Rainier Raid 34-Hour Adventure Race: Lessons From the Hurt

This one’s a bit overdue, but some races stick with you in a way that keeps coming back. The Rainier Raid 34-hour adventure race was one of those for me.

It had been over a year since I’d raced at this distance, and I was curious—maybe even a little hesitant—about running again. I’d either been all-in on expedition races, where pacing is everything, or shorter sprints, where you just go flat-out. The 34-hour length is a tricky middle ground: long enough that you have to manage your effort, but short enough that you can’t settle into an expedition pace. Instead, you have to try and hit the right balance. In our extremely short pre race meeting, we decided to push hard in the beginning and to keep the pressure on just enough to not blow ourselves up. It was a bold move for sure, but it was supposed to be a training race, so why not test ourselves? Either way, it was going to be a tough puzzle.

For me, this race was lopsided from the start—I was way more bike fit than foot and paddle fit. Luckily there was not too much paddling, but there was a ton of trekking/running. I told myself I’d use it as a way to reignite my love of running. Bad idea? Maybe. It hurt. But it was the good kind of hurt—the kind that reveals weaknesses, highlights strengths, and reminds you that there’s always more to learn. Every time the thought "I should have trained more" came into my mind I let it go, reminding myself that I had planned it this way. And some how, it worked.

I also reminded myself that after over 15 years in this sport, I’m still learning every single race. Every single start line is a chance to gain some new insights and new lessons. And that’s exactly why I love it. Adventure racing never stops teaching you, never stops challenging you, and somehow always manages (eventually) to pull joy out of the struggle—even when you least expect it.

Being a BendRacing-designed course, we knew that it was going to include terrain, creative navigation, and an overall suffer-fest that forces you to dig deep. It was the perfect testing ground for my newer (to me) teammates, Jason Gockel and Mathias Arnbert. Both are incredible athletes in their own right but still relatively new to expedition-style racing. I had raced with Jason in La Ruta Madre in Mexico—a long, tough 7-day race where his strength on the treks blew me away. I hadn’t yet raced with Mathias—a Swedish, Bend-based athlete who was relatively new to our team. But with three very mentally and physically hard expedition races under his belt, I’d heard amazing things about him, and I was excited to see him in action.

We hadn’t slept well the night before—not a huge cause for concern, as the most important night is two nights prior—but still, waking up to a bad sleep score before a 30+ hour race is never ideal. Despite that, we all started with plenty of stoke. Maybe a little too much, as we blew past a crucial turn an hour into the race. We lost some time, but luckily Mathias got us back on track with an aggressive and fun route choice.

As the race went on we would continue to both do really well in the speed department and make navigation and route-choice mistakes on both bike and foot. But we never broke teamwork or drive. In the end, we pulled out the win after 31 hours of racing. It was the most gritty, fast-paced, and loose race I’d done in a long time. Mathias, while a great navigator, still fell into some of Jason’s nav traps—but that’s exactly why this race was perfect for us: a shorter, tough test before World Champs that pushed us to the max and left us with new lessons learned—and plenty more to come.

Gear That Got Us Through

• Fenix Lights: Absolute MVPs of the night. Durable, reliable, and powerful, they kept the trails lit on steep, technical MTB descents and helped us pick up CPs deep in the woods. Zero flicker, zero failures—just solid light when we needed it most. My favorite? The Fenix HM654 (for all trekking) and the BC26R for biking. Use BendRacing25 for a sweet %!

• 4HourFuel: I went through 24 hours’ worth in a 31-hour race—and still wished I had more. That’s how clutch this was. Each serving packed ~800 calories of easy-to-digest, fast-absorbing carbs, plus protein, salt, and BCAAs. It kept my energy steady without gut issues, which is pure gold in a race where fueling right can make or break you.

• Ellsworth Truth Bike: This baby has been with me since the 2022 24-Hour MTB World Championships, and I haven’t looked back since. The frame design, suspension, and fit feel like a glove—fast on climbs, stable on descents, and comfortable enough to grind through the night without beating me up.

• Infinity Bike Seat + Flat Pedals: Game-changer for a race like this. In AR, changing clothes or shoes eats up valuable time—especially in a “shorter” race like a 34-hour event. With the Infinity Seat, I don’t have to wear a chamois at all. I just throw on my NoName O pants, hop on and off the bike as much as the course demands, and never worry about chafing or discomfort. Simple, efficient, and zero saddle issues. Use "BendRacing" and get 10% off!

• Salomon Genesis Shoes: My first full-on adventure race in these, and they exceeded expectations. On mixed terrain—both trail and bushwhack—they felt agile and supportive. I almost always roll an ankle at least once in a race, but this was one of the first times I kept it all together. Solid grip, great stability, and just enough cushion to make the long treks bearable.

• AOS Skin Doctor: Total blister saver. Since this race was “shorter” for me, I skipped my usual week-long foot prep (filing calluses + nightly Skin Doctor routine). Instead, I did one heavy application pre-race on feet and hands—and that was enough to keep chafing and blisters away the whole time. Honestly, I was shocked, in the best way. - use "BendRacing" at check out for 10% off your first order!

Lessons from Rainier Raid in a nutshell:

• Pacing matters. I underestimated how different the 34-hour distance feels. Expedition mentality doesn’t cut it—you have to keep pressing without tipping into red line.

• Pain can be a teacher. The “good kind of hurt” doesn’t just test your body; it sharpens your focus on what to improve next.

• Teams evolve. Every lineup brings new communication styles, new energy, and new ways to problem-solve. Racing with Jason and Mathias gave me a renewed appreciation for the adaptability this sport demands. Going in with an open and curious mind really helped me stay calm and have a ton of fun through out the entire race.

  
  

In the end, the Rainier Raid left me both humbled and fired up. Humbled because it exposed where I’ve gotten complacent. Fired up because it showed me how much room I still have to grow both physically and emotionally—even after all these years. That’s the magic of adventure racing: it never stops teaching you.

And the best part? The lessons didn’t stay on the course. In the four weeks since the race, I’ve put in focused work on those weaknesses—and it’s already paid off. I set two new FKTs: one on Mt. Thielsen, and another on the Diamond Double (a 26-mile linkup of Mt. Thielsen and Mt. Bailey). I've also upped my paddle training and am paddling better and better every time I go out (it does help that I have a world class paddler/record holder husband and teammate living with me!).

This race lit the fire to chase smaller running goals close to home, and along the way, my dread of running has shifted into joy, curiosity, and a whole lot of unexpected lessons. I still have work to do before World Champs—the ultimate “cream of the crop” goal at the end of my season—but now I know this: I’ll keep enjoying the process and thriving in the work. No matter the outcome, I’ll toe the line knowing I’m here for the lessons and the growth opportunity.

Are you interested in trying out an Adventure Race!? - check out www.bendracing.com - La Pine Loop is coming up in Oct and it's so much fun!