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[I'm delighted to have a full race report for The 6-Day Coastal Challenge ultra endurance race that took place in Costa Rica in Feb, 2007, provided by 2005 winner and ultra-guru, Beverly Anderson Abbs. If this ultra/adventure madness sounds like your kind of thing, Trail Runner Magazine has an online drawing for a free entry for 2008 here. Thanks and congratulations, Bev and Alan!]

After participating in the Coastal Challenge in 2005 following the west coast of Costa Rica south, I was excited to return for “The Route of Fire” heading north to the border of Nicaragua in 2007. It was to be more in the cloud forests than on the beaches and promised to show some area of the Country we had not seen before. The Web site promised 45% cloud forest and highland trail, 25% coastal running, and 30% rainforest roads and trails. Alan and I arrived at the host hotel on Saturday afternoon. We checked in and immediately started seeing familiar faces from the ’05 run as well as faces that always seem to be at events we go to. Doone and Tim Watson, Tanya and Glenn Meeth, Dot Helling, Stefani Jackenthal, Jim Mandelli, Roger Rojas, and many more. If nothing else this would be a great week to spend with some fantastic people and catch up on stories!

Day 1 – distance listed 21k; actual 26k

Saturday evening was a brief introduction and “celebration” that ended early enough for us to grab some dinner and get to bed early. We were to be loaded on buses at 5:00am for a drive to the town of Fortuna for the start. The night went very quickly and surprisingly, everyone had gear loaded and was on the buses and rolling by shortly after five. Not an easy task with over 100 sleepy people involved! We stopped for a couple of stretch breaks and arrived in the town of La Fortuna with almost two hours to poke around town before the start. This gave us a chance to enjoy the local culture and relax in the shadow of the volcano Arenal, which we would be climbing shortly. The overcast kept the temperatures down for the start of the race.

Finally we were ready to start and lined up in pairs for a processional through town. A group of Costa Ricans immediately moved to the front and settled in to a warm up pace while Alan and I, starting at the back, picked up our pace a little to get closer to the front. The pace accelerated along the next 5 k to the first aid station. Juan Carlos Zuniga, Kurt Lindermeyer, and Ronald Torres, all local runners, were ahead of me, Trevor Garner and Roger just behind. I left the aid station and shortly after came to a “T” intersection with no markings. I waited there for Roger, knowing that he was familiar with much of the course. Just as he arrived, the group ahead of me came back along the road, having taken the wrong turn. We began climbing up a serious grade along the side of the volcano. This section was more a scramble up the very steep, muddy, root covered trail. I was often pulling myself up sections using tree roots and, more than once got a push up from Roger as I was too short to make some of the reaches. What a blast! All too soon, we reached the top of the climb and started the downhill scramble; hopping down 2 - 3 foot drops, skidding and sliding in the slippery mud. If this is what the week was to be like, we were in for some long, but incredibly fun days.

This trail section ended on a dirt road that descended to the 2^nd aid station near a creek. One more huge climb followed for the Expedition runners while the Adventure Category skirted around and we were overlooking Rancho Margo where we would be staying the night. The final downhill was a shoe sucking mud bog and several people, including me, had to spend some time digging shoes out after taking a step forward only to find ourselves in our socks! The stage ended at a cool pool where runners immediately jumped in the water to wash off the mud and cool off. Unfortunately, this stage took some casualties with Mark Matyazik “hurting” his foot, to find out upon return the U.S. that he had actually broken the second metatarsal, and Dot cracking a rib. Juan Carlos finished 1^st in 2:23, followed by Ronald Torres, and Kurt for the men. I finished 6^th overall, 1^st female in 2:50, with local runner Ligia Madrigal and Meghan Hicks 2^nd and 3^rd.

Day 2 – distance listed 59k; actual 67k

The second day again started early as this would be the longest stage. The start was bumped back from 5:30 to 5:45 to allow for a little more light for crossing the river in the first few minutes. Again, the crowd started and Alan and I kept pace, hopping over and skirting puddles. Knowing that we were crossing a river in a couple minutes, I still am not quite sure why we were all so careful to keep our feet dry. Alan helped me cross the river and we got back into our running rhythm on the soft rainforest road on the other side. Again the Juan Carlos, Kurt, Ronald group was just ahead and as we rounded a turn they were shooing a couple of dogs away. These dogs appeared to be heading back to their home and Alan and I kept running. Suddenly, one of the dogs wheeled around and attached itself to my calf, teeth tearing through the skin as my leg pulled through on the stride, leaving a bleeding, nasty gash. I screamed and let out a string of words I didn’t know I had in my vocabulary while Alan chased the dogs off and pressed the wound closed to stop the bleeding. Minutes later we were joined by Roger and were off running. The three of us stayed together through much of this day, giving it more of an adventure race feel as we stopped for each other and helped one another with food, electrolytes, etc.

We climbed through a grassy path in driving rain, coming upon Ronald Torres. In a brief conversation in Spanish with Roger he let us know that he had pulled a muscle but he was okay and would carry on. We continued to the remote 2^nd aid station at the top of a climb where the still smiling volunteers had no protection from the wind and rain besides a tarp. They helped us fill bottles and got us moving back down the other side of the hill where we got to run out of the weather they were stuck in.

Continuing along dirt and paved roads through the next small town we reached the 3^rd aid station. By the time we arrived there word about my dog bite had spread forward, and Doctor Kyle was there to administer first aid. As I was filling bottles and grabbing a bite to eat, he scrubbed and bandaged my leg, getting me off just a couple minutes behind Roger, who was walking so I could catch him.

More rolling hills and we arrived at the 4^th and final aid station, filled bottles one more time and climbed up to the infamous windmills. We topped out on the hill to see a seemingly endless ridgeline of rolling terrain with windmills following a red dirt road. Of course, where there are windmills, there must be wind…and this area did not disappoint. The wind was gusting to 50 mph, so strong we were running on an angle and were easily tossed around the road. I placed Roger on my windward side in hopes of cutting the wind, with very little success. We caught up to Trevor along this section and the final uphill kilometer turned into a race between him and Roger. I was content to trudge along in the wind feeling a bit sorry for myself and wishing my calf hurt worse so I could call it up as an excuse for not keeping up.

Finally, the end was in sight and I ran in only a couple minutes behind the boys. Alan arrived shortly after and others continued to stream in throughout the day. We found a small cantina across the street and wandered over to take in some local culture and track down a cold coke. The Medical team soon found me to clean up my wound and stitched it up. Eleven stitches later and some strong pain killers and I was ready for the next days run.

Juan Carlos was again the winner, followed by Kurt, then Trevor and Roger. I finished 5^th overall, 1^st female, with Ligia and Meghan again in 2^nd and 3^rd.

Day 3 – distance listed 18k; actual pretty close

Day three was a short, fast, downhill “connector” day to give runners most of the day to recover before the next long run on Day 4. It was to be 18k with some rolling downhill, finishing with a long paved section. I was hoping to run this day fairly quickly although I had been warned about the possibility of tearing out my new stitches. The run started with some climbing and this was one of the days that volunteers were able to run as well. With the long downhill stretches, it would have been hard to hold back. I ran just behind Kurt for a while and when dogs came out, he would stop, pick up rocks and guard as I went past, mindful of my new dog phobia. At the single aid station, I noticed that Roger was a few hundred yards behind running with Monica, the nutritionist involved with making our fantastic meals and the female Costa Rican triathlon champion. After the aid station, Stefani Jackenthal caught me on her bike and pushed my pace up as she encouraged and chatted with me. Stefani had finished 2^nd female in 2005 and had been scheduled to run again this year but found she had an injury that would not allow her to run these miles day after day. I finished before 9:00am with runners coming in steadily until around 11:00am. We set up tents in a soccer field and proceeded to relax in preparation for the next long day.

The men’s finishers changed order a little with Javier Montero 1^st in 1:27, Juan Carlos 2^nd and Trevor 3^rd. On the women’s side, I was 1^st overall in 1:37, Ligia, then Irene Hale rounded out the top 3.

Day 4 – distance listed 49k; actual 55k

This day again started bright and early to accommodate the potentially very long day. Since we were at the base of mountains we knew that we would have to climb from the start and sure enough, we got onto a gravel road and climbed…and climbed. This was not a climb anyone would make serious time on, 4 kilometers and quite steep! I reached the top with Roger and was treated to an incredible view of the pristine valley far, far below us.

(You want steep? How about a volcano?!?)

Of course this meant we were going to be going down to it and Costa Rican roads are not known for switchbacks and gentle slopes. We headed straight down the side of the mountain! Skidding, hopping, trying desperately to keep feet underneath, Alan Abbs, the mountain goat, flew past me and caught and passed Roger on this 3 kilometer descent. Once we reached flatter ground, I notched up my pace slightly to catch them and after what seemed forever, I finally did. We passed through a couple of villages where school children in uniforms waved and yelled “Hola!” as we ran by. I set my pace to run once again with Alan and Roger. By the time we reached the third aid station Roger and Alan had fallen a little behind and I caught up to Trevor. In turn I was caught by Benji and Abhijeet looking like they were running a 5k!

Trevor kept on with them while I settled into what seemed an agonizingly slow pace through miles of dirt and gravel roads to the final aid station. We had been promised something very cool and fun after this point and I was not disappointed. A short bushwhack brought me to a river where I was told I could swim or try to work my way around the boulders, but ultimately I needed to get about a kilometer up river to a waterfall. Without hesitation I hooked my hand bottle onto my waist pack and jumped in the water. Several sections of boulder scrambling and a few more swims and I had almost forgotten the hot dusty road. I arrived at the waterfall and was told I had about 3k to go. Fifty minutes back on hot, dusty roads later (no, it wasn’t 3k) and I was at the finish.

People started trickling in to the finish, the Adventure Category folks were bused in from some point prior to the river section. Eventually a bus was lined up to take people back to the waterfall to hang out and cheer on the runners coming through (and make sure nobody told them it was only 3 k to the finish). At the waterfall we got to watch the adventure tour group rappelling down the falls then getting into river tubes for an exciting trip down the river we had just come up.

Javier Montero again finished 1^st overall in 5:16, Juan Carlos was just behind him and Benji made a dash from his group to finish 3^rd. I again finished 1^st for the women, followed once again by Ligia and Irene.

Day 5 – distance listed 32k; actual 35

We were bused to a small town Curubanda, early in the morning to start the run around 7:00am. Since we were now into the hotter, dryer part of the country, had we started at the stated time of 10:00am, the heat could have been even more miserable than it was. We headed out from the little town and shortly before arriving at the 1^st aid station after running on dirt roads; people started to realize we had just done a big loop and were back at the start. The usual people were ahead of me, including Trevor, who had been just behind me until I was cornered by 2 snarling dogs. (At this point I’m beginning to wonder what it is with me and Costa Rican dogs) Once I scared the dogs away, Trevor flew past with a wave and a “Hey nice job with the dogs”.

We continued on roads to the 2^nd aid station, where I realized the finish was a couple hundred meters down the trail to my left. Do I go there…oh no…more roads, in another big loop. I checked my race notes and found that the 2^nd aid station should be at a school. Since I was coming to some houses I asked a man on a motorcycle if the school was near “2 kilometers” was the reply with a smile. About 200 yards later I rounded a corner and there it was! I poured water over my head, filled my bottles and headed off. This next section was tough, I had been thinking this would be a quick day and had not planned electrolytes well. My hands were swelling and I was having some trouble keeping my pace up. I had a couple sample packs of Sunsweet dried plums that I ate and washed down with my water spiked with nuun and felt better in a short while. The course continued through rolling farmland and I started catching glimpses of water. I knew we were finishing on a beach and when I saw a woman on the road I asked “Playa?”

“Very near” she replied “2 kilometers”.

About 5 minutes later I was on the beach and running the final few hundred meters down the sand. When I finished, I discovered that somewhere along the line, I had passed Trevor and finished 4^th overall with Javier, Juan Carlos, and Ronald ahead of me. Ligia once again, followed me for second and Doone Watson from my home town of Calgary, Alberta, Canada was hot on her heels. (Go Canada!)

The beach was fabulous and we spent a good part of the day playing in the ocean and lying in the sand. We discovered a small nest of sea turtles that were about a month late in hatching and watched and followed each baby as it made its way to the ocean. The urge to “help out” was strong in many people, but the young turtles need that journey to build the muscles in their shoulders for swimming so we remained content to watch and follow, of course, to some extent “helping” just by being there, thus keeping the birds away. The sunset was spectacular and Stefani, Jim and I spent the evening chatting and enjoying the beautiful surroundings.

Day 6 – distance listed 18k.

Day 6 started at 9:00am, allowing for a leisurely morning. This was to allow for the tidal change so we could get around some rocky outcroppings later in the run. I had planned to run this day as an easy, chat with people day. No pressure, just enjoy the day with some good people.

We started by backtracking up the beach and Monica and Roger were just ahead of me. I caught them and we fell into a fairly easy pace, content to walk up the hills. We soon found we were backtracking the same dirt roads we had come in yesterday. This was supposed to be coasteering…we were going away from the coast so fast, there couldn’t possibly any time on the beach.

We were soon on very wide, main dirt roads in nasty hot, dusty conditions. The race buses and trucks drove by with people cheering out the windows. I continued trotting along with Roger and Monica to the one aid station where I filled up my bottle and put a handful of ice down my sports bra. Monica stopped at this aid station to catch a ride to the finish while Roger and I carried on.

Still more, wide dirt road and we saw Kurt just up ahead. Roger picked up his pace to pass him while I just settled in to run the rest of the distance with Kurt. Finally we came to actual beach then shifted to coasteering along boulders and volcanic outcroppings interspersed with beach running. This section brought a huge smile to my face as I hopped along the slick rocks with Kurt calling to me to be careful.

Unfortunately it lasted a mere 1 kilometer and we were back on dirt roads for the final couple of kilometers to the finish. I waited for Kurt to catch back up and finished with him at the wonderful Bolanos Bay Resort where we all had rooms for the night. We lay around the pool the rest of the day, eating, drinking, and telling stories.

Javier, Juan Carlos, and Ronald again rounded out the top three men, while I, Ligia, and Doone finished top three for the women. (all results here)

That evening was the dinner and “awards” ceremony, recognizing the top three men, Juan Carlos, Kurt, and Javier claimed these top three positions for men, receiving inscribed machetes. As an apparent afterthought, the top three women, Bev, Ligia, and Meghan were also given inscribed machetes as awards. Such memories!

Running close to two marathons per day for over 3 months, Charlie Engle, Ray Zahab, and Kevin Lin have completed their 4,000 mile trek across the Sahara desert. You can read the full story here (NY Times), as well as here (press page).


A snippet from the NY Times article:

At several points in their trek, the athletes stopped near sparsely populated wells to talk with villagers and nomads about the difficulties they face finding water. That marked another goal of the run -- raising awareness for the clean water nonprofit group H2O Africa.

''We have seen firsthand the need for clean water, which we take for granted in North America. It's such a foundation for any community,'' Zahab said during day 108's lunch break. The three plan to fund-raise for the group after they return home and finish recuperating.

''It started off as a huge motivator, especially as we passed through countries where the water wasn't clean,'' Engle said.

Look at that map. 100 degree days for 3+ months?!? These guys are seriously extreme.

SD

On the weekend of July 22^nd, 2006, I ventured up to Oakridge, OR, for the first annual Sunsweet Trail Running Festival. This wild weekend of trail running featured four events in two days, a choice of team and individual formats, all while retaining a relaxed and communal atmosphere. The weekend was the brainchild of Bev and Alan Abbs, who took a short break from their Grand Slam to organize and host the event. Despite blistering 100+ degree heat, we all managed to have a great time. Meghan Arbogast has graciously helped to write up our experience.

Oakridge, OR, is one of those sleepy little towns that is now exploding with the arrival of outdoor enthusiasts. For years I knew it as the only decent gas station/pizza parlor between Eugene and the Willamette Pass Ski Area, so I was surprised to see how much it has flourished. This weekend hosted both Trail Running Festival trail runners and mountain bikers for The Fat Tire Festival, a weeklong event featuring everything from downhill slalom to 24-hour races. As one of the local pizza parlor patrons told me “everyone comes in dirty and smiling…the only was we can tell which sport got them that is the amount of lycra they wear”.

As my Dad and I warmed up for the first event (a 5-mile uphill race), I could see why the trails had become so popular. The paths were wide and well-groomed, lined with lush ferns, and hidden in canopies of Douglas fir. Nearby rivers beckoned with cool, refreshing water, and the views of undisturbed forests stretched beyond the horizon. It is a slice of heaven, Oregon style.

I had signed up for all four races – a 5-mile uphill run, the 5-mile downhill, a 10-mile river run, and a 50k the following day. My Dad had signed up for the uphill race only, but I saw him eyeing the other races. Some of the racers we met at the start were competing as a team, with each racer picking one race on the first day, then doing a relay for the 50k on Sunday. Overall, about 40 runners were participating.

One would think that “40 runners” means “little competition”, but that is certainly not the case here. Oakridge, OR, is sandwiched between running mecca Eugene, OR, and the outdoor enthusiast headquarters of Bend, OR. Among our 40 runners included 4-time Tahoe Triple Marathon winner Sean Messiner, ultra diva Meghan Arbogast (looking fresh after Western States), Western States top finisher Craig Thornley, Oregon Ultra Series winner Jeff Riley, his brother Tom Riley (who finished 24:30 at States this year), world class bowhunter Cameron Hanes, Sunsweet speed demon Lewis Taylor, and the wicked fast Oakridge High School Track/Cross Country team. One thing for sure, the pace was going to be quick!

Meghan: Saturday morning began with a 5 mile race, which included a 3.5 mile hill climb through the forest with a gain of 2000 ft. A premium was offered to the first male and female to get to the base of the climb, so that guaranteed a quick start. The climb itself was long and hard. I caught up to Scott, and played cat and mouse the rest of the way up. As we finally summited (nearly 1 hour!) I turned around to see a woman had given me a good chase. That set the tone for me for the rest of the day.

We began the 5-mile Oregon Adventures Hill Climb just as the sun burned the fog off the river banks. Ben Altemus, a 4:15 1,500 meter runner from the Oakridge HS Team, set a monster pace in the fairly flat first mile. When we hit the hills I was about a minute behind Ben, with the rest of the pack about a minute behind me. Sean Messiner got his climbing engine chugging and quickly passed me, setting his sites on Ben. Lewis Taylor passed a minute later, and seemed to be going even faster than Sean (of course, Lewis was running for the Sunsweet Team, so this was his only race today). Cameron Hanes, the bow hunter-turned-ultrarunner, had a strong pace going and passed me about 5 minutes after Lewis. Meghan Arbogast caught up a few minutes later, and we paced together right to the finish. Despite the encouraging chants to “not get chicked” in the final 100 meters, Meghan had me beat. She finished 5^th in 56:31, and I finished 6^th in 56:34.

As we collected at the top of the mountain and soaked in the views, I learned that Lewis had rocketed past Sean and Ben to win in 48:08. Sean was just behind him in 48:22, and Ben got third in 48:33. Cameron had held on for fourth in 54:45. Meghan now had the lead for the Women’s title, but Jenny Knight had come in right behind me in 57:11, so Meghan’s lead was less than a minute. My Dad, Larry, came in 9^th with a strong 1:03:28. We all ate watermelon, rested, and awaited the start of the downhill race in less than an hour.

The 5-mile “Flying Turtle” Downhill began like a cycling time trial race, with each runner starting in 30 second increments in the order they finished the uphill race. A few new faces joined us as the teams refreshed their ranks. Most impressive was 8-year-old Dillyn Carpenter who was warming up for a race most adults would fear to try. If she could finish, she had a lock on the coveted stuffed turtle prize for the youngest runner. Jeff Riley (second runner on Lewis’ Sunsweet Team) led the pack. Sean, Ben, and Cameron were in hot pursuit at 30 second intervals. We cheered everyone as they began the fast descent, then took our places to chase after them.

I descended as fast as my Inov-8 Mudroc 290’s would go, excited to have an opportunity to “let it all hang out”. I caught Meghan in the first five minutes and floored it to try and catch Cameron and Sean. The temperature was rising as we descended, and it was hovering in the 90’s by the time I hit the flat stuff. I put my head down and cranked to the finish, but was unable to catch the speed demons ahead of me. Ben “The Bomber” Altemus had won in an unbelievable 25:12 – that’s 5-minute miles on crazy switchbacks! Jeff Riley got 2^nd in 26:51, with Cameron Hanes just a few seconds behind. Sean was 4^th in 29:13, and I got 5^th in 29:39. In the Women’s race, Jenny Knight sailed to win 30:29, gaining almost 20 seconds on Meghan Arbogast. Tom Riley came in right behind them in 31:47. Before we could finish our dip in the river, 8-year-old Dillyn Carpenter came racing in at 52:17 and got her prize. That girl has a future in trial running for sure!

Meghan: After everyone made it up, Bev lined us up in the order we had placed in the climb, and set us off at 30 second intervals for the 'Flying Turtle' downhill run, back the way we came. Jenny, the woman on my tail at the top, said she was a fast downhiller. I ran fast, but she ran faster, and by the end of the morning events, I had a mere 24 seconds on her.

We had a long break before the final 10-mile run in the evening, and most of us retreated to the closest air conditioned hang out. The mercury topped 102 degrees, so this last race was going to be a sweat fest. My Dad and I reminisced about the old pizza parlor, and soon found ourselves there splitting a pizza and pitcher of beer (no worries, I know I can run just fine with that kind of lunch). With a little “liquid courage” in him, my Dad decided to sign up for the 10-miler rather than hang out and wait for me.

I worried that folks might drop from the 10-miler Salmon Creek Stomp due to the heat, but I should know these runners don’t back down from some stiff competition. Only a minute separated the Oakridge HS Team and the Sunsweet Team, and there was less than a minute between the two Women’s leaders. Sean Messiner had four minutes on Cameron Hanes, but Cameron had just shown us all he can go fast when he needs to. Craig Thornley stepped in for the Sunsweet Team, and Maxime Long for the Oakridge HS Team. My Dad lived up to his promise and toed the starting line, wondering how the beer and pizza were going to sit, if at all.

Meghan: After the morning events, and a sit down in the Salmon Creek, I ate a big lunch, checked into a hotel, and rested up for the 10 miler at 4:00. Jenny said she would be there, but didn't feel much like racing. By 4:00, it was HOT! The clouds have given way to clear skies. The course was pretty flat along the Salmon Creek - up stream for about 5 miles which includes an out-and-back section, then cross the stream and back on a more technical trail.

The pace started strong, with Craig, Maxime, Cameron, and Sean out in front. Once my muscles warmed up, I tried to push a 7:30-minute mile pace, but my body temp kept redlining and I was relegated to something closer to 9:30-minute miles. Meghan was having no trouble, and she slowly picked up her pace as Jenny Knight stayed within site of her. About 4 miles in, we hit a turnaround where I caught a glimpse of the front-runners. Sean and Maxime were up front, but Cameron and Craig Thornley were stalking them closely. Meghan was really picking up the pace now, and began closing in on the front-runners. I hit the turnaround and saw my Dad on the way back – it didn’t look like the pizza was sitting well in the heat. He gave me that “I think you tricked me into this” look, but kept moving forward.

In the closing miles, I had plenty of invitations from nearby swimmers to take a quick dip and almost took them up on it. I ran the last mile with Erin Lynch, and we finished up 8^th and 9^th around 1:25 or so. Cameron Hanes had pounced on the pack and finished in 1:09:33, with Sean and Craig less than a minute behind. Maxime and Meghan came in 4^th and 5^th in 1:13, and Tom Atkins and Jenny Knight finished 6^th and 7^th in 1:19. My Dad had fought his stomach the whole way to finish in 1:35, but was all smiles at the finish just to know it was over. I was very proud of him for sticking it out!

Meghan: Runners were wilting. In 10 miles I went through 2 full bottles of gatorade, plus drank at all 3 aid stations, and I still was a bit woozy at the finish. I had seen Jenny a couple of minutes back at the turn-around, but didn't let up, and came in at 1:13 to her 1:19. She was not at all interested in staying for the 50k the next day. We had the 2nd awards ceremony of the day, with great food and comraderie, and prizes for everyone. We returned to the hotel, and I played in the pool for awhile to cool off.

At the end of the first day, the Oakridge HS Team and Sunsweet Team were within 90 seconds of each other, and Sean and Meghan had about 4 minutes respectively on Cameron Hanes and Jenny Knight. It was going to be a close match at the Westfir 50k the next morning. Unfortunately, I had to drop from the 50k in order to spend some time with my grandmother who had fallen ill (she has since recovered nicely). So Meghan will let us know how it finished.

Meghan: Sunday morning arrived without a cloud in sight. Brian (Arbogast) and I were both signed up for the 50k. I was the only woman signed up for the entire weekend, so really, all I had to do was finish, but I like to challenge myself more than that. I paid for Saturday's fun with tired, sore legs, but they were still functioning.

The 50k took place in Westfir, a few miles south east of Oakridge. There was only one other woman running the 50k, a handful of men, and at least 3 relay teams. After some instructions, we were on our way. The first section hugged the North Fork of the Willametter River. Nice, single track, rolling....I eventually hooked up with Beth and we stayed together, chatting, when suddenly, the men who had led the way, were all on their way back! We had all missed a turn, and added a bit of distance, so we all turned around and ran back to a very steep, very well marked bank to scramble up to Aid 1.

Beth and I tanked up, and started up the next section - a gravel road, that climbed to A2. My legs were tired, and I could plod, but she had more in her, and I convinced her to go on without me. She waited at A2, but I waved her on. I refilled my Nathan pack and continued slogging along. One of the male contenders for the weekend, Cameron, soon caught me. I was surprised he had been behind me. He said getting off course took the wind out of his sails. We ran together for awhile, and then he faded back again. This was a fairly long section of gravel road, but you could see forever.

A3 finally came. I re-fueled, put ice in my jog bra and my shorts pockets, chatted with Penny, Jeff, and Lewis (Jeff, Lewis, and Craig were competing as a relay team). They sent me on my way onto what was the most beautiful section of the course, and as of now, I don't believe I have run anywhere more beautiful than this. It was 5 miles out and back, on Sour Grass Mountain. It had Old Growth, open space, meadows, rolling hills, switchbacks, and views. I was still feeling pretty tired, but stayed focused on the moment. After about 20 minutes I saw a HS runner from a relay team on his way back, and thought I must be close to the turnaround. Alas, he was WAY ahead of the next runner. I caught a relay runner, then finally saw Craig coming towards me. He was 17 minutes from the turn-around. Next I saw Beth, and realized she had the overall lead for individuals! I was jazzed. We both checked on each other, and I gave her some salt. She assured me I was close to the turnaround. I met Sean and the original race leader, and then I was at A4.

I re-filled the Nathan pack again. I was going through 50-60 ounces between aid stations. I headed back out, and caught former number 1. He was not carrying a bottle, had planned on running from aid station to aid station. He eventually experienced his first DNF in 27 years of racing.

I worried about Brian in the heat, but finally saw him after the turn around. He was struggling with the heat, but still looked good. He said Tom was behind him, not faring too well in the conditions. I continued on, and soon met Tom, who still had the presence of mind to shoot a picture.

Finally, I made it back to A3, now A5. Craig filled my Nathan pack, Penny cooled me off with cold water, fed me gu, and they promised it was only 9 miles to the finish and it was downhill. Feeling inspired, I trotted off down the road. It wasn't exactly downhill, but it was fairly easy going, rolling for the next 3 miles. I was cruising a downhill section, noting that my feet weren't trashed, I had no blisters, I had been drinking tons and taking enough salt - life was good. I heard a voice below shout 'Hey Meghan! How are you doing?' and saw Alan. I yelled back that I was doing great (?!) and then I didn't see him anymore. How cool to have a hallucination, I thought. But I was in his aid station in moments, cooling with more ice water, and on my way again for the last 6 miles.

This truly was downhill. I felt I was going at a nice pace, and heard steps behind me. 'Fresh legs coming through' he said as I let him by. He was carrying to bottles of water, and wearing a fai rly heavy looking cotton shirt. He was soon out of sight. I kept focused on moving forward, relaxing, drinking. I crossed a gravel road, and thought I must be close. Then I came to an opening and could see I was way the hell above the valley where we finish. Gulp. More trail in the woods, another gravel road, more views. Eventually, Mr. Fresh Legs came back into view. He was walking. I caught and passed him, asking if he was okay besides the heat. He said yes, and that he had gone out too fast.

I kept winding down hill, and came to the face of the last hill. This was very exposed, and blistering hot. I heard a cyclist come up behind me, and made a move to let him by, but he said not to move, he was fine. I really appreciated that, as I was feeling less steady by the minute. I reached the gravel road that leads to the finish. Beth saw me coming and yelled me in.

As soon as possible, I was scrambling down the bank to the river, shoes and all, where I laid down until I was cold. Beth joined me and we rehashed the event.
She was first overall. Sean and I won the weekend events (well, as I said, the only woman in all 4). The times were slow with the heat (Beth ran 6:10, Sean, 6:30, I ran 6:35, Cameron Hanes ran 7:51). Brian and Tom ran in the last 6 miles together, finishing in 9:08, so Tom Riley got 3rd overall male for the weekend. It was quite a sight to see those two fried to a crisp. Alan and Bev were quick to get them down to the river to cool them off.

In short, I had a blast! RD's Bev and Alan Abbs were gracious, helpful, encouraging, and generous.

I agree with Meghan - this was a wonderful event. My thanks to Bev and Alan, the Oakridge HS Team who never let up, Sunsweet, and the town of Oakridge. Hopefully we'll see more of you next year!

- SD