Live Simply. Expect Little. Give Much.

After a pretty mediocre performance at the Peterson Ridge Rumble about a month ago I was determined to come away with a better performance at the Mac Forest 50k. My training went really well leading into this weekend. I had a three week block of 80, 90, then 70 miles that left me feeling pretty good. I tried to run at much hills as possible with my best day being a 25 miler out at Smith Rock national park that included 7000 gain, roughly the same I would face at Mac.
 

 
Flash to start line. I found myself awaiting the start with my buddy Aaron Maxwell, both of us rocking yellow Fleet Feet Bend jerseys. I liked even the slightest feeling like we were on a “team”. Someday it would be great to be on a real team and race with other people for a common purpose. I think that would add a fun dynamic. So there we were, I scanned the crowd, saw the Sunsweet Eugene runners Olmstead and Taylor, a few other decent guys I recognized, but no Max King who was on the ultra signup entry list. That instantly made things a bit more interesting. I knew that a win was a long shot even without Max, but him not being there definitely planted a seed that I would use the entire race.
 

 
The gun goes off and about 10 guys shoot out front and me and Aaron trot along at a decent pace, both Sunsweet guys behind us. I kept on telling myself that if they were behind me then I was probably going out a bit too hard. I thought the eventual winner was going to come from behind me and was definitely not in that little pack that went out hard. I really enjoyed those first couple super low key miles running with Aaron, joking around, easy pace, stress free. After a few miles though we hit a climb and Aaron slipped off the pace without a word, we parted company.
 

 
I tried to keep my pace and effort pretty conservative but I would get sucked into pissing contests here and there with the guys who went out hard but were coming back to me. I seemed to be climbing better than anyone else but then they would bomb the downhills and reel me back in. I may have pushed a little hard on a few climbs to gap some of those guys, entered into race mode a little prematurely, but whatever.
 
I continued to feel pretty good but was definitely getting my humility checked on the climbs. This was a certified challenging course. Constantly up and down, the single track hills were very hard, the dirt road ascents looked tough on the elevation profile but were way more mellow than I had expected.
 

 
The race really took off when I passed Neil Olsen around mile 16 on a steep singletrack uphill. Just about a minute later we came out on the dirt road climb that peaked out at the top of Dimple Hill. Neil quickly closed the gap on me on this gradual climb and actually passed me, pushing me along. It was interesting how he could run SO tough on the gradual climbs and the descents but then l could gain so much time on him on the steep uphill singletrack stuff. I could instantly hear his breathing labor while I seemed to maintain the same speed with little change in effort on these climbs. I hope this is because I am developing into a good climber!
 

 
To add to these little exchanges with Neil, a guy who I later found out was Nick Triolo, came into view up ahead in 1st place. This was my first little adrenaline rush thinking I could potentially get the win. I felt like I could handle Neil, the leader was coming back to me and my only real fear at that point was that I still had a half marathon of trail left to hold off some really tough 100 miler runners in Olmstead and Taylor.
 

 
By 19 miles I had taken the lead, Neil was dropped on a steep climb, and we had both reeled in Nick. I hit the aid at 21 miles and saw my girlfriend. I told her I was feeling great and that I would see her again in a few miles. Who would have known that in just a few miles, so much could change. The climb coming off the aid station at 21 miles was BY FAR the hardest climb in my opinion. I’m pretty sure I was able to run the whole thing but the switchbacks just felt like they went on forever! Every once in awhile I could turn around and see Nick a few switchbacks back. Dang! I thought he was toast! Apparently not even close, more like, just getting started. It’s interesting how different runners can have different strengths and weaknesses. I’m beginning to learn that you can never count anyone out and the race is never over until it’s over. I’ve determined that I run the middle half of races really well, then I falter when I start to tire and I am still too far away to feel close to the finish, then I can finish OK once I am within a few miles. Nick seemed to be super spurty, I couldn’t believe how fast he came back to me and Neil but then rebound and hang tough.
 

 
After that hard climb, I was no longer feeling very good. I felt like I was doing pretty good on my nutrition; lots of gels, maybe a few too many S caps actually, and I think maybe I could have pounded more water at aid stations while I was getting my water bottle filled. In total, I ate about 10 gels, 10 s caps, and drank about 5 full water bottles. It seems like no matter what I do though I can’t avoid cramping in the legs, mostly quads and inner thighs.
 

 
I hit the last aid station at 26.5 miles with maybe a minute lead on Nick. I remember thinking on the next climb before I knew that he was gaining on me, ‘You CANNOT run this slow and expect to win, this is just not going to cut it.’ I just couldn’t get going any quicker up the last climb and my legs were cramped although not enough to lock me up or anything.
 

 
Nick passed me at about mile 28. Passed is an understatement…be roared by me. Usually when someone does that they just gap you by a bit and then settle back into their previous pace but he just kept on going and going at that speed. I was super impressed and I think I audibly said “Holy Crap” multiple times as he continued to gap me. And I was NOT running slow! I had a 6:30 mile in there, I’m pretty sure he ran like a 5:30 mile on mile 29’s gradual downhill on dirt road. I learned a lot seeing how he was able to resurrect and then come back and really kill it those last few miles. Admittedly, I was pretty bummed. I could smell the win and I really felt like I could pull it off. BUT! This was a really great learning experience and I was actually right when I thought that I couldn’t win with that slow of last climb.
 
Looking back I wish I could have got myself to rally and just see if I could have hung with Nick when he went by me. If I could have just switched gears maybe it could have been interesting. But I don’t know, in the moment that was really that last thing I wanted to do. I resigned myself to 2nd and I instantaneously started wondering if he has more mental toughness than me or if I really gave it all I had or if I really have the “stuff” it takes to get really good at this sport. I’m going to have to learn to be even tougher, to learn to dig deeper and deeper, to be able to make that transition, go with ‘him’, and make my own moves.
 
All in all, I’m still pretty stoked on this race performance. I sort of proved to myself that my 12th place at Chuckanut wasn’t a fluke. I know this is only a 50k but I know with more running and experience I will develop into a really good trail runner if I continue to work hard and push my perceived limits. Ultimately I want to run fast 50 milers, 100k’s, and 100 milers. I feel like I’ve proven myself on a fast 50k course at Chuckanut, now I have a good finish on a hard 50k course (6800 feet gain…I don’t care how fast you are on roads, you can’t run well in these races without being good on hills and trails), and now I’m off to try to prove myself at the 50 mile distance….bring on SOB 50 miler!
 
Here’s a nice little article with bits of an interview of me and winner Nick Triolo from the Corvallis, Oregon newspaper (there’s supposed to be a video clip so if I find that I’ll post that too along with more pictures from the race): McDonald Forest Gazette Times Article

Flotrail Interview of Nick then Me

*Thanks to Long Run Picture Company*

I was not too sure what to expect coming into this race. I had a great showing a month ago at Chuckanut 50k but I just wasn’t feeling quite as sharp for this one. After Chuckanut I went to Italy and apart from the marathon I ran over there with my girlfriend, I didn’t run much. I think I took something like 8 full days off while over there; although I still consider 8 hours a day walking around Rome and Venice to be good ultra training. Then pile on the fact that I have had a serious cold for the last three weeks that I was trying to run through, it was kind of up in the air how everything would affect me. I woke up on race morning with a scratchy throat but didn’t feel like it would hurt me and I still don’t really feel like it did, but you never really know. Sometimes when you are sick you still give 100% and it feels like you are cruising but you just aren’t moving as fast. Not sure if that was the case yesterday or not.
 

 
The gun went off at 8am and off we went. One, my only description being, big guy, shot out into the lead and instantly put a sizable gap on everyone. He later went off course, caught back up to the leaders, then DNF’d (saw him doing the walk of shame back to the aid station). A group of 5 guys formed with Max King and Zach Violet seeming to lead the charge. I was just off the back of that pack and was contemplating whether or not to just roll with them or to run my own race. Haven’t figured this out yet in ultras although I’m starting to lean towards being more engaged with the other runners. However, I let them go as I began to crank out 7 minute miles on the flatter stuff as they were running more like 6:50’s. I figured, ‘I’ll see some of y’all later!’
 

 
My goal for some reason was to try to get through the marathon with the legs still feeling ok so I definitely held back from time to time as I started to feel myself wanting to stride out. I did pretty good on nutrition. Probably had about 10 salt caps and 12-15 gu’s. Some guys talk about how they eat 50-70 gu’s during a 100 mile race, that sounds like straight up hell. I don’t know what it’s like but that scares me.
 

The pack I shouldn't have let go...I know, shoulda woulda coulda

 
I linked up with Lewis Taylor and some guy from Mt. Shasta, CA and we ran much of the first 25 miles together, leap-frogging here and there at aid stations or by going off course for short periods. I will say that this course was pretty hard to stay on. I went off course twice, once by my own doing and the other by following Lewis, who had more mishaps than me, one that cost him a couple minutes late in the race and which gave me the edge over him at the finish. The flagging was there but you really just could not zone out for even a second because of how many twists and turns and off-chutes there were.
 
I think this race really just boiled down to that fact that I just didn’t have that extra gear that you really need to do well in races. I never was really ROLLING, just sort of ran steady, a bit disengaged from it all. With hindsight being 20/20 I think I would have gone out with that front pack and just tried to hang as long as possible. I think that would have jumpstarted my racing instincts a bit more. However, there were moments, even at the pace I ran, that I definitely needed to reel it back a bit to avoid going into bonk land.
 

Mile 34...wish I knew there was only 2 miles left...hurtin.

 
Everyone told me this course was flat but there ARE some hills there. The 2-3 mile grinder on the dirt road was definitely felt after about 25 miles. I was able to run 8:30’s up it so it wasn’t all that steep but still, I was definitely happy to crest the top and start the descent.
 
The distance was definitely short; probably more like 36-37 instead of 40 but I was definitely not complaining. I had the legs to go another 4 and I may have even caught the next two guys in front of me if I did, but again, I was happy to see the track and get it done.
 
Another aspect of note…and I guess fear, was the fact that I was HOT out there! I know it only reached maybe…MAYBE, 55-60 degrees in the sun, but I felt like the heat was getting to me. My legs started to cramp around mile 25 so I started popping 2 salt caps every 30 minutes (per Jeff Browning’s anti cramp regimen) which worked but I also had some nausea flashes which I hate. I lost all sense of time too and would forget when I had eaten a gu or taken my last salt cap. Next race, I’ll set up a alarm for salt caps on my Garmin and then just eat as many gu’s as possible. I sure wish salt caps were smaller as I feel the urge to gag on them every time they go down, the freaking things are huge!
 
Result: 5th place in 4:34.
 

Clock was set for 20 miler races...add 1 hour. Cool to end a trail race on the track!

 
All in all, I was happy to get these miles on my legs and considering the circumstances I feel pretty OK about this race. Not a great result or effort but not bad either. I feel like I’m already recovering well and will be much better prepared for Macdonald Forest 50k in May. My plan is a medium volume recovery week, then a couple 90-100 mile weeks with some Smith Rock days, then a real taper week (which I didn’t have for this race) and I should be ready for a great race.
 
Thanks to Sean Meissner and the friendly folks at the aid stations for a great race, although I would do something about the clarity of the markings and dial in the distances of aid stations and total lengths of races. I’m pretty sure the 20 miler was a little long actually too.
 
Thanks for reading…post a comment if you want…I like feedback…lets me know there is a reason for writing these blogs instead of simple selfish self-indulgence. If you ran the race, how’d you feel about it?
Happy Trails.

Ok people, the following is the first hand account of our Ferrara Marathon experience from the perspective of my girlfriend Nikki. We ran this race together from start to finish. I was water boy and man servant extraordinaire and she was a first time marathon trooper. She is a great writer and definitely captured the essence of this race. This is actually an excerpt from her journal that she graciously let me share with you all. I hope you enjoy.
 

 
Time: 3:30:10. Despite the unexpected cultural differences one finds in a race abroad, the Ferrara Italy marathon was a unique mixture of exotic people, languages, sights, and experiences to take in and digest.
 
I went into this race thinking I knew exactly what to expect. I even thought it was going to be relatively easy (why I would think running a marathon would be easy at this point in time is beyond me), however, based off of some successful training runs, I thought I would feel strong the whole time. My ideal goal was to run a 3:20, a time that my previous runs told me I could potentially reach.
 
The race turned out to have some elements to it that proved very interesting to a naive traveler from the U.S. For example, I wasn’t even sure I was going to be able to start the race with an official number. All racers supposedly should have received some important paperwork to bring to the race signed via email, as well as a warning that a medical sheet signed by a doctor would need to be in order to qualify to run. Luckily, my boyfriend Chase, who always seems to be on top of everything, figured out a way to magically create a “doctor’s note” stating that I was fit to run (full details as to how he did this will not be disclosed). When we showed up to the race though, after walking through a town of cobblestone streets, statues, decadent churches, and a grand castle with a moat surrounding it’s base, we figured out that the Ferrara registration tent did indeed have a computer (even if ancient) and I could be looked up in the system. I received my race number thanks to an Italian lady that happened to speak English and then I moved on to packet pickup. Packet pickup included the best shwag bag I have ever obtained for doing a race (U.S. race directors take note). The hefty bag contained a bag of local Ferrara Italian coffee (already a good enough excuse to run the race), a full bottle of yogurt and milk body wash, sponges, a litro of 100% tropicale juice, a can of peaches, a can of corn, 4 cloves of garlic, and last but not least a tube of Garlic Puree in vegetable oil form for “your daily squeeze”. All in all, an awesome gift bag that represents the spectrum of this quirky Italian country.
 
Within no time, runners began warming up down the little roads of Ferrara that lead to the start line under the blow up archway. Once the races were about to start, both the half marathon and full marathon runners lined up together. It was a swarm of people crowded into a gated chute. Happy Italian chatter could be heard, verifying the laid back, easygoing stereotypes of unconcerned Italians ready to be a part of a festive party instead of a long running race. The gun went off and everyone started cramming through the arch and over the timing mat to kick off the start of the event to come. Each person a number in the crowd, one against 873, or 2,000 if you include the half marathoners. The weather was pleasantly cool at first but it wasn’t long before I started feeling the heat of the sun and silently cursing the “lazy Italian” start time of 9:30 –an unheard of start time in the states.
 
The first few miles “clicked off” as Chase puts it, consistent, strong, feeling good. The roads were long and straight, taking us through flat, dry lands, orchards, vineyards, and small towns like little Francolini where the elderly poked their heads out of their windows or doorways and waved at us, cheering “Ale ale! Bravo!” Some of the people racing with us would try to strike up running conversation only to be met with my one trusty Italian phrase “non parlo Italiano” meaning I don’t speak Italian. There was one runner in particular that we ran a good chunk of the way with who was dressed as an Indiano Americano- complete with full head feathers, a leather fringed skirt, war paint, and smiley faces on his calves. I named him chief smile calves. He ran creepily close behind us for a few miles, breathing hard down our necks failing to capture the spirit of the quiet Native Americans who influenced his way of dress. There were others along the way that would yell “brava bellissima!” (good job beautiful) to me when I looked like I needed encouragement. One thing that took me by surprise during the race was the lack of normal water at aid stations. In its place was sparkling, bubbly, carbonated mineral water. It was hard to get down at first. I am not sure how or if it affected my race performance, all I know is that I did have some stomach type issues later in the race. Another difference of this race from American races: there were no porta potties or bathrooms of any kind to be found anywhere along the entire course. Lets just say that for someone having stomach type issues, this was a desperately unfortunate drawback to the event. Men flanked the roadsides to pee in front of anyone and everyone. Some struck poses (not that I was looking). Apparently it’s common for women to drop down along the side of the road to do their business too. Such an open life the Italians lead. But for me this was a problem…twice.
 

 
I don’t know each mile split we hit along the middle or end of the race. I got to the point where I didn’t want to know. I knew I had slowed down a lot and that the few mandatory stops along the way didn’t help our pace. Chase, who had decided to run the full race with me (although later we found out that he could have won the whole thing) was a complete life saver. He carried my Gu’s and water, would pick up sponges to water me down with, and spoke motivating words to me when I was in my not-so-good feeling places. In the three and a half hours of running and pavement and sun I was convinced that I could not have done it without him. As my mental strength faltered and started to fail he was there to pick me up. And for that I am so grateful.
 
In the last 5-6 miles we started picking up the pace. We caught and passed a lot of the runners that had gotten away from us earlier -including some intense looking women who looked strong the whole way up until the last few miles (miss red shirt and purple shirt in particular). Chase called it “passing the carnage of a marathon” when everyone is hurting and their faith in themselves and their bodies is starting to fade. We finally made it to less than a mile to go, after I kept yelling (or maybe exhaustedly begging more like it) at Chase to tell me when we hit every mile so I could grab onto anything I could to keep me going. There was a massive straight away leading up to what looked like the finishing arch- a kind of finish most runners dread to have in a race. It took forever to reach this arch and once we did there was a sudden heart sinking realization that this was not the finish. The finish was in fact another good straightaway away. Stab me in the heart and twist the knife! But of course we did make it across that finish line. After 26.2 miles, a marathon complete. We were interviewed in Italian about our names and ages and then I slowly sank down to the pavement, a tired, achy, sunburnt, chaffed, smelly marathoner. Proud, in a very un-glamorous runner’s way.
 

 

 
The vibe after the race was buzzing, the camaraderie of runners coming together after a race to compare stories was contagious. I saw runners I recognized from out on the course and we all, in broken Italian on my part and English on theirs, congratulated each other. It turned out, that out of 186 ladies I was 1st in my age group and 18th woman overall, behind a mixture of Italians, Austrians, Croatians, and Slovenians- ethnicities I don’t usually get to associate my name with. This marathon was such a unique experience. The varying languages and cultures and social norms and scenery made it truly incredible, as well as getting to run it with the best supporter I could ask for. I am blessed to have had this opportunity to race abroad, and though tough and unpredictable, it’s an experience I’d encourage every running enthusiast to try if given the chance.
 

Nikki may kill me for putting this photo up...but it's my fave...have you ever seen a cuter more tired looking girl?! So proud of her.

Note: This is pretty long…feel free to skim. Also, sorry about grammatical errors, I’m leaving for Italy
tomorrow and I just don’t have the time to proof-read this.
 

 
This being my “ultra debut” of the season I was not exactly sure how my fitness would hold up against the intensity of this race. This was definitely a “rust buster” to get the season started. The problem was that generally speaking you don’t really want to be busting your winter rust against the best runners in the country. I would have definitely preferred to have tested out the ultra legs prior to this race but no other races really made sense so this was it. My training for this race consisted of a marathon on January 15th, then two weeks down time, followed by consecutive weeks of 70, 80, and 90 miles, ending with a taper week. I ran more hills than I ever have with most of my 16-24 mile days consisting of 4000-6000ft. climbing.
 
I conned my mom into accompanying me to Bellingham, WA to serve as a one-woman crew. She has this role down and I can’t thank her enough for her support and help. I’d hate to have to go at these things completely alone.
 
Packet pickup was held the night before at a beautiful hotel along the bay and this is where the reality of this race really hit me. I walk into the lobby and see Bryon Powell of irunfar.com chatting with some folks. Me being an expert ultra running blog/website stalker even the sight of the man who interviews all the great runners gets my heart racing. I then hear a feminine Scottish accent off in the distance and go on to see Ellie Greenwood working her way through the packet picket room chatting with race director and professional ultra runner Krissy Moehl. I’ve watched many a Bryon Powell irunfar interview with Krissy and Ellie from the comfort of my far-removed home in Bend, Oregon. This experience definitely had some twilight zone vibes going as I tried to maneuver my way through the packet pickup line while in their “presence.” I know these are just normal human beings but from my perspective, this was like a Kobe Bryant and Shaq encounter to your die-hard NBA fan. Little did I know that this twilight zone vibe feeling would only intensify as the weekend progressed.
 

 
We arrive at the start the following morning with just enough time to check in, use the bathrooms (one critique…double the amount of port-a-potties for next year…although I’m sure Krissy is already on this as this race was INCREDIBLY well run and organized…she knows what she’s doing), and did a very short half mile warm up. The weather was pretty awful but at that point I had accepted my fate and was really prepared for anything. I run over to the start line and glance at the front line and it’s literally a who’s who in the ultra running world. A short run down, Dave Mackey (2011 ultra runner of the year), Hal Koerner (2 time Western States 100 champ), Tim Olson (2011 100k National Champ), Chap Campbell (Canadian 50 mile record holder), Mike Wolfe (2011 TNF 50 Mile Champ), and really the list goes on and on and on. Some have said it was the most competitive race in the United States since the 2010 Western States race. So there I am, lining up with the big boys, feeling very very small. Although, honestly, this is what I wanted. Beneath all my admiration and schoolgirl nervousness, I desire to run with the best and see where I stack up. Someday I’d like to be on equal ground with these guys and be able to hold my own.
 

 
The gun goes off and I just sort of start running with all strategy going out the window. My plan was to use my marathon speed in the first flat 10k to get off to a good start. However, it seemed like everyone was doing that so for some reason I just switched to a more conservative position. I decided to hit the climbs after the first 10k wanting to feel as if I hadn’t run a step. I figured that maybe I could move well later on and hit the last flat 10k hard instead of the first. I settled in to about 30th place and really just cruised the first 10k, my first 6 mile splits being: 6:42, 6:20, 7:49, 6:33, 6:29, 6:40. After running a marathon at 5:57 pace in January, I figured those miles could hardly of taxed my legs, I was ready for the hills!
 
We hit the first climb and the fun began. I chose the slow and steady route, ran everything, but was staying very comfortable. I picked off a few guys who were already gassing, I feel bad for those guys, train on some hills of you are going to run a hill race, it’s only logical. I finish the first climb feeling good. I knew I was far behind the leaders but I really wasn’t all that concerned. I actually was just running fast enough to hold off Ellie Greenwood and some other girl who were just a few switchbacks behind me at this point. The course then kind of rolls for a few enjoyable miles and then you start another big climb on a dirt road. I again put my body into an easy gear and just started to climb, the grade being far more manageable than what I have been training on. It was about half way up the climb that I began to think, “Hmmm…I’m feeling pretty good and why are these other guys slowing down?!” I pick off a few more guys on this climb and reach the top thinking, ‘Wow, that climb was really not that bad!’
 
Here we start a 9 mile technical rolly section on the ridge trail. This is where I sort of transitioned to race mode. The more guys I passed the more momentum I built and it just seemed like I had to keep cruising and passing guys until the race was over. On this technical piece of trail I probably passed like 5-8 guys. I couldn’t believe how conservative some of them were being with rocks, and turns, and bumps. I don’t know if it was fatigue or if they were just used to poking through technical sections but the guys I run with in Bend take that kind of stuff hard so it only seemed natural to run fast in this section.
 
At the end of this 9 mile ridge piece, I know I am having a good day, I’ve passed maybe 15 guys since we hit the first climb, and my legs were still feeling pretty perky. I knew the Chinscraper, about a 1 to 2 mile steep climb, was coming so I was still holding back a bit to make sure I didn’t totally blow my wad there. I hit the hill and another twilight zone experience occurs. I pass Hal Koerner. I know a lot of ultra runners have the ‘nothing to lose’ mentality and go out hard which sometimes leads to a blow up so it wasn’t like, holy crap, I’m doing so good! But it was definitely a trip to go by him.
 
Another odd thing happened though, I passed another 3 or 4 guys going up the Chinscraper! I thought for sure that the steeper climbs were going to wreck me and absolutely be my weakness, apparently not because somehow, there again, I was moving well.
 
At the top of the climb I was still feeling pretty good. Phew, got through all the climbs, now it was just 3 miles steep downhill and the flat 10k back to finish. I think I was a bit naïve in thinking that the rest of the race was going to be smooth sailing. True, there were no more climbs, but those last few miles turned out to be pretty dang brutal. I pass a few more guys right at the start of the descent and then go by the 2012 Way Too Cool champ a bit further down. We exchanged a few words, he seemed like a really nice guy. I couldn’t believe that just the weekend before he set the course record at Cool. Back to back intense 50k’s seems crazy but he was still moving well.
 

 
I hit the last aid station, filled up the water bottle and took some gels. My nutrition for the day consisted of about 4 handheld water bottles full of water, 12-14 gus, and 5 S-caps. I tried to take another S Cap down late in the race but gagged on it and projectile’d it out of my throat almost bringing on a puke session. Screw that, let’s just get to the finish line! I was lucky to have a carrot out ahead of me on that last flat 10k. About half a mile ahead of me I saw a guy in a blue and white jersey cruising along. I thought we were moving at about the same pace but every time I looked up it felt like maybe I had just gotten a tiny bit closer to him. I was now relying on my marathon legs and felt like I had some good turnover going on this flat section. My last six miles were 7:10, 7:03, 6:47, 6:37, 8:18, 6:35. I felt pretty good about this after the quad pounding descent and all the climbs. So anyways, I continue to inch closer and closer to the guy ahead of me. I saw him take a few peaks back at me and I could tell he was pushing a bit harder as I got closer. There was a mile of two there where he maintained the gap of about 100 meters and I was unable to close anymore. As we approached the last mile I knew that if I didn’t make a move he was simply going to maintain his lead and beat me. I knew I would regret it if I didn’t FINISH IT and make a last good push to the finish. I went by him with about a half mile to go and was surprised to hear him say, “nice surge.”
 
I cross the finish line in 4:00:25 for 12th place feeling pretty good. I mean, don’t get me wrong, those last 4 miles or so were brutal, just as brutal as any other 4 miles I’ve ever ran, but I still crossed the finish feeling strong. The guy I had passed turned out to be North Face sponsored Mike Wolfe. He most likely had an off day because he can run with anyone in world on a good day but this was still definitely a ‘holy crap’ moment for me. It hit me that I had had a really good day and that I had beat some really good runners.
 
After the race Krissy Moehl came up to me and asked if I’d be in a picture with some of the “top finishers”. Here’s that photo:
 

 
Talk about crazy. That I could finish up with some of these guys still blows my mind. I hope this is an indication of good things to come but for now, I’m totally happy and satisfied with what I accomplished in this race. Such a great day! Thanks to Krissy and all the fantastic volunteers and other competitors for making this such an incredible experience for me.

 
First off, what does Bajada mean?
 
Merriem-Webster says:
1 : Southwest : a steep curved descending road or trail
2 : a broad alluvial slope extending from the base of a mountain range out into a basin and formed by coalescence of separate alluvial fans
 
It seems like both of these definitions would make a sweet name for a running shoe…so I like it!
 
After running through about 10 Asics DS Trainers in a row I was beginning to be unsatisfied with the longevity of the shoe as well as its performance on trails. I’ve determined that it is my perfect ROAD shoe but just doesn’t hack it on the trails. But I can’t talk too much smack because that shoe has kept me injury free for over a year now.
 
Recently Rod Bien decided to bring in the Bajadas where I work, Fleet Feet Sports. I was able to check out this shoe, wear it around the shop, and take it for a couple short runs. It had a lot of what I was looking for but you just never know until you take it out for some real running and totally break it in.
 

 
I decided to pull the trigger and have been VERY VERY happy with this shoe. It is now my full-time trainer and I will be doing my ultra races in it this year. At 10.3 oz. it is plenty light for me. It is considered a neutral trail runner and some call it the Montrail Rogue Racers “bigger brother.” My body and feet like a slightly “beefier” ride, something that I feel like I can really thrash down hills in. I will sacrifice a few ounces for peace of mind any day.
 
I have a medium to narrow heel and forefoot and have found the Bajada to fit just fine. It may be a pinch roomy in the forefoot but nothing that really bothers me all that much. I’ve found the lugging on the outsole to be very grippy and handles well on all surfaces. The shoe also contains a trail shield under the forefoot to block sharp rocks from bruising my feet; this is important if you run steep trails. I’d say the shoe runs pretty true to size in length and definitely feels like a regular D width.
 

 
I have had zero issues with the upper, no hot spots, no blisters, nothing. I thought that maybe the heel counter road a little high on my ankle but that sensation went away after one run. And oh! The cushioning of the midsole is definitely a little more firm out of the box. Especially for someone like me who was used to the gel of an Asics, this took a bit of getting used to…but I now love the firmness of it. It makes me feel stable and secure. I’m not saying that there is no cushioning; just that it is a little firmer than what you may be used to. And the cushioning does soften up a bit after a couple runs so keep that in mind.
 

Gray Piece = Trail Shield

 
I’m super stoked to have finally found a trail shoe I like! I’ve put about 250 miles on the shoe so far and feel like I have at least that more life in it to come. I was having to swap out my DS Trainers every 300 miles which was definitely taking its toll on the wallet.
 

Standard shoe on heating vent shot.

 
I really feel like this is a perfect match for me…it’s sort of like a lighter snappier Cascadia…and it’s even lighter than my DS Trainer but not a minimalist shoe by any means with its 10mm heel to forefoot drop ratio.
 
If you found my review helpful and would like to support my site, check out pricing and other reviews here: Montrail Bajada Trail Running Shoe
 
Update: I was about to post this review yesterday but I’m actually glad I didn’t as I have some more info for you guys. It will be my only real critique of this shoe. I did a 24 miler yesterday out at a place called Smith Rock National Park in Central Oregon which is known for its steep challenging trails. I noticed that on the really steep descents my toes were smashing up against the front of the shoes and the toe lip is not very soft or forgiving. I actually had to tie my laces really tight to keep myself from sliding forward in the shoe and crunching my toes. On all the other grades I’ve run on I hadn’t felt this…I guess it just takes a real steep one but it’s worth noting that you may want to go up a half size to be sure you don’t run into this problem. But if you don’t run on anything really steep then you most likely can get away with your regular shoe fit size.
 
Again, check out other reviews and pricing here.
 
Let me know if you have any questions or comments or if you end up buying a pair!

Chuckanut
Date: 3/17/2012
Distance: 50k
Location: Bellingham, Washington
Goal: Top 15
Competition: Super Freakin Stacked
 

 
I’ll be opening my first full ultra running season with Chuckanut 50k. This is probably not a good idea for my fragile ego considering it is arguably the most competitive ultra race of the year in the USA…but I just can’t resist. I want to see how I stack up with the big boys and hopefully beat a few. My plan is to go out hard and hang tough. I usually do pretty well if I can latch on to someone and just try to hang. Hopefully I feel good out there; if I do, I think I’m capable of placing in the top 15…and if I blow up, so be it. No matter what happens though I want to enjoy some new trails and definitely finish the race.
 
Ferrara Marathon
Date: 3/25/2012
Distance: 26.2 miles
Location: Ferrara Italy
Goal: Finish
Competition: N/A
 

 
If you noticed the dates, no, that is not a typo, it IS the weekend after Chuckanut. However, my plan is to definitely NOT race this marathon. I’m lucky enough to have a Dad who works for a company that is based in Bologna, Italy so me and my mom and my girlfriend are going to go spend 10 days in Italia. It seems there is no better activity than to hop into an obscure marathon with some locals. It will be my girlfriends debut and she’s hoping to run in the 3:10-3:30 (I know, fast right?) range and my plan is to be her pacer. I have a feeling though that after Chuckanut this pace will still not be a walk in the park! I’m excited though to see the sights. Supposedly it circles the historic city of Ferrara and then winds its way though some countryside villages…I can’t wait for this.
 
Peterson Ridge Rumble
Date: 4/15/2012
Distance: 40 miles
Location: Sisters, Oregon
Goal: Top 3
Competition: Moderate
 
Peterson Ridge Rumble Website
 
I’m going to try to not gain 15 pounds while in Italy and come back 3 weeks later and run this “local” 40 mile race on the Peterson Ridge trail network. I think I have a chance to do pretty well here because of the course. My current weakness, which I am working hard to correct, is my climbing skills and being able to recover and maintain pace with big climbs. Peterson Ridge however would definitely be considered a “flatter” ultra and I’m hoping my marathon speed will help me here. I’m sure some ultra studs will show up and run real fast but, again, if I have a good day who knows what could happen. Hopefully I can get out on this course a few times before the race as it is only about 30 minutes from where I live.
 
Siskiyou Out and Back
Distance: 50k or 50 Miler
Date: 7/14/2012
Location: Ashland, Oregon
Goal: Undecided
Competition: 50k will be stacked, new 50 miler less.
 

 
I’m looking forward to this race as I’ve heard only rave reviews. Supposedly it is one of the most scenic beauties out there. I’ve never really ran trails down in southern Oregon but they must be phenomenal considering the cluster of awesome runners who live down there. They added a 50 miler this year which is sort of cool. This may be what I want to do if I want to get a longer run in. However, if the speedies are running the 50k I may want to try my hand at that. This is the only race I’m not registered for yet and I think I’ll hold off until I get some advice on what to do.
 
Where’s Waldo
Distance: 100k
Date: 8/18/2012
Location: Willamette Pass Area, Cascades, Oregon
Goal: Top 10
Competition: Very Stacked
 

 
This race will be unknown territory as far as distance goes. This will be the longest race I’ve ever done and pretty much the focus of my season. I know I need to be well prepared for the big consistent climbs that Waldo offers. I’ve heard this race is incredible well run and it is practically in my own backyard…so so lucky to live in Oregon where all these awesome races are! There will be some very fast runners there including Western States champ Hal Koerner and my old Fleet Feet manager Scott Wolfe. It will be fun to toe the line with these guys and see what happens.
 
Conclusion:
This year is a year of becoming comfortable racing these distances and acclimatizing my body to this new style of running. I need to keep in mind that I want to be VERY COMPETITIVE within three years, not necessarily THIS YEAR, as I’ve heard that’s about how long it takes to really be able to race on trail at a high level. I will try not to have too many pity parties if my races don’t work out as planned. Just like everything else in life, it is a growing and maturing process, and it doesn’t happen overnight. Only through consistent hard work will things pay off. I want to run ultras for years to come, see trails all over the world, and someday put my place in the position to win some big ones. For now, I’m a very small fish in a big big pond….I’m excited to see how things pan out.
 
Update: Addition to the race schedule. MacDonald Forest 50k over in Corvallis, Oregon area on May 12th. 6700 ft. climbing…another quad killer with great competition.

Run Past Cancer
 
Physical activity was once viewed as prevention only when it comes to cancer, as exercise for cancer patients was seen as too dangerous and counter-productive to health. A large number of studies are reversing this trend, with the major cancer research organizations calling for all cancer patients to avoid inactivity. More than a generic rule, guidelines have been developed to help doctors and patients utilize the benefits of exercise while keeping patients safe.
 
What Benefits Does Running Offer?
 
While guidelines promote moderate-intensity, aerobics for 150 minutes a week, this has been modified in several studies to good effect. All aerobic and anaerobic exercise will help manage common symptoms of cancer and treatment, as well as provide a higher chance of treatment success, longer life expectancy, and lower risk of recurrence.
 

 
Obviously, running will not be an option for some cancer patients, and others will need to work up to this level of activity. Once there, patients can expect the benefits to be stronger, though it is important to note that benefits will accrue from all forms of physical activity. In one study, breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy showed significantly lower levels of fatigue with the use of aerobic exercises, including walking, cycling and running. Vigorous exercise was shown in another study to reduce mortality for men with prostate cancer even further than moderate-intensity exercise.
 
Safety Comes First
 
Some types of cancer and certain kinds of treatment may contra-indicate running for fitness, which makes this a critical topic to bring up with the doctor. For those with experience, it is a safe and effective form of exercise, though over-exertion is still not advised. Patients with a lack of exercise history will benefit greatly from the guidance of a physical fitness professional trained to work with cancer patients. There are trainers with specialization with all types of cancers, including even rare forms like mesothelioma. They will be able to devise appropriate and enjoyable routines for each individual case that can ultimately build up to endurance running and other vigorous exercises.
 

 
The key to gaining the benefits of exercise is sticking with a regular workout program. Some people will need more motivation and others will have to start with the basics before progressing to even moderate-intensity aerobics. A personal trainer can help provide this motivation by making exercise more enjoyable, and including family or friends may be a critical part of establishing regularity. The benefits of running for cancer patients are too important to let this recommendation slide.
 
Liz Davies is a recent college graduate and aspiring writer especially interested in health and wellness. She wants to make a difference in people’s lives because she sees how cancer has devastated so many people in this world. Liz also likes running, playing lacrosse, reading and playing with her dog, April. If you would like to contact her she can be reached at healthylizd@gmail.com

I chose to do the Redding Marathon this year for two reasons. One, I am currently in the best shape of my life and I decided that I better put that fitness to use. Second, I daydream of the glory that comes from winning races and thought that I would have a great shot of not only winning the race but maybe chasing down the course record set by ultra marathon great Hal Koerner.

The Redding Marathon is definitely unique. It’s not a huge race….maybe 300 hundred runners including the relay runners. It starts up at the Lake Shasta Dam then follows a bike path all the way back into Redding and finishes on the renowned Sundial Bridge. Along the way there are a few out and backs and hilly sections to add variety. I wouldn’t say Redding is a “FAST” course but it’s not slow either; it probably adds anywhere from 2-4 minutes on to a pancake flat super fast course like Chicago or Houston or something.

Before the start I scanned the field and was feeling confident that I could be a contender to win the race although I knew that anyone could potentially come out of the woodwork. The winning times from years past were consistently in the 2:40’s so my odds were good that if I ran quicker than that, I would win.
 

 
The race starts with a 2-3 mile downhill, which sounds nice, but I would prefer flat ground. I really don’t think I made up any time with that descent. Then we hit a nice 10 mile stretch of flat bike path where I was able to just settle into my pace and cruise. I knew I had to run 5:57’s to get the course record so my thought while looking down at my splits on my Garmin watch was, “Any mile that starts with a 5 is a good mile…any one that starts with a 6 is a bad mile.” It turns out after all was said and done, I had 18 good miles and 8 bad ones.

I wasn’t sure how those 5:50ish miles were going to feel but luckily they just felt like I was cruising at marathon pace, well within my limits.

Lots of guys went out hard but it became apparent after about 4-5 miles that there was really only one other guy that I had to worry about. With a 3-person relay element to this race I was not sure if this one guy out ahead of me was running the full marathon or if he was just running the 1st leg of the course. Sadly, after the relay handoff around mile 10 came and went, he was still there. Who turned out to be Jorge Maravilla opened up about a 1-2 minute gap on me within the first 8 miles or so. From there it seemed we were basically cruising at the same pace, I was not closing on him nor was he opening a greater gap. It was kind of nice to have that carrot out there to chase. I kept telling myself that he was going to come back to me. I seem to finish pretty strong, or at least not fade too hard late in races so I thought that just maybe I would see him down the road and still have a chance to win.

I felt pretty strong on all the flat sections and OK on the hill portions. The hills just worried me more than anything; I didn’t know how they were going to affect my legs as I’ve never run a marathon with any kind of hills in it. I was taking in gu’s every 4 miles and took one S-Cap at the hour mark, I didn’t get one hint of leg cramps which was great for me! I tried to take in a lot of fluids but some of the aid stations made that hard.

If I had one criticism of this race it would be the aid stations. Some of them were great, at one of them a guy even chased me down for about 75 meters to hand me a gu! But at two of them nobody was there to hand me cups so I had to stop and grab them myself…and the ones that did have cups ready it was very hard to get more than one cup because the aid station people were not properly staggered. I know this is a smaller event but with a little coaching this could have easily been taken care of. Aside from that though, this race was seriously awesome and well organized!

Due to the lack of fluids I was getting I was super lucky to have my girlfriend Nikki there for additional support. I saw her at miles 13 and 18 where she was ready with a water bottle, gu’s, and an encouraging word. She was a lifesaver!

I held it all together pretty good through about mile 21. I actually felt like I hit this really hard zone a little earlier than I did at the Eugene Marathon (race report) last May but I attribute it to the course. From mile 21-23 there was some seriously steep little rollers that didn’t make much of a blip on the elevation profile because they may have only been 10-20 feet high but they were steep so they definitely took me out of my rhythm…and late in a race like that is when your rhythm is what takes you through.

Over the second half of the race I received a lot of intel from spectators, other racers, and Nikki about the leader, Jorge, and how much time he had on me. At first it was consistently a minute, then it creeped up to a minute and a half, then 2 minutes, and then for the last 4 miles I didn’t hear anything. I kept looking for him though on the long straightaway sections! You never know, people blow up late in marathons all the time and I still thought that just maybe if I maintained my pace, he could come back to me.

Those last 3 miles were really tough. My legs were going and I had a few “BAD” miles but nothing too slow. Just for you data geeks out there, here were my mile times: 5:49, 5:41, 5:55, 6:05, 5:54, 5:52, 5:53, 5:57, 5:51, 5:52, 5:57, 6:01, 6:05, 5:34, 5:57, 6:04, 5:45, 5:49, 5:51, 5:45, 5:49, 6:00, 6:00, 6:12, 6:09, 6:01. I was OK with my effort level over those last 4 miles but looking back I think I could have dug a little deeper. It was tough though, there were no spectators, no competitors in sight, I was too disoriented to crunch the numbers to know my potential overall time outcome, they were just plain hard. But again, I faded a little, but hung pretty tough with 6:12 being my slowest mile.
 

 
I hit the Sundial Bridge, basically closed my eyes, and sprinted it in…2:35:28 was the official time. Another 3 minutes off my PR! I was 23 seconds under the course record and any other year in the history of the race, I would have won! But sadly, well not sadly, ironically I guess, this year happened to be the year that a real stud showed up. It turned out that Jorge Maravilla is a “somebody” in the running world and cruised his way to a 2:31! After chatting with him after the race he told me he felt great and closed hard. What was a 2 minute gap between us at 20 miles turned into a 4 minute gap at 26…he was NOT coming back! However, he went on to tell me that he is not actually a road marathoner, but a mountain runner. Apparently he recently won the Tahoe Rim Trail 100 miler and the Whiskeytown 50k. Also in 2011, he became a professional and is now sponsored by Salomon, not a bad resume.

Although I didn’t get the win or the course record, I did get my name in the RECORD BOOKS with a 25-29 year old age group record and a 2nd overall record. Hopefully those will stand for awhile! In all honesty though, I enjoy the records, the competition, the pursuit of personal bests and all but really I just love to run and share it with other people. I love getting out there and in the mix with other runners in hopes of achieving personal goals but in a collective environment. Because I finish the race in a quicker time than some people does not mean I tried any harder or achieved any greater. Me and Nikki went back to the finish line 2-3 hours after the race and saw a woman who had just crossed the finish line. She was hobbling like crazy and looked like she had tears in her eyes. She was there with her loved ones as she proudly stumbled back to the car. She finished a marathon, she pushed her body to it’s limit, she achieved her goal, she overcame just like everyone else. I hope to inspire others to run and am inspired myself by all runners; whether it’s Jorge Maravilla at 2:31 or your 6 hour runner who slugs it out well into the afternoon.

Get out there and run, any pace, any place, any level…just run and you’ll be an inspiration.