Where the Magic Came From

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Sarah OUaL

And now, for all the fun things in Eugene where I didn’t wear a bib or have Clif Shot caked to my face.

An homage to everyone/thing that made HugeEug Part 2 everything I dreamt it’d be (& much much more)…

These Girls; for being the easiest-to-get-along-with roommates equally dedicated to running hard and celebrating hard – and for falling asleep after me if any of you snore

kelli, robyn, sad kristina, me, meghan, sweaty

Oiselle; for making this group of strangers feel like sisters, and supporting our sport so whole-heartedly

sophia getting a mile 9 five, lots of birds at Ninkasi post-race celebratin’ (source, source)

(related) Oiselle Cheer Squad; for brightening up the hardest parts of the course with your endless energy – teammates, friends-of-friends, and anyone with an easy-to-read name on their bib “yeah, Joe! go orange shorts!”

mile 16 – bubbles, cowbells, chicken hats, (unpictured) banana suit – (source)

Em & Meghan; for your inspirational pints & planks performances, and for cheering your absolute hearts out even though I know both of you would’ve KILLED to have traded your cowbells for timing chips

yes, we ARE all impressed with the sideplank cowbell (source, source)

Pro Compression; for letting me hang out in the booth a while and for making the perfect orange sock to match my singlet

code “BLG13″ for 40% off + free s/h on any marathon sock or sleeve

Every person that said hi (or shouted during the race), for being so nice and making feel super cool. Also thanks for not making fun of how I sound in person. Loved putting so many @____’s with faces and hearing race reports instead of reading them! Oh and sorry to grey-shirt-girl-at-mile-16, who I yelled “I told you NOT to wear that shirt!” at… I hope you had a great race!

thanks for taking our picture, courtney <– new BQ’er, btw

Nuun; for hydrating so many runners/cheerers/boozers to all-around PR-caliber weekends

if it’s good enough for a 3:17 marathoner, it’s good enough for me (tell K you want a guest post about her race!)

(related) Mason; for another year of perfectly executed and SERIOUSLY HOW WERE YOU IN ALL OF THOSE PLACES AT ONCE magical pacing duties for so many. I suspect you’re already getting requests for 2014…

with Molly at mile 16 en route to a killer PR (source)

The Internet; for “introducing” so many rad people, and for making this group shakeout run on Pre’s Trail happen (& Robyn the former native for guiding us bc I fa shur would’ve gotten us lost)

Pre’s Trail with new running friends – can this be every Saturday, please!? (source)

(related) House 2; for hosting the pre-race carb fest

Corey, Steph, Molly, Laura, Holly, and Allison

Lauren Fleshman; for being an inspiration to women and runners everywhere, and taking the Oiselle “boob heat” off me for a sec.

she has like, national records, and stuff. and a baby growing inside of her. and obvs I think we’re BFFs now. oiselle bio

Meggie & Jocelyn; for being the funniest little glitter tattoo Mary Kate & Ashley twins and providing endless entertainment

Or as that guy on the course says – “Thank you for being YOU!” (cc: Holly and Monica)

Picky Bars; for the awesome post race party and not unsubscribing my club membership after spilling IPA all over your tablecloth. * p.s. The new flavor is coming! Success! Pre-order/back HERE if you want some

Steph you’re so cute and no that’s not the speed goggles talking (source)

ALL OF THE OREGON BREWERIES; for providing so many delicious liquid carbs, the premium fuel in which OUaL runs best on

some of the Day 1 haul

(related, sort of) The VooDoo Donut worker, for “donating” that late night we’re-lost-trying-to-find-our-car-but-hey!-here’s-voodoo!-let’s-go-in! snack when I didn’t know it was cash only and only had card

whatever it was you let my no-cash-carrying mouth have was delicious (source)

Verizon; for honoring an early upgrade so I can replace my nuun-soaked dead iphone

until then ol’ Flippy and I are getting our T9word on

My Photo Memory (ok, w Mason’s help); for memorizing the course map and clocking 13.09 miles garmin distance (NO I’m not claiming the course was “short”, I’m claiming I ran fucking awesome tangents)

And the biggest ‘thank you’ to Kristina; for being the best training partner, travel buddy, and friend. Running that last 1/4 mi with you into the chute was probably the best part of my weekend. I’m so proud of you and can’t wait to see what you do now that you actually know how damn fast you are. And I’m tearing up again…

(source, source, source)

And thank you everyone from HugeEug, for unknowingly letting me steal all of these photos.

Have a nice weekend – good luck to everyone racing, long running, cinco de mayo’ing, whatever!

Sarah OUaL

Sophomore Season at #HugeEug (Eugene Half recap)

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Sarah OUaL

I’m on the plane home from Eugene (…at the time – it’s now almost two days later. I’m at home on the couch if you want to know), the first moments I’ve really had to digest what happened this weekend. Vacation running with so many friends is an absolute blast – I LOVED sharing HugeEug with all of them – but all the activities and socializing left for little time to personally reflect on my own race.

Which is a cool problem to have, but I’m grateful to finally have had some quiet time to sit down and uninterruptedly hash it all out. Every split, every gut feeling, every overcome negative thought. It was easily my best race EVER and deserves some selfish time in the forefront. At least to me.

(and you, bc you’re here and obvs I’m going to word vomit every detail for you)

Here we go – The Half PR Tale, aka HugeEug Part II…

Oiselle, Nuun, and general Internet friends making race weekend FUCKING AWESOME since 2013 (jocelyn’s pic)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

1:38.

That was my original time goal when I began training for the Eugene Half. And this is the first time I’m publicly admitting it.

Half-way through my 12 week cycle things started falling apart – I wasn’t seeing the gains I wanted and my paces were no where near what McMillan prescribes for that goal time. I gutted out the rest of training but rescinded to the fact Eugene wouldn’t be that “Run To The Absolute Best of Your Ability” race I wanted.

So when race week came I adjusted my goals and said all I wanted was to run to my best ability on THAT day. To cross the finish feeling I gave it all I had. If I could run strong mentally and overcome the mid-race self-doubt and unwillingness to hang out in the pain place that’s plagued me before, I’d be one step closer to getting to that 1:3x territory someday down the road.

Bum Wrap & Pros solidified as official OUaL race uniform

I settled into the corral between the 1:40-1:45 pace groups and listened to words by Steph Rothstein-Bruce and Craig Leon, two top US finishers at Boston this year. As the national anthem played I felt the perfect mix of nervous energy and calm confidence, and knew it could be a great day if I kept that balance and didn’t get in my own damn way.

The gun went off, “Sweet Caroline” poured through the speakers, and we crossed the start.

emily’s pic

I kept my eyes off my watch at the start, trying to run on feel until we leveled out and I could lock in to something. I really didn’t want Garmin dictating my run, but running without my usual constant monitoring terrified me that I’d either run a) way too fast and crash and burn or b) too leisurely and have too much in the tank at the end.

7:32, 7:26

The next few miles were a blur of trying to find that perfect “uncomfortably manageable” pace. My breath was controlled but my legs were already feeling the work of the hills and long slight incline. I tried not to let the idea of burning for 10 more miles scare me into slowing down.

eugeleveation

Focusing on rhythm and feel instead of numbers worked shockingly (?) well. Each split beeped right around PR pace (7:45), and the consistency I was running at without watch-stalking was super satisfying. Like I finally just let my legs do their thing instead of robotically forcing it, and they performed way above expectation. Crazy.

7:40, 7:43, 7:43, 7:34, 7:44, 7:42

At mile 8 “The Hill” came into sight. I took water from the station (volunteers were stellar, btw) and got ready to put my head down and just go.

But then I heard a yell for my name, and déjà vu to Nuun Kim last year, SkinnyRunner’s mom was there yelling her face off, and then Mason was running next to me telling me to pick up my knees and asking if I’d been hydrating (obviously).

Hearing updates on my friends (he was on super pacer duties for like 10 people) gave me a boost, just in time for the Oiselle cheer force at mile 9. Cowbells, chicken hats, and banana suits are a great distraction from the fact we were running away from the finish line, btw.

Abby, Lauren, Becky, JJ, Meghan, KMet, Sweaty

sweaty’s caption : “see, she DOES love running!’

As we ran out towards the river the feeling in my legs turned from “working hard, muscles!” to “rapidly filling with lead, don’t want to move!” I worried I’d blown it by going out too fast and feared the looming wall that was surely just around the corner.

The thought of backing off to keep the pain at a distance crept in – without an actual goal time it seemed so tempting to turn away from it…

“will you look back at this point and regret it? when you write your recap do you want to admit to everyone you gave in?!”

I thought about the 10 miles of hard work I’d be throwing away, how I said I was going to give EVERYTHING, how the beer would taste better if I kept pushing, and committed to the rest of the race.

Still avoiding Garmin, I focused on just letting the effort feel a little bit harder – I knew I had to keep control a few more miles before really getting into the pain place.

7:49, 7:48, 7:54

“Strong and smooth. Strong and smooth.”

When two miles to go hit, I didn’t care about anything other than gassing out what was left. We were running the gorgeous tree-covered river path and the weather was perfect. There were enough people around to chase but not too many to feel cramped. I let my breath shorten and focused on lifting my knees and pushing off.

“Strong and smooth.”

It hurt. I didn’t think I could hold it. I thought again about giving in, and that for sure I was either going to puke or shit my bum wrap.

7:46

But we hit the bridge with one mile to go – crossing the water back towards campus in a very poignant “homestretch” way. I burned holes in the shirt backs in front of me, desperately trying not to let them pull away. We turned past our shakeout run spot, onto Agate, and up the cruel final hill, the sounds of the crowds at the top pulling me up.

Thanks, KMet… (photo cred Oiselle)

We crested and the Oiselles were there – their excitement cuing my first proud/happy feelings (expression attempt in above photo gets a B for effort). My legs were completely shot and I felt like I was barely moving. The final 1/2 mile to Hayward felt like a fucking eternity and I don’t think I’ve ever been passed by more people at the end of a race, but there was just nothing left to kick with.

7:41, :42s (7:30 avg)

Finally we turned into Hayward, the stands packed and the announcer calling out names, and all I could focus on was picking up my feet enough to not trip and face plant on the Tracktown USA oval where so many world-class athletes have been.

And nearly a minute faster than I ever have, I crossed a 13.1 finish line, with a “hand over heart for Boston.”

… and then collapsed into a volunteer and was put in a wheelchair. For like, a tiny amount of time. Just enough to stop the world from spinning and be able to say (/remember?) my name and where I’m from.

Which I guess validates the “finish on empty” goal?

Eugene Half Marathon, 4.28.13 - 1:40.45 (*New PR)

Almost even more than the race and PR, I’m proud of myself for not letting that original 1:38 goal overshadow my accomplishment this weekend. I set out to run the very best race I was capable of that day, and that’s exactly what I freaking did.

BOOYAH.

More on race weekend (lots of friends to brag about), the magical city of Eugene, and shenanigans soon. All with stolen pictures since my phone went the way of that old PR – RIP to both of you.

Sarah OUaL

extra thanks to Pro for sponsoring me – is this what I’m supposed to say? disclosure and stuff? anyway BLG13 is good for 40% off and free s/h!

Eugene Warm Up (the game plan – sort of)

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Sarah OUaL

EUGENE BOUND RUNNERS! Exciting news!! I’ll be at the Pro Compression booth with SkinnyRunner Saturday from 1-3. They’re having a special giveaway/contest thing to win a free pair of socks during that time so come say hi and make me not feel like a loser with no friends.

If you’re not coming to Eugene, 1) sucks for you 2) you can still get your sock hookup w BLG13 – 40% off and free shipping. (I think that makes it the same as the show special price?)

you can buy two and spend 20 minutes race morning trying to decide which pair to wear! (yellow won)

http://www.procompression.com/products/

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Now on to actual running deets for race weekend.

The phrase “hay is in the barn” is usually directed in a “trust your training, you’re better prepared than you think!” way. Unfortunately when that hay pile isn’t as abundant as you’d like (welcome to my hay-less barn!) you have to spin it a different way if you don’t want to lose your shit and crumble into a my-goals-and-dreams-are-doomed-I-suck pile on the course.

I obviously wish training had gone better than it did, but I’m going to do the best with what I have. That hay may not fuel the original goals I had my sights set on for this weekend, but it’s enough to put in a solid race if I run smart.

NEW RACE MOTTO : I will run the best race possible within my current capability.

My legs don’t feel great and my training log is singing a much sadder tune than I’d care to admit, but Ragnar majorly bumped my excitement levels, which carried into a couple good runs this week. I’m riding a good high and if things line up even half as perfectly as last year, I think I can do well.

I mean, I KNOW I can do well. Confidence here.

I would love to PR, but realize the perfect concoction of brains, balls, and magical HugeEug fairy dust will be needed to make it happen. If it doesn’t, but I put a race I’m proud of in the bank, I won’t let it ruin my weekend. SWEAR. This trip is about a lot more than the race – reuniting with faraway friends, quality time with good people in a city I love (AND the beer). I won’t let what happens Sunday morning take away from that.

And if its really good? HugeEug better be ready for another monster celebration.

Best of fast wishes to everyone racing – see you out there!

Sarah OUaL

Breaking News : I Still Love Relays (Team Nuun Ragnar SoCal recap)

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Sarah OUaL

I’ve recapped three relays now, each have been (at least) three parts long. This one will not. It will be long, but only one part. Swear on my Brooks.

spoiler : we made it to the finish

To add a little clarity into how the actual “day” of a relay plays out, I decided to post this installment of ‘OUaL Relays : Ragnar SoCal with Team Nuun‘ in clock format, Jack Bauer style.

confession : I actually never watched 24 – I just know it has that clock ticking screen and is a day per episode and was the first time I heard the name “Kiefer”

So hear we go. “Zero o’clock” will be our start time, 10:30am, actual day time in parentheses.

pre – 0:00 || Van One Assemble! Start line in Huntington Beach with runners 1-6. Safety briefing, van window painting, bib pinning, hydration commencing.

one-way trip (click to zoom and see individual leg info)

Van One : can’t-get-off-work-in-time-to-come-to-the-start RER, me, of-course-I’ll-fly-cross-country-to-relay SweatyEmily, I-could-go-for-some-miles SkinnyRunner, still-not-a-blogger Kristina, and who-are-these-girls FJrose

0:00 – 0:45 (10:30am) || Emily leads us off – super fun starting with a big group of other teams since all the other relays we’ve been one of the last out on the course. (at Vegas only one other team started with us!)

0:45 – 1:20 (11:15am) || My first leg as Runner 2, an easy 5 miles on the Santa Ana River Trail. I was “Runner 2″ when we ran SoCal as an ultra team last year, but since we ran doubles I ran the legs of 3 & 4 – so this year I got all new routes! Exciting!

The first few miles were just kind of la-dee-da… It took a while to feel that “race energy” kick in. Finally about half way through, THIS IS A RELAY! YOU LOVE RELAYS! hit me, a dude that had passed me earlier started fading, and I ran the rest reeling him (and a few others) in with a shit grin on my face the whole time. There’re some special endorphins in those slap bracelets – the “baton” you pass between runners – I’m sure of it.

Bonus : best tempo of the year.

sarah-to-sarah handoff at ex #2 (photo cred K & Em)

1:20 – 4:00 (11:50am) || Duck, duck, goose. SR, Kristina, Monica, Fara knock out their legs in the blazing middle-of-the-day heat (wtf socal?!), landing us somewhere east of Anaheim to tag in Van Two.

Monica / Farrah at exchange 5

Just planking at the ex6 Nuun booth with some of Van Two (MayFay’s pic)

4:00 – 9:30 (2:30pm) || Van One rest. Smash some Subway. Hang out with Pam and her kids at a random exchange. Cause a scene in ex12 parking lot and talk more in-depth about portapotties any humans ever should (let alone a dude have to hear about – sorry, Mason). Complain of boredom and need for a run.

9:30 – 10:30 (8pm) || Van One gets tagged back in! Emily departs Lake Elsinore and we all pile back in (FINALLY) for some more action.

sidenote : SR, K, Em and I decided during the 5.5 hr break that running more miles (ultra) >>> waiting more hours. Overall I didn’t feel like the extra downtime as a 12man provided any more rest than we got as a 6, but that’s a tale for another time.

our own personal exchange sign!

10:30 – 11:40 (9pm) || Run #2, leg 14 – 8.5 miles with a decent hill and fast finish through the night.

Night runs are my absolute favorite – the thrill of not seeing exactly where you’re going, chasing after little red tail lights, and sucking cold, crisp air while the rest of the world is out Friday Night’ing it? So dig it.

But apparently my enthusiasm came off a little sarcastic when I yelled “I LOVE NIGHT RUNNING!!” with my arms over my head to my vanmates who’d stopped to cheer halfway through the leg?

No idea why that would seem anything but completely authentic coming from me…

from the start of the run, but the mid-leg exclamation was very similar

11:40 – 15:30 (10:10pm) || SR, K, Monica, Fara. Check, check, check, check. Like clockwork everyone came in – crushing hills, trails, drunks in downtown Temecula.

One of my favorite parts was Kristina coming back from Leg 16, which she impromptu ran with me last year. She and Lee were vacationing nearby, had seen all the vans, and after a few texts realized it’d work for her to run with me – which ended up saving my run. (story here)

So when she came in – blazing fast, btw – jabbering on all pumped up, I had to smile;

“remember the sprinklers on the fairway? they went off again! and that dirt hill? omg I forgot about it! but it was so cool and passed so many people and ahhh I’m so glad you asked me on the team! [hug]…”

a few hours hours after that run, but same cheery, happy, van-loving Kristina

exchange 18 disco waiting for Fara to tag in runner 7

15:30 – 18:00 (2am) || Resist the delicious smell of pizza in favor of ZZZs. Curl up in front seat w legs on dash, blanket over head, and eyes kind of closed. Collect maybe 60min cumulative sleep.

18:00 – 19:30 (4:30am) || Van Two ran faster than planned (so ~~rude~~ baller), so we had a scramble to get ready. Em gets tagged in, makes (wise) choice to forego most of her miles likely due to fitful dreams of Dr Paul’s looming scolding. Skinny “I could go for some miles” Runner jumps in, runs through her next leg, and tags me in for a final time.

low on exchange theatrics, but a smile AND really-running legs captured by Pacer Dave (thank you!)

20:30 – 21:45 (6am) || Final run. Garmin was dead and I was running blind (too tired to study map) so I decided to just take the run a hill at a time, which, excuse the brag, was fucking brilliant.

A guy in sparkly shorts passed me early, but kept getting stopped at stop lights. I’d cruised up beside him just as it turned EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. and he’d take off again. It was hilarious in a sucks-to-be-you kind of way. By the third time he kind of laughed, and made a comment about “5 miles to go” and I’m all,

“wait, we’ve run 3.5 miles already?? sweet! (gets left in dust, again)”

There was a single-track dirt trail, a gate you had to turn sideways to squeeze through, and a long hill I literally couldn’t run up. But each turn was something new, a new body to chase, a few steps closer to my fourth relay (sadly) being over. And no beeping watch telling me JUST how much further.

At the “ONE MILE TO GO” sign I somehow found another gear, just as we turned onto the familiar 101 in Solana Beach. I high fived people running the opposite direction – Ragnarians or not – and with .5mi left rolled up to a light where Mr Sparkle Shorts and a few other dudes were waiting to cross.

“Ugh I KNEW you’d catch me! Just go on, go ahead. Be done with it!”

I grinned at him, gave a challenging look to the other guys, and when the “walk” sign lit we sprinted out in a race for the finish.

And I won.

#runhappy #proof #rarelikeaunicorn

21:45 – 23:00 (7:15am) || As each Van One’r came in, giddy with delirium at being finished, the lunch talks started. Beer talks. Actually sit down and have someone serve you proper food talks. We debated for at least 30 minutes over each local brewery (there are many in SD, btw) based on IPA offerings and proximity to the finish line, which we were suddenly SO. CLOSE. TO.

And then somewhere between legs 28-29 Van Two sent an S.O.S…

that’s what a busted relay van on the side of the highway looks like

Luckily they weren’t too far away. We rescued some of the upcoming runners - Mason staying with Jen and Captain Megan (runners 11 & 12) in the hoopty waiting for the replacement - and we forged ahead. Even though I really wanted to say, “tough shit, got beers to drink byeeee!”

(kidding)

23:00 – 27:00 (9:30am) || I hopped in the drivers seat and played my best bus driver card - Runner 7, check! Runner 8, check! Runner 9, check! Two-point parallel park job, BOOYAH CHECK!

Uhhh wait, is the other van coming? I’m running out of runners.

JUST as we sent off KJ, Runner 10 and the last yet-to-run teammate in our custody, Van Two was rescued and zipped down to deliver runners 11 and 12 (Jen and Megan) with a few minutes to spare.

Talk about close call.

27:00 – 29:00 (1pm) || With less than 12 miles left to run, Van One headed straight to the finish area, finally got down on some “lunch” and rallied one last time for a sprint through the finish led by Megan.

Cold Papa Johns and plastic cup beer on the grass is no Green Flash tasting room, but at that point anything “real” is delicious

the awkward smudging on the left is my half-ass attempt to remove a photo-bomber

29:19 (3:49pm) || Team Nuun crosses the finish line in downtown San Diego, 192.9 miles later.

In no shocking news, I had a GREAT time. Relays are my favorite ever, Nuun is my favorite ever, these girls are my (new and old) favorites ever. And so is perfect SoCal weather and plastic cup beer.

Oh, and as a bonus – even though we weren’t “In It To Win It” like past relays, we found ourselves with the top Womens 12-Person “Regular” time. Holla, WINNERS!

Thanks for a rad weekend, dudes – rain check on Green Flash next time y’all are in town.

Sarah OUaL

The Eugene Pre-Cap

Posted on April 21, 2013 by Sarah OUaL

necessary foreword : I’m no expert – I’ve spent barely a cumulative week in Eugene, OR, but I’ll be damned if every one of those seconds weren’t spent preening the grounds and scouting for future visits as it catapulted to the top of my “favorite places on Earth” list.

I don’t fall often, but when I do it’s fast and HARD.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

My 2012 Eugene Marathon race recap

The Eugene Marathon, now in its seventh year, is a race I’m permanently penning into my calendars from now until something physically forces me from clicking “register”. Or until I have a really shitty race there. Which, having only run it once I guess is possible, but lets not think about that.

Getting To/Staying In Eugene

First, don’t poop yourself when you look up flights into Eugene airport. It’s tiny, with few airlines and flight options. Big brother PDX is just a 2 hour drive away, and you can get a rental car for the weekend for like $60 (keep in mind the cost of gas both ways and whether you’re splitting the costs with someone when weighing your options.) If you fly into EUG cabs and shuttles are ~$30/pp but if there’s more than one of you might as well split the rental costs and have some wheels. I wouldn’t say it’s necessary to have a car in town (we didn’t for the Trials) but it is convenient.

the welcome committee at EUG is pretty rad and worth the propeler plane ride

There are few hotels in Eugene – check out VRBO or homeaway.com for a rental instead. Most times it’s actually cheaper AND you get a whole house instead of a stale hotel room with people on all sides of you. It’s nice to have a more homey set up for pre-race routines (and post-race celebrations) – stocked kitchen, bedrooms with doors, multiple bathrooms? Cha-ching. Oh and don’t be weirded out – most listings are solely rental or vacation units so it’s unlikely you’ll fall asleep with someone’s wedding photo staring at you from the bedside or be confronted with a used loofah in the shower.

Keeping it real Eugene Marathon ‘12 with Em, Margot, and SkinnyRunner

In Town/What to Do, Drink, Eat

Run, duh

Want a few shakeout miles? Maybe scope out some of the course? Good idea. The path along the Willamette River (Ruth Bascom) is easy to find, not get lost on, and includes some of later miles from the race course. Visitor & navigationally-challenged-friendly.

ruth bascom bike path

a few months after our pre-marathon shakeout we unintentionally found ourselves on the same photo-op bridge at the Trials. Kismet.

And maybe you’ve heard of a guy named Steve Prefontaine? He’s sort of a big deal and has his own trail named after him. 4-ish? miles of woodchip awesomeness tucked just outside of campus. It was a little hard to find – there weren’t any “exit here for Pre’s trail” signs, but once you’re there you’ll know.

Garmin data from a Pre’s Trail run (google maps does list the trail if you zoom in far enough)

Eat/Drink, also duh

There are plenty of options in town – from hippie vegan cafes to Subway – you won’t go hungry or have to pack a spare suitcase with your own rations. Below are the places I’ve eaten and would recommend. And remember, if you’re renting a house the grocery store for home cooking is a great pre-race choice.

Breakfast : Off the Waffle, Studio One Café

Lunch/Dinner : Morning Glory (veg), Agate Alley, Café Yum (haven’t tried – only heard)

Liquid carbs & post-race celebration (duh) : Ninkasi, Rogue Ales Public House, Wild Duck

The Course

I vividly remember like 80% of the course. I guess my brain realized it was going to be a special race and afforded me a photographic recount of nearly every step. Paired with Garmin Player I was able to piece together a (hopefully helpful) play-by-play of the marathon. Elevation charts can be deceiving, and sometimes it’s good to have a general idea of what’s coming up beforehand? But if you like going in blind or being surprised go ahead and X out of this window now.

somewhat scary elev chart from eugenemarathon.com

Eugene Marathon – Garmin Connect

(ignore 26.2 on – I threw my watch at a friend before finishing and didn’t stop it until we met back up afterwards.)

2012 start line with my homes SR, fasterbunny, and sweaty

0-1mi : very gradual climb out of chute, quick decline after turn into neighborhoods

1-1.5mi : steep but short climb, right back down

1.5-2.5 : straighten out down Hillyard St

2.5-4.25 : gradual (barely noticeable) climb along quiet, tree-lined residential road. time to lock in!

4.25-6 : quick steep climb (~50 ft) up the turnaround, gradual descend back towards town on other side of road

6-8 : parks, schools, residential cheerleaders. easy miles and changing scenery

8-8.75 : “The Hill(s)” – .3mi +70ft, dip, turn, .3mi +50ft. HUGE cheer area including gorillas handing out bananas, Hayward in view at peak.

8.75-10 : pass by Hayward, the start, the crowds, dip under the highway and out towards the Willamette through industrial land

10-10.5 : duck into shaded tree-covered path, cross bridge over water

- HALF SPLIT - veer left along Patterson Slough (holla, Pre’s Trail), cross Autzen footbridge, back up Agate to Hayward

(FULL) 10.5-12.5 : veer right from split, through the park, hear rushing water, some peeks of river

Margot’s photo (bunny ears!)

12.5-13.1 : suddenly pop out of park into residential, left on 10th, half timing mat in front of big (school?) building

13.1-16 : boring straight shot down commercial road (w centennial/mlk jr) – groceries, shopping plazas, traffic lights, but lots of people. Ran through a water-sprayer arch thing around 15

16-17 : Autzen Stadium sighting! Off-road soft path back towards the water, surprising amount of spectators

17-20.5 : back to covered river trail – past the canal, a movie theater, al fresco hotel restaurant, retirement home… random pockets of people but mostly just quiet and serene by the water

20.5-21 : up and over Owosso bridge (ouch), lined with cheerleaders, ignore the wall fears

21-25 : few “bumps” (~20ft climbs) on windy park path. pockets of spectators. nice group of bushes for a squat break, if required… (this IS a first hand recount)

25-25.5 : path opens up to dead grass and nothing and it’s ‘WHAT IS THIS?!’ and ‘HOW THE FUCK FAR AWAY AM I??’

just keep going…

25.5-26 : the roundabout to the footbridge comes in sight, very faint stadium noises and cheers in the distance. a right turn back up into town, across the highway

26 – finish : the barriers line Agate St and people pack the entire stretch to Hayward. turn in and the final 150m are in front of packed stands on one of the most storied tracks in America. way cool if you’ve got enough energy left to realize it (I didn’t)

BEER TIME. The turf warm up area behind Hayward was perfect for recovering/laying down unable to move and reuniting with friends. PLUS they added a beer garden this year! If I go missing look for me there first.

Thus concludes this excessive and kind of creepy rehash on a race many of us will be dreaming crazy taper dreams of all week. Rest up, get excited, see ya in Eug!

Sarah OUaL

Once Upon a (L)ime

it's the life between the miles that counts… [a running and lifestyle blog]

Category Archives: Running

Where the Magic Came From

Sophomore Season at #HugeEug (Eugene Half recap)

Eugene Warm Up (the game plan – sort of)

Breaking News : I Still Love Relays (Team Nuun Ragnar SoCal recap)

The Eugene Pre-Cap

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