Chasing the Horizon
This was a breakthrough year for me and running. The Portland Marathon, the New York City Marathon, and a cross country reunion have been notable highlights. Before the year was up though, I felt inspired to tackle one last lingering goal I’ve had for a long time: an ultra-distance trail run. I hit up my buddy Patrick and we made a plan to run a 50k (31 miles) along the length of Wildwood trail in Forest Park.
Patrick and I before the start of the run
Patrick has gone this distance and more before and brought experience to the undertaking. Plus, he’s a medical student and a WEMT, so I felt pretty supported. We arranged to have Patrick’s girlfriend and a good friend of mine, Taylor, drop us off at Newberry road and arranged to have her meet us at the zoo, on the far side of our adventure. We set off at 8am with enough water, food, and banter to support ourselves through the distance.
In a road marathon you are always shoulder-to-shoulder with other runners and surrounded by spectators. Running through empty trails with Patrick set our experience in sharp contrast to these events. The first part of the day flew by. And even after running for hours, I still felt pulled to crest the next hill or see around the bend up ahead. It reminded me of why I love running in the first place; it taps into a deep desire to chase the horizon.
Patrick flying along the trail
Maybe because we were pushing the pace a bit too much at first or maybe just because it was a long distance to be running, but around 20 miles in I started to feel my legs come out from under me. By the time we hit the climb up to Pittock Mansion my pace was reduced to a determined hike. This 700 ft. climb was about a 26 miles into our run and summiting it was the last solid effort I had in me. The last 5 miles back to the zoo I got a lesson in the “ultra-shuffle.” This is somewhere between a limped walk and a slow jog. It’s not pretty, but it will get you home.
When we were within a mile of the end, Taylor met us along the trail with her dog Finn. Their energy combined with the metaphorical smell of the barn gave me a final wind to ride to the finish. Back at the car we enjoyed a reward much better than hay though: ice cold beer and powdered sugar cookies. Maybe it was just me, but that was one of the best recovery meals I’d ever had.
One of the elements that most appeals to me about ultra-running is the level of accessibility it affords you. Running, hiking and scrambling can grant you access to some of the most remote places on Earth. Major events in the sport such as Western States, Mont Blanc or the Marathon de Sables are perfect examples of this.
I'm excited to continue to improve as a runner and to further my reach into the unknown. To dig deeper into the limits of my body and to adventure out into the wild. Maybe someday I’ll even race one of those monumental races. All I know is I’m not stopping anytime soon.
Relaxing after the effort