Race Reports!

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50K Race Report

My in-laws live in McMinnville, and my brother-in-law is in Gaston. So I thought I had the timing figured out pretty well, but I still didn't leave soon enough and found myself rushing down to the starting area as the skirt judging was going on, then was busy pinning my race number on as the race started. I was able to see the pack as they left the parking lot, so I chased after them. Worse than giving up time to the rest of the field, I probably went out a little fast. For a flat course, the out and back seemed to have some elevation change, but nothing by ultra standards.

I haven't done quite enough of these to recognize many faces, but I recognized Penny McDermott by her running stride, and now I can recognize Sean Meissner, as long as he's wearing that same skirt. By the time we got back to the starting area I tucked in behind Lanny Gower. I'd catch up to him and we'd chat a bit, but a couple of times I had to stop to water the bushes, or I'd stop for a few seconds at an aid station which he seemed to always blow right past, then it would take me awhile to catch back up. He's 45, it was is first ultra, and since he wasn't drinking or eating much I assumed he was going to fade hard. Little did I know he was the masters winner of a full ironman Canadian championship, 4th in the Portland Marathon, etc. We traded back and forth until about the last 8 miles- I found out later he dropped back because he took a nasty fall on a down-hill section and got a gash in his shin. Looking at the other runners, pretty much everyone had at least one hip covered with mud from a fall. My wost landing was coming off a wood bridge.

Yes, there was a prodigious amount of mud involved. Luckily there was enough falling rain and standing water to rinse the worst of it off and I at least didn't have the problem of it sticking to my old Air Pegasus', although spikes would have been more useful than waffle in many places. The http://blog.oregonlive.com/runoregon report gives a pretty good feel for the conditions, but didn't talk that much about the wind and the rain. I hardly ever leave a hat on for more than the first 5 minutes of a run, but I kept mine on for this one. I tried to keep my feet dry for the first couple of miles, but by the second lap around the lake I decided the footing in the water was often better than what was at the side of the trail. My GPS watch didn't work well at all in the weather and trees, so I counted on the spacing of the aid stations and the signs at 7.2 and 1 miles from the finish to mark my progress. I think my second lap was about a minute per mile slower than the first.

I huddled with some of the 25k finishers and chatted with the other early finishers of the 50k for a minute. The heat lamps, soup, and emergency blankets at the finish were very nice, but didn't keep me from starting to shiver. But before stiffly shuffling to the comfort of my car with it's heater, I went to check on the awards. I was directed to the table where the race directors were. I introduced myself. They said hello. I said I heard they weren't going to have people wait for an awards ceremony. They said that was correct. I said that with the weather that was considerate. They agreed. I asked whether I could then have my award. They asked if I had won anything. I mentioned the 50k, and then they were very congratulatory and super nice about it and loaded me up with a plaque that I put up in my office, and a fanny pack. So with that, and the encouragement I get from family and friends, I'll limp less and less over the next few days, resume my training, and am motivated to race again.

-Neil Olsen

Please send race reports to and I'll post them here.