Bigfoot 43.5M - Cougar, Washington

Elevation Gain: 9019' ....... Elevation Range: 2671' - 4849'

August 11, 2023 - It has been a fantasy of mine since running the Timberline Loop Trail around Mt. Hood in Oregon in 2016 (http://jedirunner.com/20150831.html) to circumnavigate each of the great volcanic peaks in the Pacific NW. It was convenient that there was a race around Mt. St. Helens on the Loowit Trail, so I dovetailed it with a scheduled trip to Wyoming. What I didn't anticipate was contracting a respiratory infection on the way there.

Running an adventure such as this is well within my fitness parameters, but tackling it with an achy fever was more than I should have attempted. As inadvisable as it is, running sick never ends well... but after driving across the country with great expectations and only learning in the 11th hour that I probably shouldn't toe the line, I engaged anyway. Not the first time, with previous failed efforts with pneumonia and NORVO virus, but I must be given some credit for consistency!

After a rough night sleeping in the car with a very sore throat and downing half a bottle of honey Jack, I showed up early to enjoy the social rewards of the sport I have come to identify with. People were very friendly, the mood was up-beat, and the weather forecast great, so I never gave a thought to not running.

The start, though slightly tilted uphill, was easy. I hung back with the walkers, but still had trouble keeping up, breathing hard despite being altitude-trained. My whole body felt like UGH! Still, I wanted to see this mountain up close and personal... so... I didn't think about it... just kept putting one foot in front of the other with a ready camera.

The first 12-mile section out to the first aid station involved a couple thousand feet of climbing, some through gorgeous ancient hemlock forests that were not impacted by the St. Helens explosion of 1980, and a lot of rough trail across boulder fields and pyroclastic wastelands. I took up company with a very plesant young medical professional from Florida - Brittany - that I could share the race with for a bit and not have to think about my own misery. We made it into the Blue Lake aid station with but 15 minutes to spare before the cut-off, so I did what I needed to do there before turning and burning with but a few minutes to spare.

I'm not used to fighting cutoffs. Guess that is an inevitability with aging. I didn't know if Brittany was ahead or behind, so I ventured on in my solitary struggle. My legs just didn't have it, forcing me to stop and take many, many mini breathers. The day seemed to stretch out with not much running. Once the 200-mile participants caught and passed me, at least there was a bit of pleasant social engagement to help distract.

I really did enjoy the day, considering the circumstances, but I was spent by the time I approached the second aid station at Windy Ridge in ten hours. Even though I had enough time to struggle on to the finish, it was not worth with the cooler temps of ight approaching, so I abandoned the rest of the event and quickly found a ride back to the start with someone else's crew.

After a quick 2700-mile drive home, nearly a week later, I am still sick, but recovering. Not thinking much about racing, but savoring the memories from the photos I share here. In the end, it is the adventure that counts - it is the story and the memories that make others look upon you with envy tht really matters. It was a great day and I'm glad I did it.