"Was That a Road Trip, or What?" - 10/17/10

THIS IS THE MOST SPECTACULAR course I have ever run.  My support crew and I traveled about five hours North of THE CITY to the Humboldt Redwoods State Park for the third race of the five race PA/USATF Road Race Grand Prix Series.  The old growth redwoods were the highlight of the trip. 

We left The CITY at about 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, went over the Golden Gate Bridge and traveled the entire route on U.S. Highway 101.  North of THE CITY, almost to the Oregon border, the road is known as the Redwood Highway.  In Southern and Central California it is often called El Camino Real because it generally follows the route that linked the California Missions, pueblos and presidios.  Technically, the Golden Gate Bridge is not part of 101 because it is maintained by the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District and not Caltrans. So, Highway 101 ends on the approach to the bridge and re-starts on the other side. 

Highway 101 travels inland through congested Marin County to the wine country of Sonoma County.  It then travels through the mountains using the Russian River Valley, eventually transitioning over to the Eel River Valley (South fork) in Mendocino and Humboldt Counties.  The road varies from multi-lane freeway to two lane highway.  After the crowded areas of Marin and South Sonoma Counties, the driving is nice and the scenery is beautiful. 

Garberville, CA

We stopped in Garberville (population 2,400), an unincorporated community in Humboldt County for lunch.  It is located on the South fork of the Eel River and was first settled in 1853 as Dogtown.  The local postmaster, James C. Garber, later self-named the town.  With a sign like the one pictured, how could we not pick the Eel River Cafe?  It was a nice little coffee shop.

We stopped at the race site to pick up my race number and then went to Fortuna to check-in at our motel.  After that, we drove down the Avenue of Giants to see the trees and preview the race course.  The old growth forests and trees are incredible and worth the trip.  You can see our photos HERE.  (Click on the slide show.  It is the easiest way to see the pictures in a larger format.)

Parking for the Race

On race morning, we arrived at sunrise, a little after 7:00 a.m.  Parking was down a path and on the flood plain of the Eel River.  This time of year, the river is probably at its lowest level.  We walked up to the race start and greeted some of the other runners we knew from THE CITY. 

The race starts at the Dyerville Bridge, on the Avenue of the Giants, near Founders Grove.  The course is on pavement, mostly under a canopy of old growth redwoods.  It is generally flat, although there are three bridges that result in moderate elevation changes. 

This is the last race I will run in the 50-54 age group.  I have a couple of goals for the race.  I want to test my fitness to see how the training is going.  I also want to try using an energy gel in the middle of the race to see if that is an option for December's marathon.  I would like to come in under 1:27 and to follow my usual pattern of averaging 6:30 miles with no mile above 7:00.  If I average 6:30 I will do a lot better than 1:27

The Race Course - Avenue of the Giants

Mile 1: The start is crowded as we climb over the Dyerville Bridge, but it opens up quickly.  We run past the Founders Grove.  About 3/4 of a mile into the race we cross the bridge over Highway 101.  The mile marks are painted on the road, with temporary signs next to them.  This greatly reduces the chance of having a mile marker out of place.  Mile 1 is 6:08.  That is a bit fast for a half-marathon, but I still feel good.  I decide to see how long I can hold a fast pace.

Miles 2 & 3:  The scenery is beautiful and I am still running comfortable, but fast.  I am with one of the two other Pamakid runners I saw at the start.  He is in his twenties and will probably finish in the low 1:20's when everything is done.  Mile 2 is 6:16 and Mile 3 is 6:17.  If I can hold this for the whole race, it will be amazing.  Around Mile 2.5 there is a clearing and we pass along the edge of the small unincorporated community of Weott (population 450). 

Mile 4: Around the Mile 4 mark, the other Pamakid runner pulls ahead and starts to move away.  I come in at 6:27.  I figure I am losing my concentration and try to push a little harder.

Miles 5 & 6: I am back on track with 6:13 and 6:09, respectively.  I am still feeling good, but looking forward the the turn around.  A little past Mile 4 we pass a campground.  These are the closest accommodations to the race site. 

Mile 7: Since this is an out-and-back course, the turn around is at about 6.5 miles and requires a 180 degree turn.  I am sluggish going into and emerging from the turn.  Mile 7 registers at 6:50.  That will not do.  I should have pushed the pace into the turn around.  Most people slow down emerging from a turn.  When racing, a runner can sometimes pass an opponent by working hard to maintain pace coming out of the turn.  It is also one of the places to try to avoid losing a few seconds, even if you are not in hot competition. 

Miles 8 & 9: My next experiment comes in this stretch.  I open a packet of orange-vanilla GU Energy Gel.  It is a sugary syrup with carbohydrate, potassium, sodium and a blend of vitamins and amino acids to supplement the energy stores that are being depleted during the run.  It tastes like the center of a candy.  I think it would taste a lot better if it was wrapped in dark chocolate.  I put little dabs on my tongue and let it melt in my mouth as I slowly swallow it.  This is hard to do with heavy breathing.  As I am squeezing the packet, I get some on my hand and spend  the rest of the race with very sticky fingers.  Mile 8 is 6:20 and Mile 9 is 6:27.  I am losing steam, but still a little better than 6:30.

Mile 10:  This is the dividing line in most of my half-marathons.  Mile 10 and beyond determines what kind of race I will have.  My time is 6:42.  My legs are losing their responsiveness.  I need to push hard to keep them going at a good pace.  In some races it is my breathing and oxygen intake that are the limiting factor.  In this race, my breathing is comfortable and I feel that I have oxygen capacity to spare.  In this race, it is my leg muscles that are the limiting factor.  My legs are not responsive and I am going to need to very consciously push them the rest of the way.

Miles 11 & 12: These miles are 6:32 and 6:30.  That is acceptable.  I need to keep pushing.

Mile 13: This mile ends on top of the Dyerville Bridge.  I have been visualizing it since Mile 10.  I will climb the bridge and pass the high point just before the mile marker.  Then, I will scream (figuratively) down the hill and around the corner to the finish line.  Mile 13 is 6:43.  That is not good, but it is the last mile.

Mile 13.1: As I approach the finish line, I see that I am well below 1:25.  My time for the last .1 is about 40 seconds and probably about a 6:30 pace.  A little slow.  I have spent what I have out on the course.  Nothing wrong with that.

My finish time is 1:24:19 gun time and 1:24:17 chip time.  My second fastest half-marathon ever and my fastest on a certified course.  Certified courses are measured according to standards set by USATF.  As long as the race director has laid out the course correctly, you can be relatively confident that the distance is accurate.  With uncertified courses, you cannot be as confident. 

Overall, I am 57 out of 606 finishers.  I am 6 out of 29 in the 50 - 54 age group.  I am 9 out of 37 PA/USATF seniors (50 - 59) and move from 13th to 9th place in the Grand Prix Series competition for Seniors.  This race also had a marathon with 206 finishers and a 5K with 226 finishers.  Over 1,000 finishers in all three events.

I am thrilled with the result and completely impressed with the course.  I can run in the 6:15 neighborhood, but I cannot hold it for the whole distance.  As a result, my pacing was uneven.  That was the conscious decision I made to see what I could hold.  At Clarksburg, I think I will try for more even pacing.  The syrupy taste from the GU stuck in my mouth for the rest of the race.  I am not sure I can do three or four packets for a marathon. 

Next up is the Clarksburg Country Run Half Marathon on November 14.  After that is the California International Marathon on December 5.  CIM has sold out their regular entry limit of 7,500.  There are also 300 special charity entries (with a $150 surcharge) and 1,000 marathon relay entries.