Last Race of the Season, The Woodside 50k

My last race for 2005 was the Phleger Estate/Woodside 50k this last Saturday, a hilly 50k through the Santa Cruz Mountains near my home. When I say "near", I do mean "near" - the first aid station is set up on my driveway at mile 6. Today, however, I would get to share my local haunts with 200 or so lucky runners trying 11k/19k/37k/50k distances.

(Heading up the climb at Huddart Park)

Old man winter must have been one of the entrants, bringing sub-40 degree weather and storm-beaten trails (I know, us Californians are wimps but around here that's cold!). The sun was doing its best to burn off the frost and shed a few rays of light through the redwood canopies. Wendell and Sarah, the RD's of Pacific Coast Trail Runs, had made some last minute changes to the course to avoid the rampant poison oak of the Phleger Estate, and instead criss-crossing up Huddart Park to start. Total vert = ~4,800 ft, with most of it before the first aid station.

As runners arrived for registration, most of the conversation was around the Western States 100 lottery that was taking place that same morning. I had my application in too, so I was eager to check the web site after the race. I also spoke with a 12-year-old Devon Errington and her mom, who both awaited Devons first 11k to test out the cross-country skills she had been building this Fall with the Woodside Priory Cross Country Team. But us long-distance folks got to go first, and about 30 runners lined up for the 50k start, with roughly 1/3 of them being first-time ultra runners. The PC Trails races are awesome for first-timers, so this was no surprise. At 8:30am, we were off!

Within the first two miles, the field had quickly spread out. Christophe Jole went right off the front like a banshee, as Mike Duncan and I ran together in 2nd/3rd, trying to remember if Christophe was one of the people who had raised his hand when Wendell asked for first-time ultra runners. We shrugged out shoulders and paced along Richards Road Trail. Mike Duncan has been a cross-country regular in this area for nearly 30 years, and at age 56, still regularly kicks my ass. As we ran, he shared stories of running with the San Mateo high school cross country team through the Phleger Estate (before it was known as the Phleger Estate) in 1968, pointing out an old gate buried in the redwoods that marked the original entrance. In four years of running this trail, I had never noticed that gate. When we hit the hills, Mike was all business, launching up the mountain with the grace and sure-footed stride of a mountain goat that knew every step by heart. I kept him in sight as we climbed up to the first aid station, and as I looked down the hill, and I could see it was just the two of us for quite a ways back.

(Ron and volunteers set up the first aid station near our driveway)

The first aid station was set up in my driveway at the 9k mark (I TOLD you I was a local!), and a handful of friends and family awaited their runners. The sun didn't seem to be helping much, and it felt colder here than it was at the race start. I decided to keep my gloves on, refilled my water bottles, and had some banana and Pop Tart pieces. Mike was already out of sight. I turned on my iPod (Audioslave, Zero 7, and a new hip hop album from Le Peuple de Herbe) and headed down the familiar route to Wunderlich Park as I had dozens of times - alone with my tunes, letting my body dictate the pace.

The trail evidenced the stormy week we had before the race, with a few fallen trees to jump over and around, and most of the topsoil and pine needles pushed to the sides of the trail by rain water. Mike and I ran the trail in a similar way - in the firm center for good foot traction on the way up, and on the thick trail edges for a more cushy downhill. About an hour down the Skyline Trail, I hit the second aid station (mile 12), watching Mike leave as I arrived. This aid station was also chilly (a volunteer's two dogs burrowed into a sleeping bag had the right idea), and we joked about the frost on my goatee. They also mentioned that Christophe was about 8 minutes ahead of us, so he clearly had a good pace going.

I headed down into Wunderlich Park, trying to focus on a fast turnover and keeping my weight forward. My Inov-8 Flyrocs were sticking well, making it easy to get through the single track at the bottom. As I popped out of the very bottom our traverse through Wunderlich, I noticed the turn up the Meadow Trail wasn't marked (the only missing mark on an otherwise perfectly marked course - bandits, perhaps?). I knew to go back up (and suspected that Mike knew that too), but wasn't sure about the 50k runners behind us. I tried to assemble a few sticks to make an arrow and debated leaving a glove (pointing the right way, natch), but felt I was borderline freezing as is and needed to keep the glove . About 100 yards up there was another trail marking, so I figured most would see it.

As the trail linked back up with the fire road we came down, I got to see the happy faces of the other 50k runners coming down. Everyone seemed to be having a great time, and they were all dressed warm. A couple of them told me Mike was about 6 minutes ahead, so I knew he was making ground on the uphills. As I hit the peak at Wunderlich, I was surprised I felt so good. On race morning, I could still feel the burn in my quads from the Santa Barbara 9 Trails race the previous weekend, so this would be the first ultra I would do without a full recovery. But so far, so good. I foraged through the aid station (m&m's, goldfish crackers, flat Coke), refilled the water, and headed back towards Huddart Park.

At the 26 mile aid station (back at my driveway), the volunteer said, "oh, good...we thought you were lost." I asked what he meant, and he said that Mike Duncan was in first place for the 50k but thought there was one guy ahead of him. I concurred, but said that I wasn't the lost guy and had been third. Clearly, Christophe had taken a wrong turn somewhere or had dropped out. But now the volunteers knew who to look for.

(Heading back into Huddart Park for the final descent)

I felt strong in the 1,800 foot descent to the finish line, much better than last year (my first ultra, where I had finished in 4:53). Before I knew it, I crossed the finish line in 4:39, good enough for second place behind Mike Duncan (who finished in 4:29). Christophe came in third about 5 minutes later, saying he had missed the turn at Meadow Trail. He was NOT pleased (remember - always, always carry a map!), but understood that's part of the trail running experience. Caren Spore from Davis, CA, came in just under 5 hours to win first female, and Devon Errington smoked her first 11k in 59:53, placing 8th overall in a field of over 100 runners. We all helped ourselves to hot soup and chili and cheered the other runners in.

When I came home, I found out that I didn't get a slot for Western States. Alas. That's okay, though - I'm sure 2006 will have plenty of adventure in store. Just looking back on the 15+ great races I had in 2005 (Deadwood, Boston, Aspen, Tahoe, Dipsea, my first 50-miler, etc.), I am already excited for what may lie ahead. At the Woodside 50k, my backyard trails felt new again. I guess as long as you are trail running, every step feels new and exciting no matter where they might lead.

Happy holidays, everyone!

- SD