Toughies
Lost Lake 50K is a TOUGHIE! Einstein said, “Insanity is repeating the same mistake and expecting a different result.” Of course Plato said, “There is no harm in repeating a good thing.” The trouble is I’m not sure which of the above is the more accurate statement.
When I’m in a training work-up I try to match business travel to running events. I frequently end up with TOUGHIE events added to my calendar. Insanity or a good thing – you be the judge. You would think the running gods would smile down on me and offer up a string of EASY run events to go with my business travel plans!
Lost Lake had several memorable moments:
Larabee State Park: Each description of the trail network from the various narratives for Larabee State Park in Washington begins with, “A very steep climb from…”
Chinscraper: This section is about a 1 to 1.5 mile, average 17% grade (ridiculous), rock and root filled trail. Even better when wet.
Raptor Ridge: A snaky, twisty, surrounded by prehistoric foliage, very steep up and down trail. The rollercoaster makes for several periods of interrupted running. All I wanted was quarter mile of trail that could be run nonstop.
Stinging Nettle: The race director warned folks about this plant and frequently repeated that contact should be avoided. I had never heard of stinging nettle. When I asked what it looked like the response was, “Green and Leafy.” Let me remind you that Lost Lake is in the Pacific Northwest – everything you see is green and leafy. The plant is covered with hypodermic like needles that inject histamine and other chemicals into the skin that produce a stinging sensation.
Elevation Gain: The 50K has 8000 feet of gain. Most of this occurs during 4 climbs over the first 20 miles. All of my training is done in TX. On most 20 mile runs I might experience 100 feet of elevation gain. “Hurts” is the only word a flatlander needs to answer any assortment of “How do you feel” questions.
Descents: Even the descents were too steep to run. I found myself trying to pick my way around rocks and roots as a crept down the mountain. I love the downhill, but falling off this trail meant a nasty tumble down several hundred feet of mountain side. I opted for caution, managed to stay on the trail in an upright position, and finished nettle free.
Jumping: No matter how short the drop looks – do not jump! Confronted with backtracking 20 yards or jumping off a boulder, I chose to jump. It looked like a 2-3 foot drop. However; given the amount of air time and my ability to think through the 20 reasons why I made a mistake, it must have been more like 4-6 feet. Hence the “thud” sound I made when landing and the jamming of both knees.
Howdy: People in Washington have no idea what Howdy meansJ The rainbow shorts coupled with a friendly Howdy resulted in quite a few odd looks.
Boundary Bay Brewery in Bellingham, WA, proved to be a good post-race choice. The ESB was especially delicious.
The Skagit Runners did a mighty fine job putting on the event. The trails were well marked and the aid stations had all of the essentials.
