My Race
I decided to do Echo Valley because its a somewhat long way to run and Chelan is pretty hot this time of year. When you combine both those things there exists the potential for really fun levels of suffering. There is also a lake nearby that has lots of drunk people near it, so you know there will plenty of beer and intoxicated crazies in the nearby vicinity to fit in with. There is also camping at the race start which makes for a nice snooze under cloudless sky.
My race can be summed up quite succinctly. In ultras you need to eat like a fat kid. If you eat like a fat kid, you tend to increase your chances of having an enjoyable experience and doing your best. If you don't eat like a fat kid, you probably are going to 'bonk' and lose energy. I DID NOT EAT LIKE A FAT KID.
My Experience
I met cool people. We hung out at the end, and decided to drive down to the lake to cool off. We talked about how what we do is not understood by the majority of the population. We ate veggie pizza and drank beer. We hung out by a campfire, ate marshmallows and washed it down with beer. A guy passed out shots of tequila. I went to bed.
I then decided it was prudent to get up at 6 a.m., drive the 90 minutes to Winthrop to meet Richard and run another 10 miles on the Sun Mountain trail system. Drove back through Hwy 20. Got home. Went straight to bed.
My Recommendation
- Do the race. Specifically, the 50 mile. Lots more time to enjoy the experience.
- Train for flats. There are climbs on the course, but they are smooth and gradual.
- It's exposed and dry, be prepared for hot weather without much of any shade (mid 80's for the race).
- Eat like a fat kid.
Overall, a great destination event and deceivingly tough course. I ended up 4th in 8:33:54. Part of a 97 mile week too (a new record).
Geez. Next 'race' is Ragnar NW Passage. My first leg is 4 miles. I'm not even gonna be warmed up. Probably going to pull something.
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