It ain't Chinese algebra!

Timbers to 172nd and home.

Timbers to dog park and home via Olive Garden.

Timbers , dog park, Target and home (9.3 miles), then 2.5 miles w/ the kids on their bikes while I ran in a new pair of shoes. Trying out some Altra shoes I picked up at the Seattle marathon expo. I liked them...

Around the neighborhood. Right hamstring is giving me troubles again...

Long day, didn't get to run until 9pm. Managed just over 8 miles while people continued to light fireworks. Yesterday wasn't enough, apparently.

Timbers, dog park, home. 

Timbers, dog park, home. Again...

Grass Valley and Wells Loop. Something different!

Mt. View HS and north behind Target, then home.

Fishers Landing to Mt View HS and Target, then home.

Broke in a new pair of trail shoes. Ran around Lacamas Lake and down to Lower Falls. Good run. 

Drop the family off the airport and drove back to Camas to run the trails. Got lost a few times but eventually found the main trail. Enjoyable run. Bachelor for the next two weeks...

Down 192nd to Highway 14 and back. 

AM: Timbers and back. 

PM: Ran to Union HS, 2 miles on the track, then home. 

Timbers, dog park, Target, home. 

Around the neighborhood.  Right hip not happy in the slightest...

Drove to Forrest Park for a trail run. The first 6 miles were kind of blah until I found the Wildwood trail and then things became more enjoyable. The final two miles or so my right hip gave me troubles. Frustrating...

Timbers, Dog Park, and home. 

To Union HS, around the track a few miles, then home. 

Around the neighborhood, to Fred Meyers, and home.

In Medford. Ran on the bike path to the baseball fields, then back to the hotel.

In Medford, around Walmart and Fred Meyers. Body feels good!

Ran the SOB 50K this morning. Had a blast. 12 minute improvement from 2012 after learning from my previous experience. Will write more when I get home. 

I ran this race in 2012 as a 'bucket-list' type of run.  It was my first ultra and while I enjoyed it, I never seriously considered running it again, especially after leaving the area nearly 1 year ago.  However, when a work trip to Southern Oregon became a reality the same week as the race, I decided to sign up and run it again.

Training has been so-so, and my pre-race trail running was essentially 1 long run last weekend, so my pre-race expectations were pretty low.  Three nights in a hotel prior to the race contributed to horrible sleep (as usual) so I wasn't sure what to expect.  I got to Mt. Ashland just a bit after 6 AM, grabbed my race number and after a few bathroom stops, I was ready to roll.  I started a touch faster than in 2012, but not by much.  I was in 20-25th place after 1 mile and 6 miles into the race my legs were feeling shot.  Not a good sign.  I kept plugging away, getting passed in the downhill portions like usual, until the aid station at mile 8.  This is where we began the 3 mile climb to over 7,000 ft elevation...  Perfect.  I caught quite a few guys during this stretch (5-6?) and then ran solo for much of the next 10 miles.  

Just as I remember from 2012, the course is absolutely stunning.  The views are incredible and breathtaking at the same time.  I hit the aid station at 21ish feeling pretty good.  Last time I hit the wall pretty hard after leaving this section with the 4 mile climb, so I made sure to hydrate well (coke!) and ensure my water bottle was full (ran out last time).  Immedietly after leaving the aid station, I put ear buds in and cranked Blink-182.  That, along with the coke and plenty of water, I cruised up the hills.  It was such a difference from before.  In the next 10 miles I passed 10-12 people--just cruising past them on the uphill.  However, that left me pretty spent for the final 4 miles where the course is exposed to the elements and the sun beats down something fierce.  I managed to hold it together though, and finished in a bit of a sprint (like 2012) to beat the first female who was right there as well.

I learned a lot two years ago and was able to utilize those lessons today (visor, coke pre-hills, M&M's, etc) which paid off.  I guess that's what happens when you run the same race twice... For some reason I rarely run a race more than 1 time, so usually this doesn't matter.  Anywho, I had a great time and could easily see myself running this race on a yearly (or semi-yearly) basis if the schedule allows.

More sore today than yesterday...

Giving it one more day...  Planning on a short jog Wednesday.

To the middle school track and home. Felt good for 3 miles, then my hip flared up the last bit.