: Five days into the quest to set the FKT on the Oregon section of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT),聽my adventure partner, Jameson, has a swollen ankle and can barely walk. We are about to face the hardest decisions of the trip.

Day 6: Pushing Through Pain

By the morning of Day 6, I felt ready for the next section. Jameson鈥檚 shin was still swollen, but she decided to try and gut out the next 46 miles. We restarted our trek at 4:10 AM.

This section had fewer mosquitoes, and as we ran/power hiked in different areas affected by previous fires, we were able to witness the beauty of regrowth in the woods. During these miles, I saw the true grit and toughness of my adventure partner. Although watching her in pain was extremely tough for me, she was a warrior.聽

At the end of Day 6, after much deliberation, Jameson decided to call it.聽

What do you do when your plan to start and finish an adventure with a specific person goes awry? In pre-adventure meetings, we discussed this happening, but I never truly expected to have to continue on alone.聽

Leaving Jameson to continue our dream alone didn鈥檛 seem fair, and yet Jameson wouldn鈥檛 let me stop. If you want to truly understand the character of a person, see them during their ultimate time of struggle. Not only did Jameson quickly transition into my support, she smiled and did it with grace and integrity. Sure, completing the adventure was awesome, but want to know what is more special? Witnessing an individual be so selfless in pursuit of a dream you once shared.

Day 7: Soloing Past Fear

On August 27, I set off solo from Elk Lake. I started around 3:05 a.m. and was able to witness the sunrise in the Three Sisters Wilderness while seeing the mountains that I play in during normal training runs, not far from Bend. The familiar terrain gave me time to reflect on being an adventurer.聽聽聽

I鈥檝e always called myself an adventurer, and I still believe I had been in some manner before this FKT. These solo miles, however, greatly expanded the definition.

Prior to this experience, I spent solo days in the mountains but generally stayed in areas I knew, capping distances around 25 miles or doing long races. Although I had great navigational tools on me and appropriate gear, for the first time EVER I was going to be solo in the woods for over 33 miles until I could see crew, and then need to be alone again for 20 more miles. To say I was scared is an understatement; I had struggled so many miles before, with Jameson present, I didn鈥檛 know if I could do it on my own.聽

In my private mental health coaching program, , I empower athletes to believe in themselves, take on their fears and learn from 鈥榝ailure.鈥� A lot of the lessons I encourage my athletes to embrace appeared along this FKT of the PCT. It seemed almost as though my work led me to be ready for this experience.聽

Tears were shed, but I found this incredible strength within me. It feels surreal鈥攁nd I still can鈥檛 fully grasp how this all happened鈥攂ut I looked straight into some of my deepest fears and refused to give up multiple times an hour.聽聽

After the first 33 miles on Day 7, I had to run through volcanic rock to reach my crew. I kept myself motivated by picking certain yummy foods to eat after so many miles. My go-to food became peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and pringles. The rock is challenging to run over, and I slowed to a walk in the mid-day heat, but when I got to see my crew I was so excited I forgot that I had to continue on.

They informed me that the next miles continued on the volcanic rock in the hottest part of the day with little access to water. Although the terrain turned sandy and held new growth where a fire had been previously, the heat was slowing draining my joy. I ran into very few through-hikers (because they were not as dumb as me to be out in exposed rock in the middle of the day).聽聽

I completed Day 7 with gnarly blisters, and Jameson was quick to help clean and massage my feet. I went to bed at Santiam Pass, an area I鈥檝e run many times. I was excited and renewed to be on home turf.

Day 8: Storms and Swollen Rivers

Day 8 began late due to thunderstorm. Much of the section past Santiam Pass is beautiful ridge running with views of Mt Jefferson. Generally, this is some of my favorite terrain, but during unpredictable lightning strikes it can be downright stupid and dangerous. After the radar indicated that the storms had passed, I set out at 5:02 AM.聽聽聽

I left my crew in tears with the knowledge I would be alone for over 34 miles. Worse, the beginning of the section is switchbacks, and I could turn towards the parking lot and still see one main light. Many times, I debated turning around, until I reached the edge of Three Fingered Jack and saw mountain goats. Somehow the baby mountain goats were able to help me refocus and stay on track.聽

As I climbed towards the ridgeline I heard my first . I decided moving forward on the ridge would be in my best interest. I was able to go around 2 miles until the full storm hit. I sat crouched and shaking underneath some brush. Although I have been out during thunderstorms before, the lack of choices on how to proceed was paralyzing. The storm eventually ended and I was determined to get off the ridge before the clouds blew what looked like another one my way.聽

I made it around 20 miles further when the next storm hit. Thankfully, I was not at the highest point and able to hide in some brush again. Although the storms were absolutely terrifying, this was by far one of my favorite sections on the PCT. The views of the cascade-range with low-hanging clouds were magnificent and the view of Mt. Jefferson highlighted my progress thus far.聽聽

Around 34 miles in, Aaron had hiked in with our two dogs and an egg sandwich, surprising me. This amazing pick-me-up got me motivated until I reached a roaring stream crossing鈥攚hich was the first time I felt actual fear about being alone.聽

The guide had warned that hitting the Roaring Springs later in the day was ill-advised, and the stream was deep and moving fast. At this point, I was pretty tired and I kept looking at the steam for many minutes to determine what the best route was. Finally, I heard someone come behind and we both scouted out the best option. I went across, soaking my feet.聽

Generally, another foot-soaking would not matter but my peeling, blistered feet did not appreciate the dip. Without any way to repair this, I began the final ten miles to my crew and was brought to another open area in Mt Jefferson Park where I was struck by the gnarly climb and beautiful views.聽

As I was admiring the outlook, the thunder clouds came rolling back in and the next miles were focused on out-running the storm. I finished the day at 46.07 miles with 7,1379 ft of climbing in 12 hours and 58 minutes.

Day 9: Still so Far

Finally, on day 9, I had reached the last 100 miles.

Instead of the mental battle becoming easier, however, the last two days were the hardest to get my mind around because I was SO close and yet so far. Day 9 started at 4:26 a.m. with one very blistered foot and feeling extremely tired.聽I remembered starting the trail in Warm Springs and fighting to keep myself awake. At some point, I removed my bright red jacket and tied it to the front of the pack. When I reached my crew after 17 miles I discovered I had dropped my jacket somewhere on the PCT and had not noticed.聽聽

I drank coffee and was somehow able to become more grounded and focused. As I crested the climb towards Frog Lake, I got my first glimpse of Mt. Hood and it was the first time it actually hit me that I was going to do this. I completed the 50.77 miles in 13 hours and 16 minutes with a total gain of 6,722 ft.聽Reaching Timberline Lodge reinforced this newfound feeling of possibility. It felt monumental to come that far, yet I still had 50 miles until the end. In the overall scope of the adventure, 50 miles was nothing and yet, 50 miles is still really far.

Day 10: Finale: Fastest Known Female

On the final day, I woke at 5:11 AM and was able to start my run with a new pacer. She ran the 18 miles through Mt Hood Wilderness with me and we were warmed by the rise of the sun over the mountain. We discussed the fear of failure guiding our choices and the importance of pushing our boundaries. How I was able to have such meaningful conversations is still hard to believe.聽

I reached the start of the Columbia River Gorge Area and met my crew and my pacer for the final 32 miles. We ran through Eagle Crest which earlier last year had burned badly during a wildfire. This year, the growth had started, and the vast difference between the聽burned trees and new growth spoke to the resilience of nature and rendered me speechless.聽

I continued to run until the last 3 miles, where the trail descends from the Gorge into Cascade Locks. Towards the end of each day, my feet would feel bruised and any pressure on them would become unbearable. The last three miles of rocky descent was some of the worst pain I have ever experienced. It was the first time since Day 4 that I seriously considered quitting. If someone had offered me a ride at that point, I would have gladly taken it.聽

The only way to be done was to finish, however. I slowly limped down, as my patient pacer waited for me, until we saw the headlights of Aaron and the Van. He ushered us toward the underpass where the rest of my crew was waiting. I walked arm in arm with Jameson to the middle of the Bridge of Gods at the end of the PCT.

15 hours and 8 mins into my run, on the evening of August 31, I reached Washington. The total distance covered was around 460 Miles. Being the first known female to run the Oregon PCT, I set the fastest known time for a female: 9 days, 15 hours, 8 mins.聽聽

At the end of the adventure, I was determined to spread my mission to other female athletes. I am nothing special, I am not an elite runner or sponsored. I train hard and am dedicated to trail running and empowering other athletes鈥攅specially women鈥攖o be brave in pursuit of their dreams despite the outcome.聽

I have never before attempted such a huge undertaking, but I wanted my message to be heard: try, regardless of the outcome. I said yes to an adventure that could have ended in failure. If I can do it, why not you?

The post Conquering Oregon: The Pacific Crest Trail Female FKT: A Hard Push To The Finish appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

: After months of planning and a long day of complications getting to the start, we’re on our way to try to beat the for the Oregon section of the Pacific Crest Trail.

Day 1: Wildflowers and Blisters

Around 5 a.m. on August 22, Jameson and Matthew picked me up, we drove the hour back to the trailhead and ran the .5 mile back towards the border where we started Jameson鈥檚 watch and SPOT tracker. Our journey (ha) had finally began!聽聽

Day 1 on the Pacific Crest Trail followed the crest of Siskiyou Mountains but was never far from the road. As we climbed towards Mt. Ashland, we were surprised by a small presence of beautiful wildflowers. We noted the beauty and then remarked on how tired we both were already at the beginning of Day 1. The trail was covered with dew and rain from the evening before, soaking our shoes.

Around mile 24, we were able to intersect with our crew, refuel and prepare for the next section. I decided to switch my socks and was surprised to already see blisters forming from my wet socks and shoes. As someone who has not struggled much with blisters, I was a bit concerned about the early development, so we did our best to tape them before continuing on.聽

We reached our resting place 69.34 miles into the trail. We had climbed a total gain of 10,187 ft and taken 16 hours and 59 minutes. Both Jameson and I were completely exhausted and disenchanted with needing to run 60 miles starting early the next morning.

Day 2: Into the Wild

Jameson had created small maps for each section in order to help us focus on our daily section and try not to become paralyzed with how many total miles we needed to go. Even though we had spent many hours planning, we were both shocked when we realized how limited our crew support would be on Day 2. We had access to the crew at Mile 12 and then were expected to run the next 47 miles without support.聽

Although we could carry food on us and access water on the trail, creating mini-goals of making it until we could see the crew had helped us manage the first day鈥攁nd we were devastated with the realization that we would be losing this. Despite feeling discouraged, we started off the morning in awe that our bodies allowed us to run after 70 miles the day before.聽

Day 2 had around 7,205 ft of gain and, after starting 鈥榣ate鈥� at 7:46 am, we were climbing exposed areas in the warmest part of the day. Our pace on the rocky terrain was slow and we both were discouraged with our lack of progress. When we had 30 miles left we both started to cry from the enormity of this adventure and realizing that we would not be arriving to our crew until very late. Around 11:30 PM, we had 20 miles to go and, both completely exhausted, we took a 10-minute 鈥榥ap鈥� in the middle of the trail on the ground.聽

Although the sky and stars were beautiful, desperation had snuck in by the time we finally reached our crew at 4:00 a.m.鈥攑utting us far into a hole of exhaustion and struggle.

Our campsite in Crater Lake had been canceled (due to tree removal) a few days earlier, so we had to drive to our sleeping place and were not able to get to bed until 5 a.m. We decided to sleep a few hours and leave by 11:00 AM.聽

Day 3: Views and Vulnerability

I awoke feeling nauseous due to lack of sleep and Jameson started noticing swelling in her leg. We still maintained some sense of hope, as we both were excited to see the introduction of our pacers in the second half of Day 3 as individuals from our trail community joined and supported us.聽

The arrival of the pacers re-emphasized the importance of asking for help. I have never excelled at asking others for help and this trip pushed me beyond my boundaries in lessons of vulnerability. Running on little to no sleep, I was extremely emotional about the selfishness of our adventure as I witnessed the toll the adventure had on others. Not only did we want the help of others, we needed it.聽

My partner and Jameson鈥檚 husband were at our beck and call. Their job was not easy, and yet they kept us moving, fed and supported. This adventure required our pacers to be pushed to their limits. Ultra-running support crews and pacers deal with all of the grunt work and don鈥檛 receive the glory鈥攖his is why trail running creates such a special community.

Although Day 3 started late, we set off determined to make up time. Our first snafu was when we were informed via a sign that a section of the PCT was closed due to mountain lion activity. We were told to take the rim lake trail towards crater lake.聽

We could not remember what the previous FKT holders had done, and we first started down the closed PCT. Then we turned around, deciding safety was most important (and excited by the option to see Crater Lake). Although the Rim Trail was shorter, it held more elevation change and beautiful views. We were able to run and view the magnificent Crater Lake, plus get funny looks from tourists. We later learned it was the same route the male FKT holders took.

After running 24 miles with 2,897ft of elevation gain, we reached our crew and decided to sleep before completing the final 30 miles of Day 3.聽

We began the second section at 10:39 PM with our pacer in tow. It started off on a positive note with us moving fairly well. Although it was dark and we could not enjoy the view, we were enjoying the company and gaining time. Perhaps we were moving too well, as we missed a crucial turn that led us 3 miles downhill and took our spirits down the drain as well.聽

Once we discovered our mistake, we had to hike the 3 miles uphill, turning our 30 mile adventure into what felt an impossible 36 miles. Our pacer witnessed some of our lowest points of tears, pain and discouragement. We continued, however, and were rewarded with a highlight of reaching the highest point we would encounter on the 460 miles and being able to turn of our headlamps in order to witness the glorious sky near the crest of Mt. Thielsen.聽

After 9 hours and 52 minutes, we finally reached our crew in the early daylight of August 25. Although we had gone another sleepless night, we decided to sleep only 2 hours to reset and then head out on Day 4.

Day 4: Beauty, Bugs and Dismay

Day 4 was intended to be a huge chunk of miles (72). After our nap, we started at 11:34 AM for the first 12-ish mile section which led to some beautiful views of . The crisp beautiful water was enticing, but taking off the bandages on our blistered feet did not seem like a good option.聽

After our pit stop, we decided that we would hike the next 18-mile section, as both of our bodies felt destroyed and exhausted (in hindsight, this clearly could have been related to the lack of sleep). I remember there being beautiful views of mountains, but mostly, I remember the exhaustion, the sense of doom and the desire to quit. Jameson kept me motivated until eventually, I decided we need to run or we would never finish this section.聽

I cannot even begin to explain the misery of this section; we were running by 鈥榣akes鈥� (aka bogs) full of mosquitoes that were eating us alive. My feet were in so much pain and I kept thinking: 鈥淭his is not fun, and how the F*CK did those guys do this.鈥澛�

Jameson鈥檚 leg had begun to swell even more and there was no joy in being behind schedule and in pain. When we finally reached our crew鈥攁fter being out for 8 hours and 7 minutes and covering an elevation gain of 3,5667 ft鈥擨 remember just the we felt. We went to bed with a plan to start early the next morning.

Day 5: Hard Choices

After a good night sleep, I woke up with a small sense of renewal and went to check on Jameson. Jameson could barely walk, and the next few hours included some of the hardest decisions of the trip.聽

Our goal was still in grasp, but my dear adventure partner, who kept me motivated the entire day 4 despite numerous times I wanted to quit, was dealing with a very swollen cankle/shin. We discussed the options and it was decided鈥� knowing this would take us out of the running for the overall FKT鈥� that we would use day 5 to allow her ankle/shin to heal, then move forward the next day.

In making my own choice about if we should remain together or I should go, I thought back to the bigger message to be sent to the community and what is important to me. I could tolerate asking others to support me for this adventure, but I could not accept leaving my friend behind if there were still options for her to continue. I used this day to shower, rest and reset.

: How we deal with Jameson鈥檚 injury, and do we make it to Washington?

The post Conquering Oregon: The Pacific Crest Trail Female FKT: The First Week appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Last year, my adventure partner and I started to plan for summer 2019. We wanted something different, more challenging and bigger than a race. We wanted a way to use our running for a broader platform鈥攁 stage to start a bigger conversation.聽聽

During our long, loping runs together in the lush greenery outside Portland, we started to form an idea: the Oregon leg of the Pacific Crest Trail, aiming for the . There are many trails to choose from, many that are one or two days鈥攂ut, true to our personalities, we jumped straight into a multiple day, 460 mile beast of a run. This was our year, our grand dance, the perfect moment to test our bodies against the mountains and see what shook out. 聽

An Empowering Quest

As the planning continued, so did the strength of conviction in our goal: to empower women runners. As we researched our FKT attempt, we found that, while the list male and female records, only 366 women held fastest known times records internationally. In contrast, 1,351 men had completed and held FKTs for trails across the world. The disparity speaks for itself鈥攎ore men are running more trails. Given that men are outrunning, or at least chasing and setting records, at a rate of almost 4:1, it seemed to me that not enough women are testing their mettle on these transcendental, multi-day trail runs in the most beautiful wildernesses in the world.

In my personal life, I am constantly confronted with my own uniqueness. As a dedicated ultra runner and women of childbearing age, I am asked more often how my running will impact my ability to bear children than I am what my mile time is. Women athletes face scrutiny over their decisions in a way that men rarely do.

To many women, there is something almost shameful in lustily racing after one鈥檚 own dreams, and it felt distinctly uncomfortable for me to ask others to support me as I single-mindedly hunted down my first FKT. Studies show again and again the disparity between men and women鈥攊n pay in the workplace, in household chores, in FKT attempts. Could this disparity be shaping the way women feel about asking for help in pursuing dreams that are too big to be done alone?

“There isn鈥檛 any rule book for running for 500 miles as fast as possible.”

Making it even harder, many attempts at FKT鈥檚 fail. The adventures are so big and ambitious with so little room for error that failure is as likely as success. There are clear and easy guides to follow for running a marathon or 50 miler. There isn鈥檛 any rule book for running for 500 miles as fast as possible. It seemed an immense risk to buck against the rules of femaleness and then face the reality that, even once you stand up to the traditional role you are expected to play, you may still flat-out fail.

Society discourages people from trying. Athletes are bombarded with the message that the risk of failure and embarrassment is just too high a price to pay for going after a wild dream. My adventure challenged this idea for me and my running partner. How do we deal with unspoken (and spoken) fears? We went into our FKT attempt as underdogs with a large possibility of failure. I was able to face this fear because even the attempt of such a big run allowed us to open up about our message to other women: We learn and grow from failure and the journey is the victory鈥攏ot the outcome.

Snafus from the Start

The Oregon PCT, when traveling north out of California, begins in Donomore Meadows and travels 460 miles through Oregon until Cascade Locks when the 鈥渢rail鈥� crosses the steel, narrow Bridge of Gods and, in the middle of the river, becomes Washington.

On August 22nd, 2019 Jameson and I set off with the intention to take the overall supported FKT on the Oregon section of the Pacific Crest Trail. This meant beating the men鈥檚 (Yassine Diboun and Scott Loughney) previous supported time of 8 days, 12 hours and 5 minutes.聽聽

No other woman had attempted to run this section of the PCT. As long as we finished, we would hold the FKT for women鈥攁nd, we hoped, inspire other women runners to chase our time now that we had established it could be done despite the intensity of the miles, the elevation gains and losses and the extended periods of time on the trail without access to support or the outside world.聽

Our first adventure happened before we got started. Jameson and I had created a robust schedule and planned to start at 4:00AM at Stateline Trailhead. Google determined this was a fairly simple drive from my home in Bend, OR and my partner, Aaron, and I had planned on leaving in the morning of August 21 and meeting Jameson and her husband, Matthew at the trailhead. We would camp there, run the half mile south to the CA/OR border and then begin our journey. That was the simple plan. Instead, we ran into the first of many challenges we would encounter of the course of the next week in half.聽

Jameson and Matthew鈥檚 rented truck had no difficulty managing the limited-maintained road to the trailhead, but our van could not reach the start. We tried many different ways and still could not get closer than ten miles to the destination. This could have been simple, IF we had cell service. Instead, we had to drive 1.5 hours back to service in order to message Jameson and create a different plan, then drive back to where they would pick me up in the morning. By the time we got there, it was rainy, cold and late. I got into bed around 12 AM and agonized over needing to be up in 4 hours rather than sleeping.

: The adventure begins, plunging us into long days that challenge us more than we had bargained for.

The post Conquering Oregon: the Pacific Crest Trail Female FKT: Part One appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.