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Adventure Running: A Primer

I did my first adventure run in 1982 when Bob Stoyles, Steve Vargo, Vern Hahn and I ran from Carlton to Beaver over the Nestucca River Road. Bob organized this adventure, and he led the effort. His wife drove a van and "sagged" (support and gear) for us. After dropping us off in Carlton, she would go ahead five or so miles and park in a wide spot in the road to read and wait for us. The van contained all of our extra gear, food, water, and clothing. Every hour or so, we would appear at the van, eat, change shoes, fill water bottles, treat blisters, whatever, and then shuffle off to the next rendezvous point another five miles down the road. Bob made sure our pace never exceeded ten-minute miles so as to conserve energy for our ambitious itinerary, we took our scheduled breaks, and we covered 44 adventuresome miles in this fashion. It was to be, by default, my very first ultra, but it was hardly my last adventure run! I have also always been indebted to Bob for opening up a new running horizon for my enjoyment.

To give you an idea of the range of adventure runs, since 1982, I have run: around Mts. Rainier, Hood, and St. Helens; across the Grand Canyon and back; over sections of the Pacific Crest Trail in Canada, Washington, and Oregon; down the Upper Rogue River Trail, down and up the Lower Rogue River Trail; on the McKenzie and Umpqua river trails; Silver Falls; McDonald Forest; Portland’s Wildwood Trail; Cape Lookout; along several segments of beach in Oregon; and from Salem to Independence, Monmouth, Dallas, Corvallis, Albany, and McMinnville. I have run an improvised 26 miles up and down the banks of the Charles River in Boston (my "Boston Marathon"), and creative routes in many other states. Now, when I travel anywhere significant, I try hard to piece together a potential adventure run for my visit. I try to reserve at least one day or schedule an extra day at the start or finish of my visit to take that run. What a great way to get out and see some country!

These runs have typically been done solo, but sometimes with a friend or two, or in loosely structured groups. They have been fun, mostly free (except for direct expenses), scenic, and--above all--unstructured. The other great aspect of these runs is that you can do them anywhere you find yourself to be. This kind of running is highly individualistic and creative. I have, in fact, become ever more of an "adventure runner" as I continue to age.

Adventure runs are whatever you make of them--whatever you want them to be. At one extreme, people are now going to places like Ireland, Nepal, Peru, and even Antarctica for adventure runs, not to mention all over North America. At the other end of the scale, adventure runs can be done in the Willamette Valley, Cascades, Coast Range, or Central and Eastern Oregon. They can even be done in Salem, Eugene, or Portland. They are flexible and unstructured. You set the goals, and you determine the outcomes. You are the "director." They are also often adjustable as you go along. They can be relatively short or long, and they can even be multi-day. They can be an out and back course, a loop, or point to point. They can require no or minimal support or they can be quite support intensive, as with my sagged example, above.

Wilderness or "nature" runs will typically be much more gear intensive and self-reliant than urban runs. For the former, you essentially need to be self-sustaining. And if they are to be overnight, the gear and food requirements are proportionately greater. Water, food (preferably "real" food), and related items, like provisions for electrolyte replacement and water treatment, will be needed. Adequate clothing for the locale and season--including extras like socks, gloves, hat, bandanna, lightweight jacket and pants, may all be necessary. Proper shoes with good traction and trail features are strongly recommended. Running gaiters are especially useful. A map and compass, reading and sun-glasses, as needed, a light source (flashlight or headlamp)—really most if not all of the "ten essentials" of climbing and backpacking are strongly advisable, including matches and a minimal first-aid kit (Ibuprofen, sunscreen, blister treatment, tape, lube, small Swiss Army knife, etc.). A camera, binoculars, and cell phone are also potentially useful items to take along.

All this gear gets one quickly into the subject of packs to contain it all. A great variety of fanny/lumbar and back-packs are found on the market today. Many are readily adaptable to running. Many also come in "hydrated" or bladder versions, and ample water is always critical to running. Packs with fifty, seventy, 100, and even 128-ounce bladders are available. So are separate, insertable bladders to convert traditional packs into hydrated versions. Depending upon water needs and sources, there are also many kinds of water bottles. There are even water bottles with fitted filters for "potable water on the run." My experience is that I can still "run," as in jog or shuffle, with an 18-20 lb pack—that is march up the hills, shuffle the flats, and run downhill with that size of pack. But somewhere around 25 lbs, I am reduced to a fast (back)packer. The former scenario allows me 30-35 miles a day of range, the latter more like 20.

Urban runs are more flexible and are typically less gear reliant. Food and water can often be found along the course. Of course a reasonable minimum of clothing and immediate snacks and water still should be carried, but a few dollars can aid greatly in obtaining many needed items. And survival gear is seldom necessary. Here a brief paper or web reconnaissance or consultation with others about the proposed route can be very helpful. Stashing water, food, and select items of clothing along the route is also sometimes possible. If you are in your own "backyard," so to speak, a few coins are all that will be necessary to call friends or family for "help," should it be needed.

Again, adventure runs can be fun, free, flexible, creative, informative, and immensely satisfying. They can also be solitary or social, and the goals you set will be truly your own. Just imagine some of the possibilities.

Eb Engelmann