February 20th was the first formal training run for the WSER100 as put on by the race directors and all. I have been looking forward to this run so that I could put together in my head the direction of the course from the River crossing at Rucky Chucky's far side to the finish of the course at the Placer HS track.
After a bus trip to Green Gate outside of the town of Cool we were dropped off to start at our leisure for approximately 22miles of trails on our way to Auburn. I had done last years Memorial Day weekend training run but did not do the last days run along this portion of the course. I was however, familiar with much of the trails from running WTC 50K and other training runs. These training runs are great because you get a chance to run a good portion of the course one way without having to do car shuffles and great Ultra aid stations along the way.
My running partner Amy and I met up with the others that morning and ran into a few other familiar faces along the way. The trail quickly heads up the switch backs from the American River floor and connects with the WTC course in the reverse direction. Early on there were a number of long conga lines as runners of various abilities left from buses at different times. Within a few miles we came on one of the longer conga lines and it became apparent why it was such. As we worked our way up and past Tim Twietmeyer was fronting this group. Anytime you get the chance to hang with a legend like Tim why wouldn't you do just that? Unfortunately, as soon as we realized it was Tim he chose to take a break at ALT to say Hi to some friends and get some water (or it may have been to drop the long line of spectators that had attached themselves to his back side). In any case it was an overcast day and I ran off and on with Amy as well as Tony O. from this point through Hwy 49 crossing.
Along this stretch I also got the chance to chat with other runners and met a cool guy from the Bay Area Hansel who too is running Miwok 100K and WSER100. I have since connected with him on FB and plan to run into one another at these races and keep in touch with our training. This is one of the things I find so cool about Ultra runs and trail races; the environment is so low key and comfortable. We are all out there for much the same reasons and more times than not if there is competition in one's heart it is with themselves and not against the man/woman next to them. I love the support and camaraderie out there and hope to continue to meet new runners with like minds about life and running.
After crossing Hwy 49 I knew the course very well and I took the opportunity to try to visualize what it might be like to run this portion of the course with over 90miles on my legs in June. It seemed very daunting yet exciting to think I might be running all of today's trails in the middle of the night with a headlamp on, sleep deprived, tired and being pulled along by my pacer and good friend Curt Casazza. After day dreaming a bit the course quickly drops down for a couple miles towards No Hands Bridge on fun and fast single tracks of the Robie Trail. I felt good and turned on the after burners. I ran this short section with about 18miles on my feet at about a 6:30 clip and it felt effortless. I love the downhills and excel in most cases at this kind of running. I passed many runners with leisure but it was more about feeling free than trying to run down anyone today.
When I run well I can get lost in the effort of running. It simply becomes a roller coaster ride than I am on but not working at. I can almost sense that I no longer am doing the work but running outside myself and simply navigating my next step. I have had episodes where more than an hour or several miles can simply escape my recollection when looking back on just such a run. This part of the course brought me back to my childhood days of running in the orchards with friends, being chased by dogs or simply trying to keep up with my Dad as we travelled the back country on our search for a great swimming hole.
After stopping briefly on the back side of No Hands Bridge for some fluids at the Aid station the course does climb back out of the canyon to the top of the trail before moving into the last mile or so on the streets of Auburn. I took the opportunity of feeling well today to work a bit harder and conquer the hills including the large ones on the top of the town of Auburn to say to myself I control this course! I will not let the course overcome me today or in June!! At the top I chose to wait until my friend Amy came off the trail so we could run the final mile in together. It is efforts of kindness like this that I have come to find always pays you back 10 fold in positive Karma somewhere down the road or trail. She was pleased to see I waited and we spent the last mile basking in knowing in a few months we both would be on these residential roads coming into the final lap of the Placer track to complete WSER100!!!!!
Today's run finished exactly at the finish of the course and I asked a question to Amy. "So come 6/27 when you are running down this road will it be light or dark?" She paused at the meaning of the question and I took the opportunity to answer for both of us: "it will be dark!" meaning a sub 24hr finish is in the bag! Yes, I know this is above what one should ask for or try to predict for their first 100 miler - let alone WSER but if one can't Dream what is the purpose of attacking your Goals?
Looking back on that prediction "it will be DARK" can take on many different connotations over 100 miles and I'm certain there will many DARK MOMENTS but not as many as the bright ones leading up to them and beyond.......
We chose to not step foot on the actual track that morning and will not do so out of superstition until 6/27. The morning was wrapped up with a great breakfast of pancakes,bacon and eggs put on by Ultra runner Peter Defty and group. A great start to a day or movement in the right direction toward June!
No comments:
Post a Comment