Skyline 50K report August 2, 1998 The Skyline 50K run is now a dim memory, and I am an official ultrarunner. The heat reflecting off the fireroads seared the synapses holding those memories, and all that I remember is that it was HOT. I made it to the half-way point in 2:45, then it took me another 5 hours to finish. My actual time was something like 7:42, finisher #200 in a field of 244 runners. Taking a SUCCEED electrolyte tablet, and guzzling frantically at the aid stations kept my water loss down to about 4% (as opposed to 7% on my last training run). The only time I ran out of water was in the section of 5.5 miles without an aid station, and, as it happened, a couple came up behind me and I heard the woman say "Isn't that the guy?". It was Steve and Rosa, whom I had met on Mission Peak! Steve gave me half a bottle of Gatorade. With all the fluid guzzling, and pill popping, I actually felt pretty good, but somewhere around mile 18 my left ITB started hurting. I'd never had a problem with this leg, although I had hurt the very same spot in my right leg on my first backpacking trip in 1987. On that trip I eventually couldn't bend my leg at all, and that spot still bothers me occasionally. This time, I took 2 Advil and hoped the pain would go away. Alas, that was not to be. Fortunately, walking didn't hurt at all, so by mile 23 I gave up running even the downhills and power walked the rest of the way. Well, the rest but for the last quarter mile. I had already planned to run the last 100 yards - one has to look good in these events - when another runner slowly jogged by. I asked him what his age group was, and when he responded "50-59", I started running as well. (Recalling this episode now, I'm a little ashamed of myself. ) Since I didn't push myself by trying to run the last 8 miles, I felt fine after the race. So the question that came to me, sitting there eating watermelon and feeling so fine, was, "could I do another 19 miles?" At the time, I responded, "Sure!". But later that night, at home, I was pretty tired. Probably more so than after Napa. I also noticed that I had some incipient blisters, which I hadn't felt at all on the trail. So the main memories left are winding around Lake Chabot at the start, chatting with new and old friends, then a short climb up a fire road - enjoyable because I was still fresh - then bombing down the fire road on the other side of the ridge and entering the cool, fern covered hillsides, overarched with damp redwood trees, of Redwood regional Preserve. Before it seemed possible, I was at Skyline Gate, where I changed my socks (oh! Is that nice! ) and really chowed down on melon. Someone who came in just before me is telling the aid station captain that she is dropping out. I wonder why. It's been easy and fun so far. I set off again; now on short level sections interspersed with steep downhills, but this time all single-track trail with lots of tree roots. I flew down these right at the edge of control. Then there was a long section with mixed up and down, all deep within the moist confines of the redwood forest. I was alone in this section, pretty much for the first time; I stepped off the trail to pee - just them 3 women run by! I finally reach the aid station at Canyon Meadow. My leg has been hurting for the last half hour, so I take some Advil and eat some more melon. One of the volunteers helpfully advises "It's 3.5 miles to the next aid station, all uphill with no shade." I hear another runner advise the aid workers that she is quitting, he consoles her that " if you have doubts about finishing, the hardest part is coming up." I guess because of my training runs of 30+ miles, I never had any doubts about finishing. I was just disappointed that I couldn't run more. But now the hottest part of the day is approaching. At Stone Gate aid station, I take a handful of ice, wrap it in my handkerchief and put it under my hat. That's pretty nice. The fire road zig-zags up the ridge, the sun melts my ice hat, and I put one foot in front of another. Power walking is harder to maintain than running - you page out and start to amble along. I come up to a 60-ish fellow I've seen on and off for the last 5 miles. His companion has finally abandoned him to go at her own pace. We walk together for a bit, then he slows way down, muttering about the heat. I suggest that he put his hat back on. Shortly after that, I encounter a black woman in blue tights. I'd overhead her earlier in the race saying she had run the Vermont Trail 100 two weeks ago. But now she's staggering along, looking bad; I ask her if she's OK. She replies faintly "I'm just trying to finish." I pass on. She is no more than 20 yards behind when I hear the sounds of vomiting. What can I do? Nothing really. I walk on. I come upon someone I'd talked to earlier. He starts to jog a downhill, and I jog with him. It feels good to run, and I try to find a leg motion that doesn't hurt, but there aren't any. I reluctantly slow to a walk and he slowly recedes into the distance. After 1/2 hour or so, I hear a siren, and soon an ambulance comes up the road and passes me. I think of the two runners in distress I had passed. Was it one of them? Finally I come to the Marcial Gate aid station. 3.5 miles to go. An eager volunteer there inquires if I want a sponge bath. "Sure", I say. It's more like being sluiced down with ice water, and does it feel good! Another volunteer nags me about taking salt, and I show her my electrolyte capsule. She watches as I swallow it. Then I'm off. Within a mile I come to a steep downhill, maybe too steep to run, if I were running. Oddly, walking down this steep, dusty fire road hurts my leg, and I limp down it, probably no faster than 2 mph. But this section is no longer than 1/2 mile, and now I'm back to the paved bike path around the lake, just on the other side of the lake from where we started. I set out more strongly, and after 45 minutes or so, see an upside down marking on the path: 1.25. Twenty minutes later it's all over as I run smartly across the finish line: 31 miles (unofficial griping claims it's actually 32.5) in 7:42. Date: Sat, 27 May 2000 02:25:24 -0700 From: "David Wright"