4 Bend hosts National Beard and Moustache Championships

Post-run icicles at the 2009 Bad Ass 50k

I have to say I’m pretty attached to my facial hair. I’ve had a beard for the past 12 years and last year I finally shaved my face clean to show my kids what their Dad actually looked like under all that hair. Well, after 11 years, my chin felt naked without it and I immediately grew back my beard. My wife says it’s a sign of manhood…call it whatever you like…but you dudes out there that have it and keep it, you know what I’m talkin’ about. It feels right.

Well, this weekend facial hair descended on Bend like a bunch of ZZ Top wannabes. Last night I took the family out to Art Walk and everywhere there were crazy beards and giant handlebar moustaches. It was cool. Bend is host to the National Beard and Moustache Championships and the Champion was crowned today. I took the family downtown to enjoy the start of the procession that walked from the Oxford Hotel downtown to the Old Mill to get judged to see who would be crowned champ. Here are a few pics…

17 2010 Silver State 50 Miler

Peavine Peak

I headed down over the weekend to Reno, NV to run the Silver State 50/50. I was looking forward to running this, I had penciled it in as a training tune-up for Bighorn 100 coming up in June. I ran this race back in ’04 when it was the old course (before the fire) and was looking forward to testing my fitness after a 70-day running streak with no days off from March 1-May 9 and training hard through Way Too Cook 50k and Peterson Ridge Rumble 60k this spring.

Yassine, Ashley, Sean and I hit the road on Friday morning from Bend. After driving through the Oregon Outback, we crossed into California and stopped at a spot to get an easy run in to shake out our legs halfway to Reno. It was a fun run to cruise up a fire road and into some melting snow patches at 6000 feet. We even saw some bear tracks. Then, we bushwacked up a hillside and then down a drainage. for an easy 4.5 miles and a decent bit of elevation change. Then we jumped back in the car and cruised into Reno by about 5pm, went to pre-race check in, then crashed out. Ashely and I were running the 50 miler and Sean and Yassine were running the 50k.

After an early 4am wake up and some breakfast, Ashley and I headed over for our 6am start. Coming from Oregon we just don’t have any heat yet and I could tell it was going to be warm, as I was comfortable in my sleeveless jersey at 5:45am. At 6am sharp we were off and running and quickly up and into the exposed first sagebrush climb. A young University of Nevada Nordic skier named August Brautigam took the immediate lead and I settled into 2nd about 50 meters back as we started the 12 mile climb up Peavine Peak. As the sun came up it really started to warm up and by the time we hit a few miles below the summit, it was warm. August started to pull away in the middle of the climb, but I kept plugging away at a comfortable pace. About a mile or two below the summit, Joelle Vaught caught up to me and we ran together to the summit chatting a bit. We were able to reel in August and by the summit he was only about 20 meters in front of us. I got in and out and was only 40 meters back from August coming off the summit and into the descent off Peavine and within a 1/2 mile caught up to him. We ran together and chatted until just after the start of the Cal loop. I dropped back to take a gel and a salt tab and he gapped me a little. I felt comfortable and it was still early (mile 15) and I just wanted to cruise and not worry about “racing.” We ran the whole Cal loop in pretty much the same position. August about a 1-2 minutes up on me where I could just see him on long straights or open areas.

Soon we were back around the loop and crossed back into Nevada and hit the new singletrack section over to Ranch Creek and rejoined the 50k course. I closed the gap to 30 seconds on August in this section and headed down the steep singletrack section that heads steeply down to River Bend Aid near Boomtown Casino on I-80. I had been reeling in August on all the steeper, more technical sections and took this opportunity at about mile 32 to pass him and open up a small gap on the out and back section down to River Bend. I arrived into River Bend and got my gear swap out of my drop bag and started the long 6 mile climb back up Peavine Peak. I met August about a minute back and Joelle only another 8 minutes back. I felt good through this section and just kept up running a lot with short hike breaks on really steep sections.

I felt good up the climb and just kept plugging away and passing 50k runners and soon made it to the summit of Peavine at mile 38 in 5:52. I filled bottles and dropped off for the final descent to the finish. On the map it looks like the final 12 miles is all downhill, but it’s not. This last descent is fast and technical in spots with a half dozen 1/4 to 1/5 mile grunt ups that probably total 500 feet or so. So, you definitely have to work on the way back, as right when you get in the downhill rhythm you have to go uphill for a bit. I arrived into the aid at mile 44 and the guy informed me that I was close to the record. That got a little fire under me and I pushed hard the last 6. Once I got down almost the tunnel at the end near the park and looked at my watch, I knew Jasper’s record was just out of reach. I came across the line in 7:12:59 (86 seconds shy of the course record). So close! Oh well, that’s the way the chips fall sometimes. Can’t get caught up in the details when you have a good day just the same. Was totally stoked to run well and pull out a win.

On a Team Oregon note…Yassine ended up running 4:02 and smashing the course record in the 50k, with Sean cruising to 4th place in the 50k and Ashley got 2nd in the 50 miler. Giddyup!

5 2010 Peterson Ridge Rumble 60k

"YEE-HAW" always in order when you have to go long—know what I'm sayin'?! Photo by Erica Wagner

I’m finally getting around to posting on this race. I do have a good excuse! My family has been out of town and I’ve been running, skiing and cycling the past week and every night I’m too tired to think about writing anything.

Once again, Sean Meissner and all the volunteers put on a stellar race. Sean keeps tweaking this course as the Sister’s Trail Committee adds new singletrack in and around Peterson Ridge…it’s just getting better. Now, if I could get about 5 more major climbs in this course it’d actually suit me better. 🙂 Seriously, this is a runner’s course. Everything, I mean everything, is runnable with no major technical trail. It’s beautiful and definitely a great race, and I like it for the simple fact that it’s mentally a tough course for me with no crazy mountains to climb.

Race day we had great weather. Brisk at the start, but hazy day with some sun breaks. Within a mile of the start Inov8 runner, Yassine Diboun took the lead (and never let up) and ran a great time of 4:17. I settled into 2nd and was about 3 minutes back through aid station 5 (a little over halfway). However, after aid 3 I missed the road turn off singletrack for aid 4 (so did Yassine)…about a 2 minute shortcut. Some flags had been pulled and right after we went through, they fixed the flags. I didn’t know Yassine had missed it too, and I didn’t know until I was nearly to aid 5, as there is so much new course I didn’t know exactly where I was and I knew that aid 4 moved from last year. Well, I was thinking I was going to have to drop or at least finish and tell Sean and get DQ’d. Luckily, due to the course vandalism, Sean just docked Yassine and I two minutes, since it was a small mishap and didn’t change the mileage much or our places. However, this mess up really took the wind out of my sails on chasing Yassine.

Yassine and I post race. Photo by Erica Wagner

Since I new I was off course and after I checked into aid 5 and found out Yassine was in fact still in front of me, well, I thought he was on course and  I was the only one off. Oh well. To his credit, I doubt I would have caught him, he ran a great race. While I was ho-humming between aid 5 and 6 on what to tell Sean and generally in a stupid head space over the mishap, Yassine was driving it home (he didn’t know he was off course) and put another 8 minutes on me by aid 6. Once that happened, I was done. I couldn’t see 3rd place. So, I just kept plugging away and finished in 4:39 in 2nd place. Yassine said he thought I was 3 minutes back the whole time and kept pushing. Dang…just goes to show, don’t let down, you never know. Always a good lesson.

Just gotta roll with it. Beautiful day out there with a little clouds, little sun. It’s always a great race and also a joy to hang out with all the Central Oregon runners with their race faces on. And, man oh man…great finish line burritos and the usual cool finish on the Sister’s Middle School track. I did jump the hurdle on the track backstretch this year after 36.5 miles. No injuries. Giddyup!

1 Proper Foot Function

This is a very good video on YouTube from Dr. Ray McClanahan, a Podiatrist in Portland, OR who believes in restoring proper foot function. Good argument for barefoot, minimalist footwear that allow your feet to function properly. Enjoy.

3 Horse Butte 10 miler

Mile 5, Horse Butte 10 Miler, Photo: SuperFit Productions

I’m finally getting around to this post, a week late. Will have The Rumble 60k report up soon. Horse Butte has become an annual event for me to go do. Love this race FootZone and Super Dave at SuperFit Productions puts on. Great scene, fun time and always good beer and Oregon Country Beef hot dogs at the finish line. This year it was 1 week prior to The Rumble 60k and I was unsure of how hard I should run it at first. Then, after some thought and looking at the solid mileage I’ve been putting in…plus the fact the Rod called me on Thursday and asked me if I was going to go “sub-Bien” (his time was 1:04:12 and I ran 1:04:41 last year). He likes to razz me that I just missed his time. So, after the gauntlet was thrown down, I decided to do a short taper for the Rumble and run Horse Butte hard in hopes of going “sub-Bien” and getting bragging rights. 🙂

To top it off, I decided to bike to and from the race in 20-something degree weather (with a dusting of snow on the ground), the bike to the start is 12 miles one way. So, 12 mile ride, 10 mile trail race, 12 mile ride home. I went out in 5th place behind Josh Nordell and moved into 4th by mile 2 and settled into a comfortably hard pace. This course basically climbs the first 5 miles and descends the last 5 (with some small climbs in the last 2 miles). I came through halfway in 34 minutes and felt pretty good. I ended up running in “no man’s land” with no one really breathing down my neck and not being able to close the gap on Paul Parsons in 3rd. So, I just stayed locked into 4th running against the clock. I came into the last trail intersection knowing I had Rod’s old time and ended up running exactly a minute faster for a PR and 1:04:12. To my surprise I was able to run my last mile as my fastest in 5:45. Good tempo training day. I hung out, ate a couple of dogs, drank a small cup of beer and pedaled home for a solid 3 hour workout. Love this race. Thanks Super Dave and the crew.

1 Harvard University Barefoot Running FAQs

There has been a lot of talk in the press lately about Dr. Lieberman’s studies on barefoot biomechanics. Here’s a link to his finding and website: (http://www.barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/6FAQ.html) Lots of stuff to read and geek out about—thought I’d share. I found it interesting enough to add it to my Links page for future reference. Giddyup!

10 Way Too Cool 50k

I’m totally tardy on this report, but have been super busy with work. Last weekend, Max King and I headed down to California to run Way Too Cool 50k in Cool, CA (just across the American River Canyon from Auburn, CA). Part of the course in on the Western States 100 course and it’s always a deep field and you have to be prepared to run fast.

Max and I arrived at Auburn Running Company for packet pickup on a very rainy day in Northern California. The area got over an inch of rain on Friday, and it was wet. Luckily, the rain storms blew out Friday night. After a quick 2.5 mile jog on Friday night to flush the legs out with Max after all day in the car, we hit the sack about 11pm.

We woke to clear skies and some heavy frost as the temps had dipped near freezing overnight, but the day looked to be beautiful, with temps forecasted in the upper 50s to low 60s and not a cloud in the sky. After my warm-up, I got to the start line and said hello to a few folks, Kami, Rod, and Karl (who was just spectating after Coyote Two Moons the week before…his wife was running). We got going at 8am sharp and as usual the pace was quick out of the gates.

The pace being brisk, I went through the first mile in 6:17 and the second just about as fast. I knew from my previous 2 times before, you have to be ready run hard out of the gates, as the start is on an old FS paved road. We soon got on the trail and I realized my hopes of breaking 4 hours might not come true due to conditions…it was muddy…but, I was still hopeful. I settled in and tried to run comfortably hard without going too hard on any hills and using the downs to pick up the pace a bit.

I arrived Aurburn Lakes Trail Aid at 15.4 in 1:53 and felt pretty good. I was still thinking sub-4 might be there. After that loop and the climb up Ball Bearing Hill I was still on pace and started the traverse back meeting the back of the pack runners. Everyone was stepping aside so I just had to twist sideways a bit as I ran past (save one guy who almost ran me off the trail). I have to say, since adding the extra mileage last year to the course in the first few miles of the course, it prolongs the time meeting other runners on the traverse. I know I was getting tired of twisting to get by and I’m sure they were annoyed by having to step off the trail every 40 yards for front runners.

NOTE: My personal opinion is that race staff should re-route that section to avoid the overlap, it’s really quite annoying for everyone involved (front and back of the packers), as the traverse there is narrow and the hillside is steep (above and below the trail) with no place to step aside easily. I was in 12th through that section, so all the runners were nice that stepped aside, but I’m sure by the runner in 30th and above, those runners were getting pretty annoyed at having to step aside. I just think if you are going to change the course—a course with a long, rich tradition—you better change it for the better, not make it worse just for the sake of “exact” mileage. However, I don’t want my personal critiques to overshadow the fact that the RD Julie and the volunteers put on an excellent race. Great aid stations, great finish line, great event.

I made it to almost goat hill climb before I quit meeting runners, and ran through the marathon in 3:19. On my way up Goat Hill, I kind of hit the wall. I really had no drive left and felt like I was pretty cooked. My splits definitely show it too. I faded the last 5, but was able to pick a couple of guys off in the last 3 miles to sneak into 10th place in 4:07. It was a solid effort I felt for this early. 50k’s are definitely not my forte, but I felt like it was a pretty good race considering the mud. Bend represented with 3 in the top 10. Rod Bien was 7th and Max was 2nd. Strong work Central Oregon.

As far as the men’s overall race, Max was leading from halfway to the Goat Hill Climb, when last year’s winner, Leor Pantilat caught up to him on the climb. Geoff Roes caught them both just past Goat Hill aid and put the hammer down and left them, only to take a wrong turn on the trail that leads back to Hwy 49 aid. Bummer. (they need a directional sign at that intersection, as it’s flagged in both directions—confusing if you get turned around). Roes, due to the mishap, ended up in 3rd and Leor pulled out another win with Max hanging on for 2nd.

Max and I slogged an easy 8 miler in Red Bluff, CA on Sunday on the way home. It was nice enough to run shirtless. I was able to run every day this week and feel pretty good. Which, if anyone knows me, I’m usually not running again for a few days after a 50k. I forced myself to run every day and feel my legs flushed out and recovered much quickly. Next up…Meissner’s local ultra in Sisters, Oregon in April…The Rumble 60k! Giddyup!

2 Barefoot/Minimalist Discussion Panel, March 10th

Teague at FootZone in downtown Bend is putting on a Barefoot Minimalist Discussion Panel this Wednesday evening, March 10, 2010 at 6:30pm at FootZone. Panel will include runners Max King and myself, Physical Therapist Mike Tompkins of Rebound Physical Therapy, and Teague Hatfield (footwear buyer and owner of FootZone). We will be talking about taking a common sense approach to using your feet more and your shoes less.  Come join us and learn from the experiences of others—what to expect and how to avoid injury. Come join us—giddyup!

11 Barefoot Running Baby Steps and Terra Plana Vivo Barefoot Shoes

Well, SORRY, SORRY for the absence of posts lately. I’ve been super busy with work and trying squeeze in training volume for the upcoming Way Too Cool 50k in California next weekend (much of my training has been with a headlamp to get it all in). I’m finally back to running barefoot a little again too! Giddyup! I’m definitely taking the conservative/cross-training approach to minimalist after my bout with Plantar Fasciitis when I bumped up my volume in minimalist running shoes too quickly. I don’t know what I expected after 38 years locked up in shoes! Baby steps, baby steps…literally.

Anyway, I’ve been back to running in the Inov8 X-Talon 212s part time and warming up and cooling down again barefoot (no Vibram Five Fingers for now)…I feel that was part of my problem that caused issues previously. I went too far, too fast in the VFFs and stressed my feet out. They allow you to do too much because of the Vibram protection factor. So, I’m going pure barefoot now, which forces a MUCH, MUCH slower transition due to having to wait on your skin to toughen up…it’s the limiting factor which I feel is a good thing. This is my newest “ah-ha” moment with regard to transitioning and spending time barefoot running. Your tender skin is the natural way of causing you to adapt comfortably and healthfully.

The other thing I’ve been doing is exclusively wearing the Terra Plana Vivo Barefoot Aqua Shoe. I’m LOVING this shoe. I wear it all the time apart from running or going barefoot around the house. They’re like funky looking flat tennis shoes (with a moccasin feel). And, if fashion is a concern…they’re pretty dang superfly hip with some hipster jeans and a retro shirt—you’re ready to slip into the club and kick it—all while strengthening your feet. The ultimate in cross-training hipness. They have a wide toe box for your feet to splay out while walking and are completely flat with no heel build up. They are definitely a bit pricey at $150…I happened to get them for half-off…Chirunning.com (I get the e-newsletter) had a half-off code last month. A nice bonus for sure. They’re worth the investment, even at $150. Well worth the barefoot simulation time outside of running coupled with the funkadelic-factor…in my humble opinion.

Check out their site for a huge selection of shoes…but especially check out the Vivo Barefoot line: http://www.terraplana.com

35 Three 100 milers and my Valentine

Now that the minimalist running switch is in “turtle progression” and I’m back training full volume in biofit insoles (albeit in lighter shoes), I’ve had a hard time thinking of quality blogging material. Chalk it up to slight depression from having to back off on my running a few weeks, I guess. Anyway, then it hit me, my old friend…the 100 mile race. After finding out I was 242 on the Hardrock 100 waiting list last weekend, I entered 3 hundred milers…yep, three (Bighorn 100, Cascade Crest 100, and Hal Koerner’s new Oregon 100, Pine to Palm).

So, the only issue, I had to break it to my lovely wife…now don’t get me wrong, my wife loves a 100 miler—ONE hundred miler a year. She worries, she frets, she doesn’t sleep during them. The problem is, I live for the 100 miler. It’s hands-down my favorite ultra distance. In my humble opinion, it’s the bar. I love everything about them, the prep, the pain, the emotions—no faking it, no shortcuts.

Now, it really  isn’t my habit to neglect to obtain wife approval for big races such as three 100 milers in one season—it’s the truly respectable thing to do when you’re married with kids. And, in my defense, I did mention all 3 separately in conversation. Whether she’s learned to tune out my obsessive ultra chatter and constant talk of running, training, shoes, races, and the like…well, the reality kicked in tonight in conversation. Our banter was something like this…

I said, “I need to do a blog post. Not sure what to write about since the minimalist transition is kinda on the backburner. Maybe I’ll just post on the three 100 milers I just entered.”

Silence.

Then she said, “You entered…three hundred milers? Did you tell me about these three hundred mile races?” I replied (rather sheepishly),  “Well, I mentioned them all separately,” and I quickly added, “two of them are local…one in Oregon, one in Washington.”

And that was it. She didn’t storm out, throw me to the ground, or punch me in the face.

Did I mention how amazing it is to be married to such a gorgeous, patient, beautiful, intelligent, hot, rock star of a mama, wonderful woman? (She checks my blog occasionally, so this will help.) Happy Valentine’s Day sweetie. Three. Giddyup.