Trail Runner Wannabe

I never thought there would come a day that I actually would enjoy trail running. It seemed so foreign to me. Although I did my fair amount of tent camping and day hiking as a child with parents that loved the outdoors, it never was a vacation of my choice. I am a city girl! So when I took up running in a serious way two and half years ago, road running appeared to be my future. Then…I met a group of women who love trails and introduced me to the trails of our favorite city park, Forest Park.

These gals are more serious about trail running than I am, or at least they have more experience at doing it. Anyway, after just a couple runs in the park I found myself truly looking forward to that one morning a week when I would join some of the gals for a quiet, easy pace but sometimes hilly (not so easy ;) ) run in the green, cool, wonderland, which sits nestles near downtown Portland. Over time I mistakenly thought I might be turning into a trail runner. Well, I might not be turning into one but I am a trail wannabe. I tell you this because it explains the craziness I embarked upon this past weekend.

For some silly and half-brained reason, I thought I might be able to run the Wilson River East Trail with a friend who is an experienced (and extremely patient) trail runner. Little did I fully appreciate that 22 miles of hilly trail can be a light year away from 22 miles of road running. (That's okay. For you few trail runners sitting there snickering, you KNOW there was a day when you, too, were a novice at this game. ;) )

My patient trail mentor waiting for me at a point a mile or two from our finish.

Thankfully, the truly crazy badass trail runners (aka crazy 50-100 mile trail runners) that indicated they might want to join us had other plans, so it was just the two of us. Therefore, sharing my embarrassing struggles would only be sort of mortifying rather than being totally horrifying. :)

The day started out perfect. Cool and overcast. I brought my hydration pack (70 oz), which I don't typically use except in the winter because it usually makes me too warm. I added a 20 oz bottle of water in one of the front pockets because I figured I had no water purification method and didn't know if we would even be near a water source. (Better safe than sorry.) I also packed a lot of fuel items (Shot Blocks, Clif bars, GUs) as I knew fueling would be an absolutely crucial part of surviving this run. The pack seemed to weigh a ton on me, but I would be very grateful I had brought the extra items.

So we get to the trailhead around 8am, give or take a few minutes. It would be almost 11 miles to Jones Creek Campground from Elk Creek Campground. Neither my running buddy or I have ever been on the Wilson River East Trail so it would be an adventure for sure. Now let me just state that my running buddy is not only patient but she is a hill monster! It doesn't bother me that she pulls ahead like there is no gravity working on her since she usually slows down for me to catch up on the flats and downhills. I can sometimes hold my own on those stretches, although I am not quite as fast as she on the downhills. The purpose of our run wasn't speed this day so those things didn't matter anyway. It was all about time on your feet.  And, boy, did I get it!

Ah…right. I was only running for the camera at this point. 

The trailhead started on an uphill. Sort of long but not too bad. Then it went down, then it went back up, down a bit, then up, and up, and UP! Oh, Lord! I pushed the little evil devil away that had climbed onto my shoulder and had begun to whisper "Be afraid, be VERY afraid!"

Only one of the spectacular views along the top ridges.

The views I would experience in the next few hours were spectacular! 

The trail required traversing makeshift bridges over streams and river.

The single track had everything. Overgrowth, nice needle bed path, broken rocks, hidden rocks, tree roots, large gravelly shale-like sections near sheer drop-offs and tree roots! Oh, yes. I said that already. Well, there were lots of them and, FYI, when you are exhausted those roots and hidden rocks jump out of the ground and grab your feet sending you sailing through the air. (I lost count after fall number 5. Seriously!)

Hardly a scratch!

Didn't get colorful until the next day. I have a matching bruise on the other shoulder as well.

During the last four miles I could feel a mini-second wind setting in but I had lost all confidence that my feet would be feeling the same. So my downhills were much slower than I felt I "might" be able to otherwise go. I did indeed walk…A LOT!

The fearless leader relaxing riverside in some glorious sun!

Back at the Elk Creek campground, I couldn't wait to sit down and dangle my dog-tired feet and legs into the river. Standing up to head home turned out to be almost as challenging as running the trail. My legs were rubber at the end. All the same, I was rejoicing inside!! I had SURVIVED! It was the longest trail run I have ever done and certainly the most difficult with at least a 5187ft total elevation gain. It was also the longest I have ever run anything in my entire life, four hours fifty minutes (4:50:00)!!

Note to self: turn off auto-pause on trails. Lost 2 miles!

The next day I could not believe how every muscle in my body hurt! No wonder those trail runners are so damn fit looking. The only time I ever felt so sore was from sitting in a car for 13 hours after running the Big Sur Marathon! No way could I get myself to do a recovery run the next day, but I made it to spin class the second day and my legs have started to forgive me and come back to life.

Was it worth testing my body's limits with a 22 mile trail run over hilly terrain? Yes. Will I want to do it again? ABSOLUTELY!! (But I might have to find a running partner who doesn't mind the snail's pace. ;) )

Rejoicing my accomplishment down by the river!

P.S. A big THANK YOU to my running partner, Jaymi, who believed I could do it and has the patience of a saint!