Deception Pass

Race: Deception Pass 25k

Runner: Tyler S

Race Date: 12/09/2018

Location: Deception Pass State Park, Whidbey Island, Washington

Results: 1st, 1:53:58

Strava Activity Link: https://www.strava.com/activities/2009134744

3 Bests – What aspects of the race did you like the most?

1. Terrain variety and scenery – From running 200′ above the water on a bridge, along a beach, crashing through underbrush, scrambling up a rocky peak, or cruising through a mature forest on a wide, groomed trail, this one has it all. Even the few highway crossings were a welcome change, getting some cheers and encouragement before ducking back into the woods.
2. Start time – With a start time of 10am, I was able to wake up at a reasonable hour, have a normal morning routine, and make the 50 minute drive from home, all within a comfortable window.
3. Post-race party! The reputation of this organization precedes it, and I’d heard a lot of tell about the caliber of the grub, folks, swag, and vibe. As much as I like to run fast, I like to chill hard, and it exceeded all my expectations.

Not so much – Aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you

Much of the race is run on really tight singletrack, and there are four lollipops which is fun but makes for a bit of traffic. This wasn’t really a challenge for me, and it was cool to exchange some encouragement with other runners, but this isn’t exactly the place to go for a screaming fast time or PR. The course also crosses the Deception Pass bridge twice, along a pretty narrow sidewalk with railings on both sides. We were told to slow down and not push the pedestrians off the bridge, and it worked out fine. I was lucky enough to only pass a few people, in groups no larger than 2 or 3, so it was easy to alert them and pass. If I’d been stuck behind a large family or group, however, it would have been frustrating to have to slow down or stop on such a fast section of the course.

Weird factor – What’s the weirdest thing about this race?

Besides finishing on a beach and taking place entirely on two islands and a bridge (three if you count Pass Island), it may also be haunted. As I ran along the eastern side of Goose Rock before the big ascent, I came into view of a small beach community across the water, far away. I heard hollering and cheering, but couldn’t see anyone, though I was running quite hard and focusing my eyes is usually futile that late in a race.

Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?

From the beginning I decided to run a brisk pace and lead by myself, even without much course knowledge or any experience at this distance. I’ve really bought into my training lately and was rewarded with proof that it’s paying off. My best memory of the race was the final 5k, with all the climbing behind me and just running at breakneck pace trying to get that CR.

Most important course specific knowledge to know about the race

The first three miles are speedy but technical with lots of roots. Miles 3.5-8 contain lots of rollers and short, steep grades with a bit of bushwhacking and some oncoming traffic. After that, it’s much more smooth sailing, so keep the pace honest and you’ll make good time. Enjoy the solace of the Pass Lake loop (a decent climb here, but more gradual), and after you go south over the bridge, you can really open up your legs circumnavigating Goose Rock. Save some energy for the big climb up Goose Rock at mile ~12.3. It’s very steep but fortunately only about half a mile. For the last few miles it’s mostly downhill or flat, not including a twisty, technical root fest for the last mile, so open up that stride and make it count.

Aesthetics – Is it a pretty course?

Definitely. Lots of water and trees. You run along a couple beaches, up a small mountain, and through a few nice stands of trees. The bridge is definitely a highlight, if you aren’t afraid of heights and wind gusts. The Pass Lake and Goose Rock Perimeter trails were my favorite segments of the course, being the most secluded and peaceful.

Difficulty – Is it a tough course?

I would say it is. A perfect mix between challenging, technical, and runnable. Having never been there before, nor done much research, I was surprised to learn early in the race that the footing was quite technical, with lots of rocks ranging from small and pointy to large and round, and an extreme amount of roots. In a few places, you have to blindly crash through some salal growing over the trail in a moment of faith, and there’s a tiny bit of sand running, for good measure.

Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

My first time at an event run by the fabled Rainshadow Running, and it lived up to the hype. The race started on time, announcements were helpful, packet pick up was efficient, course was well marked, and easy to get to and park. Pesky park rangers and other buzzkills were also noticeably absent.

Competition – Is there a strong field?

I try to make a habit of expecting anything on race day, including a high level of competition. You never know who will show up, and even when you do, anything can happen. There were one or two others I had been expecting to mix it up with, but within the first couple miles I knew that if I pressed hard early on, I could hang on and win. At some point I realized I was on or near course record pace, so that kept me motivated on the lonely back half of the course.

Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.

I believe this race, as most Rainshadow events, typically sells out well in advance, but I was able to put my name on the bib transfer Google Sheet and take advantage of all the shuffling that happens. There’s no lottery, but it’s first come, first served so register early.

Aid Stations – Standard fare or anything special to know about the aid stations in terms of what’s available or when?

There was one aid station on this course, which runner passed at 5.5 and 7.3 miles. I did not stop or see the food, but according to their website standard fare is on offer. As a vegan I was in good hands at the finish line, munching on hummus and veggie wraps, chips, pizza, beer, and watermelon, and they even compost!

Weather and typical race conditions

This was my first time at Deception Pass, but I got the impression from the stunted vegetation and jagged rocks that this is a typically windy and harsh place, at least in December. The forecast had called for rain, and we were lucky enough to just miss it, after some light sprinkling on the drive down. The footing was good and ground mostly dry, but it could have easily been a bit slippery and muddy in parts.

Gear – Did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next guy?

For this distance, all I needed was an 16oz hand bottle and one gel. I was also fortunate to not require any more clothing than shorts, a singlet, and shoes, but with the exposure of this course, any moisture could mean getting chilled fast, so prepare for anything.

Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?

Yes, the lollipops and relatively compact nature of the course mean there are lots of choke points that you’ll pass through several times. I saw my friends twice without them really trying; a motivated spectator could catch you 5 or 6 times!

How’s the Swag?

Excellent! Stickers and Buff-style face/neck warmers from sponsor Innovate were available to all runners at bib pick up, and the post-race celebration was one of the best I’ve enjoyed, with live music, a heated tent, wood-fired pizza made to order, beer, snacks, and lots of dogs. As the overall winner, I took home a custom commemorative growler, framed race logo, and a sweet beer koozie.

The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?

5 stars! I would consider running the 50k distance on Saturday, camping out, and perhaps volunteering (from a chair?) for the 25k on Sunday if I return. Recommended for anyone seeking scenery, all kinds of terrain, and a comfortably medium-sized production in the heart of the Puget Sound.

Race: Deception Pass 25k

Runner: Stephanie G

Date: 12/10/2017

Location: Deception Pass, WA

Results: 2:29:20, 5th woman, 17th overall

Strava Activity Link: https://www.strava.com/activities/1310046424

3 Bests – What aspects of the race did you like the most?

• Beautiful scenery, especially on the first half of the course
• This year, the weather. It was a rare sunny and warm December day.
• The race organizers are such a nice group of people – after the race one of them helped me look through the bushes for my headband I had tossed at the beginning of the race because I got too hot. I’m sure he had many other more important things he could have been doing, but he swore he had seen it and wanted to find it.

Not so much – Aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you

While it is fun to see friends on all of the lollipops, those are some of the hardest trails to pass on of races I’ve run, and you pass by people a lot. There are a lot of blind corners, a lot of narrow trails, and a lot of people.

Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?

I thought I ran the flats and downhills pretty well. And I kept a fairly positive mindset, even though this course always seems to be one of the more difficult for me. My legs don’t seem to love these particular rolling hills.

Lessons for others – Share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner

Be mentally prepared for passing on narrow trails, and for the big climb near the end. After that, it really is almost all fun downhill.

Lessons you learned that will help you next time around

This was the third time I’ve run this race, I learned it’s much nicer when the sun is out!

Most important course specific knowledge to know about the race

It’s beautiful, enjoy the scenery. Lots of little ups and downs with only one major climb.

Aesthetics – Is it a pretty course?

Definitely!

Difficulty – Is it a tough course?

I always seem to find it surprisingly difficult. I always picture the first half as flat, but it is definitely not.

Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

Very well run, like all Rainshadow Running races.

Competition – Is there a strong field?

It seemed like it this year. It felt like a sprint from the beginning and there were many competitive women in the field.

Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.

A lottery many months in advance requires some early decision-making, although this year I ended up buying an entry from someone a week before the race thanks to Rainshadow’s new transfer policy (which I love!)

Aid Stations

One aid station that you pass by twice. I assume it had usual ultra fare, although I did not stop.

Weather and typical race conditions

Usually cold, rainy, windy, unpleasant. This year warm and sunny!

Gear – Did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next guy?

One bottle worked just fine

Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?

Not particularly, although I think they could drive to the aid station and see you twice.

How’s the Swag?

Received a nice stainless steel much with race logo.

The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?

I think I’d give it 4 out of 5. Passing people on those trails is really kind of annoying if you’re trying to get into a rhythm, and the weather is usually terrible (not the race’s fault of course).

DNF is an expression you hear a lot in ultra running. Did not finish. It means different things to different people, and experiencing your first one will either be an epic event, or a simple blip on the radar screen. Right? If only running were that simple.

I was looking forward to Deception Pass this year, because I had done the race in 2015 and wanted to go back having just had the year of my life as a runner. I wasn’t nervous about it. I was a tad worn down by training after my completion of Mountain Lakes 100, but overall, my body was cooperating and I had been able to keep up with the majority of my training leading up to race day. I was faster, a little overweight, but getting the work done. Every year at this time I get a little funky with the new darkness of shorter days and the acclimation to colder, wet weather. Heading out the door before work at 4:30 am isn’t as easy. I hit the snooze button too often. I tell myself, “I’ll run after work.” My mind and body feel heavy both in a physical and mental sense.

I headed up to Whidbey with a few friends on Friday before the race. I was in good company. My friend Keith was seeded to be a contender for the win and a fun wager was going on between him and a few other top guns. On race morning lining up I saw many familiar faces, lots of hugs exchanged. I was feeling great. I slept well the night before, I pooped, my pack was filled with all of my favorite goodies. The weather was brisk and dry. Last year it was raining and windy (30mph!). James counted down and off we all went from the new start line up the road for our first short out and back before hitting single track and the mighty bridge. I was in my usual routine of warming up and finding my groove. People were crowding the single track. I passed people as I set my pace. The trail was wet, but not too muddy. I ran the smaller hills without any hesitation as others slowed to a near halt to hike up them. As we ran along the Sound I looked up to see the leaders cruising across the first span of the bridge. Once you cross the bridge, you head down onto some sweet single track covered in roots, rocks and switchbacks. I clipped down that section confidently. There was a group of about 8 of us, all chatting and sharing introductions. For the first time ever I realized I was running in the mid pack. I smiled silently to myself. I thought about what an amazing year I’d had, and how far I’d come in training. By the time I hit mile four I noticed my left hip felt tight. I shook it off and figured it would work itself out once I hit 10k and was properly warmed up. You do a series of 3 lollipops on the first section. They’re solid fun. Ups and downs and switchbacks and the kind of PNW trails I’ve grown to love. The hip wasn’t happy and I kept having this sharp pain that radiated from my low back down into my IT band. It was getting painful to lift my left leg and I slowed down to remind myself to keep lifting my feet enough to avoid tripping or falling. *Those of you who know my history know I tend to fall and get scraped up often. I have grown to HATE this and am determined to avoid it at all costs. So here I was full of confidence, feeling like I finally belonged with the mid packers and my hip has to start acting up. I started getting pissed off. I wasn’t high fiving the leaders as they passed anymore. I got quiet. I was busy in my head and got stuck there. I tried every single trick in the book to stay positive. Just get back to the bridge and reassess. By then you’ll be a third of the way in and you can just run this hip regardless. I repeated this over and over hoping my back and hip would somehow get the message. Then a little light went off behind my eyes like an alarm–Black Canyons! I was about two miles from the bridge. Sure, your hip is hurting, you’re grimacing with every foot fall. But there is no way you can keep this up and not risk injury. I was alone on this section. Most of the people I had been running with were way ahead. I came back up to the road. A volunteer told me I looked great. My brain begged me to keep going. My body was in full pain mode. Being on flat pavement actually felt better. I relaxed and picked up my pace. I focused forward across the span as cars whizzed past.

Despite my disappointment I was quite pleased to be appreciably faster this year and got to see Glenn Tachiyama on the bridge in time for him to get my photo. I couldn’t enjoy the gorgeous view, because I am afraid of heights and can’t turn my head to look over the railing without getting dizzy. I simply kept running. This was when I said to myself, “DNF.” I hit the second span and had accepted the fact that I needed to stop running if I wanted to prevent a major disruption in training for my next race in February. I didn’t feel like I had any wiggle room to take time off if I messed up my hip. I felt flat. I wasn’t emotional. Race volunteers were kind enough to drive me back to the start. I met up with my pal Travis and he gave me his gloves and propped me next to the heater. He was the perfect person to share this downtime, because he was a great reminder to not take myself too seriously. I sincerely felt that I had made the best decision in stopping. It was a smart thing to do. In training for the past two years with Matt if I have learned anything, it is to listen to your gut and your body when they tell you something isn’t quite 100%. There is so much value in tuning into your inner workings while making choices as we push ourselves beyond the comfort zone and into our outer limits of physical and emotional landscapes. We headed home that afternoon and I still felt good. Sure, I wasn’t entirely happy about not finishing. I had planned to crush my previous time. Sometimes plans need to change.

As the days wore on I started to get fairly bummed out. I was hard on myself. Maybe I had not been invested in this race as much as I should. I didn’t train enough. I didn’t do enough squats or core work or yoga or hills. All of the self doubt I work so diligently to avoid came rushing back. I looked at my belly fat as the enemy. I made myself the enemy. I committed to a week off to get it together. Go to work, focus on other people. Take stock. By the next weekend I was ready to run again. A little rehab was successful and my mind was in a good place. It was time to focus on the next step and get prepped for Black Canyons. I made a mental note to take a solid 2-3 weeks off after that race to give my hard working body a chance to recover and get pampered. Even though this was my first DNF, I have had races I wasn’t able to attend due to injury. I don’t know at this point which one is more damning, the lost opportunity of not doing any of it, or getting there through your training and having to give it up in progress. I may never know that answer. Honestly, I don’t need to know. What I do need to know are my limits and when to obey versus push past them. I’ll likely always feel like an ultra novice. It seems I’ll be logging thousands of more miles before I feel truly at ease in this sport. It is a sport of unknowns. You take off from the start line and the longer you go, the deeper you dive to find your problem solving skills. It is unsettling when I miss the chance to do that. I’ll admit to liking that discomfort. I enjoy getting to the place where my body aches and possibly doesn’t want to go any further, but I somehow convince it to do so. I’ve had some amazing experiences this past year using my brain to convince my body to keep moving. I’ve had to run through pain, emotional crisis, and when plans needed to change on the fly for one reason or another. I always managed to get it done despite what I faced. This is my greatest source of pride as the season comes to an end. I not only became a better runner, but a better solver of race related riddles. You’ll hear all kinds of ways that folks claim ultra running is 90% mental. I don’t agree. I am pretty darn sure the miles I log in training get me to where I need to be on race day. Sure, the mental game needs to be strong. What I do know is that you have to believe you’re going to finish. This takes both the physical and mental chops.

My 2016 race season is over. It ended quietly with a DNF. I’m OK with that.

Race Details:

Deception Pass 50k takes place near Whidbey Island just SW of Anacortes, WA. It is a Rainshadow Running event. If you haven’t done one of their races, definitely go look at the website and plan to do one in 2017. They fill up fast, so set a reminder in Ultrasignup. They are well run races with tons of great support. Live music, wood fired pizza and libations await you at the finish. The course is beautiful! Mostly single track, moderately technical in sections, but a good entry level ultra for those wanting a good first race experience. The only caveat is the time of year if you do not like racing in mud or inclement weather. There is also a 25k option on Sunday. There is also plenty of lodging nearby, and other modern conveniences.

My Gear:

Altra Olympus (my favorite shoe of all time)

Salomon Sense Lab 5 pack (I carry about 1L of fluid fuel)

Oiselle tights, team singlet, and jacket

Fitsox crew trail socks

Team Seven Hills cap

Garmin 920 XT and HRM

Tailwind

Huma gel

Justin’s peanut butter packs

Candied ginger