Intrepid summary: Redmond Watershed 12 Hour Endurance Run pre-race goals . . . 1. 50 miles in 12 hours to redeem fizzle at 29 miles in April 50 mile . . . 2. 40 miles to break 200 miles YTD . . . 3. figure out a good run/walk combo to last for 12 hours . . . 4. keep up enough to finish with francesca! Results . . . . 1 - nope . . . . 2 - yes! . . . . 3 - yes . . . . 4 - yes! at start with italiano dea goddess francesca As a weekend fitness runner for the last thirty years, I’ve been lucky enough to be in good enough shape from winter skiing and other physical activities to be able to run at least an annual marathon in the off-season without that much training other than occasional weekend runs. Nevertheless, I always believed it when being told that ultramarathons require a much more serious training commitment. . . . , especially when I tried a 50-miler in 2006 and DQ'ed an hour-and-a-half over the 14 hour cutoff even though I’d trained my heart out for it. However, when I went up planning to do just the first half of the same mountainous 50-miler in July 2007 and ending up discovering that walking, and lots of it, allowed a timely finish before the 14 hour cutoff, I realized that regular runners can enjoy ultramarathons too. Lots of walking proved it again at a last minute test run of a 100K in October thinking maybe to try and do 40 or 50 miles at the very best but doing all 62.2 before the bewitching hour for another timely finish. As it that wasn’t enough, I became even more of a believer when finishing my first 50K in March this year on a barefoot friendly bike path course doing a 5:1 run/walk ratio even though coming off a winter taper of only 50 miles since the November Seattle Marathon. Plans for a 4:1 ratio in the Mt. Si 50 miler two weeks later fizzled when, at 29 miles, the sharp gravel surfaces toasted my soles through the thin-soled aquasock beach sandals that I sometimes wear on rocky roadways and trails to mimic the running barefoot I really prefer. With the same 12 hour cutoff, I realized Redmond would be a good test of the 4:1 ratio and chance to redeem Mt. Si too. It also had the added benefit of being a convenient training run as the 100K had been moved from October to the end of May this year. However, late spring temperatures predicted into the nineties that we are not used to in May in Seattle warranted trying the five minutes of walk breaks I heard someone else might be doing in some upcoming 100 mile event somewhere sometime this summer. arf/arf>>> It turned out to be even more walking than that though as I just kept walking for the first 30 minutes after meeting a walker from Vancouver, BC with nordic ski poles and carrying a pack with 40 pounds of rice training for a 150-mile survival race across the Gobi Desert. The rest of the first five-mile lap was with a very, very, slow runner (just me when I run) who had innocently asked one of the Marathon Maniacs after his first marathon in Tacoma last Sunday what the MM’s were and found out he could be one if he did Saturday’s Watershed. I guess he thought it was normal so he was here too. Though Watershed didn’t have any big hills, there were enough little ups-and-downs to thwart consistent walking for most five minutes so I resorted to walking up the ascents and running down and on the flats. Later on, as temperatures soared more and more, more and more walking was happening on the flatter stretches too as my planned lap paces for a 50 mile finish slipped to 40 miles. However, the passing beaver ponds, devil’s clubs, skunk cabbage, blue and gold forgetme nots, yellow buttercups and forest feathered friends, and so many old and new two-legged ones made it all worth while. I also found out that fast or slow doesn’t matter at all in timed events as fast and slow alike were bonded together lapping and running with each other all day long loop after loop until coming together as one on the final laps, all of us almost tearfully joyous at having survived an epic Redmond Watershed from 7am to 7pm. From all the huge smiles at the finish, it was impossible to tell who had been fast and who was slow. For a brief moment in time we were all the same. For me though, it was a very special finish with Francesca there too with her 51 miles and DH Rob with champagne and cake for congratulations to francesca and a thoughtful belated happy birthday jon. Thank you Rob, the champagne cleansed all that acidy taste from almost 30 raspberry gels from my throat to say nothing of enhancing the euphoria of having just spent 12 hours on the trails of Redmond, Washington with the nicest people in the world. celebrating the conquest can't tell from the photo 'cause I spilt gatorade on the lens, but the coasters are little thong presents from Mr. and Mrs. Evan in beloved home state my new friend david barb and her friends cresting one of knolls (aka leaving tet in the dust) ============================ Some e-mails I got. TO: Jon FROM: David thanks for running with me for a while in the Redmond Watershed. I guess talking to the Marathon Maniacs after my first marathon in Tacoma had me thinking that it’s normal to run an ultra six days later. As a thong lover myself, I never thought I’d be running with someone wearing them instead of running shoes, especially when you ended up wearing the ones I had in my car after the straps of BOTH of your Merrell Bahria trail-running thongs broke on the first lap when you got tripped up on those rocks that were practically invisible in the bright shade/sun contrast. I’ll bring ‘em up to the 20th Century 100K in two weeks for you too to wear again. Maybe I will too (but NOT in thongs!). ========== to: jon, from: Glen It was good seeing you again at the Redmond Watershed. At 95 degrees, a little different than plunging into Lake Washington after our Resolution Run on January 1! Hey, you sure didn’t tell me then that Francesca was such an accomplished ultra runner though. With regard to your question on my walk/run strategy for the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run this summer, I’ll just do like we did at one of the Redmond laps together and walk up each and every hill, run down ‘em and do whatever I feel like on the flats. ps - nice elbow blood! =============== TO: Jon FROM: Marilyn glad to meet you and help allay your worrying so much about your friend doing only her second ultra (and after only one marathon back in 2005). As I mentioned, until October last year, I hadn’t run at all since high school but crewing for my friend in his 50 mile run in Utah where we live and seeing him walk so much made me think, “hey, I could do that” so the Watershed is my fourth ultra in the last five months. Tell Francesca she is perfectly normal. See you at the White River 50 mile endurance run in July. ================ TO: jon FROM: barb Nice to see you in your thongs again even though I found out when you took them off at the finish that they weren’t even yours. Sorry to say it but I was very glad that you weren’t carrying that silly water bottle with your rube-goldberged, . l. . I mean handsome handmade velcowed pockets you had at the Dizzy Daze 50 K in March for carrying shot blocks purportedly to help you help your friend figure out where to carry her shots. (it was bad enough for us regular runners that you - and two other guys - were doing it all barefoot, you know.) ps - In case you haven’t told her yet where I carry mine, I hope all three of us showing you we we stash ours will help you remember to tell her the convenience of being a woman in ultra running. Incidentally, where do you carry yours? ================= TO: jon FROM: gary I hope knowing someone who has walked the four 150 mile adventure races across the deserts of the Gobi, Sahara, Chile and Antartica makes you less self-conscious to walk in your events too. If you ever have any more doubts, just try running 150 miles! www.4deserts.com Incidentally, though I’m too used to the Nordic poles to change now, if I ever break them or anything, I’ll definitely try the cord like you had over your shoulders with the hand loops for supporting your arms to save energy during walk breaks. It looked pretty darn good for the running part you were doing too. ======================== TO: Jon FROM: Brian You were right on with the robin, Wilson’s, the pilated, and other identifications when we were running along together in this year’s Redmond watershed. I’ll be doing my annual birding ultramarathon at this Lake Youngs again in June so don’t hesitate ask me anything else as I’ll be taking lots of bird breaks again. ================== TO: Jon FROM: Capital letter jon hey, it was great to start off together again with you and Francesca again after doing the same at the Mt. Si 50 Miler last month. I was a little worried about her woeful lack of experience then and figured the heat would now be her demise but she left me in the dust again this time too. If fact, though I guess you both survived the temperatures into the ninties, a couple of us decided to bail at five laps for a marathon distance and pick up another one in the Capital City Marathon the next day. See you at the 100K! ================== TO: Jon FROM: francesca I just wanted to thank you again for telling me about all these ultras when we were at the Resolution 5K Run this year. Watching a 100K race in my Italy hometown a long time ago made me want to become a runner but I never realized that ultramarathoning was so special. I also want to say that running together on the Redmond trails during some of the loops made me realize what a strong and powerful, to say nothing of nice and handsome, runner you are. I’m sure with a little training you could really do well as you kept up to me fine on the flats and downhills. I guess I just get carried away in wanting to run up all the hills too. See you at the 100K in two weeks

In that first photo, you look like Angel Jon - with a halo of glow surrounding you! Wonderful job Jon - nice to see you putting in some decent mileage for a change. Do a few more of those, and your year to date mileage will almost be caught up to mine

tet, I admire those of you who tackle events like this even though I think you're a bit nuts for doing it. You sure shared the experience with lots of friends, including Franc, and obviously enjoyed the event. Thanks for taking us with you and congratulations on your accomplishment. TomS

Gee......you certainly seem to have fun with all of these events......and rightfully so. It is just that the number of miles dont' seem to overshadow the fun, which is great. That looks like a great job of accomplishing most of your goals. Congratulations. Thanks for sharing this, complete with some pictures. Joey

Those are some pretty big smiles in the finishing photos! You and the other ultra runners are a special breed of person....not sure what label to give it! Congrats on the 40 plus miles in the May heat wave.

Awesome!

Incredible, Jon. You're an animal! A little too much info in the thong department, but we all have our quirks... Congrats, Chris

wow - sounds like an amazing race!! so great to be able to enjoy the time with fellow runners!!