Chabot 50k #3 (This Year Post-Tahoe)

Chabot 50k by Inside Trail Racing

Saturday 23 February 2014

photo by Allen Lucas

The first two years of Inside Trail's Chabot trail runs, I ran the 50k, then immediately took off for a week of skiing (or snowboarding) with my family.

This year my older son's school was off during ski week, so the order was reversed-- we hit the slopes three days through Wednesday.  (Tahoe finally got decent snow-- we were thinking of traveling to SoCal until a week earlier.)   My kids are way past easy (green circle) runs, and sometimes they went off with their friends who joined us Tuesday.  This allowed me to hit harder runs and try terrain park features and jumps, so I did more strenuous shredding this year.

On Friday, we went for a hike up almost 2000 foot high Montara Mountain between Pacifica and Half Moon Bay.  I carried a backpack with lots of water and snacks.  My legs were still feeling sore from the Tahoe trip.

view southwest

view north toward San Francisco, Mount Tamalpais at left
Inside Trail also has a race here
Pacifica Foothills Trail Runs in January

on the way down we ran into Coastal Trail Runs founder and race director Wendell Doman
marking the course for Montara Mountain Trail Runs (the same day as Inside Trail's Chabot Trail Runs)
Note my large backpack.  It is not that light.

my kids running ahead
so I had to sometimes run to catch up
(My sandbagging is not exaggerated!)

Therefore I was expecting to run at least 10 minutes slower at next day's race this year than last year.

I felt I kept a decent pace for the first (longer) loop.  I finished running and mostly keeping up with a group of 3-4 runners finishing the 30k race.

The second (shorter 12 1/2 mile) loop, it was only the 50k and a few slower 30k runners still on the course.

the bridge almost 2 miles from the start, by Allen Lucas

The guy in white below almost caught up with me coming to the first aid station, and so pushed me until the end.  I later learned it was Dan Barger, the fast 48 year old from Auburn, who normally beats me, so I figured it is early in the season and he is getting back in shape.

with Dan post-race, by Pauline Ludwig

It had grown warmer, so I started asking for ice at the aid stations, but wasn't willing to wait if the volunteers said they needed some time to get it out.  I was being pursued.

still running as potential prey in the last few miles, by Allen Lucas

With less than a quarter mile left in the race, I happened to come within the earshot of the rookie runner  (to ultras) winning the women's race.

Maria Monks, center.  boyfriend to her left.  4th place Andy Belk to her left.
Maria being new to ultrarunning didn't know Andy, but Andy was there so so asked them to pose together.

She thought I might be the 2nd place woman, but even seeing my facial hair looking back, took off. 

the actually 2nd place woman, Karyn Hoffman, more than half an hour back
which is pretty impressive given she is twice the age as the 1st place woman

Already pushing myself to stay ahead of Dan (who would finish 3 minutes back), I couldn't mount a surge to pass her, so remained chicked by 12 seconds.  I finished 6th overall, 5th male, 3rd age division, 4:35:45, as predicted almost 10 minutes slower than last year's 4:27:20.

hung out with winner and new course record holder Bob Shebest,
who kindly shared half an avocado with me and drove me 3/8 a mile to my car

Karen Gerasimovich, weiner dog Truman (who ran his first half marathon),
Catra Corbett (Truman's pet human), Mike Palmer

RD Tim Stahler presenting 35k finishers Diane and Allen Lucas with a
cake to celebrate their (I think) 31st anniversary.

results

website

my GPS recording

byAllen Lucas

my small photo album (post-race)

Allen Lucas' larger photo album, including many pictures on the course

Thanks, La Sportiva (for your continued support with shoes) and Inside Trail (for the comped entry) and all the volunteers (for all your assistance)!

Las Sportiva Helios
post-Friday hike, pre-Saturday trail race
at a beach near Half Moon Bay