The Capitol Peak 50 mile ultra run takes place in Capitol
State Forest, a 90,000 acre state-run park located on Washington state’s
Olympic Peninsula. It is a multi-use forest with active logging operations and hunting.
That’s right, logging and hunting. I heard the some weird noises out there. Loud
noises. Now I know why.
Being a So Cal runner I pride myself on running through the elements.
You know, heat and dehydration. Some mountains, a rattlesnake or two. I knew Capitol
Peak 50 would be a little different. Cool, wet and far from home.
One of the things I noticed right away about this forest was
the green. Green leaves, green tree trunks. Green tree branches. Green ground. Everything
green. It was surreal. Like running in a ginormous terrarium.
The race started under a typical gloomy northwest sky and
meandered beneath thick forest canopies, along several high ridges and through
some open meadows. With a total elevation gain of over 7,000 feet, this was a gorgeous course. Chalk full of scenery you will
only find in the Pacific rain forest. But beneath the beauty lurked one deviant
beast...the mud.
To summarize here, one moment I was laughing out loud,
another moment I was screaming expletives. Arms flailing and out of control,
then on all fours groveling over wet brown grime. Getting traction was easy,
until you lost it. Run…walk…slide…flail…contort. Run again. It was fun,
frustrating and at times frightening. All rolled into one ball of something new.
It must be why I perked up when someone yelled tequila shots! at the mile 42 aid station. I looked over at some party
girls standing next to a make shift mariachi bar. I’m pretty sure I said not for me and what the hell in the same breath! Have you ever had a tequila shot
when your heart rate has been 150 bpm or higher for over 7 hours? It’s a whole
different kind of buzz. Cringe! Then back to the slippery slope.
Despite
many slips, stumbles and mud hugging slides, I still hadn’t gone down hard. In
fact I was feeling a little victorious around mile 48. And it was right about then that I recall
a loud screech and the air rapidly exiting my lungs. Blink. I’m face down in
the mud gasping for air.
To my body's regret, my mission to find a whole new experience was accomplished. But my conversation with local runner Gavin Woody after the finish said it all. Gavin and I ran together for much of the couse. I mentioned out of the blue I was training for UTMB in France this August. Turns out he's running UTMB too. Still recovering from my face plant, I asked Gavin what he thought about all the mud on the course. "Oh that was mild, he says. "You should come up here when we get some real mud."
No Thanks.
To my body's regret, my mission to find a whole new experience was accomplished. But my conversation with local runner Gavin Woody after the finish said it all. Gavin and I ran together for much of the couse. I mentioned out of the blue I was training for UTMB in France this August. Turns out he's running UTMB too. Still recovering from my face plant, I asked Gavin what he thought about all the mud on the course. "Oh that was mild, he says. "You should come up here when we get some real mud."
No Thanks.
Time: 8:48:02. Place: 16th overall. Third age group.