2009 Shotgun Trail Blast

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Shotgun Creek Recreation Area – Marcola, Oregon

25K Overall Results

1 Giblin, Dean Portland, OR M  2:08:58

2 Hawthorne, Jason Albany, OR M 20 2:11:25

3 Hanes, Cameron Springfield, OR M 2:13:47

4 Jones, Co Eugene, OR M 2:18:06

Mud + Blood = 3rd place in a steep, muddy, nasty tough 25k. Ran the 15.5 mile course, which gained 2,000 vertical feet, in 2 hours 13 minutes. The conditions made it slow going...for only being a 15+ mile run, it hurt. Good hurt. I love running in the rugged mountains of the west....like the great philosopher/rapper Tupac Shakur says, the west side is the best side. ;-)

I was happy with my showing especially considering my training has been real sporadic of late given all the travel to seminars, photo shoots and sport shows acrossed the country I've been doing the last few months. I think this race was easily the longest run I've done, by about 5 miles, since the last ultra I ran in 2008. Been running every day when I am home and sometimes on the road, but daily, a 7 or 8 mile run is all I have been able to fit in. To get in a 2 plus hour intense workout and not be real sore today, the day after, has me pumped!!! Going to be a big year, racing and hunting.  Eugene Marathon up next, then some spring bear action in Oregon & Alaska, then the McDonald Forest 50k, then something else race-wise...then of course the Bighorn 100 miler in Wyoming June 19th.

Another cool aspect to this race, besides knocking the cobwebs out a little, was all the bowhunters who were there running. Awesome. Guys ramping up their commitment to the sport. In fact, one of my bowhunting heroes, Larry D. Jones, who started Wilderness Sound Production and produced the elk video that inspired me and so many others about 20 years ago (Elk Fever) was there to support his son, Steve. Steve Jones, a talented bowhunter/cameraman in his own right, ran the 25k and did a great job, wrapping it up in 2 hours 52 minutes.  This was his longest run ever and he picked a doozy to break out with. He has been training hard, ramping up for his first ever marathon (Eugene) at the age of 44. Steve's increased dedication to conditioning really inspires me. It is guys like Steve, Chad and Russell Wald who also ran their first trail run, and the others bowhunters I met up there at the race that push me to be the very best I can be every day. Thank you. The overwhelmingly positive attitude on the race scene is something real special. I will never forget when Heather Daniel, the first women to come acrossed the line yesterday, finished and ran up to me with a big smile on her face and said, "That was SO fun." She was all muddy, a little beat up, had just hammered it for 2 hours and 20 minutes, but ecstatic nonetheless.  That is powerful medicine.

Keep working hard guys...test yourself, sweat a little, spill some blood....the pain is temporary!!!! It is so simple....the greater the sacrifice, the greater the reward.

Cam