After feeling so great at Twin Peaks in February, San Juan Trails was a real struggle. On paper it looks easier than Twin Peaks (less mileage, less elevation) but it felt much more difficult. Part of it might have been my body: I was having stomach issues and hadn’t been keeping much food in since Wednesday, including not being able to choke down as much breakfast as I would have liked. I finished most of my oatmeal, but didn’t have the banana or gummies I had before Twin Peaks. Also, I’d only gotten 3 hours of (interrupted) sleep the night before, so I didn’t have as much in the tank to start.
Another difficulty was the setup of the race: the first 20 miles are out-and back, then a loop of another 11 miles. So for the first 10 miles, it’s a gradual singletrack course, mostly downhill, to the first aid station, and then the next 10 miles is the same trail, back uphill, and you don’t hit more aid until you’re at the start at mile 20. In the beginning I actually felt GREAT. The trail was a big part of that: it was really easy to go out fast and let it carry you away. So I went much faster than I should have: sub 9-minute miles in the beginning. I knew I was pushing it, but I kind of felt like I should go when I had the energy (bad strategy for sure). By mile 5 or 6 the trail was much more technical: lots of big rocks, washouts, ravines in the center of the trail and steep downhills, Soon I was being passed right and left on the downhills. At the aid station I again fiddled with my feet (lost more tape between the toes due to river crossings: I need a better way to get the tape to stick!) and hit a bathroom before heading back on the trail.
Trail running sometimes morphs into bouldering
This type of trail is my biggest weakness
It was a long slog up to mile 20. 10 miles between aid stations at that point is too long! Around mile 14 or 15 I was suddenly starving. I had some food with me– mostly gummies–but had no appetite for them, I just wanted REAL food. My stomach was growling, I felt like I had nothing in the tank, and it just seemed like endless climbing. What’s worse was passing my car on the way in to mile 20 and seeing people who were dropping changing into comfy clothes. That sounded great! Mile 20 had some PB&Js but not much in the way of cookies or other munchies, so I just grabbed half a banana and a sandwich, got my water filled, and hiked on out. It was easy going at first, until we took the turn up to Trabuco Road and it was suddenly steep as all-get-out. Massive climbs on a wide, ultra-rocky road. Again I settled for hiking, and again I was passed several times by strong hikers. I wasn’t doing much power hiking, it mostly felt like a death-shuffle. It had been sprinkling on and off all morning, and was pleasantly cool and overcast, but during this portion the wind whipped around the road and was quite cold. It made me glad that I’d decided to wear capris, a t-shirt and my arm warmers.
Slogging up Trabuco
The sky grows threatening
Finally I reached the aid station at the top: mile 22ish. Had some cookies (Oreos!) and started down a super-steep downhill (more getting passed, sigh) to the valley. After crossing a major stream, it was the steepest uphill of the race: 2 miles up Horsethief trail (the same one I went down in Twin Peaks). This trail gains over 1300 feet in one mile, and that one mile took me 26+ minutes to climb. My Garmin kept auto-pausing because I was going so slowly! My legs were aching and I was feeling kind of sorry for myself: my feet hurt, I was getting blisters, I’d rolled my right ankle several times and it was aching, and in general I just wasn’t feeling confident and strong. I didn’t do any power hiking at all. Everyone else must have been feeling miserable too, though, because I wasn’t passed during this portion.
At the top of Horsethief there was a water station (a guy with a pickup and some bottles in the back!) and then it was 3-4 rolling miles to the last aid station, the same one on top of Trabuco. I was feeling pretty bad at this point, but started to trot, and after a few minutes found that I’d loosened up and could run okay. I wasn’t graceful or fast by any means, but I could run and that’s what mattered. I ran most of the way to the next aid, but walked the higher hills.
I barely paused at the last aid station because I just wanted the whole experience to be OVER. I just had about 2.5 miles–almost all downhill–to the finish, but most of it was that steep, rocky Trabuco road. So again I was conservative on the downhills, and even walked a few bits, but at least I didn’t fall and didn’t get side cramps. Toward the end I was impatient to get done, because of course I didn’t remember all the twists and turns and thought I should be closer than I was! It started raining in earnest the last half mile, so I finished at the perfect time. The very end is a nice soft dirt road, and then you see your car parked–yes!–and it’s just 30 or 40 feet through the parking lot to the finish line.
With Big Baz Hawley, the awesome RD
Wonder of wonders, I was first in my age group, so even though I was quite slow (an hour and a half after the winner, 20 minutes slower than my previous time!) I got an award. The good news is that my recovery after this race was better than the last–still stiff and sore, but much less battered by Monday and Tuesday. After this one, it felt like an accomplishment just to finish, and I’m glad that I did.
Final Stats
Date: Saturday, March 6, 2010
Distance: 31.2 miles
Elevation gain: 8,000 feet
Garmin time: 6 hrs 37 min
Official time: 7 hrs 4 min (52/92, 12th woman, 1st age group)
