Well, that was a kick in the pants! I enjoy races that challenge me in extreme ways, and this one certainly fit the bill. Event 9 in the 50at50 Project was Run Wild Adventures' Buck Mountain Mudslinger Trail Run, six and half miles of slop. www.runwildadventures.com Okay, it wasn't all slop but - trust me - there was plenty of mud, water, slipping, sliding, slogging. On the sections that were actually relatively dry, the running was very good. Much like the south end of Wildwood Trail in Forest park, the sections close to the road which are more heavily used seemed to drain the best. But on the sections deeper in, they were a mess. My poor New Balance trail shoes can attest!
As hard as it was, I crawled out of bed at 5:45 this lovely Saturday morning. Having learned from my wife, Camera Crew, I had set everything out the night before. I even ground up my coffee and had it all ready to go - just heat water and - boom - coffee! I hit the road about 6:30, excited to see what this event would bring. Took I-5 south and cut off on Highway 214 to Mt. Angel, then through the town of Silverton. About 15 miles down the road is Silver Falls State Park, a beautiful area of Oregon. The park features many waterfalls, hiking trails, mountain biking, yurts, and camping areas. This temperate rain forest is located in the lower elevations of the Cascade Mountains. Of the ten or so waterfalls, four of them have trails which will take you behind the falls!
Note to Bex!: Must explore here!
The event organizers did a great job with signage, leading me right to the parking area. I got checked in and refilled the coffee mug. When I got my bib number the guy at the table said "Hera ya go - number 301." I responded "What a coincidence - that will probably be my finish time."
It was below freezing for sure - very cold. The puddles in the parking lot were frozen and there was frost on all the shrubs and trees. As is usually the case, I arrived maybe a little too early, so had some hang out time. Some of it spent wandering around; the rest in the car to keep warm. As the sun came over the trees, runners stood in little clumps in the sunshine to soak up some warmth. After much waiting and several trips to pee, it was race time.
The starter made some general announcements about the timing and the trail conditions. He also said that the course would be marked with flower arrows. I thought this was a pretty cool, spring-like touch. It wasn't until we hit the first one that I realized what he actually said was 'flour arrows'. Heh heh (ahem).
About 3/4 of a mile in, we hit the first and shorter of the two steep climbs, this one about 300 feet over 1/2 a mile or so. Very tough going, most everyone walked. You see, it seems water runs down hill and for much of this hill and all the others, we were slogging through ankle deep, shoe-sucking mud and sometimes actual running water. It was awesome!!
Once I got to the top of Hill 1, I set a decent pace for myself as the course rolled along a ridge line. There were some ups and downs, and plenty of mud. You know that kind of mud that is so saturated and thick that it's slippery and yet sticks to your shoes? Yep. Had to scrape the bottoms of the kicks several times as I ran along, using a shuffling step to remove mud so the tread would grab a little. Hill 2 was a bear - I know I was breathing so hard I sounded like one, anyway. It was 600+' over about a mile - brutal. Got up it, though, then it was mostly downhill or flat all the way to the finish line. The latter stretches were more rock strewn, so picking my line kept me raptly focused on where my feet were setting down! And with the water running down the middle of the steeper parts, I had to use the side to side bounce technique quite a bit - right foot up on the bank then kinda hop-step the left foot to the other side of the trail, all in an attempt to stay out of the slimy slippery stuff in the middle.
I hit the finish line in 1:34, not super great - if it had been a 'normal' race. I felt pretty damn good considering the trail conditions and the two other facts: this was the longest distance I've done so far in the 50at50 Project; and it was the first trail run of the season.
Trail running is much different than road running. I look at road running as a necessary evil. If I could do all my running on trails, I would. For me, grinding out miles on the road is just boring. If I'm running in a place I've never been, like when we travel somewhere then that can be at least somewhat interesting. Trail running, however, requires that you are almost always focused on the path. You can sort of zone out on the road but you can't do that on trails. Roots, rocks, branches, slippery leaves, MUD all mean you have to pay attention. I like that. It's a mental workout as well as physical. And, man, all those fast twitch stabilizer muscles that you use when trail running - well, those are gonna be sore! Haven't yet had the need to call upon those this year.
After a couple of beers and some 'hanging out in the sun' time, I was ready to hit the road. About the beer, Seven Brides Brewing in Silverton provided the bevvies www.sevenbridesbrewing.com I had a very nice pale ale - they call it their LPA (Lauren's Pale Ale). Funny to see the difference between 'big city' PDX events and ones like this. In Portland, there are fenced in beer gardens, OLCC monitors and ID checks; here the guy from the brewery poured for a bit, then poured himself one and after that it was self-serve!
Drive back was nice, although traffic was much heavier, of course.
All in all, I am very pleased with the results and my performance.
Event 9B is tomorrow!! Remember, Camera Crew is in San Diego and is running a scavenger hunt race with her family. I can't wait to hear how it goes and to see the video she gets along the way.
For now, I am just going to enjoy the feeling of being one event ahead of her, even if it's just for a short time.
Ahhhhh!
Flour Arrows! Love it. That made me laugh!
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