View Workout (Joe Uhan)

Return to Log

Pine to Palm pacing

September 13, 2014 (Night)

Exercise Type: Run

Comments:
(Wore the orange N2 trails)

BIG day. "Slept in" all the way to 7. Slept like ass on the recliner in the vacation rental. The rest of 'em were out by 4AM to get Em to the start.

I got some breakfast then TWO coffees at Noble (best coffee EVER), then drove out to the Seattle Bar AS.

Had a great time there: worked from 9AM to 3PM, with Monkey Boy as captain, and some other randos. It was fun to help a lot of folks, including Steve Vesbach, a UW-L alum who was there when I was a grad assistant. I'd only found out on Thursday he was even running, and on Friday night, he asked me to pace him! I said no, because I didn't know how I'd feel, but I secretly wanted to.

And, after I saw him roll through - and met his crew (fiance Katie and friend Austin), I knew I wanted to! :-)

After we closed up the AS, I rolled into a little town to chill for awhile, then took MrR's Prius up a crazy dirtroad climb to the mile 65 aid station at Dutchman Peak. Dutchman is the high point of the course. It reminded me of what the top of Little Bald is like, except even more barren and more desert (NorCal-ish). Ran into the Olson Family up there, then Katie and Austin, where I told them I'd roll with Steve to the finish.

We waited for a while for Steve to come through - and got worried when he hadn't checked into the mile 42 aid - but just as we were fretting, he showed up. He was doing GREAT - totally "with it" - but his weight was nearly 10 pounds down! I plied him with soda and then he and Kate took off.

Austin and I drove even more shitty road, 7 miles down, to the next aid ("Long John Silvers") to wait. It was now past 8:30 and legitimately dark. And we waited. I chatted with a few folks, including this could 76 year old ultra guy named Ralph from Crescent City, who was going to work "all night". He made me some GOOD coffee while I waited.

Finally, at 10, Katie and Steve rolled through, and after refueling, off we went.

From 73 to 80 was all pitch dark, completely desolate, and monotonous gravel road. For a time, I wasn't even sure we were on the right path, but a confidence ribbon every...3 miles? (classic Hal) were enough.

Steve was moving pretty OK. It was all downhill and (or but?) he was running 9-10 minute miles. I gave him some form and arm cues.

At that point, I got a little sinking feeling in my stomach of, 'Ugh...what are we getting into" - that literal + figurative dark place. But that passed as we went along. Hit the 80 aid and saw Meghan, then began a LONG, 10-mile stretch to the final climb.

Passed the time with Steve telling "story plus form cues" - about BGD helping me with things, or the "Finch Cock Walk" - half entertainment, half-cueing or inspiration. It seemed to work pretty well and in no time caught a few folks.

The final climb on Wagner Butte was...tough: technical, even on the plateau after a long-three mile climb. I got Steve on a calories-every-25min schedule, but at times he still seemed low. The final meters of Wagner was a hands-and-feet rocky ascent that was tough for a guy wtih 80 hard miles on the body and brain. Slow going up, then down, but we stayed patient.

From there...it was almost literally ALL downhill: down the rugged rocks, down the plateau, then down the stupidly steep, shitty-treaded singletrack toward the penultimate aid station. At that point, the trail was so bad that we were doing 12-minute miles...downhill! Steve bit it once, but dusted off and kept going.

Around that time, LIGHT became a significant issue. He had two headlamps: his own, and one he left in a drop bag at 80: BOTH of them SUCKED. Mine - the Sprinter - was excellent. However...I grabbed it on a whim on Friday and it wasn't charged since Waldo! I didn't tell Steve and hoped for the best...but the worst was now happening. We'd long before switched lamps - he taking the sprinter - but now even that lamp was beginning to fade.

We picked our way down the trail to the last real aid - stocked up, then headed out. Thank god the final ten miles were all dirtroad or wide track because all three headlamps: mine on his head, and his two shitty lamps - were all nearly dead. I pointed my headlamp at his feet, then held his other one - also pointing it at his feet! But it was still barely enough.

But we shuffled along: 10-11 minute miles on the gradual downhill road. Man, if you have legs, you could crush this (7min miles, easy), but he was worn. Around this time my GPS watch also died, so I had to guess about distance...but dirt road mile markers seemed to be accurate. We were getting close.

Steve and I, despite our slow going, passed a guy with a few miles to go, then plunged on to the last bit of trail. Again, it was open but still rugged enough to be tough with minimal light. Around this time, I reached down to feel for my visor - which I'd taken off and tucked in my shorts - and it was gone. Damn.

Finally, finally - we hit the familiar trail above Ashland, with lights below. I pushed Steve a little, knowing the guys were behind us, but it was tough without visibility. But finally, we hit (steep, steep) pavement: down the ridge, down to Lithia Park, and through the finish.

It was a strange, strange finish: an inflatable arch and no one - literally NO one - except Katie and Austin, and Monkey Boy! Crazy! It was 2:30 or so, but still. It was weird.

All in all, Steve kicked ass. 21:30 for a debut, pretty low-key approach to his first 100. We shared a little beer, then we parted ways.

Good day - just a special thing to share that with people and, to be honest, a good brain+body training experience! Got back to the rental to sleep before Emily came in.

Fast forward to about 9:30: up, got coffee, then went to the finish and walked uphill and found Emily and MrR emerge. She looked ROUGH but she hobbled it in.

Fun stuff :)