Pacing: Version 1.0

Miwok 100K: Pacing....?
(20 miles)

Prologue: In which the circumstances of my presence at Miwok are revealed

To tell this whole story, I must rewind a bit and give you some back story. Many moons ago, Mike asked if I could pace him at Miwok. I was simultaneously honored and terrified (What if I didn't run fast enough? What if Mike thought I was annoying? What if I fell and broke something again?) but I said yes. I met Mike on the grueling climb up to Rose Peak at the blisteringly hot Ohlone 50K last year, and this kind of suffering tends to create bonds between people.

Not so many moons ago, Mike started having trouble with his calf (later revealed as an Achilles issue) and he spent the last couple of months cross-training and trying to avoid serious injury. Not so many moons ago, my knee started hurting at AR50 and I was really worried about being a pacer who got injured and slowed their runner. However, by Monday I was feeling good and ready to run.

Also running was Suzanne (a.k.a Fellow Trail Tart), and about 400 other runners I knew. (Slight exaggeration-- but this was definitely a "Who's Who" of Bay Area trail runners, with some big non-Bay Area names as well.) It was going to be a big party on the trails.

Scene 1: In which I figure out how to get to Bolinas Ridge

Got up Saturday morning pretty early. Mike didn't think he'd be at Bolinas Ridge (pacer pick-up) until 2pm, but I didn't want to leave my car there. Parking is limited, but beyond that, finding someone to drive me the 30-40 minutes into the hills of Marin AFTER finishing a 100K was going to be difficult. Steve was in the same boat as me, and we decided to carpool to Pantoll and then see if we could get a ride from Pantoll.

Here is where I learned my first pacer lesson. I had planned to take as little clothing as possible with me to pace, because I wouldn't have my car to stash stuff in. I wore my running attire (no leopard this time) and a light shell-- what I would typically wear if I were running in the rain. However, what I neglected to calculate was how long I would be waiting for my runner. We got to Pantoll around 9:30 in the morning, and it was definitely raining. Within 10 minutes of getting out of the car, I was wet and cold.

It was lots of fun to be at Pantoll though. Pantoll is at mile 22 of the race, at the end of a long and grueling climb. Some people came through with big smiles, laughing about the rain and mud, others were definitely not in their happy place.

I was pleasantly surprised to see adventure-racing Galen out, representing for baarbd. He came through Pantoll looking
pretty happy-- wet, but smiling.

More people came in, grabbed dry clothes, a sandwich, etc., and then headed out again. Just as I was starting to wonder where Mike was, he appeared at the aid station. He was hungry-- very hungry, and tired of running uphill. However, he had no pain, so this was a good sign. I got this very flattering picture of him refueling, and then he was off.

Moments later, Suzanne appeared. When I asked her how she was doing, she said "crappy," but she still had a big smile on her face, as you can see here. She introduced me to another runner's fiancé/dad crew (thanks, Leigh, for loaning your support team out!) who would be going on to Bolinas after Pantoll, fueled up and ran off.

By this time, I was cold. Rather soaked and cold. Thinking about spending the next 4 hours trying to stay dry was not making me happy. Fortunately. Leigh's crew were nice enough to not only give Steve and me a ride to Bolinas, but they let me hang out in their car at Bolinas as they waited for Leigh to come in, thereby preventing me from getting hypothermia, I'm sure.

Scene 3: Bolinas Ridge

So let me tell you about Bolinas Ridge. No, better yet, let me show you a picture. THIS is the Bolinas Ridge aid station. You can't see it because the rain was coming down in sheets, which then made rivers in the mud running down the path. Runners had to come through here twice, increasing the mud rivers running through everything. Doesn't this look like fun? Again, fortune smiled upon me, and I ran into another couple of friends. Gary was pacing Adam Blum, but his wife Holly was hanging out in the car. Once again, I was saved from hypothermia and had a great time hanging out with Holly for a while, watching people go by as they ran back toward Pantoll.

At about 1:30, I decided to get out and wait for Mike, who thought he would be going through Bolinas Ridge around 2:00, but I really didn't want him to show up and have me not there, so I got out and joined the "pacer tent." Again, don't these people look like they're having a great time?

2:00 came and went, and no sign of Mike. At this point, I was dying to run-- it was cold and wet and I could feel my legs getting tighter and colder. I was worried I would have to steal a space blanket from one of the people who were dropping from the race like flies. Seriously, it was a tough day and people were having lots of trouble staying warm. Several cases of the beginning stages of hypothermia were making lots of non-happy runners.

Suddenly I looked up and Suzanne was already at the Bolinas Ridge station-- but where was Mike? Suzanne said she had passed him between Pantoll and Bolinas Ridge, but she hadn't seen him on the out-and-back section at all. I hadn't even bothered checking my phone, as there was no reception, so I couldn't tell if he had called me. We asked the aid station people, and they radioed in to find out that Mike had dropped at Bolinas Ridge the first time through! I didn't know because I was in the car trying not to get hypothermia. Later Mike said that he had run up against the fun combo of being undertrained due to injury and being really, really chilled, and decided that being miserable for another 34 miles wasn't worth it and dropped at Bolinas Ridge.

Scene 4: Pacing!

Well, with this piece of news, I figured I might as well run with Suzanne-- I was freezing and had no other clothes at the finish line (more pacer lessons) so I didn't really want to get a ride and then wait for hours for Suzanne, and I wanted to get a long run in, so I took off with Suzanne.

Now, there are ultra jokes about runners dropping their pacers, and I had worried about that a little beforehand, but I was assured by several very experienced people that it would not be a problem pacing someone that was faster than me. Well, it almost was a problem with Suzanne. I was deeply thankful there was uphill on this 20 miles, because Suzanne is an incredibly strong downhill runner, and we were literally flying down the hills.

The great thing about being a pacer is that, being fresh, you can actually enjoy the scenery. Even though it was rather miserable for the first few miles (it was so windy and rainy, I almost lost my hat), when the rain stopped and we hit the Miwok trail, it was beautiful. This is one of my favorite pictures from the day-- verdant, lush surroundings. Notice Suzanne still smiling.

Another thing that's supposed to happen when you pace someone? They're supposed to get really tired and cranky and I was hoping to use some of the motivational, handling-bitter-people techniques that I perfected in 7 years of teaching middle school. Suzanne did not require these skills at all. While I think she was perhaps done noticing the beauty of the trails, the ONLY time she got cranky was right after we crossed Highway 1, with maybe 6-7 miles to go. However, Suzanne's version of "cranky?" Saying she didn't want to go uphill anymore, and then apologizing for being "a whiny pants." I highly recommend pacing Suzanne. But only if you can sprint downhills.

Coming into Tennessee Valley, however, Suzanne started to get "post 50-mile brain." I noticed it coming on as she said "we" had already run over 50 miles. When I pointed out that no, I had in fact, only run 16.5 miles, and SHE was the one who had run over 50 miles, not "we," she told me, "Don't make me choose a pronoun," because it was too much effort. Then she started channeling her online yoga instructor and told me that "This pose can be very therapeutic for the knee if it is done with awareness." When I ended up doubled over in laughter at this bit of wisdom, she told me not to make her laugh, because she was too tired, which of course inspired even more hilarity.

I am SO pacing Suzanne for her 1st 100. I can't wait to see who or what possesses her brain after 75 miles.

Anyway, after Tennessee Valley, it was a rather brutal (this late in the race) climb up over the ridge, and then back down to Rodeo Beach, where Suzanne was greeted with much fanfare. I got to hang out and see lots of people come in, hear how Rick's race went, and realized that while I have a couple of lessons for next time, I LOVED pacing and I'm totally excited about pacing some more.

Epilogue:

For the future (and anyone else that might decide to become a pacer)-- here is the wisdom gained during the day:

1) Just because I was not running 60 miles did not mean I wasn't running. I completely neglected to figure out a dry change of clothes for the finish line. Fortunately, Suzanne packed her entire wardrobe in her car and had an extra shirt and jacket.

2) If I'm going to be waiting for a long time, I need to bring clothes. I didn't want to deal with leaving clothes in Steve's car, but if I had not been fortunate enough to meet people who let me hang out in their car, I would have probably gotten too cold to run.

3) Figure out a better system with my runner in case of dropping, as happened here. It worked out fine, but if they had not kept a master list of who was dropping, I would have been completely unsure of whether I should have left Bolinas Ridge or stayed.

Really though-- what a great way to spend the day! Anyone need a pacer?

Spring has sprung!

Pine Mountain Rd-Kent Lake Loop
(Pine Mountain Rd- Oat Hill Rd- Old Vee- Alpine Kent Pump Rd- Little Carson- Unnamed trail- Oat Hill- Pine Mountain Rd)
(8.7 miles)

I almost didn't run this trail this morning. I had to be somewhere at noon, and I had a moment of thinking, "Well, you will be back at the house much faster and you'll have less of a carbon footprint (because it's the Bay Area and we think like this) if you run at Wildcat." And then I thought, naw-- I really wanted to run someplace new, so I threw the dog in the car (metaphorically speaking) and headed for Marin.

This trail starts off the side of the Bolinas-Fairfax road, but goes the opposite direction from this trail. I'd read about this area from the literarily luminescent Gambolin' Man, and I'd ran the Kent Lake portion of the trail before, but the rest was completely new. Pine Mountain Road is a well-traveled fire road, popular with bikers and hikers alike. I hit the trail around 8:45 in the morning, and apparently, this is a good hour to get started if you want to avoid the crowds. I saw exactly one other person on the Pine Mountain Rd section, with an off-leash (gasp!) dog. (Dogs are supposed to be leashed in this area, but I decided not to make a citizen's arrest. Whether I decided to unleash Neko or not is classified information.)

Anyway, Pine Mountain Road is definitely not singletrack, but it is a beautiful section of trail. The trail follows the ridge, and I could see both Mount Tamalpais and Mount Diablo when I turned around. Unfortunately, the light did not cooperate and the pictures I took of the view did not do it justice. You'll have to run this for yourself to see what I mean.

After a mile on Pine Mountain Rd, I took Oat Hill Road. I did not see any more people for the next hour and 45 minutes (yes, I was running slow today!), which for a Sunday in Marin is shocking. Oat Hill Road has plenty of other gorgeous views of the Bay and of the green hills of Marin, but the real jewel of this run (à mon avis, if you will) was Old Vee trail.

Normally, I'm pretty happy on the trails, and I challenge anyone to maintain any level of bitterness when running with an aussie/border collie mix-- but every once in a while there are trails that surprise me so much that I'm freakin' overjoyed to be me and getting to run on that particular trail at that moment. Old Vee was one of those trails. Old Vee doesn't look like Marin-- it looks like you're running in the Sierra foothills (which I desperately miss right now, I admit), and it's gently sloping fire road with a stream next to it, AND IT'S BEAUTIFUL!! So beautiful that I didn't take any pictures. Nice, Victoria. I think the other thing is that it's not a trail I've ever heard anything about, so having a little slice of Sierra-looking goodness may have seemed more fabulous than it actually was. Either way, I was loving life and trails and Marin and Neko and all things Spring down Old Vee.

From Old Vee, I hit the flat Alpine Kent Pump Road for a couple of miles, then the Little Carson trail. Because I couldn't determine from the map if the trail intersected the Carson Falls trail, I ended up turning up an unnamed trail that was so deserted I was getting rid of spider webs as I climbed. This trail was beautiful but very steep-- not so much running here. Next time I will definitely try the Carson Falls trail, because Carson Falls is supposed to be lovely, but I had a fun afternoon to get back to, so couldn't explore too much.

The unnamed trail met up with Oat Hill at the amusingly-named Bathtub Gap, where I snapped this picture of Neko and me before I realized she had a bunch of ticks on her-- the not-so-exciting part of spring with a border collie. Then it was back by way of Pine Mountain Road, but by this time, the hordes had started to swarm-- tons more people on this route by 10:30.

All in all, I was extremely glad I had gone. Next time, I'm taking Little Carson all the way up to the falls, fording the stream to get back up to the main trail if necessary. I'm pretty curious too, about taking Pine Mountain Road in a big loop that I could not find the end of on my map-- I think one could cobble together a pretty good 15-16 mile loop, but I would probably do the loop either very early or on a weekday, given the number of people on the trail by 10:30.

Overall? Lovely! Yay Spring! A nice last "mini-long" run before next weekend's (gulp) 50 miler!!

Dogs are supposed to be on leash, but there are definitely stretches of deserted trail....

A last note: the ceanothus is out right now-- big swaths of lavender-blue flowers in bloom. Don't miss it!

Attack of the Leopard!

PCTR Pirates Cove
50K

Oh, more pre-race silliness!

As you can see, I DID end up getting some leopard print arm panties. I have matching gaiters as well, but they did not make it into the picture. However, based on the number of compliments I got on my outfit (no joke-- one guy actually told me the leopard print was inspiring!), I'm sure this combo will make it into more race photos in the future.

For some reason, insomnia (which I have perhaps one time a year?) decided to strike Friday night, and by the time I got to the start line, I was running on about two hours of sleep. I *know* it's supposed to be the night before the night before that affects you the most, but I was definitely mentally ill-at-ease with so little sleep.

I got to the start, checked in, hung out with Jo Lynn and Rick (totally classic shot), almost forgot to put my Garmin on before the start, said hi to everyone and then took off at a brisk uphill walk at 8:30.

As can be seen on the course map, the 50K does two loops of the 20K course, with a little (10K little) extra loop added to the first 20K loop. I have never done a loop 50K before today-- Ohlone and Skyline to the Sea are point-to-point courses, so once you get through a particularly grueling climb, you know you'll never have to run that piece of the course again in the race. Knowing I would have to come back and run the 20K loop again did interesting things to my mind. On the one hand, I think it helped me go slower at the beginning, knowing I would have to deal with the climb out of Rodeo Beach after completing 18 miles already. On the other hand, I think I was a little too focused on how I would need to run that section again, so I would hold back more than I really think I needed to.

As I said, I did a better job of holding back at the beginning. When I started the extra 10K loop after Tenessee Valley, I felt great, and continued to feel pretty strong until the top of Marincello. For some reason, even though the next section was downhill, I started thinking about how I had at least 6 miles left of THIS loop, and then ANOTHER 12 miles. My legs immediately began feeling more tired, and I would say that miles 12-15 were rather painful. I picked up a bit after the Conzelman aid station (all the 30K runners speeding it up for the finish helped), but then felt like I came to a dead halt at the top of the hill out of Rodeo Beach, and took a good mile to start feeling decent again.

Leaving Tennessee Valley for the last time, I dragged myself up Marincello. I started to try a run 1 minute/walk 1 minute alternation, which worked for about 15 minutes before I succumbed to walking. I do think this was a good idea for me though, and I'm going to try it at another event in the future. By this time it was raining and cold and wet, and I was half-tempted to run just to get warm. Emphasis on the "half" part of that sentence.

At the top of Marincello, things switched again and I found a huge reserve of energy I didn't realize I had. Don't get me wrong-- I was not moving super-fast, but my mental state went from "this is SOOOOOOO long" to "Hey-- you have 6 miles left, and most of it is flat or downhill. You can absolutely do this!" While my legs did not suddenly feel light and limber, everything seemed much more possible and I really enjoyed the last 6 miles. I even ran more of the uphill than I had run the first time I came through the same section.

I also started looking at my watch and thinking about if it might be possible to break six hours. I didn't have any kind of goal time, but I had figured somewhere between 6:00-6:30 was reasonable. When I hit the last aid station, I had exactly 30 minutes to finish 3.6 miles. 1.5 was downhill, but the last two miles were pretty flat with a tiny bit of uphill grade at times. I decided to go for it, and I ran HARD the last few miles, even holding sub 8:00s on the flat part. I broke six hours (well, I think it was a little shorter than 3.6 miles), but what amazed me is how much faster I could go at the end than I had thought I could. Let's not get carried away-- I was in pain and I couldn't have gone another 10 miles at that pace, but I really didn't know I could go that far and still have energy left over at the end. While I am definitely nervous about AR50, I think this race taught me two things:

1) I am stronger than I think I am. Don't get me wrong-- I am still probably under-trained for AR50, but I had much more in the tank left than I thought I did. My goal for AR50 is still just to finish, but I'm more confident about that now than I was before Saturday.

2) Running ultras is SO mental. Again, see #1. I know adequate training is necessary-- but I've been fascinated lately by the difference my mental outlook has on my performance. As I've pointed out before, running relaxed helps a lot. When I'm feeling good, I know that talking positively to myself helps a lot as well. This time I kept trying to remind myself (with some success) that however I felt at that moment was not permanent-- if I felt bad, I would feel better soon but also that if I felt good, it didn't necessarily mean I wasn't going to feel bad again. It's the dharma of running, I suppose. (As a side note, it's been fascinating to me how applicable Buddhist teachings are to long-distance running. I feel a post forthcoming in the next few months.) What I want to start playing around with is keeping myself positive when it hurts and I'm starting to feel like I can't do it, whatever "it" is. The "feeling bad" moments, when I think about it, were more mental feeling bad moments than feeling physically bad. Of course my legs were tired and tight and of course I was hungry--but that didn't change after about mile 12-- what changed the most from mile 12 to the end was my mental state.

I have also discovered my superpower secret weapon race food-- candied ginger! I ate some at the top of Marincello (round two) and it was amazing how much the spiciness of the ginger acted as a pick-me-up and calmed down my slightly complaining stomach. Definitely going into the belt in future races.

Finally, I think I'm becoming a reluctant convert to ice baths. I didn't sit as long as I probably should have last night, but it helped. I'm going to slog a recovery run this afternoon, but overall, I feel better than I ever have after a 50K.

Plus, I got a coaster for my efforts! I think these are the coolest things ever-- if you are a 50K finisher at a PCTR event, you get a coaster with the logo for the race on it and the date-- and if it's your first ultra, you get a really special one commemorating that as well. I kid you not-- one of the things that kept me from stopping at the 30K (which I was greatly tempted to do) was getting a coaster. (And pride as well, but the thought "I want my coaster" went through my head more than once...)

I think from here to AR50 is some mellow runs, maybe one longish run next weekend, but then... Victoria attempts 50 miles! Aack!

Mt. Tam-- to the top!

Mount Tamalpais
(Ross Commons-Phoenix Lake- Eldridge Grade)
(15-16 miles?)

This was rather a last-minute run. I decided Saturday morning that I would run Mt. Tam in preparation for Pirates' Cove next weekend. You see, one must run Marincello Road TWICE during Pirates' Cove. Marincello Road is one of the most irritating sections of the race because it's completely runnable, but it's continuous uphill. I can appreciate Redwood's French trail, because there are sections that are just impossible for us mortals to run, and so one feels perfectly justified in walking. Marincello? Not a chance. To this end, I decided to run Mt. Tam following Eldridge Grade all the way up.

As I've said before, Eldridge Grade is somewhat of a freeway up to the top of Mt. Tam. It's a fire road and tons of mountain bikers use it (flat enough to bike!), which can detract from the running experience (or add to it, depending on your appreciation for spandex-clad bikers). There are definitely ways of finding more single-track routes to the top, but I didn't want to have to think about directions, and I wanted to practice slow, gradual uphill. The other benefit to Eldridge is the constant support of hikers who see you *running* the route they are walking. At least 3 different groups of people expressed admiration as I ran by, and that's always a mood-lifter.

I had much chance to practice for Marincello, however. Eldridge is miles of gradual uphill that finally reaches the road to East Peak. From there, a quick .5 miles up to the top. According to this sign, the top of Mt. Tam is 2,571 ft. above sea level, and Phoenix Lake (where I started) is 130 ft, so in 6 miles or so, I climbed over 2,000 ft. Pretty good for some climbing work. Running up Mt. Tamalpais is just frankly gorgeous, no matter if it's on a fire road or single track. I can think of few trails in the Bay Area that afford such marvelous views of the entire Bay Area. (Ok, Angel Island is great, and I *still* haven't been on Diablo, which I know is tragic.)

Anyway, I finally ended up at the top, ate a quick snack and then headed down again as it was rather freezing at the top. Here's a shot of me looking rather pensive. (No, it's not a product placement for the North Face...)

I'm not sure if I should have run this a week before Pirates' Cove-- this run was rather challenging, but I had a lot of fun, so I suppose that's what counts. I will become friends with my foam roller for the rest of the week, trying to pamper my legs before next Saturday.

You can take dogs on Mt. Tam, but they need to be on leash, and running with a border collie on leash for 15 miles is not my idea of a good time.

Getting the Worm

Bald Hill
(Nathalie Coffin Greene-Phoenix Lake- Shaver Grade- Connector- Bald Hill Trail- Yolanda- Worn Springs Rd- Return to Phoenix Lake)
(6.0 miles)

This was supposed to be a much different run. The plan was to meet at Rodeo Beach at 7:00 this morning, but unfortunately my running companion called me at 6:40 to say that her car was broken into last night and she wouldn't be heading to Marin. As I was already in Marin, I decided to hit the trails a little closer to Richmond than Rodeo Beach, and headed for Nathalie Coffin Greene-- and at 7:oo in the morning, one can actually find parking!

When I woke up early this morning, it was pouring, but an hour later, the rain had stopped and amazing light was coming through the clouds. I decided that even if I wasn't going to Rodeo Beach and all the views from there, I still wanted a view, so I would run to the top of Bald Hill, which I hadn't done in a long, long time.

My run today started like this run, but then took the left-handed Yolanda trail instead of the right, to head up toward Bald Hill. Yolanda is a beautiful trail that follows the hillside, opening up to views of the hills of Marin. As you can see, the recent rains have prompted a proliferation of green growth.

Yolanda ends at Worn Springs Road--to get to the top of Bald Hill, you turn right, up the hill. I must confess that at this point, my running wasn't always um, running-- this hill is STEEP, and for some reason I felt sluggish (like a wet sponge) today.

However, once I finally got to the top of Bald Hill, the view made it completely worth it. The light shining through the clouds made me feel like I was in an inspirational Hallmark card, and from the top of Bald Hill, I could see most of the Bay.

After snapping a few pictures, I headed down Worn Springs Road and back to Phoenix Lake. This loop was less than we had planned to do from Rodeo Beach, but I think it's definitely a worthy little loop-- some rather difficult uphill and a screaming downhill as you come down Worn Springs Road.

Once again, I was glad to have gotten up much earlier than I would have on my own. I wish the car break-in had not happened, but we're thinking about making it a regular occurrence, so there will be more mid-week Marin runs!

Also, it's possible to take dogs on this trail. They are supposed to be on leash, but there were very few people on the trail at 7:00 am, and I saw a couple of dogs (gasp!) OFF-LEASH!

A Super Sunday...

Rodeo Beach Loop
(12 miles)

Well, I did something downright un-American today. I did not watch a single minute of the Super Bowl. I did drink some beer and eat some chips, but there was not a single mention of yardage gained or lost in my day today.

Instead, Jen and I ran the same loop I did for the Rodeo Beach 20K, only with lots more stops for taking pictures and admiring the view. Again, this summer-in-January situation is working out well for the trail runs.

Because I'm really tired yet I know that if I don't post now, I won't post until sometime next week, I'm just going to give you a few pictorial highlights from the day with some brief commentary.

First, overlooking Rodeo Beach.

Next, getting started.
I need to learn how to stand so I don't look portly.







Then with the view from the trail as we climbed out of Rodeo Beach. If you look carefully, you can see the Golden Gate Bridge peeking through the hills.

Now some flowers that are not aware that it's January and they should wait at least another couple of months before blooming.....




Very pretty, though!









This was the best viewpoint of the entire day. If you are running the Marin Headlands, you simply must run the SCA trail...







Not looking as portly... and if this doesn't explain why housing prices are too expensive in Marin, I don't know what would...I mean the view of course, not the fact that Jen and I are running IN Marin.

Lagunitas!

Lagunitas Three Lake Loop
(Phoenix Lake-Bon Tempe- Lake Lagunitas)
(This route + Lagunitas Lake trail- Lakeview Rd- Eldridge- Gertrude Ord)
(13.09 miles)

I know California is having a drought. I wish it would rain more. I know that days with clear blue skies are not good for our water supply.

However, I would be lying if I said that I was sad it was not raining today. Thirteen miles in the rain is far less fun than thirteen miles with crisp, sunny skies.

When I drove over the Richmond Bridge this morning and saw this view, I knew I was in for a fabulous run. (For the non-Bay Area inhabitants, that mountain you can see is the famous Mt. Tamalpais, seen in other photos and runs on this blog...) Because it was convenient, I decided to run a route I know fairly well, but added on another lake circumference-- Lake Lagunitas. The last time I ran at Lake Lagunitas was probably 2 years ago--this must not happen again. Lake Lagunitas is a pretty little lake and I was very happy to run by it.

After running around Lake Lagunitas, the trail climbs rather steeply up Lakeview Rd to Eldridge Grade, at which point I ran back down to Phoenix Lake, taking the slightly longer Gertrude Ord trail to get back to the starting point.

I love the lakes in Marin. It amazes me that we can run by the ocean and then head into forests that have such beautiful lakes tucked away in them. I am considering trying to figure out how to run a 4-Lake Loop (adding in Alpine Lake, which could make the run either 19 or 23 miles, depending on how much of the lakeside trail one wished to do) in the near future, as training for AR50.

This run also felt really, really good. I was tired but not so tired that I couldn't push it coming down Eldridge Grade a bit, and going up Shaver Grade, I passed a bicyclist. That was funny.

I must post my other Spain runs this week-- not trails but some interesting sights all the same.

Back to the work week! Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend running...

Rodeo Beach 20K

Rodeo Beach 20K
Race Report
PCTR Course Description

I was a little apprehensive about this run. Not because of my foot, which is fine, but because I hadn't really run much more than 7 miles since I started up again. However, seeing as how I am running in Spain in a week (Whoo-Hoo!!!) and I don't want to shame the trail runners of the US, I wanted to get some mileage in and assess what next weekend would look like.

Another interesting part of yesterday was my pre-race breakfast. Normally I am a "small bowl of oatmeal" fanatic, but since I was out of oatmeal and too lazy to go to the store Friday afternoon, I had a spicy tamal for breakfast. This could have been a bad move on several fronts-- new food, spicy-- all kinds of things could have gone wrong. However, it was what I had.

Driving to Rodeo Beach was a treat by itself. The race starts at Rodeo Beach, in the Marin Headlands, right by the water. As you can see from the picture, the weather was spectacular. Clear and sunny-- not a cloud in the sky!

The course heads straight up the hill, as you can see in yesterday's posting. I tried hard to hold myself back and not take off simply out of the excitement of actually being in a race again. One of the reasons I was so happy with my race at Skyline to the Sea (until I fell) was that I had managed to hold myself back in the beginning of the race and was feeling great after 20 miles. My goal today was to go out easy and then try to be steady throughout the whole race.

Heading up the hill, I talked for a while with Rick. This is probably the only race in my whole life I will be able to say that I ran with Rick for a bit. He was out just for a fun run with some friends, so he wasn't trying to stick with the 50K leaders. Rick is a very fast local ultrarunner who has had an amazing year with a TON of improvement. Plus, he's a really nice person. After a while, he decided to catch up on the gossip his friends were dishing out ahead of us and he took off.

The trail leads up Coastal for while before heading towards Tennessee Valley on Old Springs trail. This is one of my favorite trails in Marin-- running this direction at least. The trail is a nice, gradual downhill that one can practice speed without feeling out of control, and I'm not going to lie to you-- I'm still feeling a bit worried about falling.

After hitting the aid station at Tennessee Valley, the trail led up Marincello Road. I hate running this section. It's only a mile and a half, and it's not really steep uphill, but it's continuous and seems to go on and on. Yesterday I don't know what happened though-- I just decided I would be slow and steady and I ran the entire hill! I didn't break any speed records, but I felt so much stronger than I thought I would!

I will say this: the views from Marincello Road are rather lovely. As we were running, it was possible to see Tiburon, Sausalito, the Richmond Bridge and probably Mt. Diablo if the visibility was a little better. Not so bad--even if the climb is irritating.

After getting to the top of Marincello, the race took two trails that just might have made Victoria's "Must-See" list for Bay Area trails. Alta trail, from which the top picture is taken, was beautiful, as was the SCA trail. Unfortunately I was not paying much attention to the effect of the light, and so the pictures do not even remotely do justice to these trails. Coming round a curve to see the tips of the Golden Gate Bridge peeking out, and then running along a ridge with the Golden Gate Bridge beside you and the rest of the Bay beyond? Let's just say I was having a moment of smugness-- especially since it was sunny and the middle of December. If it's nice on Tuesday I might go back with my camera and try to snap some better pics.

Just after that, we hit the second aid station and I realized that I only had about 3.5 miles left, and I was feeling MUCH better than I thought I would, and so I pushed it a bit back to the finish line--and still felt great!

All in all, a great race. I have extolled the fabulous qualities of the race directors before (Yay Sarah and Wendell!)-- they put on beautiful races with extremely friendly people. Can't wait to get back from Spain and plan my next few races!

Mt. Tamalpais!

Mt. Tamalpais (non-summit)

(Nathalie Coffin Greene-Eldridge Grade-Nathalie Coffin Greene)

(12 miles)

I think this picture pretty much says it all. 

(Yes, that IS the Golden Gate Bridge you can see just tucked between the clouds and the Headlands.)

But just in case, I'll still add a few words. 

I have been buried in an avalanche of schoolwork the last few days and while I have kept up on my running, no new trails to write about until today. I insisted on holding two hours free today for a long run, as I will be sitting in class for the next four days. (There is a chance I'll run at Pt. Reyes, but it will require getting up very early-- always a tricky business...)

In fear of 9 Trails, I have been thinking about how I need to run some BIG HILLS. Mt. Tamalpais is a big hill. A very big hill. I parked at Ross Commons (see this post for directions) and ran around Phoenix Lake until I came to the Eldridge Grade/Shaver Grade/ Fish Grade intersection and then just ran up and up and up Eldridge until I hit the Indian Road Trail, which continues up another 2.6 miles to the top of Mt. Tam. I had been running for about 5 miles at that point, and I decided to just go another mile, then turn around and come back, as I was not sure how my knee would fare with so much downhill.

What can I say about this trail? It's gorgeous. It's also a fire road, so if you're a diehard single-tracker, skip it. It's also very popular with mountain bikers-- stay alert. It is also rather predictable. It goes up to the summit, and then you come down. There are ways of making a loop out of this route, but I was not in the mood for the brain work it would have taken today. But...if you are looking for a trail that gives you vista upon vista of the Bay--this is your trail.

 I kept thinking the view couldn't get any better... and it did! 

The picture on top is of San Francisco, but here's the view looking towards the East Bay, with Mt. Diablo dominating the landscape. I cannot wait to get back and run this trail all the way to the top. I have been on the top of Mt. Tam only once in my life (I know, it's as bad as not visiting Pt. Reyes until last Saturday!), and that was about 12 years ago. I think it's time for me to get out there again...

I saw a few dogs, and while the dogs I saw were not on leash, I think technically they are supposed to be... but there was no one checking near the top. 

Tomorrow starts a whole bunch of craziness for the next two weeks. I really hope I will keep up the running, because today gave me great hope for my upcoming races. (Knee felt fine, and I actually felt really good the whole way up as well.) 

Pt. Reyes Magnificence

Tomales Point

(Pierce Point-Tomales Point trail)

(9.88 miles)

So if my previous Marin run cast aspersions on the general smugness Californians can have about their running conditions, this run put all those doubts to rest. This run was an advertisement for the Bay Area and its running trails. 

Embarrassingly, I have lived in the Bay Area for fourteen years, and I have never been to Pt. Reyes. Pt Reyes is actually an old piece of the Sierra Nevadas that, due to seismic drift, ended up 350 miles away. (I find this really amazing--how is it possible to move pieces of earth so far?) The peninsula that makes up Pt. Reyes is separated from the rest of the coast by the San Andreas fault-- one of our state's biggest movers and shakers. 

One important caution about Pt. Reyes: this is a very, very popular place to hike. We got started early in anticipation of possible crowds, and I'm glad we did. The parking lot at the Visitor's Center was already hopping when we took a pit-stop before heading out to Pierce Point, the trailhead for Tomales Point. Most Pt. Reyes hikers stay in the area around the Visitor's Center, and while I would love to go back (starting EARLY in the morning) and explore this area, Jen pushed for the more remote (yet still popular later on) Tomales Point trail. 

Pierce Point trailhead starts at an old dairy farm. The National Park Service has conserved the buildings and provided informational signage--we educated ourselves a bit before starting off towards Tomales Point.

Apparently, the trails near the Visitor's Center are much more wooded and sheltered--Tomales Point has very few trees, making for an exposed trail that provides stunning views every way you turn.  While this area can be foggy and cold, the weather for our run yesterday was just about perfect. Not a cloud in the sky (as you can see), and enough breeze to keep us nice and cool on our run. 

This is a pretty mellow trail-- not a lot of up and down. The one thing I found completely irritating was the last mile or so of the trail out to the point was on sand. I do not like running on sand. I feel like I'm expending a ton of effort to go a very short distance. However, that's not so much to complain about on such a brilliant run, because once we got to Tomales Point, the views all around were incredible. Two hikers told us they had just seen a seal eating an octopus, and the mouth of Tomales Bay, due to its warmer water temperature, is a major breeding ground for Great White Sharks. It's possible (although we didn't see any) to spot Great Whites from the point. 

The other wonderful part about this trail is that it runs through Tule elk habitat. The Tule elk used to be plentiful in California, but were almost rendered extinct until biologists took note and started trying to stop their demise. A few Tule elk (8 cows and two bulls) were restored to Point Reyes in 1978--today their herd numbers more than 400, and they are considered one of the environmental success stories of California. It is possible to run on this trail and not see a single elk, but we were fortunate enough to see the herd yesterday.

Most of the elk stayed together--we saw one all male group and another mostly female, with some young bucks. As we were getting near the trailhead, we saw this lone young buck. His antlers are still in the "velvet" stage-- meaning they have not lost the furry covering that will become exposed in time for mating season. The elk were calm and not overly afraid of humans, but they would also move away, which I attribute to a strong docent presence on the island, constantly reminding visitors to leave the elk alone. 

Overall, a run not to be missed. It's definitely a drive to the trailhead (probably 30 minutes or more from the Visitor's Center), but well-worth the effort on days like today. As Pt. Reyes is a national park, no dogs allowed except for the Bolinas Ridge trail leading out of the Visitor's Center. 

Plus, at the end of the run, you can head down to McClure's beach (short trail from Pierce Point trailhead as well) to soak your dirty tootsies in the chilly surf, then head back on the main road, stopping by Priscilla's Cafe for a much-appreciated sandwich and an IPA. Not that I know anyone who's done that lately...

Let's play: Guess The Season!

Tennessee Valley-Green Gulch

(Tennessee Valley- Miwok- ???- Coyote- Green Gulch- (wandering)- Green-Gulch- Coastal)

(11.44 miles)

So I think I've already established that I'm a California girlie. Specifically a Bay Area girlie. For about 4,000 reasons, I'm in love with my Bay Area--especially the trails. But like any love affair, sometimes we have our off days. You know, the days when you think every trail is warmer, wittier, more fun to run on? And it's worse when you just spent time on the most sparkling, warm, ideal, complete-with-swimming-options trail... it makes your Bay Area trails seem a little weak by comparison.

...Especially when it's FREEZING COLD IN THE MIDDLE OF JULY!!!

Notice on the last post, I said I was off for "one more run in the sun." Clearly, I had the California coast confused with any number of places. There were perhaps 2 moments in my 11 mile run today in which the sun appeared. Most of the time it was a) completely foggy b) gale-force windy and c) just freakin' cold. Add to that a moment of missing the trail I wanted to take (Coyote) and getting a bit lost on the ridge paralleling the Miwok trail, then wandering around the Green Gulch Zen Meditation Center, trying to find Coastal trail, and it was the kind of run that made you think perhaps you should start seeing other trails.

However, there were still a couple of moments that reminded me why the Bay Area and I are in this for the long haul. First, the Green Gulch Zen Meditation Center has a beautiful vegetable garden, and I love that the trails actually lead through the garden. (Note: the trail that leads through is the "Middle Green Gulch" trail-- not the "Green Gulch" trail. That trail will put you at the edge of the center, but then you are left to wander the grounds, hoping you aren't disturbing anyone's contemplative moment. Not that I know anyone w ho has done that recently, of course...)

Second, Coastal trail from Muir Beach to Tennessee Valley is 1.7 miles of stunning beauty--even in fog and cold. I have run this trail several times on PCTR runs (most specifically Pirate's Cove and Muir Beach) but never with my camera. This trail has signature Marin Headlands hills, and views of the Pacific Ocean that will keep me coming back for more Bay Area trails.

Dogs? ¿Quien sabe? Well, you can take your leashed dog on Coastal Trail or Miwok Trail, but apparently nothing else. Who knows what you are supposed to do with your dog on Coyote trail, for example.

...AND my knee was a happy camper the entire run and even feels great now. Skyline to the Sea, Dick Collins and 9 Trails, here I come!

China Camp Rediscovered

China Camp

(Bay View- Oak Ridge- Peacock Gap- Shoreline)

(9.11 miles)

What's wrong with me? Why do I forget about how much I love China Camp? I haven't run here for over a year, and I'm not sure why. 'Tis true, China Camp does not offer huge mileage (although I think you could cobble together a longer loop if you added another trail and an out-and-back section), and once you get past the first section, there's not much steep climbing up or down, there is a plethora of mountain bikers, and you can't take dogs to China Camp. All that being said, China Camp is a gorgeous little piece of Marin, and the trails are absolutely worth exploring.

I parked near the Back Ranch entrance, on Point San Pedro road. If you want to pay the $5, you can park inside the park entrance, but ample parking exists for the cheapskates amongst us. From there, I took the Bay View Trail. For the first two miles, the trail climbs through madrones and manzanitas, but always in the sun. This was a rough start to the run, because today was hot. Very hot. After that though, the trail dips into groves of bay trees and redwoods, providing a welcome respite from the sun. All along the trail, when the trees have an open space, the views of the Bay (hence the name)

are beautiful. Really, I don't think I went more than 3-5 minutes of running without a (usually stunning) view today, which is why I'm confused by my neglect of this park.

I think it was up on Patrick's Point that I was treated to this one-- in case you were wondering why the housing prices in Marin are so ridiculous, this shot should explain it. The bridge in the background is how you get to the 'hood of Richmond-- I used to take that bridge every day, and I must say, it has a beautiful view as well.

After Patrick's Point, the trail winds down to the Shoreline trail. It never actually runs along the shoreline (which is gener ally a protected marsh), but this trail is a winner, treating you to one shot of the bay after another.

This area is named after a community of Chinese fishermen who lived here with their families in the 1880s. According to the State Park website, up to 500 people lived here. Remnants of the village still exist, but the trail I was on did not circle through the village, which was on the other side of the road.

Finally, as I was finishing up my run

(a little tired from yesterday's charge up and down the mountain, I'm not going to deny), I heard a rustling in the bushes. While my first terrified thoughts were "Mountain Lion!" and then "Rattlesnake!" the

noise-makers emerged:

Wild Turkeys!

I realize this is SO déclassé in certain sections of the Bay Area, but you know what I thought about

when I saw these cute little guys?

I wonder if wild turkeys would be better roasted or barbecued?