The G Running Diary

A Pleasant Day at the Races (WTC 50K): 3/16/03

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I started the Way Too Cool 50K wondering why it was so popular. I have never heard of a 50K filling up within two hours of the entry being available. What could the deal be? After all, it's just a 50K.

Don and I drove up early in the morning, Saturday, March 8. I wasn't sure I wanted to do it this way, but there was no chance of getting out of work early enough on Friday, so this was the way we decided to go. It meant that we got up at 3:30 am Saturday morning. That used to be my bedtime. The drive up went quickly (especially since I didn't have to drive) and suddenly we were looking at scenery on the way to Cool, reminding us of Western States. It was hard to relate it exactly to the course, because by the time we were passing through this section, it was early in the second morning of the race. But we could definitely identify no hands bridge.

We knew plenty of people who were running in the race and volunteering. So, it was like a reunion. Even just collecting the goodie bags was fun. I knew before we started that I wasn't racing this race. I didn't think Don was, but you never know. He could just suddenly feel good. He said, "I don't mind if you want to start at the back." You can read that however you like. (He meant for both of us.) The initial section of the race was flat fireroad, which gave everyone a chance to chat with each other as they trotted along. Don took advantage of the picture moments, so he was behind me instead of in front. I like starting races very slowly. It is great to have time to warm up.

I had already talked to Steve Jaber in the bathroom line before the race. So, early on, he kind of matched up with Don and my pace, and the three of us started talking. This was just great. The weather was beautiful, clear and not too hot. I was still wearing a long sleeve top for most of the race. The scenery was beautiful too--everything was green, including the new little sprigs of poison oak lining the trail, and the views were great, with the river below us and the tree covered mountains beyond. The single track trail sections rolled along easily. This was a runnable 50K. I was starting to understand the popularity of it.

I struck up a conversation with Anthony, who was a massage therapist with a specialization in Active Release. He had studied Rolfing, as it turned out, from my Rolfer, Michael Murphy, and they had both taught at the Palo Alto Body Therapy Center. I asked Anthony some questions about all this, as I am currently very intrigued with people who have chosen body work as their profession. I later found out that this was Anthony's first 50K. He seemed to be cruising along just fine when I talked to him.

Don continued to take pictures and Steve continued to talk. I was having a nice day. The only hard part of this race was that the course was so runnable. Sometimes it's nice to have courses that have more uphills that you just have to walk, and downhills that propel you along without even trying. On this course, you really had to keep trotting along. So we did. Each aid station had people we knew or people who were so friendly we might as well have known them. Highway 49, which the race goes through twice, was particularly noteworthy with Robert and Linda, RDs for upcoming Rucky Chucky Roundabout, Tropical John, and several other friends of ours. So many that it was hard to say hi to everyone. The first time through Jim Winne was yelling about drinking water, "Come on kids, if you haven't drunk a bottle by now, you're not drinking enough." Kids. He seems so young himself.