This race was a bucket list race for me. A few years ago, I saw some photos and I already love running and racing in Oregon, so I decided this was the year and in typical Pam fashion, I made it a family vacation too. 🙂
My family has been going to Oregon for years. We love it but it has been over 3 years since we’ve been back. This year, we planned on making the most out of our Oregon time.
We started in Medford visiting with dear friends who moved there a few years ago. This was an emotional stop as one my friends was in hospice and even though we did not get a chance to physically say goodbye to her, we spent over 2 hours with her partner and our other friend chatting and reminiscing. I like to think that our friend felt we were there and wanted us to remember her in the vibrant full of life state she lived her entire life. I am so happy we made this stop on our trip.
After Medford, we hit up Ashland for a night. Vans rode and we had dinner. We woke early and headed towards Mt. Hood by way of Salem. We’ve never been in Salem and we stopped at a 100% vegan restaurant that was absolutely insane and so delicious with some of the nicest staff ever. When in Salem, please visit Venti’s Cafe.
After lunch we continued on our way making it to our hotel in Government Camp. The hotel was just 20 ish minutes from the race start which was perfect.
The race has multiple distances with the 50 miler on Saturday and the 50k and 25k on Sunday. So race morning I woke up early, got ready and had Vans drive me to the start.
Good morning! What a view!
The race was not super large but it is in an area that has very limited or no cell service so I definitely recommend fully reading the pre race emails . 😉
Vans dropped me off, gave me a kiss good luck and was off headed back to the hotel to squeeze in one last mountain bike ride through the epic trails that surround Mt. Hood.
The race directors had coffee for us and other odds and ends. The bathroom line was not too long and the pre race speech was fun. Lots of runners were doing their first ever ultra distance which was super cool. One of the race directors mentioned “you’re awesome cones!” She joked that the course was so well marked, particularly with these cones that she nicknames the “you’re awesome cones” so that as you run by them, at some point in the race, you will remember that and smile. She was right. 🙂
I will say right now, this was THE most well marked course I have ever run. I have no idea how they placed these cones and ribbons in all the spots that they did, but I never once doubted the course and I often (and I mean every race) have an “oh crap” moment where I need, what I affectionately call an, “oh shit” cone. 🙂
This race does not have extreme elevation which was a nice change compared to some of the more recent races I’ve run lately. The trails were extremely runnable. There were some sections with roots and rocks, but over all, it was smooth sailing.
I was smiling the entire time. However, a day or two before the race, I started coming down with a cough so my breathing was a little off during the race but not enough that I was coughing or hacking during the race at all. Oddly, by Saturday the cough sort of disappeared.
It should be mentioned that you do not actually run ON Mt. Hood or around Mt. Hood (the actual mountain). We did as a family, do some hikes the day before in that area but for this race, you run trails that give you an amazing glimpse of this beautiful mountain.
Official (free) race photo.
This little tidbit, is something to keep in mind because while you are trying to get a glimpse of this majestic mountain, you also better watch your footing. hahaha
Once you hit mile 15 or so, the race profile is very much downhill for a long section and I flew. After that however, the temps got a little bit warm (never hot like Sacramento hot) but warm enough that I needed to dunk a bandana and make sure that I was hydrating well.
I kept wishing that a lake would appear! Ironically, one DID appear during final 2 miles of the race. Timothy Lake with Mt. Hood just appeared and while I wanted to stop and dunk myself fully, I knew that was so close to the finish and I had some race goals I wanted to accomplish.
Timothy Lake and Mt. Hood
Originally when I signed up for this race, I wanted to place within my age group. I was just feeling like I wanted a decently hard goal for myself and then I could enjoy the rest of my vacation. hahaha The breathing and coughing the day before adding in all the travel days leading up the race, I knew at the start line that goal might be hard to achieve.
I was watching my watch the entire time and I knew that if I didn’t stop and kept moving, that I could finish in sub 6 hours. I’ve never run a sub 6 50k before so that quickly became my goal.
I tried my hardest to keep running and pushing myself. As I crossed the finish line I heard Vans cheering but didn’t see the girls. As it turns out, they didn’t think I’d finish anytime soon so they were in the restroom! hahahhahaha
Oh! You finished so early mom! LOL
They more than made up for it with a big sweaty hug.
Ewwww you’re so sweaty!
The post race festivities are fun. They have a BBQ and beer (and vegan options) for runners after the race. The race swag was pretty cool too!
Cool new glass!
We hung around for a bit after the race but I told the family about Timothy Lake knowing our car was packed (which included paddle boards) to drive to our next Oregon destination.
So we packed ourselves up and drove over to Timothy Lake so I could wade in and clean up my legs and have a mini “ice” bath post race too.
Chilling at the lake before we hit the road again.
This was one of the coolest and most beautiful races I have run. I would definitely do this race again. Besides the fact that it is in Oregon, a state my family loves, the surrounding Mt. Hood area is just full of things to explore. Vans would love to go back and mountain bike all over the place. The kids had a blast too.
Go Beyond Racing puts on a stellar event and I cannot recommend them enough!
Happy Trails!
~Trailmomma
(and I did end up finishing sub 6 hour and 5th place in my age group 🙂 )
I want to dedicate this race and this adventure to my friend Estelle Gray who passed away from cancer on July 26, 2024. Estelle aka the Princess was a force in my life. I met her in my 20s (she was in her 50s) and she convinced me to train for a half ironman. She trained with me, she taught me how to ride a bike safely on busy roads, change a flat tire and swim in open water. She was always finding adventure and excitement in life. She was a fighter for the underdogs. She adopted deaf and blind dogs and also became a Special Education teacher later in life and made such a difference to so many. She was also a world record champion. Thank you for all you taught me Estelle! I have no doubts you are still adventuring wherever you are.
I first ran the Canyons 100k in 2017. It was my second ever 100k. You can read that race report here. Back then it was a whole different race in a way. Smaller but still crowded, still tough but way less hoopla and a different starting location and course. It had become a Western States qualifying race in 2016 so the fire was lit for many to run an awesome local race when there were not many local qualifiers in the immediate area.
I ran Canyons 100k again in 2019 (you can read that race report here). That year I came back from the dead but the course was “easier” in the sense that we did not have to deal with Devil’s Thumb, but it was still crowded with sections of two way traffic.
Then in 2023 I decided to run Canyons again. I registered for the race in the spring of 2022 before they partnered with UTMB and then in December of that year I broke my fibula snowboarding. There was no way I was toeing the line but luckily, they let me defer my entry to April of 2024. Then all the UTMB drama happened. I was not about to just hand over my entry fee or waste my chance at qualifying for Western States (again). I planned on running however, this was now a whole new race compared to my previous years.
In preparation for the race, I was surprised by the “lower” 12,295 of gain posted when in prior years, it was around 16,000+. The qualifying time for Western States was also 20 hours which seemed generous to me since 2017 and 2019 the qualifying cut off was 18 hours (with more elevation gain). I think because of all of this, I did not give this race, the respect it fully deserved. Don’t get me wrong, I trained and I ran and I prepared. I just was not nervous come race morning which is not like me. I usually have jitters the entire race week.
One thing to note about this race is that they alternate the directions (or are supposed to) each year. This year it was starting at China Wall and finishing in Downtown Auburn. Next year, I believe it will start in Downtown Auburn and finish at China Wall. Last year (2023), due to the fires and trail conditions, it started and ended in Downtown Auburn.
Rise and Shine!
The China Wall start, sucks. Plain and simple, it sucks. I woke up at 1:00 am, drank some coffee and got dressed and ready. Shawn picked me up at 2:00 am and we drove to the Auburn Overlook where we had to catch a bus (required – no way around it) that was driving all runners to the China Wall start. Fueling and prepping for this time of day just totally threw me off. Instead of eating my usual oatmeal at home, I ate a bar on the bus.
When us 586 100k runners arrived at China Wall, we were greeted with about 4 porta potties that had an incredibly long line. There were people still in line when the race started.
The race started at 5:00 am, in the dark. It had dumped rain the day before so the fire road we were starting on was wet and muddy and it was just crowded. Very crowded with people trying to jump over puddles, slipping in the mud and trying to just get comfortable.
Shawn and I ready to run!
I immediately noticed that the headlamp that I had charged seemed dim and I was struggling to see the trail/road in front of me. I turned my hat backwards hoping that would help, and it didn’t. Even Shawn mentioned that my headlamp was looking like it was dying.
My watched buzzed when we reached mile 2 and I immediately stepped on something I could not see and rolled my left ankle so hard that I slammed to the ground. My hat and headlamp went flying off me and I had yelled in pain. Not wanting to be trampled, I jumped up as quick as I could. Shawn was near me and asked if I was okay. My ankle was throbbing and I was basically limp running. In my head I just kept telling myself to keep moving. This has happened in a training run and it eventually works itself out. I didn’t want to stop but the pain was pretty terrible. I could not keep up with Shawn and I let him go but tried to keep the back of his head in my sights.
My right knee felt like it was covered in mud, it just felt wet and cold. When we eventually turned and started to climb, I used my right hand to try and wipe the mud off but when I looked at my hand, it was covered in blood. I had apparently banged my right knee too when I fell and blood was just pouring down my shin. I grabbed a tissue and tried to clean my hand off. There really wasn’t anywhere on the trail that I could pull off and stop. It was conga line after conga line the entire first 10 miles. Also, my stomach had finally “woken up” and needed a place to stop but unfortunately, there is no where to duck off the trail easily so I just stuck it out knowing there would be a bathroom at the first aid-station.
DEADWOOD 1 (Mile 10.1)
The minute I arrived to the top of Deadwood two volunteers there declared, “Oh my god, your knee! Are you okay?” That was the first time Shawn even noticed my knee and he looked concerned. I told the volunteers that I was fine and that I just needed the porta potties … which consisted of two and also had an incredibly long line of runners waiting to use them. Frustrated that I was wasting too much time, I ducked off into the woods to take care of business.
When I came back to the aid-station, Shawn insisted that someone clean out my knee. So we stopped and I asked what I thought was a medic to clean out my knee.
Cleaning my shin
Bless his heart, he took forever to find what he needed and to put on his gloves and then declared that he was just going to clean off the dripping part on my shin because he was too afraid to rub the wound as it looked to have finally stopped bleeding (because it had mud in it – when I stopped in the woods a few minutes earlier, my knee hit the ground and was caked in mud).
Shawn waited with me
While I was grateful that I looked a little better, I was not feeling all that great. My left ankle was still pretty darn sore but my right quad was really starting to ache. I wondered if maybe I had hit it on a rock when I fell but more likely, my compensating for the left ankle pain put a lot (and I mean a lot) of stress on my right quad. We were at mile 10 and my right quad felt like it was fried.
We left the aid-station together and headed towards Devil’s Thumb.
Devils Thumb 1 (Mile 12)
Now I have done the Devil’s Thumb Canyons “thing” back in 2017. In 2019, they removed the Devil’s Thumb section because of trail conditions (fire I think). In 2017, I absolutely hated this part. I love Devil’s Thumb. It is a historic part of the Western States trail (with 36 switch backs) but for this race, like in 2017, you had to run down to Swinging Bridge (Mile 13.5) , get your bib marked by a volunteer and immediately turn around and hike back up. The problem with this is that there is two way traffic on a very very narrow trail.
In 2017 it was at least dry, so while frustrating to stop and let runners up, you at least did not have to worry about slipping and sliding. At one point while going down, I slipped so bad that I almost went over the edge of the cliff! The guy behind me was like, “Holy cow! That was close! Are you okay? You almost beat us all down there.”
The runners hiking back up were a mix of good mood cheering for you runners and some that were so angry that they shouldered you hard as you passed causing you to lose balance. Just not fun.
The climb out, I was toast. I had very little energy, my quad was killing me and I had been passed by quite a few runners.
Devils Thumb 2 (Mile 15.1)
When I reached the top of Devil’s Thumb I was greeted by Shawn who had waited for me at the top. I felt awful, like I was slowing him down so much.
Photo by Jack Meyer
At the top of Devil’s Thumb was a water only aid-station but I just needed a breather and as luck would have it, I was greeted by Jack Meyer! It was nice to see such a smiling happy and familiar face.
After a quick stop, Shawn and I started running again. I had never been on the trails they had us running that routed us back to Deadwood, it was very pretty but as luck would have it, my stomach was still off and I had to find yet another place to stop.
Deadwood 2 (Mile 18.3)
As we came into Deadwood 2, I headed to the aid-station to see if there was anything that would turn my energy around. It was too early to start drinking Coke but I was desperate. My stomach was off and I could not eat or drink the fuel I had on me without having to stop.
As we left Deadwood 2 and were about to bomb the nice downhill that I normally love, I overhead the volunteer tell one of the runners coming into the aid-station to be mindful of the cut off time.
Shawn and I ran most of the downhill trails that lead to El Dorado Creek. This is a section that I have loved in the past but my quad and my ankle (not to mention my stomach) were making it difficult to run smoothly. I ran but I am sure I looked pretty funny.
Michigan Bluff (Mile 24.0)
The climb up to Michigan Bluff was as brutal as Devil’s but luckily not as steep. It was also super duper warm out. I was slowing Shawn down.
Michigan Bluff was the first crew accessible location but I had told Vans that I didn’t need him there because it would just be easier for him to meet me at Foresthill which was the next aid-station.
I do kind of regret that now, had he been there, I could have fueled up on the stuff he had with him which would have helped a ton.
While Shawn was getting help from Courtney and Cody, I just sat down and wiped my face with an ice cold cloth that Courtney had given me (omg, amazing).
I needed a restroom yet again but they said they didn’t think the aid-station had any which I thought was odd because when I had checked that morning, I knew every aid-station had them (or most did).
Finally, someone who overheard me came over to tell me there were restrooms on the other side of the aid-station. I was kicking myself for wasting time and not going to see for myself because when I found them, there was of course, a line.
I heard my name and I got a nice wave and a “Hi Pam!” from Christine who was working the aid-station. I wanted to go back and say hello but the dang line at the porta potties was going to take a while.
More time wasted then I wanted and Shawn waited for me but informed me that we needed to motor so as not to get too close to the Foresthill cutoff. I didn’t think we were that close but watching the clock was the last thing on my mind.
The descent down into Volcano Canyon I knew would be brutal but I also know that we had an opportunity to get wet and cool off and that truly felt amazing in that heat. I wish I had tucked some ice in my sports bra back at Michigan Bluff but I had waves of being hot and being cold at various times so it wasn’t on my brain to do that.
The climb out Bath Road was its usual brutal self but on pavement I could at least power hike with purpose and not have my quad feel so weak.
In my head, I just wanted to get to the next aid-station and see Vans and also know that I was almost half way done with the race.
Foresthill (Mile 30.0)
Upon entering Foresthill, we immediately saw Vans with his phone. I didn’t think to text him to hook up with Courtney wherever she was situated. I thought they may have prearranged that. I was wrong.
Coming into Foresthill
I saw the Peanut. She was waving me over but we had to enter the aid-station and exit from two different points and where they were situated would have had me back tracking so I called over the fence/barricade for them to find Courtney down the road who had a nice shady spot.
My girl crewing me. 🙂
I was SO happy to see Vans and the Peanut and to have my fuel that I told them to bring. I wanted to eat something, anything, other than what I had on me at that point.
I immediately had a Pellegrino Limonata which was a last minute toss in my cart at the grocery store purchase but man oh man, did that stuff hit the spot. One can has 110 calories to it and about 31 grams of carbs and is carbonated. It was SO refreshing in the heat! I also took a Tums too in order to settle my stomach but when I went to chew it, my tooth just screamed in pain. Ugh, what else could possible go wrong?!
Contemplating the mileage ahead.
Shawn ducked down the road to use the bathroom so I had to go and find him and finish this thing. 30 hellish miles down.
Off to find Shawn!
This next section was pretty fun but also pretty hot. There was no Cal 1 aid-station this year as was in years past which is a bummer. Would have been nice.
It was 8.2 miles to the next aid-station but it was about here, that we noticed the mileage was really starting not to match up with what was on our watches.
Eventually you do dip into shaded trails and a nice smooth single track.
Cal 2 (Mile 38.2)
This aid-station had a lot going on. There were a LOT of people sitting and looking not so great. The mosquitos were vicious. I was literally attacked the minute I stepped under the aid-station tent. Three bites right on my face in seconds! It was crazy.
I quickly ducked out after grabbing some food. A volunteer kept wanting to stick ice down my shirt or in my hat but I kept saying no thank you. I was actually quite cold at that aid-station.
Shawn and I left Cal 2 and the carnage that was there. We knew that at the next aid-station we’d see Courtney and Vans again but it was almost 10 miles away.
Vans and Peanut enjoying the views between aid-stations
The trails from Cal 2 to Drivers I know pretty well from previous Canyons races and from running Ruck-a-Chuck 50k a few times. There is one or two steep climbs here. Again, I had to stop and duck off the trail. Shawn waited. Darn stomach.
We did run into a runner who told us that it was called “4 minute hill” because the elites at Western States can run it in 4 minutes … yet the lady behind him said she calls it “7 minute hill” because it takes her 7 minutes.
I think it took me 10 minutes.
The fire road leading toward Driver’s Flat is a mental one for me. I always think it is shorter than it is. It DID however, have a park restroom vs a porta potty which was a gift from heaven and thus, I stopped yet again. Pretty sure anything I fueled with was immediately removed.
Drivers Flat (Mile 47.5)
This aid-station was not where I pictured it in my head. Like previous Canyons, I thought it was down by the water but that’s called Rucky Chucky (or was in past races). Shawn told me that the actual aid-station was at the top of huge hill and was the Driver’s Flat staging area where Ruck-a-Chuck 50k used to start and finish. I remembered that climb, it was not fun, it never seemed to end.
When we finally reached the top, seeing everyone there was a site for sore eyes. I was thrilled to see Vans and the Peanut again but also sad as this was the last crew stop before the finish. I was however a little excited as I had never been on the trails that led us to the next aid-station before so I was excited for the unknown.
Limonata and a peanut butter sandwich!
Again, I drank another Limonata which gave me a rush of carbs, calories and sugar! I used the massage gun on my quad which hurt like hell and I ate my sandwich that I made as another last minute “why not” the day before. This was a lot of food, probably more food than I have had all day!
My girl lugging all my gear out of Driver’s Flat
The Foresthill Divide trails and the trails surrounding Driver’s Flat were absolutely gorgeous. The sun was slowly setting too so that really made everything look so pretty. I would really like to run out there again and explore more it was that pretty.
What wasn’t pretty was the runner puking on the side of the trail. Poor guy. We encouraged him along and eventually came back to life and caught up to us and we chatted for a bit. He was from Squamish.
It quickly got dark and luckily I had tossed my lame headlamp from the start at Foresthill and replaced with two mini lights that I use for emergencies. I totally did not plan lighting well for this race at all which is hilarious because having just run Rio 100 in November, that race is almost entirely in the dark and I had it dialed in.
I pulled out one of my mini lights hoping to save the other one as I knew this one would not last until the finish. Spoiler, it didn’t.
The next aid-station was Mammoth Bar which is an area I know well but had never actually been to the spot where the aid-station was located. The other sucky news was it was almost 8 miles away but we were ready to get this done.
Mammoth Bar (Mile 55.5)
This aid-station was happening. Lights and super energized volunteers. Kids yelling in the dark. It was definitely a welcome stop. So were the porta potties that they had (I believe this was like stop #6 for me now, I lost track). I believe it was here that we were encouraged to have some veggie broth. I tried to nibble on whatever I could find and sipped the broth but it wasn’t helping my stomach much.
We overheard a volunteer saying that this race was actually 64 miles, not a typical 100k at 62.1 (great to hear) and that we had a “700 foot climb out of the aid-station.”
I don’t know what that guy was smoking but to us, that climb was like 7,000 feet. We almost got lost leaving the aid-station trying to find the climb. One runner went off course and we tried to call him back as we saw the sign at the very last minute. For the most part, the race was incredibly well marked with signs for wrong way and and signs for critical turns. This was the only spot I would say they could have done better. The runners who went off course were not happy but at least they figured it out quick enough.
I run in this area a lot but I have not been on these particular trails. That 700 foot climb was hands on knees, bent over steep. Both of us felt like puking at various times it was that steep. Then we started seeing the puke of other runners who I guess felt the same way we did.
Finally we made it to the Short Cut Trail which I am familiar with which leads us to the Confluence Trail which again, I am familiar with but was semi dreading running in the dark. It has some rocks and stuff that can easily trip any runner let alone running it at night in the dark (after switching out yet again my head lights).
Confluence (59.1)
This aid-station was a joy to get to because we knew it was the last one before the finish. We had 4 miles to finish this thing. While we had missed our goal of wanting to finish in the day light (Shawn’s goal), we were totally fine time wise to get our Western States qualifier which was good because neither one of us was running much at this point.
Shawn was being plagued by something in his feet and ankles and was awful quiet. I apologize for slowing him down but he said he’s not sure where he’d be if he had kept running so fast based on how he was feeling now.
This was definitely an odd moment because 99% of the time, when one of us is down, the other is on a high and we can encourage and motivate each other enough to run walk run walk. For the first time in I think forever, we were both on a semi negative wave. Neither one of us was ever contemplating quitting but we both agreed this race will not be in our near future again. 🙂
Of course once we neared No Hands Bridge, the course had us routed around the bridge bordering highway 49 instead of just simply running over the bridge. That would have been a lot easier on the legs but I guess logistically there was less highway patrol needed the way we went. I will give kudos to the highway patrol out there. They had it dialed in for us runners to safely cross the highway twice.
To Downtown Auburn (Finish – Mile 64)
From No Hands to Robie Point is familiar terrain for almost every local runner. It can be easy or it can be a huge pain in the butt. After 60 something miles, it was a pain but I felt like since we ran Rattlesnake Dick 50k in March, the trails had been smoothed out and were flat. Even the quagmire spot had been smoothed out despite 100 mile racers, 100k racers, 50k and 25k racers all traipsing through it. It was pretty easy to get across mud wise.
When we reached the top of Robie Point, we only had pavement to go. In my head I was happy for the pavement, less rocks to trip over and stuff but dang, pavement hurts.
We power hiked and talked the entire time. Our spirits were lifting because we were finishing this thing.
The closer we got to downtown, the more we tried to run and then realized we were not as close as we thought. Then finally, we saw the cones and the turn and we ran.
Shawn wanted to sprint, I told him “I don’t think I have it in me to sprint,” but then I tried to sneak attack by him at the very end but he caught me. We finished!!!! 18 hours and 26 minutes. Longest Canyons ever for us.
While the race boasted “only” 12,295 feet of climbing it had 16,381 feet of descending which completely blew out my legs. It was the downhills and the inability to run them because of my ankle, my quad and my stomach, a trifecta of problems that plagued me the whole entire race.
We did it!
So happy we finished. I am happy that we both persevered through all the adversity thrown our way (or really just my adversity haha).
As I was telling my coach post race, this was my 29th ultra distance race and 28 of them have been pretty awesome. Of course I had issues in other races (stomach, falls, aches and pains) but in all those other races, I was able to turn it around and run. This was the first and only race I can honestly say, was a struggle from start to finish but in finishing, I have found new strength. I’ve been “lucky” through the years and this time, lady luck was no where to be found. I had to do it on my own. I am proud of that (though I much prefer not having to go through it again). 🙂
My love
To top things off, having Vans and the Peanut as my crew, was great. This was their very first time every doing something like this and it was a race that I was struggling in. That had to be hard to watch I am sure. They brought me back to life and knowing I would see them really kept me going a lot of the time.
I am so grateful to them for spending their entire day running around Foresthill seeing broken down beat up runners and saving me time and time again.
We got our Western States qualifier so mission accomplished there but I will be working on figuring out what made my stomach so unhappy the entire race.
I was on antibiotics weeks ago for a spider bite so maybe that messed up my gut flora so terribly that I did not recover? Maybe it was something that I ate in the days leading up to race? Or maybe my level of electrolytes going into the race? Perhaps it is part of perimenopause because honestly, no one knows enough about it to pin point some of things us women go through when we are dealing with it. I will figure it out.
Enjoying a bit of a break for now though. Thanks for reading this monstrosity of a race report. 🙂
“Do you want to do this 50k I found in late March?” That’s what my running partner Shawn texted me one day shortly after the FOURmidable 50k. “Sure! We can treat it as a training run. Practice fueling and run it nice and steady,” I replied. Famous last words!
I had not heard of the Rattlesnake Dick 50k before but I’ll be honest, the name and logo intrigued me. It sounded perfect actually. A smaller size race on local trails with perfectly placed aid-stations. What I wasn’t expecting, was the weather change.
Weeks before the race we had some stellar warm and sunny weather. I am warm weather girl and love me some heat. This race, didn’t have any of that.
I grabbed a ride with Shawn and Courtney to the start with the plan that the family would come and get me at the finish after some house projects were completed.
The other bonus of this race is the location. The Cool Fire Station is a great place to have a race. We arrived with some time to spare and then lined up with everyone else to start this thing. The 50k and the 25k both started together.
The rain was falling as we started which made me second guess myself in what to wear. At the last minute I threw on my windbreaker knowing full well that I would probably ditch that pretty quickly. I am one of those runners that runs hot all the time. Every other part of my life I am almost always cold but not when running. I knew better than to start with a jacket but it folds up small enough to stuff in my pack.
It was muddy from the starting line. Huge pockets of mud and puddles of water made the start slower than normal with many trying to hop over some of the mud puddles.
Rollercoaster was a bit of a conga line because it was so slippery. Shawn took off and while I wasn’t quite ready to jump into that pace, I appreciated the effort to get around some runners and have a little bit more real estate to run to avoid slipping and falling into anyone. We had started the race at the back of the pack so we had a lot of passing to do.
Once we reached the No Hands Bridge (mile 3.1) aid-station I needed to remove my jacket and pack it away. The rain was still falling slightly but I was hot.
Making our way towards ADO we chatted and ran. We came across some fencing for the new goats that are there to help with fire safety.
It was hilarious because as us runners approached, all 100+ goats stopped and looked up at us like we were the crazy ones to be out there in the rain.
Selfie with the goats
The race takes you around the lower trails of the Auburn Dam Overlook parking lot to the next aid-station at Portland Ave (mile 7.7). This was another full aid-station with happy volunteers and a timing mat. We stopped briefly to refill.
The course takes you down the paved road a little bit before you veer left onto some trails that will take you down to Cardiac Bypass and the river.
Sun came out for a while and it got humid!
Before you get to the river you have a quick water only aid-station at Oregon Bar (mile 10.2). We were still stocked from the previous aid-station so we bypassed that and made our way to the single track that parallels the river.
These are some of my favorite trails to run on. Rolling beautiful trails that didn’t have nearly as much mud as some of the other sections. The oak was pretty prevalent but that’s a given on these trails.
Shawn and I moved into a steady pace reminiscing about this same section during our Rio 100 race last November.
As we were running, we started seeing some of the lead 50k men making their way back from the half way point/turn around. After some time, Shawn said, “I haven’t seen a female yet. You might be winning!” That’s always a joke between us when we’re running a race and don’t see anyone else. I laughed but he was serious.
As we neared the aid-station, we did see the female lead runner (looking so strong) making her way back to the finish. Not long after that was the second place female and as I entered the aid-station/turn around (Rattlesnake Bar, Mile 16.2), the third female was just leaving.
Shawn looked at me and he immediately turned into David Goggins before my eyes. Unfortunately, I waited until this aid-station to use the restroom. There are not many spots on that single track section ( at least for females) to handle a quick pit stop so I waited and then had to run to the far side of the aid-station where the bathrooms were AND try and replenish my bottles.
I also got to see some friends out there cheering and volunteering. Shawn kept yelling at me to hurry up. He was ready to chase down some female runners with me.
We left the aid-station and motored our way back the way we came. We came upon the third place female pretty quickly. She seemed like she was in good spirits and enjoying herself out there.
When we finally got off the river trail and were making our way back up towards Cardiac Bypass, we came upon the second place female. Shawn gave me a look. We were on a steep uphill and I wasn’t sure I had anything in me right then. I can’t speak for the other runner, but to me, she also looked like the hill was taking more out of her than she wanted. I felt her pain.
We passed each other, cheered each other on and I kept just following Shawn up the hill. He was really motoring and I just kept focusing on one foot in front of the other and running on any flat sections we came across.
We reached the Portland Ave aid-station (mile 24.7) and I knew with the timing mat, that Vans would be tracking me. I glanced at my phone, and he apparently had tracked me when I reached Rattlesnake and had texted me that I wasn’t far behind 3rd and to RUN!
The one thing about this race is that it is an out and back on the same trails. Which is great because you don’t have to worry about getting lost and a bonus because you get to see other runners and friends. However, it also means when the weather is bad, the trails are doubly muddy from having traffic going in both directions.
MUD!
At some point, “just a training run” went out the window and I really wanted to try and make the podium. First place I knew was so far ahead and running incredibly strong so I told myself to just keep moving, no matter what and see what happens.
When we returned to No Hands aid-station (mile 29.3) we barely stopped. We knew that the final miles were up hill and were very wet, muddy and slippery. We grabbed some fuel and started climbing.
My legs were tired but they still had enough in them to run some of the hilly sections and then power hike the rest to recover. The mud was bad but not that terrible. It was easier to navigate since it was just the two of us on the trails.
I think in all my years running, I have only ever once before run UP Rollercoaster. I am almost always run down it (because it is so fun). Running up is actually a pretty steady climb and a solid workout.
When we finally reached Cool and were making our way towards the finish, Shawn’s energy was electric. I think he was happy to be done but also happy that he helped me score a spot on the podium.
We crossed the finish line all smiles and all those at the finish line were cheering a ton for us as we crossed. Such a great vibe at this race and such awesome volunteers.
My own David Goggins.
The whole family was there at the finish. I guess they had been exploring the trails and all the mud too.
My girls were totally grossed out by my legs and the mud which is nothing compared to what they looked like before I went through some stream crossings to clean them. haha
Overall a super fun race. The mud and weather made it that much more fun I think. We saw some friendly faces out there and it was fun to cheer each other on as we passed each other on the trails. This race had great volunteers and a very runnable course.
Bonus is that finishing at the Cool Fire Station means you can hose yourself off post run. Win win!
The training run plan didn’t go exactly as I thought it would but it was really great to see that I had some speed in the middle of the race. I wanted to finish feeling strong and I did.
Grateful to this guy for cheering me on and driving me home.
Definitely a race for anyone thinking about doing an ultra distance and not quite sure where to start or for those training for something as it definitely allows for opening up in some sections and pushing yourself.
Many thanks to volunteers and to the race director too! Thanks for a great race!
I have run this race in 2016, 2017, 2020 and 2022. I was registered for 2023 but broke my fibula snowboarding a month or so before the race and was left cheering at No Hands Bridge instead. I was determined to be at the start line this year, healthy.
Single Track Running
Running this 50k is always an adventure. It is early enough in the year that I never quite feel prepared or fit enough but at the same time, I think that is exactly why I love to do this race; to figure out where I am and where I need to go.
This year was the first time I drove myself to the start, alone. Mentally I was going into this with the attitude that it would be a nice long training run with a couple hundred of my closest friends. What also makes this race exciting, is the weather. Mid-February you never quite know what you will get weather wise. 2022 was the first really warm day of the month and many suffered. 2017 was the “mud year” with mud and water just about everywhere – No Hands Bridge was completely under water, it was insane.
This year the temperature was about 45 degrees at the start. I second guessed myself and went with a t-shirt instead of a tank top and I regretted it all day. The forecast was calling for rain but if we ran “fast enough,” we might be lucky to miss most of it, the wind is another story.
I got to ADO at about 7 am. I parked and picked up my race bib and chatted with friends and used the facilities (a few times). Soon it was time to line up. Much like last year, I went with just a pack and my flasks (no hydration bladder) with the plan to stay consistently fueled throughout the race. That was my primary goal. Stick with the fuel plan no matter what and see how I feel the second half of the race. Speed was not the focus.
The start was like normal, Paulo got us off and running right on the dot. The first few miles this year of the course were new to me. I guess last year the race changed and no longer reached the top of Cardiac. Instead, we dumped back onto the road and ran the pavement back towards the Overlook. I’ve run the road before, just not in this race.
When we got near the Overlook, I could hear Paulo starting the next and I think the last of the four races of the day. I knew that the trails leading to No Hands would be muddy and crowded with all the distances combining on these narrow sections.
Luckily, everyone that runs this race is aware and were so kind. The runners of the other distances all ran single file and to one side making it easy/easier for us 50k runners to pass on their left. I tried to cheer everyone on that I passed and I even got to see TiggerT as I ran and Java Joggers David and Tiffany! Which was such a fun and exciting boost to my day to see their smiling faces. 🙂
I really felt like I was flying down to the No Hands Bridge aid-station (mile 9.6) but when I look back at my stats, flying is definitely a stretch! 🙂
The climb up K2 was uneventful. I do feel lit was a bit more crowded than years past but again, everyone just moved to the side and let runners pass, cheering them on as they went.
I felt pretty strong going up K2 and my shoes were still dry and not super slippery yet so that helped keep me moving.
One thing I did notice this year is that I think there were more runners with poles than without. Maybe it was the fear of mud and wet that made everyone decide to use poles? It was just something I noticed a lot more of than previous years. I would probably trip myself and everyone around me if I carried them.
I reached Knickerbocker Aid-Station 1 (mile 13.4) and was greeted by the awesome volunteers. I didn’t fill my bottles at No Hands so I took a minute to fill them up here before I headed out.
I have run this race so many times I almost feel like I can do it blind folded. I settled in to what would be a nice steady downhill run to bottom of the dam before making the trek up the switchbacks to head back to Knickerbocker.
Salt Creek was low so I didn’t fall in or get wet as in previous years. 🙂 I was also oddly solo on the climb up the dam I didn’t mind as it was perfect running weather.
Once I got back to Knickerbocker 2 (mile 18) I was ready to get my feet wet. We had been so lucky for most of the race as the course was near perfect with minimal mud and water but crossing Knickerbocker Creek was next and I knew that dry feet would be a luxury from this point forward.
The creek was high but not terrible. The water was about shin level. A few runners were pausing to try and figure out how to hop on the rocks to get across. I have been there and done that and it ended poorly with me soaking wet all over, not just my feet so this time, I just went straight through the creek and embraced the freezing cold water.
This portion of the course is where I will always remember most of the mud and water from 2017. I was feeling pretty good and I felt like I was moving strong. I was alone but I did see runners ahead of me so I just let them pull me forward.
At one point, I looked up and saw the snow capped mountains of Tahoe. It took my breath away so I stopped to take a photo.
I have struggled on this section in prior years and I think mainly it is when the race has been hot because this section is quite exposed and generally if it is hot, it is one of the first hot days of the season so you are just not quite prepared for it. This year it was cool and overcast and I felt really good.
Mile 23.4 brings you to the Cool Aid-Station and mentally what I think of as “heading home.” I stopped to use the facilities here and filled my flasks and then just kept moving.
The run down rollercoaster back to No Hands was wet and slippery but again, I felt like I was continuously moving. I was no where near as fast as I have been years past. Having rolled my ankle a few times the last few months I think has made me quite gun-shy on the downhills these days.
Headed to the finish!
Once back at No Hands I took my phone out and texted the family like I do every year. “Four miles to go!” I say and then they text back making me smile.
I will say the last 3 miles I started to feel a little bit tired and depleted. I was ready to be done. The rain had held off but was slowly starting to spit little drops here and there. The worst part was the wind had arrived and when I say “wind,” I mean the kind where you have to hold your hat from blowing away.
I just kept moving, keeping the two runners who I had been piggy backing with some of the race in front of me. They were a power duo and super cute. I just tried to keep them in my sights the last few miles to keep me moving.
I finally reached the infamous fourth and final “FOURmidable” climb and as luck would have it, legendary Tim Tweitmeyer was standing half way up the hill with another guy. “Looks like you made it before the rain came! Good job!” said the one guy. “Man that course can be muddy when it rains.” said Tim. “It had its share of mud.” I said. The guy said, “Well you’re not muddy so you didn’t fall, that’s good!” I smiled and then Tim said, “Well she has a little bit to go yet give it time.” 🙂 That made me laugh out lout. But I did not fall but the wind was relentless as I was climbing ( and trying to run ) to the finish.
The wind was so bad that I crossed the finish and no one was there! The tent had blown away right before I got there and race photographer was helping catch it. hahaha He had me cross the finish line so he could get some photos of me. 🙂
The storm was definitely on its way. There were very few people hanging around at the finish and for the first time ever, I had no one waiting for me so I cleaned up, grabbed my post race swag and headed home.
Poster and a water bottle. Time to head home.
Overall, this was my slowest FOURmidable time wise but it was a new (to me) course and time wasn’t my main focus. I do feel like I consistently fueled throughout the race. In hindsight, I wish I had carried one more gel near the end for the last few miles just to see if it would have given me a bigger boost. My legs were toast by the end. My hamstrings were tired and my calves were tired I think from trying to stabilize in all the mud.
Super stoked to have a solid 50k under my belt as the first race of 2024. I am beyond grateful to have been able to run it at all this year after sitting on the sidelines last year. I would most definitely rather run slow, than not at all.
The best part was I got to see some friends out there too. It was so good to see you Kim, Jon, Jessica, Roxie, Cathy, David, Tiffany and Paula! 🙂
Not sure if I will be back next year or if I will try something else. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. 😉
This year, the California International Marathon (CIM), fell just 4 weeks after I crossed the Rio 100 finish line. I wasn’t sure if I was even going to be able to run it, until marathon week arrived.
After a few short runs, I decided to go for it. So on race morning, I woke up at 3:30 am to get ready for the day and miles ahead.
Legs up the wall pre race
Much like last year, I had my oatmeal and coffee and waited for Vans to wake up so we could hit the road at 5:30 am to get to the starting line.
My usual routine once I get to the starting area is like the 10,000 other runners, line up for the porta potties. This year though was a little different.
The distance between the next person in line and the actual porta potty is a few week. As I exited the porta potty and held the door open for the next person in line, a rogue runner tried to cut the line and jump into my porta potty!! I had to hold him back a little and told him, “Hell no buddy, you have to wait in line like everyone else. ” He turned and went to the back of the line and the whole line cheered me on. 🙂 One girl said “Thank you,” to me.
Heading to the starting corral
The race start is divided into a few different corrals. This year, I started on right when I really meant to start on the left but it was fine, I had made a deal with myself pre race.
Before the race, I told myself that I needed to run slow and easy because I really want to get back out on the trails and pavement, really just hits my body hard and requires a much longer recovery period.
Let’s get this going!
For the first time in my 14 CIM starts, the race was delayed by 10 minutes. They never told us why, but I did find that to be very odd.
Once the race started, I tried not to get caught up in the early mile sprinting that always occurs.
My first few miles were sub 9 even though I didn’t feel like they were. I kept telling myself to slow down.
Around mile 10 or so, my stomach started to turn and not feel the best. I must have stopped at two different times on course. I hate stopping during the race but I told myself that I might as well, I had no one waiting at the finish line and it would give me a nice break.
Mile 12 or so, my ankle started to ache. The same ankle that I had issues with at Rio. It wasn’t unbearable but it did slow me down a little.
Eventually by mile 16, I started to feel good. My plan became, walk at the aid-stations (even though I don’t use the race aid-stations) and then run to the next one.
I met a nice man who was running his 20th CIM. He liked my pace so we chatted for a bit and then we lost each other at one of the aid-stations.
My mind did wander this year. I was bored at times. Not that the race is boring or the spectators, they are what truly make the race fun (I’ve run the race in the early years where some of those middle miles were quiet and boring because there were no spectators).
I just missed running with someone. This is the third year in a row that I have run it solo. I was going to bring headphones which is so unlike me, I never run with headphones but I really wish I had for a few of those miles.
Soon enough, I was at mile 20. I was getting texts from Vans who was at Squeaker’s soccer game. He was following me virtually online. That was a nice boost.
I texted my aunt who lives in East Sac to see if she was out there and I totally thought she was and waived very enthusiastically at someone I thought was her, only to find out post race, that she never made it out there.
The final miles for once ticked by much quicker than in years past. I kept my head down and just kept willing my legs to run.
I crossed the finish line which was entirely different this year. There are normally male and female shoots but they just had everyone finish under one arch this year which made the name announcing kind of funny.
The finish set up was different too. This was the 40th anniversary of CIM. The race shirt and the race poster I thought were super lame this year but all made sense when I crossed the finish line. We were handed really nice wind breakers and back packs!
Super sweet post race swag.
I wandered around the finish area looking for the Information tent because someone mid race told me there are now buses that can take you back to Folsom. Last year I took an Uber that cost me a small fortune.
Since I wasn’t racing off to a soccer game like I was last year, I decided to take the bus. It took me a while to find it and we had to sit on there for a while until the bus was full but it was great!
I had a great conversation on the bus with a woman from San Jose. I decided to take the first bus drop off location because Vans had called and said he wasn’t far from that spot so I only had to wait about 5 minutes.
Overall, I am thrilled with my CIM for 2023. I wanted to run 10 minute miles and I hit that number right on the nose.
This wasn’t my fast CIM by a long stretch but it wasn’t my slowest. I will say I am quite proud having been able to run it 4 weeks post 100 mile. I even wore my Rio shirt for the race which was awesome because some of the spectators knew what Rio was and would yell out “Awesome Rio! Well done!” 🙂 That felt good.
It wouldn’t be December with out CIM. Not sure how many I have left in me. I really love and appreciate trails so much more but running a marathon gives you a different kind of mental toughness. I will never be a speedy marathoner, but that’s okay. Sometimes it is more fun to enjoy the ride. 🙂
Post Race Smiles AND sunshine!
Congrats to everyone that ran the 40th annual CIM! It was my 14th CIM and my 20th marathon total.
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