Cle Elum Ridge Run: Take #4

Trailing the lead pack in the early climbs. Comfortable, and waiting...

Catch-up time - again! Not a lot of miles to record since my last post, a mid-30ish mile week, a mid-20ish mile week, and a couple of 40+ mile weeks including the Cle Elum Ridge 50K on Sept 13th.

It was the fourth time I've run that course - the sight of my first ultra as well - and I was feeling pretty capable of a 5hr type performance. In each of the last three runnings I've bonked pretty hard at some point or another. In 1998 I didn't know what the heck I was doing, and thusly the last 10 miles were humbling. In 1999, the fade hit me in the last 3 miles -- where I was subsequently passed by two folks in the last mile -- and finished 3rd the hard way. 2004 I was not running all that much so I took a more conservative approach to the whole race...

This year, given more experience and decent training - if not as youthful "spring" in my legs - I figured that I could run a similar, but more complete race than the 1999 version. It went pretty well.

I settled in to about 5th place early on, but during 4 bathroom stops between miles 4 and 12 I lost sight/touch of the others in that initial group. The eventual winner went by as well during one of those respites and I followed him up a few small hills before dashing into the woods again.

If you've looked at the course profile, you'll know that the major climbing takes place before mile 16. Its ALL downhill to 21.5 and then a roller coaster (with several creek crossings) to the finish. I tried to save something so that I could run the last 9 miles with more success than in previous years.

The creek crossing just before mile 21.5. A little wobbly at this point.

A short bad patch between about 18 and 21.5 because there was no water available between 12 and 21.5. It was warmer than usual and I had drained my two bottles on the climb from 12 to 16. Thankfully, I recovered a not-on-the-verge-of-cramping stride again shortly after the 21.5 mi. aid station, and was able to ramp things back up to cruising speed through the final 9 - the feeling I had hoped for at that point.

It also helped immensly that I caught the 3rd place runner with about 4 miles to go. He was obviously feeling slightly worse than I, and it was a good motivator to push myself over the last part of the course. Without a brief glimpse of him going around a corner, I'd have been pretty content where I was and probably coasted to the finish. Good feelings as well, because in 1999 I got caught on this part of the course. Nice to turn the tables even though the personnel were slightly different :)

In any case, it WAS fun as well. Friend Mike Fitzpatrick also ran - despite my late invitation - and did and admirable job in finishing something like 27th - about 6:14 I think. He was worried enough about finishing that he wanted to start in the early wave (1 hr before). For better or worse, I convinced him that he'd do fine, and have more company, if he started with the rest of us. Indeed. He ran a great race!