Valle Forge

Valle Forge
I missed! Great place to run!

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Toughies

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.      

Which 50K is my Toughest Toughie?  My top three TOUGHIES are Jemez, Catoctin, and Lost Lake.  Jemez has about 6600 feet of gain.  I think the combination of elevation gain and sustained running at altitudes above 7000 feet gives Jemez the edge.  Catoctin has about 7500 feet of gain.  I think the combination of July heat, with more rocks than dirt on the trail give it a solid second place.  Interestingly enough, my finish times for these TOUGHIE events were 8:27 (J), 7:17 (C), and 7:09 (LL).