Sandbagging the Oregon 200

Weeeeee're baaaaaaack. This is only the second time we have run the same 200 again. And our two Tahoe races were on quite different courses. There are some tweaks to the course at Oregon from last time, but pretty minor and it remains virtually the same thing. Which we really haven't done before. The Oregon 200 in 2023 was a mixed bag for us. Great town, terrific race organization and support, and a series of unmitigated, self-inflicted disasters throughout the race. Check out our race video for the first person experience, but the gist is that we had the wrong mindset the whole time. We were coming off a great race at Tahoe the year before, and generally feeling cocky in a smaller race in a smaller field. Going full Brolo with no pacers or crew, we came out too fast on the first day in the heat and yada, yada, yada, we shit the bed for over 77 hours. Always an amazing experience, but the wrong plan right from the gun. And Doug had another weird leg swelling episode that made the last 50 miles really tough. Maybe bee stings, maybe electrolytes, maybe a complete lack of steely toughness.

Flash forward 2 years and I think we're in a different place. We fought for our lives in the Divide 200 last year and had a blast at the Copper Kings 100 a couple months ago. Different experiences, but both clarified that the reason we do these is because they are amazing adventures in beautiful areas that we get to share which each other and our friends. Not because we are trying to win (clearly) or even beat some bullshit time goal. Tahoe went so well in 2022 because we were just having a blast and didn't even know we were in the top 20 until Brockway around mile 150. And because 12 year old daughters are the best crew members imaginable.

I think this is exactly why we decided to do Oregon again this year. We hated the idea of not having a 200 on the calendar, not because we wanted to compete, but because we wanted another adventure. And it doesn't hurt that we love Oakridge and think that Todd and Renee from Go Beyond Racing seem like good people doing things the right way in a cool running community. And I want more tattoos. So tomorrow we get on planes for Eugene and brace ourselves for another crazy out and back along the Willamette and North Umpqua Rivers.

Oregon on paper is a very doable course, as 200s go. And it would definitely be an ideal first 200. Not too much climbing, not very technical overall and plenty of runnable sections. But it has some technical sections, and there are some looong sustained climbs and descents. Nothing like the up and down of Tahoe or Bigfoot or Divide, but can still beat up the quads. And the two sections before and after the turnaround at Toketee are technical, constant punchy up and down and full of water crossings. And bees. And whining. And this year it will be REALLY hot, even hotter than last year. While the average high in Oakridge for race day is 80, the forecast high this year is 96. Woof.

So what does all of that mean for Team Brolo? It means we are going in with no expectations or goals other than to have a good time out there. Joke around, meet runners, celebrate the volunteers, cool off in the rivers dozens of times and see how fast we go. Holding back the first day to get a sense of what highs in the 90s and lows in the 50s will mean, and re-evaluate at Toketee. Maybe use more music and caffeine at night (game changers at Copper Kings) and sleep wherever we are when the crazy starts. (Editor's note: this is a constant source of disagreement, with one of us wanting to sleep in aid stations and the other wanting to bivvy next to the trail. Although we both agree we should sleep wherever we are when the rapping unicorns in tuxedoes show up.)

We have historically sucked in the heat. If you need proof just watch our inaugural Cocodona video to witness that fiasco. Or the last Oregon 200. But we are both probably as heat acclimitized as we can be living in Florida (Doug) and having a historically hot/ humid summer in Wisconsin (Drew). And heat mitigation strategies are in place: Drew - bladder plus bottles for 3.5L of capacity, sunshirt, ice bandana, staying wet as much as possible; Doug - complaining. And we are both very comfortable with going slow during the day and trying to pick up the pace when it cools off. Or just slow the whole time. In these conditions just finishing is the goal. How's that for a Brolo-style sandbag?

It is ALWAYS hard. And it is ALWAYS unpredictable (e.g., snow in 2022 Tahoe). But hopefully this at least sets us up for another memorable adventure in another amazing community of people in a beautiful part of the world. Here we go...