Saturday was a very interesting day. As some may be aware it was a very stormy week in all of California with downpours, snow in the sierras and high damaging winds. I had Pacifica on the schedule to run the first 50k of the year. Early on in January I had debated 50k on this course and talked with my coach about downgrading to the 30k if I would do that I would have to run this race smart and tactical versus just finish the 50k. All that went out the door during the week with the storms..I was not at all excited about driving to Pacifica early on Saturday morning and run in sloppy conditions. So on Friday afternoon I had planned on bailing and run Foresthill with some folks...As I prepared Friday evening for Foresthill I saw some images from a friend that lives up there...A LOT OF SNOW! I went to bed by 9pm thinking I was gonna be in the snow...I woke up about 1am and took another look at the snow photo and decided at 1am Saturday morning to run Pacifica!!! What a flopper I am!..I reset the alarm for 3am and poof..off I go at 4:30am to Pacifica..
Weather on the way down was wicked with downpours and some pretty serious accidents on 80...As soon as I turned off onto hwy 1 to Pacifica POOF..no more rain! Dry roads..Still dark..no idea what i was getting myself into...
Pacifica trail race is a series of races ranging from 9k to 50k with 400 signed up for all the events. the longer races 21k,30k and 50k started with a long climb and then turn around head back down. This was some single track and fire road..This caused some serious traffic jams on the way up...I was in the company of some local runners..Kim Kortz, Jeff Barbier,Barb Ash, Greg Holmes,Charlie Jones and Gus(gotta get your last name and Darnelle Little. Me,Kim,Jeff, Darnelle 30k..barb,charlie,greg,gus 50k..As we climbed and descended we all had a chance to talk a bit,take in some stunning views...I had settled into some mid to back of the pack on this climb..I wanted to run better on the subsequent two laps to come. That said I witnessed in the this pack of runners some real rookie errors on the steep narrow rocky downhill with folks who have no need to pass on the downhill thinking they are going to win some age group awards when they are SOOO far back and causing the rest of us to be pushed aside..I will say this revenge was sweet..all these foolish runners I would pass on the remaining two loops!!!
I had an nice talk with some folks heading to the aid station at about 7miles and for the first time we hit the course where we would have to do two 5.5mile loops. Here I started to settle into a great tactical race....One this loop trail..either you where climbing or going downhill. The uphills not too steep. I managed my energy well with slow run and power walks on the these sections. I was passing a lot of folks now and opening gaps when I hit the two major dowhills on this loop. I felt great..Lap 1 was in 1:08 not fast but in control..I could not wait for lap 2...I followed the same plan for lap 2 run, powerwalk..here I passed more runners even with the powerwalk..I was feeling in control..on the last downhill it was slicker than the first..I was in a out of control downhill run but loving it! I passed some female hikers heading up as I was screaming down and they only could gasp and say.."oh my god..your crazy" I loved it! I got to the final turns leading to the finish and caught a train of runners..I gently told em to let me go pass on this I was using gravity to move me through. I hit the finish in a not spectacular time but felt very good..not tired, blown out at all but GOOD...A smart run...
Quads are a bit tired today..will head out for a run later...I made the right decision Pacifica was the bomb.
No comments:
Post a Comment