Subject: Text-only version of Ridgecrest 50K ! Date: Sun, 06 Dec 1998 22:54:07 -0800 From: David Wright Ridgecrest 50K (Dec 6, 1998) Synopsis: Excellent loop course, well marked. Registration process was a little too casual (I never got an acknowledgement). The aid stations were frequent (9 in all, I think- we didn't get a summary of stations and distances), but the food and drink selection wasn't great. In spite of an unfavorable forecast (cold, increasing cloudiness, with winds increasing during the day), Sunday morning dawned clear in the high desert town of Ridgecrest. The temperature at sunrise was in the 30's, and I decided to wear a long-sleeve polypro shirt under my t-shirt, and nylon wind pants. The race started 2 minutes after 7 am, and we were all quite chilled as we headed up a gradual grade to the south of the College (which is in the south end of town). Even though it was after sunrise, for the first 15 or 20 minutes we ran in shadow, and I wasn't warming up. The 5.6 miles to the first aid station was mostly uphill, and the jeep road varied from soft sand to loose rock. Neither provided a good running surface, and I asked a veteran if it was all like this. He reassured me that most of the route was good running. Even though I wanted to maintain an even 12 mpm pace for the entire course, with the adrenaline rush of a race start, and competion from other runners, I covered the first segment in 53 minutes. Now that we were on top of the ridge, we were in full sunlight; there was only a light wind and I began to feel warm enough to start enjoying myself. The air was crystal clear, and to the northwest I could see the southern end of the Sierra Nevada, covered with a light dusting of last night's snow, and glowing yellow-orange from the sunrise light. To the east, the Panamints were still in shadow, and directly below us stretched the town of Ridgecrest. To the south lay barren, ochre-colored hills. The next 3.5 miles to aid station #2 was a good running surface, with a slight downhill gradient, and the light breeze at our backs. It was wonderful! Following this was another 4 miles of mostly downhill to aid #3. Now, this was a loop course, but it certainly seemed to me that we ran mostly downhill! After aid #3 we climbed again to the ridgeline, then ran along a lever section for several miles before climbing another low ridge to aid #4, Wagonwheel at mile 14. I was still slightly ahead of a 12 mpm pace. After Wagonwheel we entered a section with multiple criss-crossing jeep roads, very confusing even though it was marked pretty well. I just followed some runners ahead of me. They were undoubtedly doing the same, but somewhere up there someone must have known the course. After a little bit of climbing we were on a gently undulating section, gradually downhill, but with soft sand. The combination of the soft sand and the undulations made for unpleasant running, but it was only a mile or so. (Later we would encounter 2-3 miles of the same terrain.) Following this stretch the road gently rose and fell, but the surface was fine, and I ran the short downhills and walked the equally short uphills. Then we came to a long (2-3 miles) of gently descending, straight road, with a good surface. After a couple of miles of continuous running down this, I noticed that my hamstrings were tightening up and the familiar old problem with the bursae on my fiblas was reoccuring. So I walked a little of this descent, even though it cried out for running. We finally got off this straight-arrow section, descended a little more, then climbed a little for about a mile to aid #4 (17 miles, I think). I was still a little ahead of a 12 mpm pace. I don't remember the course from aid #4 to aid #6 too well - it contained the unpleasant 2-3 mile section of big potholes and soft sand, which was mostly slightly uphill. I think the rest of this section was fairly hilly - 50' up, 50' down. We were at our furthest point north, and in the direction of Death Valley could be seen a dry lake bed (presumably China Lake), Telescope Peak, and the subdued hues of the Panamints in the distance. After aid #6 (22 miles) began a long (5 or 6 miles) of gradual downhill, with a good sruface. I took 4 advil, had a GU, and ran about a third of this, walking the rest at a nice steady 12 mpm pace. My plan was to rest my legs for a few miles. Now that I was walking quite a bit, every 5 minutes or so I would be passed by a runner. But most of them were now only managing about a 11 mpm pace, so I was nearly as fast. The town of Ridgecrest was below us to the right, and I'm sure that the finish point at the College was visible, if one knew where to look. We finally got off this slightly boring, straight jeep road. Circled around some hills, and found ourselves in the outskirts of Ridgecrest. I was slightly behind a 12 mpm pace, and, while I felt fine and not tired, my legs protested when I ran more than 100 yards, so I mostly walked. The caffeine from the GU, and the diet Pepsi at aid #7 was still working, and I thought I might be able to make up the time. With ½ mile to go, I didn't care if my legs protested, and ran in, but it was not enough, and I finished in 6:14. Some final notes: This year they ran the course in the opposite direction from normal - counter clockwise. I think the course was great in that direction, with a lot of long, gentle downhills. The polypro undershirt and windpants were perfect. I was never cold (temps rose maybe to 50 by 1 pm), but I never sweated any, either. By 1 pm the wind was starting to build up, and although we didn't stick around, the wind probably increased during the afternoon. Even though my leg problems reoccured, they weren't as severe as before, and I beat my previous 50K time by 1:10. (That's an hour and ten minutes, not a minute and 10 seconds!)