Saturday, December 22, 2007

Rodeo Beach, Sausalito, CA

Rodeo Beach is my favorite course to run anywhere. Last year I had won the short course here. And earlier this year I had run the Golden Gate Headlands Marathon there and had a great race. And of course had a great run last week at Muir Beach 50K along much of the same course. So despite having pulled my calf last week, I showed up here to try to do a lowkey run for my last ultra of the season. I had had some training runs during the week, running the flats from downtown Los Gatos to my office in Cupertino. So I thought I might be able to pull off the race after all.

12/24/2007
Walking to the start

Heading up that first hill from the beach on the Coastal Trail, my calf was twinging the whole way. Once I hit Wolf Ridge the downhills were fine. Up the hill on Miwok fireroad my calf was getting tighter and tighter. Down Old Springs trail to the Tennesse Valley aid station, I realized that I wouldn't be able to do the 50K after all. Not unless I wanted to walk all the uphills and make my finish time a few hours longer. Probably not a good idea since Rebecca was waiting for me. I told the aid station volunteers there that I would do the 20K, and headed up the Marincello Trail.

12/22/2007

I still had to walk all of the uphills, whereas I was able to run the downhills and the flats, despite the pain. I finished in just over two hours. Rebecca had run the 8K and was helping Sarah set up the finish line food. We headed off early for a weeklong trip to Squaw Valley at Tahoe: no running, just snowboarding. Probably just the right cure for my injury.

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