2014 Peterson Ridge Rumble 40 Mile: Welcome Home

Peterson Ridge Rumble is one of my favorite races.  Sean Meissner and his crew do an awesome job creating a fun and exciting event. It is a fast and scenic course, the post-race scene and food is one of the liveliest in Oregon, and I like knowing that my race dues support the Sisters Cross Country team.  Having grown up in Bend, I use this race as an excuse to revisit my old stomping grounds, be with family, and see old and new friends.  I ran the 40-mile race in 2012 and 2013, and this year wanted to try the 20 mile race.  I thought the 20 mile race would challenge my speed on the shorter course, although blazing speed is not my forte.  My road marathon PR is a meager 2:56, set at the 2004 Seattle Marathon almost 10 years ago, and is the only time I have finished the iconic distance under 3 hours.

As the race weekend drew nearer I began contemplating how it would play into my overall running season goals.  One of my focus races this year is Silver State 50 mile in Reno, NV.  I have had my sights on Silver State since last May when I ran well below my potential.  I suffered cramps at the Ranch Creek Aid Station at mile 27 and struggled to the finish.  I’m going back this year for redemption on that course.  Wednesday before the race, I wrote to Sean and asked to move up to the 40 mile distance.  My reasoning being that the 40 mile race would be a better training run for the upcoming Silver State 50 mile race on May 17. And perhaps, just maybe, the stacked field of speedsters in the Peterson Ridge 20 mile (8 of them would run under 2:20, including 1 dog!) had some influence on my decision.

On race day I toed the line at 8:00 AM at Sisters High School for the 40 mile race.  I wanted to run hard, and relaxed, but I didn’t have a clear performance goal in mind.  My focus was to see how my body would react during a solid effort and have fun.  Once at the start line though, it’s hard to ignore the competitive impulse.

Sean counted down, and soon we were off.  I fell into a comfortable pace with Jacob Puzey (2013 Peterson Ridge 40 mile winner) and Jeremy Tolman who I met as we ran those early miles.  The three of us stuck together, chatting, as we finished the first 2.5 mile loop and made our way down the straight and flat Brooks Scanlon road to the first section of single track trail at mile 6...or rather we should have been heading to the first bit of single track.  Somehow, absorbed in conversation, we missed the course markings that directed onto the single track.  We turned right off of Brooks Scanlon road onto a forest two-track, and instead of following the markings immediately left onto single track, we continued for about a mile down the forest road to an unmarked junction.  I immediately knew we were off course, and I knew exactly where we had missed our turn.  Having run this course the past two years, I was anticipating the single track, but got distract by the conversation I was enjoying with Jacob and Jeremy.  I was mad at myself for missing the turn, but quickly let it pass, and welcomed the challenge of playing catch up and getting back into the race.  After all, this wasn’t an A race for me, and my goal was just to run hard. Now I had additional incentive to get after it.

Brisk 8:00 AM start.  Photo: Glenn Tachiyama.

The three of us turned around, retracing our steps to get back on course.  Immediately upon turning around we encountered about 5 other runners that also missed the turn.  Once back on course, Bob Julian, Jacob and I ran together.   Then, after a short while Jacob and I pulled away from Bob.  Jacob and I made our way toward at Aid Station 3 (mile 14.8) together.  This aid station is at the end of a short out-and-back stretch.  We were passing people in both directions, those running out to the aid station with us, and those that had already been to the aid station and were returning to the loop.  It was a good opportunity to judge how many runners were still ahead of us.  I lost count after a dozen or more.  I wasn’t even sure we saw the leaders, which meant we might still be about 2 miles behind.  “Oh well, just keep running hard, enjoy the race, and see what happens,” I told myself.  At the aid station, Jacob grabbed his race vest, and shifted into another gear.  He said something like, “Now the fun begins,” and I replied with “I’ll try to keep up,” but I knew that would be tough. It was still very early in the race, and I wanted to stay within myself.  Jacob is a big, tall guy with an easy, efficient, and incredibly long stride.  It seemed like I had to take 5 strides to match his 3 or 4.  Rather than blow up early on, I settled into a comfortable 7:15ish pace and watched Jacob increase his lead.  Slowly at first, I could still see him ahead only a few hundred feet through the open Ponderosa Pine forest. By the time we returned to Brooks Scanlon road around mile 23, he was out of sight.  It turns out that, after speaking with Jacob at the finish, he dropped some sub 6:00 miles on this section of road, much faster than I had here.  I continued to feel good about how I was running, and kept steadily passing other runners that had not taken the wrong turn early on.

Early on trying to get back into the race.  Photo: Glenn Tachiyama.

At aid station 6 (mile 28) I was running around 6^th place according to the aid station staff.  I knew Jacob was still ahead, and guessed he would continue strong to the finish.  I wasn’t sure who else was ahead of me, or how far ahead they were, but I knew if I kept feeling well I would catch a few more.  I kept pushing, body feeling great, enjoying the warm weather under clear blue skies and incredible views of the snow covered Central Oregon Cascade peaks.  I started to lose myself into a zone and the miles clicked by relatively easily.  By the final aid station (mile 35), found myself in 3^rd.  “Leave it all on the course,” I told myself and pushed as hard and fast as my legs would carry me, passing one last runner, and rounding the Sisters High School track to the finish in 4:54 and second place.  My parents and Jennifer were there to welcome me at the finish. 

Sun is still shining and I'm still smiling...feeling good with about 6 miles to go.  Photo: Glenn Tachiyama.

The scene at the finish was especially lively this year, due in part to the incredible weather.  I’ve met so many awesome, friendly, talented, supportive people in the ultrarunning community over the last couple years.  Many were at Peterson Ridge for the 20 mile and 40 mile races.  I really enjoyed catching up with each person, hearing about their race and their goals for the season, and their lives away from running. 

For me, as I mentioned, Peterson Ridge has felt like a home coming, and is an opportunity to visit my family.  However, this spring, my parents decided to sell their home in Bend and most of their possessions to become full-time RV residents and embrace life on the road.  This is something they have always talked about doing.  They are retired, young, healthy, and excited about travel.  I am happy and excited for them and their decision to fulfill one of their dreams.  Bend will always be a special place to me, but it won’t continue to have that feel of a family reunion without their home to visit.  It will however, be a race that I continue to return to at least to reunite with my ultrarunning friends and family and share miles of sweet Central Oregon dirt.