Trail Running in the Wallowa Mountains (Part 2)

I can't seem to get enough of these trails lately. This time I went down with a couple friends, Buzz and Chris, for a 30-mile adventure.  

Another video recap and some photo highlights.

Hurricane Creek Trail

Changing colors

Seems like there was a breathtaking meadow every mile.

Yellow mountain meadow.

Buzz with Eagle Cap looming in the distance.

Looking back down on the approach to the Eagle Cap summit.

Chris

Buzz

Buzz on the final approach to the summit

Seriously, these gorgeous alpine meadows are everywhere.

 Past a waterfall.

Trail Running in the Wallowa Mountains

Route (I ran it clockwise)

Profile

Keep running!

Kamiak Crash

Definitely not one of my most graceful moments on a trail. This was taken as I was descending the rocky Kamiak Butte ridge trail. 

Update:
Photos from the day after the crash. I thought the toe was probably broken so I had it x-rayed...luckily it was just a bad bruise.  Nothing broken, just a little sore.

A little trail burn.

Purple wrapped all around the toe.

This is just above my right hip where
I took the brunt of the fall on the rocks.

Transcendence 12-hr Endurance Run

I was signed up for the Transcendence 12-hr Endurance Run (Olympia, WA) well before I tore a calf muscle in Scotland.  I'd never done a 12-hr event before, and I was really looking forward to seeing what kind of miles I could put up on such a flat and fast course.  But after the injury and time off, I wasn't even sure if I should toe the starting line for any miles.  I still planned to make the trip with Annie because she was participating in it as her first attempt at an ultra. 

I'd only been running again for a couple weeks, but my calf has been feeling pretty good.  I ultimately decided that since I was making the trip to Olympia anyway I'd just use the race to run easy for a few hours to see how the calf was endurance-wise. 

The course is a 1.5 mile loop around Capitol Lake with a mix of dirt, concrete, and some surprisingly scenic urbanscapes.  This was a puppy-friendly run too, so that made me quite happy.  My race was uneventful. I thought I'd run 20 miles or so and see how the calf felt. I walked with Annie for a couple minutes every time I ran by her. Everything felt pretty good at mile 20, so I decided to get in at least a marathon. After I hit a marathon a little after 4 hours, it crossed my mind that I could probably get to 50 miles, but that was short-lived as there was really no reason for me to push my calf too much this soon. I hooked up with Annie around then and decided that I'd walk with her for a few laps and then call it a day when I reached the 50k mark.  After 50k, I stopped and spent the next 6+ hrs crewing for Annie and cheering her on as she plugged away against the clock.  She blew away her goal by completing just over 38 miles for the day (insert smiley face).

I was impressed by race organization and the happy running vibes from the Guerilla Running team. I definitely recommend this event. If my schedule allows, I'd love to go back next year at give it a proper go.

Sunrise over Capitol Lake

Who's running happier?

So after an easy 32-mile outing I'm optimistic about my calf. I've been back on my trails the last couple weeks, and though my fitness feels like it's at beginning-of-the-trail-season levels I'm certainly happy to be running again. 

Keep running!

Scott

5 Weeks Off

I took five weeks off - no running at all - to let the torn muscle in my calf heal. It's doing much better now, and I've been back on the trails with Sadie the past few days. I wouldn't say it's quite 100%, but it's close enough that I feel comfortable and confident enough to start easing back into running again.

My summer plans have changed because of the injury. I skipped the White River 50 this past weekend, and I don't plan on racing at the Transcendence 12-hr in a couple weekends like I originally hoped I'd be doing - though I'll probably run around the course for a few hours just to work off some of the rust.

I'm hoping to be back in top shape for some October races. I'm registered for the Chicago Marathon on October 7th, but may now be unable to make the trip because of a conflicting event that weekend. If I can't make Chicago, then the Mt. Spokane 50k would take its place.

I'm very excited to be on the trails again, and so is Sadie. Here's a short video of our first run back:

Keep running!

-Scott