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The "Callie Alice Loop": Eula TH to Eagles' Rest & back with Lewis

March 11, 2017 (Night)

Exercise Type: Run

Weather: 50-55, actually pretty warm

Comments:
Ran in the afternoon-evening with Lewis, who could only run then. Did some work in the AM, then picked up Lewis at his place at 2 to head to Hardesty.

A great LS50 route that CA conjoured last year starts near Hardesty, but doesn't run it: it starts on the rolling South Willamette trail, running back to the Hardesty TH, then up Eagles Rest, and back. Lots of vert, but more rolling and less mega climbs (ala Hardesty). Moreover, this loop isn't snowed in.

Left around 2:45, after stashing water and Mt Dew(!) at Hardesty.

I was a bit apprehensive about this run, given my week: shitty workout Thursday, tough Baldy's on Tuesday and general fatigue. Lewis and I decided on "Easy-Medium" outbound, then possibly running harder over that tough, finishing South Willamette.

And that's about what we did. I led for the first segment. My goal all day was form-focus, namely using glutes:

- Tall & Forward (all the damn time, up and-or down, but for sure, flats)
- Butt back ("Kilian Butt")
- knees behind toes ("pull")

It seemed to work pretty well, and I felt good hip engagement most of the day.

Then, I pushed the downs a bit, losing Lewis consistently (even though they were quite "relaxed" by fast ultrarunner standards).

Lewis led when we got onto Goodman, and did a good job of pushing the ups and challenging me = getting my out of my comfort zone. He led until the last push up Eagles, where he let me take over.

Summited Eagles in 2:17, a nice improvement from the nearly 2:30 we did a year ago (4-2-16). ON top of that? It was MUDDY AF. THE WORST mud I've ever seen on this loop. South Willamette was pretty bad...Goodman and parts of Eagles was TERRIBLE. So that bodes well for our effort and speed.

The only cold part of the day was up on the summit. Had a quick snack, then descended.

This is the tough part of this route: technically "it's all downhill", but it has a way of taking it out of you, especially with numerous "shit-burger" climbs in the final 9 miles.

I kept it easy at first, but then opened it up, once I realized how good I was feeling! But, as was the theme the rest of the day, as twilight hit us and everything darkened: I felt great, I FELT fast...but was pretty pedestrian:

Eagles descent: 21:4x
Goodman descent (to TH parking lot): 41:xx

21 is OK on Eagles, but 41 on Goodman is crappy. But...it's more respective of how goddamn muddy it was.

Ran down to the TH, well ahead of Lewis, to get our stashed fluids, then ran them 0.4 miles uphill to the trail junction back to South Willamette. He rolled in just as I arrived, and we reconvened, pounding high fructose corn syrup ("IT'S SO GOOD WHEN IT HITS YOUR LIPS!") and donning headlamps, as it was now nearly pitch dark.

From there, the last up-river push on South Willamette. We stuck together for a mile, then I pulled away.

I felt...GOOD. This is the feeling I've been chasing:

- to be working "fairly hard"
- to be running "fairly fast"
- to be FEELING GOOD - like "Easy"

It's been SOO long, and it feels like I tapped into that, initially, at SOB. That's why I went after Hagg, to keep that going. The key, however, is to access that without overusing and wearing it out.

As we ran along in the pitch-ass dark, trying to stay upright on mud, rocks, roots and other shit, that's how I felt: deep, controlled breathing, and just STRENGTH. Really great.

Got to the TH, finally, after the big ups, downs and stream crossings. Splits: 57:50 over that final segment, a good 2 minutes faster than a year ago (when I bonked out, in ideal conditions).

Final time of about 4:18, a good ten minutes faster than a year ago, in much worse conditions.

GOOD RUN.

PM: drove back to EUG, dropped off Lewis, home to CA, quickly ate, then went to Matt's to watch the Pac-12 Champ game (Oregon lost)

<wore the blue Salomon Sonics. Comfy and light, but SUCKED in the mud>