High Point on the Metolius-Windigo Trail.Photos on this post by Glenn Tachiyama.
It’s been a couple of years since I’ve run the Peterson Ridge Rumble. I’ve either had a race close or injured…so, I’ve been volunteering at an aid station (#2…the busy one) the past few Rumbles. Lots of action at that one, a cool boulder my son likes to climb on (with a really cool gigantic ant hill at the base). He gets a taste of filling water bottles and hangin’ out in the woods. Good times.
So, even though just recently recovering from my broken pinky toe and tendon strain AND some SI Joint soreness (thanks to tryin’ out CrossFit…another post to come on THAT one)…anyway, I knew I had some good base before the injury AND lots of cross-training under my belt. I was a little nervous, it being only my 9th run back coming off 5 weeks on the bike and pool running.
However, I did go do a “test” 23 miler on Tuesday, which I walked away from pretty dang sore from the pounding, but a mini-3-day taper knocked out the soreness, I sucked it up and said…”Ain’t gettin’ any younger” and pulled up my boot straps…er, I mean the fresh pair of New Balance 904TRs and got myself READY TO RUMBLE!!
Sean added some really sweet singletrack that the Sisters Trail Alliance just built last season. Awesome addition, including the bouldery, gnarly section before Aid 2…nice, Colonel. The weather was awesome, upper 60s at the finish, 22 and a bit chilly at the start (clear night in Central Oregon…the usual), but it warmed up quick. There were some decent frozen mtn bike ruts on the trail (I’m a mtn biker…Spring unwritten rule…ride trail in the morning BEFORE it thaws in the early spring…please y’all…’nuff said).
I ran with the Eugene-homeys Wolfeman and Lewis T. and Ashlander Eric Poole for the first 6 or 7 miles…but, with the limited mileage recently, realized I couldn’t keep pumping their pace. So, I backed off a touch, paced myself for my fitness level and ran by myself. The frozen canyon coming back down to the creek was sweet before The Grunt. The patchy snow/ice mix was fun picking fast through it. I was settling into 6th with no one around until I got to the Cinder Road climb (at 23 or 24 miles) before the Metolius-Windigo and Curt’s Aid Station.
I was just settling down to enjoy the power hike/running transitions up the long road climb, when I glance over my shoulder and see Will from Corvallis coming up on me…dang, dude. Okay, no matter what place I’m in, I don’t like giving up a place…okay, okay, I’m a little competitive…can’t help it, Bronco Billy likes to win…even if it’s winning 6th place. It’s the same with Monopoly.
So, I took a gel and ran the whole dang hill…by the top I couldn’t see Will anymore, cruised through Curt’s aid and on to some downhill. I knew running that would take a bunch out of my legs, but it was fun none the less…got that hill over with quicker.
The metolius was pretty gnarly from half frozen, too many horse prints. That section is a BIG horse area, my ankles paid the piper a little with lighter shoes and not much running volume recently. By the time I hit the last last aid station, I was torched…the Cinder Butte came to call. But, I just maintained and got across in 4:31. Good Rumble, Colonel. Giddyup.