Day 2 of Alaska Ultra Running Camp: Surviving

Today was a much better day and I'm glad I came.  Because the weather was rain, we did an out and back along the coast.  We drove to the end of the road (literally), then Geoff said it was 9 miles out to Bishop Point.  If we didn't make the point, he said to turn around at two hours.  There was only one trail, hugging the coast all the way to the end.  Except for one turn, where a side trail went down to a beach camp.

Almost immediately again everyone was out of sight, but I felt much less pressure than yesterday. All I had to do was run two hours, then turn around.  The trail was well groomed for about 1/5 mile, then became very rocky.  And rooty. Roots and rocks, roots and rocks.  I took off my jacket and was running in shorts, t-shirt and compression socks.

On my right was filtered views of the water & mountains through the evergreens.  On the left were occasional gorgeous waterfalls.  The trail was constantly changing elevation, but never too steep.  Geoff came back to make sure I made the turn-off.  Right than Will staggered into view saying "where is Everyone?"  He'd taken the wrong turn down to the beach and seen a "HUGE BEAR". Will & Geoff took off, and I was again on my own.

After the roots and rocks, there was a section of slippery planks over deep mud, interspersed with downed trees to climb over.  The two hours went by very quickly.  Around 1:30, the trail started opening up to more needles and more runnable, so I actually went till 2:07 when my set ended.  I'd packed a turkey, swiss, avocado wrap, and I ate as I started back.

On the way back it started to rain, but not hard enough to be bothersome.  The faster guys passed me. Jim was filthy.  His shoe had been literally been sucked off his foot in a deep mud-hole, and he'd had to dig it out by hand. I'd just wiped out on a plank and sat down hard on my who-sis when two more campers passed me.  I sprinted to the end at 4:08, a negative split, and not last (two finished after me!). 

Things I did well:
Experimented with eating.  I took a wrap & baby Bell to eat on the run. Both stayed down with no stomach issues.

Experimented with my new pack.  My hydrapak E lite is great, but for Cascade 100 I want more space for a jacket & headlamp.  I carried my new Ultraspire Surge, which worked out great--I could carry my jacket, baby Bell, wrap, Scoobies. 

Traveled at my own pace & enjoyed the day. 

Things to do better:
Didn't apply BodyGlide, so some minor arm chafe. 

Will saw a HUGE whale (big even in his photo) and I didn't see the whale!

Ohlone 50K race report

Rules for Ohlone 50K
1) Don't miss the bus.
2) Don't miss the cutoff.
3) Remember the race is "more ups than down". 

I got to the Lake Del Valle parking lot at 6:10 AM for the 6:30 AM bus to the start.  I even got there before the busses!  Should I have cut it closer?  That's why I missed the bus two years ago!  Kevin Luu (another Endurable) and I caught up on our racing plans on the bus ride to Fremont.

Start to Laurel Loop (mile 5.43)
Two years ago, I had been DFL on the climb up Mission Peak.  Now I improved upon my position.  I was SECOND from DFL.  I thought I was climbing at a brisk rate, but everyone quickly became colored specks on the grassy hillside.  There was one 50ish runner behind me, and we exchanged encouraging smiles.

Oops 1)  I accidentally stepped in a cow patty (does one deliberately step in a cow patty)? 
Oops 2) In a huge puddle I stepped wrong and sunk my foot up to my shin in cow water/mud/muck. 

It was a beautiful day for the views, and I was soon up to the top and cruising down.  I passed a woman who I remember passing two years ago in a similar spot.  But now I knew it was Carol LaPlant, who'd WON the race 25 years ago. 

Oops 3) My hydrapak was catching my neck wrong, and I tried to adjust it while running.  I stepped on a gopher hole and fell down hard on my left side.  Hard enough that my shorts scootched down and I got brambles on my hip.  Ow!

Sunol (mile 9.11)
The aid station had the first cutoff at 10:45.  I picked up my speed on the descent and passed about 5 runners, including George Hall.  George Hall had #1 bib! as he was #2 in the inaugural 1987 Ohlone.  So I'm definitely faster than two 60 year olds.  Way to go Speedie! 
I was using my iPhone as my music source, and my headphones kept ghost-pausing my music.  I'd noticed this the last time I'd gone on a 2+ hour run--moisture got inside the contact, causing the iPhone to pause or skip tracks.  I spent too much time fussing with my iPhone trying to get reliable tunes.  I made it into the aid station at ~10:20, with time to spare.

Backpack (mile 12.48).
Now the climb started.  I treated myself to an outhouse break, then doused my head with water from an unpotable water source.  The day was getting really warm, in the low 80s (hot for the Bay Area) and direct sun.  I kept passing people though, even at my moderate speed. 

Goat Rock (14.96)
These 2.5 miles seemed to take forever.  I ran out of water about 20 minutes away from the Aid station.  When I got to the aid station, they said they were running low on all fluids, and only gave me 20 ounces for my pack.  In the good news! Melissa & Todd were at the aid station, resting in the shade.  They'd taken the early start! Oh, maybe THAT'S why I was at the back starting--slower people had taken the 7 AM start and gotten an hour jump. 

to Maggies Half Acre (19.7)

Melissa and I hiked together for awhile on the climb to Rose Peak.  She was not doing great, and finally stopped to bring down her heart rate. 

I was really, really thirsty. It was ~5 miles and a stiff climb.  I was so happy to see the tent for Maggies Half Acre, with "UNLIMITED" water, as they had a faucet.  I drank until my belly was jiggly.  Then I let a guy sponge my head.  It all felt sooo good. 

to Stewarts Camp  (23.6) This section has more up than I remember.  The "aid" was a non-potable faucet. About four of us came in all at once.  I dunked my head under the faucet (again).  After watching me do it, a guy did it too, muttering "Thank God, Thank God".  Yep, it was that hot. 

To Schleiper Rock (25.65) I continued to pass people.  I didn't think I was climbing any faster than I had at the beginning of the day--everyone else was slowing down.  Once again I pondered why people go out so darn fast?  I kinda like starting in DFL--I know exactly where I am in the pack, and I can only improve! I bombed down the hill into aid station.

To Stromer Spring- An overgrown single track switchbacking down the canyon, choked with vegetation and poison oak.  A group of 5 in a pack came up on me.  I tried to stay ahead, but it was too stressful so I stepped off and let them pass.  Down to the creek, then back up.  Everyone was moving slowly up the hill, when I realized that I felt GREAT.  I marched past them!  "Good job, young lady" said a guy in a QuickSilver T-Shirt.  "Thanks for calling me young lady!" 

At the top of the hill on the ridge, I started running again. I wasn't hammering it, but I told myself anything faster than walking was good.  Last time I had wanted to run this section and now I was!

To the finish.  The last 2 miles are a near constant descent losing 1,600 feet in 2 miles.  Steep, and not what my quads wanted.  On Wednesday I'd done mile repeats with Lane & Charles in the Presidio.  At about a mile, I decided to do a mile repeat, and picture Lane & Charles waiting for me.  I cranked the music and cruised into a 8:44 finish, 11 minutes faster than two years ago.

Things I did well:
Left plenty of time to make the start
Carried a pack instead of a bottle to stay better hydrated
Ate pizza for breakfast so didn't bonk
Caught up with Melissa
S-Caps every 30 minutes so never cramped up
Said thank you to the volunteers
Wiped down with Technu at home

Things to improve on:
iPhone not good choice for long races, spent too much time fussing with it. 
Make sure pack is full! of fluid on hot days, don't rely on the next aid station being there.
Should have worn compression knee high socks to protect from poison oak and other plants brushing legs
Forgot clothes to change into, so had to drive back in sweat soggy shorts.

Golden Gate 30K

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.

Headlands Marathon splits

my headlands marathon splits (all times are from when I leave the aid station)

Rodeo Beach to Tennessee Valley 5.4 mile 1:18 14.4 min/mile
Tennessee Valley to Muir Beach 4.1 58 14.1
Muir Beach to Tennessee Valley 3.8 1:01 16
Tennessee Valley to Golden Gate 1:11 5 14.2
Golden Gate to Rodeo Beach 1:18 8 9.75

Wow. talk about negative splits!! 2:29 for the second half, 3:15 for the first half! I don't think vie ever been happy about my time from Rodeo to Tv over Hill88--something about that hill cramps me, and the best I he for is survival. Coach Ken loooves it and keeps talk in about a Hill 88 88 repeat race. The middle TV hill is also tough. Coyote ridge was resurfaced about. 2 years ago and now is at best rutted and uneven and at worse a clay mud morass. I'm not sure the last segment is 8 miles-- but I was running solidly and passing.

Last night I worked on my pace chart for Headlands 100...
6:20 for first loop
6:40 for second
8:15 for the night loop
8:45 for final 25

It seems very doable to me--I'm budgeting 19 minute miles over the night. The y factor is aid stations--I'm only budgeting 5-10 minutes too each. No major stops, just changing clothes for the night and ahovelling in soup and cals.