WR50 REVIEW!

Finally, right?

So Mike and I left for Crystal Mountain Resort early Friday before the race and seriously, I have never been to a cuter hotel in my life. I know, I have been to Leavenworth and what could be cuter, but seriously, this was it. Quiant. Scenic. Tiny! When I walked into this room, I couldnt help but laugh. To our right was a sofa, behind the door was the sink, behind the sink was our bathroom - shower and toilet, next to the sofa was an end table, then an armoire, then a folding chair (folded) and the window. About 12 inches from the armoire is the foot of the full size bed and 1 night stand. Yep. No room for the second night stand... It was so tiny. Lovely room though. Lacked a TV, but oh well, it was really nice. The restaurant at the hotel was lovely, and wow, you are in a valley between these GIANT mountains. Skiiers love it, obviously, but there is no snow, so the place is pretty dead.

Fast forward - Pasta dinner - we eat with Chandler, he is pretty cool, has a sense of humor I can appreciate. Then after wondering around and reading in the room while Michael wonders around, we run into Allen and his girlfriend Tonya. We chat a while and then I am all for the chocolate cake. We ran into someone Mikey knows from Sunday SRC runs and meet his friend from PA who needs a ride to the start/finish. We agree to meet him in front of the hotel early the next AM and head to bed.

So now Mike, Adam and I are heading the start/finish area and it is packed! We run into John Berta who asks me to take his second water bottle and give it to him later, this race was well organized, lots of aid station and the weather was not unbearable at 6am so he didnt need to double fist. I also find a lone spectator named Jessica who is there supporting her friend Tom. I offer to let her ride with me to the next aid station at Camp Sheppard, which is a few miles down the road and then to the Corral Pass Aid Station - which I had been to on the training run, but was crew - not advised. She came along and I was grateful for the company because Chris wouldnt be joining me until Buck Creek at mile 27.

I am happy to fill Jessica in on the fun part of this kind of spectating, you actually have a role, she would soon see! I cheer Michael Sanders, Brian Morrison and a few other runners that I am familiar with in the lead pack and then Mike and I make the water bottle exchange at Camp Sheppard and I also make an exchange with John Berta... We wait for Tom and he just blows by us, it is only mile 3.whatever at that point. They havent even found the hard part yet.

Jessica and I haul up to Corral Pass and I am telling her on the way up that this is supposed to be a very scenic area and wouldnt you know, we got up so fast, we actually adventured out of the aid station (no runners had come in yet) and we do indeed find that this is quite possibly the most gorgeous place in the entire area! What an unbelievable few of Mt. Rainier on a perfect sunny morning. I am also telling Jessica about the pictures that Glen takes of the runners when we round a hill on the trail to run right into Glen! Weird luck. We turn around because we have heard that runners should be coming through very soon. I have all of my Mike-gear in the stuff sacks and I am waiting and waiting. I again trade bottles with John Berta and finally he comes out of the trees and into the aid station - asking for his other water bottle strap. What the heck? Double fisting was so not in the plan! The other water bottle strap is in the freaking car a good 500 yards down the road. I start to run and when I am running back from the car (very winded) he is walking toward me. JERK! I didnt run so you could follow me, I ran to get you back on the course ASAP! He tells me he needed a minute with me, the climb up to Corral Pass was not pleasant for him. This gave me a little bit of cause for concern and when he left, no only was I upset that I didnt have the stuff he needed when he wanted it, but that he was not having the race he wanted to have and I wasted some of his valuable time... I got emotional, so silly and so embarassing, but I pulled myself together in time to see Chandler, Owen, Allen, Gwen and Tom come through and help them get on their way... It was very good to actually see them, help them and get back down to Buck Creek.

Chris was waiting at Buck Creek and we headed to the aid station, much to my dismay, John Berta made it through that aid station without trading bottles with me... I felt back and I was pissed at myself that I didnt get there in time to get him his fresh bottle. Its taking forever and ever for Michael to come through and when he finally does, he seems to have found his groove again and my concern about his rhythm and pace were abated. Soon Chandler came through and decided to call it a day because his knee was giving him hell. I felt really bad :( soon again, Owen and Allen came through and then Tom, who was hopped up on something hilarious he was just so full of energy! We headed to the next aidstation, which was right before the Skookum Flats, we would not have access to the Sun Top aid station under the threat that our runner could be DQ'd for even going up the road... I completely understand.

We were there waiting and waiting and finally we see the lead pack coming down. John Berta was right up in the front of the pack, he ended up taking 6th! What a great showing! Its taking forever and ever for Michael to come down and finally, he is fully charged and moving. I am so proud and we hurry back to the Buck Creek Start/Finish area because I will not miss his finish... Jessica will wait for Tom because she now has Tom's car.

Mike took forever covering the Skookum Flats and I am now pacing and stressing because he is not meeting his time goal and he is not going to be happy, but thanks to Chris and Devin, we have already determined that Mike is just setting his PR-establishing the bar to meet and beat next time. Finally, he rolls in at 8:44, I didnt cry like I did before, but there he is, finishing his first 50 miler! Soon after, Allen comes through and I am happy to see him too - he and Chandler are tied for my second favorite runners and he tells me "After the aid station, I realized I forgot to thank you, then at the next aid station, I forgot to thank you again, so THANK YOU!" And I got a hug. I am such a sucker for hugs. Thanks, Allen, made my day!

So Mike's next race is the "Return to the Scene of the Crime" - his first Ultra was Cle Elum Ridge 50K last year... and this year we are going back. Chandler and Allen will be there too and if they need me, I will be at the aid stations waiting for them. (Of course, there is only two at Cle Elum Ridge that I can access... but I will be there!) Yay for almost 5 weeks later, still having the recollection to do a review. I promise, Mike, Cle Elum Ridge will be reviewed sooner...