A race out on the trails rather than around a track! I was disappointed they had no record of my registration at packet pick up but there’s a first time for everything and this was soon rectified. It was the usual pleasant American set up for a point to point race: park, take a school bus to the start and chat comfortably with a stranger, hang around in the cold with braziers to huddle around. I had spent a great deal of time wondering what to wear for the cold, wondering exactly how cold it would be, and whether I should take my hydration vest. In the race photos almost everyone wore a hydration vest but I couldn’t see the need as there would be seven aid stations. In the end I wore mine. I just don’t like it when lots of people comment on my not carrying any gear. I wore knee length tights and took a lightweight jacket plus a very small emergency supply of water to justify wearing the vest.
We were a crowd of around 300. It was close to freezing at the start and it took me nine miles to warm up enough to take off the jacket. When I took it off, at an aid station, one marshal tried to help me get the sleeves over my hands and another marshal even offered to roll it up for me to put in my pack; race marshals here are beyond helpful. The sun came out and it was a perfect running temperature.
The first thirteen miles was in a state park and was lovely. We climbed above one fork of American River and loosely followed it, running trails over rolling bald hills. The water shone in the early morning light. There was plenty of frost and later on mud. Nothing was flat but the hills were not severe and I tried to run them all, while most people around me walked the uphills.
Just before the thirteen mile aid station we crossed the river and passed the Salmon Falls right by the bridge. I’m afraid they were not that special. Approaching the bridge we had a twisting downhill which had been mentioned on the race website as being difficult and I had worried about it before the race, but at the time of running down I was not even aware this was it. A runner ahead of me tripped over; I hadn’t seen it happen but the two of us had been playing cat and mouse for a while and as I drew level with her I said, sympathetically, That’s usually my trick which must mean something else here because she clearly wasn’t impressed by my turn of phrase.
After this we basically ran alongside Folsom Lake. I ran sandwiched between two other runners for a long time; they were walking the short uphills and running the downs and I would draw even with the woman in front on the uphills then drop behind on the downs. The man behind me was one of only two runners I saw not wearing a hydration vest and I had a strong desire to talk to him about this, but didn’t.
The path, mainly singletrack, wound along through light forest, sometimes more open grassland, with a lot of muddy sections and a couple of stream crossings where you could not avoid getting wet feet. The water was cold but refreshing. All of the track was either up or down, I don’t think any of it was actually flat. The lake was big with steep sided gravel banks and there were a few motor boats, but there was little access to the water. I had passed the two runners I’d been running with but then the guy without a hydration vest reappeared and passed me and I followed him for quite a while. I had already been passing quite a few people but feeling really comfortable. My main goal was to beat seven hours.
About six miles before the finish we came into lightly populated areas, and some noisy dogs. A local woman welcomed me to her neighbourhood and said to look out for eagles. They had cold brew coffee at the last aid station; it was great and gave me a real lift. I passed no-hydration-vest. In the final mile we had to run across the Folsom dam. This was a definite low point, much longer than the dam wall at Lysterfield, although flat.
They were announcing names in the finishing chute but did not mention me; I immediately worried this was due to my registration mess up and went straight to the woman who was looking after results. She confirmed I had won my age group in 6:20; when the second placer finished (it turned out I had passed her in the final three miles) we stood on the podium for photos. I later realised they had not called out my name because my race bib was covered up.
While I was hanging around no-hydration-vest came up to say hi. I still didn’t take the opportunity to compliment him on running without a vest. I was surprised to see in the results he was the same age as me.
There was a huge picnic area by the finish. Given a choice of cheeseburger or vegetable soup I had to have the burger, my first beef of the year. It tasted good and I can see why people eat beef.
I went back to the hotel for a shower. I had thought I wasn’t feeling too tired but once I got there I didn’t want to go out again. I had snacks from the vending machine for dinner, my post race beer and a lot of TV.
In other running, I had been very pleased to run the Dipsea trail from Mill Valley to Stinson Beach the day after I arrived here. Once I reached Stinson Beach I had intended to get the bus back to Mill Valley but there was no bus for three hours. I got a coffee and chatted briefly to another customer (who was almost blind I noticed after a while) who recommended I run the Steep Ravine Trail. So I did this and it was great, through the heart of the forest and by a creek. I emerged at a roadside picnic area and once again thought I could get the bus but there was still a long wait and I was cold, so I went on and ran all the way back to Mill Valley, arriving before the bus.
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