It actually happened on Dec. 29 but I wasn't REALLY sure until today's copy of
Ultrarunning arrived. There it was in black-and-white: Steve Patt, first finisher
in the Saratoga Fat Ass 50K. I have had a few division wins
in dog runs but I can't say as I ever even dreamed of an actual race win, even
one with only 9 starters.
I certainly wasn't thinking remotely along those lines on Dec. 29. After all there
are plenty of ultrarunners in this area faster than I, and even if none of them showed
up on Dec. 29, I was planning on a "social run" for once, running and chatting
with everyone else. The race started in very dim light on the Saratoga Gap Trail,
one of my regular trails, so I ended up leading the way. Looking back on a dimly
lit trail filled with rocks and roots isn't a real good idea, so I didn't, and by
the time I reached Long Ridge at the 2-mile mark and did look back, no one else was
in sight. Maybe they all stopped to pee, I don't know, but there were 30-40 mph winds
blowing across the ridge, and I wasn't about to wait. Besides, I know my propensity
for dying at the end of long runs, and was pretty sure I'd see them all sooner or
later.
Well, cutting to the chase, I never did. Ultraruns are a funny thing. If you go for
a short training run with a group, chances are you'll end up running FASTER than
you intended to, as each of you subconsciously starts racing the other. But on a
long training run where ultrarunners are involved, it's the opposite. One person
stops to pee, and others stop or slow down to wait. Reach a water faucet, and the
group can't leave until the last person has refilled their bottles.
So on I went, down through Long Ridge and the fabulous Slate Creek Trail through
Portola State Park, then up the Summit Trail to Portola Ridge, on to Big Basin State
Park, across the top of Big Basin and then back up the Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail to
the start at Saratoga Gap. Naturally I DID slow down as the day progressed, and still
kept expecting everyone to catch me, but they never did.
Even though I had started the day planning to run with "the group," the
last hour and a half heading back uphill to Saratoga Gap presented a different psychology.
All of a sudden I started thinking "hey, I might actually win this race,"
and even though that and a $1.25 will buy you a packet of GU, still it started working
its subtle effect on me. Now everytime I desperately wanted to walk, I would think
"no, better not, someone's going to catch you!". Every sound I heard I
thought "here comes someone." I remember this feeling just once before,
during one dog run when Nicky and I were running flat out nearing the finish of a
race, my lungs bursting, wanted desperately to slow down, but knowing I couldn't
risk it and pushing beyond my abilities to the finish. Well, my lungs were hardly
bursting on Dec. 29, but that "pressure from behind" was there just the
same.
Actually, I doubt I was even the fastest person. I notice in the results that David
Pirogowicz finished second in 6:33, 20 minutes behind me, but I have a feeling he
started MUCH later and that the R.D. timed everyone from the official start, because
I know Pirogowicz is way faster than me. But, whatever. It's in print now. :-)
This course is REALLY a beautiful route. So beautiful that when Kristina Irvin posted
a while ago that she was planning a "birthday run" last weekend on the
same route, I quickly joined in. This time for once I DID run with everyone else
(and would have even if she had called it a race, which she didn't). It DID take
a little longer, but the training was just as useful. This was my 6th 31-mile/6-hour+
run this year (counting Dec. 29) as I work my way towards 100 miles on June 29-30.
Next up - my own birthday 50K on March 23! Although there's still one weekend between
now and then, so maybe that's not next. "Conventional wisdom" says that
the long run shouldn't make up more than 30% of your weekly distance. However I'm
neither conventional nor wise, and I'm following a path of only a few days a week
running (3 maximum) with all runs being long runs except for the occasional track
workout of 1/2-mile or 1-mile repeats for "speed" (such as it is). We shall
see.
Steve "I do NOT have a fat ass" Patt
in Cupertino, CA, within sight of the beautiful
Santa Cruz Mountains