Katie Sheldon remembers being a young child when her parents would hold the Pole Pedal Paddle registration at their house in the early 1980s. Piles of cash covered a table. She recalls thinking her family was rich. “One of my first phrases was ‘pole pedal paddle,’” said Sheldon, now 44 and still living in Bend. Sheldon is the oldest of the three children of Jenny and Dave Sheldon, the visionaries who started Central Oregon’s wildly popular multisport race in 1977 with 65 participants. Celebrating 50 years, the SELCO Pole Pedal Paddle typically includes teams, pairs or individuals racing in downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, cycling, paddling and running on a course from Mount Bachelor to Bend. This year’s race, set for Saturday, will include two extra running stages in lieu of the ski stages due to a lack of snow. Some 1,500 participants are expected to race. The event has evolved through the years, and it has always been a part of Katie’s life, whether as a volunteer, spectator or competitor.…