As a matter of fact, I doubled with a Turkey Trot 2 days before, for these 8 times. Also, being the last race of our Ultra Grand Prix for many years, I usually didn't need to score to secure my age group, and risk an injury on this challenging course. But this is now our season opener, a good excuse to return. Overall, I ran it in 2006, 2008, 2009, 2014, 2016, 2021, 2022 and 2023. 3 more finishes to the 10-time finisher jacket! This time, in addition to pushing on a 10K on Thursday, my legs were sill tired from running all day and 106 miles at Fat Ox last weekend... One could say, not the smartest tapering! ;-)
That late in November, the conditions can vary a lot. This year, they were perfect: sunny, soft course after some heavy rain a weekend earlier then a dry week, and some breeze on the ridges. Even better, I got a very comfy ride to the start on Dominick's Tesla Y and we got one of the best parking spots near the school and 1 block away from the start thanks to leaving Cupertino by 5:15 and getting there around 6:20.
It was still dark under the redwoods canopy but Stan Jensen was already at work!
As well as John Catts of course, for his 10th and last year directing, with Ted Knudsen soaking in all the guidance and tips as he takes over the next editions.
The long porta-potty line is always a great opportunity to meet other runners.
Although teammate Sylvie just got her dual citizenship, I'm the one still wearing layers like I'm not Californian!
Was great to see the 200-miler queen, Catra, back on her quest to 25 Quads!
And look at who showed up again in the midst of such a super competitive Western States selection process, with the lottery in a few days: it's Race Director! As I told him: "You must be doing something great to get 9,600+ hopefulls in the lottery!"
Tropical John and Lisa made the trip to Mill Valley again for this very special celebration.
I was expecting a 5-minute speech at the start, but John Catts is more reserved than the Tropical one! Anyway, we were sent off on time at 7:30 with a sprint to the bottom of the first 700 stairs and I ended up being around the top 20 by then, although that didn't last for long!
I got passed by so many runners in the stairs but that was ok. Dominick, 52, caught up in the middle and I managed to stick to him. We were going to run the next 11 miles together, with an initial split of 1:14, right on his 5-hour target.
There were so many runners ahead of us, I lost track how far from the leaders we were, place wise: I'm guessing around 45. Distance wise, I was at 5.7 miles when I saw last year's winner, Nick Handel, on his first return: that made for a 2.8-mile gap already, wow!
On the way back from Stinson Beach, I was able to stay close to Dominick. We passed the Cardiac aid station and, 1 mile later, got into a couple of runners attending to one laying down on the side. Oh no, it was my teammate Sylvie Abel, in foetus position and looking unanimated as I got on the scene. So scary! Hopefully, she was just in shock and distress, having difficulty to catch her breath as she complained about hitting her rib cage and fearing something was broken. Her trail angel managed to get her to stand up, then sit down on the nearby trunk which she might have hit hard in her fall.
I wasn't up to take a picture while she was laying down, but here she is with her helper who stopped for a while. Dominick had just stopped for a few seconds and left when he realized we were enough to help out. I did leave after a couple of minutes myself after another runner stopped by and said he was an MD. With that, I didn't hear the helicopter which were sent over the scene but was told after the race that Sylvie ended up ok, getting assistance from the medics at Cardiac, then a drive back to the start. So long for a 2024 season opener for Sylvie and our team.
Without Dominick as a visual lead, I lost some of my mojo but was still happy to cross him as he was starting climbing the stairs again. I clocked a 2:31 at the turnaround and stopped for just a few seconds to drink a cup of Coke.
The third leg was surely not as fast and efficient as the first one but I kept pushing, remembering we had quite some power walking on the first leg already. This time I stopped at Cardiac, getting help from Jerry Flanagan to refill my GU Energy Brew bottle.
I crossed Dominick as he was at the beginning of the stairs on his way back, right after the Stinson Beach aid station. My clock was showing 3:51 and I returned to that spot at around 3:58. Not too bad of a gap but, again, I had lost my motivation to really pushing as hard as the 2nd leg. I even took the time to stop and snap a few pictures of the amazing views, to the surprise of 4 younger racers who passed me.
I jogged everything I could but walked way too much and felt the fatigue especially in the irregular stairs of Steep Ravine. These darn stairs, which I-Tao captured on leg 2:
This year's splits: 1:13:56, 1:17:49, 1:21:55 and 1:27:02, for a total of 5:20, not a great pace this time again. I thought I had run 5:21 last year but it was 5:09, so here is to some more disappointment. So far from my 4:20 and 4:19 of 2006 and 2008, I lost so much with the 4-year injury of 2018... Needless to say, so far too from Nick's winning time of 3:48:44, the 3rd fastest time in the race history!
Dominick had an amazing 4th leg, passing a lot of struggling runners, finishing 26th overall in 5:02:43 and winning our age group. I ended up 54th overall and 4th in M50-59, although 1st above 55. Maybe my odds will improve next year, at 60! ;-)
From our Quicksilver club today: Sylvie (DNF), Gaspar Morra, Bree Lambert-Sanders, Clare Abram, Scott Laberge (not USATF), Steve Patt, Stephen Strauss (Captain, DNF at the Triple).
We stayed until almost 3 pm, for some great connections with the local ultra running community. I have to say I was really impressed with how many people called my name on the trail; and Dominick was also stunned. Thank YOU to all of you, and sorry for being so focused on the trail for missing a lot of eye contacts and acknowledgments. At least I didn't get too distracted, and I didn't fall, one of my top goals at that race!
Ultra volunteering is a full time job for Stan Jensen, making for some long days caring about us!
To sweeten this celebration even more, John Catts got us superb technical fleeces from Salomon, embroidered with the 1983-2023 milestone.
Looking forward to year 41 already, hopefully for another finish, #8. Meanwhile, great to see so many of you yesterday!
PS:John posted this great event report on Facebook a few days later. Precious addition of details about the leaders, the volunteers and those who got the closest to even splitting!
No comments:
Post a Comment