(5-17-10) By Teri Smith - Eric Salkeld is looking to make Cascade Lakes Relay history. If all goes as planned, he will be the first solo runner to cover the entire 216 miles... alone. He'll be facing the heat, the dust, the hills and the bugs without the benefit of a teammate to hand off to when the going gets rough. He has no illusions about what he's going to do this summer, because he's been there before. You may remember Salkeld from last year’s Hood to Coast relay. He ran the course without a team, starting Thursday morning and finishing on an empty beach Sunday evening. (Read more HERE) There was no fanfare or even recognition from the race officials; in fact, the organization had turned down his request to run it as a team of one. He ran it completely on his own.
Eric at the 2009 Hood to Coast
"I had trained for it," he explains, "so I decided to run it anyway." No one knew he was out there running – there were no special cheers or words of encouragement from the other teams. The race was tough for Salkeld. The night before he ran, his main crew member had a business emergency, so Salkeld got little sleep before the start. The next morning, his friend dropped him off at Timberline Lodge and had to leave. Salkeld was on his own. He laughs as he remembers going in to the Sandy Fred Meyer and buying supplies, which he proceeded to carry with him in plastic bags.
Salkeld will be more prepared for the Cascade Lakes Relay, which is welcoming him with open arms.
"We are extremely excited to support Eric in his effort to raise awareness and charitable contributions for Levi and the Childrens Cancer Association while running the entire 216 mile Cascade Lakes Relay course. Eric is an inspiration to us all and we look forward to celebrating his accomplishment," says Scott Douglass, CLR Race Director.
Salkeld has a crew lined up that will support him for the entire distance. He knows that the course is remote – there will be no stopping in the local Fred Meyer if he runs out of food. He'll start Thursday morning around 5 am, and he’s hoping to finish by Saturday evening so he can enjoy the beer garden with the other teams. If you see him on the course, he would love to hear your words of encouragement.
While Salkeld ran last year's Hood to Coast just to see if he could do it, this year he has taken on a special cause. He is dedicating the run to one of his students, Levi, who is battling childhood leukemia. He's inspired by Levi's positive attitude, whether he’s coming in to school on his own two feet, with crutches or even in a wheelchair. Like any great teacher, Salkeld wants to give Levi something to be a part of and to look forward to. He also wants to raise money and awareness for Portland's Children’s Cancer Association, a local non-profit that supports children and their families who are dealing with cancer.
Pictured (right) Eric and Levi take a break to pose for a photo on Levi's 14th birthdaySalkeld will draw on Levi's strength when the race gets tough. "He's so positive, even with this [cancer] hanging over his head," says Eric. And Salkeld knows he'll need that strength. "I have to battle the demons that come – wanting to stop, boredom, hunger, blisters... You look at the run and see when things are crumbling around you. You figure out how to keep going," he says. Running for Levi will help him keep going even when it is rough.
Surprisingly, Salkeld does not consider himself a serious runner. He does not run 100 mile races – only this set of relays in the past three years. (He also attempted a solo run of HTC in 2008 but had to stop in Olney because of an Achilles injury.) He's run about 15 marathons. His training consists of nearly 18 miles per day, including a run commute of over 10 miles, and then a second run commute of between 6 and 8 miles to his night jobs (he works three). On the weekends, he has a 62 mile loop he likes to run that stretches from Tigard to Newberg, over Bald Peak and then back in to Portland over Burnside before returning home to Tigard. He might not consider himself a serious or inspiring runner, but to the rest of the world, what he is doing is nothing short of amazing. A lonely stretch of road He leaves me with this thought: "Every time you start a run, you think you’re good to go. But you get to that point when you wonder why you’re doing it." This July, Salkeld will probably ask himself this question many times over the course of his 216 mile journey, but this time, he’ll have the image of Levi’s face to keep him going.
If you'd like to support Eric Salkeld’s epic effort, please consider making a donation to Eric’s fundraising page for the Children’s Cancer Association. He's hoping to raise at least $3,000. Funds raised by Eric’s run will help support important programs like Chemo Pals, a mentor program that pairs compassionate adults with kids undergoing chemotherapy. Levi has benefited tremendously from this program and would like to be able to support the program for other children. The CCA also maintains a wish list; you may donate items in Eric & Levi's name.
About the Author
Teri Smith runs long from her home in Portland, Oregon. When she's not out on the roads, she can usually be found blogging about all things relay related at www.runningrelays.com.
