Race Recap: Silver Falls Half Marathon. Emerging from the trails and waterfalls new.

November 2nd, 2014 

Silver Falls Half Marathon

I've delayed doing a recap of this because it felt so epic and had such a profound impact on me that I didn't want to dumb down the experience with my lack of eloquence to really explain what is in my heart.

I first heard of this race last year and how it typically sells out in minutes.  It has been voted the best trail race in Oregon and touted as the most beautiful race in the Northwest.  That had me interested, and then I saw the beautiful race photos Nine22 captures and I wanted in.  Silly reasons.  Certainly naive.  I loaded myself in the car last year (despite some anxiety to travel so far alone) and I volunteered at last year's race for a chance to run this year.  

My anxiety was no less in check than last year for the drive to Silverton, Oregon.  I arrived two hours early (because that's how I roll with nerves on race day) with PLENTY of time to gather my packet and use the porta potties.  Even in the higher density times before race, there would have been no lines.

There were just over 760 participants for this event.  The 50K, Full Marathon and 7 miler were on the day before.  This was the first time an ultra race and a 7 miler were events available and the half was moved to it's own day because of it's popularity.

Anyway, I was anxious.  Not just the drive and being a couple hours from home... but I've been running a lot lately, and my knee ached after my last relay a couple weeks ago and then I had a half marathon last weekend.

I really contemplated my sanity, but I wasn't going to NOT do this event.  It was so hard to get into and I had already volunteered to "earn" my spot.  I wasn't going to no show.  If I had to, I would "Did Not Finish" (DNF) but I would at least start.  I would try.  But I was fighting back tears.

I ran into a friend doing the race and we said our hellos and she lead me around introducing me to everyone.  She knows EVERYONE.  I sunk into my shell and tried to hide my negative feelings about running.  She caught on to me and asked if she could run with me.  This is charitable because she is faster than me and was willing to "take it easy" for awhile.

She saved my attitude, because her cheerful disposition helped me through the first mile of park road where my hips and IT band were already hurting.  I was going to DNF in the first mile!  Soon after the first mile marker we hit single track trail and I was instantly feeling the softer cushion of squishy trail, wet from Oregon rain.

I don't remember all the mile markers and my garmin lost satellite, but this is the first of many waterfalls we saw.

Actually, I heard it before we saw it.  And hearing that loud rush of fast moving water did something to me.  I perked up.  My soul was energized.  This was amazing.

               

There are two waterfalls you can "run" behind.  I say "run" in quotes because the natural erosion of the rock/wall behind the waterfall makes more for a tunnel you have to stoop through and bend over to crawl out so as to not hit your head.

It took some parring down, but I worked hard to limit the photos for this blog post.  It was so beautiful.  Like the water washing over these cliffs, the negative feelings, self doubt and fear was washed away and I was feeling the adrenaline, energy, determination, and excitement as we continued on the course.  I stopped several times to take photos and to stop for a moment to soak in my surroundings.

 It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.  ~ Henry David Thoreau

The course is technical in many areas and my friend was glad to have trail shoes.  I used my road shoes and I think if I do this again (and I really hope to) that I will invest in trail shoes.  There are some rocks that jut out of the trail and take some careful navigating.  There is plenty of mud and some very slick areas.  With he time of year this event takes place in, you can be garunteed it will rain or at the very least be wet out.

I know that a participant was stung by bee(s) and returned to the start/finish area shortly after we began our race and after mile 6, a participant had fallen on the stairs and hit her knee pretty badly.  It is important to use caution on some of the areas of the trail.  I haven't figured out yet how a trail runner should avoid hibernating bees who nest in the ground.

  There are two sets of stairs on the course.  You will go down some stairs at mile 6 or so and you will have a whole heck of a lot of climbing to do around mile 9 with stairs that are never ending.

 

When they do end, you will face "Nut Cracker Hill" at about mile 12.  The climb up is not so bad if it isn't too muddy, but the climb down is awful.  I'm not sure how people run it. And I'm pretty sure it is steeper than the 14% grade I trained on over the summer.  ...That could also be a tainted bias as the summer runs were on dry concrete and this was all mud.  Somehow I didn't land on my face and slide down the hill (but that might have been easier).



Once that hill is conquered, you are in for the home stretch.

           

The race gives you 4 hours to complete the half marathon, course support with three aid stations and first aid available at the start/finish as well.  Hot coffee and cocoa before the race start and hot (non vegetarian) chili is available along with bread, peanut butter, candy, apples, pretzels and beer.  Did I mention a fire? There is a warm, welcoming, amazing fire in the park rest area at the finish and everyone huddles together to get to know each other and cheerfully talk about the adventures they just faced.  The course is well marked with flour poured on the trail.  As a "back of the pack" runner, the arrows were still visible (but a little smudged) after the foot traffic and rain.  Course support remained out until the last runner (and then the course sweeper-runners) had passed.

I think I went into this race expecting the worst and at least not expecting very much out of myself... and I came out of it a different person and with some perspective on attitude and how it can affect a race.  Not just attitude, but believing in yourself, your ability and how much of an impact positive people around you can have on your mood.

It is definitely not a good idea to run with an injury (or multiple injuries) but most of my issue was my pessimism.  Once I was in the race and surrounded by others on their journey to complete this adventure, I started to see the beauty around me, my own strength and how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful area ONLY a few hours from me... no longer seeing it as a chore that I had a distance to drive to but that it is a trip worth taking and that I should do more often.

I hope this makes sense and that my review can do some justice to this amazing race.  I hope you will check it out if you are given the opportunity. Their website is HERE.

I also earned my first wooden finishers medal.
I love it.

Do you run trail races?  (Any advice or pieces of trail gear you can't live without?)  

Overcoming my fears and traveling to volunteer...

Last week, I had the privilege of volunteering at the Silver Falls Half and Full Marathon!  This truly is a privilege as the race sells out in about ten minutes for the half and within a day (if not sooner) for the full.  Volunteers are a limited number and many would like the opportunity to go and help out and cheer on these amazing runners!  (...Not to mention get an entry into a future event for free.)

As you might have gathered from some of my other recaps, I'm a bling chaser.  I love that feeling of celebration a race brings for all that training and hard work and the token of accomplishment at a "well done" a fun finisher's medal can give hanging from your tired, aching neck.  

On my way to the race to start my volunteer shift, it occurred to me that I had no idea what the finisher's medal looked like, if it was "worth it" or if it was only available to finishers of the full and not the half... as I have goals on participating in next year's half.

So what was it that is drawing me to this race?  After reading some of the recaps of the amazing but challenging course, I'm not so sure how I'll fair.  Hills, mud, very cold rain, flooded trails, etc.  And amazing Oregon scenery.  Running behind waterfalls!  Look at the race photos on the website, they are ahh-mazing. 

Let me tell you a little about myself, what running has done to me and why I'm going after this race....

I'm an anxious person.  I am.  A wall flower even.  Driving far from home (over 30 miles) in a new area on roads I've never traveled on... scares the crap out of me.  Maybe literally.  So here I was, sitting in the driver's seat of my empty car driving 2 hours away from home for a race I wasn't even running.  

I was scared, but reveling in the new sense of adventure and being so proud of myself for this achievement, I could only blame one thing.  Running.

I really really want to be apart of this elite race that sells out so quickly.  I want to be apart of the pack that can say "I finished it."  "I survived the cold rain, the flooded creek, the crazy hill at mile 10 and the freezing temps.  My legs carried me, my training got me through and my spirit was ablaze and I could do it.  I did it."

But can I?  I have 12 months for doubt to set in and be fought off with cross training and building up some miles.

Any advice on trail running gear for the cold cold rain?  

I snapped a quick photo of the finish as I picked up any litter from the after party/recovery tent.  I got to help serve hot chili to the finishers and then scrubbed the dishes and helped break down "camp".  While cleaning up, the youngest finisher crossed the finish line at 5:56:49 for the FULL marathon.  His FIRST marathon.  His first half was at this event last year.  He is 11 years old!  WOW!

Everything is getting put away, but the beer tent is still open!  

 I think that nine out of ten runners told me "thank you" or "thank you for being here." which just gave me all those great warm fuzzies.  All I was doing was scrubbing pots and pans, how could that be helpful to their race?  But they walked past my sink and said it anyway.  :)

I think my volunteer supervisor said thank you to me more than 50 times.  Then, after the raffle and prizes for the finishers, the announcer called up all the volunteers and remaining finishers under the tent all clapped for us.  My wall flower tendency was in overdrive, but part of me was eating it up too.

Afterwards, the volunteers all received a tech shirt from the race.  I absolutely love it, though I feel like I still need to "earn it" by running the race.

Here is the finisher's medal, that also doubles as a bottle opener.  I asked a group warming up by the fire if they'd use it as a bottle opener after working so hard for it on the trail.  Without hesitation all of them said in unison "YES!"  Then someone dug out a bottle of beer in a near by cooler and showed us all how it worked.  

The welcoming fire place under the picnic area where food was served.  I was a wee bit grateful to be near the hot propane camp stoves with boiling pots of chili and the near by fire.  Temps were a November cold and the rain was also freezing.

Next year a ultra will also be offered in the line up.  This is going to be amazing. 

I need some serious tips on running in such cold and wet weather.  I'm a slow runner and going to be out there awhile.  Any advice is welcome!!