Lizzie, Jamie (just finished the race) and Susan. Susan is my ultra-running bartender friend. She was at the race cheering on runners. She wanted me to put up a picture of her and her friends on my blog. On her wrist is her brand new garmin that she's super psyched about - a gift from her fiance.
Came in at 8:51 or so. Missed the sub-8:31 but managed to come in under last year's time which was 9:03. I've been scratchin my head about it since I finished. I fully expected to come under that 8:31 time. When I set that PR at Quicksilver earlier this year I was still tired from the Wildflower Long Course triathlon the weekend before and it's still my opinion that Quicksilver is a slightly harder race.
It rained all day yesterday. The RD's, Ann and Carl suggested that this might not be the day for PRs because of the mud. It wasn't as bad as we thought but there was definitely a bad stretch, part of it uphill. The mud was thick and sticky. It stuck on your shoes and made them a couple pounds heavier. They stuck on the bottom, the sides and the front and back of the shoe. It was no use scrapping them off because it just built up again, you had to wait until you cleared the mud sections. Maybe I was also wrong about Quicksilver being a tougher race. Mostly though and I do think this, I'm just tired from what has been a great year of racing. I require longer recovery times these days and I hold less of a charge. I'm an old rechargeable battery. This year I made it a point to increase the intensity and it has been successful. I've been rewarded by PRs and great races. Intensity = more fatigue however and my body is showing it. Baby hold it together for one more race, two tops.
The people I knew who were doing their first 50-miler finished; Addy, Patrick, Eric....I'm sure I'm missing someone. Also got to meet up with the other bloggers, Addy and Eric is part of that group but also Donald, Mark, Chihping and Steve...again I think I'm missing someone, mind a little fuddled.
Good run, wish I was faster. Thing is deep down, I know I can be faster on this course. Something to work on for next year.
This is a great run, for veterans and first timers. It was my first 50 and it continues to challenge me to this day. A well supported, organized run. The race directors are phenomenal runnners. Ann Trason is a legend and Carl is no slouch either. You get great schwag and treated to a great post race bbq which is also open to friends and family.
Huge kudos to the volunteers. Special shout out to Will G. who was out all day despite a badly sprained ankle. Will my man, seriously, you've got to stop doing these crazy things like trying to hurdle a metal gate at 10 mph or toying with fast runners. Always living on the edge.
More pics and thoughts when I can think straight.
Hey, those 20 extra minutes were for me! You did promise it!!!
ReplyDeleteCongrats, Rick, I read all this rain discussion on ultra list and smiled - what's the big fuss about? It only sucks to get yourself out the door and on to do the first few steps...Did you sign my jacket with Ann? Did you have fun? Stop complaining, may be you expected that PR too much. I say, be humble, every time entering the ultra. It has its own twist:)
Wish I were there!
I'm an old rechargeable battery.
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What's up u old fart-lol whatever!
Hey Bro, Congrats on a great race you have had an awesome race ur with ur TRI's and Ultra's Way to Go!
Call me when u get a chance, recover well my friend. Congrats Again!
Olgie - You Pacific Northwest people, you guys laugh about the rain and mud like people in Texas laugh about the heat.
ReplyDeleteI've got bad news about the jacket. Ann said half of them were ruined by the people doing the embroidery. She wasn't able to save you a jacket. I had my Sharpie pen ready and everything.
Bobby - Looking forward to my time off at the end of the season. Will make new again, the things that are old and worn out - me!
Stephen - Congratulations again on your 2nd Portland marathon finish.
Rick,
ReplyDeleteI think the mud's deceleratory effect was pretty major. There were a lot of DNF's for those that make it close to the cutoffs, including Helen Klein, Wini Jebian, and others, I think due largely to it. Even if Quicksilver is probably a harder course on a normal day, I tend not to compare times on different courses. So, feel good about yourself for running as well as you could yesterday.
If you DO turn yourself in, please do so at a place that recycles rechargeable batteries, because I hear that discarded ones majorly leach toxic chemicals into the environment.
Thanks for that long 1 minute ride back into the park. My wife WAS home and breastfeeding.
Will try to post my the end of the week, but too much work and other stuff going on.
It was so great seeing you out there! Congrats on the awesome time (even if you weren't completely thrilled with it, that mud really did make everything harder). I can't even concieve of being able to complete 50 miles that quickly. You're amazing :)
ReplyDeleteWasn't it just the perfect day though, weather wise? We really lucked out :D
Congrats on the race, Rick! Your time still sounds pretty fast to me. You'll have that PR to shoot for again next year. I hope you plan on resting a little before 2008 begins.
ReplyDeleteHey man. Great to see you out there. I think seeing you so close to the turnaround point terrified me into working a lot harder than I otherwise would have.
ReplyDeleteI'm envious of how you make all of this seem so easy. After the events we've done together, I usually feel like I've been run over by a truck, and you just roll along to the next event. Your batteries still have a lot of life left.
I'll probably be bugging you a lot more if this WS thing ever works out for me. Good lottery vibes for both of us!
OMG, Rick, I can't even respond to your old rechargeable battery comment. Please.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations. You have proven, once again, that you are a super star.
Who needs to run a race when you have fine ladies surrounding you? ;-)
ReplyDeleteAWESOME JOB!!!! You rock!
Thanks Rick..Well done (again).
ReplyDeleteJennie...I heard of your unfortunate knee trouble, really hope it heals up soon for you. [Great blog picture BTW...holy smokes!]
Will G.
Congrats on a great time. Sorry you didn't get a pr, but better than last year (course pr?) is pretty good too! I hope to do this one someday.
ReplyDeleteI have a hard time believing that one day of rain will make the mud that bad. : ) Take care and recover well.
hey, rick. it was great to meet you yesterday at the race. i took your advice of breaking the race to 19 and 31 miles, and apparently it worked for me.
ReplyDelete8:51, that's awesome, rick!
congratulations on that run! i wish i could do runs this long sometime in the near future. :)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on a great race!! Your time looks fantastic! Thanks for your kind words on my blog! :>)
ReplyDeleteRick, a course PR is nothing to sneer at. : ) I know, I know... but I am still happy for you.
ReplyDeleteWill, you made me blush - thank you. I am happy to report that I am on the mend. Rick told me of your injuries and I hope you too are on the mend! No hurdling gates!
Way to go, Rick! That is fantastic. I can't comprehend that kind of distance over a hilly, muddy course in that kind of time. You rule! :)
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