Bull Run Run 50m

I had the great pleasure of running the Bull Run Run 50 miler in Virginia on Saturday.  Pleasure and pain, I should say. I haven't ran a 50 miler since last year. I ran ok, finishing middle of the pack, though I definitely have run stronger. Sometimes you have to throw yourself out there and see what happens, or at least that's my theory.

Bull Run is special. I believe I read that it is the Virginia Happy Trails Running Club's oldest race, and one of the older trail runs in the country. Terrific club--I got to meet a few of their stalwarts, some of whom will be coming west in August for Cascade.

All day there were positive vibes in the air--hellos and smiles on the out and backs, great cheers and support from the aid stations. Very encouraging. There was even fresh pizza at the 32.5/35.5 aid station! And they gave me an ice cream sandwich at the end--I have never tasted one so good. Finishers received a terrific Patagonia half-zip, which commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Bull Run.

The Battle of Bull Run was the first major land battle of the Civil War. As a kid, when I grew up in Virginia, we went to Bull Run and carried out a little reenactment of the battle between the North and South. I died, taking a Nerf Ball to the shoulder, during an all out charge. In this race, you have to declare your affiliation and you can sign up to be on teams for either side. All good fun. 

The course itself is beautiful, and we had perfect running weather. Spring is one of the best times of year to be back east, as the famous Virginia bluebells are in bloom, along with all sorts of other foliage. The course  meanders along different creeks, called "runs," like Bull Run. The trail is single track, with flowers to the sides, and brown leafs on the ground. Topographically, the course ascends and descends frequently, and in the aggregate is probably 4 or 5k in elevation gain, as per one Garmin report I saw. The up and down wore on me after a while. Not too technical, though there are a few spots.

The course goes south of the battlefield to begin with, on a 17 mile out and back. The mud factor was high, with every step requiring that little extra pull to raise the feet. It rained a lot the day before, like a monsoon. The rain can be really mean here. There was a busted bridge we had to cross early on that was a real hazard. I slipped crossing it, and had to crawl to reach the other side. Someone else went all in. There were also a number of creek crossings--the feet got wet.

The second half of the race was drier, and would've allowed for more speed, if I had it. The course wanders over nobs and by muddy waterways, through deciduous trees, and across the green battlefield. The sound of muzzelloaders going off could be heard, probably as part of some reenactment drill. They make this loud crack, that kind of hangs in the air, and if a bunch of them go off, it is really something. This added that extra little flavor of history to the run, Stephen Crane style. I think the protagonist in his book ran, away, and then later returned to fight.

Toward the end of the out and back, at Mile 32.5, there was a little three mile loop, called the Do Loop, I think. A little up and down affair, over every possible ridge. I bonked here, and lost a lot of ground on my time. After that, I just kind of sucked it up and finished the event, frequently walking, running when I had it.

One thing that made the event particularly special for me is my sister Anne came out with her fiancee, both locals, and supported me as they could. This was my first time meeting John, and we got to spend some time together, between the start and the wonderful barbq afterwards. Add to that the time I've spent with the rest of my family, a little bit of work and visits with friends, and it has been a wonderful visit.

Jim Bailey

On Thursday I had the privilege of hearing Jim Bailey speak regarding his experience of running the first sub-four minute mile on U.S. soil.  The event, hosted by the GBRC, was very entertaining, and a whole lot of club members showed up.

On May 5th, 1956, Bailey knocked out the 6th sub-four minute mile ever, and 1st on American soil, down at the LA Coliseum as part of a USC-UCLA track meet. I think he said his previous best was a 4:05, and although he was certainly fast, the sub-4 and the win over John Landey was unexpected. We got to watch old film footage of the race, and the man came out of nowhere on the backstretch to catch Landey, who had been leading. There were 40,000 people in the stands.

Both Bailey and Landey are Australians. Bailey apparently was a brash roughneck of sorts, to hear him tell it, while Landey was the crowd favorite. Bailey said he can relate more to the runners in Chariots of Fire than to the incredible runners and their training today. He also ran for the University of Oregon, and it was interesting to hear him describe his own experiences of Bill Bowerman, who was a much younger coach when he was there. Not quite the legend he later became.

Bailey answered questions about spikes, cinder tracks, training, and his racing history. He was ever amusing and entertaining, and somewhat wistful I suppose about his relationship with his native Australia, which really didn’t take to his comments after winning over Landey.

Blaine Newnham of the Seattle Times wrote a great little profile on Bailey roughly five years ago, which tells more details. Here's a link.

Off to run.

Jackson Browne

Jackson Browne is one of my very faves. I've been listening to him since I was a little kid, when I first heard him sing on the late '70s No Nukes album. Running On Empty is hard to beat for a running song, or for driving state to state, cassette in the deck. Jackson is in the Rock Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and his music is widely covered.  He co-wrote Take It Easy, which the Eagles made famous. Just the same, he doesn't seem to be quite as well known now as he used to be.

On Saturday, I caught him on his solo acoustic tour at the Queen Elizabeth in Vancouver. Pretty special for me. I've seen him once before, with his band, at the Gorge, back when the Gorge was more of a pilot project. That was a rock show. This show was just him, unaccompanied, with a row of guitars to choose from, and a keyboard, taking requests from the crowd, talking about his songs and causes. He's very much the activist--always has been. Greenpeace. Nukes. Plastic. Surfing. 2.5 hours, with an intermission, a dark stage, with a single spotlight.

The setlist included all the classics, and it might've been a snoozer if you didn't know his songs, since his band wasn't there. Drums and bass help, and his songs are particularly meditative and melancholic sometimes. Since I do know them though, it was about as good as it gets. And 5th row seats! Seeing a rock star at age 63 handle himself so well seemed  instructive on how to age with grace professionally.

Chuckanut

I really looked forward to not running Chuckanut this past week.  Usually I do run the event, and it is always a great early-year measure of fitness. RDs Krissy, Ellen and their crew put together an amazing event, with smiles everywhere to be seen. Chuckanut was my very first ultra. This year, I opted instead to run two 50ks earlier in the month, and then take the opportunity to watch the "track meet" which this race has become, and volunteer as needed. I've never really done this.

I showed up around 7:30 AM and chattered with friends before the start. Good pre-race chatter. Great weather--a little wind, no rain, 40s during the day, a little cold at the start. Once everyone took off, friend Rich and I zipped down to Aid Station 1, aka Dean's Place, to watch the leaders come through.  Thereafter, we grabbed the Topeka Scramble at Tony's, and then rushed back to Clayton Beach to watch the leaders come through again. And then off to the finish.

It's amazing how fast the leaders were, with 10 persons under 4 hours and new course records for both men and women. The whole thing was VERY fun to watch unfold, and had us racing up and down Chuckanut Drive in the morning, just to see the leaders come through at different locations. It was exciting.

Later in the day I worked the walkie talkie, calling in the numbers of finishers, and watching the runners come around the last corner to the finish. I really enjoyed this too. I've had my tough days and good ones at C-nut, and I know the wonderful feeling you get coming around that *last* corner towards Fairhaven Park, no matter how you've ran. Especially for the first-timers, of which there are many in this race. My first year I "ran" with a sprained ankle, determined to finish no matter how slow or bad (and I was both), after signing up and backing out for different reasons the previous two years. 

Pics mostly of volunteer friends below, as well as the winners finishing. More photos of the race at this link.

Gorge Waterfalls 50k

I had a great time at the the brand new Gorge Waterfalls 50k on Saturday. At the start, James said it may well be the most beautiful 50k in the U.S. It is as gorgeous as any I've run. Simply spectacular, really.

The course is point-to-point, about an hour east of Portland, and includes a shuttle bus in the morning from the finish to the start line. Since I stayed in Portland with Rich, it was an early rise to get to the start. Beware of the Chevron gas station, midway, that advertises low gas prices, but has a fine print sign below that says the price is applicable "with car wash." Music was Talking Heads "Take Me To The River" and Drive By Truckers "Lookout Mountain."

So, you start the race. The trail climbs up and down the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge, from Wahkeena Falls east to Wyeth Campground. There is a big 1500 foot climb right at the start. I pretty much walked this, very much towards the back. For the day, probably somewhere between 5000 and 6000 feet elevation gain, and equal amount of loss. So, a fair amount of up and down.

Waterfalls everywhere. Unreal. There are probably 20 waterfalls in the first third of the course alone, some very big. You run by them on narrow trails, maybe over a little footbridge, and then do it again, and again. One waterfall you run behind, as in the picture below. I brought a camera, but it didn't do the greatest job, Casio. There should have been a division for finishers with cameras, and those without, because if you had one, you had to stop and try to take pics.

Rocky single track. Sometimes very rocky, the kind of trail where the rocks eat ankles. Sometimes it is cliff running, with steep falloffs to the left. I worried a bit about catching a toe, because you could fall a long way, sometimes. The Columbia River was frequently in view.

James and his crew simply did an amazing job. He picked a great place for a run, and then totally delivered, with great markings, support, and a post-race fire with finisher cowbell to boot. Every finish line should always have a cowbell--well done.

I spent the first 10 miles in tourist mode, stopping to take pictures liberally. When the rain kicked in--and it really did--I started to pick it up. My hamstrings stayed tight most the day, but I was able to move faster for the last 20. My time was already scorched, but The Course made sure I got a good workout just the same. This is a pretty tough course, for all its natural beauty. I think it is basically an hour slower than Chuckanut.

I had to be in Portland for work, and so the race was a natural for me to do. Pretty cool to see that so many other friends made it, including the Skagit crowd. Glad I caught up with Seth, who is going to be gone for a while. And there was a wonderful little celebration involving the world's biggest bag of Skittles. And really good cookies at the Finish Line.

Invest In Youth 6 Hour Fund Run

Several good event options yesterday, including a Honeywagon in the north and a Hillbilly in the south. I really love the Honeywagon, but this year I opted for another favorite, Kendall’s annual YMCA Invest In Youth 6 Hour Run on the Centennial Trail in Snohomish.

The course is a simple 2.5 mile out and back, for five mile loops. I stayed out there the full six hours, clocking a very casual 33 miles. It's fun to stick it out to the end with these timed events, to max out the distance on the last-hour shorter loops. Great weather--maybe the best all year---except for a rogue 10 minute hail storm, where the hail just seemed to attack me, bouncing off my arms, indignant. I just kept going, locked into my tunes.

The first two laps I ran with TC, where I got more info on Shawn’s most excellent Alaskan adventure. One later lap with Dave Dutton, just back from a wonderful recovery from eye surgery. Amazing stories, good company.

Stan on the clipboard, tracking lap counts. Kendall running with his daughter, and then later minding the soup and making those famous Mile 67 grilled cheesers. Alex Swenson and Tim Stroh, knocking out the big miles in 1-2 fashion. They probably lapped me twice. Encouraging hellos roughly 15 times with friends like Steve and Rob, as we’d pass each other going and coming. It’s sort of amusing the different variants on hello you develop, all in good spirit.

The registration fee is fully donated to the YMCA. I really like the YMCA, because they do a ton of good work in the community, especially for the kids. I’ve been a member in Bellingham for a long time, which has acquainted me more with the organization’s good works. Our YMCA has an amazing amount of community support.

Next up-the Gorge Waterfalls run.

Skagit Centennial 100-Mile Run

Here's a great story about a legendary event, held on July 16, 1983, in the Skagit Valley. 

Runners Go The Distance

 

Nineteen runners entered and started Saturday from Cascade Pass but only six finished the first-ever Skagit County Centennial 100-mile run this past weekend.

Among those six were the Skagit County delegation of Stan Nakashima and Roberto Garcia, third and fifth place finishers respectively.

Garcia, bothered in the last 20 miles of the race by a swollen knee and blisters “on every toe I have,” had a compelling reason to finish the race.

“I told the newspaper I’d finish,” said Garcia of Mount Vernon.  “Me and Stan were together until the West Mount Vernon Bridge and I told him to go on.  He thought I might quit.

“Stan said, ‘you have to finish-you told the newspaper.’ I thought about quitting but I couldn’t.”

Garcia, who had never before run a race longer than a marathon, said he walked the last 20 miles but he still finished in 23 hours and 18 minutes.

The winner, Steve Barr of Victoria, British Columbia, ran all the way in.  He finished in 16 hours, nine minutes and 50 seconds – at approximately 3:30 A.M.

“I ran the Western States run three weeks ago and I was a little slower then,” Barr said.  “The Western States is Squaw Valley to Auburn, California –cross country through the Sierra Mountains.

“This was a little easier – but not too easy.”

Barr allowed that he got enough fuel along the way – “plenty of food and 24 beers.”

Come again?  Beer?  Doesn’t the alcohol take something out of a runner?

“No, I don’t get drunk,” Barr assured.  “In a race like this you don’t run that fast – about an eight minute mile.  And I don’t like pop or anything sweet.  I drank some water, too.”

“It was a little warm out but it could’ve been worse.  There was a cool breeze.”

Dallas Kloke, the race organizer, suggested that Barr’s time might be one of the fastest in the country this year.

“Hope so,” Barr said.  He predicted he wold be able to walk normally again in a couple days and resume running in a couple more.

Ike Fesler of Lake Stevens finished second in 20 hours and 56 minutes – at the more reasonable hour of about 8:15.  Nakashima, of Lake McMurray, powered mostly by water, placed third in 21 hours and 11 minutes.

“I just wanted to break 24 hours,” Nakashima said.  “My left foot got swollen and in the last eight mile to the finish it hurt bad.  But I wasn’t going to quit.

“I don’t know if I’m going to do this any more.  I’m glad it’s over.”

Nakashima meant he was not planning any more 100-mile races.  He did say he plans to enter this weekend’s Capital City Marathon – only 26 miles 385 yards – and may run in the upcoming Skagit County Centennial 83-mile relay as a solo entry.

“I’m not sure about that one yet,” he said.  We’ll see how I recover.  Now I fell terrible.  I went to visit someone afterward and sat down on the porch and it was real tough to get up.”

Nakashima said he alternated running and walking, with more walking toward the end of the race.

“The last five miles were really tough because there was a lot of hills (on Highway 20 to Deception Pass),” he said. 

Kloke said he was happy for the two Skagit County runners.

“Only four of these guys had ever run 100 miles before and a lot of them found out it was a logt tougher than it seemed,” Kloke said.  “But these two guys have got guts.  They don’t have talent compared to Steve (Barr) and there were other better runners who dropped out.

“But they (Nakashima and Garcia) gutted it out.”

Garcia did not seem inclined to rush out and enter another 100-mile race soon – if ever.

“It’s painful,” he said Sunday evening.  “I don’t know if I’ll do it again.  I think I’ll run more marathons.”

But Garcia was still satisfied that he had finished – fifth or whatever.

“Like I told Stanley – I just started running this year,” Garcia said.  “They tell you if you’ve never run a marathon you should train six months and I did in three.

“I’ll feel better by Wednesday or so.  But I’m not going to work the first couple of days this week.”

The fourth-place finisher was Skip Kilgore of Long Beach, Washington.  He ran the course in 22 hours and four minutes.  At about 1:30 Sunday afternoon, the race’s oldest entry – Harrison Smith, 56, of Redding California – became the sixth place finisher.

“He spent the night in a motel in Mount Vernon,” Kloke said.  “Then he got up in the morning and finished.  He called about 1:30 or 2 in the afternoon.”

Two other runners reported in with incomplete results.  John Prewitt of Salem, Oregon, ran 80- miles before dropping out and Jim Phillips of Tacoma madie it 66-and-a-half miles.

“The rest of them I guess were too pooped and didn’t call in,” Kloke said.

“I don’t know if we’ll do this again,” he added.  “IT was mostly for the centennial.  We’ll see.”

Skagit County Centennial 100-Mile Run

1^st – Steve Barr (16:09:50); 2^nd – Ike Fesler (20:56:00); 3^rd – Stan Nakashima (21:11:00); 4^th – Skip Kilgore (22:04:00); 5^th – Roberto Garcia (23:18); 6^th – Harrison Smith (time not available).  Other results: John Prewitt (finished 80 miles); Jim Phillips (finished 66 ½ miles).