Thought I left plenty of time to get to the start at 7:30, pick up bib. However, though I knew as a single driver I couldn't park in the start/finish lot, the volunteers were also not letting us park on the entry road. I parked about a mile back and waited for the shuttle. Suddenly, it was 7:49 and I wasn't so calm. Luckily, a single car picked up me (& 2 other shuttle waiters) and drove us to the start line.
Picked up bib, got a large T-Shirt, and stood in the bathroom line behind one guy. He went in at 7:57. I realized he had an 8K bib (8:30 AM start) and I wished I'd asked to cut. He exited at 7:59, I went in, and I got to the start line at 8:02, thankful my watch was fast.
Up, up, up Hill 88. It was cloudy, but starting to clear. For once, I wasn't actually DFL. There was a clot of about 6 people behind me. They said they'd come from Sacramento for the 50K. I gave them a brief history lesson "These bunkers were originally to protect the Bay Area from Japanese submarines in WWII. " http://www.nps.gov/goga/historyculture/battery-townsley.htm
I caught up with Melissa right as I was going into TV Aid station, and we hiked up Fox Trail together. The 700 foot climb went quickly as we gossiped and caught up. We're both running Ohlone 50K in May, and she entered American River 50, where I might pace Karen if Carol stays injured.
I wanted to go faster on Pirates Cove, but it was a mucky, wet, slippery mud. I stopped to tie my shoes tighter and got passed by three people. The pair of ladies dressed in blue said "Your socks are muddy!" All of me is muddy! I ran the whole way to TV, no walking allowed!
Steady climb up Marincello. The blue ladies passed me again, and said "I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but you get as sweaty as me! " Yup, I was drenched in sweat. One of the blue ladies was wet like me, her friend still had dry hair. I then glided down Bobcat to Alta. I'd practiced running all of Alta in training many times, and I was glad I could pound up it. Around on SCA, and I popped out at Larry & Carol's aid station at Conzelman. Yup, Carol had torn a muscle!
I finally started dropping the hammer on Coastal. Then we turned left to climb up to Conzelman. I don't like this section. And my iPod died completely. I walked on the road, feeling sorry for myself. The blue ladies passed me, and said since I passed them on all the downhills, they'd nicknamed me "bomber". When they were about 100 feet ahead, I decided to stop feeling sorry for myself and run with them and chat.
One told a very funny story about Headlands 100. A runner got turned around enough at night in the deep fog to start running along Highway 101 through the rainbow tunnel. Coincidentally, the police were looking for a convict that had escaped from San Quentin, about 9 miles away. So when they stopped a sweaty, disheveled looking guy, they immediately asked for ID. He didn't have any ID, only a thin story of running an all night 100 mile race. Finally he convinced them he was legitimately running, and they offered to drive him back to the race course.
The story cheered me up, and I jogged, iTuneless to the finish in 4:10.
Things I did well:
Got there early enough that even with parking issues I still made the start.
Stayed ahead of nutrition: took 3 packs of scoobies, ate them all.
Took an S-Cap every 30 minutes.
Short sleeves were fine, I never got too chilly.
Things to improve on:
I never felt like I pushed hard. I ran 6 miles the next day with Greg.
iPod failure-ick!
It would have been nice to have a jacket at the finish.
