I write this sore and pained. Quads, glutes, a nasty hangnail. Yet I am happy. This was my first trail race and it was a real challenge but I feel rewarded and ready for another go next year now that I know what to expect. What an awesome and challenging race! I definitely misjudged quite a few elements of the race which did give me a couple hiccups but that was all on me. Excellent course; excellent organizers, excellent race!
 |
| Timberline Half |
Up before dawn and a darkened city greets me. It's fleet week in Portland and I can see the lights of the coast guard patrol ships cruising the channel. It's bracing and crisp outside and the sky seems clear. I nuke my bowl of quinoa flakes with frozen fruit and rhodiola powder. This is going to be my very first trail race and I'm excited to do it but not looking forward to the drive.
Out on highway 26 things were looking grim. It was raining a bit and the fog had a bite to it.
By the time I got there things had cleared up. Parking was on the side of the road and the participants seemed modest in number and enthusiastic. It was much colder than I anticipated. I didn't really grasp that Timothy Lake was 3200 feet higher than Portland. So I was chilly and so were others. The people who brought a daybag were the smart ones.
 |
| god bless our second amendment right to shoot signs in the forest |
The pre-race packet pickup was professional and prompt. The announcer was good, the crowd milled about.
.The narrowness of the trail meant that people would be exiting singly out the starting gate. I tend to get bashful via pace carrol. I'd rather pass people than get passed. So I lined up towards the rear behind some guy rocking a shirt from a desert Ultra which made me feel like I was in reasonable company.
The first mile-and-a-half or so was a Grade A Shitshow and it's my fault for not lining up closer to the front. Some of the people who left early in the pack that were walking within half a mile deserve some blame as well. The usual jostling and ranking that occurs in the first km of a race as people find their pace was much more spread out. The terrain was steep, the earth slippery, and it took a while for everyone to sort out their space
 |
| terrain was tough |
Once things had settled out it was much nicer. My eyesight is myopic AF so my race face is a mole squint. In more forested sections of the run I think I might have missed a turnoff or a root if I hadn't latched on to a guy with a solid maintainable pace of around 10:00. On a road race this would be among my slowest times but on a muddy trail with tons of puddles, 11,428 tree roots (I counted) and some unstable rocks this felt great. I was really glad I latched on to someone who didn't mind guiding me and who had a similar pace.
 |
| Paul Eton my peloton pal |
The first nine miles or so were marshy and forested with just occasional glimpses of the lake. There were vast fields of skunk cabbage which filled the course with a scent reminiscent of pungent Kush.
 |
| challenging terrain, blurry photo |
I have a few thoughts about the more technical portions of the race. The cognitive load of this race was much more taxing than on road races. The demands of proprioception are significantly increased on uneven and dangerous terrain. This had a subjective effect of a much more mentally demanding process. Our brains are designed to find the easy way out through the usage of mental heuristics, simple hard and fast rules that help with decision making. When they really click in it's a sort of autopilot. Consider the commute you can't even remember or the time-passing glide of a long and familiar run. Having to be much more mentally engaged on this race was an interesting sensation.
Aid stations were well staffed, there were three of them full of enthusiastic volunteers. The final distance of this race was supposed to be 14.5 miles, my Garmin read 13.7 but I'll chalk that up to satellite issues.
Here are my official results which, y'know, aren't great. Top 50% total but definitely in the lower percentile for my age/gender. Still I was pretty pleased with the results of my first trail run and I think with more assuredness on my feet I should be able to do a better pace. The pace results are based on their course measurement of 14.5 miles which explains the slightly faster pace than on my Garmin.
 |
| supremely middle of the pack |
 |
| after race |
After race was as well organized as everything else: lots of snacks, massage stations, cheering spectators.
I was very happy with the race. Next year I think I'll try for the full. All in all it was a fantastic experience and a very enjoyable time!
This race was a fitting swan song for my Hoka One One Clifton 2. They retired to live with their family in Sussex.
plus there's a Dairy Queen on the way back which tasted better than a tub of carageenen and corn syrup has any right to do.
 |
| the greatest DQ I ever ate |
