The UltraRunning link for U.S.

Golden Gate Headlands 50K 2000 Results

Golden Gate Headlands 50K
Aug 26, 2000
Rodeo Beach, CA
 
Executive Summary: It was a perfect day for running, weather-wise, the course was well-marked, fully equipped with helpful vounteers, frequent aid stations, and poison oak. RD Guy Palmer and the Tamalpa Runners do a great job in organizing this race! I, on the other hand, was "Mr. Dork" on the trails and fell twice, probably blowing 15 minutes as a result. I finished in 7:03.
 
Just like the Miwok Trail race, Headlands starts and ends at Rodeo Beach. It also uses many of the same trails as Miwok, but usually in the opposite direction. Still, a fantastic view should look equally great from the other direction, and I was looking forward to another scenic day in the Marin headlands.
 
But while the weather was perfect for running, there was a lot of fog, so that often in the first half of the race visibility was not more than 100 yards. Furthermore, Headlands doesn't go up on the ridge after leaving Rodeo Beach, so you don't get the spectacular view of San Francisco and the Golden Gate.
 
Still, everything went well for the first few hours. I felt I was pushing a little harder than at Skyline 50K three weeks ago, and was a little dispirited to find that I reached the Franks Valley aid station in 1:47, and the volunteer said the distance was 9 miles. (Later, I look at the documentation and it says 9.7 miles.) Believing in the 9 mile number, I thought I was barely running a 12 mpm pace.
 
For some reason I was tripping over rocks and roots a lot. On the gorgeous downhill to Stinson Beach, I could hear Bob Agazzi breathing down my neck, and then I tripped again. Contorting to catch myself, I felt both calves cramp up; I yelled, did a shoulder roll on the path, and slid a little way down the slope. Bob helped me up, I checked for damage and found only a small scrape on my right knee. My right side was covered with dirt, which would mix with sweat to become mud during the couse of the day. After spending a few minutes regrouping, I started hobbling down the trail - my calves were too tight from the cramps to run easily.
 
As an aside, being covered in dirt and with blood running down my leg elicited concerned questions from every volunteer that I encountered - what a great bunch of people!
 
I finally got to Stinson Beach in 3:30. Once again, the volunteers said it was the halfway point and I was depressed to think that it was starting to look lilke a 7+ hour day. However, looking at the description later, I see that Stinson Beach is at mile 16.9.
 
The long climb up Steep Ravine was just what my calves needed to loosen up, and I was able to run much of the mostly downhill trail from Pan Toll to Muir Beach.
 
I stuffed myself at the aid station and started walking up the Coastal Trail. It was steep, but bearable, and I tried to catch the two women walking together 30 yards ahead. No luck.
 
Next came the beautiful descent to Pirate's Cove, followed by a brief but steep climb. Here I tripped again on a log step and banged my chin (!) and uninjured knee into the next log. After a few well chosen comments I dusted myself off and continued up. From the top of the hill I started a long descent into Tennessee Valley again, this time on a series of 30 or 40 switchbacks, so that you coulld see a lot of the runners ahead of you.
 
Then came the final climb, up Wolf Ridge. Now, Miwok climbs this ridge, too, but takes about 3 miles to do it, whereas Headlands packs all that elevation change into just more than 1 mile. It was nasty, and I doubt if I managed 30 mpm. At the top, where I was thinking that there was probably 1 mile of downhill to the finish, the volunteer said that it was closer to 3 miles! Well, at least it was mostly downhill. I carefully negotiated the first rocky section, and once on the blacktop, did a slow jog down to the finish. (I think it was about 1.5 miles, not 3.)
 
At the finish line they had barbequed chicken, beans, bread and drink, but first I borrowed some Tecnu and took a cold shower with the stuff. It worked!