my legs in the lake (it was C-O-L-D!) which I think did me a lot of good. Instead of being really REALLY freakin’ sore today, I’m only really freakin’ sore.
Lots of other folks had good finishes. I think it was a good day to set a PR for lots of folks. Lots of Corvallis runners turned out as well. Tim came in at around 5:30, setting a PR of his own. Afterwards we joined the bulk of the Corvallis contingent at McMenamin's in McMinneville for some post-race food & beer. A good end to a great day.
Lots of Jas's pictures are on-line at: http://picasaweb.google.com/mtnahorniak/HaggLake2008 . Enjoy!
Lots of Jas's pictures are on-line at: http://picasaweb.google.com/mtnahorniak/HaggLake2008 . Enjoy!
Monday, February 18, 2008
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Head Size Trends
Avery was playing with a measuring tape a couple months ago, and decided at one point that she needed to measure my head. Since then we've been tracking our head sizes at irregular intervals, where Avery measures mine, I measure hers, and she measures her mothers. Results are shown in the atttached graph - with me in blue, Avery in pink, and Jasmine in green.
Apparently, if one assumes Avery's measurement technique to be consistent and reproducible,* my head size is extremely variable, but at least it doesn't appear to be consistently growing or shrinking over time. But perhaps I should be concerned about the variation. I think I need to bring the graph in next time I see a doctor.
Jasmine's head appears more steady than mine. But she probably could've told you that. Avery's head remains the smallest, though I suspect this won't last.
Today, Avery also launched a data collection program which measured the size of our bottoms. Jasmine, however, is adamant that results of this study are not to be published on this or any other blog.
* Actual gauge studies are yet to be completed.
In other news.... Lastnight I was watching the TV guide channel scroll through program listings. "Super Tuesday Election Night Coverage" scrolled up, immediately followed by something called "The Biggest Loser". That cracked me up.
Apparently, if one assumes Avery's measurement technique to be consistent and reproducible,* my head size is extremely variable, but at least it doesn't appear to be consistently growing or shrinking over time. But perhaps I should be concerned about the variation. I think I need to bring the graph in next time I see a doctor.
Jasmine's head appears more steady than mine. But she probably could've told you that. Avery's head remains the smallest, though I suspect this won't last.
Today, Avery also launched a data collection program which measured the size of our bottoms. Jasmine, however, is adamant that results of this study are not to be published on this or any other blog.
* Actual gauge studies are yet to be completed.
In other news.... Lastnight I was watching the TV guide channel scroll through program listings. "Super Tuesday Election Night Coverage" scrolled up, immediately followed by something called "The Biggest Loser". That cracked me up.
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