Running in Halos – Angel Island 50km

Quick Race Stats for Angel Island 2009:

• Distance: 50km, 31.1 Miles
• Time: 04:39:43
• Average Pace: 08:54 min/mile
• Elevation Gain/Loss: ~ 4,070 / 4,070 ft
• Average Heart Rate: ~165 bmp

Tiburon, what a wonderful place to spend a Saturday.   And so it goes, Jen and I had grand plans to each run a race on Angel Island then enjoy Punta del Tiburon and finally to retire at the Lodge at Tiburon.  All of this, a delayed birthday present to Jen for her 30th birthday!

In the morning we made the drive from Hayward and amidst the myriad of lines for the bathroom, runner check-in, and ferry tickets we managed to board the first ferry without issue.  The hull of the ferry held a great surprise, Eric and Denise Vaughan – our wonderful friends from the Coastside Running Club together with their son and his expecting wife.  Eric and I exchanged a few thoughts about the upcoming Tahoe Rim Trail while we hydrated and made pre-race preparations.  Denise leaned in with a muted voice and said, “You know Franz, Eric told me this is a small 50km field you could do very well.”  That thought would stick with me, but my immediate reaction was to retort with,  “There are a lot of fast runners here.  I’ll do my best.”  She responded with, “Franz, but you’re fast.”

With the boat docked we scurried out to attend to pre-race needs, then Wendell announced the 5 minute count down.  I briefly spotted Hoa, my to-be ultra guide for the Cascade Crest 1oo in August, but with 1 minute to go I couldn’t say “hi”.  Then with mere seconds counting down I thought, “What’s my game plan?  I have no idea!”  I think I want to run fast, yes fast.  I inched up to the front and the race was a go.  From there it was an organic evolution of: Follow Ray.

Ray Sanchez is a bad ass in my book.  He runs everything, has completed Badwater, and most importantly he’s run this course before in a 4:30.  So I  ran with him relying on his experience.  My focus was on Ray but within 1.5 miles my attention swayed to a familiar form in the distance – Eric.  As I approached I offered a way to go.  He offered a simple go get ‘em and forward I ran.

The race runs in loops: Perimeter, Middle Road, then to the Peak of the Island… and repeat.  During the 2nd loop Ray paused to tie his shoe, a stop he wasn’t happy with.  That’s when I passed him.  Initially I had a rush of adrenaline but, as 5 minutes passed, I lost my pace.  I no longer had Ray to set a brisk pressing cadence and I’m not use to being out in front.  I eventually found my stride and lost myself in an imaginary race with a passing freighter heading out to the Golden Gate bridge.  The views were beautiful.

I had no concept of what place I was in, I just ran and ran fast.  Loop after loop the trails became less crowded after the shorter distance runners completed their runs.  Then finally I made it to my last lap.  While my wonderful wife Jen refueled me with a Nuun loaded waterbottle Sarah asked, “How is it out there”.  To which I replied “Great, but I’m ready to be done!” while jumping up and down.  Then I took off.  I caught and passed Frederico Sanchez about 2 miles into the loop and kept motoring to the peak licking my chops at the final downhill of the day.  With all systems “go” I let loose for the finish finally merging onto the paved final stretch.  Over 4 hours of blistering hard work was drawing to a final sprint – and I LOVE the final sprint.  After a sharp right I fired it up only the be broadsided by a 5 year old on her bike that sandwiched me into an agave plant!  Yikes!  The girl was okay, although there’s video evidence that she did fall off her bike because of our fleeting collision.  I continued on to cross the finish line in 4:39:33.

Jen did wonderful in her first trail race, the 8km. For the first time I shared the trail with her as the 50km racers merged with the 8kmers and it was nice to see her smiling face out on the trails. It was immediately evident she was having fun. But her fun was mixed with her fundamental competitive drive as I later learned she started running the hills and passing people while signing (to herself) “On and on and On to the next One”. I have no idea who sings it, but in its day the song was all over terrestrial airways. In the end she exceeded her goal of a sub 1 hour and pulled an amazing 8km in 58:28, good for 41st place out of 122 finishers! Great job sweetheart.

~ by pureh2o on August 5, 2009.