PCTR Sanborn 30k - A Wet and Wild Return to Running

Sanborn County Park. Oh, what words can describe such a lovely park. Just minutes from the heart of Silicon Valley lies this beautiful park full of redwood trees, trails carpeted with fallen leaves, and little wooden bridges crossing rambling creeks. It's a place a Buddhist monk could mediate in and even if he farted, it would feel like the gaseous contribution to nature was not out of place.

Pretty, ain't it. (www.tommangan.net)

People get married there, for Christ sake. Good looking people, too, not just ugly hippies. (blog.colsongriffith.com)

It's no wonder the power-comedy couple of ultrarunning, Greg and Jen, decided to host a race here for their new venture with Pacific Coast Trail Runs. I can only imagine what the park must have looked like early morning, Saturday, Nov 19, 2016. I'm sure it must have looked something like the two pictures above. The tree squirrels must have gotten quite excited when word spread that the parking lot was full of nuts. Much to their disappointment, it was us, FoG - Friends of Greg.

Two of the nuts at the start. It was a cold morning.

The temperature at the start of the run was a balmy -322 degrees. At least it hadn't started raining yet. Sure the park was scenic but who could appreciate it when my mipples (man nipples) were hard enough to slice bread? Ladies, my eyes are up here!

I took a couple of months off from any serious running after I made a spectacle of myself at Headlands 100. This is only my second trail run after the previous weekend's jaunt. I figured I'd probably go a little slow... slower than usual. I also knew that seeing fellow idiots like Kevin, Loren, Stuart, Ashley, and Claire should be appreciated now because as soon as we started the 2 mile 15% climb, I wouldn't see them again except at the turnaround.

Elevation profile or Lady Gaga from above?

A slow ascent was followed by a fast run across the skyline. The trails were protected but the summit had enough wind to power San Francisco. Bless our poor volunteers who were stuck there all morning! I practiced some fell running on the way down. At least I didn't veer off course. I was very much on the course - first hands, then knee, hip, shoulder, roll right over like the good people at Ft. Benning taught me, and I was up and running as if falling and rolling was part of the plan. 

A little dirt ain't never hurt no one.

Rain started coming down hard during our run in the middle section of the course. The out-and-back nature of the course ensured we could see how far behind the leaders we were. Harris, Keith, Jim, Ramiro and I got to the turnaround at about the same time. I got to the gate first, and let's just say that I did not touch the gate with my hands, so the other fellows got other gate cooties from me. Ha ha!

Little Blue Running Hood - Ramiro Garcia

Going back was fun. We passed a few hikers, who I'm sure were thinking something along the lines of, "I thought I was stupid for agreeing to be out here in this weather, but these idiots paid for the privilege." Coming back was wetter, windier, and generally suckier than the first half, but even in lousy weather, Sanborn Park is beautiful. This picture doesn't do it justice because I'm a terrible photographer and my phone is still a phone, and not a good one either.

I practiced some more fell running on the way down the other side - the other side of the mountain and the other side of Duke. The mud broke my fall, so to speak. At least I didn't bang my knee on a rock like I did the first time. My hamstrings were juicy tight. All that off-time and I didn't stretch my creamy hammies like Old Man Herbert warned me to. But the trail eventually ended, food and beer were consumed (beer is still being consumed), and a parking lot full of trail running idiots made their wet and wild way back into civilized society, where we'll pretend to be normal until the next adventure.