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| View from the Cascades |
I lived, learned, felt the joy of being on the trail, and got in some solid training for my 100 miler later this year.
That’s a lot to say for a race that I didn’t finish. Here is where I confess I wasn’t sure I would. I picked this race knowing that it would be a challenge and maybe more than I could do right now. More on that later. The race sounded fantastic. It promised spectacular views and lots of challenging single track. The race most certainly delivered!
It was the first year for this race and I was happy to be a part of the innagural run. I was looking forward to seeing what the day brought. The race started with a low key countdown and off we went. A few words could summarize the course: steep, beautiful, and remote. The course had lots of climbing and descents, which in previous years I’d been better prepared to handle, and wonderful views of the Cascades. The trails were loamy and a bit technical. Being on these trails was runner or hiker heaven. The race director mentioned as a few of us were getting a ride back to the start area that he created courses that he would want to run. I’m glad he created this one.
So, why did I pick a race that I wasn’t sure I’d finish? Well, there are a few reasons.
Reminding myself what it is like to be breathing hard. Pushing the body and the mind is a exhillerating and sometimes painful experience. I missed it. Also, I knew I needed to get my butt in gear to be ready for my 100 miler and this race would keep me honest about my bigger goal. Remembering that success isn’t guaranteed is important. I didn’t want to take finishing for granted. Simply showing up isn’t enough. If I want to get better, I need to do something harder.
A couple specific race things I learned:
1 - Pacific Northwest cold is different - a reminder to bring more jacket than i need and dial it in later. I don’t have enough experience to have a good gauge on how cold it gets here.
2 - I need to practice hiking efficiency up hills. I felt like my ability to climb up isn’t very good. Fortunately I have plenty of places around here to do that and not just on a treadmill.
I’ll be back to finish this 50 at some point in the future. In the meantime, I’ve got to get stronger and wiser to my new environment. While I may not have finished the race, I still accomplished something worthwhile. I started, learned, lived....and as always met some very fun and nice people out there at the race.
That’s a lot to say for a race that I didn’t finish. Here is where I confess I wasn’t sure I would. I picked this race knowing that it would be a challenge and maybe more than I could do right now. More on that later. The race sounded fantastic. It promised spectacular views and lots of challenging single track. The race most certainly delivered!
It was the first year for this race and I was happy to be a part of the innagural run. I was looking forward to seeing what the day brought. The race started with a low key countdown and off we went. A few words could summarize the course: steep, beautiful, and remote. The course had lots of climbing and descents, which in previous years I’d been better prepared to handle, and wonderful views of the Cascades. The trails were loamy and a bit technical. Being on these trails was runner or hiker heaven. The race director mentioned as a few of us were getting a ride back to the start area that he created courses that he would want to run. I’m glad he created this one.
So, why did I pick a race that I wasn’t sure I’d finish? Well, there are a few reasons.
Reminding myself what it is like to be breathing hard. Pushing the body and the mind is a exhillerating and sometimes painful experience. I missed it. Also, I knew I needed to get my butt in gear to be ready for my 100 miler and this race would keep me honest about my bigger goal. Remembering that success isn’t guaranteed is important. I didn’t want to take finishing for granted. Simply showing up isn’t enough. If I want to get better, I need to do something harder.
A couple specific race things I learned:
1 - Pacific Northwest cold is different - a reminder to bring more jacket than i need and dial it in later. I don’t have enough experience to have a good gauge on how cold it gets here.
2 - I need to practice hiking efficiency up hills. I felt like my ability to climb up isn’t very good. Fortunately I have plenty of places around here to do that and not just on a treadmill.
I’ll be back to finish this 50 at some point in the future. In the meantime, I’ve got to get stronger and wiser to my new environment. While I may not have finished the race, I still accomplished something worthwhile. I started, learned, lived....and as always met some very fun and nice people out there at the race.
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