Race 08-04 PCTR Pacifica 30k

January 19, 2008
30k - 3rd/39 - 2:41:36

Today I ran the PC Trail Runs 30k today. The weather was perfect (as usual) and the course was mostly dried up from the heavy rains a couple weeks ago. I set a goal of beating the time I ran on the course last summer, which was 2:38:30.

I started off in first, as I usually do on this course because I always intend on climbing fast and the course is mostly single track for the first 3 miles. 2 guys passed me about half way up and 3 high school kids passed me during the last mile. As I was climbing I definitely had heavy legs from the mileage I had done earlier in the week (3 runs of 9.2 miles). When I got to the top I found out the high school kids weren't in the race because they were standing around up there. I found out later they tried to pass themselves off as official entrants at the aid station at the bottom of the mountain.

On the way down a guy in the 20k passed me, then Ryan and Will caught up and politely asked me to pass and I enjoyed good conversation with Will for quite a while. They were both running the 50k. About 3/4 the way down I ran right through a vine that had a ton of spikes on it. I could see immediately blood coming from several cuts above me knee. Adrian was at the bottom and he offered my some band-aids but I declined.

I felt good at the bottom and considered whether or not I would beat my goal. I passed Will and Ryan on the first hill on the 9k section. Ryan could me on the way down and I stayed in that place the rest of the way. I could hear Ryan ahead of me for quite a while because even though the next stretch was switchbacks, he had loud headphones on.

It was more or less uneventful for the rest of the way. I was focusing on my time. I did the 12k loop in about 1:03. I had 1:51 at the bottom of the 2nd loop and at that point I more or less I knew I wouldn't run a 2:38. I ran hard on the last loop but finished in 2:41:36. When I got to the end I saw that the cuts from the thorns went all the way from above my knee down my shin to the top of my socks. It must have been loaded with thorns too because there were dozens of scratches resulting in one large open wound. I had dried blood everywhere on the from of my lower leg. Although it didn't hurt while I was running, once I stopped it was a very sharp stinging pain. I waited at the bottom to talk with Will and Ryan. Peter and Oliver also came out and ran the 30k so we talked at the end as well. I tried to convince them to come out to the DSE race tomorrow.