Chuckanut 50k
I had Dad read the shirt out loud; “Chuck…anut….50k???!!! I let him know about the run and the fundraiser and received this epic smile from him in return.
On March 16 2024 I ran the 30th running of the PNW trail running staple known as the Chuckanut 50k. Selling out in a few days the roster had an impressive 585 finishers and some world ranked elite runners who own top ten finishes at Western States, UTMB and other top tier events. In past years I would spend a night in Bellingham to unwind and celebrate after running the nearby Orcas 50k and knew it was a great little beer town. I couldn’t wait to get the legs moving, cross the finish line, and celebrate the day at a few of the many amazing beer spots in town. Cheers to Wander Brewing for hosting the after party and even brewing a commemorative “Chin Scraper IPA” for the race.
**This particular race was special in that I knew I would be out of town for the Elk Beaver 50k this year. For the past two years I’ve shamelessly self- promoted a $50 for 50km fundraiser towards Alzheimer’s and Dementia research by running that race and so I decided to switch my 2024 fundraising efforts around the Chuckanut 50k instead. Both my aunt and dad are currently suffering from the disease with my dad transitioning into a long term care facility in October. Running has always been an outlet for my own mental health and well-being and so it seemed like a natural fit to continue running for me but also while raising a few bucks towards this cause that has become immensely meaningful and challenging for me and so many others.
https://support.alzheimer.ca/site/TR/WFA/WFA_BC?px=1118648&pg=personal&fr_id=4820 if you’d like to check out my donation page.
Kim and I stopping in at the Structures Brewing tasting room in downtown Bellingham. Conveniently located between our lunch spot, Aslan Brewing, and the race package pickup area. Carb Load!!
I was joined by Kim as well as our friends Evan and Sarah and their two kids with Sarah also toeing the line for her third time here. We had rented an AirBnB in town with plenty of room for everyone which made for a relaxing evening and solid sleep ahead of the race. We awoke to bluebird skies and frozen windshields but the day would hit a record 68F (20C) by midday which likely contributed to a tougher day on course for many. Kim kindly rose early with us and dropped Sarah and I off at the foot of a short trail that took us to the starting area at Fairhaven Park where the race starts and finishes. Runners were bouncing around trying to stay warm in their extra layers before disrobing into lighter gear in anticipation of the record sun and heat that was forecasted. Sarah and I took care of last minute bag checks and made our way up into the crowded starting chute. A flash mob broke out with the help of a troupe of dancing flamingos which helped to keep things fun and relaxed ahead of the impending 8am start.
Starting line snap courtesy of @Chuckanut50’s Instagram featuring travel companion Sarah at center. We would briefly run together through Fairhaven Park before I (mistakenly?) increased my pace out along the temptingly flat first 10km. She would later close the gap to within a few minutes with great pacing and a strong final push.
The course is a ‘lollipop’ course starting and finishing with about 10km of very runnable gravel trail (Interurban). The middle 30km feature a never-ending road climb (Cleator), some more technical single track (The Ridge) which had some stunning views of Bellingham Bay, Mount Baker, and the surrounding Chuckanuts mountain range. Around 32km there is a a final climb with a steep enough grade to be dubbed ‘Chin Scraper’ and then a leg pounding decent all the way back down to for the ‘not as fast as before’ 10km Interurban trail that we started on that morning and back to the finish line. With a total elevation of 4740 feet, or 1445 meters, Chuckanut is considered a faster ultra and yet, as I would discover throughout the day, requires some solid training and grit to earn a quick time given the unique course layout.
Early in the race heading out on the flat-ish Interurban trail. Photo: Tiare Bowman
I was feeling solid as I made my way off of the Interurban, up some switch backs and through some trails towards the lengthy Cleator Road climb. I’m a confident uphill runner and I was hoping to run more of that long gradual Cleator Rd climb but it was also mentally hard to commit to that level of effort knowing I wasn’t even half way into the race with some big climbing and descending left on the day. I was in good company as the majority in my pace group opted to walk a large portion of this section, too. Leaving the hard packed gravel and entering the gorgeous Ridge Section was a great feeling. My mind switched from a robotic cardio effort up Cleator to keeping focused on a barrage of roots, rocks, mini descents and climbs along that beautiful trail. Golden rays spread themselves through gaps in the mossy trees which made for a magical ambience but also produced tricky shadows on the technical forest floor. Overhearing other accounts and also witnessing some postrace scrapes I know there was some carnage from this section despite the dry conditions.
View South from the Ridge Trail. Photo: @Chuckanut50k instagram
I was able to stay on my feet through the snaggy undulating terrain along The Ridge and doggedly carried onward towards the infamous Chin Scraper climb waiting somewhere up ahead. I was past the half way point but felt like I was exerting a lot of effort considering my slow pace. This is where I encountered my a a definite low point on the day. The next 10-12 km was a gradual gain in elevation and the sun seemed to be gathering strength along the exposed section of trail. which compounded my discomfort. My cardio felt solid but I felt like I was redlining in other ways… slight headache, tired, mild cramping, just not a confident feeling with over 20km still to go in the race. This was also the muddiest section on the day although the entire course was exponentially drier than I thought it would be based on previous years and even course updates shared on instagram last week. At around 32km I limped through the second to last aid station at the base of the final climb, Chin Scraper. I should mention I was happy with my ‘aid station management’ at this race and saved myself a chunk of time by not leaning on them for really anything. I was carrying a 1.5 L water bladder, a number of gels, salt tabs, and a few cliff bars, and only stopped at this particular aid station for an electrolyte refill in my bottle. The aid stations were all very welcoming and positive and perhaps I would have benefitted from a little volunteer love and fun snacks but I also know all to well how hard it can be to leave a great vibing aid station with a buffet of salty goodness.
Game Face? Heading up a runnable climb earlier in the day (Fragrance Lake). Photo: Tiare Bowman
The Chin Scraper climb on its own would almost be a short and enjoyable climb. Steep and snappy but far from beastly. It’s the ‘where’ and ‘when’ in the race that contributes to the Chin Scraper’s prowess more than the climb itself. The section leading up to it is that gradual ascent I struggled on so I was not exactly rested and pumped at the outset of the bigger climb. And while mentally I knew this was the final climb with a net downhill finish I still had 28km seperating me from the bottom of Chin to the finish line. I’m a decent power hiker and got into a rhythm to steadily move my way up the incline stepping up steps made from tree roots or wide footedly inching up the steeper dirt slopes (duck walking?), and also using any in reach tree trunks to pull myself up by hand to save the legs just a little. There was a very energetic volunteer? fan? near the top of the climb who was highly encouraging and letting me and other nearby racers know we were almost there and that we were doing amazing - thanks random dude.
The eventual descent down from the top of Chin Scraper also added to the overall difficulty of this course. It was fun to let the legs let go on the downhill and I was thankful that most of the muscle cramping I was experiencing was hitting me harder on the ups and not the downs so it was feeling like I was finally getting some time back here. The single track quickly turns into our old friend Cleator Rd. The wide open hardpacked dirt/gravel road which felt a little harder on the body but was also nice to turn the brain off and just let gravity pull me back down to sea level. This long quad busting return back down to the final 10km felt fast and effortless but also made returning to the flat, hot final hurrah along Interurban feel that much harder. Having some recent road race success I was really hoping I’d have the legs to pick it up a little and catch some racers in this final section but this is where Chin Scraper really comes back to punish those who undertrained (aka ran road races on weekends instead of long trail days, duh). I was proud of myself for maintaining a jog, albeit a slow one, but definitely far from the triumphant finale I had hoped visualized. I did pass a handful of racers and wasn’t overtaken by anyone so I must not have been alone in that feeling of those first 40km of this ‘fast’ 50k draining the ol’ battery reserves. A slight deviation this year (and maybe last year?) was the 1 mile detour through a nice forested walking path (100 Acre Woods) featuring a few streams to hop over and a few gentle hills to grunt up before spitting racers out right back at the finishing area at Fairhaven Park with a crowd of uplifting supporters lining the final 50 meters to the finish.
All smiles with 2km to go! Photo: Tiare Bowman
I can always seem to find a little extra juice at the end of a race. Whether it’s knowing you can rest soon or if it’s the sound of the cheering spectators and race announcer picking up your spirits I’m not sure. I cruised through the finish and claimed a fancy Yeti insulated mug branded with the Chuckanut 50k logo as my prize - nice! Kim snapped the following shot of me approaching the finish and I certainly look much better than I feel at this point. Fake it to make it I guess? I collapsed on some muddy grass and spread my arms out embracing the feeling of coolness on my body and didn’t move for 5 minutes. I was hot, tired, a little slower than I thought I’d be and my legs weren’t working quite as well as this morning, but I was done. I was a finisher.
A few more strides, Groggery, and you can lie down in the nice cool mud… Photo: Kim McIvor
You can always nitpick a performance in hindsight. By second guessing your pacing, diet, effort, during or over-analzying the quantity or type of training you were able to complete ahead of a race… or lack thereof. Finishing something truly hard, however, will always feel amazing and so we move on to the next one!
*I crossed the line officially at 5:42:35. This was my 8th finish in the 50k distance and my 4th fastest time.
Enjoying a Chin Scraper IPA during the after party at Wander Brewing with Kim and past finisher and volunteer Britt. Cheers!
Some takeaways from the race now that I’ve had a few days to digest the weekend…
First and foremost THANK YOU to the amazing volunteers, the photographers on course, Race Director Krissy Moehl and rest of the team behind the Chuckanut 50k. It was a very well organized and executed event and showcased some fun trails and the amazing little beer paradise we call Bellingham. Also a big thanks to my wife Kim for driving and the support and also our travel companions - congrats again on your race, Sarah! Congrats to the winners for some mind blowing performances and also congrats to all of the other runners. It was a very friendly race with lots of chit chat and courtesy on the trails. Also had a great post race meal at Elizabeth Station - excellent pizza and beer - basically a giant bottle shop where you sit and sip or take some to go.
What went right or wrong for me? I had fun and enjoyed the day in spite of my struggles which is a huge win. In life or endurance racing we can always expect some peaks and valleys waiting for us down the trail and so running through some valleys makes for some great development and preparation both mentally and physically.
I had a head cold a few weeks out which put a small dent in my training but also still had just a bit of congestion which wasn’t ideal but what can ya do.
‘Mother nature’ never came calling over the near 6 hour race which suggests that despite drinking almost 2.5 liters of fluid I must have been on the dehydrated side of things which also aligns with a dull headache and a feeling of being over heated that day. Pacing wise I don’t think I’d change much with the hope that on a different day my body could have handled a few stronger climbs and faster final 10k.
Training wise I could have definitely used a few longer days. My mileage has been okay but mostly having fun with some short and fast road races and only went out for a couple of runs over 20k in the past few months. I think that would be the easiest tweak to make.
Leg muscle cramps continue to be an issue for me - it wasn’t a terrible day in that I didn’t experience any debilitating cramps like in past races where I have no choice but to stop and stretch out. During Chuckanut I had mostly calf and hamstring cramps but was able to keep moving without too much trouble. I played around with a higher salt intake strategy but also a less conventional sending of good vibes and love down to my legs with my thoughts and even hand motions (I’ll try anything) and I believe it helped relieve cramps and also put a smile on my face. Another trick was to hyper focus on a cool tree or something in the horizon and the cramps would lessen. Cramps are mysterious things so perhaps mind over matter jedi type stuff is the answer? Sounds more fun than bigger training blocks and less beer.