Tuesday, October 9, 2018

Condor 25K

Its been a while since I've raced, and a really long time since I've run a local race so I was excited for the Condor 25K this weekend.  My left shin had been bothering me for nearly the whole summer so I had been doing some mountain biking, but no running.  Then I went on 3 backpacking trips at the start of September (an overnight, 4 nights, and 6 nights) and my shin felt good to go afterword.  So because I was finally healthy I figured there was no reason I should give the Condor a go.

Race morning brought lot of low clouds but no rain.  It was probably 50 degrees which is great weather for running.  I got to talk with a few friends before the race, then went for a short warmup jog about 10 minutes before the start.  My legs felt good so I was excited to see how the day would unfold.

Hanging out at the start


200 yards into the race


Typically short races seems to start out really fast, but at Condor the pace seemed a bit more relaxed from the start.  I prefer that because it gives you a bit of time to warm up before you really get rolling.

The first 2 or 3 miles there was a pack of 7 or 8 guys all within about 10 seconds.  Including myself, I think 5 people in the lead group were from Corvallis.  That makes the race fun since you're racing against all your friends.


Climbing up Calloway Creek Trail at mile 2


Back by Cronemiller and on toward Lewisburg Saddle
As we came back by Cronemiller Lake, 2 miles in, the lead group started to thin out and soon there was 4 of us pulling away from everyone else.  By the time we crested Peavy Peak around mile 5, the lead group consisted of my friends Emile Chol and Nate Smith, myself, and Thomas Dixon who I would meet after the race.

We flew down from Peavy Peak and then began the climb up Dave's trail.  I was happy to be feeling good and started to pull ahead of the other three runners.  I had maybe 10 seconds at the top of Dave's trail and was happy with how I was feeling.

Between Dave's trail and Lewisburg Saddle there are some gentle rollers, then a sustained downhill to Lewisburg Saddle.  Flat running has never been my strength, but I felt good through this section and was happy to stay ahead of all the guys chasing me.

Around mile 8 I caught Dad who had taken the early start.  He was looking good and was running with a good group of local runners.  Its always fun to see people you know out on the course!
Coming down Vineyard Mountain around mile 9
After the descent down Vineyard Mountain, I came into the Lewisburg Saddle aid station.  Since Condor is a short race there was no need to stop, but it was certainly fun to see a bunch of people I knew at the aid station.  I still had a small lead and listened for cheering for the next runner as I left the aid station.  As best I could tell, Emile was second about 10 or 15 seconds back.

About 10 miles in.  You can see my friend Emile in the picture here.  He finished second, a little over a minute back.
After the leaving Lewisburg Saddle there is a gradual 1.5 mile climb on logging roads.  I felt pretty good climbing but was certainly ready to be back on the trails when we hit Dave's trail for the second time.  There was a little bit of two way traffic on Dave's trail, which allowed me to see a lot of the local runners who were running the race.  Everyone had kind words for me as I ran by them, but I also heard cheering for Emile so I knew he was still only 10 or 15 seconds behind me.

As Dave's trail begins to wind downhill, I started to feel pretty good and tried to run a little faster.  I passed Mom in this section and that gave me a boost to keep running hard.  At some point along Dave's I lost sight of Emile so I knew I had built a little lead.  Dave's then crosses a road and switchbacks downhill before the last climb of the race.  I ran down the switchbacks quickly and couldn't see anyone else so I knew I had at least 20 or 30 seconds on the next runner.

The final climb is about a half mile of gentle rolling uphill, followed by a short steady uphill before the downhill to the finish.  I ran well on the climb and got to see a few more friends at the final aid station near mile 14.  Upon cresting the final hill, I took off down toward the finish.  I was running well on the downhills all day so I made sure to keep pushing hard all the way to the finish.

Crossing the line in first certainly made me happy, but just being able to run the race was the best part.  Last year I helped out at the Lewisburg Saddle aid station which was fun, but I have to admit it was much more fun to run the race this year.

Emile finish up in second about 1.5 minutes behind me.  Third place was Thomas just seconds behind Emile.  I was glad to have avoided a sprint finish like those two had!  The nice thing about finishing near the front is you get to see a lot of other runners finish.  So I got to enjoy the morning and early afternoon watching my friend make their way across the line and tell stories of the run.  Yeah, it was certainly nice to be back on the trails.

Here's a few quick thank yous:

Thanks to Ben Shragal for all you're great race day photos!
Thanks to Jan, John, and Tia for putting on such a great race!  You're the RD's but this thank you goes to all the volunteer who helped make the race happen!
Thanks to my sponsors The North Face, Injinji, VFuel, and SNB.
And most importantly, thanks to the great running community in Corvallis.  Having such a supportive community is what make is so much fun to get out there!

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