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Waldo!

August 22, 2015 (Morning)

Exercise Type: Run

Weather: COLD AS SHIT!

Comments:
My job this morning was to be course marshall at the intersection of Fuji and South Waldo, at mile 12/16ish. The early start is 3AM, so we figured we'd have at least 'til 5 or so for those folks to get there.

CA and I set up a tent in the woods just off Waldo Rd (where the course crosses & Fuji trail starts) and were up, bright and early, at 0400 and were off by 0420 or so. We brought a bunch of stuff, including sleeping bags, because it was COLD AS SHIT, like high 30s! Weird! I wore sporthill pants and a hoodie, and had a pretty full (but light) pack that included water and coffee prep materials.

I was a bit nervous about being caught and was power-hiking quick, and CA was having a hard time keeping up. But sure enough, about 2K in, CA said, "there's a headlamp coming behind us!". Shit. First runner.

They were running...FAST! Damn it! They rolled up on me, so I started power-hiking FAST to stay ahead of them on the many short, steep pitches. I did, but on every remote flat (or light up) he'd run! So once he got real close, I told him about the trail junction...

...then I realized he was one of the Japanese runners...who didn't speak English!

Fuck.

SO...I had to keep up with him.

Wound up RUNNING about 3 miles - in pants and a sweatshirt, with backpack on - to the junction. I had to make sure he didn't turn the wrong way! Ugh. Thankfully he wasn't going SUPER-fast, but I swear he was on like 11-hour pace!

Got there at 0540 or so. It took CA a full 10-15 minutes to get there.

After that, we basically just laid there in sleeping bags, trying to stay warm before sun-up, directing runners: first, the early starter, then the regulars. Wasn't too bad. And once the sun came out, it warmed up.

After that, we hiked out.

Rest of the day:

- drove to Shelter Cove Resort to make tailgate breakfast, and I jumped in the lake to clean off two runs' worth of sweat and dirt
- went back to the tent by Gold Lake and slept (sort of) for a couple hours
- went to the finish around 3:30, where CA thankfully did my course-marking of the last 4.5 miles (9mi RT run)
- I hung out at the finish, chatting with folks and watching people finish
- Mike struggled, running 13:xx. I think he over-raced this summer
- Tommy did decent, running 14:xx.
- CA and I hung out (post-run for her) and ate, then drove home at 8.

LONG day (and 30 hours) but not as bad as I thought it might be.