Beacon Rock 50km 2012 Race recap

Since my time of living in Corvallis, OR is running out very soon, I thought I can throw my hat for one more race in PNW before hit the road to Japan or to Australia. My last and most anticipated race in U.S. this year will be the Tahoe Rim 100 mile endurance run on July 21st. I have hard time finding any ultra in June in Oregon and have to extend my search to neighboring states. Surfing net for few minutes and there is a bingo! Beacon Rock 50km at Columbia river gorge (WA) was a one of few races in June that offered by Rainshadow Running, owned by Mr. James Varner. I have never run any races from what James puts up for years, but I have always heard many positive feedbacks from my running friends, such as Orcas Island 50km and Gorge Waterfalls 50km. This would be a good test piece to see my current condition since I took few weeks off recovering from Zion 100 on May 11th.

The Beacon Rock 50km runs two loops of 25km course. An each loop has approximately 2750ft of elevation gain with two big climbing sections. Although it is not like what I heard from friends about Speed Goat 50km in UT, the course is basically up and down. However, this course has great single track sections and mostly runnable up and downhills, with only few small chin-scraper like sections to power walk.

Since this race was 25k and 50k runners putting together at the starting line, I was confused many 25km runner goes much faster pace than 50k'ers and often involved in with their pace to be pushing too hard at beginning of the race. After the small paved road section, the graveled jeep road started with gradual uphill. My heart is working hard for going uphill at Ave. 177 bpm at mile 3 to 4th. This four mile uphill section gets harder as I reached near the top of hill. The cascade of people at the single track section near the top makes us to power walk at 15 min. per mile pace mostly, but there was nice reward coming up very soon with well runnable downhill. I maintained my pace to 7:45 min. per mile letting gravity work for next 4 miles of downhill.

Although I was comfortable moving at nice grade of downhill, my quad felt a little burn at mile 8 as soon as hit the uphill. This second up hill was much shorter than the first one, approximately 1.4 to 1.5 mile with 1100 to 1150ft of gain. The section has many small switchbacks to go through, lacking my running rhythms make my legs even more heavier than normal (Unless I am like a ultra superstar runner to be skipping many switchbacks :p ). One nice thing while I was suffering going uphill at this section was to see the beautiful views. The columbia river gorge towards to the south and Beacon rock at the north east. The deep cut of mountain cliffs drop down to the Colombia river makes me to think like the Fjord in Northern Finland. The river is huge by looking at the large logging ship slowly moving toward to the east that looks so small like a toy ship floating in the bath tub. While my shoulder and chest hunched back by going steep uphills, I glanced up huge beacon rock wall. If you are a rock climber, there are more than 400 ft high of monolith dihedral wall sticks out the view making me to think climbing those big walls.

I tried to keep my power walking pace to 15 min. per mile. When I finally approached to the top of the hill, Glen Tachiyama was smiling to runners though there were bit of windy cold condition in the middle of June. His smile makes me happy, and I was admired by his passion in Ultra running community by taking many photographs professionally. I continued jogged the small ridge section, finally breaking up the heavy rain clouds that was developed late last night. Sunlight snuck through the clouds brighten up the rocky meadow to see some flowers along side of the trails. Soon, I was dropping down nice single trail again. My legs were like a freed up prison going from 8:30 to 7:10 min. per mile pace. When I approach the bottom of the hill, I forgot to go back up the small uphill section of paved road. Damn my leg felt heavy again, but my first loop is almost done.

I refuel my hydration backpack from my drop bag and had quick bite from the halfway aid station. I felt good again except muscle tiredness from the long downhill. Todd soon catch me up within 15 seconds or so, and we got off the aid station together to be ready for second round!

The uphill felt much harder at the second round, but I kept my rhythm consistent to keep moving my small steps forward. The first 4 mile uphill section went o.k. with taking gels and S-caps within half hour each to maintain extra energy in me. At this point, air temp was reaching higher and sweating far more than the first loop. I consumed more Gu brew in my 2L bladder that was already less than a half left at the top of the hill. My pace was much slower than first loop between 11:45 to 13:15 min. per mile.  However, my legs felt back in the business as soon as hit the downhill section. I felt so good at this section and can be able to maintain the same pace as my first loop.

Of course my leg would not go happy for forever. My heavy legs dragged up the second short and steep uphill again, remembering the story of Hozumi who turns on his turbo boost to push the uphill very strong via Trevor Hostetler's blog. "How the heck he can go up this steep uphill like a hopping deer in the woods?".  I also agreed with Jason Leman's race report from the last year with slower pace than the first but able to manage jog and power walk to get out of the pain. When I saw Glen again at the top of meadow, I felt happy again though I had to hold my cap and tilt my head against strong eastern wind.

I switch the gear again to adjust the second and last long downhill even little bit faster pace than the first loop. I had to stop the last aid station for refueling gels and water and continued down the jeep road an average of 7:20 to 6:45 min per pace.  My legs wanted to quit soon, but I kept ignore them pushing downhill getting two more gels back to back right before approaching the bottom of the hill. These gels saved me pushing the last uphill to cross the finish line.

My time was 5:23:06 with 4th place, but it wasn't extraordinary time as compared to last year's 50k top eight runner's time. If I ever have chance to do next time, I would like to be just under 5hr mark. I felt my legs for next week or so after the race. Good time.