Lake Chabot Trail Challenge

Half Marathon - June 7, 2009

After developing iliopsoas tendinitis doing a half marathon last weekend, I decided to skip this one. I planned my training around skipping it - did a hard weight workout on legs on Friday, did 35 miles in a stiff wind on Saturday, did a barefoot beach run on Saturday. But then, Saturday night, maybe under the influence of Saturday's endorphins, I changed my mind and told Ferrell - "OK, I'm in". ...BIG mistake! This was the most painful race I've ever run. I suffered from start to finish, and sit here now with icepack on my operated left hip bursa typing this up. I've never quit a race, and so my last chance to bow out gracefully was before the starting gun, which I didn't take advantage of. The result was that I finished in N-th place, where N=no. of participants. 3:17:03 was my time. Ouch.

Ferrell, on the other hand, was prepared and had a great race. He'd done this one 13 years ago in his prime, and to do it again this year and only lose 9 minutes, is awesome staying power.

The course was on asphalt for the first mile and a half, then steep and often rocky trails which were steeply up or steeply down most of the time, and finishing the last 2 miles on gently rolling hills of asphalt for the last two miles. Midway around the course it's advisable to wear ear plugs as shotgun blasts are incessant. Afterwards, I'm a mess...

After getting back to Santa Cruz, we head to the Spa for some hot tub / cold plunge therapy. The rest of the day I spend pretty much on or in bed, with icepack and snacks, watching the finals of the French Open. .