Woodside Trail Run - RunUltra Marathon

We started at Werder Shelter in Huddart Park. Ran down the grass hill until coming to a horse gate. At the horse gate everyone just stopped and slowly shuffled forward as you could only go single file through the gate. Once through the gate we were on single track for a bit. I learned from reading trail running articles that this is what they call the train. You better find your position before getting to one of these sections because once there all you can really do is pace with the group. I got lucky, because it was a perfect pace for me. Then the trail opened up and lots of people passed me. I didn't mind because my only goal for the day was to have fun and finish the run.

I had looked at the map many times before the race, and studied the order of colored ribbons we were to follow. It seemed simple enough. First we follow the pink ribbons of the 17k course, then the green of the 35k course, and finally the orange of the 50k course. The way back we followed the green and pink once again. The most important ribbons to watch for were the striped ribbons. They signaled a turn in the course and were on the same side as the direction of the turn. When I cam across my first striped ribbon on the left side, I took the first left after the ribbon. Ran a few feet down the trail and then the trail turned into a creek bed. I followed that for a few minutes and realized this couldn't possibly be right. I didn't hear any people anymore and everything I had read said this was not a very technical trail run. So, as I scrambled up and down the banks and over rocks, I knew it wasn't right. I turned around and found my way back to the trail. Just a couple feet farther on the left was another trail, very clearly marked with lots of pink ribbons and a sign for the run. Obviously I need to pay more attention to my surroundings... lesson learned. I got busy trying to make up time for the 10 minutes or so that I had lost. I caught back up with the back of the pack and passed a handful of people.

I was hiking up the steep sections of trail, which was a lot of the first 7 miles, when I realized that the first cut-off (at the 2nd aid station) was going to be challenging to make. I had really underestimated the difficulty of all the elevation gain, and the extra time spent on the wrong turn was cutting it very close. If you don't make the first cut-off they turn you around and let you complete the 35k course. I made it to the first aid station and just kept going. I still had plenty of fuel in my amphipods. After the aid station, there was more runnable sections, but I still had to do quite a bit of hiking to keep my heart rate down. My garmin kept losing the signal, so I wasn't really sure how far the next aid station was. I knew I didn't have much time though. It did cross my mind that the 35k course wouldn't be so bad, because this continual climbing was really beginning to wear on me. I thought, "It wouldn't be quitting, because I wouldn't have a choice and I would still get to finish a race." I did a some soul searching and knew with every fiber of my being that I came here to run a 50k, and I did indeed want to run the 50k. I would do everything in my power to get to that cut-off in time. So, I picked up the pace. I knew this was a dangerous move because it was a long race and I was really pushing beyond what I knew I could maintain for the long haul. I didn't want to bonk later, but if I didn't make the cut-off I wouldn't even have the chance to complete this race. So, I dug deep and went. I looked at my watch and I had only 10' to make the cut-off. I hit a section of downhill (I love downhill) and started flying. I even passed three people on this section. I saw some of the 35k runners heading back and asked them to tell me the aid station was really close. They said it was! I hit a section of switchbacks I couldn't possibly run, so I hiked as fast as possible, constantly checking my watch. I had mere minute's, "please let that aid station be right ahead." I turned the last corner on the switchbacks and there it was! Yay! I made it with 2' to spare.

I filled up my empty bottle with sports drink and headed out on the orange section. I walked a bit to bring my hr down. I was so happy I had made it. I knew the first section was the toughest, and if you made the first cut-off, barring something horrible happening, making the final 8 hour cut-off wouldn't be a problem. The trail then started going downhill, so I ran for miles. It felt great and my pace was comfortable. I saw Gary on his way back and told him how close I was to not making the cut-off. I was just beaming from the accomplishment of making it! He looked pretty tired, but was still moving forward at a good pace.(He later told me, he was really done at that point and just wanted a ride back. He did finish in 6:31 though. Great job, Babe!) Then the trail started climbing again. I did lots of hiking and ran when I could.

There are no port a potties on this entire course, so the woods are it, and there's not a whole lot of cover in the woods either. I finally decided I had to go bad enough I just didn't care. I found a somewhat secluded spot off trail and while taking care of business, two of the women I passed earlier, passed me. I got back on trail and it wasn't much longer until I was back at the aid station.

The guy was dumping everything out and tearing it all down. My bottles were empty, and I asked him if he had any sports drink left... one cup on the table that was it. Oh well, dumped it in my bottle and kept going. I hope the two guys behind me had enough on them. I ran down the switchbacks and out onto Bear Gulch road. There were green ribbons on the road, so I followed it, even though I didn't really remember running on a paved road. I had been running for 5 hours at this point, so my thinking really wasn't the best. I ran down the road until seeing what I thought was an unmarked fork in the road. I thought I must have missed something and I'd have to turn around and go back up the hill. Then, I realized the fork was really just someone's driveway and continued running down the road looking for green ribbons. I was just about to turn back when I saw a green ribbon hanging from a tree. I thought, "Oh good, I'm on the right path". About a minute later the two girls who had passed me came walking back up the hill. "Are we going the right way?" they asked. I told them I saw a green ribbon less than a minute ago. (oh,I am so sorry girls) So, the three of us continued running down the road.

I kept watching for more green ribbons, but didn't see any. I also didn't see anywhere we could possibly turn off, so I just kept running downhill for, literally, miles. The other two girls were a ways in front of me, and I saw them stop at a gate across the road. I yelled down, "please tell me there's ribbons down there." One of them, Bev, said there wasn't. My heart sank. I told her I hadn't seen another green ribbon since the one right before I saw them. They said they did see a couple more. But, I knew at that point that we must have missed something way up at the top because there just wasn't anywhere else we could have gone. Ugh! I also knew there was no possible way we were going to make the cut-off if we had to walk back up that steep road. I had my cell, so I tried to call Gary, thinking he may have finished by now and know where we should have gone. His phone was in the car though, so I didn't get an answer, and my cell phone was dying. I turned it off to save it for an emergency call if we needed it later. We started walking, and looking, and examining every possible trail head, gate, or game trail.

There was a trail head about half way up, but there was absolutely no ribbons and it was on the wrong side of the road. We asked some hikers if they knew the quickest way back to Huddart Park, because at this point we knew we wouldn't make the cut-off and just wanted to get back to the park before it closed at 5:00pm. We were also getting cold, tired, and were out of fluids. They had a map, but it didn't have Huddart Park on it. They pointed us to a trail that should get us there.

I thought we were better off on the road than taking a trail we really had no idea about, but I didn't want to be alone so went with them down the trail. We ran for about a mile before coming to a spot where you could see the trail winding around a mountain. We all decided we'd be better off back on the road, so headed back and began walking up the road again. I was completely demoralized. I know it's just a race, but I wanted this so bad. And the thing that made it worse is that I knew I could have finished if I hadn't missed that turn. It was just a stupid mistake that ended my race. I was having a hard time holding it together at this point.

We finally found a guy in a pick up who was willing to take us to the top of the road. I couldn't believe how far we had come down that road. When he dropped us off at the top, he told us a Ranger lived at the house across the street, so we went there. The Ranger wasn't home, but a lady named Sally was. Now we only had 30' before the park closed. After explaining our situation and asking if she knew a number to someone at Huddart Park, she offered to give us a ride back to the start. We were so thankful, I think we would have given her our life savings for that ride, but she refused to take any money. "Thanks again, Sally! You were a life saver!"

When we got back to the park. They had just about everything torn down, and thought all the runners were in, until Gary told them I was still out there. They had three people still out there and didn't even know it. That really shouldn't happen. Apparently there was a trail head about 30ft down the road that we were supposed to take. Somehow none of us saw it. Gary told me when he went through there the green ribbons marking the trail head were laying in the dirt. The ribbons we saw farther down the road? I have no idea, might have been from anything I suppose, forest work, previous races, maybe they weren't even there, but I'm still sure I saw one.

Know the course, carry a map, maybe even get a good gps. I also need to pay more attention to all of my surroundings and listen to my gut. I knew we hadn't run that far on a road and we needed to go back where we came from, but somehow I had convinced myself it was right. "There were some loops in the course, maybe this is the other side of the loop. There weren't any turns, so this has to be right. I saw that green ribbon even though I haven't seen one now for miles..."

Not enough hill training, underestimating the elevation gain, and getting lost


The course was beautiful, and the people were great. And, other than that one spot the course was very well marked. I know ultimately I am responsible for knowing the route and as I plan to do more ultras, this will become even more important. I do, however, think the race organizers should know who they have out on the course. I will be back to do it again though... I have a race to finish