Skyline to the Sea

A few weeks ago, I joined 249 runners for the Skyline to the Sea 50k and Marathon, organized by Pacific Coast Trail Runs. I thought the route starting at Skyline Blvd and finishing at the Ocean just north of Santa Cruz would be a good choice for my first ultra marathon. Despite the net elevation loss there were still 3000 feet of climbing, which made sure that the race wouldn't be too easy.

I lined up for the start in the first quarter of the pack, judging from the pace in the first miles this was a justified position. After about 5 miles I knew though that I was in trouble... I was still cruising along with people with way more experience and lots of ultras under their belts. The slight downhill had sucked me into a 8:00 pace. It was a lot of fun though!

It didn't too long until I reached the first aid station after 6 miles. I had dreaded this moment, since the first climb of the day (2 miles, 800ft) was just ahead. To get to China Grade, the next aid station, was a long haul. Here I got my water bottle refilled, and took two salt tabs. Not knowing the trail I had been looking forward for the next section, the drop into Big Basin State Park. A drop it was! Over exposed bedrock, and technical trail. The going here was a lot slower than I had anticipated. After spraining my ankle last spring I am a little paranoid about too uneven footing, so I ended up walking big chunks of the way down to Gazos Creek. From here I joined the 50k runners for a extra 5 mile loop, while the marathoners followed the Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail towards the finish. The additional loop included the second major climb of the day. I took a little more than an hour to get back to Gazos Creek, and more salt tabs and another water refill. The next aid station would be 13 miles ahead. Quite a haul in temperatures in the low 80's...
And yes, about half a mile out of the aid station was the third big hill of the day. It was a slog up there, but then something miraculous happend: All of a sudden I felt fresh and fast again! The miles 20 to 23 flew by! Never the less I realized at that point, that my goal to break 5 hours was out of reach. Well, it slipped further in the next 6 miles, which were a mix of slow jogging and walking. A couple of miles before the aid station I ran out of water, and was looking forward for my refill. Bad luck though! By the time I got there, the station had run out of water. Fortunately a hiker offered me some of her water. I was good to go the final two miles to the finish. Mostly in a slow jog... I crossed the finish line after 5:44. Good enough for 73rd overall and 31 in the age group.
In the finish area I used the opportunity to refuel on beef jerky, chilli, pretzels and other goodies provided by PCTR. The ice bath in the ocean was the perfect ending for a rough day.

After my first marathon I was sure that I would run another one. Even now, three weeks after my first 50k, I am not sure if I really have to run another one. Time will tell I guess...

Good to be back...

...in Yosemite. I spent the last weekend climbing in the Valley with Sam. We drove up Saturday morning, with the intend to have a mellow, relaxing weekend. I hadn't been to the Valley in almost a year, and hadn't climbed on gear since August. In fact between August and last week I only climbed outdoors once, at the Pinnacles. On the way we decided to check out the Five Open Books area and climb Committment, if the route seemed dry enough.
The conditions seemed well enough from the base of the climb, so Sam started off on the first pitch. I led the second pitch, and of course the slabby part in the beginning was wet and slippery. It took some navigation, but I managed to piece together a patchwork of dry spots... Sam finished the route leading the third pitch.
Back at the base we noticed that no one was on Munginella, so we figured we'd run up it real quick. Real quick it was! We climbed the route in two long pitches instead of three, me taking the first.

The next day we went to Pat & Jack Pinnacle, where we climbed Makayla's Climb, and the bolted line right of it, which was in neither of our guidebooks. Both of us led both routes. Neither of us had climbed Golden Needles before, so we decided to give it a shot. The first pitch follows a corner with perfect hand cracks, which I led to a huge belay ledge. From there the second pitch follows double cacks to a bulge, which was rather nasty. Sam did an awesome job leading this section. At the top we waited for the party behind us and shared the rappel with them.

A perfect mellow weekend in Yosemite! I can't believe that ithad been so long since I had been up there!

Hoping...

...the lottery fairy is nice!

I entered the lottery for a race for the first time: The St. George Marathon in Utah, in October.
The results will be published tomorrow morning at 8.

Keep your fingers crossed!

Yay for Fridays!

It's Friday! Yay! And it's above 75F, the sky is blue...
The week was about as good as I expected it to be. I picked up the first farm box of the season and the first meat box, too. The meals until Monday are planned out, but I still have to figure out what to do with a leg of pork and a beef bottom round.

Dinner tonight will be ribeye steak grilled on the charcoal grill with roasted squash, and some lettuce. I've had pretty good experience in fueling for runs this way, so I am confident that it will supply me with plenty of energy for tomorrow's Pirates Cove 20k.

My Sunday morning activity

20 miles at Rancho San Antonio... good fun!

Now: Food and nap on the couch :-)

Counting down: 11 days to go

Alright, there are several reasons I have been looking forward to the middle of March.
It being the start of the new CSA season being the main one. I can't wait to have a box full of fresh, tasty veggies from Two Small Farms waiting for me every week. I feel that I definitely eat better when there are fresh vegetables around.
This year the veggie box will be supplemented by a meat box. After reading Micheal Pollan's 'Omnivore's Dillema' and 'In Defense of Food' and after seeing 'Food, Inc.' I think trying to get locally, sustainably grown meat (beef, pork, lamb, poultry) is a good thing for me and the planet.
The box will be supplied by Marin Sun Farms. I am definitely looking forward to this new experience and the experiments in the kitchen.
On top of these two reasons is the fact that at the end of that week daylight savings starts! It will be longer bright than only 6:30.
Oh, yeah, there's also the first race of the year: The Pirates Cove 20k, put on by PCTR.
Anyway, four reasons for me to be excited!

Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour

Last Friday I enjoyed a stop of the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour in Santa Cruz. This event has become a little bit of a tradition for me. It's put on by the outdoor recreation department of UCSC at the Rio Theater. This years showing featured seven films including an episode of Sender Flim's First Ascent series they produced together with National Geographic. 'Alone on the Wall' described the free-solo endeavors of Alex Honold on Moonlight Buttress in Zion NP and on the Northwest Face of Half Dome in Yosemite.
'Finding Farley' was the main film, documenting the travels of a young family across Canada by boat to meet Farley Mowat. Although I think that the movie is a little too long, it is amazing to see a couple their two year old son and their dog travel 5000km during a five month journey.
Other films were 'Kranked-Evolution' a mountain biking movie, which made me want to dust off the bike, 'Project MegaWoosh', a short spoof made in Germany, a documentary about the restauration about monasatries in Mustang, and a short film about incredible powder skiing in Japan.
For the fourth time in a row the festival did not disappoint!