Race Report: PCTR Pacifica 30k Trail Run - Pacifica, CA

Race Report: PCTR Pacifica 30k Trail Run - Pacifica, CA

Alternate Title:Gosh, Hell is Beautiful this Time of Year!

Details:
Total distance: 30 km (18.7 miles)
Total Elevation: according to PCTR Avocet: 4100 ft, according to USGS: 6,984 ft
Total Time: 5:00:47 (I am actually happy with this. That tells you how tough it was)
Total number of unfortunate wildlife encounters: 3

This was done as my last long run in training for the San Francisco Marathon on July 25th (my birthday, by the way. Only 21 shopping days left.) I don't know why I am acting like SF is an "A" race. I don't have "A" races, frankly I don't even "race" at all, but I do like to train for these endurance events because, despite what almost every race report I post sounds like, I do not like to suffer.

I have to start with the fact that PCTR Pacifica 21k was my very first trail run, ever, back in 2008. I was hooked. I could not believe how beautiful it was and how, even though I was so much slower on the trail, the miles seemed to fly by. It was, however, JANUARY of 2008. That little tidbit will become important later.

Me at the Radio Tower Summit in 2008. Please note the long sleeves, sweats, and fleece. Please ignore that I was significantly thinner then than I am now.

Fast forward to July 2010 and RBR needs a 'about 20miler' for her marathon training.

RBR thinks: "Hey, PCTR has a 30k on July 3rd. At Pacifica! That was my first trail run! How nostaligic!" *gleaming, toothpaste commercial smile*

So I register. There is a 50k at the same time, so I figure I won't be last and making volunteers wait. When I arrive, EVERYONE is hardcore, even the 9k'ers, plus I can already tell it was going to be hot. Great.

I changed into a sleeveless top and was very grateful for my hydration pack.

RBR 2010 at the Radio Tower summit

Already hot, but less than 5 miles in so still having fun.

Side note: Again, I repeat, DO NOT DO PCTR RACES WITHOUT WATER. There were so many people on the 12k loop with no water. There was very little cover on that loop and over 2000 ft of climb. I gave water to two different couples, although I don't think one of the couples was in the race, they were just stupid.

There were four distances offered 9k, 21k, 30k, and 50k. The course had two loops, a 9k loop and a 12k loop, and you did some combination of those to equal your distance.

Elevation profile. The big hill is the 12k loop, the two smaller hills are the 9k loop, which I did twice. This was apparently optional. Wish someone had mentioned that.

The 30k did the 12k loop and then the 9k loop twice. The 21k did the 12k loop and the 9k loop once. The 50k did the 30k course and then the 21k course with a short cut on the 21k course to equal 50k. Why am I boring you with all of this you ask? 'Cuz I am banking some serious bad ass points, that's why!

Talk about a view. Yes, I am throwing in random photos to break up the boring text. I do not have a cohesive story of this one, but I want you to see how pretty it was.

The day before the race there were about 50 people signed up for the 21k and about 50 signed up for the 30k. There were, however, 82 21k finishers, and 39 30k finishers, which tells me there was some SERIOUS dropping happening after the first 21k of the race.

Mile 15, lamenting doing the last loop. Yes, I am laying on a bench. Do not judge me! It was a hard run and freaking HOT!

Ok, of the 39 30k finishers I came in 37th place, but WHATEVER. My fat ass went back out to hell to finish that last 9k loop while lots of others dropped (and ate all the fucking finish line food I may add)

Lots of technical trail


The guy at the top of this picture (this fucking WALL of rock) is 67 and ran every single step of the 21k. ALL. THE. CLIMBS. Total, and complete BEAST status! I know because I was behind him for almost the entire 21k, then I passed him at about 19k (I think I was bugging him)

See? BAD ASS POINTS GALORE GO TO RBR!

Minature lupine (Lupinus bicolor) I am going thorough a wildflower phase, you are going to have to bear with me.

Three unfortunate wildlife encounters and one Awwwww! wildlife encounter

Number 1: At mile 0.5 when we were all still packed together like sardines on the single track, I see the gal in front of me jump.

Girl in cute running skirt: *jumps* Ouch! I think I just got stuck or stung!

RBR thinks: Oh shit! Yellowjackets!

RBR (about 2 seconds later): FUCK! OWWWW! *paws at leg to dislodge stupid, fucking yellowjacket and proceeds to get stung again* "MOTHERFUCKER!"
(yes, 'cute running skirt girl' handled it better than me. Whatevs.)

This morning, my sting has turned into a 4 inch diameter, hot, itchy, swollen, lillypad of discomfort on my upper thigh. Awesome.


Number 2: All along the trail we were bombarded by kamikaze Blue Belly lizards that would dart in front of you and then zig zag in your path. In trying to keep from squashing one of these little bastards I went down hard.

A Blue Belly Lizard from yesterday, aka Western Fence lizards, and before SQ can say it, I will, Western Fence lizards are the reason for the relatively low incidence of Lyme Disease in California due to an enzyme in their blood that kills the Borrelia sp. bacteria that cause Lymes. Long story short, tick carries Lymes, tick feeds on lizard blood, Lymes disease killed in tick, tick cannot infect anyone with Lymes.

Later, I found one squashed on the trail, no doubt by someone that was not willing to risk life and limb to protect him. I should have taken a picture of the little carcass, but it was at mile 14 and by time I thought of it I would have to go back down the trail 10 yards. I was not willing to do that at that point of the run.

Number 3: This one was with a hiker. Most of the run was on very narrow rutted single track with overgrown vegetation along the sides.

It was a really, really beautiful trail. One upside of running this trail in July was the dense wildflower vegetation on the side of the trail. It was really bright (and hot, did I mention hot?) so my pictures suck.

At one point, I met up with a hiker coming down as I was climbing, and as we both tried to step off the trail and pass each other she slipped and grabbed on to me to keep from falling causing both of us to go ass over tea kettle into the bush.

For the record, prior to today I have only fallen once on a trail run, today I was taken out twice (and went down on my own once, but I digress...) it was a tough day out there.

Awww wildlife encounter: There were several time when baby cottontail rabbits would dart across the trail. They were adorable, but fast, so you only saw them for a second. Which, since they are prey for everything except clover, is an evolutionarily good thing for the survival of cottontails, but this one stopped about 20 yards away from me and stared at me. So cool! I slowly took out my camera, zoomed in and then proceeded to hit the power button instead of the shutter. Gah! I quickly turned it back on and snapped a photo that was not zoomed in, so this is a serious crop.

The most patient, if not super well adapted to its ecological role, baby bunny!

Beautiful run, not PCTR's best in terms of organization and support (everyone is allowed a bad day now and then), but a great run nonetheless.