Enjoying life and running go hand in hand with me. Basically any day I have the chance to go and prance around in the great outdoors, it’s a good day. Running brings me to life and fills me up with enough endorphins to prod around blissfully the rest of the day. Running by myself or with some friends are equally enjoyable. So when I had the chance last year to run the worlds largest relay race, Hood to Coast, with some friends and family I was all in. Hood to Coast is a relay event where you run stages from Mt Hood to Seaside, Oregon for an 197 mile pilgrimage. It would have been a fun adventure and good way to celebrate my 27th birthday. But, good Friends Hal (AIFF sponsor of Hood to Coast – Rouge Valley Runners) and Carly had other plans and were married this past August on the same day which turned into a day to celebrate life and their journey together. I wasn’t able to run the race, but recently was able to live it through the legs and eyes of others through an inspiring documentary called Hood to Coast.
This moving film will be debuting this Thursday and Saturday during the 10th annual ashland independent film festival where my beautiful wife Krista spends her working hours! I’m blessed to live in such a great city and state where I have the opportunity to check out fresh independent films and run races all over this splendid state.
If you are interested you can read more about the film and even get tickets to it at the ashland independent film festival this weekend, April 7-11, 2011. Check it out for yourself here. Have a fantastic weekend everyone!
A week after racing Way Too Cool 50k I was back at it again. I definitely don’t recommend running two 50k’s back to back, but as of the time of this writing, I think I survived.
Well, my recovery/tapering combo week was a bit crazy. My wife and I just bought a house and received the keys to our new home the Friday before Way Too Cool. After a super fast competitive race in Cool I was on my way home to start packing. We needed to be out of our rental by Chuckanut weekend, which meant we had four days to complete an entire move, including moving everything, cleaning a house and adding a hole in the front of the house for a new door to my new Massage headquarters.
Hole from leak in upstairs shower…the joy’s of home ownership. On another note the trail system I run on is 5ft from my property!!!
I almost didn’t go to Chuckanut, but it sounded like a refreshing vacation before tackling the rest of the house. I’m glad I did. Chuckanut chewed me up and spit me out. What a brutal but awesome course. Just what I needed. Each race has moments of pain and the recurring thought of “why do I do this,” but running under 6min pace to start a race is just wrong. From the off we were flying; thank God for the gorgeous Chuckanut mountains to halt our speed.
There was a pretty large group of talented runners pushing each other right from the start. A few miles on the interurban trail, with a stunning view of Chuckanut Bay (Pugent Sound), a lead pack was established with Mike Smith (Olympic trials marathon qualifier) nonchalantly pushing the pace. I let the lead pack of Mike, Geoff Roes, my main man Erik Skaggs (who resides in Ashland as well) and Aaron Heidt go (which was a mistake) because I thought I would save a little energy for the climbs. Every race you learn more about racing and I probably should have tried to hang on to the pack for dear life. As we left the 1st aid station and entered the forest to our first climb on the Two Dollar trail, they already had a 20 second gap on us from behind. The single track was beautiful but with little room to do any passing I slowly crept around a few dudes and by the time I entered the next aid station I was in 4th and climbing up the Cleator dirt road as fast as I could. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of the lead folks, but never received that luxury for the rest of the day.
As we rose up onto Chuckanut ridge the real party began. Boulders, trees, roots and shrubs pieced the ridge together as far as the eye could see. It was easy to find the trail; if you went off you died. This section was slow for me, but a blast. I’m not used to running on such technical trails, but I really enjoyed the unforgiving trail and its plethora of obstacles. Some boulders were tricky but with swell footing and others were slip-n-slides eagerly awaiting our fall. But what a blast– even when it hurts, ultra-running is blissful.
Blazing Chuckanut Ridge Trail mile 13 photo by Glenn Tachiyama
Normally there’s a chance to catch your breath in an ultra, but not on Saturday. Once you’ve sprinted for miles, climbed the biggest climb, hopped, skipped and jumped over every rock, it’s then time to get muddy. I enjoyed the fact that after miles of slopping through mud, there was actually a sign saying, “mud ahead.” Hahaha, oh the good times we had.
My Peak II running shoes covered in slop photo by Jordan Stead for The Bellingham Herald
After a little dirt and flying down a dirt road it was time for another climb. They call it Chinscraper for a reason. It wasn’t as long as the other climb of the day, but Chinscraper roughed us up and left us breathless.
I climbed a good portion of it, but had to throw a little power hiking to polish it off. A hard climb tests your limits and humbles you like nothing else. It’s a beautiful mess that for some reason I can’t get enough of. I didn’t have long moments of Zen-like euphoria, but nonetheless these races allow me to see majestic views and give reminders to live in the present moment and enjoy every precious moment (even the gnarly ones), I’m gifted. Running reminds me to breath and no matter what life brings my way I can summit it.
What goes up, must come down, and so down I flew. I knew I had fast people behind me and I was told Skaggs was just a minute or two in front of me. I pushed it hard down Fragrance Lake road and even hit 5:40 pace for some of it. It hurt, but I had to test the legs.
With an awkward transition from down hill to the straight (back on the Interurban trail) and fast I wiggled along. The knees were weak and I knew I had someone on my tail. I tried running as fast as I could, even hitting 6:30 pace, which I thought was respectful after such a punishing middle section of the course. I pushed hard, but Aaron still caught me with about a mile and a half to go. It was a bummer, but that’s how the cookie crumbles, as they say.
Looking back, I would have liked to push it a little harder at the end, but all in all I’m quite happy with two good races in a row. I look forward for the season to continue and racing longer courses. I’m not really sure what distance I like the best yet. I do however feel that a build up of races to the 100 is a good way for my body to adapt.
Top 5 (L to R) Geoff, Matt, Erik, Aaron and myself at the finish Photo by Jordan Stead for The Bellingham Herald
I felt pretty spent after the race, but nothing seemed too out of whack. Within the next hour I was bundled up in some warm Pearl iZUMi gear and drinking First Endurance Ultragen to restore my body. I really believe that the effects of Ultragen have helped me recover smoothly and I feel a lot less sore on the days that follow hard efforts.
I want to give a big thank you to Krissy (RD) and Ellen (C0-RD), who put on a wonderful race, which is a classic and must do 50k. However, that last 10k, at least in theory, sounds like a good strong finish, but man did I want it to stop. Thank you to all the extra hands that volunteered and made this such a spectacular event. I had so much fun during and after the race. Great food (thanks Mamma Moehl), jamming music (thanks Naked Hearts Duo), healing massage and lots of amazing friends to keep me company after. What a party!
Post race chillen
All in all it was a weekend to remember. I was able to spend some good time (10hr drives) back in forth with Skaggs, Jenn and Maya. We played lots of games and made the time tick by. We finished the move to our new home late on Sunday night. And I had my massage room all ready Monday afternoon to help other running nuts like me recover up and enjoy more beautiful days on the trails.
I couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day to run. Cool California was a delightful spot for a solid morning run. I was anticipating a fast start with a line up of talented speedsters from around the running circuit. They didn’t disappoint and at the starting gun, off we flew.
and we’re off… Photo by Hannah Olson
I tried to not push too hard, but enough to keep the leaders in eye site. I felt I was in a good spot as Hal Koerner and Rod Bien were chumming it up behind me and we were still moving under 6min/mile pace. The start was a fast down grade on pavement, on which we flew by the 700 or so cars lined up along the side of the road. It was a huge event and the biggest Ultra I’ve ever seen. An overall fun start, but it mellowed quickly as we entered the 7mile single track loop around and back to the first aid station and basically where we started. It was a fast loop that wasn’t very technical besides a few river crossings and mud piles that multiplied throughout the course. My feet were soaked from about 2 miles in and never really had a chance to dry. Fortunately, my new Peak shoes drained well and were light enough even with the extra baggage of precipitation and muddiness. It was the beginning of a fun filled fast day around Cool with the added bonus of spending a good portion of it with Oregonian Ultra gods Hal and Rod. We busted through the first section in good spirits with a 8ish mile split of 52.22, around a 6.30 pace. We were moving well, but soon realized that we let the leaders Mike Wolf, Todd Braje and Gary Gellin out of sight just a hair too soon.
As we puttered up a little climb and jumped on to the Western States part of the course we picked up the pace even a little more in sections. I didn’t force anything to save a strong push up the few climbs of the day and hopefully reel in the folks ahead. As we started the climbing section of the course I separated from the pack I was in bit-by-bit till I was alone in the woods. I was hoping to gain some ground and catch a glimpse of the leaders as I feel climbing is where I have some strength in this ultra world. I run a pretty good-sized climb every morning in Ashland cuz that’s what I love to do, and it’s important in races to know one’s strengths.
Running around Cool! Picture by Hannah
Cruising up and around the single track my body noticeably switched from the jolly “this is fun” stage of Ultra’s to the “damn, now I have to work hard” phase. It’s a sobering experience and one that grows on you as the season progresses. I enjoy being alone in the woods, trying to take in the natural beauty as I digest a not-so-natural gooish substance…mmm mmm good. As the day unfolds and the goo collects on my face, hands, hair and sometimes behind my ears, I enter the state of being where having goo and mud splattered all over doesn’t really matter, I am just an animal pouncing through the wildness. Running is a freedom I am so grateful to have and to share my passion with others as we connect through this infatuation. As I bounce over a banana slug It reminds me I’m not the only one to use this trail and also a good reminder to watch each and every step as I lay my prints on this earth.
My family from L to R-Maxeeen (mom), Mark (Dad), Frog (no relation), Hannah (sis), myself and Grace (sis) Olson. They came to visit all the way from Wisconsin! Thanks for coming to watch, love y’all lots.
The race and exhaustion build as I bear on. The climb up to Goat hill was a brutal one and I gave a hard push through miles 20-26 to hopefully bump into someone in front of me rather than behind. I felt I had a solid go on that stretch with the reward of eying a blue shirted man up ahead. I was eager to go get him, but my legs had an agenda all their own. As I started my descent down I took a little leap off a rock edge and the jarring was just a little too much for my hammys. They locked up and my right one spasmed for a minute. I stopped to stretch and massage for a second to get it to settle down. I was worried this would be my scenario to the end, but after a slow mile it gave me a break and forged on.
Catching our breath after a fast race… Hal, Todd, myself and Gary. photo by Hannah
I passed Karl Meltzer, who stopped by to watch some action on his way through. He gave me some encouragement and told me I was only 20-30 seconds back. I tried to give a push, but just didn’t have much speed left. I could see the blue man (Gary Gellin; Solid race and battle, bro!) ahead, but we were just to close to the finish to put forth any crazy kick, so I skipped on in to 3:36:40 PR and a solid forth place finish…Cool!
The race was excellent and a beautiful way to check out some of the Western States course I’ll be going for in June. Thank you to the RD Julie Fingarand everyone who helped put this on and organized so many people and vehicles for the new and improved Way Too Cool 50K.
Last year I decided that I wanted to run with gumption. I wanted to push my body to the extreme and run Ultra’s as fast as I possibly could. I learned a lot last year about what my body can handle and myself. There were sacrifices involved, but in the end I was quite happy with the results. Not only have I met amazing people and viewed beautiful vistas, but I was also honored with the privilege to run for the company and team Pearl iZUMi!
Boulders signature Flatirons
Set with a dazzling backdrop of the Colorado Rockies’ flat irons is Pearl iZUMi headquarters. In my short visit to Louisville Colorado for the Pearl iZUMi Team Summit, organized by Kody Riley (thanks for all the work you put into this weekend and the team), I was taken on a whirlwind voyage through the design and final production of their product. I had the opportunity to meet most of the Pearl iZUMi staff that makes all this great gear possible. Man, they work hard and what an interesting experience to learn more about their products and the materials that make each piece unique and efficient. The Peak II is the most excited I’ve ever been about a shoe by far. I was privileged to be sporting the only size 9 that exists so far. Mike Thompson (the shoe guru) has turned out a smoking trail shoe with the input from Pearl iZUMi team members. I’ll talk more about the shoe later, but I look forward to flying around in this shoe for many miles and races. I’ll be débuting them at Way Too Cool 50K in a couple weeks!
The New Peak II
Not only did we get the inside scoop on amazing shoes and apparel, but we were also able to learn about other great ultra running products that sponsor our team as well. We have Aric Manning who is our team manager and organizer, who also has killer shades with Smith Optics sunglasses to protect us from the sun and tree branches as we rip through the single track. They have a great line of sunglasses called Evolve which are earth friendly sunglasses using bio-based materials that work great for running like an animal or just casual chillin’.
Aric Manning and myself before a brisk morning run (why are you wearing shorts?) Photo:Ian Torrence
Robert Kunz and Krissy Mohel updated the team on the many benefits of using First Endurance for our fueling and daily strength, recovery and health. I try to consciously watch what goes into my body and with the quality product I see with First Endurance I look forward to continued use throughout training and racing with their products. Check their stuff out; their Ultragen recovery drink alone will be a valuable ingredient to a healthy year of running.
First Endurance product-Photo:Ian Torrance
Dale Fleckenstein from HighGear informed us on all their products like their new Axio Hr that is the combo of their Axio Max and Alterra watch with altimeter, barometer, compass, thermometer and chronograph that will help you keep track of the essentials as you climb those gnarly climbs in your next outdoor adventure. Keep an eye out for new advances like GPS as they keep expanding their technology.
Throughout this jam-packed weekend, I learned a ton and was able to connect with both new and old friends. I’m amped to be a part of Pearl iZUMi with such talented teammates and look to ramble over some incredible terrain as spring running fever is on the brink of eruption.
It’s been a wonderful start to the year. First off, my leg has fully recovered and with the added rest from the injury I’ve never felt so ready to start training.
Withlacoochee State Trail Florida
My first week in 2011 was a vacation with my wife’s family in Florida. I had to readjust to flat/sideways running…it was fun. As much as I love to run in the mountains, it’s still a good idea to keep it fresh and different. Running in Florida was definitely different. I had the pleasure of running 146 miles in my one week there including a few out n backs on the beach. An added bonus to where we were staying was this beautifully wooded 2-mile figure-eight dirt/sand loop only 2-miles from our vacation home. I spent a few days on that as well as doing sort of track/tempo workouts. What I mean by that is I just ran a lot of my miles under 7 and close to 6 minute pace and enjoyed working on my stride, as I had no hills to vary the pace. It was fun, but I’m so grateful to be back home in Ashland and running up 3000+ ft on a daily basis again.
Krista and myself on the lookout for alligators
I did run a lot of miles in Florida, maybe too many, but I had beautiful sunny days with nothing to do but run. Another attribute to the high millage for that week was an unexpected phone call from my family. My Grandpa had a heart attack and needed bypass surgery. This was quite a shock and I had many emotions flow through me as I processed this in my mind. The best ways for me to process is by hitting the nearest trails and feel my true emotions as they come up. So that’s what I did with a lot of prayers and mindfully setting intentions for my grandpa to be healthy and safe. My grandpa is a strong man and determined to keep enjoying the gift of life. He’s recovering superbly and getting stronger every day.
My Grandpa Frank and Grandma Elaine
It was hard being hours away from my grandpa when all I wanted was to see him and be there by his side. My grandpa and grandma are huge factors in my running and have encouraged me in everything I try. When I was a chubby sophomore in high school I decided I wanted to train hard during the offseason and be good the following year in cross-country. My training every day was running 6 or 7 miles as fast as I could to my grandparents home where they would fatten me up with delicious food and bring me home. This formed into a great routine that I continued for years. Every time I would run my way over there my grandpa would wait for me on their porch and when he’d see me coming a half-mile down the road he would hoot, hurrah, whistle and clap till I made it exhausted to the front porch. That last half of mile I gave it all I was worth, and even today I think about that last stretch to my grandparents house a lot when I’m feeling extra low in a race. The feeling of their love and unconditional support gives me goose-bumps and pushes me even more. Those memories always boost my spirit and still to this day as I make my way to my Grandparents house or to a finish line I think back on those great summer days.
Withlacoochee State Trail Florida
So with a good start to the year I was ready to get back to Ashland and start running some mountains. I thought it would be a little tough transitioning to the cold weather, but apparently I brought it back with us. It’s been so beautiful around here and it’s even allowed me to where shorts in January, I love it! My training thus far has been a pretty simple routine of running up to four-corners via the BTI (mostly single track) which gives me about a 14.4 miles and 3500 ft climb every morning. I switch up a little bit with an even harder climb in the middle of the week (18miles/4200 ft), sprinkled with a few night runs throughout the week. I’m average about 120 miles per week and feeling stronger everyday. The first week of the routine left me a little tired, but running this on a daily basis takes a little bit of time for the body to adjust to. I look forward to keeping my daily routine like this with some progressively longer runs on the weekends or if I have a slow day at the office.
So the plan was to go over to the Marin Headlands and take a crack at the abundance of talent that was congealing in San Francisco for TNF endurance challenge 50 mile championship. Unfortunately my body had another idea…rest.
A few weeks back my wife and I went to the Oregon coast and I capped off a solid 140-mile week of training with some running on Yachats lusciously green trails. However it was pretty rainy, muddy and slippery. I believe all the slipping led to a decent tear in my calf leading to some muscle splinting that left a band of fiber running down my calf to the Achilles, making the effort of running very painful. My plan was to give the leg a break and have an extended taper for the North face 50-mile championship. My leg had other ideas.
I feel like I did everything I could to help my calf recover. I had a couple of massages from others, plus my own work every other day, acupuncture sessions, chiropractic work, combined with a healthy diet and lots of icing, and a steady dose of arnica to keep the inflammation down. In addition I’ve been taking a product called Asea, which basically helps protect, repair and replace your cells. I believe all my effort to recover is working and I can now run 5-8 miles without much pain. I’m on the mend and will be scouring snowy slopes soon.
The thing is, all this does not help the fact that I trained my butt off for a race and now I have to sit on the sideline and watch. I feel like a little kid who just wants to go outside to play, but got in trouble and my parents won’t let me out to play. I’ve had a fun, adventure filled year, but I wanted one more day in the woods. In other words my ego is being a cry baby and I just need to accept that the season is done and its time to curl up next to the fire, enjoy a little more free time and give my body a chance to heal up. Plus I was excited to have the chance to crew for my wife’s first marathon, cheer her on and the rest of the Ashland gang and to take in the beauty of Marin Headlands with a backdrop of the ocean.
During my extended taper I have introduced a new way for my body to detoxify and get my blood flowing in the morning. I’ve found Bikram yoga! I’ve wanted to do it for years, but never got around to it. Doing Bikram the last few weeks gave my body something new and fun to play with. I found that in Bikram yoga, resting is just as important as strengthening. In Bikram one does all of these positions that can be fairly difficult to balance while trying to breath in 100+ degree heat making one feel close to dying. But then the next position is basically lying on the ground not moving which is called savasana. At first it feels great to simply finally have a break, but then one becomes aware of the body’s core and sees how important stillness is for the body in order to accept the deep strengthening that has just transpired. The stillness allows the body to heal, for the organs to do the work that goes into the detoxifying and strengthening of the whole. Sometimes I feel like I have to keep going to accomplish my dreams when what I really need is to be still and let the miraculous body be.
Lithia Loop USATF Trail Marathon Championship was this past weekend and guess what…it didn’t rain! You did it Hal, Congrats on a race in the sun!
Lithia loop snuck up on me just a little over a month past the Pine to Palm 100 mile footrace. I recovered well and have been really enjoying running with no goals in mind. Sometimes its nice to forget that I race and get back to my roots of just being out in nature, listening and connecting to the sounds and the silence which is a gift I can go and open pretty much any time I want.
Having the race a mile from our home, it became a nice roost for a few friends from the Portland area. My wife and I hosted Yassine Diboun and William Emerson, which was a pleasure to get to know them and hear tales of the trails from their running adventures. After a light dinner and a little geeking out on shoes we eventually hit the sack and rested our bodies for the morning loop around Ashland.
It was a perfect, crisp morning for the town of Ashland to host a nice jaunt around Lithia Loop. I woke up feeling really excited to run that morning. My legs were a little tired from no taper and 115 miles including the race for the week, but ready to work on a little speed turnover for the day. I ran from our house to the start (for a mile warm up) and arrived just a few minutes before the start. I was able to say “hi” to a few friends and away we went. Within a few seconds Max King already had a nice cushy lead and the race for 2nd was on. The first 8-10 miles is up hill and then the rest of the marathon is a nice gentle down grade before the last 6 miles of screaming downhill. Running up is my favorite, so I had a really relaxing jaunt up to the horn gap aid station. Tim Van Orden and I spent most of this time together playing leap frog as we tore up this section in about 8th and 9th respectively. I saw a lot of friends at the aid stations along the way and had a fun time saying hi to them while trying to keep a decent pace. Getting to four corners (mile 20ish) I caught a few people and had a guy from behind catch up to me. We went flying down the gravel road at about 5:30 pace, which was fun to see that I could run that fast and it didn’t rough me up too much. I tried to drop my place to 6th, but got schooled at the end to end up in 7th place with a time of 2:55 and a PR of 11 minutes from last years effort. Overall I felt really good about the day and happy to not have too much pain from the jarring downhill. It was an excellent race put on by Rouge Valley Runners’ and it’s always a pleasure to be a part of such a good time in my own back yard. Thank you to all the volunteers that put on such a splendid event.
I had a blast running, but the really fun part was getting to hang out with all the happy runners afterwards and getting to see all there smiling faces. Like last year, I like to run this event and then donate massage afterwards to help out my fellow Lithia Loopers. So after a little cool down and some H2O I was ready to start helping out the tired legs and backs.
My purpose for this blog and my running is to inspire people to get out side and inJoy this beautiful earth and all that it has to offer. For me, nothing compares to spending a day out in the woods, breathing in the healing source of oxygen and feeling the primal freedom of nothing more then to just explore. When I see people enjoy this freedom as much as I do I automatically connect with them and feel their delight as they smile from ear to ear. This year at Lithia Loop, the day was much more than a race. I was there with my running family, running, eating, drinking and being merry. I wanted to go for a good run and what better way to do it then have a whole group of us spring out of the gate on this beautiful Autumn morning.
Timothy, Yassin Diboun, Neil Olsen and Dave Dunham at the finish. photo: Richard Bolt
The real fun was after the race as I set up to massage all the wounded solders that stumbled, creaked and crawled to my massage table to see if I could squeeze out a little stiffness. Even if they’re a little out of it from a good run, I enjoy the connection I make with my fellow humans as I listen to them, hear how their races went and experience the ups and downs it brings through their stories. I am able to see their joy from a great accomplishment they have worked so hard to accomplish.
Shara Vaile, Bradley Whelden and Joseph Vaile Celebrating…
One particular runner made my day and what I saw in him was what to me running trails is all about. Bradley is a good friend who has been getting into running this past year and punctuated his hard work with a race that left him on cloud nine. He could not have been happier sharing and listening to how the day unfolded for everyone out there. To me Bradley is what the joy of running is all about. I want to always enjoy my time spent out in the woods. Sometimes you don’t PR or you strain your ankle or you cant cross the finish line, but it’s not about medals, money and fame. It’s about being. It’s being content with nothing more than a nice trail, maybe some shoes and hopefully a pair of shorts (for other people’s sake) and taking off into the unknown.
100-mile vets told me to expect the unexpected, yetI never dreamt I would be rained on for 15+ hours, but … As the day progressed the leak in the sky would not cork up. There were brief moments of relief, but basically I ran around like a soggy dog most of the day.
The 100-mile distance is everything people tell you about. It’s different than any other adventure you could ever embark on. It takes you to your highest highs and lowest lows. I had moments of invincibility followed by pain that humbled me to the point of wanting to drop to my knees. I just wanted to yell, “I surrender…stop the torture”. The torture finally stopped around 12:38am after 40,000+ total elevation gain and loss through the day. I arrived to the finish with a huge group of friends, family and my crew chief, my wife Krista. I wanted to see what 100’s wereall about; I wondered what it felt like after mile 70… andI found out. There are not a lot of words to describe the roller coaster of emotions I voyaged through, in an adventure packed day running around in the woods.
Camping the night before, Pic Debbie Loomis
I made my way down to the start of the race from my campsite just down the street. I arrived with less then 3 minutes to the start to take a few pictures and take my shirt off for what felt like a pretty humid start. I thought this meant warmth to come…I was mistaken.
Neil Olsen sprinted to the lead followed by JC Callens, putting a gap of 100 yardson us for the first few miles. I thought this to be a little fast for the start of a race so I held back. Lewis Taylor, Ben Hian and myself hung back getting to know each other and trying to relax as we had a long way to go.
Climbing felt really easy that morning and I fell into a good rhythm as we made our way to first aid station ready to enjoy the first taste of single track. It was already raining which unknown to us would be over our heads most of the day.
I might have been pushing the climb a little, but it was a little chilly and I thought there was no better way to stay warm than to run just a hair faster.
The first big climb (5000 ft) was over and I was flying on down to O’Brien Creek (mile 17). I was already soaked, but happy to be on a dry road again with a decent lead early in the race. With no strategy for the race, I was hoping to just get to mile 30 feeling good, but I also wanted to push it a little bit and maybe have a lead ready to push the climb to Squaw Lake.
Reaching Carberry Creek road I felt I was pushing a good pace, but not uncomfortable. I timed a mile split between two road markers and realized I was running around 7:20 pace, which was fast but I figured the guys behind me would be cruising down this stretch fast as well.
A couple miles before Seattle Bar aid (mile 31) the course took us on a couple mile single track, dipping into California and back out into Oregon. In my brief visit to California I was hoping for some sunny skies they brag so much about, but no luck. There was crappy weather in California too. My short trip through California went smoothly, no offense to California, but I took a much-appreciated dump on your now freshly fertilized soil. I did however notice y’all have soft maybe aloe coated leaves, I believe it was even 2-ply, and that sealed my still positive vibes with Cali as I skipped back into Oregon excited to see my crew for the first time.
I had excellent crew all day. Like always my beautiful wife was there to flash that smile and restock me on my way. This particular race I had twomore to add even more help. With the addition of my father- and mother-in-law from Wisconsin, I had an unbeatable team at my side.
Coming into Seattle Bar, Pic Debbie Loomis
It seemed the easy part of the race was over and now it was time to put forth some work. Our next section up to Stein Butte was a heck of a climb (3000+) and I did not take it easy. Since I heard cheering just five or so minutes after I left Seattle Bar and the Applegate River, I pushed and grunted up this peak to hopefully give my self some breathing room.
Pushing up this section was about the only time of the day I was able to see the beauty Southern Oregon has to offer. Charcoal gray skies with streams of fog and mist weaved through the mountains, with both the mountain peaks and myself grasping for just a second of sunshine. This was my only section of ”sun” all day; I took it in, as I beganto come with the face that I was going to be Eeyore all day with the clouds a following…oh bother.
I passed by some good friends up at Stein Butte Aid (mile 36) feeling in good spirits, but a little worked from the effort. The climb and pace eventually caught up with me and I had my first low point of the day. This was a hard section of roller coaster terrain that left me a little dizzy. However I knew help was on the way at the next aid station and if I continued to stay fueled and not get discouragedI would escape this funk.
Running around Squaw Lake, Pic Andy Atkinsons
Flying down the quad-jarring descent to Squaw Lake aid (mile 44), I was extremely excited to see my crew and enjoy a flat/soft 2-mile regroup around Squaw Lake. With a much-needed bowel movement (hence the sluggishness) I was able to compose myself and get ready for the second half of the race. By the way, it was still raining, and so it goes.
Pic by Andy Atkinsons
After some more climbing I reached aid at French Gulch Divide (mile 47), ready for some bushwhacking through the red-velvet pathway of poison oak (blessed to not have gotten any). This being a very run-able section to our next climb, I kept pushing.
Arriving to Hanley gap aid station (mile 53.5) I caught Renn and his crew a little off guard. I had to do an out-and-back up to Squaw peak to retrieve a flag from the top, giving them a moment to prepare for my trip back. Finally reaching the dirt road I felt like I was putting a good lead on my competition and was thrilled to reach the bottom and dry off with a towel, without seeing any other runners.
The dirt road was a nice change from the brush on the single track that was constantly flooding my shoes. It was however straight up for the next 10 or so miles yet never too steep to justify too much walking. This was a section where all I could do was concentrate on my foot placement and breathing and try to stay as relaxed and in a rhythm of movement to keep my lead and to stay warm. It was now getting a little brisk as I traveled to higher ground.
With no one on my tail and reaching Squaw peak gap (mile 60) with at least a 40-minute lead I needed to dig deep to keep pushing myself. I visualized some elite runners ahead of me, gapping me and pulling away. Even if this was not the case I needed to give the animal inside some hunger for the brutal, bone-chilling climb to Dutchmen Peak. I believe this was a good mind set to have, because I only walked for maybe a brief minute during the whole climb. I wanted to see what was next.
Reaching Dutchmen Peak aid after 5000 ft of climbing was a mix of heaven and hell. I knew it was mile 66.6 and Rob Cain and his crew had some sort of hell theme going on. The stories I heard as a kid were of hell with flames and heat that any amount of s-caps could not fix; this was not the case. Hell as I know it, is a freezing, windy and wet misery. If it wasn’t for seeing my crew, pacer and all my friends cheering me on at the top I would not have had the smile I came in with. Hell briefly turned into heaven as I was pampered by my amazing crew who were ready for anything I needed (Thank you for the encouragement y’all, it was so needed).
Leaving the cold peak of frozen tundra with a shaky mind, chattering teeth, and achy knees, life did not quickly improve but I kept moving…slowly. The rain only got worse and even cheers from drunken four-wheeling campers only made the frown turn upside down for a few brief seconds.
My pacer and good friend Aaron Brian was my lifesaver. We talked my wandering mind out of some lows and God finally put a cork on the rain, which started to bring me around. My frozen knees where tired of the rocky down hill and ready to get to other terrain to warm my legs up. Things kept feeling better as we were slowly reaching the next aid station. At Dutchmen they told us 8 miles to the next aid, but after many turns without a station in sight and 11 miles later, we finally came to Glade creek (mile 78).
We left going uphill and I was ready for more action. This was a time when I was entering my happy/conscious state where all there is, is the moment I was in. I was inside the moment of one foot in front of the other and the pure love and joy that running brings. This amazing freedom I have, to go off in the woods and frolic for a day, is a blessing I do not take for granted. Even in extreme conditions, I just am. I am connected with this beautiful earth that feeds and nourishes my every need. I’m stripped of everything and all I can do is just be. Letting the synergy of my body and the earth take off into the bliss I call living. I’m alive and ready to explore what these next miles will bring…one step at a time.
I entered Wagner Gap (mile 83) in high spirits able to run hills in what felt like a great rhythm. I felt solid and strong, ready for another boost from my crew who were ready with a smorgasbord of fuel (honey stingers), natural energy drink and lights to bring this day to an end. I’ve been curious what it feels like to be at this point of the race and if I could still run. I was hungry and ready for the finish line; little did I know there was some harsh/grueling pain to come.
The climb of 4000ft to Wagner butte was a variety of emotions. I was climbing hard and fast, very excited that I could still put up a good pace this late in a race. Unfortunately after the hard climbing it turns to very tricky rocky single track through brush that soaked my feet to the extent that every step turned pretty painful. I tried to accept what was and deal with it the best I could. It was hellish cold again at the top of Wagner butte and the slow climb up the jagged rocks to retrieve the last flag broke me down me to my core. It made the trip worth it to see the glow of Ashland’s lights and to say howdy to fellow Ashland speedster Erik Skaggs lining the trees with glow sticks.
The steep slope of switchbacks down to road 2060 was the slowest I moved all day. My feet were miserable; every step felt like 10-grit sandpaper was scraping open another layer of skin…and so it is. I had emotions of frustration occur, thinking I could be running so much faster if my feet did not blow up like this. But then the rational thoughts entered; if it wasn’t this it would be something else. In an ultra you’re going to have troubles and if not this, it’s that. You just have to roll with the punches. I could have used a few less punches to the bottom of my feet though.
Reaching aid 2060 (mile 93), it was great to be so close and to see my friends, Carly, Karolina, and Doug frying up some hash browns and getting ready for their long crazy night.
I thought this section would go by smoother and that the grade was less steep, but the sandpaper gauging kept me on my toes. The pain was making me dizzy; a few times I felt very light headed and walked a little, but that hurt too, so I kept taking big deep breaths knowing this torture session would be over right when it was suppose to be.
You could see Ashland’s lights in the distance but having run this section many times before I knew Ashland was further than it looked and would not be in front of my next step for awhile.
We continued down at our snail pace, so close to the toilet paper finish line and a refreshing foot numbing gluten-free brewski that I have been dreaming for all day.
Finish-1st Place! Pic by Win Goodbody’s
As the last painful sections dissolved into the night I made my way to the finish, filled with friends that have been sending out positive vibrations all day. Man, did it feel good to see their smiles (Thank you for coming out!). I crossed the finish line 1st place with a time of 18:38:50 and that’s my first 100-mile race folks!!! I had a lot of emotions at the end; mostly joy, a little pain, but no amount of pain can take away that I Finished my first 100-mile foot race!
Pine to Palm 100 recap video, Edited by Debbie Loomis, Videography by Bobie Loomis
Music By Michael Franti “Sometimes”
Hanging with my Crew/Family after a long day! Thank you!
Extremely thankful for all the help and love that went into the inaugural Pine to Palm 100-mile endurance run. A big shout out to Hal, Carly and Ian, for making this all possible. A special thanks to Hal’s parents, Hal and Diane, who came down just to help with a lot of the logistics of race day fun. Thank you to Daniel Newberry who covers these races so well and writes great articles about running. Our medical leader Kelly Lange and her wonderful staff of Whitt, Kelly’s dad and Darcy. And a huge shout out to everyone else involved whether it be trail marking, aid station leaders and crew and just to everyone out there living it up in the rain helping, cheering and crewing. You all made this into a huge success and a lot of fun. So thank you Rob, Sandi, John, Erin, EP, Erik, Brian, Craig, Anne, Ben, David, Kalesh, Amma la, Joseph, Sarah, Leland, Meghan, Karolina, Doug, Melissa, Desiree, Jeff, Maya, Nikki, Renn, Shahid, Mike, Heidi, Joanne, Jenn, Chuck, Nick, Meghan, Josh and to everyone else that I might have forgotten. THANK YOU!
Extremely grateful for my beautiful wife Krista who is my light and does so much for me in crazy running and every moment in between. A BIG thank you to my Father and Mother In-law, Bob & Debbie Loomis, who came from Wisconsin to help crew and cheer me on, oh and feed me lots of good food for the days that followed. Thank you to my lifesaver, Aaron who paced me in the last miles and even gave me the shirt off his back. I would have frozen without you.
Thank you all; for all your love, support, prayers, intentions, vibrations and just high energy all day.
It means so much!
A Special thanks to Daniel Newberry for writing this article…enjoy!
Tim Olson is shown here on his way to winning the Where’s Waldo 100-kilometer trail race, held Aug. 21 at the Willamette Pass Ski Area, 70 miles southeast of Eugene. Photo by Laurie Monico
If there’s a line separating work and play in Tim Olson’s life, it’s hard to find.
The 27-year-old Ashland massage therapist uses his knowledge of the human body to help him run faster and longer, and to recover quickly after grueling runs.
On Aug. 21, his run lasted 9 hours, 25 minutes and 4 seconds. That’s the time it took Olson to win the prestigious “Where’s Waldo” 100-kilometer — 62-mile — ultramarathon in the Cascade Mountains east of Eugene. It was the second-fastest time ever recorded on that course.
Olson’s rise in the world of ultrarunning has been swift. He ran his first ultramarathon just over a year ago and has recorded top 10 finishes in all five ultra races he’s run, including a second place at the Siskiyou Out Back race last month at Mount Ashland. Where’s Waldo is his first win.
Olson takes a methodical and holistic approaching to his running and his work.
“I started running longer and studying massage at the same time. I’d actually go running with note cards. I’d memorize the muscle groups and feel them in my body as I run “… I translate that into the athlete’s body and how to help those muscle groups recover and heal from injuries,” Olson explains.
Olson and his wife, Krista, moved to Ashland from Amherst, Wis., two years ago, where Tim had lived most of his life. He had been coaching high school track and cross-country, in addition to managing a fitness center.
Within a few days of the move, he discovered the local trail system and the shoe store, Rogue Valley Runners, where he met a pack of top ultramarathoners.
“I heard them talk about this ultra-distance stuff and kind of chuckled at them. As weekends progressed, they kept inviting me to these progressively longer runs. I thought they were trying to kill me the whole way,” Olson recalls.
It wasn’t long before the runs felt easier and he incorporated them into his personal philosophy.
“It kind of grew into my own passion, and I started training, going out for long runs in nature. I enjoyed it, the connection to Earth and the energy I feel as I go for a run: let the hair down and just run for hours,” says Olson.
With his shoulder-length hair, goatee, chiseled physique and relaxed demeanor, Olson could easily blend in with a crowd of casual surfers. His intense blue eyes and precise manner of speaking, however, make it clear that here is a guy whose inner life is anything but casual.
“I want to take care of the body and help inform people about physical fitness and how it’s beneficial to their well-being and life. Physical activity is good for the body but also preventive medicine to heal from different things, to feel loose and enjoy life. Massage was a really beneficial thing,” Olson explains.
Olson has built a reminder of his philosophy into his body, one more permanent than the benefits of the 100-plus miles he runs every week.
A tattoo of a long-haired runner, drawn in a petroglyph motif, adorns the outside of his left ankle. Wrapped around his left calf is a tree, roots tickling his ankle and foot.
“The roots keep me grounded on the earth in massage and running. Every step you take in running, you’ve got to be sure of where you’re stepping “… it’s every step that’s so important for running, and life in general. You want to be conscious of the steps you take.”
Diet is another key ingredient for injury-free running, Olson says.
“One of my hugest things for recovery is eating organically, as naturally as possible, so my muscles have the right nutrients to recover as fast as possible,” Olson says.
Daily stretching also keeps the body healthy, especially after a race.
“I take a few moments throughout the day and work on them (the sore muscles), to get the nutrients and blood flowing through there to help clear out the lactic acid and metabolic waste so they will heal quickly,” Olson says.
Not surprisingly, many of Olson’s massage clients are runners. His practice, which he runs out of his home studio on 7th Street in Ashland, includes deep tissue, sports massage and myofascial release. All are beneficial for injury recovery, he says.
He often takes his practice on the road, volunteering his massage work at local races.
The current focus of Olson’s racing season is the Pine-2-Palm 100-miler, a grueling run through the mountains from Williams to Ashland, on Sept. 18. This race will be his first at that distance. His recent efforts have been buildups for this race, albeit fast ones.
For 2011, he’ll have his chance to toe the line with the world’s best 100-mile runners at the Western States Endurance Run. His recent victory at Where’s Waldo guaranteed him a spot to Western States, one that most runners must win through a lottery.
At the moment, Olson is not thinking about his next race.
“A huge key in life, why I love to run and massage, is to bring me into the present moment. There’s nothing beside the present moment,” says Olson. “When you’re aware of what’s going on and you’re not concerned with the past or the future, you’re just in that moment, and you’re able to do amazing things.”
Like win a 62-mile race.
Daniel Newberry is a runner and freelance writer living in the Applegate Valley. Reach him at dnewberry@jeffnet.org.
Map of course
Sole to Soul Rhythm 
