The first McKenzie River Trail Run 50 Miler was in 1987, except it wasn't.  The RD cancelled

it three days before the it was scheduled to debut because of a hard summer of fires that

wiped out the support volunteers ... that was the story anyway.  Five of us ran it unofficially

with the help of a roving aid station .... three of us finished.  So after 25 years of making

the drive up the river every Friday after Labor Day, this time it was to get in a 50K finish

one more time .... maybe not the last, but it had been a while (2002) since I had crossed

a McK finish line.  The process of training for five months was the real reward, the actual

race day was just an exercise in slow determination to not be denied the capper.  Balance

and agility have been noticeably waning I had noticed as training run falls were getting too

common.  So I only fell five times this day, but they were fairly easy and quick ... no damage,

but I was very deliberate through the rough lava beds and had no mishaps there, with

lots of walking, though safe, ate up lots of clock.   No matter.  With the coyotes out in

full support, it was a good day to be in the woods.  Who knows how many opportunities

one has (or wants) to this in the future ?  Next year is the official 25th MRTR.  Maybe

that's the year I try something else.  Or not.  Its a hard habit to break.