As a staff, we cannot get enough of the outdoors, venturing outside of our comfort zone and pushing the limits on what we think is possible for ourselves. The same staff members that are out at programs or working behind the scenes encouraging our participants to reach new heights, are striving to do the same in their personal time. Whether they are endurance running, climbing Mt. Rainier or hiking the Caminos, our staff is getting out and getting after it. Read below to learn more about what some of your favorite staff members are doing in their free time!
It was a cool, early Saturday, in the shadow of Mt. Hood. While most people were sleeping in, Matt, along with just under 200 other people, were gearing up to run the Wy’east Wonder. This 50-kilometer race between Gunsight Ridge and Surveyor’s Ridge hugs the mountain, giving runners stunning views and plenty of challenges. The elevation is high enough that snow flurrying is not only normal, but expected throughout parts of the race, even in June. In case the run doesn’t sound daunting enough, it’s timed. Runners were allotted around 10 hours to complete the race; Matt’s goal was to complete it under 8 hours, which he succeeded in doing, finishing in 7 hours and 52 minutes.
For Matt and his friends who ran the race with him, months of training culminated on June 27th at 8:00 am. Most days, the view from the race is a clear image of Mt. Hood but this Saturday, the runners had the clouds to help keep them cool during their 50km run.
This race was a unique experience for Matt. As an avid hiker, he is used to spending big, long days on the mountain but had never done more than 20 miles in a day, this race, was a true challenge pushing him to tack on an additional 11 miles to his longest day—and did it against a clock. This route had about 5,000 feet of elevation and 7,000 feet of descent, all done at a run (mixing in some walking as needed). Including aid stops and any pauses, he ran at a pace of about 15 minutes.
Matt was drawn to the race, because he wanted to challenge himself. As an hiker, he is used to spending his time in the mountains around the PNW, but after hearing about this race from a friend, he figured, why not add running into the mix?
Running a race like this takes preparation. On its own, a race ran across a long distance in general requires planning and stamina, but when you add in the elevation, the rugged and uneven terrain the need to prepare becomes even more important. After signing up in November, Matt began increasing the distances he was hiking and incorporating running into his weekly activity—even running his first half marathon in preparation. By the time the race rolled around, Matt had already pushed himself further than ever before.
Even with all the training and preparation, you still have to listen to your body. When Matt’s knees started to hurt about halfway through the 50km, he slowed down and focused his attention more on the distance and less on the speed—but he still managed to finish 15 minutes under the goal he set for himself!
While the experience itself was incredible, the community surrounding the event was the biggest takeaway. Matt ran this race with some friends, who he spent months training with, and his community grew even more on the day of the race, spending chunks of time with other runners as everyone ran at their own pace. At Outdoors for All, we see every day how impactful outdoor recreation can be when it comes to building community, so seeing that happen in other places always puts a smile on our faces.
The experience altered Matt’s mindset and the way he viewed challenges. The challenges we face might look different from one person to the next, facing them might not be easy, we might fumble but when we give ourselves grace, we are capable of great things. “Eight months ago, this seemed impossible, and then over the course of those months, by breaking it down into smaller manageable chunks, it became very very doable.” – Matt Medina
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