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Perpetua - Yachats River Road Big Swing

September 17, 2017 (Morning)

Exercise Type: Run

Weather: 55-60F...and first rains of the season!

Comments:
Got up at 0700, knowing we'd be on a tight clock for this run. Even though I ran long on Thursday, I needed a combo vert-slog run and some flat-finish, and this route really nailed it.

Stretched, coffee'd and was out the door before 8, having packed up my stuff in the van. CA stayed back to run solo.

I ran per yesterday: south to Perpetua. But this time I'd make a loop of it, on the "Cummins Mountain Road" (which we've run as part of our Cummins Ridge-Creek trail loop), then back via a connecting FS road to Yachats river road. I knew it would climb, and basically end flat. Beyond that, I wasn't certain about anything else.

Opened the same as yesterday: 2 miles road, then 3+ miles trail to the lookout. Didn't feel as good, because the high humidity and threatening rain made the air thick and breathing more efforted.

I ran fasted and brought no supplies. I was hoping for water at the lookout, but there was none, which was unfortunate.

Felt OK at the summit of the lookout, then left the trail behind for the remaining...19 miles! The route pounded a good mile and 300+' down from the lookout to the main Peak road, where I started "The long lonely climb of loneliness" -- 3+ solid miles of FS-precise 8% grade, clicking off 9:xx miles.

For various reasons, I fell into this awesome breath pattern, a "6-8 time signature" of "1-2-3, 4-5-6" (rather than the usual 4-4 of "in-in, out-out"). Breathed in on left foot (L-R-L), then out on the right (R-L-R). There's something to what foot you exhale on, and where the stress goes. I'm sure of it. And given my severe imbalance -- and the FACT that I've run tens of thousands of miles, exhaling on the left leg, I was aiming to undo that.

That slow rhythm kept the effort in check. It wasn't easy, but wasn't hard. I saw precisely two cars (and a dude skateboarding down the road, near the very top). Around 10.0 miles, I plateaued.

MAJOR focus on "finishing the extension":

- tall & forward
- pelvis left (loading into the hill)
- PUSHING behind (hip and pelvis opening)

Even those extra few inches = so much more power and pace.

Once over the top, I restored my Salazar Stride and opened things up. On that first descent I was 6-flat or faster, and I got this back. Then, I had one more grunt climb til finally, at 12.xx, I hit the Yachats road junction. (Stopped about 3min to get out my phone to confirm).

From there, bomber downs: 6:00 pace or faster the whole way, interrupted by a couple short climbs here and there. But I bombed.

Again, form focus:

- leaning into the hill
- Salazar Stride downhill (which also makes me think of Dave Mackey's classic descending)
- pelvis left (opening the right side)

I must've also done a decent job of the symmetry, because I had very little left foot soreness...AND very little right ab tightness, post run!

By the time I bottomed out, at this little creek-picnic area, I was pretty gassed. Again, I wasn't sure of the route (21? 25?) and I was hoping it'd only be six miles into town, where I'd be meeting the family.

But once I got on the main road, my heart sank a bit when I saw "US 101 - 9 miles". UGH.

Here we go.

I was pretty gassed. "I'm STABLIZING", but I was just gassed. I really could've used some water, but...just didn't have it. That said...I did get some external water! As I finished the descent, it began to rain: periods of sprinkle to mist, but nothing too hard. It was rather pleasant.

Those last nine miles (more like 9.5) were...tough. Looking at the deets, it was net downhill, but didn't feel like it. While my breathing maintained that slow 6-8 rhythm, I was working. I did my best to "Salazar" and pull-through, and it obviously worked because I was cutting 6-high to 7:0x miles. I think I had one mile in 7:20, otherwise I was rolling.

One big push into town, then a gentle downhill, once I finally hit 25 miles. I coasted at that point, and shuffled over to the brewery, pretty well gassed.

GOOD. RUN. I could not have planned a better, more specific, run. I climbed and bombed 3200' before bottoming out and having to flat-out run that final 9.5, very much like RdL. Perfect.

Post-run:
- everyone was at Yachats Brewing, so I sidled up and grabbed some water, and sat in a stupor for a while
- changed in the van, then grabbed some breakfast
- CA and I drove back to Eugene, while the Harts puttered on the coast a while longer
- got a bit work done

Wore the Altra Escalante's the whole run. CLUTCH shoe. These will be in the repetoire for RdL, for sure. Maybe the last 20.