My Ultra Run Got Cancelled. I Ran 51 Miles Anyway.
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Time to read 7 min
For the past 6 months, I had July 25th circled on my calendar. The Oregon Cascades 50 Mile Ultra: a point-to-point trek across the front range of three volcanos, finishing at a high school with a burrito bar in Sisters, Oregon. I hired a coach. I did run drills. I stretched, hydrated, slept more and ate cleaner. I stacked weeks of long runs, hill intervals and heat training. I drank gallons of electrolytes and ate through a Costco-sized crate of energy waffles. This was to be my “I can do hard things” project for the year.
Then about a week before what would be my first 50 mile race, the Akawa Butte Fire started. A few days later it grew exponentially over a dizzyingly fast wind whipped day, threatening to jump major roads and take people’s homes in the town of Sisters itself. Understandably, the race directors had no choice but to cancel the race, especially as the finish line track was turned into the town’s evacuation shelter.
This was heart breaking on so many levels. For the race organizers put in a tough spot, my fellow runners who worked as hard as I did to prepare, many traveling cross country to come to Bend. Most significantly, wildfires have a track record for upending lives and destroying towns. The fire fighting teams did an incredible job fighting that thing and protecting the town. No lives and only one structure was lost. A cancelled race pales in comparison to the reality of losing everything. So glad it was not worse.
MY ULTRA RUN GOT CANCELLED. IT'S TIME FOR PLAN B
So with about a day to go before my now cancelled ultra, an adventure buddy of mine had an idea: “what if you did the first half of the 100 mile course? It stays on trails around Bend, away from any fires and it looks like the air will be clear. I’ll even run a section with you.”
Huh. I plotted out a GPS route. I converted our truck into a roving aid station. I way-pointed fire roads and trail crossings where my wife could meet me with our portable speaker, snacks, sunscreen, anti-chafe, 20 pounds of party ice, and my new favorite: dill pickle potato chip sandwiches.
The course was a beautiful point-to-point climbing corkscrew with 6000 ft of vert. It started on the western edge of town, grinding up a long ridge, traversing old forests and high country meadows and finally dropping down twisty single track and finishing at a snopark. Pretty much a highlight tour of every beautiful trail Bend has to offer.
Making dill pickle potato sandwiches the night before.
Using Strava to map out and download my route for the ultra run.
IT'S GO TIME
I started at 7am and finished 51.5 miles in under 10 hours (my goal!). There was no finish line or race medal. There was no burrito bar. But here’s what I remember:
- my wife playing Spice Girls at full volume at all my stops (I hated it, then loved it),
- quietly shuffling alone through the woods, thinking about everything and nothing (no music or podcasts, and no I’m not a psycho),
- my adventure buddy Kaysen showing up at the start, running miles 15 to 29 with me (the loneliest section) and then showing back up to cheer me on for the final 5 miles.
- mistaking tree stumps and shady spots for squirrels and shadowy creatures following me at mile 42 (OK…maybe I need to eat and drink something).
- Feeling incredibly overwhelmed and grateful on the final stretch. All the work I did. All the support I’ve received to make it happen. Just…wow.
- Lounging in the dirt afterwards, drinking a victory beer with my team that got me through a lifetime PR and a day I will remember more than any sanctioned event.
PLAN B LUCK
Spend enough time outside and you learn quickly that things will not always go to plan, and it’s good to have some “back up” to get out of a jam.
You also learn that when you take that time to be a little more organized and prepared, new opportunities present themselves in the form of something different, unexpected and memorable. We call this “Plan B Luck”, and I will always remember July 25th as one of my biggest Plan B Luck adventures yet.
Nora dog. Too old to run many miles with me but the best aid station greeter / salty leg licker there is or ever was.
SOME THINGS I LEARNED STAGING MY OWN ULTRA RUN
If you ever find yourself in a similar position or looking to stage a big day out on the trails, here’s a few things I learned along the way that could be helpful in making your day go a little smoother.
Route Planning:
- I used my subscription to Strava to be able to map my route, download it directly to my phone, and reference where I was at all times especially when out of cell service.
- I mapped a route where I had previously spent a lot of time running or biking. The familiarity helped in a few ways: I could better pace my effort knowing the hills and descents, I knew where water spots were located, and it helped me plan my aid stations.
- If I tried a more remote route I’d consider two things: run with a Garmin InReach Mini and/or share my location on the phone directly.
- If I was running on unfamiliar terrain, dealing with challenging weather, or I couldn't arrange any outside help, I'd consider doing shorter 7-12 mile loops from one home base. Not as exciting but it's safer, simplifies the logistics, and it gets the job done.
Aid Stations & Support:
- I specifically mapped out my aid stations at miles 14, 29, 35, 45 and the finish. I wish I had one more in there in the first 30 miles but fire road accessibility was the limiting factor. On that long section, a friend ran with me who also had some extra water and food to share in case I ran out.
- I ran with a hydration vest that had 12L of carrying capacity for extra hydration, food and layers I wanted to carry with me.
- I tried to make it as easy as possible for my team, dropping pins and driving directions to each aid station and providing time estimates for each section.
- I organized my food and snacks so my wife would know where to find things quick when I came in. My ability to think, express verbally got pretty basic. In my case, having some organized Gear Cubes, an Everyday Tote and a cooler with different options helped all of us get me what I needed when I needed it.
- Drinking body temp sugar water can’t be helped, but it’s gross. So we came up with a solution of using two different hydration bladders for the day. I’d be running with one and every time I came into an aid station we’d swap it for a fresh one that was sitting on ice. Having a cold, freshly filled bladder for the next section was simply marvelous. It also kept me moving efficiently at aid stations which helped prevent my quads from locking up too much with longer breaks.
- Running with an ice handkerchief felt like a cheat code (again thank you Kaysen for the tip). It kept my core temp cooler for longer stretches and provided such a mental boost. I do wish I had an extra 5-10 pounds of ice however. It got hot and exposed in the back half and I had to ration out the ice a bit more than I would’ve wanted.
My wife Erin giving me some final words of encouragement while I suck down every cold drink I can. 45 miles in and ready for the final push!
Communication and Tracking:
- Because I was familiar with the trails, I knew the spots where I would and wouldn’t have cell service.
- When I was in service, I could share a quick text letting my team knew if I was ahead or behind schedule (and that I was alive). Fortunately the spots without service were few, and we just knew to get good on time windows and estimates. My team also knew exactly which trails I was on in case something happened.
- I didn't end up having to do this but I was prepared to share my location via phone and run with an external battery charger in case my phone ran low.
My adventure buddy, Kaysen, showing up big time to run the longest, loneliest stretch with me.
Trying to pretend I'm not tired 25 miles in.
My ultra run gear kit all laid out on the tailgate.
Can you tell I'm happy post finish? My body ached standing, sitting and laying down. For 45 min after finishing I was uncomfortable in any and every position I tried. But hey, I did it!
Nate Helming
Based in Bend, Oregon, Nate spends as much time outside as possible: testing gear, exploring trails in all seasons and helping inspire the Kitworks community for better organized adventures.
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