Splashing Through the Bay Trails Marathon

Last Sunday, I had the great pleasure of joining 250+ trail runners for the inaugural ZombieRunner Bay Trail Marathon/Half Marathon/5k in Palo Alto, CA. ZombieRunner and Coastal Trail Runs sponsored this new two-loop course to highlight some of the great new trails along the Bayshore, and a marathon on new trails felt like the perfect way to cap off a great season. We all got our fair share of wind and rain at this one, but it was a great time!

(Rain or shine!)

(Zombie's Gillian and Don cheer at the start)

(Kermit Cuff goes t-shirt, while the rest of us go Gore-Tex)

It had stormed most of the previous two days (hats off to those who raced on Saturday too!), and the clouds pretty much guaranteed more of the same. Wet and windy, but not too cold. My Oregonian-raised body had no problem with that forecast. Some folks opted for singlets, while others (like me) went for head-to-toe gear. As my friend Eric says, "it's easier to cool off when you're too warm than warm up when you're too cold". I had a chance to get a quick pic with Yolanda Holder, who had just broken the world record for most marathons in a calendar year. The record was 100, and today she's on #104! Bravo!!!

(Me with Yolanda Holder before her World Record 104th marathon)

At 8am, RD Wendell Doman sent us off down a small section of bike path before we hit the muddy access roads. The half marathoners set the pace up front, and we all followed on the thin lines of mud that skirt either side of the puddles. By mile 2, our bodies were spotted with dark brown mud. Such a dirty, dirty race!

(And we're off!!!)

I was a bit embarrassed to admit I had never run on the trails in this area. They are just a stones throw from my former office, how could I not see them? The surrounding wetlands are full of geese, cranes, rabbits, and more, and you feel miles away from town. I enjoyed the scenery as I paced along with Kermit Cuff, who gave me the local's low-down on all the various ways to run the network of trails. Most of it is flat and fast - such a great place for trail speedwork! Kermit was moving pretty fast, and before too long we had pulled out ahead of the pack.

(The week before, peaceful and calm, photo courtesy of Coastal Trail Runs)

As we moved quickly through the "duck aid station" (mile 3.5), it began to rain heavily and my camera took one last gasp before drowning in my soaked glove. So I worked my way up to Kermit again, who was leading the half marathon despite having just raced The North Face 50 last weekend and getting ready for the 24-Hour New Years Day run in just over a week. The geese, rabbit, and deer shot off in every direction as these two strange humans surprised them with their heavy footsteps. As we hit the second aid station (~mile 5) and went into the only hill climb on the course (a whopping 65 ft), I looked back and realized we had about two minutes on all the other runners. Kermit was flying!

(The half marathoners set the pace)

(Lots of great new - and flat! - trails)

As we descended back down into the out-and-back section, any puddle avoidance technique was quickly becoming futile. It was challenging enough the first time around, but with 500+ more footprints, it was a skating rink! It didn't dampen spirits, however, and there were plenty of high-fives going around. It's hard to stop the inner child from wanting to splash a few puddles and get muddy, especially when it's so plentiful.

(Mud-skating along the Bay path)

(Ducks enjoy the pond outside of the first aid station)

After another quick stop at the duck aid station (mile 9), we hurdled over a mile-long string of puddles before crossing a bridge and hitting the thickest mud yet. Hmmm...maybe racing flats weren't the best choice today! Most of us had made the same shoe choice mistake, so it was entertaining to watch the near-spills going on every 50-100 feet. We laughed our way through the mud, both out and back, before hitting the halfway point in 1:24:22. Victory in the half marathon for Kermit! I wished him well before I headed out on the second lap.

(Just a SMALL amount of standing water on the course)

The rain kicked in again, making the trail into a huge mud milkshake (mudshake?). I quickly slowed to 8 min/miles just to keep my balance in the slippery goo, then slowed even more when the headwind hit. It was getting laughably difficult to make forward progress. No negative split today! Ha, ha. But it still wasn't too cold and I was having a great time enjoying the views of the east bay.

(Some puddles are too big to avoid, photo courtesy of Larry Bradley)

(Rachel Grate and Audrey Cole laughed through the entire half marathon, photo courtesy of Larry Bradley)

A short section of tailwind allowed me to kick it into high gear and throw off a rooster tail of mud behind me. I gave a big thanks to the volunteers at the aid station (mile 21) for their fortitude and good spirits - I think they had the harder day! I took a look back and saw Karl Shnaitter and Frederic Garderes, both about a mile back and pushing through the wind. In retrospect, it would have been much easier if we had worked together.

The next few miles were blissfully silent. There is a peaceful stillness to the wetlands, even when the wind is howling, that can soak the body far deeper than the rain. You can witness the animals in their every day routines of scrounging, eating, foraging, and sleeping. Such a pleasant perspective on the holiday preparation madness that would follow soon after the finish line.
 

(Wildlife at every turn, photo courtesy of Larry Bradley)

By the time I got to the last mud section, it was clear a sub-3 hour marathon wasn't going to happen so I just loaded up on snacks and casually cruised in the last few miles. I crossed the finish in 3:04:05 for first place...a slushy-soft course record that someone can knock off next year.  Now that I've experienced this little slice of heaven, I know it is always here for a welcome mid-day romp. This is a special place to share! Trail running RD's and sponsors are the greatest gift givers. 

(Mohan Dutt brings it home in the half marathon)

My thanks to the great volunteers for braving the storm and putting on a great race. Have a happy holiday and new year, and I hope to see you again soon in 2011!

Cheers, SD