#41 - Pacific Rim One Day Race 2008

DATE: March 15-16, 2008

LOCATION: Lake Sacajawea Park, Longview, Washington

In November of 2007, I thought about doing the Pacific Rim One Day Race, I first thought about doing a 100k, which would have been a personal best for me in distance. But as I talked with my friend Tim, I realized that running the full 24 hours was not out of the question, I desired to run 100 miles.

I woke up at 6am on Saturday morning and picked Tim up at about 7am and we drove to Longview. We arrived at about 8am and setup our supplies for the race.

When the race started (it was overcast and cool in the 40's). At the start with the sun peaking through the clouds, I felt great. The first 12 miles I was running fast and having fun. I was hanging in with the two other leaders and was running about a 8:30 mile. But I knew I could not keep it going. Tim saw me and warned me to take walking breaks. So in mile 13 I hung back and stayed with Tim. We ended up running together for the next 51 miles.

In the one mile loop we took short walking breaks and ran most of the loop. I began to realize that as long as I didn't fall about in the overnight hours I would probably run 105 miles, which would be about 4 marathons.

Tim's legs began cramping around the 50 mile mark. He then had some stomach problems, and things were not looking good for him. We slowed down, and at about mile 60, Tim told me that he might drop at 63 miles. I felt bad for him.

At this point I had run 64 miles in 12 hours and I was now heading into the night hours. This is the most difficult part of a 24 hour race. I slowed down, but kept running parts of the loop.

Between 8:30pm and 5am, I struggled to keep going, even though I was drinking lots of caffeine I was still struggling to stay awake. Those 8½ hours dragged on, and I slowed down in pace but kept moving.

But at 5am, I reached the 150k mark (93 miles). At that time, the caffeine started kicking in. I was also motivated being only 7 miles from the 100 mile marker. I pushed hard to get there and managed to get to the 100 mile marker before 7am. I finished 100 miles in 21:55:02.

At that point the sun was on the rise and I had two hours left. I knew I was going to keep going, but the pressure was less. I ran/walked the remaining two hours. Not only did I reach my 105 mile goal, but also did two additional miles.

I ended up finishing 107 miles in 23:46:24. I was so happy to be done, and enjoyed the whole experience. Shortly after the race was over, they gave awards to the top ten men. I finished fifth place, and received a nice plague.

Tim and I packed up our stuff and drove home. I managed to stay up for another hour for the ride home. I got home at 11:40am. At that point I took and nap, and relaxed the rest of the day.

#40 - Des Moines Creek 6 hour 2008

DATE: March 1, 2008

LOCATION: Des Moines Creek, SeaTac, Oregon

This was my first ever timed race. I was preparing for my first 24 hour race, and thought this would be a good preview. I decided to drive up that morning. I woke up at 4am and left about 5am and made the three hour drive to SeaTac. I arrived about 8am and had a chance to get ready for the 9am start. The weather was chilly, but dry. On the way up it had been raining, but once I got there the clouds were starting to lift and it felt great.

The course was a four mile trail loop that made lots of turns, but the course was very well marked. There was also a short loop of 1.1 miles once you didn't have enough time for a four mile loop. I finished the first loop with a time of 34:11, that was about ten minutes faster then I was hoping for, but if felt great.

In the second loop I again ran a fast 36:07 loop. My goal was to run 32 miles or 8 laps, and at that rate I would be running 45 minute laps, so I was off to a great start. The weather was turning out to be beautiful. There was no rain and sun was even shinning.
In the third and fourth loops I ran a bit slower. These were both still faster then my 45 minute goal. I realized at that point that many of my fellow Maniacs were not running the full six hours, but instead just getting the marathon mark in.

Heading into the half way point I was running very smooth. At this point I settled into a groove and was feeling great.

So now having met my goal of 32 miles, I had 33 minutes left. So I moved to the short loop. Hoping to get two or three loops in. I ran two short loops in about 22 minutes. Now I had a decision to make, should I go for one more? I had 11 minutes and was wondering how strict they would be about the cut off time. I decided that I was done; I had done 34.14 miles in 5:49:18. That was very fast and fun. I was happy and enjoyed the post race area.

As I think about it more, and think I should have done one more loop. I know I could have and had enough time, but oh well.

#39 - Yours Truly 50k (Treadmill) 2008

DATE: February 24, 2008

LOCATION: 24 Hour Fitness, Beaverton,Oregon

Tim and I decided to take advantage of the Yours Truly 50k again in February. We tried to think of a crazy way to run a 50k, so we decided to run a 50k on a treadmill. At the time the Maniacs allowed for these types of races, but now this would not count unless you got at least 5 runners to do it.

Tim and I went to church that morning and then packed some supplies and went to the gym. We arrived at 24 Hour Fitness at about noon; we had to wait a few minutes in order to have two treadmills next to each other. We started about 12:15; the treadmills will only go for one hour. So that meant we had to restart the machine each hour. To make it easier I wanted to stop in a mile or half mile mark. So in the first hour I ran 6 miles in 59 minutes a pace of 9:50. In the next three segments/hours, I ran 5.5 miles in each hour. But after 22.5 miles and very tired legs I had to slow it down and in the fifth segment I ran just 5 miles. At that point I had run a total of 27.5 miles needed just 3.57 miles more and pushed the pace a bit, and got it done in just 38.5 minutes.

At the start of the run, I jumped ahead of Tim by about 3/4 mile, but as I slowed down, he kept going and beat me in the final 5 minutes.

So you might be asking, what was it like? My first thought was it was dreadful. But after much thought, with better preparation, it would be made much better. First off, make sure you bring food and take breaks to eat it. We didn't take breaks like you would in a normal race, partly due to the fact that we wanted to keep the treadmills. In the future we should properly get the treadmills reserved by the staff. Secondly, make sure that you stay cool. There was no circulation of the air and it got very hot. Thirdly, make sure that you keep your mind of the repetition of the treadmill. I had an iPod and was able to keep my mind on the music.

#38 - Hagg Lake 50k 2008

DATE: February 23, 2008

LOCATION: Hagg Lake Park, near Gaston, Oregon

I woke up early (about 5am) and left my house about 6:30am. I picked up my friend Tim and we drove to Hagg Lake. We arriveda bout 7:20. In 2007 the race was a mess, it was muddy and raining. But this time around it was sunny and seemed to be dry. The weather was perfect for running. I was excited and looked forward to the run.

We got our packets and chatted with some of the other runners (and Maniacs). Each year, they have a skirt contest for the male runners. It's an informal contest, but some runners get creative. My friend Tim decided to take part. He got a plad skirt and wore that. Some else won the contest, but it was fun to see Tim in something so creative.

The race started with clear skies and a temperature of 35 degrees. The course is technical and even with a week of dry weather it still had muddy spots. The first out-and-back of 3 miles was a hard up hill, but then we started in on the 14 mile loop (twice). In the first loop I was running smooth. At each aid station there was someone volunteering that I knew, which made it nice.

When I got back to the start after the first loop and I was tired, but knew I had to just keep going. In the second loop and just took my time and ran a nice pace. I ended up finishing with a time of 5:42, which was slower then I thought, but I had not been running on trails during the winter, so I was happy. Tim finished with a time of 6:00.

We left at about 3pm and drove home.

#37 - Valentine Marathon 2008

DATE: February 10, 2010

LOCATION: Millersylvania State Park, near Olympia, Washington

At first I had not intention of running the Valentine Marathon, but as I started to step up my training for Pacific Rim, I decided to make the trip up north. I drove to Millersyvalnia State Park near Olympia. In 2007, I did the race with Tim Lawson, but this time around, I did the marathon alone.
The race started at 10pm, so I was able to make the 2 hour drrive on race morning. I left my house about 7am and arrive at about 9am. I ran into a few of my Maniac friends and then decided to take a half hour early start.

At 9:30am I was off and running. I don't remember a whole lot about this race, but I do remember the weather was pretty good. I going pretty good at first and was waiting to settle into a groove, but for some reason I never really got into a rythmn.

As I approached the last few miles, I was pushing hard to break four hours. I ended up running a 3:51:30, which was nice. I hung around and had some post race food and watched a few of my Maniac friends finish before I took off.

#36 - Yours Truly (Cedar River) 50k 2008

DATE: Sunday, January 27, 2008

LOCATION: Cedar River Trail near Maple Valley, Washington

Sunday's 50k was a little different than most. There is an "international" 50k called Yours Truly, the idea is that hundreds of runners all over the world would run a 50k and compile a list of runners online. Since that time, these types of races can only count with the Maniacs if a group of 5+ runners run the same course. Brian Pendleton setup a course and had about a dozen runners that showed up.

Tim and I drive to the Cedar River Trail near Maple Valley. We met up with some of the other Maniacs and headed out at 7:45am.

The course is a basic out-and-back, but you have to run it twice. I was feeling a bit stiff, but like all doubles it's about getting out there. Our goal was to have fun. I brought my camera and so did Tim, so we wanted to take a lot of pictures, and just enjoy ourselves. Each stretch of the out-and-back is 7.78 miles. It was cold about 32° at the start, the course was compact gravel, and was frozen. But the clouds were thin.

As we started out, we had a lot of fun taking pictures, Tim made it a habit of taking pictures of the others runners and we crossed them. We arrived at the turnaround in 1:27:37. On the return we caught up with Monte Pascual. We decided to stick with him for a while. We stuck with him until the halfway point. In the return leg we ran a 1:36:44.

When we got back to the start area, we met up with Fred Johnson. He was considering on going home. But when we told him that we were going back out, he decided to join us. We ran that stretch in 1:33:29. When we got to the turnaround, we waited up Jess Mullen. That would add a little extra time to our time.

On the final return, we pushed much harder. I was not ready for a hard return. But we were going strong. The weather which was very nice was getting even better. The temperature was in the upper 30's and the sun had come out. Only a few times in the entire run did we have a little snow. We finished very strong and ended up running a sub-6 hour race. Our final return was 1:17:39, which gave us a negative split. First half of 3:04:21 a second half of 2:51:08, that means we ran a total of 5:55:29.

We stuck around a little longer; we took off about 3pm and drove back to Portland.

#35 - Pigtails 50k 2008

DATE: Saturday, January 26, 2008
LOCATION: Lake Youngs, Renton, Washington

I had met Van Phan aka "Pigtails" many times, she is a very nice person and so when I noticed that she was putting together a 50k in January of 2008, I decided to make the trip. In December of 2007, I decided to go ahead and train for the Pacific Rim 24 hour race, so after doing a few long training runs in Nov, Dec and Jan, I decided to do an extended double.

I talked with my friend Tim and he decided to join me. We drove up on Friday night and stayed the night at a hostel in Seattle. We drove to Lake Youngs in Renton, Washington for the race, early on Saturday. When we arrived it was still dark and very cold! It was 26 degrees.

We started off and were running good. The race is three loops and then a little out-and-back. It was cold and the ground was frozen solid. It was not a technical trail, but the frozen ground made it a trick to run on. Tim and I ran pretty goo the first loop; we ended up running the 9.6 miles in 1:29:26.
In the second loop we kept pushing along. It remained dry and felt great. We did slow down, but managed to run a 1:38:27 in this loop. As we got to the start area, it was starting to rain. I didn't think much about it, but boy did we get hit by it.

As we started out on the third loop, I knew it would be tough. We were walking up the hills and running the rest. It was good. But the rain fell on the frozen ground, this caused for some very slick conditions. At one point I did slip on the frozen ground and got a bit scratched. We slowed down and ran the final loop in 1:38:24.

We finished the run off with a challenging out-and-back. At the end we had run a time of 5:08:01. We drove back to Seattle where we spent the night at the hostel.

#34 - Purge and Splurge 2007

DATE: December 31, 2007
LOCATION: Forest Park, Portland, Oregon

This one was a little messy! It's not really a race, but at the time the Maniacs did not have as many rules about what counts, so at the time it did. The idea behind this race was that everyone meets at the trail head of the Wildwood Trail in Portland, get a ride to the other end and run the 30+ miles back to the trail head. It's a run put on my the Red Lizards. I arrived at Washington Park pretty early around 7:30am. My friend Tim Lawson and his cousin came and met me there. Before I knew it there were about a dozen other runners, we all got a ride to the other end of Forest Park where we met other runners.

It was quite cold and muddy. It was about 32-35 degrees and parts of the trail it was a little icy, but it was mostly muddy. We didn't have any rain, but the mud made it hard to get going. As usual with trail runs, you need to just enjoy the ride. There were about 3-4 spots along the trail where the Red Lizards had some aid station stuff. I remember just trying to stay warm and keep going.

I finished the 30 mile run in 5:53:12. As soon as I finished I went to my car and warmed myself up. I waited until my friend Tim finished and then I went home and relaxed the rest of the day. About a week (or so) later, the Maniacs announced that in order for a marathon or ultra to count they had to produce results. This run did not, so in the future this would not count as a race, unless you got a group of runners together and compiled results. It was cool to the run the entire length of the Wildwood Trail.

#33 - Christmas Marathon 2007

DATE: Sunday, December 16, 2007
LOCATION: Millersylvania State Park, near Olympia, Washington

It was a few days before the Christmas Marathon, when I got a visit from a man who was looking for someone to share a ride with to the marathon. He got my name from the Maniac's website and asked if I would like to ride with him. After talking for a while, I agreed.
We arrived about 9am and I got ready to take the early start at 9:30 instead of 10:30. I had no ready time goal in mind, I just wanted to run a sub-4 hour race. I started off running an 8:30 pace, and felt great, I was really enjoying the cool weather. I was able to see many other Maniacs along the way because of the out-and-back course. I ended up seeing a friend from my church, she was there trying to qualify for Boston. She ended up running a 3:44:37 and needed a 3:45 to qualify. I was happy for her.

In the first half I ran a 1:51, which was great I really felt great and was running very smooth. In the second half I felt a little stiff and felt my legs cramping a bit, so I needed to slow down at the aid stations and juts keep moving. I had a slower second half and ended up running a 3:44:27. UI felt pretty happy with my time and enjoyed the race.

Peter Courden, the guy I got a ride with, finished in 3:57:26, which was a PR for him. It also qualified him for the Maniacs. I ended up getting home about 5pm.

#32 - Seattle Marathon 2007

DATE: Sunday, November 25, 2007
LOCATION: Seattle, Washington

After running my first double and completing my first 50 miler, I wanted to continue the craziness. In 2006, I had considered doing the Seattle double, but realized I was not ready for a double. But this time I had already done a double and three weeks after completing a 50 miler I knew I could do it. I drove up to Seattle with my sister, we stayed at the Green Tortoise hostel in downtown Seattle. Early on Saturday morning we drove to Lake Washington (Mt Baker park). There I met up with about 50-60 other runners, many who were running the double. My sister planned to run the half (one out-and-back loop), while I ran the full (two out-and-back loops).

The weather was pretty good, it was a little on the cold side (anout 37 degrees) and overcast. I started out and felt pretty good. I ran for a while with a group of other Maniacs but things thinned out and I spent most of the run on my own. Upon completing the first loop I saw my sister at the start/finish area. I found out that she got a little lost and decided not to run. She stayed there and waited for me. My first half time was 1:52.

My second was not that much slower I ran a 1:55 in the second half. I remember I didn't push myself too hard because I knew I had another marathon the next day. I remember thinking that it reminded me a lot of a long training run. After the race I got a bit to eat and we headed to the Westin in downtown Seattle to get my bib and packet for the Seattle Marathon.

#31 - Ghost of Seattle Marathon 2007

DATE: Saturday, Novemeber 24, 2007

LOCATION: Seattle, Washington

Day two of the double started the smae way most of my marathons did. I woke up very early (6am) and got my stuff together and walked over to the Seattle Center for the start of the race. I don't remember feeling very sore, and felt pretty good. I didn't have any lofty goals. I mainly wanted to finish in less than 4 hours.

It was a little chilly about 43 degrees with clear and sunny skies. At the start I found the four hour pace group and started with them. I was able to start out at a 8:30 pace, and during the I-90 out-and-back, I saw many Maniacs. It was nice and took my mind off the race.

By mile seven I came up to a pacing group and decided to stick with them for a while. I realized that it was the 3:40 group. By mile 10 I knew that I could not stay at this pace, but I wanted to stay with them as long as possible. I ran the first half in 1:51. I knew the second half would be a different situation. My goal was still to run a 4 hour marathon. I finished with a time of 3:53:41.

I was so happy to have finished in under 4 hours. I walked back to the hostel and we drove home. We ran into a lot of traffic on the way home, but really enjoyed the weekend.

#30 - Autumn Leaves 50 Miles 2007

DATE: Saturday, November 3, 2007
LOCATION: Champoeg State Park, between St Paul and Newberg, Oregon

After doing my first double in August, the next thought in my mind was, “why can’t I do a 50 miler?” I naturally thought that if I could run 52 miles in two days, why couldn’t I run 50 in one day. Autumn Leaves was the perfect place to do that. It’s a 50 mile race that consists of ten five mile loops. I trained for this by doing a 31 mile training run and a 40 mile training run after the Portland Marathon. I felt very confident in my abilities to do this. My goal was to finish within 10 hours. The five mile loop was pretty easy and flat. I remember arriving early, and was able to park my car at the start/finish of each loop, which means I had access to my own food/supplies. It was dark when the race started and I had a headlamp, plus a few extra layers of cloths. I remember being specifically carefully not to watch my pace, not go too fast. In the first loop I felt pretty good, but was happy when the sun came up. In the next few loops I remember having fun seeing other runners and friends I knew. There are a few sections in which you see the other runners. The weather was ideal, partly to most cloudy in the 50’s and 60’s. The volunteers at the start/finish area were very friendly and encouraging. When the 50k started a few hours later, it was great to see some of my Maniacs friends. In the last two loops I remember getting quite tired and feeling like I wanted to be done, which made the finish that much better. Upon finishing I got a hug from a local ultra friend, Olga. I received a finishers medal and a 50 miler belt buckle. It was so much fun, and even though I haven’t had a chance to do that race again since, I plan to return this year as I inch closer to my 100th marathon.

#29 - Portland Marathon 2007

DATE: Sunday, October 7, 2007
LOCATION: Portland, Oregon

After my double in August I did a bunch of shorter races (like 10k’s). I knew early on I was going to do the Portland Marathon. I had a lot of fun in 2006 with my mom and sister. This time I talked my friend Tim Lawson into doing the Portland Marathon with me. My aunt (who does a lot of walking) came to Portland and as a birthday present my mom paid for her to walk the Portland Marathon with her. My sister Julie agreed to walk it with them. We picked up our packets in downtown Portland on Saturday, and were already to go for Sunday morning. We arrived early as is necessary for a race this size. Tim and I got in line for the race and we ran into a friend of his (and soon mine). Tim had been running with the Portland Running Company during the week and introduced me to Jon Dotson. At that point I didn’t think much about it. When the race started Tim and I ran with each other for 17 miles. At that point we got to the St John’s bridge and I ran ahead as Tim was starting to slow down. I felt really good towards the end of the run and the weather was perfect. I finished and waited for Tim and the rest of my family (who were walking). Because I have to wait a few hours for them to finish, it gave us a chance to talk with a lot of other Maniacs in the finish area. Once my mom, sister and aunt finished we left. My mom and aunt both swore off doing another marathon again, it’s just too long for them. We then had dinner at Portland City Grill before my aunt left to back to California. I then joined Tim on the Portland Running Company group runs that week. I got to know Jon Dotson very well and we have been friends every since.

#28 - Haulin Apsen Marathon 2007

DATE: Sunday, August 12, 2007
LOCATION: Bend, Oregon

Once I completed Crater Lake and had some time to relax, my mom and sisters and I drove to Bend. It’s about a 90 minute drive. We stopped off in Bend so I could pick up my packet from FootZone Running store. Then we headed to Prineville. Prineville is a small town east of Bend, we had some family friends that live out there, so decided to stay with them. It was a good evening we had a chance to catch up and get some foot. The husband of the family drove me into Bend early the next morning. Being my first double I was a little nervous about how my legs would move that day. The good thing about this double is that the second day is a trail run, which is a little easier on your legs. I got there a little early and had a chance to meet up with the other double runners. Once the race started I felt fine. I got off to a good start, and early enjoyed the run. Haulin Aspen is known for having a huge climb from mile 10 to 13. During this climb you have to just start hiking and enjoy the views. Once you get to the half way point, you have a long single track down hill stretch. It was really fun! I never felt really sore or stiff, I felt pretty good once I got going. Being a trail run I enjoyed the run and did really well compared to my other trail marathons. I finished in 4:27:32, which was good for 3rd place in my age group. I hung out a while afterwards and met a bunch of new Maniacs. I then took the bus back to the host hotel, where my mom and sisters met me and we drove back to Portland.

#27 - Crater Lake Marathon 2007

DATE: Saturday, August 11, 2007
LOCATION: Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

After watching some Maniacs run the double at Crater Lake/Haulin Aspen in 2006, I wanted to give it a try. I planned to run a double in Seattle in 2006, but didn’t feel ready for it at that time, so instantly scheduled this one. In mid-July I did a “training double”, in which I ran 20 mile on roads on Saturday, then ran 20 miles on trails at Forest Park on Sunday. This ended up proving to be a great training tool. I went to Crater Lake for the second straight year. I drove down with my mom and two sisters. In 2006 we camped at Crater Lake, this year we rented a room at the Mazama Motor Lodge. For about $110 (give or take) we got a decent room. Because Crater Lake is way out in the middle of nowhere and way up in the mountains, there is little to no cell phone coverage and no television. It was a good time. The morning of the race I took the bus to the start and we were off. My goal was to take it easy and just enjoy the run. I ran a sub-4 race in 2006, but this time I didn’t really even have a goal. It was once again a cold start, but warmed up quickly. I remember it being a good run, but of course a little slower. My fist half time was 1:56, but once you get to the end (or about mile 24), you have a two mile out-and-back. This out-and-back is really tough, it’s a straight up hill run and then the back it downhill, but your energy level is usually a lot less. Once I completed the race, I hung out with Chris Warren (MM#2) and a few other Maniacs. Then it was off to Bend.

#26 - Mt Hood PCT 50k 2007

DATE: Saturday, July 28, 2007
LOCATION: Clackamas Ranger Station, Mt Hood, Oregon

Once again, I did the Mt Hood PCT 50k. This time I took it nice and easy. I never pushed myself too hard, I just wanted to enjoy the run. This ended up being the final year that they offered the 50k option. I took quite a few pictures of the great views. There are a few sections of the PCT that have great views of Mt Hood. It was a very hot day, which is one of the reasons that I took it easy. I knew I couldn’t (or didn’t) have the energy to run the thing full out. I was also looking forward to the Crater Lake/Haulin Apsen double that I had scheduled two weeks later. I ended up running a 5:48:31. Not too much more to say other then it was a very enjoyable event.

#25 - SEAFAIR Marathon 2007

DATE: Sunday, July 8, 2007

LOCATION: Bellevue, Washington

My goal was to run my first double in August of 2007, by running Crater

Lake and Haulin Apsen. So when I heard about the SEAFAIR Marathon in July, just five days after Foot Traffic Flat, I thought it would be a good test for a double. At this point I had never run in back-to-back weekends let alone within one week. I drove up to the Seattle area on Saturday, and stayed at a Motel 6 in Kirkland that night. One of the reasons I wanted to do this race is that I knew there would be a lot of Maniacs and I knew it would be a good time. The race went well for me. I enjoyed the course in seeing parts of the Seattle area that I haven’t seen before. I didn’t really have any time goals, but it did get quite warm towards the end of the race, and I saw many people slowing down to a walk. I still felt strong at the end, but did manage to run the whole time. My time was 3:43 and I enjoyed meeting and chatting with Maniacs at the finish. A fun race!

#24 - Foot Traffic Flat Marathon 2007

DATE: July 4, 2007

LOCATION: Sauvie Island, Portland, Oregon

This has become a tradition for me, to run a marathon on the 4th of July. In the two prior years I had a great time at this event, but this was the worst. It was hot! (at least for a marathon) The high that day was in the mid-90’s and that made for a run in the 70’s and low 80’s. This was the worst year for the organization of this race as well. I got there plenty early which was good, but that was not there down fall. In the first half I ran pretty well, a time of 1:51, which usually would be slow, but given the weather, I was fine with it. I was hoping to run a 3:40, so I thought I was in pretty good shape, but I would have to keep up my speed. The second half is when things fell about for me and the race. When coming up to the aid station at mile 18, I was told they had no more cups, and given the heat that was not a good thing. They offered to pour water into my mouth, which they did, but I heard from other runners that they had been out of cups for a while. How do you run out of cups? They changed the course at the end and had us ran up this gravel path to the finish, which was a huge struggle, I remember being hot and tired and had to walk a little. I ended up running a 1:57 in the second half, which gave me a time of 3:48. I felt bad because at about mile 16-17 a woman asked me how fast I was going to run, and I said “about 3:40”. She told me that that would qualify her for Boston, but when things fell apart for me they fell apart for her too. To make things even worse, it took me an hour in and a half to exit the island. At that point I swore I would never do this race again. But they improved things drastically in the following year.

#23 - Pacific Crest Marathon 2007

DATE: Saturday, June 23, 2007

LOCATION: Sunriver, Oregon

This was my first and continues to be a must do for me. Our family once again

rented a house in Sunriver this year. I was feeling quite confident about doing this race. It was a route that I’ve done so many times. It was a little warm, but being the high desert very cold nights. I remember wondering if I should or shouldn’t run with a singlet or s short sleeve shirt under it. Since the weather at the start was in the 40’s I decided to wear the short sleeve shirt and the singlet. I should have toughed it out.

I don’t remember too much about this race. I remember that it was a pretty good run. I ended up running the first half in 1:48, which is about normal for me in a marathon. But my second half was slower, which is typical for this race. As the day goes on things really warm up, and there are sections of the course that are exposed. My second half was 1:51 and I ended up running a 3:38, which was about what I expected. The next day my uncle and I teamed up to do the olympic duathlon. A fun weekend!

#22 - Forest Park 50k 2007

DATE: Sunday, May 27, 2007
LOCATION: Portland, Oregon

I first saw a brochure for this race at a local running store. I went online and I thought it would be fun. I like running at Forest Park, it’s a huge park with over 70 miles worth of trails including a 30 mile long trail. So I decided to give the race a chance. It’s part of a series of races put on my Pacific Coast Runs, they have a dozen or two races mostly in California, but this is the only race in which they come to the northwest.

Away, this is basically a home race for me (about 15 miles from my house). So I drove to the race in the morning and saw a few running friends there. I ran most of the course in training the weeks leading up to the race, so I knew what it was like. The weather was awesome, it was overcast and cool (in the 50’s). The route is five 10k sections, it’s set up in a lollipop format, you basically it’s an out-and-back course with a loop in the middle. So the first two sections are run twice with the loop in the middle. After each 10k there is an aid station. The first 10k was up hill and quite challenging. The second 10k was a little easier. The third 10k was something else. It has a gradual climb and then drops about 700 feet in 0.15 miles, basically a straight drop down. I remember it was muddy at that point and basically I was sliding from side to side clinging to trees to avoid falling. The third 10k was the same as the second and I didn’t have too much trouble. The final 10k was mostly all downhill and I was cruising! I ended up tying my 50k PR with a time of 4:59:31. It was a small field, only 30 runners in the 50k, but it was a lot of fun.

#21 - Eugene Marathon 2007

DATE: Sunday, April 29, 2007

LOCATION: Eugene/Springfield, Oregon

Eugene has been called “Track Town USA” for many years. Eugene is the home of the University of Oregon Ducks (which I am a huge fan). The U of O has had Championship track and cross country teams since the 70’s and of course was the school that Steve Prefontaine ran for in the early 70’s. All this said, until 2007 they did not have a marathon. In late 2006, they announced that they would be doing a marathon in Eugene for 2007. In the very early registrations it only cost $45. So I jumped at the opportunity and registered in late 2006.

I felt pretty good going into the race, I made plans to stay at a hostel in Eugene the night before. I drove the hour and a half to Eugene on Saturday night, and enjoyed a pre-race meal at McDonald’s (I know it’s not that healthy, but it was close to the hostel). Before that I attended the expo in order to pick up my packet. At the hostel I roomed with another marathon, who was a huge Prefontaine fan.

I felt really good the morning of the race and was off to a good start. I felt great and the weather was perfect. It was cool and partly cloudy. In the first half I was surprised as to how well I was running. I was even more surprised when I seemed to run just as well in the second half. I finished with a time of 3:36:55. The race ended in front of Autzen Stadium (the football stadium for the U of O). I was able to catch up with many of my northwest Maniac friends. All in all a great race!

#20 - Yakima River Canyon Marathon 2007

DATE: Saturday, March 31, 2007

LOCATION: Elma to Yakima, Washington

In August of 2006 at the Crater Lake Marathon, I first heard that the Maniacs were doing a reunion race in Yakima in March 2007. I didn’t think too much about it, but when talking with my friend Tim Lawson (fellow Maniac) we thought it might be fun. I went online and found out that it wasn’t that expensive and started making plans to do it. Tim and I drove from Portland to Yakima, where I made reservations at a hotel on Friday afternoon. Once we got to Yakima, we attended the free pasta dinner, which included a Maniac reunion get together. There we got to meet a lot of Maniacs and enjoyed the fellowship.

The next day we were bused from Yakima to Elma (where the race started). I remember it was a long bus ride. Once there all the runners gathered. It was so cool to see hundreds of runners (most of which were wearing Maniac yellow). This was a marathon only event, which means everything was marathon specific (very cool). I was told that there was a big hill around mile 16-17, which there was. I started running with my friend Tim. I had a cold in the days leading up to the race, which means I didn’t really have any time goals. In the first 11 miles I was feeling good. But Tim was having a few issues, so I took off, I was able to running a pretty consistent race. I ended up running a 3:42:32, which I was very happy with. Tim struggled and managed to finish 4:29:04.

After the race they bus you to the event center, but dropped us off at the school to shower. Once we got back to the events center we hung out for a while before attending a free post race meal. This is also the awards ceremony, and I must as it was top notch. Bob Dolphin (a older Maniac who is now 80) was celebrating his 400th marathon. It was quite a fun time. I met many new people and Maniacs.

#19 - Hagg Lake 50k 2007

DATE: Saturday, February 24, 2007
LOCATION: Hagg Lake Park, near Gaston, Oregon

In Oregon we have an Ultramarathon series called the “Oregon Trail Ultra Marathon Series”. It’s a series that has about 12 races around the state (mostly on the west side of the state). I had run the Mt Hood PCT 50k, which is one of the races in the series. Hagg Lake is one of them as well, and the closest to my house, so I figured I would give it a try. This race is called Hagg Mud, because being in February it’s usually very muddy and wet.

The days leading up to the race were rainy and I knew it would be a tough run. I remember packing extra socks and a plastic bag for my to-be shoes. The course is a double loop around the lake (14 miles each) plus a 3 mile out-and-back. So the reason for bring extra socks is so I could change after the first loop (which I did). The first loop was as muddy as I have ever run before. The mud on the trail was a sucking mud that wanted to remove my shoes. It was really hard at times to run, because you are constantly pulling your foot out of the trail. I can’t remember my time after the first loop, but I think it may have worse than the second.

The second loop was quite a bit different than the first. The second loop was a wet mud. There were huge puddles and you couldn’t help but getting your feet wet. This in a lot of ways made it easier, because while my shoes were covered in mud in the first loop, in the second they were washed. I didn’t have a huge goal for this race, but given the conditions I just wanted to finish. I ran the 50k in 6:18:27. I was told that it was the worst conditions for the race in the 5 year history.

#18 - Valenine Marathon 2007

DATE: February 11, 2007
LOCATION: Millersylvania State Park, near Olympia, Washington

My friend Tim Lawson, my mom, my sister, and I drove two hours to Millersylvania State Park in Washington to do the Valentine Marathon. My mom and sister did the half marathon. Tim and I did the marathon. The weather was very good, it was overcast and cool with a slight chance of rain (it never rained). We took the early start and we off running about 9am (regular start 10am). We ran about 15 miles together before I took off. I remember Tim was having a few issues and wanted to slow it down. I remember feeling pretty good and wanted to run ahead. So with Tim permission (not that I needed it), I continued on and ran pretty nice race. It was one of Bob Green’s races and as usual is an out-and-back course, which has little support on country roads. They are uneventful races and are more like training runs than a race, but at least you get plenty of post-race food. I ended up running a 3:53:20, which wasn’t great, but seemed to be a good run. My friend Tim ran a 4:15.

#17 - Rock N Roll Arizona Marathon 2007

DATE: Sunday, January 14, 2007
LOCATION: Phoenix to Tempe, Arizona

Ever since I ran my second marathon and heard about people running a marathon in all 50 states, I had it a goal of mine to eventually do the same thing. I realize it’s not something that is that easy to do. And since I live on the west coast, it requires a lot of air travel. I’m not totally focused on that right now. I’m enjoying running all the races I can. Maybe once I get to 100 marathons, I’ll spend a little more time (and money) in traveling to other states. Anyway, my aunt suggested that I do the Rock N Roll Arizona Marathon. It was President’s Day weekend, so she and my mom had an extended weekend. So I said sure, why not.

My mom and I flew into southern California and met up with my aunt. She then drove us to Phoenix where we had a hotel. My mom and aunt came long and did the half marathon, while I ran the full marathon. In Portland the weeks leading up to the race it was in the 20’s and quite cold. I remember thinking it would be nice to go to warm Phoenix. And it was, the highs in Phoenix were in the 50’s and 60’s, and I was so happy for that. We went to the expo, and got our stuff and had dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory (one of my favorite pre-race meals). The hotel we stayed at had a shuttle bus for the marathon runners, so I remember getting on it. But little did I know how cold it would be! At the start, it was 32 degrees and everyone was freaking out. In Arizona they are just on used to the cold weather. I had a cold prior to the race, and had to take a Tylenol to settle my stomach down.

I’m not a huge fan of the Rock N Roll races, I realize that they are simply trying to create big corporate events. This is the one and only experience I have with the RnR events. I wasn’t that impressed. It seems that every time I ran by a stage, the band was on break. The entertainment along the Portland Marathon course is better in my opinion. Plus the RnR events are very expensive. Anyway I had a good race, once the sun came up it warmed up nicely. I ended running almost an even pace. My first half was only 30 seconds faster than the second half. I ended up running a 3:40:36, and had a good time.

#16 - Seattle Marathon 2006

DATE: Sunday, November 26, 2006
LOCATION: Seattle, Washington

My original plans was to do the Seattle double, but after a hard training run in October, I decided to pass on it. My friend Tim did the double and qualified for the Maniacs. In 2005 I stayed at a hotel near the Seattle Center, but this time we stayed at a very nice hostel near Pike’s Place in Seattle. My mom and sister Julie also came along the way. They both did the half marathon again. Tim came up on Friday night to do the Ghost of Seattle Marathon on Saturday, I met up with him at the hostel on Saturday afternoon. I didn’t have a good running month in November, so I didn’t have any real goals set for this race.

For the record I have done the Seattle Marathon every year since 2005, and this was the only year in which the weather was bad. The days leading up to the race the weather was cold in the 30’s, but I didn’t expect what happened that morning. On race morning it was cold around 30-34 degrees. I heard there was a good chance of rain so I brought my running hat in order to keep the rain out of my face. At the start it was cold and dry, but that didn’t last long. After a few miles in started raining and never really let up. It remained in the mid 30’s, so I never saw snow, but I think I saw some ice, and wished (at times) that it was snow. I ran into a fellow teammate from my Hood to Coast team, who was running her first marathon. She didn’t seem to happy, and I don’t blame her the weather was horrible. In the latter parts of the race I had pretty bad chaffing and struggled to finish. I ended up running a 4:00 race. I’m glad the post race area was in a covered and heated area. I waited for my friend Tim who finished in about 4:30, and we walked the mile or so to the hostel. I showered and we drove back to Portland. When leaving Seattle it started snowing, but south of Centralia the weather went from raining to clear. To this day it remains the worst weather I have ever run a marathon in.

#15 - Autumn Leaves 50k 2006

DATE: Saturday, November 4, 2006
LOCATION: Champoeg State Park, near St Paul and Newberg, Oregon

In the fall of 2005, I did the Autumn Leaves half marathon, I remember noticing that they had 50k and 50mile races. At that time I didn’t think much about doing the longer races, but in fall of 2006, I wanted to give it a try. Plus my friend Tim Lawson (who is also a runner) wanted to run the 50 miler, so I decided to do the 50k. I was surprised how many Maniacs from Seattle showed up to the race, which is south of Portland. In the 2005 race, it poured down rain, but in 2006, the weather was pretty good, a little mist at time. I struggled at times, I didn’t have a really good month in November of that year, my legs wouldn’t really get going very well, and I had some on and off foot pain. So I wasn’t really surprised when I ran this race. I enjoyed the course and the multiple loops didn’t really bother me. I ended up running 5:35:40, which could have been faster if my legs were looser. My friend Tim had some issues, and had to drop out at 34 miles, but was given credit for doing the 50k. All in all it wasn’t horrible, but could have been better.

#14 - Halloween Marathon 2006

DATE: Saturday, October 19, 2006
LOCATION: Millersylvania State Park, near Olympia, Washington

During the fall of 2006, I was running with my sister Julie and helping to get her to do the Seattle Marathon. Each Sunday afternoon I would take her out on a run. I decided to do the Halloween Marathon in late October. After seeing other Maniacs do the Crater Lake/Haulin Aspen double, I wanted to do a double. So I planned to do the Seattle double (Ghost of Seattle/Seattle Marathons in November). My sister and I had a 20 mile run planned for October 20th, which was the day after the Halloween Marathon. I thought that if I could do both the marathon and the 20 mile training run that I could do the double in November.

The marathon started and ended at Millersylania State Park (near Olympia, WA). I drove up there on Friday night and stayed at the campground. Once again, I didn’t want to pitch a tent, so I slept in my car. I remember meeting a bunch of Maniacs that I’d never met and some of the runners were even dressed up. The race was very low key and felt much like a training run. It was a double out-and-back with a few water aid stations along the way. I remember having a pretty good first half, but in the second half I got an upset stomach and did quite a bit of walking/slow running. I finished in 4:00, which was my worst road marathon time at that time. The next day in the run with my sister, I really struggled and realized that I was not ready for a double. I decided at that point I would not do the Seattle double.

#13 - Portland Marathon 2006

DATE: Sunday, October 1, 2006
LOCATION: Portland, Oregon

This was the first time I ran the Portland Marathon. It’s my “hometown” marathon. Often when people find out I’m a runner, I get asked two questions, “What you run Hood to Coast?” and “Have you run the Portland Marathon?”. In August of 2006, I ran the Hood to Coast with a team from my church. This was my first chance to do the Portland Marathon.

The Portland Marathon is a huge walker friendly marathon. My mom started to walk quite a bit, once I started running marathons. After having done lots of half marathons, she wanted to walk the Portland Marathon, so she signed up. But she didn’t want to do it alone, so she talked my sister Amy into doing with her. About two weeks prior to the marathon I took her on a 20 mile walk.

I didn’t have a hard in fast goal for this race. I wanted to break 3:40 if possible, but that wasn’t a huge goal. I remember the weather was perfect, it was cool and overcast. It was the largest marathon I had done at the time, I was very impressed with the expo, it reminded me of the Seattle Marathon expo, but seemed bigger. Within the first few miles of the race, I ran into a buddy from my Hood to Coast team, he ran ahead of me and I continued on. I also ran into a few Maniacs including Marc Frommer (who is in charge of membership) a local Portland Maniac. I remember running pretty well the first half. When going over the St John’s bridge I saw my Hood to Coast friend walking. I later found out that he pulled a muscle and was going to drop out at mile 15, but decided to walk (he ended up finishing in 5 hours). I struggled in the last few miles (doing 10 minute miles). I finished in 3:44 but really enjoyed the race. My mom and sister walked it in 6:30 (I think).

#12 - Timberline Marathon 2006

DATE: September 16, 2006
LOCATION: Clackamas Ranger Station, Mt Hood, Oregon

So I heard about this new marathon online. It look the idea of the Mt Hood PCT 50 miler and made a marathon out of it. The PCT 50 runs from Clackamas Ranger Station to Timberline Lodge and back. So the organizers of the Timberline Marathon decided to bus you to Timberline Lodge and have you run the 25 miles to Clackamas Ranger Station, then have you run another 1.2 mile loop. I thought it would be a fun downhill course. So I signed up. I drove to Mt Hood and spent the night at Clear Lake campgrounds (not too far from Clackamas Ranger Station). Since the weather was quite rainy that night, I decided to sleep in my car instead of pitching a tent in the rain. It was the first time that I slept in my car prior to a marathon, I done it dozens of times since. I drove to a parking lot where you catch a bus to Timberline Lodge. I met a couple of Maniacs there. The buses were about 20-30 minutes late, which freaked some people out. Once we got to Timberline Lodge they started people two at a time. I remember thinking I could run fast since it was mostly downhill, but I didn't realize how running a trail marathon is a lot slower than running a road marathon. At one point along the trail there was a bees nest. I heard a few runners ahead of me say "Bees!". I didn't think much of it until I saw it and jumped off the trail and quickly ran away. The bees were quite mad, and one (or two) of them got in my sock and stung me, I didn't really feel it until a while later. I head a few people got stung 10-12 times. Quite scary! I ended up running a 4:40, which isn't horrible for being my first trail marathon. A good time!