April Showers & 50-Milers

« When your mind starts to wander, just return your focus to your breath. » André Grandbois, yoga instructor.

Exactly one year after doing the Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim double-crossing of the Grand Canyon, two-thirds of the team reunited in Snoqualmie, Washington to run the Mt. Si Ultra. Due to injury, Wade was unable to join us, but Jackie was there, along with two other Vancouverites, Ryne Melcher and Kristin Ohm-Pedersen. Ryne (aka Rune) has run and won this event the past couple of years and holds a very impressive course record of 5:54:14 for 50-miles. He would not be lowering his time this year as a freak injury to his ribs (reportedly hurt while playing Wii tennis) forced him to run the shorter 50K event. Kristin was also entered in the 50K run whereas Jackie and I would test our mettle in the 50-miler.

I had never visited the Seattle area before so I was excited to run this race, check Washington off my 50-States list, and visit this area of the Puget Sound.

The race starts and finishes in the small town of Snoqualmie which rests in the heart of the Cascade Mountain Range about 25-miles east of Seattle. Surrounded by the snow capped Isaaquah Alps, 50-mile runners began their journey from a local elementary school promptly at 6:00AM. 50K runners would start two and a half hours later.

Mt. Si Ultra also offers a 59-mile relay option. There are 10 relay legs and runners on each team must run at least 2 sections. Seeing as there were nearly one hundred teams, this added greatly to the overall atmosphere of the run. Relay exchange points along the course had large boisterous crowds of spectators and runners awaiting their teammates. (Note: Last year, only one team had a faster time than Rune…wowsers!)

The early miles of the race run through the quaint town before entering the trails. The race’s website describes the trails as “old railroad grade (which) offers a gentle elevation and is generally wide with some crushed rock, but usually is packed dirt and grass.” Moss-covered hemlock trees lined the trails and runners were also treated to spectacular views of many snow-capped mountains, ebbing waterfalls, and blissful rivers and streams.

Shortly after passing the first aid-station less than an hour into the race, the clouds opened up and the rain persisted for most of the day. This is after all the Pacific Northwest!

The race’s name is a bit deceiving since runners don’t actually run up Mt. Si. We actually only run past it (and sort of around it) on the different out-and-back sections. There was however one long and gradual uphill section between miles 25 and 36. What goes up must come down. After the turnaround, I was delighted to let gravity do its work and pull me back down to the final 4-mile flat section to the finish line.

On the early morning drive to the start of the race I had told Jackie that I felt my training had been adequate to grind through to the finish of the race, but I wasn’t sure if my speed was quite where I would like it to be. Although the rain soaked us to the core, I wasn’t about to let it dampen (pun intended) my spirit. Whenever I started thinking negatively, I tried to remind myself to practice what my yoga instructor had been preaching during his recent classes (see quote above). Also, to complement this meditative exercise, I spent most of the day singing (often out loud and to myself) and/or whistling my new favourite song, “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster The People.

“…better run, better run, out run my gun…”

So on this day I didn’t allow my lows to get too low or my highs too high. I took in the scenery and tried to maintain an even pace. In the end, I missed lowering my 50-mile personal best time by a mere 41 seconds. But that’s OK! It’s way too early in the season for PR’s!

As for the rest of the Canadian contingent, Ryne paced Kristin to her very first ultra win in a time of 4:37:12. Jackie cruised to a second place finish (5th overall) in 7:40:12 and lowered her 50-mile PR by over 90 minutes! We joked that the next time she takes an hour and a half off her time she’ll still be shy of Ann Trason’s World Record!

 

Two weeks after Mt. Si Ultra, I toed the line at the Jerseyville 100. This low-key “Fat Ass” event is hosted by Monica Scholz, Phil McColl and some of their friends and family. Eleven runners started and my intention was to run 50K and assess whether or not I’d push to 50-miles. Once again, the race began in the rain. I even ran the first 5K wearing an ugly yellow rain poncho. Although the rain didn’t last that long, the winds persisted throughout my run. After 50K I lost interest and packed it in. I tried to use the same tactics that kept the negative thoughts away in Snoqualmie, but this time to no avail. Someone once told me: “If you want to run 50-miles, you’ve got to WANT to run 50-miles!” The desire was simply not there on this particular day.

I’ve entered two races this month and both were wet ones. I guess if you run enough races, you are bound to get inclement weather. At this time of year in the past, I have had this misfortune at an extremely nasty Miwok 100K in 2009 and another slip-sliding muddy affair at Bull Run Run in 2006. But this April, with the exception of just a couple of days, I feel as though it has rained all month long. The April showers have been Monumental!

How do you stay motivated on rainy days? Can you help me feel like Gene Kelly in this type of weather?  Please leave us a comment below.

Gotta run,

Vince

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