Eugene Marathon 4/29/2007

I backed off a bit last week, only 81 miles. I think this is good as I have had 7 weeks of 100+ miles a week. It was nice running on fresher legs this last weekend. They didn't feel like a heavy metal was running through my blood stream like at Peterson Ridge Rumble two weeks earlier.

My coach hasn't been happy with me. I should have had 2-3 high mileage weeks followed by a recovery week. I will do better in the future. Afterall, my coach knows way more than I do about this thing.



Last week I took off two days. The first days off I have had in 85 days. What did I do with those days? Well, I was a lazy bum on Friday but did pack for Capital Peak 50 miler on Saturday.





Then on Sunday I went and watched a ton of Ultra friends have great races at the Eugene Marathon. Here is a link to some pictures. Pictures here




Willamette (Will-am-it) River with runners on the bike path. Click on picture if you want to magnify.

Oh, the Willamtte River is the only Northernly flowing river in the US I believe.








The course... Much of it on Pre's Trail.

saaaawwweeet another PR

Well I had a good year last year. PR's in 13 of 14 Ultra's. The only one I didn't have a PR in was at S.O.B. (Siskiyou Out and Back) 50k, three weeks after States. And I was only one minute off my PR there even though I took almost 70 pictures during that race. So, all in all I had a good year last year.

Remember that I will never finish towards the top at any race. So all I do is try to enjoy the race and do the best that I can each time. I will continue to try to improve each year even though I approach 50 years old in a few years.

I am getting slower as time passes but that doesn't mean that I don't enjoy running on the trail. I may appreciate it that much more now.

I was never a "runner" in High School or College. I ran a bit to try to stay in shape. Three or four times a week, a few miles at a time. But what I enjoyed was wrestling. Yes, you are part of a team but really you are on your own out on the mat. There is no one to pass to, no one to block for you, no one to catch the fly ball for you, you are on your own. So, wrestling is a lot like running. No one can bail you out. No one can run for you. You have to put in the time and training. You just can't fake it in an Ultra.

So, today I had another PR... I washed 16 pairs of trail socks. One of the best PR's that I have set. O.K., I don't think I can top Waldo but this is pretty close.

I just love running on the trail.

I just love having a PR.

I will be running Capital Peak 50 miler this weekend. I dought that I will have a PR but I will enjoy this race none the less. I will take pictures again. I just don't think I can top the PR I had today in washing 16 pairs of trail socks. How great is that?

What is your favorite PR?

random thoughts

Well, I am headed into another weekend. Yes, a weekend of long runs. At first kinda dread them because I know how much work they are. But as the morning unfolds on the trail I wonder what I was thinking??? This is great.

I love the solitude of running on the trail with the headlamp on. I just love it. I have my i-pod on and just love running at a slow pace and just being thankful that I can do this kind of thing. I am in bliss for these couple of hours in the dark by myself.

I run by myself for the first half of the day because I run so darn slow. I wouldn't want to drag anybody out on the trail with me for that reason because it is at snails pace I tell ya. About the only thing I keep track of is total time on the feet and the miles I run. I don't stop my watch for anything, bathroom breaks, talking to friends, petting a really cute dog, nothing. It is all part of the run that day.

The sun comes up and the trail becomes populated. I might or might not have the music playing now because I want to be curtious to others that want by and I want to be able to hear them to move aside.

So, you see I tend to start early on the weekends. Up by 4:30am. Gad, I don't even do this on a work day. I can barely get up at 6am on those days! But I get up that early because I have to drive to a trail no matter where I want to go. I just don't live near any trail right now.

The second half of the day I often meet up with friends as they are doing their weekend run. I love this part also. They are training for their runs and I love hearing how things are going for them.

What I love is if they are doing a long run also. This is when it doesn't get any better. They run at a little slower pace. I can keep up with them for the most part. And we take breaks. Short ones but a break none the less. What I like about the breaks is I like to share food. A Payday bar, breakfast bar of sorts, or even the coveted meatloaf sandwich. Yes, I just pulled out of the oven a meatloaf as I write. Yes, I will be sharing it Saturday and Sunday on the trail. Peanut butter and Jelly sandwiches are great to share even in their squished state that they get on the trail but a meatloaf sandwich is of gormet' proportions 20 miles into a run.

I was having one of the best runs ever two years ago. Bob "the beast" Lynes took four others around Mt. Hood. None of us had ever done that 41 mile trail. I had thought about it doing it solo but that would not really be all that safe. I was happy Bob was our tour guide that day. It was the best.

About half way I figure it was time to eat a bit. Some had Dorito's, some had Frito's, some had PP&J to share. I had a quarter of PP&J, and yes it was squashed, but it tasted devine. What was the best traded food that day??? A quarter of a meatloaf sandwich. Oh my, that was like heaven.

So, tomorrow I will be sharing a meatloaf sandwich with friends 18 miles into a 35 mile run. I just love sharing with others on the trail. Plus, I get to stop for a bit and take a break. I like that. As I am the same speed as everybody if we stop for a bit.

Have a great weekend. I am going to enjoy this 6+ hour run on Saturday even though I am going to get rained on again. I am just looking forward to sharing time on the trail with friends. And of course sharing a meatloaf sandwich.

have fun this weekend.

What a morning...

The Sisters here. We got great views of these Central Oregon Mountains all day.


7am in the morning of Peterson Ridge Rumble. It couldn't get any better. Today was a 38.5 mile run in a beautiful place.









South Sister here.













RD, Sean Meissner....... this is what you follow guys and gals....




Sean, did you try to hide them at some intersections??? Just kidding. Yup, over 2/3rds of the field got anywhere from a 1/4 mile off course to 2 miles. No big deal. I didn't care.












the early starters.
















It was great to see friends at the race. I ran my first ultra with Theresa, Sean, and my brother three years ago.


















Beverly Anderson-Abbs, brother, Ed Willson before the race.














Alan Abbs and Craig Thornley










Van and Olga basking in the sun after.











others want to play too.












brother in Sunsweet shirt. Caroline, always smiling, Klug taking a sip before the start.
















we are lost so why not take pictures





















Well, Rod Bien just tore up the corse Sunday. Rod in yellow and Kelly Woodke in orange shorts.

Rod finished in 4:42, 28 minutes ahead of AJW!!! Man he is going to be in the mix also at States.


Bev and Kami yo-yoed a bit during the race until Bev had little low point after the 2nd to last aid station. Kami got after it. She made the comment to Jeff, "Well, somebody had to put the hammer down." She was right.


Jeff was happy with his race. He wanted to start of conservative and just run hard the second half. He was in 16th place at that point and just started picking them off. He finished in 6th.


Pretty much nothing went right for me. I couldn't get my camera to work halfway during the race... I was slow to-boot. I won't bore you with the laundry list of what went wrong. About the only thing that went right was I finished upright. That's pretty much it.


With all the problems I was trying to solve the thing that I was thankful for it was such a beautiful day. Great run and great friends to say "hi" to AS THEY PASSED ME BY. I JUST GOT TO TALK TO MORE OF THEM THAT WAY! But all in all I did have fun.


About the only thing that went right during the run is I hit my target 87% of the time when spitting...... Yea, I even missed the ground doing that. That pretty much tells you how my run went. Arghhhhh.....












But truely, this is why I like to run here.

yea!!!!!!!!

Just got a call from my brother after doing the Pear Blossum 10 mile run in Medford Oregon today. It has been around for many years in southern Oregon. He ran a 58 and change. He was happy. He does feel pretty hammered after poundin the pavement for an hour. He did finish ahead of Craig and Ticer both previous top ten runners at States.

The amazing news was that Lewis Taylor was third at American River 50 miler and Scott Wolfe was 2nd. Now Scott is in Western States. Both Lewis and Scott went into the race with no expectations. Just to run hard and enjoy it. They both train with my brother.

Oh, the mens race at States just keeps getting deeper. Scott, earned a spot after finishing in the top three at American River.

States will be fun to watch.

Now Ticer, my brother and Craig will be doing Peterson Ridge Rumble 35 milerish tomorrow.

Just more fun I figure.

have a good weekend.

print your blog???

to all you boston bound folks have fun. remember it is a pr course. 442 ft of net loss for the course. and heartbreak hill is only a gain of 80 feet. go ahead and throw it down!! have fun.

to put it in perspective.... that's boston's profile down on the left.

found a site that will print your blog if you like. they will print it in book-like form. i won't be doing this but you might in the future.

site here

i haven't read through all the particulars. i will leave that up to all you speedracers.

Sorry another question???????

O.K. speed racers, I run on a fairly popular trail now and then on the weekends. I see people with all sorts of hydrations systems, OR LACK THERE OFF many times. But I have a question about those fuel belts with all those little six/seven ounce (?) bottles that go all around the waist.

I see mostly marathoners wear them but occationally I see them in a Ultra.

Why are they so appealing?

Oh some have a nice little pocket for your lip gloss which is handy, if I do have to say so myself. And with the water bottles, the weight would be distributed evenly around the waist which is a good idea. But there are SOOOO MANY OF THEM!!! It would annoy the crap out of me refilling them in a race. Why, I would down one every 15 minutes. There you go, filling at least four at every aid station. Dang, I could get carpel tunnel just taking the lids on and off. But I can see a good point with them. I would get plenty of REST at each aid station because it would take me an enternity to open, fill, and close again. Oh, not to mention to get all 42 back in their holsters.

O.K., maybe I should have taken my medication today. Because I am now thinking how long it takes me to fill my two handhelds and get out of the aid station in races. And I have the lids OFF before entering them. Yes, where is that pill bottle?

Somebody fill me in on why so many peole wear the million bottle fuel belts... I want to learn... Too bad I didn't invent them as much as I see them.

question... Goals for this year???

Well, I know the racing season has already started and we all have goals... Yea, the usual running goals, have fun, stay healthy, run fast (for you speedracers that is)...

What I am asking is do you have any peculiar goals that you like to strive for in the upcoming year??? Keeping your shoes tied for the whole race, not to loose your cookies in more than one race, not to get bit by a dog, not to do a header more than two times in a race, keeping your skirt up the whole race...

What are some of your different or peculiar goals for this year???

Here are two of mine...

1. Not get "chicked" in one race, that is all, just one. Maybe this won't happen but I can always dream right?

2. Don't have to scroll. Huh? you say. Here it is, to not have to scroll for my name when I open the results page of any given race. Or to go to the second page in the results in Ultrarunner Magazine.

So, there it is. A couple of goals that stay with me all year. And actually I don't really have that much control of the results. Because you see that it really all depends on who toes the line in any given race to see where I land in the finishing place. But it nice to be suprised when either of these two things happen.

I would like to hear what kind of goals you have for yourself this coming year.

On a running note, I am "OFFICIALLY" tired now. Last month was pretty big and this one will be the same.

Have fun. tom