View Workout (Joe Uhan)

Return to Log

US Mountain Running Champs

July 25, 2015 (Morning)

Exercise Type: Run

Weather: cool day, all day! Unseasonably cool...like a high of 70 in Bend

Comments:
Pretty solid day. Woke up after a great night's sleep at Pete's house (in his furnished basement guest room), then snuck out early for coffee en route to Mt Bachelor.

The weather was...so-so: cold, breezy, and even on-and-off mist! CA and I warmed up with a real easy hike up and jog down the steep Max King-designed 4K course. Hella-steep and rugged (like the top of Maiden, damn-near) on the climb, then fast dirt roads descent.

Shortly before the race, we met up with CA's sister, Courtney, and her fiance, Bert. They just moved to ID and drove to Bend for the race. Both nice, but like her oldest sister, a little quiet.

The race: CA ran solid, but unspectacular. I could tell she wasn't quite "into it", running hard but not aggressively up the steep, altitude heavy climbs, then rather clunky downhill. It's been a real re-learning experience for her, to not slow-stride hammer down hills and instead be truly efficient. She placed 22nd, but not too far behind some former Team Run Eugene teammates.

The men's race was insane. I thought the ladies were fast at 7:0x pace, but the guys ran 6:1x - for THREE LAPS. And they were flying downhills! Great lessons learned, just watching them. It was cool to watch Dave Laney, among other ultrarunners, hold their own.

Post-race we chatted more with Courntey-Bert, congratulated a few of the runners, then met up at a trailhead by the Deschutes, where I made us breakfast on the tailgate.

C&B went for a bike ride, and CA and I went back to Pete's to clean up. I was tired and out of it - but felt better after an allergy med - and after a little rest, she and I headed back toward town for a coffee, then over to Crux for beers.

Hung out with both C&B (and their friends, who met them from PDX), and the large contingent of runners there for the post-race bash. Got one free drink ticket from Max King and spent a good chunk of time chatting up with Chris DeNucci and Mario Fraoili (who's an editor for Competitor) - both up from SF. Fun stuff.

Grabbed a food cart meal in another part of town with CA, then headed back to Pete's basement. Fun day. Proud of CA for getting out of her comfort zone.

Hanging with Courtney and Bert was a little...weird. HE was not very sociable. I tried to engage him several times, but he was very ineffectual - almost depressive. He's a runner-coach, yet he's been hurt FOREVER, after having an unsuccessful "compartment release" surgery on his calves (yet, as CA has confirmed, has not done anything to rectify any stride issues). But apparently he was all ornery because he wasn't able to go on his bike ride. Welp...ok. They were also juggling hanging out with her old college roommate (and her nutty BF), so that was a bit weird, is all. Nice folks, though. But again, I get the impression that even after meeting me, they're "east coast cautious" and, frankly, not very friendly towards me.