50K Archives ~ TRAILMOMMA

July 29, 2024July 29, 2024

MT HOOD 50k (Race Report)

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.

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.

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.

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

They more than made up for it with a big sweaty hug.

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!

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 🙂 )

Nutrition – NeverSecond gels and C30 drink mix.

Shoes – Topo Athletic Mountain Racer 3s

Socks – Injinji

Watch – Garmin

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.

April 3, 2024April 3, 2024

RATTLESNAKE DICK 50k (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.

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.

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.

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!

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

August 22, 2023August 22, 2023

Marlette Lake 50k

I signed up for this race in February with a cast on my leg and crutches at my side because I wanted a goal, I needed a goal that would challenge me and this race did not disappoint.

In hindsight, I probably should have navigated my race week a little better but in all honesty, I would not change a thing.

A few days prior to race day I went with our basketball team (12 year olds) to a water obstacle course for some team building and bonding.

While incredibly fun, it did leave my upper body sore and my lower body a weee bit fatigued although I am beyond proud that I was able to do the entire course and was more than likely the oldest person out there. 🙂

The day before the race, we had four basketball games back to back to back to back (2 teams 2 games each). When the basketball games were over, we drove home, I ate and then literally hopped in the car and drove two hours to Tahoe.

I was pretty tired when I got to my hotel room and unpacked. I ate some more and tried to (re)hydrate myself as best as I could but my body just felt super heavy.

Despite feeling utterly exhausted, I did not sleep well at all. When I woke the next morning I believe my Garmin actually said I had had terrible sleep and was well below a racing fitness level.

Morning came too quickly and I headed to Spooner Lake where the race starts and ends.

I love Big Blue Adventure races because everything is so organized. I arrived, got my bib and shirt and then had plenty of time to use the restrooms before the race started.

The race starts right next to the lake. There is a 50k and a 10 miler and the 50k started about 10 minutes before the 10 mile race did.

No frills, no bells and whistles when it comes to starting this race. It was “ready, set, go!” and we were off. The trail is wide enough at the start that you can adjust your position. I found myself some what near the back of the pack and that was totally okay.

The race start is at an elevation of ~6956 (maxes at ~8974) and I had spent the weekend prior at a soccer tournament that was pretty much at sea level. Again, not the wisest of choices but still would not miss my kid’s games for anything.

I also knew that no matter what, the first seven miles of this race was going to be tough as it was an uphill climb. I wasn’t wrong.

The elevation hit my lungs immediately and my legs felt absolutely trashed within the first two miles. This sent my mind in a little bit of a spiral at first but I just adjusted my breathing and focused instead on power hiking.

I let people pass and tried not to worry about it remembering that my goal was just to finish and enjoy the day and to just love racing again!

The course is absolutely breath taking both literally and figuratively. 🙂 I have paced a friend to her TRT 100 finish a few years ago and this seemed like the same route I ran with her but in reverse.

It was hot. To put it into perspective, I was in a tank top as it was 60 degrees at 6 am … in Tahoe! That’s hot! The race started at 7:30 and I swear it was even warmer by then. I was drenched as soon as I started running. The early miles are pretty much the the only tree coverage you get, after that, you pay the price on an exposed course but with the most spectacular views.

I tried desperately not to face plant while running as I was also trying to take in all the views and take photos.

At one point, we hit a spot that showcased both Marlette Lake and Lake Tahoe. It was incredible.

I was literally smiling the entire time even when I was struggling. It was impossible not to smile when you’re on top of the world.

The first aid-station came at around mile 7 or so and it was a sight for sore eyes. I didn’t really need anything but it was my mental hurdle. After that, the course was more rolling. The second aid-station, I asked for iced and filled my neck bandana which really made a difference.

At one vista, I stopped to take a photo and another runner offered to take my photo and vice versa.

Leaving the first aid-station – Carson City views ahead

It took quite some time for me to find (part of) my legs but I was able to move more consistently whether running or hiking after the first two aid-stations.

When we got somewhere near miles 19 and 20, I knew exactly where I was. The Tunnel Creek Aid-Station from TRT is a spot I have spent many hours cheering, crewing and spectating. The aid-station for this race was pretty near this but after mile 20, the rest of the course was entirely new terrain for me and hands down my most favorite part of the course.

The trail sign said Marlette Lake Trail but I know it more as the Flume Trail from my husband who bikes on this section. Bikes were definitely a presence in the mid miles but every single biker that I ran into was polite, encouraging and most stopped to let me by first.

I did stop to use the restroom shortly after the aid-station near Tunnel Creek and because of that, I had separated myself from the few runners I had been near most of the race. This left me 100% alone on the most glorious section of trail I have ever seen.

Smooth single track trail with a cliff and the lake to your right. It was breathtaking.

It was also super populated with hikers and bikers at times but I wasn’t bummed that I had to slow down and play the passing game. Most everyone stopped to let me run by which was really nice. The trail narrows in sections so someone did have to stop.

The other awesome piece of this race is that they have race photographers stationed at all the epic view spots.

I was in my happy place and motoring at this point. I actually picked up some speed here and felt like a normal runner. Only took 23 miles for it to happen! haha

A nice mountain biker gave me a heads up as to where the next aid-station was which I appreciated. I knew how high up we were which meant at some point, we’d have to come back down.

Sure enough, the trail started having some down hill. I made it to that aid-station but did not stay long.

Soon I found myself on a fire road that was sitting right next to Marlette Lake.

I saw one runner swimming in the lake so I took the time to climb down and really soak my bandana and buff. I thought about getting in but I was worried about my feet getting wet and having blisters. The lake was so pretty and refreshing that next time, I will definitely get in.

After that, there was another aid-station. I could practically smell the finish line by this point so once again, I didn’t stop for very long.

The trail leaves the gravel road and makes a sharp right turn up and onto some single track. The uphills were still rough on my tired legs so I power hiked.

As I was hiking, I saw a guy sitting on a rock at the top of the climb. He kind of looked like a runner who had to stopped to take a breather.

As I got closer, he pulled out a big camera. “Oh you ARE a race photographer!?” I said. He smiled, [click click click] “I AM a race photographer,” he said. I laughed and replied, “Well I would have run the climb if I had known!” He pulled the camera away from his face and said with a huge smile, “You are more than welcome to do it again if you’d like?” hahahaha! I laughed so hard, “No no, that’s okay!” I heard him laughing as I hiked the rest of the way. That had me giggling for a quite a few miles after that.

Used with permission from LeFrak Photography

The above photo is the result of that exchange. He reminded me as I continued on that the “best photos are on top of the climbs” and he wasn’t wrong. Had he not pointed it out, I would not have turned around and saw that. Wow.

As soon as the single track dumped me back onto a fire road, I knew that I was only a mile or so from the finish. I could hear the announcer and I knew that it was uphill all the way to end. I vowed to myself that I would run the entire way.

And I did! It was most definitely not my best 50k but probably one that I am pretty darn proud of. As my friend reminded me, I have only been back running consistently since May and to run 31 miles at elevation with close to 5,000 feet of climbing accomplishment.

I wanted a challenge and that is exactly what I got and even though my legs and lungs were burning at times, I enjoyed every minute. I needed this to remind myself the biggest rule when it comes to running ultra marathons, “Get comfortable being uncomfortable.” Problem solve along the way and just keep moving forward. That is exactly what I did.

I had one of these post race. Not something I think I would like normally, but after running 31 miles on a really dry hot day, this actually hit the spot and it has quite a bit of potassium in it. I was grateful that I did not have any cramping issues during the race. Near the end, I passed quite a few runners whose muscles were seizing because it was so dry and so hot out.

I cleaned up, ate a little and then hopped in the car and drove 2 hours back home to the family. I am already figuring out how I can do this race again next near. I would love a better finish time, I know I am capable of that but I also just loved everything about this race. August in Tahoe is notoriously hot so there is no getting around that really and I don’t mind the heat so long as I am prepared. I just need to work on that 7 mile climb at the start and maybe not do a crazy obstacle course a few days before the race. 😉

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

Race Details

Shoes: Topo Athletic Ultraventure 3’s

Watch: Garmin

Socks: Injinji

Fuel: Spring Energy gels and Tailwind Nutrition

Full Disclaimer: I am not associated with Big Blue Adventure at all and was not paid or compensated for writing this report. I would also like to thank LeFrak Photography for permission and use of their photo.

October 9, 2017April 7, 2019

OREGON COAST 50k RACE REPORT

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Spontaneity was our theme, our goal, our mantra this past weekend. We only had two items on our road-trip agenda:

1) Stop, stay and explore Eugene, Oregon; and then

2) Head to the coast and run the Oregon Coast 50k.

We’ve had this trip in the books for a while. When Stonegate presented me with the idea of running the Oregon Coast 50k, I was all-in because I love a good race destination road-trip ESPECIALLY when that destination is in Oregon.

Photo from: www.rainshadowrunning.com

When I signed up for the race, I decided that I truly wanted to run it. Maybe the correct phrase is “race it” but in a middle of the pack kind of way. 🙂

I started training in July. I told Stonegate and Burning Girl (who was supposed to join us but had last minute family obligations), that my intention was to push it hard(er) on this race than I have for our other road trip races. I don’t normally run “hard” in the fall, instead I use this time as more of a recovery period from a gnarly spring race schedule. Yet, something compelled me to want to run harder.

The Oregon Coast 50k boasted an elevation gain of about 4500 feet. I tried not to let that get in my head. That is probably the lowest elevation I have raced on trails in a long time, but I know better than to underestimate any race, especially a coastal race.

I had an A Goal (place top 3 in my age group), a B Goal (place top 5 in my age group) and a C Goal (finish standing and smiling). The day before, Stonegate and I played “tourists” a bit over zealously and man, did we both feel a tad bit tired! Oops.

The race had a 9:00 am start time which is something completely foreign to me! Most ultras start in the dark and super early. Stonegate and I really didn’t even need to set an alarm for this one. What did require some juggling, was our pre-race fueling but we managed okay by making huge smoothies and taking selfies on our hotel patio.

They have you head to the finish line and then they bus you to the starting line up the road. The race starts on the beach! The bus ride was quick and painless. Some runners had to stand but no one seemed to mind because the weather was gorgeous. I guess in years past it has been rainy and pretty gloomy … it was sunny and quite warm for us.

Starting line - Jason (in red) is the Race Director — Starting line – Jason (in red) is the Race Director

Stonegate and I were pretty excited. The energy around was happy and everyone was so nice and talkative. Jason, the Race Director let us all get situated on the beach before we took off running.

Stonegate and I minutes before the start.

Boy did everyone RUN! The whole race started off crazy fast! I was hoping it was just the excitement and that everyone would eventually settle down. I mean, 6 miles all along the sand … that can be brutal on your body if you’re not careful. Stonegate stuck with me. My first mile rang out on my watch. …

Stonegate: I feel like we’re going really fast.

Me: Well we’re doing about an 8:30 pace according to my watch.

Stonegate: Okay then, you go ahead, I am going to slow down dude. I don’t want to start out too fast.

Me: Okay! I am sure you’ll catch up to me soon!

I felt okay and not like I was pushing to keep the pace so I tried to just settle in and run. A few groups passed me so I assumed that I had slowed a little bit.

Now don’t get me wrong, the ocean was GORGEOUS. You had the beautiful Pacific to your right and an adorable coastal town to your left but six miles, on sand … is a really REALLY long time. It was for me at least. I found my mind wandering, “What will I eat later today?” and “What do I have to do on Wednesday again?” I tried to zone in my thoughts and focus on my form like my coach instructed me to but every so often I would drift.

At the end of six sandy miles you literally hit a rock wall. You then have to climb up some steps (that felt like boulders at the time), and then you run along the most beautiful path!

We walked the path the next day ... super cute! — We walked the path the next day … super cute!

I sort of felt like a weight had lifted off me when I left the sand. I am not a sand loving runner. 🙂

You then run through the coastal town of Yachats (pronounced Ya-Hots). The first aid-station is here, Mile 7 except that I never actually SAW the aid-station. When I crested the grassy area, I saw a ton of elite-looking guys changing their shoes but I never saw a table and I didn’t really want to waste time looking for one. I decided to fuel with what I had on me. In hind-sight, I probably should have fueled a tad earlier in the race given the later start time.

The course was extremely well marked. We were assured at the start that if there was a major turn that there would be clear markings and signage and there WAS! I only had a few moments when I was alone on the trail, that I had those “Oh crap! I haven’t seen a ribbon lately!” thoughts but to be fair, there were no turns or any other trails around…you just had to follow what was natural and in front of you.

There were more stairs much to my dismay but not a ton. Not like at Stinson Beach or in the Bay Area. I just kept moving. Then we hit our first climb and it felt like a ton of bricks had landed on my chest! “What the heck?!“

I decided to fuel thinking that maybe I was in need of calories. However I could barely chew because my chest felt so tight. I pulled out my inhaler and actually took a puff. I can’t remember when I have had an allergy attack like that. I say allergy because I never had it again and Stonegate had the same thing around the same spot on the trail! Something was blooming that my allergies didn’t like.

Around this time, about 20 people passed me on the uphill deflating my inner fire a bit. How on Earth did they have the strength and power to climb like that?!

I decided to power hike as best I could. I knew I was on the first of the three climbs and that the second one was way bigger.

When I got to the top and started on my way down, I was eagerly looking forward to bombing a downhill! The trail however was super technical with lots of tree roots and rocks. Still, I did my best trying to open it up on the down.

I was flying down a hill, somewhere at about the 12 mile marker when I felt a sharp stabbing pain in my left quad! “What the heck!” I yelled. I had thought that I was hit with a be-be gun! I didn’t stop running but the pain was intense! I looked down and there was a stinger sticking out of my quad! “A bee?!”

I was seriously just dumbfounded. I kept running afraid to stop and have it blow up and swell. I haven’t been stung by anything since I was like 8 years old so … I had no idea if I was allergic or not.

It burned, it itched, it stung. I didn’t stop. Finally, I came to Mile 14 and the Cape Perpetua aid-station. I grabbed a hand full of grapes and I asked the guy there if they had bees around here and he goes, “Oh yea! We have an angry bunch that just stung a ton of people!” Great. Well at least it wasn’t a be-be gun. 🙂

I continued on a bit, knowing that the big second uphill was coming. I was starting to feel a little bit better around mile 17 or so. The views were just outstanding and really were lifting my spirits.

“Just keep moving Pam, you can do this. You trained for this.” That’s what I kept telling myself at least. Then I ran with a guy for a little while who was talking about the 100 milers he had done and how he was excited to have his Western States Qualifier. He lived in Ashland and I told him that was our race destination spot last year!

THEN! I was stopped dead in my tracks on the trail. There was a bunch of runners and some guys just yelling. Turns out, there was a Yellow Jacket’s nest in the middle of the trail with tons of angry yellow-jackets.

One dude said, “I am going to go for it!” and he ran straight through! I felt like I was watching him in slow motion … BAM stung in his calf … BAM stung in his quad.

I turned to the girl next to me and we were like, “Um nope! No way. No how!” We followed the other group that had to bushwhack their way FAR around the buzzing yellow jacket’s nest.

By the time I reached Cooks aid-station (mile 19.5) I was already coming back to life. I was excited that this was essentially the “turn-around” spot which mentally always helps propel me in races.

I ran into that aid-station ready to be in and in out but then I looked at the table and saw mini dill pickles! Oh my. I’ve never eaten pickles in a race before though I hear a lot of runners like them. I had a quick mental battle of “should I or shouldn’t I?” in my head and decided to grab one and walk out. It was THE BEST PICKLE ON EARTH! 🙂 Seriously, that little dill pickle recharged me and I floated out of that aid-station light as feather!

One more aid-station to go and the biggest down hill section of the race was next! I honestly felt like I was flying down the next section. It was one of the few NON technical downhills in the course. I am going to assume that the intense thick tree cover interfered with my pace on my Garmin. 🙂 I know it did with the mileage because the race came up short in distance according to my Garmin but we were under some pretty thick tree cover for a lot of the race.

I just kept running. I’d pass a few people here and there. Sometimes they’d pass me back. In my head, I had settled on my C Goal but a part of me wasn’t giving up completely.

I came across one guy who was laying on the ground. I asked if he was okay and he said he had swelling in his knee. I asked if he wanted any Advil and he hopped right up and said, “Sure! We can keep walking so that way I won’t slow you down.”

I handed off some Advil and wished him luck and continued on my way. Finally, I came to the last aid-station! Woo hoo! I was getting excited knowing that I was getting closer and closer to the finish!

I chatted with the aid-station volunteer. I asked him if anyone dropped here earlier because of bee stings and he said he had a lot of drops, but not sure if because of bee stings – Stonegate is allergic and I had been worrying about her all race.

I continued on my way running all the ups and the downs. When I encountered any stairs, I walked. 🙂 FINALLY I was dumped back onto the pavement! Yes!!! I could smell the finish but I knew that I had to run a lot of pavement first.

I looked up and saw a woman that had passed me earlier in the race. She had looked SO strong too. She powered up all those hills like they were nothing. A small part of me was excited to have caught up to her.

I ran along side her and she seemed excited to have someone to run with. I told her to go ahead and she said she was out of water and that she couldn’t go any faster. I asked her if she wanted my handheld water bottle, “Are you sure!? You don’t mind?” she said. “Of course not! Go ahead, I have plenty.”

The two of us ran through the town together. Then we made the turn onto the grass. The woman said, “Come on, we have about 400 yards. We can do this! I don’t care about time.” In my head I was thinking: First of all, how does she know it is 400 yards and second of all, my C Goal had turned into “finish this BUT finish under 6 hours” since I was way off what I had hoped I would finish in … so for ME, I did care about time, MY time. It wasn’t about beating anyone but myself. It always is.

We were running across the grass. Everyone was cheering. I saw the finish and that it was a little up hill and something just turned on inside me and I went for it. I sprinted as hard as I could. I saw the clock and I pushed it!

Whew!!! I did it. I was done, thank goodness, I was done! That is one helluva race. It is unassuming in many ways, but don’t be fooled, it’s a doozy of a race and I was thrilled to be done!

The woman came up to me and thanked me and said, “When I saw you turn it on, I said, I don’t have what she has!” 🙂 Then the Advil guy finished shortly after and he thanked me for the Advil.

I found my drop bag and waited for Stonegate to finish. She texted me so I knew that she hadn’t dropped because of an allergic reaction but she had been stung.

I changed out of my smelly shirt and ran back out on the course to find her. I ran through the town with her until she reached the finish! What a day!

Final stats:

I finished in 5 hours and 53 minutes.

I was Second in my Age Group!! 🙂

And 17th female out of the 91 that started the race.

I will take it! I conquered my A Goal after all despite feeling like I had run a terrible race. It just goes to show you, never give up, never quit. Give all that you have left to give!

Stonegate and I didn’t hang around the finish for long. We were hungry! 🙂

Post Race Tradition - Champagne! — Post Race Tradition – Champagne!

We headed back to our hotel, showered, stretched, had some champagne (a tradition), hummus, carrots, crackers, chips and salsa. Food never tasted so good!

Later that night, being that we are both Plant-Based and know the importance of post race fuel being key to recovery, ran out to the store and bought kale! We made a rice, bean, kale and salsa dish in our instant-pot that night which was perfect!

Plant-Based Athletes recovering with plant-strong food!

Overall, I am happy with the race outcome. It was a gorgeous race, super well marked and well run. I would recommend it to anyone and everyone even though I had some dark(er) moments out there. I was able to pull through and not wallow for long … there is always a silver lining, there is always something you can do or try to pull you out of your funk. No one can do it but you.

In the end, it was the best road-trip ever. I am in love with Oregon and I finally got to visit and run on the coast. It was everything I expected it to be and more.

I truly am blessed to have a friend like Stonegate who seeks and cherishes adventure like I do and a husband who is willing to let me go and explore and feed my soul on trips like these. I missed my family immensely while I was gone, they would have loved the Oregon Coast. I guess we need to head back all together. 🙂

Until next time Oregon!

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

******

Some of my favorite road trip photos from our four days of fun!

We discovered a selfie-stick in Stonegate's car and it opened a whole new level of fun for us. — We discovered a selfie-stick in Stonegate’s car and it opened a whole new level of fun for us. Thank you to her 10 year old for leaving it in there!

Wandering the University of Oregon campus ... — Wandering the University of Oregon campus …

Discovering the Sea Lion Caves on 101!! One of the best random finds of the trip!

No shortage of laughter while driving long hours.

Our home away from home most of the time - our ocean side patio. — Our home away from home most of the time – our ocean side patio.

March 20, 2017March 20, 2017

RUCK A CHUCK 50k RACE REPORT

Much like last year, this was only supposed to be training run. Last year’s Ruck a Chuck turned into a battle for the finish (read that report here), this year was a little bit different ….

Once again, Paulo and the crew over at Single Track Running, put on a stellar event. This is the second event of theirs that I have done in the last month.

I really enjoy STR events because they are fun, low-key, well marked races and they typically really challenge you (which I like) and they often are on trails that you wouldn’t normally find yourself on, which I also really like.

The Ruck a Chuck 50k is entirely on the Western States trail, which is pretty awesome in and of itself.

First let me start off by saying, I was bad blogger this race. I took only one photo the entire day! So all photos in this recap are from STR and Chasqui Runner (THANK YOU!) and from Not Chris.

The day started with my Garmin dying. I’ve been having charging issues and needless to say, it was going to be a Timex kind of day for me. Which is fine, it was just kind of a bummer to not have my mileage, pace or elevation at the end of this race.

Not Chris however did have his Garmin and he was running his very first 50k! He’s been running well and if we’re honest, he really didn’t officially even “train” for this race, he just kept his mileage up. He’s a stud.

The parking at Driver’s Flat is limited so Pigeon and I carpooled to the start and were able to score a spot and chill.

The weather was warmer and dry and having remembered last year how humid it was out there, I started this year in a tank top. So glad that I did.

Love seeing so many familiar faces at these races. Lots of good people. I even met a few people that I “know” from social media only and that was super cool.

Paulo gathered us at the starting arch, gave us some final instructions and then passed the megaphone off to a friend to count us down.

We were off and running the 3 miles down the road to the river. Last year I remember really blowing this section up, yelling at myself and then stopping to use the restroom at the bottom as a way to calm myself down.

This year we flew down (Not Chris said we ran a sub 8) but it didn’t feel like we were flying super fast. I did tell Not Chris that we’d have to stop at the restroom at the bottom. I didn’t share with him yet that I’ve been battling an unsettled tummy for the last two days. I hated to stop but it was unavoidable.

Our plan was to stick together all day. His main goal was to finish feeling really good and to fuel better than he did at FOURmidable. My goal was to not race. I was supposed to “jog” nice and easy – Not Chris’s job was to make sure I did that.

After our bathroom stop we continued on. I noticed that for some reason, it was hard for me to breathe. The trees and flowers have really been blooming lately and man, have my allergies felt it. It felt like I only had one working lung instead of two.

Not Chris was LOVING the views and the raging river on our right. He was mesmerized by it all. I love when people get to see new trails for the first time.

Stream crossing! Photo Credit: Chasqui Runner — Stream crossing!
Photo Credit : Chasqui Runner

We settled into a run and then hit the single track section and so the climbing began.

Profile from Single Track Running

The course is very runnable. The trails were much clearer (the over grown grass section was gone) but in some sections, it seems the rocks have multiplied.

I tried to just focused on running and hiking. My lungs took a while to come to life but they did eventually. My stomach however, was always just one step away from being a problem.

Not Chris and I bypassed the first aid-station (mile 2.7) and the next one wasn’t for another 7.5 miles. We chatted along the way, having a good time and enjoying the day.

Everything was so green and pretty! The flowers were in bloom and the ticks were out. That was the one thing that I was super nervous about but hey, that’s mother nature for ya!

Pigeon Photo Credit : Chasqui Runner — Pigeon
Photo Credit : Chasqui Runner

When we made it to the Cal 2 aid-station (mile 10.2) we couldn’t help but laugh. They were the happiest bunch of volunteers! The aid-station was fully stocked with everything you could need (including beer and shots) and they were cracking jokes. I almost didn’t want to leave … Not Chris I think was overwhelmed as he took some time at this aid-station. 🙂

On our way to Cal 1 we ran into a fellow co-worker of ours, Brad Rogers. The three of us chatted for a bit about work and running. Then I ran into Shavi! Shavi and I have never really met but we have many mutual friends so I said “hi” and introduced myself.

The down into Cal 1 (mile 14.6) is pretty steep but I knew that once we reached the bottom, aid would be close. Last year the race was shortened due to a rain storm and the aid-station was our turn-around. THIS year, we had to run past the aid-station a mile, grab a wrist band and return to the aid-station.

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Not Chris and I barely stopped at the aid-station. As we were reaching the turn-around spot, we ran into lots of friends on their return. It was such an energy boost with lots of whooping and hollering.

Not Chris let out a bit “WHOO HOO” when we reached the bucket holding our wrist bands. We grabbed ours and headed back, eager to get to the Cal 1 aid-station (mile 16.6).

Once through we started our climb out. The section leading back is a gorgeous single track that’s super runnable and boy did we run! Last year this was the section where I ran into my Tommy Lee Jones friend Roger. Funny enough, I ran into Roger within the first 3 miles or so during this race and he laughed remembering last year’s brutal run and how he helped me push to score a nice finish. This time I said, “Don’t even think about it Roger!” 🙂

At one point, I think I was hallucinating as I told Not Chris that I saw the Cal 2 aid-station through the trees. Not sure what the heck I saw but it sure wasn’t the aid-station! 🙂

When we finally did come up on Cal 2 (mile 21) I was looking forward to the sections ahead. The descent out of Cal 2 is super fun. A switch back down that can really give you a boost of energy. Before we left the aid-station though, we laughed with the volunteers again. They were a riot, they told us to give them a good “YELP” review. 🙂

Not Chris took the lead and down we flew. I was no where near the speed I was last year as my ankle (that I tweaked the weekend prior) was starting to bark at me, a lot. Still, I think we ran down pretty well, excited to be on our way home.

Not Chris was thrilled because he ran his farthest distance ever on this down hill. Followed by his first ever marathon distance when we hit 26.2.

At one point on our way back we passed a guy on the trail and he said, “Trailmomma?!” and I turned and said, “Yea!” He said, “Hi!” So whoever that was (I missed the name on your bib), you totally made my day! 🙂 It also made Not Chris laugh … “Did that guy just call you Trailmomma?” 🙂 I hope you had a great race too!

When we hit the fire road that runs along the river, I was feeling a little bit better tummy-wise (though still bloated – started the race that way but what are you gonna do?) but I was also having some swelling issues. My fingers had started swelling as I was starting to retain water. I stopped consuming anything salty and luckily, there wasn’t much farther to run. The temps were humid and it even sprinkled on us a bit but it was still warm. Warmer than I think I anticipated and ultimately was a bit behind in my hydration.

LOVE this photo of Pigeon Photo Credit : Casqui Runner — LOVE this photo of Pigeon
Photo Credit : Chasqui Runner

We reached the final aid-station at Gate 101 (mile 28.5) and prepared ourselves for the climb out. It’s a nice long climb up a dirt fire road. We started out hiking, neither one of us eager to run. Then, as we both tend to get, we got bored and would pick “trees” to run to. “Okay, run to that second big tree! Now, run to that tree on the left!” Do what you have to do to move.

We turned a corner and I noticed a speed sign that was just littered with bullet holes. We both were looking it, talking about it when I turned my head right and saw the arches! “Hey!!! Look! HA! Let’s go!”

The finish line totally took us by surprise! We both started running and smiling.

Photo by : Not Chris's Family — Photo credit : Not Chris’s Family

I saw all of Not Chris’s family off to the side and they were cheering for him. Even his dog looked like he was cheering!

He did it! Photo Credit : Not Chris's Family — He did it! (that’s his dog too)
Photo Credit : Not Chris’s Family

Woo hoo! We crossed the finish line smiling. We both had reached our goals, but I was beyond proud of him. He has the potential to run much harder than he did and I know he will some day, but it was so nice to watch him reach his goal and to see his family there at the finish witness it too.

SO happy for him! Photo Credit : Not Chris's Family — SO happy for him!
Photo Credit : Not Chris’s Family

Another awesome 50k in the books. Thanks Single Track Running for a great event, a challenging course and a well executed race.

Thanks Not Chris for keeping me company all day. You looked strong, ran well, kept me moving and my mind off my stomach. Man, the bloating and the swelling was not fun but that is what these training runs are all about right? They make us stronger. They help us figure out what we need to work on. I’ve been super lucky the last few years to have some stellar uncomplicated runs and races. I can’t always rely on the fact that everything will be perfect, but I can rely on myself and my ability to problem solve as I go.

Swollen and bloated by happy. Photo Credit : Chasqui Runner — Swollen and bloated but happy.
Photo Credit : Chasqui Runner

As it turns out, Not Chris ended up second in his age group and I ended up third in mine! Woot woot! I’ll take that. 🙂

And a shout out to my hubby Vans, as he also raced this weekend on Sunday and he also came in third at a gnarly (muddy) mountain bike race in Cool.

Two very muddy boys! Photo Credit : Me — Two very muddy boys!
Photo Credit : Me

Overall, a great weekend. I raced Saturday morning, Vans raced Sunday morning and our girls had their swim team clinic on Sunday afternoon. Perfection.

Cheers to Third Place Parents! Photo Credit : Me — Cheers to Third Place Parents!
Photo Credit : Me

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

Full Disclaimer: I am not associated with SingleTrack Running at all and was not paid or compensated for writing this report. This is the fourth race of theirs that I have done, and I truly believe they host stellar, challenging and thoroughly top notch events.

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