It was on race day but it was certainly not a race. Just stating this right away in case a Park Ranger wonders... Short of a permit, our official Club race got cancelled, first the 50K one in March's announcement, then the 100K in April. Like last year in May. Then October 2020...
In memoriam, and per the fat ass traditions typically happening in January or February to prep us for the ultra season, a few of us decided to get on the course. Not a group run, we were starting at random times and running alone or in tiny groups.
With that, it's not even a same-day race report, for a good change, just a same-day training run account.
I didn't want to park on the street at New Almaden and the gate at the Hacienda entrance was advertised to open at 8 am. When I arrived at 7:35, it was open and there were already a dozen cars on the parking lot. 10 minutes to get prepared and I was off at 7:45. The sun was already high but a nice breeze made the weather perfect, not too hot. The initial uphills brought back memories of our 100K start at 4:30 am, with our headlamps. With no hill and heat training, nor competition, I didn't have a precise goal other than not killing myself (phew!).
1.5 miles in the run, in the steep ascent to English Camp, I crossed Mark Tanaka who was already on his way back to Hacienda. He took a selfie of us and asked for confirmation on direction. He was about 8 miles ahead! Later, he told me he started at 6:40. At mile 1 I had passed James. I believe we were the last and late starters.
While I walked some of the steepest section in the first mile, I warmed up enough to jog the next 2 miles, up to Bull Run. At the next intersection, quite a confusing one with 4 branches, I did stop to get my phone out and check the course on Maps.me, just when Jill arrived, also on her way back from Hicks Road, another early bird starter!
Jill is a member of our club so I told her that I needed to go down to the Cemetery and, without any hesitation, she sent me with assurance to my left. After a few minutes of going down on a large fire road covered with gravel, I thought that they must have really worked on that section as it was completely different from the one I recalled. When I saw English Camp again, I realized I was on the wrong trail, dang, so long for enjoying the downhill! Adding half a mile to the 4th mile didn't feel so good. I retraced my steps now uphill, then took on the left, down this landmark that few people know about as it is at the end of a 0.5-mile out and back. Interestingly enough, 7-minutes after my mistake, Jill was still at the intersection, maybe she was looking for that Yellow Kid trail, now, one which used to be single track and super nice, but is now leveled, wide and covered with gravel too. The one she had sent me on!
The secluded Hidalgo Cemetery:
On my way up back from the Hidalgo Cemetery, I crossed James again. Then quite a few runners coming back from the Hicks Road turnaround, another out and back section. (These two pictures from Chihping Fu.)
I picked up the pace on the way back to English Camp, then got super careful going down the uneven and tricky Deep Gulch Trail getting us back to the Hacienda entrance at what is typically mile 9 of the 50K or 31 (50K mark) on the 100K. I have to say it felt really good to run that section on fresh legs. I can't imagine what the 100K would have been, if it had been confirmed. And, with COVID, I must not be the only one seriously undertrained for a hilly and hot trail 100K these days...
1:34 on the clock when I got to the car, 1:38 when I left, after getting a few ice cubes in my bottles and my ice bandana. I passed 4 runners on the next climb on Mine Hill, then 2 before the roller-coaster section (Hacienda). On one of the super steep downhills, I spotted 6 runners holding each others to avoid slipping and falling. They were super cautious and blocking the whole trail, so much that I had to slow down myself and... slipped, falling on my butt. No damage, and I could feel it coming, my own fault. Once back up, I called out for some space on the left of the trail and flew by. So fast that I missed the turn to get on Virl O. Norton trail, oops, one more detour. This time, I took me less than a minute to figure out and retrace back, and fly by that group again in the next steep downhill!
Just before Mockingbird, I caught up with a group from my first and former running club, the Stevens Creek Striders. A special day for Lina whom we celebrated at the parking lot.
I stopped there for at least 10 minutes, enjoying the shade, the company, a chat with my fellow countryman Pierre-Yves, who would have directed the races with Loren. And I also indulged more ice in my bottles and my ice bandana. The next section was 10 miles, better get cooled down before hitting the heat and exposed trails.
Pierre-Yves mentioned that Mark got lost earlier and ended up back to that parking lot a second time. I really enjoyed the New Almaden trail section and its shade. I did pass two female runners on the way up to Bull Run and saw them again as I was finishing the Catherine Tunnel lollipop out and back, after a pit stop (and pee-t stop), pictures of the Almaden Valley and San Jose, grabbing 4 GU Energy blocks (oops, not recommending 4 at once! ;-) ). Oh, and 2 S!Caps! In a rare event, showing my under training, I was now 3 hours in the run and had completely forgotten to take my hourly S!Cap. I'm usually really good at that, must be the excitement of seeing friends again on the trail... I also took a Vespa Power concentrate.
This short loop is really special for several reasons. First, you get quite a view of the Valley. Second, it gives some refreshing shade before getting back on the exposed Mine Hill. Third, on race day, that's where Chuck Wilson is typically posted to monitor the course, and it's always a highlight of my race to get his encouragement. Last but not least, and quite a personal reason, Catherine is my mom's name, even more special on Mothers' Day weekend!
I eventually caught up with Mark once I got back on New Almaden after plunging down from Mine Hill on Prospect #3, one of my favorite trail for its outstanding views, giving you a feeling of flying an airplane and preparing a landing at SJC (well, I don't have a license, so I can only guess).
We run a mile together, chatting a bit, then I went ahead when I found out that Mark wasn't working or texting on his smart phone, but playing a game! Duh, no wonder he missed a few turns too, trail running requires some good attention and focus!
I was still at the table at the McAbee entrance, getting some ice from Keith and Laura, when Mark arrived. Another long stop to enjoy the small company, 8 minutes this time. Reenergized, I mixed jogging and walking for the next section up Senador Mine trail. On Guadalupe trail, I caught up with Jeff and two other runners. With Jeff, we chatted about our stroke experiences and their consequences. Jeff got a much more serious one, one year after my 2016 TIA, I'm super impressed to see him back to running 50K!
I picked up the pace on Mine Hill, thinking of the times I was able to still run it end to end, either at the end of the 50K or 100K, to battle for the podium! Without that stake today, I admit I did walk a few sections, especially on the steep Providencia detour.
I missed seeing my Striders friends who are traditionally manning the Bull Run aid station. An aid station which is only 3 miles from the finish, but strategic after such an exposed 6-mile uphill beast! Although I was feeling hot, it wasn't enough to take the risk of plunging my head in the green water of the horse drinking trough! ;-) As a matter of fact, I still had a few ice cubes in my ice bandana, so cool! And the breeze was still refreshing.
I ran the next three miles, running the official course except for the last mile where I stayed on Mine Hill to get back to my car at Hacienda instead of the traditional finish at Mockingbird. Fair to say that this is a much easier finish than getting back up the end of the roller-coaster of Hacienda. At least, with the detours, my GPS got 31.46 miles, just above 50K. 5:24:33 elapsed time for 4:55:01 of moving time according to Strava: quite far from my sub-4-hours of 2010, 2011 and 2012 (4:01 in 2014), but that could have been worse given the much different conditions. Oh, and a few more years on the life clock too! The course has changed too since.
I like the palette of colors on this chart, pretty much all across the board, speed wise.
And the 3D flyover (click on this link or the image below):
So great to get a bit of normalcy by getting back on a familiar course and seeing a few familiar faces. Finally hopeful that we are going to get back to normal racing in the second half of the year. Well, in our County at least as many other States and Counties are running races like nothing much is still happening all around. For instance, today was American River 50-mile, North of Sacramento, a race which is held the first weekend of April otherwise. And Silver State 50K and 50-mile also filled up quickly (race in Reno, NV, on May 15). But, closer to home, Ohlone got cancelled again this year. Let's not just keep our fingers crossed, let's get these shots and show love, support and appreciation for all our Race Directors!
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1 comment:
Great running into you, though I think I shouldn't tried to keep so long. For the record-- the only unintentional wrong turn was not an account of playing that damn game, but misinterpreting the turn sheet and trail marker shortly after leaving McAbee. Since I was looking for a longer run (mid to upper 30s), it all worked out!
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