Our Christmas Adventure

The cool air stings my still sensitive lungs. I'm not sure if they will ever be able to tolerate the cold like they used to.  I trudged up the steep climb, my throat and lungs filling with a tingly burning sensation with every step.  Barely a mile into the run and I couldn't help but think that a 30K run this soon after a tough marathon was a bad idea. What I'm slowly learning about myself is that when I talk about my off season, I don't actually mean it's a lot of time on the couch, it's just replacing one form of difficult for another.

In years past, holidays, especially Christmas, were miserable.  I browsed the internet, scrolling through photos all my friends had posted of their large family gatherings.  Family dinners, everyone in matching sweaters, baking cookies---it seemed everyone was spending the holiday with their loved ones except me.  This still makes me a little sad, the only difference now is I'm better at coping with it.  I throw myself into an adventure and that always puts me in a good mood. 

Running with Santa helps.

Before I decided on a course for the summer trail race, I wanted to run it once myself.  I covered all trails of this park when I prepared for my first ultra in 2011, but the last two years have blurred them all together into a tangled mass of memories. This was my attempt to unravel them.

My skin senses the shift back and forth through moist and dry micro-climate zones. Groves of second growth redwoods alternate with those of tanoak and huckleberry. It is rare to spot redwoods in the upland areas of this park, but this route has many such treasures.  We climb skyward and as we approach a curve, I ask Matt what he thinks is around the bend. "More uphill!" I exclaim. This became our joke for the day.  "Up! Up! Is it the top? LOL NOPE. More uphill! YAY!" Add in a couple false summits just for fun and you begin to understand why I use silly games to keep me from wanting to cry. This loop isn't all Redwood, but showcases all the beautiful remote sections of this wonderful little state park.

Climbs only grow steeper as you approach the top of Grasshopper Peak. The last five kilometers to the top twist every muscle on the downhill side of my body into fierce knots. I was barely moving at a walk and it took ninety minutes to cover that short distance. Fire roads here are no joke.

I choke back an evil laugh as I tell Matt what a shame it is that as race director, I won't be able to run this race. Matt directs the running club's other trail race, a hilly 5.5 mile course with about 1,000 ft. of climbing. If we're not careful, this might build us a reputation. Haha.

Our first view of the day appears about seven miles in. Looking off to the south, great panoramic views of the coastal King Range spread out before us.  The mountains are green and bound on their west side by the approaching stratus clouds of late afternoon. The glow of the sun shines directly upon us but offers little heat, only wildly deformed shadows mirroring our every movement. This time of year is typically rainy, but with the extended dry period we've been stuck in, the only reminders of winter we have are our festive outfits.

Matt and I reach the top and halfway point of our day in two and a half hours. From here, the majority of our trip is downhill. Finally a break. The knots on the back of my legs release at last and are replaced with those on my quads instead. We make our descent on a trail of similar grade. Ouch.

I make short tentative steps as I let gravity do most of the work. This is the only quad strength training I ever do and I'll be appropriately sore tomorrow. Views to the north now open up to us, offering a glimpse of the Bull Creek valley down below. Matt and I puzzle over trails we see carved into the hillside across the valley.  Is that Pole Line trail down there? It looks so far down, barely a hill at all, we agree. 

By the time we reach our next trail junction, my legs are wobbly and begging for a break. Johnson Camp trail is my favorite in the entire park. Its descent is gentle and switchbacks weave through the redwoods. The trees grow larger and more numerous until  we find ourselves in a valley next to the creek. My speed increases and I find that I've reduced my overall pace from 14:30/mi to 13:00/mi. I've long forgotten the difficulty of the first half of the run as I make up time.

I dash through holes in redwood trees that had previously fallen on the trail. Giant stumps twice as tall as me line the route. If this part of the course slows me down at all, it's because the trees are so spectacular. Bull Creek Flats trail weaves through many of the tallest trees on the planet. Footing is good and I often find myself gazing skyward as I run along.

As darkness falls on the redwoods, Matt and I sprint to outrun it. A burst of energy takes me by surprise and I finish strong. Now all we need is a race name......

3:59:14
18.6 mi.
12:50/mi.
4,697 ft. climb