gorge waterfalls 50k

I've been thinking about an outcropping of moss covered rocks all day long.

In a race in which towering waterfalls, basalt cliffs, stands of old growth forest and fields of scree ruled the day, one magical spot stands out.

I cannot tell you when I got there, only that it was sometime after mile 10 and before the last downhill run to the finish. I scrambled through this rock passage, stepping gingerly, but in my heart, I could feel its magic. Powerful magic, because despite the fact that I can barely move my quads today, despite the fact that I decided that the long road was the wrong road for me, despite the fact I truly questioned my love of running entirely out there, I find myself thinking about that spot and how I really want to see it again next year.

Such is the magic of ultrarunning.

Waterfall #2,127 or something like that!

The first thing I noticed at the start of the race was the difference in race chatter. Forget BQ talk. It's all about the 100 milers, or the 50 milers, or the 5th 50k of the year. Don't look for cutely coordinated running outfits or pretty makeup on the ladies, either. There is no prancing or posing, only doing.  It is intimidating, and I was scared.

The race starts off with a climb. A big one.  1,500 feet in two miles.  I had glanced at the race elevation chart last week, and I remembered a climb at the start, and a second one towards the finish.  Perhaps I should have paid a wee bit more attention.

An actual Garmin read of the course - around 8,000 feet of gain.

I began the race with my friends Debbie & Jodi - focusing on keeping my adrenaline under control. I'm the type of runner who likes to go out too fast and blow up, and I knew that this strategy would result in a DNF for me. It was a long, slow climb to the top of that first hill, and by the top, I was starting to check my watch in a panic.

One thing I've learned about myself is that I don't do well under the gun.

The race had a 9 hour time limit, so they had aid station cut-offs in place. Never having run a 50k before, I wasn't sure about how strict they would be, and the last thing I wanted was to not make a cut-off. So I was getting twitchy.  I was worried about Debbie, who wasn't feeling well, but I was also worried about getting booted from the race, being a total crank to be around, and upsetting their race by my inability to be graceful under pressure. So near the top of the hill, I made the decision to push on ahead and run on my own.

I soon came across Julie, who was worried about her piriformis and IT band issues going in to the race. But she was moving well and we traveled together for quite awhile.

Julie heads towards another waterfall.

And then it was just a lot of running. Up. Down. Around. Over. Yes, over.  Over streams, downed trees, rocks, slides.  At one point, the trail was so washed away that there was only a few inches of trail left to step on. That was a crazy moment. Somehow I got over it and kept on moving.

Pink compression socks for the win! Didn't change
them all day.

One of the wonderful things about ultras is that you get to meet people along the trail. I met a man who qualified for Boston 3 times and never ran it...because after his last qualifying run he had had triple bypass surgery and was never able to run as quickly. But he was out there running long runs, including 100 milers, and that was awesome to see.

I met a man who told me about how his kids were getting in to running, about the races he loved to do, and the adventures he had had on the trail.  We were on a mossy, bright green road at that point...this is all that I can remember.

I met some ladies who were slow on the uphill (their words, not mine!) but quickly passed me on the flats and the downhill.  I got to know Keely, a friend of Jodi's, as we took turns leapfrogging each other almost the entire race.

At times I would plug in my headphones and just move with the music, spending long stretches alone.

I listened to freeway traffic, owls, streams, the chatter in my own head.

Wait, didn't I see this waterfall already?

At times I was ecstatic.  Loving running, loving the scenery, loving every step of the journey.

At others I was cursing the rocks. Cursing the hills. Cursing my legs. Cursing running altogether.

If there is one truth in ultrarunning, it is that nothing stays the same.  A good stretch turns ugly. An ugly stretch gets better. You just keep moving. "Relentless forward motion" was my mantra for many miles.

It's funny. I found that I had no sense of distance or time. I measured my progress by the aid stations, by trees.  I would look at my watch and struggle to remember when I had last eaten or taken an S-Cap. I would decide to eat in 20 minutes, and then realize with shock that the 20 minutes had already passed.  Eight hours passed with amazing speed.

If you want to be loved, volunteer at an aid station. Another running friend, Sarah, volunteered at mile 20. I thought about seeing her for miles and nearly cried when I finally did.  I had a moment when I considered moving in to the aid station and eating everything in sight, but a couple of cups of Coca Cola, a few potatoes and the most delicious Three Musketeers ever, and I was good to go.

The mandatory out and back led to this gem of a waterfall.

The last ten miles were a blur.  I ran when I could, walked when I had to, and pushed through increasing pain in my legs. This is when the cursing began in earnest, the dark slog of doubt creeping in. But it was also incredibly beautiful in this section, with deep forests and stunning moss covered trees.  I wanted to run, but I was struggling with the rocks on the trail.  I did what I could.

Finally, I was within sight of the finish. The trail was smooth, and I pushed it out, a huge smile on my face. I had conquered the bad boy. I could smell the burgers. And eight hours, eight minutes and one second after I started, I finished the Gorge Waterfalls 50k.

Post race burger and beer. That was a long way to run for food!

Race notes:
138 runners started the race; 125 finished. Top male finished in 4:25 and top female in 4:49. Approximately 8,000 feet of elevation gain means this race was tough - a good one for experienced ultrarunners. First timers - maybe not so much :) But you can do it! Run lots of hills and get used to rocks. 10+++ for scenery.