A few reasons I signed up for this race to begin with is 1) I always run a 50 mile race before I tackle a 100 mile race to gauge how the training is coming along. 2) Angeles Crest 100 requires a 50 mile race to be completed from the time you register to the day of the race. 3) I love the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and try to run on its sexy single track as much as possible. The PCT is a trail that runs the entire length of the west coast spanning from Mexico to Canada and it is a dream of mine to through hike it some day. I have been lucky enough to run several portions of it here in California including Big bear area of it (Kodiak 100), the Aqua Dolce/ Lake Hughes to Mohave area (Leona Divide) and now I have the Mt Laguna area of it to add to my list. Somehow I was able to sucker both Brett and my brother Keith into running it with me.
I skipped out of work early of Friday before the race and met up with Keith and Brett around 1:00 to start our journey down to Alpine (1/2 hour outside of San Diego) in Keith's "shag wagon" or "baby carriage". After 4 1/2 hours of lovely So Cal traffic we finally made it to our destination with empty stomachs, what better way to curb an appetite than with a pint of beer and some good burgers right? Wrong, we found the only good place in Alpine to eat and drink so naturally the line to eat there on a Friday night was longer than it takes to complete a 50 mile race. So we drank a beer from the Alpine Beer Company and after talking to the locals we moved on to an Italian restaurant to carb load instead. Of course Brett knew some of the other runners at the restaurant and they warned us of the snowshoeing we would be doing along the course. Got back to the hotel room to ready our gear for the journey, where Brett ninja stared Keith's forehead as a good luck reminder of the pain he was to endure the next morning.
Woke up the next morning at 3:50 to eat a breakfast consisting of bagels with peanut butter and jelly, bananas and coffee, got lubed up, hit the head, tied the shoes and off we go. PCT 50 is a no frills type of race (and I love it), we got to the start of the race in 30 minutes and parked on the side of the road with no issues. Picked up a nice tech shirt, race bib and gloves, (thank god for the gloves because it was the only thing I forgot to pack with me and it was chilly all morning). Race director called out 5 minutes to go and everyone started lining up in the road at the impromptu starting line, I started my watch, turned on my spot GPS and ate a GU. 5..4..3..2..1 and were off, I knew the race started off with single track right away and I didn't want to get stuck in the conga line of slower runners so I started out front and filed in at 5th place. The PCT 50 gets you climbing up single track right away for the first 13 miles so I just dropped into a good comfortable rhythm in 4th place behind two other runners (the first place runner went up ahead). 4th place is the story of my race, I got into 4th from the beginning and stayed in 4th till the end, no one passed me and I passed no one.
In and out of aid station one Fred Canyon Road at about mile 6 without stopping, second place runner gains some distance and is soon out of sight, Its now me and the third place runner in reach as we continuing to grind uphill. The ascent in this run is the kind of uphill running I am good at and enjoy, its nothing overly steep just a gradual long uphill, next thing you know the trail flattens out and we are running through tree growth. This area is our first glimpse at the snow we will be dealing with at this portion of the race. I was all alone for a good portion of the race save for a few PCT thru hikers (With the release of the movie Wild there is a record number of through hikers this year), no one in front or back of me all the way till the turn around at mile 25. Running through the snowy tree growth and mist all by myself was both eerie and meditative, really cool and otherworldly. I finally roll into aid station 2 Dales Kitchen around mile 14 where everyone was huddled around a heater (it was cold) drinking Sculpin. I stopped to eat a GU, VO2 max and a banana slice, the volunteers ask what I wanted and I told them their beer, they promptly offered me a drink out of theirs. After politely declining till after the race I was on my way again through the snow and single track heaven, a few more miles of this mixed in with some mud I emerged along a ridgeline with some spectacular views.
Another 4 miles of mixed ridgelines with views and tree canopy with snow along awesome rolling single-track I arrive at aid station 3 Todd's Cabin. Pretty uneventful here, I stop for some more GU, VO2 Max and bananas and make my way back to the PCT to run some rolling tree covered trails till I emerge onto an exposed ridgeline. There is some awesome views through this section and a bit of downhill running, the cool breeze could really be felt in this area, a brief uphill section into aid station 4 Penny Pines around mile 22. Penny Pines was abuzz with pacers awaiting their runners, I'm not a huge fan of having pacers at a 50 mile race but that's my own opinion so I will leave it at that. After some bananas, GU and having my picture taken I am off to run the last 3 miles out to the turn around and 3 miles back to Penny Pines. This section was littered with PCT through hikers, most of which had very encouraging words and promptly stepped off the trail to get by, a few exception of hikers who were upset that a race was taken place on "their" trail. The PCT belongs to all horse and foot traffic regardless of what speed one intends to traverse it at, can we all just get along and share the trail? This section allowed me to see how far the leaders were ahead of me, 1st and 2nd place were both running together about 2.5-3 miles ahead of me with 3rd place only a 1/2 mile ahead. I thought I would be able to catch up and take 3rd if I pushed my pace but unfortunately I never saw the 3rd place runner again. As I get to the turn around unexpectedly (I guess my watch was a 1.5 miles short?) I got high fives all around and some good cheers.
After a fast 3 mile return I rolled into Penny Pines aid station again where I spent entirely too long resupplying GUs and drinking coke. As I leave Brett comes rolling in looking like a champ and I give him a high five. Back onto a small downhill portion where I see Keith kicking butt and all the runners passing in the other direction were stoking my energy with there kind words. I was feeling really good at this section and smiling ear to ear when BAM I twist my ankle just in time for a bitch of an uphill climb. The next section onwards to Todd's Cabin was the worst part of the race for me, I was running uphill on a twisted ankle as my energy levels were plummeting. Its amazing how fast a race can go from feeling super good and positive to super shitty and bonking. I knew I was going to hit a low point at mile 30 (like a normally do) but this low point just topped the cake, it really opened my eyes to my lack of training on long runs so far this year (I got some serious work to do before AC100). As I rolled along to Todd's Cabin in my state of misery thinking things couldn't get any worse they certainly did get worse as I suddenly felt the urge to crap! Damn where is that aid station? can I hold out till I hit the cabin or do I need to pop a squat somewhere in the bushes? I made it to Todd's Cabin just in time and ran inside to use the bathroom (thanks Todd for the use of your facilities, I sprayed some air freshener when I was done). This unexpected pit stop along with a GU, VO2 max and banana took up way too much time, probably worth it in the end because shortly after leaving the aid station I started getting some energy back and my ankle started feeling better.
Next section onto Dales Kitchen was pretty uneventful, just rolling single track with some amazing views, ran pretty strong through this section till I got back into tree cover. As the sun started coming up it was melting all the snow off and the PCT turned into a single track of mud, it was extremely difficult to get any sort of a rhythm here running through the mud. It was fun getting messy, shoes getting wet and sliding this way and that, but the mud after running 35 miles was getting a little annoying after a while. I left Dales Kitchen and about a mile later I was finally done with the mud bog and headed downhill for a half marathon distance, bring it! My legs and mind felt surprisingly fresh through this last downhill section, I was flying while ticking off some good miles, next thing I know I am at the last aid station bullshitting about the love that goes into making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I once again I spent to long at the aid station when I got word that another runner was making his way down the hill trying to catch me. Whether that was true or if the volunteers were trying to get my ass in gear and out on the trail is yet to be determined, but either way I was out of there like a bullet train! The last 6 mile section to the end felt like it lasted forever and I was getting a little overheated with the layers I was wearing so I rolled up my sleeves, zipped down my coat and clicked off some fast miles while dreaming of the beer that awaited me.
As I was rounding each turn awaiting the finish line I could see my sub 8 hour finish slipping away from me, I finally see the finish line and cruise through with an uneventful 8:04:31 for a 4th overall finish. I was bummed out a little I didn't finish on the podium or get a sub 8 hour like I wanted, but I did feel good. My legs only hurt minimally and I felt like I could run another 20 miles easily, did I not push enough? Do I need to work on my speed? More back to back long runs? I need to go back and reassess my training this year leading up to AC100 and make a few adjustments. As always work, family, injuries and sickness all coming into a long line of excuses for me, but that's just who I am.. A hard working family man first with running as a hobby, I wouldn't have it any other way.
The only reason I call this a training run is I didn't feel like I raced anyone, I got in 4th from the very beginning and stayed there to till the very end. I didn't push hard enough, I bonked at 30 miles, twisted an ankle and stayed too long at aid stations, but I did learn a lot about my training going ahead this year and hope to survive Angeles Crest 100.. Till then a beer to celebrate and a trail to run..
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