Humboldt Fog 20 Miler

McKay Tract seemed the perfect place for our final long run before SOB. Since I was still recovering from the fog inside my head, I decided to pull out a bunch of the elevation I’d normally do and go for something flatter, you know, only 2,300 ft. of climbing instead of well over 5,000 ft. On days like today, the fog is so thick that my skin dampens without any visible precipitation falling from the sky. I really love having days like this sometimes. It did make me look like a drowned rat. Even my quick dry shorts were soaked through and clung to my legs.

 While all of my Midwest friends are complaining of the heat, my runs this week have been in the 60s, perfect year round running temperatures. The moisture of a foggy sixty degree day still has a way of rendering me completely dehydrated by the time I return home.

 Matt and I were joined by four others for the beginning portion of the run. Since joining forces with Tanya, she’s brought several others out with us on our runs. By the time we reached an hour into the run, it was just Matt, Tanya, and I. We continued on the gravel log road to the very end. Then the climbing started. This area was heavily logged in the 1980s and only stumps of the great Redwoods remain. Washed out hillsides showed us how the land still struggles with her injuries. We came to several clearings and hoped to look down on the Bay and city below, but our view was only fog. The single-track trails narrowed and we soon found ourselves in a tall grassy area. The grass was sharp on the bottom and sliced into my legs as I ran along. Blood trickled from the abrasions. (The shower afterward was very painful and revealed numerous slash marks, making the front of my legs appear they had been whipped or attacked by an angry animal.)

 We followed the slick trail downhill and appeared back on the log road, surprisingly close to where we started. Matt and I listened to Tanya’s stories about running, her training and her past. The time just flew by. It was interesting to hear how similar our backgrounds were. As she told stories about her beginnings as a runner, I found myself nodding my head as if she were retelling my own story.

 What started out as a sluggish run, I found that by my third mini Snickers bar, I had perked up enormously. Next time I’m sick, I must eat lots of Snickers. Remind me of that, would ya? It makes me feel so much better.

Banana Slugs were particularly impressive on that foggy morning.

 The month of June was another all-time high mileage month for me, 171.5 miles, despite running minimal mileage during my 12 day illness. Matt joked that maybe that heavy mileage at the beginning of the month made me sick, but I think he just doesn’t like that he gave it to me!! I watched Matt get over the illness in less than a week and I struggled nearly twice as long as he did. Running no longer seemed like fun and I questioned whether I was becoming burned out. After the fatigue lifted at mile 15 of this run, I realized that was not the case at all.

With the final steps of the 20 mile run completed, the three of us begin our taper to SOB, my fourth ultramarathon. Thirteen days until the race.

20 miles
4:00.03
12:00/mi
2,292 ft. of elevation gain. 

My strawberries have enjoyed the recent warm weather too, so it was time for Strawberry Shortcake!