The soreness from last week’s foray into bona fide trail racing had largely faded and I was ready to give it another go. I signed up for the Muir Beach 32K shortly after registering for the Woodside edition, but with the beating my legs I had taken, I opted to drop down to 17K instead. Just over 10 miles sounded like a cakewalk compared to 20+ last week. The race series now had moved north over the Golden Gate Bridge to the famed Golden Gate National Recreation Area (over 75,500 acres!). I had done a midweek run down the Coastal Trail, up the Rodeo Valley Trail, and completing the loop along the SCA trail. The terrain here is a stark contrast to that found in New England. Low growing Mediterranean brush, rocky cliffs and the serenity of the Pacific Ocean just beyond. Today, I was feeling more comfortable with my surroundings and less anxious about what lay ahead.An added twist for this Saturday’s race was this weekend coincided with my best friend’s bachelor party in SF. I had more than a couple drinks and was greeted by father hangover this morning… guess I always need a challenge. After scanning the results from the previous year, the times seemed to roughly correlate to a half marathon time, so shooting for a 1:25-1:26 would put me in contention. Although shorter than last weekend’s course, the elevation change was equally challenging. Galvanized by last week’s experience, I decided to start conservatively.
As we lined up on the dark sanded staging area in anticipation of the start, I soaked in the cool and refreshing Pacific beach air. I wasn’t sure when I’d be back to do this again, so I tried to soak in the moment. I had even toyed with the idea of bringing along my camera to capture the coastal scenery, but decided I didn’t want to risk flinging my camera down a ravine during a rapid descent. I went out easier this time (partly sticking to race plan and partly out of necessity due to the hangover) and found myself comfortably letting other runners go by on the initial ascent. There were sections steep enough on the first climb that I was reduced to a fast walk to keep from redlining. At the first fork in the trail, the course leveled off as we were treated to the morning sun reflecting off the ocean surface. After a brief descent, a steeper climb ensued paved with uneven steps.
I was beginning to wonder if the hangover would ever release its hold and whether it was a mistake to race again. I finally reached the top of the climb and could see the entire Tennessee Valley stretching before my eyes. I glanced at my watch and made a mental note that I would need to be closer to 30 min. rather than 40 min. at the first aid station to be on pace. I had no idea what place I was in and I was happy to pick-off runners on the steep descent. After my first trail racing experience, I started to dread the downhills. However, I quickly realized on this first descent that descending was my strength. I had been trying to keep pace with the only runner I recognized from last week, Will Gotthardt, who had placed third in the 50K, but flew by him on the descent. The course included a half-mile of paved road leading up to the first aid station. I took a couple swigs of electrolyte drink and set off on the 2nd loop of the course. (33:25 – 8:40/mile)
The 2nd climb started gradually for the first ¼ mile and then gets noticeably steeper for what seems like almost two miles. Fortunately, the traction was good, the grade was even, and I had some company on the climb. While the 33K & 50K runners kept going straight, we 17Kers made a sharp right turn and continued climbing. I could now clearly gauge the competition and saw 4 or 5 runners ahead that were within striking distance. If I didn’t catch them on the final climb, I would get them on the descent. I passed by a curious looking structure at the top of the climb that appeared to be part of air traffic control. I was feeling pretty good now and really started to hammer on the downhill. I’m pretty sure I was out of control on the steeper portions, but by the time I hit the Tennessee Valley aid station again, I had passed 4 out of the 5 runners, and the fifth runner was in eyeshot. (29:08 – 7:49/mile).
I caught him on the paved section and asked what place he thought we were in. He pointed to one guy just in front, a woman maybe two minutes ahead, and possibly a couple more in front. I was still feeling strong and wondered how many more runners I could reel in. From what I remember, the last climb was the steepest and it was no joke. It was steep and the top wasn’t visible, but I could at least see the next runner ahead and keyed off of him. I tried to take small strides and maintain turnover, but a half-mile in, I was reduced to a walk. The runner I had just passed slowly gained, and he said, “Wow, you’re walking as fast as I’m running.” I replied, “at this point, I don’t think it makes a difference.” With the summit in sight, I was just trying to limit my losses so that the two runners were within striking distance on the final run down to the finish line. I quickly caught the first runner shortly after the cresting the hill. The ocean view emerged before me and with the beach now in view, it spurred me on. Soon, I was in full stride, arms flailing to stay in balance. This was an instance I wish someone videotaped me because I must have looked ridiculous! Form notwithstanding, I was absolutely flying and I think I covered the last stretch (~1.5 miles) in less than 9 minutes. I caught the next runner on the last switchback and the momentum carried me through to the finish line. (23:35 – 7:58/mile)
The next runner came through only a couple seconds back, and collapsed to the ground, making some comment about young guys with fast twitch muscles. I ran this race much more sensibly, as the splits indicate my effort level rose gradually throughout the race, as opposed to the abrupt fade last weekend. Mentally and physically, it was a much better way to race. The 17K results show some impressive performances. It looks like there was a pretty good battle at the front, with two guys finishing with 7:30/mile average paces. The next finisher also had an incredible race, and she has a great blog. She was way ahead and there was no way I was catching her. In retrospect, I’m glad I dropped down to the 17K; there was no way my legs could handle another 20 miler and I found it easier to focus on the shorter distance. If I’m lucky enough to be able to do next weekend’s Rodeo Beach race, I’ll try to tweak my race strategy again and even out my pacing over the distance.
Dist (Km) Split Pace Avg HR Max HR
6.2 33:24.5 8:40 163 171
6.0 29:07.7 7:48 168 173
4.8 23:35.3 7:54 170 177
Totals
17.0 1:26:07.5 8:09 167 177
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