Ah, 62, and still an eagerness to run like a kid half my age, when will I learn. Appropriate statement as an intro this race report, as you'll see below, or read, rather. There is still the eagerness to run and continue my come back from the meniscus injury which did cost me a DNS (Did Not Start) at that race in 2024, and what I felt was a slow run last year, barely breaking 12 hours (11:55:36). This year, my priority was to get a 9th finish, on road for a potential 1.000K award next year; quite a timely goal, before moving back to France mid 2027. Yet, I was hoping for more than a finish, but to lower last year's time too, to prove that I continued rebuilding after these 7 months, and lot of muscle mass, lost in 2024.
I reached the Hacienda entrance around 3:25 am and was already about the 10th car to get parked. The half moon was high in the dark sky, meaning that the fog covering the rest of the Valley wasn't over our playground for the day, the Almaden-Quicksilver County Park. Like many other places around the globe, the weather has been quite weird this year: uneven patterns of rain, more in January and none in March, a frightening 100-year record, some very hot days much earlier than usual, yet today wasn't supposed to be as hot as usual.
Co-Race Directors, Stuart and Loren, sent us with our headlamps, on the first steep climb, right at 4:30 am. One minute before the start, a runner told me he read previous reports and there were useful to him, a nice nudge for me to keep going despite, again, some fatigue, with "social" media these days... And after my race, Jen mentioned she was looking forward to my report, so that makes two reasons to keep writing, sweet!
I was actually late to the start because I wasn't fully into race mode yet. And also because of a minor excuse, I had to turn back to my car after seeing my red lights still on, in the distance. I came back to the car, pressed the knob again, to no availability. Never mind, the race was about to start so I rushed to the front line. Ironically, last year, I saved one runner from a battery drain, but I got convinced my lights will eventually switch off.
The first 2 miles are up and require all the breathing. After 8 finishes, not counting 7 50-mile or 50K editions, I know the course quite well now, to the point that I recall all the uphill sections I used to run back in the days I was breaking 10 or 11 hours (since 2015: 9:45, 10:14, 10:25, 10:22, 11:03, 12:07, 13:07, 11:55). Still missing these days but that doesn't help much so I resolved in power walking when I couldn't breath well enough. There was about 20 runners ahead of me already, including a handful of gals. But, again, why do I care about remaining competitive, at 62... ;-)
During the 2nd mile, I couldn't stop thinking about my car lights and came with an idea, to ask one of the course monitors to check on my car. Indeed, I now remembered that I had meant to switch my lights off but instead probably set them on street mode. I left my key to Jeff, who took care of the problem and saved me from a problem later. (Later edit: it wasn't Jeff but David Foote who not only switch off my car lights but took the time to check if it would start; as the battery had drained, he recharged it with jumper cables: such a white glove service at Hacienda, saving me big troubles in the evening..., thank YOU, David!).
As we ran down to the cemetery, and circled around it, I counted about 15 runners ahead, as I had passed a few on Bull Run. I dropped my headlamp at Hicks Road, knowing the next section, miles of fire road, was easy ro navigate at dawn. As we climbed up to Woods Road, the views of the sun rise above the foggy Silicon Valley were magnificent. Several of us were power walking the steeper sections but I got impressed with the powerful diesel-mode of a runner passing us. I didn't stop at the Woods aid station and flew down Limekiln, so fast that I caught up with him again. It was going to take another half marathon, and a few place trades, before I got his name: Don (Pryznyk), from Calgary. Don was an amazing climber, and very careful, and slower, descender. Let's see how that strategy and these strengths played out.
I knew Jen was going to be at the trail crossing --we are running a figure 8 through Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve-- and was much looking forward the encouragements and her live action pictures! Kudos to her for posting them early on Sunday! (Next 3 photo credits: Jen Wheelock.)
After these fast miles down to the Lexington Reservoir where a few club members refilled my bottles, it was time for the second big climb of the day, the killer Priest Rock and Dog Meat. Don passed me again, about 1 mile up but, struggling to power walk, I still felt ok to point him at about 2 minutes at the top of Dog Meat.
It still took me almost 2 miles to catch him on the way down to the Kennedy aid station as I my legs didn't have in them to push as hard, already. My Coros watch indicated 23.3 miles when I crossed Robert (Schütz) in the lead for his first ever 100K race. A 2:27 marathoner, Robert won our past 2 races in our Grand Prix, Mount Diablo Half and Horseshoe Lake 30K in blazing fast times, it was going to be interesting how he'd fare today on a much longer distance, and some heat. Not too far behind, our star club mate, Sylvie (Abel), was killing it on her training grounds, she looked like having the perfect day!
Again, I spotted about 15 runners ahead by the turnaround at the bottom of this long downhill. Although RunSignup gives a split of 5:07 and 70th place, instead of 4:22 per my watch. Hmm? Anyway, it was time to get on the 3rd huge climb of the day, the grueling 5.5 miles back up to the Woods Road aid station. The only good part of that section is to receive so many encouragements of the rest of the pack, otherwise, it's a tough one to keep jogging when your legs starting feeling some damage at the end of this first 50K. Yet, I was pleased and encouraged to feel much better than last year, when I was so miserable and cramping in that section.
This time I stopped for some ice and bottle refill at the aid station, some Coke, a few pieces of banana and watermelon. I had seen Dominick less than a mile from Kennedy, my ex M50 buddy coming from South California and leveraging this even to visit his parents, last year he caught up with me at mile 46. No sign of him at Woods at least. Again, I was feeling much better than last year. What I only realize now, looking at splits from last year, is that I was already 20 minutes slower this year, when I thought I was actually faster... There is something about running by feel and without a precise plan, but the clock remains unforgiving...
Of course, Don had passed me on the way up to Woods, but then I caught up with him on the way down back to Hicks Road. Although, shortly after, I made a stop to enjoy the fresh water of a creek and that one minute-stop, plus my increasing fatigue, were enough to make that sight of Don the last one of the day for me. I was still moving relatively well after Hicks, at least that what I thought. However, in the tricky Deep Gulch Trail down to Hacienda, my legs froze with bad cramps on both sides, stopping me in my track, so much that Dominick, as well as another delighted M50, Chengquan Li, passed me before our return to Hacienda.
I refilled again, taking as much ice as I could carry in my cap, passed the timing mat in a respectable 7:31:36 41.4-mile split, but ended up spending, or losing/wasting, about 12 minutes at my car to assess the situation, reload a few new gels and S!Caps, drink a new pouch of Vespa, change cap and load an ice pack around my neck. At that point I had lost all fire to even jog and, a finish being back to the only goal, got convinced in my head that I was going to walk the final 21 miles, for a long afternoon.
Walking is what I did most up to the next two aid stations, Mockingbird and Bull Run. From Bull Run, after seeing and getting renergized by my friends from our sister and my previous club, the Stevens Creek Striders, I was able to jog most of the remaining 14 miles to the end, at least slog what was runnable, and walk the steeper uphills. That rekindled my spirit to think that, maybe, I could at least break 13 hours. Yet, I felt quite miserable and ashamed because that was so far from my expectations. When will I grow-up and be more forgiving...?
Apart from the physical struggle for the last 20 miles, I got a scare when almost running into a rattle snake. I had just passed a man holding his dog's leash on the side of the trail. The time I refocused my sight on the narrow single trail, the snake was straight across. And not moving. In the good old years, I would probably have taken the risk of sprinting above but not today. I warned the dog owner but, with my soft voice, he didn't understand and almost got his dog on the snake! "I told you!" did I shout this time... We looked at something to get the now coiled snake out of the trail, as the S shape felt frightening. I finally found a branch to lead the snake toward the grass... Chill!
Later on, I did pass a couple of 100K, and a dozen of struggling 50K runners, on the way up Mine Hill, remembering my best times running this section still hard when I podiumed; but I got passed by a couple of 100K runners in the final miles, too, including the final downhill in which I used to fly, back then.
Catching a shot of the Guadalupe Reservoir:
I'm adding this anecdote after my original posting of this report: at the bottom of the steep section of Providencia Trail, I saw a runner laying down deep under a bush, trying to soak as much shade in that exposed section. As I approached, I realized it was a bush of... poison oak! As I mentioned that to this 50K runner, struggling in the heat after 26 miles, he admitted he had no idea what poison oak was or looked like. I told him that not everybody was sensitive and allergic to it --I am big time! One week has passed, I guess he figured out by now...
At Bull Run, I still stopped for a few seconds to grab this selfie with the Striders. Oops, sorry for the wet screen, and foggy picture/selfie then...
My finish time was 12:39:22, 36th overall, 32nd Men, 15th Masters and, yes, first in M60, at least! (The next in my age group finished 3 hours and 25 minutes later so there is that...) I fell in the arms of ultra and omnipresent volunteer, Stan Jensen, who kindly let me use his chair, in the shade, to catch my breath. Photos credit: Janeth Siva.
Sylvie had one of her best racing days, winning overall, smashing the Female course down to 9:25! Robert took the Men win, 7 minutes behind, in the 10th fastest time of this race. Don finished 17th in 11:49, showing that he well preserved his quads by going slowly in the descents. Yet, I'm convinced he can shave many minutes by just letting go in the downhills, just sayin'.
We, Quicksilver Running Club, were able to score 2 teams in our Pacific Association USATF Mountain, Ultra, Trail Grand Prix.
And here is the prize I'll be chasing next year, good health permitting. This year was Steve Osborne of San Ramon (teammate Charles Blakeney got his 10th finish last year).
This time, without anymore work pressure, no more business trip and I didn't have to rush to a flight so I stayed for a few hours, until 7 pm; to the point that Agnès got quite worried, oops! The fact is that I needed some recovery and enjoyed chatting with a few, for longer, for a change.
I relied on the aid stations more than usual so an even better reason to thank all the volunteers for their expert help. Thank you for the perfect marking; I admit that, knowing the course by heart, I barely noticed the black/yellow stripe ribbons, although I've seen a pile of them in course marking pictures; thank you for the team of course markers. Huge thanks to the invisible volunteers working the aid station logistic from Mockingbird, under the direction of Queen Kristina: they must include Madan and Stephen at least, sorry if I'm missing others. And the sweepers. And the course and parking monitors. And those who helped before, during and after. And the RDs of course! It takes such a village!
Well done for the soft-sided cooler, and technical tee!
That was race #395 in my log, ultra race #213 (196 ultra finishes), and 31st (only!) 100K race. It took me 2 rest days before getting back to running again. And I joined a fitness club this week to start working on strength training, at last. Yes, it was about time, so much need to reinforce my glutes, quads, hamstrings in particular... Not to mention the upper body.
Skipping Silver State 50K tomorrow, will help at Run for Amma instead, so next is SF Half Day (12-hour), mid June. And, remaining stubborn to my core despite the years, still with the hope and will of getting... farther and... faster!
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