I have only been running 2 days per week this year, and as a result I don't feel quite like the runner I was last year at this time (preparing for the Quad Dipsea, well I guess I was only running 3 days a week, but it makes a difference.) So I had not been planning on running this race, until I met Sam. I met him at the finish of the Headlands 50K race (Aug. 26) I was there along with Niky, and a group of friends supporting Niky's husband Chris in his first 50K running race. Sam and I hit it off immediately and soon had a running date planned for the following Monday. We would pre-run the Mt. Tam Hill Climb course so that Sam would know the short cuts. We met up and ran/hiked the course and during that run Sam cajoled and heckled me into agreeing to run the race. He also decided that we would have our own personal "handicap" competition. I would have to beat him by 3 minutes for me to win, if he was only 2:30 behind me, he would have beat me. (inspired by the traditional "Dipsea" handicaps.) There was also a small wager behind the results, but we won't go into that here!
Last year I placed 11th, about 10 seconds behind the first place woman (who was 10th overall) Just doing the race for fun, I accidentally had ridden 5hrs the day before, and probably wasn't the most rested. So this year my new friend Sam wanted to get me off my bike so I would be rested for the race. We decided to go backpacking in Point Reyes for the 2 days prior, it's off the bike, yes, but it is time on the feet.... resting? Anyways, to the race: we rode from Sausalito to Mill Valley for the start (I am used to riding to my runs in Fairfax, and I figured I should keep it as similar as possible) registered, locked the bikes up, and stretched a bit. No warm up. On the start line at the Clock in the Square in Mill Valley George (the organizer) informed us that Rangers would be up on Temelpa and had taped off some of the short cuts to prevent runners from taking them, the fact that this race is completely un-sanctioned, and in fact totally "illegal" made it.... ironic, that they were allowing it to happen at all! None the less, this information was a bummer to me, since the steeper and harder the trail the better it is for me, and the worse it is for the true "runners." This race is pretty much the only running race where a cyclist has an advantage over a runner (in my opinion.) Once on the mountain, the course is basically a steep rocky rutty mad scramble, not a flat road where the runners can really open it up. I call it "charging" not running, and how I do it, not hiking. The course goes from down town Mill Valley straight up to the stairs that dump you out onto Summit road. You then run up Summit for a long and gradual uphill to the first cut that takes you to Temelpa trail. This road section is the hardest for me, I am being passed the whole way up by thin and svelte runners with beautiful seemingly effortless strides. Once we hit the dirt, however, the animal inside me comes alive. There is no beauty in the way I haul my body up the gash of a trail on the South East side of Tam called Temelpa (a trail I used to use for downhill training.) Anything goes, hands on the tops of the knees, hands on the ground clawing your way up, this second half of the race is more scrambling than running. I came off the pavement 4th woman, and within a few minutes on the dirt I caught up to the 3 women ahead of me. They were all together. I stayed behind them for a few minutes to recover, and when Judy Rabinowitz (last years winner) made her move to pass the second place girl I went with her, and then a couple hundred feet later surged past her and the first two girls. I don't think surge is the right word, more like thrash through the manzanita in a slightly wider section of the trail/rut. I look at my watch and see somewhere around 20 minutes in (I think) and I know that this is about halfway. I keep the intensity up and get around a couple of guys to get some distance between me and Judy and then try to recover. This is basically impossible, but I noticed that the girls weren't going that fast, and after last year where I just tried too hard, I know that easing off a bit and keeping within my limits is smarter than keeping the throttle on. Up at the Sitting Bull rock the first ranger is, with the wondrous short cut blocked off. I am heartbroken, as the trail is smoother and more gradual of a grade than the cut, and again, this is were the runners excel. I look back and can't see Judy and just focus on keeping the legs moving. The next cut is also blocked and more running is in order. Finally I see the rocky angle of a short cut that isn't blocked, and I notice the guy in front of me continue on the trail, I scramble up this section and nip him when I emerge onto the trail again, I now catch my first glimpse of Sam (he was pretty quick on the pavement) and I catch and pass him at a short cut that he missed. We go over the boulder and into the gully that is the steepest and hardest finishing stretch (still a ways to go though) and my legs are screaming for oxygen. There is no longer any pretense of "running" it is pure scrambling hands down on the rocks on every step. Sections of the trail are all one big rock. Successions of cuts with loose rocks trying not to slide down and don't push it TOO hard. I sneak glimpses back and see Judy, but she is not making any time on me. I know that she will not catch me now, and I back off a tiny bit to keep it safe. We pop out on Verna Dunshee and I put some time on Sam. Now for the last scramble up the gully to the big rocks on the top of the mountain and then onto the path to the finish line, slap the door to the lookout and stop the clock at 41:07 and take my finish line stick that says 7! Oh my gosh! I finished 7th, that's top 10 with the guys! And I was the first female! Sam finished only 20 seconds behind me, so with our (or his little side competition,) he technically placed ahead of me, and I owe him... Roy Rivers won the race, Chris Greene finished 4th, I was 7th, Sam was 8th, and we all ran down together with that great group of runners who call themselves the Temelpa Runners. Back to Rogers house for food and the awarding of the T-shirts. I get to wear #1 this year, and now they are all trying to get me to race the single Dipsea. It was a great weekend! Thanks for reading -Rachel
Last year I placed 11th, about 10 seconds behind the first place woman (who was 10th overall) Just doing the race for fun, I accidentally had ridden 5hrs the day before, and probably wasn't the most rested. So this year my new friend Sam wanted to get me off my bike so I would be rested for the race. We decided to go backpacking in Point Reyes for the 2 days prior, it's off the bike, yes, but it is time on the feet.... resting? Anyways, to the race: we rode from Sausalito to Mill Valley for the start (I am used to riding to my runs in Fairfax, and I figured I should keep it as similar as possible) registered, locked the bikes up, and stretched a bit. No warm up. On the start line at the Clock in the Square in Mill Valley George (the organizer) informed us that Rangers would be up on Temelpa and had taped off some of the short cuts to prevent runners from taking them, the fact that this race is completely un-sanctioned, and in fact totally "illegal" made it.... ironic, that they were allowing it to happen at all! None the less, this information was a bummer to me, since the steeper and harder the trail the better it is for me, and the worse it is for the true "runners." This race is pretty much the only running race where a cyclist has an advantage over a runner (in my opinion.) Once on the mountain, the course is basically a steep rocky rutty mad scramble, not a flat road where the runners can really open it up. I call it "charging" not running, and how I do it, not hiking. The course goes from down town Mill Valley straight up to the stairs that dump you out onto Summit road. You then run up Summit for a long and gradual uphill to the first cut that takes you to Temelpa trail. This road section is the hardest for me, I am being passed the whole way up by thin and svelte runners with beautiful seemingly effortless strides. Once we hit the dirt, however, the animal inside me comes alive. There is no beauty in the way I haul my body up the gash of a trail on the South East side of Tam called Temelpa (a trail I used to use for downhill training.) Anything goes, hands on the tops of the knees, hands on the ground clawing your way up, this second half of the race is more scrambling than running. I came off the pavement 4th woman, and within a few minutes on the dirt I caught up to the 3 women ahead of me. They were all together. I stayed behind them for a few minutes to recover, and when Judy Rabinowitz (last years winner) made her move to pass the second place girl I went with her, and then a couple hundred feet later surged past her and the first two girls. I don't think surge is the right word, more like thrash through the manzanita in a slightly wider section of the trail/rut. I look at my watch and see somewhere around 20 minutes in (I think) and I know that this is about halfway. I keep the intensity up and get around a couple of guys to get some distance between me and Judy and then try to recover. This is basically impossible, but I noticed that the girls weren't going that fast, and after last year where I just tried too hard, I know that easing off a bit and keeping within my limits is smarter than keeping the throttle on. Up at the Sitting Bull rock the first ranger is, with the wondrous short cut blocked off. I am heartbroken, as the trail is smoother and more gradual of a grade than the cut, and again, this is were the runners excel. I look back and can't see Judy and just focus on keeping the legs moving. The next cut is also blocked and more running is in order. Finally I see the rocky angle of a short cut that isn't blocked, and I notice the guy in front of me continue on the trail, I scramble up this section and nip him when I emerge onto the trail again, I now catch my first glimpse of Sam (he was pretty quick on the pavement) and I catch and pass him at a short cut that he missed. We go over the boulder and into the gully that is the steepest and hardest finishing stretch (still a ways to go though) and my legs are screaming for oxygen. There is no longer any pretense of "running" it is pure scrambling hands down on the rocks on every step. Sections of the trail are all one big rock. Successions of cuts with loose rocks trying not to slide down and don't push it TOO hard. I sneak glimpses back and see Judy, but she is not making any time on me. I know that she will not catch me now, and I back off a tiny bit to keep it safe. We pop out on Verna Dunshee and I put some time on Sam. Now for the last scramble up the gully to the big rocks on the top of the mountain and then onto the path to the finish line, slap the door to the lookout and stop the clock at 41:07 and take my finish line stick that says 7! Oh my gosh! I finished 7th, that's top 10 with the guys! And I was the first female! Sam finished only 20 seconds behind me, so with our (or his little side competition,) he technically placed ahead of me, and I owe him... Roy Rivers won the race, Chris Greene finished 4th, I was 7th, Sam was 8th, and we all ran down together with that great group of runners who call themselves the Temelpa Runners. Back to Rogers house for food and the awarding of the T-shirts. I get to wear #1 this year, and now they are all trying to get me to race the single Dipsea. It was a great weekend! Thanks for reading -Rachel
No comments:
Post a Comment