The Pulse Endurance Run 48-hour race turned out to be a fantastic experience, but I have to confess that I was a little disappointed in the course. Because it was … MORE
The Pulse Endurance Run 48-hour race turned out to be a fantastic experience, but I have to confess that I was a little disappointed in the course. Because it was in a state park, I expected at least some single-track trails and smoother gravel trails. It was very flat and an easy course, but much of the course consisted of what I would call unimproved, single lane, dirt and rock roads. The rock wasn’t your typical crushed gravel either. It was the kind of rocks that you would expect to find along the Boise River which was adjacent to one side of the course. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t that bad, but you had to pay attention to the trail or you could trip. There was even a short 100-yard stretch were it looked like someone picked all of the larger rocks out of the dirt road, but didn’t fill in the holes, which made for very uneven footing. There was also about a 1/4 mile stretch through a wet meadow with flooded grass. The trail through this stretch went around the side of the flooded areas, but as more and more runners went through the course , it ended up being quite muddy and wet. One the plus side, I do think it was a fast course that was runnable the whole way.
On the plus side, there was excellent runner support and bling. The one aid station at the start/finish of the 2.78 mile loop was well stocked with tailwind, water, soft drinks, hot water for tea or hot chocolate, and most importantly, coffee throughout the race. They also had typical snack food, PB&J sandwiches, grilled cheese, quesadillas, and at different times, takeout Chinese food, spaghetti, and pizza, just to name a few items. They also had a medic on site (which I didn’t need to use) and free massages from a local school of massage during the end of the last two days of competition.
There was some wildlife to be seen on the course, although I did not see any larger animals like deer or coyotes. One highlight for me was a Osprey that was at its nest on a platform on top of a power pole along the course. I saw it sitting along side of its nest several times, and also saw it disappear into the nest (presumably to lay an egg) during the second morning of the 48 hour race. There were also your typical songbirds along the course like the ubiquitous American Robin and iconic Black-billed Magpies. Interestingly, I didn’t see any Bald Eagles.
At the packet pickup which was one hour before the race start, I was given my bid and timing chip and a long-sleeved technical shirt. After I finished my race, I was given a pint beer glass, large duffle bag with the race name on it, and a large buckle for completing 100 miles. Over all, I have to say that I am very satisfied with completing 102.86 miles over two days and will have fond memories of the experience.
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Well Organized Race
The Pulse Endurance Run 48-hour race turned out to be a fantastic experience, but I have to confess that I was a little disappointed in the course. Because it was … MORE
The Pulse Endurance Run 48-hour race turned out to be a fantastic experience, but I have to confess that I was a little disappointed in the course. Because it was in a state park, I expected at least some single-track trails and smoother gravel trails. It was very flat and an easy course, but much of the course consisted of what I would call unimproved, single lane, dirt and rock roads. The rock wasn’t your typical crushed gravel either. It was the kind of rocks that you would expect to find along the Boise River which was adjacent to one side of the course. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t that bad, but you had to pay attention to the trail or you could trip. There was even a short 100-yard stretch were it looked like someone picked all of the larger rocks out of the dirt road, but didn’t fill in the holes, which made for very uneven footing. There was also about a 1/4 mile stretch through a wet meadow with flooded grass. The trail through this stretch went around the side of the flooded areas, but as more and more runners went through the course , it ended up being quite muddy and wet. One the plus side, I do think it was a fast course that was runnable the whole way.
On the plus side, there was excellent runner support and bling. The one aid station at the start/finish of the 2.78 mile loop was well stocked with tailwind, water, soft drinks, hot water for tea or hot chocolate, and most importantly, coffee throughout the race. They also had typical snack food, PB&J sandwiches, grilled cheese, quesadillas, and at different times, takeout Chinese food, spaghetti, and pizza, just to name a few items. They also had a medic on site (which I didn’t need to use) and free massages from a local school of massage during the end of the last two days of competition.
There was some wildlife to be seen on the course, although I did not see any larger animals like deer or coyotes. One highlight for me was a Osprey that was at its nest on a platform on top of a power pole along the course. I saw it sitting along side of its nest several times, and also saw it disappear into the nest (presumably to lay an egg) during the second morning of the 48 hour race. There were also your typical songbirds along the course like the ubiquitous American Robin and iconic Black-billed Magpies. Interestingly, I didn’t see any Bald Eagles.
At the packet pickup which was one hour before the race start, I was given my bid and timing chip and a long-sleeved technical shirt. After I finished my race, I was given a pint beer glass, large duffle bag with the race name on it, and a large buckle for completing 100 miles. Over all, I have to say that I am very satisfied with completing 102.86 miles over two days and will have fond memories of the experience.