Beach/Trail Running – Point Reyes ½ Marathon, June, 2004

I got a natural break in the schedule for most of May, allowing me to rest up for Pt. Reyes, another Redwood Trails ½ marathon. This one is a bit of a trek to get to from SF, driving past Olema to the Pt. Reyes Nature Preserve.



The course starts with a mile of beach running, then cuts up slightly into the hills on an access road. The access road circles some amazing marsh land, and the Pacific breeze is never too far away. With a two loop configuration, I would recommend this race if you’re with friends that run at a different pace – you’ll see them time and time again!



My rest did me good, as I finished first overall in 1:28:56 (http://www.redwoodtrails.com/2004_results/ptreyesresults.html). Christopher Farady, in his first trail run ever and part of a training plan to get him to the Boston Marathon, finished about four minutes behind in a stellar debut. I’m feeling good for the Park City Marathon next week.

I also switched shoes on this race, going away from my trusted Salomon X-Pro’s to the Vasque Velocity earlier in the week. The Salomon shoes are still great, but the Vasque seems to have a bit more heel comfort.