Golden Gate Dirty Thirty (50K)

June 5, 2010

Golden Gate State Park

31 miles (garmin had 30.36miles)

8 hours 19 minutes 53 seconds

16:27 min/mile pace

I have never run such a difficult race in my life. Even the Collegiate Peaks 50 miler last year with upset stomach at mile 44 cannot compare. Some of the features of this race included 11 water crossings in the first half; rock scrambling (black bear trail), a 2 mile slog up Windy Peak (miles 24-26.6), rocky, steep descents, and elevation gains from 7200' to 9100'+ numerous times. This course was truly the most difficult I have ever run; and the most beautiful at the same time.

How can I describe it? Well, if you take the Incline, Barr Trail, Section 16 - the rock side, Waldo Canyon and put them on the Falcon Trail, you'd have a slight idea of this race. Most races advertise beautiful trails and then you run it and find out there trails are fire roads or pavement and not single track. This race is 90% single track through Aspen groves, pine forests, alpine meadows and windswept peaks. Absolutely gorgeous with gorgeous weather to boot.

Before the race, I got online and went to the Pick up Pal website to find a ride to this race since the race director, Megan, stated numerous times that parking was limited at the start. I was lucky enough to hook up with two fellow runners from my area, Larry and Brandon. Not only did I get a ride, I also got a place to stay - Larry had reserved a campsite earlier this year and volunteered half his tent space to me. You know, the ultra running community is the best - we are so laid back and giving and yet, so darn competitive!

Brandon and his fiance Chrissy and Border Collie Spyro, along with Larry, picked me up in Monument Friday night and we made our way up toward Golden, CO. At dinner in Castle Rock, I asked them the all important question, "Will there be coffee in the morning?" Brandon was incredulous! You drink that stuff?! It has caffeine! Larry murmured no, he didn't drink coffee, he ate chocolate instead. Oh man! I've never run a race without my two cups of coffee in the morning; and an ultra on top of that! How would I survive?!

After dinner and a very nice ride, we arrived at dusk at the campsite and pitched tents as the light slowly faded away. Thank goodness we all had our headlamps. What a beautiful night. We sat around the fire and compared what we wanted to do in this race. I was hoping for a time between 6.5 and 7 hours. Brandon wanted close to 6 and Larry was hoping to run the 12 mile race in 2 hours. I pulled out my garmin to see what the elevation was and noted we were at 9100'+. That was great - sleeping at elevation! Yes!

After a short's night rest, 4am arrived too soon for me. Brandon wanted to get to the start an hour ahead and thank goodness he did because after driving down to the start, confusion reigned. Chrissy drove Brandon and I down (Larry was running the 12 mile race today) planning to drop us off and go back and get Larry for his start. However, we were ushered into the parking area which was not near packet pick up. Okay. So, we backed out and headed back down the road to packet pick up, no parking what-so-ever down there but we made do until the volunteers swooped down on us like vultures asking us to move over and over. Okay, okay, we were just leaving anyway.

Brandon jumped out and picked up his packet while I pleaded for a cup of coffee from the big urn sitting behind the counter. Oh that's for the volunteers. Oh no! NO COFFEE?! Well, maybe I could give you just half a cup. "Yes! Please! I'll take it!" I cried like a junkie as I held out my hands in supplication.

Chrissy took off back to the campsite and Brandon and I wandered around looking for the actual start. Conflicting information had us walk halfway up the road to the parking lot before we turned around and headed back toward packet pick up. I found a porta-pottie and had plenty of time to do what needed to be done before the prerace brief. Look for pink ribbons, the water level has dropped so getting wet is now only an option, (logs and trees were across the streams), and have fun folks! With that, we were off at 6:05 am.

The first part of this race went up pretty gradually and then had a nice downhill in the early morning light and I loved it. I was so happy to be out there running on these wonderful, single track trails through the mountains. I knew my euphoria would wear off later and the mental and physical fatigue would set in and take its place but at that moment, I was deliriously happy. Then the water crossings began.

I am not the most graceful when it comes to balancing on logs over creeks and to have 11 of these crossings in this section was nerve racking for me. Thank goodness I had people behind me - I had no choice, I had to cross! But man, did my legs shake! For me, this was probably the worst part of the whole race; however, once I crossed the last one the sense of accomplishment was fantastic - knowing I conquered one of my fears not once, but repeatedly.

From there, the race wound around the park and up and down peaks and valleys. I stopped a couple of times in the first half just to take pictures and once, as we ran into a campsite parking lot by a porta-pottie, I ran in for a pit stop! The Golden Gate State Park trails were all labeled and marked with wonderful trail markers with animal names. Some of the ones we ran on were snowshoe hair, burro, black bear, elk, rabbit, racoon, etc.

I was running great and had plenty of water and fuel on me so I decided to by-pass the first aid station at mile 5. However, at the second, I had my camelback filled and I pick up a handful of animal crackers and a gu. It seemed that each aid station was strategically placed after a wonderful downhill run and right before a hellacious uphill slog and at aid station 2, we began the second really difficult uphill up the coyote trail and some rock scrambling at the top. This climb was a mile in length and these long climbs began to take their toll on me.

Of all the trails we were on, two trails stood out as my least favorite, black bear and burro trail. We caught the black bear trail after coyote and it continued up, up, and up. As we got closer to the summit, the actual trail disappeared and rocks took its place with trail markers drilled into the rocks. Thank goodness too, it was the only way I could tell which way the trail went besides the little pink ribbons. It did not look like a trail at all! This trail was technical and for over half a mile up to the summit, it was rock scrambling. But man! What a view of the snow capped mountains in the distance! As I descended down the other side, the rock scrambling continued to rob me of any chance of speed until three-quarters of the way down and then a wonderful run down into a meadow and the third aid station at mile 16.8. Over half way through the race and I felt really good and happy.


My drop bag awaited me here and I quickly chugged half a bottle of Poweraid, grabbed a handful of pretzels and put them in my pocket, refilled the camelback and headed up another trail. This section was uphill most of the way and was my slowest section overall, the ten miles from aid station 3 to mile 26.6 (summit of Windy Peak).

In this section, I began playing tag with another runner, Scott, who would power up the hills and I would catch on the downs until we hit the Windy Peak uphill, then I never saw him again. He told me his girlfriend came into Leadville and up 6th Avenue as the horn sounded the 30 hour cut-off. She was currently running way ahead of us now and "training with a vengeance" as he stated. He also commented on my coordinating attire today. I had a loose neck gaiter with skulls and crossbones on it from last year. Earlier, I picked up some arm warmers with skulls and crossbones and just before the race, the Dirty Girl Gaiters I ordered came in with skull and crossbones! My girls just shook their head sadly at me and told me I could never be as "B.A." as I thought I was. Mom, you're just too nice! That didn't stop me from buying skull and bones earrings at WalMart and wearing them! I told Scott the story as we ran alongside at one point and he said he would tell everyone he met a Bad Ass ultra runner on the course. Thanks Scott!

For the first half, I did pretty good at keeping my overall pace at a 15min/mile. The climbs were slow; but I made up time on the downs if they were not too rocky. Seven of my miles were 20+ minute miles spaced over the entire race and another seven were 10-12 minute miles. However, as I came into the fourth and final aid station at mile 23.4, things began to change for me.

My earlier euphoria was gone and the mental game was about to begin. I came in at 12:15pm, with an hour to spare before the cut-off and the temperatures were rising as well as the sun. I could feel the heat affecting me more. And with nine miles left, the blister on the inside of my right heel really began to get hot. However, I told myself, I could do anything for nine miles and that it wasn't too bad. A lesson was learned here but I didn't realize it until later.

While in this aid station, one of the volunteers asked me if I wanted ice in my camelback, yes please! What a great idea! This kept my water cooler longer and was definitely a welcomed reprieve. I also joked with another, "just one more climb right, Windy Peak?" He looked at me soberly and said, "No, there are three with the Peak the worst." Ouch. Reality bites.

It was after this aid station, at mile 24.4, that we hit the burro trail and the 1,100' climb over two miles long up Windy Peak. And it was here I seriously began to think about Gimli the Dwarf and his mantra, "Keep breathing" as he chased Orcs with Legolas and Stryder. I altered it a bit and repeated to myself, "Keep moving." I didn't care how slow I was, just that I kept up the forward, upward, momentum. It was really important to me not to stop on this uphill section to the Peak. I only pulled off the trail once to allow some runners to go by me. This part of the race had two sections where runners were going up and down the trail. This became all consuming for me -- to not stop.

Keep moving; ignore the heel, drink water, eat a pretzel, take an electrolyte tablet, keep moving, drink water, keep moving ... these thoughts occupied the little section of my brain that was not focused on the trail in front of my feet. It was in this section where 3 women caught me on the uphill. I just could not hike up this Peak as fast as they could! But no Men!

Finally, at mile 26.6, I summited Windy Peak and heard the volunteers clap and tell me just 50 feet more to get my bib marked! Yeah!! I had one of the volunteers record my summit for posterity by snapping my picture on top of Windy Peak!

Now for the downhill. I was hoping to regain some of the time lost in the climb; however, there was a lot of loose rock on this section of the trail and I was not pushing my luck and falling down now. Over the last four miles, I had stubbed my toe a couple of times and this alerted me to how tired I was getting. That made me even more vigilant along with the trip in this section, in which I caught myself before falling completely.

The good news is that after you summit, you know you have less than five miles in this race! At the 27 mile mark, I met up with some hikers who passed me going down the trail as I was trudging up toward the peak. They had made the comment that the "Dirty Thirty" must be a 30K; however, I was too brain dead on the way up to process or retort. When I caught them on the way down, I jokingly corrected them and stated it was actually 31 miles and I had only 4 left!!! Geesh! Wow! Way to Go! Were some of the comments they showered on me as I jogged past them!

A couple of small climbs awaited on the way out and took more out of me. However, the last mile was along the side of a mountain and gradually sloped downward toward the finish and I was able to do it in 11:20 minutes. During this stretch, I told myself how proud I was of ME! For never, once thinking about not finishing. For pushing myself continually up those mountains. For being smart and treating this like a training run. Yes, I was happy again! Maybe not as euphoric as in that first hour; but grinning from ear to ear and definitely happy to be alive and doing this!

The finish came into view along with the shouts of the volunteers and I pulled my skulls and crossbones arm warmers back up my arms as I cruised around the last bend and dropped onto the dirt road to a sprint finish! Total time: 8 hours and 19 minutes!

Things done right for me: I hydrated pretty well until the end when I was afraid I would run out of water. I should have just drunk it despite my fears, knowing I only had five miles left.

I also took my electrolytes well and stayed away from the potato chips and ate pretzels I brought and picked up at the aid station. No problems with my stomach!

Things I could have done better: I think I went out too fast and tried to hang with the big dogs - Anita Ortiz was here and won the race; I know I'm not in her league, yet it is still difficult not to try and stay with her when I feel great!

I need to pay attention to the blister. It became a blood blister and next time, as soon as it begins bothering me, or even before the start, I need to use moleskin.

Another thing I ignored was the chafing from my camelback on my back. I noticed this coming down Windy Peak and stopped to have a volunteer pull my shirt up enough to cover the chafing but that was unsuccessful. I am now sporting two raw spots on my back the size of softballs. I've already added Body Glide to my Leadville supply list!!

Things the RD could do better: Have a starting line and let us know where it is. Also, post what the trail markings will be on line before the race. Have coffee for runners like the Sawtooth Relay does!! And the most important in my book, after running an ultra -- HAVE FINISHER MEDALS! I'm not one to complain; however, I run for the T-shirt and medal!! Okay, not the only reasons, I run; but I do like my trinkets!

I did get a free hat from Montrail when I showed them my Mountain Masochist trail shoes that I ran in. And I did get a free pair of socks from the RD due to a misunderstanding regarding my finish time and standing.

Final standings: I finished 73 out of 92 finishers (yikes!) and 9th overall in the female Masters Division.

To give you an idea of how much more difficult this race was compared to Greenland Trail 50K I did on May 1st; my time at the 25 mile mark at Greenland was 4:37; today, it was 6:37 - two hours longer! Overall times for each: Greenland - 5:43; Dirty Thirty - 8:19.

What a great training run for Leadville and one that got me motivated to get up that Incline more!